-4 stars ⭐️

What secrets does the guest to the wedding have? Is the bride really who she says she is or is she fleeing the past?

This book truly sucks you in from the start. I was literally clicking the pages eager to find out what Emily was hiding and how her ex had such a tight grip on her, 15 years later when he pops back in her life.

The opening of the novel…Emily, is to be married. It is supposed to be the best day of her life. She finally has the future and life she’s been so eager to live. What more could she dream of besides the perfect life, partner Jermey, bonus daughter to be Lexi and the job she had dreamed of since before she finished high school. Until Christian shows up at HER wedding. Christian and Emily share an unforgettable bond from a long term relationship 15 years prior in Uni!

Emily soon sees her whole life is about to be turned upside down.

This thriller was bone chilling and shook me to the core. All the characters, villains included were likable (most of the time).

I had read another book this year by Kathryn Croft and became an instant fan, so of course I had to get my hands on this new one.

It is an easy read and unpredictable but the storyline was not super unique. I also felt we started out running… slowed to a walk or turtle speed and at 70% we were rushed with lots of twists combed together…too quickly.

I am still a fan… a forever fan and can not wait for more from her. This just wasn’t my favorite but WAS WORTH the read! You will be left speechless, that is a FACT. I was just hoping for those answers sooner and for them to be more direct and not left open ended or rushed.

I received the book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts, review and opinion. So a special thanks to them, the author and Bookouture for the advanced copy. I can not wait for her next.

I saved this book to read during my wedding week and maybe I shouldn't have! No one wants an unannounced ex-boyfriend showing up to your wedding, especially one who wants to expose past secrets! Thankfully that didn't happen to me and my wedding was perfect. But what a time to read this book! It had me on the edge of my seat. Croft really expertly built the suspense in this one. I seriously couldn't wait to pick up this book each night to read a little more. I NEEDED to know what on earth happened between Emily and Christian. I don't think I have ever been more wrong with my theory of what was happening. I didn't see the big reveal coming at all. After reading so many books in the same genre, I think its hard to completely blindside me, but boy did this twist knock me on the side of my head. I had a really fun time reading this one as I generally do with her books.

Thank you Netgally and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of Emily, who has shed whatever secrets are in her past and is finally getting her happy ever after to become part of a new family but then a familiar face appears, intent on paying Emily back for what we do not know.

I’ll be honest, I think this book started at the wrong place- if you look at the blurb you’re close to where it begins so it automatically alienated me a little as I need something before the big ‘kablooey’(!) of the book. Saying that it’s a slow burn as everything starts to deteriorate, with Emily trying not to let anyone know the hold this horrible man has over her. I think (I’m sorry I’m psychoanalysing this book, it’s as much because I love Kathryn Croft’s books sooooo much!) it’s that it just took her explaining to people what had happened. The twist wasn’t for me but I was intrigued to see what would happen and think some people will like it. I will definitely read Ms Croft again and am actually thinking of re reading The Girl With No Past (amazing book!)
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the book in return for an honest review.

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. I loved this tension filled gripping read from Kathryn Croft. Relationships past and present, secrets and lies made this an addictive read. A dream wedding that turns out to be the start of your nightmare when your past and all of its secret start coming back to haunt you. Emily is happy to be marrying Jeremy and becoming a stepmother to his daughter. The day is perfect until an uninvited guest from her past life shows up at the wedding. Someone who knows the secrets she does not want her new husband to know. He makes it clear to her that he wants to destroy her picture-perfect life by telling everyone her secrets. As her former boyfriend threatens to divulge all her secrets, the tension mounts as Emily must do as he asks to keep her secrets safe. Twisty and suspenseful with a conclusion I didn't see coming, Kathryn Croft has wound her web of suspenseful magic again. #theweddingguest #kathryncroft #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #thestorygraph #getlitsy #bookqueen #bookstagram #thriller

The Wedding Guest by Kathryn Croft

Published: September 14, 2023
Bookouture
Genre: Psychological Fiction
Pages: 349
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Kathryn Croft is the bestselling author of eleven psychological thrillers and to date she has sold over one and a half million copies of her books. Kathryn writes full time and is now hard at work on her next book. After twelve years living in London, she now lives in Guildford, Surrey, the place she grew up, with her husband, two children and two crazy cats.

“The past is now behind me.”

WOWZA. This was a ride from the beginning. Told in alternating timelines, the past and the present are woven together to tell a nearly unbelievable story.

The way this story unfolds and the way characters are written is so brilliant. This was the epitome of a razzle-dazzle. Croft has such a talent for creating characters so deeply carved out that readers believe whatever these characters say.

The twist in this book gave me whiplash, and my jaw hit the floor. I did not see things happening the way they did. The masterful manner in which the blindfold gets ripped off our faces, and the brutal spiral from the top is nothing but pure chaos.

This was an excellent read. This book just got better the further I got into it until I couldn’t put it down, and I had to find out the truth!

A very good psychological thriller. So many twists and turns right from the start. I couldnt put it down til i was finished. A definite must read

Thanks netgalley and publisher. All thoughts are mynown and arents influenced by anyone else

I loved this book! I enjoyed the dual time line from past to present. It kept me on the edge of my seat. Never knowing where it was going to take me. I kept wanting to know sooo bad what she had done to deserve the mental torture he was putting her through. I would definitely read more from this author!

This was an engaging psychological thriller. However, I felt there was some missing information and some of the character's actions did not make sense.

My favorite book by Kathryn Croft was Silent Lies.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. This starts off with a shocking scene where someone from her past interrupts her wedding. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and then shocked again at the end. Amazing twist!

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it and all I can say is Wow!!!! Another amazing book by this author. I was floored when I got to the end. The whole book has a main twist that you are dying to know and trying to figure out that comes out at the end. I would seriously give this book 10 stars if I could!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Wedding Guest' by Kathryn Croft.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Kathryn Croft, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 14th September 2023.

This is the third book I have read by this author. I have also read 'The Suspect' and 'The Lie' which I would also recommend.


This novel consists of 37 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

'The Wedding Guest' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Kathryn discusses gaslighting, mental health, abuse and toxic relationships.


This book is fantastically written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all feeling the hair raise on your arms and feeling the sweat run down your back.

This book is an intriguing and engaging psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages from the start. I ended up reading it in one sitting of several hours. Kathryn does a fantastic job of weaving the chapters from the past and present perfectly so we start slowly getting a picture of what is going on and what happened but she doesn't give too much away to spoil it for readers. This also helps build up the characterization from when Christian and Emily met at college to when they meet again many years later at Emily and Jeremy's wedding Kathryn does a fantastic job weaving the timelines together to create tension and suspense as we turn the pages. This is one of those books that will continuously keep you guessing throughout from the start untile the unexpected and explosive twist at the end which I never seen coming so a HUGE well done to Kathryn as after reading hundreds of crime books it is getting harder and harder to surprise me but you managed to do it especially when it came to the mega twist at the end!! You absolutely blew my mind with that one!! This book is definitely a rollercoaster ride of suspense, shock, twists, turns, family, secrets, mystery, tension, romance and so, so much more that it will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout! It is very fast paced and every time I said I would just read one more chapter that chapter ended in a way that there was no chance I could put it down so I read one more and then another and another until before I knew it I had come to the explosive ending!! It really is an intriguing, chilling, suspenseful and action packed psychological thriller that will keep you guessing throughout!!


It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

The characters are realistic, strong and each have their own unique personalities and I was completely invested in them. My heart went out to Emily who was in such a desperate and inescapable position by Christian that my heart was pounding along with her. Thanks to Kathryn's fantastic evocative writing skills each of the characters come to life in front of the readers eyes. The cat and mouse game between Emily and Christian had my heart in my throat and on the edge of my seat so many times I lost count!! Each of the characters are complex as are the dynamics between them and I enjoyed the character development throughout the book. I wont say anymore about them as I don't want to risk giving anything away. Regardless of whether you love or hate the characters they all jump out of the pages and play their parts perfectly. I am looking forward to reading more books by Kathryn and seeing what she comes up with next!


Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the prologue and first chapter of Kathryn's 'The Girl With No Past' which is promising to be just as good as this book and I look forward to reading it!


Overall an intriguing chilling and complex psychological thriller that will keep you hooked and guessing throughout.


349 pages

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £8.99 in paperback (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 4 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews

#TheWeddingGuest #KathrynCroft #Bookouture #BookoutureAnonymous #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads #NetGalley #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Bookstagram #Bookblogger #KindleUnlimited

@TheWeddingGuest @KathrynCroft @Bookouture @BookoutureAnonymous @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Netgalley @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited


https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86

https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R

https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/34299953-kirsty-bookworm86

https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFZ2XZBSFHIHXBXGZLBQ666XVK4A?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_mb_l_prf

I adore this author and her books are wonderful. And this one - wow. It's just brilliant. Pacy, Thrilling. An absolutely addictive page turner. Once you start reading, you cannot stop. Loved it.

Getting married should be the happiest day of your life. surrounded by friends and family, but when you are interrupted by your ex there may not be a happy ever after, after all.

Croft writes a narrative in a past and present timeline told through the main character of Emily.

This novel was filled with twists, some I didn't see coming and which left me unable to put this novel down.

I have read several of this author's novels before and I can easily pick this up again and again.

I found The Wedding Guest to be an ok read. It had the twists and turns I like in this type of story but I found the story was a little disjointed and I really did not like the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this arc. This was a very interesting story. It goes back and forth between the current timeline and to when she first met her ex. I didn't like the ending that well.

Every woman's nightmare is someone turning up unannounced at their wedding - but what are they going to say?

I've read several of Croft's books prior to this one and have thoroughly enjoyed them, so was looking forward to The Wedding Guest. The blurb immediately caught my attention and the opening pages had me hooked!

It's moderately paced and as the suspension builds so does the pace, right up to the big reveal moment at the end.

Twists and turns, secrets and lies, what more could you ask for in a psychological thriller.

I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to reading more from Croft in the future.

This book was a bit hard for me to finish. It felt disjointed between the flashbacks and the present. I never really got the feeling of why the male character wanted to punish the female main character until the very end. And the fact that her husband just takes all this change in character of his new wife when her best friend shows up in stride strikes me as strange.

Firstly, Croft's writing skills are truly exceptional. I was able to finish reading this book within 24 hours, thanks to the author's gripping plot that immediately grabbed my attention and kept me engaged throughout. The book is filled with numerous twists that kept me on the edge of my seat, and the mind games played by the author were simply exceptional, adding to the book's addictive factor.

As for the characters, I found both Emily and Jeremey to be equally detestable, which is actually a good point. It's always intriguing when an author is able to create complex and flawed characters that elicit such strong emotions from the reader.

While this may not be my favourite book by the author, I would certainly recommend it to those who enjoy thrillers and are looking for a captivating read.

'The Wedding Guest' is out now and is available on a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

This was a fast-paced and tense read, centered on Emily, whose ex-boyfriend Christian randomly shows up at her wedding and threatens to upset the life she is building with her new husband Jeremy and his daughter. The story is told from Emily’s POV in both past and present timelines.

The cat and mouse game between Emily and Christian is very tense and there were times where I just felt she was in a helpless situation. I enjoyed the chapters told from when they were in college to help build the characterization as the current events unfolded. I was truly surprised by the twist at the end, which doesn’t happen much for me- that alone is worth the read. I thought the ending of the book was mostly satisfying and that it tied up the loose ends well.

Overall, another engaging read from this author that is recommend to those who like psychological thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest record.

It's Emily's wedding day in gorgeous Kefalonia and, just as she thinks she's about to embark on a new life with handsome Jeremy and his daughter Lexi, she turns to the congregation and spots the one person she thought was out of her life for good, her ex Christian, but how did he know where to find her and is he going to reveal the secrets of her past and ruin her future before it's even begun?

The Wedding Guest is the latest thriller by this author and, imagine my surprise when I opened this book whilst on the plane to find it begins in the destination I'm heading to! The story is told from the perspective of Emily, with a dual timeline alternating between the past and present. This one, compared to her previous novels, is a slow burner and for a while I wasn't really sure where the story was heading but then, in true Croft style, she hits you with the twist and suddenly it was a whole new ball game with a plot that was very unexpected and changed my opinion of two of the characters completely. This is an intriguing, at times complex, tale which I urge readers of her previous work to stick with, because the slow start is well worth it for the bumpy ride that follows!

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.