I’m lying to the man I’m about to marry. I’m not the woman he thinks I am. But my secret’s safe. Isn’t it?

Kathryn Croft is one of my go to authors as I have always enjoyed her books. Told in a dual time line which was easy to follow, as we all know in some books this does not always work so well done to the author. Emily marries Jeremy and is head over heals in love, she also becomes a stepmother to Jeremy's daughter Lexi. Emily has he own secrets and hoping that this marriage will enable her rid some of her past as she will take Jeremy's surname. Clues are given but we do not know what this entails but as the book progresses, more information is given.

Unfortunately, as Emily and Jeremy exchange vows Emily notices a male guest that she had hoped she would never see in her life again. Jeremy knows little about his new wife's past and Emily is suddenly thrown into her own personal nightmare. This is the problem when lives are based on secrets and lies, you never know when they may come back to bite you and karma may not be your friend.

I enjoyed the book but is not my favourite by this author but still a decent read. I found some of the Emily's thoughts a bit repetitive and for some reason I could not really identify with the main characters, I could take them or leave them. I was wondering how this would all be wrapped up but was pleasantly surprised as I did not see the final twist coming.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions are my own.

A brilliant book very well written with amazing twists as the story progresses.

I enjoyed the different time lines in this book and all the characters were so well developed.

This author always writes great books which always keep me involved in the storyline. The ending was brilliant, everything brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

A well written story, which I found to be a bit slow and repetitive. However, it was an
absorbing read which I would definitely recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers.

I love this authors books and as usual a very gripping and twisty read. its Emilys wedding day to Jeremy they are getting married in Kefalonia. And Jeremys daughter Lexi giving her away. And she will be finally rid of her past a new start. But when she starts to do her vows the one person, she has been running from is stood watching Christian Homes. Emily has lots of secrets that her new husband does not know about and wants it to stay that way, so the game begins between her and Christian. a very addictive read.

I thought this book was fabulous. Well done ! The twist at the end was what really pushed me to give it 5 stars. The characters were complex but relatable and the story line was interesting and riveting.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! The publication date is the 14th Sept 2023. Wow what a gripping, twist filled book that kept me on my toes and turning the pages! Kathryn Croft kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat the entire book. Just when I thought I knew where things were going another exciting twist was presented!

I loved that I had no clue about what was going to happen next this is a perfect psychological thriller! This book kept me reading well into the night from the very beginning to the very last page, this was a thrilling page turner! My favourite character was Christian I enjoyed figuring out what he was going to do next as he was very unpredictable.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book and all the plot twists that it presented! Another cracking book by Kathryn Croft!

Wedding jitters. We’ve all had them.

I suspect few of them are caused by an unwanted guest, though.

Unsolicited wedding advice is one thing, but an unwanted guest is quite another. Especially when that guest wields power over the bride or groom.

In exploring the idea of an unwanted wedding guest, Croft reveals the power paradox. Readers are left wondering if they’ve ever handed over the ability to send the life they’ve built crashing down around them to one single person who claims to hold all the power. One thing I’ve learned from a past relationship is that when someone resorts to trying to control another, it’s often a sign that their power is dwindling. Someone should have reminded Emily, the bride whose heart is skipping a beat and it’s not caused by the groom standing next to her.

The dual timelines worked really well for this one and readers get to see what lead up to this crisis and why Emily is so stressed out. Croft kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat wondering if Emily could take care of the issue on her own or if her new husband needed to step in and resolve it. I had no idea what direction it was going to take and loved the tension the twists created. I was gasping at the manipulation and wary of every move Christian made. The ending was unique and tied up the mystery very well.

I love books that highlight the ability of our past to affect our future. We all have a secret - someone or something we want to keep buried - and Croft warns us that it takes two to tango so we’d better sort out our skeletons sooner than later.

Thriller lovers will want to add this one to their TBR pile ASAP!

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

It should be the happiest day of Emily's life as she marries the love of her life, Jeremy, but then she spots an unexpected guest at the wedding and that's when everything changes... Can Emily stop Christian from ruining her life? A fantastic thriller that keeps you turning the pages. Full of twists and turns and shocks, a great read.

Book Review 📚
The Wedding Guest by Kathryn Craft - 4/5 ⭐

Fast paced thriller that is filled to the brim with suspense and unexpected twists and turns. It keeps you intrigued and you are trying to get through it as quick as possible!

The book consists of a dual timeline which I thought was fantastic, really enjoyed it. It helps keep things much more interesting and it's really easy to follow unlike some dual timelines. I was questioning the plot so much and didn't actually believe what was happening. The outcome though, did not see that coming in a million years. Wow.

It's a first time read by Croft but it's safe to say it definitely won't be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to read more from Croft.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoture for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

After reading about this book, I couldn’t wait to delve straight in and let me tell you this book did not disappoint. Everytime I had it figured out what was going to happen next something completely differnet happened and I was literally on the edge of my seat. I was gripped, honestly I was in shock at what was happening, it was scary but extremely thrilling.
The best part about this book is that no matter how you try you cannot predict the ending, like you will not see it coming!

It’s an okay read. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. I kinda had to push myself to keep picking it up to read it. It was written well, just not my cup of tea.

On Emily's wedding day to Jeremy, an uninvited guest shows up, named Christian. Christian was Emily's boyfriend during college. Something happened between the two of them that changed both of their lives. Now Christian wants to make Emily pay for what happened all those years ago.

The Wedding Guest was a slow-burn story. I enjoyed the alternating time lines that really helped the story flow nicely. I knew something wasn't quite right and the ending confirmed my thoughts about it. This was the third book I've read by Kathryn Croft.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book but it was rather middle of the road. The pacing was very good and I enjoyed the multiple timelines. I think character development could have been better - especially Emily's husband, all I knew about him by the end was that he was a man and that he existed. The twist did surprise me but I wasn't completely sold on it as it took 'unreliable narrator' to a whole new level. I also didn't understand why the present chapters were in first person and the past chapters in third person. This wasn't a bad book by any means and I did have quite a good time reading it, but I'll have forgotten all about it by next week.

This was an ok read; I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either I just liked it. The book was fast paced -which I love in thrillers and suspense writing - and it was this pacing that made me want to keep turning the pages to see where it was going, however sadly I found the mystery predictable.

Thank you NetGalley & Bookouture for an ARC of this book for my honest review!

Okay, this one was GOOD! Can we talk about gaslighting?! Holy moly!

I loved the dual time lines in this book & how the author presented them. It made it extremely easy to decipher which timeline I was reading. Sometimes life gets in the way & I have to stop mid chapter. It was super easy to figure out where I was without having to go back & re read anything.

This book had me glued by the first page & I just had to know what was going to happen. While I do agree with some of the other reviews that some of the characters actions were a little unbelievable, I will say as a whole I really enjoyed the book & DID NOT expect the outcome. There were just enough twists & turns that kept me guessing and until it played out I had no idea.

What is it they say about karma? It’s a real….. 😌
This is a first for me for reading a book by this author and it surely won’t be my last.

This one wasn't quite what I was expecting. There is a nice mix of suspense and action, along with a few unexpected twists. Unfortunately, the book was also somewhat predictable and similar to others on the market.
Characters were well-developed. Some of their actions, however, were a bit unbelievable. The ending didn't follow the typical pattern, which was a nice surprise. If only the rest of the book had been that way, too.

I have to say, I was a bit underwhelmed with this book.

The story revolves around Emily, who has a troubled past with something she did fifteen years ago. Despite trying to rebuild her life and finding happiness with her dream man, her wedding day is marred by the unexpected arrival of an uninvited guest, threatening to unravel everything she's worked for.

While the wedding aspect may add a slight twist, I found the overall premise to be quite clichéd and reminiscent of many other mystery/thriller books. The pattern of someone from the past resurfacing to wreak havoc on the protagonist's life has become a common trope, which left me feeling disengaged from the story.

I would have loved a bit more surprise and tension interwoven in the story. The main character was well rounded and a complete character from my point of view, but her decisions sometimes seemed forced in order to move the plot along, and not believable in a way that would pull a reader in, The dialogue was believable and very well written. Just wish that the plot would deliver more,
#TheWeddingGuest #NetGalley

This was brilliant. Very hard to put down indeed with some clever twists and turns along the way. I always look forward to this authors books and this one didn't disappoint.

The Wedding Guest by Kathryn Croft drew me in immediately, posing so many questions from the outset that I was frantically turning the pages in a desperate bid for answers.

Emily is marrying the love of her life, Jeremy, in the beautiful setting of Kefalonia. Gaining Jeremy's ten year old daughter Lexie makes everything even sweeter, and Emily could not be happier. But the arrival of an uninvited guest will cast a dark shadow over the proceedings, and Emily knows as soon as she sets eyes on Christian's menacing face that her past has finally caught up with her, threatening to destroy the life she has made more than a decade later.

You really will not go wrong with a novel by the immensely talented Kathryn Croft. This one will keep you reading until you have all of the answers you seek, and then leave you reeling. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

Kathryn Croft is one of those author's you can't really go wrong with.
A rather creepy story but full of drama and suspense.
It took me a little while to get into it but so glad i did.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.