Carrie and Oliver, a couple completely in love and the highlight of a wedding to remember at the legendary Stanley Hotel. This is Carrie’s fairy tale come true. Her fiancé, Oliver, is Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome, successful, and utterly devoted to her. Now, family and friends have gathered to celebrate with them. After a wild celebration night, as the drinks flow freely and the fun begins, the morning after the reception is met with murder.

Well.....I did not care for anyone here at all.
The description of the characters felt cliché and too one-dimensional, and the couple of chapters that were on a past timeline felt very weirdly placed.

We get mainly 2 POVs per chapter; Carrie, the bride, and Andi. Andi was just so cartoonish in everything she did and said and from the very first chapters I felt like I was not going to like reading her point of view at all, she really makes it a point to remind the reader that SHE REALLY LIKES MURDER, SHE’S A DETECTIVE, GUYS!

I don’t know, didn’t vibe with it at all.

3.5 stars rounded up.

"The Wedding Party" by LR Jones was a good, easy thriller if you're looking for something to rip through in a couple of sittings. While the plot has some suspense and twists, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. The characters felt a bit one-dimensional, and the pacing was uneven. Not necessarily a read to leave a mark, but definitely one I'd consider loading up for a day of beach reading.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the review copy!

This book had potential, but the first 3/4 meandered and had some inconsistencies. Then the ending (which was a twist) was super-rushed and didn't ring true to the character of the murderer. Lots of red-herrings. Seemed the author wasn’t exactly sure where the story was going until the last 20 or so pages.

While I would say this book is a fast read, it's not necessarily fast paced. Based on the synopsis I thought this would be a fast paced thriller, but instead it was slow and repetitive. I lost count of the amount of times that discussed Andi being an FBI agent. Her father was also mentioned a lot by her and everyone else and it seemed random. There were a few plot holes and an underwhelming ending. Overall, a decent read but can't say I would read it again.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was drawn to The Wedding Party because of its setting in Estes Park, Colorado, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. The book opens with a prologue that describes a character receiving a white box with a red ribbon and an event taking place after she opened it, 6 months before the main story takes place. The prologue captures the reader’s attention, as does the main story as it unfolds. The premise of the book is that Carrie and Oliver, who are getting married, have a joint pre-wedding party. Prior to departing for their wedding party, Oliver also receives a white box with a red ribbon, the contents of which he does not disclose to Carrie, much to her frustration. The main characters in the book are Carrie and an FBI agent, Andrea (“Andi”) Castle, who is invited by a mutual friend to the wedding party. The story is written in the first person from both Carrie’s and Andi’s perspective, depending on the chapter. It took me awhile to get used to the format because at first it was confusing as to who was narrating.

The book was suspenseful, with some twists throughout and especially at the end. I kept waiting for the link to the two white boxes with the red ribbon, and while a connection was made towards the end, I thought it was confusing.

I did not find any of the characters likeable, but the storyline was interesting so it kept me reading. I found the writing quite choppy and inconsistent; sometimes I had to re-read a few paragraphs to make sure that I didn’t miss something because it seemed like links between topics were missing which was confusing. The way that Andi conducted her investigation and a lawyer who emerged partway through the story conducted herself, were not credible. There were also too many side storylines with loops that never closed. I was also disappointed that not more mention was made of the setting where the story took place. Estes Park is a beautiful mountain town, but the only reference to the city itself was when the party attendees had some free time and walked around town. I wish the town had been described in more detail so that the reader really got an understanding of the story’s setting.

I thought that the way that the book was written deserved 2 stars, but I am giving it 3 because I really was engaged with the book and I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you, NetGalley and L.R. Jones, for the advanced copy.

I wanted to like this more than I did. It was extremely slow burn and didn’t bring anything new to the thriller around a wedding plot.

I loved the premise of The Wedding Party--a murder occurs during a wedding event at the iconic Stanley Hotel in Colorado--known in real life for being the setting of Stephen King's The Shining, and rumored to be haunted as well. To heighten the tension, the hotel is put on lockdown following the murder.

Our protagonist is FBI agent Andi Stone, who is invited to the festivities by a friend, and who has a troubled relationship with her father, a former cop ousted from the force for his violent conduct.

All of the ingredients for a satisfying thriller are there, but the book didn't really work for me, especially the sections dwelling on Andi's relationship with her father. The characters were interesting, but not particularly likeable, which is problematic for me, but not for everyone. And the pace dragged in parts, although I did enjoy the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

A well paced thriller where you follow FBI Agent Andi Castle. You are kept on the edge of your seat throughout as you try and guess who the killer is. Very well written and I would recommend to any thriller reader. My only complaint is that I felt the ending when we discover who the killer was was too quick, however this could have been because I was enjoying the book and didn’t want it to end.

For a bride-to-be and her fiancé, secrets and lies make this a killer celebration in this psychological suspense.

This was fun! Not ground-breaking, but definitely enjoyable.

This book wasn’t what I expected it to be but I loved it nonetheless. Twists and turns right up until the last page.

3.5 stars.

Honestly? Woah.

I requested to read this ARC because the description and title piqued my interest but man, oh man, did I not expect it to keep me guessing the way it did.

This book takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, and at certain points I felt as though I had whiplash, but overall it was all good. The characters had so much depth and interesting characteristics that it honestly held so much suspense and thrill to the point where I found myself creating my own assumptions and evaluations on the characters and who I thought could be capable of murder.

Also, Brody? Super sketch. Cade? Most sketch. Oh my gosh, everyone just seemed SO SKETCHY. I loved it. So many plot twists, so many possible murderers, so much information that threw me through a loop.

This gave me serious James Patterson book vibes. And I love his books. I 100% would recommend this to everyone who likes suspense and crime/mystery books. Be excited for when it is released! You won't regret it!

This is the best book the author has written. It’s gritty, edgy and twisty. She takes you on a journey you don’t see coming. This book will stay in my mind for a long while. I voluntarily read a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through Net Galley.

L.R. Jones is a new to me author but obviously has a lot of talent and writing skill. Previously known primarily for romance novels, she has switched it up a bit and provided us with an action packed, very clever thriller/crime fiction book. I admit to being a bit confused in the beginning with one new story thread after another being introduced but all of it made sense in the end. I never lost interest and couldn't wait to see who the murderer actually turned out to be.

There is a lot going on in The Wedding Party — ghosts, murder, wealthy people partying, FBI investigations, adultery, family relationships and conflicts and a stay in a luxury rehab facility. Although the action is fast paced, there isn’t a likable character in the novel. However, once the reader begins reading, he or she is compelled to continue reading to the end and a somewhat ludicrous conclusion.

I thank NetGalley and Julie Patra Publishing, Inc. for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

4/5 stars.

I loved the level of twists and uncertainty that I had throughout reading and as someone planning a wedding this is my version of a horror movie. The only thing i didn't love was how much we talk about Andi's dad like come on relax people.

Other than that - GIVE ME MORE MINDHUNTER-ESQUE BOOKS!!

The Wedding Party will keep you glued to the pages. I could not get enough of this one. This is a suspense filled read that will keep you guessing until the very end. Andi is a fantastic profiler who thought she was on break until she got in a middle of a case. I love how everything is woven together and ties in to Andi's cases and life. You will not see everything coming as she works to solve the who and the why behind what happened at the wedding party. This is one of my favorites from Lisa Renee Jones to date. I could not get enough of this. You need to read this now.

Lisa always creates such strong female characters and she is a master of plot twists! Just when you're certain you have it figured out, she shakes it up.
This book was very entertaining and a great read. I finished it in a day because I couldn't put it down!

This kept me reading into the wee hours! Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy. I look forward to reading more from the author.

I'm torn on this. It started out really strong, but the story was quite badly written. Everyone was described as tall and dark haired and the entire premise was very far fetched but it was gripping and I had to keep reading to find out who did it. Some loose ends that annoyed me but overall an easy read.

I loved the overall premise of the book. The beginning was very drawn out but the ending felt extremely rushed. I finished the book feeling very disappointed. It didn’t feel complete, like the ending was an afterthought and rushed to put together.