Carrie and Oliver and their wedding party head to the Stanley Hotel (hello to The Shining) for their bachelor and bachelorette parties. When one of the guests is murdered, it may be lucky (though not for the killer) that one of the guests has brought a plus one who is an FBI agent. Andi doesn’t know any of these people, but she sets out to figure out whodunnit, and why.
Told in two POV’s by Carrie and Andi, the question is, will Andi figure it out before everyone is free to depart. What could the victim have done to make someone want him dead? I made my final guess at about the 50% mark and for once, I was right. I enjoyed the location and kept wondering if we would encounter any of Stephen King’s ghosts that supposedly roam the halls of the Stanley Hotel.
While I didn’t find this to be as fast paced as I usually like, it was still a fine way to spend an afternoon.3.5 stars.

This was a really good mystery where I didn’t figure out who the culprit was until the end. It centers on Andi, who is an FBI agent taking a weekend break at a joint bachelor/bachelorette party along with a friend. Carrie and Oliver are the engaged couple and they seemingly have everything going for them. When there is a murder, it becomes clear that there are secrets that someone would kill to keep hidden. Andi ends up getting involved, whether she likes it or not. I was worried this would be yet another locked room mystery, of which I’ve read so much lately, but it’s not like that at all.

Andi is a likable character- I initially thought that the dynamic with her dad was weird but it made more sense as I continued reading. The mystery in the book was sound- I kept going back and forth on who I thought did it, and the author threw in some very believable red herrings. The setting of the historic Stanley Hotel was a neat idea and added a level of creepiness to the whole tone of the story.

Overall, this was a really interesting read with a strong protagonist and a great mystery. I’d recommend to those who like mysteries and psychological thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A huge sigh from me. I really wanted to love this one. This book started off promising and I was hooked immediately (the first few pages reminded me of The Golden Couple, which I enjoyed). However, once Andi and Lana were introduced, my interest started to dwindle. I love a good thriller and in order for me to truly enjoy it, I must care about the characters. I want to be intrigued by their motivations, what drives them, and most of all I want to be proven wrong. Unfortunately, this book did not deliver any of that. The characters are one-dimensional and super cliched, particularly the women. In this universe, women are either A) a beautiful materialistic airhead B) quiet and mousey, clueless about her natural beauty or C) career-obsessed and unable to switch off to enjoy a party with a good friend.

Andi, the main character, is an FBI agent and if you didn’t catch that the first one hundred times it’s mentioned, you sure will know it by the end of the book. She is option C and is constantly portrayed as the boring, serious, and insufferable investigator that does not possess one thought outside of work. I also found the dialogue very unrealistic. When Andi is first introduced to the bridal party, the entire conversation that followed was purely about her job. I promise you conversations in real life are not like that. Every character was an exaggerated stereotype and I really struggled to care about Andi, especially about her relationship with her dad, which was hard for me to even read due to their achingly awkward interactions.

I won’t spoil the book, but because of the poor writing and one-dimensional characters, I was able to pinpoint the culprit very early on. This one let me down, I do not recommend. Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy so I can provide an honest review.

I realy liked this book... The end was realy surprising! Did not see that coming!
Carrie and het fiancé Oliver, hold a joint bachelor/bachelorette party at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado.
Andi Castle is a plus-one with her friend Lana at this party, and a FBI agent/profiler.
After the party, Oliver got killed, and everybody thinks Carrie did it... the question is, did Carrie do it?

I really enjoyed Andi and her dad Eddie’s relationship. It's a kind of love-hate relationship.. but he helped her really to get to the point to come to the conclusion..
I would like to know where the knife is, how the whole murder went down from the killer’s perspective. Other than that, it was an exciting suspenseful thriller!

The first part of The Wedding Party was a slow start, the story really kicked off once everyone arrived for the bachelor/bachelorette parties.
after that, I could not put it down!
thank you lisa and netgally, for the ARC..

I absolutely loved this book. Andrea Castle, is on a break from the FBI and is invited to go to a engagement party at a haunted hotel; with some incredible history attached to it. We meet Carrie , Oliver and the bridal party; except things don’t go as planned. When a murder happens and the bride might have done it; Andi, gets into police mode and works the case. This case takes you on different paths while trying to figure out if Carrie is innocent or not. With twists that make you question who did it all the way to the end; this book will definitely keep you turning the pages and wanting more!

I enjoyed this thriller, but I didn’t love it. While it captured my attention and kept me guessing all throughout, it sadly fell short during the final twist at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

Great story, fast paced and twisty. I was immediately engrossed and needed to know what happened. But the ending was so abrupt.

This was such a great book! I read it in one day! I would definitely recommend this book!! So many twists!

Holy. Cow. I’m not sure I have enough good things to say about this book! I was absolutely hooked and did not see the twist coming!! Definitely a fast paced thriller!

This started very, very slow. I also found it very long, and too the point where it could probably be shortened. I loved the setting and thought that was extremely unique, a wedding at the Stanley hotel. I didn't feel any connection to the characters and simply carried on with reading this just to finish. Although the ending did surprise me, I wasn't wow'd.

Ooof, sadly, this was a rough one!

THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley is one of my favorite mysteries, so from the premise I thought this one would be similar. However… I had a very hard time with this one. I THINK it’s because this was an early copy, but there was so much repetition of specific phrases/expressions from multiple characters, and the dialogue kept hitting me as pretty stilted. Andi’s whole world revolved around her father, which was weird and I think spoke of a lot of daddy trauma issues that weren’t really addressed, but his character was even weirder—extremely caricatured, to the point I couldn’t take the book seriously. Every single person in the story also made such a big deal about Andi being an FBI agent, and they all knew who her dad was too? I could buy maybe one or two people knowing, esp the ones in a related field of work, but even total strangers whose first reactions as to google her name and read all about her and her father was just… a stretch. And there were quite a few stretches here.

Sad this was a miss for me, but super grateful to Netgalley and the publisher!

I WANTED to like this book. Unfortunately, that didn’t quite end up being the case. Th story is incredibly repetitive- reminding the reader over and over again that our main character works for the FBI. Almost every paragraph has a mention of Andi’s dad who we don’t meet until the end and has a very small role in the book. I do think the intention was to foreshadow the ending and how Andi was going to end up like her father just like Carrie, but all it really ended up doing was confusing me and making me triple check that this book wasn’t part of a series because it felt like I was supposed to know and have some sort of attachment to Andi’s father. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t find myself really caring about any of the characters or about who was the killer. It took me much longer than it normally would have to finish a book of this length because I just didn’t have the motivation to go back to it. I think the idea of what was going on was good but something about the delivery just really fell flat for me.

I will not be sharing this review anywhere other than here out of respect for the author and publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Prepare for a interesting "The Wedding Party," where FBI agent Andi Castle finds herself on leave after closing a case involving a brutal serial killer. Invited to a coed bachelor/bachelorette party by an old friend, things take a dark turn when a murder occurs. We also delve into the perspective of Carrie, the bride-to-be, as she grapples with insecurities about marrying into a wealthy family.

The beginning of the book captivates with its suspenseful introduction to the characters and their interactions with Andi, who senses something off about almost everyone. However, the story takes a downward spiral after the murder, becoming frustrating due to repetitive character actions. While I held on, hoping for a satisfying resolution, the big reveal left me disappointed and with numerous unanswered questions. The murder weapon remains unrecovered, and the significance of the secret in the box and its aftermath feels disconnected and lacking purpose.

One aspect that proved particularly irksome was the excessive mention of Andi's father. Despite his minimal presence in the book, he was incessantly referenced in both character conversations and Andi's inner dialogue, which became grating. Overall, "The Wedding Party" was an alright read, but not one I would revisit.

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!