I loved this author’s YA fantasy/scifi series when I read it years ago, and I was surprised to see her writing an adult thriller, something so different. But I had all the faith that she could pull it off. I enjoyed my reading experience with this one. It’s a solid three star that I would recommend and think is worth the read. The characters are definitely a highlight for me, I really connected with felt for Ellery and everything she was going through in her personal life. I was definitely rooting for her. I also loved the side characters as well. I found the atmosphere and locked-room setting to be very engaging and immersive. The plot and pacing, for me, are where I felt it was a bit lacking. It’s quite the slow-burn, and that’s just not to my personal tastes in books. The conclusion of events picked up speed and was exciting, but something about it just wasn’t quite as satisfying as I wanted it to be. It felt like a lot of build up to something that wasn’t as emotionally explosive as I expected. But I liked the red herrings and trying to figure everything out, I was definitely invested in the outcome. If the premise of this one sounds intriguing to you, I think it’s definitely worth the read!

For you if you like:
🏝️ Remote setting
💪 Strong character development
🧩 Murder mystery
☀️ Summer vacation vibes

Ellery's life has taken one unexpected turn after another. The latest being her husband asking for a divorce after nearly twenty years of marriage. Now, Ellery finds herself on what would have been an anniversary getaway at a resort in Big Sur on her own. Not wanting to waste the money spent - and definitely not wanting her husband and his new girlfriend to take the trip - Ellery hopes this will be time spent getting back to herself. It almost seems like a slap in the face that there's also a wedding happening the same weekend.

Unfortunately that wedding, just like Ellery's marriage, doesn't turn out to be a fairy-tale either when the groom winds up leaving the bride at the altar. Not only that, but the next morning, Ellery discovers the groom dead.

As if that weren't enough, a terrible storm has washed out the roads and essentially left the guests stranded for the foreseeable future. When another wedding guest is found dead, it becomes less about weathering out the storm, and more about trying to survive.

I had read a few of Ally Condie's previous books and was very interested in her first foray into Adult from YA.

There's almost like this strangely surreal feeling about the book. Like Ellery can't believe she's there. Her life has taken such a turn, it's almost like she's walking in a dream. Her life cannot be real. But it is, and this mentality kind of lends itself well to not knowing what is happening around the resort. Not knowing who to trust if you can't even trust your own feelings because they are so raw at the moment. This might also lend itself well to the more awkward moments in which Ellery finds herself. Because, honestly, she is feeling awkward. She's the only person travelling solo, which is not something she previously would have considered.

With that being said, however, it felt like the way Ellery winds up involved in the mystery is very forced. Even though it speaks to the awkwardness at hand, it still didn't make sense to me that people would just cling on to the fact that Ellery is the best person to solve the mysteries regardless that she was the one to find the groom. Despite the situation in which everyone finds themselves, the connections formed just didn't feel organic. I think what makes this all the more apparent is the fact that Ellery does meet and form a bond with Ravi and Nina, two friends travelling together, and their fast friendship works. When compared with everything else that's kind of sped along, it just didn't mesh together and therefore I think took a little out of the more suspenseful moments of the book.

I really enjoyed the setting. This almost Overlook Hotel-esque location. The vastness of everything. Because regardless of all of that space, you still feel the edges slowly creeping in as the seclusion and remoteness closes in, and not being able to get out adds to the tension.

Despite some of my misgivings, I still enjoyed the read. It's a more contemplative mystery than a pulse-pounding one, but I was kept enthralled in figuring out what happened when every twist and turn leads to another path.

I really enjoyed this book! Ellery is a great MC—she was so observant. It was fun to experience the story through her narrative.

The pace was good, not overly fast, like a rollercoaster thriller, but not slow. Something interesting was happening the whole time, but sometimes it was just plot development and not seat-gripping action. I did have some character questions by the end of the story, so it wasn’t heavy on character development with the exception of Ellery.

My biggest gripe was that there were so many characters that it was hard to keep them all straight sometimes. It’s quite a large cast!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The Unwedding by Ally Conde. Overall, it’s a 4/5 from me and I’ll be recommending it to a lot of different readers. I think it would be a great book club pick, too.

Although I was a fan of her Matched trilogy, this one did not hold my attention. I had a hard time following the story in the first couple chapters which prevented me from becoming invested in the characters. DNF at 30%.

Overall I enjoyed The Unwedding but I felt like it dragged on which was frustrating. The end felt pretty convoluted.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I started reading the ebook of The Unwedding but it was hard to put down and I remembered I had downloaded the audio as well. Thank GOODNESS!

This is one book that I alternated the ebook and the audio because I had trouble putting it down - the story held my attention and it was hard to walk away from.

The story itself reminded me of a mix of many of today's current mysteries - mysterious settings, suspicious guests, building tension, threat of escalation as the storm has them stranded and the body count starts to add up. But near the end, it also reminded me of Agatha Christie type mysteries where the characters all talk out the crime. None of that is a criticism, I really enjoyed it.

I'd highly recommend this to friends, family, and patrons who enjoy mysteries and thrillers especially the "locked room" type that are set in an exotic location.

I love Ally Condie, she is an autobuy author for me, and her latest - a well-written foray into the adult thriller market - is superb. Filled with tight plotting, excellent characterization, and just a plain old great story, this book will grab readers and won't let go until they have finished the last page. Recommended for any who love fast-paced books!

This book was very atmospheric. I felt like I was at the resort right alongside the wedding party. I did find myself getting confused with the characters and who did what. Overall this book was just okay for me.

Although I loved the setting of Big Sur the storyline was a bit too convoluted and went on for too long.. I did finish the book and the ending was satisfying.

What a great read! Lots of characters, LOTS of red herrings, good character development and nothing traditional about it. The main character’s trauma was believable well presented. A great summer read and one of the better mysteries I’ve read this year.

Ellery is still reeling from a painful divorce. On top of that, she and her husband were supposed to spend their anniversary at a luxurious California resort and now Ellery is there alone. But, almost immediately she becomes acquainted with Ravi and Nina and the solo vacation starts to look a little brighter…until Ellery discovers a body in the swimming pool and torrential rains isolate the resort and its inhabitants.

The Unwedding has a great premise and I enjoyed its locked room mystery aspects. The characters are interesting and, in some cases, very well-defined. I also enjoyed the descriptions of both the characters and the setting, although I never did really figure out the layout of the resort. Overall, there are several different backstories that the author seemed to rely on extensively and yet there were also several characters that remained somewhat mysterious and never defined to my satisfaction.

The story lagged at times and Ellery’s reflection on her marriage and her family was often the focus. I found myself skimming the pages more than I like to. Finally, the ending was a little contrived. The author tried to tie in too many characters and their relationships. As a result, a lot of information was revealed at the very end and seemed to pop up out of nowhere. The Unwedding is a 3.5 stars for me. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

I enjoyed The Unwedding. Ellery, newly divorced and grieving, travels solo to a remote Big Sur luxury resort - a trip she'd originally booked as an anniversary getaway with her husband. Of course the resort is hosting a wedding! And then the dead bodies start to pile up. Pitched as Agatha Christie meets White Lotus - and I found that to be spot-on!

This started out SO. GOOD. But it just went downhill from there. The literal only times I tuned back in were when someone was shot, dying, or missing. I didn’t actually care about any of this. And it’s so strange, because I usually love locked room mysteries.

Sad to say it, but I liked the inserts and the little asides more than the actual story. It was the only time when we got information on the actual case. I just did not care about literally anything else to do with this story. And it’s strange, because I usually like amateaur style detectives. But this one was a bit too much of an amateaur. She wasn’t really looking into anything, she just turned out to be in the right spot at the right time and she overheard a lot. (Basically a glorified nosey woman lol) The whole thing was very cringe and I was very disappointed.

The characters were the main focus in this mystery when it should have been the plot if that makes sense. The “friends” she met were so snobbish and ridiculous and I rolled my eyes every time they came back to talk. And then for everyone else it was like the author decided to do everyone’s back story instead of actually making it interesting or thriller-y if that makes sense lol I was so bored.

For this to be sold to me as a “thriller,” it was not………… for lack of a better word, thrilling. It was definitely a mystery, but this didn’t have my heart racing or even my interest very much at all. In fact l found myself falling asleep listening and I was listening while I had a migraine to ensure I finished it faster. It really was a little like work to finish this off.

The only reason I still finished it was because I wanted to know whodunit and if I had guessed right. Andddddd I actually didn’t. But Idk if that was because I wasn’t paying great attention because I was bored, or if she actually got me. I think it was the later because I had forgotten all about that character. And I know she probably did that on purpose too. It was weird and I just didn’t care for it at all.

This was a train wreck. And it was weird because I usually like Ally Condie’s work. Maybe I’m still too attached to her YA work, but this just didn’t hit the same for me. I gave it a shot but I don’t feel I was right for this one.

3.5

This one caught me a little off guard as I went into it blind. There are a lot of things happening all at once plus flashbacks to previous incidents.

The story centers around Ellery. She’s a teacher who just got divorced and has a royal cockwad of an ex who I wish she had kicked in the nards. But nevertheless - she is our MC and is taking what should have been her anniversary trip to a beautiful resort near Big Sur.

Most of the resort is taken over by a wedding that is occurring in a few days and being alone doesn’t last long for Ellery as she is adopted by a pair of friends who are also vacationing but aren’t part of the wedding.

All is going well, new friends made and then Ellery stumbles upon a body in the pool on the wedding night. And a raging storm comes in and knocks out communication and the bridge allowing them to leave.

In a truly locked resort whodunnit, Ellery is scrambling to figure out who killed who and who might be next.

As a Monterey native who regularly goes to Big Sur, I was super excited to read a book set in Big Sur! Overall, I was a little disappointed because I was hoping for a richer feel for the Big Sur setting - but to be fair I had high expectations because I do think Big Sur is such a great setting for a book and a thriller mystery in particular. The actual story and mystery was good and kept my attention, but wasn't amazing. The characters felt a little one dimensional, but I was still invested in the murders and was surprised by the reveals..

What a fun vacation read! This book is set in the Pacific Northwest around Big Sur. Oddly enough, I happen to be in that area vacationing so this book was even more fun! This is the first book I've read by Ally Condie who has transitioned from YA to adult thrillers.

Ellery is newly divorced and decides to take the dream vacation she had planned with her ex for their anniversary. Instead of relaxing she finds a body floating in the pool. The body happens to be the groom in the wedding taking place at the resort. Thanks to a huge landslide there's no easy out of the resort. Phone lines are down and help cant get through. From then on, the bodies start piling up and it's a race to find out who is responsible before someone else turns up dead.

Fast paced with a lot of characters! The characters were absolutely love able and it's hard not to care about what happens to them. The level of suspense is high and the flow of the story keeps the reader invested and having fun.

This locked room story is unique and worth a read!

A whodunit mystery in modern times.

Ellery is newly divorced and goes to a luxury resort meant to be her 20th wedding anniversary trip. She goes alone and soon is swept away in a murder mystery happening at the resort. Storms end up closing access to the resort and that means everyone is stuck trying to figure out who did it and why.

This book includes lots of characters and different storylines. I liked the backstory on Ellery and how the author ties that into the main story.

This was an easy read and I enjoyed how it played out.

Thank you to #Netgalley for the ARC.

Publishers of “The Unwedding” by Ally Condie, author of the bestselling young adult “Matched” trilogy, describe the book as a fusion of “The White Lotus” and Agatha Christie.

“The Unwedding” follows Ellery Wainwright, a recent divorcee who finds herself spending what would have been her 20th-anniversary trip at a lavish Big Sur resort, alone. Her solitude is amplified when she finds out a wedding is taking place while she’s there too.

But soon, what should be paradise quickly turns into a nightmare when the groom’s lifeless body is discovered in the pool, and a mudslide leaves everyone at the resort trapped. Prepare for a deluge of secrets — as is typical in isolated setting thrillers, darkness lurks beneath the surface, and nothing is as it appears.

Ally Condie's The Unwedding is a mix of Agatha Christie and The White Lotus. It is also the authors adult debut. 42-year-old Ellery Wainwright is a recently divorced teacher who is taking a planned vacation to celebrate 20 years of marriage without her bastard of a husband who left her to reinvent himself with someone not her. After arriving at Broken Point, Ellery finds the one thing she really wouldn’t have wanted at all, a wedding taking place while she mourns her own marriage.

Trying to make the best of it all though Ellery continues her solo trip doing her best to avoid the wedding until the night Ellery discovers the body of the groom floating in the pool and finds a mudslide has cut off any chance of help arriving to find the murderer. Determined to discover the truth behind the groom's death, she and some new acquaintances (Ravi and Nina) begin an unsanctioned investigation. Before the police can reach Broken Point, a mudslide takes out the road to the resort, leaving the guests trapped.

When another guest attached the the wedding dies, it’s clear something horrible is brewing. Everyone at Broken Point has a secret. And everyone has a shadow. Including Ellery. Ellery soon teams up with Ravi and Nina, wedding party crashers, to find out who might be up to no good. Her anxiety is made even worse by the fact that this isn't her first dealing with someone dying. As she tries to make everything right by helping calm down the bride and do some sleuthing she could find herself even closer to danger.

As the mystery grows more layered and the situation, more dire, Ellery wonders if she will make it back home to her children. To make things more interesting, there is a collection of priceless works at the resort. Priceless works that someone seems to want as their own. Could the theft of the priceless works and the death of two members of the wedding party be connected? And, what happened several years ago that has Ellery's anxiety ratcheting up past ten? So, along with the constant rain, the flood roads, a bridge that is no longer accessible, Ellery finds herself wondering when the next shoe is going to drop.

*Condie is apparently pivoting from YA dystopian romance to mystery/thriller, a la Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley. She is moving in a new direction for her brand, one that taps into a commercial sweet spot that will resonate with and diversify her readership. My only negative was that I had wished that the author had spent just a few pages more with Ellery's backstory which is a bit on the heartbreaking side. I can't imagine anyone going through what she did and surviving.

Young adult and middle grade fiction author Ally Condie has turned the pain of an unwanted divorce into her first venture into writing for adults in the novel The Unwedding that was released June 4.

Ellery Wainwright decides to take her now defunct second honeymoon celebrating 20 years of marriage even though her husband is off with another woman after seeking a divorce from Ellery. Her friend Abby has suggested Ellery take the trip to a luxurious resort in Big Sur, California, since the reservation is not refundable.

Unfortunately for Ellery, the resort is the destination of a high-profile wedding on the same weekend as her visit. Worse, she discovers a body floating in the pool when she goes out for an early morning swim. Even worse, everyone is trapped at the resort and the police cannot reach them thanks to a mudslide that takes out the road to the resort.

While neither guests nor staff are pleased to be stranded, they are not terribly alarmed about their safety until a second body is discovered. Suddenly, everyone becomes a suspect, workers and visitors alike.

Ellery, a high school history teacher, decides to do some investigating to see what clues she can uncover and preserve for the police when they can finally reach the resort. In the middle of her amateur sleuthing, another guest has disappeared.

Ally Condie, a former high school English teacher, lives outside of Salt Lake City with her second husband and four children.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting June 30, 2024.

I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.