When a 20th anniversary getaway turns into a trip for one to a beautiful resort, the story begins. To compound the misery, the "one" discovers a dead body on the premises and that plot thickens.
The writing was beautifully constructed. The author's thoughts on grief and healing are so deeply felt.
The tension was so palpable initially but lost some of its steam towards the end. I was disappointed in the finish and felt it was a bit too contrived overall.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley- thank you!

This book hooked me in at the beginning but lost me in the middle. It became pretty tedious to get through for a while. The ending was ok (didn't love the reveal), but I felt like that got dragged out too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Unwedding was an interesting thriller, bringing some psychological elements in that keep the plot moving outside of the main mystery.

Ellery was settling comfortably into her family when she experiences trauma and, two years after, her husband leaves her. When taking their anniversary trip in an exclusive resort in Big Sur she’s wrenched out of her plans of a somewhat awkward stay for one when a wedding party at the resort experiences a murder. There were a lot of great turns with the mystery of the murder, though all the characters did make things a bit confusing at times. What I thought really resonated in the plot was Ellery’s struggle to process the accident two years ago that caused the trauma in her life, seeming to lead to the events that have her at the resort alone.

I enjoyed the intrigue in this story and the way the vivid writing had me feeling like I was at Big Sur as well, trying to solve the increasingly complex locked room mystery. Though we had many characters quite a few were great to get to know as well, and this kept me following every turn trying to figure out everything out.

The Unwedding by Ally Condie is about recently divorced Ellery, who is staying at a fabulous hotel in Big Sur. On what was supposed to have been her anniversary trip, everything turns sideways when two people turn up dead.

This book had so much potential. I was hooked as soon as I started the book. But with the addition of so many characters, I started to forget who was who and began to lose interest in the mystery.

I most enjoyed Ellery’s back story and was hoping it would play a bigger part in the ending. In general, it was all kind of messy for my taste.

Rated 3 stars for me. It was good, but I would definitely recommend other books before suggesting this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC.

Two years ago, Ellery was in a tragic accident; a few months ago, the love of her life left her. Now, Ellery is celebrating what would have been her twentieth wedding anniversary alone at Broken Point in Big Sur. After breaking down in the bathroom at dinner on her first night, Ellery meets Ravi and Nina, friends traveling together who welcome her with open arms. Soon, they are crashing a pre-wedding cocktail hour in the gallery, and Ellery is befriending the bride. But, the happy weekend takes a turn when the groom does not show up to the ceremony, and Ellery finds him dead in the pool the next morning. Things only get worse when the best man is found dead and a rain storm washes out access to Broken Point, stranding all of the guests with a murderer. Now, Ellery, Nina, and Ravi are determined to figure out who killed Ben and Matt, while also keeping themselves and the other guests safe.

I enjoyed the premise of The Unwedding, but Condie tried to connect too many individual stories into one novel leaving lots of plot and character holes. The end of the novel tries to introduce backstory for several characters that comes out of nowhere leaving more questions than answers. She brushes over major character connections (Jason and Nina) as though it's been introduced and explored throughout the novel (but it isn't). As with her earlier work, Condie has an excellent idea and storyline, but does not flesh it out enough to fulfill the reader. She leaves more questions than answers and too many plot holes. This novel would have been much better if she focused on Ellery's story and did not intertwine the other guests stories throughout. The mystery would have been fully formed and focused without all of the "players". I do recommend The Unwedding for those who want a character driven mystery.

The Unwedding begins with Ellery, a divorced mother and survivor of a horrible auto accident, taking time away to heal. This getaway to a beautiful isolated resort was initially booked to celebrate her anniversary with her husband, but unfortunately Ellery and Luke have parted ways. Ellery’s first night begins crashing a rehearsal dinner for a young couple, Olivia & Ben, with a new found friend. However, Ellery will be the one to find Ben deceased . Here is where the mystery begins followed by severe weather that keeps all the guest and the killer isolated from the outside world. This book was an excellent read up until around 60 percent and then my interest just fell short.Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me read this advanced copy. #NetGalley#The Unwedding

The Unwedding by Ally Condie was a pleasant surprise. I am not sure how many closed-room vacation-murder books I’ve read, but this was one of the better ones that kept me reading until the final page.

It was entertaining and there are some twists and turns to keep you guessing.

Ellery Wainwright is alone at the edge of the world.

She and her husband, Luke, were supposed to spend their twentieth wedding anniversary together at the luxurious Resort at Broken Point in Big Sur, California. Where better to celebrate a marriage, a family, and a life together than at one of the most stunning places on earth?

But now she’s traveling solo.

To add insult to injury, there’s a wedding at Broken Point scheduled during her stay. Ellery remembers how it felt to be on the cusp of everything new and wonderful, with a loved and certain future glimmering just ahead. Now, she isn’t certain of anything except for her love for her kids and her growing realization that this place, though beautiful, is unsettling.

When Ellery discovers the body of the groom floating in the pool in the rain, she realizes that she is not the only one whose future is no longer guaranteed. Before the police can reach Broken Point, a mudslide takes out the road to the resort, leaving the guests trapped. When another guest dies, it’s clear something horrible is brewing.

Everyone at Broken Point has a secret. And everyone has a shadow. Including Ellery.

Thank you to the Publisher for my arc!

Hi Hello Um why did i just now pick this up?!
This was everything that I could've ever wanted from a thriller! likeable MC, as well as side characters. The Plot kept me guessing and i was actually super surprised at who the killer was!

Highly reccomend

Good summer read! This book is a fun who-dun-it with an interesting cast of characters. You never truly know what comes next or who to believe- until it all comes together at the end. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a quick, fun, summer thriller! 3.5/5 stars for me.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The i wedding was a suspense filled story.Ellery takes a post divorced trip that’ was supposed to be ab anniversary trip only to find herself trapped in a resort where two murders take place. A dream wedding, dead groom and every guest has a secret . I’m hoping for more stories of the guests.

Thank you to net galley for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review. This is Ally Conde’s first adult fiction thriller mystery and it does not disappoint. Excellent plot that evolves into a layered murder mystery!
Ellery travels alone to a cliffside resort in Big Sur on what should have been her 20th anniversary celebration and soon finds herself entangled in a murder investigation. The resort is about to host a wedding when a body is discovered by Ellery. What follows is a search for the murderer and motive. As a side story Ellery is coming to terms with a tragic accident and aftermath from 2 years ago.
Condie does an excellent job of handling the details of the murder as well as helping Ellery come to terms with her past. Great character development, story and very satisfying ending. A must read for fans of locked room murder mysteries!

This started off really strong and unfortunately fizzled toward the end. At times it was just non eventful and almost boring. The ending was underwhelming. Like I said, it started off strong with what could have been a very intriguing plot. Thank you Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Three Stars.

While a good story and it kept me entertained; it was a slow read. Everything was solved at the end but it was just kind of meh.

A resort in Big Sur. Ellery has to vacation alone on what would have been her 20th anniversary. I enjoyed reading and recommend it highly. Enjoyable characters A great who done it that I attempted guesses at who had done the dirty deed.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. When newly-divorced Ellery decides to go on her anniversary trip anyway, she didn’t expect to solve crime instead of relaxing in Big Sur. The novel, Ally Condie’s first for adults, offers a twist on the classical locked door mystery as Ellery negotiates being stranded after a natural disaster at the resort with forging new friendships and a growing dead body count! This is a thriller with heart, and is a good choice for a jaded suspense reader or someone who enjoys domestic fiction and needs a little shake-up.

“Something old, something new.
Something borrowed, something blue.
Someone lost, someone wed.
Someone broken, someone dead.”

THE UNWEDDING is a mix of White Lotus and Only Murder in the Building vibes and it’s the perfect whodunit to have in your beach bag this summer!

The story takes place at an extravagant resort in Big Sur, a beautiful yet deceptive setting of jutting cliffs, crashing waves and natural disasters literally setting the tone for danger at every turn. While it’s certainly a whodunit mystery (trust NO ONE), this is also a story about a woman who finds herself after her marriage abruptly ends. Ellery comes to the resort seeking peace and healing, and she gets both, just unexpectedly through solving a murder instead. There’s a wedding that spirals out of control, an art thief situation and murder. When a storm cuts off the resort from the rest of the world, everyone becomes an amateur detective and everyone is a suspect…

I loved this book so much! In true whodunit fashion, each character has a shadow and could be a suspect. I enjoyed the sense of comradery that forms among resort guests when they’re cut off from the rest of the world. Ellery gets anything but a relaxing getaway but it was honestly the perfect way to forget about your scumbug ex-husband when your phone is cut off and you’re solving a murder with your newfound friends. You’ll definitely lose sleep over the twists and cliffhanger-ending chapters, where you’ll be dying to find out what happens next.

Thanks to @grandcentralpub for the advanced digital copy and shoutout to @novelsuspects for an epic book pick for their readalong last week. It was my first readalong and I loved every second of it and can’t wait for the next one.

#unweddingreadalong #readwithreese

****3.5 ROUNDED to 4****
I absolutely loved Ally Condie's Matched series and have also read a few of her other books (Atlantia and The Only Girl in Town) which I thought were good, so I was looking forward to this read. I appreciated that this book was based on a life experience the author had with her marriage (no murders though!). I loved reading descriptions of the beautiful resort Broken Point, the gorgeous coastline at Big Sur, and getting to know the characters who would become suspects as Ellery took the vacation that had meant to be her 20th wedding anniversary. Nina and Ravi were entertaining and great partners with Ellery as they tried to work together to figure out what was happening at the resort after the storm and then atmosphere took a spooky turn. I would have loved for there to be more character reveals though, as much is hinted about everyone having "shadows" they don't reveal about themselves and we never really get to know what those are for these characters and exactly who they are. Much detail is laid out about trauma in Ellery's past, but it really doesn't connect in any way, like I anticipated it might, at the resort. Also her divorce and ex-husband take up a large portion of her internal dialogue, but they don't have a part in the plot. I really thought this book was on track for being a solid 5 star book for me, but unfortunately at the end, when all was revealed, it mostly was just Ellery talking about what she guessed/figured out, without much hinted at throughout the book or much opportunity for the reader to play along. It got very convoluted and twisty, but not in an appealing manner. Some of the characters were also confusing to me and things were brought up that seemed important, but also went nowhere. . Her son was in high school but her memories she replayed portrayed him as much more immature than that, so it wasn't clear if he had special needs that made her worry for him more. Also, unclear who Andy was actually interested in? Why was Grace always so concerned about her father when he seemed perfectly competent ? I think the book started brilliantly, so looking forward to this author's next book to see where it goes.

The Unwedding by Ally Condie has a cool premise, a recent divorcee goes to a luxurious resort on a trip meant for her 20th wedding anniversary, but when she arrives she finds a wedding is taking place. Ellery is ready to leave as this seems like salt in her wounds. Then she finds the groom floating lifelessly in the pool.

This story had many positives for me. The setting was atmospheric. I liked Ellery, the main character, and the author did a good job of fleshing out her character. There were quite a few other characters, but with the exception of the groomsmen, I found them easy to differentiate between. The story had many twists and turns, and the ending was a surprise to me.

What kept me from loving the book was that I found conflicting story ideas being expressed. On the one hand, there was a mystery, but the tone was not too serious or menacing, more a bit of a modernized, glamourized cozy. But the author also delved into some deeper parts of Ellery's life, and although I enjoyed both the writing and the added information, it seemed like it belonged in a different book. I thought the author was at her best when she was describing Ellery's marriage and its demise, her relationship with her children, and a tragic event from the past that impacted her life and that she experiences in flashback sequences. I know these scenes were used to flesh out the character of Ellery, but they didn't quite jive with the mood of the mystery portion of the book for me. However, the writing was good, and the story was interesting, so this is perhaps just a personal preference.

I enjoyed The Unwedding and found it a solid read. I look forward to seeing what the writer's next book is like.j

This was a 3.75 star read for me, and close to a 4 so I'm rounding up!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ally Condie, and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ellery is supposed to be going to the Broken Point Resort with her husband to celebrate 20 years, but after he announces his desire to get divorced, she goes a lone. She connects with Nina and Ravi, creating a quick friendship to help pass the time. When she finds the body of expected groom Ben on the day of his wedding, she is thrust into a murder mystery. Add to that a storm that renders the resort unreachable and without outside contact, and Ellery really needs to find the murderer before she herself ends up in danger.

The best thing about this book was the setting. I loved the overpriced resort and the storm that left it unreachable. I never get tired of this setting, and this book had the added feature of areas for hiking and climbing. I also enjoyed the plot, following along with Ellery as she collected clues and tried to figure it out.

I wasn’t completely sold on the ending, and I didn’t feel like the reader had enough information to buy into it. I also got a little tired of the amateur detective trope that you get with Ellery, Ravi, and Nina. It felt a little too forced.

Overall, I still enjoyed this book. The cover and setting really sold it for me, and I’d be interested in reading more by this author.

I'm sure that many people will like this book, but I am sorry to say that I lost interest as the book went on. It was boring to me. Didn't care much for the characters. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.