3.5 stars, rounded to 4

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Plus One! This book lived up to its description of The White Lotus/The Guest List. I enjoyed the setting and the premise: Shaylee, a plus one to the best man in a lavish wedding, decides to launch her own investigation when the bride and groom are found dead on the morning of said wedding. Ultimately, this was a solid book, even if there was kind of a lot going on at all times. I’ll read the next book this author puts out, and I’m excited to see what she does!

This book took me for a ride. I found myself addicted to it and wanting to know what happens. I highly suggest going in blind and just following the ride of the story. It's very entertaining.

The Plus One is twisty without inducing thriller whiplash, the rich people behaving badly are on full display. I loved the slow, steady suspense building until it’s all revealed, and, like usual, I was wrong. If you happen to be going to a wedding anytime soon (or even if you’re not) this book is the perfect travel companion.

Shay is so exited the be “The Plus One” to the most luxurious wedding of the year. Raj and Rashika are set out to get married in Mexico in the event of the summer, a multiple day wedding that Shay feels lucky to be apart of. Just when the festivities start to unfold, the wedding of the summer turns into a disaster the bride and groom end up murdered.

Shay being a reporter feels obligated to dig deep into what happened and where the weekend went wrong. She feels suspicious about her boyfriend, Caleb through the entire weekend but he isn’t the only one acting suspicious. A multitude of people make Shay turn her head and second guess who really killed Raj and Rashika.

Thank you Net Galley for the Arc!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for my eARC of The Plus One by S.C. Lalli. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this one by Lalli, a whodunit murder mystery set at an exclusive luxury resort where the only suspects are family and friends of the victims and the murder occurs the night before the wedding celebrations start.

Some of the twists and turns were predictable, but I liked that there were enough different turns to keep the story from being *too* predictable. It did feel a little slow in spots and it felt like it dragged on about some particular aspects for how the story ended, but overall I felt like this was a pretty good read, and I was invested to learn what happened and why.

If you're into murder mysteries, check out The Plus One by S.C. Lalli.

I loved this book so much! The story was addicting and I found myself in detective mode trying to figure out what really happened and I was completely wrong!

When Shaylee Kapoor first arrives at Los Cabos Blush Resort & Spa for the four-day destination wedding of Raj and Radhika, she doesn’t even have time to unpack her bag before she discovers two things. Her boyfriend has been unfaithful to her. And the bride and groom have both been killed.

The wedding was going to join two ultra-wealthy Indian families, and they were going to spare no expense on the festivities. There were going to be parties and yachts, feasts and performances. All while staying at a top resort and being given opportunities to enjoy any indulgence you can think of.

This was not Shay’s world. When she’d met Caleb Malcolm Prescott III three months earlier, she knew immediately that she would struggle to fit in with his friends. They were all successful in business and from wealthy families. She was a graduate student struggling to get by. But Caleb didn’t care about that and asked her to join him and his friends at the engagement party for Raj and Radhika. They had been together ever since and were serious enough that she was invited to the wedding also, as the plus one for the best man.

But then, suddenly, the wedding is cancelled. Most of the guests leave right away. Shay is offered the chance to go back to L.A., but she chooses to stay with Caleb and make sure he’s okay. Even after she finds out that the murders have the hallmarks of a hit by the drug cartel. Even knowing he cheated. Even feeling like she’s not entirely welcome there. Shay stays.

While the locals are looking at it as a possible hit, Shay thinks that they could be making a mistake. The resort has a state-of-the-art security system, with specialized keys. Not just anyone could have gotten into the bedroom of the bride and groom to kill them. Shay thinks it was someone they knew. And as someone who has some insider connections but also the wider perspective of an outsider. But Shay has secrets of her own, and some of those secrets might just put her right in the sights of the killer.

The Plus One is the latest thriller from S.C. Lalli, and it is quite a trip. From the opulence of the wedding and the wealthy lifestyles of Caleb and his friends and family to Shay’s struggles to find the truth, this novel is a twisty ride through all aspects of the human experience. This deep dive into these luxury brands demonstrates just how far the rich will go to stay rich and how they circumvent justice.

The Plus One is packed with surprises that I did not see coming. I raced through this book in one day, going from the gorgeous exclusive resort and the lifestyles of the rich and richer to the dark secrets that lead to murder. I followed this story through the ups and downs, as the secrets were slowly peeled away and the truths bubbled to the top. It’s a fascinating mystery and a twisty thriller with some social justice sprinkled in, and it’s absolutely an amazing ride.

Egalleys for The Plus One were provided by William Morrow through NetGalley, with many thanks.

The wedding of the year ends in a double murder. What mystery/thriller reader doesn’t want to read that?! This book has it all; drugs, scandal, a lover’s quarrel, missing evidence, a locked door murder with a neatly tied up ending. Unfortunately, this book was not as good as the synopsis makes it sound. Actually... the synopsis makes this book seem way more suspenseful and exciting that it truly is. I was overall underwhelmed and disappointed.

The Plus One was a quick and easy(ish) read but I was never completely hooked to the point where I couldn’t put it down. I wanted so badly to love this one! It had some great ideas...the author just fell short of making it actually intriguing and captivating. Yet another book that fell way short of the way that it is presented. Honestly, I had a hard time picking it back up to finish. It took me a day longer than anticipated to read because I struggled to stay invested in it and found myself looking for other books to read next. I wasn’t surprised at who the killer actually was. It had to be one of only a handful of people and they each had motive, it wasn’t a ‘Holy Cow I didn’t see that coming!’ type ending. More of a ‘oh okay that’s a reason, makes sense. I suppose.’.

Some issues I had with this book were as follows;

First, this book focuses a lot on how it was possibly the Mexican drug cartel that committed these murders. Spoiler Alert... it wasn’t them. I mean is it a “spoiler” if it’s so painfully obvious throughout the entire book that it’s not them. The author practically shoves the idea down your throat that any seasoned mystery reader and lover will know it’s not going to be them in the end. It’s was very obvious that it was written in to mislead the reader but it was so overdone it was almost laughable.

Second, the way that the some of the characters behaved had me rolling my eyes. Take Mr. Joshi for example; there is no way he would have let Shay live, especially after all the other horrid things he did. Come on now. At least attempt to have her taken out. A guy like Mr. Joshi isn’t going to just have her escorted off the premises. Let’s be real here. Shay not knowing her boyfriend had a massive drug problem? With how much he was supposedly taking, she would have noticed. I have never done drugs or been around many people doing hard drugs but I can sure as heck tell when someone is on something.

Third, the main female character, Shay, being a journalist...predicable and has been done so many times already. Let’s get creative people. Almost immediately you know she's either a journalist or has been wronged in some way by someone in one of the families. another missed opportunity to really surprise the readers.

Lastly, the characters just really had no depth. Just a brief bit of information here and there but nothing to make you really wonder if they could be the murderer. The majority of the book is Shay running around going back and forth about who is the killer based on who she’s sitting in front of at the moment. No big surprises that she uncovers or shocking new information. The sister having the phone? I mean it’s not really surprising or shocking. The way it was found was more like a last-minute thought that was tossed in.

All of this made the book a bit hard to finish but I did enjoy the ending chapter with Sean and Shay. This book had so much potential.

I wouldn’t call this book a suspense or a thriller. I’d say it's more like a slow burning curiosity. I was kind of bored but also, I want the closure.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, S.C. Lalli, William Marrow Publishing for providing me with digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this who dub it murder mystery with a side of DRAMA! This was a really exciting story with one heck of a paradise setting! I really enjoyed Shay’s constant theories as she uncovered more and more evidence! It was super easy to get lost in the story and wonder who the murderer was! This one was really fun!

I loved Are You Sara?, also a great mystery/thriller from SC Lalli, and this one didn’t disappoint. I finished this in one day! The setting was lush and on point (I will never not read a locked room mystery that takes place at an idyllic resort) and the characters, despite being shady and unlikeable, kept me guessing.

The twists and turns were a little predictable but I think that’s due to me having read about five thrillers in the last week. (I might need a palette cleanser from my go-to genre after this one 😂)

This books was extremely enjoyable. I’m always down for a good mystery. I would not call this a thriller; but mystery. Has a lot of twists and turns and the who done it I was shocked by.

Pick this up. It was released today August 13th

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collin’s Publishers for the chance to read and review this book.

Take the chance is you think the synopsis is intriguing.

🫶🏼

Reviewed on Amazon & Good Reads

I don’t read too many thriller, especially when it’s not fall/cold weather, but this book showed me how amazing a summer thriller can be! It captivated me from the opening chapter! I loved how fast paced it was and how it kept me guessing who the murderer was and motives of all the different characters! Shay felt like such a real character, with all her flaws and passions! Lalli’s writing was so much fun to read and kept me entertained the whole time! The murder at the wedding with tropical backdrop created such a good atmosphere!

This is definitely a perfect book if you’re looking for a quick and exciting thriller to read on a tropical vacation!

This book made me want to go to Cabo!
Except not for a wedding because people definitely died 😅😂

This one published TODAY so be sure to check it out!

The bride and groom were found shot to death the day before they were to be wed.. and only a few guests were even allowed at the resort. The best man’s girlfriend is set to figure out who did it & why. A great locked room mystery that will keep you guessing until the end! ☀️

Huge thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for my ARC!

Shaylee "Shay" Kapoor is accompanying her boyfriend on a week long luxury destination wedding. The morning of the wedding festivities were set to begin, the bride and groom were found murdered. Mysteries surrounding to cause and reason for the murders make Shay determined to find answers.

Shay is constantly questioning if the people close to the couple could be involved, could there have been involvement with a drug cartel, or could there have been money laundering?

This book was very intense and very fast past. It was interesting to learn about how money laundering "black" hotels could be like. Some of the details were a little hard to follow or a bit too detailed, but it still made the story interesting and didn't feel confusing. I did end up guessing correctly for some of the big twists, but I still liked to way the scenes played out. For most of the book, I felt like Shay wasn't a likeable character. But at the end, I really enjoyed how ruthless she was to see justice.

I really enjoyed this book! It was giving summer vacation, extravagant wedding ceremony, drama, and a good whodunit! I loved reading about the Indian wedding celebrations and the drama involved. I didn’t mind the 1 perspective but felt like I would have loved Zara’s point of voice as just the overall unlikable character. The killer was a little predictable but the ending helps bring everything together. There’s a few story lines in this book and I felt like they all tied together very well - it didn’t feel overwhelming. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

I love a destination thriller so when I saw this on NetGalley I requested so fast, especially since it’s described as The Guest List meets White Lotus. The Plus One is an excellent twisty read with great representation.

This book went in so many directions, but I didn’t find it to be confusing or overdone at all, which can be hard to pull together with so many plot points.
The characters were all rather unlikeable, although that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book at all. They were all fairly well fleshed out and it just added to the story the author built for them.
The back and forth timeline kept the pace moving well and although it took me a while to finish since I was on vacation myself, I was gripped throughout, even at the more slowly paced scenes.
The twists were unexpected, usually I can figure out who the who is in a whodunnit, but this one kept me guessing until the reveal, which was refreshing.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! Destination thrillers can be hard to do without repeating the same trope but I think this one was well done and unique.

Thank you to William Morrow for the gifted ARC through NetGalley, as well as the author.
Publication date 8/13/24

Wedding in Cabo, bride AND groom murdered.
Fast paced up until 50% where the chapters seemed too long. Picks up towards the end.
Dual timelines. Main character/s you may/may not root for at times.
Twists!
Wasn’t a favorite but definitely kept me entertained. I would definitely read another thriller by S.C. Lalli.

The Plus One tells the story of the wedding of the season between son of a mogul, Raj Joshi, and influencer, Radhika Singh. However, the wedding does not happen as both the bride and the groom end up dead. The main character is Shay, who is the girlfriend of Raj's best friend, Caleb, and the story takes us from her point of view and her trying to figure out who had reason to kill the bride and groom, as seemingly only 3 people had access to Raj´s villa.

The book was an easy read I did enjoy it, I thought it was semi fast paced, except the chapters leading to the killer reveal, which I felt it dragged a bit. I enjoyed the going back and forth between past and present chapters. I thought the chapters leading up to the wedding gave a lot of insight on all characters and it did help me try and figure out whodunit.

I loved the Interstitial chapters, it was a cute break in between chapters and I liked having a glimpse of the wedding of the season to be and its festivities.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I give it a solid 4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC the above review is of my own thoughts.

The Plus One by SC Lalli
Release Date: 8/13/24
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I very rarely will request an arc based on cover alone but The Plus One by S. C. Lalli definitely got judged by its cover! So imagine my delight when I started reading and found out it has one of my favorite thriller microtropes: a destination wedding gone wrong!

This thriller was super addicting and hooked me from the very beginning! Our main character arrives in Mexico as a plus one for a highly exclusive destination wedding and things go awry pretty much instantly.

I feel like the twists unraveled at a great pace throughout this thriller which is a hard trick to nail. I don’t think any of the twists were overly wild, but they built the story in a way I appreciated and kept me engaged! After the halfway point I certainly had no idea who to trust or who the killer might be.

My only qualm is the story sometimes felt a little convoluted and like there was too much going on. It especially made for a clunky ending as Lalli tried to tie up all the loose ends. Still giving this a four star rating for loving the journey though, even if the ending left a bit to be desired. I would absolutely check this author out again in the future!

Rating and Why
3.5 Stars rounded to 4
The Plus One was an easy-to-read thriller that hooked me immediately. I loved the dual timeline aspect, which allowed for flashbacks of the past to be expertly woven into the present setting – it aided the overall story and the plot development. While the plot was exciting and full of twists and turns, it was also a little unbelievable and dragged on at times: A single person taking down a drug cartel on her own. With that said, the ending wasn’t expected at all – an aspect of the book that I love; I want to have to keep guessing the motive and suspect.

Positives
I was immediately sucked into the story – personally, I enjoy it when the murder occurs within the first few pages of a book. I also appreciated that the story was more plot-driven than character-driven and when it was character-focused, it was mainly focused on building character development. I had a lot of negative feelings towards each character as I continued to read – something I’m sure S.C. Lalli did on purpose (and succeeded). All characters were unlikeable in their own ways which added to the overall story and side stories throughout The Plus One.

Frustrations
Around the 50% mark, I felt that the story had more details than necessary, and some parts became repetitive. I was waiting for the next action scene, and it took longer to get there than I would have liked. The story did pick up around 70% and was full steam ahead around 80%, at which point I could not and did not put the book down until I finished reading.

Recommend?
• Read if you like
o Domestic Thrillers
o An Easy Read with Unlikeable Characters
o Dual Timeline: Flashbacks Woven with the Present
o A Classic Whodunit Thriller
o Family Drama – Trouble in Paradise