I had a hard time getting into The Stranger at the Wedding but by ¼ I was invested. Mostly, it was the dual timelines and the varying POV's. I don’t always like dual timelines and this one was a bit baffling at times. Luckily, everything pulled together at the ending, which, I must say was both unpredictable and, dare I say, a bit shocking.

My thanks to Henry Holt for this gifted DRC.

This was a gripping thriller that truly kept me guessing until the very end. The story hooked me right from the start, blending the aspects of romance and suspense perfectly. Annie and Mark’s love story, stained with dark undertones, was both gripping and chilling. The setup at the wedding, with the mysterious stranger disrupting Annie’s big day, gave the book so much tension. Who is the stranger? What does he want??

The authors ability to weave twists into the narrative is impressive. Just when I figured it out, another layer is revealed and I was completely wrong, keeping me invested in Annie’s journey. The themes of love, trust, and cryptic, buried secrets are explored in ways that still have me thinking about them.

However, the pacing was occasionally frustrating. The chapters often jumped between timelines or perspectives without any clear notice, which made it difficult to follow the flow of the story at times. A bit more structure could have made the reading experience smoother. The chapters were also very long.

However, I did enjoy the story and the outcome. The very ending was one I was definitely not expecting!

The Cover is what made me want to read this!

This is a novel that keeps you engaged as well as twisty and the turns you never expect!

I will read more by this author. Was written very well and kept you engaged.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

The Stranger at the Weddings was a thrilling 4 star read!

There's a new marriage built on lies, a stranger who comes to the wedding and cracks the new couple's world wide open, and a wife who disappears. Someone is NOT who they say they are!

I really enjoyed this enthralling and thrilling novel which is the first book I've read by A.E. Gauntlett. I'm certainly excited to check out other works by the author!

The Stranger at the Wedding is a chilling and suspenseful dive into secrets, deception, and hidden motives. Annie’s story begins with a whirlwind romance that seems perfect—until a mysterious stranger appears at her wedding, unraveling everything she thought she knew. A. E. Gauntlett masterfully weaves tension as Annie starts questioning her relationship with Mark, uncovering unsettling details about his past and their connection. This book pulls you in with its suspenseful, slow-building mystery and keeps you guessing until the very end. A gripping read that’s perfect for fans of psychological thrillers with dark, twisty endings!

Annie, hasn’t been lucky in love, actually she doesn’t really believe in it. She doesn’t expect to find the one until she meets Mark, during her morning commute. They actually connect at a grief counseling meeting and their romance starts. Both have troubled pasts with insecurities and loss. As her wedding day approaches, Annie can’t believe her luck and looks forward to her new life. But on the day her wedding, while standing at the alter, she sees a man she doesn’t recognize. Who is he and why is he at the wedding? She is filled with dread on the happiest day of her life. She just knows that, it isn’t a good thing he is there and can only imagine what trouble he will be. The Stranger at the Wedding by A.E. Gauntlett, is a slow paced thriller, with some interesting twists and turns. Annie and Mark are two flawed souls, looking for love and affection. To me the title didn’t really fit the story and there were spots that were very dry. Overall it did keep me engaged enough to see how it ended. This was a 3 star read for me, very middle of the road. I want to thank Netgalley, Henry Holt & Company & the author for my company for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this story.

While the twists in this one are clever and make it worth the read, the pacing has a tendency to be a bit slow. I would have loved a bit more character development, but I didn't regret reading this.

This was a slower read than I enjoy.

It finally got me into it towards the end , but wish it had started off with a bit more.

Overall a good read.

I really enjoyed the story about Pandora opening the box and found the beginning of the story at Annie‘s wedding and the story of how they met charming. The author did a great job to keep me wanting to read and find out what’s going on and where the story is going.

Another thing I really liked was the cliffhanger at the end of the wedding and jumping back in time 6 months. I am a sucker for non-linear timelines as it keeps me on my toes, so to speak.

What I didn’t like much was the attempt to sound fancy, or more educated, or wants to have portions highlighted for being inspirational? It seemed like the author was trying too hard? Sometimes the Greek mythology seemed out of place and left me confused as to how it’s relevant but by about halfway through, it started to come together and it went from something I wasn’t sure about to something I really appreciated.

Overall, this was a quick read and I really enjoyed it. It seemed like a pretty original read to me and something I will definitely be recommending.

A psychological thriller with an intriguing premise. The concept of a mysterious stranger at a wedding set the stage for suspense and tension. The writing is atmospheric creating a tense and eerie unease. The pacing is uneven at times and some of the plot twists were slightly predictable. Overall an interesting read.
Many thanks to Henry Holt & Company and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

#TheStrangerAtTheWedding #NetGalley
Annie never much believed in love. That is, until meeting Mark. After crossing paths on morning commutes, they connect at a group counseling session for trauma survivors. Each recognizes something in the other, though both hide their own troubled pasts. It’s a whirlwind romance that propels Annie through their courtship, all the way to her wedding day—a day she couldn’t have predicted for herself once upon a time yet now feels surer about than anything in her life. But as Annie stands at the altar, casting her eyes over the rows of well-wishers, she spots a stranger in the crowd, and she soon learns that her new life isn’t going to be the happily ever after that she had planned. Who is the stranger at the wedding? What really happened to Mark’s first wife? And was Annie and Mark’s meeting as random as it first appeared, or is something more sinister at work?
It was ok.
Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for giving me an advance copy.

I really did not enjoy this one. It was all over the place and hard to follow. I didn't think the ending had the impact the author was hoping for. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really didn’t like any of the characters in THE STRANGER AT THE WEDDING, and the book was a bit predictable, but overall it was a quick easy read. I’d say this book is perfect for an airplane ride or another time when you need something to keep you interested with little brain power required.

The twists were decent and the ending was a bit of a surprise because I thought it would conclude differently.

Thank you to publisher Henry Holt & Co and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy of THE STRANGER AT THE WEDDING in exchange for my honest feedback.

I wanted to love this one so much, I really did. I love a thriller, and I typically enjoy multiple timelines and POV's which this book has. But I had such a hard time getting into this one as (I hate saying this) the writing just didn't hold my interest and it took me most of the book to care at all about the storyline. The writing just didn't seem to flow smoothly, but it was disjointed to me. At first I thought, "Wow! This should be good!" because Mark and Annie were at their wedding when she spotted a man that obviously disturbed her.

Soon thereafter we find out that Mark had a wife named Hope but somehow she's missing. She did, however, leave a diary that I hoped was going to pick up the pace for me. As I read, I began to suspect that perhaps Mark had done something to her. Picking up another place in the book when I thought, "Here it is," and I had hopes that I was going to now gain more interest. Sadly, I really didn't even though the "stranger at the wedding" showed up at their home after Mark and Annie got married. We learn that Annie has some secrets.

I had both the audiobook and e-book but I had a difficult time listening to the narrator. Most of the time if I have a hard time reading a book if I have the audiobook too it helps me get into it; however, in this case I had a difficult time understanding the narrator so it didn't give me that extra pickup.

I will say that there was a good twist and I enjoyed that. Plus, I thought the premise was promising and I think it will be a pleaser to others, but not me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher to read and review -- I apologize for the late timing.

3.5⭐️ rounded down. I thought this would be a thriller. It had a solid concept, plenty of psychological drama and some suspense.
Man and woman get married - but there’s a problem: the man was married before and the wife disappeared -- no one knows what happened to her. The man’s dad actually hires a PI to start digging around - but sinister things keep happening and the plot thickens. A little bit cat & mouse.

Not a show-stopper, but entertaining.
I might try another from this author!

4.5 stars It is always so interesting how one person can love and book and others can hate it. Looking at the reviews for this book, it is clear we are having a difference of opinion! I really enjoyed this thriller. I liked how the story moves between different characters’ point of view and also between different time frames. I particularly liked the character of Cameron. He seemed like a thoroughly decent person. Of course, often thrillers aren’t totally realistic. So you have to suspend your skepticism sometimes to read them. Some things in the plot might seem hard to believe. But the story, twists, and the quality of the writing overcame any plot issues for me. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read it as an ARC.

I ended up listening to the audiobook of this, and it was quite the wild ride. I loved the twist in this! I absolutely did not see it coming and I think it complicated the story without making it confusing. That is not easy to do!

I liked this book. It had good twists and turns, and it was a good mix of what the heck and okay I get it. Overall I enjoyed it

Annie's life has been effect by trauma over and over again. Just when she thinks it'll never change or get better she meet the dashing and debonair Mark. She first sees him on the train and just as she begins to get the courage to speak to him, he disappears. Then when she least expects it, he shows up at the community trauma sorry group she attends. As they bind over the trains each had ensured a romance blossoms and it seems that Annie and Mark might both get a second chance at happiness. It isn't until a strange man shows up at their wedding that Annie becomes worried that things aren't exactly as they seem.
This book is full of sub plots and misdirections. I had it pretty well figured at one point, but that didn't stop me from turning pages. I'm the end it seems that things worked out exactly as they were meant to.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.