2.5-3 star read for me. It took a while for anything to happen, and it felt like the author was trying to meet a word count requirement.

I was intrigued by the premise of this one, and overall, it delivered.

Loved the popcorn thriller style and how mythology is woven throughout. I didn’t guess the twist(s) until late in the book, so that’s a plus.

But I felt a bit cheated by the ending? It seemed like some context was missing and the ending felt open to me, which I wasn’t a fan of.

And it happens with thrillers sometimes, but I just didn’t particularly like or care about any of the main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy!

This gets pretty dark, but it’s a page turner, for sure. I liked the tempo—if books have a tempo. It moved along, jumped around some, then went back to reveal more to the story. I figured out what was going on at about 75% in, but I’m pretty sure that’s where the author intended for the reader to consider a new theory.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC opportunity!

This is a contemporary thriller/mystery that is divided into 4 parts- the wedding day, the proposal, the honeymoon, and the happily ever after.

I liked the writers style- I found it to be descriptive and poetic. Though the story was lengthy, in particular the flashbacks, the talented descriptive writing made me want to keep reading. I also appreciated the Pandora’s box references as well as the nods to Greek mythology.

There are secrets and lies everywhere in this story about obsessive love and how these secrets will come to light. There is tension that keeps the reader interested. Would recommend!

This was a twisty thriller debut. Some of the sequencing felt odd yet once finished, the flow made sense. The twists were difficult to predict and very well planned out. Definitely a fan of this author now.

I get what the author was trying to do and like the concept of the book but I didn't care for the execution.

Here are my overall opinions:

*I found the writing style unnecessarily wordy. It made it hard to follow and muddled the story. This kind of prose would be excellent in a poem but not for a thriller with multiple characters and timelines. Would have been a better read if the author dialed it down a bit.

*The characters aren't memorable. They aren't good, they aren't bad...they are just there.

*Things I liked: the concept and the ending are good.

Thanks for the advance review copy. This one wasn't up my alley but I appreciate the opportunity to give my feedback.

Wow what a fantastic debut! AE Gauntlett is to be watched! The characters were strong and kept me flipping pages long into the night. Great game of cat and mouse with no shortage of herrings. Packed with tension and lies., impossible to know who to trust. The twists just kept on coming. Enjoyed it a lot.
Thank you NetGalley, AE Gauntlett and Holt for the opportunity to read and review this debut novel.

Annie is marrying the man of her dreams, Mark. His first wife went missing with no trace two years earlier. At their wedding, a stranger is present who gives her an unsettling feeling. Who is this stranger? What happened to Mark's wife? This was an amazing thriller! The more layers that were revealed the more shocked I became. This is definitely worth the read!

One of the big things that didn’t work for me with this one was that it’s told in a nonlinear fashion, but the shifts in time aren’t noted at all. And since portions of it are told from Annie’s first-person POV and the character voices weren’t particularly strong, you have to wait for context to try and figure out where in the story you are (her childhood? Before the wedding? After the wedding? Somewhere in the decades in between?). I found this unnecessarily confusing, and it majorly detracted from my enjoyment of the story and any tension that could have been present in the primary timeline (was there even a primary timeline?).

The characters were not well written. Neither Annie nor Mark were compelling characters, and I couldn’t connect emotionally with anyone. There was one character who was decently written, but there weren’t many chapters told from his POV, which was unfortunate. There were really no elements of the book that were done well. And a random thing – there were many, many odd words in here to the point where I wondered if the author went back through after writing and decided to use a thesaurus for some reason.

This book seemed promising at the start, but it quickly went downhill and never redeemed itself. It became predictable, and the ending was so abrupt that I couldn’t believe we went through all that buildup for that conclusion. I honestly don’t recommend this one at all. My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for allowing me to read this work, which will be published August 13, 2024. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This literary work evokes a range of emotions, from highs to lows. The protagonist, Annie, crosses paths with Mark and a passionate romance ensues, culminating in their union in matrimony. However, the groom's past is riddled with uncertainty as his previous partner has gone missing, and a mysterious figure surfaces during their nuptials. The narrative is nonlinear, offering insights into Annie and Mark's lives from varying perspectives. While Annie may not have been a relatable or endearing narrator to my discerning eye, I found the plot to be somewhat disjointed and lacking in depth. Despite this, I found enjoyment in the story's fluidity and the unexpected turns it took.

I wanted more from this book, but was let disappointed. I also had a hard time keeping all of the layers of this book in line. I wish the timeline of event was more clear. The twist at the end was good, but hard to follow along with.

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? This is not a main character you will like but in spite of her the story is good. The writing style wandered a bit and parts of the story got too confusing but all in all it was time well spent.

I'm hovering between two and three stars for this one. The beginning of the book really pulled me in, but things got convoluted pretty quickly. The purple prose writing did not do the plot or the characters any favors. There were some shocking twists, but even so the ending managed to be unsatisfying. I read a lot of thrillers and while I love the concept here, it needed some work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for access to this arc.

This book was an up and down read!

Annie meets Mark and falls in love. Soon they’re getting married, but Mark has a questionable past with his previous spouse missing and a mysterious man is now lurking around their wedding. The story jumps around a lot as we learn different aspects of Annie’s and Mark’s lives from different points. Annie was not particularly like able as a narrator to me. The storyline felt random at times and like a lot of details could have been added to further the plot and draw a more detailed picture.

I did enjoy this book though as it was an easy read and was unexpected at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for the opportunity to read the ARC before its scheduled publications date of August 13, 2024.

The Stranger at the Wedding by A.E. Gauntlett was a thriller in the beginning but sort of slowed down for me. It was a bit all over the place and the twist was easy for me to guess. It was still entertaining and a quick read for me. It just may not have been for me and I hope others enjoy it more. Thank you Netgalley for the eArc.

In The Stranger at the Wedding by AE Gauntlett, Annie and Mark are getting married after a whirlwind courtship. The small, intimate ceremony goes off without a hitch, but a strange face in the crowd rattles Annie. After the stranger introduces himself as a friend of the groom’s family, yet the groom claims not to know anything about him, Annie is wondering if he’s the only stranger at the wedding. As they leave the wedding reception, Mark turns to his new bride and mentions her he needs to tell her something.

The first 20% of the book had me hooked and I figured I would fly through the rest of the pages. Then <squealing brakes>, we flashback to not only the courtship, but also the true connection the stranger has to Mark as well as his apparent missing (murdered? lost?) first wife. This is where the book got a little muddled and I found my attention on the story struggling. I pushed myself through so I could finish my review for this ARC. I feel like Gauntlett was trying to pull a story a la The Silent Patient, but fell far short. ⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on August 12, 2024.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #TheStrangerattheWedding #AEGauntlett #HenryHoltandCo

I thought that this book was hard to follow and I never knew where I was at a given time. It was most likely a structure issue. I also found the twist to be predictable.

"The Stranger at the Wedding" by A. E. Gauntlett is a compelling and suspenseful novel that explores the complexities of love, trust, and the secrets that can unravel even the most seemingly perfect relationships. The story follows Annie, a woman who never believed in love until she meets Mark, with whom she shares a deep connection born out of shared trauma.

Gauntlett's writing is evocative and immersive, drawing readers into Annie and Mark's whirlwind romance and the uncertainty that follows. The novel's pacing is brisk, with each chapter revealing new twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its well-developed characters, particularly Annie, whose journey from skepticism to unwavering belief in love is both believable and compelling. Mark's mysterious past and the appearance of a stranger at their wedding add layers of intrigue to the story, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as the truth is slowly revealed.

"The Stranger at the Wedding" is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that will appeal to fans of suspenseful fiction. With its engaging storyline, complex characters, and unexpected twists, A. E. Gauntlett has crafted a compelling tale that will linger in the reader's mind long after the final page is turned. Dive into this captivating story and discover the secrets that lie beneath the surface of Annie and Mark's seemingly perfect relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

This was a very quick read with some cool twists and turns. Overall, a really interesting premise- Annie and Mark have just gotten married and somehow both have dark secrets from their past. What could go wrong? This is primarily told from Annie’s point of view but it does jump around timelines and perspectives. I think this part could have been executed better- sometimes the changes were a little clunky and the voices not distinct enough to alert my brain we’d made the switch. All in all, beautiful prose, interesting plot, just a few struggles with execution and none of the characters were dynamic enough that I felt myself rooting for anyone in particular. In general, this is a good thriller if you like thrillers and I never wanted to stop reading. Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the copy of Stranger At The Wedding by A. E. Gauntlett. 3.5 stars rounded up!

Annie and Mark meet on a train. Before long, they are heading to the altar, both with secrets they want to keep. A stranger shows up at the wedding…..hmmmm. This book keeps you wanting more. A good solid book that I would recommend to others. Fast paced and an easy read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.