Member Reviews
This is an intriguing story, which takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. The main story is of June, who is still on her honeymoon, ten years ago. Josh, her new husband, goes out to pick up breakfast, never to return, however, June receives an unusual text saying he decided to take a swim in the ocean. The cause of death was accidental drowning; however, his body was never found.
Fast forward ten years and June is finally ready to move on, and is engaged to Kyle, a kind, good man. As the wedding approaches, June, who believes she has put the past behind her, begins to think she sees Josh, in various places. She recalls his family owned a winery in Napa and finds they have an online presence. The owner of the winery is married with several children, and he looks exactly like Josh. With her wedding in the final stages of planning, she makes up a reason she has to go on a business trip and heads straight to Napa. What she finds there is not only shocking, but also long-held secrets are exposed.
This fascinating story begins in 2012, when June and Josh get married, then jumps to 2022 when she is planning a wedding again, to Kyle. The chapters go back and forth between 2022, and 1999, when Josh was a teenager living with his parents who operated a successful winery.
There are several “side” stories that are weaved into the main story concerning June, and the situation with Josh. The side stories were somewhat of a distraction, and a few were personally unappealing to me. My choice of books I read fall into the category of clean. This book does not fit that description. The suspenseful story of Josh, his family and June would keep the reader turning the pages, as it did me, without any of the explicit sexual descriptions, which I skipped over.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Simon & Schuster. All comments and opinions are my own.
Till Death Do Us Part had me in a choke hold from the beginning. The story is told in five parts, named after the process of making wine (harvest, crushing, fermentation, clarification, aging). The two main storytellers are June and Bev. June’s story is primarily told in 2022, ten years after her new husband, Josh, disappears and is presumed dead. Bev, Josh’s mom, story is set in 1999. Bev’s story is expertly woven with June’s story in order to uncover answers to long-buried questions. A lifetime of secrets are unearthed, including some very close to June’s present life.
My heart aches for June, and what could have been. June marries Josh after six short months, and she is left wondering what her life would be like if Josh was still there. Many years later, June meets Kyle and gets engaged after a couple of years of dating. As June says, “Where Josh and I sprinted, Kyle and I walked at our own pace.” After June thinks she spots Josh and sees someone who looks like him on a winery website, she decides to visit the winery by herself. Without spoiling too much, June discovers a darker side to Josh and has to figure out if she truly knew him at all.
I have never been as angry with a fictional character, as I am with Bev. She is the most selfish person (and don’t tell me she did the most unselfish thing…she was her own first priority). I understand she was going through a lot in 1999 - she just had a baby, she found out her husband cheated, her teenage sons were causing trouble. There is a strong possibility she was suffering from postpartum depression. I get all that, I have empathy for her, but still can’t understand why she made the choices she made. Bev knew I wasn’t going to be a fan, “Not many people would understand what I did, and even fewer would approve of it.” Well you are darn right, Bev, I sure don’t understand or approve.
My feelings for Bev aside, it is striking how much Bev and June’s stories paralleled one another. Two quotes to finish off this review, the first from June: “There isn’t just one person for everyone. Two men promised to love me forever, and I’ve made the same promises to both. Two great loves, ones that forever changed me.”
Bev: “Here I am, proof that second chances exist. Proof that love can appear after loss, after tragedy.”
I left out a huge chunk to keep away from spoilers, but this book has so much to offer - tragedy, murder, and a very big surprise ending. Definitely recommend!
On their honeymoon, right after eloping, June lost her new husband when he drowned while going for a morning swim. It’s been ten years and she is finally ready to marry again. Except she keeps seeing her first husband Josh around town. Is it possible he could still be alive? She knows she needs to find out, so she lies to everyone in her life and heads off to see what she can find out.
This book made me want a big old glass of wine! With all the wineries I was so ready! My heart broke for June as she dealt with seeing a ghost from her past. I certainly did not expect some of the things she found out while visiting the winery that had his photo on its website. Their relationship had started and ended so quickly, I was fascinated to find out more about his past alongside June. This was just such an enjoyable book that I could not put down!
This is very interesting read! June is caught between believing her husband is dead and she's going crazy. Grief can make you crazy sometimes? Strange how much this kinda the way life does us!
Wasn't a great read for me. Was rather boring and I was easily pulled away from this book to read something else. And when that happens, means I wasn't really interested. It was an okay read but definitey not a favorite.
This book kept me turning the pages from the very beginning. Lots of plots twists and they kept coming with a big one right at the end!
June is finally engaged to be married to Kyle. But then she sees her husband who drowned then years earlier. Or did she?
You need to put this book on TBR list!
Thank you to. #NetGalley and #Simon&Schuster for giving me the opportunity to give my honest review with an advanced digital copy.
With a plot as dark and complex as a Pinot noir, and twists as crisp as a good Chardonnay, you won’t be able to put down this wine-country thriller!
This was a fantastic read! I loved the dual timelines and the rich characters, and the Napa setting added a great dimension. The twists and turns kept coming until the very last page.
What I loved: June's story and the setting and description of wine-making in Napa. What I wished was better - the timelines with the different POVs - took a little bit to get oriented every time. I keep mixing up the young sons. It was suspenseful and everyone was thrown in as a potential suspect, but the end was off the rails for me.
I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for a review. I have given the book 4 stars because it was well-written and kept me turning the (virtual) pages, but as described below, there was one plot line I could have done without. Thus the 4 stars.
Other reviewers have given fairly comprehensive synopses, and I will not repeat their efforts here.
Even though the chapters were labeled as to what year and whose point of view, I found the multiple timelines to be a challenge. Perhaps it's just my rapidly aging brain which just features more and more "senior moments" as time goes on, but each time I had to say to myself, okay, this is Bev's timeline, so Josh is almost 18 and Kieran is a baby. In June's timeline Josh had been dead for 10 years, and it just took my brain a little longer to catch up every time the timeline changed. Others' mileage, of course can and will vary.
There was one plot line that I could have done without. So as not to throw in a spoiler, I won't mention exactly what this plot line was, but I don't think it really added anything to the story. (It involved Bev's history.)
One explosive revelation was one I did not guess ahead of time. I did have a few theories but I never thought of the one the author used.
And finally, perhaps due to the lateness of the hour when I frankly could not put the book down and pushed on through to the end, I was never quite sure exactly what happened (and who did it) to a certain teenage girl.
Not sure where to begin. Two separate stories are going on at once in two different life spans. Past and present. I could not comprehend Bev’s logic to her life and when I settled with her personality her next decision in life just made me disregard her even more.
On the other hand, June’s story was heartfelt and sad. I wanted to know more about the present of June’s life and how she and Josh met. Her timeline was short and dismissive.
The world-building was good just could not relate with the one main character Bev, and the twist at the end just wasn’t for me.
Torn between a 3 or a 4 for this one… I’ll land on 3.5 rounded up. The suspense was definitely there and I was intrigued with both storylines. Like with many thrillers now, there were a few too many red herrings/unrealistic connections that pushed this too far fetched. The epilogue felt way too rushed - the culprit was so quick to anger in my opinion that it just didn’t feel plausible. A solid sophomore novel for sure but still could’ve been a little better.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I just finished reading Till Death Do Us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn and Wow! Secrets, secrets, and more secrets! This novel is told from two different characters during two different time periods. Which I always enjoy. Especially when those time periods are connected by events between them. In this case they were connected but there was also another story happening too. The level of family drama and as I mentioned before secrets, is at a high point. I definitely didn’t see some of the twists and turns coming that ended up being played out. There is also a great deal about wine throughout both timelines. Like a lot about wine. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!
Wow this is a true page turner so many twists and turns so many questions. I literally could not figure out what had happened to Josh a young man who disappears right after his wedding there are so many surprises so many shocks it kept me turning the page’s late into the night..A new author for me looking forward to reading more of her books and will be recommending.#netgalley #simon&schuster
A favourite thriller trope of mine is the "I thought my husband had died? but there he is alive!" not because I wish any ill will toward my own spouse, but because I love reading along as the author untangles the mystery. Flynn's inventive plot is compelling and clever - offering dual timelines, multiple twists, and shifting and unreliable perspectives. This is perfect for fans of domestic suspense thrillers. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the E-Arc.
The setting for this thriller is the beautiful and romantic Napa Valley vineyards. Ten years after June’s beloved husband Josh drowned while they were on their honeymoon, she becomes engaged to a wonderful man and is looking forward to a new chapter in her life. Suddenly her newfound happiness is interrupted when she sees a man in the distance looking in her direction that looks like Josh. Is she imagining things?
When June sees the photo of the owner of one of Napa’s vineyards. He looks exactly like Josh. Despite the stress of planning her upcoming wedding, she goes to Napa to find out if this is her husband and did, he really die? What she encounters when she arrives and finds out the truth about her first marriage is beyond anything she could imagine.
Terrific cast of characters in this story that really make it come alive. The description of the harvesting of grapes for different wines will excite any wine lover reading this book. A mind blowing, jaw-dropping thriller full of twists and turns that will keep you up all night until you finish the book.
June was madly in love with her husband Josh and only 7 days after they got married on their honeymoon, he passes away. But the thing is June doesn't believe it is an accident, which causes her to have trouble coping with this unimaginable loss. Finally, 10 years later she is engaged and trying to move on but she's still desperate for answers.
Till Death Do Us Part is an emotional thrilling novel told in two POV's from June present day, and Josh's Mother Bev in 1999. I loved how this story flowed and we really got to know Josh and his mother, and it really helped June's story flow in present day when she is trying to cope with loss, figure out answers, and move on.
Through the story we see how the stories collide and the twists were AMAZING! I was not expecting the book to take the turn that it did, it had me up all night long.
I also loved the setting in Napa and learning so much about the process of wine.
This is a must read this summer!
This was giving me all of the vibes of Fool Me Once where June stops at nothing to determine that she saw her late fiance.. It made me want to go to Napa Valley and help her investigate if this is him. Such a good read and i could not put this book down until the last page!
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.. Wow! What a fantastic domestic thriller. My first by this author, but I enjoyed her easy style and great writing. Highly recommend.
This book was such a page turner for me. I love stories told in dual timelines and this one was great. I kept turning pages because I just had to find out what was going on with Josh. I loved all of the red herrings and misdirection, it was well executed and kept me engaged.
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.
How well do we ever really know the people we share our lives with? This novel asks that question in a variety of scenarios and had me turning pages to find out the answer!
This was a fun, quick read and I found it very engaging. It is a bit difficult to review without spoilers, but I did struggle with a few plot points that just didn't make sense to me, and I wasn't especially fond of one of the primary narrators. I found a few scenarios just too coincidental and far fetched, and the trope that the major twists relied on was one that's been done too many times on the page and the screen.
Ultimately I did enjoy this fast paced, action packed read and I'm grateful for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.