Twisted, thrilling and chilling read. Although the characters are unlikable and unreliable, it is a book you cannot stop reading. Fast paced and great plots. Excellent 👌 recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Lizzie is newly engaged to Owen. They take a trip to visit her mother. Lizzie has not told Owen all the family secrets.

A lot of red herrings in this one. Quirky characters to say the least. None of them are truly likeable and most are not telling the truth. This makes for a great Psychological Thriller.

Although I guessed most of the story right from the start, that did not keep me from enjoying the ride. There was one twist that I did not see coming.

I kept turning the pages quickly to find out how it all ended. I was interested right from the start.

What a fun and entertaining read.

Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the arc.

This book is a domestic thriller. I liked it but found it to be a little lost in some places. This book has a nice twisty ending. If you like a good domestic thriller try this one out.

I just reviewed Mother of the Bride by Samantha Hayes. #MotheroftheBride #NetGalley
I want to thank Netgalley for this ARC book. It kept my attention from beginning to end. This book is about two daughters and their mothe. Their dad is in the picture as well but he’s not living at home. See where he is. Hmm. . One daughter is about to get married and the husband is no where to be found but her mother’s corsage is missing as well. The other daughter’s finance is not who they think it is. Lots of twists and turns to the very end.

This is a great psychological thriller that will definitely keep you on your toes.
Lizzie takes Owen to visit her Mum as she’s not met him yet and they are now engaged.
Sylvia welcomes them into her home but Lizzie is anxious as her Mum can be very controlling.
Things start off ok but when they find themselves homeless, they have to accept Sylvia’s offer to stay with her.
It all starts to spiral as she wants to organise the wedding but with tragedy striking at her sister’s wedding the previous year, Lizzie is unsure if she wants a church wedding.
I can’t say too much more as it will spoil some of the twists and turns in the story, and there’s certainly a few of those.
This is a great read.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Binged it in a day. It’s one of those listens that grabs you from the start. It delves straight into the story and moves at a steady pace throughout. The suspense factor is very much there and it has a lot going on. It’s a well developed storyline. I liked the characters mostly but really couldn’t stand Lizzie’s overbearing mother. There are many twists along the way and it all comes together in a way that really finished it off nicely. Well worth a listen…

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #MotherOfTheBride

I give Mother of the Bride 4 stars.
It starts out pretty slow, but picks up about 70% through the book. It outlines the Mother as the reason several things have gone horribly wrong, but the reader gets the sense that there will be a twist as things aren't really what they seem.
Without giving too much away, there are more than one twist.
Ended on a very interesting note and set up the story for the next book the author has written.

Fantastic book with alot of phenomenal twists! The twist at the very end had me gob smacked.
Highly recommend!

After a slightly slow start I really enjoyed reading mother of the bride, I was hooked right at the start then found this book slowed in pace however once it picked up again it was full of surprises.

Lizzie and her fiancé Owen have come to visit Lizzie’s mother however Lizzie has her reservations about Owen meeting her. No man is ever going to be good enough for Sylvia’s daughters and Lizzie knows from her own personal experiences just how horrible her mother can be.

Lizzie’s mum decides to take control of her daughter’s wedding. Lizzie is happy for a quiet one however her mum decides to go all out to give her daughter a day she will never forget, which she won’t, but for all the wrong reasons.

Just a year ago Lizzie’s sister Shelley was due to get married however on the day of her wedding Shelley’s fiancé was found dead on the floor. Lizzie believes her mum was involved in what happened to Shelley’s fiancé, that she could have murdered him, however after removing evidence from the scene there is little Lizzie can say or do to potentially stop history from repeating itself.

In the build up to the wedding strange things start to happen whilst Lizzie is staying at her mothers, money is stolen, Lizzie’s engagement ring goes missing, her mum is caught going through her possessions along with many other strange things happening. Lizzie’s never are on edge and with so many secrets and lies that have gone on behind her back as well as to her face who can blame her.

Mother of the bride for me was a good read, there were plenty of twists to keep the reader hooked although I did guess many of them but this didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the read as I love to be proved right as much as I like being proved wrong.

I really loved the ending to this book. I didn’t see that one coming, Samantha Hayes really stepped up a gear there with that exciting and unexpected twisty ending. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

This was such a good book! I loved Lizzie's character and personality. Her sister, Shelley and Rafe's wedding comes to an abrupt end but who was responsible? I love how the accusations fly and the fingers get pointed. Sylvia comes across as over bearing, she is a protective mother but all is not what it seems in the household. I love Frank's character too, he seems genuine and has his own reasons for things. Jared also makes a good addition and I wish we got to see more of him!

I like the fact there is another mystery to uncover, with Danny and his brother. I want to say so much but don't want to give away too much. This is a real page turner of a read, one that keeps you guessing until the end and has some nail biting moments!

I will look out for some of Samantha's other books as I enjoyed this one so much!

#blogtour

Lizzie is in love with her fiancé Owen and is expecting a baby. Owen however, insists on meeting Lizzie's family and she has good reasons for not wanting that to happen. Despite all her instincts telling her not to do it, she brings Owen home to meet her mother, the woman who tormented her for most of her childhood. Lizzie and her older sister Shelley grew up with a loving father but a mentally ill, narcissistic mother. Lizzie is concerned about her mother meeting Owen, especially since the year prior Shelley was set to be married to a man named Rafe who was found dead the day of the wedding with their mother's corsage laying at his side. At the time Lizzie grabbed the corsage before the police arrived but has been convinced ever since that her mother was a murderer.

This author can write and she knows how to keep up a steady pace but the plot of this story just didn't come together for me. For one thing the big twist was obvious from very early on and the characters had to behave in unbelievable ways in order for the secret to be hidden as long as it was. I didn't understand why Lizzie and Shelley would want to spend any time with her obviously ill mother and we are supposed to believe Lizzie's father has been hiding out for a year in a psychiatric hospital where he pretends to be mute and hiding his pills. Neither Lizzie or her fiancé appear to have any sources of income so they first have to mooch off of one of her old friends then stay with her mother. Owen keeps making excuses why a work payment is not coming in and the couple think nothing off of living off of Lizzie's sister and mother. Odd things start to happen such as Lizzie's ring disappearing and Owen getting locked in the basement and yet Lizzie still won't tell Owen about her childhood or her fears about her mother. I honestly didn't like any of the characters here and while I was curious as to whether the wedding would take place, i didn't have the sense of mystery and suspense I look for in a thriller. Not my favorite by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

This is the second book I've read by Samantha Hayes and I chose this one because I enjoyed [book:The Reunion|36589926], a thriller I had read in 2021. I was looking forward to another good thriller.

Description:
My mother is obsessed with every detail of my wedding – controlling my dress, my ring, my happiness. But when the day finally comes, will she really let me go? Last year, my sister’s fiancé was murdered on his wedding day. And I found my mother’s corsage next to his body…

I’m beaming as I walk down the aisle, but my smile masks a prickling fear, even though this is supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

My husband-to-be, Owen, is everything to me, with his sandy hair and sparkling blue eyes. He keeps telling me it will all be fine. I pray he’s right as I slip a gold band onto his finger with trembling hands.

Please let me be wrong about what my mother did. Please let Owen be safe.

But when the priest asks if anyone objects, I turn to look at my mother. Her eyes are icy beneath the brim of her hat, and she’s staring right at me.

Is my husband’s life in danger? Or is it mine…?

My Thoughts:
Silvia is perfect in the role of a nightmare mother of the bride. She's over-bearing and controlling, and difficult. Shelley's wedding day was horrible when her fiance died just before the wedding. Lizzie has her moments of wondering what really happened to Shelley's finance. Did Silvia have something to do with his death? Lizzie can't help thinking her wedding day, planned by her mother, would be difficult, but she was hoping for the best and finally became determined to get through it. She was hopeful. Surely it couldn't happen again.

This book was filled with drama and angst. It was tense. There was mystery there. It was easy to dislike Silvia and label her a possible killer. Also, I had to wonder why Lizzie would ever allow her mother to control her life so much for any reason whatsoever. Not very smart.

This was a drama-filled domestic thriller and if you like a good drama and mystery you will like this one.

Thanks to Bookouture through Netgalley for an advance copy. Expected publication on March 26, 2024.

I will start by saying that all these characters are just the worst! You will actually want to shake them or slap most of them lol. I always take it as a sign of a well written book when people that are completely make believe cause you so much real frustration! This book has so much going on, loads of twists and turns, everyone has secrets, everyone is a bit mental, itjls just full speed ahead go, go, go! And that is in no way a bad thing lol. Ot keeps you glued to every page and dying to find out how it's all going to end. Amazing!

Lizzie and Owen meet in Dubai where they both work. It’s love at first sight and after a whirlwind romance, when their contracts finish they return to the UK with plans to marry. Currently flat sharing in London with a friend of Lizzie’s, they decide to take a break from the city and pay a visit to her family in the Cotswolds.
Lizzie is not looking forward to this reunion. The family seem beset with problems and misfortune. Her sister Shelley’s fiancé Rafe was found dead on his kitchen floor on the day of the wedding. As a result her father had a breakdown and spent time in a home catering for patients with mental health issues. She discovers he has recently had a relapse and is back there once more. And then there is her mother, Sylvia. Since the tragedy, Lizzie has been holding onto a secret concerning her mother, one if made public, could destroy the family.
It’s clear right from the start that her mother has major problems. She’s controlling, rude and unpredictable. Immediately she hijacks Lizzie and Owen’s plans, insisting on organising the wedding. Despite all this, it appears Owen likes her and cannot see any harm in what she is doing.
There’s no one to really like among the three main protagonists. Sylvia has absolutely no redeeming features. It’s either her way or the highway. Lizzie seems to be putting a lot of energy into fighting a losing battle both with her mother and Owen, who seems to have gone over to ‘the dark side’.
Her concerns become worse as they get closer to the wedding date and unexpected incidents and accidents happen. Is history going to repeat itself? Is her mother trying to destroy her hopes of a happy ever after the same as she suspected happened with Shelley and Rafe? Running into Jared, an old boyfriend, photographs of the past and conversations about those times raise interesting questions.
Although I can’t say I bedded in well with these characters, there was something in the story that piqued my interest. Be prepared for lots of unexpected twists and a shocking ending.
My thanks to Bookouture, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of Mother of the Bride in exchange for an honest review.

Another excellent book from Samantha Hayes. Like her previous novels this doesn't disappoint focusing on an engaged couple having through no choice to live with the 'mother from hell'. Lots of twists to this psychological thriller and one I would definitely recommend as a must read.

Hayes does it again! Mother of the Bride by Samantha Hayes
I love Samantha Hayes and her writing. They are always exceedingly well written, packed full of unexpected twists and turns, gripping and so enthralling.
The characters of this book are brilliant. They were so realistic and natural that this did not feel like fiction.
The plot is incredible and layered with so many twists that are unraveled slowly and it sheer joy to watch them unfold. It makes this book very unputdownable. What a fantastic book

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is a book where the main character just ruined it for me. At first it seems Lizzie just had a bad childhood and is a little too naive. But as the story goes on, you just want to shake her and yell “hello!!! This clearly is suspicious!!!!” I felt Owen was very obvious with his invoice “never being paid” and with him being the one Lizzie’s best friend decided to tell that the couple must immediately move out. Lizzie didn’t even check in on her friend who supposedly had a family crisis or talk to him herself about essentially being kicked out of his apartment. I felt like that made her incredibly selfish or stupid. The end of this book was a wild ride. The mayhem made for an interesting ending. That final twist at the very end was creative and I definitely didn’t see it coming. Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy.

Here comes the bride...and here comes the mother of the bride!

Lizzie has returned from a six month working hiatus in Dubai with a fiancé in tow. She met Owen at her employer's pool party when she had inadvertently stepped back into the pool. Owen jumped right in to save her citing she already had his attention, she didn't need to nearly drown to get it.

Now they are back in London having stopped at her friend Peter's place for the duration until they got the money together for a place of their own. But they were nearing outstaying their welcome when Lizzie took a phone call from her mother who then invited them to come and stay with her. Having grown up in the same house and then escaping when she was 18 to university, Lizzie couldn't think of anything worse. She simply did not want to risk her mother getting her claws into Owen and ruin this chance of happiness.

Arriving at the Cotswold house, adorned in roses and blooms galore, Lizzie grit her teeth and bared the two days they were to stay. But then the fates aligned, or maybe conspired, to keep them there when Peter told them not to return and subsequently blocked her. Lizzie was stunned. But she had more pressing concerns. Her mother had discovered their engagement and thus took control of everything, organising their entire wedding for two weeks' time.

But at the back of her mind, Lizzie remembered the outcome of her elder sister Shelley's wedding the year before when her groom Rafe was found dead in their kitchen before the ceremony. Lizzie never told anyone but she found her mother's corsage beside his body. She had hidden it and intended to confront her mother about it later but never did.

Did Owen have a similar fate ahead of him?

With thoughts of poisoned berries, accidents on the stairs, of being locked in the cellar to the mournful strains of Mozart's death requiem, Lizzie can't be sure that they are safe staying with her mother.

This tale of a complex and rather dysfunctional family is an addictive read from start to ‌finish. Sylvia, the mother of the bride, is someone you really love to hate but then there are added complexities to her character also. And I just loved the setting of this one...the beautiful picturesque Cotswolds. It almost felt like an episode of Midsomer Murders!

I went into this book knowing that not all is as it seems...I mean why would it be? The title, the description...it was all a little too convenient. So it's not surprising I had the big twist figured out before the reveal. But it didn't ruin my enjoyment of this stunner of a thriller. The thrill is in the ride and Samantha Hayes has given us just that. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

I would like to thank #SamanthaHayes, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #MotherOfTheBride in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

First of all, a huge thanks to Bookouture and Samantha Hayes for the opportunity to read this ARC on Netgalley.

Mother of the Bride is an addictive psychological thriller that follows Elizabeth on the journey to her upcoming wedding, though being on her psychotic mother’s terms.

This book is a true page turner. It keeps you on your toes until the very end. Given you only have a single point of view, coming from an unreliable narrator nonetheless, it leaves much room for creating theories on what the story holds.

Most characters were rather unlikeable, Lizzie included, with the many lies and miscommunication she fosters with everyone around her. While that would be a dealbreaker on a romance book, I personally prefer thrillers with deeply flawed characters. It’s what fuel the plot and conveys and even more frenetic need to know what will happen next.

I feel somewhat proud of myself for partially guessing the ending, which is always something I’m not very good at. However, it should be noted I was not expecting it in the least to play out the way it did.

The writing style was fluid and easy to follow, even when the storytelling goes back to recount episodes of the past and returns to the present. I never got lost.
I would say that, mainly in the second act, the dialogues could have been developed better, as well as the pacing that slowed significantly compared to the rest of the book. However, that quickly improved as new characters got introduced and considerably enriched the plot.

This was the book that broke my reading slump after binging a high fantasy series. I would immensely recommend it for someone in the same situation, as well as anyone looking for a good thriller, or even those who are just starting to read in English - it would be a great place to start!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest domestic thriller by Samantha Hayes - 4.5 stars!

Lizzie is so excited to be getting married to Owen, but worried that her mother will ruin everything with her controlling ways. Plus, the memory of her sister's husband dying on the day of their wedding hangs over the family. Lizzie doesn't trust her mother and fears for Owen's safety.

Go into this one as blindly as possible, to more thoroughly enjoy all the twists and turns. The relationship between Lizzie and her mom is so full of drama, and her dad is in a psychiatric facility. You won't be sure who you can trust along the way, since everyone is keeping a secret or two or more. Once you start reading, you'll have to finish, so block off some time and enjoy! I thought the narration of the audiobook was perfect, and enjoyed having both versions so I could keep reading.