Mother of the Bride is a fast paced read with twists and turns that kept me turning the pages quickly.

Circumstances have Lizzie and her new fiance Owen returning to her family home .

This is a home filled with bad memories about her mother , doesn't trust her and actually thinks she is capable of the murder of her sisters husband last year.

There are secrets and lies and unexplained things happening to both her and Owen.

Their wedding is fast approaching and it is all planned by her Mum.

That's all I will say in case I inadvertently give something away but you can count on Samantha Hayes to throw a few twists and turns that will surprise you.

The ending was the best.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a page turning read.

I was absolutely invested and obsessed with the Mother of the Bride and her daughter. When I say that EVERYONE had a secret, that is JUST the beginning. One heck of a roller coaster of a ride!
After a short engagement Lizzie and Owen finding themselves staying with her mother. Her mother is controlling, to say the least and Lizzies childhood was bumpy because of her mother and her moods. Her father and sister are close by but not living at their home. Lizzies sister’s fiancé was murdered at her wedding a year ago, so things are intense.
Strange things start happening to Owen and Lizzie’s best friend, and she is fearful that someone close to her is involved! Will Owen and Lizzie make it to the alter? Is someone planning a repeat of last year?

I am lost for words! Still trying to recover from the many twists that occured in this book, I honestly did not see that ending coming! But my god what an absolutely fantastic book! From start to finish this will have you guessing and thinking you know what's happened and everytime you think you've rumbled it along comes one hell of a twist! This author is incredible! Will definitely be recommending this book and I know for sure this will definitely be a best seller!

was really excited to be able to read Mother of the Bride early through NetGalley.

There possibly should be a trigger warning for child abuse. Nothing was described in any great detail or anything, but it was alluded to on several occasions as well as mentioned in passing.

If you like thrillers that really make you think, I feel like this is a great read for you. It wasn’t hard to follow, and definitely made me feel unsure of which characters were guilty and who was just dealt a bad hand.

There were times where the main character was a bit unlikeable, or maybe unremarkable? I did have the twist mostly figured out pretty early on, but it was executed well! I would absolutely recommend this one to my friends.

Overall I really enjoyed the book. At times I felt the way Elizabeth acted was childish and sometimes things were repeated almost word for word went it could have been written differently. It was still a really good book and I'm glad I read it.

Whoa! That was mind-blowing! I loved it! That twist really changed everything for me because this was definitely a slow-burn. Wow!

I absolutely love suspenseful books and especially in home settings or home towns. Lizzie returns back home & is trying everything possible to avoid her mom taking control and planning her wedding with new fiancé,Owen. So many dark secrets and things from the past comes up and I swear you want Lizzie to pay attention and put the clues together but she does not. The mystery with her whole family including her dad, mom, sister and brother in law really will have you scratching your head. I enjoyed trying to figure out exactly what her mom was up to and if Lizzie would ever put 2 & 2 together. The storytelling does get a bit predictable & really repetitive at times where it feels redundant, but the ending of the book did a fairly good job of tying it all together. This was a complimentary book that I received and my opinions are my own.

so the build-up in this book had me thinking it was going to be predictable. like you can almost see the ending a mile away... up until the last few chapters, where the truths and revelations came smacking you in the face. definitely reminiscent of The Housemaid and The Perfect Marriage, as suggested in the description. if you love those books, i'm sure you'll enjoy this.

this was well-written, but i will say... it did get a bit confusing at times where the author jumped between past and present, usually when the FMC(Elizabeth/Lizzie) would recall certain memories or go back to something that had happened between chapters. but it wasn't confusing enough for me to lose my rhythm. there was plenty of description to help me envision the scenes, though i could have done with more details for more vividity.

i'll admit i was annoyed and angry at times, either with the FMC or her parents. but especially with Elizabeth because WHY, OH WHY couldn't she just be honest!? this literally had me yelling, "for the love of God, say something!"-- several times. LOL. so yeah... it was frustrating at times, but i feel that's because the author did well in submerging you into the story.

now, if you're wondering why i rated it ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5... Lizzie became a bit repetitive. just a few chapters in you're like yes, we get it... your mum is terrible and despicable! could shave off a few pages if the reader wasn't incessantly being reminded of Lizzie's reservations with her mother. but also the way she was made to sound... dense, impetuous, and oblivious... despite being in her 30s, having experienced trauma, and also an educator/tutor? almost made her an insufferable character. almost.

despite all that, i did enjoy this book. the rollercoaster in the familial dynamics was interesting as you follow Lizzie navigate being back in her childhood home. kept you wondering what would happen next and who's holding what secret(s) and who really holds the keys to unraveling the truths Lizzie's searching for. the ending was definitely not the twist i was expecting, but somehow... the *gasp*-worthy ending it deserved. in a good way! would i recommend this? if you like psychological thriller books, then yes!

thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. i received this book as an ARC and leave this review voluntarily.

This is one twisted tale! Short, very fast paced chapters- I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I thought I’d figured it out and then it twisted yet another time…… and then again! I liked it. This was a quick 2 day read for me.
Thank You to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Samantha Hayes for the opportunity to read and guiltily enjoy this ARC.

gorgeously written thriller with constant perpetual shocking twists. the final one wasnt HORRIBLY shocking but it was definitely mostly context subtleties. thanks for the arc.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Samantha Hayes and the publisher Bookouture for the advance copy to read.

This is my first book by Samantha Hayes but it won't be my last.

This is psychological suspense novel following Lizzie as she is due to marry her new fiance Owen. Throughout the book we see the awful side of her mother and all the bad things she's done in the past.

The book had me racing through it to find out who did what. Although it was very obvious where the book was going it was still a great fast paced read.

I didn't particularly care for any of the characters other than Betty.

If you're looking for a good book to get into this spring then look no further. Great for fans of TM Logan, Freida McFadden and BA Paris.

4 stars

I so love these authors books. Always an addictive and twisty read. Lizzie and her sister did not get the love of their mum. it was always their dad who looked out for them. Lizzie could not wait to leave home and get away from her mum. And then she meets Owen in Dubi while working. and when work has finished, they move to London. they have nowhere to live so they move in with her friend. Peter. Lizzie and Owen become engaged. and she is pregnant.so it's time for Owen to meet her parents. Lizzie not looking forward to it. and she does not trust her mother. And Lizzie starts digging into the past over her mum's job. a very addictive read.

I'm a big fan of Samantha Hayes and always relish a new release of hers. This book didn't disappoint and I read it within a few short days. Some twists I guessed, some I didn't. But all in all a great read as always!

This was a juicy domestic drama thriller with plenty of twists, turns, and red herrings!

Lizzie's sister Shelly's husband mysteriously dies on the morning of their wedding. Now Lizzie finds herself returning to her hometown, pregnant and engaged, and with a mother who wants to plan a wedding. The past starts to unfold and Lizzie isn't sure who to trust.

This had Mommy Dearest vibes and it was a great thrilling read! This is a great book for those who love Kierstin Modglin quick reads!

My only complaint was that was seemingly a tad too long and could've been shortened a bit.

This was a fun, fast-paced read.

Lizzie has spent her adult life running from her unhappy childhood and controlling mother. It’s taken a while, but now Lizzie has met Owen, the love of her life and the man she plans to marry. Moreover, Lizzie and Owen are expecting their first child – something she was certain would never happen.

But unforeseen circumstances take Lizzie and Owen back to Lizzie’s childhood home, living under the same roof as her controlling mother. The same mother who takes over all aspects of Lizzie’s wedding planning. Is Lizzie’s mother truly helping, or is she simply trying to get Owen out of the picture?

This was a page-turning psychological thriller you may wish to put off if you’re in the midst of wedding planning. An enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy - all thoughts are my own.

This is a difficult one to review for several reasons. Sam Hayes was my first introduction to psychological thrillers and I enjoy all her books. However, I felt this one was a bit predictable.
Lizzie was the most annoying character ever, she had all these doubts but did she voice them - no! Honestly, I was losing all patience with her!
Her mother was the ultimate harridan, she sounded like a complete psycho, why was everyone just pussyfooting about her?
It was a good book and I did enjoy it but honestly if only these people spoke to each other things wouldn't escalate in the way they did!

The dynamic between Lizzie, her mom, and sister was an interesting journey, keeping you wondering what was actually going on. I enjoyed this thriller and its ultimate conclusion, which was unexpected and twisty. This is everything you’d want from a thriller.

Mother of the Bride by Samantha Hayes is one of the best psychological thrillers that I have read in a long time, and the twist at the end was riveting and completely unexpected, but in the best kind of way!

Lizzie’s family is no secret to tragedy and dysfunction. Her mother, Sylvia is erratic, unstable, and slightly terrifying. Her father has his fair share of psych hospital stays, and her sister Shelley’s husband was mysteriously found dead on the morning of their wedding a year ago. Lizzie suspects her mother may have been involved, but isn't sure how. Now, Lizzie finds herself returning to her hometown engaged, pregnant, and having to face the unstableness of her mother, while worrying for her safety and the safety of her fiancée as they are forced to be under the same roof as her mother. The past starts to unfold and makes Lizzie question everything.

This definitely had a Mommy Dearest vibe to it as well as a well-written murder/mystery vibe. There were a few plot twists and one major one at the end. I loved this book and anyone who loves a good psychological thriller will love this one too! It’s hard to put down! And now I am going to go and read more books by Samantha Hayes!

Wow what a ride. I really enjoyed this book about a young woman forced to come home to her mother. Returning home brings up a lot of buried pain from growing up with a mother who has mental health issues and even darker secrets the question is her mother capable of murder and why is she railroading her into getting married now and staying with her longer. As she fears she needs to get away from her mum as soon as she can should she be looking elsewhere. A great read with an ending I wasn’t expecting.

Lizzie and her fiancé, Owen, are forced to move into her mother's house because of financial issues. There, the problems and traumas of the past begin to appear in the face of her mother's manipulative and harassing attitude.
An interesting novel with characters that leave no one indifferent. I found the character of Lizzie the least appealing, always complaining and too easy to influence. Throughout the book, the only source of her difficulties seems to be her mother and she never considers any alternative. At some point it becomes annoying.
Although there are intriguing twists and turns, these are fairly predictable for a regular reader of the genre.
Overall, an entertaining book with a good plot, though not S. Hayes' best.