They made a vow...they'll kill to keep it...

Walking down the aisle, Nicci pondered as to whether she was doing to right thing. Three nights ago something happened that threatened to rock their world as they knew it. Ethan convinced her not to confess because so much was riding on their wedding and the future before them. They would break so many hearts. Her father would never look at her the same way again. So Nicci agreed. But was it the right thing to do?

As she walks down the aisle, she wonders...does anyone else know what they've done? And then come the threats, the blackmail...someone saw something. Nicci is beside herself. Who can she trust with her secret? But Ethan made her promise...it was written in their vows...to keep their secret...until death parts them. And so she's trapped.

It's clear from the outset that Nicci is struggling with what happened just before their wedding but Ethan is there to calm her and settle her nerves. But then she begins to question everything she thought she knew? How on earth can she live with herself? How can she make it right?

As the story unfolds we learn more about Nicci, Ethan and Stacey. And not all of it good. I was blindsided by what happened (not often that happens...lol) so it may well take you by surprise. And I loved how the ending tied everything up neatly so that there was nothing left to chance.

Plenty of twists, plenty of red herrings, plenty of secrets and lies. Definitely a riveting read that I devoured in one sitting.

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

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

They said 'til death do they part. He meant it.

Nicci and Ethan are only days away from their wedding. They should be looking excitingly toward their future, but instead they are rewriting their vows to cover up a hit-and-run accident that could land someone in the cemetery -- and Nicci and Ethan in jail. Wrapping her in his love and support as he always has, Ethan promises her it will all be okay as long they keep what happened as their secret. But Nicci is racked with guilt. Keeping her vows won't be easy. After all, there are more secrets she's keeping than the accident. And as they become husband and wife, she starts to suspect Ethan has more secrets he's keeping from her too.

Ethan's finally found the success he always craved. Never able to make his father proud, he's Nicci's father's pride and joy. First, he was the star employee, bringing in new ideas to help the business grow. But marrying Nicci will make him the cherished son-in-law too -- and the managing director of the family business. However, the accident could put all that in jeopardy. His fiancé-turned-bride has a case of conscience and wants to turn herself in. He'll do anything to keep the life he has. Anything. Even if it means another accident. Even if it means forcing his bride to keep her vows in ways she never dreamed he would.

Ultra-addicting, suspenseful, and make you gasp-out-loud good, "Bride and Groom" by Rona Halsall is packed with so many twists that you need a motion sickness pill to get through it. It feels like such a straight-forward book. In fact, it seems like you have it all figured out every few chapters (or thereabouts). But hold onto your stomach, because that's when it happens. An unexpected twist throws you through a loop... again and again. It's a typical Rona Halsall novel, and it's brilliant. There are so many red herrings in this book to keep you going down the wrong path each time, you start to crave fish for dinner. But of course, there's no time for dinner, because you can't put the book down.

Told from both Nicci and Ethan's points of view, "Bride and Groom" is as fraught with tension as it is twisty. Faster paced, it's a well-developed story with well-developed characters. Starting out as suspenseful and mysterious and growing into the kind of creepy that makes your breath get caught in your throat, it keeps you glued to your seat. Before knocking you off it with the mind-blowing ending, that is. The ending of "Bride and Groom" isn't just shocking or satisfying, though. It's explosive. There are so many shocks to enjoy. So many final twists to satisfy you. It's like a firework show in a nighttime sky.

Honestly, I've never read a Rona Halsall book I didn't love. "Bride and Groom" is no exception. Read it. You must.

Bride and Groom by Rona Halsall is a well written twisty story which is made even more interesting due to the characters and a surprise ending that I didn't see coming.
I was instantly pulled into this one. Halsall hooked me, held my attention hostage and kept me on edge until the very last page.
This was so much fun to read. It starts out quickly and increases in tension at a rapid pace.
It kept me entertained, on the edge of my seat, and wanting to know what happens next.

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

What a great read. The beginning, the middle, but oh the end!
This is an excellent rollercoaster of a thriller.
Nicci and Ethan are getting married but nights before their wedding something dreadful happens which spoils the day and will possibly spoil the rest of Nicci’s life too.
Struggling to come to terms with the situation she quickly realises that her friends are not who she thought they were, her husband is not who she thought he was, and that she loves someone else.
As circumstances escalate the tension builds as twist after twist presents itself.
Another brilliant read from the queen of suspense that is Rona Halsall

I found this book a good thriller but not brilliant. The bride and groom are Nicci and Ethan who seem to be totally happy together. I must admit I had my doubts about Ethan from the start but was I right? There are some shocks and a good ending.

Exciting domestic thriller. Shocking twists and mystery with cunning and manipulative characters. I think it's the same old story but with the different spin. Nicci's character was strong, and I was rooting for her to escape Ethan from the start. Twisted minds. The pace was good and the climax was great. Recommended to the mystery thrillers fan. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

A psychological thriller with plenty twists to keep you reading on. Newly weds who share an awful secret and have a few of their own - didn’t sound like a good match from the beginning.
Nicci and Ethan vowed to keep their secret til death they do part, one wanted to confess, the other desperate to keep up appearances and live their dream life.

Another great book by Rona!

Book Title: Bride and Groom
Author: Rona Halsall
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: April 5, 2024
My Rating: 3.6 rounded up
Pages: 321

This is my third Rona Halsall| story, the first was "The Bigamist" which I thought was great.
So I knew I wanted to read whatever she wrote next!

Nicci and Ethan are the Bride and Groom in this story. Their wedding day should be the happiest day of their lives. As Nicci is walking down the aisle her heart is pounding with fear as she is worried someone witnessed what they did. So when they exchange their vows- they have an additional vow; they promise never to say or do anything that would harm the other - thus keep their secret a secret.

We learn they were involved in a hit-and-run accident a few days before their wedding. They were attending a pre-wedding party with friends and both had been drinking a lot. They decided the trip home was only 15 minutes they would be fine. However, while Nicci is driving Ethan grabs the wheel as an accident is about to happen.

Nikki is a mess and wants to confess her role in the accident.
I thought Okay - the end!
But secrets and lies pop up and I am hooked – I am a big psychological thriller fan and the big draw is trying to figure out whodunit. So No it wasn’t “The End” so I had another glass of wine and read on.

Story was indeed a family drama that kept me reading.

I always like reading the Author’s note – in this case Rona makes a personal comment in her Acknowledgements – She tells us that this was her first story after her husband died. She admits it was a struggle but once she becomes immersed the characters takes over and it was good for her to get lost in the story which helped her through such a very sad time.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for granting me this thriller.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 5, 2024.

In the book Bride And Groom by Rona Halsall we meet Nixie and Eathan a couple on the eve at their wedding when they’re on a short drive home from her best friends house where they were celebrating the event they accidentally hit a man. Nixie is obviously upset but Eathan keeps his head on straight and explains all the ramifications that would be if they called the police but luckily someone has done it for them. They do their best to MoveOn and promise even in their wedding vows that they will keep their secret for life. After all they both work for Nixie‘s father‘s company and he is growing very close to Eathan but unfortunately they are not the only two that know the secret. Nixie and Eathan seemingly have a perfect marriage it’s too bad one of them is only pretending and by the time it’s over they will have multiple accidents someone will be dead in the police are going to be sick of seeing them. I want to state upfront I absolutely love Rona Halsalls books her books are usually among my favorite and although I did like this one and it was very twisty I just felt they repeated things a lot the characters were not likable at all but as far as it good thriller I don’t think you can ever go wrong with one of this authors books as I only found this one OK it’s still better than other authors best efforts. I want to thank Bookoucher and Net Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

this book was very slow to fast paced to say the least and i really did enjoy it. i did guess the twist but the twist that came ontop of the twist - shook.
the ending was quite slow paced though, the very start of it was all quite face paced.

also i knew Ethan was a weirdo from the beginning lmao, red flag vibes and I felt so so bad for nicci from the beginning.

Nicci and Ethan are about to get married and start a new life together but events that happened just before their wedding day have tarnished their happiness and left Nicci feeling very guilty and wanting to confess all, but Ethan has other ideas and has insisted that, as part of their vows, they promise to uphold their truths for as long as they both shall live. But secrets have a habit of being exposed and, as events unfold, it would seem this isn't the only one they are keeping...

Bride and Groom is the latest thriller by Halsall and, as in her previous novels, it hits the ground running right from the start. It's a fast paced read, jam packed with intense moments that had me on the edge of my seat throughout and I just didn't want to put it down. It's a well crafted, dark plot with mainly likeable characters, but I just could not take to one of them, in the beginning they were just 'too nice' and as the story progressed I could see that my instincts had been right, as the old saying goes ' if something seems too good to be true, it usually is'. I developed a real soft spot for Nicci's dad Pete, he was adorable! Once again this author puts pen to paper and delivers an incredible read which I highly recommend.

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

There’s been a terrible accident. It’s a secret you and your husband vow to take to the grave.


This book immediately grabbed my attention. It’s very fast paced which I loved.
I had such a feeling of dread as I was reading and was just waiting for the secrets to come spilling out. I liked how every chapter ended on a cliffhanger and left you wanting more. There are so many intense moments and shocking revelations!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc!

Another great Rona Halsall book! Rona is a ‘new to me’ author and I totally enjoyed it. So easy to fall right into the story. Packed with tension, lies and so many secrets. This one kept me flipping pages long into the night.
Thank you NetGalley, Rona Halsell and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Page turner is the best way for me to describe this book. Secrets are bound to come out sooner or later and that includes the secret that Nicci and Ethan share. Get ready for another ride with twists, turns, and non stop action.

Nicci has a great life. A wonderful fiancé and a devoted father, who can't do enough for her and her soon to be husband, Ethan. Shortly before their wedding day, Nicci and Ethan are involved in a hit and run and vow to keep it secret between them. Nicci struggles with her conscience and when other things start to happen, she questions whether it really happened as Ethan told her, which leads her to question her relationships with everyone she loves - her father, her husband and her friends.

As the twists piled up, in classic Rona Halsall style, I was blown away. There were enough red herrings to make me think I'd worked it out, but of course, Rona is always one step ahead and I was wrong - again and again! As I raced through to the shocking ending, the tension was electric (or maybe I should say gas)!

I don't feel that the character development was as thorough as it usually is in Rona Halsall's books, and the writing was a little disjointed at times. I felt as though this book was a little rushed.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Rona Halsall and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is a great psychological thriller.
Before Nicci and Ethan get married they discuss their vows, as something happened a few days before the wedding.
Nicci is struggling to come to terms with it but Ethan is there to calm her down.
As the story progresses we learn more about each character, and it’s not all good.
There’s a few twists and turns that will take you by surprise and your feelings towards some characters will definitely change.
This is a gripping read that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Bride and Groom’ written by Rona Halsall in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

As Nicci marries Ethan she has the urge to turn and run away as she thinks she’s making a terrible mistake. Just three days prior to their wedding, Nicci is driving them home from a party when their car hits a man who’s standing at the corner of a road. She fears the man is Joel who she has feelings for and Nicci wants to confess to the police but Ethan makes her keep to her marriage vow not to tell anyone.

‘Bride and Groom’ is an intriguing thriller about two newly-weds, the secrets they keep and lies they tell. Although the story is slow for a good part of the time, the tension starts to build towards the end and the numerous twists and turns increase the drama until the conclusion is reached which is not only surprising but completely unexpected. It’s well-written with interesting characters and an ingenious plot that I enjoyed reading and can recommend.

What a fantastic read. When an accident happens a few days before Ethan and Nicci are due to get married their future looks uncertain so they decide to keep it to themselves but Nicci can't help feeling guilty and things start to become uncomfortable between them.There are so many twists to this story and it's a real rollercoaster of emotions as things start to unravel that will keep you hooked right to the end. I've read it in a day and highly recommend this book

A thoroughly enjoyable read. Rona is such a captivating writer and is a master in her field. I've enjoyed every single one of her books so far and this one is just as good as the others

I thought I had never read a Rona Halsall book before but once I dove in, I realized she reminded me so much of Freida McFadden and Daniel Hurst that I was excited to find someone new and just as refreshing as they are. Well looking back at goodreads, I see I loved her book The Honeymoon back in 2019 so now I’m really excited to get started. It starts off with a bang right away. A couple are 3 days away from getting married when they accidentally hit a person while driving. They have this secret forever and do get married, then all kinds of things start happening. I was glued from the first page and this was a very faced thriller that I could not put down. Twists and turns are thrown in when you least expect them and I just loved this whole book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published April 5, 2024. It won’t be long before you can pick this to your thriller collection. Highly recommend. Looking forward to more books by this author.