Mother of the Bride by Samantha Hayes kept me engaged until the end, even though I was all but certain I knew what was happening much, much too soon (suspicious at 5%, knew all twists by 30%). I still enjoyed it, although I did find myself wanting to insult a character for being ... not smart.

Tamsin Kennard is in my top 10 of narrators. I love her voice and how she embodies the characters she reads for. I believe they truly don't see/know what I do 🤣🤷🏽‍♀️

I rate it 3.5 stars. Since it kept me engaged even though I knew every twist, I rounded up to 4 stars.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio for providing me with an ALC.

I listened to this book on audio through NetGalley.

Pros:

Multiple deaths, endless lies and mysteries to untangle. This is a single point of view book that will entertain those who like family dramas and thrillers.

Cons:

I struggled with the paranoia the main character had despite it being justified. Every single person in this building ok is constantly lying. It’s a lot to try to dig through and makes it difficult to truly feel bad for any of them.

This was a great thriller read. I liked the audiobook narration & the premise was quite interesting. I didn’t see the end twist coming. There was sort of two ending twists which was a fun way to end!

This was my first book by the author and I really enjoyed listening to this one. The plot was well written and the pace was good but the main character annoyed me at times but I loved the crazy mother and the twists in this. I'm looking forward to reading more from the author in the future. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for a chance to read and review this book.

The beginning got me hooked but the narrator wasn’t the best. This was a really fun thriller though! I loved the crazy mother and what she’s been doing throughout and the twists honestly had me guessing. This was entertaining from beginning to end, I really enjoyed the different plots we follow regarding Liz’s sister the year before with her wedding and also the current time with Liz’s and Owen’s wedding, and other stuff as well. I couldn’t stand Liz’s mother and how she acted throughout but very dramatic and crying wolf for sure but this was awesome! Such a fast listen/read. The ending was great also, highly recommend

This was my first book by Samantha Hayes and I really enjoyed it. It moved at a pace that kept me engaged. She did a good job of weaving the story. It kept me guessing throughout. I was a little underwhelmed by the ending. I'm not quite sure what I would have preferred...but it just didn't quite have the bang I thought it would. Overall, good book! I will definitely be reading more Samantha Hayes.

I found this book captivating from the very beginning. It’s fast paced with interesting characters and lots of unexpected twists. The various plot points drove the story toward a shocking ending I truly didn’t see coming!

Two notes:

1. Though the characters developed throughout the story, I felt they could have used a littler more depth.

2. I wanted to shake the main character a few times in a, “girl, what are you doing,” type of way.

Overall I found Mother of the Bride engaging, entertaining and well-written. This was my first Samantha Hayes book and I’ll definitely be checking out her other titles.

3.8 rounded up to 4

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Samatha Hayes for the arc.

I listened to the audiobook from NetGalley and Bookouture. I was drawn in from the start and finished it in a couple of days. Some scenarios I was able to figure out and other twists took me by surprise. Owen and Lizzie return to England from Dubai where they met and fell in love. They go to visit Lizzie’s family to announce their engagement.
Lizzie’s sister, Shelly, is still grieving from the death of her husband to be, on their wedding day. Lizzie suspects her overbearing, histrionic mother to be involved somehow. Their mother’s mental health had been an issue all of their lives and she doesn’t trust her.
Owen’s family was killed in a car crash and he is eager to get to know Lizzie’s family. Things seem to be a bit off and each time something strange happens Lizzie suspects her mother.
Past secrets are revealed and the reader is kept guessing as the story unfolds.
The narrator does a great job with character voices and emotion. Very well done!

This book was pretty good. It's about a overly controlling mother that wants to plan every detail of her daughter's wedding. A sister who lost her fiancé the day of her wedding, and so many shocking twists and turns it's hard to keep up.
I listened to the audio version and they narrator did a fantastic job.

Ohh that book. That book was silly. A far fetched plot and there were things that just didn't make sense at every corner. Constant nonsense. I didn't believe any of the characters nor had any trust or interest in anyone, throughout

I got used to the narrator eventually but the story was literally laughable. There were a few occasions when a laugh escaped me at the 'revelations' and 'twists'.
Although I kept reading and finished the book I would not recommend.

This audiobook started off quite slow for me personally, and I had a hard time initially connecting with the characters. I do generally enjoy the suspense/mystery-type novels, but there wasn’t a compelling hook early on. It was more of a slow burn. It was around 40% in that I become more invested and wanted to see where all of the different threads were going.

There were quite a few misdirections throughout, which is typical of mystery novels. But I found myself wanting in that they weren’t really ever addressed one way or the other. Like the reader went down a particular path for a while, and then it just disappears without ever typing back into the real answers or closing itself off as a lost cause.

The narrator was great and very easy to listen to. She did a wonderful job with different voices and inflections throughout the audiobook.

Overall I’d recommend this book for folks who enjoy mysteries AND don’t mind more of a slow burn. I don’t often figure out the ~twists~ long before they’re revealed, but I did have the main one figured out for several chapters before it was revealed. The epilogue, however: THAT I did not see coming!!

Big thanks to the author, NetGalley, and Bookouture Audio for the ARC. Mother of the Bride by Samantha Hayes is out everywhere 26 March 2024! Review is posted to Goodreads and will also be published on Instagram and Amazon.

As much as I wanted to I didn't love this book. I didn't connect with any of the characters and it made it hard to stay engaged while listening. I often found myself rewinding and listening again after realizing I'd stopped paying attention.

I was able to predict part of the main twist early on in the book and in hindsight I guess I could have seen the other coming had I been engrossed. I did like the twist in the epilogue but it also left me feeling like there were too many loose ends. Why were we given half of the information we were if for no other reason than to serve as a distraction?

I really appreciated the opportunity to review this and wish I'd enjoyed it more. I can see it being a favorite people who like mysteries and who don't read much but I don't expect this to be favored by those who are frequent readers.

I had a hard time getting into this one. It was just not very interesting to me and there seemed to be a lot of unnecessary information. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters and didn't really care what happened to them. I also had pretty good idea of what was going to happen and I was partially correct. I did not guess that twist but I also have a hard time believing it due to things stated throughout the book. I also thought the epilogue was pretty predictable. Unfortunately this one just didn't work for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Samantha Hayes for allowing me to listen to an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great book! This is definitely one of those books that you think you know how it’s going to end and then you are completely wrong. The twists at the end were really good. At times the book was a little slow, but it still kept my interest the whole time. I also enjoyed the narrator.

Slow burn of a listen but stick with it, what unfolds is a tale filled with misdirection with a final rapid acceleration to a cracking ending.

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.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mother of the Bride by Samantha Hayes, an audiobook narrated by Tamsin Kennard was an addictive and jaw-dropping psychological thriller with some good twists at the end! To be honest I think the end of the book made this book!
The first and middle parts were good but sometimes repetitive and flashbacks to the past were confusing. I would describe some characters as weak but in general, all the storylines and twists were really good!

Some parts drove me mad! How much would you let control your life? Seriously, I am surprised that there are people who let mothers or mothers-in-law dictate life and choices! If there be anyone who would try to control my life and I would be expected to be quiet to not hurt their feelings - I am sorry darling, but you can be how hurt if you want - MY LIFE IS MY LIFE!

The narrator was good! So good! I love when in the prologue I can nod my head, raise my eyebrows, and say "It's good!" Perfect choice for this book! The narrator and author seem to work perfectly together to create a magical listening experience

All Lizzy wants is to get married to Owen and raise her baby but a dark shadow from the year before never leaves. Her sister's soon-to-be husband died on their wedding day... Lizzy is worried that history will repeat itself but even more worried that she doesn't have any control over the things...
Someone's life is in danger but whose?

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this copy! I highly recommend it!

Oh I did not like Owen right at the beginning. Why is he broke? Why is he sketchy?
I love the narrator. She was part of the reason I chose this lovely book. It was twisty and I enjoyed the experience.
I could not stop because I had to know how it turned out.

Book Title: Mother of the Bride
Author: Samantha Hayes
Narrator: Tamsin Kennard
Format: 🎧
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Mystery Thriller,
Pub Date: March 26, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars!
Pages: 382


This story follows Lizzie the weeks prior to her wedding day.

Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Holmes returns home from working as a tutor in Dubai. She is accompanied by her fiancé Owen, whom she met there. Owen is now working in London and they were staying with friends while looking for their own place. They decide to spend a few days visiting friends and introducing Owen to family. When Lizzie’s mother Sylvia learns they are planning to get married, she is not only willing to pay for the wedding but takes control of planning it. She also insists that they stay with her.
Lizzie reluctantly agrees to stay but isn’t happy about her mum taking over. Her mother is very controlling and Lizzie doesn’t have a choice. Lizzie fears her mother but also believes she is capable of murder.
A year ago at her sister Shelly’s wedding, the groom Rafe died under suspicious circumstances. Lizzie finds the body and sees her mother’s corsage on the floor. She picks it up and hides it. Lizzie is sure her mother played a part in his death. .Now Lizzie fears her mother may harm Owen.

Story had my full attention.
I read a lot of thrillers and had a feeling there was a lot more to both Lizzie and Sylvia than we were lead to believe.

Then the “Big Reveal” makes me realized how clueless I was!!

Narrator Tamsin Kennard does a great job performing all the characters!

I know some readers don’t like to read the Prologue nor the Epilogue- In this case both are ‘Must. Read!

My first Samantha Hayes and I look forward to reading another!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for granting me this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 26, 2024.

This highly addictive listen told from the point of view of the bride to be us full of twsts and turns. The conplex family history revealed as events trigger memories . I loved the way the mother of the bride evolved and i felt the complexity of her character and the place she has within the family and the relationships she has. Each character is complex but the talent here is how the twists and turns lead you one way and then bam bam you are proved so wrong. The ending was fab and i liked the fact the story and its sub plots were revolved . The naration showed rral emotion and is of high quality.
It was a binge listen compelling me to carry on to find out the truth..
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator for this 5 star listen.