I really liked Rebecca Heath’s “The Summer Party” and I loved “The Dinner Party.” The author is skilled at creating a gathering and threading a mystery or two (past and present) throughout the storyline.

In this case, what bride invites the estranged sister of her long dead boyfriend to be a bridesmaid as well as his bitter, accusing mother? Or plans her wedding at the vacation spot where the former boyfriend died? Of course, this wedding party is going to have fireworks.

The plot moves between the wedding and the days before Ollie’s death 12 years ago. When bride Adele was Ollie’s girl, groom Jason was just part of their friend circle, and Melanie, Ollie’s mom, could (and still) only imagine Adele as Ollie’s soulmate.

The POVs alternate between Adele and Melanie in the present, and Sophie, Ollie’s sister, in the past. It appears someone is trying to sabotage the wedding (sending anonymous messages, canceling the caterers, sabotaging a venue), but whoever is doing that out-of-sight can’t match the surliness and drunkenness of most of the immediate family members. Adele initially seems like the only sympathetic character, but that, too, might be an illusion.

Anyway, author Heath’s books always seem like gossipy fun. I’ve been to a couple of weddings where I’ve never seen the couple again but didn’t realize it at the time — Adele’s and Jason’s wedding is heading that way in this book. Until the end, you wonder if “The Wedding Party” will even include a wedding. I thoroughly enjoyed this party. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Just some blue ones.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO There is no difference between regular peonies and wedding peonies.

Thank you to Head of Zeus/Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

super thrilling! did not see the plot twist coming at all. was a little slow and boring at times, something with the pacing was a little off. overall still a solid read that i would rec!

Twelve years ago Ollie Rhodes did after doing a dive off of the jetty on Refuge Bay. At the time Adele thought that she would spend the rest of her life with Ollie. Everyone knew everyone in this tight community so when Jason and Adele decide to marry they invite everyone to the wedding. This would include Melanie and Sophie Rhodes who is Ollie's mother and sister. Everyone at this wedding has their own secrets and why they don't want Jason and Adele to marry. Adele keeps finding threating messages, Jason keeps getting threating text messages, their venue cathces on fire, what else can go wrong? The Wedding Party will keep you on your toes from the first chapter. No one in this book what they seem to be. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book Publishing for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

Compelling..
A wedding destined to be deadly in this simmering novel of suspense as three families inexorably bound by tragedy gather and where secrets and lies will inevitably out. Relayed effectively across a dual timeline with a propulsive plot populated by a well drawn cast and atmospheric backdrops, a cinematic tale unfurls. Compelling and tension fuelled.

Adele and Jason are childhood friends, due to get married. All their friends and families are together for the wedding week, some aren't happy about the marriage. And some people, including the bride and groom, have secrets they need to keep hidden.

The story is told in two parts. The first is the week leading up to the wedding, told from two POVs. The second part takes us back 12 years to when a young man tragically lost his life.
The start had me hooked straight away, and while it did get a little slow at points, it kept me reading, desperate to find out just what happened to Ollie all those years ago. I'll admit, I figured some bits out, but I hadn't been at all prepared for that ending. It took me completely by surprise and its what bumped up my rating.
I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley, author, and publishers for this ARC. Wedding themed thrillers are one of my favorite summer sub-genres to read and this was a nice last warm day kind of read to me as it's starting to get colder here. It has multiple POV's, and with past and present. Lots of domestic-ish wedding drama. I liked this one enough, I wished there was more with the ending and I don't want to post any spoilers as the book isn't out yet. This was my first book by this author and plan to check out more from them. I love the cover of this as well.

The book was enjoyable in places but I feel that some parts didn't read true to the storyline. The ending felt wrong and the scene felt like it was built to be bigger than it was

The Wedding Party was a captivating, frustrating read. Captivating since the slow burn was building to a crescendo through the alternating POV and approaching wedding date. Frustrating since the ending was so odd - rushed, disconnected, unbelievable. Great in parts - bewildering in others.

Thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was my first book by Rebecca Heath, and I really enjoyed it! I liked how the story began with an upcoming wedding, then used flashbacks to gradually reveal what had happened in the past. The suspense built as the reader pieces things together. I didn’t predict the ending; it wasn’t a dramatic twist and I wasn’t initially fully satisfied. However, after reflecting on the story for a while, I realized it was actually brilliantly done. The beginning had some slower moments, but they were important for setting the stage. I’ll definitely be reading more from Heath—I think I’ve found a new author to follow!

So good! After a terrible tragedy Adele decides to marry her outwardly nice but not really nice fiance, in the same place her boyfriend drowned years before. There are dark secrets buried by the families that about to bubble to the surface and potentially ruin the wedding. Really good!

I struggled to follow this book at some points as some of it didn’t seem to make sense, however I stuck with it and enjoyed it overall. It’s my first book by this author and I’d definitely consider reading further books in future.

2.5 stars.

Rebecca Heath can write; I’ll give her that. This book was enthralling. I flew through it because I couldn’t wait to see how it all came together…but then it didn’t. It didn’t come together at all. The ending made no sense and I’m left feeling like I missed something because the rest of the book was so well written.

Things that didn’t make sense:
-What did Dorothy see her that made her take action?
-What happened with the other men in Dorothy's life?
-What was the deal with Fiona and Jason?
-Why did Adele and Jason act the way they did at the jetty 12 years ago?

I’m not counting Heath’s books out. Like I said, she’s a great writer and I was so invested…I just didn’t think the ending made sense at all.

I will not be posting this particular review on any of my social media/rating sites. I don’t want to discredit the author’s work. I know it was a labor of love and even though it did not work for me, I’m sure others will enjoy it.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Aria & Aries via NetGalley.

The book promises a suspenseful thriller set against a sun-soaked Australian wedding backdrop, where three families, bound by a shared tragedy, reunite. The story follows Adele and Jason, childhood sweethearts celebrating their big day, surrounded by friends and family who harbor dark secrets. Adele, however, is not as honest as she seems, and as tensions rise, secrets from a tragic event a decade earlier resurface, threatening to unravel the celebration. Was the accident on the jetty truly just that—an accident—or is there more to the story?

Despite its intriguing premise, the book fails to deliver the compelling drama it hints at. The novel alternates between multiple points of view and dual timelines, which, instead of enhancing the mystery, often adds confusion. The narrative teases moments of suspense that never quite materialize, leaving readers waiting for a gripping climax that never comes.

The pacing feels uneven, dragging at times and lacking the suspense needed to keep readers on edge. Although Adele's cryptic messages and the presence of Melanie, a grieving mother desperate for the truth about her son’s death, offer potential, the plot twists are predictable and fail to pack a punch. The story’s climax feels anticlimactic, and by the end, the book doesn’t deliver the impactful reveal it promises.

A wedding is stressful enough but add in a murder and the pressure mounts. Set in the beautiful sunshine yet with real, dark undertones the contrast between what things look like and what they are is very atmospheric.

This was the perfect read for a rainy day when I just wanted to lose myself in another world. It’s actually quite a complex story and at first I got a bit lost with the characters but it rewarded the effort

I really enjoyed this multiple POV and dual timeline (past and present) mystery/suspense novel about three families united through a tragic event a decade ago as they come together to celebrate the wedding of Adele & Jason. With clearly labeled chapters with POV and timeline, this was a novel that was easy to follow along with despite the jumps back/forth in the timeline.

Thank you for the ARC! I found this novel to be underwhelming. It had a lot of promise and I was excited to start, however, it fell flat with the plot progressing strangely and some thoughts never materializing. It made it a bit hard to follow. The multiple POVs were not for me.

I received an ARC of this book from Aria & Ares via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. Unfortunately, this did not work for me. It was quite slow with many chapters of really nothing happening. There was a lot of repetition - Adele is unsure about getting married. Melanie is mourning her son. Dorothy is obsessed with her little dog. Ok, we get it!

I also felt there were some plot lines left unresolved or that seemed unnecessary. What exactly was Ollie involved in as a teen? What was the point of Giovanni? Sophie's crush on Pip? And then other portions that were really not believable, such as one character's action at the very end. The final reveal fell flat for me and similarly seemed not quite believable.

There were also some typo's which hopefully would be rectified before final printing.

Wedding thrillers are always hit or meh for me. This one is verging on the meh side. The story itself is alright and the twist at the end is satisfying enough but sadly, I don’t think this will be one I’ll rave about or remember a year from now

This book was an ARC from NetGalley. This is a multi-timeline murder mystery taking place as everyone returns home for a wedding bringing the past crashing into the present. Overall, this book lacked significant character development, and left a lot of plotlines open with only high level details. The storyline from the past did not engage me, and didn't really add anything but the final twist in the story. With a more focused approach this could have been interesting, but as is, nothing notable. #netgalley #theweddingparty #mudermystery #past&present

I’m shocked. That twist was the only thing saving this book. It was hard to follow at times with the alternating POVs. I couldn’t imagine if this was my wedding weekend.