I was initially captivated by the title and cover to read this book. I had high hopes but the book fell short and took longer than anticipated to get through unfortunately. The story is about three families who have known each other their entire lives. It's supposed to be a twisty mystery novel and I was underwhelmed



Thanks to NetGallery and Head of Zeus part of Bloomsbury Publishing for this e-arc

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I had most of it figured out by the end but there were still twists I wasn’t expecting. I loved the premise and the multiple points of view during two timelines. It was definitely a great read!

I enjoyed this book once I could really get into it. It had a slow start, but it ended up being a good novel. It is all about suspense, family, and the secrets that can't stay buried forever. I would recommend this one to the thriller lovers. Thank you NetGalley ARC

Thank you to Aria & Aries - Head of Zeus, Rebecca Heath, and NetGalley for providing an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is due to be published in January 2025.

This is the first book I’ve read by Rebecca Heath and I thought the setting and way she described the jetty, the beaches and the community so beautifully, but I just couldn’t get into the story. It’s told from multiple POV/Timelines and this works well with the back and forth as to what happened, but the countdown to the wedding made it a little confusing at times. I really enjoyed the first half of the book but found that it sort of never really picked up and nothing really happened. There is a twist which is why I kept reading but I just found this book ‘Okay’ nod ‘Amazing’ as I’d hoped. I think the premise is good of the families returning for the wedding and all meeting again. It took me ages to read too because I just didn’t gel with the book.

Set in an Australian coastal town of Refuge Bay, Adele and Jason are about to get married. However, Adele has been getting messages and warnings not to go through with the wedding. Who is behind these messages, and why?

All is not what it seems, as both the prospective bride and groom have secrets of their own.

Years ago, the town of Refuge Bay was rocked by the tragic death of Adele's boyfriend. Was it a tragic accident, or something more sinister?

This book is told from the perspective of the bride to be, and the grieving mother and adult sister of the boy who tragically lost his life.

I thought this was a well written thriller that kept me interested throughout, and left me surprised by the twist at the end.

I enjoyed the alternating points of view between the past and the present. There were quite a lot of moments that I thought came out of left field unexpectedly. I would have liked the main characters' pasts fleshed out a bit more and explained. I found one of the main female characters to be a bit weak as well.

Thank you very much to the publisher for the advance copy, my first on NetGalley!

three families gather in Australia for a wedding, but a death years ago still holds secrets for them..

The story focuses on Adele and Jason, who are childhood sweethearts. But their childhood was scarred by the death of Ollie after jumping from the local jetty. And Ollie's mother and sister are part of the wedding party.

From a tragic death to secrets being held by everyone in the wedding party, this will keep you guessing until the very end. Will they marry? Was Ollie's death an accident? Will anyone else end up dead along the way?

A great, fast paced read.

The Wedding Party by Rebecca Heath is a suspense novel set in Australia in a seaside beach town. Adele and Jason spent their summers as kids there and are now back to get married amongst their family and friends. But they start getting messages to stop the wedding and the mystery is who is sending them and why?
We are introduced to MANY characters right at the start, which made it difficult to keep them straight. Melanie is the drunkard mother of Adele’s ex Ollie, who died in an accident when they were all teens. She hasn’t not been able to move past it, blames Jason for Ollie’s death, and doesn’t want the wedding to happen. Her POV is central to the book and how we learn about Ollie’s death. Sophie is her daughter, and bridesmaid, and she is pretty hard to read throughout the story. She also receives some chapters in her POV. Adele’s parents are in favor of the wedding, perhaps because Jason is wealthy and they have money troubles. Jason’s grandmother Dorothy seems happy about it as well, but occasionally seems like she has lost her marbles.
Problems I had with this were the chapters seemed fairly redundant, with readers not getting much more information as time goes on. The culmination was pretty predictable, with one “shocker” that I felt was only mediocre. Some things that happened were never explained at all, which made me question why they were in there to begin with. This would be a decent vacation read, where you want to fly through a book without having to do a lot of thinking. Thanks to NetGalley and Aria&Aries for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this it did take me a while to get into but once it got going wow I really enjoyed it. It was full of surprises which get kept me on the edge throughout. I liked the jump from past to present felt it really helped build up the story. I will definitely be recommending this unique thriller it definitely is worth a read l. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

This book was a fun, fast-paced read. I loved the Australian setting and the way the author kept me guessing with all the twists and turns. It was a great escape, and I couldn't put it down.

The only thing I didn't love was that there were a few too many secrets. Sometimes, it felt like there was a secret behind every corner. But overall, it was a great story, and I'm glad I read it.

Thank you to Aria & Aries (Head of Zeus) and NetGalley for providing an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest and independent review.

A group of friends and family are reunited for a wedding, but nothing is as good as it seems. With a deep history deeply rooted in grief and deceit, they all are desperate for this wedding weekend to be over. With the past still haunting them all and the truth starting to get revealed- it's ultimately up to whoever is the best at keeping secrets...

This book is a rollercoaster of suspense. The narrative skillfully builds up to the wedding day, offering an insightful look into the intertwining paths that lead there starting twelve years in the past. I also appreciated that the author provided a glimpse into what happens after the wedding too! The well-developed characters make this a captivating read from start to finish.

If you're looking for an average thriller you can finish in a day or two, this is a great option! As some other reviews have mentioned, I would LOVE to see a movie adaptation of this book.

Pretty enjoyable. I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters, as they were exactly what they needed to be for the plot. If you enjoy plot-heavy mysteries told from multiple povs, this one’s for you. 3/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Aries & Aries for letting me read an ARC of this book.

A mid-level thriller saved by a nice twist at the end…welcome to THE WEDDING PARTY.

Adele and Jason were childhood sweethearts and now they are getting married on the Australia coast with plenty of family and friends in attendance, but Adele is perpetuating a lie and some members of the bridal party are also lying about a death in the group ten years ago. And, seriously, you think THIS is the weekend it needs to come out? When we’ve bought orchids, people? ORCHIDS?!?!

The story is told in alternating POV by Adele, the bride and Melanie, the mother of Ollie, Adele’s former boyfriend who died a decade before. Because nothing says “good times” like mother of dead ex who is still grieving.

This really isn’t trying all that hard and some stuff is never explained. It is really saved by the twist…but it IS saved by the twist, so it was worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. Due for release January 2025.

Plot:

Adele and Jason are childhood sweethearts. Their wedding day on the sunny Australian coast is a chance to reunite and celebrate with friends and family.

But Adele isn’t telling the truth about her relationship. And some of the bridal party – still reeling from a tragic death in the group a decade before – hold secrets of their own.

Review:

The story is 3 stars at a push because it has real potential and it’s not written badly. Told in a multi-POV across 3 days before and during the Wedding of Jason and Adele, plus the incident 12 years ago, the author creates a good sense of tension and curiosity for the audience.

The book is at times extremely difficult to follow and also very dramatic, bordering on the slightly ridiculous but an okay read - just not really for me, as I prefer there to be a little more mystery. I think the author has told us a little too much from the beginning to be able to create a suspenseful ending, which is what this book is sorely missing for me.

I think this will appeal to readers who enjoy dramatic thrillers and don’t need a wow ending, as this would be perfect for them.

This book was good. It reminded me of The Guest List by Lucy Foley.

Every character was suspicious and/or hiding something. Anytime there’s an intricate aunt/uncle/grandparent in a book you know that character is going to steal the book. The grandmother in this book was everything.

The ending was so abrupt though I needed more of it. I was literally staring at the last page like “that’s it?!?!?”.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria/Aries Fiction for access to this ARC.

A beautiful cover sucked me in. The blurb of the book made it sound fun, but it was just too convoluted and not interesting.
I did not like it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an early access to this novel.

Based on the description, I had higher hopes for the suspense, but this one did not meet my expectations for suspense initially. The story did pick up speed and suspense around chapter 56 though and finished with a bang. It was a thriller, just not super suspenseful.

Unfortunately this one was a no for me and the premise sounded soo good, it took me close to 5 days to read this sucker.

I really don't like writing negative reviews but I want to be totally honest and also acknowledge this may be a winner for someone else.

Quickly in a nutshell this is a melodramatic light thriller filled with MULTIPLE POV's and dual timelines

I felt the pacing was off and it was just too long and just strung us along and lacked suspense and climax, I really felt it could have had potential but this one was another miss and I feel there is better reads out there waiting for you .

Thank you NetGalley, Aria & Aries and Rebecca Heath for this digital ARC in exchange of my honest review.

My Rating - ⭐️⭐️2 Wedding Crasher Stars

Oh vey, a you ever read a book and it was so disappointing that you struggled for words to write your review?

Well that's what's happening here for me with The Wedding Party

This was an epic flop for me and the premise sounded soo good, I thought oh perfect beach read, but it's taken me 5 days to read this sucker.

Once again a beautiful cover sucked me in.

I really don't like writing negative reviews but I want to be totally honest with you y'all and I have been known to be an outlier so this may be a winner for someone else.

Quickly in a nutshell this is a melodramatic light thriller filled with MULTIPLE POV's and dual timelines.

It's Adele's upcoming wedding and everyone is arriving at the cabins, where people from her past have come together to be united once again.

The only problem is one of the guests Ollies mother who can't let go of the past with her son Ollie who died tragically many years ago and Melanie is seeking answers, she wants the truth of what happened that day.... But no one is willing to tell the truth.

While Melanie is seeking answers, Adele is receiving cryptic dark messages and someone is threatening her not to marry Jason, is Adele as perfect as everyone thinks she is, or is she hiding secrets too ?

I felt the pacing was off and too long in the tooth and just strung us along and lacked suspense and climax, I really felt it could have had potential but this one was another miss at the Alter and I feel there is better reads out there waiting for you .

Thank you NetGalley, Aria & Aries and Rebecca Heath for this digital ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Respectfully Another Read by Angie

Three families are reunited in a wedding- a grieving mother, and two childhood friends. Adele and Jason are childhood sweethearts. They choose to wed on the brilliantly sunny Australian coast, inviting the friends and family they grew up with to join them on what is meant to be the most special day of any couple in love's life. There is a tragic death in the friend group, a mother who is still suspicious and reeling from the death of her son, and as always- secrets. What type of thriller would this even be without the promise of tracking down secrets?
Some things I liked: the book moved very quickly- I was very interested in the plot line, and it was written simply enough that it was extremely easy to keep up with the plot, characters, and who was where. Each chapter ended in a cliff hanger of sorts. I loved the town this story took place in, too.
I did not love that some of the plots felt like too much- it could have been a decent story without so many twists and turns added just for the sake of it. Thank you so much to the author and publishing company for the eARC!