Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. I love the premise of the book, something different, but I kept waiting for something big to happen and it didn't. Not sure if I liked the ending.

I was underwhelmed overall by this story. I was intrigued in the beginning to see where this would go but the main characters husband was very annoying and I didn’t care for him too much. I didn’t care for the main character either. There were a few twists but didn’t stand out too much. Overall this was a quick and easy read.

This was a quick and easy read. I feel like the ending was rushed although overall it was a decent book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I finished this book very quickly, as it was an easy and gripping read. I'd recommend the book for Freida McFadden fans.

The story starts off with a couple Lily and Stig who are going through a seemingly rocky patch in their relationship, so Lily books them a table at a prestigious restaurant with a famous chef. Little do they know, this will start a series of unfortunate events.

The first half of the book is predominantly focussed on Lily's POV, and the storyline between her and Stig. About half way through, you start to get different perspectives and aspects of a previous timeline.
Although it was an enjoyable quick read overall, I knocked off one star because the twist was predictable and I also felt like the ending was abrupt and rushed.

This book was highly addictive- I read it in two sittings! Full of twists and turns; not quite a psychological thriller, but definitely full of suspense; a sense of unsettle throughout the book where the reader is just waiting for pins to drop. Both Lily and Stig are quite unlikeable characters, but you can't help but root for them to be better or further understand how they came to be. This book does what it sets out to do- pull the reader in until the very end. Thank you to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the ARC!

I was very excited to read this book and Nina Manning did not disappoint! The story deals with extreme manipulation and the cost of keeping secrets. An emotional read (I cried at the end). There are themes of assault and self harm. Overall a good read.

The characters were well developed and I found myself staying up way past my bedtime to finish it. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this incredible book! I will definitely be sharing it with all of my fellow book lovers!

This book was interesting and I thought the premise was very unique. I liked that this book was fast paced and was a quick read. This is my first book from this author and I’d be interested in reading more from her.

Lily and Stig have an average marriage. Recent troubles develop as they begin to try for a baby and it doesn’t automatically happen. Which one would assume it won’t, while you’re still taking your birth control. Lily is just unsure if she’s ready.

For their anniversary, Lily books an exclusive restaurant that’s almost impossible to get a reservation at. The chef, Hector Bolson-Woods is known around the world for his cooking. But upon her surprise, he invites her and her husband to the back to enjoy a private meal in his quarters. Her husband Stig seems tense the entire time and she is unsure why this would be unsettling to him.

Hector continues to follow Lily and inviting her to follow up functions until Stig puts his foot down, but why? What is this mystery?


Great book. Slow in the beginning, but really picked up momentum towards the middle and finished strong.

This was was my very first ARC… and my initial opinion of this book:

1. The cover is very intriguing and the main reason why I requested to read.

2. The writing was poor in some areas. Some missing spellings, some double words.

3. I think that the book was drawn out in some areas, and in some areas not given enough information.

4. And the ending fell extremely flat for me, I expected more.

5. I don’t believe that this would be a book I would recommend….

The Dinner Party is a domestic thriller that will have you turning the pages to find answers. Lily surprises husband Stig with an anniversary dinner at Sapphire a restaurant run by Masterchef alumni Hector Bolson- Woods. She is swept up in the glamour and surprised by how much attention they receive from the chef himself.
They then continue to receive more invitations from Hector which Lily enjoys and Stig becomes increasingly more uncomfortable with.

It was fun to see the glamour and glitz of celebrity chef worlds. I enjoyed the way Nina set things up, placing little clues along the way and a building up a feeling of unease which made you question what was happening in front of you. I had a few theories as to what may have happened in the past and different connections between character but was taken by surprise a few times when the secrets came out. My only complaint was that it seemed to finish rather suddenly, there were a few parts of the story that it would have been nice to have played out a little more. Overall a solid thriller.

I recently had the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of "The Dinner Party" by Nina Manning. It's getting FIVE stars from me, book lovers!

This stand-alone thriller is set in the UK. Our FMC, Lily Leonard, is just trying to do something thoughtful and kind for her husband, Stig. For their fifth wedding anniversary, she manages to get a reservation at a a high-end restaurant that is owned by one of their favorite chefs, Hector Bolson-Woods. As this restaurant is often booked up six months in advance, she thinks that it was divine timing that she was able to gift this to her husband for their anniversary. After bringing Stig to the restaurant, she notices that he starts acting funny. Before you know it, they're sitting in the kitchen with Hector himself - eating the finest foods and drinking the finest wines and whiskey. It gets even weirder - after having dinner with Hector, Lily and Stig begin to receive invitations in the mail that request their presence at Hector's residence for a dinner party! After meeting Hector's dinner party crowd, Lily notices her husband's odd behavior continue...but you'll have to read more to find out!

For those thriller lovers out there who enjoy Freida McFadden and Shari Lapena, this book is DEFINITELY for you! What typically separates a four-star rating from a five-star rating for me is predictability. If the story is entertaining but has a predictable end, it's four-stars. However, a five-star rating is a book that is undoubtedly entertaining and has multiple twists and is unpredictable to the end. Nina Manning definitely delivered here!

This book is set to be released on 3-16-2025. For my thriller readers: RUN - DON'T WALK!

That my friends, is today’s tea on The Dinner Party

This was a slow burn. Did not care for it. To be honest, I wouldn't classify this as much of a suspense or thriller. The book focused too much on the couple's marital issues, instead of actually giving us some suspense.

There were also tons of grammatical and spelling errors which were really distracting.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. A fast paced thriller which had me hooked straight away. The story is full of secrets and you gradually learn the heart of the story as you read on. I was eager to learn more and the book kept my attention. I have given it 4 stars. I would have liked to give it 5 stars but I found the ending to be rather rushed and for me it felt as though it ended abruptly. If I’m being honest I didn’t really like the characters much but their aloofness and unlikeable personalities adds to the mystery of the story. Overall a good fast paced story.

The Dinner Party by Nina Manning is an intriguing and gripping psychological thriller with secrets, lies and manipulation. The story caught my attention straight away and I was curious about where all this will go. I enjoyed every step up to the very end. It kind of felt a bit too rushed.

To celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary, Lily books a table at the exclusive restaurant of Hector Bolson-Woods renowned celebrity chef for her and her husband Stig. Lily is excited about everything whereas Stig is cold and distant. Unfortunitelly for him, Hector starts to send out more invites and problems start to arise one after another.

I liked the mysterious atmosphere that was raising new questions and there were some good twists!
I am not a fan of the main couple. They have been married for 5 years but act really weird, they don't trust each other, they don't communicate and don't act like a married couple in general. Reading their dynamics felt like they just started to date and don't know each other at all.

Thank you, NetGalley for this copy :)

Honestly, this book made me mad at the end. The suspense was there. I knew that Stig and Hector knew each other. However, the ending where Hector just offs himself with barely any fight I was just like what? then the tragedy was more about Ruby? I just don't know.

I am debating whether or not to share this title. I dont want to be a negative nancy, but I also can't give it a proper recommendation. If I do share it, I have it in my calendar to share on Saturday, March 15th.

This was a fast paced thriller, a good read and my first from this author- it won’t be my last. Thank you for the early access to this book! I’d definitely recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of the Dinner Party. If you like a story about obsession, revenge and food than check this one out. A bit predictable but still enjoyable.

The first half of this book was very suspenseful and intriguing as I was hooked from the first page! However the ending felt rushed and predictable. I would've liked a more sideswiping ending that was a bit more drawn out.