Written from central characters Hannah and Jake's viewpoints, their story covers the count down to their forthcoming wedding. Escaping for a short break in Hannah's parents' house in France, keen to get away from the stresses of wedding planning, they discover a body on the premises. From that moment , the decisions they make will have an impact on their lives.


This is a tangled tale where everything you thought you knew is turned on its head. Cleverly written, there are many twists, and just when you think it's all over, there is a final one that ensures closure. I didn't particularly like Hannah or Jake. It's clear they are in love, but both are hiding secrets from each other. Secrets which gradually come to the surface as the wedding day approaches. This was an entertaining read that certainly kept me turning pages and curious to see how things would end. Recommended.

I have no idea how Lauren North manages to blow my mind with pretty much every book she writes, but she has definitely done it again with this one.

I was never completely confident in any theory I had, and no way would I have ever seen the finale outcome coming. It's utterly brilliant!

After a lovely day out in France, Jake and Hannah return to the farmhouse and discover a dead body, with a knife that Hannah has definitely touched, and what appear to be footprints made from Jake's shoes. And the decisions they make in that moment, are what set up the rest of the book fabulously.

And both of them have been together the whole time. This comes on the back of their apartment in London having had a break in, from one of Jake's exes.

There seemed to be secrets galore between this couple that are getting married in two weeks time, and I was constantly kept on my toes.

I loved the quick pace of this story, and couldn't get enough of it, turning the pages like a madwoman!

Definitely had me gripped and I loved seeing how it would all resolve.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I've loved all the Lauren North books I've read, and this was no exception. A gripping psychological thriller and a real page turner.

This was my first Lauren North book, and definitely will not be my last. I was truly gripped throughout the story and invested in finding out who the "culprit" was, but alas, I had no idea lol (which makes for the best thrillers). Our main couple both had skeletons in their closet and we see more and more about each of them revealed throughout like little breadcrumbs.
The ending was definitely kind of off the wall, but I was satisfied with how it turned out and felt like it was worth the read. Solid tension, surprising twists, and solid imagery made this a thriller I would recommend!

I was super excited to read For Better, For Worse and I absolutely loved it. It had me gripped from the very start. I knew from the start I wouldn’t know who to believe and I wasn’t wrong. Lauren North is once again the queen of unreliable narrator’s and in this we had two, or did we?

Hannah and Jake are set to get married in a few weeks when Jake’s ex breaks into their home and Hannah insists they go away for a last minute break when disaster strikes and their lives won’t be the same again.

This is a fast paced thriller and I was left unsure of who was telling the truth. Once we got to the first big twist, that was it they came thick and fast. Once I thought I had it worked out another twist came barging in, right up until the very last page.

This book is so cleverly written and I believed absolutely everything I was reading. This will be the book of Spring, if not the Summer. This is a full on proper 5 star read that is an absolute must read. Don’t let it sit in your tbr or wish list - buy it and read it!

I kind of expected the twist, or part of it at least, about Jake, my personal philosophy is not trust anyone who thinks their ex is crazy, but I did not expect the twist about Hannah and Neve so was captivated the whole way through.

Wow! I loved this book. I was quickly drawn into it, but had no idea where it would lead. Without spoiling if, the plot is very unusual; the ending took me completely by surprise. This is definitely worthy of 5 stars.

I just finished a good book that is available next month. For Better, For Worse by Lauren North is one to pick up.

When Jake and Hannah decide to do a last minute trip to France prior to their wedding, their aim is to relax and unwind from the stress of wedding planning. The last thing they expect is for the level of stress to be ramped up in the course of their romantic getaway.

But that is exactly what happens when they return home from a hike to discover that the man whom Jake has recently had a very public altercation with is lying dead in their kitchen.

And things go from bad to worse when the couple decides to try and cover up the mysterious murder. Because Jake and Hannah each have secrets of their own that they do not want to disclose to the other. The problem is, they may no longer have a choice in the matter!

Lauren North is a talented writer who regularly delivers memorable thrillers. This one is no exception. Highly recommended.

Lauren North is definitely the queen of suspense so when I seen this I couldn’t wait to read it clear your diary cause you are going to be gripped. From start to finish I was glued to my kindle I loved everything about it the story the suspense and tension throughout. It was a twisty thriller with such a jaw dropping ending which I did not see coming. I thought I knew how the story was going to end but wow it shocked me didn’t see that coming.

Jake and Hannah are due to get married but with the wedding stress they plan romantic trip to the south of France. But after a romantic walk they return to the billiard to a shocking scene and it doesn’t end there. Will Jake and Hannah get the happy ever after.

Can’t praise this book enough it was a wonderful psychological thriller which I will be recommending to everyone. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

For Better, For Worse is a thrilling book full of twists and turns and will keep you guessing until the end.
Jake and Hannah eagerly await their wedding day. They are soul mates and cannot believe how fortunate they are to have found each other. Unfortunately, a romantic weekend turns into an inescapable nightmare. Jake and Hannah are thrown into endless turmoil when they return from a beautiful hike to find a dead body in their entryway. What will Jake and Hannah do…Will their bond withstand such a crisis…read this thriller to find out who they really are and if their bond will withstand everything that is thrown at them.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lauren North for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion. I really enjoyed this book and give it a solid 4.5.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah and Jake are getting married in England. He is American and she is British. Her parents don't approve of their fast romance, so they aren't attending the wedding. In fact, they have never managed to find time to meet Jake. And Jake left his past behind in Ohio, so he and Hannah are starting a new life together. But when they take off to France for a quick getaway days before the wedding, Jake gets into a verbal disagreeement with a friend of Hannah's parents, who is later found dead in the house where Jake and Hannah are staying. Thinking they will be blamed for the murder, they hide the body and return to England, but it turns out someone knows what they did.

This book was slow with not much going on after the initial events. It was just a lot of someone is watching Jake and Hannah and who could it be? Who set them up? It wasn't that entertaining for me until it came to the end and at that point things went way off the rails, contrary to everything we thought we knew. It was an ok read at best. I have enjoyed some of this author's novels and been so so on others. This was definitely in the so so category.

When I started reading this ARC by Lauren North I realized it was not the book I thought it would be.

I knew it was going to be a psychological thriller from the description but I had no idea that what I thought was a murder mystery would turn into so much more.

The story is about a young couple in love who goes to the young woman's family retreat in France to plan for their wedding and finds a dead body on the carpet . The question is what to do because everything points to them as being the guilty party

This could destroy everything ,their hopes their dreams and entire future .

The answer makes for a story that has so many twists and turns that at times I found it necessary to reread certain parts to not miss a single element of the story.

I gave the book 4 stars and I thank #Netgalley and #Bookouture for the delightful pleasure of a fun and exciting book . I recommend it to all that are looking for a mind bending psychological thriller.

The perfect pre-wedding getaway. The perfect murder. The perfect trap…
Omg what a thrill of a read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Twisty and full of suspence. I was on the edge of my seat. Gripped from start to finish. Read in one sitting. Couldn't put it down. Definitely recommend. 5*

This was an easy quick thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed! Of course I fell for every red herring, while having the twist in the back of my head. When the final reveal came it wasn’t all that shocking like I said, but the lead up to the reveal was a wild ride.

I really enjoyed Hannah and Jake’s characters. I love how everyone had secrets and we learn them bit by bit.

This would be a perfect beach read as it was easy to get through and kept your attention throughout.

A true thriller. A true 5 star book.

A pre wedding weekend away in France to Hannah's parents luxury holiday home should be nice and romantic for her and her fiance Jake before the big day. But the weekend starts on a bad note when a local man Claude argues with Jake about the wedding. Apparently Hannahs parents don't approve of their upcoming nuptials. Trying to forget everything the couple go for a walk but on their return, they are confronted with Claudes dead body and all the evidence points to the couple murdering him. Their lives just go into freefall from this moment on due to some of the decisions they make.
This is a great novel full of intruige and distrust. I couldn't decide which of the couple to believe, both of them had secrets and the book was written in such way that I was blindsided by many of the twists. It's sure to be another success for the talented Lauren North

Name :- For Better, For Worse
Author :- Lauren North
Genre:- Psychological Thriller
Lauren North delivers an intense, fast-paced psychological thriller in For Better For Worse, where a dream getaway turns into a nightmare. With a gripping premise, morally gray decisions, and a constant sense of paranoia, this novel is a rollercoaster of twists and suspense. Jake and his fiancée plan a romantic pre-wedding trip to the south of France, hoping for some relaxation before their big day. But their idyllic vacation is shattered when they return to their villa and find a man’s dead body—one Jake had publicly argued with just hours earlier.

The scene is meticulously staged against them.
Footprints matching Jake’s trainers.

1 A knife covered in her fingerprints.

2 No witnesses to prove their innocence.
Now, they face an impossible choice: call the police and risk everything or cover up the crime and pretend it never happened. But as panic sets in, doubts creep in too—does Jake know more than he’s admitting? And if they’ve been set up, are they the next targets?
Likes and Dislikes:-
Likes:-
1 Compelling Premise: The setup is chilling and forces the reader to consider what they would do in this situation.
2 Unrelenting Suspense: From the first discovery to the final twist, the tension never lets up.
3 Moral Dilemmas: The story explores guilt, trust, and survival, making it more than just a mystery.
4 Twisty Narrative: Just when you think you have it figured out, North throws in another shocking turn.
Dislikes:-
None.
Overall:- For Better For Worse is a nerve-wracking thriller that keeps you second-guessing every decision the characters make. With high stakes, dark secrets, and a shocking ending, it’s a must-read for fans of B.A. Paris and Alice Feeney.
My Rating:- 5/5.

The queen of the head turning twist has done it again! A scarily real story of how many things can go wrong before your wedding day and how your past can creep up to bite you. Beautifully composed story that keeps you hooked throughout with a killer twist at the beginning and the end!

When a novel starts with an immediate murder scene you know you are onto a good read. Whilst this wasn't my favourite book by Lauren, I enjoyed it enough. The story is well written for the most part, but it felt a bit contrived at times and this detracted from my enjoyment somewhat. It is still a good enough read, probably round the pool in summer.

I was so disappointed in this book as I have enjoyed her other books it was too repetitive and I found it boring and very slow it was well written but not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre for an ARC