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The Wedding Vow

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The international bestselling author of THE WRONG DAUGHTER is back with a brand-new GRIPPING psychological thriller, guaranteed to keep you at the edge of your seat!

She is the perfect wife.
He is the perfect liar.

Verity and Linden Lockwood vowed to spend the rest of their lives together, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do they part. Five years later they've kept their promise to never let their love die, to never slip into becoming one of those couples ...

But a year after Linden is brutally and inexplicably murdered in their picture-perfect home, Verity's world shatters again. They're not the golden couple she thought they were. Linden betrayed her: he had been having an affair.

Determined to uncover the identity of the other woman, Verity delves into her husband's life. Everyone is a suspect: her neighbour, her best friend, her assistant ... even her cousin. But as she unearths Linden's shocking secrets, Verity realises she didn't know her husband at all and the truth might be more dangerous than she realises.

Can Verity expose the other woman before she joins her husband in the morgue?

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 27, 2025

14591 people want to read

About the author

Dandy Smith

8 books971 followers

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5 stars
1,819 (28%)
4 stars
2,699 (42%)
3 stars
1,434 (22%)
2 stars
276 (4%)
1 star
66 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 549 reviews
Profile Image for Suz.
1,576 reviews874 followers
March 28, 2025
Twisty, turny, devilish, compulsive and quite unputdownable! This story has it all, and being told in very short chapters added to the snappy tone.

Told in alternating chapters by 'The Wife' and 'The Other Woman' we are swiftly taken into this tumultuous world of adulterous and oh so messy world of Verity and the many many other women she comes into contact with. Just who is this other woman, and as for the lecherous Linden, who led him to the grave?!

"She is desperately in love with Linden but she isn't at all enamoured with their situation."

Verity and her husband are perfect on the outside, successful and wealthy - all those 'important' things. I found the entire premise quite glutinous, both for myself as the reader and these characters who were all self consumed and quite entitled, adding to the voyeuristic feel. This feeling sets it all up skillfully. You feel pulled into the egotistical world. While reading thoughts of Danielle Steel in summertime caused me to reflect that this read had a guilty pleasure feel to it, not being able to wait to next pick it up. It's also a nicely sized book, one of those smaller ones to hold in your hand all nice and comfy.

There are characters aplenty, just as there are red herrings and ideas being thrown at you left right and centre. You will love and hate some characters in equal measure. I highly recommend this one. One word summation? Wicked.

With thanks to Ch'aska and Echo publishing for my review copy.

4.5⭐
Profile Image for Sav Shober.
5 reviews
May 7, 2025
I fear I need to reread this and make a family tree to keep people separated. I finished the book and I am ✨confused✨, maybe reading it again knowing the ending would help?
Profile Image for Danielle-Gemma💜.
463 reviews29 followers
April 20, 2025
Maybe I’ve read too many books like this but I guess the twist very very early on and even the mini twists to me felt predictable. Are there other books like this out there absolutely. Was it the worst book I’ve ever read? No. However, this is the second book I’ve read by this author and I didn’t like the other one eitherso although it was a way to pass the time and I read it quickly I definitely won’t be picking up another book by this author again.
Profile Image for Eve.
792 reviews52 followers
May 8, 2025
Narrated by Tuppence Middleton
Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
Release date: 04-14-25

This story was about Verity and Linden Lockwood, who have been happily married for five years when Linden was brutally murdered in their home. Linden's wedding ring was missing, just as his wallet. Was it a robbery gone wrong? When a year later Verity discovers love letters hidden in her husband's secret place, she discovers that he had been unfaithful... was Linden's mistress the murderer?

She is the perfect wife.
He is the perfect liar.


The story unfolds through alternating perspectives of “The Wife” and “The Other Woman,” who were both connected through Linden. "The Wife" was Verity and her events happened in present day. But who was that mysterious "Other Woman" Linden had an affair? Verity's neighbor, cousin, work colleagues, even her accountant, they all become suspects.

The story plot line wasn’t as interesting as I though but the biggest turnoff for me was that I could not relate to the characters. Perhaps if it had been written differently I would have enjoyed it more, now this story felt so sordid and disgusting! There were no characters to root for. .

I just read The Sister-in-Law which had similar premise and I much more enjoyed that story and resolution.
Profile Image for ✩ Yaz ✩.
709 reviews3,927 followers
April 15, 2025
3 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

She believed Linden when he said she was the only woman he’d had outside of his marriage. He’d made her feel chosen. Special. Desired. There had been power in knowing that she, and she alone, was enough to lure another man from his marital bed. That she was wanted enough for him to risk everything just to have her. His one and only mistress.

I saw the big plot twist coming before I even hit the 10% mark. While I appreciate the dual POV between the wife (present day) and the mistress (past events), it was fun to maintain some anonymity around the mistress's POV even if I eventually found out.

I liked the concept I just think there was plenty of dialogue and less exciting and nerve-wrecking moments.

There were too many u-turns with the events and that didn't help with making the story seem coherent.

Content warning: death, gore, murder, cheating, unfaithful husband, physical assault, manipulation, gaslighting, predatory behavior, mention of sexual assault, trauma.
Profile Image for iain.
135 reviews40 followers
October 1, 2025
A first Dandy Smith novel.
There was lots of twists and turns, a good read.

A happily married couple, an author and his successful wife with her own business.
Her husband murdered in the home. She’s away at a retreat.
A lot of secrets come out after the death of her husband..
Who did it? Why?
I tried to figure it out.. I got it wrong 😜 😂
Every one enjoy ☺️
Profile Image for Karen.
542 reviews40 followers
May 21, 2025
Audio.

Another reviewer used the perfect word to describe this book: WHIPLASH—because that’s exactly how it felt with the nonstop twists and turns. There were way too many for me to enjoy the story.

Even after rereading sections, I am still confused. It felt like being stuck in a maze with no clear way out.

If you decide to take this on, be prepared to chart out the characters and plot twists. I actually did, and I’m still not sure I fully grasp what happened.
Profile Image for Cynth.
240 reviews191 followers
September 18, 2025
This was such an easy 5 star to give! It’s not often that I get so taken by surprise but this book had amazing twists that had my jaw on the floor! What a clever book, it was so gripping I read it in basically one sitting. I would absolutely recommend, this is one of the best domestic thrillers I’ve read in a while!
Profile Image for Diane 🌻 Williams.
82 reviews5 followers
June 12, 2025
2/5

Such a promising start but it turned into a ridiculous tangle of twists and turns, red herrings and dead ends.

I was really enjoying it - until I hated it but I couldn’t give up until I found out how the absurdity ended.

Am I glad I read it? No

Would I recommend it? No way.
Profile Image for Veronica ⭐️.
1,350 reviews291 followers
May 15, 2025
The Wedding Vow had me hooked and I couldn't put it down. Dandy Smith builds empathy for her characters as the reader gets the point of view of the wife and also the mistress.

Short chapters with cliffhanger endings kept me eagerly turning those pages.

The Wedding Vow is addictive, suspenseful reading at its best. Once I'd finished my mind was reeling and I was compelled to read the whole book again.

Full review: https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
Profile Image for Vica Koala.
11 reviews
May 5, 2025
Not worth reading. This whole book could be summarized in a few sentences, and reading all the in between details was not very interesting. Sure there were twists, but not very satisfying ones. It felt like pretty little liars, where you keep uncovering more but it gets old. It was also hard to remember and keep track of all the characters’ plot lines.
Profile Image for nelly.
42 reviews
April 7, 2025
Hmm.
Dare I say too many plot twists? Too many characters, all with names that started with A B or V which got confusing.
First half had me hooked though and I loved the switch between the narrators
Profile Image for Janalyn, the blind reviewer.
4,721 reviews144 followers
November 23, 2025
The Wedding Vow by Dandy Smith, Verity is on her way home but cannot get in touch with her husband Lindon, this is why she calls her best friend Amy to go and see if he is OK. unfortunately Linden is far from OK, he has been murdered. Who would want to murder the kind professor and author who was the other half of the perfect couple. Sadly Verity finds out sooner than later that they weren’t so perfect after all because he was cheating on her. when Veridy sets out to find out not only who killed her husband but who he was cheating with she will be putting herself in danger and her life will never be the same again. With so many friends and her cousin Addison she thought she had it all now she’s in a position where she doesn’t know who to trust where to turn and there’s a man who resembles her husband after her but why? even when she knows most of the story she will not know all of it and it’s not over until it’s over and boy it’s just a twisty ride to get to the truth. She learns things about her husband she couldn’t have even fathomed when he was alive but now that he’s dead the truth is coming out and none of it is pretty. despite being the only one who gets a pig’s head at her door she isn’t the only one getting threatening notes this is one crazy twisty story and I loved it I could not put this book down it was so good. I was recently in a reading slump and this is definitely an awesome way to end it. #NetGalley, #TheBlindreviewer, #MyHonestReview, #WeddingVow, #DandySmith,
Profile Image for Natalia Farnham.
358 reviews15 followers
May 24, 2025
A good twisty psychological thriller for sure. Super quick read and will keep you guessing.
Profile Image for Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews.
2,266 reviews332 followers
May 31, 2025
*https://www.instagram.com/mrsb_book_r...

💍Penned by UK based author Dandy Smith, The Wedding Vow is characterised by a gripping, high-energy and character-focused psychological focussed storyline. With themes of life promises, devotion, pledges, love, death, betrayal, adultery, identity and secrets, this is a consumable novel. Smith exposes her audience to a golden couple and she unravels this twosome’s perfect marriage portrait, revealing a complex tale of deceit, infidelity, arrogance and mistreatment. Ripping apart ideas of the ideal marriage, the perfect partner, beauty and status, The Wedding Vow is a surprising psychological thriller. I was invested in this one from the onset and I’m glad I turned to this pulp fiction thriller during a heavy work week. With plenty of suspects in a whodunnit style murder, the riddle that must be solved is revealing and sordid. Shifting perspectives and emotional viewpoints form layers to this novel, with clues that are sometimes easy to decipher, with other times they are slightly cryptic. I did enjoy this one, especially wading through the list of suspects and working out whether to trust or discard the varying conflicting perspectives that were presented to me. I’ll definitely read another Dandy Smith novel and I recommend The Wedding Vow to popcorn thrillers enthusiasts.

🌟🌟🌟🌟4 stars, out now. 💐🙏Thank you to @betterreadingau
Profile Image for Bella Killorn.
319 reviews6 followers
May 6, 2025
Dragged on for an eternity! Ridiculous read.
Profile Image for Katrina (Catching up on Reviews).
752 reviews20 followers
July 16, 2025
The Wedding Vow by Dandy Smith was such a thrill! So many good twists—I was hooked the whole time. I just wish the author had more books out because I’ve officially read them all now. Hoping for continued success for Dandy Smith!

The story follows Verity and Linden, a married couple (and honestly, their names totally sound like a young, wealthy suburban duo). Then one day, Linden is murdered in their home. Turns out he was having an affair, and now Verity is determined to find out who it was.
Profile Image for Craig and Phil.
2,311 reviews141 followers
March 26, 2025
Big thanks to Echo Publishing and Better Reading for sending us a copy to read and review.
A tangled web of deceit, infidelity and revenge all play out after the murder of the philanderer.
His unscrupulous and devious treatment of women punctuated his arrogance. Karma was not his ally.
Linden and Verity on the surface could be described as a golden couple with their lifestyle, money and looks.
Verity’s life was shattered when he was found dead in their apartment. Discovering he had a mistress added to the pain and she became determined to find out who she was.
A list of suspects formed and the investigation begins.
The murky waters of the flippant starts to clear as the truth becomes apparent.
The wife and the mistresses both shared their point of view to paint the picture and capture the emotion.
The past, present and future no matter how fractured all featured and the sordid relay of events revealed the truth.
The reader has to be astute to engage and follow the plot and they might just guess the outcome.
I had an inkling as I delved into the plot.
61 reviews
June 1, 2025
I vow to stop reading such terrible books 🙏🙏🙏

Like what on fuck was this ?? There was so much potential in this structure and the twist at the end, but the way it was executed was just WILDLY confusing. Like i was sitting there exclaiming what the fuck is going on every two minutes for about twenty minutes, which is just fucking frustrating.

Also, I think some of the twists about the characters are wildly predictable but the characters themselves were SO unrealistic. Like complete caricatures of evil people just making really stupid decisions. NOT something I would recommend
Profile Image for Enita.
329 reviews4 followers
April 16, 2025
Twist after twist after twist. It was getting kind of confusing to keep track of it all towards the end. I saw one of the twists from a mile away. I think this would have been better if they toned it down with the whiplash.
Profile Image for Heather Flaherty.
1,065 reviews4 followers
March 28, 2025
Thanks to #NetGalley and #EmblaBooks for the book #TheWeddingVow by #DandySmith. Holy crap! What did I just read? This is one of the books that stick with you, and I loved every minute of it! Verity is away on a business retreat when her husband is brutally murdered. After a year of not knowing who killed her husband, she finds hidden love letters from a mistress, her husband was having an affair. As she searches for this woman who she thinks is the killer, she discovers she really didn’t know her husband. Can she figure it all out before she is next?
Profile Image for Dena.
1,385 reviews
Read
July 5, 2025
I thought I had this book all figured out but there a few twists I did not see coming. An excellent book I read in a few hours because I couldn’t stop reading. Definitely recommend it.
Profile Image for TheLisaD.
1,110 reviews21 followers
March 27, 2025

The Wedding Vow by Dandy Smith is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of marriage, betrayal, and the pursuit of truth. The narrative centers on Verity Lockwood, who, a year after the unsolved murder of her husband Linden, uncovers evidence of his infidelity. This revelation propels her into a relentless quest to identify “the other woman,” casting suspicion on those closest to her, including her neighbor, best friend, assistant, and cousin.

Smith masterfully employs dual perspectives, alternating between Verity and the enigmatic “other woman,” which adds depth and intrigue to the unfolding mystery. The plot is meticulously crafted, with layers of deception and unexpected twists that keep readers engaged. As Verity delves deeper into her husband’s secrets, she confronts unsettling truths that challenge her understanding of their relationship and her own reality.

The novel has garnered acclaim for its suspenseful narrative and compelling character development. Readers have praised its ability to maintain tension and deliver shocking revelations. One reviewer noted, “So brilliantly done and full of jaw-dropping twists. It had me gripped from the first page and I stayed up until 4am to finish it. The ending blew my mind.”

However, some readers have expressed mixed feelings. While many found the book unputdownable, others felt the pacing varied, with certain sections dragging before the narrative regained momentum. Despite these differing opinions, the novel’s intricate plot and unexpected twists have left a lasting impression on its audience.

In summary, The Wedding Vow is a captivating exploration of love, deceit, and the lengths one will go to uncover the truth. Dandy Smith’s storytelling prowess ensures that readers remain on the edge of their seats, making this novel a compelling addition to the psychological thriller genre.
Profile Image for Beccabeccabooks.
952 reviews32 followers
April 16, 2025
To everyone, Verity and Linden Lookwood appeared to have the perfect marriage. The lifestyle blogger and novelist had everything that money could buy and were extremely happy.

Until a year after Linden's horrific murder when Verity unearths his dirty little secret...

Turns out whilst Verity was the perfect wife, Linden was far from the perfect husband. Discovering that he had a mistress was bad enough. But as she digs further, Verity discovers exactly what type of man Linden was.

Worst still, the truth could get her killed.

The Wedding Vow was my first book from Dandy Smith, and I'm absolutely blown away at the cleverness. Us as the reader are immediately drawn into the drama. Who killed Linden and why? Which of Verity's inner circle was his mistress? Thanks to some well placed clues and deterants, we can only guess until the very end. The reveal is nothing but shocking.

Although the characters weren't very nice and there's a whole heap of lying and sneaking around going on, I couldn't put this one down.

Thanks to Echo Publishing for sending me a copy to read and review.

4.75 🌟
Profile Image for Lee.
1,080 reviews126 followers
March 5, 2025

Verity and Linden Wood are a married couple who are madly in love and have made vows to always remain together. Verity is the owner of a very successful business, Verity Rose, and after many years of building the business, she has now surpassed Linden as the major bread winner in the family. Linden sees himself as a successful writer, he is charming, charismatic and people are drawn to him. He comes from a wealthy family but there are tensions between himself and his other family members.

Then Linden is murdered, and Verity is devastated but as time goes on, she soon finds out there was far more to her husband than she was aware of, and she becomes aware of his affair.

The book moves between different POV’s. Verity and the other woman in question and the major mystery throughout the book is who the other woman is, and I struggled to work this out is which set the scene for a very entertaining book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.
6 reviews
May 15, 2025
I love this author. Her voice is soaked in description, which is lovely to listen to as an audiobook. The entire world is painted well, and I find myself getting lost in it.

Generally, as I have read all of her books, I feel as though I am reading the same character in different forms, but I don't mind it because she does a wonderful job of creating truly complex women I can root for or hate.

I had an issue with the ending of the book -- the final twist seemed to undo all the believability that was built throughout the novel from the jump. It was not that the narrator was suddenly revealed to be unreliable, but that this complex protagonist was suddenly someone completely different. Maybe my trust was betrayed, but I felt that it worked against the plot itself for her to be the killer. I loved finding out that the other woman and the wife were one in the same, and I think we all saw the evil cousin coming... But for the protagonist to be the killer? Just disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Laur.
737 reviews127 followers
June 13, 2025
Read enough to know I didn’t care for this one at all. Skipped 75% of book - then went to last chapter and still more of the same smut. Btw, the ending wasn’t a surprise. The detailed sex scenes weren’t for me. If books were rated like movies- this would be NC-17 or X.
Profile Image for Nicki.
2,212 reviews16 followers
April 29, 2025
I hated this one. It dragged on forever and I’m so sick of reading about baby obsessed women.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
414 reviews8 followers
February 9, 2026
I'm officially hooked on Dandy Smith. Each book gets twistier!

Verity returns from a business trip to discover her husband has been murdered. A year later, she becomes embroiled in a mystery of trying to find out who his mistress was and did she kill him?

Two POVs of The Wife and The Other Woman take you through what each of them know about Linden.

There's the twist, then there's THE twist.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 549 reviews

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