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Death Do Us: A Novel
Bea, a promising young archaeologist, has just gotten engaged. It should be the most exciting time of her life, but she can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. She can’t stop thinking about a more daring version of herself who always imagined breaking with convention—an elopement, a brightly colored dress, an open marriage. However, as plans for the big day solidify, Bea begins to see the appeal of a big white dress, a huge reception, and a life with just one man. But as she begins to sort through bridesmaid dresses and look at venues, she notices her skin is flaking and sagging, and her hair is beginning to fall out in clumps. Her engagement ring, an unusual family heirloom from her fiancé, is getting tighter and tighter. Something is crawling under her skin. Someone is watching her from the shadows . . .
368 pages, Paperback
Published June 30, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
June 21, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Death Do Us Part opens with absolute chaos.
Jake gets down on one knee in a restaurant and launches into this big romantic proposal speech… except everything goes completely wrong around him. He knocks into another table, a bowl of uneaten tiramisu ends up all over his chest, waiters are rushing around trying to clean up the mess, red wine is spilling across the tablecloth—and he just keeps going like nothing is happening. I genuinely wasn’t expecting to laugh, but I did. It’s so messy and awkward that it almost stops feeling like a romantic moment, and by the time the ring is on her finger it feels more like she’s been swept along by the chaos than anything else.
After that, the book takes a really interesting turn.
Once she’s engaged, things start to feel… off. Small but unsettling changes begin happening to her body, and the whole atmosphere shifts. It’s still a romance on the surface, but there’s something more uneasy building underneath it, like her decision has triggered something she doesn’t fully understand yet.
What stood out to me most is how the story moves between past and present. We see her life now with Jake, but also glimpses of her past with James, her ex-partner. These moments don’t feel like clean flashbacks—they kind of bleed into the present, which makes everything feel a bit disorientating in a really effective way. It gives you the sense that she hasn’t really left that part of her life behind, even if she’s trying to move forward.
James is a really interesting presence in the book. He doesn’t feel like a simple “old flame” trope—there’s something heavier and more complicated about him, like he represents a version of herself she hasn’t fully let go of yet. Then Jake, in contrast, feels like the present and the “safe” option, even though nothing about the situation ever really feels stable.
The shift between timelines is one of the strongest parts of the book for me. It keeps you slightly off balance in a way that really works with the story.
I also really liked the tone. It’s funny in such an unexpected way—especially that opening proposal scene—but there’s always this underlying tension too. You’ll be laughing one minute at tiramisu flying across a restaurant, and then suddenly you realise something much stranger is starting to build underneath everything.
Overall, it’s a really unusual mix of romance, psychological unease, and dark humour, and I found that blend really compelling.
Thank you NetGalley, Union Square & Co – A Sterling Publishing and author Ruthy Mason for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Phishing date: June 30th 2026
Death Do Us Part opens with absolute chaos.
Jake gets down on one knee in a restaurant and launches into this big romantic proposal speech… except everything goes completely wrong around him. He knocks into another table, a bowl of uneaten tiramisu ends up all over his chest, waiters are rushing around trying to clean up the mess, red wine is spilling across the tablecloth—and he just keeps going like nothing is happening. I genuinely wasn’t expecting to laugh, but I did. It’s so messy and awkward that it almost stops feeling like a romantic moment, and by the time the ring is on her finger it feels more like she’s been swept along by the chaos than anything else.
After that, the book takes a really interesting turn.
Once she’s engaged, things start to feel… off. Small but unsettling changes begin happening to her body, and the whole atmosphere shifts. It’s still a romance on the surface, but there’s something more uneasy building underneath it, like her decision has triggered something she doesn’t fully understand yet.
What stood out to me most is how the story moves between past and present. We see her life now with Jake, but also glimpses of her past with James, her ex-partner. These moments don’t feel like clean flashbacks—they kind of bleed into the present, which makes everything feel a bit disorientating in a really effective way. It gives you the sense that she hasn’t really left that part of her life behind, even if she’s trying to move forward.
James is a really interesting presence in the book. He doesn’t feel like a simple “old flame” trope—there’s something heavier and more complicated about him, like he represents a version of herself she hasn’t fully let go of yet. Then Jake, in contrast, feels like the present and the “safe” option, even though nothing about the situation ever really feels stable.
The shift between timelines is one of the strongest parts of the book for me. It keeps you slightly off balance in a way that really works with the story.
I also really liked the tone. It’s funny in such an unexpected way—especially that opening proposal scene—but there’s always this underlying tension too. You’ll be laughing one minute at tiramisu flying across a restaurant, and then suddenly you realise something much stranger is starting to build underneath everything.
Overall, it’s a really unusual mix of romance, psychological unease, and dark humour, and I found that blend really compelling.
Thank you NetGalley, Union Square & Co – A Sterling Publishing and author Ruthy Mason for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Phishing date: June 30th 2026
June 28, 2026
Oh wow! This book is the prime example of how going blind into a book should be. I had no expectations except the possibility of this being a bit strange. It definitely was strange, but it was a whole lot more. If you’re going to read this, the best way to do it is to go in blind.
As a quick synopsis, we start out meeting Bea and her boyfriend Jake at the exact moment he proposes to her. She accepts his proposal and gets started on all of the wedding planning. However, things begin taking a weird turn. Like very weird. Super weird.
I wouldn’t necessarily classify this one as a thriller, but more so a character study with bits of horror. It felt like I was living in Bea’s head, and it was unsettling as I was feeling the anxiety along with her. I also felt her frustrations when she tries to understand what is happening to her and it is dismissed as stress. Bea was such a complex character, and a lot of her fears were something many people can relate to. I think having her as an archaeologist was a good choice for her character and liked the undercurrent it provided.
There are timeline shifts in this, and it took me a minute to grab onto the past timeline’s narration. At times, I got myself confused, but once I got used to it, I was good. The ending was perfect!
I really liked this one, like a lot! The cover artwork fits the novel perfectly. Can’t wait to read future books by this author. 4.5 Stars✨
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
As a quick synopsis, we start out meeting Bea and her boyfriend Jake at the exact moment he proposes to her. She accepts his proposal and gets started on all of the wedding planning. However, things begin taking a weird turn. Like very weird. Super weird.
I wouldn’t necessarily classify this one as a thriller, but more so a character study with bits of horror. It felt like I was living in Bea’s head, and it was unsettling as I was feeling the anxiety along with her. I also felt her frustrations when she tries to understand what is happening to her and it is dismissed as stress. Bea was such a complex character, and a lot of her fears were something many people can relate to. I think having her as an archaeologist was a good choice for her character and liked the undercurrent it provided.
There are timeline shifts in this, and it took me a minute to grab onto the past timeline’s narration. At times, I got myself confused, but once I got used to it, I was good. The ending was perfect!
I really liked this one, like a lot! The cover artwork fits the novel perfectly. Can’t wait to read future books by this author. 4.5 Stars✨
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2026
3.5 This sounded like it was going to be a body horror read and while there is a *little* bit, it feels almost literary in it's approach to mental health and wedding mentality. This is definitely not a thriller but almost a character study and the character at the centre of this book is not one I felt sorry for one bit.
Mixed feeling on this - overall did enjoy it and it's depth. I guessed the 'twist' from the first character but that's just being a through and through thriller reader - definitely recommend going in blind and with an open mind if you're going to pick it up
Mixed feeling on this - overall did enjoy it and it's depth. I guessed the 'twist' from the first character but that's just being a through and through thriller reader - definitely recommend going in blind and with an open mind if you're going to pick it up
Read
July 22, 2026DEATH DO US opens an interesting conversation about appropriate womanhood and how we define ourselves through our relationships with others, as well as lingering love and those we can't get over. It speaks to the wedding industrial complex and how consumption consumes, turning smart, sane women into overspending bridezillas.
This book has a lot of ambition and a lot to say, but it also has a quiet experimental literary structure (interesting use of 2nd person to place us inside the head of the protagonist's ex-lover, making us other to her, but also invested in her). The result is a very slow, introspective novel.
To me, the covers, both UK and US, promise a fun, commercial romp -- that is not what this is. This story is a worthwhile literary exploration, but I think a cover/story mismatch explains the mixed reviews.
This book has a lot of ambition and a lot to say, but it also has a quiet experimental literary structure (interesting use of 2nd person to place us inside the head of the protagonist's ex-lover, making us other to her, but also invested in her). The result is a very slow, introspective novel.
To me, the covers, both UK and US, promise a fun, commercial romp -- that is not what this is. This story is a worthwhile literary exploration, but I think a cover/story mismatch explains the mixed reviews.
March 10, 2026
Death Do Us by Ruthy Mason is a well written and engaging thriller that kept me hooked from beginning to end. The story follows Bae as it shifts between her past with her ex-boyfriend and her present life with her fiancé, Jake.
The book begins with Bae getting engaged, but soon after, she starts noticing strange and unsettling things happening to her body. As the story unfolds, the tension builds and secrets from her past begin to surface, making the reader question what is really going on.
I really enjoyed how the author slowly revealed pieces of the story while moving between timelines. It kept me turning the pages and wanting to know what would happen next. Overall, this was a gripping and entertaining read that thriller fans will definitely enjoy.
The book begins with Bae getting engaged, but soon after, she starts noticing strange and unsettling things happening to her body. As the story unfolds, the tension builds and secrets from her past begin to surface, making the reader question what is really going on.
I really enjoyed how the author slowly revealed pieces of the story while moving between timelines. It kept me turning the pages and wanting to know what would happen next. Overall, this was a gripping and entertaining read that thriller fans will definitely enjoy.
November 8, 2026
This book is absolute perfection!!! Ich han chle bruucht bis ich inecho bin aber jetzt wo is fertig han bini absolut begeisteret 🤩 die mischig us fiction und bodx horror und de plot twist am endii !?! Literally what the helly aber so unglaublich guet. Ich chans absolut wiiterempfehle :) eine vo mine beste büecher woni glese han das jahr 🙊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2026
I went into this expecting a weird girl body horror read, and there is some of that, but it’s more of a character study mixed with a wedding industry critique.
The MC (and the rest of the chacters) are frankly, unlikeable, but I enjoyed watching her spiral. Her worsening health and bodily changes being dismissed as “wedding stress” or “aging” felt uncomfortably familiar.
The timeline shifts and switches between second and third person didn’t fully work for me and made it feel a bit disjointed.
Fun, quick read overall, but it lacked strong foundation, and the ending/twist felt pretty predictable.
The MC (and the rest of the chacters) are frankly, unlikeable, but I enjoyed watching her spiral. Her worsening health and bodily changes being dismissed as “wedding stress” or “aging” felt uncomfortably familiar.
The timeline shifts and switches between second and third person didn’t fully work for me and made it feel a bit disjointed.
Fun, quick read overall, but it lacked strong foundation, and the ending/twist felt pretty predictable.
July 19, 2026
This novel turned out to be very different from what I expected. I went into it thinking I was about to read a feminist horror novel or a psychological thriller, but it felt much more like literary women’s fiction with elements of metaphorical horror. Rather than relying on suspense or shocking twists, the story builds its impact through symbolism and its exploration of women’s experiences. Because of that, I think the marketing sets up the wrong expectations. The ending was fairly predictable, but I don’t see that as a flaw. It became clear where the story was heading quite early on, and I think that was intentional. The novel isn’t trying to surprise the reader as much as it is trying to make its message unavoidable. One of my favorite aspects was the writing style. It felt fresh and distinctive, especially the chapters written in the second person (“you”) when shifting into another character’s perspective. It was a clever narrative choice that made me feel more immersed in the story and gave the book a cinematic quality. Overall, I thought the novel communicated its themes very effectively. Its portrayal of society’s expectations of women and the pressures that come with them felt painfully recognizable, and I think many women will see parts of themselves in these pages. While it wasn’t the horror or thriller I expected, it ultimately succeeded on its own terms, and I appreciated it for what it was rather than what I had anticipated.
July 30, 2026
Death Do Us blends body horror, psychological suspense, and feminist themes into a story that had me equal parts fascinated and uncomfortable. The creeping sense of dread builds steadily, and the imagery is impossible to forget.
It lost a star for me because the pacing dragged in a few spots, but the eerie atmosphere and disturbing body horror made it well worth the ride!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ruthy Mason and Union Square and Co for this eARC!
It lost a star for me because the pacing dragged in a few spots, but the eerie atmosphere and disturbing body horror made it well worth the ride!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ruthy Mason and Union Square and Co for this eARC!
June 27, 2026
Thank you to Little Brown Books/Corsair and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars.
A femgore, psychological thriller where a recently engaged woman finds herself literally rotting, while a shadowy presence from her past begins to make themselves known.
I was hoping for more of a weird girl read, instead this was a strange story of unhealthy relationships and societal pressures. I found every character to be deeply unlikeable and irritating, but unfortunately not in an interesting way.
There was one story thread that was told in second person, when the rest of the story is third person, and every time it came up it felt so weirdly jarring.
I like what I think the ending of the book was implying, but not enough groundwork was laid for me to be sure I was coming to the correct conclusion, so it wound up being more dissatisfying than anything.
My favourite parts of this book were the body horror moments, which were creepy and stomach-churningly effective. It's a shame the rest of the book didn't quite come together for me.
2.5 stars.
A femgore, psychological thriller where a recently engaged woman finds herself literally rotting, while a shadowy presence from her past begins to make themselves known.
I was hoping for more of a weird girl read, instead this was a strange story of unhealthy relationships and societal pressures. I found every character to be deeply unlikeable and irritating, but unfortunately not in an interesting way.
There was one story thread that was told in second person, when the rest of the story is third person, and every time it came up it felt so weirdly jarring.
I like what I think the ending of the book was implying, but not enough groundwork was laid for me to be sure I was coming to the correct conclusion, so it wound up being more dissatisfying than anything.
My favourite parts of this book were the body horror moments, which were creepy and stomach-churningly effective. It's a shame the rest of the book didn't quite come together for me.
June 8, 2026
3/✨ for Death Do Us by Ruthy Mason.
I went into this book fairly blind, but with the expectation that it would be some kind of weird girl thriller. And honestly? I’m still not entirely sure if that’s the best way to describe it.
The story follows Bae, who is engaged, has an alternative style and suddenly finds herself thrown into the million dollar world of weddings. As she gets pulled deeper into that world, she slowly starts losing herself in it, literally. Alongside that, we also learn more about her past relationship with her ex.
The book feels like a critique of the wedding industry and the way people can lose their sense of self, but it also explores mental health and identity in a broader sense.
While the story is technically a thriller, the writing style reminded me much more of literary fiction. It’s less focused on constant suspense and more interested in exploring Bae’s inner world and the themes surrounding her.
I think this is a book that will appeal to a very specific niche audience. It’s definitely an interesting concept, but I can also see why it won’t work for everyone.
I went into this book fairly blind, but with the expectation that it would be some kind of weird girl thriller. And honestly? I’m still not entirely sure if that’s the best way to describe it.
The story follows Bae, who is engaged, has an alternative style and suddenly finds herself thrown into the million dollar world of weddings. As she gets pulled deeper into that world, she slowly starts losing herself in it, literally. Alongside that, we also learn more about her past relationship with her ex.
The book feels like a critique of the wedding industry and the way people can lose their sense of self, but it also explores mental health and identity in a broader sense.
While the story is technically a thriller, the writing style reminded me much more of literary fiction. It’s less focused on constant suspense and more interested in exploring Bae’s inner world and the themes surrounding her.
I think this is a book that will appeal to a very specific niche audience. It’s definitely an interesting concept, but I can also see why it won’t work for everyone.
June 20, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't expect this book to take me so long to finish. For some reason, I kept setting it aside and only returning to it little by little. That said, once I finally connected with the story, it delivered an unsettling, uncomfortable atmosphere that I usually look for in this genre.
What intrigued me most was the use of second person narration. Much of the story is written as "you," directly addressing the reader and positioning us as the cause of what is happening to the protagonist. It was an interesting choice and one that initially drew me in. Unfortunately, by the end, it never felt fully justified or resolved, leaving me wondering why the story was framed that way in the first place.
As for the ending, I understand and often appreciate an open ending when it's done with purpose. Here, however, it felt less ambiguous and more incomplete, as though key pieces were simply missing.
Overall, this is a book with an intriguing premise and an effective atmosphere, but for me, it never quite delivered on its potential.
I didn't expect this book to take me so long to finish. For some reason, I kept setting it aside and only returning to it little by little. That said, once I finally connected with the story, it delivered an unsettling, uncomfortable atmosphere that I usually look for in this genre.
What intrigued me most was the use of second person narration. Much of the story is written as "you," directly addressing the reader and positioning us as the cause of what is happening to the protagonist. It was an interesting choice and one that initially drew me in. Unfortunately, by the end, it never felt fully justified or resolved, leaving me wondering why the story was framed that way in the first place.
As for the ending, I understand and often appreciate an open ending when it's done with purpose. Here, however, it felt less ambiguous and more incomplete, as though key pieces were simply missing.
Overall, this is a book with an intriguing premise and an effective atmosphere, but for me, it never quite delivered on its potential.
Did Not Finish
October 28, 2026DNF at 49%.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Bea is a determined, career driven young woman with big goals of archeological digs, and getting that PhD! When she gets engaged, the wedding takes over everything. Her life. Her mind. Her body. She wanted a fun wedding, non-traditional, maybe even a little silly. The more time she spends planning, making decisions on flowers, bridesmaids dresses, food, centerpieces, oh, and sneaking conversations with you; the more she wants that white dress, a grand reception, a more traditional day. Bea is losing herself, the more her engagement rings tightens around her finger, like it's stealing her life away.
I wanted to like this book so much, but I almost found myself reading it out of spite. I didn't like a single character, except maybe for Bea's friend Joy. But Bea as a main character is insufferable, she's rude, she's entitled, she's manipulative. Stringing people along for her convenience. Maybe I just have some trauma from people like this, but I found myself really not caring about Bea at all. And for some reason the constant mention of her green hair was annoying, I got it after the first 10 times. (Coming from someone who consistently dyed their hair fun colors for decades)
I also had trouble getting into the idea of being addressed as the reader. Throughout the book "you" are referenced a lot. "You" are an old friend of Bea's, well friend with benefits. And "you" are desperately in love with Bea, but she doesn't want to be tied down in a relationship with labels. I really liked this idea, but it just fell flat for me, and ended up taking me out of the story.
Redeemable qualities that might draw in other people? Decent body horror! Not at the level I'm used to, but it's great for anyone that wants to dip their toes in the body horror genre. The author did a great job detailing such unsettling bodily functions and anomalies, I did really enjoy those parts of the book! Also, a halfway decent mystery element. I wish I didn't always try to guess the plots, cause I ended up guessing this one easily. But if you shut your brain off and just let the story take you, I think it would be a fun, twisted story!
Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me, but I absolutely think there will be elements of this book that others will enjoy! The idea of losing yourself in/to a marriage is terrifying!
I wanted to like this book so much, but I almost found myself reading it out of spite. I didn't like a single character, except maybe for Bea's friend Joy. But Bea as a main character is insufferable, she's rude, she's entitled, she's manipulative. Stringing people along for her convenience. Maybe I just have some trauma from people like this, but I found myself really not caring about Bea at all. And for some reason the constant mention of her green hair was annoying, I got it after the first 10 times. (Coming from someone who consistently dyed their hair fun colors for decades)
I also had trouble getting into the idea of being addressed as the reader. Throughout the book "you" are referenced a lot. "You" are an old friend of Bea's, well friend with benefits. And "you" are desperately in love with Bea, but she doesn't want to be tied down in a relationship with labels. I really liked this idea, but it just fell flat for me, and ended up taking me out of the story.
Redeemable qualities that might draw in other people? Decent body horror! Not at the level I'm used to, but it's great for anyone that wants to dip their toes in the body horror genre. The author did a great job detailing such unsettling bodily functions and anomalies, I did really enjoy those parts of the book! Also, a halfway decent mystery element. I wish I didn't always try to guess the plots, cause I ended up guessing this one easily. But if you shut your brain off and just let the story take you, I think it would be a fun, twisted story!
Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me, but I absolutely think there will be elements of this book that others will enjoy! The idea of losing yourself in/to a marriage is terrifying!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It took me a while to get through this one, and I really don’t know how I feel about it. It wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t finish, but it didn’t have me excited to read more either. I like the idea of the premise, but it maybe didn’t play out the way I had hoped, and there were a lot of things that I found to be unnecessary or irritating. For example, the flashbacks to the ex-boyfriend—referring to him as “you” and “he” without giving him a name annoyed me and took me out of the story. At times, I wondered if he was a figment of her imagination because it was unclear what the point of these flashbacks was. I’m not sure it added anything to the story, quite honestly, and I would have rather had the focus be on the seemingly cursed engagement ring. I still don’t even really understand what happened, and it didn’t feel like things were wrapped up to my liking.
Thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co for this eARC in exchange for my review.
Thank you NetGalley and Union Square & Co for this eARC in exchange for my review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2026
I'm not sure what to make of this one. There is very light body horror (compared to books that go all-in on the body horror aspect) and a very odd second-person perspective that makes no sense to me and doesn't add anything to the overall story. This feels like it would have been a fun commentary (as the blurb suggested) on women losing parts of themselves when committing to a wedding, but the ending blows that, and the rest of the book did not engage me either. I was unimpressed, unfortunately, and worse, kind of bored through most of this.
June 30, 2026
this book was a 3 star until the end
going into this book blind was the best way to read it
i didnt jive very well with the authors writing style and was very confused at times, but the ending really made this book for me
the mix of body horror, curses, and mortality was really well done and i found myself desperate to keep picking this book up and see what happens
going into this book blind was the best way to read it
i didnt jive very well with the authors writing style and was very confused at times, but the ending really made this book for me
the mix of body horror, curses, and mortality was really well done and i found myself desperate to keep picking this book up and see what happens
August 10, 2026
Here comes the bride… and there goes her epidermis.
January 5, 2026
3.25 ⭐️
I was gifted this arc by NetGalley and publishers.
Death do us explores societal pressures of marriage on women in a unique and, at times, unsettling way.
Bea has just got engaged, and messaging throughout her life has told her that she should now feel complete. Everything has led up to this moment and she should be grateful to take on the identity of “bride”.. but what if she doesn’t?
Bea’s journey takes places across multiple timelines, exploring past decisions and buried emotions. As planning for her big day continues Bea starts to relax, but she can’t shake that niggling feeling that all may not be as it seems.
I was gifted this arc by NetGalley and publishers.
Death do us explores societal pressures of marriage on women in a unique and, at times, unsettling way.
Bea has just got engaged, and messaging throughout her life has told her that she should now feel complete. Everything has led up to this moment and she should be grateful to take on the identity of “bride”.. but what if she doesn’t?
Bea’s journey takes places across multiple timelines, exploring past decisions and buried emotions. As planning for her big day continues Bea starts to relax, but she can’t shake that niggling feeling that all may not be as it seems.
November 7, 2026
Call me old fashioned, but when a book is based entirely around building a mystery, with multiple different elements, all intertwining, seemingly towards a big reveal… it’s nice to actually give the reader that reveal. Not what seem to be a handful of red herrings that lead nowhere, and then just to essentially say “maybe the answer is this… or this… or this… or none of those things, who knows eh?!”
I’m don’t need to been spoon fed reveals, or have every loose end tied up, but I also don’t appreciate having my time wasted by an author who seems to have no idea where they’re going or what point they’re trying to make.
There was also a pointless and messy use of second-person perspective throughout that added nothing and served no purpose whatsoever, other than to be jarring for the reader.
I’m giving it two stars only because it kept my attention enough to at least get to the end. A frustrating read and a wasted opportunity.
I’m don’t need to been spoon fed reveals, or have every loose end tied up, but I also don’t appreciate having my time wasted by an author who seems to have no idea where they’re going or what point they’re trying to make.
There was also a pointless and messy use of second-person perspective throughout that added nothing and served no purpose whatsoever, other than to be jarring for the reader.
I’m giving it two stars only because it kept my attention enough to at least get to the end. A frustrating read and a wasted opportunity.
August 3, 2026
I’ve read way too many books about British women getting married recently. But this is the best one by far. I wish the pacing was stronger, and second person was an interesting choice but I don’t think it paid off. Overall, I enjoyed it, but again. Anything is better than the last two British wedding books I’ve read.
September 5, 2026
what happens when u marry ur 3rd @
August 8, 2026
3,5 ★ | German review below!
When I had my first apprenticeship interview at 16, I was asked where I saw myself ten years from then. Part of my default answer was “Being married, having kids and owning a house”. Looking back now, it's absolutely ridiculous. But this just shows how most of us grew up with the idea that getting married and having children is the only logical life goal, something that will inevitably happen. Everyone does it, everyone anticipates it, so you should too. “Death Do Us” is ultimately a critique of society’s expectations surrounding marriage and the pressure it puts on women.
Bea is an unconventional young woman who never saw herself as someone who would have a traditional wedding. But after getting engaged, these thoughts start to change. The more the wedding plans solidify - the venue, the dress, the cake - the more her body revolts. Her ring finger swells, her tooth loosens and she loses parts of her skin. It's almost as if her body is slowly decaying…
There are a few special things about this book. First, the writing style felt quite sophisticated. Written in third person, it is descriptive enough to paint a clear picture of the characters, places, and atmosphere without being overly long or boring. The dialogue and narration were well balanced. The chapters were sometimes interrupted by miscellaneous snippets, such as messages, emails, lists, notes and articles, which were enjoyable and rather unique. Due to the short chapters, the book was easy and fast to read.
The story is told through two different timelines, past and present. Non-linear storytelling can be a hit-or-miss, since it often takes me out of the story. This time, it worked for me. In the flashbacks, we follow a young Bea through her life as an archaeology student. Throughout this timeline, Bea’s complicated relationship with “You”, her ex-lover, gets explored thoroughly. Due to this stylistic approach, the past chapters feel as though they break the fourth wall by integrating the reader as a character. Although it takes a while to get used to it, I thought that this was a very interesting aspect of the story.
In the present timeline, Bea is in her early thirties. She works part-time as a data analyst while pursuing her dream of getting a PhD in archaeology. We see more of her relationships with other characters, such as her mother, her best friend Joy, her fiancé Jake, his mother Lorraine and Lorraine’s goddaughter Millie. Most of these characters are hard to read and morally ambivalent. Especially Millie - I could never quite guess her intentions. This made the relationship dynamics more interesting, though. Since all of these characters have flaws and make bad decisions throughout the story, they seem like real people. However, as the focus was so much on Bea, the other characters didn’t seem as fleshed out and felt rather flat. I wished the relationship between Bea and Jake had been explored more. Compared to her relationship with her ex, their relationship lacked depth and therefore, their wedding did not feel as meaningful.
Besides all that wedding planning, the plot focuses on Bea’s decay. It’s hard to tell what’s real and what is just in her head. I had this constant uneasy feeling and wanted her to cancel the wedding, as her symptoms worsened as the wedding day approached. It was interesting (and sad) to see Bea’s change in personality throughout the story, especially compared to her past self. The book did a great job in portraying the massive pressure and external expectations that women face to look a certain way and to have the perfect wedding, even resulting in them losing themselves and their values in the process. Aside from the more obvious wedding critique and feminist undertone, there are other topics thrown into the story, without being talked about or explored further. While the main focus is on the wedding and the struggles of women, the book tried to tackle too many other topics on the side. Since some of these topics are heavier, like substance abuse or assault, it felt like this wasn’t handled well.
I found that the story got a little bit repetitive in the second half of the book. Towards the end, there were a few twists and dramatic moments. I have to say though, that the ending was rather anticlimactic. After learning what happened in Bea’s past, I found it difficult to understand why she acted the way she did. In the way the two timelines were brought together, the past storyline didn’t really fit in well. Since it did not add much to the main story, it felt kind of disjointed.
Final Thoughts
While the ending disappointed me a little, I enjoyed reading this book! I especially liked the feminist themes. It combines light body horror elements with the real psychological consequences of trauma and stress. Although some parts of the story as well as the side characters could have been fleshed out more, it was a fun read that kept me engaged.
★★★½
Thank you to Netgalley and Union Square & Co for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Deutsche Rezension:
Als ich mit 16 mein erstes Vorstellungsgespräch für eine Ausbildung hatte, wurde ich gefragt wo ich mich in zehn Jahren sehe. Teil meiner Standardantwort war: „Verheiratet sein, Kinder haben und ein eigenes Haus besitzen“. Wenn ich aus heutiger Sicht daran denke, ist das absolut lächerlich. Aber das zeigt nur, wie die meisten von uns mit der Vorstellung aufgewachsen sind, dass Heiraten und Kinderkriegen das einzig logische Lebensziel ist, etwas, das unweigerlich passieren wird. Jeder tut es, jeder erwartet es, also solltest du es auch. “Death Do Us” ist letztlich eine Kritik an den gesellschaftlichen Erwartungen rund um die Ehe und dem Druck, den sie auf Frauen ausübt.
Bea ist eine unkonventionelle junge Frau, die sich selbst nie als jemanden gesehen hat, der traditionell heiraten würde. Doch nach ihrer Verlobung beginnen sich diese Gedanken zu ändern. Je konkreter die Hochzeitspläne werden - der Veranstaltungsort, das Kleid, die Torte -, desto mehr rebelliert ihr Körper. Ihr Ringfinger schwillt an, einer ihrer Zähne lockert sich und ihre Haut beginnt sich zu schälen. Fast so, als würde ihr Körper langsam verwesen…
Dieses Buch hat einige Besonderheiten. Zum einen wirkte der Schreibstil recht anspruchsvoll und elegant. In der dritten Person geschrieben werden die Figuren, Schauplätze und die Atmosphäre so anschaulich beschrieben, dass man sich alles klar vorstellen kann, ohne dass es dabei zu langatmig oder langweilig wirkt. Dialoge und Beschreibungen waren gut ausbalanciert. Die Kapitel wurden manchmal durch verschiedene Ausschnitte wie Nachrichten, E-Mails, Listen, Notizen und Artikel unterbrochen, was unterhaltsam und ziemlich besonders war. Dank der kurzen Kapitel ließ sich das Buch leicht und schnell lesen.
Die Geschichte wird über zwei verschiedene Zeitebenen erzählt: Vergangenheit und Gegenwart. Da mich nicht-lineare Erzählweisen oft aus der Geschichte herausreißen, war ich zu Beginn skeptisch. Der Wechsel zwischen den Zeitebenen hat mich allerdings bei diesem Buch gar nicht groß gestört. In den Rückblenden begleiten wir die junge Bea durch ihr Leben als Archäologiestudentin. In diesem Handlungsstrang wird Beas komplizierte Beziehung zu “Du”, ihrem Ex-Liebhaber, ausgiebig behandelt. Durch diesen stilistischen Ansatz wirken die Kapitel aus der Vergangenheit so, als würden sie die vierte Wand durchbrechen, indem sie den Leser als Charakter einbeziehen. Auch wenn es eine Weile gedauert hat, um sich daran zu gewöhnen, fand ich das einen sehr interessanten Aspekt der Geschichte.
In der Gegenwart-Zeitebene ist Bea Anfang dreißig. Sie arbeitet in Teilzeit als Datenanalystin, verfolgt aber hauptsächlich ihren Traum, in Archäologie zu promovieren. Wir erfahren mehr über ihre Beziehungen zu anderen Charakteren, wie ihrer Mutter, ihrer besten Freundin Joy, ihrem Verlobten Jake, dessen Mutter Lorraine und Lorraines Patentochter Millie. Die meisten dieser Figuren sind schwer einzuschätzen und moralisch ambivalent. Vor allem Millie - ich konnte ihre Absichten nie ganz durchschauen. Das machte die Beziehungsdynamik jedoch umso interessanter. Da alle diese Charaktere Schwächen haben und im Laufe der Geschichte falsche Entscheidungen treffen, wirken sie sehr real. Da der Fokus jedoch so stark auf Bea lag, schienen die anderen Charaktere nicht so ausgearbeitet und wirkten eher blass. Ich hätte mir außerdem gewünscht, dass die Beziehung zwischen Bea und Jake ausführlicher beleuchtet worden wäre. Im Vergleich zu ihrer Beziehung zu ihrem Ex fehlte es ihrer Beziehung an Tiefe, weshalb ihre Hochzeit auf mich nicht so bedeutungsvoll wirkte.
Neben all den Hochzeitsvorbereitungen dreht sich die Handlung um Beas Verfall. Ich fand es sehr schwer, einzuschätzen, was real ist und was sich nur in ihrem Kopf abspielt. Ich hatte ständig ein ungutes Gefühl und wollte, dass Bea die Hochzeit absagt, da ihre Symptome immer schlimmer wurden, je näher der Hochzeitstag rückte. Es war interessant (und traurig) zu sehen, wie sich Beas Persönlichkeit im Laufe der Geschichte verändert hat, besonders im Vergleich zu ihrem früheren Ich. Das Buch hat es hervorragend geschafft, den enormen Druck, unter den Frauen stehen, darzustellen: die äußeren Erwartungen, ein bestimmtes Aussehen bzw. Körperbild zu erreichen oder die perfekte Hochzeit zu feiern - was sogar dazu führen kann, dass sie sich dabei selbst und ihre Werte aus den Augen verlieren. Abgesehen von der offensichtlichen Kritik an der Hochzeitsindustrie und dem feministischen Unterton werden noch weitere Themen in die Geschichte hineingeworfen, ohne dass über sie gesprochen wird oder sie weiter vertieft werden. Während der Schwerpunkt auf der Hochzeit und den damit verbundenen Problemen von Frauen liegt, versucht das Buch, zu viele andere Themen nebenher zu behandeln. Da einige dieser Themen schwieriger sind, wie Alkoholmissbrauch oder sexuelle Übergriffe, hatte ich das Gefühl, dass das nicht gut umgesetzt wurde.
Ich fand, dass sich die Handlung in der zweiten Hälfte des Buches etwas wiederholt hat. Gegen Ende gab es ein paar Wendungen und dramatische Momente. Ich muss allerdings sagen, dass das Ende eher antiklimaktisch war. So, wie die beiden Zeitebenen zusammengeführt wurden, passte die Handlung aus der Vergangenheit nicht wirklich gut mit der Handlung der Gegenwart zusammen. Da es durch die Vergangenheits-Geschichte nicht wirklich einen Mehrwert für die Hauptgeschichte gibt, wirkte das Ganze etwas unzusammenhängend. Es fiel mir außerdem schwer zu verstehen, warum Bea sich in der Gegenwart so verhalten hat, nach allem, was sie früher durchmachen musste.
Schlussgedanken
Auch wenn mich das Ende ein wenig enttäuscht hat, hat mir das Lesen Spaß gemacht! Besonders gut gefallen haben mir die feministischen Themen. Es verbindet leichte Body-Horror-Elemente mit den realen psychologischen Folgen von Trauma und Stress. Obwohl einige Teile der Geschichte sowie die Nebenfiguren etwas ausführlicher hätten ausgearbeitet werden können, hat mich die Geschichte gut unterhalten.
★★★½
Vielen Dank an Netgalley und dem Union Square & Co Verlag für die Möglichkeit, dieses Buch im Austausch gegen eine ehrliche Rezension lesen zu dürfen.
When I had my first apprenticeship interview at 16, I was asked where I saw myself ten years from then. Part of my default answer was “Being married, having kids and owning a house”. Looking back now, it's absolutely ridiculous. But this just shows how most of us grew up with the idea that getting married and having children is the only logical life goal, something that will inevitably happen. Everyone does it, everyone anticipates it, so you should too. “Death Do Us” is ultimately a critique of society’s expectations surrounding marriage and the pressure it puts on women.
Bea is an unconventional young woman who never saw herself as someone who would have a traditional wedding. But after getting engaged, these thoughts start to change. The more the wedding plans solidify - the venue, the dress, the cake - the more her body revolts. Her ring finger swells, her tooth loosens and she loses parts of her skin. It's almost as if her body is slowly decaying…
There are a few special things about this book. First, the writing style felt quite sophisticated. Written in third person, it is descriptive enough to paint a clear picture of the characters, places, and atmosphere without being overly long or boring. The dialogue and narration were well balanced. The chapters were sometimes interrupted by miscellaneous snippets, such as messages, emails, lists, notes and articles, which were enjoyable and rather unique. Due to the short chapters, the book was easy and fast to read.
The story is told through two different timelines, past and present. Non-linear storytelling can be a hit-or-miss, since it often takes me out of the story. This time, it worked for me. In the flashbacks, we follow a young Bea through her life as an archaeology student. Throughout this timeline, Bea’s complicated relationship with “You”, her ex-lover, gets explored thoroughly. Due to this stylistic approach, the past chapters feel as though they break the fourth wall by integrating the reader as a character. Although it takes a while to get used to it, I thought that this was a very interesting aspect of the story.
In the present timeline, Bea is in her early thirties. She works part-time as a data analyst while pursuing her dream of getting a PhD in archaeology. We see more of her relationships with other characters, such as her mother, her best friend Joy, her fiancé Jake, his mother Lorraine and Lorraine’s goddaughter Millie. Most of these characters are hard to read and morally ambivalent. Especially Millie - I could never quite guess her intentions. This made the relationship dynamics more interesting, though. Since all of these characters have flaws and make bad decisions throughout the story, they seem like real people. However, as the focus was so much on Bea, the other characters didn’t seem as fleshed out and felt rather flat. I wished the relationship between Bea and Jake had been explored more. Compared to her relationship with her ex, their relationship lacked depth and therefore, their wedding did not feel as meaningful.
Besides all that wedding planning, the plot focuses on Bea’s decay. It’s hard to tell what’s real and what is just in her head. I had this constant uneasy feeling and wanted her to cancel the wedding, as her symptoms worsened as the wedding day approached. It was interesting (and sad) to see Bea’s change in personality throughout the story, especially compared to her past self. The book did a great job in portraying the massive pressure and external expectations that women face to look a certain way and to have the perfect wedding, even resulting in them losing themselves and their values in the process. Aside from the more obvious wedding critique and feminist undertone, there are other topics thrown into the story, without being talked about or explored further. While the main focus is on the wedding and the struggles of women, the book tried to tackle too many other topics on the side. Since some of these topics are heavier, like substance abuse or assault, it felt like this wasn’t handled well.
I found that the story got a little bit repetitive in the second half of the book. Towards the end, there were a few twists and dramatic moments. I have to say though, that the ending was rather anticlimactic. After learning what happened in Bea’s past, I found it difficult to understand why she acted the way she did. In the way the two timelines were brought together, the past storyline didn’t really fit in well. Since it did not add much to the main story, it felt kind of disjointed.
Final Thoughts
While the ending disappointed me a little, I enjoyed reading this book! I especially liked the feminist themes. It combines light body horror elements with the real psychological consequences of trauma and stress. Although some parts of the story as well as the side characters could have been fleshed out more, it was a fun read that kept me engaged.
★★★½
Thank you to Netgalley and Union Square & Co for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Deutsche Rezension:
Als ich mit 16 mein erstes Vorstellungsgespräch für eine Ausbildung hatte, wurde ich gefragt wo ich mich in zehn Jahren sehe. Teil meiner Standardantwort war: „Verheiratet sein, Kinder haben und ein eigenes Haus besitzen“. Wenn ich aus heutiger Sicht daran denke, ist das absolut lächerlich. Aber das zeigt nur, wie die meisten von uns mit der Vorstellung aufgewachsen sind, dass Heiraten und Kinderkriegen das einzig logische Lebensziel ist, etwas, das unweigerlich passieren wird. Jeder tut es, jeder erwartet es, also solltest du es auch. “Death Do Us” ist letztlich eine Kritik an den gesellschaftlichen Erwartungen rund um die Ehe und dem Druck, den sie auf Frauen ausübt.
Bea ist eine unkonventionelle junge Frau, die sich selbst nie als jemanden gesehen hat, der traditionell heiraten würde. Doch nach ihrer Verlobung beginnen sich diese Gedanken zu ändern. Je konkreter die Hochzeitspläne werden - der Veranstaltungsort, das Kleid, die Torte -, desto mehr rebelliert ihr Körper. Ihr Ringfinger schwillt an, einer ihrer Zähne lockert sich und ihre Haut beginnt sich zu schälen. Fast so, als würde ihr Körper langsam verwesen…
Dieses Buch hat einige Besonderheiten. Zum einen wirkte der Schreibstil recht anspruchsvoll und elegant. In der dritten Person geschrieben werden die Figuren, Schauplätze und die Atmosphäre so anschaulich beschrieben, dass man sich alles klar vorstellen kann, ohne dass es dabei zu langatmig oder langweilig wirkt. Dialoge und Beschreibungen waren gut ausbalanciert. Die Kapitel wurden manchmal durch verschiedene Ausschnitte wie Nachrichten, E-Mails, Listen, Notizen und Artikel unterbrochen, was unterhaltsam und ziemlich besonders war. Dank der kurzen Kapitel ließ sich das Buch leicht und schnell lesen.
Die Geschichte wird über zwei verschiedene Zeitebenen erzählt: Vergangenheit und Gegenwart. Da mich nicht-lineare Erzählweisen oft aus der Geschichte herausreißen, war ich zu Beginn skeptisch. Der Wechsel zwischen den Zeitebenen hat mich allerdings bei diesem Buch gar nicht groß gestört. In den Rückblenden begleiten wir die junge Bea durch ihr Leben als Archäologiestudentin. In diesem Handlungsstrang wird Beas komplizierte Beziehung zu “Du”, ihrem Ex-Liebhaber, ausgiebig behandelt. Durch diesen stilistischen Ansatz wirken die Kapitel aus der Vergangenheit so, als würden sie die vierte Wand durchbrechen, indem sie den Leser als Charakter einbeziehen. Auch wenn es eine Weile gedauert hat, um sich daran zu gewöhnen, fand ich das einen sehr interessanten Aspekt der Geschichte.
In der Gegenwart-Zeitebene ist Bea Anfang dreißig. Sie arbeitet in Teilzeit als Datenanalystin, verfolgt aber hauptsächlich ihren Traum, in Archäologie zu promovieren. Wir erfahren mehr über ihre Beziehungen zu anderen Charakteren, wie ihrer Mutter, ihrer besten Freundin Joy, ihrem Verlobten Jake, dessen Mutter Lorraine und Lorraines Patentochter Millie. Die meisten dieser Figuren sind schwer einzuschätzen und moralisch ambivalent. Vor allem Millie - ich konnte ihre Absichten nie ganz durchschauen. Das machte die Beziehungsdynamik jedoch umso interessanter. Da alle diese Charaktere Schwächen haben und im Laufe der Geschichte falsche Entscheidungen treffen, wirken sie sehr real. Da der Fokus jedoch so stark auf Bea lag, schienen die anderen Charaktere nicht so ausgearbeitet und wirkten eher blass. Ich hätte mir außerdem gewünscht, dass die Beziehung zwischen Bea und Jake ausführlicher beleuchtet worden wäre. Im Vergleich zu ihrer Beziehung zu ihrem Ex fehlte es ihrer Beziehung an Tiefe, weshalb ihre Hochzeit auf mich nicht so bedeutungsvoll wirkte.
Neben all den Hochzeitsvorbereitungen dreht sich die Handlung um Beas Verfall. Ich fand es sehr schwer, einzuschätzen, was real ist und was sich nur in ihrem Kopf abspielt. Ich hatte ständig ein ungutes Gefühl und wollte, dass Bea die Hochzeit absagt, da ihre Symptome immer schlimmer wurden, je näher der Hochzeitstag rückte. Es war interessant (und traurig) zu sehen, wie sich Beas Persönlichkeit im Laufe der Geschichte verändert hat, besonders im Vergleich zu ihrem früheren Ich. Das Buch hat es hervorragend geschafft, den enormen Druck, unter den Frauen stehen, darzustellen: die äußeren Erwartungen, ein bestimmtes Aussehen bzw. Körperbild zu erreichen oder die perfekte Hochzeit zu feiern - was sogar dazu führen kann, dass sie sich dabei selbst und ihre Werte aus den Augen verlieren. Abgesehen von der offensichtlichen Kritik an der Hochzeitsindustrie und dem feministischen Unterton werden noch weitere Themen in die Geschichte hineingeworfen, ohne dass über sie gesprochen wird oder sie weiter vertieft werden. Während der Schwerpunkt auf der Hochzeit und den damit verbundenen Problemen von Frauen liegt, versucht das Buch, zu viele andere Themen nebenher zu behandeln. Da einige dieser Themen schwieriger sind, wie Alkoholmissbrauch oder sexuelle Übergriffe, hatte ich das Gefühl, dass das nicht gut umgesetzt wurde.
Ich fand, dass sich die Handlung in der zweiten Hälfte des Buches etwas wiederholt hat. Gegen Ende gab es ein paar Wendungen und dramatische Momente. Ich muss allerdings sagen, dass das Ende eher antiklimaktisch war. So, wie die beiden Zeitebenen zusammengeführt wurden, passte die Handlung aus der Vergangenheit nicht wirklich gut mit der Handlung der Gegenwart zusammen. Da es durch die Vergangenheits-Geschichte nicht wirklich einen Mehrwert für die Hauptgeschichte gibt, wirkte das Ganze etwas unzusammenhängend. Es fiel mir außerdem schwer zu verstehen, warum Bea sich in der Gegenwart so verhalten hat, nach allem, was sie früher durchmachen musste.
Schlussgedanken
Auch wenn mich das Ende ein wenig enttäuscht hat, hat mir das Lesen Spaß gemacht! Besonders gut gefallen haben mir die feministischen Themen. Es verbindet leichte Body-Horror-Elemente mit den realen psychologischen Folgen von Trauma und Stress. Obwohl einige Teile der Geschichte sowie die Nebenfiguren etwas ausführlicher hätten ausgearbeitet werden können, hat mich die Geschichte gut unterhalten.
★★★½
Vielen Dank an Netgalley und dem Union Square & Co Verlag für die Möglichkeit, dieses Buch im Austausch gegen eine ehrliche Rezension lesen zu dürfen.
October 1, 2026
was a solid book, wish it was spookier. didn’t have anything that was surprising, but had an overall good message.
October 18, 2026
this one was…different from books i usually read.
i did enjoy the depth of the writing, but the ending kind of lost me. So Bea’s ex died years ago so she’s just been imagining him stalking her/texting her/talking on the phone with her the whole time? also like what’s her obsession with him? from what i understand they were literally friends with benefits bc Bea didn’t want to commit. idk it was weird
and with the whole mysterious illness Bea experienced. like the maggots coming out of her skin? was that real or not? i definitely think she suffers from that disease where her mind thinks she’s dead but does that mean she was imagining her body shutting down/the maggots? interesting idea to base a novel on but i wish it gave more description.
the only plot twist in this book for me was finding out Bea’s ex died years ago and she did not hit him with her car like i thought. also how Millie and Jake ended up getting married in the end.
speaking of the end wtf? so at the wedding Millie seeks Bea out to show her she’s suffering from the same illnesses as Bea was. so Millie has that disease too or what?
my biggest pet peeve in this whole book: TAKE THE FUCKING RING OFF YOUR FINGER HOLY SHIT. your finger is literally bulging and literally about to fall off but you refuse to remove the ring?? why?? also obviously Bea had to get the ring off at some point in order for Jake to give it to Millie so how did she get it off without cutting it and ruining the ring?
idk this book was interesting but just very weird. 2.5⭐️
i did enjoy the depth of the writing, but the ending kind of lost me. So Bea’s ex died years ago so she’s just been imagining him stalking her/texting her/talking on the phone with her the whole time? also like what’s her obsession with him? from what i understand they were literally friends with benefits bc Bea didn’t want to commit. idk it was weird
and with the whole mysterious illness Bea experienced. like the maggots coming out of her skin? was that real or not? i definitely think she suffers from that disease where her mind thinks she’s dead but does that mean she was imagining her body shutting down/the maggots? interesting idea to base a novel on but i wish it gave more description.
the only plot twist in this book for me was finding out Bea’s ex died years ago and she did not hit him with her car like i thought. also how Millie and Jake ended up getting married in the end.
speaking of the end wtf? so at the wedding Millie seeks Bea out to show her she’s suffering from the same illnesses as Bea was. so Millie has that disease too or what?
my biggest pet peeve in this whole book: TAKE THE FUCKING RING OFF YOUR FINGER HOLY SHIT. your finger is literally bulging and literally about to fall off but you refuse to remove the ring?? why?? also obviously Bea had to get the ring off at some point in order for Jake to give it to Millie so how did she get it off without cutting it and ruining the ring?
idk this book was interesting but just very weird. 2.5⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2026
Bea and Jake are engaged. The proposal was a bit off and full of a series of unfortunate events, but they are officially engaged. As Bea navigates the shift from girlfriend to fiance, her body seems to start to unravel. We learn about Bea's past and present relationships and how they each compared to how she felt. She used to be very adverse to the world of brides and the traditions that come with marriage but now it seems like she is into it. However, it looks like her body is slowly decaying as she dives deeper into her role as a bride-to-be and how her autonomy begins to evaporate and she and Jake become one.
Absolutely loved the switch between timelines and how slowly each chapter makes revelations about Bea and the men that brought her to this present time. Though the topics were strong and tough, the tone of the story felt light and funny which made this whole experience so enjoyable.
Thank you Netgalley and Union Square & Co for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.
Absolutely loved the switch between timelines and how slowly each chapter makes revelations about Bea and the men that brought her to this present time. Though the topics were strong and tough, the tone of the story felt light and funny which made this whole experience so enjoyable.
Thank you Netgalley and Union Square & Co for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
thank you to netgalley and union square & co. for an arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
i've never read anything like this, and i'm the first person to increase my star rating for uniqueness. unfortunately, uniqueness can't be my sole litmus test for a book.
premise:
the main character Bea accepts a proposal from the man she is in love with, but almost immediately, her body starts exhibiting signs of decay and disease. she also is increasingly haunted by memories of her ex-boyfriend, making her second guess her acceptance of Jake's proposal.
themes:
i think at its core, this book is a biting and intellectual critique of the pressure that getting married, planning a wedding, and being a bride places on women. it also focuses on other very real, very human experiences such as mourning past love despite being in love with someone else, as well as the tangible effects stress can have on our bodies.
likes/dislikes:
i liked how Mason ties Bea's college studies of archeology into the lived experience she is having throughout the book. however, outside of chapter titles and brief explanations, it doesn't happen often. i was never sure whether Bea's experiences were real or imagined, if they were caused by stress or a curse or delusions entirely. normally not having that clarity wouldn't spoil a book for me if there are other things to focus on - such as the characters - but this book is majorly plot driven. what little page space that readers do get that are devoted entirely to the characters failed to connect with me. Bea's ex-boyfriend gets increasingly erratic and unlikeable as the book goes on, and so does she. the flashback chapters that focus on their relationship are told in alternating second or third person points of view where Bea's boyfriend is either referred to as "he" or "you" depending on the chapter, never really establishing whose perspective we are reading. i think if these chapters were told from his pov, we would've gotten to know him better and his and Bea's relationship better and overall the story would've improved.
tldr: i generally love weird girl lit and morally grey characters but maybe this book is the exception.
i've never read anything like this, and i'm the first person to increase my star rating for uniqueness. unfortunately, uniqueness can't be my sole litmus test for a book.
premise:
the main character Bea accepts a proposal from the man she is in love with, but almost immediately, her body starts exhibiting signs of decay and disease. she also is increasingly haunted by memories of her ex-boyfriend, making her second guess her acceptance of Jake's proposal.
themes:
i think at its core, this book is a biting and intellectual critique of the pressure that getting married, planning a wedding, and being a bride places on women. it also focuses on other very real, very human experiences such as mourning past love despite being in love with someone else, as well as the tangible effects stress can have on our bodies.
likes/dislikes:
i liked how Mason ties Bea's college studies of archeology into the lived experience she is having throughout the book. however, outside of chapter titles and brief explanations, it doesn't happen often. i was never sure whether Bea's experiences were real or imagined, if they were caused by stress or a curse or delusions entirely. normally not having that clarity wouldn't spoil a book for me if there are other things to focus on - such as the characters - but this book is majorly plot driven. what little page space that readers do get that are devoted entirely to the characters failed to connect with me. Bea's ex-boyfriend gets increasingly erratic and unlikeable as the book goes on, and so does she. the flashback chapters that focus on their relationship are told in alternating second or third person points of view where Bea's boyfriend is either referred to as "he" or "you" depending on the chapter, never really establishing whose perspective we are reading. i think if these chapters were told from his pov, we would've gotten to know him better and his and Bea's relationship better and overall the story would've improved.
tldr: i generally love weird girl lit and morally grey characters but maybe this book is the exception.
July 4, 2026
Newly engaged Bea should be celebrating, but she can't escape the feeling that something is terribly wrong. Haunted by memories of a proposal she once rejected and the unconventional future she imagined for herself, she finds herself drawn instead toward the very traditions she never wanted. As the wedding plans gather momentum, an unsettling presence lurks in the shadows, forcing Bea to question whether the greatest threat is the life she's choosing or something far more sinister.
As much as the premise pulled me in, and I was excited by the potential for an unhinged woman story, this ultimately didn't live up to my expectations. My biggest hurdle was the second-person narration. It's a style that rarely works for me, although I could appreciate why it was used here, placing the reader in the perspective of someone important from Bea's past, which becomes clear fairly early on.
The story moves between past and present, as well as multiple perspectives, and I found it more confusing than compelling. That said, the disjointed structure did mirror Bea's own uncertainty as she wrestled with the tension between the traditional life she was choosing and the person she might otherwise have become. There were moments where it felt like the novel was leaning into something much darker, with flashes of body horror and psychological unease that I really enjoyed, but it never fully committed to that direction, instead settling back into a more conventional plot.
Unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me. While I can see what the author was trying to achieve, the second-person narration made it difficult to fully connect with the story. 2/5
Thanks to Union Square & Co. and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Now available from the 30th June 2026.
As much as the premise pulled me in, and I was excited by the potential for an unhinged woman story, this ultimately didn't live up to my expectations. My biggest hurdle was the second-person narration. It's a style that rarely works for me, although I could appreciate why it was used here, placing the reader in the perspective of someone important from Bea's past, which becomes clear fairly early on.
The story moves between past and present, as well as multiple perspectives, and I found it more confusing than compelling. That said, the disjointed structure did mirror Bea's own uncertainty as she wrestled with the tension between the traditional life she was choosing and the person she might otherwise have become. There were moments where it felt like the novel was leaning into something much darker, with flashes of body horror and psychological unease that I really enjoyed, but it never fully committed to that direction, instead settling back into a more conventional plot.
Unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me. While I can see what the author was trying to achieve, the second-person narration made it difficult to fully connect with the story. 2/5
Thanks to Union Square & Co. and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Now available from the 30th June 2026.
June 30, 2026
I received an early copy from Netgalley
I DNF'd this book very early on. I love body horror, and I really wanted to love this too. However, there's something off in the way it's written. The sentence structure is repetitive, and relies far too heavily on comparison and analogy for basic ideas that require no further explanation. I understand using the technique for poetic or poignant purposes, but not multiple times within a page turn of each other.
The MC was also just unlikable. Which can be totally fine, if you're interesting, funny, witty...anything. Instead, right out the gate we're internally mocking little old ladies who are just trying to congratulate her on her engagement, supposedly being completely unable to rationalize the existence of the elderly at all. Girl, for real? You never had a grandma, a mom, an aunt, a coworker...? And that's literally how the story opens; we're not given even a single moment to generate some kind of interest in this character before she's starts being nasty. A couple pages later she's sitting on the toilet fantazing about posting a photo of her ring online, hoping it'll "hurt" all the people who had the gall to exist within her sphere of influence.
"She wants her friends jealous, her high-school bullies regretting, her unrequited crushes questioning. She wants it to hurt. This is Bea’s vengeance to those who called her too strange to be likeable, too plain to be loved."
Strange and plain? Maybe you're just a bitch 🤷♀️
I DNF'd this book very early on. I love body horror, and I really wanted to love this too. However, there's something off in the way it's written. The sentence structure is repetitive, and relies far too heavily on comparison and analogy for basic ideas that require no further explanation. I understand using the technique for poetic or poignant purposes, but not multiple times within a page turn of each other.
The MC was also just unlikable. Which can be totally fine, if you're interesting, funny, witty...anything. Instead, right out the gate we're internally mocking little old ladies who are just trying to congratulate her on her engagement, supposedly being completely unable to rationalize the existence of the elderly at all. Girl, for real? You never had a grandma, a mom, an aunt, a coworker...? And that's literally how the story opens; we're not given even a single moment to generate some kind of interest in this character before she's starts being nasty. A couple pages later she's sitting on the toilet fantazing about posting a photo of her ring online, hoping it'll "hurt" all the people who had the gall to exist within her sphere of influence.
"She wants her friends jealous, her high-school bullies regretting, her unrequited crushes questioning. She wants it to hurt. This is Bea’s vengeance to those who called her too strange to be likeable, too plain to be loved."
Strange and plain? Maybe you're just a bitch 🤷♀️
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