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The Perfect Wedding
Weddings should be perfect, except some turn into devastating tragedies…
Amelia and Lachlan are celebrating the happiest day of their lives at their dream cliffside wedding when an anonymous letter arrives, followed by a series of unsettling events that refuse to be ignored. By midnight, Lachlan has vanished.
The next morning, Amelia makes a discovery so horrifying it shatters everything she believed about their wedding night, and convinces her this was no accident.
Haunted by unanswered questions, Amelia becomes desperate to uncover what really happened. As she digs into the past, long-buried secrets begin to surface, and the truth proves far more dangerous than she imagined.
With the threat closer than she ever expected, Amelia will do anything to protect her family. But as suspicion turns toward the wedding guests themselves, she must ask—will the truth be uncovered…or stay buried forever?
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2026
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172 people want to read
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April 19, 2026
ARC REVIEW!
I was so excited for this cause it was my first thriller ARC but it just didn't work for me🥲
the first half felt really slow and overly detailed, especially with wedding stuff. it got repetitive at times and i kept waiting to be thrilled but it never came until a liiitttllleee in part two! part two picked it up a little but i was already struggling to read it by then.
the writing style felt a little off. the dialogue didn't sound very natural and came across as overly simple or unrealistic at times which pulled me out of the story. some of the character reactions felt dramatic in a way that didn't match the situation..and the pacing of emotional moments felt rushed (for grief) and hard to connect with.
i really wanted to love this one but it just didn't deliver the suspense and emotional depth i was hoping for😪
notes i jotted down while reading:
•the language seems a little off like...too plain? "thanks again for saving me from getting assaulted or god knows what he would've done to me" ... idk it just seems like not actually what people would say. maybe that's just me
•"i always knew he was a humorous guy with a great sense of humor"....okay
•these people are dramatic asf. "given the dire circumstances" and it's just him needing to talk about the fireworks.....and then you told your wife to go and rest and now assume she's missing when you can't find her in the singular room you looked in?
•these people are DUMB! telling amelia to calm down literally 3 hours after finding her husbands DEAD BODY! HELLO?
•i'm on ch 46....what if it was amelia's sister??
•"i need your phone to call 911 to save our lives"....girl nobody talks like that
I was so excited for this cause it was my first thriller ARC but it just didn't work for me🥲
the first half felt really slow and overly detailed, especially with wedding stuff. it got repetitive at times and i kept waiting to be thrilled but it never came until a liiitttllleee in part two! part two picked it up a little but i was already struggling to read it by then.
the writing style felt a little off. the dialogue didn't sound very natural and came across as overly simple or unrealistic at times which pulled me out of the story. some of the character reactions felt dramatic in a way that didn't match the situation..and the pacing of emotional moments felt rushed (for grief) and hard to connect with.
i really wanted to love this one but it just didn't deliver the suspense and emotional depth i was hoping for😪
notes i jotted down while reading:
•the language seems a little off like...too plain? "thanks again for saving me from getting assaulted or god knows what he would've done to me" ... idk it just seems like not actually what people would say. maybe that's just me
•"i always knew he was a humorous guy with a great sense of humor"....okay
•these people are dramatic asf. "given the dire circumstances" and it's just him needing to talk about the fireworks.....and then you told your wife to go and rest and now assume she's missing when you can't find her in the singular room you looked in?
•these people are DUMB! telling amelia to calm down literally 3 hours after finding her husbands DEAD BODY! HELLO?
•i'm on ch 46....what if it was amelia's sister??
•"i need your phone to call 911 to save our lives"....girl nobody talks like that
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author for the ARC! (I LOVE unsolicited arcs, but am noting that I didn’t apply for this one***)
Well. I hate to say it… but this was, genuinely, atrocious. Here’s why:
- The writing felt like the first draft of someone’s first book, yet also completely lacked humanity;
- People do not talk the way these characters do. The dialogue felt oddly formal yet undercooked at the same time.
- There were many continuity errors, like switching from a week past the murder to a day
- I fail to see what the point of the first half of the book was. There were SO MANY overkill descriptions of this luxury wedding (luxury, LUXURYYYY) and over the top details about the dancing and the decor (“costal” decor, icymi) and this went on for chapters and chapters and nothing else was happening
- There were instances of blatantly incorrect phrases littered through out this book: ‘too much things’ ‘not the baddest thing’ and many cases like that. and like… in my experience these are all things that autocorrect fixes for you??? so i don’t know how they made it into the ARC copy?
- The grief representation was perhaps the worst i’ve read in a book, ever. I don’t even wanna talk about it or get into it just trust me if you are grieving or have experienced grief this depiction is almost laughable, the kind of laugh where you’re also dying inside
What I’ve learned additionally that made me dislike this book enough to leave a detailed review:
- I learned this book was rushed to be finished by the self imposed deadline from the author’s threads which makes me think that a final round of edits was skipped in favour of rushing to publication. Or any round of edits, at that. Which just feels like disrespect for your readers time and money.
- I’m really quite done with the marketing of this book as having ‘psychotically insane characters’. I KNOW IM ABOUT TO SOUND LIKE THE FRIEND WHO IS TOO WOKE BUT BEAR WITH ME I HAVE A GOOD POINT I SWEAR: I’m not a fan of the phrase ‘psychotically insane’ as someone who has experienced psychosis and who has had the word insane and psycho used in an ableist way against me due to experiencing psychosis, ‘psychotically insane’ and ‘psycho’ being used so heavily in the marketing of this book put a bad taste in my mouth, but I was accepted for an ARC before I saw all that, so I followed through on reading this anyway. To be clear, I don’t think using the word insane is a slur unless it’s being used AS one within context, what put me off about this was the combination of ‘psychotically’. SMALL grievance, but it was just icky.
I thought this would naturally be better than the author’s other book as author’s grow with each book, but it had the same issues affecting its quality: rushed, not edited, not beta read, more time spent on (bad) marketing than on the content of the book and last, but not to be underemphasised, the author’s questionable threads presence.
***I didn’t apply for this ARC, and am assuming I was sent it because I was on the author’s ARC team for their debut? I am unsure if this was a mistake? I’ll NEVER complain about an unsolicited ARC though, so I read it!
Well. I hate to say it… but this was, genuinely, atrocious. Here’s why:
- The writing felt like the first draft of someone’s first book, yet also completely lacked humanity;
- People do not talk the way these characters do. The dialogue felt oddly formal yet undercooked at the same time.
- There were many continuity errors, like switching from a week past the murder to a day
- I fail to see what the point of the first half of the book was. There were SO MANY overkill descriptions of this luxury wedding (luxury, LUXURYYYY) and over the top details about the dancing and the decor (“costal” decor, icymi) and this went on for chapters and chapters and nothing else was happening
- There were instances of blatantly incorrect phrases littered through out this book: ‘too much things’ ‘not the baddest thing’ and many cases like that. and like… in my experience these are all things that autocorrect fixes for you??? so i don’t know how they made it into the ARC copy?
- The grief representation was perhaps the worst i’ve read in a book, ever. I don’t even wanna talk about it or get into it just trust me if you are grieving or have experienced grief this depiction is almost laughable, the kind of laugh where you’re also dying inside
What I’ve learned additionally that made me dislike this book enough to leave a detailed review:
- I learned this book was rushed to be finished by the self imposed deadline from the author’s threads which makes me think that a final round of edits was skipped in favour of rushing to publication. Or any round of edits, at that. Which just feels like disrespect for your readers time and money.
- I’m really quite done with the marketing of this book as having ‘psychotically insane characters’. I KNOW IM ABOUT TO SOUND LIKE THE FRIEND WHO IS TOO WOKE BUT BEAR WITH ME I HAVE A GOOD POINT I SWEAR: I’m not a fan of the phrase ‘psychotically insane’ as someone who has experienced psychosis and who has had the word insane and psycho used in an ableist way against me due to experiencing psychosis, ‘psychotically insane’ and ‘psycho’ being used so heavily in the marketing of this book put a bad taste in my mouth, but I was accepted for an ARC before I saw all that, so I followed through on reading this anyway. To be clear, I don’t think using the word insane is a slur unless it’s being used AS one within context, what put me off about this was the combination of ‘psychotically’. SMALL grievance, but it was just icky.
I thought this would naturally be better than the author’s other book as author’s grow with each book, but it had the same issues affecting its quality: rushed, not edited, not beta read, more time spent on (bad) marketing than on the content of the book and last, but not to be underemphasised, the author’s questionable threads presence.
***I didn’t apply for this ARC, and am assuming I was sent it because I was on the author’s ARC team for their debut? I am unsure if this was a mistake? I’ll NEVER complain about an unsolicited ARC though, so I read it!
April 19, 2026
ARC Review
I really wanted to like this book, unfortunately it fell flat to me, and I ended up not finishing it. The plot and setting were great. Unfortunately, the dialogue was clunky and unnatural, as well as repetitive at times. The pacing was slow, and the writing felt a bit juvenile.
I really wanted to like this book, unfortunately it fell flat to me, and I ended up not finishing it. The plot and setting were great. Unfortunately, the dialogue was clunky and unnatural, as well as repetitive at times. The pacing was slow, and the writing felt a bit juvenile.
May 1, 2026
ARC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Release date: May 1, 2026
The Perfect Wedding by Jayde Collins
Happy release day—and genuinely, thank you for the ARC. You already know I’ll show up for a wedding, especially if it promises drama dressed in expensive fabric and emotional damage.
So… let’s not dance around it.
This review fought me. Hard.
Because here’s the thing: this book is good. Like, annoyingly good in places. The writing? Solid. Intentional. The kind where you don’t just read emotions—you absorb them. I could see the venue, feel the tension, practically sip the champagne while side-eyeing everyone like I belonged there. The love? Intense enough to make me question my life choices and slightly fear for my Kindle’s safety.
But.
And it’s a big but.
This book is split into two parts, and the first half? Nearly lost me. Not because it’s bad—because it’s a lot. Every detail of the wedding is laid out like it’s evidence in a trial. For some readers, that’s immersion. For me? That’s me checking how many pages are left while contemplating a snack break and a small existential crisis.
Slow burn and I have a complicated relationship. By complicated, I mean we actively avoid each other. I have the patience of a caffeinated toddler and a brain that craves chaos, tension, something happening. This part? It lingers. It takes its time. It enjoys taking its time.
I do not.
But then—the second half.
And suddenly I’m locked in.
Somewhere along the way, my inner detective packed her bags and went on vacation, because I did not see that coming. At all. And I love that. It wasn’t about the obvious “who”—it was about the why. The unraveling. The emotional gut punches. The betrayal that actually lands. The kind of hurt that sits heavy in your chest instead of just passing through.
That part? Yeah. That part had me front row, no escape, fully invested.
So here we are.
Three and a half slightly sleep-deprived, mildly impatient, but ultimately satisfied stars. Because while the first half tested my will to continue existing, the second half made sure I didn’t regret it.
This is one of those books that will absolutely work for a lot of readers—especially if you love slow burn, detail, and that drawn-out tension before everything inevitably goes wrong (because let’s be honest… it always does).
So grab your blanket, pour yourself something nice, and settle in.
Just… don’t trust the wedding.
Because when everything looks this perfect?
Yeah. That’s usually where it starts to crack.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Release date: May 1, 2026
The Perfect Wedding by Jayde Collins
Happy release day—and genuinely, thank you for the ARC. You already know I’ll show up for a wedding, especially if it promises drama dressed in expensive fabric and emotional damage.
So… let’s not dance around it.
This review fought me. Hard.
Because here’s the thing: this book is good. Like, annoyingly good in places. The writing? Solid. Intentional. The kind where you don’t just read emotions—you absorb them. I could see the venue, feel the tension, practically sip the champagne while side-eyeing everyone like I belonged there. The love? Intense enough to make me question my life choices and slightly fear for my Kindle’s safety.
But.
And it’s a big but.
This book is split into two parts, and the first half? Nearly lost me. Not because it’s bad—because it’s a lot. Every detail of the wedding is laid out like it’s evidence in a trial. For some readers, that’s immersion. For me? That’s me checking how many pages are left while contemplating a snack break and a small existential crisis.
Slow burn and I have a complicated relationship. By complicated, I mean we actively avoid each other. I have the patience of a caffeinated toddler and a brain that craves chaos, tension, something happening. This part? It lingers. It takes its time. It enjoys taking its time.
I do not.
But then—the second half.
And suddenly I’m locked in.
Somewhere along the way, my inner detective packed her bags and went on vacation, because I did not see that coming. At all. And I love that. It wasn’t about the obvious “who”—it was about the why. The unraveling. The emotional gut punches. The betrayal that actually lands. The kind of hurt that sits heavy in your chest instead of just passing through.
That part? Yeah. That part had me front row, no escape, fully invested.
So here we are.
Three and a half slightly sleep-deprived, mildly impatient, but ultimately satisfied stars. Because while the first half tested my will to continue existing, the second half made sure I didn’t regret it.
This is one of those books that will absolutely work for a lot of readers—especially if you love slow burn, detail, and that drawn-out tension before everything inevitably goes wrong (because let’s be honest… it always does).
So grab your blanket, pour yourself something nice, and settle in.
Just… don’t trust the wedding.
Because when everything looks this perfect?
Yeah. That’s usually where it starts to crack.
Read
April 25, 2026The Perfect Wedding had such an interesting concept, especially with the setting and overall context of the story. A wedding mixed with mystery? It definitely had a lot of potential.
But honestly… I expected so much more from it.
The biggest issue for me was the pacing. Up until around 46% of the book, the story mainly revolves around the wedding itself — and I mean everything. The full event is described very step by step, which at times felt a bit too long and dragged out for me.
There were multiple moments where I thought, “okay, now we’re getting into the murder and the mystery”… but it just kept being delayed. That made it a bit frustrating, especially since that’s what I was most interested in.
I also found the timeline a bit confusing at times, which made it harder to stay fully immersed in the story.
That being said, the idea behind the book is definitely a good one, and the setting had a lot of potential. I just wish the balance between the wedding and the mystery had been handled differently.
But honestly… I expected so much more from it.
The biggest issue for me was the pacing. Up until around 46% of the book, the story mainly revolves around the wedding itself — and I mean everything. The full event is described very step by step, which at times felt a bit too long and dragged out for me.
There were multiple moments where I thought, “okay, now we’re getting into the murder and the mystery”… but it just kept being delayed. That made it a bit frustrating, especially since that’s what I was most interested in.
I also found the timeline a bit confusing at times, which made it harder to stay fully immersed in the story.
That being said, the idea behind the book is definitely a good one, and the setting had a lot of potential. I just wish the balance between the wedding and the mystery had been handled differently.
May 11, 2026
The plot twists and the plot were great! However, I found it difficult to enjoy the book due to the writing style.
April 21, 2026
I had a hard time getting through this one. I wanted to love it and I tried. It had potential to be great but fell flat :/ the overuse of words and repetition really just did me in. The way the characters interacted with each other is not natural. Overly explaining things to each other and over dramatizing graphics. I feel like if it was edited more it could be a great little thriller.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The premise of this story is a good one, it was just not properly executed.
Books are usually written with normal speech in mind (unless you are writing a period piece, which this is not). The way this is written, is like no speech I have ever heard used in normal every day life. It is almost an awkward formal, with a touch of juvenile, way of speech. That is the best way I can describe it.
There are issues with the use of improper tenses of words and the use of plurals.
Random flashbacks are dropped in, only a few making sense later on in the story. Why are the flashbacks all of horrible things?
Overuse of the words “glistening” and “saunter.” Everyone’s eyes and faces were glistening and they were sauntering everywhere. There were times that using anything else would have been better. I wouldn’t be sauntering anywhere after a murder.
It feels like the author went through the synonym website to find words and this did not always work well. There is also excessive use of adjectives. It feels like the author was trying too hard and it breaks the flow of the story.
I loathe how Amelia calls Lachlan, Lachie. Any other nickname. This is the cringiest one possible, especially given that he is a medical doctor. Giving this nickname to him shoves him into a juvenile category that doesn’t fit.
After Lachlan gets the strange message and heads upstairs, why does he immediately think he is going to be assaulted or kidnapped? It is his wedding day. Why these thoughts?
Why the need to detail all the horrors of an ER in the vow scene? It takes away from what is supposed to be a beautiful, loving, and romantic moment. It mentions she had hidden her vows and then goes far off course in flashbacks and random confusing thoughts. Then you get thrown back into traditional vows. After those go through you are left wondering why she didn’t say her vows. Then surprisingly you finally get the vows after they have been pronounced husband and wife. The flow of the ceremony is off, which throws the reader off.
The kiss. It turned my stomach to read “the warmth and tingling sensations come back as we lick each other’s lips.” What did I just read?? That is not a kiss, and certainly not something you do in front of an officiant and your wedding guests.
Claire the cousin shows up and Amelia has never met her. That isn’t unusual as it goes with weddings. There may be some family members of your spouse that you have never met. It is made out to be so very weird and mysterious, and “the only way I will know the truth is by talking to Lachlan.” It is making it out like he lied about a cousin coming to the wedding that she didn’t know. I don’t understand this at all. Obviously I know what the story is behind Claire and Lachlan by the end, but my comments on this still stand. It is weird to be so immediately suspicious.
Then we have the scene with Amelia’s mother’s speech. The perspective of Lachlan follows. His inner thoughts go on about how he has always wanted to know what she was like as a little girl. How has that never come up before this day? Like her mother has never told stories about her as a young child? That just comes across as so very odd to me s leaning about your partner, even as a child is an organic part of building a relationship.
Now the dinner scene. Things, from how it is described, are going well. The guests enjoyed the vows and the first dance. But as Amelia sits down, she thinks, “but something about the way the guests are moving, the quiet glances, makes my chest tighten.” Why? Where does this come from? Why are you looking in suspicion of your guests thinking something is wrong and they all see it, but you don’t know why? Again, this takes me out of the story.
The MOH speech. This was actually flowing well and I was pleasantly surprised. And then the shoe dropped. Amelia’s perspective: looking at Lachlan and his rosy (strawberry) cheeks during a point in the speech. “I’m not sure if that is from embarrassment or attraction for Summer.” What? Completely taken out of the story once again, because where did that thought even come from? What is really going on here?
Why do they both keep revisiting old, horrid memories in their minds, on their wedding day? Who does that???
A rattlesnake sucked the blood out of Amelia when she was younger? That is wholly inaccurate. They bite and can inject venom, but they don’t suck the blood out of anything. You also wouldn’t get stitches, let alone 11 of them! Then it is randomly mentioned that Amelia has cardiomyopathy, but only the vision of snakes in the sky makes her think of it? Not running around earlier searching for her groom? Or during the bouquet fight? Or after the death of her husband? Or when Claire accuses her of murder? Or at the climax of the story?
Lachlan comes back in from talking to the pyro guy, talking with Summer, and immediately believes Amelia is missing because he doesn’t see her? He told her she should rest. He didn’t think that perhaps she was in her room? And it is dire circumstances? Why? The level of overdoing things in this story is frustrating as a reader. It takes you out of it each time because it isn’t reasonable or believable.
The unnecessary random filler is overdone. “I drive with the maximum legal speed that’s allowed on these roads.” Things are over explained in a way that, once again, takes you out of the story.
When Amelia is being questioned by police and it says her mind is spinning with all the questions the detectives have asked, but then her internal dialogue says that she hopes there aren’t a myriad of questions. She was already questioned and her mind was spinning with all of the questions, so the second part doesn’t make sense.
Sometimes the phrasing of things is just off and could use a bit of a rework to make the flow better. (“Large metal gurneys in an array” vs. “an array of large metal gurneys, for example.”)
Seeing a dollhouse like your childhood one, but then begin to think there is something sinister about it? Where does that even come from? Racing cars with your nephew turns into a memory about how horrible your dad is? I don’t understand the terrible thoughts that are always being brought. Why are you even thinking like that when you just found your husband murdered? It doesn’t make any sense.
Insomnia is wrecking Amelia’s mind, but her eyes are heavy and she falls asleep. That is contradictory.
Some things are just unrealistic. When Amelia wakes from her nightmare and sees a snake in her room. Her yelling for help is valid. Her yelling out “It’s slithering toward me!” is not. There is no person that would ever yell that exact phrasing in the same situation. It is comical, but not in a good way.
Amelia goes downstairs and Summer and Ashley are talking. Summer has “a small smile” on her face and Amelia immediately thinks they are laughing over a joke, and that the joke must be about Lachlan. Again, with the heavy suspicion out of no where. It might be more believable if Summer had a big smile on her face and was laughing aloud, but I wouldn’t immediately assume it was at Lachlan’s expense. Giving only a small smile in conversation would not be inappropriate.
When the snake wrangler comes and they go upstairs, it is described as “to my room where the rattlesnake is slithering in.” The rattlesnake was already in the room, hence the reason the wrangler was there. It was not, at that moment, slithering into her room. In fact, they could not find it. That leads to another issue. The wrangler must not be able to do his job well.
“My nerves are frying within me.” The word should be “frayed.” It could simply say “my nerves are frayed.”
“I drive to the station with mom, her eyes in a glimpse of doubt and fear.” It should be “I drive to the station with mom, catching a glimpse of doubt and fear in her eyes.”
Joyce is interviewing Amelia’s mom, who gets emotional. Joyce’s inner dialogue states “driving me emotional as well.” Joyce is a detective. She should not be getting emotional during an interview. She is a professional. Also, realistically she would not have been allowed to be on the case since she was at their wedding, let alone allowing her to be the lead detective.
“It seems obvious she is trying to murder us with her weapon.” “With her weapon” should just be eliminated. It stands out as odd. That isn’t how one would think in a situation like this.
When Amelia shoots Joyce, it states “the bullet lands on her abdomen.” A bullet doesn’t “land” on someone. It pierces their skin, lodges into their body.
In the EMS, the first responder asks Amelia, “Can you feel your ties? Wiggle them for me.” They are toes. Not ties.
I received a complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
Books are usually written with normal speech in mind (unless you are writing a period piece, which this is not). The way this is written, is like no speech I have ever heard used in normal every day life. It is almost an awkward formal, with a touch of juvenile, way of speech. That is the best way I can describe it.
There are issues with the use of improper tenses of words and the use of plurals.
Random flashbacks are dropped in, only a few making sense later on in the story. Why are the flashbacks all of horrible things?
Overuse of the words “glistening” and “saunter.” Everyone’s eyes and faces were glistening and they were sauntering everywhere. There were times that using anything else would have been better. I wouldn’t be sauntering anywhere after a murder.
It feels like the author went through the synonym website to find words and this did not always work well. There is also excessive use of adjectives. It feels like the author was trying too hard and it breaks the flow of the story.
I loathe how Amelia calls Lachlan, Lachie. Any other nickname. This is the cringiest one possible, especially given that he is a medical doctor. Giving this nickname to him shoves him into a juvenile category that doesn’t fit.
After Lachlan gets the strange message and heads upstairs, why does he immediately think he is going to be assaulted or kidnapped? It is his wedding day. Why these thoughts?
Why the need to detail all the horrors of an ER in the vow scene? It takes away from what is supposed to be a beautiful, loving, and romantic moment. It mentions she had hidden her vows and then goes far off course in flashbacks and random confusing thoughts. Then you get thrown back into traditional vows. After those go through you are left wondering why she didn’t say her vows. Then surprisingly you finally get the vows after they have been pronounced husband and wife. The flow of the ceremony is off, which throws the reader off.
The kiss. It turned my stomach to read “the warmth and tingling sensations come back as we lick each other’s lips.” What did I just read?? That is not a kiss, and certainly not something you do in front of an officiant and your wedding guests.
Claire the cousin shows up and Amelia has never met her. That isn’t unusual as it goes with weddings. There may be some family members of your spouse that you have never met. It is made out to be so very weird and mysterious, and “the only way I will know the truth is by talking to Lachlan.” It is making it out like he lied about a cousin coming to the wedding that she didn’t know. I don’t understand this at all. Obviously I know what the story is behind Claire and Lachlan by the end, but my comments on this still stand. It is weird to be so immediately suspicious.
Then we have the scene with Amelia’s mother’s speech. The perspective of Lachlan follows. His inner thoughts go on about how he has always wanted to know what she was like as a little girl. How has that never come up before this day? Like her mother has never told stories about her as a young child? That just comes across as so very odd to me s leaning about your partner, even as a child is an organic part of building a relationship.
Now the dinner scene. Things, from how it is described, are going well. The guests enjoyed the vows and the first dance. But as Amelia sits down, she thinks, “but something about the way the guests are moving, the quiet glances, makes my chest tighten.” Why? Where does this come from? Why are you looking in suspicion of your guests thinking something is wrong and they all see it, but you don’t know why? Again, this takes me out of the story.
The MOH speech. This was actually flowing well and I was pleasantly surprised. And then the shoe dropped. Amelia’s perspective: looking at Lachlan and his rosy (strawberry) cheeks during a point in the speech. “I’m not sure if that is from embarrassment or attraction for Summer.” What? Completely taken out of the story once again, because where did that thought even come from? What is really going on here?
Why do they both keep revisiting old, horrid memories in their minds, on their wedding day? Who does that???
A rattlesnake sucked the blood out of Amelia when she was younger? That is wholly inaccurate. They bite and can inject venom, but they don’t suck the blood out of anything. You also wouldn’t get stitches, let alone 11 of them! Then it is randomly mentioned that Amelia has cardiomyopathy, but only the vision of snakes in the sky makes her think of it? Not running around earlier searching for her groom? Or during the bouquet fight? Or after the death of her husband? Or when Claire accuses her of murder? Or at the climax of the story?
Lachlan comes back in from talking to the pyro guy, talking with Summer, and immediately believes Amelia is missing because he doesn’t see her? He told her she should rest. He didn’t think that perhaps she was in her room? And it is dire circumstances? Why? The level of overdoing things in this story is frustrating as a reader. It takes you out of it each time because it isn’t reasonable or believable.
The unnecessary random filler is overdone. “I drive with the maximum legal speed that’s allowed on these roads.” Things are over explained in a way that, once again, takes you out of the story.
When Amelia is being questioned by police and it says her mind is spinning with all the questions the detectives have asked, but then her internal dialogue says that she hopes there aren’t a myriad of questions. She was already questioned and her mind was spinning with all of the questions, so the second part doesn’t make sense.
Sometimes the phrasing of things is just off and could use a bit of a rework to make the flow better. (“Large metal gurneys in an array” vs. “an array of large metal gurneys, for example.”)
Seeing a dollhouse like your childhood one, but then begin to think there is something sinister about it? Where does that even come from? Racing cars with your nephew turns into a memory about how horrible your dad is? I don’t understand the terrible thoughts that are always being brought. Why are you even thinking like that when you just found your husband murdered? It doesn’t make any sense.
Insomnia is wrecking Amelia’s mind, but her eyes are heavy and she falls asleep. That is contradictory.
Some things are just unrealistic. When Amelia wakes from her nightmare and sees a snake in her room. Her yelling for help is valid. Her yelling out “It’s slithering toward me!” is not. There is no person that would ever yell that exact phrasing in the same situation. It is comical, but not in a good way.
Amelia goes downstairs and Summer and Ashley are talking. Summer has “a small smile” on her face and Amelia immediately thinks they are laughing over a joke, and that the joke must be about Lachlan. Again, with the heavy suspicion out of no where. It might be more believable if Summer had a big smile on her face and was laughing aloud, but I wouldn’t immediately assume it was at Lachlan’s expense. Giving only a small smile in conversation would not be inappropriate.
When the snake wrangler comes and they go upstairs, it is described as “to my room where the rattlesnake is slithering in.” The rattlesnake was already in the room, hence the reason the wrangler was there. It was not, at that moment, slithering into her room. In fact, they could not find it. That leads to another issue. The wrangler must not be able to do his job well.
“My nerves are frying within me.” The word should be “frayed.” It could simply say “my nerves are frayed.”
“I drive to the station with mom, her eyes in a glimpse of doubt and fear.” It should be “I drive to the station with mom, catching a glimpse of doubt and fear in her eyes.”
Joyce is interviewing Amelia’s mom, who gets emotional. Joyce’s inner dialogue states “driving me emotional as well.” Joyce is a detective. She should not be getting emotional during an interview. She is a professional. Also, realistically she would not have been allowed to be on the case since she was at their wedding, let alone allowing her to be the lead detective.
“It seems obvious she is trying to murder us with her weapon.” “With her weapon” should just be eliminated. It stands out as odd. That isn’t how one would think in a situation like this.
When Amelia shoots Joyce, it states “the bullet lands on her abdomen.” A bullet doesn’t “land” on someone. It pierces their skin, lodges into their body.
In the EMS, the first responder asks Amelia, “Can you feel your ties? Wiggle them for me.” They are toes. Not ties.
I received a complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
When you find your person, everything in your life clicks. When it's time to take it to the next step, it can be a joyous occasion, while all events leading up to it may give a headache. Everyone dreams of their ideal wedding, with hopes everything goes off without a hitch. But what happens when what is supposed to be the happiest day of your life is struck with tragedy. Instead of reminiscing on the joyful day are spent woefully remembering the tragic events that took place. Lies, deceit, and tragedy all come together in Jayde Collin’s The Perfect Wedding.
Amelia and Lachlan have been together for years, working hard in their respective careers to have the wedding of their dreams at a Californian mansion built on a seaside cliff overlooking the ocean. The dream guy, the dream job, the dream wedding. Everything is planned, and all they have to do is enjoy. As the day goes on, little things keep happening, but it’s enough to push them aside. The next day, tragedy strikes as Amelia stumbles upon her husband’s now dead body at the bottom of the cliff. In less than 24 hours, they went from writing their vows to writing a eulogy. Now, the hunt is on to figure out what happened. Everyone is a suspect. And there’s a possible serial killer lurking nearby at this very wedding. The clock is ticking.
Before I begin, I will mention that there is mention of sexual abuse in the story. If that triggers you, please read a different novel. It was a fun read trying to figure out what was going on throughout the story. Everyone has a secret, and the only way the truth comes out is if death is involved. Trying to figure out who is doing what and what secrets that have are always the fun part when reading mysteries, and I'll admit I wasn't able to guess the outcome. There were a lot of guesses with which character is orchestrating everything, but that's the fun when reading mysteries. Each character adds a small piece to the overall puzzle.
That being said, I think if the execution were better, more people would be hooked to the story. There were points I started to feel for the characters and what they went through, but I wasn’t too emotionally attached to them as I wanted to be, but perhaps that's because I read a lot of romance, romantasy, and fantasy. The writing style may seem very easy for some and explain a lot of what is happening, but I took that as the author either being neurodivergent or is surrounded by those who are and are appealing to their brain’s chemistry.
Still, I enjoyed going on this journey and trying to figure out what was happening, and what happened in the past that all of these invisible strings are pulling them together.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Jayde Collins for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. My intentions are to write feedback that reflects my genuine thoughts and is written with the book’s genre and target audience in mind. I aim to review fairly and respectfully, focusing on the story’s purpose.
Amelia and Lachlan have been together for years, working hard in their respective careers to have the wedding of their dreams at a Californian mansion built on a seaside cliff overlooking the ocean. The dream guy, the dream job, the dream wedding. Everything is planned, and all they have to do is enjoy. As the day goes on, little things keep happening, but it’s enough to push them aside. The next day, tragedy strikes as Amelia stumbles upon her husband’s now dead body at the bottom of the cliff. In less than 24 hours, they went from writing their vows to writing a eulogy. Now, the hunt is on to figure out what happened. Everyone is a suspect. And there’s a possible serial killer lurking nearby at this very wedding. The clock is ticking.
Before I begin, I will mention that there is mention of sexual abuse in the story. If that triggers you, please read a different novel. It was a fun read trying to figure out what was going on throughout the story. Everyone has a secret, and the only way the truth comes out is if death is involved. Trying to figure out who is doing what and what secrets that have are always the fun part when reading mysteries, and I'll admit I wasn't able to guess the outcome. There were a lot of guesses with which character is orchestrating everything, but that's the fun when reading mysteries. Each character adds a small piece to the overall puzzle.
That being said, I think if the execution were better, more people would be hooked to the story. There were points I started to feel for the characters and what they went through, but I wasn’t too emotionally attached to them as I wanted to be, but perhaps that's because I read a lot of romance, romantasy, and fantasy. The writing style may seem very easy for some and explain a lot of what is happening, but I took that as the author either being neurodivergent or is surrounded by those who are and are appealing to their brain’s chemistry.
Still, I enjoyed going on this journey and trying to figure out what was happening, and what happened in the past that all of these invisible strings are pulling them together.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Jayde Collins for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. My intentions are to write feedback that reflects my genuine thoughts and is written with the book’s genre and target audience in mind. I aim to review fairly and respectfully, focusing on the story’s purpose.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This as an ARC read which I was excited for, so it pains me to say it was also a DNF.
I am aware it just could be a book not for me, but I hardly ever not finish a book.
To explain, writing was just not great, even woeful.
I have read some other 2 and 1 star reviews of this same book, from those who also were ARC readers, and I concur with many of the statements. I am not alone with my views.
The writing is somewhat juvenile with bizarre descriptions and perceptions.
Where the groom discovers one of the guests (who is someone’s plus one that he does not know) is a detective, he says ‘oh I have never met a detective before!’ This is something you may expect to be said by a young teenager or child; it is dialogue not one would expect from an adult male character. And there were so many of these expressions or ideas portrayed.
Another, the groom is late for his wedding but the author has the storyline having the bride assuming he has gone missing; it seemed to be trying to force the readers perception which was just so unnatural and uncomfortable to read. These character reactions also feel heightened in a way that reduces realism for this thriller genre.
The language was overly expressive and unnecessarily descriptive. The use of a thesaurus or similar seemed in over drive. Additionally the pages and pages to describe the elaborate week long wedding special features like dances and light shows, seems to have nothing to do with setting up the plot but rather possibly the author’s opportunity to describe a dream wedding.
One has to wonder if there was ever an editor for this transcript. The author would perhaps benefit of looking at slowing escalation, emotional grounding of characters and providing a dialogue that is more realistic and natural.
It needs a lot more work… but I guess who am I to say this when there are many others who seem to love this book.
I am aware it just could be a book not for me, but I hardly ever not finish a book.
To explain, writing was just not great, even woeful.
I have read some other 2 and 1 star reviews of this same book, from those who also were ARC readers, and I concur with many of the statements. I am not alone with my views.
The writing is somewhat juvenile with bizarre descriptions and perceptions.
Where the groom discovers one of the guests (who is someone’s plus one that he does not know) is a detective, he says ‘oh I have never met a detective before!’ This is something you may expect to be said by a young teenager or child; it is dialogue not one would expect from an adult male character. And there were so many of these expressions or ideas portrayed.
Another, the groom is late for his wedding but the author has the storyline having the bride assuming he has gone missing; it seemed to be trying to force the readers perception which was just so unnatural and uncomfortable to read. These character reactions also feel heightened in a way that reduces realism for this thriller genre.
The language was overly expressive and unnecessarily descriptive. The use of a thesaurus or similar seemed in over drive. Additionally the pages and pages to describe the elaborate week long wedding special features like dances and light shows, seems to have nothing to do with setting up the plot but rather possibly the author’s opportunity to describe a dream wedding.
One has to wonder if there was ever an editor for this transcript. The author would perhaps benefit of looking at slowing escalation, emotional grounding of characters and providing a dialogue that is more realistic and natural.
It needs a lot more work… but I guess who am I to say this when there are many others who seem to love this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Perfect Wedding by Jayde Collins is a deeply intriguing and heartbreaking mystery that offers a fascinating look at the intersection of narrative style and neurodiversity.
At its core, this is a sad and gripping story that keeps you hooked as you try to uncover the truth behind a sudden, brutal turn of events. However, the experience of reading it will vary wildly depending on the reader. For those who are neurotypical, the writing may occasionally feel overly descriptive, repetitive, or unnecessarily explained. There are moments when the dialogue and internal pacing might prompt an eye roll or a feeling that the narrative is lingering on details that don't need to be voiced.
For neurotypical readers, the book might come across as overly descriptive, somewhat repetitive, and even annoying in certain sections. I experienced similar frustration at first, but then I began to recognise certain patterns. As a parent and partner to autistic family members, I had a lightbulb moment: either the author is neurodiverse, or they have neurodiverse individuals in their life, which would explain the need for such an elaborate descriptive style.
Yet, there is a brilliance to this approach for those who need it. The delivery is remarkably "autism-friendly," providing a level of sensory and situational detail that allows readers to picture every scene clearly without needing to fill in the gaps.
It is a book that demands we accept that the world is experienced differently by everyone. While the style wasn't 100% for me personally, I recognise the immense value in this delivery. It is a compelling, emotional story that earns a solid 4 stars for its unique and inclusive approach.
At its core, this is a sad and gripping story that keeps you hooked as you try to uncover the truth behind a sudden, brutal turn of events. However, the experience of reading it will vary wildly depending on the reader. For those who are neurotypical, the writing may occasionally feel overly descriptive, repetitive, or unnecessarily explained. There are moments when the dialogue and internal pacing might prompt an eye roll or a feeling that the narrative is lingering on details that don't need to be voiced.
For neurotypical readers, the book might come across as overly descriptive, somewhat repetitive, and even annoying in certain sections. I experienced similar frustration at first, but then I began to recognise certain patterns. As a parent and partner to autistic family members, I had a lightbulb moment: either the author is neurodiverse, or they have neurodiverse individuals in their life, which would explain the need for such an elaborate descriptive style.
Yet, there is a brilliance to this approach for those who need it. The delivery is remarkably "autism-friendly," providing a level of sensory and situational detail that allows readers to picture every scene clearly without needing to fill in the gaps.
It is a book that demands we accept that the world is experienced differently by everyone. While the style wasn't 100% for me personally, I recognise the immense value in this delivery. It is a compelling, emotional story that earns a solid 4 stars for its unique and inclusive approach.
Review of advance copy
OMG, not expecting what happened….but OMG SOOOOO GOOD! This is a murder mystery and each character you meet in the book makes you wonder if they are who they seem to be. There are a few trigger warning that someone might want/need to be read before diving into the story.
Really enjoyed reading the story about Amelia and Lachlan, and their perfect wedding day, and being introduced to them in each chapter, either with a present POV or a past POV. We know that they both met each other in Junior Year at College, and they were inseparable through the time, they supported each other through thick and thin. We also learn that Lachlan and his brother (Jackson) are the only survivors from his immediate family, and we know Amelia has her mom and sisters in her corner.
The book is divided into “Parts”, Part 1, is the first day Amelia and Lachlan will be getting married, they talk about their experiences that led them to this spot in their lives and share heartfelt vows, but only after there are some strange things that happen (a mysterious message is given to Lachlan) and then later during the fireworks. Part 2 is the second day of the wedding, and we are now following the aftermath of what has happened….there are fingers pointed and harsh words are said by various people. Part 3 is a few days after the wedding, where things start to wrap up and we can then tie everything together (where things, people and paths fit in with each other).
I was part of the ARC team for this particular book, and I am under no way influenced by anyone to write this review, it is my own personal opinion.
Really enjoyed reading the story about Amelia and Lachlan, and their perfect wedding day, and being introduced to them in each chapter, either with a present POV or a past POV. We know that they both met each other in Junior Year at College, and they were inseparable through the time, they supported each other through thick and thin. We also learn that Lachlan and his brother (Jackson) are the only survivors from his immediate family, and we know Amelia has her mom and sisters in her corner.
The book is divided into “Parts”, Part 1, is the first day Amelia and Lachlan will be getting married, they talk about their experiences that led them to this spot in their lives and share heartfelt vows, but only after there are some strange things that happen (a mysterious message is given to Lachlan) and then later during the fireworks. Part 2 is the second day of the wedding, and we are now following the aftermath of what has happened….there are fingers pointed and harsh words are said by various people. Part 3 is a few days after the wedding, where things start to wrap up and we can then tie everything together (where things, people and paths fit in with each other).
I was part of the ARC team for this particular book, and I am under no way influenced by anyone to write this review, it is my own personal opinion.
April 12, 2026
Received an advanced copy.
Spoilers below.
This is a slow-burn mystery that spends a large portion of the book focused on wedding details before the suspense truly begins. While the setting is vividly described, the pacing felt overly drawn out.
Part 2 begins with a murder, and the pacing does improve from that point. However, execution issues continued to pull me out of the story.
The dialogue often felt stiff and unnatural. In several scenes, a character would state information and another character would immediately repeat it back almost verbatim, which made conversations feel repetitive rather than organic.
There were also continuity issues that disrupted the flow. For example, one chapter opens with “a week later,” but within the same section a character refers to something that happened “yesterday” at the wedding, which made the timeline confusing.
Character decisions also felt inconsistent or unconvincing. Amelia discovers Claire slept with her husband, Lochlan, and Claire accuses Amelia of killing him — yet the two abruptly decide to work together to find the killer. Given the level of betrayal and accusation, this shift felt unsupported and difficult to believe. Then all of a sudden they know who the killer is.
By the time the twist arrives, it feels rushed and underdeveloped, and doesn’t feel fully supported by the groundwork laid earlier in the story.
Overall, while the premise had potential and the second half moved at a better pace, the dialogue, continuity issues, and character execution made this a frustrating read for me.
Spoilers below.
This is a slow-burn mystery that spends a large portion of the book focused on wedding details before the suspense truly begins. While the setting is vividly described, the pacing felt overly drawn out.
Part 2 begins with a murder, and the pacing does improve from that point. However, execution issues continued to pull me out of the story.
The dialogue often felt stiff and unnatural. In several scenes, a character would state information and another character would immediately repeat it back almost verbatim, which made conversations feel repetitive rather than organic.
There were also continuity issues that disrupted the flow. For example, one chapter opens with “a week later,” but within the same section a character refers to something that happened “yesterday” at the wedding, which made the timeline confusing.
Character decisions also felt inconsistent or unconvincing. Amelia discovers Claire slept with her husband, Lochlan, and Claire accuses Amelia of killing him — yet the two abruptly decide to work together to find the killer. Given the level of betrayal and accusation, this shift felt unsupported and difficult to believe. Then all of a sudden they know who the killer is.
By the time the twist arrives, it feels rushed and underdeveloped, and doesn’t feel fully supported by the groundwork laid earlier in the story.
Overall, while the premise had potential and the second half moved at a better pace, the dialogue, continuity issues, and character execution made this a frustrating read for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
"ARC" Book Review
Release date 1st May
The Perfect Wedding
By Jayde Collins
My rating ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A truly gripping thriller by Jayde Collins that drew me in and held me engrossed in this tragic story of deception, murder and threat.
It's Amelia and Lachlan's happiest day of their lives, their wedding day, the ceremony being held at a cliffside venue for the perfect wedding.
When the couple receives an anonymous letter, followed by a series of disturbing incidents that can't be disregarded.
Amelia wakes the next morning to find Lachlan missing and in her search, she makes an horrific discovery, she is distraught and what she believed to be her perfect day is fractured, and she is convinced this is no accident.
Amelia is out to get answers and determined to find who's responsible for what's happened.
The more she delves, the more the questions go unanswered, dark secrets from the past are being uncovered, and the more danger she is finding herself in, the threat getting closer.
Will Amelia be able to protect herself and her family, which she is determined to do at all costs?
I absolutely loved this book, I could feel the suspense building slowly at first, then accelerating to a tense and unexpected surprise ending.
The narrative and characters are exceptional and exciting, a real page turner, I didn't want to stop reading this book, I enjoyed the pace of this thriller, an incredible novel by Jayde.
Release date 1st May
The Perfect Wedding
By Jayde Collins
My rating ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A truly gripping thriller by Jayde Collins that drew me in and held me engrossed in this tragic story of deception, murder and threat.
It's Amelia and Lachlan's happiest day of their lives, their wedding day, the ceremony being held at a cliffside venue for the perfect wedding.
When the couple receives an anonymous letter, followed by a series of disturbing incidents that can't be disregarded.
Amelia wakes the next morning to find Lachlan missing and in her search, she makes an horrific discovery, she is distraught and what she believed to be her perfect day is fractured, and she is convinced this is no accident.
Amelia is out to get answers and determined to find who's responsible for what's happened.
The more she delves, the more the questions go unanswered, dark secrets from the past are being uncovered, and the more danger she is finding herself in, the threat getting closer.
Will Amelia be able to protect herself and her family, which she is determined to do at all costs?
I absolutely loved this book, I could feel the suspense building slowly at first, then accelerating to a tense and unexpected surprise ending.
The narrative and characters are exceptional and exciting, a real page turner, I didn't want to stop reading this book, I enjoyed the pace of this thriller, an incredible novel by Jayde.
April 29, 2026
I appreciate the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy courtesy of the author and provide my honest thoughts.
Amelia and Lachlan gather their closest friends and family for a two-day, picture-perfect, fully customized wedding celebration.
But when the groom receives a mysterious anonymous letter suggesting he may not know his bride-to-be as well as he thinks, the cracks begin to show. What follows is a slow unraveling—where carefully curated appearances give way to something much more fragile, all tied back to one fateful night from the past.
What I liked:
* The writing is very descriptive, especially when it comes to the wedding details—you can really picture the setting and atmosphere.
* Once the story moves into the heart of the plot, things take a more intriguing turn and the tension starts to build in a way that kept me engaged.
What didn’t fully work for me:
* The pacing felt a bit slow at the start, with a lot of time spent on the wedding setup before the story really gets going (closer to the 30–40% mark).
* I found myself wanting a bit more depth in both the dialogue and overall plot development.
* At times, some character reactions and interactions didn’t feel as natural or fully fleshed out as I’d hoped.
Overall, this was an interesting premise with some compelling twists, but I was left wishing for a bit more development to really bring it all together.
Amelia and Lachlan gather their closest friends and family for a two-day, picture-perfect, fully customized wedding celebration.
But when the groom receives a mysterious anonymous letter suggesting he may not know his bride-to-be as well as he thinks, the cracks begin to show. What follows is a slow unraveling—where carefully curated appearances give way to something much more fragile, all tied back to one fateful night from the past.
What I liked:
* The writing is very descriptive, especially when it comes to the wedding details—you can really picture the setting and atmosphere.
* Once the story moves into the heart of the plot, things take a more intriguing turn and the tension starts to build in a way that kept me engaged.
What didn’t fully work for me:
* The pacing felt a bit slow at the start, with a lot of time spent on the wedding setup before the story really gets going (closer to the 30–40% mark).
* I found myself wanting a bit more depth in both the dialogue and overall plot development.
* At times, some character reactions and interactions didn’t feel as natural or fully fleshed out as I’d hoped.
Overall, this was an interesting premise with some compelling twists, but I was left wishing for a bit more development to really bring it all together.
May 10, 2026
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my review. I apologize for being late with it, but life happens, and it’s happened quite a bit over here. On to the important part.
I was super excited when I signed up for this because I love a good thriller/mystery. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into it. I don’t know if the story is good because the writing is distractingly bad. It was uncomfortable to read. NOBODY TALKS LIKE THAT!!! “I would not sit here and let him attack my mother in such devious and disgraceful words. “How dare you speak about my mother like that! You are despicable, evil, and revolting.”” What college-age male in the 21st century speaks like that? A robotic version of Sheldon Cooper, maybe. And all the dialogue and scene-setting is like that. Every scene, every character, every conversation.
Look, writing a book is fucking hard. Putting your heart and soul into your work and sending it out to the world is terrifying. Please, for the love of Cthulhu, read your book before you publish it. Actually sit down and read the entire thing. It’ll help you catch a lot of things that spell check misses. Read the dialogue out loud. Have someone read it out loud to you. Is the cadence good, does it flow well, does it make sense, did you remember that real people use contractions when they speak? Word count isn’t going to matter if no one can get through it.
I was super excited when I signed up for this because I love a good thriller/mystery. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into it. I don’t know if the story is good because the writing is distractingly bad. It was uncomfortable to read. NOBODY TALKS LIKE THAT!!! “I would not sit here and let him attack my mother in such devious and disgraceful words. “How dare you speak about my mother like that! You are despicable, evil, and revolting.”” What college-age male in the 21st century speaks like that? A robotic version of Sheldon Cooper, maybe. And all the dialogue and scene-setting is like that. Every scene, every character, every conversation.
Look, writing a book is fucking hard. Putting your heart and soul into your work and sending it out to the world is terrifying. Please, for the love of Cthulhu, read your book before you publish it. Actually sit down and read the entire thing. It’ll help you catch a lot of things that spell check misses. Read the dialogue out loud. Have someone read it out loud to you. Is the cadence good, does it flow well, does it make sense, did you remember that real people use contractions when they speak? Word count isn’t going to matter if no one can get through it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
✨ARC Honest Review ✨
The ending kinda had me shocked on who done it, I typically can predict it but this one was unexpected! I love a book I can be shocked with.
This book was a little hard to digest, the writing wasn’t very smooth for example
“I love you, too. I guess we are officially fiancés now, and I can’t wait to show this beautiful diamond ring to all my friends, family, and colleagues.”
⬆️ it just doesn’t sound like a happy woman, more like a business letter.
The whole first half of the book felt like filler chapters. We didn’t need to read about over exaggerated details of this luxury wedding with hardly any conflict. Why did we have so many chapters of dancing and details of “costal” decor.
I also didn’t love the “I feel like something bad is about to happen” at the end of every few chapters.
A little editing error - chapter 50 & 53
It switches from a week past murder to the next day. More than once. So I was little confused on timeline.
Overall a decent book, if it started out at the middle and just had a few chapters flash back or something, I would have enjoyed it wayyyy more. All the wedding chapters just felt like too much.
Still, it was unpredictable and I sat down and read page 30-340 in one day!
The ending kinda had me shocked on who done it, I typically can predict it but this one was unexpected! I love a book I can be shocked with.
This book was a little hard to digest, the writing wasn’t very smooth for example
“I love you, too. I guess we are officially fiancés now, and I can’t wait to show this beautiful diamond ring to all my friends, family, and colleagues.”
⬆️ it just doesn’t sound like a happy woman, more like a business letter.
The whole first half of the book felt like filler chapters. We didn’t need to read about over exaggerated details of this luxury wedding with hardly any conflict. Why did we have so many chapters of dancing and details of “costal” decor.
I also didn’t love the “I feel like something bad is about to happen” at the end of every few chapters.
A little editing error - chapter 50 & 53
It switches from a week past murder to the next day. More than once. So I was little confused on timeline.
Overall a decent book, if it started out at the middle and just had a few chapters flash back or something, I would have enjoyed it wayyyy more. All the wedding chapters just felt like too much.
Still, it was unpredictable and I sat down and read page 30-340 in one day!
May 4, 2026
Thanks to BookFunnel and Jayde Collins for the opportunity to read this as an ARC.
The basic premise is a cliff side wedding that has an unexpected turn. Sold as a thriller. Okay, the premise sounds interesting.
The first 50% of the book is all about the perfect wedding (told in the form a romance tale). At the 50% mark is when it switches to thriller mode. The groom is found dead at the bottom of a cliff when his new bride goes for her morning run. The investigation turns up a possibility of a serial killer amongst them, until the real killer is exposed.
The execution is off. It’s reads like a romance novel from the 1970s. The prose is overly flowery. The dialogue doesn’t feel natural. Some of the details that exist to create tension is over sold. The thriller concept of “show, don’t tell” is flipped. The reader is told what to think. No intuition needed.
I commend the author. Crafting a novel is no easy task. Getting it published is even harder. I realize my copy is not a final edit. That said, I hope she has access to a developmental editor. The plot has merit. It needs more development and fine tuning. Less lovely wedding and unnatural dialogue, and more chill, thrill, and threat.
The basic premise is a cliff side wedding that has an unexpected turn. Sold as a thriller. Okay, the premise sounds interesting.
The first 50% of the book is all about the perfect wedding (told in the form a romance tale). At the 50% mark is when it switches to thriller mode. The groom is found dead at the bottom of a cliff when his new bride goes for her morning run. The investigation turns up a possibility of a serial killer amongst them, until the real killer is exposed.
The execution is off. It’s reads like a romance novel from the 1970s. The prose is overly flowery. The dialogue doesn’t feel natural. Some of the details that exist to create tension is over sold. The thriller concept of “show, don’t tell” is flipped. The reader is told what to think. No intuition needed.
I commend the author. Crafting a novel is no easy task. Getting it published is even harder. I realize my copy is not a final edit. That said, I hope she has access to a developmental editor. The plot has merit. It needs more development and fine tuning. Less lovely wedding and unnatural dialogue, and more chill, thrill, and threat.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review
I really wanted to like this book because the storyline has a lot of potential. The premise itself is intriguing and could have made for a really gripping thriller.
Unfortunately, the first half of the book was very slow and difficult to get through. I found myself losing interest and almost gave up before anything significant happened. Once the murder finally occurred, my interest picked up because I genuinely wanted to know who the killer was. However, even then, it was still a struggle to stay engaged.
The biggest issue for me was the dialogue. It didn’t feel natural, and the conversations were overly detailed in a way that people don’t actually speak in real life. It often pulled me out of the story instead of immersing me in it. For example, one line that stood out to me was: “Someone call 911, this is a medical emergency.” Moments like this felt forced and unrealistic.
Overall, while the book has a strong concept and some potential, the pacing and dialogue made it hard for me to fully enjoy. With more editing and more natural character interactions, this could have been a much stronger read.
I really wanted to like this book because the storyline has a lot of potential. The premise itself is intriguing and could have made for a really gripping thriller.
Unfortunately, the first half of the book was very slow and difficult to get through. I found myself losing interest and almost gave up before anything significant happened. Once the murder finally occurred, my interest picked up because I genuinely wanted to know who the killer was. However, even then, it was still a struggle to stay engaged.
The biggest issue for me was the dialogue. It didn’t feel natural, and the conversations were overly detailed in a way that people don’t actually speak in real life. It often pulled me out of the story instead of immersing me in it. For example, one line that stood out to me was: “Someone call 911, this is a medical emergency.” Moments like this felt forced and unrealistic.
Overall, while the book has a strong concept and some potential, the pacing and dialogue made it hard for me to fully enjoy. With more editing and more natural character interactions, this could have been a much stronger read.
April 26, 2026
⭐️⭐️ 2/5
First I want to say thank you to the author for this ARC…Okay sooo I really wanted to love The Perfect Wedding by Jayde Collins… but this one just didn’t hit for me 😬
The biggest thing? The dialogue felt so off. It didn’t read like real conversations at all, and it kept pulling me out of the story. Because of that, I never fully connected with the characters—which made it hard to care about what was happening 🫠
The pacing also dragged a lot, especially with all the wedding details. I don’t mind some build-up, but this felt like it went on forever without really adding much. By the time I hit like 75%, I was honestly just reading to finish it 📖💭
And the twist… ugh. After waiting the entire book for that moment, it felt rushed and kind of underdeveloped. Instead of being shocked, I was just like… “that’s what we’ve been building up to??” 😶
Overall, this had potential, but between the awkward dialogue, slow pacing, and a payoff that didn’t quite deliver, it just wasn’t it for me.
First I want to say thank you to the author for this ARC…Okay sooo I really wanted to love The Perfect Wedding by Jayde Collins… but this one just didn’t hit for me 😬
The biggest thing? The dialogue felt so off. It didn’t read like real conversations at all, and it kept pulling me out of the story. Because of that, I never fully connected with the characters—which made it hard to care about what was happening 🫠
The pacing also dragged a lot, especially with all the wedding details. I don’t mind some build-up, but this felt like it went on forever without really adding much. By the time I hit like 75%, I was honestly just reading to finish it 📖💭
And the twist… ugh. After waiting the entire book for that moment, it felt rushed and kind of underdeveloped. Instead of being shocked, I was just like… “that’s what we’ve been building up to??” 😶
Overall, this had potential, but between the awkward dialogue, slow pacing, and a payoff that didn’t quite deliver, it just wasn’t it for me.
May 2, 2026
So, I've had the honor to read an ARC version of the book, which is why I was debatting with myself if I should even write this review. Because the truth is, while the cover + title + blurb made me curious about the book, it was just.... it did not vibe with me at all.
See, I am no writer myself (not anymore at least), but it still felt to me like the style here was lacking something. The dialogue of the characters often felt staged, and not how people would talk in real life. It really had me roll my eyes at more than one point. The next thing was this overly detailed describtion of the wedding. It felt to me like half the book was just that. It reminded me a little about the first chapter of LOTR - another book I never came to finish because I could not get myself to push through. Even when, here at least, the story and the tension and suspense did pick up later. Plus, we do have multiple POVs and the jumps between timelines sometimes felt pretty random to me.
Still, overall, I sadly can not give more than 3 stars for this one.
See, I am no writer myself (not anymore at least), but it still felt to me like the style here was lacking something. The dialogue of the characters often felt staged, and not how people would talk in real life. It really had me roll my eyes at more than one point. The next thing was this overly detailed describtion of the wedding. It felt to me like half the book was just that. It reminded me a little about the first chapter of LOTR - another book I never came to finish because I could not get myself to push through. Even when, here at least, the story and the tension and suspense did pick up later. Plus, we do have multiple POVs and the jumps between timelines sometimes felt pretty random to me.
Still, overall, I sadly can not give more than 3 stars for this one.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Like this authors previous book it started fairly strong. The storyline itself was decent but it needs a LOT of work. Sentence structure is weird, tense changes within the same sentence and wording is not natural.
The story starts with Amelia & Lachlan right before their wedding and explains multiple times how the wedding and afterparty are supposed to go but each time it’s talked about there’s subtle changes that make it not quite make sense.
There are plenty of times where you’re kept guessing and starting to get drawn in to the mystery and then it contradicts itself again. I’m not quite sure how anyone would believe Claire was Lachlan’s cousin when his own brother doesn’t know who she is. But no one questioned that. And Amelia’s best friend brings a random person as her plus one but doesn’t mention it to Amelia prior and again it’s just accepted.
I do think that with a really good edit to fix the mixed tenses and contradictions it could be a really good book.
The story starts with Amelia & Lachlan right before their wedding and explains multiple times how the wedding and afterparty are supposed to go but each time it’s talked about there’s subtle changes that make it not quite make sense.
There are plenty of times where you’re kept guessing and starting to get drawn in to the mystery and then it contradicts itself again. I’m not quite sure how anyone would believe Claire was Lachlan’s cousin when his own brother doesn’t know who she is. But no one questioned that. And Amelia’s best friend brings a random person as her plus one but doesn’t mention it to Amelia prior and again it’s just accepted.
I do think that with a really good edit to fix the mixed tenses and contradictions it could be a really good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2026
I was gifted an ARC of The Perfect Wedding. My overall rating would be 3/5. Part 1 was slow for me & I felt it dragged out a bit more. I would have preferred more back story to the main characters (Amelia, Joyce, Claire, Lachlan). Part 2 was more interesting for me and I read it much quicker than part 1. While I enjoyed this part, some of the wording felt unnatural and too formal. I found Claire’s character lacked a bit of depth and I felt confused with the truth (full affair vs. Blackmail). I enjoyed Part 3 as well and enjoyed it the same as part 2. The epilogue was okay- but I feel it was a bit unrealistic. Claire’s crimes & sentence seemed pretty exaggerated. And I feel like Amelia not talking to her mom about everything that was said between her and Lachlan before his murder for a whole year was hard to believe. I really enjoyed the twist & Joyce’s character. Would recommend to those who enjoy dark romance with a bit of suspense/ a twist.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2026
ARC Review, possible spoilers
I was really excited about this book, but it honestly seemed laughable, unbelievable, and childish. The characters were all pretty dumb and overly animated. The dialogue was off, not relatable, and seemed more robotic than personable. I almost DNF several times, but I’m a trooper! There were way too many random flashbacks. Some made sense, but others just seemed like page fillers. I skimmed a lot since there was a lot of fluff added in, TONS of repetition, and just boring details. The characters seemed like they hated each other with a passion for dumb reasons and then turned around and loved them again, the plot could have been good, but it just seemed laughable rather than shock-factor the way it was discovered.
Usually when receiving an ARC, I try to send the author edits on grammar, plot issues, etc, but there was just too much even from the get-go to sit down and screenshot/send.
I was really excited about this book, but it honestly seemed laughable, unbelievable, and childish. The characters were all pretty dumb and overly animated. The dialogue was off, not relatable, and seemed more robotic than personable. I almost DNF several times, but I’m a trooper! There were way too many random flashbacks. Some made sense, but others just seemed like page fillers. I skimmed a lot since there was a lot of fluff added in, TONS of repetition, and just boring details. The characters seemed like they hated each other with a passion for dumb reasons and then turned around and loved them again, the plot could have been good, but it just seemed laughable rather than shock-factor the way it was discovered.
Usually when receiving an ARC, I try to send the author edits on grammar, plot issues, etc, but there was just too much even from the get-go to sit down and screenshot/send.
April 9, 2026
This book did start slow. It did pick up the further it went.
Lachlan and Amelia are getting married and they have their whole day planned. But things start to happened along the way. They get a bit scared, but still won’t let it bother them. They get married still, however, things still happen.
They go to bed and planned to have bunch. However, Amelia finds her husband dead on her run. They have to figure out what happened to him. The venue then becomes a crime scene instead. Everyone is a suspect. Someone keeps torturing Amelia and she doesn’t know why.
Then as times goes on they found out clues and who did it. It is definitely shocking when you find out who did it. They do get their justice and go to jail. And Amelia learns what happened and why it did. She still love her husband and continues her life without him.
Lachlan and Amelia are getting married and they have their whole day planned. But things start to happened along the way. They get a bit scared, but still won’t let it bother them. They get married still, however, things still happen.
They go to bed and planned to have bunch. However, Amelia finds her husband dead on her run. They have to figure out what happened to him. The venue then becomes a crime scene instead. Everyone is a suspect. Someone keeps torturing Amelia and she doesn’t know why.
Then as times goes on they found out clues and who did it. It is definitely shocking when you find out who did it. They do get their justice and go to jail. And Amelia learns what happened and why it did. She still love her husband and continues her life without him.
April 15, 2026
“The Perfect Wedding” by Jayde Collins starts as a slow burn but quickly pulled me in, building tension until it explodes into a fast-paced, twisty thriller i didn’t want to put down.
What should have been the happiest day for Amelia and Lachlan turns into a nightmare when an anonymous letter and a string of unsettling events lead to Lachlan’s sudden disappearance. By the next morning, Amelia uncovers something truly horrifying, making it clear this was no accident and as she searches for answers, buried secrets start to surface.
This story does a great job of layering suspense, with a steady buildup that pays off around the halfway mark when the pace really takes off. The twists kept me guessing, and the tension never let up once it got going. A gripping, suspenseful read with plenty of surprises along the way.
What should have been the happiest day for Amelia and Lachlan turns into a nightmare when an anonymous letter and a string of unsettling events lead to Lachlan’s sudden disappearance. By the next morning, Amelia uncovers something truly horrifying, making it clear this was no accident and as she searches for answers, buried secrets start to surface.
This story does a great job of layering suspense, with a steady buildup that pays off around the halfway mark when the pace really takes off. The twists kept me guessing, and the tension never let up once it got going. A gripping, suspenseful read with plenty of surprises along the way.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received this as an ARC and was the first book I have read by this author. I would read another book from Jayde although there could be improvements. The premise and plot was unique and had promise. I didn’t see the ending coming and was not who I expected. I went through the book thinking a few different people and not the one it ended up being.
I didn’t love some of the dialogue. It just felt unnatural and wasn’t something the average person would say in real life. The book started off with too much detail about the wedding in my opinion, but I’m not one for extensive detail so that could be personal preference. The “something really bad is going to happen” got a little old. It still kept me looped in when the pace picked up and made me want to keep reading to find out who did it. Overall not terrible, but it could have been executed a little better.
I didn’t love some of the dialogue. It just felt unnatural and wasn’t something the average person would say in real life. The book started off with too much detail about the wedding in my opinion, but I’m not one for extensive detail so that could be personal preference. The “something really bad is going to happen” got a little old. It still kept me looped in when the pace picked up and made me want to keep reading to find out who did it. Overall not terrible, but it could have been executed a little better.
May 3, 2026
*Honest ARC Review*
Dear lord…the twist saved this book, but holy heck. I’ve never read something that dwells so much on dang wedding details, little minuscule ones at that. It really made Amelia, the Bride and female main character, to be some psycho bridezilla.
This was incredibly too long. We could have had half the amount of repetitive details and just overall repetition throughout the book. I lost count of the number of times the rattlesnake is mentioned.
If you choose to read this, just prepare yourself for repeated details that are (in my opinion) really boring and unnecessary. They don’t really do anything for the story. They don’t tell us anything about Lachlan (male main character) and Amelia’s story
Jayde has the potential to be a good writer but really needs to work on repetition and getting details straight without dwelling on them.
Dear lord…the twist saved this book, but holy heck. I’ve never read something that dwells so much on dang wedding details, little minuscule ones at that. It really made Amelia, the Bride and female main character, to be some psycho bridezilla.
This was incredibly too long. We could have had half the amount of repetitive details and just overall repetition throughout the book. I lost count of the number of times the rattlesnake is mentioned.
If you choose to read this, just prepare yourself for repeated details that are (in my opinion) really boring and unnecessary. They don’t really do anything for the story. They don’t tell us anything about Lachlan (male main character) and Amelia’s story
Jayde has the potential to be a good writer but really needs to work on repetition and getting details straight without dwelling on them.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really had high hopes for this book, the premise was interesting and I do think it could have been great but the writing was a bit off and sometimes the story got very confusing with timelines.
There were also many repetitions; be warned, there is a rattlesnake and it will be mentioned MULTIPLE times that there is a rattlesnake (it was not necessary to mention it that often).
The first half of the book was a bit hard to get into, the second half was a bit better story wise, but if you love to read about every detail about a wedding, you might maybe enjoy it.
Reading through the other reviews, I understand why some people would like it, like mentioned before, the premise for the story was interesting and it had a lot of potential, but it wasn't for me
#ARC
There were also many repetitions; be warned, there is a rattlesnake and it will be mentioned MULTIPLE times that there is a rattlesnake (it was not necessary to mention it that often).
The first half of the book was a bit hard to get into, the second half was a bit better story wise, but if you love to read about every detail about a wedding, you might maybe enjoy it.
Reading through the other reviews, I understand why some people would like it, like mentioned before, the premise for the story was interesting and it had a lot of potential, but it wasn't for me
#ARC
Review of advance copy received from Author
The book has lots of flashback
If I say a lot it actually means A LOT
It was so hard to complete the book because every single time there is a new flashback and the present things are mixed up... This book needs a good amount of editing... It feels like the author was in a hurry to publish this one and that's why they didn't even do the editing... It feels like a terrible first draft... And why Amelia and Lachie think he would be killed every time... This was so unnecessary... It could have been that they get a bad vibe or something but no they used murdered and kidnapped.
I literally DNF this book because I can't get over all the flashbacks, and i don't think I'll ever be completing this
This book is such a waste of time, energy and money for readers
If I say a lot it actually means A LOT
It was so hard to complete the book because every single time there is a new flashback and the present things are mixed up... This book needs a good amount of editing... It feels like the author was in a hurry to publish this one and that's why they didn't even do the editing... It feels like a terrible first draft... And why Amelia and Lachie think he would be killed every time... This was so unnecessary... It could have been that they get a bad vibe or something but no they used murdered and kidnapped.
I literally DNF this book because I can't get over all the flashbacks, and i don't think I'll ever be completing this
This book is such a waste of time, energy and money for readers
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