What do you think?
Rate this book
After the Wedding
Everyone said she was the prettiest flower girl. But now her dress lies on the floor. It’s wet and torn, her shoes are lost. ‘Where did you go?’ her daddy asks. She shakes her head. All she can remember are the red rose petals scattering like drops of blood spilling to the ground.
When Christine Lewis was a little girl, she witnessed something terrible at a wedding and buried it so deep in her memory, she managed to forget it ever happened.
Jessica Newman was a baby when she and her father came to live in an isolated cottage on the Irish island of Cullain with Margaret – the woman who loved Jessica as if she was her own. Until the day Jessica and her father left, and she never saw Margaret again.
Years later, Christine and Jessica cross paths working at the advertising agency Christine runs with her husband. These two women are about to uncover the dark secrets of their own traumatic pasts. But they have no idea that they are connected.
The shocking truth of what happened at the wedding all those years ago, and what became of Margaret, is going to blow their lives apart in more ways than each of them could ever have imagined…
A breathtaking, emotional, and suspenseful page-turner that will have you completely hooked. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Sally Hepworth will be gripped by After the Wedding.
When Christine Lewis was a little girl, she witnessed something terrible at a wedding and buried it so deep in her memory, she managed to forget it ever happened.
Jessica Newman was a baby when she and her father came to live in an isolated cottage on the Irish island of Cullain with Margaret – the woman who loved Jessica as if she was her own. Until the day Jessica and her father left, and she never saw Margaret again.
Years later, Christine and Jessica cross paths working at the advertising agency Christine runs with her husband. These two women are about to uncover the dark secrets of their own traumatic pasts. But they have no idea that they are connected.
The shocking truth of what happened at the wedding all those years ago, and what became of Margaret, is going to blow their lives apart in more ways than each of them could ever have imagined…
A breathtaking, emotional, and suspenseful page-turner that will have you completely hooked. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Sally Hepworth will be gripped by After the Wedding.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 24, 2022
3268 people are currently reading
1860 people want to read
About the author
Laura Elliot
25 books530 followersBiography
Laura Elliot, is an internationally known writer of psychological thrillers. She has written ten novels, which are published by Bookouture and Sphere in the UK and Ireland, and by Grand Central Publishing in the US.
Her novels have been widely translated and include The Wife Before Me, The Thorn Girl, Guilty and her latest, After the Wedding.
AKA June Considine has written twelve books for children and young adults, and has collaborated on a number of high-profile, non-fiction books. Her short stories for teenage readers have been published in anthologies and broadcast on radio. She has also worked as a journalist and magazine editor.
She lives in Malahide, Co Dublin, Ireland.
Laura Elliot, is an internationally known writer of psychological thrillers. She has written ten novels, which are published by Bookouture and Sphere in the UK and Ireland, and by Grand Central Publishing in the US.
Her novels have been widely translated and include The Wife Before Me, The Thorn Girl, Guilty and her latest, After the Wedding.
AKA June Considine has written twelve books for children and young adults, and has collaborated on a number of high-profile, non-fiction books. Her short stories for teenage readers have been published in anthologies and broadcast on radio. She has also worked as a journalist and magazine editor.
She lives in Malahide, Co Dublin, Ireland.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
March 8, 2022
2.5 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!
Well, that was... a little bit disappointing.
Saying that "After the Wedding" is a psychological thriller is a mislead. I think that is a mislead to what the book is really about. Thriller would be more appropriated for me, idk, don't mind me.
At first, it was kind of hard for me to pick up the pace: the first half of the book was hard, but then, the second half paced up quickly. I honestly thought this was more of a family drama, but it turned out to be organised crime, which was okay, but it wasn't for me. Some characters were flat, one dimensional and didn't feel like they had something to do here, but okay.
I don't actually know how to feel about Jessica. I feel empathy for her, but then, I ended up disliking her completely. The book had potential, but it didn't make my expectations.
previous review:
i'm not enjoying this one so much, but i'll finish it just to know what happened, yep
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!
Well, that was... a little bit disappointing.
Saying that "After the Wedding" is a psychological thriller is a mislead. I think that is a mislead to what the book is really about. Thriller would be more appropriated for me, idk, don't mind me.
At first, it was kind of hard for me to pick up the pace: the first half of the book was hard, but then, the second half paced up quickly. I honestly thought this was more of a family drama, but it turned out to be organised crime, which was okay, but it wasn't for me. Some characters were flat, one dimensional and didn't feel like they had something to do here, but okay.
I don't actually know how to feel about Jessica. I feel empathy for her, but then, I ended up disliking her completely. The book had potential, but it didn't make my expectations.
previous review:
i'm not enjoying this one so much, but i'll finish it just to know what happened, yep
November 16, 2024
This is my second, spot-on suspenseful mystery by Laura Elliot. Huge thank-you to "my" student who recommended this author. Ms. Elliot has a new fan.
April 8, 2022
Something bad happened when Christine Lewis was a young child and a flower girl at someone’s wedding, so bad she couldn’t recall it.
Her mind was aware of certain things but putting pieces together was almost and next to impossible.
It didn’t help in having an unsupportive husband.
I was going around in circles in my head. What? Who?
Then a woman named Jessica appears on the horizon and things happen.
It’s such a great twisty tale it was difficult for me to put the book down.
It was great from the first page to the last.
What a ride!
Her mind was aware of certain things but putting pieces together was almost and next to impossible.
It didn’t help in having an unsupportive husband.
I was going around in circles in my head. What? Who?
Then a woman named Jessica appears on the horizon and things happen.
It’s such a great twisty tale it was difficult for me to put the book down.
It was great from the first page to the last.
What a ride!
February 6, 2025
Nope. It's not often I DNF a book but I couldnt get pass chapter 4. This book is dullsville. I was falling asleep. The author just went on and on about meaningless crap. Had to describe every little thing. I don't care what plants are hanging up where and what every inch of the room looked like 😂
September 11, 2022
*Buried Memories*
*4.5 Stars*
Imagine a buried memory as child that resurfaces as an adult. This memory is triggered when husband and wife Christine and Richard who run a successful advertising agency employ Jessica a beautiful assistant is embedded into the company.
Christine cannot explain why Jessica’s presence alarms her so much so until she has therapy and goes under hypnosis.
Jessica has other ideas as she sets her sights on Richard. Meanwhile in the wings is Jessica’s father.
Unbeknownst to Christine and Jessica, they are on a collision course that spirals in ways that neither of them could see coming and as Christine starts to unravel the pieces her husband Richard is unsupportive. When things start to stare him in the face will he rue the day that he turned his back on Christine, he then makes a mistake with consequences that he may not come back from.
Is Jessica’s father all he seems and how will he cope when things he puts in place, backfire and the jigsaw he thought was so watertight starts to crumble all around him….
*4.5 Stars*
Imagine a buried memory as child that resurfaces as an adult. This memory is triggered when husband and wife Christine and Richard who run a successful advertising agency employ Jessica a beautiful assistant is embedded into the company.
Christine cannot explain why Jessica’s presence alarms her so much so until she has therapy and goes under hypnosis.
Jessica has other ideas as she sets her sights on Richard. Meanwhile in the wings is Jessica’s father.
Unbeknownst to Christine and Jessica, they are on a collision course that spirals in ways that neither of them could see coming and as Christine starts to unravel the pieces her husband Richard is unsupportive. When things start to stare him in the face will he rue the day that he turned his back on Christine, he then makes a mistake with consequences that he may not come back from.
Is Jessica’s father all he seems and how will he cope when things he puts in place, backfire and the jigsaw he thought was so watertight starts to crumble all around him….
February 9, 2023
Christine has a bad feeling about her employee Jessica. She can't explain it but it's there. Her husband Richard thinks she's imagining it because boys are dumb. She ends up being right that Jessica and her family want more than they let on. Richard remains oblivious until it's too late.
At the same time, Christine is having major flashbacks to a traumatic event from her childhood. At her aunt's wedding, she nearly drowned on the grounds of the venue after she wandered off. She never fully remembered what happened but with emerging memories and help from a hypnosis therapist(I know, just hear me out.), she starts to realize there's a lot more to it and decides to follow the leads so she can put it to rest once and for all.
Taking her eyes off Jessica while doing so is probably a bad move but some of the feelings have emerged since Jessica has been around so could she possibly have some sort of involvement?
This was a bit too long but it was really good and leads down so many different paths. I just hope that wherever Richard is, he's having a terrible day.
At the same time, Christine is having major flashbacks to a traumatic event from her childhood. At her aunt's wedding, she nearly drowned on the grounds of the venue after she wandered off. She never fully remembered what happened but with emerging memories and help from a hypnosis therapist(I know, just hear me out.), she starts to realize there's a lot more to it and decides to follow the leads so she can put it to rest once and for all.
Taking her eyes off Jessica while doing so is probably a bad move but some of the feelings have emerged since Jessica has been around so could she possibly have some sort of involvement?
This was a bit too long but it was really good and leads down so many different paths. I just hope that wherever Richard is, he's having a terrible day.
February 9, 2023
2.8 stars
After the Wedding is a well-meaning read with a sympathetic main character, however unfortunately the story is too overwritten with too much going on.
👰♀️ The Storyline 👰♀️
When Christine was 5 years old, she witnessed something horrific happen after she wandered off at a wedding. Her memory of the event is extremely hazy but as an adult the memory starts to come back to her after undergoing hypnotherapy due to marital problems.
Christine's world is crumbling. There's a new girl at work, Jessica, that bothers Christine. There's something about her that Christine finds threatening. Christine especially begins to worry about her husband, Richard and Jessica. Christine's paranoia and memories of her past cause her to spiral into a dark abyss. She's desperate to find out the truth about what happened at the wedding...
👰♀️ The good 👰♀️
-Christine is a likeable and relatable character. I found Jessica and her father, Samuel, to be very complex, dark and interesting characters.
-I loved the setting including the small coastal Irish town. It really added to the suspense and atmosphere.
-There were some good twists which I didn't see coming including Christine not dying and Jessica shooting Samuel.
👰♀️ The not so good 👰♀️
-I found the first part of the story really difficult to get into and very slow. In fact much of the story was overwritten and slow-paced with too many descriptions, details and scenes. I got bored quite easily and ended up skipping parts. That's a big part of the reason why I gave the book a lower rating.
-There was too much going on in the story- to many characters and events to keep track of. There was a lot of overwritten action which made me bored and skip chunks.
-The story was a bit unrealistic at times and felt more like a TV crime drama with too much action. I also found it questionable how Jessica was sentenced to life in prison when she killed in self defence.
👰♀️ Conclusion 👰♀️
This wasn't a bad book but it could have been better if the writing style was greatly improved. The slow paced style and long prose made the story less suspenseful and snappy. I would recommend this if you're a fan of the author's other books and if you like crime dramas/thrillers.
👰♀️ Grading 👰♀️
Characterisation: A-
Ending: B
Setting: B
Suspense: C-
Writing style: C-
Overall grade: C
After the Wedding is a well-meaning read with a sympathetic main character, however unfortunately the story is too overwritten with too much going on.
👰♀️ The Storyline 👰♀️
When Christine was 5 years old, she witnessed something horrific happen after she wandered off at a wedding. Her memory of the event is extremely hazy but as an adult the memory starts to come back to her after undergoing hypnotherapy due to marital problems.
Christine's world is crumbling. There's a new girl at work, Jessica, that bothers Christine. There's something about her that Christine finds threatening. Christine especially begins to worry about her husband, Richard and Jessica. Christine's paranoia and memories of her past cause her to spiral into a dark abyss. She's desperate to find out the truth about what happened at the wedding...
👰♀️ The good 👰♀️
-Christine is a likeable and relatable character. I found Jessica and her father, Samuel, to be very complex, dark and interesting characters.
-I loved the setting including the small coastal Irish town. It really added to the suspense and atmosphere.
-There were some good twists which I didn't see coming including Christine not dying and Jessica shooting Samuel.
👰♀️ The not so good 👰♀️
-I found the first part of the story really difficult to get into and very slow. In fact much of the story was overwritten and slow-paced with too many descriptions, details and scenes. I got bored quite easily and ended up skipping parts. That's a big part of the reason why I gave the book a lower rating.
-There was too much going on in the story- to many characters and events to keep track of. There was a lot of overwritten action which made me bored and skip chunks.
-The story was a bit unrealistic at times and felt more like a TV crime drama with too much action. I also found it questionable how Jessica was sentenced to life in prison when she killed in self defence.
👰♀️ Conclusion 👰♀️
This wasn't a bad book but it could have been better if the writing style was greatly improved. The slow paced style and long prose made the story less suspenseful and snappy. I would recommend this if you're a fan of the author's other books and if you like crime dramas/thrillers.
👰♀️ Grading 👰♀️
Characterisation: A-
Ending: B
Setting: B
Suspense: C-
Writing style: C-
Overall grade: C
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2022
3.65⭐ rounded up
After the Wedding is told in 4 parts and follows Christine and Jessica.
The prologue was promising and it pulled me right in ~ Christine was a flower girl at her Aunt Sharon's wedding when she was 5. There was an accident that she had trouble remembering until several years later as an adult. Soon enough though, it was a bit slow going for me until somewhere in part 2, closer to the end, maybe even part 3. It had it's up and downs with keeping me engaged throughout.
Christine and Richard Stone met on a train, fell in love and opened up one of the most successful advertising agencies in Dublin ~ Foundation Stone. They hire Jessica to be their copywriter. While Jessica is perfect for the job, Christine can’t help but feel like something is off with her. When a rumor is started on social media that Foundation Stone is having problems and is up for sale, they all scramble to stomp the rumors and avoid losing clients. Jessica just happens to have a powerful father that can help them turn their business around.
Part 2 starts off very intriguing with a teaser about Jessica. We dive more into her early life and learn lots of things about her and her father, Samuel.
The pace picked up in parts 3 & 4, but I really didn't care for Christine too much, or Jessica, or really anyone for that matter. Actually, Stella, I did like her, and maybe Ryan too, but that's all.
Overall, this was an okay read and I was pleased with the ending.
*Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Laura Elliot for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
After the Wedding is told in 4 parts and follows Christine and Jessica.
The prologue was promising and it pulled me right in ~ Christine was a flower girl at her Aunt Sharon's wedding when she was 5. There was an accident that she had trouble remembering until several years later as an adult. Soon enough though, it was a bit slow going for me until somewhere in part 2, closer to the end, maybe even part 3. It had it's up and downs with keeping me engaged throughout.
Christine and Richard Stone met on a train, fell in love and opened up one of the most successful advertising agencies in Dublin ~ Foundation Stone. They hire Jessica to be their copywriter. While Jessica is perfect for the job, Christine can’t help but feel like something is off with her. When a rumor is started on social media that Foundation Stone is having problems and is up for sale, they all scramble to stomp the rumors and avoid losing clients. Jessica just happens to have a powerful father that can help them turn their business around.
Part 2 starts off very intriguing with a teaser about Jessica. We dive more into her early life and learn lots of things about her and her father, Samuel.
The pace picked up in parts 3 & 4, but I really didn't care for Christine too much, or Jessica, or really anyone for that matter. Actually, Stella, I did like her, and maybe Ryan too, but that's all.
Overall, this was an okay read and I was pleased with the ending.
*Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Laura Elliot for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
March 30, 2022
What happened when Christine was a flower girl at a wedding over three decades ago? Well, there was an accident at the time and it was so devastating that Christine lost all memories of the time. Now as an adult, snippets are coming back.
Christine is happy as an adult. She met Richard Stone on the train and the two got married and then started what ended up being a successful advertising agency. Although Christine is not quite comfortable with one of their newest employees, Jessica Newman, she seems perfect for the job and this proves helpful when a rumor begins to circulate that could destroy everything Christine and Richard had built. It seems that Jessica’s influential father could help to stop the rumors and help the business to retain its standing. Well, who is Jessica really? Was it a coincidence that she began working for Christine? As the story delves into Jessica’s early life pieces of this what proves to be an intriguing mystery begin to fall into place.
Meanwhile, as Christine’s memories start to evolve in a hazy manner, it is with the help of a hypnotherapist that really opens her eyes about what happened at that wedding. While After the Wedding might have had a slow start, the story definitely comes full circle. Delivered from multiple points of view, the past and present converge in such a way to deliver an exciting story with a satisfying conclusion.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Christine is happy as an adult. She met Richard Stone on the train and the two got married and then started what ended up being a successful advertising agency. Although Christine is not quite comfortable with one of their newest employees, Jessica Newman, she seems perfect for the job and this proves helpful when a rumor begins to circulate that could destroy everything Christine and Richard had built. It seems that Jessica’s influential father could help to stop the rumors and help the business to retain its standing. Well, who is Jessica really? Was it a coincidence that she began working for Christine? As the story delves into Jessica’s early life pieces of this what proves to be an intriguing mystery begin to fall into place.
Meanwhile, as Christine’s memories start to evolve in a hazy manner, it is with the help of a hypnotherapist that really opens her eyes about what happened at that wedding. While After the Wedding might have had a slow start, the story definitely comes full circle. Delivered from multiple points of view, the past and present converge in such a way to deliver an exciting story with a satisfying conclusion.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
March 18, 2022
★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded down)
Having read two books by this author previously and thoroughly enjoying them, I was geared up for another intriguing and addictive read. But AFTER THE WEDDING is far different from what I expected. It's marketed as a psychological thriller though I think that is a little misleading. Although it certainly does have aspects of a thriller, the first part of the story is anything but. In fact, I grew so impatient by Christine's outbursts and jealousies as well as Jessica's blatant behaviour I was tempted to toss the book down. Where was the thriller aspect, I wondered? Then little by little, we are given glimpses of it as Christine's repressed memories of her past trauma begin to resurface in a haze of wine, vodka and hypnosis. Is it any wonder Richard failed to believe her?
The premise was also misleading in the sense that readers expected the aftermath of Christine's apparent trauma after the wedding (hence the title) that we actually thought that was what we were getting. Apart from the snippet in the Prologue introducing us to the events after the wedding and Christine's subsequent rescue from the river, the story then launches into the life and times of Christine thirty years later married to Richard Stone and co-running their advertising agency, Foundation Stone. I was drowning in the ins and outs of advertising as well as Christine's obvious yet inexplicable discomfort surrounding their new copywriter, Jessica Newman. The woman made her uncomfortable, fearful and made her skin crawl. But why, was anyone's guess. Almost half the book lead us through Christine's erratic thoughts and memories and down the rabbit hole of hypnosis where she uncovered the repressed memory that preceded her being pulled from the river when she was five years old "after the wedding". What then follows is her behaviour which is equally erratic thus creating the divide between herself and Richard, who fails to believe her rants and accusations.
When Christine was five years old she was flower girl at her aunt's wedding at the historically listed Castle Rillingham in Rillingham-on-the-weir in Dorset. As the only child in attendance, she soon grew bored and looked for ways to amuse herself. She was drawn to the blood red roses blooming in the gardens and was gruffly chastised for crushing the heads of them, leading her to make her escape through a doorway and over a stile to the woods that lay beyond. After that, Christine has no memory of what happened beyond the pressure on her chest as she vomited up water after being pulled from the river. What happened to her? How did she end up in the river? It is these questions she seeks answers to through Elaine, a hypnotherapist her friend Amy recommended. But what she uncovers throws her world into even more turmoil in the wake of losing her business and her marriage.
Divided into four parts, the second part begins with Jessica's narrative through which we get her side to the part she played in the grand scheme of things. Jessica's memories are not all that they appear to be which leaves her questioning those roots. But not enough to believe Christine's rants, who is clearly drunken and delusional.
What is clear, by all accounts, is that Christine feels threatened by Jessica almost from the first moment she meets her though she has no idea why. But it's when she goes digging into the past that she discovers they have more in common than either woman would believe. But how is Christine's past and Jessica's presence linked? What connects them, if anything? Is what Christine remembers real or is she just paranoid?
What promised to be an intriguing dig into a traumatic past connecting them to the present, ended up being too long and a little erratic at times. It was difficult to remain interested when Christine went off tangent, it was little wonder Richard had such a hard time believing her. There were aspects to the tale that kept me reading but there was so much in between the beginning and the end that just felt too cumbersome and long-winded. I predicted all the reveals which weren't really twists anyway but rather just unfolded that way.
The most confusing aspect to this book is the alternate narratives, which I love but in this case leaves readers a little puzzled as to their perspectives when they switch from Christine to Jessica without any indication as to whose narrative we are reading. The book begins clearly from Christine's narrative in the first part, then by the time part two begins it is very obviously Jessica, as clearly stated. But then we move into Parts three and four and the perspectives continue to change without any clear direction as to who is narrating them. I had to keep going back to see who it was meant to be. For alternating viewpoints, each chapter should be clearly headlined as who is narrating it to save confusion. I'm used to alternating narratives, but even I found this a little baffling (and irritating) at times.
None of the characters were very likeable. I hated Jessica and I grew impatient with Christine and Richard was just a little too weak (?) and Samuel was just positively loathsome. Although I did like Ryan. Probably the only one I did like. But I doubt any of them will remain with me.
The ending was satisfactory but that was about it. It wasn't great or outstanding, but it was good enough. I didn't hate AFTER THE WEDDING but I didn't love it either. The book certainly had potential, and I know Laura Elliot can deliver exciting thrillers, but AFTER THE WEDDING just didn't meet my expectations.
Overall, this was on OK thriller but not a great one.
I would like to thank #LauraElliot, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #AfterTheWedding in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Having read two books by this author previously and thoroughly enjoying them, I was geared up for another intriguing and addictive read. But AFTER THE WEDDING is far different from what I expected. It's marketed as a psychological thriller though I think that is a little misleading. Although it certainly does have aspects of a thriller, the first part of the story is anything but. In fact, I grew so impatient by Christine's outbursts and jealousies as well as Jessica's blatant behaviour I was tempted to toss the book down. Where was the thriller aspect, I wondered? Then little by little, we are given glimpses of it as Christine's repressed memories of her past trauma begin to resurface in a haze of wine, vodka and hypnosis. Is it any wonder Richard failed to believe her?
The premise was also misleading in the sense that readers expected the aftermath of Christine's apparent trauma after the wedding (hence the title) that we actually thought that was what we were getting. Apart from the snippet in the Prologue introducing us to the events after the wedding and Christine's subsequent rescue from the river, the story then launches into the life and times of Christine thirty years later married to Richard Stone and co-running their advertising agency, Foundation Stone. I was drowning in the ins and outs of advertising as well as Christine's obvious yet inexplicable discomfort surrounding their new copywriter, Jessica Newman. The woman made her uncomfortable, fearful and made her skin crawl. But why, was anyone's guess. Almost half the book lead us through Christine's erratic thoughts and memories and down the rabbit hole of hypnosis where she uncovered the repressed memory that preceded her being pulled from the river when she was five years old "after the wedding". What then follows is her behaviour which is equally erratic thus creating the divide between herself and Richard, who fails to believe her rants and accusations.
When Christine was five years old she was flower girl at her aunt's wedding at the historically listed Castle Rillingham in Rillingham-on-the-weir in Dorset. As the only child in attendance, she soon grew bored and looked for ways to amuse herself. She was drawn to the blood red roses blooming in the gardens and was gruffly chastised for crushing the heads of them, leading her to make her escape through a doorway and over a stile to the woods that lay beyond. After that, Christine has no memory of what happened beyond the pressure on her chest as she vomited up water after being pulled from the river. What happened to her? How did she end up in the river? It is these questions she seeks answers to through Elaine, a hypnotherapist her friend Amy recommended. But what she uncovers throws her world into even more turmoil in the wake of losing her business and her marriage.
Divided into four parts, the second part begins with Jessica's narrative through which we get her side to the part she played in the grand scheme of things. Jessica's memories are not all that they appear to be which leaves her questioning those roots. But not enough to believe Christine's rants, who is clearly drunken and delusional.
What is clear, by all accounts, is that Christine feels threatened by Jessica almost from the first moment she meets her though she has no idea why. But it's when she goes digging into the past that she discovers they have more in common than either woman would believe. But how is Christine's past and Jessica's presence linked? What connects them, if anything? Is what Christine remembers real or is she just paranoid?
What promised to be an intriguing dig into a traumatic past connecting them to the present, ended up being too long and a little erratic at times. It was difficult to remain interested when Christine went off tangent, it was little wonder Richard had such a hard time believing her. There were aspects to the tale that kept me reading but there was so much in between the beginning and the end that just felt too cumbersome and long-winded. I predicted all the reveals which weren't really twists anyway but rather just unfolded that way.
The most confusing aspect to this book is the alternate narratives, which I love but in this case leaves readers a little puzzled as to their perspectives when they switch from Christine to Jessica without any indication as to whose narrative we are reading. The book begins clearly from Christine's narrative in the first part, then by the time part two begins it is very obviously Jessica, as clearly stated. But then we move into Parts three and four and the perspectives continue to change without any clear direction as to who is narrating them. I had to keep going back to see who it was meant to be. For alternating viewpoints, each chapter should be clearly headlined as who is narrating it to save confusion. I'm used to alternating narratives, but even I found this a little baffling (and irritating) at times.
None of the characters were very likeable. I hated Jessica and I grew impatient with Christine and Richard was just a little too weak (?) and Samuel was just positively loathsome. Although I did like Ryan. Probably the only one I did like. But I doubt any of them will remain with me.
The ending was satisfactory but that was about it. It wasn't great or outstanding, but it was good enough. I didn't hate AFTER THE WEDDING but I didn't love it either. The book certainly had potential, and I know Laura Elliot can deliver exciting thrillers, but AFTER THE WEDDING just didn't meet my expectations.
Overall, this was on OK thriller but not a great one.
I would like to thank #LauraElliot, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #AfterTheWedding in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
April 30, 2022
What did Christine see at the wedding in her childhood and how had she managed to forget the whole thing? When the memories returned, her world got shattered. This was a slow paced read with multiple POVs and divided into many parts, some of them really needed concentration. The suspense was good with many twists. A solid thriller.
March 1, 2022
When Christine was a little girl, she witnessed something horrifying but couldn't remember what it was. Years later, Christine is working in a company when Jessica Newman enters into her life. Through Christine's hazy memory, she couldn't place Jessica but feel suspicious of her. Jessica slowly enters into her life and slowly breaks Christine's marriage and slowly take over the company. Then Christine undergoes a hypnotherapy session and soon she slowly regains her memory in which Jessica may be involved...
The plot was good, the writing was great. But unfortunately, this wasn't as interesting as I thought it should be. Maybe it was just me but it wasn't as fast paced thriller as I thought it should be. Not much of twists and turns you would normally expect in a thriller and there were some parts where it was boring. However, I have to send, the ending was good--not great but good. Overall, in my opinion, this was an OK thriller, not a thing to die for.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
The plot was good, the writing was great. But unfortunately, this wasn't as interesting as I thought it should be. Maybe it was just me but it wasn't as fast paced thriller as I thought it should be. Not much of twists and turns you would normally expect in a thriller and there were some parts where it was boring. However, I have to send, the ending was good--not great but good. Overall, in my opinion, this was an OK thriller, not a thing to die for.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
February 20, 2022
Rating: 1.9/5
"After the Wedding" appears to be marketed as a psychological thriller, but I would suggest that this is a misleading description. It certainly sits within the broader thriller genre, but attaching the additional "psychological" tag is tenuous, to say the least. The "thriller" element essentially relates to organised crime, which is at the heart of this story. There is a psychological aspect, but this relates to the way in which the human brain can sometimes suppress memories of harrowing experiences.
The early sections of this novel were quite encouraging. The writing was fluent, engaging and augured well for what was yet to come. Unfortunately, these early signs of promise did not develop as I would have hoped. Instead of being fluent and engaging, the narrative became increasingly clunky and disjointed and reading more than a chapter at a time became something of a chore.
The plot certainly had the potential to make for enthralling reading and the sub-plot regarding memory suppression offered the prospect of another intriguing thread that could be developed and provide food for thought. Unfortunately, I don't think the author made the most of the opportunities. The characterisation was too often clichéd and superficial and events were all too frequently described in a melodramatic fashion. In the end, this was not a book that is likely to live long in the memory.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
"After the Wedding" appears to be marketed as a psychological thriller, but I would suggest that this is a misleading description. It certainly sits within the broader thriller genre, but attaching the additional "psychological" tag is tenuous, to say the least. The "thriller" element essentially relates to organised crime, which is at the heart of this story. There is a psychological aspect, but this relates to the way in which the human brain can sometimes suppress memories of harrowing experiences.
The early sections of this novel were quite encouraging. The writing was fluent, engaging and augured well for what was yet to come. Unfortunately, these early signs of promise did not develop as I would have hoped. Instead of being fluent and engaging, the narrative became increasingly clunky and disjointed and reading more than a chapter at a time became something of a chore.
The plot certainly had the potential to make for enthralling reading and the sub-plot regarding memory suppression offered the prospect of another intriguing thread that could be developed and provide food for thought. Unfortunately, I don't think the author made the most of the opportunities. The characterisation was too often clichéd and superficial and events were all too frequently described in a melodramatic fashion. In the end, this was not a book that is likely to live long in the memory.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
March 26, 2022
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'After The Wedding' by Laura Elliot.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Laura Elliot, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 24th March 2022.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beautiful cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Sally Hepworth will be gripped by After the Wedding.' I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 55 chapters and an epilogue spread over 4 parts. The chapters are short in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪. I actually visited Ireland years ago so am intrigued to see if recognise any of the settings.
This book is written in third person perspective and the protagonists are Christine, Jessica and Rachel. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is extremely well written that leaves you hearing the Irish accent and feeling the wind in your hair. The descriptions are vivid and absorbs you into the storyline from beginning to end. The cover and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.
OMG!!! I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT ENDING!!!
This book is quite fast paced with a complex storyline. I thouroughly enjoyed reading it and was completely absorbed from the first page to the end. It is filled with love, crime, deceit, murder, heartbreak and so much more. It had me on the edge of my seat turning the suspense filled pages. It starts off with Christine and Richards company and ends with lies being unearthed and hearts being broken. I was absolutely shocked by the ending as I was not expecting that at all!! I have read so many thrillers that it is getting harder and harder to shock me so a huge congratulations Laura!!! It is a riveting drama filled with revelations, discoveries and twists. It is quite difficult to write a review for this one as I really don't want to give too much away and spoil the suspense. Needless to say I was completely invested in the storyline throughout. I have never read any of Laura's books until I picked this one up but as soon as I've finished this review I will be heading straight to amazon to add all her books to my wishlist! The storyline leaves you questioning the characters and yourself throughout while you try to work out what could be real and what is not.
Clear your schedule before starting this as once you have begun you will not be able to put it down!!
It is set over/includes multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.
I became completely invested in the characters who were all strong and realistic. My heart went out to Christine throughout the book as she went through heartbreak, stress and just pure hell. I found her to be such a strong woman and the fact that she had so much compassion for certain people even after everything they put her through really made an impact on me. I don't think I would have done what she did for that person at the end. I loved watching her character grow and change throughout and I really hope she finds happiness with Ryan, it is the least she deserves. I was not a fan of Jessica at all and found her to be a spoiled brat at times. However, I did have some empathy to her as I don't think she completely understood everything that was going on although she couldn't be completely blind to it. It is quite hard to work her out when taking her history into consideration. Jessica is definitely in the list of characters that induced such a mix of emotions in me. I do not have any sympathy towards Richard though as he made his own bed and should lay in it. Whatever I feel towards the characters, individually they worked perfectly well together to make this book an unputdownable one!!!
Congratulations Laura on a fantastic success and I look forward to reading more of your books both past and future. Here's to reading more page turner's you make 🥂
Overall an unputdownable page turning thriller that will fill you with suspense with an ending that will shock you!!
Genres covered in this book include Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn, Sally Hepworth and anyone looking for a gritty thriller that will keep you on edge.
393 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#AfterTheWedding #Bookouture #LauraElliot #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@LauraElliot @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
Review for 'After The Wedding' by Laura Elliot.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Laura Elliot, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 24th March 2022.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beautiful cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Sally Hepworth will be gripped by After the Wedding.' I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 55 chapters and an epilogue spread over 4 parts. The chapters are short in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪. I actually visited Ireland years ago so am intrigued to see if recognise any of the settings.
This book is written in third person perspective and the protagonists are Christine, Jessica and Rachel. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
This book is extremely well written that leaves you hearing the Irish accent and feeling the wind in your hair. The descriptions are vivid and absorbs you into the storyline from beginning to end. The cover and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.
OMG!!! I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT ENDING!!!
This book is quite fast paced with a complex storyline. I thouroughly enjoyed reading it and was completely absorbed from the first page to the end. It is filled with love, crime, deceit, murder, heartbreak and so much more. It had me on the edge of my seat turning the suspense filled pages. It starts off with Christine and Richards company and ends with lies being unearthed and hearts being broken. I was absolutely shocked by the ending as I was not expecting that at all!! I have read so many thrillers that it is getting harder and harder to shock me so a huge congratulations Laura!!! It is a riveting drama filled with revelations, discoveries and twists. It is quite difficult to write a review for this one as I really don't want to give too much away and spoil the suspense. Needless to say I was completely invested in the storyline throughout. I have never read any of Laura's books until I picked this one up but as soon as I've finished this review I will be heading straight to amazon to add all her books to my wishlist! The storyline leaves you questioning the characters and yourself throughout while you try to work out what could be real and what is not.
Clear your schedule before starting this as once you have begun you will not be able to put it down!!
It is set over/includes multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.
I became completely invested in the characters who were all strong and realistic. My heart went out to Christine throughout the book as she went through heartbreak, stress and just pure hell. I found her to be such a strong woman and the fact that she had so much compassion for certain people even after everything they put her through really made an impact on me. I don't think I would have done what she did for that person at the end. I loved watching her character grow and change throughout and I really hope she finds happiness with Ryan, it is the least she deserves. I was not a fan of Jessica at all and found her to be a spoiled brat at times. However, I did have some empathy to her as I don't think she completely understood everything that was going on although she couldn't be completely blind to it. It is quite hard to work her out when taking her history into consideration. Jessica is definitely in the list of characters that induced such a mix of emotions in me. I do not have any sympathy towards Richard though as he made his own bed and should lay in it. Whatever I feel towards the characters, individually they worked perfectly well together to make this book an unputdownable one!!!
Congratulations Laura on a fantastic success and I look forward to reading more of your books both past and future. Here's to reading more page turner's you make 🥂
Overall an unputdownable page turning thriller that will fill you with suspense with an ending that will shock you!!
Genres covered in this book include Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn, Sally Hepworth and anyone looking for a gritty thriller that will keep you on edge.
393 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#AfterTheWedding #Bookouture #LauraElliot #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@LauraElliot @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
March 26, 2022
Not very often, these days, do I come across a book that I can’t put down; this is one of them. After the Wedding held me captive to the very end, keeping me up at night to finish! But that’s Laura Elliot for you – she never disappoints. I have read all of her books and this was without question one of her very best.
All Christine has is a very vague memory: of her Aunt Sharon’s wedding: rose petals, running off, a meadow – and then of lying there after being rescued, with no memory of what went before. Her beautiful bridesmaid dress sogging wet, ruined, but adults not angry with her because she is alive, saved, with the cleanest lungs in Dorset, according to the doctor. Almost drowned, saved by a miracle.
For the rest of the book you are left wondering, guessing: what really happened that day? Christine is now grown up and happily married, running a successful a very successful advertising agency with her husband.
But she still has nightmares about that near-tragedy so long ago, and when a new employee, young, pretty Jessica, appears to bring life and energy into the business, tiny flashbacks stirs everything up Christine thought was settled. Why does she have such a visceral reaction of antipathy towards Jessica? What is true, what is a memory, what is hallucination? Her life seems to be a jigsaw puzzle with essential pieces missing. One by one, the missing pieces drop into the story, leading to an immensely satisfying end.
I’m greatly looking forward to more from Laura Elliott.
All Christine has is a very vague memory: of her Aunt Sharon’s wedding: rose petals, running off, a meadow – and then of lying there after being rescued, with no memory of what went before. Her beautiful bridesmaid dress sogging wet, ruined, but adults not angry with her because she is alive, saved, with the cleanest lungs in Dorset, according to the doctor. Almost drowned, saved by a miracle.
For the rest of the book you are left wondering, guessing: what really happened that day? Christine is now grown up and happily married, running a successful a very successful advertising agency with her husband.
But she still has nightmares about that near-tragedy so long ago, and when a new employee, young, pretty Jessica, appears to bring life and energy into the business, tiny flashbacks stirs everything up Christine thought was settled. Why does she have such a visceral reaction of antipathy towards Jessica? What is true, what is a memory, what is hallucination? Her life seems to be a jigsaw puzzle with essential pieces missing. One by one, the missing pieces drop into the story, leading to an immensely satisfying end.
I’m greatly looking forward to more from Laura Elliott.
March 24, 2022
Christine Lewis runs an advertising agency with her husband. When she was five years old she was a flower girl at her Aunt Sharon's wedding. Christine witnessed something horrifying there but can't remember what it was. Jessica Newman was a baby when her father arrived to live on the island of Cullain, Ireland along with Margaret, but they left not long after. Jessica is a new employee at the agency and Christine senses there's something off about her. Through hypnotherapy, Christine's memories start returning...
After the Wedding is a riveting family drama with discoveries, twists and revelations. Laura Elliot has delivered an unrestrained story of drama and emotion in this suspenseful concoction of secrets, trauma and concealment. The writing was compelling and tense and I revelled in the story all the way through as the pace slowly gained momentum for a satisfying finale. It brought no disappointments and I would love to read more from this gifted storyteller. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
After the Wedding is a riveting family drama with discoveries, twists and revelations. Laura Elliot has delivered an unrestrained story of drama and emotion in this suspenseful concoction of secrets, trauma and concealment. The writing was compelling and tense and I revelled in the story all the way through as the pace slowly gained momentum for a satisfying finale. It brought no disappointments and I would love to read more from this gifted storyteller. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
February 18, 2022
Just wonderful. What a book. One of the best psychological thrillers I've ever read. The sense of unease builds until the tension almost leaps off the pace. The writing is beautiful, just wow. The author deftly leads us through the narrative, the twists leaving us gasping. Love this author - she always delivers and this book Wow! Her best by far! A psychological thriller packed with twists but also full of heart. Loved it.
March 22, 2022
Thank you Netgalley and Bookoture for sending me this e-ARC in return for an honest review!
I really wanted to love this book. It had so much potential, an interesting premise, and it felt like things were happening but it also came off as so underwhelming. It almost felt like the author tried to include a bunch of different elements to make the plot more enticing, but it was overdone, unfortunately.
The first thing that really put me off was in the first few chapters when the characters were doing one thing, and on the next page they were suddenly doing something different. I had to go back and forth between the pages to make sure I wasn’t missing something because it was so abrupt. That really threw me off and impacted my experience.
The overall plot also felt really dragged, which made it so hard to be drawn into the story. It took so long to actually get to the part where Christine is somehow connected to Jessica, yet we get all these chapters beforehand where she keeps going on about how much Jessica bothers her. This part made it feel a lot more like a dramatic encounter than a thriller. I was very compelled to skip passages and skim to get to the point.
I’m sure a lot of people will enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. It was unnecessarily prolonged and had too many elements forced together.
I really wanted to love this book. It had so much potential, an interesting premise, and it felt like things were happening but it also came off as so underwhelming. It almost felt like the author tried to include a bunch of different elements to make the plot more enticing, but it was overdone, unfortunately.
The first thing that really put me off was in the first few chapters when the characters were doing one thing, and on the next page they were suddenly doing something different. I had to go back and forth between the pages to make sure I wasn’t missing something because it was so abrupt. That really threw me off and impacted my experience.
The overall plot also felt really dragged, which made it so hard to be drawn into the story. It took so long to actually get to the part where Christine is somehow connected to Jessica, yet we get all these chapters beforehand where she keeps going on about how much Jessica bothers her. This part made it feel a lot more like a dramatic encounter than a thriller. I was very compelled to skip passages and skim to get to the point.
I’m sure a lot of people will enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. It was unnecessarily prolonged and had too many elements forced together.
March 25, 2022
I really did not like this book.
I found the pacing so slow!
The blurb got me intrigued, but it turns out it was mis-leading. It didn't feel like a thriller at all!
The multiple narratives were not unique enough, and I found a little confusing at times.
The book just didn't do enough to keep me interested. Definitely NOT a page turner.
Not for me!
I found the pacing so slow!
The blurb got me intrigued, but it turns out it was mis-leading. It didn't feel like a thriller at all!
The multiple narratives were not unique enough, and I found a little confusing at times.
The book just didn't do enough to keep me interested. Definitely NOT a page turner.
Not for me!
October 12, 2022
This book was all over the place. It makes no sense. Please read something with a more defined plot. I honestly feel a bit of a headache trying to make sense of everything.
March 11, 2022
The blurb of this book sounded so go and I was very excited to read it.
The first half of the book, however, was very slow for me and at times I lost interest, had to put it down and come back later.
Christine and Richard are married and own an advertising agency. Jessica is a new employee and Christine just gets a bad feeling from her. Richard shrugs it off. Christine begins to feel threatened by Jessica, and those feelings may be justified, although Richard still doesn't feel it. They hit hard times and the way things resolve are odd and only make Christine more stressed.
Add to all this, at the age of 5, Christine was a flower girl in a wedding, wandered away on the grounds and nearly drowned. It was always believed she just fell in the water, but through some hypnotherapy, memories start returning. Are these memories somehow connected to her bad feelings about Jessica and her father?
The second half picked picked up the pace, and I enjoyed it much more. But I felt the book dragged on longer than it needed to. That being said, I would give this author another try!
Many thanks you to NetGalley & Bookouture for an ARC!
The first half of the book, however, was very slow for me and at times I lost interest, had to put it down and come back later.
Christine and Richard are married and own an advertising agency. Jessica is a new employee and Christine just gets a bad feeling from her. Richard shrugs it off. Christine begins to feel threatened by Jessica, and those feelings may be justified, although Richard still doesn't feel it. They hit hard times and the way things resolve are odd and only make Christine more stressed.
Add to all this, at the age of 5, Christine was a flower girl in a wedding, wandered away on the grounds and nearly drowned. It was always believed she just fell in the water, but through some hypnotherapy, memories start returning. Are these memories somehow connected to her bad feelings about Jessica and her father?
The second half picked picked up the pace, and I enjoyed it much more. But I felt the book dragged on longer than it needed to. That being said, I would give this author another try!
Many thanks you to NetGalley & Bookouture for an ARC!
June 19, 2024
what happened after the wedding?
Young Christine attends a wedding as the flower girl. She is the only child at the wedding and becomes bored at the ensuing reception. She decides to go for a walk and wanders into the adjacent forest whereupon she sees something she shouldn’t see and ends up in the river. She is pulled from the river by a young man who hands her over to her desperate family.
Years later, Christine and her husband run an advertising agency. Their business hired a young lady named Jessica, with whom Christine had unsure feelings soon after hiring. Not long after Jessica’s father became involved, wanting to buy the the business. Something about Jessica’s father started to bring back old memories. Things soon started to unravel.
The author takes the reader on a journey back in the past, trying to unravel things surrounding what Christine had seen that day after the wedding. It all started to come together and had some interesting twists at the end.
Young Christine attends a wedding as the flower girl. She is the only child at the wedding and becomes bored at the ensuing reception. She decides to go for a walk and wanders into the adjacent forest whereupon she sees something she shouldn’t see and ends up in the river. She is pulled from the river by a young man who hands her over to her desperate family.
Years later, Christine and her husband run an advertising agency. Their business hired a young lady named Jessica, with whom Christine had unsure feelings soon after hiring. Not long after Jessica’s father became involved, wanting to buy the the business. Something about Jessica’s father started to bring back old memories. Things soon started to unravel.
The author takes the reader on a journey back in the past, trying to unravel things surrounding what Christine had seen that day after the wedding. It all started to come together and had some interesting twists at the end.
April 27, 2022
First of all, I’d like to say that I appreciate how much thought and planning went into this plot. However, I could not get into this book. I think that I’m just not used to the writing style, maybe. I even took a few weeks break thinking that when I went back to it, I would be able to get into it. And I just couldn’t. I did finish the book because I wanted to know how it ended, and the ending was surprising. I am rating this as 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3, simply because I did not enjoy reading it and was not captivated in any way.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Laura Elliot for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Laura Elliot for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 14, 2023
I did enjoy this book but didn't really engage with the characters. I found Christine to be a bit dull so couldn't really empathise nor sympathise with her. She obviously had experienced something very traumatic in her childhood and it took hypnosis to bring this to the forefront. However, even when the pieces started coming together (I had already guessed most of it) I found I wasn't that bothered about how it ended.
I felt the other characters could have been more developed too.
Only 3🌟 from me, I'm afraid.
I felt the other characters could have been more developed too.
Only 3🌟 from me, I'm afraid.
dnf
October 31, 2023I had high hopes for After the Wedding based on the intriguing premise, but unfortunately, the pace was too slow for my tastes. Even after reading 100 pages, I was still unclear how the story would connect to the synopsis. I stuck with it for as long as I could, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth my time.
March 11, 2022
This book delivered everything I love in a psychological thriller. It’s well written, the characters are believable and Christine, the main character is put through a whole spectrum of emotional turbulence as she gradually uncovers her past and the event that has haunted her for so many years. Interestingly, it turns out Jessica, who joins Christine and husband Richard’s company, also has a past which connects with Christine’s, although they have no idea about this.
There were many twists and turns and strong emotional situations which kept me burning the midnight oil to finish this book. Absolutely loved it.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Laura Elliot and Bookouture for an ARC of After the Wedding in exchange for an honest review.
There were many twists and turns and strong emotional situations which kept me burning the midnight oil to finish this book. Absolutely loved it.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Laura Elliot and Bookouture for an ARC of After the Wedding in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2023
I liked it enough to finish it, but that's the extent. The writing is good, but the story is oh my God so stretched. There is too much imagery for my taste, although for sure, many readers like that. The story became predictable so very soon and then it was like, when, when will we get there?
June 19, 2022
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
February 9, 2023
A good read, more of a drama/ suspense type of book. A little slow in the beginning but once the characters were established, it moved on nicely. Enjoyable book to read by the pool.
September 15, 2024
Tried to explain the plot out loud to a friend and made me sound like the unreliable drunk female character.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews