The Wedding by Ruth Heald
Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 5th March 2021
Published: 3rd March 2021
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Just four words were printed in the card. He doesn’t love you.
I’ve been dreaming about this day – marrying Adam, my childhood sweetheart, who I’ve loved for eighteen years.
I didn’t realise the perfect day would turn into the perfect nightmare.
I was so excited to send out the wedding invitations, carefully writing everyone’s names on thick cream paper in beautiful cursive script.
I had no idea I was inviting someone to destroy our marriage.
I couldn’t wait to say ‘I do’ surrounded by loved ones clinking champagne glasses.
I couldn’t imagine that one of them would try to hurt me.
It was meant to be the first day of the rest of our lives.
I never thought it would be the end of my life as I knew it.
We were meant to share our vows, to toast our future. But when the truth comes out, shocking the onlooking guests and ripping my heart out, is a happy ever after possible?
A completely gripping and totally addictive read that will get your blood pressure rising and send shivers down your spine. Fans of Date Night, The Sister-in-Law and The Girl on the Train will devour this twisty, dark and gasp-worthy page-turner in one swift gulp!
MY REVIEW:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Ruth Heald's addictive and compelling new thriller THE WEDDING.
I have been a fan of Ruth Heald since her debut "The Mother's Mistake" and with each new thriller she has kept us on our toes and gripped from start to finish. THE WEDDING is no different. I didn't even read the premise until long after I joined the tour, assured in the knowledge that I would enjoy the thrill ride I was sure she would take us on. And I wasn't wrong.
Thirty five year old Lauren has been dreaming about this day for years. Marrying Adam, her childhood sweetheart, with whom she'd grown up and has loved for eighteen years. Now, she sits in their flat between shifts as a busy A&E doctor, about to start their wedding invitations. The gorgeous photo of her and Adam that her best friend Zoe took for their engagement features on the invitations. It is their favourite photo - one that Adam keeps framed on his desk at the surgery. But the thought of her parents not being there for her perfect day brings a shadow over her happiness. Killed when she was 17 on a holiday in Thailand eighteen years ago, Lauren has always blamed herself for what had clearly been an accident. And when Adam returns home to find her in tears, he makes a suggestion to help put her mind at rest. A visit to their memorial and an invitation to their wedding, at which they will be in spirit and memory.
Now two months later, Lauren opens the card adorned with their favourite engagement photo, expecting to see a congratulatory message wishing them well in their upcoming wedding. But as she opens it, her smile turns into shock. Inside was a photograph of a doll with dark curly hair fanned around its face, piercing blue eyes and high cheekbones. A doll that looks like her. In a wedding dress that has been slashed and her neck cut. Just four words accompanied it...
"He doesn't love you."
And so begins a sequence of menacing events in the lead up to what is meant to be the happiest day of her life. Flowers with more than an unpleasant smell are left on her doorstep. A doll, just like the one from the card, is found floating in their bathtub filled with water tinged blood red. And then on her hen's night, Lauren is pushed down the stairs at a club and her phone disappears. Someone, it seems, wants to ruin their wedding plans. But who? Who doesn't want the loving couple to live happily ever after?
When her sister Tracey, who has been living in Thailand for the past eighteen years, returns to the UK for Lauren's hen night she brings her teenage daughter Jasmine whom she adopted after the 2004 tsunami which saw Jasmine's parents killed. Lauren and Tracey had been estranged for fifteen years since their parents' deaths and have only in the last couple of years have reconciled, putting the past behind them.
Meanwhile at the surgery, Adam is having a battle of his own. After a drunken night in the pub when Lauren was working nights, a patient has latched on to him and makes any excuse to see him. Although he has tried fobbing her off, she won't take no for an answer, claiming that that night had to mean something to him. Adam is faced with a quandary. Does he report the patient and risk his career? Or does he keep quiet and risk her going to the senior partners anyway? It soon becomes clear that Adam has not been entirely honest with Lauren about his past...among other things. Could he be the catalyst that started this whole chain of sinister events?
As things escalate and get darker, Lauren soon begins to question whether Adam is having an affair. But with who? His best friend Kiera is not interested in men...or is she? After a spectacular breakup with her partner and in tears, Adam invited her to come and stay with them in their spare room. Lauren knows he is only looking for his friend...or is he? Lauren isn't sure anymore. Everything that she thought she knew and trusted is being questioned.
As things go from bad to worse, the suspect pool deepens. Each one is plausible and believable in their own ways. And I loved deliberating over who it could be. I had three suspects in mind - each with their own motives. I had already written their backstories in my mind before Ruth presented it to us, so therefore I figured I was on the right track. Until it changed course. And so I narrowed it down again...to two...and then one. But while distracting us with a brightly colour red herring, another twist was thrown in making our heads spin. Was I right? Or was I wrong? Or was Ruth playing with us again?
THE WEDDING is a fun fast paced read that gets to the point without all the extra baggage weighing it down with long winded narratives and detailed descriptions. It's fast, it's fun and it's addictive from start to finish. If I didn't have so much going on I would have devoured this in one sitting! As it was, I had the bulk of it read in one leaving just two hours to complete it the following day. The plot is compelling, the story addictive. Nothing is dull or slow and although there may be some eye-rolling moments, THE WEDDING is entertaining with its dramatic danger, suspense and compelling twists making it an enjoyable quick read.
This is what reading is all about for me. Entertaining escapism in a fun and delightful read that is addictive and doesn't disappoint. Yes, it may be cliched but I don't care. The fun, for me, is in the ride. And if the author can give that to me and make it fun, thrilling and addictive then that's what makes it a five start read. Not to mention those short snappy chapters which keeps the pace moving at break-neck speed.
A fast delightful read that I did not want to put down, even when sleep was calling to me, THE WEDDING is predictably unpredictable that will have you turning the pages long into the night. Full of sabotage, shocks and twists, I would definitely recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers with a fun fast pace.
I would like to thank #RuthHeald, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheWedding in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Ruth grew up a suburban Buckinghamshire town. She studied Economics at Oxford and then worked in an eclectic mix of sectors from nuclear decommissioning to management consulting.
Seeking a more creative environment, she found a role at the BBC and worked there for nine years before leaving to write full time. Ruth is fascinated by psychology and finding out what drives people to violence, destruction and revenge. She’s married with one daughter and her novels explore our greatest fears in otherwise ordinary, domestic lives.
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Very nice review. This book sounds great.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.
Happy reading and have a great week!
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