Originally I received a digital copy of The Night Before from St. Martin's Publishing through NetGalley.  Then, in a coincidental turn of events, I won a paperback copy of the book as a giveaway on Goodreads! How about that!!

This one - wow, what a wild ride! Here's the story:

Laura Lochner is unlucky in love and always seems to choose the wrong men.  She is still getting over her last relationship and is emotionally scarred from things that happened when she was a teenager.  She returns home to Connecticut after living in NYC for many years hoping to find love.  She joins an internet dating site and has an immediate connection with a man who she decides to meet for a blind date.

Her sister Rosie is concerned about the blind date, but at the same time she's happy that Laura is finally going out on a date for the first time in a long time. She's happy until Laura doesn’t return.

The story bounces around between present and past, and Rosie and Laura’s perspectives.  Changing times and perspectives was done very well by this author - I sometimes get lost with this style of writing.  Lucky for me, each section was clearly labeled so I never had any confusion, and each character had their own unique voice.

The tension in this story was crazy, it caused me to hold my breath at some points and my neck was even tense in others. Each character caused me to be suspicious and I kept trying to guess the story, but was wrong each time.  The story was very well paced and readers are given clues and truths at just the right time which for me, meant I was completely engaged throughout.

This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a while and I couldn't put the book down.  I really love Wendy Walker's writing and the way she builds up a story.  Be sure to add The Night Before on your "must read" list of thrillers!

I was provided with a complimentary digital copy of this book from St. Martin's through NetGalley in exchange for my review.  All views expressed are my honest opinion. (I also won a paperback copy on Goodreads!!)

I am not sure this mystery was for me. The Night Before is a mystery, thriller. The book is told from the POVs of two sisters, Laura in first person POV and Rosie in third person POV. I have never been a huge fan of the flopping POV's. So that was something I wasn't happy with. I feel like it takes me out of the story. Also there are two time periods, the days before and the present. There are also some sessions with Laura and a Dr. Brody.

I failed to connect with either of the sisters. Laura has come back to her hometown after years of being away. There is the mystery of why she stayed away so long and she goes on a date and does not come home and this is the mystery of the present.

The book started fine but I did not enjoy the characters so I was just not that invested in what happened to them. There were twists and turns in the second half with the end that definitely kept me reading. Overall it was a not what I was hoping it would be and left me wanting more.

The Night Before was a solid thriller that kept me on the hook until the end. I really had no idea what was going on throughout the entire book ... and every time I thought I had it figured it out there was a new twist!⁣
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Didn’t enjoy the book It wasn’t interesting and didn’t keep my attention. I’ve never read this author and I don’t know if I’d give her another chance.

The Night Before was a fast-paced and captivating read because it was the first of it’s type for me to read regarding the relationship between technology, social media, and dating. 

While Wendy Walker is not a new author, this was the first introduction for me to her writing and it will not be the last. I look forward to checking out some of her previous novels. Some other authors that I follow have commented on this novel and I have shared their insight below along with a description of the book. 

First dates can be murder. "Ferociously smart." --AJ Finn "Riveting." --Riley Sager "Addictive." --Liv Constantine "Wonderfully tense." --Aimee Molloy "Irresistible." --Mary Kubica "Impossible to put down." --Megan Miranda Riveting and compulsive, national bestselling author Wendy Walker's The Night Before "takes you to deep, dark places few thrillers dare to go" as two sisters uncover long-buried secrets when an internet date spirals out of control. Laura Lochner has never been lucky in love. She falls too hard and too fast, always choosing the wrong men. Devastated by the end of her last relationship, she fled her Wall Street job and New York City apartment for her sister's home in the Connecticut suburb where they both grew up. Though still haunted by the tragedy that's defined her entire life, Laura is determined to take one more chance on love with a man she's met on an Internet dating site. Rosie Ferro has spent most of her life worrying about her troubled sister. Fearless but fragile, Laura has always walked an emotional tightrope, and Rosie has always been there to catch her. Laura's return, under mysterious circumstances, has cast a shadow over Rosie's peaceful life with her husband and young son - a shadow that grows darker as Laura leaves the house for her blind date. When Laura does not return home the following morning, Rosie fears the worst. She's not responding to calls or texts, and she's left no information about the man she planned to meet. As Rosie begins a desperate search to find her sister, she is not just worried about what this man might have done to Laura. She's worried about what Laura may have done to him...

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.  I really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend you add this to your TBR stack!  This will pull you in from page one. as it’s fast paced and very suspenseful and leave you hanging until the end.  Can’t wait to read more by this author!

As always, huge and heartfelt thank you to Wendy Walker, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy to read in exchange for my honest review.

The Night Before made me want hit fast forward and find out what happened ASAP... but no- it burned at a slow pace and I could not stop turning pages and read it fast enough. 

I went in blind and while I didn’t LOVE the ending, I do think I understood why WW wrapped things up the way she did. I look forward to more books by this author!

While I genuinely enjoyed this title, I found it fairly predictable. Maybe it's because I read so much of the same genre? I really liked the relationship between Rosie and Laura. Family dynamics can be a lot of fun to write and read, and I really like what the author did with the sisters. I think this is great for a light day mystery read. like a vacation book.

Too slow of a read for me at the time but given I picked up this book recently I would have devoured The Night Before I probably one sitting! It's chapter structure drove me crazy but the good kind of crazy with a plot twist that is pretty damn entertaining!

overall this one was just okay for me. I had high hopes for The Night Before after reading the synopsis, but it really just fell flat for me. The characters were not likeable and I couldn't get invested into the story. Overall 3/5 for me.

This was a total flop for me. I was really invested in this book just by the sypnosis. I was under the interpretation that Laura was a crazy ass bitch and she waa out killing people but I was sadly mistaken.
I'm thinking that this was a mystery thriller and that's why I didn't care for it. The whole brother situation where Laura is Rosie's husband sister was stupid. That really wasn't needed. The plot twist of this story needs some work. I'm sorry but once I found out the whole "reveal" I laughed. I understood the story but I just wished it was executed a bit differently.

Now that is a psychological thriller! Buckle your seatbelts friends and clear your schedule.

Reasons why I loved this. 1) alternating POV. This is a favorite because it propels me to read one more chapter and before you know it, it's over. 2) Laura 3)plot (internet dating isn't exactly original BUT this is great)

Laura has moved in with her sister to get a fresh start. Her sister, Rosie is protective of Laura and her emotional state after a traumatic incident when she was younger. She also doesn't trust her. When Laura doesn't return home after a date with someone she met on the internet, Rosie needs to find her for her safety as well as her date's safety. It's a race against time and time is flying as clues are dropped about Laura's past and present.

Dark, twisty, and didn't see it coming.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc

3.75 stars Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read and review this book. 

At the center of Internet dating, Laura, never lucky in love, takes a chance - again. But upon meeting this new man, a blind date, she goes missing. Her sister, her brother in law and a childhood friend are all looking for her. They are scared for her life - but also scared of what SHE may have done. 

 A real 'who-dun-it' mystery. Many twists and turns coming to the final outcome. Just when you think you have it figured out another twist happens.

It took me awhile to get through this book. I kept putting it down. It was a good story, but it just didn't keep my interest. I felt that Walker was trying so hard to fit certain details in the story, and it didn't flow nicely in my opinion. I liked it, but I would not read it again.

This one missed the mark for me. Unfortunately, I did not mesh well with the writing style, and the plot did not engage me enough to continue in light of this.

I had high hopes for this one. I was a big fan of Emma in the Night. While this one had a psychological element, I didn't feel it was on the same level as what we saw in Emma in the Night. 

Laura Lochner has been told she's broken... she can't be loved. Laura doesn't believe it, yeah, she hasn't always made the best decisions in the past when choosing men, but there's still a chance right? She has hope that she can still find love, that there is someone out there that can, and WILL love her. She meets Jonathan on a dating app and agrees to go on a date. As they begin to get to know more about each other, it's clear that both are harboring secrets, but who is the real threat? 

When Laura doesn't return home from her date, her sister, Rosie begins to worry. Rosie has always worried. She wants to trust her sister, but after all, she knows her better than anyone. 

Wendy Walker does a great job of keeping you guessing. It's a page-turner for sure. What turned me off in the end? Well, it comes down to "show, don't tell". I wanted to be in the moment more. I wanted to feel the emotions as if I was right there with the characters, and at times, I just didn't think this was possible. As a result, I couldn't connect with Laura.

I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wendy Walker for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my review.

Others have called it “compulsive reading”, and I have to agree.  Very interesting characters, and NOT an easily guessed plot.  Well written.

This was the first book I’ve read by this author. Loved it! Well written, fast paced, everything you want and need in a thriller. This one will certainly keep you guessing until the end.

I found this book a little slow. I didn’t feel very attached to the characters. The ending picked up. This one was just okay for me.

I felt this was a pretty standard thriller and didn't offer anything new or exciting to readers who tend to gravitate towards this genre.  The characters are pretty standard and none really stood out.

The story alternated between past and present, giving readers a glimpse of Laura's activity the night before.  Although the backstory was required, I felt that it took away from any suspense the author was trying to build.  It didn't allow my mind to wander and come up with ideas about what happened to her so the read was less interesting.