Right off the bat, I wasn't a fan of the prose of the story and the present tense kept throwing me off. Something about it made me disconnected to the characters and what they were doing but I was intrigued by the plot enough that I wanted to know more. My second reaction to this book was that there were too many character POVs. I couldn't get emotionally invested in any of them except Annie who I was invested in for all the wrong reasons. I couldn't stand her character. She was extremely selfish and entitled despite claiming that she's only pretending to be the way she is because everyone expects her to be that way. No girl. Stop using people for your own gain and getting upset when they expect something from you in return. I couldn't wrap my head around her.

There was also so much repetition of information. Over and over we're told that Annie was three years old when her mother was killed. Cordell Lewis got charged for her murder. I don't need to read this information 10 times in various different ways through different character's POVs in order for me to understand it or retain it. There were many other facts/plot points throughout the book that were repeated over and over again as well and it gets to a point where it becomes frustrating.

The synopsis of the book is slightly misleading in that it definitely is not thriller but instead a very slow-paced "mystery" filled with little urgency and a lot of lies and secrets. I didn't hate it but sadly, I didn't care for it either.

This was my first read by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen and sadly I wasn’t impressed. The story was intriguing and I enjoyed how the past and present seemed to link up, but sadly the characters did it in.

Annie is suppose to be this flawless main character who lost her mother at a young age. She has her secrets, but she is getting married to a great guy. I hated Annie. She was just so flaky and used people to get what she wanted. She didn’t care about others and only focused on herself. So when she disappeared, I was thrilled.

The rest of the book focused on 4 other characters (Annie’s aunt, Annie’s cousin, a reporter who attended school with Annie and Annie’s closest friend). I didn’t care for any of them and it was annoying to have the novel skip back and forth between so many characters.

Such a beautiful cover, but sadly not a book I enjoyed

I love me a good suspenseful mystery. This one did not disappoint. I have not read any other books by this author, but after reading this one and being pulled into the story, I'll be searching her other titles.

I was pulled right into this story, and got nothing done until I was finished reading. It was amazing! Kept me on the edge of my seat in spots, and had my constantly guessing what was going to happen next. I may even re-read it just to see if there were parts I missed (I'm sure there were).

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this mystery. It was light and a quick read and perfect as the weather is starting to warm up to enjoy as a nice evening read. I liked how there were several characters who's stories we learned throughout the book. I feel like maybe the book could have been a bit longer and the characters could have been developed somewhat more. It wrapped up neatly which isn't my favorite in a mystery book but the conclusion surprised me and I thought was unconventional.

This one just sort of meandered around until it just ended. There was no suspense and the stories begun never came together is a satisfying way. I was expecting more action, more to happen. Instead we jump from one thin character to another. None fleshed out and none feeling reliable.

On.y Ever Her is part love story, part mystery and part family drama. There’s about to be a wedding that’s the talk of the town and the bride goes missing. I loved the balance of the different genres, giving it a fresh feeling along with the alternating viewpoint chapters. Onl6 Ever Her is the perfect springtime poolside read!

This book was a bit of a letdown for me. I was expecting a more action-packed thriller based on the description of the book (Annie's mother's supposed killer, who may have been wrongly accused based on Annie's testimony at 3 years old, is released from prison and then Annie suddenly vanishes). The book kept alternating between characters Kenny, Clary, Faye, and Laurel and I felt like I never really got to know any of them very well. I found that I didn't really particularly care for any of the characters - they were all, for the most part, unhappy with how their lives turned out. Even Annie, as the town sweetheart, had her own demons. I was able to finish the book, but it was definitely slow moving for me.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

The description of this books was amazing I was super excited when my wish was granted and I got Only Ever Her. But sadly the book and I didn’t connect and it fell flat for me. I felt confused at times and just couldn’t get into it.

Only Ever Her⭐️
With weddings and murder there is little Annie can do to keep her clam so with the wedding coming closer and Annies disappearance everything is questioned.
The prologue was amazing but the rest of the story had a different voice, many voices and none of them were as intriguing.
We follow alot of different people I think that if we were to only see two perspectives and just get more of them i would have really enjoyed this but I was trying to remeber who peope were and what their relation to Kenny was and if they were crazy or not.


Thank you so much to Lake Union Publishing via netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen. This will be released on may 7, 2019
All opinions are my own.

While I enjoyed this book, i felt like it was disjointed. There were way to many pointless backstories for my liking, and I feel like the ending could have been something incredibly twisted, but for me, it fell flat, and predictable.

I do like the pace at which MBW wrote this book, and I've loved her previous books. I honestly think Im the problem with the book. I read a lot of thrillers, so it takes a lot to surprise me lately.

If I was to use one word to describe a book (something I usually find really hard to do), I would use 'ambitious'. I will get to what that entails in just a little bit. 

This story spans a very short period in time, the events span barely a week of current time while tendrils of the past continue to reach out on every single one of those days. Annie is the darling of the town. She is the person who they saw come from adversity as a three year old and blossom into a woman preparing for her wedding. It is the talk of the town. The talk causes a lot of introspection in the minds of many directly connected to her. 

The trouble with this well written 'thriller' is that is gives us too many people to focus on. While we are effectively told which of these people had nothing to do with her untimely disappearance, we are allowed to harbour some suspicions. The problem was with the fact that there were too many people, too broken and filled with emotions that try to jostle for our attention as we read through this relatively small book. I felt for all the people we had the chance to hear the thoughts of, all except the main lead, Annie. I think we are not meant to like her in the long run and that usually takes a little bit off the enthusiasm I feel for such books.

Overall an interesting read from the point of people watching and that you never know what actually constitutes a 'normal' person in these scenarios.

Annie Taft is 26, ready to marry Scott Hanson, and move somewhere fresh. Away from the town of Ludlow, where she is known as the daughter of the murdered woman. Cordell Lewis was sentenced to life without parole for the murder of Annie's mother, Lydia Taft--largely on the word of Annie, who was only three. But his lawyer is advocating for a new trial--and Cordell's release. It's now four days before Annie's wedding; Cordell is out of jail, and Annie has disappeared. At first, Annie's aunt, Faye, who has raised her niece since the age of three, thinks she has hidden away due to nerves. But as the wedding date inches closer, Faye and her daughter, Clary, realize something is amiss. Was it Cordell, seeking revenge after all this time? Or someone who knows Annie well?

"Some people hear their mother's voices in their heads, but Annie hears her aunt's, the closest thing she has to a mother."

This book wasn't anything like what I was expecting, and honestly, it was a rather strange tale, but it was still rather interesting. It's a character-driven read, not a suspense novel, but wow, I got really attached to some of these characters. I picked this one up based solely on the strength of the last Marybeth Mayhew Whalen novel I read, WHEN WE WERE WORTHY. She has a real knack for capturing her characters: they jump off they page and stick with you. In particular, I fell hard for Faye and Clary in this one. And, of course, there was Annie, who was always there, motivating nearly every character:

"She has to make the town happy, like she always has. It is her act of service, her offering on behalf of the greater good. When you're the only survivor of the town's darkest moment, you do whatever you can to bring light."

There are a lot of narrators in the novel, but together they expertly show the web and ties of a small town, where it seems everyone has a secret of some sorts. I thought the beginning of the book was a bit slow, but it picked up in the second half, becoming rather dramatic and suspenseful. It's also an emotional read, as you become more and more invested in the characters. I expected more with Annie's storyline and disappearance--the ending sort of fizzled there for me. The more compelling piece is truly her mother's murder and its aftermath, especially on Faye.

Still, this was an interesting and poignant read featuring some excellent characters. While it was a bit slow to start, I found myself quite immersed in the second half. I really enjoy what Whalen can do with her small town personalities. 3.5 stars.

Only Ever Her was fantastic. It was wonderfully written with tragedy, romance, betrayal, sadness, grief...and it was beautiful. I thought I had it pegged, and I was wrong - and then I got hit with something I didn't even know I needed (which was actually the catalyst for my four-star rating getting bumped up to five), and then the ending was satisfactory and filled with hope. It wasn't a thriller, which is what I normally read, but it definitely kept my attention all the way through. I really, really enoyed this story, and I can't wait to read more of Marybeth's work. Five stars!

This is the first book I have read by Author Marybeth Mayhew Whalen. I found she has very intriguing characters who are well developed, strong small town family bonds, and 2 little mysteries through out the book.
I do want to point out, this is definately not a suspense or thriller book. If you go into it with an open mind you will find an enjoyable small town story with a little bit of mystery involved.
I will definately read another book by this author, as I feel he has a very well written book that was marketed to the wrong audiance.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to provide an honest review for this book.

Where do you go when it all becomes too much? For Annie Taft, she returns to the site of her worst memory. She's getting married in a week, has decided to stop seeing her high school best friend and the man who was put away for killing her mother, on her testimony, may have been innocent.

After reading the blurb and the first few chapters I was intrigued. There seemed to be a lot of potential in the storyline. Between the imminent release of the man convicted for her mother's murder and her disappearance, I was convinced that the story would be enthralling. Unfortunately, it was not to be and I soon found myself hurrying to finish the book rather than enjoying what I was reading.

The style of the narrative was an issue almost from the start. I found it to be difficult to read and often had to reread in order to understand what was being said. The multiple main characters that the book included was also off-putting to an extent. as was the number of affairs that the book seemed to include. In most books affairs seem to be the exception but in Only Ever Her, affairs seem to be the norm. There were also a number of continuation issues which made me question my own understanding of previous events and had me jumping back chapters to see if I had missed something.

The book did have some high points despite my disappointment. I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Clary and learning about her past made her present that much more intriguing. I also enjoyed how the main characters (numerous as they may be) were all actors, whether supporting or extras, in each other's stories. A sentiment that was shared by Clary during the story.

While I am unlikely to recommend this book actively, I do feel that it is a book that can be picked up as a light read if one were to start it with the expectations that were not as high as mine.

Know in advance that this is not a thriller and that it's told from multiple points of view and you'll enjoy this more than you might if you're looking for what the cover seems to promise. Yes, Annie has gone missing right before her wedding and yes, the man who she identified as the murderer of her mother has just been released from jail. However, this is really about the secrets her friends and family have kept from each other, and, in a way themselves, over the years. It can be a bit of a challenge to figure out where this is going but Whalen has it in hand. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you for providing me with an arc of this novel. Unfortunately it was not for me. I was unable to finish as I felt that the storyline did not work well and thought that the characterizations were unrealistic. I therefore do not feel that it would be fair of me to post a review on social media sites.

Guys.

If you love twisty family dramas, this book is for you.

Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is amazing at writing multi-perspective novels with great character development. I’ve loved her past work and “Only Ever Her” is no exception.

This isn’t a exactly a thriller in the traditional sense of the genre, but it certainly keeps you guessing. You’ve got the tension of a small town where everyone “knows” everyone, a rumor mill that doesn’t quit, and family and friends trying to keep their own secrets under wraps while gathering together to locate a missing girl.

It took me a minute to get completely sucked into this story, but when I did, I flew through it in a single day on vacation.

Twists, turns, gossip, mystery, some seriously creepy folks... this book has it all and Whalen does NOT disappoint.

Absolutely a great book to kick off your summer reading. This one is out May 7th.

**** Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my unbiased review ****

Annie disappears before her wedding, and everyone in her town is trying to find out what happened. There was a lot going on in this book and at times it was rather confusing. I really didn't connect with any of the characters. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Annie is about to get married but her mother's killer is also being released from prison.

Initially I didn't think I was going to enjoy Only Ever Her because it took me a while to attune my British reader eye to the American tone of the book. However, once I had done so I thought Only Ever Her was a hugely compelling narrative and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

The plot veered me away from my expectations almost immediately. With doubt over the newly released Cordell Lewis's conviction for killing Lydia, I assumed this would be the main focus of the story but Marybeth Mayhew Whalen had other ideas. I found it very entertaining to be wrong-footed so that there was much more to the story than I had anticipated.

Only Ever Her illustrates the close-knit small town America atmosphere brilliantly. Although everyone knows everyone else's business, the undercurrent of deception and distraction makes the reader feel they are part of the action because they know elements the characters do not. I felt Only Ever Her had quite a Twin Peaks feel to it and it would make an excellent television series.

The characters are distinct and realistic. I don't usually like books where there are several threads with different chapters allocated to individual characters but here it worked very effectively because they are all so well-defined. It fascinated me how Marybeth Mayhew Whalen managed to manipulate me as a reader. For example, I didn't warm to Laurel at all at the start and yet by the end of the story I felt I understood her well and had come to like her. It's also incredibly clever how the entire plot revolves around Annie and yet she is hardly present at all. It was as if I had taken ownership of her without really knowing her in much the same way the townsfolk do.

The themes of Only Ever Her have huge relevance to today's society. There's injustice and prejudice, loyalty and deception, love and longing so that the small town setting of the book could be applied to any location, making it all the more pertinent for any reader.

Having begun reading Only Ever Her feeling quite detached, I ended the book with a lump in my throat and the sensation that I had been fully entertained. I really enjoyed it.