If you are looking for a mystery with rotating perspective, this is a great one for you! If you are a fan of "Mother-In-Law" by Sally Hepworth, "Only Ever Her" by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is sure to be another that tops your list of enjoyed reads.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This bound-to-be-a-bestseller will be published on May 7th, 2019.

Annie Taft is the apple of her small South Carolinian town’s eye. Her wedding is the most talked about event of the season. But her upcoming nuptials aren’t the first time Annie’s name has been prevalent in the rumor mill that is the town of Ludlow. That all started with the murder of her mother, Lydia, when she was a child. And the event still holds sway over the entire community, making Annie the focus of much attention for all of her life.
Annie is looking forward to moving away with her soon-to-be hubster Scott Hanson and escaping from her both the nightmares of her childhood and the frivolities of adulthood. She just sees one thing standing in her way...

The man who was convicted for her mother’s murder might not be guilty at all. While Annie’s first concern is the truth surrounding Cordell Lewis, she’s well aware that the memory of the town may in fact be longer than her own—and there are some who are not as concerned with discovering the truth. A solved crime reflects a safe town; unsolved, it casts the unwelcome shadow of the past.

Laurel Haines, a reporter at the town’s local newspaper, the Ludlow Ledger, is a Gilmore Girl of her own right. Raised by a prominent family, grasping at the dream of a journalist’s Pulitzer-winning lifestyle, she’s desperate to prove herself and to rise up to the story that the suspect circumstances surrounding the Taft family is revealing. But the story she’s given isn’t the one she’s expecting.

Because Annie Taft has mysteriously disappeared four days before her wedding.

Faye, Annie’s legal guardian and aunt and beloved sister of her deceased mother, is sick and tired of Annie’s sporadic and unexplained disappearances over the years. But when the disappearance stretches uncomfortably with no word from the bride, Faye begins to fear that this is no longer a young woman’s foolish and inconsiderate desire to be alone. What has happened to the niece she promised to care for?

The town begins its search for Annie, every soul seeking to find her. Some seek to find her for their own sense of safety. Some seek her out of love. Some seek her to prove their love. Secrets will be unearthed...and not all of them Annie's.

Marybeth Mayhew Whalen has an incredible ability to create characters that yearn to tell their own stories. Each character is so different. I appreciate that each chapter is dedicated to only one's viewpoint. Some are likable...some aren't. Faye and a few of the townsfolk that frequent her hair salon remind me very much of Truvy Jones and her friends from Steel Magnolias. I've already mentioned that Laurel Haines has a very Rory Gilmore kind of feel (without all the poor decisions—sorry, Rory, it's true). But I will say that Kenny, Annie's best friend, was a frustrating character for me.

The ending was succinct (if not a little anticlimactic), and I find myself placing this novel on the "to recommend" shelf with a 4 out of 5 rating. Look for it on yours May 7th!

Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen and releases May 7, 2019. In a small town a woman goes missing a few days before her wedding. Mysteries are uncovered from the past when her mother was killed and the wrong person was sentenced to prison. This book is listed as a mystery and thriller and I would not consider it a thriller since it was not fast paced. Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy of this book.

Annie, the three-year-old who sent her mother's killer to prison, has grown up and is getting married. But as the day draws closer, she is asked to help secure the release of her mother's killer. And Annie is no longer sure of her memories, so she gives what help she can. But just after the release of the alleged killer, Annie disappears. Told through the eyes Annie, her cousin Clary, her aunt Faye and her best friend Kenny, we learn the story of why Annie disappeared and what happened to her. Good story line, excellent characters.

This was my first time reading this author and I did enjoy this book. It had me turning the pages in anticipation of wanting to know what was going to happen next. I read many genres and this seemed like the typical suspense book. It started out like a missing person book but quickly changed into a murder thriller style book. At times I would have to re read to make sure I was following it accurately but I did enjoy it. Very good characters and I enjoyed the plot.

Annie Taft’s wedding is four days away, and it will be one of the grandest anyone can remember in her small South Carolina town. Preparations are in order. Friends and family are gathering in anticipation. Everything is going according to plan. Except that Annie herself has vanished. As the days pass, the list of suspects in her disappearance grows.

Could it be the recently released man a young Annie misidentified as her mother’s killer or someone even closer to her? While her loved ones frantically try to track her down, they’re forced to grapple with their own secrets—secrets with the power to reframe entire relationships, leaving each to wonder how well they really knew Annie and how well they know themselves.

I knew right away that I was going to love this book! I was hooked from the cover art instantly and the characters. This was one of those stories that felt real for me. I automatically got lost in trying to find out what happened to Annie. Really great book!!

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #OnlyEverHer
Pub Date: 07 May 2019

I first heard about this book from Anne Bogel's blog post about her most anticipated books of 2019. Naturally, I immediately added it to my TBR and requested the title on NetGalley. I was delighted to receive an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my review.
The book is part General Fiction, part Mystery/Thriller which was a winning genre combo for this reader. The novel begins with two major events that are set to unfold in Annie Taft's life; she is days away from her wedding and happily ever after that just happens to coincide with the release of the man who was convicted and imprisoned for murdering her mother when she was three years old. With new evidence indicating that the wrong man was accused of this crime and the upcoming nuptials of Annie, the small town of Ludlow, SC is abuzz with more than the usual Southern charm. Adding yet another layer of mystery to the plot, Annie disappears just days before her wedding, leaving her family and friends to wonder if she has cold feet or if something sinister has happened to the bride.
The characters in this novel are richly developed and I enjoyed seeing the story unfold from the differing perspectives of the characters with each new chapter. They each have complicated emotions and situations with which they are grappling themselves and must also come to terms with the circumstances of Annie's disappearance in their own ways. As the two main mysteries are solved, the secrets of the other characters are examined, as well. I highly recommend this one! Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nothing about this book is particularly bad or particularly great. It kind of just is. The prose itself is pleasant to read and the main characters are decently fleshed out. However, my biggest issue is that it is not what is advertised.

In reading the description I thought I was in for a thrilling mystery with maybe even a murder to figure out. As it turns out, that really isn't the focus of the story at all. There is zero sense of urgency throughout the whole thing, and the bulk of the novel is long exposition regarding characters thinking about their pasts (with, might I add, a lot of repetition). Then when it comes time for them to be brought back to the present, it's like they forgot where they were and what they were doing and reacted in very detached manners.

Disappointing because the beginning had a decent set up. I think if maybe this were advertised as a story of seeing how a small town with secrets reacts to tragedy, then I would have come out of it feeling a lot more satisfied.

I really had to struggle to get through this book. The entire plot did not ring true to me. Far too many characters, most of who I could not get a real feel for.. I have read other books by this author, and have enjoyed them, This book was gust too all over the place for my liking.

Thank you Net Galley for the ebook Arc in exchange for an honest review. Annie is going to be married in four days. The whole town is excited. When she was little her mother was murdered and she was found wandering around alone. The town immediately became caught up in her story and she became the town sweetheart. When she goes missing right before the wedding everyone is desperate to find her and the list of suspects keeps changing. At times I felt it was a bit slow but it keep me wanting to come back to see how Annie’s story will end. The ending was not exactly as I thought it would turn out. Second book I’ve read by this author and look forward to more!!

Annie disappears a few days before her wedding and her friends and family are left wondering if this is one of her "spells" where she needs time to herself, but fear that this is something more. While there was opportunity to build suspense in this storyline, I didn't feel that sense of urgency that I expected. Each chapter was from the different view of one of the characters. I felt that there were nearly too many characters to keep straight and they weren't as developed.

Just finished the @netgalley ARC “Only Ever Her” by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars. This book tells the story of Annie, a woman who’s mother died many years ago. And now, the man who was convicted of killing her is getting released. Throughout all this, Annie is also about to get married.

The reason I went 3 stars is because I really liked Whalen’s writing and the character development for all the main characters was really good. I also found myself wanting to keep reading and thinking about it while I wasn’t reading.

However, the ending is where it lost me a little. I felt like there was a decent amount of stuff not really wrapped up or revisited. There were also a few too many elements of the story that felt necessary upon finishing.

OHHHH what a thriller this one was! This was my first novel from Marybeth Mayhew Whalen and I am beyond excited that I was able to read it! This is a must read for people who love thrillers and suspense. She writes incredibly well and this is one that is a keeper!

Only Ever Her is not about a wedding. Granted, the bride disappears. The falsely accused killer of her mother is being released from prison. Coincidentally, do these events have anything to do with one another? Who killed the mother years ago? Will there be a wedding? The plot unfolds to answer questions and keep you guessing until the end. It's a good read overall. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this book! Couldn't put it down until it was finished. Will definitely be recommending to customers at my work!

A small town story set in South Carolina. Annie is about to get married but the murder of her mother years ago is now front and center because the person in prison for the murder is being released. The news of the wrong man being accused and imprisoned is overshadowing her wedding plans. A few days before the wedding Annie disappears. What secrets are being held in her hometown and who really killed her mom? A great novel by Whalen that I enjoyed very much. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

This book was very interesting. At first you think this is going to be about a bride with cold feet. This story is really about being your true self. To often we find ourselves doing what we think others want us to do. This story is unfolds to show you so many people in life have secrets and are living lives others expect of them.

I loved that it was told by several different points of view and it really kept you guessing until the end.

I found it hard to get into this book at times. It was quite far fetched and I was disappointed somewhat with the plot. The story follows a bride whose mother was murdered when she was a child. Coming up to the wedding the bride disappears.

Wow, that was something! I’m not going to lie; I thought about not finishing a time or two. It’s a really slow burn. The chapters add layers to each character and reveal their secrets but it requires quite a bit of patience.

The writing is very good so I kept at it and am glad I did. The story is a sad one with all of the characters stuck in a sort of life “limbo”, none really satisfied where they have wound up.

The ending does provide closure for all of the characters including the mystery of Annie’s mom (didn’t see that one coming!). This was good.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Lake Union Publishing for a copy in exchange for a review.

A good suspense of a bride gone missing. Some things are a bit predictable, if you're really paying attention to a lot of the conversations. I really loved all the characters and felt like we were right their in Faye's kitchen drinking coffee and waiting for news. Definitely pictured in my mind was a small southern town where everyone knows everyone and their business. I really enjoyed the read. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC

This book was a quick read for me and i really enjoyed it. I have never read anything by this author so it was nice to read from someone new. It had a great story and great twists to the story. I always love a good thriller book that keeps my interest throughout the entire thing. usually I don't always like a book with too many characters switching back and forth between chapters but this one didnt disappoint.