Mayhew is quickly becoming one of my favorite novelists. She somehow creates compelling characters that are relatable, sympathetic, and realistically flawed. Usually, I have a hard time keeping people straight in novels with multiple characters, but Mayhew writes her characters with distinctive voices and back stories. This would be a fantastic book club pick!

Only Ever Her is my first book by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen. I had seen a lot of good review, but this one just wasn't for me.
I felt that the pacing was a little slow and when the main character, Annie, went missing I found it hard to care because I felt like I didn't know much about her.
I would recommend this book to someone who likes more of a slow burn suspense story.

I really wanted to like this book—it had interesting characters, a promising premise, and some parts that were quite interesting. It was, however, slow-moving, especially in the beginning. It was hard to maintain interest with it’s slower pace at times.

Enjoyed this book but found it a bit slow at places worth a read though. I would recommend it thanks for the advanced copy.

Mary Beth Whalen is an automatic request/buy for me these days - her unforgettable characters, slow southern charm and the air of mystery in a small town set up an atmosphere that works for me as a reader. There was a definite Steel Magnolias vibe with Only Ever Her, from the beauty parlor scenes to the delicate, vulnerable belle, our Annie. There were 2 whodunit mysteries connected by terrible tragedy in this book, and I was rooting for our characters to solve it - before it was too late.

I loved that the main players were lovable but far from perfect, with quirks that made them human - and possibly guilty.

The wrap up of our long-ago mystery gave me chills, although I would have loved a few more clues. As for our modern tragedy - I would have liked a bit more intrigue and tension. Overall I missed the town of Ludlow, South Carolina when I finished the book, a sign of a truly enjoyable read.

Thanks so much to Netgalley for this preview!

Bride-to-be Annie Taft goes missing 4 days before her wedding, right after her mother's alleged murderer is released from prison. The entire town is frantic with worry because Annie is a beloved hometown girl with a very tragic past.

The story is told by multiple characters that surround Annie's life and her hometown, through flashbacks and present day interactions. Each of these characters are flawed, complicated, selfish, and harbor many secrets. Most of them are involved in clandestine relationships. Many are unlikeable.

Romantic love is very complicated and dysfunctional in this book. There no healthy romantic relationships in the entire story. Many of the characters have love for another person that is not returned or reciprocated, and the title of the book Only Ever Her is very fitting.

The main plot has the makings of a taut thriller, but the focus of the book is character development so the pace is a slow burn. The book delves into each characters' past to give insight into what makes them into the person that they are today. This is my first read of Marybeth Mayhew Whalen's work and I enjoyed it.

I love suspenseful books with strong character development and a satisfying closure. But, I would have liked this story to have more closure for many of the characters and the book felt a little unfinished for me. In the end, some of the plotline is unresolved and I would have liked the story to be extended and more closure to occur. Also, the character perspectives changed very often and sometimes it was challenging for me to keep them straight because they were so similar.

This book is about revenge, release, secrets, clandestine love, infidelity, family, forgiveness, and acceptance. The last 10% of the book make the entire story worthwhile, because we find out what happens to Annie and some of the loose ends are tied together.

Slow. Main characters had their own chapters. A bit confusing, and it wasn't flowing. Wanted to like this book!!

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

I really enjoyed the storyline and how each chapter is from a different person’s perspective. In the first quarter of the book I struggled with wanting to finish it. I found the main character, Annie, more annoying than anything. But I continued and I am glad I did. The book became better and I really enjoyed the second half of the book, as well as the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Annie is getting married in four days. Her wedding is the talk of the town. At the same time, the man who murdered her mother is being released and there will be a new trial. Annie identified him when she was 3 years old.

Annie disappears suddenly. Where is she? Is someone responsible?

There was so much potential here. The story is set up for all of this suspense, but it falls very flat. There is a lack of character development. I wanted to know more about Annie before her disappearance, which I think could have helped the story. The story jumps from character to character and is confusing at times. I managed to finish it though, and it was a letdown.

A glorious wedding a few days away suddenly the bride disappears.Family friends react secrets are revealed we are drawn back in time to acts that still reverberate today.A book that drew me in kept me involved with the wonderfully drawn characters highly recommend,#netgalley #onlyeverher #netgalley,

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. This was a very interesting book, with the plot told through varying narrators and time periods. We have a missing bride to be, a dark family history and well developed characters. the characters aren't all likeable, but to me that's usually the mark of a good writer...being able to draw you in even if you don't like the characters. This is a must read.

Only Ever Her is the perfect title for this book, as each main character is chasing someone else. Wether it is another version of themselves they are seeking, or their counter part completion. I love a book told from varying character perspectives, and the author was able to portray each character uniquely. I was slightly disappointed that the ending seemed to come at approximately 75% finished? After that the book seemed anticlimactic and not as compelling as the first half. Overall, I would read this author again and look forward to another title!

I felt the concept was a good one but this fell flat for me. Annie's character needed to be more developed and the WHO was someone who was barely in the story.

hank you to #NetGalley for this ARC of #OnlyEverHer

If you go into this novel expecting a fast-paced thriller or anything of a typical suspense novel, you will be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Mary Beth Whalen has created an in-depth narrative examining the lives of the people surrounding her main character and missing person, Annie Taft. It is emotional and deeply character driven, highlighting the internal and external conflicts that come with harboring secrets. The story is profoundly engaging, holds a bit of suspense, and allows the reader to witness the impact one person can have on a community. Whalen does something marvelous in creating her main character when she provides most of Annie’s portrayal to be from that of the other characters in the story. This, in turn, allows Annie to become both protagonist and antagonist and while Annie is at the center of the plot, the other characters and their journey of self-reflection and change is truly what this novel is about. Great read. 5 stars.

This novel had an excellent recipe for great suspense—the bride goes missing days before the wedding. Man accused of killing the bride's mother released from prison. However, it fell short for most of the storyline. I know the author was setting us up for more, as we continued with each character. With each character’s chapters, we would learn a bit more of each one’s drama, and a secret each were harboring.
I would of like to had more time with Annie, the missing bride. I felt we didn’t learn much about her. And what I did learn, I’m not sure I was all that impressed with her…or cared if she was missing. Why couldn’t she love Kenny and be with him? That, I didn’t understand, and it put a bad taste in my mouth as to maybe she thought she was too good for him.

Annie first meets with a lawyer, who is releasing the man accused of murdering her mother twenty-three years ago, due to evidence that was never released in the trial. She meets with Kenny, not sure why, but we find out at the end of the book. This is the beginning, and she’s now missing. Her cousin, Clary, and Aunt her raised her, Faye both struggle with their secrets while searching for the missing Annie. A sheriff, Hal, and reporter and close family friend, Laurel are also caught up in the investigation.

I almost gave up but trekked on. I was ready for the predictable: what or who was guilty and was pretty much on track with that. I was afraid the story would leave us hanging with the real murderer of Lydia, the bride’s, Annie's mother. Of which was a shocker. And though this part of the book had me glued—the last few chapters, the big reveal gave little, due to the fact he was never really a character in the novel.

I did feel the southern closeness of these characters and at times felt confused as to who was related to who. And at times felt the main characters wanted more from each other than they were willing to give. But that was due to the secrets the author had them keep up until the end. Which in all reality, are everyday secrets we all have.

I had heard rave reviews about this one so was eager to read it, but it missed the mark for me.
Unfortunately, I thought this book was super boring. I almost DNF'd several times... I got to about 60 percent and just skimmed the rest- I'd made it that far that I did want to know what happened.

The lack of character development for the main character was an issue for me. I found myself not really caring what happened to Annie - the few chapters she was actually in portrayed her as a selfish brat, in my opinion. There were so many characters and it jumped around so much, but not really in a good way. I just found this to be a very slow book. I would not recommend to thriller/suspense fans.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This had the making of a really good book, but I found myself becoming bored by the characters. I was also disappointed that Annie’s character wasn’t developed as much as I was hoping for. She is introduced to us in very little detail before she goes missing. Perhaps that was the author’s intent, but I wanted to experience a stronger connection to her as I read through the story. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where this novel was lacking or where it fell short, as the storyline was intriguing. Overall, I feel that it’s missing the interest and flow of a great mystery/thriller, and I just wasn’t captivated or motivated to keep turning the pages in this book.

Couldn't get into this storyline or the characters and I must admit I gave up halfway through.

This book wasn't for me but thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishers.

Oh my goodness I cannot wait for y’all to read Marybeth Mayhew Whalen’s newest book in May. This was the perfect blend of general fiction and mystery/thriller. I was fully invested in all of the characters’s storylines and I couldn’t wait to find out how everything ended. Y’all, this one was soooo good!!!