Only Ever Her was a book that drew me in with the description. Annie Taft goes missing four days before her wedding. Is it a case of cold feet? Or has something scarier happened?

When Annie was 3, she was the only witness to her mother’s murder and her testimony helped convict the man who has been in prison for the last 23 years. New evidence has come out and was just released. Did he have something to do with her disappearance?

After reading that description - I was looking forward to a fast paced read with twists and turns that kept me guessing. Unfortunately - for me this book didn’t deliver on that promise. I didn’t feel a connection to any of the characters. The plot felt oddly paced and there were some key characters that are introduced and then basically never come back. In general, this book was a miss for me.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Annie Taft is a bride-to-be and just a few days shy of her wedding she turns up missing and everyone is searching for her. Almost every character in this book had a secret or issue that this wedding would either solve or disrupt and even a few had questionable motives.

I loved this suspense story, but my timing of reading this story maybe was a little off. In this story Annie Taft's mother was murdered many years ago and the killer is just about to get out of jail and many of the characters wonder if her disappearance have to do with him getting out of jail. In the book, The Shadow Writer which I read just before this book the mother is also murdered in that one, so I read two books in a row with dead moms, so that aspect of this story felt repetitive, but also had to do with my reading schedule.

I liked the writing in this story and I love the multiple perspectives. It was a large cast of characters, but it wasn't too hard to keep them straight. I always rate this by if I had to get a piece of paper and start writing out names and descriptors and relationships - I didn't have to do that in this one!

I read some reviews after finishing the book and can agree that the plot itself could have felt slow because there wasn't as much action as in other books, but her writing more than surpassed any slowness in the plot's pacing.

I have read a few of Marybeth Mayhew Whalen's backlist, but I have nowhere completed it. I hope to read more of them in the future.

I love a good mystery, I’m always willing to dive into a new thriller, and upon seeing Only Ever Her I was ready for another thrilling mystery that would have me hooked throughout. With Marybeth Mayhew Whalen being a name I recognised, one I’d been meaning to read for a while, I was getting myself a new mystery and finally able to put a tick next to the name.

Although I had fun with this one, it wasn’t quite what I had been expecting. As I’ve mentioned, I was ready for a thrilling mystery. Although there was a bit of mystery to this story, it felt more like a drama with a mystery underneath. It was more about the drama of the town, the secrets and the hidden details, than the big mystery I had been expecting.

Even though this one wasn’t quite the kind of story I had anticipated, I found myself devouring it in no time at all. It was a story I had to complete in a single sitting, once I had the details I needed to see how they all came together. I wanted answers, I was curious to see how things played out, and even when I worked things out I had fun watching the events and the effects.

It’s a nice and easy read, one that is great for a quick read, and I’ll certainly give more of the author’s work a read in the future.

Thank you so much to Lake Union Publishing and Little Bird Publicity for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I honestly had a really hard time getting into this novel. A lot of characters were thrown at me in the beginning and I had a hard time keeping straight who was who. I felt no connection to this book and honestly would have DNFed it if I wasn’t honestly a little curious about the outcome.

Annie Taft’s wedding is soon approaching and it’s speculated to be the wedding of the year if not the wedding of the century. Her Aunt Faye is happy for her but can’t help think about Annie moving away after the wedding. Annie is like a daughter to her as she took her in when she was 3-years-old after her mother was murdered and Annie helped convict the killer. Now all these years later the killer is claiming innocence and Annie now isn’t so sure he was guilty. Then Annie goes missing days before her wedding, right after the man who killed her mother is released.

To me it seemed like the book wasn’t really about searching for the missing bride, it was more about all these different characters living in a small town and all of their individual problems. Like I said above I had a hard time keeping up with the characters when every other chapter switches between their POVs. I thought this book was supposed to be about the suspense surrounding finding the missing bride but really it’s about everyones story while they’re searching for Annie. I wound’t have minded that if the characters had been more interesting and compelling but all of them fell short and were honestly a little annoying to me.

Having never read anything by the author and after reading this book, I honestly don’t think I really want to explore her other novels.

The plot was interesting but there was no character development. I found myself walking away from this book many times. Very average book. Too many characters hat I didn’t care for and the multiple points of view only made it harder to want to read. Didn’t do much for me.

I feel bad only giving 3 stars, but even that was pushing it... I loved the beginning of this book, but I expected a lot more suspense and drama. The last half of the story seemed to drag out and I had to keep making myself come back to try and finish the book. The multiple POV's was a bit much at times, but the plot was what kept me going so I could get answers. This was one of very few books I almost DNF, but I'm glad with the ending, even if it was a bit lack-luster on the dramatic scale.

I agreed to review Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen because I’ve really been on a suspense/thriller kick for months now. They are calling to me.

Only Ever Her was hard to put down. It’s told from 4 different perspectives and includes a wrongfully convicted man, affairs, broken relationships, and long buried family secrets. There was actually quite a lot going on for a relatively short book but it wasn’t overwhelming and it kept the pacing quick.

There were quite a few things that we don’t know in the beginning: who really killed Lydia if not the man convicted? What secret is Clary hiding? What happened to Annie? The good news is that Whalen doesn’t keep us in the dark for these answers.

One thing that I really loved about the way that Whalen told her story is that she didn’t leave any threads hanging! I hate it when there are things left undone. I like resolution and I didn’t have to worry about that here.

One thing that I didn’t love was how Annie treated a few of the people in her life. These were core people and deserved better from her. I know she felt she had to do what she was doing but she was being selfish too.

I kind of feel like Only Ever Her was more than just a thriller read. It didn’t lack in the thriller department but I’m just sad when I think about it now. I’ll definitely be checking out more of Whalen’s work! I really did enjoy this one and I’d like to read more of what she has to offer!

This character driven mystery focused on the missing bride, four days before her wedding, missed the mark a bit for me. I felt mostly ambivalent towards most of the characters and was not emotionally invested in the story line. I enjoyed the writing and the story had much potential but it was just missing a bit of action or a twist to make it more entertaining.

Thank you so much for this review copy! The cover is to die for and I will be grabbing her next book when it comes out for sure !

3.5 Stars

The story is one that’s been heard before. A bride disappears before her wedding. The difference is this bride has a history of disappearing for a few days at a time and always reappearing like no time had passed. Everyone in this story is holding their breath hoping that this is was the case this time too. As I kept reading I could tell that there was going to be more to this story than a bride with cold feet.

I liked that there were many characters telling the story. I found it easy to tell who was telling their tale and to see how life was affecting them. Their thoughts on Annie’s disappearance, the way the police and the town was handling the investigation, and what they thought of Annie was not always the same for each person. It was interesting to see how their points of view could be different for the same happenings.

I am a fan of Marybeth Mayhew Whalen and was excited when I heard she had a new book coming out. This isn’t my favorite but it is a great addition to my collection of books by authors I look forward to.

I'm always in for a small town secrets type story, and Only Ever Her falls squarely into that wheelhouse. It's told from a variety of perspectives, all of people who are connected in some way to Annie Taft, a young woman who is known in her small town mostly for the fact that at 3 years old, she gave testimony that was critical in sending a man to prison for the murder of her mother. It's days before her wedding, and her sudden disappearance not only sends everyone into a frantic search to find her, but causes those close to her to think about their relationship to her and the secrets they've kept with her.
Despite the high stakes, this wasn't the fastest paced book. It definitely has that warm, sticky summer day feel, where everything moves a little slower. It takes time for the big secrets to come out, but it was worth it when the biggest one of all was revealed. This is the first book I've read by the author, but I can see why she's appreciated in the Southern/women's fiction area.

This started with an interesting premise and a cast of suspects but failed to deliver.

Only Ever Her is the story of Annie Taft - a bride who disappears days before her wedding. Is she a Runaway Bride or did something dark happen? Told from several viewpoints - this is the story and aftermath of what happened to Annie.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Annie Taft is getting married in 4 days and everyone is working hard on preparations. That is...until the bride disappears. Is this a case of cold feet or is something more sinister at play?⁣
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This is not a thriller but a slow burn novel about secrets. There are a lot of characters, none that really stood out to me. I needed more character development, particularly for Annie. There was a disconnect for me with the characters and overall, left me feeling disgruntled about the plot. There is a mystery within the mystery and while both are given closure, it left me wanting more. Thank you @amazon for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is a book that has so much potential. The concept is one that is really intriguing, but the execution of the plot falls flat. Also, there are multiple points of view and so many sub-plots that the main story sits on the back burner for most of the novel.

Reviewing this book without giving away the ending is difficult, however, it is one that seems to have needed quite a bit more editing. I love the idea of a runaway bride murder mystery. Although, this novel just seemed a little bit all over the place. It starts off with what seems like an enjoyable main character who is struggling with whether the man who is imprisoned for her mother’s murder years ago should be released. All of this is happening at the same time she is about to be married. It seems like Only Ever Her is off to a great start, but it just begins to spiral from here, unfortunately.

❀ TOO MANY POINTS OF VIEW

Often thrillers and mysteries are written with more than one point of view, but Only Ever Her has far too many. There is a main character, her aunt, her cousin, and a news reporter who all have there own perspective and storyline in the book. All of these characters and subplots makes the book confusing to read and distracts from the mystery of where Annie disappeared to. These side stories seem to run off in tangents and don’t add to the story at all.

❀ TOO MANY SUB-PLOTS

While the missing bride theme sounds like it is going to be an interesting read, Only Ever Her is far from it. With too many perspectives and sub-plots, the book just becomes less interesting to read. If some of the extras are edited from the book, it could have some great potential.

I enjoyed this book. The overall story was captivating. Although I did stall out in the middle it was a story that I wanted to finish. There were times it seemed there may have been too much in depth information about some characters than was needed but I did enjoy the way it was told through multiple point of views. This book reminded me of a soap opera covering multiple storylines woven together to tell a story of a family. I recommend it because at the end of the book I was disappointed the story was over!
I received a ARC through Netgalley in return for an honest review. Grab this book when it goes on sale May 7, 2019!

I finished Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen this weekend. I probably could have read it in one sitting, but adulting kept getting in the way. I loved the pace of the book. I really liked the alternating between characters and I didn't have any trouble keeping up with who was who. Towards the end I was worried that my questions wouldn't get answered and there would be loose ends. But there wasn't and it wrapped up pretty well

This book had me turning the pages thinking I had it all pieced together. It was a little slow paced and I didn’t care for the third person narrative but it was still a good book.

2.5

I read Marybeth Mayhew Whalen's book, "When We Were Worthy" and really enjoyed that one. This one was lacking depth for me. The writing itself is good and easy to follow it was just the story that did not resonate with me. I feel it started off pretty good but I admit that I started skimming towards the end. I wanted to find out what happened to Annie. I guess I just did not like the characters very much. I thought adding Faye's 7-Up Chicken Salad Recipe at the end of the book was a nice thought.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for granting me the opportunity to read this Advanced Reader Copy.

“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. Did she have second thoughts?”

How can I NOT read this?!? Well, I did and I have whiplash from WAY TOO MANY POVs (in my opinion), which was confusing and lessened the plot. Too many characters that I was trying to remember and connect with, which was way too much for me when I trying to use reading an a simplistic “escape from reality”!?! I felt ,as if, literally the entire town gave their POV’s on Annie and I found myself not really caring?!?

I rated the book 2.75/5 stars. It was just not for me. Thank you Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

Contemporary suspense drama told from several viewpoints surrounding the mysterious disappearance of a local woman; only days before her wedding. Runaway Bride? Or is it possible that this is somehow connected to the recent release of the man convicted of murdering the bride's mother twenty three years ago.

Honestly, I felt torn between DNFing and continuing the book. Since I received this as an ARC, I felt I owed it to the author to give the entire story a shot. Admittedly, I was hooked in the beginning and there are some great choices of suspects. But I feel the second half of the story fizzled to a lukewarm ending and the revelations didn't really leave me satisfied. Love that cover though!

A set of bookclub questions and a recipe are included in the book. Thanks to the author, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen for a list of her book writing music playlist listed in her acknowledgment section.

Goodreads Review 04/05/19
Expected Publication 07/05/19

Hmmm... where to start? This was a well done character driven women’s fiction story. This was not a thriller, and I along with many other readers (I think) went into this with that expectation. So when you pick this one up please keep in mind this is a slower story that is all about the characters. There is a bit of a mystery but it’s not twisted or jaw dropping or anything like that. Marybeth Mayhew Whalen did a great job of creating that southern small town vibe.

Three days before Annie is supposed to get married she disappears. Is it cold feet? But how could that be she is marrying the perfect man. Does it have something to do with her mother’s murder over 20 years ago? Especially now that the convicted murderer has been found to be wrongly accused, and is being let out of jail?The book bounces around between multiple characters, all of them with a connection to Annie. We also get Annie’s perspective before she disappears. What transpires is a complex web of lives that intersect and intertwine. Reading this book was like unraveling these characters secrets and guilt.

Even though I guess you would say Annie is the main character of this book, I was much more drawn to Faye and Clary. Faye is Annie’s aunt she owns a beauty shop and I thought this gave the book a bit of a Steel Magnolia vibe. I found her unconventional relationship both touching and heartbreaking. Clary was a bit odd but endearing, I liked her bond with the doves. There really was a lot going on in this book, and we only scratched the surface on a lot of it. I did truly enjoy this book, however I believe that if there were fewer characters and a little less going on I may have enjoyed it even more. Simply put this was a well told character driven story with a dab of Mystery and a heap of heart.

*** thanks to Lake Union for my copy of this book ***