This was my first by Swanson, and not my typical genre but I found it to be entertainingly quick and enjoyable nonetheless. I don’t think anything here really blew me away and ended up feeling like a middle of the road book. It was an interesting mix of thriller/dystopian that I wasn’t expecting. I certainly can see why others enjoy his books, and I’d read something else of his for sure.

This was a solid three stars. I was interested to find out what happened, but I also predicted a lot of it. Our main character, Abigail, enters a relationship with Bruce, who tells her at first meeting that he's in love with her, wants to spend the rest of his life with her and wants to pay off her student loans. Red flags? Not for Abigail, who decides to date him and get engaged to him.

Yet, on her bachelorette weekend (planned by Bruce), she sleeps with some random dude at the bar. Random dude sends her an email saying he thought they had a connection. She's a little freaked out (especially because she obviously didn't tell Bruce about this) and starts to get paranoid. Abigail continues to convince herself that Bruce is worth marrying (which, again, red flag?) but goes through with it.

The fun starts when they go on their honeymoon - to a remote island (that Bruce planned). There are a lot of questions and implausabilities here that you have to kind of ignore for the sake of the story, but it was interesting. I didn't love the ending, and there were just so many times that I said, "Really?"

I've read other Peter Swanson books and liked them more than this one, but that's not to say this was bad.

I'm ready to tear through Swanson's backlist after devouring this vicious read. Domestic thrillers have been yawn-inducing lately, but Every Vow You Break was anything but.

I'm sorry, I always feel guilty when I can't finish a book, but I couldn't get into this one. I tried several times, but I just did not like Abigail or Bruce at all. I feel sad about this, because I usually love Peter Swanson's books.

The first 50% of this book was very gripping and page-turning. I was really enjoying the story line, as I do with most Peter Swanson's works, but the last half really threw me for a loop. A loop that I didn't enjoy. The last turn of the book got really strange and I couldn't keep up with it. It seemed like too wild of a twist for it to be believable. It was something that I hadn't read before, which is something that tends to happen frequently when reading thrillers.

It was probably my least favorite Swanson book. I didn't recommend it to friends that enjoyed his previous books.

I enjoyed reading this book and loved the plot. It was a great mystery read that I brought on vacation!

Peter Swanson always delivers a fast-paced and engaging read, and 'Every Vow You Break' is no different. What I did find different though is that the deep character development of the bad guy was lacking. While the author did give some hint about the motivation of the perpetrator, it wasn't as well fleshed out as in his previous books. Another thing he did differently here was the almost painstaking description of mundane tasks, zeroing in on each detail, just as a director does in a horror film, forcing you to focus on minutiae because you're never quite sure what might be significant, or when the next shoe might drop. That device worked for me and almost compensated for the other pitfalls. It made me pay attention and not read mindlessly, or too quickly, even though, in general, this was a very quick read.

Another aspect of the book that jumped out for me was the subtle homage Swanson paid to old movies, just as he did to old books in 'Eight Perfect Murders', and just as he did to noir fiction in general with his very first novel. It's clear that Swanson is a fan of classic narratives and studies them.

Now the plot ... I liked but didn't love it. This is the one time I felt that it strained credulity a little, which is a strange thing to say considering Swanson was able to convince me that a woman formed a bond with her serial killer next-door neighbor in 'Before She Knew Him'. But in this case, I think it may have something to do with the motivation of the bad guy. It felt a little thin to me. But in this case, as in all the others, Swanson gave us the everyday psychopath rather than the frothing-at-the-mouth homicidal maniac ... thank God. And I liked the consistency of his choice to have the main character be someone interesting and resourceful, who doesn't always make good decisions, but never does anything so head-smackingly stupid that you lose empathy for them.

I was with Abigail, the main character, the entire way, and can honestly say there was not a moment she made a decision or chose a course of action I didn't understand, which is key for me to enjoy this genre. It was, I think the most compelling part of this book. Making me feel as though I was walking the main character's path with them overcame everything else I may have had misgivings about. And at the end of the day, Peter Swanson is just a top-notch suspense writer.

The ending of this book was so tense I couldn’t stop reading even to eat dinner. The remote island, the reversals that keep coming, and the obstacles that keep piling up make for an adrenaline-filled reading experience.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)

WOW. I don’t really have the words for how much I enjoyed this book. I will say I did not expect to enjoy it quite so much, but I’m glad I put it on my bingo board.

You’re going to be confused. Very confused. But just trust the process. This author really knows how to draw out the suspense. All the questions you have throughout this book will be answered at the end.

I will absolutely read this one again.

This one was a big miss for me, I found most of the plot to be unbelievable and the twists were just silly. Such a shame because I’ve enjoyed his other books

Where do I even begin with this book? When first getting into the story, I started to get ‘Get Out’ vibes, but then it went in a completely different direction. (And not in positive direction) 😣 The one thing that really stood out was the misogyny. The author definitely put it out there at how absolute trash men can be. The plot holes. Eek. I cannot get past the “twist” and the absolute shit fest that was the ending. Lord almighty, let’s cross all our fingers and toes that Swanson does better with his next novel. 🥴

So The Kind Worth Killing is one of my favorite books. I go into every Peter Swanson book with high expectations and this one was way too predictable.

Holy cow, this book was fantastic and a little scary! Abigail is a good woman, but on her bachelorette weekend, she makes a mistake, a big mistake! She has a one night stand. Abigail never tells her fiancé and the wedding goes off without an issue. But her honeymoon is a different story! Abigail finds herself on an island with one other honeymooning couple and lots of men, including the man she had her one night stand with. Other than being weirded out by her husband's desires to stay at the camp, even though she wants to leave, Abigail tries to make the best of it, if only the plane would come to take her home.

This book made me want to read more from Peter Swanson. I loved it that much!

This was a really good one!! It was very readable. The descriptions of the island were great & I love how Swanson gives his characters interesting backstories. It doesn’t focus closely on the wedding, it focuses more on the aftermath of the wedding during the honeymoon.

I have enjoyed all Peter Swanson books I have read and was very excited to be able to read an advanced copy of this one. However, it did not live up to my expectations this time. I did not connect with any of the characters and the plot was quite predictable, missing some good twists and turns. While it could be a quick read, I didn't love it...it made me uncomfortable...and I didn't want to pick it up.

Our main character Abigail is about to be married to a millionaire named Bruce Lamb. While away on her bachelorette trip, she meets and connects with a man she calls Scottie. Over the course of the night, Abigail and Scottie sleep together and Abigail considers it a one-night stand and goes through with her wedding to Bruce.

Cut to the honeymoon at a luxurious campground in Maine complete with secluded bunks (cabins) each with a personal butler, a large lodge, and absolutely no electronics of any sort. Bruce has been there before, but Abigail hasn’t. While she feels things are a little off, everything changes when Scottie shows up.

Can she trust him, or will he rat her out to her new husband? Or does her husband already know?

Peter Swanson continues to write interesting mysteries that have the reader turning the pages. In this one, a bride to be’s unfaithfulness comes back to haunt her as she is trapped on an island off the coast of Maine with no where to turn. I enjoyed the characters and the little twists, but the book lacked a twist at the end I felt it needed. I’d still recommend this book, great summer reading, to my customers.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

Oh Peter Swanson, you so crazy!! Every Vow You Break is only my third time reading this author (which apparently is half of the books he has written) but I already know that I will never be disappointed. This was a crazy, intense, and super bumpy ride, and although I know a lot of readers were able to figure out the twists, Swanson sure had me fooled. I loved the fast pace of the novel which kept me very engaged, and who doesn't love a locked-room mystery? I loved the setting on the island where Abigail is honeymooning with Bruce, and it made for a nice, ominous setting especially when things start getting REALLY crazy. It really wasn't an easy read either and it does end up getting pretty dang dark, which in a way reminded me a bit of The Family by P.R. Black which I LOVED for its mind-effing qualities. Basically what I'm saying is that Every Vow You Break isn't for the faint of heart and it actually has some horror-type qualities that I was a huge fan of.

Even though I did mention twists earlier, there really is only 1 twist that is major in Every Vow You Break, and I don't recommend going in thinking it will be some super-twisty thriller. It was more atmospheric and creepy than anything, and I guess I can see why this has a lower average. I couldn't stop reading and this is the kind of book that would make for an amazing movie, so I hope somebody picks up the film rights for it. The audiobook made it all feel very real and is narrated by the lovely Karissa Vacker. Vacker has narrated a large handful of books I have listened to and she never disappoints. I thought she did such an excellent job bringing Abigail’s fear and unease to life, and I highly recommend the audio if that is something you're into. Listened to this thing all in 1 day and I would say if you love horror elements and don't mind fewer twists in your books, Every Vow You Break is a perfect choice.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Abigail Baskin is soon to marry her affluent fiance Bruce Lamb when, on a bachelorette weekend at a west coast winery, she has an intimate encounter with a charming stranger. The one-night stand leaves her feeling guilty and introspective, questioning her true feelings for Bruce and their relationship. Despite her ambivalence, Abigail has decided to bury her secret from that weekend, secure in the fact that she and the stranger hadn't disclosed any personal information to each other and had used false names. Thus the wedding plans proceed, flawlessly executed by Bruce's attentiveness and wealth.

Shorty before the wedding, however, Abigail realizes that her mystery man may be stalking her. And when Scottie shows up on the remote island where Abigail and Bruce are honeymooning, an unimaginable nightmare begins to unfold . . .

Every Vow You Break is filled with the breathtaking twists and turns that are characteristic of each of Swanson's novels. This expertly crafted, pulse raising, page turning, psychologically suspenseful novel shows yet again why Swanson is one of the best contemporary writers in the genre.

Peter Swanson is a fantastic mystery author, and I was looking forward to this book but I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the mood for this type of book or it just isn’t Peter’s best work. I did finish so that is a positive because there are a lot of books I quit a couple chapters in. I look forward to seeing the next book.