Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to embark on a tantalizing journey into the depths of matrimonial mystery and tangled emotions. Harriet Walker's "The Wedding Night" is an enigmatic masterpiece that unfolds with the elegance and intrigue of a formal wedding ceremony.

From the very first page, Walker invites you to witness the union of two souls, and yet, beneath the veneer of joyous celebration lies a labyrinth of secrets and hidden desires. The plot unfurls like an intricately embroidered bridal gown, each stitch revealing a fragment of the truth, each layer concealing another mystery waiting to be unraveled.

With an impeccable attention to detail, Walker paints a vivid portrait of the wedding festivities, transporting readers into a world of opulence and grandeur. The sumptuous descriptions of the venue, the lavish decorations, and the ethereal beauty of the bride evoke a sense of awe and wonder, luring you deeper into the alluring façade of this matrimonial affair.

As the plot thickens, the characters emerge like guests at a masked ball, their true intentions shrouded behind charming smiles and carefully chosen words. The bride, radiant and enigmatic, carries the weight of undisclosed secrets, while the groom exudes an air of enigmatic confidence that leaves you questioning his true nature. Each member of the wedding party adds another layer to the mystique, with their hidden motives and elusive pasts weaving a mesmerizing tapestry of uncertainty.

Walker's prose dances with a grace and precision reminiscent of a choreographed waltz. Her elegant writing style sweeps you along, mirroring the rhythms and emotions of a wedding celebration. The narrative unfolds with tantalizing pacing, balancing suspense and revelation, building anticipation with each passing chapter.

The atmosphere of "The Wedding Night" is suffused with an aura of ambiguity and whispered confidences. With every turn of the page, you find yourself drawn deeper into a world where truth and deception intermingle, where promises are made and shattered, and where the ultimate revelation lies in the hands of the bride and groom.

This book is a mysterious bouquet of emotions, expertly crafted to keep readers guessing until the final pages. Walker skillfully explores the complexities of human relationships and the power dynamics that underpin them. With a deft touch, she explores themes of love, betrayal, and the price we pay to maintain appearances.

"The Wedding Night" is a tantalizing puzzle, a delicate dance of secrets and revelations that will leave you breathless until the last vows are exchanged. Harriet Walker has crafted a mysterious and captivating tale that will enthrall readers, much like the allure of a clandestine rendezvous amidst the flickering candlelight of a midnight wedding.

This book was too long, dragging the story out. It was advertised to be a thriller, but really wasn't. The premise of the story was promising, but in the end did not deliver.

This was an enjoyable read overall but I would not consider it a psychological thriller. Some parts were long and too drug out and the story didn't really have a lot of action.

The Wedding Night is about a group of friends who travel to France to help their friend Lizzie forget about her wedding that didn't happen. After a night of heavy drinking everyone wakes up the next day trying to figure out what happened the night before. Everyone seems to be hiding something and it's great to see what unravels! You won't be able to stop reading!

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

This book started out slow but I continued to read giving it a chance to be thrilling, a book about a destination wedding in a secluded place how could it not get good, right. Well I was super surprised when I kept waiting and the thriller never came. There were some great parts and others not so great, the story could get a little long winded and say a whole lot of nothing. Over all the book was ok, I’m thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for my honesty.

I would say this book is less psychologically thrilling and more character driven fiction. The story focuses on the friendships of the characters, focusing specifically on how that dynamic has changed over time. While I did ultimately enjoy the story, it wasn't the suspense I was hoping for.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was an interesting read for me not the best thriller I have read this year but not the worse. A solid three stars. The story surrounds Effie, Anna and Lizzie forged a strong bond of friendship during college that has endured through the ensuing years, although careers, marriage and motherhood. It is all wrapped up in a secret that is shared by two of the women that adds fuel to the story. The focus of the story is the pending marriage of Lizzie and Dan, but in the week leading up to their destination wedding they call it off and cancel all the arrangements. Determined to enjoy the time off the cast of characters and some awesome extras along for the rollercoaster ride.
However, once the group arrives things begin to unravel quite rapidly, exposing a somewhat sinister element leading to a psychological game impacting the entire group. The suspense is generated by the gradual revelation of clues as to the identity of mastermind behind the game, but a subtle thread keeps things off balance. It is that off balance that drove me to continue reading and the facture that will get me to pick up yet another book by this author.

My thanks to the author, Random House Publishing - Ballantine, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing a digital ARC in exchange for an independent, honest review. So sorry that it is very delayed it is no reflection on how much I enjoyed this book.

This romance with a twist kept me turning the pages long past when I should have been doing other things. But I’m glad to have finished it and although it seemed to be riding off the rails all was tied up neatly by the end. I found #theweddingnight to be a good read and one I would recommend wholeheartedly. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for this copy to read and review.

While I enjoyed this book, there were times that it felt quite slow and draggy.... there was a twist I didn't see coming, and that's always a nice surprise. I'd read another novel by Harriet Walker in the future, because I think she is a talented writer; I just feel like there could have been a few pages shaved off this particular novel. Still a solid book, overall.

My thoughts throughout: You know where loyalty does not exist? In any of the friendships in this book. The secrets and the lies in this "friend group" are astounding. In true Harriet Walker form, she had me thinking I knew who the villain in this story was, but low key, there is a lot of blood on everyone's hands.

My thoughts at the end: So perhaps I jumped the gun in my assessments. Some might even say I was loud and wrong, but you know what? I regret nothing. *Cue evil cartoon villain laughter* The way this unhinged trip came together at the end...it's a celebration, clap-clap, bravo

I loved The New Girl and fortunately Walker’s next novel didn’t disappoint! The set up was right up my alley- a group of friends away for an out if town wedding when things start going strangely. (While very different, there were flashed of Lucy Foley’s “The Guest list” initially, which is a compliment. While the characters could be frustrating in situations where a direct and givers conversation could have avoided so many negative consequences, Walker, unlike many authors, makes the failure to have those conversations make SENSE by showing how shame and fear and assumptions prevent us from being he rationale drama free people are all like to be. The story was well crafted and the ending was satisfying and creative. Recommend!

Oh, how I love Harriet Walker! I was so thrilled to pick up an ARC of The Wedding Night. As always, she did not disappoint!

We first meet bride to be Lizzie, who is getting ready for her wedding in the south of France. But when Lizzie calls off the wedding a week before the big day, her closest friends are stunned. Since the beautiful château is already paid for, her friends convince Lizzie to go take her mind off of things. But after their first drunken night, intimidating messages for Lizzie pop up -- and her and her friends try to figure out who's tormenting her.

This book was such a true narrative of female friendship, secrets and gossip. A great summer read for 2021!

Lizzie breaks off her wedding but decides to enjoy the Chateau that had already been paid for- she makes sure to invite her closest friends in The Wedding Night by Harriet Walker. A dream vacation home in a romantic setting sounds like a great place to unwind. Each person seems to have their own reasons for needing a get a way, and since the story is written with multiple narratives we get to find out about those reasons early into the novel.

Once they finally arrive at the venue, they are shocked to discover that everything is set up for the wedding...even though it was cancelled long ago. Lizzie can't handle seeing the beautiful cake and flowers so off to bed she goes...but her friends start drinking and wind up tasting the cake and drinking the champagne!! The next morning, Lizzie wakes up hurt and dismayed to see her friends enjoying her wedding feast without her. Someone is targeting Lizzie and it takes awhile before the others catch on that one of them may be sabotaging Lizzie and her vacation.

This is a great read- twisty, and full of interesting characters with their own stories. I like the ending...it was perfect...but most of all I enjoyed the themes of friendship and love within The Wedding Night. Definitely recommend!

I received a digital advance review copy to read and enjoy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine. As always, my review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.


#TheWeddingNight #NetGalley #twistyplots

I really enjoyed this - the email at the beginning hooked me right away. But this was not the thriller I thought it would be. Its more a study on relationships. This wasn't as dark or gritty as Walker's previous books.

After Lizzie calls off her wedding to the surprise of all her friends, they convince her to travel to the picturesque French venue since it was already paid for. Lizzie reluctantly agrees, and when they arrive at the French chateau, they find that instead of the arrangements being cancelled, the facility is set and ready for the bridal party as if the wedding were still happening. Lizzie, sickened and distraught, retires to a room while her friends engage in a faux wedding party to end all parties. When they awake the next morning to Lizzie's stunned shock, they are embarrassed and taken aback themselves at how out of hand the revelry was. As they began cleaning up the mess, they began remembering what happened the night before that brought them to this point. Past and current events were revealed that shed light on many relationships within the group and led to an ultimate show-down.

I was a little let down with this book - I was really looking forward to a creepy story featuring a psychopath that holds a wedding party hostage. While the book approached this genre, it didn't quite make the cut for me. The psychopath became quickly predictable (look for the party guest that didn't fit with the rest) and as Lizzie's past was revealed to show what led to this point, it was a little unbelievable for me that she would not have confided in her closest and oldest girlfriends her fears about what was going on. I think it was a good premise and I will even say the plot and storyline were well developed, but I just had a tough time making it through the book.

Twisty entertaining read. Nicely done. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review

Lizzie and Dan call off their wedding. They still decide to go to the venue of the wedding with their guests. A secluded house in France sets the stage for a suspenseful tale full intrigue and deception. This slow burn mystery is cleverly written and perfectly paced delivering many twists throughout. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my copy.

The Wedding Night by Harriet Walker is billed as a thriller, but it isn't quite that. Apart from that identity crisis, the novel functions well as a reframe with the understanding that it is a suspenseful drama with a lush setting. When the wedding is canceled, a group of friends still decided to head to a French château.

It's a story of mystery and intrigue.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

“I realized I had given away my privacy as though it were any other belonging that someone might borrow and return”

Imagine going to a destination wedding, only to have your best friend send an email that the wedding was off. Why would she call off the wedding?

I thoroughly enjoyed how the author weaved this tale that was told from the POVs of three best friends, Lizzie, Effie and Ana, and different timelines.
On “The Wedding Night” that didn’t happen, they had a party and their memories were quite hazy the next day.

What happened on that night for the wedding to be canceled and what happened in College that would play a role in the events that lead up to the twist?

Definitely recommend to anyone that has a close group of girlfriends they have been having for years and that shared a secret.