Lucy has dreamt of her wedding day for as long as she can remember.

And now the day is almost here. Her nearest and dearest are gathered on an idyllic Greek island and she just knows it's going to be perfect. It has to be.

But even the best-laid plans can go horribly wrong. Why are her parents behaving so strangely? Why won't the rather odd lady from the airport stop hanging around? Who is the silent stranger her sister brought as a plus one?

And then they find the body.

It's going to be a day to remember.

Right from the start you realise that this wedding is a fun-filled one and its going to be one twisty ride!

It’s a well written plot that manages to hold your attention throughout. As the characters get introduced into the plot, you realise that each one of them are hiding something and it will be interesting to know what secrets lie hidden.

There is so much drama going on throughout as well as there are a so many twists along the way which kept me guessing and wondering what’s going to happen next.

The main highlight for me was that the readers are made aware that a body has been found on the beach. While normally we try to figure out the perpetrator and the motives behind the crime, in this case, both the victim and the perpetrator aren’t revealed until the end, which made the plot even more interesting.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House UK for this ARC!

The Wedding Party was another fun, twisty and gripping read from this amazing author!

I soon found myself drawn into the story and the stressful world of wedding madness that surrounds Lucy’s wedding. From our first meeting with the characters the reader becomes aware that things aren’t quite as happy families as Lucy hopes. There are lots of secrets being hiden by the members of the wedding party and it was deliciously fun to see everything come out in the open.

The characters are all interesting creations that I enjoyed following throughout the book. None are particularly likeable which made the story easier to enjoy in my opinion as I felt I could just relax and observe. I thought it was very clever how the author slowly revealed different parts of the character’s personalities as the story went on, so what initially seem like very superficial personalities actually have a lot more depth to them.

Overall i really enjoyed this book which I managed to finish in a couple days. There’s a great pace to the book from the start which slowly increases as we get to know the characters and discover the secrets they’ve been hiding. There are a few twists along the way which kept me guessing and I found the book hard to put down as I wanted to know what would be revealed and when. The ending took me completely by surprise and had me turning back through the pages to reread parts of the story.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Transworld for my copy of this book via netgalley.

The Wedding Party by Tammy Cohen
Pub Date 19 August 2021
Till death do us part . . .
Lucy has dreamt of her wedding day for as long as she can remember.
And now the day is almost here. Her nearest and dearest are gathered on an idyllic Greek island and she just knows it's going to be perfect. It has to be.
But even the best-laid plans can go horribly wrong. Why are her parents behaving so strangely? Why won't the rather odd lady from the airport stop hanging around? Who is the silent stranger her sister brought as a plus-1?
And then they find the body.
It's going to be a day to remember.

Tammy Cohen sets practically everyone up as a clifftop murderer, and all though you know a body has been found on the beach, you won't know who has been killed until the final chapters of the story. While trying to figure out who the perpetrator of the crime is, you unavoidably try to figure out who the victim is.
The story centres around a dysfunctional family and is told from the perspectives of each member.
This is a very cleverly written mystery.
I am happy to recommend this all-embracing book.
I want to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Black Swan and author Tammy Cohen for a pre-publication copy to review.

Lucy and Jason are getting married on the Greek island of Kefalonia, with just a handful of their nearest and dearest in attendance. The intimate, yet extravagant, wedding of Lucy's dreams has been spiralling out of control for months now, and the bills are starting to go unpaid. Lucy is trying not to stress about it, because this IS supposed to be the happiest week of her life, but the wedding planner just won't quit bugging her about the unpaid bill. Also, her sister has shown up with someone she just met as her plus-one, her parents are barely speaking to each other, and everyone is making it really hard on her to stay zen for her special day. And then they find a body....
This story is told in alternating parts between the different characters and interspersed throughout there are journal entries. It takes you about halfway through the book before you discover who the journal belongs to, so that just adds to the mystery of it. There are also interviews with the police detectives after the body is discovered, but it isn't immediately discernible from those who it is that has died. So you know someone died, but all of the details are slowly leaked throughout the story. I enjoyed the fact that so many of the guests had secrets, and trying to guess who was getting killed & who was the killer. My complaints are that none of the people in the story were really likeable, and the ending just felt kind of rushed or forced, especially after dragging out the information through the entire book it just kind of abruptly ended. Otherwise, it was a good mystery, that will definitely keep you guessing.

In The Wedding Party, Kefalonia has been chosen as the place for Lucy Collins's wedding to Jason, and the guests arrive a few days before the ceremony due to take place on 15 June. The story is told from the perspective of a number of different guests giving the tale some interesting dimensions. Upfront, the reader knows that someone will die but not who. The focus of the tale is on the events leading up to the unfortunate person's death.

Tammy Cohen's writing really wows and this is not my first book by this author but my second. Her descriptions of the locale were impressive I was transported there, experiencing the ambience of the Greek island. The characters were difficult to like but played their parts well. Written with style and flair, the plot execution was tremendous and the pacing was comfortable. There were no disappointments and I was completely gripped from the outset, loving the twists. Brilliantly crafted, the suspense was level was set to high from the beginning as you know that something dreadful will happen, all the while wondering exactly what. The Wedding Party was everything I wanted from a tip-top, tense, drama style thriller, and I enjoyed reading how things played out in the finale. I will be looking out for more from this talented author.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Black Swan via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is one of those books where you know someone is dead from the start but don't know who. Meaning it's quite hard to try and work out whodunnit when you don't know who it was done to!
Set at a wedding on a Greek island, we follow the action in the days leading up to said event, with the odd witness statement thrown into the mix every so often. Witness statements that as well as adding information also narrow down the victim, for obvious reasons! Oh and there's entries from a journal to add some more spice.
Well... the Wedding Party of the title are an eclectic bunch of the most dysfunctional characters I have seen in time. Each one to a tee is, well, just awful. So awful that I actually started rooting for various killers and corresponding victims along the way!
Lucy and Jason are getting married. In front of her best friend, his best friend + wife, his mother, her parents, her sister and some weird bloke he sister has dragged along for the ride. Throw in a highly strung wedding planner and her dysfunctional relationship with her husband, as well as a rather strange guest staying at the same hotel, and you can see the sparks start to fly.
Sounds a right bunch, especially when extra relationships between certain of them start to either develop or be exposed. And it all goes a bit South from there on in. Until finally... well... I'll leave you to discover that in your own time.
When it does get going, and it did take a wee while, it's a veritable romp to the end, with farcical elements along the way as it all gets a bit ott and predictable in places.
But for all the incredible things that do happen along the way, the author manages to justify and explain them mostly to my satisfaction. Although I still rolled my eyes. But, that said, it was a bit of larger than life fun that I did have along the way and it was on the whole satisfying when I got to the end.
This is an author whose back catalogue I have already dipped into once or twice before. I must make an effort to fill in the gaps soon.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

With a perfect wedding planned what could possibly go wrong.....?
Poor Lucy, there were some very disconcerting moments in this book.
So many secrets held by the characters.
A good read for my first introduction to Tammy Cohen

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Black Swan for an ARC for an honest review.

All her life Lucy has dreamt of the perfect wedding. It took her 18 months to plan everything to detail so that her nuptials to Jason would be the most spectacular moment. The wedding party arrives on the beautiful Greek island of Kefalonia already a couple of days prior to enjoy themselves and to prepare for the big day. Yet, from the start, things do not run as smoothly as expected. Lucy’s sister Jess appears with a stranger in tow, her parents behave strangely and her wedding planner Nina is asking repeatedly for the pay of the last bill which Lucy simply couldn’t settle as she has been overspending and is totally broke. It is only her best friend Shelly who supports her unconditionally. But this is only the beginning, with the strange woman Vivian, a doomy omen seems to have arrived at their luxurious hotel threatening not only to destroy the best day of her life but her whole family.

I have been a huge fan of Tammy Cohen for years and thus was looking forward to reading her latest novel. Again, she did not disappoint me but created a gripping plot which had me struggle to put the book down once I had started. Brilliantly crafted, suspense is high from the beginning as you know that something absolutely terrible is going to happen, yet, the big question is: what?

Lucy just wants her wedding to be perfect, not necessarily for herself, but much more for her Instagram followers and colleagues. She seems to be doing everything right except for spending money she does not have and not telling her husband-to-be about it. Her sister, on the contrary, is more on the rebel side of life not caring too much about outer appearances and following her own ideals. That she might spoil her sister’s wedding by bringing a total stranger does not really occur to her, it is just her way of having a bit of fun. Their parents, too, seem to have fallen apart, even though the girls do not have a clue why this might be. Just for the sake of the wedding, they all try at least to play their assigned role for a couple of days longer.

Even though it could be a carefree week under the sun, smaller and bigger secrets surface one after the other leading to an increasingly dense atmosphere among the party and opening up all doors for speculation about what might happen. From the police interviews interjected, you can only guess so much, but this is this theorising that makes reading the novel great fun.

Wonderfully depicted characters who all have their flaws and shortcomings mixed with a lot of drama and suspense – a perfect summer read.

An engrossing read!
The story is set in Kefalonia , which is the location of Lucy and Jason’s wedding. The opening of the book describes the police removing a body from the beach , who is it? How did it get there ?
The story involves several narratives from guests within the wedding party. This can sometimes lead to confusion but due to the calibre of the writing I found it easy to follow . I didn’t find any of the characters pleasant natured , but this enhanced the story , showing human nature and all its flaws.
The characters all have depth , and the writing is fast paced and absorbing and kept me interested right to the very end.
To sum up I found the wedding party an enjoyable , intriguing read .

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK.

I read this book during lockdown and being transported to a greek island was quite nice! Even though I did not warm up to the main character Lucy Collins too much, I did enjoy reading the book. I would think of it as a good summer read.

A good story,ai mean who doesn't love a drama at the weddimg tale??,slowish at times and not everyone will empathise with the main character but has all the elements you need for a great read

It's a good pacy read, very intriguing and drew me along but I was quite disappointed with the ending

It's been a while since I've read one of Tammy's books but this one has reminded me of why I should be reading them. Set on a Greek island it's all based around bride Lucy Collins' desire for the perfect wedding day and how far people will go to get what they want. The book starts at the end, with a body at the foot of a cliff, then returns to the beginning to relate all the necessary details plus a good few red herrings - as is necessary for a good whodunit.
There are a good selection of characters to work with, from Bride-zilla Lucy, her husband to be Jason who seems to be a bit too close to his mum for a man of his age, chief bridesmaid and total nightmare Jess who has brought along a random bloke as her plus one, parents who are harbouring secrets from their daughters and a best friend who has a dangerous history and is more involved with Lucy's family than everyone realises. Add in a wedding planner with issues of her own and it's not looking too promising for Lucy's planned idyll.
As a girl who has never been into pretty dresses or planning a wedding from a very young age I wanted to give Lucy a hefty shake and get her to realise that you don't have to spend thousands of pounds to have the most wonderful wedding day. It's the people who make the day special not the flower arrangements or which brand of bubbly you choose. She wasn't the only infuriating character who needed a good wake up call but I'll leave you to make up your own minds as to who else I could be referring to in that statement.
The author sets up virtually everyone as a suspect for the eventual fall from the cliff top - I particularly loved the fact that we don't even know who the victim was either so the reader's mind is trying to work out the whole picture not just the perpetrator of the crime. Very cleverly written, the story literally fills every page from first to last. A most enjoyable holiday read which would be perfect for by the pool if you can find a way to get away this year - if not, grab a copy and save it for when you can! Either that or snuggle on your sofa and enjoy a bit of escapism.

I usually really enjoy a book about a wedding and the dramas that can unfold and after reading the description of The Wedding Party I was really looking forward to it but unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. I wasn't overly taken with the Greek setting, maybe because it is a destination I have never travelled to and I found the characters difficult to take to. It was quite slow paced to begin with but it did pick up and once it did and I got all the characters and their stories straight in my head I did enjoy the ending, just not as much as I was hoping.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

"Do you believe in fate? I’m undecided, but I do think it’s funny how things happen in your life without you really having much say in them, as if they were waiting in store for you the whole time.”

Lucy has dreamt of her wedding day for as long as she can remember. And now the day is almost here. Her nearest and dearest are gathered on an idyllic Greek island and she just knows it's going to be perfect.

But even the best-laid plans can go horribly wrong. Why are her parents behaving so strangely? Why won't the rather odd lady from the airport stop hanging around? Who is the silent stranger her sister brought as a plus-one?

It is going to be a day to remember...

And then they find the body.

What could have otherwise been a dreamy romance novel with a beautiful wedding on a Greek island, Tammy Cohen turns into a suspense thriller.

Told from multiple points of view, the characters introduce themselves to the reader as they mingle among each other. Behind the glitter and gloss of the impending wedding, secrets begin to surface, some harmless, some sinister. The plot is constantly evolving with plenty of motive to go around and you find yourself hooked.

I enjoyed reading this primarily for the characters. Each came with their own flaws and it was fun to watch them being dissected as the story progressed. One character shares their therapy journal through the course of the narrative which reveals secrets tying up with the main plot. This adds to the mystery and brings in some psycho-thriller elements that are surprisingly addictive.

When you're looking for a summer read that's not all romance, this whodunnit with its glamour and picturesque location, grips you with a twisted, creepy thriller.

Rating 4.5.

This ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Transworld Publishers.

I am a huge fan of Tammy Cohen and this book certainly hasn’t disappointed. I have instantly been pulled into the pages of this one and found myself captivated and unwilling to put this down.

Cohen introduces us to an array of different characters in the pages of this one. Some you instantly like and others that you are immediately suspicious of. They are a real varied bunch.

The plot is extremely well developed and moves at the perfect pace. I have wanted to savour this but devour each page because it has been an addictive and unpredictable read.

Cohen has transported me to the Greek island setting from the comfort of my own front room. I have been completely unable to predict where this was going to go. This is a real talent of this author- you never know where the plot will take you.

I’ve read many books by this author previously and this is high on the list of favourites. There is nothing negative I can say about this one. It’s an absolute gem to read and really is a book I wish I could experience a first read of all over again.

The cover of this is absolutely stunning and just oozes summer vibes. I love that the plot has a bit of a darker element. This is beautifully written and easy to become lost in the pages.

There are parts of this slower than I’d usually prefer, however; the author has managed to create the dynamics and atmosphere between each of the characters.

I am already eagerly anticipating what this author has coming next. This is a book that I will be highly recommending. Without a doubt a book worthy of all the stars.

Weddings are amusing things. There’s usually an embarrassing family member, a kid kidding on their knees on the dance floor, someone looking bored and someone complaining there isn’t a free bar!
There isn’t usually a dead body!
This is what happens on Lucy’s wedding day, planned to military precision on a beautiful Greek island.
I did enjoy this book but it wouldn’t be on top of my recommendation list. It was quite slow paced and I struggled to empathise with the main character at times.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There's so much drama & I loved it! I loved the setting for this story and how that added to the situation. I really enjoyed how the tension built, with transcripts of police interviews interspersed with the chapters. We know at the start that someone dies - it takes a little time, but it soon starts to unravel for everyone & it turns into a wedding that everyone will remember.

Starting with a dead body at a wedding without knowing whose it is, we then get in real time the run up to their death from various focal points of the wedding party, as well as police interviews, and one characters diary.

It took a while to discover whose diary it was, and from the moment you have that knowledge the book kicks up a gear and suddenly becomes rather interesting.

I mean I was enjoying the first half but it was that first reveal that really made things start to click in my mind. And I was able to stay coming up with totally wrong theories.

I was shocked by the outcome, and couldn't put the last quarter of the book down at all.

The writing was excellent as I've come to expect from this author and I absolutely loved the setting of this book.

The characters were perhaps a tad harder to gel with, but I was invested in discovering just what went wrong with this wedding party.

Plenty of drama and for me an unexpected conclusion which made sense, make this a book definitely worth reading.

Thank you to Transworld and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Tammy Cohen is a fabulous author and I love the way she creates wonderful family dramas with such hideous characters! This one really kept my attention, family and friends are gathered in Greece for a wedding where the bride has gone to enormous lengths to make it the perfect day. However, there are so many damaged people attending this wedding that it is never going to go smoothly!
I did feel there were too many dodgy characters thrown into the mix. We know from the outset that someone has been killed then slowly fed information about all the backstories of the guests. It was an enjoyable read but I do feel there are a few loose ends still to be tied up and I have to admit to feeling a bit confused as to what was going on at times.