Having enjoyed Georgina’s last book I was really keen to find out whether her latest novel lived up to her brilliant debut. Unfortunately this really didn’t work for me. Lizzie was just too annoying and I didn’t click with her or really care what happened to her. Her constant obsession with Dean just didn’t work for me as it felt forced and obsessive without a natural connection.
Not for me I’m afraid…

Lizzie and Dean work at the same company and there is a definite spark between them, or so Lizzie thinks. For 3 years she has loved Dean, but has never taken it any further than flirtation. On the evening of the work’s Christmas do, her best friend, Marie, convinces Lizzie to take action and reveal her true feelings to Dean. Needless to say things don’t go as planned.

I started this book and thought the writing was a bit “difficult “. Nevertheless I decided to plod on. Unfortunately my initial thoughts were correct, this was a rambling, poorly written story, with obnoxious characters. A real slog,

1* for the author’s commitment, and 1* for the nerve of the ending!

Thank you NetGalley.

Ultimately this book just wasn’t for me. Lizzie was frustrating in her lack of ability to take control of her own life, and Dean was just too selfish. I kept reading till after ‘the party’ but things didn’t improve so I had to give up.

Unfortunately, I didn’t like this :(

I almost didn’t make it past 5% as the writing and story didn’t grab me but I kept going and finally made it to 90% - only to confirm that my suspicions were correct (they were).

On the whole, I found this story very long-winded and predicable. The characters too were unbelievable, one-dimensional, and boring.

Sorry :(

This was a pretty easy to follow book. I didn't care much for the characters and had to take a few breaks before I finally got it finished.

After The Party tells the sotry of Lizzie, who has been in love with her colleague Dan for three years. Lizzie finally feels she has the chance to get close to Dan during the office Christmas party... and then he professes his love for Lizzie's friend, Rebecca.

When Rebecca goes missing, Lizzie sees herself involved in a rollercoaster of mystery.

The ending was completely unexpected and exciting!

A page turner.

Georgina Lees tells the story of Lizzie (Elizabeth) who works as a project planner and has a friend called Marie and a crush on a worker called Dean. Lizzie is an aspiring artist, she studied art at university and in her spare time she works on her portfolio - even on lunch breaks.
The story is set into two distinct parts (though not divided as such). The first part is set before the work party and is where Lees sets the scene, explains her characters and their background and has Lizzie chasing her dreams. The second part is set after the work party when one of her colleagues goes missing. There is a definite pace to the second part which has you rushing through it to find out what happens next and I really enjoyed this book and wanted to know what came next. I did feel however that I was invested in Lizzie’s future and the story was tied together nicely but not in either of the ways that I hoped.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book and it wasn't a page turner for me, I was just glad when I got to the end. I didn't like the characters particularly either. The ending was different to what I had expected, never guessed which is probably the best part of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins (OMC) for this ARC.

I am sorry to say that this book wasn't a great read for me .I didn't like any of the characters, and just wasn't invested in them. My fault for requesting it.

Lizzie feels it's time to move on. She's been in love with Dean a work colleague for over three years and he's not given her a second look. Now she's just found out he's dating her best friend Rebecca.

Following a party at work. Rebecca goes missing. Fingers are pointing everywhere. But could it be Lizzie. After all with Dean free again that would leave the door open for her. Has Rebecca really just disappeared into thin air.

The author built up the plot with a great twist at the end. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.

The story opens with a love triangle; at one corner, Lizzie, at another, Dean, and at another, Rebecca. When Rebecca is discovered missing, it messes up the love triangle and the remainder of the book is about what transpired.

Let’s get what frustrated me out of the way. Firstly, I hated it every time Lizzie moaned on about Dean. Do something about it or move on. Secondly, I had trouble connecting to the really unlikeable, manipulative characters and as a result, I did plenty of skimming. Thirdly, the black cloud hanging over the plot. On a bright summer’s day it was difficult to get into a dark, depressing read.

Now for the stuff I did enjoy! This was a quick read, full of twists, terrible choices, and tension. The setting and the mystery were the stars of the show; I loved the quaint village and the mystery was a difficult one to figure out. The ending left me yelling in disbelief!

I was gifted this advance copy by Georgina Lees, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Lizzie has been in love with Dean…since always, really. Then one night at a work Christmas party she finds out from him he’s been seeing someone they both work with and he’s distraught as she’s planning to move away for a new work opportunity. However, the next day Dean’s girlfriend, Rebecca, is missing and nowhere to be found.

An overbearing mother, a deceitful best friend, an investigator and a morally grey love interest all seem to be responsible at times as you’re reading this novel, never knowing quite where it will take you.

I actually really enjoyed the story overall but I feel like the ending could’ve been better and the sinister nature of some of the characters could’ve been explored further and I really with there would’ve been some character growth in Lizzie.

Overall, 3.5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank You to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to finish this I'm afraid. Lizzie is in love with Dean and has been for a long time. However, Dean loves Rebecca, but, then Rebecca goes missing.

I was attracted to this read having enjoyed The Girl Upstairs, but, found this a frustrating read. I didn’t like the characters and found the storyline uninteresting and the ending disappointing.

Its not badly written and there’s tension and a build, just, a shame that the build leads to this ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the opportunity to preview. Just not one for me.

The synopsis of this book sounds so good, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. It was slow moving and didn’t really draw me into the story.

A tale of unrequited love and suspected foul play. Lizzie has secretly been in love with her coworker Dean for three years. The night of the office Christmas party, she finally gets up the courage to confess her love, and Dean has something to tell her too – he’s in love with someone at the office, but it isn’t Lizzie, it’s their coworker Rebecca. Lizzie flees the party in a distraught state and is later shocked to find out that Rebecca never made it home from the party and her whereabouts are unknown. It isn’t long before the police investigation starts to narrow in on Lizzie and Dean as persons of interest in Rebecca’s disappearance.

This one was a bit tough to rate because the prose is stellar but almost all of the characters are pretty horrible, except Marcus and Lizzie’s dad. Lizzie and her work “friends” are rude and insulting to each other, Lizzie is obsessive and it’s clear she got it from her momma, and Dean… what on earth did any of these women see in Dean?! He’s no prize, to say the least. Still, I enjoyed the drama and mystery, with plenty of red herrings skillfully dropped into keep the reader guessing as well as a real WTF ending!

This is my second read from Georgina Lees, and she has a real talent for setting a gloomy and claustrophobic atmosphere. She’s got a ton of potential as an author, and I will definitely read her future work. Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK One More Chapter for providing me an advance copy of this book.

This is a great easy read with not too many characters and a compelling storyline with some good plot twists.

Lizzie has been in love with her colleague, Dean for years when she finally summons up the courage to tell him how she feels at the Christmas party....but her declaration of love doesn't go to plan and Lizzie's world gets turned upside down with what happens after the party.

I connected with Lizzie straight away, but I didn't like any of the other characters, especially as secrets unfolded.

A moody mystery with an engaging protagonist. The slice of small town English life was vivid and palpable. Great fun in a tightly wound package

The blurb of this book got my attention, unfortunately the story itself did not hold it.
The story was draggy and disjointed and the reveal left me saying “really?”
It took me awhile to finish it, which is not a good sign.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Well this book had a twist at the end I wasn’t expecting but I really wish the romantic outcome had been slightly different if I’m honest but that’s just me and I won’t spoil it for you. This is an exciting read about a girl in love with her friend in work but when another work mate goes missing and the truth about her secret boyfriend comes out if shatters her world and as the police close in on her being involved as well she finds out she can’t trust anyone in her life.

thought I knew what I was getting based on the cover and title alone but a quick paced thriller is not what this is. After the Party is definitely a drama heavy mystery as opposed to a thrill ride or a story. Think women’s fiction meets murder mystery (which is not a bad thing just a different focus and pace than your typical psychological thriller).

I didn’t find our MC or any of the characters particularly likeable (except Marcus) but I think that’s important because it built mistrust throughout so it was harder to guess where the story was going.

Georgina is a lovely writer, builds tension and atmosphere like the best of em and I can’t fault the writing at all. It’s merely the pace and ending that knocked my rating down.

Don’t start me on the ending because I don’t want to have to mark this review as one with spoilers but I will say this “Really Lizzie? Really?!!”