On the whole, I enjoyed this book, but the twist seemed to be a little forced. I love Shalini Boland’s books and will definitely continue to read them and will recommend this book and her others to people. Just because this book wasn’t my favorite doesn’t mean others won’t love it.

This was a good book. It kept me engaged the whole time. I was expecting the twist at the end, but I didn’t know what it was going to be.

I love this authors work and this was no exception. I thought it was written very well. Would definitely recommend if you haven't read from this author.

Reading Between the Wines book review #63/115 for 2023:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: The Silent Bride
Author: Shalini Boland
RELEASED June 1, 2023!!! Get your copy!

Sipping thoughts: Imagine waking up and not remembering the person that you love the most and want to spend your life with. Alice does just that. She cannot remember, Seth, the man she wants to marry. I immediately figured out why but I definitely never guessed who. If you want to read a book that will take you on a journey of deceit, confusion and jealousy, this the book for you!

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @AmazonPublishingUK for an advanced copy of @TheSilentBride.

#TheSilentBride #ShaliniBoland #AmazonPublishingUK #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

The Silent Bride by Shalini Boland is an intriguing read with an engaging plot and has a lot of twists and turns that will keep you glued to the book. It goes back and forth between now/then chapters.
Follow the story of Alice and Seth that starts in their wedding day that turns into a nightmare, her friends, her family, secrets, betrayals and new beginnings.
Four stars only because it wasn’t easy for me to get into the story. What kept me reading was curiosity to find out the culprit.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the premise of this story! Without any spoilers, it’s about a girl getting married to the man of her dreams and while walking down the aisle on her wedding day she discovers that she doesn’t recognize her fiancé at all. What ensues switches from the past to the present along her journey to try to discover what is happening to her. I really liked that it headed it a direction I completely didn’t see coming, and had twists and turns right through the epilogue. If you like psychological thrillers, check this book out!

My first Shalini Boland and what started out so promising turned out to be a real stinker. 💩

The premise is so intriguing. Alice shows up at her wedding and as her father walks her down the aisle she realizes the groom waiting for her isn't Seth at all. He's a stranger. Yet everyone else seems to believe he is, in fact, Seth. Say what??? Pass me the popcorn! 👀🍿

I was chugging along just fine with the short zippy chapters wondering what the heck is going on? 🤔

And then, after many chapters of listening to Alice whine, mope, and wondering if she's losing her mind, the final denouement reared it's ugly head. (Not sure why this was titled The Silent Bride because she never stopped droning on and on! 🤷‍♀️ )

"She's trying to come off as poised and sensible, but she's dropped this wild accusation that almost makes me want laugh out loud it's so outlandish."

That quote from this book describes my feelings when I finally realized what went down. I really believe that Boland should have completely left out the epilogue, it was just too much. It's so beyond comprehension, so unbelievable, that it made reading this book a complete waste of my time. I mean, I am partly to blame, I chose to read this and how exactly did I expect the author to wrap up a story like this in any kind of plausible way. It was almost believable, what happened, before the epilogue and I probably would have rated this a solid 3 stars but I can't forgive those last few pages. 2 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my complimentary copy.

Alice can't wait to marry Seth. But as she walks down the aisle, she sees that the man standing there waiting to receive her is a total stranger. Why is this man claiming to be Seth when he is clearly not? What has happened to the real Seth?

If you're not intrigued by this brief synopsis already, then you are incredibly hard to please. This was a quick read thriller at under 300 pages. I did manage to somewhat predict what was going on but the book was still enjoyable. The dual timelines of Past and Present worked well and the ending was simply jaw dropping. Grab your popcorn and put your feet up as you devour this one!

Alice is walking down the aisle on her wedding day only to be shocked by the fact that she cannot recognize her fiancé's face. This causes a fairly embarrassing meltdown and creates chaos in her personal life. Why can't she remember the face of the man she is about to marry? How is she supposed to go through with the wedding? And why doesn't this alarm any of her friends or family. In The Silent Bride we get the answers to all these questions and are taken on a wild ride moving from past to present that ends with an unbelievable twist.

I have read several other Shalini Boland novels and this is a bit middle of the road for me. I felt like the characters weren't fully developed, and the twist at the end was completely out of left field. It was obvious something was going on, because there's no way an individual can just completely forget some ones face and not be able to recognize them, especially someone was close as their fiancé. I did find the explanation to be a bit of a stretch, and then the last chapter had me questioning everything again. I think this is what Boland does best, however. While it was a fun and easy read, it was just a little cringy at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy of this thriller. All opinions within this review are my own.

Alice can't wait to marry Seth, but when she gets to the alter, she doesn't recognize him at all. None of her family and friends have met Seth prior to that day, so they try to convince Alice that it really is him and that she should go through with the wedding. Alice doesn't know if she's losing her mind or if something has happened to the real Seth.

This was told in dual timelines between the present day and when Alice met and was dating Seth. We also get a few POVs from a mysterious character.

I found this to be a bit of a slow burn and didn't think any of the characters were really likable. It picked up a bit more near the end, and I liked the final twist. There was one part of the plot that I didn't find believable, and I wish the ending had been explained a little better, but all in all, this was a good read.

Thank you @netgalley, @amazonpublishing and the author for the e-arc of this book!

Well the description of The Silent Bride was really intriguing and the book did not disappoint. It held my interest from the beginning and did not let up, I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my ARC.

It's the wedding day of Alice's dreams...until it becomes a nightmare...

There's been a real wedding theme in books lately - thrillers and historical fiction - it seems. Some with happy endings...others, not so much. THE SILENT BRIDE begins as the perfect love story but ends in anything but.

It's a beautiful summer's day with uncharacteristically stunning weather and Alice Porter is about to marry the man of her dreams. Her beaded bodice and flowing organza silk skirt radiates the bride's beauty as the sun beams its rays upon her as she steps inside the beautiful historic church on her father's arm. She's waited her entire life for this moment. She's ready. With a smile and a nod to her father she steps into the church behind her bridesmaids and looks down the aisle to her groom awaiting her at the altar. Seth Evans. Dr Seth Evans, endocrinologist at a busy London hospital who upped sticks and took a job at the local Southampton hospital to be nearer Alice's family and friends. He did that for her. And now she is to marry him at last. As she lets her gaze wander down the aisle to meet his, he turns to watch her procession with love and a smile.

But wait...stop. Alice freezes. She cannot take another step. She cannot speak. She cannot move. She can do nothing but stare. Stare at the place where her groom stands - where Seth should be. Because the man standing at the altar awaiting her is not Seth. And if he's not Seth, then where is he? And who is the man standing in his place?

Soon everyone is wondering what's the hold up. Alice's father is especially impatient and his brusque words to basically "snap out of it" are far from helpful. Imagine if you woke one morning to find the person you were married to was a complete stranger and you had never seen them before in your life? Personally, it would be terrifying. Hence Alice's shock and apprehension. Of course she couldn't go through with the wedding...not if she didn't recognise the groom, regardless of the reasons why. And yet, the stranger insists he is Seth, her family insists he is Seth and even his family, who she had met and now do not recognise either, insist he is Seth! Everyone is insisting that the man at the altar is indeed Seth...so why is she so intent on him NOT being Seth?

OK, everyone back up a minute, I say. Alice has obviously had a shock and regardless of what has happened she now no longer recognises the man she has been in a relationship with for the past year and was about to marry. She was literally minutes away from becoming his wife. So...something has happened to make her think, or more importantly believe, that "this Seth" is not "her Seth". So why is everyone being impatient with her rather than consoling her? Whether she marries Seth is neither here nor there, but the fact is she had such a terrifying shock that has changed her perception of everything she thought she knew and she begins to question her sanity. Shouldn't her loved ones be more concerned about that than saving face or, as her father seems intent on doing, shoving her and Seth together to fix things so that they can move forward together. But how can they when she doesn't even know him? Has no memory of this man? She has memories of her Seth but this is not him...not in her mind, he isn't. So where is her Seth?

This book is seriously messed up. The premise was so intriguing - a bride not recognising her husband-to-be as she walks down the aisle. Definitely a clever and unique concept and one that will keep you guessing throughout as to what really happened on that June day. The plot is such a ball of confusion that has you question who to believe and who not to believe. It's not entirely complex but it is a definite guessing game as to what is really going on. OK, so you may have to suspend belief a little but who cares? This is fiction. It's meant to entertaining and fun and thrilling...which it is all those things.

Now I have to say Shalini, you have finally done it and hoodwinked me as to the who. But as to the how...I had a inkling of a suspicion along the way when backstories were mentioned in passing. It really was the only thing that made sense in my mind. So I wasn't completely bamboozled. But that final twist had me blinking in disbelief and going "Say what?"

I really can't say much more without accidentally revealing anything but expect the unexpected...as only Shalini can deliver.

I would like to thank #ShaliniBoland, #Netgalley and #AmazonPub for an ARC of #TheSilentBride in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

“My heart lifts as I prepare for my first glimpse of my groom on our wedding day. Oh. I freeze. That’s not Seth. I blink and shift my gaze to the left and to the right of the man standing where I’m certain my groom should be. Where is he? Where is my fiancé?”

My thanks to Amazon Publishing/Thomas & Mercer for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Silent Bride’ by Shalini Boland.

I have enjoyed a number of psychological thrillers by Shalini Boland, finding them almost impossible to put down. I was happy to discover that ‘The Silent Bride’ was another winner that grabbed my attention from its dramatic opening and held it through to the end.

A few details for context: Alice Porter is about to marry the love of her life, Seth Evans, a successful doctor. As she walks down the aisle she realises that she doesn’t recognise the man standing at the altar waiting to marry her.

Yet this stranger insists that he’s Seth. Her parents, and the entire congregation seem to agree. Panic sets in and Alice’s world swiftly falls apart. Fearing that she’s losing her mind, Alice sets out to uncover the truth. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I felt that the first person perspective worked well as it allows the reader to follow Alice’s thoughts and feelings. There is also the occasional chapter from an unknown other, who is clearly manipulating the situation. Yet who, how, and why? All is cleverly revealed.

Overall, I found ‘The Silent Bride’ a highly satisfying psychological thriller with plenty of twists. It’s sure to be a popular summer read.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Silent Wife' by Shalini Boland.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Shalini Boland and Thomas & Mercer.

Publication date 1st June 2023.
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY SHALINI!!!


This is the eleventh book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Other Daughter', 'The Wife', 'The Couple Upstairs', 'One Of Us Is Lying','A Perfect Stranger', 'The Family Holiday', 'My Little Girl', 'The Daughter In Law', 'Hidden' and 'Taken', all of which I highly recommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I am also a huge fan of Shalini and if this is half as good as 'The Other Daughter', 'The Wife', 'One Of Us Is Lying', 'A Perfect Stranger', 'The Family Holiday', 'The Couple Upstairs', 'My Little Girl', 'The Daughter In Law', 'Hidden' and 'Taken' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Thomas & Mercer. I have yet to read a book published by Thomas & Mercer that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists a prologue, 45 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Ringwood, Hampshire, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. The fact that this book is based in England is even better as I have been on holiday in England many times so may even recognise some places Shalini has set the book around.

This book is written in first person perspective with the main protagonists being Alice Porter and an unknown narrator. The benefits of books written in first person perspective with multiple protagonists are, as long as they are well written, it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them.

WOW!! Where to even start?!? Firstly I must say yet again I was NOT disappointed by the very talented Shalini Boland!!! I started reading this book this morning and finished it in a few hours. Yet again being completely blind sighted by THAT ending!!

It is extremely well written as is every book I have read by Shalini with vivid descriptions that really put you in the storyline. The synopsis, title and cover work perfectly with the storyline. Every single time I told myself I'd finish the chapter and then put it down and every single time I was left with a sort of cliff hanger refusing to allow me to put it down.

If your planning on reading this I would recommend clearing your schedule as there is no way you will be able to put it down after you've read THAT prologue!!!

!!!

Shalini smashes it out of the ballpark yet again!!! I don't even bother reading the synopsis for Shalini's books before grabbing a copy as I can guarantee I will love it and won't be able to put it down!!! This book has an absolutely gripping storyline which I got completely sucked into. It is a great unputdownable page turner filled with suspense, mistrust, revenge, tension, accusations deceit, mystery, love, friendship twists, lies and absolutely everything you could want in an absolutely gripping domestic drama/psychological thriller!! The book is absolutely gripping from the very first page until the EXPLOSIVE twist at the end which I DID NOT EXPECT!!! I have no idea how this queen of crime comes out with such amazing twists but she manages it each and every time which is exactly why I love, Love, LOVE HER BOOKS!!! Shalini's evocative writing skills ensures the story and characters come to life all-around the reader ensuring they feel, see and hear everything the characters are! This epic page turner begins with with an unknown narrator throwing the reader straight into the action. We then move onto Alice's walk down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams Seth Evans. The day of her dreams is finally here and she cannot wait to say I Do!!! However, when her husband to be turns around he is not the man she agrees to marry!!! Where is Seth? Who are the people claiming to be his parents? Why can no one else see they are not the people they claim to be? After that huge bombshell Shalini takes us into Alice's past to before she gets engaged. We get to meet her family, her friends and see what happened in the lead up to the wedding. Why does something always come up any time Alice wants him to meet her family and friends? Does her sisters husband still have feelings for her? Will she get the partnership she has been promised in work? We are taken from the past to the present where Alice has more problems to deal with as she is hit with one problem after another!!! Where is she going to live now? Is that her abusive ex boyfriend she just seen in town? Thankfully she has such a supportive network of friends including Daisy and Laurence who she grew up with and are part of her three amigos, their partners Martin and Francesca plus her colleague and friend Miriam. Her family isn't as supportive and don't understand why she doesn't just start again with the 'new' Seth. I loved the storyline, especially the shocking plots that I would never have seen coming! Not just one either!! There's nothing worse than when you have worked everything out and your not even half way through a book so a massive well done for that!! I definitely did not even have the person involved in my suspect list AT ALL, wasn't even close to working out what was going on, soooo many red herrings and as for the epilogue don't even get me started!!!! Absolutely mind blown!!! I absolutely love the fact that I know Shalini will never fail and that every time I read one of her books I can guarantee it is going to be an absolute page turner. If you have never read any books by this extremely talented author then you are definitely missing out!! An absolutely explosive rollercoaster ride with family drama and a mind blowing twist.

I haven't been that shocked in a book in a while so WELL DONE Shalini!! This book is will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. I really could not compliment this book any more it is an absolutely gripping, addictive and shocking page turner.

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture


The characters were all well rounded and realistic with their own personality traits, strengths and weaknesses. It was very interesting watching how the bonds strengthened and weakened between characters throughout the storyline. I had mixed feelings for each of the characters throughout but one thing I love about the characters in all of Shalini's books is that she makes them jump out of the page and puts you right next to them throughout. Having so many different perspectives ensures you get to know each one and see what they are doing. I absolutely loved the last chapter, something I love with Shalini is that she always seems to dedicate the last chapter to a certain character in books and completely shocks you making you really want to see what happens next and several times I've been left hoping and wondering if that storyline will be carried on. There were certain characters I was suspicious of, others I really liked and others that really annoyed me with their attitude. However many of them shocked me when the truth is revealed!!! I can't say anymore as it's too much of a risk that I may give something away so I will end with saying regardless of how you feel about any of them they each play their parts perfectly to make this such a gripping and addictive page turner!!!


A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Shalini Boland for another absolutely fantastic success!! I cannot wait to read more of your amazing work!! I really would love to see your books on the big screen one day, I can guarantee they will be a success if they are even half as good as the books you write!!! Here is to your next huge "blockbuster"!!! 🥂

Overall a page turning, gripping, epic psychological thriller with an explosive ending that will blow your mind!!.

Genres covered in this novel include Women's Psychological Fiction, Crime, Thriller And Mystery Adventures, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Literary Fiction, Suspense Thriller, Psychological Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Noir Fiction, Womens Psychological, Domestic Thriller, Mystery ,Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Crime Thriller, Suspense Thriller, Psychological Suspense, Domestic Fiction, Domestic Thriller and Thriller amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Wife Between Us and of course Shalini Boland and just anyone looking for an epic read with a twist. What are you waiting for?? Go grab your copy now!!!

267 pages.


This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited and £4.99 in paperback via Amazon at time of review, which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews



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Imagine walking down the isle for your wedding and suddenly realize you do not recognize the groom. Seth is shocked when Alice does not recognize him. Is this a ruse to say Alice does not want to get married?

Everyone tells Alice, that this is Seth, but she knows he is a stranger! What follows is paranoia, twist and a delicious that your head will be spinning and not want this to end!

No spoilers, but WOW you need to add this to your reads NOW!! Happy Pub Day Shalini Boland. If you like a good psychological thriller, her books deliver with the best of them.

If you are looking for a good psychological thriller mystery, The Silent Bride by Shalini Boland may be the book for you.
Set in England, Alice and Seth have lived a story tale romance. She is an accountant and he is a doctor. He is wealthy and they seem made for each other. On the day of her much-anticipated wedding, Alice is extremely nervous. So many of her good friends have never met Seth. He often made excuses and had to cancel many family and friends get togethers. As Alice begins to walk up the aisle, she looks for her handsome soon-to-be husband, and a stranger is in his place. She refuses to marry this stranger, despite her parents and fiancé’s urging. She doesn’t understand what is happening to her.
Over the course of the novel, Alice tries to unravel the mystery. She discovers all traces of his photos on social media are gone. Her friends try to help her but she is not sure who to trust. Meanwhile, she lost her possible promotion at work due to her mental and emotional issues. Will she ever find out the mystery of what happened to the Seth she knew?
This book is an easy read if you are looking for something light. There are some twists that caught me off guard.

Many thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of The Silent Bride in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A compelling & unique read!

If I ever need a book that I know will grip me from the start and have me flying through the pages, then I can always rely on a Shalini Boland book. For me, this author never disappoints! The blurb for this book had me hooked alone and I loved the story from start to finish!

It’s Alice’s wedding day, she can’t believe she’s marrying the man of her dreams. Excited for their honeymoon and new life together, she heads down the aisle with her father towards her handsome fiancé Seth. This is when things take a turn & all of a sudden the wedding is off! Why? Because the man standing at the front of the church isn’t Seth! Well, not the Seth that Alice knows. Everyone thinks Alice has gone mad, but she’s convinced this man is an imposter, but why?

If that kind of opening to a book doesn’t hook you in then I don’t know what will. Imagine not recognising the man you’re about to marry! I thought this story was fantastic and totally unputdownable. The chapters alternate between the past – When Alice met Seth, and the present – after the wedding day. Eventually, the chapters in the past catch up with the present and things all become a lot clearer as to what happened!

I had theories galore with this book! Most were completely wrong, but I enjoyed guessing. I did guess partly right with what happened but I was completely shocked by it all. I can’t say too much without giving spoilers, but I can say the twists are spectacular!

I love Shalini’s style of writing, I find her books so easy to read. This story is very unique, I’ve not read one like it before, I’d love to know how Shalini comes up with her amazing story ideas.

A totally awesome read, that left me wanting more at the end! I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Shalini Boland, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for my copy of this book.

This was a really good book. I was not disappointed. I thought that it might be predictable but there were definitely surprises.

I’ve read several books by this author and loved them all, her writing style is definitely one I enjoy! She is amazing with the intriguing psychological thrillers that hold my attention from the beginning all the way through to the end. Highly recommend!

Shalini Boland is a queen and this book is another absolutely gorgeous but chilling read. I have devoured this book in just one sitting.

I loved this from beginning to end. I have loved the suspense of Alice not recognising her fiancée on her wedding day. This has been completely unique to anything I’ve previously read.

This is definitely unpredictable. I didn’t know who to trust or what to think as I read this one. I’ve really felt for poor Alice. Imagine, not knowing the man you’re due to marry.

This has flowed perfectly and kept me hooked from the beginning. I loved seeing the events unfold. There have been twists I didn’t expect. I loved the suspense as I’ve read.

I’ve read most of Shalini’s books and this doesn’t disappoint. The Silent Bride is unpredictable, gripping and unlike anything I’ve read previously.

Boland is a brilliant author and a must for the TBR.