Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow | William Morrow Paperbacks.
The wedding of Radhika Singh and Raj Joshi, a weeklong affair at a luxury resort in Cabos, isn’t just going to be the event of the season—it will also mark the union of two highly influential and wealthy Indian-American families. No expense will be spared for what Radhika and Raj have coined “R&R,” a week of rest, relaxation, and celebrating their love.
This book was so good I stayed up past my bedtime to finish it,

I’m not certain what I was expecting here – probably your standard mystery where it’s ‘Let’s go to a resort’ followed by, “Oops! Someone is dead and one of YOU killed them!”

And, really, it is that. But it’s also clever and compelling. I loved the Crazy Rich Indians feel to it mixed with morally ambiguous characters and what was simply a good mystery.

Almost all the characters are a bit ‘bent’ in one way or another, but they’re still extremely readable. I even liked our plucky MC – and plucky usually makes me want to gag.

This was a thoroughly entertaining read and I enjoyed every bit of it!

• ARC via Publisher

Thank you NetGalley! This is not your typical wedding thriller. There were a few twists that I did not see coming. I enjoyed reading this book, especially with the diversity of the characters.

BOOK REVIEW

The Plus One
By S.C. Lalli

Thank you S.C. Lalli and NetGallery for this ACR in exchanged for me honest review.

Plot was told to me as The Guest List meets White Lotus, which I think is a fair assessment. The book is an easy read with strong character development. The story felt a bit rushed towards the end but overall made for a nice weekend read. I don't like to add spoilers into my reviews because I like readers to be just as shocked as I was. It has a nice wrap (and shocking ending with big reveals) but some of the beginning and middle plots felt long. Some character development that lacked reasoning.

S.C. Lalli knows how to write a story because it was very well written and thoughtful, just maybe not as gripping as I like to have in a novel. I am a thriller junky and like to be entertained in the mystery the entire time.

The Plus One is out Aug 13th, 2024! Grab your copy!

Thank you NetGallery for the ARC!

This book was so good!! It was gripping and well written. A quick read with a fun mix of thrilling suspense and brain power. Many characters held a sense of “are they good guys or bad guys?!” and it played out until the end. Our main character had lots of development as well which is always nice to see.

I would recommend this one!

I found this piece to be exceptionally well-crafted, and I'm eagerly anticipating the opportunity to delve into more works by this author. Given its potential popularity among our library patrons, we're certainly looking forward to adding it to our collection

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

Thank you for this opportunity to read the advance copy! I was excited for the premise. The luxurious resort vibe was very intriguing to me. I liked the story and last 25% of the book was thrilling but unfortunately I didn’t like any of the characters. I kind of got bored in he middle but I wanted to know what happened to the murdered couple so I kept going.

Lavish wedding with plot twist. Just as you think you understand one plot line another twist to a character happens, keeping you on your toes. Really enjoyed the story behind Shay's motivation, her history, important real life themes that deserve to be highlighted. Enjoyable book, enjoyed all the characters.

There were three times within the story that I audibly gasped! To me, this is the sign of a good storyteller. The only reason it's not a 5 star read for me is that there were times where I couldn't understand the relevance of a character or detail and it was never resolved. The imagery and plot as well as flashbacks however seemed overall well-done and kept me on the edge of my seat. I will absolutely read this author again.

Thanks very much to the publisher for the invite to read and review this book in through NetGalley.

I'm a little conflicted about my feelings towards this book. The cover immediately caught my eye and premise was was simple and great: the day before their lavish Indian wedding at an exclusive Mexican resort, Raj and Radhika are found dead. Unlikely guest Shay is determined to get to the truth behind their murders, but she's hiding plenty of secrets of her own. And those secrets might make her the killer's next target.

Honestly? This was ultimately a mixed bag for me. I was more than willing to put aside the absolute unbelievability of the plot itself (isn't Shay in her early 20s? She's going to single handedly take down the Mexican Cartel?) and the overall unlikability of the characters (holy red flags on all the males and Shay's over the top moral superiority and her "I will change the world" naivety was so off putting), because the last quarter of the book was a heart-in-your-throat twisty thrill ride. Unfortunately, what largely preceded it was...a bit boring. I really enjoyed Raj and Radhi's wedding descriptions--it did sound like they had something truly magical planned. But once they're killed off--and it's very early on and very abrupt, it doesn't leave much room for excitement or tension. Until about the 75% mark, things get repetitive (I don't think I could take another reference to "Brown Hulk Hogan") and I skipped large chunks just trying to find out who was ultimately behind the murders and why.

So while I'm bumping up my final score on account of a really great finish, I normally don't have the patience to push through to get that far.

My freshly painted manicure has been destroyed . I managed to subconsciously bite my nails down to the beds . My breath was held, and my insides were shattered .

I loved loved loved this book.

Sometimes, when I see “read now” on netgalley I fear it’s an “oops” and I have to instantly download the book before anyone figures out their mistake .

This one worked out in my favor .

The Plus One

This is a fast paced, under 400 page, suspenseful domestic thriller. The secrets and deceit were just down right awful (in the best way possible) . My jaw was permanently hanging out on the floor. I just could not get enough of this book. It was as if I became addicted to swiping the page .

The ending is not only twisted but juicy .

Just pre-order the book before I spoil everything for you . Here is a little teaser below 👇

White Lotus meets The Guest List in international bestselling author S. C. Lalli’s next thrilling novel, where two business moguls were set to be married in the biggest event of the year—until they’re both found murdered the day before the wedding—and a social outsider must unravel the mystery before her own hidden agenda is revealed.

The wedding of Radhika Singh and Raj Joshi, a weeklong affair at a luxury resort in Cabo, isn’t just going to be the event of the season—it will also mark the union of two highly influential and wealthy Indian-American families. No expense will be spared for what Radhika and Raj have coined “R&R,” a week of rest, relaxation, and celebrating their love.

Shaylee “Shay” Kapoor is just an outsider, but she just so happens to be dating Raj’s best friend, Caleb Prescott III, and is sucked into this world of wealth and excess. But on the morning the wedding festivities are supposed to begin, the resort’s wedding coordinator Daniela makes a frightening discovery: Raj and Radhika are dead, gunshots to the head.

Chaos descends on the hotel as the guests are turned away or sent home. Shay stays by Caleb’s side as the investigation starts to unfold, family and close friends grieve, and accusations run wild. The police believe the murders are a drug cartel hit.

But even if it was a cartel hit, even if the murderer somehow got past the resort’s security, the hotel room doors have state-of-the-art locks. There was no way for the murderer to slip into the room without a key. And only the sister of the bride, Zara; the best men, Caleb and Sean; and the wedding coordinator, Daniela, have keys.

Shay may be an outsider—and she definitely has secrets of her own—but she may be the only person with enough perspective to untangle everyone’s lies, and discover why anyone would want the bride and groom dead. . .

loved the setting. loved the whole investigation of guests to figure out who the suspect really is.

The murderer was not who you maybe thought it was. Twisty and suspenseful

If you like a story with vivid characters and many, many twists and turns then you will love this book. It is set in a scenic upscale resort with amenities that we mere mortals can only imagine exist. The characters are not perfect but it blends together to a perfectly “hard to put down” story.

I actually really enjoyed this book. I love a good mystery with a rich family that always gets away with everything and a girl who is determined to not let that happen anymore. I also loved how there was like only 1 white person in this book lol. I loved learning about a different culture. I also loved the little invitations that were included from the bride and groom that explained the daily activities leading up to the wedding. It was both explaining to the reader how an Indian wedding would be celebrated but is also a natural part of the story without feeling forced. I will say that the main character seemed to be a little weird in that she's very oblivious in some ways but yet she's supposed to be a journalist? I did think the book was a bit predictable at times, but also I was guessing some things that never happened. At one point I wondered if Sean and Caleb were gay. Because I didn't understand why Sean hated him. There were other little things too that I was trying to assume but didn't pan out. In the end it all made sense and wrapped up in a little bow. Caleb's drug problem was upsetting because he had told Shay that his family had those issues, so he didn't want to fall under the same trap, however I can see how that would naturally happen anyways if that's all he knows too. Also I think all of the business talk went a little over my head (the shares, the 15%, the voting stuff, etc.).
I think this would make a GREAT movie honestly. So ... you should really try to make that happen lol.

This book follows "outsider" Shaylee Kapoor on her lavish trip to her boyfriends best friends wedding. On the morning of the wedding, both groom and bride are found murdered. Guests are turned away and sent home, and as the investigation starts it seems like those closest to the bride and groom are the top suspects in their murder. Police aren't sure if the murders are personal-or a cartel hit-and things only get more complicated as both wealthy families begin to question each other and all seem to fall under suspicion. Shaylee has her own reasons for wanting to stick around, but finds herself thrown into the middle of an already horrible situation. I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to a friend. It kept me entertained and it was nice to read about the lives of the rich and famous-as it reminded me that money doesn't always equate to happiness.

Money does not create happiness, nor life…. Sometimes it brings death. Who can you trust if you can’t trust family? You will not be able to put this one down. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you don’t, or do you? Suspense at its finest!

I received a free copy of, The Plus One, by S.C. Lalli, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The wedding of the year is here, Radhika Singh and Raj Joshi are getting married, all the in crowd are invited. Unexpectedly the loving pair are found murdered. Shaylee who is dating the grooms best friend, decides to investigate. Wow, what a wild ride this book is. I enjoyed this book, and finding out who the killer is.

THE wedding event for two well-known and big business names is quickly derailed when the bride and groom- Rhadika and Raj- are found murdered at the luxury resort in Cabo that was meant to host their elaborate wedding events- a week long wedding affair. As the guest of best man Caleb, Shay is certainly an outsider to the wealth and influence these families have. They are surrounded by secrets, including ulterior motives for Shay herself. So of course, Shay dives on in and works to figure out who killed the bride and groom, and why. Unfortunately, there are quite a few possibilities. She is feeling the pressure to not only solve the crime, but do so before her own hidden agenda is uncovered. Wading through an ocean of secrets, while trying to keep her own, is not without danger, especially since the limited access means someone close to the bride and groom is the guilty party. Jumping between before and after the murder, we untangle the lives of the couple and those closest to them and delve into what could have led to murder.
An enthralling read with complex characters and a few mysteries to solve. This one hooks you early and is hard to put down until you have all the answers.

The Plus One
by S.C. Lalli
Pub Date: August 13, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
White Lotus meets The Guest List in international bestselling author S. C. Lalli’s next thrilling novel, where two business moguls were set to be married in the biggest event of the year—until they’re both found murdered the day before the wedding—and a social outsider must unravel the mystery before her own hidden agenda is revealed.
Good book but I really didn't enjoy the unlikeable characters.
My favorite part of this was the culture. I loved the descriptions of this lavish Indian wedding (more the description of plans since the bride and groom were murdered before the wedding could occur). It would make a great movie for that reason. If you’re into amateur journalism and investigations, you may enjoy this. I didn’t get very invested in the mystery itself.
“Good or bad. Virtuous or evil. Whatever choice anyone makes, there will always be consequences.”
3