This is a fun, easy-to-read romance about a woman who agrees to take a fake date to a wedding—and things don’t go as planned. There are sweet and funny moments, and it also touches on family and cultural pressures.
Some parts felt a little predictable and slow, but overall it’s a light and enjoyable story.

"The Plus One" is a whodunnit thriller full of drama. I enjoyed the resort setting, the dual timelines, and the "rich people behaving badly" trope. It was a bit of a slow burn and took awhile for me to really get into. I was not a huge fan of the drug cartel plot and wished it had gone in a different direction. Overall, though, it was a fairly quick and easy read. It makes a great destination thriller to read by the beach or pool this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this one! This is my second book from Lalli and I enjoyed both immensely. This one is very much a popcorn thriller, but it was well paced and flawlessly written so I needed to know what happened! 4 stars!

Shaylee Kapoor meets a handsome wealthy guy and swiftly is invited as his plus one to a high brow destination wedding of two of his closest friends who also happen to be the heirs to two separate global conglomerates. What should be the wedding of the century is cut short when both the bride and groom are found murdered in their bed the night before they are scheduled to say 'I do'. Can Shay uncover who killed this gorgeous power couple before her dirty secrets are also revealed?

This is my second book by this author (previously had read Are You Sara) who is swiftly becoming one of my favorite thriller authors! I loved Shay and her spirit and found the entire plot interesting and engaging. There were so many characters, who also could have been possible suspects, but I never was left confused on who was who or how they were connected or important. The reveal and ending felt purposeful and not rushed. While there wasn't a huge twist, it still was filled with suspense and intricacies that kept me interested and engaged. I also liked how Shay's character got some eventual redemption. Definitely recommend for readers who enjoy complex suspense similar to books like First Lie Wins.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review!

A twisty, high-stakes thriller set against the lush backdrop of a destination wedding that takes a dark and deadly turn. When the bride and groom are found dead the night before their wedding, the ceremony is swiftly replaced with a murder investigation—and every guest becomes a suspect. Think White Lotus meets Knives Out, but with more saris and secrets.

This one’s a binge read—I devoured it in a single sitting and immediately found myself daydreaming about a beach vacation (minus the double homicide, of course). While the characters aren’t particularly likable, they’re all bold and distinct, each with just enough edge and mystery to keep you second-guessing their motives. Everyone's hiding something, but who had the strongest reason to kill?

My one wish? I would have loved more time with Raj and Radhika before their tragic end. Getting to know them a bit more would’ve made the emotional stakes hit harder from the jump.

If you’re into rich family drama, scandal, and deadly secrets wrapped in tropical scenery, this one's worth packing in your beach bag.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a high stakes thriller in which our characters are trying to uncover what happened to the bride and groom the night before their wedding. All of the characters are hiding secrets, but who's motive is stronger? I binged The Plus One in one sitting and immediately started contemplating a beach vacation. The characters weren't necessarily likable in this one, however the characters were all bold and stood apart from one another. My one complaint is I wish that we had more time at the beginning of the book getting to know Raj and Radhika so that their murder was more impactful from the beginning. Definitely another rich family drama.... it does give White Lotus vibes!

If you like the vibes of this one, you could also try You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa.

Thank you to the publisher William Morrow for providing me with an advanced readers copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars. This had the makings of a fun domestic thriller, set in a luxurious Cabo resort, juicy gossip, and the classic whodunnit setup. It was a quick and easy read, and the writing flowed well, especially with the back-and-forth between present scenes and past flashbacks.

That said, it didn’t fully land for me. Shay wasn’t the most compelling narrator, and by the halfway mark, I found myself wishing for multiple POVs to balance her out.

The “big secret” wasn’t so big, the cartel storyline felt like a lazy twist, and the ending tied things up way too neatly. Although, I was able to guess the killer, I’d still recommend this to fans of domestic thrillers looking for a quick beach read but it wasn’t a standout for me personally.

✨Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.✨

I appreciate having a copy to review- thank you! I wavered between a 3 and 4 when considering # of stars for this one. I liked the plot and setting, but it had a slightly slower pace. Despite that, the ending was one that I could appreciate. I enjoyed it well enough overall, so I think it's about a 3.5 (rounded up to 4).

Three stars. This book was fine. Not bad but didn’t really stand out to me. I finished it a couple of weeks ago and don’t find it to be very memorable…

This was a quick and easy read with some twists, but the ending was easy to guess. The characters weren’t very likable, but the affair was interesting, and I enjoyed reading about the details of the beautiful wedding.

This was a really fun one!! I felt like it was “And Then There Were None” meets Bravo TV. So much fun and I read it in just a day or two because I needed to know what happened next!

Thank you to NetGalley and The William Morrow Team for the E-ARC.

I have always wanted to go to an Indian wedding. I think the traditions are stunning! First, it’s more than a day event. It’s usually between 3-4 days and the decor and outfits are STUNNING. Colors are everywhere! It’s so vibrant and beautiful! The intricacies of the Mehndi and how beautiful it is, with sometimes the hidden grooms name! It’s just such a fun, beautiful, amazing cultural thing that I have always wanted to experience! I hope to get to experience it for real some day!!!

But until then, this books description of it was so good! The small little wedding details with the invites and descriptions of the days. I’m not sure what it had to do with the book but I absolutely loved it. And if the only purpose was to give more insight into traditional cultural weddings… chefs kiss! The mention of the Holi was amazing. Another cultural/ religious celebration that I hope I get to experience. I would love to experience any and all cultural and religious situation. How beautiful to get to be a part of other peoples cultures. Until then, S.C Lalli did a beautiful job of making me feel like I was in this book. Everything was so beautifully described. While also being a little scary cause of the murders.

The twists had me guessing until the end. The book is described as white lotus meets the guest list and I think that is an amazing description. This book was suspenseful, cute, funny, sad, and beautiful.

Shay is invited to the wedding of the year! Radhika, a social media influencer and sister of a highly influential skin care guru is marrying Raj, the son of a wealthy hotel empire. Shay is dating the best friend of Raj, Caleb. She arrives a few days before the wedding but a few days after the wedding party. Chaos follows when Radhika and Raj are found dead. Who did it? Who is safe? Was it drug related? Was it someone in the family? Who did it? Caleb, Zara (the skin care guru sister, and Sean (Rajs cousin turned brother) were the only people with access to their hotel room. Did they do it, or did they help someone? You’ll have to read and find out.

Destination Wedding • A Double Homicide

A destination wedding that is called off because the bride and grooms bodies are found, guest asked to leave as immediate family are helping to solve the murder. The question is who did it and why?

Seems as though many had a reason... good read!

This book kicked off with a bang, giving off major White Lotus vibes. I was really into the locked-room mystery buildup, but the cartel angle took it in a direction I wasn’t expecting. I found myself wishing for more focus on the characters’ hidden secrets rather than the back-and-forth around ethics and the cartel, but overall, the story kept me hooked.

Shay’s character did feel a bit immature and naive at times, especially considering some of her decisions, but I appreciated her determination to make things right. Despite a few bumps, this was an enjoyable read, and I’d definitely recommend it!

A lot of people seem to like this, but I found it kind of tropey. I don't know. It was just another of the same old thing, I guess.

I liked this one and thought it was interesting. It had some suspense and was a fun read but didn’t really stand out as anything different.

The narrative flows smoothly, transitioning between present scenes and past flashbacks. (Although I struggle to follow time hopping -these flashbacks provide valuable backstories for the main characters) I found some of the flashbacks to be somewhat dry. The pacing is sometimes quite fast but at times, but other times I felt like it dragged. Overall, the story maintains a swift momentum, carrying the reader along.

I was moderately surprised by the twists, which kept me engaged until the final pages.

This book would be enjoyed by someone who likes smart thrillers featuring a strong female lead and flawed characters.

I feel like this book is worth your time.

Wow, this was my first book by this author and I would for sure read one. What a ride! I enjoy the suspense and the pacing throughout.

After making it 60% through, I just can’t anymore. I don’t like a single character and the story is both too complex and somehow too boring. I kept waiting for something to hook me, but it never came.

The date to the best man of a lavish wedding finds the groom dead the night before the wedding. The story is well done and I got into the book. It is done with some dual timelines which bother me sometimes, but these were not to bad. I got into the book and I read it fairly quick. There was a lot to the story and some good twists!