3.5 stars

This book had an amazing premise, but it fell flat for me. With the murders happening at the very beginning of the story and the rest of the plot being the investigation and certain parts told in flashbacks, I felt like the tension that I love in these kinds of mysteries was missing.

It was a struggle to get through at times, but I did like the reveal at the end and the little epilogue. I love it when villains get comeuppance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a classic whodunnit thriller set at a destination wedding in Los Vabos, Mexico. The bride and groom are murdered the night before their nuptials but who is responsible? This story is filled with lots of drama and possible theories about the couple’s untimely death. The twists, turns and narration were enough to keep me guessing well into the story. Definitely enjoyed this story more than I anticipated.

Book was good very detailed but it took me forever to finish it :( the plot I did not see coming and I was more intrigued towards the end of the book with everything that was going down between the main characters

Many thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc!

So you put wedding and thriller together and I'm sold. The concept of this book sound so interesting, on the eve of their wedding the happy couple are killed. Our main character is just a 'plus one' that is determined to find out who did it. I hate to admit it, but this book really kind of just fell off for me. It started so strong. and then just got boring for me.

Let me start by saying that I'm a HUGE fan of thrillers set on tropical resorts. As soon as i saw the cover and read the synopsis, I HAD to have it.

Shay got herself invited to the wedding of the year. Money, influence, power - all traits of everyone involved in and invited to the wedding. But what about murder? When the bride and groom are found murdered prior to the ceremony, all hell breaks loose and Shay is caught right in the middle.

This was a fun, wild ride. Shay kept putting herself in dangerous situations and somehow managing to get her butt right back out. I would definitely recommend this as your next "devour a book in one sitting" type of read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Paradise was definitely lost in Cabo, leading to an unforgettable page-turner.

Imagine being invited to the most lavish wedding at a luxurious resort, knowing you don’t belong, and hiding your true reasons for being there. That’s the situation for Shaylee "Shay" Kapoor. She attends the wedding of Radhika Singh and Raj Joshi, the event of the season, as the plus-one of Raj’s best friend, Caleb Prescott III. But things take a dark turn when the couple is found dead just as the week-long festivities are about to start. Chaos erupts, and everyone becomes a suspect, with police and the National Guard suspecting cartel involvement. As an outsider with secrets, Shay might be the only one able to unravel the truth.

This gripping thriller starts strong and only gets better, with distinct, well-developed characters and plenty of twists along the way. A stellar read!

Thanks to NetGalley, S.C. Lalli, and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. A handsome suitor met on a chance occasion. A beautiful wedding at an all inclusive resort. And then. A mystery. Thriller. And unsuspecting occurrences with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Very rich people behaving very badly. The story follows a fancy destination wedding and your traditional whodunnit plot. Everyone is a suspect. This is a slow burn. If slow burns aren’t your jam, maybe this isn’t for you. Still an enjoyable read.

Thank you to S.C. Lalli, William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity.
3.5 ⭐️

Shay seemingly has hit the jackpot as a plus-one to a luxury, all expenses paid wedding in Mexico! Immediately the wedding is thrown off track when the bride and groom wind up murdered just as Shay shows up. And it turns out, none of the close family and friends (or their dates) are as they seem.

***

I'm torn on this one for sure! First, I feel like the luxury of the resort and wedding were used to sell this book. However, the actual wedding events never even take off! The murder happens BOOM right away and you do not get to experience any of the culture. And quite frankly, I wish we got to explore the resort and the wedding (including our victims more). How can we care about the murder of two people we only see being assholes in flashbacks??

The book itself also just drags a bit *because* the murder happens right away. There is no build up and a lot of random speculation. The flashbacks don't do a lot to advance the plot and really just make me want to punch all of the characters (more on that later).

The breadcrumbs leading to the actual murderer are well received and you have a few motives to pick apart throughout the whole novel. I think it was actually a good mystery.

Finally, all of the characters are just awful. I didn't like anyone except maybe Daniella. They are all pretty awful, but at least Shay gets a dressing down too!!

All in all, I cannot really recommend this novel. However, I am definitely open to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Fun, quick read. Great for fans of White Lotus. I wish it was a bit more of a mystery the reader could figure out on their own, as most of the clues and key information weren't shared until the very end.

This book had a great premise to reel in any thriller reader. Unfortunately the story didn't draw me in the way that most thrillers do. I think that likely this was due to the fact that I found the main character to be completely unlikeable and unrelatable. Locked door mysteries can be a lot of fun but too much time was spent on the cartel theory. I wasn't into it and wanted them to move onto the next idea.

Overall it was fine but nothing that I would recommend or want to read again.

The wedding of Radhika Singh and Raj Joshi unfolds at this opulent resort. As the offspring of two business moguls, no expenses were spared for this extravagant event. Caleb Prescott III, the groom's best man, is dating Shay, thus earning her an invitation to this lavish weeklong affair. The plot thickens when the bride and groom are found shot in their bed in a locked room at the beginning of the wedding festivities.

While the police suspect a drug cartel hit, the hotel's stringent security measures suggest the possibility of an inside job. With access to the room in question limited to the bride's sister Zara, the best men Caleb and Sean, and the wedding coordinator Daniela, suspicion falls heavily upon them. Shay launches into an investigation, quickly realizing she's in over her head with a murderer on the loose and everyone's safety at risk.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows the hottest wedding of the season but it ends terribly with a double murder.

This book sounded right up my alley but unfortunately it just fell flat. I didn't find the mystery intriguing and the characters annoyed me so much. I just didn't care about who the killer was or what happened to anyone.

I hope others love this one.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of The Plus One by S.C. Lalli- 3/5 stars

This was a classic whodunit book that takes place at a luxurious resort for a wedding that unfortunately never takes place... due to the involvement of drug cartels.

The unreliable narrator, Shay, takes us through this whodunit through her eyes and also her motives.

This was a quick read!

i was really intrigued by the synopsis of this book while requesting it and i have to say it was exactly how i have imagined it. the plus one is a quick and suspensful read with great storytelling and mystery. while reading thrillers/mystery books i never tend to guess the big reveal so that i can always get pleasantly surprised and it happened here as well.

This was a fast-paced thriller filled with suspicious characters, can any of them be trusted? Shay is the plus one to her boyfriend Caleb's best friend's wedding. The day before the wedding the bride and groom are both found dead. Only a select few have access to the dead couple's villa. Was it the loving sster of the bride? The loyal brother of the groom? Or Shay's own boyfriend who's been hiding secrets from her? But Shay hasn't been honest either. Can she keep her cover and find the killer? Or will her secrets get her killed as well?

This thriller was suspenseful and kept me on my toes trying to figure out which character was the killer. All characters are morally gray and have something to hide. 4.5 stars.

I liked this book, but it was a little all over the place, and didn’t feel like a fair play mystery despite several allusions to Agatha Christie.

When the bride and groom are found murdered the day before their wedding, the hunt is on to find the killer. Shay, being lucky enough to be the plus one of the groom's best friend, is in the thick of things and decides to do her own little digging.

Even though I didn't like many of the characters, I found myself loving this story. The plot was unique, the twists were aplenty and there were so many juicy secrets being revealed throughout. I didn't manage to pick whodunit which made it even more exciting. Highly recommend!

The Plus One by S.C. Lalli had an interesting premise, but unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. While the storyline had potential, the pacing felt uneven, and the characters lacked depth. I struggled to connect with the protagonists, and the chemistry between them felt forced rather than natural. Some plot points felt predictable, and the dialogue was often stilted, making it hard to stay engaged. Though there were a few enjoyable moments, overall, the book fell short for me. It's a light read, but it just didn't hit the mark.

I appreciate NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for providing me with an eBook advance copy in exchange for my honest review. The official release date is 8/13/24!

S.C. Lalli has a distinctive voice. This book was much more complex than I was expecting. The characters were well developed though none of them were particularly likable, even the protagonist. The mystery kept me on my toes, I was very quite sure how the story was going end up. I would read more of this author’s work in the future.