Could Josh still be alive? That's the question that underlies this dual timeline dual POV novel that starts with June spying what might be her husband, who disappeared 10 years ago. Then there's Bev, his mother, whose timeline dates back over 20 years. The two threads will come together to give the reader (and June) answers, albeit perhaps not easy ones. This has some good twists and a nice overarching aura (love the Napa sections). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good storytelling makes for a good read.

Till Death Do Us Part was a fun thriller. It was a bit slower than I like, but it held my attention enough for me to keep reading it. This would be great for someone who enjoys wine...there's a lot of "wine" talk as the setting is mainly on a vineyard.

The main female character irritated me to no end. She is a widow and starts to think that she is seeing her dead husband. She is also newly engaged to a sweet, and patient guy. The twists in this one were not that great. I think it would have been fine after the first reveal. I found the big twist to be anti-climactic and just not necessary. I could have also done with Bev's love life storyline. It didn't add nor take away from the story and at times it felt like I was reading two different books.

This book is told in dual POVs in alternating timelines. I was most interested in the main character's story. At times, Bev's story seemed to not be linear and jumped around a bit.

Overall, this book wasn't all bad. There were some things I could have done without. This would be a great read for a book club for discussion.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4

Till Death Do Us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn. Thanks to @simonandschuster for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️

I loved The Girls Are All So Nice Here but unfortunately this one didn’t do it for me. I’ll give it this.. it did have me craving some good wine and certainly hit the Napa Valley winery ambiance on the head. I struggled to get through it but knew it had some good twists coming. Twists it did have, but nothing I found cleverly done or built up to.

“I’ll always be a widow first and a wife second.”

Till Death Do Us Part comes out 8/13.

The premise of this book sounded promising, and although I didn't know what the tag "Women's Fiction" meant, it didn't say "Romance," so I thought I was safe. Nope. I think women's fiction is another way of saying this is a romance story. I'm not fond of romance, but based on the popularity of authors specializing in this genre, I think I'm a minority. That was one of the reasons I was disappointed in this book, but just one.

After a whirlwind courtship, Josh and June quickly marry, much to the dismay of those closest to them. Wedded bliss quickly turns to horror when Josh is presumed drowned on their honeymoon. Flash forward ten years to 2022: June is now engaged to Kyle, and while photographing engagement pictures, she sure spots Josh in a crowd. Once June spotted him, she seemed to see him everywhere, including on a winery website in Napa, California. Could he still be alive?

The story then shifts to a winery in Napa in 1999. Bev discovers her husband has cheated on her. She struggles with his unfaithfulness, but not wanting to harm the reputation of their winery, she tries to overcome her feeling of betrayal.

I don't want to spoil the plot, and I've never discussed an ending, so I won't go into details, but I will say I found it hard to swallow. There are twists galore, and even though I wasn't invested in either June or Bev, I kept reading to see what would happen. I love wine, but I got tired of the explanations of the ins and outs of wine-making. I'd say this book was not my cup of tea, but saying it's not my glass of wine is more appropriate.
2/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is August 13, 2024.

Thanks to Simon Books for NetGalley access, as well as sending me an ARC along with a coaster for Grape Juice, the natural wine bar in Brooklyn owned by June, one of the FMCs in Till Death Do Us Part. I started reading this book while eating a slice of pizza before attending an author event last night, then I read it on my bus ride home… and in bed as I was falling asleep… and I finished it this morning. In other words, I was immediately engrossed and couldn’t put it down!
Till Death Do Us Part is a twist-filled thriller. This dual timeline alternates chapters, going from 2022 with June and her wine bar in NYC back to 1999 with Bev who, along with her husband, run a winery in Napa Valley. The immediate connection between the two is established relatively early on, but it seems there must be more than this link as the book continues. Broken into five parts, based on the five steps in the wine-making process, the book kept me on my toes, always wanting to read one more chapter to see where it was going next.
My favorite part of reading thrillers is the unseen twists - but I love it even more when after a twist I immediately think, “ohhhh that was foreshadowed and I didn’t put it together until now - well done, author!” That was how I felt multiple times this morning while finishing Till Death Do Us Part. I definitely recommend this one when it comes out on Tuesday, 8/13! I also recommend the author’s previous release, The Girls Are All So Nice Here, another dual timeline psychological thriller, which was one of the first books I posted about back in 2021 when I started posting book reviews- it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long!

When I read the back cover of this book, I was intrigued. A husband who may have come back from the dead? Sounded like a perfect formula for a psychological thriller.

And, for the first three-quarters of the book, I was glued. Flynn's pacing was terrific, and she left me wanting more with each chapter ending. There were also some great plot twists. I was even willing to suspend belief when it came to the protagonist's questionable behavior.

If only the ending hadn't been so disappointing.. The last couple twists didn't work for me AT ALL. What I came away with was that this was a cast of characters who all needed a lot of therapy. Also because I don't want to say anything, I only add Poor Michelle.

Why then, did I give the book 3 stars when it's clear I was disappointed? Two reasons. First, those first 200-plus pages were page-turners. That says to me that some readers won't find the ending as disappointing as I did.

Second, the storyline involving Bev, Josh's mother, hit me emotionally. Her journey, from scorned wife to a self-actualized woman would have made a terrific stand-alone women's fiction novel.

Like I said above, the ending didn't work for me. It might for others.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

"Till Death Do Us Part" by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn offers an intriguing premise with June’s world upended by the sudden reappearance of her presumed-dead husband, Josh. As June grapples with the haunting possibility that Josh never died, Flynn effectively captures the emotional turmoil and suspense. The setting of a natural wine bar in Brooklyn transitioning to the picturesque vineyards of Napa provides a captivating backdrop. June’s journey to uncover the truth about her past love, while trying to maintain her present relationship, adds layers of complexity to the narrative.

However, the novel's execution falls somewhat short, leading to a mixed reading experience. While the initial setup promises a thrilling unraveling of secrets, the plot occasionally drags, and some twists feel predictable. June's internal conflict is well-portrayed, yet her decisions can sometimes seem inconsistent, making it difficult to fully connect with her character. Despite these shortcomings, "Till Death Do Us Part" remains a compelling read for those interested in romantic suspense, though it may not fully satisfy readers seeking a more tightly woven mystery.

This book is so promising, the synopsis sold me, June elopes, and days later she becomes a widow, she has allegedly moved on to this amazing man, an amazing career, but she thinks she sees her late husband in the streets of NYC, and she goes back to damn near losing it. This time she needs to finds out who that was, she always found the death of Josh to be so mysterious, and while everyone is telling her to let it go, but she is so damn determined. I loved that about her, but the different POV’s were a little all over the place, there was no need, and then to make matter worst the story dragged, for some time. And then it ended (I was PISSED), and that’s it. I felt like it should’ve been more, for some reason.

This book is really hard to rate. Up until the middle it would have been four stars. I was riveted and dying to know more about what happened to Josh. Then it started to drag and felt a little too long. By the end, I wanted to give it two stars. Bev’s decision with Camille was absurd. No resolution on what happened to Michelle made me angry. And the epilogue felt totally contrived. Overall, three stars.

Stories told with dual timelines are my favorite.
This story flits back and forth between two women.
I felt confused for several chapters trying to keep the story straight. The short paragraphs before a new chapter about wine making were interesting. I had a hard time getting into this book

Many thanks to netGalley and Simon and Schuster for the free e_arc in exchange for my honest review.

Ten years ago, June’s husband drowned on their honeymoon. June has moved on, is blissfully happy with her new man, Kyle. However, she keeps seeing her dead ex-husband everywhere, and it appears that he is watching her. After some research, she discovers he lives in Napa Valley so she takes off to confront her past.

I was interested in the wine, wine country and wine making science of the story which is why I requested this title as it seemed a bit different. However, the wine science info that was provided at the beginning of each chapter had nothing to do with the story. I think a little effort should have been made to tie into the theme or chapter content? Also, I did not like the characters and found them flat, unrelatable and not real. There has to be an element of reality to the story or its sci-fi, which I do not read. The ending and "twist" was beyond the pale of believability. Maybe this is a great beach read that does not require a lot of thought if that is of interest but I struggled to finish this one.

2.5 stars rounded up.

This book was very entertaining with many different turns that are completely not expected. Great book, wonderful author, will definitely recommend to others.

This book reminded me too much of Gone Girl, so if you liked that book, which I did not, you will like this. I think I am not a fan of this particular genre, domestic thriller I shall call it.
10 years after her husband drowned on their honeymoon, June thinks she sees her husband Josh, outside her New York wine bar. She has just become engaged to Kyle but she feels she must get to the bottom of what really happened to her husband.
She goes to Napa to track down everyone involved.
Meanwhile we go back and forth in time to the POV of her former mother in law and Josh's life in high school.
There are several twisty plot points and an out of the blue ending that was quite unsatisfactory.
I think, judging from my antipathy to Gone Girl and Girl on a train, and those books huge popularity and movie success that I am going to be an outlier on this. I like a book that has a character to root for. Perhaps that is June, so many of you might think that and enjoy the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the EARC. This is obviously my honest review.

Who doesn’t like a thriller that comes with a twist you never saw coming. In this one you get two big twists. Really good read! Four stars!

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

Till Death Do Us Part By Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
Publication Date: August 13, 2024
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded up to 5⭐)

📚MY REVIEW:

This twisty thriller kept me guessing for the entire book! I was absolutely riveted by the masterful ways in which Flynn's writing balanced character development and an underlying theme of mystery.

Offering multiple POVs and different timelines, this book's story was narrated by two women, June and Bev, each connected to the same man in a different way. Seeing the plot unfold from each woman's perspective across different timelines brought such depth to the story. I felt like so many chapters ended with question marks and foreshadowed big revelations to come.... There were times it took all of my will power to finish each chapter in order, instead of skipping ahead to find out what was going to happen next in the timeline that just left me hanging. The suspense-building was real.

I loved that the plot of this book never really gave me certainty about what had happened until the very end. I kept waiting for one of the characters to have a big revelation, and when the answer finally came, it was not the twist I expected. Flynn's use of red herrings and tangents in this plot was really well-done and led to lots of "I got it!" moments for me that were ultimately just "No you don't" moments in disguise.

The only thing that kept me from rating this book five stars was that, even after I got done reading, there were still a couple unanswered questions that I wish would have been wrapped up a little more clearly. And there were a couple times when parts of the storyline went on just a smidge too long. Both of these things might have just been my interpretation though.

All in all, this is a gripping thriller about how far we'll go for our families and how hard we will fight to protect the people we love. Set primarily in Napa Valley and with its prominent focus on wine, this thriller pairs perfectly with your favorite Cabernet or Chardonnay. I highly recommend this book -- especially with a generous pour into your glass. 🍷

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

#TillDeathDoUsPart #LaurieElizabethFlynn #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #thrillerreads #domesticthriller #winecountry

What in the heck did I just read? Ten years ago, June’s husband, Josh, drowned on their honeymoon. He was never found but hadn’t been seen since. She then meets Kyle and they become engaged and she “thinks” she sees Josh and is on a mission to find out if it was really him. The twists and turns gave me whiplash as I didn’t know how it was going to play out and the ending was the greatest twist of all! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release. To be published August 13, 2024

Till Death Do Us Part is a domestic suspense featuring two women, different decades, a generational vineyard, and a man. To one, Josh is a son. To the other, Josh is a husband presumed dead after a week of being married. A great premise with a lot of promise.

The vineyard itself is nearly a character and the process of creating wine is deeply imbedded into the story and often acts as an allegory to what is happening or about to happen in the story. Readers who are also wine lovers will most likely enjoy this aspect of the book. For me, at times, it became a lesson on wine making and less on the furthering the plot.

What I found most interesting were a couple of plot twists that really threw a wrench into things. At one point, though, it became too much and even the characters started to remark about coincidences. I do not mind a story that doesn't answer all the big questions and leaves something to the reader's imagination. So without complete disclosure, the author offers up a whopper of an ending.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for an early e-copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The twists in this book were twisting right up until the very end! I enjoyed this unique and complicated plot line about secrets, choices that shape the future, the complexity of motherhood, and dealing with grief.

Told in dual POVs and alternating timelines, we have June (present day) and Bev (past). This mystery about a dead husband’s return eventually comes together and wraps up nicely at the end. The twists were not always realistic, so you do have to keep that in mind. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming.

I loved the winery setting. How creative to write a thriller in a winery. The way the author described everything made it feel very atmospheric. I felt like I was there, and I enjoyed the extra wine education.

Once I got about 40% in, I couldn’t put it down. I was so anxious to find out how everything would come together, and it was definitely surprising!

There was a lot to like in this book. We have the dual timelines of June who has been grieving since her honeymoon 10 years when her new husband Josh drowned, and Bev who is Josh's mother struggling to raise a son who's behavior she is concerned about back when he was a teenager. We have the setting in wine county and at the vineyards, the wonderful descriptions of the places and of the characters in the plot.

June has always suspected that her husband didn't die on their honeymoon, and she thinks she sees him frequently. Now engaged to a wonderful man, while scoping out locations for her wedding, she comes across the vineyard once owned by Josh's family. When she thinks she sees him there, she dives into trying to figure out what is going on.

We move back and forward in time, following Josh and his family when he was a teenager, and June as she plays detective.

This was a slow burn to start with, but the pace does quicken. I loved the ending - I didn't guess the perpetrator at all, and that piece made sense to me once it was explained.

But, there was a plot twist in the second half that I just found unbelievable. I struggled along with this until the book played out, and I said - I loved the ending.

Till Death Do us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
🤯🥺💕😓🙌😮
5/5 ⭐️
mystery
I just read this book Till Death Do Us Part and I’m going through the seven stages of grief. Seriously. This book comes out August 13, 2024 and let me tell you. BUY IT. Omg. This book had MULTIPLE plot twists. INSANE PLOT TWISTS. The ending had me in shock but also very sad and just bewildered. BEWILDERED IS THE PERFECT WORD.
I haven’t really read a mystery before this and let me tell you I am so happy I read this as my first.

Quick summary in my own words:
June quickly went into a marriage with a man she immediately fell in love with. Marrying him just 6 months after meeting him, only for him to die a week later in a drowning in which his body was never found. Now 10 years later, June believes she is seeing him but that would be almost impossible. Still even with all the time passed she’s seeking one thing and that’s the truth.