3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️


✨ Lizzy and Owen is bound to get married but struggling financially. As the blurb already stated that her mother was always in charge or ‘obsessed’ with the wedding happening. On the middle of the story you can predict what will happen next or even the ending.

✨ the story is mild thriller. Quite long with no substance ( I’m so sorry) . I almost dnf the story as it was quite repetitive of the sentence.
However , family drama on this book was great. Full of secret.

‼️ suicide


✨ Thankyou netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc for a honest review.


❤️shaye.reads

Here comes the bride.....

And here comes the "Mother of the Bride", too!

A pregnant bride-to-be is planning her wedding.

But the bride is worried.

WHY?

Last year, the bride's sister's fiancé was murdered on the couple's wedding day and her mother’s corsage was found next to his body.

Will this happen again?

Although I was intrigued by this book's compelling premise, I had an issue with the book's pacing.

The first half of the book was very, very S-L-O-W with repetitive text.

Fortunately, the pace picked up and I enjoyed the book's twisty ending.

I listened to the audiobook read by Tamsin Kennard who did a superb job with the narration.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BookoutureAudio for the book #MotherOfTheBride by #SamanthaHayes. Betrayal, murder, secrets, lies and revenge all surround Lizzy and Owen as their wedding day approaches. The mother of the bride is a cruel person and may be responsible for Lizzie’s sisters husbands death a year ago. Will this be a repeat? Is lizzy in danger? I loved this book and especially the twist ending I didn’t see coming.

This was such a twisty ride. A few things are easy to figure out which makes the shocking ending take you by storm. You can't even guess the ending. Definitely impressed with this author.

Just WOW.
This is a very twisted and fast paced book. I could not stop turning the pages. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next, it twisted again and again.
Puts a whole new twist on the "evil mother-in-law", really gave me Mommy Dearest vibes.
Very well written story. My only complaint is it felt a little long towards the end.


The narration of this story was very enjoyable. The expression of emotions was very well done. I did not get bored with this one as I sometimes do. Well done.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version.
I was really excited about this one first off the cover sucked me in and the synopsis sounded very interesting.
I think the concept was good BUT the story that we got was very well frustrating. I just found myself saying DUH the whole time. The main character was completely dense and her fiance after being almost poisoned and given a mystery pill for a headache. The mother making all the kids sick from her daughters school when she was younger. I just found it frustrating how dumb everyone was. This seemed like a lifetime movie plot or even a Hallmark mystery plot. It was just okay. It could have been so much better.

This book kept me on my toes. The ending is so unexpected. Lizzy is going to marry Owen. Will her wedding end up like her sisters with a dead groom? Is her controlling mother to blame?

We meet Lizzie and Owen, a newly engaged couple, who return to Lizzie's mother's house after living in Dubai.
Lizzie is reluctant due to her difficult relationship with her mother, and wants out of her house as soon as possible.
It seems like everything is going alright, aside from her mother trying to push their wedding on them, until they are informed the police are opening back up the case regarding Lizzie's almost brother in law's death.
Lizzie's mind starts to work overtime and she wants to get to the bottom of everything quickly, did her mum really kill Rafe?

Great narration which kept me hooked throughout. A fab domestic thriller set in England, perfect wee holiday read! I called the twist early on, but was thrown in the last couple minutes of the book! That was one I didn't expect.

My first Samantha Hayes book and not my last.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️ rounded. Mother of the Bride had me guessing until the very end! We follow Lizzie and Owen who are newly engaged after a whirlwind romance. Everything is great except for Lizzie’s overbearing mother, Sylvia. She’s a loose cannon and unfortunately a type of character than many know all too well!

Lizzie and Owen find themselves staying with Sylvia when they are in a pinch and we learn that this family does not have the best track record with weddings. Will history repeat itself? Someone is lying but we have to go through some hard lessons to find out who…and why!

This audiobook was narrated by Tamsin Kennard who did an amazing job conveying all characters! I love a narrator that can switch between male and female characters with believability and ease.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Samantha Hayes, and Bookouture Audio for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait for everyone else to read this on March 26th!

This domestic thriller grabbed me from the description and I knew I had to read it. The twists ended up being very predictable and there were parts of the book that ended up being repetitive, but overall it was an entertaining read that I was able to fly through.

Mother of the Bride is a great fast-paced domestic thriller. Two sister, Shelley and Lizzie, have one of the most narcissistic mothers. She constantly needs to be in control of everything, especially when it comes to wedding planning. Last year Shelleys fiancé was found dead on the day of the wedding. Was it an accident? Lizzie seems to think not, and now her mother is control of planning her wedding as well.
Just when you think you have this story figured out, think again!

This thriller found me sitting on the edge of my seat as I listened, and the narrator does a fantastic job of keeping you engaged and portraying the emotions of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and the author (Samantha Hayes) for this advance audio in return for my honest review.

Pub Date: 26 March 2024

Thank you to @Netgalley and @bookouture for my free copy of this book!

A great, super fast read that takes you for a thrilling and mysterious ride! Fans of Emily Shiner and Freida McFadden will really enjoy this thriller!

Newly engaged couple, Lizzie and Owen return home, to her mother's house, after living in Dubai. Lizzie's mother is meddlesome, a little insane and maybe even murderous. Last year, her sister's husband-to-be was found dead on the morning of his wedding as well as her mother's corsage.

Is her mother a murderer? Sure, her mother had been a drama queen that threw tantrums to get her own way, plus she was fired from her job under mysterious circumstance, but that doesn't mean she's a murderer....or does it? Determined to find out once and for all what her mother is all about. Lizzie investigates her mother's past and is astonished in what she discovers!

Not everyone is who they seem and many secrets are revealed as Lizzie comes to see the whole truth as it's revealed on her own wedding day.

1.00!

Now, from where do I start?

This has me hating the genre of thrillers because I have never read such a dense, watered down thriller ever. There has not been a single thriller as of yet which has been bad for me, I have enjoyed most of them and have even rated them more than a four, who knew this would be the first one starred thriller I read because I sure as hell did not, after that captivating synopsis.

The writing bugged me the most, it often felt like the author had no sense of direction and was running through circles and the repetition was too much. The plot was not well plotted tbh because I saw the twist and turns coming before we even got to the foreshadowing part. Not well thought. Not well written. Not well executed.

The characters were so insufferable. Our main female character accuses the mother of being a murderer without having any concrete proof and by just going along with the vibes AND while accusing her, doesn't shy away from letting her mom pay for all her wedding expenses and for the accommodations and the living. The male main character was like a female main character from a Rina Kent book. He had no backbone and was naive as fuck and the twist that everyone probably saw coming felt so out of place.

This audiobook was of 9 hours and tbh the narrator did a well job but the book itself was so boring that the first half I knew I would have dnf'd this book if I wasn't listening to it whilst studying. OMG there was even a part where I slept through and when I woke up inly 3 hours were left lmaoo but I had to go back (felt guilty) there honestly came a point where I turned my reading speed up to 3x (keep in mind, I listen to audiobooks at the speed of 1.75-2) so yeah not a great read at all and definitely broke my streak....I need good thriller books now *sighs*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I really liked this book! Another one that was hard to put down. So many surprises along the way and I really didn’t expect any of them either!
Well written to keep you guessing who to trust and who not to trust. Good job by the narrator.

3.5⭐
Genre ~ domestic thriller
Setting ~ England
Publication date ~ March 26, 2024
Page Count ~ 382 (p+ 58 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 51 minutes
Narrator ~ Tamsin Kennard
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ family drama, controlling parent, secrets, references to suicide

Lizzy and Owen are in a tough spot financially, so they've temporarily moved in with her mother, which she is adamantly against. She's already suspicious of her and living with her sounds like it's a nightmare with her sneaky and controlling ways. But mom is paying for the wedding, so she'll just have to deal with it for a few weeks.

It's not all about the wedding, though. There's still talk about sister, Shelley's, husband, Rafe, dying on their wedding day last year. Her father being in a care facility gives us another side plot. Lastly, Lizzy's old crush from school has started coming around to help move the story along.

Overall, a solid, fast paced read with some repetition. I totally called the big zinger, but there was a nice one at the end that I wasn't expecting and I think it'll take you by surprise, too.

Narration notes:
Tamsin did a wonderful job.

You think you know what is happening but it twists you and takes you on an unexpected routes. The characters are purposely cringy. It helps build the story. This is a good read with red herrings making you think.

Mother of the Bride was a twisty fun thriller ride. I had an inkling into how the book was going to end. But it still shocked me at the end! (Jaw dropping shock) The author did a great job with making me think I had everything figured out, when in fact I definitely did not. I did get a little annoyed with the main character, so just be prepared for that. I really enjoyed the narrator for this audio book. She did a good job with all of the characters. I would def recommend this book for another who wants a quick thriller that enjoys story ending twists.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio and the author for allowing me to listen and review this audiobook!

Talk about whiplash! Just when I thought I knew what was happening in the gripping and jaw dropping book, Samantha Hayes threw in a twist and reveal which had me sitting there with my mouth open and thinking "well done, Hayes, well done." I enjoy books that keep me on my toes and turning the pages and Samantha Hayes delivered.

Lizzie has news! She and Owen are getting married. It should be a time of celebration, but Lizzie is apprehensive about breaking the news to her mother as she knows her mother will want to take over and plan the wedding herself. Lizzie can't help but remember her sister's wedding the previous year where her sister's fiancé was found dead.

With her mother helping with the wedding plans, will Lizzie and Owen have the wedding of their dreams?????????

[book:Mother of the Bride|204217927] was a riveting, shocking, dramatic, and well written book that knocked my socks off! I love how this book shocked me. Plus, the family drama was entertaining, captivating and so well done! I look forward to reading what Samantha Hayes writes next!

I was lucky enough to have both the e-book and audiobook version of this book which made for an enjoyable reading experience. I thought the narrator did a great job.

#MotheroftheBride #NetGalley #SamanthaHayes #Bookouture #BookoutureAudio

Mother of the Bride book
This was a fun psychological/domestic thriller about a newly engaged couple.

Lizzie, engaged to the new life of her life, can’t wait to start a family with her new groom. Being in a current financial rough patch, they’re forced to stay with her mother for a while. The mother of the bride is neurotic and sabotaging towards her entire family and Lizzie begins to question her childhood, her mother’s capabilities, and even her fiancé.

I really enjoyed listening to this one and adored the narrator. I was hoping I wouldn’t guess the ending early, but I did correctly guess it early on and was hoping to be proven wrong. It didn’t keep me from enjoying the book though.

If you like Freida McFadden, Miranda Rijks, and Kiersten Modglin, you’ll really enjoy this thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest written review.

Thank you Netgalley, Samantha Hayes and Bookouture for the audio Arc of Mother of the Bride.
Narrated by Yasmin Kennard

The prologue grabbed me instantly, set on the Wedding day of Lizzie's wedding. At that critical moment, someone screams, Nooo! Who is it? and why?

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. Yasmin has a great voice for this sort of genre and Id recognised her voice instantly from other audios i've listened to. I fell that Yasmin has a varying range of expression in her voice and inserts the right sort of emotions in the right places.

The Mother of the Bride itself sets off at a medium pace some months before the prologue and builds up to the present day of the wedding. You get a very good sense of the characters of Lizzie's parents, her sister and Owen, the husband to be, The storyline does slow down a little in the middle, I felt this ws great because it built the psychological aspects of what was going on. You think you have figured something out, only to doubt yourself, There is some great foreshadowing within this part that I can imagine at. people may miss, which would be a shame. The twists and turns aren't overly complicated which for this sort of narrative, I found easy to follow and just enough to mess with your head a little. The final twist played out and there is a little nugget of an OMG moment in the epilogue
. A great all round thriller! 4 stars