Predictable domestic drama.

Liz and her new fiancé, Owen, are visiting her mother to announce the news of their engagement. Intending to keep their pregnancy secret, they tread lightly around Liz's erratic and unstable mother. Poor Liz can't bring herself to share stories about her mother with Owen as her childhood was difficult. Liz is uncomfortable being back in the house where she grew up, but is happy to see her sister, Shelley, and dad again. All have been treading lightly and carefully around the mom for years. Now she wants to play mother of the bride in earnest and is determined that she will organize Liz and Owen's wedding at the beautiful local church. What can go wrong? None want the reminder of what happened when Shelley tried to get married last year.

Again, a very predictable plot with all the tells being easy to see from the start. The characters were stereotypes and mostly their thoughts and behavior were very irritating. It always seems that they deliberately close their eyes to the most obvious of signs that there are things amiss. The climax was exactly as anticipated and the outcome as I expected. It's a fast read, though, so it will likely keep some entertained for a couple of hours.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC e-book and audiobook as I both read and listened.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an Audio ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

This is a time where I wish that Goodreads would amend their rating system to allow for partial stars as while I don’t feel like I can round it up to a 4 star, it was a solid 3.5.

I overall enjoyed the book, particularly the last 5 characters where the wrap up takes place. The problem was the middle of the book where things got so repetitive that you get frustrated with the main protagonist. If this was a physical copy of the book I would have skimmed very fast for a good chunk of it however that’s not really possible with an audiobook.

The narration was pretty good overall although during “exciting” scenes where the narrator needed to show more emotion it did get a bit annoying. Her voice definitely impacts how you take to the characters making it very hard to release from the way she viewed them. That’s frustrating to a consumer as I for one prefer a more blank slate.

There were some decent red herrings and twists along with completely unrealistic responses to situations. I don’t want to give spoilers so I’ll leave it at that.

I would recommend this to folks who like this genre but with the caveat that you need to power through the frustration to get to the decent ending.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I hope I am a better Mother of the Bride (and Groom) to my kids!

Lizzie is engaged to her fiancé after a six month whirlwind romance in Dubai. They come home to the English countryside to live and get married. Lizzie's family life is quite dysfunctional and her sister's fiancé died on their wedding day a year ago. Lots of twists and gaslighting going on.

Excellent narration.

Mother of the Bride was my first experience with author Samantha Hayes and it definitely won’t be my last. This book was an addicting thrill ride to say the least. I could not stop listening and finished it in two sittings. When I thought the story was heading in one direction, BAM, plot twist!

Narrator Tamsyn Kennard kept me engaged and did a wonderful job with characterization and pacing.

If you’re looking for a psychological thriller with plenty of family drama, twists and a jaw dropping ending then I highly recommend Mother of the Bride.

Thank you Bookouture Audio, author Samantha Hayes, and NetGalley for this Advanced Listening Copy.

A big thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is my first experience with Samantha Hayes' book.
I got this audiobook from NetGalley, excited by a really interesting summary. But I didn't know that I'd get annoyed with the main character, Lizzie, along the way. The story starts great, thanks to the narrator who really grabs my attention. But at the same time, it made me feel irritated with the main character's lack of intelligence and her disregard for her own awareness. The story revolves around Lizzie, who hastily becomes engaged to Owen despite their short acquaintance. She suspects her mother's involvement in past events, leading to a deeper exploration of her mother's true nature. Samantha Hayes positions her book within the family mystery thriller genre, emphasizing the intricate dynamics of family relationships. While it offers psychological intrigue, readers should expect a slower pace compared to fast-paced thrillers.
Lizzie can be really frustrating, making you wish she'd just pay more attention to what's going on around her. Her mom's habit of poking her nose into everything only makes things tenser, showing a type of family interference that's too real for some of us. The other characters bring a lot of feelings into the story, each adding something important to the mystery. I was hooked, always looking forward to finding out what comes next and what's really going on with Lizzie's mom. I'm grateful to the outstanding narrator who genuinely conveyed the story with emotion, significantly impacting my feelings as well.
The book takes its time, with some parts repeating, but it still keeps you hooked with bits of suspense and surprises. It talks a lot about who we are and how our choices affect things, ending in a way that ties everything up but also makes you think. Even though there are parts where the story seems to slow down, these moments make the suspense even stronger. The surprises, especially a big one near the end, were the best parts for me, totally unexpected but making complete sense.
If you liked "The Family Upstairs" by Lisa Jewell, I really think you should check out this audiobook. It's got a similar vibe with its focus on complicated family stuff and a deep story, offering a really engaging listen for those who like a story that makes you think.

Before I give you my review. I want to make it clear that from a quick scan through Goodreads I am firmly in the minority on how I’ve rated Mother Of The Bride. So please don’t take my word for it. Nor do I wish to belittle the authors work, because there’s nothing wrong with it, infact it’s extremely well written and narrated beautifully, unfortunately it didn’t hit the mark for me. I’d pretty much pieced the story together for myself around a third of the way in, and I was dead right. It just felt a bit familiar. A bit over done and a lot predictable.

Maybe if you’re new to a thriller you’ll love it? Or perhaps I’m just not having a good book day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

I started this book thinking I would know exactly what was going to happen. The title, the blurb, and the buildup throughout the book had me curious about what would happen that I hadn't already figured out. This plot was executed well, and the characters were well developed.

There were times when Lizzie's thoughts seemed repetitive. I feel that the book could've been shorter if the repetitiveness was eliminated. Also, Lizzie had flashbacks to the past and those weren't always easily identifiable. I was slightly confused at certain points, but not to the extreme that I couldn't follow.

Now back to the plot. Everything I thought I knew while reading this was WRONG! The last 5-6 chapter blew my mind! They made the book in my opinion. My mouth hung multiple times during the unfathomable ending. Very worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrators voice kept me engaged through the reading, which I found myself listening to a few hours non-stop over the span of two days. It captured my attention from the opening of the story. There should be a trigger warning on some aspects.

Minus one star because I found the main character to be annoying at times with her childish antics, and the plot was a bit predictable to me.

An absolute blinder of a plot!

Lizzie’s controlling and critical mother takes over her wedding arrangements, leaving Luzzie exasperated and fearful, as she suspects her of having killed her sister’s fiancé on their wedding day a year earlier.

Some weird things start happening and the fast pace of the story had my head in a spin as I tried to piece together what was going on, at times wanting to scream at Lizzie to just get away from her toxic mother!

Cue the wedding day and the twists starting coming at me like bullets from a gun, wrapping up all but one question, leaving the epilogue to deliver that final, jaw dropping twist! Fantastic!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Samantha Hayes and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Mother of the Bride by Samantha Hayes and Narrated by Tamsyn Kennard has left me gobstruck, utterly blown away. What an absolute stonker of an ending let alone just how brilliant the plotline was!

We can all relate to the concept of a bridezilla, but what about the Mother in Law, the overbearing, controlling mother of the bride who has to have a hand in every single detail? What if that same mother subjected the daughter to incessant psychological abuse up to the present day? What if that same mother is potentially implicated in the murder of your sisters husband to be on their wedding day a year ago and now, your husband to be is nowehere to be found... while you are waiting at the aisle

This audiobook absolutely blew my mind. Tamsyn Kennard is a fantastic narrator who really exemplified every little nuance in the book and what a story. So many twists and turns it made spaghetti junction look like the M1. Seriously, you could unravel a ball of yarn and it wouldn't have as many twists. Hayes is an outstanding author, I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout the book and the plot twists just kept coming

10 stars plus plus and then some!

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio , the stunning author Samantha Hayes and the outstanding narrator Tamsyn Kennard for this belter of an ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Gasp! The ending is so, so, sooooo good!!!!
Thanks to NetGalley I was given early access to the audiobook of Mother of the Bride by Samantha Hayes.
I was invested right from the beginning. Unlike other reviews I found the book to be unpredictable and had me guessing the whole time! The narration was one of the best I've heard before! The end was so good!

This was my first experience with a Samantha Hayes book, and it won't be the last.
I would definitely recommend this book!

Twigger warning- child abuse
It wasn't described in detail, but alluded to it happening when Elizabeth "Lizzie" was a child.

Speak now or forever hold your peace…I’ve never actually been to a wedding where this was even asked let alone what could transpire to lead to any moment of question. Mother of the Bride is a juicy thriller that answers that question and so much more! With a wedding and a baby on the way, Lizzie is looking forward to a fresh start. However, she has to deal with her family of origin issues first, namely her mother…and the tragic wedding that did not take place last year when her sister’s finance tragically died. This book is both wonderfully written and narrated, a delicious listen that will keep you guessing the full story until the very end!

Review is on Goodreads and will be on Instagram 3/24!

Elizabeth “Lizzy” and Shelly grew up with a toxic and controlling mother and a father who tried to protect them from her. A year ago Shelly’s fiancé died on their wedding day and her sister Lizzy was the one to find the body. What Lizzy didn’t tell anyone was that she found her mothers corsage next to the body, she took the flowers and hid them in a box. Lizzy fled her home, knowing her mom is a killer, and found a job in Dubai. While there she met Owen, a great guy who proposed to her. Both their jobs ended in Dubai and came back to the UK and eventually ended up at Lizzy’s moms house. Strange things start to happen, Lizzy’s engagement ring goes missing, Owen gets sick, and money from a dead women ends up in her mothers purse. Every time Lizzy and Owen try to move out of the house something or someone sabotages their efforts. Is Lizzy’s mom trying to stop the wedding by any means necessary, is Lizzy’s pregnant addled mind imaging things that are there, or is something else occurring?

This was a good book and I enjoyed listening to it. Once the question of the boy in the picture came up I figured that piece out but not everything. I tried to let the book guide me through the story without contemplating who did what. I enjoy these kinds of books, ones that have a twist at the end you don't see coming. Halfway through the book I wanted Lizzy to dump Owen and take up with her friend but she’s in love with Owen and pregnant with his baby. Owen was giving me red flag excuses, it seemed like nothing was ever going to get done. If you like suspense mysteries and enjoy twisty ending, Mother of the Bride is for you.

Narrator was good, clear, and did multiple voices, listened at 2.0 speed.

📖Mother of the Bride
✍️ Samantha Hayes
🗓️ 26 Mar 2024
📝 Bookouture Audio

I am a sucker for novels like this! Sendings, family drama, twists and turns. This was a tale of a dysfunctional family and betrayal, but maybe not from where you expect it.

This was a well thought out popcorn thriller that was very easy to listen to. Bits and bobs were a bit unbelievable, but I can be lenient with that if it works out for the story.


The narration was well done and nice to listen to. Even at x 2.5-3 speed it was very easy to in understand.

⭐️Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own, I was under no obligation to review.

The ‘shocking’ twist is telegraphed from miiiiiiiles away, but it’s such a fun ride I didn’t mind!

Premise - after getting engaged to the love of her life, Lizzie should be over the moon. Instead, she can’t shake the fear that her possessive mother is going to ruin everything. Only a year earlier, her sister’s fiance died on their would-be wedding date under suspicious circumstances. Now Lizzie is worried Owen is in for the same fate…

<Spoiler> Owen was suspect af from page one. That said, is it really realistic that Lizzie wouldn’t have immediately called it when she saw a photo of Joseph?? It’s not like he was a toddler when everything happened!

Believability aside, the voice is so easy and fun (perfect for the popcorn thriller crowd, Freida McFadden fans) and it’s so well paced that I had an absolute blast reading it! I’ll definitely read more from Samantha Hayes.

Thanks, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: March 26th, 2024
Page count: 347
Audio length: 9 hours 43 minutes
Narrator: Tamsin Kennard
Genre: domestic thriller
Setting: small town

Elizabeth’s soon to be brother in law is found dead a year ago right before his wedding. She finds her mother’s bloody corsage by the body. Elizabeth has found her mother to be controlling and abusive- and there are many mysteries surrounding her past making Elizabeth to think her mom harms people. Elizabeth is afraid to get married to Owen because of this, but her mother is trying to speed up the wedding to occur in 2 weeks. Who can be trusted? This book kept me on the edge of my seat!

I really enjoyed this book- and plan to read more books from this author!


Thank you to author, publisher, NetGalley for advanced copy. This is an honest voluntary review.