The first book in this series, Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies, was a 5-star read for me last year, so I definitely had high expectations for this sequel... and it did NOT disappoint!!
I loved coming back to Eleanor and seeing what she and Harper have been up to since we last saw them in Italy, and Eleanor is getting a movie made from her first book, When in Rome, and of course every issue a reader has when a movie is made from a book Eleanor is having with this movie. Changing dialogue and different scenes altogether are just the beginning, but at least she gets to work with her best friend and star of the movie Emily. Its her wedding to co-star Fred we are going to and where the current body will be found. On an Island. During a storm. And the wedding must go on..

The setting is great, the mystery is so well plotted and with plenty of twists and turns I had no idea where the story was going to go, or who the killer was going to turn out to be until it was revealed! This has quickly become one of my favorite series, and I can't wait to see whats going to happen in the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance reader copy of No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Catherine Mack.

I was really looking forward to this one, especially after enjoying Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The setup had potential, but I never fully connected with the story or characters. The pacing felt uneven, and while there were a few suspenseful moments, it just didn’t grab me like the first book did. Overall, it was an okay read but a bit of a letdown compared to Mack’s debut. 2.5 ⭐️

Eleanor Dash, bestselling author of the Vacation Mysteries series, is attending the filming of the movie adaptation of her first novel, When In Rome. Eleanor's best childhood friend Emma Wood is starring in the movie, and once the filming wraps, the cast heads to nearby Catalina Island for Emma's wedding to Fred Winters, Emma’s co-star. The wedding seems to be doomed from the start. First a hurricane is bearing down on the island, then Emma receives a note that says “Someone is going to die at the wedding.”. As accidents keep happening, and the body count begins to rise, it sems someone is intent on making sure the wedding does not go as planned.

I love this series. Eleanor is so much fun, and there are so many twists and turns that by the end I think I have suspected everyone in the book. The way the story ended set it up for book three, so I am excited for another Eleanor Dash book to look forward to. If you love a good mytery with a lot of humor, then you will love this.

I absolutely adored the first book in this cozy mystery series when I read it last year, and I was really excited to dive into the sequel. Now that I’ve finished it, I can honestly say—I liked it, but I didn’t love it.

The whole gang is back, tackling another quirky murder mystery, and the author’s signature style is still present: playful narration, eccentric characters, and plenty of fourth-wall-breaking humor. There were definitely some fun and silly moments, but overall, this one didn’t land as well for me. The footnotes weren't as enjoyable, I didn’t find myself laughing as much, and—unfortunately—I just wasn’t as invested in the characters or the mystery. Some parts even dragged a little.

That said, I’d still recommend it as a light, goofy mystery—perfect for a lazy afternoon or poolside reading. Just temper expectations if, like me, you loved book one.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Publishers for an advance digital copy.

The Vacation Mysteries Series by Catherine Mack is my new must read when traveling. I read her first book, EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION SOMEONE DIES while beachside in Mexico last year and loved it. Fast forward to 2025 and I’m AGAIN in Mexico reading her newest release. Catherine, I’ll make a deal with you. You keep writing sharp, hilarious mysteries and I’ll keep reading them in Mexico. We good?

NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE AT THIS WEDDING is exactly the kind of tongue in cheek, witty mystery I crave. Funny, whip smart, super twisty and full of distinct, unforgettable characters; this book is pure entertainment. Mack’s use of footnotes to break the Fourth Wall works so well - more so in the audio version, if you can believe it. It adds a level of cheekiness to the story while foreshadowing things to come.

Back are our friend, mystery writer Eleanor Dash, and her troupe of relatives, friends, lovers, and stalkers. Her best seller is being made into a film and the co-stars are staging a wedding. At least that’s the plan until threatening messages start arriving and bodies start dropping. Ms. Dash once again turns amateur detective and it’s pure folly.

I highly recommended this entertaining novel. I laughed out loud and smiled through the entire book. (And got ridiculously excited at the end! IYKYK)

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books) for the advance copies. All opinions are my own.

Eleanor is back - this time to celebrate her best friend Emma who is getting married! But in true Eleanor style, this wedding will not go off without everything, and I mean everything, that can do wrong, going wrong.

Once again we find ourselves with a colorful cast of characters - but we've met a few of them before while we were on vacation with Eleanor and the crew in Italy. Emma is getting married - to her co-star, as they film the movie adaption of Eleanor's book When In Rome, which became popular after she almost dies on a book tour (if you haven't read book 1 in this series, stop and go do that before your proceed). As a reader, I immediately found myself right back in the swing of things with Eleanor, and I truly dread the day this series ends because I adore the particular brand of chaos she brings.

Set on an island in a hurricane, Eleanor must solve a series of murders and might have been murders, while trying to get a wedding off without a hitch. I promise you tenured mystery readers, you won't even guess where this book is heading - and that's what makes it so much fun. If you love a mystery that also makes you laugh out loud, you're going to love this series. And the way it ends, well, I am eager for book 3.

I really enjoyed Catherine Mack's last book and was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me and I really struggled to get into it.

2 out of 5 Stars!

Eleanor Dash is the bestselling author of the Vacation Mysteries Series. Even though she is a mystery writer, she hates how murder seems to follow her around everywhere. Especially when murder follows her best friend from childhood, Emma Wood’s wedding. Emma is currently starring in When in Rome, which is Eleanor’s first novel. Emma is marrying her co-star Fred Winters, who is playing Connor Smith. Once filming wraps up, the whole cast and crew go to Catalina Island for the nuptials. There might be a storm heading their way, but nothing will stop this marriage. Until Emma receives a note saying, “Someone is going to die at the wedding.” It is up to Eleanor to uncover the murder, so true love can prevail, and before it is too late.

“No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding” by Catherine Mack is the second book in The Vacation Mysteries series. The first in the series, “Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies”, caught my eye with the clever title and gorgeous cover. But beyond that, the first book in the series was just okay. Truthfully, I was really hopeful the second book was going to grab my attention more, but unfortunately, it fell flat.

Overall, I thought this book was slow with not a lot of action and more accusations being thrown around between the main characters. I felt like they were talking more about everyone’s motives, without doing the actual detective work. After a while, it got confusing keeping up with everyone’s stories and theories. The characters, other than Eleanor/Harper/Connor/Oliver, seemed to blend together without powerful backstories. There were so many characters that looked like one another and acted the same, it was hard to keep track. Which, maybe, was the point the author was trying to make, but I just didn’t care for it. I think there are ways to properly confuse the reader to keep them on their toes, but I just didn’t think it worked out in this book.

I felt like the ending was obvious and confusing at the same time. I had my suspicions throughout the book, and they were correct. I do really like Eleanor, and reading her internal thoughts. I think she is such a fun main character and has lots of potential. Harper, her sister, is an amazing addition to the story. I love their relationship and how they always have each other's back while figuring out the mystery.

I think I have come to the conclusion that I am just not a huge fan of Catherine Mack’s writing style. While reading, I tend to get lost more in her books with all the dialogue that is happening. There are a lot of back and forth conversations, with it being unclear who exactly is talking. I will admit though, I do love the footnotes in each chapter. They are often hilarious! I really want to love this series, with the funny twist it brings to the mystery genre, but I can’t say I see myself reading the next book in this series.

Pick up “No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding” by Catherine Mack on May 13th, 2025!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, Catherine Mack, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

📚 E-ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

No One Was Supposed To Die At This Wedding
By Catherine Mack
Publication Date: May 13, 2025
Publisher: St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

If you love a cozy, laugh-out-loud whodunnit mystery, you are going to want to add No One Was Supposed To Die At This Wedding to your TBR list right now! This was a quick read with witty dialogue and sarcastic humor throughout that made for an incredibly entertaining book.

This is book two in the Eleanor Dash series about a female best-selling author who finds herself consistently playing the role of amateur sleuth in real-life, just as the female main character does in each of her Vacation Mystery books. This time, Eleanor is maid-of-honor for her best friend Emma's wedding on Catalina Island, and it becomes very clear that someone does not want this wedding to go forward. There's creepy threatening notes being sent to the bride, an impending hurricane headed straight for the island, and a plethora of devious Hollywood-types who'd do seemingly anything to get their big break in the industry. Can Eleanor figure out what's going on before this gets worse?

The secluded island with an incoming hurricane creates a fantastic locked-door setting for this whodunnit in which everyone is a suspect. You know the trope. There were twists I didn't see coming, and a couple twists I guessed right away. This whodunnit is almost campy in the best way. While it's a second book in the series and it was great to see the return of all my favorite characters from the first book, you could read this one as a standalone if you wanted to. However, the humor (and the use of footnotes) is so clever, you'll want to read every book in the series anyway, so you might as well start with the first book.

If you're a fan of locked room tropes, whodunnit vibes, and humorous writing in your mysteries, the Eleanor Dash series is definitely one you don't want to miss. Book #2 comes out Tuesday, May 13th!

#NoOneWasSupposedToDieAtThisWedding #CatherineMack #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #gifted #ARC #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #bookreviews #bookrecs #mysteries #whodunnitmystery #booklover #bookaddict

ARC REVIEW: No One was Supposed to Die at this Wedding by Catherine Mack ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is a second installment in Mack’s series The Vacation Mysteries following mystery author/amateur sleuth Eleanor Dash. I was honestly confused at whether this is being marketed as a direct sequel or an interconnected standalone. There were so many references to the first book, that I probably wouldn’t recommend you pick this one up without reading the first book, Every Time I go on Vacation Someone Dies. I think it would make this book much more enjoyable to read. Our protagonist Eleanor Dash, frequently addresses the reader directly which is something I don’t prefer in my reading. The author also uses footnotes from Eleanor throughout the story, to add a bit of comedy, and this worked well with the humor and tone of the story.

No one was supposed to die at this wedding will be published May 13th 2025

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Note: This is a sequel and there surprisingly aren't as many spoilers throughout the book as I thought there would be. You should read the first one to avoid some confusion, but I don't think it takes away from the story if you read this one first.

Second note: I personally would not recommend this on Audiobook. There are a ton of characters and only having one audiobook narrator will add to the confusion of the book (this was my exact experience with book 1, and it would have been the same for book 2.) I am grateful I was able to read this as an ebook.

The good:
- I love the quirky voice and breaking the 4th wall our FMC does. I don't think this is a plus for everyone, but I feel like this is almost a "sarcastic" mystery vibe. Not so much cozy, but not a scary mystery either.
- Every twist landed for me personally, I enjoyed seeing the clues that were planted beforehand and seeing how everything wrapped up.
- I liked the concept of how this book 2 came about after reading book 1. I was not sure how the concept would land but I feel like it worked in the sequel world.
- Each character does have a distinct voice and you can typically know who's talking without it explicitly being said, but...

The loss of a star:
- ...because of the number of characters and subplot of romance, I think the story's pacing gets clunky as you read the book. Some parts feel like you're at stoplight and others you are flying 80 mph down the interstate, which can be a bit jarring.

Overall, if you're looking for a new type of mystery book, this is a great one to try! (Well, start with book 1 then decide if you want to read book 2 if you want the full effect.)

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Catherine Mack is the second book in the Vacation Mysteries Series. This book picks up with a making of the movie of Eleanor Dash's bestseller When in Rome. Her best friend plays her in the movie and she falls in love with her costar surprising the cast and crew with a destination wedding on the famous Catalina Island. I found this book to be funny and engaging. I enjoyed it and found myself longing for more.

I loved the previous book so I was very excited for this one. It had a great blend of romance, mystery and suspense that kept me gripped.

What a disaster of life these poor people have, haha! They are like the commercials of people completing every day tasks very poorly so they can sell as seen on tv products. If it can go wrong, it will.
Overall, funny and an easy read.
An mystery author attends a wedding and someone is murdered. (It's really all in the title).
I would probably recommend the audio on this one - multiple parts made me LOL

I loved the first in the series and Mack's fun conversational voice. This didn't disappoint and the Catalina Island setting is a win for me since I'm very familiar with it! Some of the characters from the first book make an appearance which is always a delight and I loved that this murder mystery doesn't take itself too seriously. The author seems to be having so much fun writing this that it's hard not to enjoy reading it! Another cozy mystery standout from Mack.

Eleanor Dash, a renowned author of crime fiction, drew inspiration from her trip to Italy when she was 25 for her first book. During her stay, she met the charming Connor Smith, and they had a whirlwind romance. Their lives took an unexpected turn when they teamed up to solve a series of bank robberies. Dash skillfully crafted a fictionalized account of their experiences, which became an international bestseller.

Hollywood has now adapted her first book into a movie, and several characters from the original novel have made a comeback. Connor, the charming cad of an ex-boyfriend, his ex-wife Allison, her sister Harper, and her current boyfriend Oliver are all featured in the book. Notably, Eleanor’s childhood best friend, Emma, and her fiancé, Fred, are also starring in the movie.

As filming nears its conclusion, the entire cast embarks on a trip to Catalina Island to attend the wedding of Emma and Fred. However, an unexpected turn of events occurs when a rare Pacific hurricane strikes the island, isolating the wedding party. Tragically, the bodies of several individuals begin to accumulate, and almost everyone becomes a potential suspect. Eleanor must solve the mystery before the body count rises.

Overall, this movie is a delightful and entertaining cozy mystery that combines humor, suspense, and heartwarming moments.

I received an arc of this book from NetGalley from r my honest review.

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is the hilarious follow up to Everytime I Go On Vacation Someone Dies (also loads of fun). Eleanor Dash is looking forward to her best friend's wedding on Catalina Island. Emma Wood (best friend and costar of When in Rome, the adaptationon Eleanor's book) is marring her costar, Fred Winter. Eleanor is worried, she has received an anymous note that someone will die. During the reception, Eleanor finds a dead body, to think all she wanted was a bathroom! The corpse has a cake knife sticking in their back. Add to all this a storm that leaves everyone stuck on the island, more murders and Eleanor's ex, Connor, who showed up.

The novel really gets going and we follow the plot with Eleanor's first person narrative. I love Catherine Mack's writing style. You feel as if Eleanor is speaking directly to you, and the footnotes are a great addition. Eleanor gets help from her boyfriend, Oliver, as she works to find the culprit. There are some twists and turns and the suspense ramps up as truths and secrets are discovered. If you like fun and a heroine you would want to be friends with, and maybe go on vacation with, this series is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for an ARC. The review is my own.

Thank you to Minotaur for providing me with an advanced copy of the next book in the series!

Eleanor Dash is off on another adventure—this time, faced with yet another murder. Her last book has been turned into a movie, with her best friend Emma starring in the lead role. Emma is marrying Fred, who also plays the leading man in the film she’s starring in.

Many familiar faces from the previous book return, but this time the group heads to the remote Catalina Island. What should be a romantic and memorable setting for a wedding quickly turns ominous when a murderer is among them—and with a hurricane underway, no one can leave the island.

The book is sprinkled with humorous footnotes, which worked especially well in the eBook version I read.

This is another delightful cozy mystery with twists along the way. It’s a fun read that can easily be enjoyed as a standalone. I believe the first book is being adapted into a television series, which I think will be fantastic!

Thank you Netgalley & Minotaur Books for an eARC ♥️♥️♥️


"No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding" – or, How I Accidentally Burned Through 300 Pages Instead of Adulting 🫣
So. You know that feeling when you pick up a book just to "read a few pages," and suddenly it's 3 AM, you've eaten an entire family-sized bag of chips, and you're emotionally invested in a fictional wedding disaster like it's your own personal soap opera? Yeah. That's this book.
Eleanor Dash is back, and she's still the human equivalent of a train wreck you can't look away from—except this time, she's crashing a destination wedding. Catalina Island. Movie star groom. Picture-perfect vibes—until, surprise! Someone's probably about to get murdered. (Spoiler: The title isn't lying.)
Here’s the thing: This book is ridiculous in the best possible way. It's like if someone took a cozy mystery, gave it three shots of espresso, and then dared it to start drama at an open bar. Eleanor's narration? Hilarious. The footnotes? Unhinged. The fact that she's somehow both the worst and best person to solve a crime? Iconic.
The actual mystery is solid—red herrings, suspicious guests, the whole "storm trapping everyone on the island" trope—but let's be real, you're not here for just the plot. You're here for the chaos. The ex-boyfriend tension. The passive-aggressive bridesmaids. The way Eleanor overthinks everything while still somehow missing the obvious. It's a vibe.
If you want a mystery that takes itself just seriously enough to work but not so seriously that it forgets to have fun, this is your book. Perfect for when you need something smart enough to keep you guessing but silly enough to make you snort-laugh in public.
4/5, only because I’m still mad I didn’t get an invite to this disaster wedding. (Eleanor, call me. Let’s collab on the next one.)

Eleanor Dash is a best selling author of the Vacation Mysteries series. Her last book, When in Rome is being made into a movie, and she and her sister Harper are on-set as extras in the movie. The lead actress in the movie is Eleanor’s best friend from childhood, Emma Wood who is conveniently engaged to the lead actor, Fred Winters. The engaged couple has decided to have the wrap party at Catalina Island, and combine that with the wedding, despite the fact that a hurricane is headed their way. The only problem is - someone wants someone dead. Much of the book is devoted to the inner thoughts of Eleanor (mostly in footnotes, which are hilarious - don’t skip them!), as she tries to unravel who is behind the murder (spoiler alert - there’s more than one!) and the motive. Another fun, fast read that will keep you guessing - I had to reread the last few chapters just to get it all straight in my head again! Loved the first book in the series - Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies - and enjoyed this one too! Fans of the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich will enjoy these books, as El remind me a lot of Stephanie. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books, for an ARC of this book; all opinions are my own.