A brilliant character driven book that really weaves a mystery and has plenty of twists and turns along the way. The story has some real surprises and is fast paced enough to maintain full engagement throughout.

Lauren North’s For Better, For Worse is a gripping and atmospheric thriller that perfectly blends the glamour of a pre-wedding getaway with a chilling murder mystery. What begins as a romantic escape to the sun-soaked south of France swiftly spirals into a tense nightmare when the protagonist and her fiancé, Jake, find themselves entangled in a deadly crime scene—and possibly a sinister trap.

North expertly builds suspense, weaving a web of doubt and fear as the couple grapples with whether to trust each other or the mounting evidence that points to them. The vivid setting and tight pacing pull readers into a claustrophobic world where every choice feels like a high-stakes gamble.

With twists that keep you guessing and an undercurrent of paranoia and passion, For Better, For Worse is a thrilling page-turner for anyone who loves their mystery served with a side of romance and danger.

Hannah and Jake go on a last minute trip to the South of France to unwind before their upcoming wedding. Things quickly take a turn for the worse when the couple returns to their villa after a day out to discover a dead body on the floor. They realize the body is of a man that Jake was seen arguing with in the town earlier. Next to the body is a knife that Hannah used earlier in the day and bloody footprints from Jake's shoes. Who is trying to frame the couple for murder?

This one starts off strong, is slow in the middle, and then picks up again at the very end. A lot more could have been done after the prologue to keep the pace up and offer more thrills. I did enjoy the final couple of twists - very clever and did not see them coming at all. It is a quick and easy read, especially if you skim some of the repetitive dialogue in the middle. Overall, an okay read!

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was an excellent read!! The twists are truly shocking. Some parts were a little slow but the feeling of impending doom never wavered. The twists kept getting more and more wild. I loved every second of the ending. I love when an author has me frantically turning pages to see what’s found to happen next. 4.5 stars!

A quick and easy gripping thriller read! A real page turner that I didn’t see the amazing twist at the end.
I really enjoyed reading the book!

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Bookouture for the ARC.

A gripping, twist-filled read that begins as a sweet love story between Hannah and Jake but quickly veers into unexpected territory. Just when you think you understand what’s happening, the plot shifts again; like navigating a house of mirrors. Told from multiple perspectives, the story keeps you guessing and adds depth to each character. Hannah and Jake seem like victims, Neve is easy to dislike, but everyone’s role evolves, leaving you unsure of who to trust. Fast-paced and compelling, it’s a story where nothing is quite as it seems.

Wow! Thrilling with lots of twists and turns. Started out as a ‘nice’ story about two lovers on the road to getting married, Hannah and Jake. About halfway through the book, you start questioning everything you think you know. Down a different road you go. Once you get comfortable on that road, there’s another twist down another road.

At the ‘end’ you think North is wrapping up the storyline and she hits you again. It’s like a house of mirrors, nothing is as it seems! I liked the book a lot. It was a fast read and the storyline was thoroughly enjoyable.

The story is told by the two main characters so you get different points of view. I liked this style of writing and it helped to keep track of the action and thought processes. Hannah and Jake are likeable and appear to be the victims. You want to hate Neve. Her storyline changes but I still dislike her. Hannah and Jake’s storyline also changes. You feel bad for all of them at different points in the story. Who’s the bad guy/gal here? Read it to figure it out. Even then, you might never really know as point of view is variable.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of For Better Gor Worse by Lauren North
This was an awesome psychological thriller, author did a great job weaving believable characters and a gripping story with some brilliant twists at the end. I didn't want to put this book down. The story is told present day and by the two main characters viewpoints.
This was my first novel by  Lauren North, but not the last. Love her writing style, the story never dragged.

Lauren North has a lovely, easy flowing style of writing that makes her books so great to read.
There were some shocking twists in this book, just when you thought you had the plot worked out it went off on another tangent.
Very enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Lauren North and Bookouture for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This thriller definitely took me on a journey I didn't expect. The dual POV aspect added a great layer to the story and it was fascinating to get into the heads of Hannah and Jake as they prepared to say their vows whilst being faced with the dramatic, life altering events that occurred on their mini jaunt before the big day.

There was a very slight predictability but at the same time, not. The story arc took you in so many directions (in a good way!) that when you thought you had sussed it you started to have doubts.

There was an incredible tension throughout that kept me hooked. As threats got more intense and the risk of discovery increased it really was a case of everything being at stake. I genuinely couldn't see a way out of the predicament whilst reading however, I felt the events at the end and how everything was tied up in a very satisfying way.

For Better, For Worse
This gripping story follows two nearly-weds on a pre wedding getaway who find a dead body and find themselves framed for the murder.

Super fast paced and bordering on popcorn thriller this is absolutely superb. I read it in a single sitting and can’t recommend highly enough

Whoa! I so did not see that ‘oh boy, oh my’ twist! What a great, fast read. Quick, fast paced chapters alternating between Hannah and Jake -the two main characters with secrets. I’ve enjoyed Lauren North’s previous titles; this one does not disappoint! The end just kept twisting. I highly recommend it!
Thank You to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Lauren North for the opportunity to read and enjoy this ARC.

"For Better, For Worse" by Lauren North is an emotional 4-star read! Hannah and Jake need a getaway after a break-in brings an unwanted visitor into their lives, on top of the stress of planning a wedding. They decide to take a long weekend in the south of France to unwind. But things don’t go as planned, and they return home with more trouble than they ever could have imagined.

The prologue hooks you right from the start with a chilling discovery. The story is told through alternating perspectives of Hannah and Jake as they navigate the days leading up to their wedding. We get a deep look into their inner thoughts and turmoil as they struggle with the aftermath of what happened.

The twists are shocking and completely unexpected, though it might have pushed the boundaries a bit too far. Some parts of the story moved slowly and felt a bit repetitive, but overall, I really enjoyed it!

Thanks to Bookouture, Lauren North, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

I seem to have taught my dog a bad habit. On any day that I work from home – which, thankfully for both my wallet and my waistline, isn’t every day – the time comes for me to turn the computer off and give her her dinner. After which, she tells me – with much excited dancing and wagging of her tail – that it’s time to go to the pub and have some crisps. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, because she’ll share a packet of said crisps – Walkers plain are her favourite, but she’s not fussy – and then wait patiently for me to have a couple of pints and read a few chapters of my book before she decides that it’s time to go home.

Last week, though, Bonnie’s plans may have gone a bit awry. Yes, we went to the pub as usual. But I have absolutely no idea how long we stayed, or for how much time she had to wait for me to leave. Because the book I had taken to read was For Better, For Worse, the latest psychological thriller by Lauren North.

I often think that a measure of how good a book is is how easily you can read it when life is full of distractions. And whilst Lauren is typically very, very good at writing gripping page-turners, she may have surpassed even herself with this one. I was utterly and totally glued.

It tells the story of Jake and Hannah, and begins a week before their forthcoming wedding. Hannah has persuaded Jake to go on a romantic long weekend in the south of France, just to get a break from the stress of the planning and spend some time together. The scene is heavenly: a walk in the countryside and a blissful swim together. Of course, you know immediately that things are going to go horribly wrong but not as horribly, or as quickly as then happens. Thereafter the chapters are short and punchy, and each one adds another layer of mystery, tension and intrigue.

I devoured the first three-quarters of the book in a single evening, stopping only after my eyes refused to stay open any longer and my hands had lost their ability to keep hold of my kindle. At this point, the only critical thing I could think of to say was that I wondered why the chapters narrated by Hannah are in the first person, whilst those told by Jake are in the third. Let’s be clear: this didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book in any way. I just wondered about it, in the way that I might wonder why the Nottinghamshire town of Southwell has a silent W in its name, but the Essex town of Chigwell does not.

Whatever, I picked the book up again a few days later – yes, sorry, life got in the way again – but it effortlessly sucked me back in and had me devouring the pages, right up to the wedding day, and the big reveal, and …

Er …

What the actual ****?

Big twists are fantastic if there’s been just the right amount of foreshadowing in the chapters leading up to them. Clues that you haven’t noticed, because you’ve been too absorbed by the writing. This one isn’t like that. To put it simply, and hopefully without giving spoilers away, you have to accept that every single word you’ve been told up to now is a lie. And whilst that’s wonderfully entertaining, it does mean that some parts of the only chapters don’t quite make sense.

I’d love to say that I enjoyed the book so much I didn’t mind, but the problem for me is that I did mind really. Think of it as having ordered a beefburger – if you’re vegetarian, humour me for a minute – and realising that it’s the most tender, succulent, delicious one you’ve ever tasted. Only to then be told that actually, it wasn’t made from meat.

In one sense – and arguably the only sense that matters – it's not important. But at the same time, you could hardly be blamed if you felt a little bit cheated.

My thanks to Bookouture for my inclusion on the blog tour, and to Netgalley for the digital ARC. I have reviewed the book voluntarily and honestly.

Lauren North writes the kind of books that are perfect to read on holiday, and For Better, For Worse is no exception.

When I started reading, I felt like this was going to be the same as many other psychological thrillers I have read. Not a bad thing, I often crave the comfort of the familiar. I could not have been more wrong though. By the time the reveal came, not only did I have no clue as to where the story was going, but I gasped when I read it.

And then... there was more!

There is one reveal that I felt could have been kept until later for another shock-inducing gasp, but I am being picky now!

For Better, For Worse by @lauren_c_north was absolutely incredible! It follows Hannah and Jake in the chaotic two weeks leading up to their wedding, and let me tell you: the twists were twisting. I thought I might have known how this was going to go, and then I kept getting confused, and that makes an incredible thriller in my mind! I don’t want to see the reveal coming, and Lauren did just that in this incredible story. I can’t wait to read more of her stories!

Oof this one packed a punch. From the moment the couple find the body to the very last page, the tension didn't let up, the twists didn't stop coming and I couldn't stop reading.
I didn't guess what was going to happen at any point during this one and I always love when that happens. I will definitely be looking for the rest of this authors books.

Well, when a book promises you that it is packed full of twists it needs to live up to that and I can assure you that For Better, For Worse has more than its fair share!! At one point I had to take a quick break to let my brain catch up!

Told in alternate POV by Jake and Hannah, this gripping story starts off with an horrific crime scene that comes unexpectedly for the engaged couple whilst on a pre wedding break. The scene has been set up to make it look like the couple have committed the crime but who would do such a thing to them and why? That’s the question that follows the happy couple in the days leading up to their wedding putting a strain on their relationship and that’s when things start to get very twisty indeed!

I devoured this book in an evening-it was just brilliantly crafted and so easy to get lost in that I just couldn’t put it down! I loved the dual POV and the fact that I knew there was something not quite right but I just couldn’t for the life of me work out what it was! Jake and Hannah seem determined to keep to the plan with their wedding day but it was obvious something was very wrong…and that’s when the twists started and didn’t give up! Yes I know I keep going back to the twists but I really did love the way the author used them to bring this shocking psychological thriller to its climax!

A gripping read and one that is highly recommended by me!

Hannah and Jake should be enjoying their pre wedding getaway, instead they are left disposing of a body and evidence that points straight to them after a body is left in Hannah’s family’s cottage in France.

After returning home they begin to receive messages and videos threatening to spill their secret, they have to now find out who is blackmailing them so they can get married and stay out of prison.

A twisty story which kept surprising me as I read on. I loved the ending and didn’t see it coming.

Tense, thrilling and packed with suspense. I could not put this book down - read it in one heart pounding sitting. Just wow!