Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah and Jake are getting married in England. He is American and she is British. Her parents don't approve of their fast romance, so they aren't attending the wedding. In fact, they have never managed to find time to meet Jake. And Jake left his past behind in Ohio, so he and Hannah are starting a new life together. But when they take off to France for a quick getaway days before the wedding, Jake gets into a verbal disagreeement with a friend of Hannah's parents, who is later found dead in the house where Jake and Hannah are staying. Thinking they will be blamed for the murder, they hide the body and return to England, but it turns out someone knows what they did.

This book was slow with not much going on after the initial events. It was just a lot of someone is watching Jake and Hannah and who could it be? Who set them up? It wasn't that entertaining for me until it came to the end and at that point things went way off the rails, contrary to everything we thought we knew. It was an ok read at best. I have enjoyed some of this author's novels and been so so on others. This was definitely in the so so category.

When I started reading this ARC by Lauren North I realized it was not the book I thought it would be.

I knew it was going to be a psychological thriller from the description but I had no idea that what I thought was a murder mystery would turn into so much more.

The story is about a young couple in love who goes to the young woman's family retreat in France to plan for their wedding and finds a dead body on the carpet . The question is what to do because everything points to them as being the guilty party

This could destroy everything ,their hopes their dreams and entire future .

The answer makes for a story that has so many twists and turns that at times I found it necessary to reread certain parts to not miss a single element of the story.

I gave the book 4 stars and I thank #Netgalley and #Bookouture for the delightful pleasure of a fun and exciting book . I recommend it to all that are looking for a mind bending psychological thriller.

The perfect pre-wedding getaway. The perfect murder. The perfect trap…
Omg what a thrill of a read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Twisty and full of suspence. I was on the edge of my seat. Gripped from start to finish. Read in one sitting. Couldn't put it down. Definitely recommend. 5*

This was an easy quick thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed! Of course I fell for every red herring, while having the twist in the back of my head. When the final reveal came it wasn’t all that shocking like I said, but the lead up to the reveal was a wild ride.

I really enjoyed Hannah and Jake’s characters. I love how everyone had secrets and we learn them bit by bit.

This would be a perfect beach read as it was easy to get through and kept your attention throughout.

A true thriller. A true 5 star book.

Name :- For Better, For Worse
Author :- Lauren North
Genre:- Psychological Thriller
Lauren North delivers an intense, fast-paced psychological thriller in For Better For Worse, where a dream getaway turns into a nightmare. With a gripping premise, morally gray decisions, and a constant sense of paranoia, this novel is a rollercoaster of twists and suspense. Jake and his fiancée plan a romantic pre-wedding trip to the south of France, hoping for some relaxation before their big day. But their idyllic vacation is shattered when they return to their villa and find a man’s dead body—one Jake had publicly argued with just hours earlier.

The scene is meticulously staged against them.
Footprints matching Jake’s trainers.

1 A knife covered in her fingerprints.

2 No witnesses to prove their innocence.
Now, they face an impossible choice: call the police and risk everything or cover up the crime and pretend it never happened. But as panic sets in, doubts creep in too—does Jake know more than he’s admitting? And if they’ve been set up, are they the next targets?
Likes and Dislikes:-
Likes:-
1 Compelling Premise: The setup is chilling and forces the reader to consider what they would do in this situation.
2 Unrelenting Suspense: From the first discovery to the final twist, the tension never lets up.
3 Moral Dilemmas: The story explores guilt, trust, and survival, making it more than just a mystery.
4 Twisty Narrative: Just when you think you have it figured out, North throws in another shocking turn.
Dislikes:-
None.
Overall:- For Better For Worse is a nerve-wracking thriller that keeps you second-guessing every decision the characters make. With high stakes, dark secrets, and a shocking ending, it’s a must-read for fans of B.A. Paris and Alice Feeney.
My Rating:- 5/5.

The queen of the head turning twist has done it again! A scarily real story of how many things can go wrong before your wedding day and how your past can creep up to bite you. Beautifully composed story that keeps you hooked throughout with a killer twist at the beginning and the end!

When a novel starts with an immediate murder scene you know you are onto a good read. Whilst this wasn't my favourite book by Lauren, I enjoyed it enough. The story is well written for the most part, but it felt a bit contrived at times and this detracted from my enjoyment somewhat. It is still a good enough read, probably round the pool in summer.

I was so disappointed in this book as I have enjoyed her other books it was too repetitive and I found it boring and very slow it was well written but not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre for an ARC

Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren North, and Bookouture for this advance copy.

Jake and Hannah are two weeks away from their wedding when a break-in at their home sends them on an unexpected getaway to the south of France. After an afternoon out, they return to their cottage to find the body of their neighbor dead in the doorway. Next to him is a knife last used by Hannah and footprints made with Jake's shoes. Who is trying to set them up? Is there a connection between this incident and the break-in? How are they going to get out of this situation in time for their wedding?

I felt anxiety and tension the entire time I was reading this one. Although there wasn't a whole lot of plot, there were several incidents that kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering who was behind this situation and what they had against Hannah and Jake. At one point in the story, I didn't trust either of the main characters. And I definitely didn't see that twist coming. Was the twist a little much? Sure. But that's what makes a thriller a thriller.

For Better, For Worse is a gripping thriller that keeps readers on edge from start to finish. Jake and Hannah’s whirlwind romance is put to the ultimate test when a relaxing weekend in the French countryside turns into a nightmare. After returning to find a body staged to incriminate them—with clues implicating both in the crime—they must decide between calling the police or hiding the evidence. As they try to resume their lives and approach their wedding, buried secrets resurface and a darker, more sinister revenge plot unfolds.

Fast-paced and intricately plotted, the novel is packed with red herrings and unexpected twists that keep you guessing until the final pages. The blend of romance, tension, and psychological depth makes For Better, For Worse a must-read for anyone who loves a thriller that continually defies expectations.

Jake and Hannah have a pre-wedding getaway to Hannah's family home in France.
They go out for a walk and when they return, there is a dead body, and lots of blood.
Instead of calling the authorities, they hide the body in a cave. It is the start of their nightmare.

A tale of revenge which has many twists and red herrings. However, the neverending "I can't live without you" was a little tedious.
There is lots of suspense and the book was thoroughly enjoyable.

1st ARC I have been approved for! So thankful that I was able to read this before the publishing date! Let me just tell you I couldn’t stop reading it! Just when I thought the book couldn’t get any better another twist comes about! And that happened several times! Worth a read! Nothing like a romance/thriller to keep me going! Counting down the days til I can purchase it and add to my bookshelf. Fingers crossed I’m able to read more from her!

Wow! This was an addictive read right from the start and throughout, and truly kept me guessing right to the end. The plot was brilliant and full of shocking twists and turns, and the ending was fantastic. Absolutely loved it!

Very clever. I didn’t get the beginning of the story, thinking it was naive. I was wrong and it was very well thought through. Didn’t see it coming. Excellent book!

Disappointing.

I tried so hard to like this but it just wasn't possible. The first half of the book felt like the same chapter was repeating itself over and over and over. The second half was pretty predictable.

I have enjoyed books from this author before but this misses the mark.

Jake and I planned our romantic trip to the south of France to unwind from all the stress of organising our wedding and enjoy some blissful, sun-soaked days just the two of us. But when we return to the villa after a day exploring the stunning countryside, our dream holiday is turned upside down. Because there, on the beautiful antique rug, is the body of the man everyone saw Jake arguing with in the town square just this morning…. Wow wow wow!! Some absolutely shocking twists that I did not see coming! Great read! This book had great suspense, mystery, murder, gaslighting, dark past secrets, and some wild twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

First of all, I would just like to thank Lauren North, Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC of “For Better, For Worse” in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve loved some of Lauren’s other thrillers, but unfortunately, this one didn’t hit the spot for me.

Twists are great, when they’re done correctly- they can truly elevate the book to another level. But you can’t compromise the existing narrative of the book for the sake of a shocking twist at the end. Did it shock me? Yes. But not necessarily because I didn’t expect it- because it just didn’t make sense. I, as the reader, have read the story from a first person narrative, as such, I have access to that character’s thoughts and feelings. Their unfiltered inner monologue. You can’t then, for the sake of a twist at the end, change the narrative of what I have already read and claim for it to be something else entirely. It doesn’t work. It’s like the whole book is separate to the conclusion; they don’t slot together.

As well as that, I found the whole thing to be very repetitive and quite slow-moving. Not a lot actually happens.

However, the writing was gripping, and I did want to know what happened next. I still recommend to other thriller readers- this just wasn’t a hit for me.

Starts out as a straight-up murder mystery but soon there are little clues that things are not quite as simple as that. The story is written from both Hannah and Jake's point of view with a plot unique and an ending completely unexpected. Kept me reading through the night. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

What could be better than counting down to your marriage? Nothing, right? But unfortunately life sometimes has less fun things in store for you and then you can do nothing better than distance yourself and go out for a while.

Instead of a romantic dream weekend for two, you end up in the middle of a terrible nightmare, one that continues to haunt you even though you were convinced you had found the ideal solution ...

Who apparently enjoys continuing to scare you?

Just when I thought I knew who to trust and who not, something happens that makes me change my entire thinking pattern and start from scratch.

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers that are filled to the brim with excitement, secrets, and surprising twists, you just have to read this book.

There is paranoia and mistrust, not just between the couple and the world around them, but also between each other.

This book has everything you need to keep you guessing until the very last page. It's a fast-paced story with great characters and setting.

In the end, this is a captivating and eerie thriller. 5 stars

Thank you

Okay so I'm still trying to wrap my head around this thriller. It was so amazing. left me hanging so badly.

Thanks netgalley for this ARC