Left at the Alter is a fast pace, thriller that I couldn’t put down! A J Campbell has written another great thriller! There was a lot of twists and turns and some shocking revelations. I can’t wait to read another one of her books!
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Hannah is waiting at the altar for Johnny to get married. Some weak texts about not going through with the wedding. There is so much going on in this novel to keep you mesmerized. The story line grabbed me from the beginning, and I could not stop reading. This is a great psychological thriller.

This is a great thriller about a young woman on what should be the best day of her life, her wedding day turning up at the Church but her husband to be is no where to be found. In a message to his father he says he’s sorry but he can’t do this. As she waits to find out what has changed since the night before a face from her past starts to haunt her and she believes there’s a chance the two are connected. Could a secret long buried from her past be the reason her partner is now missing and no one is telling her the truth or ia something darker going in? Someone knows something and she won’t believe he doesn’t want to marry her until she seems him for herself!

Could not put this down, as I couldn’t with all of AJ Campbell’s other books!
Captivating story of Hannah being told her groom isn’t coming- whilst she’s on the way to the church! Where is Johnny? Will Hannah’s past catch up with her? Twists and turns throughout, that definitely kept me guessing and suspecting all the way!
I’ve rated all of AJ Campbell’s books five stars, because why wouldn’t I? She’s my favourite author with another brilliant book!

Release: August 13, 2025
Author: AJ Campbell
Publisher: Bookoture

Rating: 3.5 ★ 

On what should have been the happiest day of her life, a bride finds herself alone at the altar — her fiancé Johnny has vanished without a trace. She’s certain he didn’t just leave her; something awful must have happened… and deep down, she fears it might somehow be her fault.
Scanning the crowd of guests, her heart stops when she spots a man from her past — someone she never expected to see again. He wasn’t invited, and the knowing smile on his face sends a chill through her.
He knows what she did all those years ago. And now, he’s forcing her into an impossible choice: confess the secret she’s worked so hard to bury, or risk losing Johnny — and maybe much more.
With everyone she loves watching, she realizes she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her secret… but how far is too far?
This book is absolutely unputdownable — the kind of psychological thriller that grabs you from the first page and refuses to let go. I was hooked instantly, completely absorbed in the twists, turns, and heart-racing suspense. Every time I thought I knew what was coming, another jaw-dropping reveal left me stunned and flipping pages even faster.
The pacing is brilliant — fast, intense, and packed with drama and intrigue. I tore through it in one sitting because I just had to know how it would all unfold, and even then, the ending completely blew me away. This is the kind of book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, your heart pounding, and your mind spinning the whole way through.
If you love thrillers that keep you guessing, leave your jaw on the floor, and make you lose sleep because you can’t stop reading, this is one you don’t want to miss. A rollercoaster of suspense from start to finish — truly phenomenal!

Favorite Quote:
"the game of love forges it's own rules."

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞.

It's a bride's worst nightmare--it's Hannah's wedding day, the moment she's dreamed of. She and Johnny already shared an idyllic life with Hannah's young son, but this act would truly cement them as a family. But there will be no wedding because Johnny is nowhere to be found. He's left word with a family member that he can't go through with the wedding.

As the story unfolds, it soon becomes clear that this is much more than just a case of cold feet, especially when Hannah sees her sister's guest--a face from the past that she hoped she's never see again. Is he responsible for unleashing the truth about what Hannah did all those years before? Is he the reason Johnny cut his losses and ran?

This author has a talent for immediately pulling the reader into the story and making them care about the characters, flaws and all. The events are always believable and usually happen to good people, and I think that's what makes her books so relatable and inviting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this early copy. Look for this one August 13, 2025.

Hannah is jilted basically at the altar, but her bridegroom is not really communicating with her, and she gets reports of his messages to close family, which she feels don't sound like him.

I did enjoy this book. It was a slow burn thriller. However, I didn't believe that Johnny had jilted her at all.
There are lies, red herrings and twists galore in this book, and fans of AJ Campbell will probably lap up every page.

3/5 stars from me.

This was so much fun to read! It’s fast-paced and the characters are easy to follow. I kept on flipping the pages wanting to know what happened next. The premise was very entertaining and the book was well executed. It does exactly what a thriller needs to do!

I always look forward to a book by AJ Campbell – I love her writing style, and Left at the Altar was another great read. I really enjoyed the pacing, the way the tension built, and how every short chapter pulled me in a bit more. So many of them ended on mini cliffhangers, which made it so hard to stop reading!

The story follows Hannah, who’s left standing at the altar when her fiancé Johnny suddenly disappears. It’s clear he hasn’t just got cold feet, something deeper is going on. As Hannah scans the crowd, she spots a face from her past that sends her into a spiral of fear and guilt. She’s been hiding a secret for years, and now it seems the truth may be catching up with her.

I found it gripping, and thought-provoking, especially the way it explores how past choices can resurface and shift everything. The suspense was really well done, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out what had really happened.

Thank you to AJ Campbell, NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

I just finished the ARC of Left at the Altar by AJ Campbell and wow this Psychological Thriller sucked me in and wouldn't let me go!

Left at the Altar is one of those books where the main character seems so likable that you continue page turning as quickly as you can because you're hoping for a happy ending for her, but you know something big is coming.

If you’re in the mood for a gripping psychological thriller full of twists and suspense, look no further! AJ Campbell’s latest novel, Left at the Altar, is a true page-turner that you won’t want to put down. The story follows a bride who is left standing at the altar when her fiancé suddenly vanishes without explanation. Determined to uncover the truth behind his disappearance, she embarks on a journey filled with secrets, lies, and unexpected revelations. With each chapter, the tension builds, culminating in a shocking ending that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading. Left at the Altar is a compelling dive into mystery and betrayal—don’t miss out on this thrilling read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I am already a big fan of Amanda’s books so jumped at the chance of reading this. It was as good as I expected. Great characters with lots of secrets and lots of twists and turns all the way through had me completely hooked from the start. Highly recommend this.

A bride on her way to the church. Her son is his little tuxedo. And the phone call that says the groom isn't coming after all. That's how Hannah's day started. No explanation, just a cancellation. Hannah and her two sisters try to figure out what happened and turn to sister Carrie's soon to be husband - the missing groom's stepbrother Tom. Hannah is distraught and nothing makes sense. She is anxious and overthinks everything. She believes someone from her past is behind this as she sees him at the church with her sister India. It's a story of secrets, lies, betrayals and discoveries as Hannah tries to unravel what happened to Johnny. There are twists and turns, and the story keeps the reader very invested in finding out the truth. With short chapters this is a book you don't want to put down and you'll keep guessing what caused the groom to be gone and the bride to be Left at the Altar. I think this is my new favorite story of A J Campell's and her best so far.

For the most part, I enjoy the easy to read writing style of AJ Campbell. However, I found this story was slow to move on with many chapters about how she was left at the altar and the confusion. This story is about Hannah being left at the altar, her past may be coming back to haunt her and she moves through a spectrum of being angry and hurt to wondering if her fiance is in trouble.

I had difficulty understanding the main character's (Hannah) relationship with her son when she kept calling him "my boy" and saying how good he was. I'm not sure what was bothersome, perhaps because it was possessive (repetitively) or just not how we usually talk. She had no problem letting him stay at the would-be inlaws with no hurry to pick him up but then didn't want him to leave her to go to school. The later could have been because she felt he might be unsafe but it wasn't very clearly communicated. There is also several references to the fact her son has picked up mannerisms from her ex-finance. Not really important to the story, in my opinion, although it may have been to show how close the son was to Johnny but it seemed forced. Her son doesn't always act like a 6 year old.

There is innuendo about Hannah's mental state in the past and perhaps she is seeing things that aren't there like before...but it seemed like there should be more to that story than was given.

Hannah's relationship with her sisters, Carrie and Indie, could have been further developed. It seems rather one dimensional and I needed something more.

The second half of the book does pick up in intensity and was much more enjoyable to read than the beginning. In the end, I did enjoy the story with it's twists and mysteries.

If you are looking for a psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns, search no further! AJ Campbell newest book, "Left at the Altar" will not disappoint! This novel is a page turner, and you won't be able to put it down. The story highlights a bride who was left at the altar and is determined to discover the truth about her missing groom. Since her fiancé suddenly and very unexpectedly disappeared, leaving word with loved ones at the last minute that he can no longer go through with the wedding, she is perplexed and determined to find out what happened to him. Many secrets unfold throughout the book, leading to a surprise ending for several of the characters. Grab this fantastic new novel and jump into a world of deceit, lies, and betrayal. "Left at the Altar" will leave you breathless!

Left at the Altar is a compelling psychological thriller about a young bride who is shocked on her wedding day when her fiancé decides to back out. Is he not the man he seems to be, or could secrets from her past have anything to do with his abrupt and unexpected behavior?

This book is filled with tension and intrigue, and I often wondered which characters to trust (or suspect) as the plot rolled out. It was fast paced yet slow enough to thoughtfully develop the characters and settings. And as thrillers should be, the ending was unexpected and intense!

This is AJ Campbell’s 11th book, and I love them all. I think psychological fiction readers will really enjoy this one!

5 stars!

Another brilliant thriller from AJ Campbell. This was gripping, exciting and kept me guessing until the shocking ending. Fantastic twists and turns!

I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one sitting. The writing is fast paced and it comes packed with twists and turns. The ending took me completely by surprise.

This book has a lot of twists and turns. No one wants to be left at the altar. Read this book it will leave you gasping for air.

It's Hannah's wedding day. The day she gets to marry Johnny, the love of her life. He says he can't wait to be a family with her and her son Lucas. But when he doesn't turn up to the wedding, she's devasted and can't understand why. And now he's disappeared. She's determined to find out exactly what has happened.

AJ has done it again. I've loved all of her books so far, but this one has just become my favourite. I loved everything about this one. The characters were perfectly flawed, the story was great, the pace was perfect. And I could not put it down.