The Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann Lynch

I received an advance copy of this book from HarperCollins to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!
The Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann LynchThe Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann Lynch
Published by HarperCollins UK on 09/02/2022
Genres: Fiction / Action & Adventure, Fiction / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General, Fiction / Thrillers / Crime, Fiction / Thrillers / Domestic, Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Fiction / Urban & Street Lit, Fiction / Women
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: HarperCollins
Goodreads

‘Sharp writing... great plot’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NetGalley Reviewer

‘[I] couldn’t put it down. A twisty read [and] I had no clue’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NetGalley Reviewer

‘Readers will not see the twists coming in this thriller perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley and Shari Lapena’ Booklist

New Orleans: live music, endless drinks, brightly-coloured attractions, the perfect place for a party...

The bride-to-be
The best friend
The cousin
The mother-in-law
The sister
The groom’s friend

The bachelorette begins on a Friday night; all six women are excited for a chance to escape their everyday lives. But then friendly rivalries turn vicious, and a game of truth or dare turns deadly.

By the end of the weekend one of them will be dead...

Discover why readers are captivated by The Bachelorette Party:

‘I was absolutely invested from page 1 and couldn’t put it down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. Thrilling, suspenseful and a page-turner’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Awesome’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow ... literally blown my mind’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A twisty thriller that you will not guess’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I was completely hooked’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘From the first page to the last I was gripped’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Great writing and the characters really were fantastic’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘So juicy... the suspense is amped up right from the first page and doesn’t end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An easy, fast-paced book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I read this book in one sitting... I was hooked’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A fast, entertaining read with a smart twist at the end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Suspense, intrigue and many twists and turns’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The cast of characters were complicated and unlikeable in the best ways’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I just want to thank HarperCollins for sending me this book – I got it late September/early October last year and just now got around to reading it. As per usual when it takes me awhile to get around to reading a book, I wish I’d read it sooner!

I could not put this book down. I think I started it around 8PM and finished it just after midnight. Ms. Lynch wrote this book with so many secrets, twists, and turns that I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know what was coming next.

We have six main characters:

  • Rosalee – the bride-to-be
  • Tinsley – Rosalee’s cousin
  • Mara – Rosalee’s best friend
  • Bri – the soon-to-be sister-in-law
  • Elizabeth – the soon-to-be mother-in-law
  • Georgia – Rosalee’s fiancé’s best friend

All of them come with their own sets of secrets, reasons why they might be a murder victim or why they might have committed the murder. Oh, by the way, you don’t find out who was actually murdered until nearly the end of the book… even though you start off with the crime scene. It’s amazing!

Usually I have to try to guess who murdered the victim, but I know who the victim is. With The Bachelorette Party, not only did I have to try to guess who the murderer was, but who the victim was as well. I’m telling you, it makes the mystery even more fun when you don’t even know who died!

Interestingly enough, as much as I loved the book, I can’t say the same about any of the six main characters. None of the particularly spoke to me and frankly, all of them have something that makes them unlikeable. I will say my least favorite character was Mara – she rubbed me the wrong way from the moment she appeared. But I didn’t really like any of the others either.

The setting though – New Orleans… a creepy old gothic mansion that is purported to be haunted? Yes please! I’ll absolutely take that setting any day of the week.

Ms. Lynch’s writing style is beautiful and easy to read. You won’t find yourself bored or reading a ton of cliché phrases because the writing is exciting and doesn’t rely on tired phrases like everyone’s favorite “I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding”.

I highly recommend you check out The Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann Lynch if you are a mystery/suspense lover. You’ll be glad you did!

It Won’t Be Christmas Without You by Beth Reekles

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

It Won’t Be Christmas Without You by Beth ReeklesIt Won’t be Christmas Without You by Beth Reekles
Published by HarperCollins Publishers on August 30, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, General, Holiday, Holidays, Holidays & Celebrations, New Adult, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 240
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley

From the author of the smash hit Netflix romcom The Kissing Booth!
Eloise, a self-confessed Christmas obsessive, can’t wait for the big day. Devoted to her Michael Bublé playlist, she’s organising the school nativity play and even her gorgeous Grinch of a neighbour, James, can’t get her down.
Her workaholic twin sister, Cara, on the other hand, plans to work over the holiday – and figure out what secrets her seemingly-perfect boyfriend George might be keeping from her.
The sisters used to be close but since Cara moved to London, everything’s been different. Only, Eloise isn’t giving up just yet, and with a white Christmas on the cards, Cara can’t fail to be moved by the magic of the season ... can she?


I admit, I’m not usually one for romance or adult fiction. I’m more of a mystery, thriller, horror, and YA person. But this book seemed like it was going to be too cute to pass up. I was right.

Christmas is my second favorite holiday after Halloween. It should be – my birthday is Christmas Eve. So I know how important it is to be surrounded by loved ones for Christmas. So I can see why it is that Eloise is so disappointed when it seems that Christmas might not include her twin sister.

The writing style in this book might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Mind you, the book is set in the UK, so UK terms are used and might confuse some readers from other countries. The writing style itself kind of mish-mashes the story lines together. But it works. I didn’t find myself confused or wondering what was going on.

I found myself alternating between wanting to smack Cara and wanting to smack Eloise. They both seemed to be playing selfish – Eloise demanding her sister spend Christmas with her, Cara wanting to work as opposed to being with her family. But at the end of the day, aren’t we all at least a little selfish?

I was surprised to see how little the romance played into the story. It was there and it fit well into the story. Yet I can’t help but feel that with the exception of some dialogue between sisters, it honestly could have been left out with little consequence to the main theme of the book.

All in all, this was a very quick, very cute read. I recommend it for anyone looking for a cute, holiday themed read.