BOOKS-ON-TOUR: Mother of the Bride by Samantha Hayes

I love that feeling of edginess I get when I’m reading a book, trying to guess at the outcome, while trying to figure things out as I go along … and getting it wrong every time! I kicked myself so many times during this one. I had this niggly feeling at the back of my head – a little voice trying to tell me something, but I ignored it. I actually wish that little voice had opened its mouth very loudly to the main character Lizzie!

Blurb:

My mother is obsessed with every detail of my wedding – controlling my dress, my ring, my happiness. But when the day finally comes, will she really let me go? Last year, my sister’s fiancé was murdered on his wedding day. And I found my mother’s corsage next to his body…

I’m beaming as I walk down the aisle, but my smile masks a prickling fear, even though this is supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

My husband-to-be, Owen, is everything to me, with his sandy hair and sparkling blue eyes. He keeps telling me it will all be fine. I pray he’s right as I slip a gold band onto his finger with trembling hands.

Please let me be wrong about what my mother did. Please let Owen be safe.

But when the priest asks if anyone objects, I turn to look at my mother. Her eyes are icy beneath the brim of her hat, and she’s staring right at me.

Is my husband’s life in danger? Or is it mine…?

My Review:

Lizzie and Owen haven’t been together all that long in the grand scheme of things – only about six months. But they’re engaged to be married, a secret that for her own reasons, Lizzie would like to keep from her overbearing mother.

Because Lizzie is convinced that her mother has done something awful. She’s not just talking about all the horrible incidents that she remembers from when she and her sister were growing up, and the things that led to her beloved father suffering from a mental illness and having to spend time in a convalescent home. No … this is something else … something to do with the death of her sister’s fiancé on the day of their wedding a year ago.

Ok, so truth be told, initially I thought that instead of withholding information like she does, Lizzie probably should have just confronted her mom, or told the police, or her sister, or anyone, what she thought may have happened, but did she? No! But then I realized that her head must have been in such a state, who could blame her for not saying anything and then when she thought she should say something, she’d left it too late and she just worked herself into more of a state! I could understand exactly how she landed up in the situation she was in and I really felt for her.

Her mother is a complex character and Hayes developes her so well, really stringing the reader along so that we’re led to think exactly what she wants us to think of this character. The plot is altogether well-paced, although a little slow in parts, but not slow enough to put you off, or to make you forget anything. All the tension you’d associate with preparing for a wedding is right there, just throw some toxic characters into the mix and a whole load of dark, negative history, and it makes for page-turning reading!

Thanks to Bookouture for another fabulous blog tour!

Author Bio

Samantha Hayes grew up in a creative family where her love of writing began as a child. Samantha has written eight thrillers in total, including the bestselling Until You’re Mine. The Independent said “fantastically written and very tense” while Good Housekeeping said “Her believable psychological thrillers are completely gripping.” Samantha’s books are published in 22 languages at the last count.

When not writing, Samantha loves to cook, go to the gym, see friends and drink nice wine. She is also studying for a degree in psychotherapy. She has three grown-up children and lives in Warwickshire.

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Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CQRGG67Nsocial

Audio:

UK: https://ow.ly/O9A150QVtPs US: https://ow.ly/814T50QVtPu https://ow.ly/MlV650QVtPt