The Wedding Night: A Novel

Harriet Walker

Jun 2021 · Sold by Ballantine Books

About this ebook

After ending her engagement, a woman decides to go on a much-needed getaway with her friends to clear her head—but she soon realizes her secret may be the one thing she can’t get away from.

“A twisty, tense and claustrophobic tale of secrets, manipulation and soured relationships. I loved it!”—Claire Douglas, author of Local Girl Missing

When Lizzie calls off her wedding in the south of France only a week before the big day, not even her closest friends know why. But since the château is already paid for, they figure it’s the perfect place to take Lizzie and get her mind off her suddenly single state.

When the group arrives, it’s as if the wedding is waiting for them.

The next day, Lizzie wakes to find her friends have drunkenly reveled in the wedding-that-wasn’t—but not all their antics were benign. Someone is set on tormenting Lizzie, and she can’t figure out who.

The more the friends try to piece together exactly what happened that night, the more secrets start to come out.

The biggest secret of all—the one that must not be revealed—is Lizzie’s. But as intimidating messages appear around the château, it seems that someone intends to pursue her until it is. Will Lizzie ever be able to escape her past, or will it destroy more than one life on this trip?

Ratings and reviews

The Wedding Night was advertised as a thriller/women's fiction book. Unfortunately, not much about the book was actually thrilling. Lizzie's destination wedding in France is cancelled at the last minute, and none of her friends are able to figure out why. Because everyone needs the vacation for different reasons, and because Lizzie insists she still wants to go to get away, her and her group of friends still go to the villa. After the first night ends in a drunken escapade, secrets are revealed that send.the friends into chaos and makes them question their lifelong friendships. I wanted to love this book. I did. The premise sounded wonderful. Cover is perfect. The only problem is there isn't much thrill at all. Halfway through I had already pretty much figured out the big reveal, and the things that were happening were mediocre at best. Without giving any spoilers, what Lizzie was running from was absolutely insane. I was shocked that the ending was what it was. This had the potential to be such an amazing book and it just fell flat. However, the women's fiction part was the best part. The female friendships were beautiful and the first half of the book was honestly well written and interesting, it just fell apart around the half way mark. ⭐⭐⭐ Thank you to NetGalley, Harriet Walker, and Ballantine books for an ARC in.exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

About the author

Harriet Walker is the fashion editor of The Times (UK) and author of The New Girl. She has been a journalist for more than a decade and has also written for Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar, among others. Born in Glasgow and raised in Sheffield, Walker studied English at Trinity College, Cambridge, and now lives in South London with her husband and daughter.