Reviews

You May Now Kill the Bride: A Novel by Kate Weston

julsmarshall's review

dark emotional funny fast-paced

4.0

Snarky, pointed, and laugh out loud funny, this dark comedy was a thrilling take female friendship. Filled with secrets, humor, and murder, and a cast of relatable characters that will keep you guessing until the very end. The various bridal settings were fun and the send up of influencers and ridiculous social media culture had me giggling. And the yoni eggs? Hilarious! 

kishab's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 You May Now Kill the Bride is a dark comedy but light thriller about five childhood bffs, two in the group are getting married and all the drama and murders that happen in between. We start off at the first bachelorette party where the bride is killed and all of the attendees are suspect. The murders continue and everyone seems to have a motive. This is like gossip girl if they were older and more murderous. There’s flashbacks between the groups high school days and the present, involving a secret incident that they all agreed to keep quiet about that suddenly comes to light. There’s multiple POVs but I found it was a little tricky to keep track of all the characters and because there were so many they weren’t all developed. Some parts of the book were predictable but I didn’t guess who the killer was in the end. Overall this was a fast paced and fun read, but I wasn’t overly invested in the characters. 

You May Now Kill the Bride is publishing on May 14. Thanks to NetGalley, Kate Weston and Random House Publishing Group for this e-ARC. 

hanna_reads_books's review

funny mysterious tense medium-paced

2.0

isabellm's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

That was an experience. Tansy, Lauren, Saskia, Dominica and Farah were such a messy, insane, friendship group tied together by their past and secrets and so freaking dysfunctional as a unit and individually. The murder mystery kept me guessing right until the end when all fell into place.  This writing was entertaining and funny and the characters were equal arts likable, horrible and relatable. Fun read 3.5 ⭐️

evesreadingcorner's review

funny mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

This was such a wild, unexpected ride in the best way possible.

Lauren, Saskia, Dominica, Farah and Tansy have been friends for basically their entire lives, and now they're all grown up with their own lives and dramas, each wondering whether they even still like each other at all. They reunite for Tansy's hen do, but a death in the bridal party marks the start of a series of murders within the group and everyone is a suspect.

Sometimes you just a need an entertaining, messy read, and this was just perfect. The writing perfectly captures the chaos that is unfolding in the story, the characters are so interesting and captivating in their own ways, and the plot itself is so engaging and demands your attention from start to finish. Each woman had their secrets and it all unraveled at a good pace to keep you on your toes and want to know more as it all slowly falls into place.

I do think the story dragged a bit in the middle, and things seemed to be a little dragged out at certain points, while the ending feels a bit rushed and quite abrupt. I was still very hooked and quite literally couldn't put it down, so that definitely speaks for itself. The twists were good, some more shocking than others, and everything just clicked perfectly by the end of the story.

Many thanks to Headline & Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

sophs93's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

crothe77's review

medium-paced

5.0

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

You May Now Kill the Bride by Kate Weston is a multi-POV thriller following five friends as one of them gets ready for her wedding day. When they go to the bride's hen do, she’s murdered and the other four friends now have to hold it together as they prepare for another friend's wedding and the body count keeps piling up.

The flashback chapters add context to Tansy (the murdered bride), Farah (the second bride of the group), Lauren, Dominica, and Saskia’s old friendship and how the women grew apart and yet became closer. All five are terrible, messy women and I love books exploring terrible, messy women. Tansy doesn't pay attention to the feelings of others, Saskia is an opportunist and controlling, Dominica is overbearing when it comes to her opinions, Farah wants the spotlight on her, and Lauren can't let go of her old flame and hides her real feelings.

The character work was the best part as the five are messy, but they're also convinced they are in the right. With Farah, in particular, you can see how years of playing second fiddle to Tansy impact her overzealous attitude towards her wedding and her bridezilla tendencies when there's someone killing people in her vicinity.

Lauren spends a lot of the novel pining over Joss, her ex, who is Farah’s brother and currently in a relationship with an influencer who is also Tansy’s friend. Lauren’s insecurities and jealousies are a big part of her arc and I liked seeing how honest and raw those insecurities are because it makes Lauren feel more real and empathetic even if I wanted to scream at her to get over a guy who keeps stringing her along. 

The novel does switch between POV characters in the middle of scenes, but it doesn’t take long to get a grasp of who the POV character is after a few chapters.

I would recommend this to fans of MSTs with messy female friendships, readers looking for a thriller that is more friendship-driven, and those looking for an MST version of Bridesmaids

 

trivial_reads's review

3.5

"You May Now Kill the Bride" by Kate Weston is a darkly humorous wedding-themed thriller about five best friends distanced by adulthood. As the two of them prepare to get married, tragedy strikes and the police suspect murder. As the big day approaches, the reader and the characters race to unravel the mystery and discover who the culprit could be. The book is full of drama, blackmail, betrayal, and secret affairs, making for a thrilling read. Despite the unlikable characters, the book's pettiness and humour make for an enjoyable read that would make a delightful palette cleanser for anyone looking for a quick, easy read. Although I haven't read anything by Kate Weston before, I'll definitely be on the lookout for more of her books in the future!

Thank you to Kate Weston, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy. You May Now Kill the Bride is on sale May 14, 2024.

jadavis95's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

bookslovereaders's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75