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lavins's review against another edition
5.0
A real page turner. The books captivates the reader from the first pages.
I liked how the story is told, how the times are intertwined. I loved how the suspense was build up. And I liked the ending. A great book.
I liked how the story is told, how the times are intertwined. I loved how the suspense was build up. And I liked the ending. A great book.
theatretenor's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic psychological thriller! I was fully engrossed from start to finish. This is my first Wendy Walker novel, but I believe I have Emma in the Night, so I’m thinking I might want to check that one out now too!
ihateprozac's review against another edition
3.0
This was just okay. A decent audiobook but nothing memorable. I was hoping this would be a version of [b:My Sister, the Serial Killer|38819868|My Sister, the Serial Killer|Oyinkan Braithwaite|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523366732l/38819868._SY75_.jpg|60394238] where we root for the sister to kill her boyfriends, but it went in a direction I just didn't care about.
All the twists in this world couldn't make me care about this story.
All the twists in this world couldn't make me care about this story.
genthebookworm's review against another edition
3.0
For me, this was a middle-of-the-road psychological thriller with a twisty plot. It definitely kept my interest but I didn't fully connect with the characters and the ending didn't surprise me as much as I hoped it would. I do appreciate that the author was able to write a thriller that felt "fresh" and different and it certainly was an enjoyable and fast-paced read.
This book just didn't have the same effect on me as a lot of other readers but we all have different reactions and perspectives. I enjoyed that the second half of the book gave us more insight into why Laura was the way she was and why she kept picking the wrong kind of people to date but it came a little late for me. Her sister Rosie was sweet but her character development was just kind of flat. Whenever I feel engaged with the main characters, it is a lot easier for me to feel really engrossed with a thriller type book and I just didn't get there with this one.
All in all, I recommend this book for a quick and engaging weekend read, it just didn't stick with me for long after I read it. A big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This book just didn't have the same effect on me as a lot of other readers but we all have different reactions and perspectives. I enjoyed that the second half of the book gave us more insight into why Laura was the way she was and why she kept picking the wrong kind of people to date but it came a little late for me. Her sister Rosie was sweet but her character development was just kind of flat. Whenever I feel engaged with the main characters, it is a lot easier for me to feel really engrossed with a thriller type book and I just didn't get there with this one.
All in all, I recommend this book for a quick and engaging weekend read, it just didn't stick with me for long after I read it. A big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
shelf_love's review against another edition
I received a free ebook from NetGalley
thewrittenadventure's review against another edition
3.0
Laura goes on a date after a bad break up in NY, which made her leave her job and her old life behind. She lives with her sister-Rosie- her husband, and their child in their old hometown while she gets back on her feet. She doesn’t expect the roller coaster of events that will occur when she takes a leap of faith and goes on a date with a man from a dating site.
Written in two different periods of time: The night before and present day, this novel will have you wondering if Laura actually killed a boy from her childhood, or is someone is making her think that she did.
The writing of this novel was really interesting, I enjoyed the flashbacks to their childhood that everyone can connect to-running into the forest to play with your friends, playing spin the bottle, and even keeping secrets in a small town.
Written in two different periods of time: The night before and present day, this novel will have you wondering if Laura actually killed a boy from her childhood, or is someone is making her think that she did.
The writing of this novel was really interesting, I enjoyed the flashbacks to their childhood that everyone can connect to-running into the forest to play with your friends, playing spin the bottle, and even keeping secrets in a small town.
emilyturnsthepage's review against another edition
3.0
Full review can be seen on my June Reading List & Reviews post
You can see more book reviews at Life with Emily
Laura Lochner has never been lucky in love. She falls too hard and too fast, always choosing the wrong men. Devastated by the end of her last relationship, she fled her Wall Street job and NYC apartment for her sister’s home in the Connecticut suburb where they both grew up. Though still haunted by the tragedy that’s defined her entire life, Laura is determined to take one more chance on love with a man she’s met on an Internet dating site. When Laura does not return home the following morning, Rosie, Laura’s sister, fears the worst. As Rosie begins a desperate search to find her sister, she is not just worried about what this man might have done to Laura. She’s worried about what Laura may have done to him…
review: This book was just “ok” to me. It kept me turning the page and was a quick read but I feel like it easily got lost in the sea of other thrillers. There was never a moment where I was totally taken aback or shocked and I think that’s what this book was lacking compared to Wendy Walker’s other books. If you like thrillers, I think you should give this a shot. It’s not overly anxiety-inducing, but it does have a twisty factor that keeps you turning the page. rating: 3 out of 5 ⭐️
You can see more book reviews at Life with Emily
Laura Lochner has never been lucky in love. She falls too hard and too fast, always choosing the wrong men. Devastated by the end of her last relationship, she fled her Wall Street job and NYC apartment for her sister’s home in the Connecticut suburb where they both grew up. Though still haunted by the tragedy that’s defined her entire life, Laura is determined to take one more chance on love with a man she’s met on an Internet dating site. When Laura does not return home the following morning, Rosie, Laura’s sister, fears the worst. As Rosie begins a desperate search to find her sister, she is not just worried about what this man might have done to Laura. She’s worried about what Laura may have done to him…
review: This book was just “ok” to me. It kept me turning the page and was a quick read but I feel like it easily got lost in the sea of other thrillers. There was never a moment where I was totally taken aback or shocked and I think that’s what this book was lacking compared to Wendy Walker’s other books. If you like thrillers, I think you should give this a shot. It’s not overly anxiety-inducing, but it does have a twisty factor that keeps you turning the page. rating: 3 out of 5 ⭐️
gayathiri_rajendran's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
leighannc's review against another edition
5.0
I don't know where to begin. I'm in awe of the way Wendy weaves an amazing story together that keeps you guessing from start to finish. Her writing is impeccable. The story flows well and the characters are top notch. I couldn't put this book down. I was dying to know what was going to happen. If you love being on the edge of your seat this is the perfect book for you!
dovesfalling's review against another edition
3.0
First of all, what a gorgeous cover.
Second of all, I really did love [a:Wendy Walker|317193|Wendy Walker|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1267668906p2/317193.jpg]'s first thriller, [b:All Is Not Forgotten|26114146|All Is Not Forgotten|Wendy Walker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1467209074s/26114146.jpg|45810965]. Although I found the narrator repulsive, the premise of the book was so compelling and original.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan of The Night Before. To be fair, I read it while doped up on Nyquil, so I’m not sure if that affected my reading comprehension, but I found it to be a fairly shallow thriller, albeit with a crackerjack surprise at the end.
The novel centers around two sisters, Laura Lochner (the night before) and Rosie Ferro (the morning after). A bit of a twisted and aimless soul, Laura is back living with her sister’s family after a disastrous end to a relationship leaves her reeling. Although Laura wants nothing more than to find love, the past looms ever present in her blood-stained rear-view mirror, and informs every decision she makes, from omitting her infamous last name on her dating profile, to seeing a psychologist to try and work out her own fears.
Still hellbent on finding her happily-ever-after, Laura heads out on a blind date, and doesn’t come home. In the morning after, Rosie frantically searches for her, aided by her husband Joe, and their childhood best friend, Gabe. In tracing Laura’s footsteps, they find her abandoned car, and the tension ratchets up a notch. But who is Rosie actually worried about?
Laura?
Or the man she was meeting?
Told from different narratives and different timelines, the novel gives us snippets of Laura’s date (which is tedious and for the life of me, why did she stay on it?), Rosie’s search, and interspersed, Laura’s sessions with a psychologist who seeks the truth of why his patient feels so unlovable and broken.
Though the denouement surprised me (I had zero idea who the actual villain was, and it was a shocker), I didn’t find there was enough pull in the actual narrative to keep me invested. Laura’s voice was scattered and unappealing – with a ton of repetition and confusing backslides into the past. While Laura was at least complex, I found Rosie was a cardboard cutout – absolutely no character development at all – she existed solely to find her sister and/or worry about her.
While The Night Before wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, I won’t deny that it was entertaining and twisty, with enough “wtf” moments to keep it from sliding off the cliff. I think it was balancing on the edge of being truly good, and with some careful editing (Rosie’s flatness, Laura’s inner monologue, and the endless meandering date), it could have been a complicated and dark mountain of a novel.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it!
Second of all, I really did love [a:Wendy Walker|317193|Wendy Walker|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1267668906p2/317193.jpg]'s first thriller, [b:All Is Not Forgotten|26114146|All Is Not Forgotten|Wendy Walker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1467209074s/26114146.jpg|45810965]. Although I found the narrator repulsive, the premise of the book was so compelling and original.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan of The Night Before. To be fair, I read it while doped up on Nyquil, so I’m not sure if that affected my reading comprehension, but I found it to be a fairly shallow thriller, albeit with a crackerjack surprise at the end.
The novel centers around two sisters, Laura Lochner (the night before) and Rosie Ferro (the morning after). A bit of a twisted and aimless soul, Laura is back living with her sister’s family after a disastrous end to a relationship leaves her reeling. Although Laura wants nothing more than to find love, the past looms ever present in her blood-stained rear-view mirror, and informs every decision she makes, from omitting her infamous last name on her dating profile, to seeing a psychologist to try and work out her own fears.
Still hellbent on finding her happily-ever-after, Laura heads out on a blind date, and doesn’t come home. In the morning after, Rosie frantically searches for her, aided by her husband Joe, and their childhood best friend, Gabe. In tracing Laura’s footsteps, they find her abandoned car, and the tension ratchets up a notch. But who is Rosie actually worried about?
Laura?
Or the man she was meeting?
Told from different narratives and different timelines, the novel gives us snippets of Laura’s date (which is tedious and for the life of me, why did she stay on it?), Rosie’s search, and interspersed, Laura’s sessions with a psychologist who seeks the truth of why his patient feels so unlovable and broken.
Though the denouement surprised me (I had zero idea who the actual villain was, and it was a shocker), I didn’t find there was enough pull in the actual narrative to keep me invested. Laura’s voice was scattered and unappealing – with a ton of repetition and confusing backslides into the past. While Laura was at least complex, I found Rosie was a cardboard cutout – absolutely no character development at all – she existed solely to find her sister and/or worry about her.
While The Night Before wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, I won’t deny that it was entertaining and twisty, with enough “wtf” moments to keep it from sliding off the cliff. I think it was balancing on the edge of being truly good, and with some careful editing (Rosie’s flatness, Laura’s inner monologue, and the endless meandering date), it could have been a complicated and dark mountain of a novel.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it!