Happily Ever After by Alison James #bookreview #thriller
Title: Happily Ever After
Author: Alison James
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: June 22, 2021
Page Count: 333
My rating: 3 stars
About the book:
At a luxury resort in the Maldives, two newlywed couples are on honeymoon. On the surface, they seem to have it all. But behind the filtered photos and fake smiles is the truth…
Tansy isn’t really in love.
Daniel is trying to escape the biggest mistake of his life.
Nikki’s past is catching up with her.
Arne’s heart is about to be broken.
They all have secrets. And before the honeymoon is over, their happiness will be shattered.
Because one of them is going to die…
This dark, addictive thriller will have you gripped until the final, shocking twist. Fans of Behind Closed Doors, The Guest List and The Wife Between Us will be hooked by the latest page-turner from US top five bestseller Alison James.
Have you ever read a book and found that small details in it completely changed your overall opinion of it? Happily Ever After by Alison James is a perfect case of that happening for me as I thought this thriller was one that I was completely going to love but instead found myself struggling to decide how to rate it in the end over a few minor details.
The book begins by introducing readers to Pippa who was just about to walk down the aisle when she had a moment of clarity that everything was just all wrong. Pippa had been with her soon to be husband for several years but had never really thought about marriage until friends pushed them into a wedding. Knowing that everything felt wrong Pippa called off the ceremony and then decided to take her already pre-paid honeymoon by herself to give herself a chance to think.
After arriving at the luxury resort in Mauritius Pippa feels out of place as she notices all the couples around her that seem to be doing the celebrating she had once thought she was going to be doing. At dinner Pippa notices two couples seated together, Arne and Nikki who seem very much and love and then Tansy and Daniel who seem to only appear happy when they know others are watching. Pippa soon meets another single man at the resort, James Cardle, and strikes up a friendship with the standoffish vacationer but one night Pippa and James come across a frantic scene as Nikki is found dead in Daniel and Tansy’s villa.
Now I honestly could toss out all the typical thriller descriptives of gripping and page turning etc as this book really did completely entrance me as I read. I absolutely loved Pippa and her sort of awkwardness being alone but finding herself as it went along. However, I came across some things towards the end that I just don’t know what the author was thinking writing it in this way. Without spoilers I will just say I did not agree with how Pippa went from a seemingly strong lead to not being one so much in my mind with a simple little addition that didn’t really make sense with how it ended. Anyway, I settled on three stars as I enjoyed most of this I just would have changed a few things I didn’t really care for at all.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
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Carries Book Reviews 
Great review Carrie. I like your honesty and your reasoning.
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Thanks Carla, I was so enjoying this and a slight change would’ve brought it in at 5 stars but perhaps it will just be me bothered.
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Sometimes it is just that one little niggle that spoils it. I totally get it.
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Thanks for your honesty Carrie. I had a similar problem with her previous book. ❤📚
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I’m glad it’s not just me Sandy.😊
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Interesting, I was honestly expecting something more.. fairy tale related. Thriller works too. 😆
Great review!
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Thanks Sheri! I didn’t really think about it but now that you mention it the title really could go with a fairy tale book.😊
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You’re so welcome! I laughed so hard at myself after reading your review because I was genuinely confused. 😂
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Well now there are weddings and murders happening in fairy tales so now I’m picturing the characters dressed as Cinderella, Snow White etc etc…..
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Lol, that’s going to make for some interesting visuals when I get to reading this. 😆
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🤣😂 It might make it better. 🤣
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Lol! It should create some pretty entertaining comic relief. 😆
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Would you believe that I just got an email that they are changing the cover and title of this one??? My very first thought was I suppose more people out there thought of fairy tales but I have to say I think the original fits the story better than what they came up with… “The Guilty Wife” Blah. Ah well, I guess that’s what I get for being early on a review for a change too.😂
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Lol! Oh, man.. that really sucks. You know it just figures, too, right? The new cover is actually pretty eye-catching, but I can see why you’d prefer the original.. it was less mainstream.
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I didn’t mind the cover although if I picked i’d probably stick with the first but the second would grab my eye too. The title though doesn’t make much sense to me having read it already, but what do I know I didn’t think fairy tale either.🤣
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I think it’s really a shame that all these really great covers and titles are being changed to something more mainstream.. I have series I love that will never match.
And think of it this way.. you’re one of the few who read it when it did make sense. 😂
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Very true. Knowing me I probably would’ve grabbed it regardless but I have to wonder now it a different title would have me thinking differently reading the book.
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Right? I know for a fact that I’ve turned up my nose at some books, that I later ended up really loving, just because the cover and title didn’t click for me..
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You are so right, I know I shouldn’t judge books by the cover but I do it all the time.🤣
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Ohmygoodness, I do, too.. Especially the pretty ones. 😆
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