I was very intrigued by this book advertised on NetGalley which is due to be published in early May 2023. The Bride to Be by Daniel Hurst is a domestic thriller which follows Kate's upcoming wedding to Mark, her last minute wedding dress shopping and following this an infatuation with Tess and Tristan, another soon-to-be married couple. I would recommend reading content warnings for this book as it was heavy at points, with abuse involved, both physical and emotional.
It is a very quick read, with short, fast-paced chapters which keep the plot moving along at an intense pace. At 50% in, there is a twist that wasn't creative by any means but I personally didn't see it coming and I think this is when the book really picks up.
It is single POV, and being in Kate's head and viewing everything from her perspective, she was a very obsessive, and at times unhinged, main character. I think this book would have benefited from a dual POV perhaps with Tristan or even Tess. Overall the majority of the characters were pretty unlikeable and I felt a disconnect with them and their actions.
I enjoyed Hurst's writing style, although the ending felt a tad rushed, and the strange epilogue was the most disconcerting. I'm not sure why the author felt the need to add in a final unresolved twist to the story but perhaps this is because he attempted to tie in why there was such a big focus on the wedding dress itself.
This is a solid and enjoyable thriller that I'm glad to have had a chance to read and would be interested in reading more from this author in the future.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkubator Books and Daniel Hurst for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy.