An Intended Wedding
Grieving, Loss, and Too Many Secrets
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
On the one-year anniversary of her wedding, Colbie Moore’s life looks nothing like it should. Still grieving the loss of the man she meant to spend her life with, she prepares for a weekend away to take her mind off her heartache, but the simple plan results in much more than she bargained for.
A box of letters, meant for the bride and groom to open on their anniversary, is instead opened by Colbie and her three best friends—Miles, James, and Eric—and what it holds could ruin everything.
A mysterious note from a surprising sender is shocking, propelling Colbie down a dark path to discover the truth about the man she loved—his life and his death—before it’s too late. As the mystery unravels, she begins to question everyone around her. What was Phil hiding from her when he died? What secrets are still hidden?
The closer she gets to answers the clearer it becomes that someone has gone to great lengths to protect their lies. And if she pushes any more, everything she has left could be exactly what she stands to lose. Is it worth risking everything to truly know the man she’s already lost? After all, she’s been warned…she might not be able to handle what she finds.
| Length | 6 hours |
| Audible Release Date | November 15, 2022 |
| Narrator | Subhadra Newton |
At the time of this posting, If You’re Reading This . . . is available for free with Kindle Unlimited.
My Thoughts
We have a dual timeline right before a wedding and exactly one year later. However, early on we learn that the wedding didn’t happen, but why? Tell me more . . .
The narrator had a pleasing voice and the plot quickly captured my interest.
One year after what would have been the wedding date, Colbie meets with her closest friends, all males, at a weekend retreat. She plans to open a box of notes that she received a year earlier from wedding guests. These notes were to be read on their one-year anniversary.
So far, so good, but I did wonder why her closest friends were three males. But okay. I could let that go.
Unfortunately, the story started to go downhill from that point on.
My Concerns
First off, if you’re staying at a rented property for the weekend wouldn’t you realize that there are three bedrooms, and four people? We have more than one bed in a bedroom, but the boys go in and each one chooses a room leaving Colbie to sleep on the couch. Oh. Please. So let’s fast forward to the solution. In order not to play favorites, Colbie will take the extra bed in one friend’s room, then the next night move to the other bedroom and the extra bed. I guess the third friend had hurt feelings, I can’t remember, I think I was too shocked at what I was hearing. I realize I took lots of space with this concern, but it felt ridiculous. Especially, since she was not romantically involved with anyone.
Though the story still interested me, the plot holes began to feel like swiss cheese. And for that matter, the characters weren’t likable . . . or normal. Things were racing downhill. Colbie, who understandably might have been suffering some loss this weekend, was treated like a glass princess by her friends. These guys were literally at her beck and call, and it seemed like that had been the case for the previous year.
At this point I’m going to shorten my concerns, I think.
- As the timelines go back and forth, we learn that a groomsman is late to the wedding. Not so bad, until I heard that the guests were sweltering and ice water was being handed out. The wedding was a couple hours late. If I’m remembering correctly, Colbie just waited in a room with her stepfather. Does that sound logical? (When it’s an audiobook it’s a little harder to fact-check certain things, but I think I’m right here.)
- The groom’s parents didn’t like Colbie. In fact, she was never invited to family gatherings, so her husband-to-be just went without her. A rather lame reason is given, but they don’t attend the day of the wedding.
- When Colbie does decide to visit the groom’s parents, one year after the near wedding, they tell her she will need to leave their son’s house, which we learn Colbie has been living in rent-free for the last year. What? She just lived there for a year assuming it was owed to her?
- The conclusion tied the story up neatly with a big red bow, but to me it only confirmed the point that the characters were all emotionally unstable.
Okay, I can’t leave this section without remarking on my biggest concern, and that’s why her husband-to-be died before the wedding. I won’t say more, but it was way over the top.
I never want to downplay all the time and effort an author puts into his/her creation, but hopefully these concerns help justify my low rating.
Final Thoughts
For me, the plot and characters just didn’t work. The characters were flat and the plot . . . well, I can’t say without further spoiling the story.
Probably the best thing about it was the narrator.
I can attest to the fact that Kiersten Modglin has it in her to write good books. This just wasn’t one of them.
But if you’re looking for some surprises and twists, there are some. For me they didn’t feel credible.
We needed the Red Cross on this one.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KIERSTEN MODGLIN is an Amazon Top 10 bestselling author of psychological thrillers and a member of International Thriller Writers, Novelists, Inc., and the Alliance of Independent Authors. Kiersten is a KDP Select All-Star and a recipient of ThrillerFix’s Best Psychological Thriller Award, Suspense Magazine‘s Best Book of 2021 Award, a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Suspense, and a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Overall Book of 2021. She grew up in rural western Kentucky and later relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where she now lives with her husband, daughter, and their two Boston terriers: Cedric and Georgie. Kiersten’s work is currently being translated into multiple languages and readers across the world refer to her as ‘The Queen of Twists.’ A Netflix addict, Shonda Rhimes superfan, psychology fanatic, and indoor enthusiast, Kiersten enjoys rainy days spent with her nose in a book.
CONNECT WITH KIERSTEN
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