Left at the Altar - AJ Campbell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hannah arrives at the church ready to marry the man of her dreams. Only, he doesn't turn up and nobody really knows why. Apparently Johnny changed his mind, but Hannah is certain something more sinister is at play. Only yesterday he seemed excited at the idea of becoming her husband, and father to her little boy. So... where is her groom?

As always Campbell has delivered a novel with suspense that keeps you needing to read one more chapter. The anticipation of working out whether Hannah is onto something, or if she was just more into the relationship than Johnny is enough to keep you hooked. But when you throw in the red herrings, and the strange happenings, it's impossible to put down.
Despite being familiar with the authors work and having a good idea where the story was going, the ending still had me shook..

Another 5* read from this author. I am now at a point of not being able to choose a favouite read by her. Thank you @ajcampbellauthor @Bookouture and @netgalley for the gifted e-arc

I absolutely loved this book. I didn’t see the ending coming. A great story that keeps you guessing until the end

I always look forward to reading a new book by this author and Left at the Altar was another great read.

What was supposed to be the happiest day of Hannah’s life quickly turned into her worst nightmare. Hannah is in utter disbelief that Johnny would do this to her. But is everything as it seems?

So many untrustworthy characters, I had no idea who I could trust and there weren’t many I really liked either. 😂 Whilst I felt sorry for Hannah, I thought a lot of the choices she made were very questionable.

All in all another great twisty read that will keep you turning the pages.

Thank you to Bookouture for having me on the tour and for my gifted ebook.

Another twisty rollercoaster from AJ Campbell! What should have been Hannah’s happiest day—marrying Johnny, the love of her life—quickly turns into her worst nightmare when he doesn’t show up at the church. Everyone says he got cold feet, but Hannah is convinced something more sinister is going on, especially when someone from her past resurfaces, bringing back memories she’d rather forget.

This is one of those thrillers that hooks you right from the start, full of family drama, secrets, and plenty of red herrings. It’s suspenseful, fast-paced, and definitely kept me turning the pages, though I did feel it could have gone a little deeper with the characters. Still, a gripping and entertaining read!

I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

What happens when “I do” turns into “where did he go?”

A.J. Campbell’s Left at the Altar had me flipping pages late into the night. Twisty, emotional, and full of suspense — a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read! 💍📖

Its fast paced light read leaves you begging for more. The secrets and suspense just keep unfolding and you have no idea where you’re going to end up.

One thing I must add is how much I adored Hannah’s sister, Carrie but I’m surprised how slowly her character began to irritate me. Loved the character development !

Imagine the scene: you’re about to walk up the aisle with the love of your life in front of your family and friends in what promises to be the happiest day of your life…
…except your fiancé is a no show.
This is the nightmare Hannah finds herself catapulted into when her partner Johnny fails to turn up at the church on their wedding day. At first, everyone puts it down to a case of cold feet, but with Johnny appearing to have disappeared off the face of the earth, Hannah wonders if other forces are at play.
Hurt and betrayal are replaced with suspicion and fear when Hannah’s sister India turns up with a man from Hannah’s past she would rather forget.
Determined to find out what happened to her missing fiancé, Hannah starts digging. It soon becomes apparent that the deeper she digs, the more deadly the danger she is exposing her family to.
Fans of AJ Campbell’s fast-paced thrillers will love Left at the Altar. It has all the ingredients they have come to expect from her: a twisty plot, family secrets and cliffhangers galore.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author of this book for giving me a digital copy. The opinions are my own and freely given.

Walking down the aisle stressful enough but minutes before Hannah does, her future father-in-law tells her that Johnny, her fiancé isn't coming. He has changed his mind and is not coming to marry her. Many desperate phone calls that go unanswered and she starts to think it is something from her past that has made Johnny run from her. With her sister marrying Johnny's brother in a week, Hannah can't break from the family.

Enjoyed this story! From the beginning I thought I knew what happened to Johnny but the why I never guessed.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Wow wow wow!!!! I read this book in less than twenty-four hours. So gripping, it had me hooked and unable to put it down until I finished the last shocking page!!!!
This is a book that will STAY with you. Maudie lives in Ireland and finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. Her parents ship her off to a convent to deliver her baby. What happens next is gut-wrenching.
I have read some articles about how they treated young, unwed girls in the convents in Ireland. What a horrible stain on the Catholic Church! At the core of this book, it is about a mother’s unwavering love and how a mother will do ANYTHING for her child. I can’t wait for the next book and hope we learn more about Cecilia. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheIrishAdoptionHouse #MichelleVernal #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks #BooksSetInIreland #BooksSetInSavannah

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of Left at the Altar by AJ Campbell. This is my second book by this author and I enjoyed both of them. This one was quite suspenseful and it had some unexpected twists / surprises. This was an exciting read and I would highly recommend it to others. OMG what an ending! You need to read it to find out more. I gave this book a 4 star rating. #Bookouture #AJCampbell #Booktour

Once I started this book, I could not put it down. I had to know what happened to Johnny and why he left Hannah and her little boy, Lucas, at the altar – especially after he told Lucas he couldn’t wait to be his dad! I really felt for Hannah, because as much as she may have wanted to crumble and fall apart, her sister was marrying Johnny’s brother, Tom, the very next week. Lucas asked about him, and I think that’s the most heartbreaking part for me.

Alas, this is a thriller, and thrills you will get. There are so many ways to look and so many people to suspect! Hannah is onto something that Johnny didn’t just leave on his own. Something or someone had to make him leave. So Hannah starts to investigate things on her own. And when I say investigate, she goes through things in her house and asks people in her world questions, it’s really nothing that you need to suspend belief for, which I really enjoyed. She uncovers secrets and lies, and what she finds out will make your head spin! Once you read the end of the book, you’ll feel like you have whiplash!

The chapters are short and easy to read. Sometimes the writing felt a little repetitive, but other than that, this book was really good. I didn’t see the ending coming at all. This was a really enjoyable read!

Reading in Between the Wines book review #83/125 for 2025:
Rating: 3.5🍷🍷🍷
Book: Left at the Altar
Author: AJ Campbell
AVAILABLE NOW!!
BOOKS ON TOUR

Sipping thoughts: Any woman’s (and man’s) nightmare- you spend all this time and energy planning one of the best days of your life only to be jilted at the last minute. Amanda could not believe that she was one of those left at the altar, but as time goes on she wonders if her fiance left her willingly or was it more sinister. The twists and turns in this book was a subtle build up to a nice reveal and the ending was worth waiting for.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @LeftAtTheAltar.

#LeftAtTheAltar #AJCampbell #BooksOnTour #Bookouture #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bokreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Being jilted and left standing alone at the altar is every womans worst nightmare...as Amanda was only too soon going to find out...

The story simmers nicely and you can feel the intensity building as each page is turned...something's imminent and when it hits, it's going to hit hard and the repercussions...WOW!

Secrets, lies and suspicions await.

An exciting and engaging read.

Another gripping read in psychological fiction from this talented author.

Hannah is a single mother about to marry the love of her life. However, on the journey to the church, she receives the crushing news that groom, Johnny, has had second thoughts and won't be coming. As the days roll on, Hannah receives only a text message from Johnny by way of apology and explanation, and when she finds evidence of his commitment to her and their life together in a number of places she begins to wonder if foul play is involved. This brings a series of revelations that are superbly dark and twisty!

This book is a real page turner, definitely one I would recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book on exchange for an advance copy.

“Left at the Altar” by AJ Campbell is an emotionally charged thriller that starts with a gut-punch moment—being abandoned on your wedding day—and spirals into a tense, twisty search for answers. I genuinely enjoyed this story. The pacing kept me engaged, and the emotional stakes felt real.

The ending? I had a hunch about part of it—and the rest completely blindsided me (in the best way). Amanda knows how to craft a twist with precision and flair.
That final twist hit with just the right mix of drama and payoff, making the entire journey feel totally worth it.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced read with emotional depth and a twist that delivers, this one’s a solid pick.

Left at the Altar by AJ Campbell is a gripping psychological thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. What should have been the happiest day of Hannah’s life quickly unravels into a nightmare when her groom, Johnny, vanishes without a trace. Refusing to accept the whispers and half-truths around her, Hannah is determined to uncover what really happened, even if it means facing terrifying truths and putting herself in danger.

AJ Campbell has done it again! The short, punchy chapters, each ending on a mini cliffhanger, kept me flying through the book, always telling myself “just one more chapter.” The family drama and tangled web of secrets added so much tension, and I was constantly questioning everyone’s motives. I loved how Hanna’s determination to find Johnny shone through, no matter how frightened she was, showing both her strength and vulnerability.

This story is packed with twists and red herrings, and I was left guessing right up until the final reveal. And that ending! WHOA! A fast-paced, addictive read that’s perfect for fans of twisty domestic thrillers. I have enjoyed all of Campbell's books that I have read so far, and this one did not disappoint.

Thank you NetGalley and AJ Campbell for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Sandwiched between Johnny’s absence and the marquee for my sister’s wedding isn’t the ideal place to heal the scars still so blood raw.”~

In Left at the Altar by A.J. Campbell, what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of Hannah’s life becomes a living nightmare, because her beloved fiancé, Johnny, bailed on their wedding day. Hannah’s confusion, shock and anguish after she was told by his family, instead of Johnny personally, was utterly visceral throughout the pages.

The week after would be in preparation for her sister Carrie’s wedding who is engaged to Tom, Johnny’s brother; yet, understandably all Hannah can focus on is picking up the shattered pieces of her heart that was scattered by Johnny. As much as she loves her sister, dealing with Carrie and Tom’s wedding is the last thing she needs.

What she does need is to talk with Johnny and sort everything out so she and her young son, Lucas, can move forward with their lives with or apart from Johnny. But Johnny isn’t returning Hannah’s calls or texts.

The week that follows after being jilted at the altar is a slow burn psychological thriller full of secrets, lies, shady characters, suspense, mystery, danger and discovery. What Hannah finds only leads to more unresolved questions and pieces of a puzzle she is so desperate to solve.

It’s an emotionally charged, gripping story that explores Hannah’s innermost thoughts, fears and motivations, unshakable ghosts of the past, and how she handles the knowledge and truth as it unravels before her.

I enjoyed Left at the Altar and appreciate its fast-paced read and cliffhanger chapter endings that launched me straight into each new chapter. I look forward to reading more great novels from A.J. Campbell!

***I received a free copy in NetGalley from Bookouture and am leaving my honest review***

The whole time I read this book, I never saw the way this would end. This is what I love about AJ's books.

Hannah is left by her fiance Johnny on the day of their wedding, but something feels off to her. He was DEVOTED to her and was looking forward to raising Hannah's son, Lucas, alongside her. Even his texts after the fact don't sound quite right. She just knows that something or someone from her past had him jumping ship.
The deeper Hannah dove into her fiance's personal life, the more suspicious she becomes of his family.

This was just a fabulous mystery that kept me on my toes and knocked me down on the floor with the truth at the end.

**Thank you to @netgalley, @ajccampbell, and @ publisher for a free ebook ARC copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Wow. I loved this. Thank you again AJ for another great read. Like all the books by her I've read before this kept me guessing and wondering how this was going to end. I did, but also didn't expect the ending, it left me with mixed emotions. Happy and sad 😞

A very twisty psychological thriller. Told through Hannah's point of view, whose loving and caring fiance, Johnny, left her on her wedding day without any explanation. In her search to find the truth, she starts unraveling an intricate web of lies and betrayals.

It's very easy to read gripping mystery with short chapters. Plot twists are shocking and unpredictable, which makes it a true page turner. Full of tension and dangerous secrets from the past, it was a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns. The climax is shocking and chilling !!!

Thanks to @Netgalley and @Bookouture and the author for eARC. I enjoyed it.

Be ready to devour this book in one sitting as you won’t be able to put it down!! Had me gripped from the beginning and kept me guessing until the very surprising end!! Wow! Intense and riveting!