Overall I think this was a good read, but predictable without much new to be brought to the genre. There was something in the storytelling that also had a slower pacing, which felt weird for a thriller. I'd like to try some other reads by this author, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to read this book early.

As I am literally only a few weeks away from my own wedding, I went into this book with the usual excitement of reading an AJ Campbell book, but with slight trepidation on reading a book about a wedding that is surely not going to go to plan!
I was definitely right, there is plenty of drama and shocks, and there is constantly the feeling of 'just one more chapter'! I happily read this in one sitting, it's utterly unputdownable in the best way.
I loved this and think it is probably my favourite AJ Campbell book to date.

Thank you to @ajcampbellauthor @bookouture and @netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read and reviewed a few @ajcampbellauthor books now, but I think this may actually be my favourite! Nail bitingly stressful - this fast-paced thriller kept me guessing right until the final reveal. Full of lies, twists and secrets - you really can’t trust anyone! 👀

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Available now on kindle unlimited for us Aussies 🇦🇺

#arcbookreview #happypublicationday #kindleunlimitedreads #ajcampbellauthor #leftatthealter #netgalley #itsbookedup

An entertaining and engaging thriller with intriguing characters.
The plot is gripping and there are enough twists to keep you turning the page.
Campbell is a fantastic author who gives her characters so much depth and background.
This book was so addictive.

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Once again, AJ Campbell serves up a story that will twist your mind, featuring bride-to-be Hannah, whose heart was just shattered after being stood up on her wedding day. Johnny was supposed to be her happily ever after, and now he’s left her….or is has he? Hannah starts to notice some confusing things about the way Johnny abandoned her, and when family secrets start spilling out, she doesn’t know who she can trust. However, Hannah isn’t entirely blameless, and shadows from her past are beginning to resurface.

“Left at the Altar” is a gripping read, showcasing Campbell’s gift for pulling readers in and blindsiding them with her endings. You won’t be disappointed!

I could not put this one down, it grabbed me from the first page and never let up! Fantastic read! Hannah is about to marry the love of her life when everything changes. Nothing is as it seems, and everyone has secrets and lies they are keeping. Maybe even Hannah. 4 1/2 star read!

A.J. Campbell has done it again. I honestly don’t know how she continues to write such brilliant and unique psychological thrillers! Left at the Altar is the 11th book I have read by the lovely @ajcampbellauthor, and like all her other books, it was a 5 star read.

Hannah is heading to church to marry the love of her life, Johnny.
Family and friends eagerly await for the ceremony to begin. But Hannah is blindsided when she gets word that Johnny is not at the altar nor will he be coming to the wedding. He’s changed his mind and left poor Hannah at the altar. Hannah is horrified, humiliated and devastated. Surely Johnny would not do this to her and her beloved son Lucas. They were to start a new life together as a family unit in their new dream home. But that dream has shattered.

As Hannah is left to pick up the pieces and sort through the mess she starts to become suspicious that all is not as it seems. She begins to wonder if Johnny really did call off the wedding? Did he really head off to Wales to clear his mind? Or did something more sinister happen?

Hannah, with the help of her sisters, is determined to get to the bottom of this terrible situation and find out what’s really happened to Johnny. Because the more time goes on the more suspicious Hannah is that something is terribly wrong and Johnny needs her help.

Left at the Altar is a fast paced, engrossing read. I was fully captivated and couldn’t put it down. It kept me up until 3 in the morning as I just needed to know what happened to Johnny. And I’ll tell ya, you won’t believe it. Plot twist 🫣🤯.

Thank you so much Bookouture and AJ Campbell for my e-arc and having me on your book tour.

Be prepared that when you start Left at the Altar you won’t be able to stop! I was HOOKED and could not put it down. Campbell is at her best and her writing just grabs hold and never lets go. My head was spinning with the surprising ending! This is a MUST READ!!!

WOW what a story, I couldn't put it down, an edge of the seat page turner. I now know where Johnny is

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! It was quite the page turner.
If you’re looking for a beach thriller as your beach read or weekend read then look no further.
This will have you turning the pages.

Hannah is about to marry Johnny but he doesn't turn up. The author does a good job as you can feel Hannahs pain. A good novel with plenty of twists. The characters were well realised, though I guessed towards the end it was only till all the clues lined up. Well written and unputdownable, another good read from AJ. Thanks to Bookoutre and Netgalley for this review copy.

Y’all. Its here!! I cracked open Left at the Altar thinking I’d read a few pages, and suddenly my Pepsi was flat and my heart was pounding.

AJ Campbell gives us a front-row seat to a wedding that goes up in flames before the vows even start. Ellie’s walking toward her happily-ever-after with Johnny—the man who’s been the perfect partner and stepdad to her little boy—when she reaches the altar… and he’s gone. Just vanished. Then she spots him—a face from her past, smirking like he knows something—and everything tilts.

The tension is sharp enough to taste, the twists pop like hot kernels, and every chapter pulls you deeper into the danger, lies, and secrets Ellie will do anything to protect her son from. It’s emotional, tense, and sprinkled with those perfectly-timed, human moments that make it all feel real.

Congratulations—Five stars for this one, no hesitation. If you want your pulse racing and your trust issues refreshed, grab this one—and maybe a slice of cake, because you’re not making it to this wedding either.

Thanks to Bookouture for providing this advance copy via NetGalley for my honest, voluntary review. #NetGalley #LeftAtTheAltar

I love an @ajcampbellauthor book because I know that I’m guaranteed tension, suspense and a completely unpredictable read that will have me hooked in all the best ways.

Left at the Alter is fantastic! Everything about this book has been superb and I think it might be the best yet.

I’ve really felt for Hannah. She’s had all the dreams of the happiest and best day of her life, only for things to go very very differently.

Campbell has hooked me very quickly with this one. I have felt as though I was watching this unfold before me. I have loved how events have unfolded and definitely wanted to uncover all the secrets.

Campbell never fails to write a gripping and unpredictable plot. This one has pulled me in and been impossible to put down. You can’t just start a book by Campbell and stop at a few chapters.

I’ve read most of this author’s books and I can hand on heart say they get better and better. This one is SUPERB.

This is a book I have no hesitation in recommending.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

AJ Campbell is back with a gripping, suspense-laden domestic thriller, LEFT AT THE ALTAR.

The narrative opens on a wedding day turned into a shocking nightmare when a bride finds herself abandoned at the altar. Just when she thinks the day cannot get worse, a figure from her past emerges, accompanied by her sister, unraveling dark secrets that blur the line between truth and deception in this intricate mystery.

About...

Hannah is filled with joy and anticipation as she prepares to marry Johnny, dreaming of creating a loving family with her son, Lucas, whom she had raised alone after escaping an abusive relationship. Their happiness, however, is tinged with sorrow, overshadowed by the heart-wrenching loss of a baby that still haunts them.

As the day of the wedding arrives, everything seems perfect—until a shocking message from Tom, Johnny's brother, shatters her dreams. He reveals that Johnny feels trapped and can’t go through with the marriage. In a twist of fate, Hannah’s sister, Carrie, is engaged to Tom, intertwining their families in unexpected ways.

Confusion deepens when Hannah sees Dean, the brother of her abusive ex, Charlie, unexpectedly at the wedding with India, her sister. Why is he present, and does his arrival have anything to do with Johnny's sudden disappearance? Dean’s presence raises troubling questions: Is he playing mind games, especially after previously accusing Hannah of killing his brother?

Did he have anything to do with Johnny's disappearance? Hannah can’t shake the thought from her mind, an unsettling feeling gnawing at her insides. This isn’t typical behavior for Johnny; he has always been reliable and loving.

When she returns to the honeymoon suite, she is greeted by an unexpected sight: the room is romantically decorated, infused with soft candlelight and delicate flowers, accompanied by a heartfelt note from Johnny. But could there be a sinister twist to this seemingly romantic gesture?

What truly happened to Johnny? This lingering question propels the ongoing mystery forward, twisting and turning with every new revelation. Just when Hannah thinks she might uncover the truth, a shocking murder erupts, throwing everything into chaos.

What is Hannah hiding? What is Johnny hiding? Hannah had never told Johnny about the domestic abuse, as she was too ashamed.

Or is something more sinister going on? Are the sins of the past rising to the present?

My thoughts...

LEFT AT THE ALTAR offers a riveting escape into a world of mystery and intrigue, gripping readers from the first page to the last. The tension is palpable as weddings, often a joyous occasion, become fraught with anxiety and fear when the groom mysteriously disappears. With a son who adores him and a heart that feels shattered, Hannah's turmoil becomes ever more relatable.

The author masterfully crafts short chapters filled with cliffhangers, leaving readers breathless with anticipation. Each twist and turn is expertly designed to pull you deeper into a web of secrets, surprises, betrayal, deceit, and plenty of red herrings, ensuring that you will not be able to put this book down.

Recs...

LEFT AT THE ALTAR is for fans of the author and those who enjoy domestic suspense and works by Freida McFadden, Miranda Rijks, Emily Shiner, and Robin Mahle.

Blog Tour Stop...

Join me on my blog on August 14 for a fun Blog Tour Stop.

Special thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub date: Aug 13, 2025
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Being left at the altar, there's no way you could even fathom it. Everything was set love is in the air but being left at the altar

The man you love you could never imagine this happening. but this author always has stories that keep your head spinning in a good way, always a good twist.

The ending we'll have you saying wow.

Campbell writes fabulous books.

i always enjoy this author's work.

I had no clue just how intermingled Hannah’s life was with her new family.
Until it all went wrong. Left in the lurch on her wedding day Hannah struggles with Johnny leaving her. But there’s another wedding just a week away within the family!
Such deceit and lies can bring down a family and pit people against each other.
Especially the most dangerous ones who seem to be the victims.
Pure evil!!

As always this author has put together a very good psychological thriller. Hannah is getting married to Johnny but on the way to the church she receives a message saying he cannot go through with it and has done a runner. Nice short chapters and interesting characters made this a quick and easy read.

Briefly, Hannah is devastated and doesn’t believe Johnny would have stood her up, she is told by his family that he has gone to Wales and doesn’t want to talk to her, but is that the truth? Complicating matters further her sister Carrie is due to marry Johnny’s brother Tom the following week and Hannah is to be a bridesmaid with Johnny as best man! Nothing like double the anguish! As Hannah digs deeper she discovers some disturbing information relating to a terrible accident a few years earlier.

It was difficult to fathom whether Johnny had just got cold feet of whether there were more sinister things going on. So many twists in the story and a compulsive one sitting read for me. Well paced with a good plot and whilst I guessed some of the twists there were more that I didn’t. An enjoyable and entertaining read.

4.5 🌟

I have loved everything I have read from AJ Campbell, and Left At The Altar has continued the streak, I read this in two sittings as it was just addictive reading, every chapter left me with questions & wanting more, I just needed to know what happened next. The premise alone was brilliant; left at the altar by a seemingly devoted fiancé who could not wait to get married with nothing but a cold vague text well after the fact, surely something else is going on? Then throw in a face from your past, the part of your past you'd rather forget, appearing at the church, Hannah doesn't know what to believe or who to trust, she doesn't even know if she should hate Johnny for abandoning her & her son or fearing for his life.

What I loved about this read was that my mind was constantly going to two places, 'why did Johnny jilt Hannah so out of blue?' To 'did Johnny willingly jilt Hannah?' The many twists and red herrings added to this tension heavy read, I changed my mind more than once about what really happened & why, as for the ending? Perfection 👌🏻

This is a must-read for fans of twisty, suspense filled thrillers with short snappy chapters & a mixture of likeable, unlikeable & downright untrustworthy characters. This is a high action can't turn the page quick enough addictive read.

When Hannah’s fiancee leaves her on their wedding day, her family and friends sympathize with her. They don’t believe Hannah though when she thinks there’s more to it than cold feet.

Another twisty entertaining story from Ms. Campbell. This is a good summer beach read as it’s fast paced and suspenseful. The mystery takes a bit to get going because at first it’s just.. why was Hannah left at the altar.. but it ends up becoming much more.

Left at the Altar comes out 8/13.

4.75⭐️Grab yourself a snack and a drink and get comfortable because once you open this book it will draw you in and you will lose all sense of time.

I was completely taken by this jilted bride’s story. I enjoyed all the twist and turns until the very end. My only wish is that we got a little more closure in the end. I felt like it wrapped up really quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookture and the author AJ Campbell for the advanced reading copy all my opinions are my own.