Kiss Slay Replay

by Rachel Harrison

Every wedding guest’s worst nightmare is on repeat in this wild and twisty new horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of So Thirsty and Play Nice.

It’s the picture-perfect wedding weekend: The venue is dreamy, the weather is beautiful, love is in the air—and Willa Sullivan is having a bad time. She’s excited to celebrate her best friends’ finally having the big wedding they’ve always wanted, but this is the first time she’s seen her ex-fiancé in months, and he brought a date. Everything feels off, like she stumbled into an alternate universe. But things start to look up when Willa meets Danny, the groom’s charming and single childhood best friend. When they sneak off together, their rendezvous is interrupted by a masked killer terrorizing the reception. Willa and Danny fight to save the ones they love and survive the night, but the killer is unrelenting. A final girl Willa is not.

Or is she? She wakes up and it’s the morning of the wedding. She just had the most intense nightmare of her life. Only as the day unfolds, there are some uncanny coincidences that make her question whether it was really a dream, déjà vu, or something more sinister. After a horrifying turn of events, Willa comes to understand that she’s stuck in a loop of carnage and terror that she must learn how to escape or else suffer a fate worse than death—being an eternal wedding guest.

Genres: Horror, Romance, Thriller, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller

390 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2026

About the author

Rachel Harrison is the author of The Return, nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. Her short fiction has appeared in Guernica and Electric Lit. She lives in New York with her husband and their cat/overlord.

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[MarilynW]

Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison

Is it okay that I laughed? Because I did laugh and this is from someone who is not very good at horror so usually I can't even smile while the horror is happening. But the events in this book took me back to the monsters in my computer role playing games and to the times when I watched horror movies with my dad in my younger days. We loved to make fun of those horror movies. Good memories of bad things happening and bad things kept happening here, over and over and over.

Willa Sullivan dumped her fiancé close their wedding, months ago. He was a good guy but she knows she did the right thing because they really weren't right for each other. But now she is in a wedding and her ex fiancé is going to be there and that's the last thing that Willa wants to endure. But "friends before hiding from ex fiancés" so Willa will see the thing through.

Know that Willa has a wonderful cat who loves her ex more than her. With Willa, the cat is grumpy and spends a lot of time in the closet just to let her know she fails at all things in life. This is a loved cat so don't worry about the cat. But when it comes to Willa and her fellow wedding goers, horrible things will happen to them over and over and over. I wish I could tell you the little and big things that made me laugh but I don't want to spoil the selection of horror to come Willa's way.

So Willa arrives at the wedding the first time and feels eyes on her. Ha ha, yeah, that's for sure! Anyway, really bad things happen and none of them feel good to anyone but once Willa bites the dust (or blood or whatever), she'll wake up in her apartment with her grumpy cat, the morning of the wedding so she can do everything all over again with a brand new version of horror at a wedding.

Of course, none of this makes sense, just go with it and watch Willa finally do something or other and see how that works out. It was hard for me to get all worked up by the bad things happening because only Willa remembers each day and everyone is all happy each new wedding day (until they're not). I had fun with this one so maybe I'm getting better (or worse) with horror.

Publication September 1, 2026

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC

[Nancy]

3.5 ⭐️s

This is what I call bubblegum horror—light, humorous, and somewhat cozy, with some horror elements tossed into the mix. I’m always wary of time-loop stories because, if not done right, they can feel repetitive. There were a few moments here and there that felt mildly repetitive, but fortunately, there was enough variation with each loop to keep it from becoming an issue for me.

I actually really liked Willa and her character arc throughout the story. She made mistakes along the way while trying to figure out what the heck was going on, but she was relatable and thankfully not some clueless FMC, which I generally find frustrating.

Overall, this was ridiculous and fun, reminiscent of a B-horror flick, and made for another entertaining buddy read with my friend Brooke. 🖤

[Nilufer Ozmekik]

If you’re addicted to Rachel Harrison’s slasher-horror thrillers with dark comedy vibes, this book will feel like a dream come true. Especially if you love time loops—but not the light, comedic kind like Groundhog Day. Think more along the lines of Happy Death Day—a brutal, high-stakes loop where our heroine finds herself cast as the “final girl”… except her survival rate is far from guaranteed.

Every time she dies, she wakes up back in her bedroom, just before the wedding day, greeted by her house cat’s worried stare and her own rising panic. And each time, the challenge escalates—more bizarre, bloodier, more terrifying, packed with genuine jump-scare moments. Did I sell the concept? Because honestly, you should absolutely go for it. Harrison delivers a wildly entertaining ride.

Now imagine a time loop colliding with a full-on slasher movie. We follow Willa Sullivan, a depressed heroine who recently ended her engagement with her long-time boyfriend Ravi. She attends her best friend’s wedding, already on edge—only to spiral further when she sees Ravi there with his new girlfriend, Tanya. But that emotional chaos quickly becomes the least of her problems.

The celebration turns into a nightmare when masked strangers in balaclavas storm the venue, armed with sharp weapons and unleashing a gruesome massacre—carving out eyes, attacking guests, and turning the wedding into pure horror. In the midst of it all, Willa meets Danny, a charming and seemingly perfect stranger who promises to stay by her side. But when the killing begins and there’s nowhere to escape, Willa realizes she’s trapped in a deadly loop—one that keeps ending in her own death.

Why is this happening? Is it psychological? Is she losing her grip on reality? Or is something far more sinister at play? And most importantly—can she break the cycle, or is she doomed to die over and over again?

The book delivers a fast-paced, chaotic, and addictive experience—packed with action, dark humor, escalating tension, and a surprisingly engaging chemistry between Willa and Danny.

The only aspect that slightly held me back was the explanation behind the time loop—it didn’t fully land for me. That said, the execution, pacing, and sheer entertainment value more than made up for it. The final act gets a bit far-fetched, but it’s still incredibly fun. I’m rounding my rating up from 4.5 to a solid 5 stars because I genuinely enjoyed the ride.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[megs_bookrack]

🖤❤️💙🖤❤️💙🖤❤️💙🖤

I feel seen. Rachel Harrison, I love you. You have no idea what your books mean to me.

Thank you for writing with honesty and intention, whilst also bringing the horror and the humor.



Going into this novel, I knew nothing about it. I hadn't read the synopsis, and apparently hadn't even looked at the cover that closely. There's a hint on the cover, a line about what kind of novel this is. I had no clue.

I pick up all Rachel Harrison's books. It doesn't really matter to me what they're about. I'm going to read them regardless. As I started getting into it, as it became clear to me what kind of story it was going to be, I was elated, as it centers around a trope I adore.



The story follow Willa, who has recently broke off her engagement. In the wake of her decision, she's been left unmoored. Her life doesn't look how she expected it to look. She's questioning her choices, and if it's too late?

Her friends have all been supportive, but it's been a minute and she worries they're growing weary of her spiral. With all of this going on, it's time to attend one of her best friend's weddings, and her ex will be there. It'll be their first time seeing each other, and Willa is sick with anxiety.



She can't ditch out on her besties though, no matter how hard it's going to be. They've been through so much together and she'd never forgive herself. She needs to suck it up, buttercup, and try to make the best of it.

Once at the gorgeous destination wedding location, on a lake in upstate New York, things don't seem quite so bad. She's reunited with her besties and has even met Danny, a handsome friend of the groom. Things are looking up.

But after Willa and Danny sneak away for a little private time, they discover a masked killer stalking the reception hall. From there the night quickly devolves into the nightmare Willa always imagined it was going to be.



That's all you're getting out of me in regards to this story. From this point on, it's best if you just sit back and let Rachel Harrison do her thing. I was delighted, frustrated, concerned, moved, and obssessed by Willa's journey. Oh my lands, does our girl go through it.

I love Harrison's main characters; all of her characters, really, but the MCs always stick out to me as being highly-relatable. None of them are perfect. They're just all out there trying to do their best, and trying to survive a world that often doesn't deliver to them in a way they thought it would.

I particularly like characters like Willa, that have gone through recent break-ups, or disappointments of that kind. I could see my past self in so many of the things Willa was thinking and trying to process.



I loved that Willa's character goes through so much though, because her journey overall was so satisfying. She learned and she applied what she learned to her circumstances. She didn't give up, even in the face of seemingly unbeatable odds, and I loved that. What a great example it sets.

I know some Readers might not enjoy Willa as much as I did. Maybe if you haven't been through similar things, it could hit differently, I don't know because that's not the place I'm coming at this from. I can only speak to my own personal experience with this book, and I thought it was fantastic.

Compelling, heartwarming and oozing with Horror goodness in a cozy, relatable way.



Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Clearly, Rachel Harrison is one of my favorite authors and I will continue to anxiously-anticipate every book she writes!

[Yun]

Is there anything more fun than a murderous wedding? You add to that some horror and mayhem and a time loop, and well, my romantic heart just couldn't pass it up. So I tore into Kiss Slay Replay with glee and morbid fascination, certain I was about to have the time of my life.

Let's talk about the time loop first. I'm a big fan of that plot device, but if you're going to use it, don't dawdle. Since the time loop is never a surprise to the reader (it's usually heavily advertised beforehand, and in this case, it's printed right there on the cover), we already know going in that that's where the story's headed. So it's best to get there as soon as possible and have the protagonist be clued in, so we can get to the fun part of actually breaking the time loop. But if you drag that first part out, then it can start to feel a bit like slow going, and that's what happened here.

Speaking of protagonists catching on, Willa just isn't the brightest bulb in the shed. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, she's in denial. I get it. In real life, if I were ever to get stuck in a time loop, I would be in denial too. But this isn't real life, and reading about such waffling and wallowing just isn't that enthralling.

Even after she's clued in, Willa still remained stuck there. In crucial moments when she could be breaking the time loop or running the heck away, there we find her again doing her makeup for hours or ruminating about her ex and gazing into his eyes from across the room. At one point, she was supposed to be hiding quietly from a group of rabid something or other, but instead she gets into a loud argument. I mean, what can you say about such ridiculous behavior?

To Willa's credit, she does get there eventually since the book does end. But it was an uneven journey, with her alternatingly gathering up her courage, then losing it again to indecision and inaction. There was even a moment she said to herself, "Help how? I'm frozen. I'm useless," and I thought to myself, Girl, no truer words have ever been said.

So apparently, this is what's known as bubblegum horror. But I must be living under a rock cause this is the first time I've encountered it. I think the tone threw me off for a bit. It was light and frothy, but then every time we get to the gore and the violence, it was brutal. There was definitely some whiplash there, but I adjusted eventually.

That all sounds very mixed, but I did have fun here. I thought the concept was interesting, every iteration of the time loop different enough to keep my attention, and Willa's self awareness of her shortcomings added a comedic slant to every frustration. Even when we get to the time loop explanation (which turned out to be the most jumbly word salad of scientific terms I've ever read), it was more funny than anything else.

Now obviously, if you're stuck in a time loop, I wouldn't use this book as a blueprint on how to act. But if you're looking for some high stakes fun and gore, and especially if you're a fan of time loops, this isn't that bad of a choice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
✧ This was a pick for my BOTM box. Get your first book for $5 here.

[Maggie ♡ (Hiatus)]

Pre-release: Stop because why is this cover so freaking prettyyyy 😭🩵 I need this book already, but I have to wait 195 days 🥹

Update: Book already pre-ordered. Now the wait begins 🤭

[Court Zierk]

Well, in the least surprising news of the year, Rachel Harrison does it again… deliver a straight up banger of a novel.

While existing squarely within trope territory, it never once feels trite or contrived. Far from it actually. It takes us on unexpected turn after unexpected turn, with each one bringing with it a new level of absurdity and b-movie bliss.

Our protagonist, Willa, is relatable and sympathetic. She fumbles her way through the story with a charming clumsiness that feels all too familiar. The other characters aren’t drawn nearly as well, but their flatness feels intentional, almost as if they were meant to exist solely as backdrops to Willa’s arc.

The setting is fun, the monsters are even more so. You won’t see what’s coming next, of that much I assure you.

I am lucky to have been given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book, and I can’t wait for the rest of the world to read it. Rachel Harrison is one of the best things going in the business right now, and this book only further solidifies her place in the horror community, cementing herself squarely in its upper echelon.

[Liana Gold]

4! Wild loop of horror! Full review to follow!


Imagine going to your best friend's wedding but you see your ex there with a DATE post a very new, called off engagement?! But the celebration turns into a slasher massacre and then YOU die.. but then wake up the next day to REPEAT the wedding AGAIN.

You will need popcorn for this one.





This book will be featured on BOTM for September, use this link to get your first book for $5 only:
https://www.mybotm.com/bgnrjn6qk0o
Love BOTM, great quality and easy to sign up/cancel at no additional cost to you. The perk? Get the book prior to its release!



Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author, Rachel Harrison for an early ARC!

Publication date: September 1, 2026

[Seri ❤ (new job semi-MIA)]

3.5 ⭐️
The FMC is stuck in a twisty, horror-filled time loop when her best friend's wedding is terrorized by a masked killer only for her to wake up and experience the day all over again and again...

Fast-paced. Multiple killers. Action-packed. My sole complaint? The whiny, unlikable fmc.

Introducing Willa (the fmc), a 31-year-old recently single woman on her way to celebrate the wedding of her dear friends at a secluded, lakeside woodsy wedding destination. The problem? After getting her hot-mess self there, the ceremony turns into utter pandemonium when a masked balaclava-wearing monster begins killing off the wedding guests with an assortment of weapons.

Willa dies…yet against all odds she wakes back up inside her apartment bedroom to find that it’s that same morning!

Thinking she had a horrifying nightmare, Willa attends the wedding, feeling an unsettling sense of déjà vu. However, she soon finds herself facing an entirely different murderer, leading to yet another murder spree that violently claims her life once more!

As the time loops commence, all deaths/murderers differ. The sole correlation is that each wedding turns into a chaotic, deadly mosh pit of guts and blood.

*The deaths were gruesome and vividly described, so if you’re gore-adverse, I’d definitely recommend staying away!*

The time loops COULD HAVE been redundant, but due to the “killer” changing every turn, there was a sense of novelty with each do-over.

Honestly, if the FMC wasn’t so whiny, I would’ve rated Kiss Slay Replay higher. Willa got her ass handed to her time and time again—only bucking up and truly turning proactive the last two loops. Personally, I thought she was too man-focused considering all the devastation occurring around her.

Imagine the premise of the movie Groundhog Day and make it a bloody slasher wedding. Overall, I’d describe this book as having a solid pacing and premise but with a mediocre main character.

[Gabby]

DNF @ 142 pages

I wanted to love this sooooo bad because the premise is amazing and I love a time loop, and books that involved weddings. But the writing in this was driving me absolutely nuts. It was so choppy and had so many short staccato sentences, and the main character was also very annoying imo.

Here's the vlog where I read this book for Summerween: https://youtu.be/wMgCuQemnj0

[Brooke 𝜗𝜚]

—— 3.75 ☆

❝𝚁𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚝. 𝙰 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔. 𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎’𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚊𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚛.❞

📖: 𝐊𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧

⤷ buddy read with Nancy ♡ check out her review!

📜: 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬: 𝟹𝟷𝟾
🏷️: 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝙿𝚜𝚢𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝙷𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚛
📆: 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝟿/𝟸𝟶/𝟸𝟼-𝟿/𝟸𝟺/𝟸𝟼
💬: 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
「 ”It's the picture perfect wedding. The venue is dreamy, the weather is beautiful, love is in the air and Willa Sullivan is having a bad time. She's excited to celebrate her best friends' finally having the big wedding they've always wanted, but this is the first time she's seen her ex-fiance in months and he brought a date. Everything feels off, like she stumbled into an alternate universe. But things start to look up when Willa meets Danny, the groom's charming and single childhood best friend. When they sneak off together, their rendezvous is interrupted by a masked killer terrorizing the reception. Willa and Danny fight to save the ones they love and survive the night, but the killer is unrelenting. A final girl Willa is not. Or is she? She wakes up and it's the morning of the wedding. She just had the most intense nightmare of her life. Only as the day unfolds, there are some uncanny coincidences that make her question whether it was really a dream, déjà vu, or something more sinister. After a horrifying turn of events, Willa comes to understand that she's stuck in a loop of carnage and terror that she must learn how to escape or else suffer a fate worse than death; being an eternal wedding guest.”」

୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧

❝𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢, 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚌𝚔. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎, 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚙𝚞𝚛𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝. 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚞𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚛, 𝚊 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚝. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎’𝚜 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝙸 𝚑𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚘𝚗.❞

ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★ ¾
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟹.𝟾𝟿 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: 👍🏼
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴀʏᴇʀ — ᴍᴀᴅᴏɴɴᴀ
0:40 ———♡——— 3:54

⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
💒 ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴘꜱ
🎂 ᴅᴀʀᴋ ʜᴜᴍᴏʀ
💒 ꜰɪɴᴀʟ ɢɪʀʟ ᴇɴᴇʀɢʏ
🎂 ʙᴜʙʙʟᴇɢᴜᴍ ʜᴏʀʀᴏʀ
💒 ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ
⚠️ TW: body horror, heavy gore, graphic murder, blood, vivid death scenes, severe injury details.

❝𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎’𝚜 𝚗𝚘 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌, 𝚗𝚘 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚢, 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚢.❞

୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧୨୧ ⏔⏔⏔♡⏔⏔⏔ ୨୧

[jenny reads a lot]

Kiss Slay Replay is a time loop horror novel that takes place during a wedding. Where the MC wakes up and thinks "how am I going to die today"

At this point I am a Rachel Harrison stan.

DID YOU SEE THAT COVER!?

| IG | TikTok |

[Rachel Hanes]

A little fun fact for everyone- I always (well almost always) read before I go to bed at night. I haven’t been sleeping real well lately (thank you weather, and hot flashes 🫢), so reading this book before dozing off, caused me to have quite a few bad dreams. 🤣 In this story, our main character, Willa, relives the same day over quite a few times- and honestly, each day is mildly horrifying.

This is a time loop story, in which Willa arrives to her friends wedding. Willa has recently broken off her long term relationship/engagement with her ex-boyfriend, Ravi. Willa is still heartbroken, depressed, and second-guessing herself if she made the right decision or not. Willa’s close friends are at the wedding waiting for her to arrive, and they all know that Ravi will be there with his new girlfriend. What?!

Willa then wakes up each September 25th, the day of her friend Stephanie’s wedding. Each day a new horrific event takes place until Willa can get herself out of her time loop. I really thought the first event was horrific, but then they seemed to be a little less threatening after that (although I did have some nightmares, so there’s that)…

I really enjoyed Willa’s character, and this book was fun to read. I’m also a big fan of Rachel Harrison, so I was super happy to be reading this. I would also recommend reading this book- especially if you have any weddings to attend soon. 😉😳
(3.5 stars)

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and the author for an advanced DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading, for an honest review.
Publication date: September 1, 2026
Genre~ General Fiction (adult), Horror

[Aisvarya]

"I don’t need to keep mourning the lives I will never lead. I can just be grateful for mine. And I can let the rest go."

3.5⭐

Such a good time!! The writing did feel a bit different from her previous work that I read but also had the same tone of lightness to it that I preferred in Play Nice. I was a bit worried that I might not enjoy it cuz it really was a bit difficult to connect with our FMC in the first few pages but Rachel did it again. The FMC became super relatable as it went and the idea of this time loop being as the way for her to face her fears straight on and overcome it was something I liked. And I've grown to like this in horror where the author creates this unsettling premise and creepy moments while juxtaposing it with realistic issues.

"I’ll be grateful to return to my apartment, to be there alone, my ornery cat my only company. I’ll be grateful to be there at all. To greet a new day sprawled out on my mattress on the floor. To open my eyes and not know what to expect. To embrace the empty hours. To welcome the future, the unknown, without fear.
My story might not be a love story. But it isn’t a horror story, either. My story is mine, and it can be whatever I make it."

I also liked the way everything was wrapped up, and I think I grew to appreciate life more as I finished this one, just like our FMC.

Overall, this was a fun time that also explored the difficulties of adulthood and accepting the life that's given to you even though it's not what you imagined growing up. I'd definitely recommend this if you want a campy horror to read this fall.

(Frtc - our FMC and her character growth, the horror elements to be included.)

✨Pre-read:
A time loop slasher?! Seems like such a fun read to dive into😍😌

[aira]

I feel like I'm going to like this...I gotta get my hands on this asap.

[Ceecee]

Willa Sullivan is still reeling from her break up with Ravi. However, she sets off for a wedding in the Hudson Valley, perfect weather, perfect place and good friends from way back. The only blot on the picture perfect landscape is that Ravi will be there and he’s bringing a date. Will she implode or stay cool and calm? When she eventually catches sight of him, she realises she’s in danger of hyperventilating and so beats a hasty retreat into some woods behind the guest cabins. Here she spot something that her brain can’t make sense of – but in the process she bumps into Danny, the grooms best friend from childhood. Later in the day , the pair end up trying to fend off a masked killer terrorising the wedding party and the kill spree is quite something. This then turns into a Groundhog Day of epic proportions.

I don’t read a huge amount of horror but when Rachel Harrison has a book out, I’m all in, revelling in the latest her fertile imagination has conjured up. This is such a clever mashup of Groundhog Day, combined with a slasher movie or a zombie apocalypse. Each day gets more and more bizarre and creative and I have no idea what’s going to happen next and nor does Willa. Perhaps as well. Like her, it has me questioning everything, I’m wondering if it’s all in her head or if it’s the wedding “reality” repeated with ever worsening scenarios.

Willa is an intriguing central protagonist, even if the storyline has me questioning reality (!) she feels real. She’s flawed and like most of us bumbling through life, trying to figure things out as she goes along in the best way she can. The other characters aren’t quite so well drawn but, in all honesty, they don’t have to be as this is happening to her or because of her.

The setting is fantastic and works so well in the storyline as all its features, the wedding and the wedding party are used in an original way. It’s humorous, a bit tongue in cheek, not to be taken too seriously as it’s so over the top and so as a consequence it has great entertainment value.

It’s perhaps a bit slow to get going, but that’s the lull before the storm of epic proportions. A chefs kiss for the author who definitely slays me with this book and it’ll replay in my mind.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Titan Books for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[Dee (on hiatus)]

4 solid stars - I'm not much of a horror reader, but Rachel Harrison's brand of "cozier horror" is an exception & I have enjoyed most of her back-list. And her latest, "Kiss Slay Replay" was really fun - a serial killer running amok at a wedding in the woods (formerly Camp Serling - IYKYK)? And with a "stuck in a time loop" twist?? YES PLEASE!! I enjoyed it quite a bit, especially as it kept getting crazier with each (repeated) wedding day, with wackier & wackier killings. Lots of dark humor, a bit too much gore for my taste, but I really liked heroine, Willa. There's a deeper meaning here too - our MC's nursing a very badly broken heart and she develops a lot of gratitude and has real character growth as she faces each "Groundhog Day". Mostly fast paced but there's a bit of slowness to start, so do stick with it!

[Krysta ꕤ]

”My story might not be a love story. But it isn’t a horror story, either. My story is mine, and it can be whatever I make it.”

time loop stories can be hard to get right in my opinion, due to how repetitive they usually are.. but if anyone could make that trope fun, it’d be Rachel Harrison!

Willa is stuck in a time loop, repeating the day of her best friend’s wedding & dying in different ways each time. i loved how each death had a different sort of monster that was attacking the group, it kept things entertaining and fresh. my fav had to be the zombies!

i always find the fmc’s in this authors books to be relatable in one way or another, and Willa’s feelings of being lost with unclear direction for her life is something i could definitely understand. she was easy to root for, even though i didn’t 100% connect to her. Willa had to take back control, while also adjusting to unexpected changes. the side characters were a lot of fun too & I loved the summer camp venue for the wedding!

➘ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Berkley Publishing for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[Krystal]

The best kind of bloody surprise!
🩸🩸🩸
I came close to passing on this one because I don't typically enjoy weddings as settings and being an outlier regarding last year's Play Nice had me a little hesitant about diving in. However, I usually enjoy Harrison's work, so I decided to give this a try and ended up WOWed. 🤩
💍💍💍
Willa is attending the long-awaited nuptials of two of her pals. Her ex-fiancé will be in attendance along with her core friend group from college. Everything is picturesque from the weather to the flower arrangements until murder and mayhem arrive classic slasher movie style. Is Willa the most unique final girl ever? OR is there something else bubbling beneath the surface?
🔪🔪🔪
She wakes up the next morning believing she's had the worst nightmare EVER only to have too many coincidences stack up. A time loop it is! But not the tired kind of time loop we've read a million times before, the author kept things fresh changing the big bads and having Willa not running on a hamster wheel of sameness. This take on time loops worked for me. Avoid spoilers as not knowing what was next made this novel shine!✨✨✨
🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛
Don't let the cute cover and title fool you Kiss Slay Replay is horror through and through reminiscent of the slasher films from the '80's and '90's with a fresh spin. The supporting characters were a little flat, but it worked because Willa is meant to be the focus her decisions and personal growth are the draw. Her anxiety came across and felt relatable.

An addictive read that brought all the factors that make for great horror to the table!

👀👀Keep your eyes peeled for this one! 👀👀

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for providing an ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Fern]

THIS ONES FOR THE ANXIOUS GIRLS. I had low expectations (even though I love Rachel Harrison!) because neither weddings nor time loops intrigue me, but dang. Apparently having a mental health crisis feels a lot like being stuck in a time loop ha. I was certainly not anticipating this to be so relatable.

This was such a page turner and even though I hate too much action (and this had a lot of it) I was engaged the whole time. And each loop felt unique! Lighthearted vibes balanced with deeper moments and underlying themes. Just chef’s kiss.

My Rachel Harrison ranking:
1 - Cackle
2 - Kiss, Slay, Replay
3 - Play Nice
4 - The Return
5 - Black Sheep

Can’t wait to read the rest of her catalogue.

[Dutchie]

Willa is newly single after breaking up with her fiancé weeks before their wedding day. However, today is the day where her two friends will be tying the knot and she is getting a bit of anxiety about going because her ex-fiancé will be there. Upon arrival her day just gets worse when she finds out her ex has brought a plus one. Just when she thinks it can’t get any worse a mass murderer is running rampant and killing everyone. And then she wakes up. Starts the day over. Repeat the day with a few different killing methods. Wakes up. Starts the day over….. you get the point.

I’m not big fan of repetition in books so obviously the time loop angle didn’t work for me. But there were definitely some pros such as it was a super quick read and I did chuckle at one or two of the death scenarios. I also liked Archimedes, the cat. And the title itself was pretty catchy.

While this was just a mediocre read for me, I completely understand why other readers have enjoyed it. I’m a bit of an outlier which is not unusual.

[Elodie]

3.5 rounded up to 4.

I don't tend to read books about time loops. Not because I'm opposed to them, but because I'm always worried they will be too repetitive. However, I decided to give this one a shot because I loved Play Nice so much.

Unfortunately, I didn't love this one as much, because there were a few times in the middle that I just felt like it was dragging on. Initially, the first 1-2 times the day repeats, there are several chapters covering that day, making everything feel long and drown out.

Don't get me wrong, there ARE differences, even in the early repeats. While there are always a few repeats, such as comments made during conversations or small events, there is a fair bit of variation in all versions as well. So, if you're worried you'll be reading the exact same thing over and over again, that is not the case.

As the book got around the last 150 pages, I started becoming a lot more invested. Primarily, I believe this is because the repeating days got shorter, meaning the chapters were wrapped up faster, with less little details being repeated. This really helped take away that feeling of things being drawn out, which I was much happier with.

My favourite part of this story though is that the murderer and the way people die always changes, which helps keep things interesting. Additionally, as more and more days repeat, everything becomes more unhinged.

While this could be seen by some as silly and unrealistic, I found this to bring a lot of joy because I couldn't wait to find out what crazy shit was going to happen next. Also, this book is about a time loop, so is realness really what we're striving for here? 😅

I also really liked our main character. When the book starts, Willa is going through a big life change and she's feeling completely depressed, lost and unsure of herself. As the wedding day continues to repeat, we see a lot of growth in Willa as she comes to learn various lessons about life, love, happiness, and more, which I really enjoyed.

While some may view Willa, especially in the beginning as annoyed or needy, I think she's extremely relatable. I'm sure many adults, especially those in their 20s and 30s will be able to relate to that feeling of being lost, of wondering what the purpose of life is, and feeling as if they are beyond everyone else or as if they aren't deserving of happiness and love. Due to this, I really believe many people will see a bit of themselves in her, making it very easy to connect and cheer for her

Also, Willas group of friends seem amazing. I love dher interactions with them. They are truly a friend group anyone would love to have.

Additionally, this book scared me to death. It's exactly why I don't want scary movies. I couldn't imagine being stuck in the horror that Willa was and it really pulled on some of my worst fears 😅

Overall, this book was pretty fun and had very likable and relatable characters. While there are parts that feel slow and a little too long, I still think it's worth checking out, especially if you are someone that likes magical realism!

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian)]

Let’s be honest: the Groundhog Day mixed with another genre thing has kind of taken off in recent years, specifically in horror. But Rachel Harrison manages to put a fresh spin on it. If you’re worried about things getting too repetitive in this plot, don’t. This book is wild, surprising, and a real treat for all fans of the genre. She remains a must read author for me.

At first I was like: “Girl, ANOTHER breakup story?!” Why is this such a recurring theme in her work? But the insights into relationship dynamics and self doubt in this one are so spot on, and the way they fit in with the trauma of Willa’s horrific situation feels natural. (Even when things get crazy.)

Harrison has a habit of writing protagonists who are primarily either smug and egotistical or broken-hearted and feeling sorry for themselves, or sometimes even an interesting combination of the two. Willa falls more into the broken-hearted category, and I liked her a LOT more than the MC from “Play Nice.” You still get the author’s signature blend of darkness and romantic comedy, and this time the dark stuff is extra dark.

The violence and gore are written so well here. Once things reach that point in the story, it really hits the gas and I found it difficult to put down. The threats were creative and fun to read about, and Harrison didn’t hold back with the blood. You can tell that she had a blast writing the story.

The side effects of being stuck in a time loop include finding out what your friends really think of you, questioning all your decisions, and using alcohol to try to numb your stress (heavily. I think Willa might have a problem.)

Minor nitpicks:
- if Cassie was my best friend, I would be miserable. She was so negative and two-faced!
- As much as I liked the mantra “The only way out is through,” I think it was really over-used.
- Not sure about some of the dialogue. It just felt too quippy.

This book is now up there with my favorites of hers, next to “So Thirsty” and “Black Sheep.” But the only one I didn’t really vibe with was “Play Nice.” They’re all good. (I really appreciated the pep talk in the afterword, too.) 5 stars! Even the ending was satisfying, and I had no idea how this situation was possibly going to be resolved. I’ll definitely get a physical copy to add to my collection.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to the Publisher for this early copy in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Suicidal ideation, *Alcohol abuse

[Elle]

Rachel Harrison is one of my favorite authors and I've not been disappointed yet.

Cackle 5/5 stars.
Black Sheep 4/5 stars.
So Thirsty 4/5 stars.
Such Sharp Teeth 4/5 stars.
The Return 3/5 stars.
Play Nice 5/5 stars.

I knew that I was going to be hooked on this book from the very beginning. I binge-read this during my breaks at work and couldn't wait to get home and finish it.

Harrison's writing style just draws me in. Her writing is easy to read yet written well. I specifically love the humor that she has which is what keeps me coming back to her books. Sometimes the humor is subtle, but it's my kind of humor. I think she generally does a fantastic job writing and developing her characters.

This book was clearly inspired by "Groundhog Day" and it was even referenced in the book. Imagine that vibe, but horror. Sometimes repetitive books like this can be hit-or-miss for me, but Harrison was able to not make this monotonous. Every "day" was similar yet the twists were incredibly unexpected and it kept me interested. I was drawn in by not only the characters, but the monsters too. Again, Harrison weaves her sense of humor into her novels and we see that even with the monsters. I was never sure of what we were going to see next in this book. If you're a fan of gore, this book certainly delivers.

I also could relate to the FMC in this book. Willa made the tough choice to end a long-term relationship after realizing that they simply weren't compatible for each other. We see how this affected Willa throughout the book and her development on accepting the death of that relationship. Willa also was endearing to me as a fellow woman with anxiety. Overall, I found her incredibly relatable and I loved seeing her change throughout the story.

My kudos go to Harrison because all of her books have a similar feel to one another and yet they are vastly different. I think this points to her skill as a writer.

Although I received an ARC of this book, I will be purchasing my shelf "trophy" of the physical edition when this publishes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

CW: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

[Heidi Zuva]

She's attending the same wedding as her ex-fiance, who's everywhere she looks. Now add zombies, evil birds, and a serial killer slasher monster -- and the day just won't end. She lives it over, and over, and over again.

I've read (and enjoyed) all of Rachel Harrison's longform fiction, so it was a no-brainer that I'd preorder this, too. I don't believe I've read wedding horror before, but it seems like such an organic fit for me!

I eloped during the pandemic. I'm a fan of marriage, not weddings. I was surprised, therefore, when this horror novel made me understand why some people might want a wedding. It really nailed how weddings can bring together people who wouldn't have come together otherwise. The bit where she tells her ex that she hopes they'll be something to each other, if not quite friends, was so poignant for me. It's absolutely bizarre how we go from lovers to strangers in break-ups, and I was pleasantly hopeful for our protagonist. She was moving on, but without rejecting her past.

This was more slasher than I tend to prefer, but Harrison has such a character-forward way of telling a story that I was engaged all the same. A fun read!

[MagretFume]

It's an unexpected and very refreshing take on the time loop trope.
I loved the blend of horror, comedy, and even romance, but most of all I loved that ultimately, the story centers on the main character's growth.
I had a great time.

[Trisha]

For this author - I need NO Cover, and NO synopsis - I'm just 100% in! Can't wait for it!

[Flor]

I really liked the core concept and the genre blend but the overall plot was pretty meh... Watching the story develop with every reset from a slasher into increasingly ridiculous scenarios was honestly a lot of fun. However, I never found myself super compelled by the story or the characters. The horror ended up feeling more like a silly rom-com with a killer and a bit of gore, rather than genuine horror. And even though the time loops weren't identical, the structure started to feel pretty repetitive.

Definitely not my favorite Rachel Harrison book, but still a light and fun read.

[Raine Reads]

Kiss, Slay, and STAY AWAY from this book!!

Literally nothing about this book was good and I gave up around 75% in. I was trying to stick it out because I could have finished it quickly, but extra time spent on a bad book is time I will never get back. I don't have the luxury of being in a time loop to do that.

I don't understand how this has such high ratings on here and was marketed with so much praise on Book of the Month. "guaranteed to give you goosebumps"?? The only thing scary about this book is how bad the writing is. I'd say it felt like I was reading a fanfiction, but honestly that's insulting to fanfiction. I've read better fanfiction many times over. Hell, I've probably written fanfiction better than this when I was 16. The sentences were short and full of words a third grader could understand. I've read other books I could describe the same way and enjoyed them, but not in this case, because there was so little flow and all attempts at humor fell so flat to me. It was extremely surface level with no heart to it.

The main character sucks. She's literally my age, which I should find exciting and relatable, but no. She simply sucks. She felt more like 21 than 31. She's deeply bothered that her ex - who she broke up with less than a month before their wedding AND while his dad was terminally ill - is moving on and is mad at her. Like sure, their relationship wasn't meant to last, but if the roles were flipped I'm sure she would be mad too. I know I would be. This, and trying to move on from her ex by getting with a fuckboy at the wedding are like, her only personality traits. She's a girlfailure with no depth and the type to hook up with strangers at her bestie's wedding. Also, she uses the AI summaries on google? Ew ew ew. Keep AI mentions out of my books please.

And her friends and other side characters are even shallower. I think the MC's cat had more personality and he's barely in any scenes.

And don't even get me started on how weak the "horror" in this so-called horror book is. With varying entities from The Eyeball Man to Zombie Deer, none of it was that scary to me. I feel callous for saying that. I do. But if these scenes were in another book, they WOULD be scary to me. The first guy was at least a little scary because we had the most build-up. But how am I supposed to even care about an alien that's around for 5 pages, and when I know there's more book to come? But because this was a time loop and the villain kept changing, there was no time for the horror to truly grow.

Save your time and/or money. Don't trust the 5 star ratings.

I would not recommend this book.

[Bruno Britos]

Was not a fan, i wanted a fun horror book.

First and most important, this is not a slasher. (so the Slay in the title makes no sense)

I think that the main focus of the author was the different ways and horror tropes that would happen in the loops.

But the problem is that it forgot the rest, all the characteres are empty and dont give one emotion, just exist in the backround, the only character i care was Daniel but after the first loop he's just in the backround with all the others.

Also this has zero comedy so it was not even fun, the killer and the crows was interesting but the others were just boring and with zero scare.

I wish for something more, the repetition of the days didnt even bother me i just wanted more than just "diferent tropes and ways to die"

For a movie go watch Until Dawn and for a book i had more fun in How to Kill a Man in Ten Dates.

Also the reasoning was so weird and forced kkkkkk

Yea this was lazy

Comentary while reading.
I like that the second time it changed and even turned like supernatural.

But also this is Until Dawn(2024) kkkkkk

the third one (zumbis) is boring kkkk like there's no big changes, Runing hiding and dying

I dont care about Ravi.

Your a fan of horror movies but dont watch Final destination or Happy death day or totally killer?

We are in the 5th loop acting like "oh im different and its gonna work now. lets have real conversations" but i dont feel that its deserved, i dont have big feeling for Willa and my favorite relationship is with Daniel but we sadly have very few moments of this.