I don't know how they do it but every time Steinke and Fenton write a book, they knock it out of the park. Reading this story I felt like I was able to get personally involved (in my head) because I don't feel like I'm being told what's going on. I feel like I'm reading it for myself. This is a special skill so many are lacking but these authors have it ten fold. The characters were well developed, and there was enough mystery to keep me guessing but not so much I got lost and lost interest. It was a page turner! Thank you to netgalley and lake union publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was not so much a thriller, like I expected, but was so intense it was definitely easy to read. I could feel each of the characters feelings and had so much fear, pain, and love for them. I think the friendships were developed so intensely and the way the book was written definitely gave it a thriller like pace and need to know what happened. I wish it had ended differently, but I think the lessons learned because of the ending were more important. Definitely worth reading,

***Please do not read my review if you do not want spoilers for this upcoming novel***

Thank you Netgalley for this preview - I was more excited to get approved for this one than maybe any other ARC. I am such a fan of this writing duo!

In their last novel, The Good Widow, I missed some of the magical realism that had been part of The Year We Turned 40, The Status of All Things and some of their other work. After all, I grew up on Teen Witch (and I suspect so did they). I was happy that there was some spirituality included within the tours of the magic of Tulum, and the story kept me engaged the whole time - what happened to Ashley? And when we did find the answer to that question - whodunit?

There were a couple of sticking points that did not quite fit for me. Lauren blaming Ashley for Geoff's death - I could see how in the throes of grief, Lauren could have accused Ashley of killing her husband. But a year later - to claim Ashley had something to do with Lauren's abusive husband's death because she (rightfully) convinced her to leave him - rings false. Lauren is in therapy and in a grief group, I feel like she might have seen that Ashley was not to blame, especially given Geoff's medical issues/heart troubles.

The ending was also a bit ambiguous, which isn't necessarily a bad thing - but why does Natalie's voice think that the investigator is very good at his job when he claims Natalie pushed Ashley and is telling any story she wants now that Marco is gone? By both Natalie's and Ashley's accounts - that is not what happened.

I think part of me was thinking something a little more sinister might have happened - maybe involving some other minor characters - Maria from the hotel comes to mind.

Overall, a suspenseful page-turner of a mystery that also delves deeply into the highs and lows of decades-long female friendship. I always recommend books by these authors and this one is no exception.

You do not want to miss this read! I was hooked - hooked enough to ignore my strict bedtime two nights in a row to finish this read. Great character development, a setting so well described you could almost taste the margaritas on the beach, and a plot that kept me guessing until the final page. 5 stars!!!


Thanks go to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this title as an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love destination novels! Especially when they involve Mexican beaches and plenty of margaritas. The whole time reading, this book was a 3 Star for me. I thought I’ve read this story a million times. Then the last page...boom! 🌟🌟🌟🌟 what a completely crazy ending. So fun, I read it in 3 days!

This is a solid 4.5/5 stars!

I might be a little biased because one of the authors lives in my home town, which I think is SO COOL! But regardless, I would still be fair and critique this book even if it was a total stranger.

This has been at the top of my “to read list” and I didn’t think I’d be able to wait until July. I literally screamed when I got approved to read an advanced copy.

The main characters are so authentic, each woman harboring their own secrets from each other. Ashley, Natalie and Lauren have been friends for 20 years and through that time, they went through challenges, successes, tragedy and all of life’s obstacles that ALL friendships go through. With this vacation to Tulum, they were hoping to repair all the damage. I loved the aspect that no one is perfect and we all have personal issues we are fighting internally. I connected with each character in a different way leaving me not hating or loving any of the three more than the other.

Chapter one had me hooked instantly, as you are plopped right into a chaotic mess that is surrounding by intrigue, mystery and uncertainty. Each chapter bounces between each main character before and after the mysterious event that we are introduced to immediately. One of the three besties is missing! You learn more and more about their lives and the events leading up to the truth and it did not disappoint.

There were times I sped read through some parts only because I wanted to know what happened! This book was entertaining and kept me wondering what exactly happened that night. This is the perfect summer read and I totally support their release in July because this will be a hit! I’m just so lucky I got to read it before everyone else.

And might I add, I think it is extremely admirable and impressive that two authors like Lisa and Liz can concoct a story like this. I imagine the struggles one author alone has to deal with, but sharing work, editing, writing, how do they do it? Keep up the great writing. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go book a trip somewhere exotic.

Side note: this book literally made me feel like I was on a vacation. The arrival to the resort in Tulum had me looking up hotels and flights because I had to experience it in real life. Such a perfect beach read. Don’t pass this one up!

I loved their last book, The Good Widow, so I was very excited to read this one. However, it was nowhere near as well thought out. The story itself was ok, and the writing was good, but the ending was anti-climatic and predictable and the motivation for Ashley's choice at the end did not make sense to me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! I flew through it trying to find out what happened. While I thought the storyline of the 3 female friends was interesting and relatable, I don't know if I really was rooting for any of them. I enjoyed the writing and thought it was a quick, easy read. I found myself racing to try to figure out what had happened to Ashley. I did think the ending was sort of anti=climatic, and wish we'd gotten there sooner. I liked the flashbacks from present day to the days leading up to the "event", but thought it dragged a bit in the middle (I was only at about 30-40% and was surprised at how much story I had left to read). I think it'd be a good beach read and did keep me guessing, so I would recommend.

The character development was a little slow but I enjoyed the storyline. I figured out the twist before it happened but it didn’t prevent me from finishing the book- which is saying a lot.
In the end; I’d recommend this book to others because it was worth the read.

What could possibly go wrong when three best friends go on a trip to Mexico? In Girls' Night Out, everything. Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke hit the sweet spot with this suspense story involving three friends, who find out maybe they really didn't know each other as well as they thought.
Ashley, Natalie, and Lauren try to use this vacation to reconnect but find out it's not easy to simply recapture together what they once had. When Ashley disappears after a night out, Natalie and Lauren have to retrace their steps and their hazy memories to try to find her. As they piece together the events of the night before, they discover the power of secrets and damage it can do to even the best of friends.
Girls' Night Out is an incredibly fast-paced page-turner that will have you guessing until the very end. I was thrilled to have received an advanced readers copy and highly recommend this book. Thank you, NetGalley.

After reading the amazing thriller The Good Widow, I thought how can Liz and Lisa ever match that?They not only matched it, but they topped it! Girls Night Out is a fast paced incredible thrill ride, where three friends take a girls trip to Mexico to get their friendship back on track. But, when one of them goes missing that’s when the story really begins to unfold. I was hooked from the first paragraph and quickly fell in love with all the characters. My mind was always on Lauren, Ashley and Natalie and all the "what if’s" that could of happened. It’s a stay up all night, twist after twist read, with an ending that will leave your jaw hitting the floor! I highly recommend Girls Night Out and after reading be prepared for a major book hangover!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2235243488

So loved this book. Will read anything these writers put out. Keeps you hanging on for sure.

Waking up on a beach. Alone. Wet. Discovering that one’s roommate and best friend is missing. So begins the nightmarish trip that is Girls’ Night Out, written by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke. Three once close friends embark on a trip to Mexico, hoping for reconciliation and renewal. Trouble ensues after a chance encounter with a local man. He becomes their tour guide and leads them on adventures that are not only illegal, but dangerous. Old resentments and current troubles between the friends will leave the reader wondering who took Ashley, and will she be found alive? Fenton and Steinke are masterful storytellers and this fabulous, twisty tale will leave readers guessing until the last page.

Thanks go to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this title as an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. I was hoping I'd be granted this one, because it looked intriguing, and I enjoyed the authors' previous book. The characters were well done, but I wasn't sure how much I liked them much of the time. That said, I can see how the decisions and life events caused these 3 lifelong friends to be at odds with one another. Big decisions, lots of feelings and no one being able to say what they really wanted. It was a book about friends, and work/life balance, girl code and full of suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to get to the end. It was told I alternating time periods and narrators, which is a style I love if done right...this was. One of my favorite parts was the authors' notes at the end, about the writing of this book.

Psychological thrillers are one of my favorite genres. And I read a lot of them. So I was excited to get approved for this ARC. However, it fell short of my expectations, and I have to say that I just wasn't a fan.

First, the characters. I found their relationship very odd, as I know no one who has kept in touch with their friends from college to the extent that this women did. It just struck me as very far fetched. I can forgive a lot of terrible behavior from book characters (and there is a LOT of TERRIBLE behavior from these women who are my age) if there is something redeeming about them. And there just isn't. All three are shallow and vapid, and are really unlikable. Their spouses are unlikable too.

The setting was nice, I guess. It does seem like it would be a lovely place to visit.

The way the story is set up was hard to follow.

I had such high hopes for this one. But I just didn't like it. I wanted to know what happened though, so I kind of skimmed to the end.

I love Liz and Lisa so much but I had trouble connecting to this story. I found it a bit slow until about the halfway mark and while the pace did rapidly increase, I found the characters actions a bit unrealistic. I want more character development and depth from this as I felt their relationships with each other were very surfacey. Would make for a good, light beach read.

I received an advanced and uncorrected copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.
I have never read a book by these authors before, but I was interested in the a story of friendships and relationships put to the test.
I loved the concept of the story but at times found it slow moving, although it was still suspenseful.
I was kept guessing right to the end, and didn’t see the twist of the story coming.
I would look for another book from Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke in the future.

Three women that have been friends for over 20 years decide to do some dumb things - go to Mexico, drink a lot of alcohol, and befriend a strange man while they run off and let him give them "tours" around Mexico. Uh oh, you know something nefarious is gonna happen, amIright? Well, it does. One of the women is missing and we hear the story from multiple points of view. I also shook my head a lot while reading this as I have traveled in other countries alone before and these woman are really naïve; however, I really did enjoy this book. It will be a great beach read when it is released.
Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Copy!

Great read. Although I found a bit hard to keep track of the 3 narrators ( and the back and forth in time) I really enjoyed this book. It definitely was suspenseful and not predictable as some books in this genre tend to be. Definitely recommended it for mystery fans !

Three women, Lauren, Ashley and Natalie want to regain the friendship they once had and agree to take a vacation to Tulum, Mexico. But it’s not as easy to get over the past as they had hoped, then Ashley vanishes into thin air, leaving Lauren and Natalie to try to remember what happened the drunken evening their friend disappeared. Has Ashley been taken, left on her own, or did Lauren and Ashley have something to do with what happened to their old friend?