I liked the fact that I didnt know who was actually dead until far into the book. Gina LaManna offers readers a mystery wrapped in a book about relationships, friendships, family, and more. The technique used of interspersing each woman's story with police interviews kept my interest. I must say that none of the characters was especially likeable, but the plot was strong enough to keep me reading anyway. There are a lot of difficult subjects raised but covered respectfully. There are twists and unexpected turns, which make the book stronger in my opinion. I was entertained. I would read more from Gina LaManna. 3.5
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Pretty Guilty Women by Gina LaManna is a quick read told from the perspective of the different characters and the police interviews. The characters are not likable and I never invested in them enough to care about them. I liked the book enough but did not love it. I could have stopped reading at any time but I was hoping for a GREAT ending, not so great but glad I read til the end.

Well! There has been a murder at a wedding. What is really odd…is four women have confessed to the murder. Why? Only they know the truth!

These four women each have their own issues and problems. So why add to their long list of complications? You will have to read this to find out. I did not figure this out until the author wanted me to. That is unusual for me. I am very good at solving the mysteries! You know there is a cover up….but you don’t know the ins and outs or the whys and what fors.

This is an unusual premise for a book. Very unique. I just thought there were too many characters and too much nonsense which did not relate to the story.

I received this novel from Sourcebooks for a honest review.

Quick, fast paced read about 4 college friends that reunite for one of the groups over the top wedding week at an exclusive spa. These Friends haven’t seen each other in years, after life and a falling out put distance between them. While at the spa, they meet an older woman and a young single mother with secrets. Then a murder!

Told in 4 voices with police interviews thrown in add to the page turning mystery. An easy, not very complicated read. Characters are whiney and not necessarily likable. But if you are looking for a fun escape murder mystery, or a quick read for a fall weekend, this book could be for you.

I received an ARC of this book. Opinion is mine alone!

Very interesting novel of four woman and a murder of one man at a wedding. It was smartly structured and kept you interested with their warm characters. Women will certainly enjoy this read.

I was drawn to this book by the premise. I was looking forward to jumping into this book. In the beginning; I was into the moment. I was very curious as to why four women would so easily admit to murdering someone. This theme went on throughout the book.

It was the interviews that I found the most intriguing. After a while, I found my interest wavering. It was becoming harder to stick with this book but for a few chapters at a time. None of the women were that appealing to me. Therefore, I did not really care the motive or which woman was guilty.

You could say that I did find myself skimming parts of this book. This was only after I got to about fifty percent into the story and found it still going at a slow pace. The ending was fine. There were not enough intense moments for me.

Engaging and well written. LaManna is an incredibly gifted storyteller and this book was nearly impossible to put down. There were several unexpected turns and the ending was satisfying. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriaty, but the author offers her own unique voice and style.
I loved how the characters in this book ranged from women in their teens through their 70s exploring all of the complexities of life at each stage. It is as much a human interest book as it is mystery. Highly recommend this book. Any issues I have with the book are minor in nature, but I wouldn't hesistate to recommend this to a friend or library patron looking for an engaging, fast read.

Four women confess to the same murder, why? I enjoyed this story and the mystery. It was especially interesting learning about the women's lives and their relationships with each other. The interview style took me awhile to get used to, but ended up being a great way to tell this story. I hope we get to spend more time with these women in another book.

I really liked the bones of the book and the multiple confessions and the shift in college friendship dynamics. The envies, and ups and downs of life over time seemed believable. I didn’t really care about the plot reveal at the end and felt the book could stand on its own without a murder and nanny
scenario, I would have liked the book as an exploration of motherhood/bonding just as well. super
enjoyable book for weekend reading.

Thrilling story, great plot and characters that keep you guessing right til the end. Great for fans of this genre. Really enjoyable.

Four women meet up at a luxury California resort for an old college friend’s wedding. Three of them, Kate, Ginger, and Emily, are friends of the bride, and the fourth, Lulu, is related by marriage to the groom. The friends’ relationships are strained as they don’t see each other often or keep in touch like they once did. Each of the women are, of course, also hiding secrets.

It’s clear from the beginning of the story that a death has occurred. I’ve seen the comparisons noted between Pretty Guilty Women and Big Little Lies - I do agree there are similarities, though I didn’t like this book quite as much as BLL. I didn’t care for the epilogue and wondered why it was included - It just felt unnecessary. This was probably the biggest detractor in the book for me. Even so, Pretty Guilty Women is a quick, entertaining read that I enjoyed bingeing through on a flight — 3.5 stars (rounded up).

This is one of those books where there is a lot going on and you have to pay attention to the little details. No murder is easily solved because you still need to prove your case but it’s harder when 4 very different women confess to the same murder. While 4 women are involved in some way there are only 2 women who truly want someone dead.

I enjoyed all the twists and turns but I figured out who got murdered early on but it was who did the deed that shocked me.

This book has been getting a lot of hype. I wanted to like the book; but for me it was just ok. It seemed to drag and most of the 'mysteries' seemed pretty obvious to me and/or not especially interesting. The characters were pretty well depicted though I didn't like any of them much. The twists at the end didn't have an OMG feeling to them but more of a "yeah, I saw that coming". Not a bad book and I'm sure many will enjoy it a lot. I just didn't love it.

Hard to finish, though powered through it quickly. Unfortunately completing a fun review before publication date didn’t work for me.

While its not the Mystery/Thriller I thought it would be, it was the fluffy, chick-lit friendship book I needed about women reconnecting after years of being apart....

I saw myself in all of the characters (except for Whitney - what a non-role....)... in love with someone like Lulu, need of closure like Emily, and thinking I have the calm, cool collected poise of Kate when in reality I'm just Ginger on the plane...

This book was a page turner! I love that it was told in alternating POVs which kept the storyline fresh. I love reading about female friendships so this one was a hit for me.

The setting is the Serenity Spa & Resort, the plush California location of the DeBleu-Banks wedding where the guests are pampered the minute they set foot on the lush grounds. Into this tropical paradise come 5 women. Wealthy Kate, troubled Emily, and harried Ginger were roommates of the bride 15 years earlier in college. Lulu is an older woman whose fourth husband is a relative of the groom. Sydney is a very young single mother also related to the groom. These women meet in the bar where each is drowning her sorrows. Each chapter opens with Detective Ramone questioning these women and others about a murder they all admit to but we don't know who died until the end. This keeps the pace moving rapidly. I stayed up late into the night finishing this one. I can't say I particularly related to any of the women but their stories interested me enough to want to know what brought them to this place. I loved the author's style of writing and her character development. The storyline and ending were plausible. This was a very enjoyable book that I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review. I hope to read more by Ms.LaManna

3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Four female friends meet at a resort for a wedding. All four ladies confess to murder. Sounds kind of familiar, right? This book could have been so much better. Instead we get a weak knockoff of Big Little Lies (I know, I know...everyone keeps comparing the two and I’m jumping on that bandwagon as well) full of whiny, annoying characters that all feel sorry for themselves for their shortcomings in life.

I really liked the alternating points of view and the police interviews. Although those two attributes kept it entertaining, I was hoping for so much more. I really wanted to love it. There is a twist at the end, but it didn’t wow me. Just kind of a lackluster book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks and Gina LaManna for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Pretty Guilty Women was a great, fun read and my first by Gina LaManna.

More women’s melodrama than the thriller I had anticipated, this was still an extremely enjoyable read. The plot was intriguing, the story well-written and I flew through this well-crafted tale.

Certainly a page turner, Pretty Guilty Women was cleverly told via detectives interrogations and back-story chapters. I appreciated the comedic aspect, as well and the shocking twists at the end.

If you are rather partial to books about women and their friendships, then pick up a copy of Pretty Guilty Women.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A man lies dead under a collapsed pergola on the grounds of the exquisite Serenity Spa & Resort -- the site of the impending DeBleu/Banks wedding. Detective Ramone begins to question the witnesses and the story they tell becomes extremely complicated as four women all claim to have been the sole killer. Reminiscent of BIG LITTLE LIES, this very entertaining novel is impossible to put down and begs to be read in a single sitting!

Told from the viewpoints of the main characters in alternating chapters and flipping backward and forward in time, the fascinating tale evolves as the reader gets to know each of the women and their hopes, dreams, wishes, desires, heartaches and secrets. All have come to this wedding event for different reasons with the underlying theme being a reunion of old college friends and former roommates who had fallen out of touch. Ginger, Kate and Emily meet strangers Lulu Franc and Sydney Banks (and her baby Lydia) in the hotel lobby the night they arrive and they get to know one another and reconnect in the bar over drinks. I loved the characterization of each woman and I definitely liked the writing style and the way the narrative focused aspects of their individual personalities, worries, problems and issues. It's full of drama and I actually could relate to them. After all, what woman alive doesn't want to figure out how to "have it all" and usually falling short? It was a fun, easy read and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the e-book ARC to read and review.