Fine, but reminiscent of In A Dark Dark Wood, and not in a good way. Also the conclusion was excessively tidy, almost annoyingly so.

I picked up my ARC of “The Girls Weekend” by Jody Gehrman on a snowy day, knowing I wouldn’t be going outside. It was good thinking because I ended up reading it in a day.

Gehrman’s writing was fast paced and well done. I found myself highlighting portions of text that felt personal. In fact, I felt a deep kinship with the book’s protagonist June. Being in my thirties, I’ve often felt similar to June...adrift, unsure, far from the success that others seem to have found. It’s a process. As far as protagonists go, June is a breath of fresh air. She feels real and reliable, regardless of not remembering the pivotal night in the story.

As far as mysteries go, this one was good, but it was the friendships that made it so compelling. I found myself curious as to what had really happened and the payoff was believable.

I’ll be suggesting this title and looking forward to future titles from Gehrman. Crooked Lane Books is quickly becoming a go to publisher for me. This was my third title from their publishing house and like the others, it kept me thoroughly entertained.

I am a sucker for a story of a group of friends who go on a getaway and things take a turn when one turns up dead, so this was one I had to request. Even more so if there's a good reason some don't want to go. I won't give spoilers but I can say, I wasn't disappointed.

There was a lot going on between these five "friends" some easy to guess and some not. Considering there was an estrangement of ten years between Jane (our main character) and Sadie, I found some of their angst hollow and juvenile (all things Ethan were eye-roll-worthy). But what landed, hit the target well. I suspected the killer but I was along for the ride with the red herrings and misdirects as many were completely plausible. This ended in a more positive place than I expected it would so that was a nice surprise.

It's quite the page-turner & now I need to think abt what to read the remainder of the weekend. Elements of Ware's In A Dark Dark Wood & Foley's The Hunting Party (which I really enjoyed). I'd definitely read another by Gehrman. Recommended.

Many thanks to the publishers for the free advanced copy.

I won't spoil the ending for anyone. I try not to guess the twist as I enjoy being surprised. A quick read and the story flowed well.

The Girls Weekend - Jody Gehrman
When Sadie arranges a girl weekend at her house to bring the old uni friends back together I bet she didn’t expect it would lead to her disappearance. When her guests wake up after the first night to find her missing they are even more alarmed to discover that they don’t remember what happened the night before. It was a nice easy read that kept me guess until the end.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

I absolutely loved this book! I read a lot of thrillers and mysteries so I am especially particular. Thank you #NetGalley

Wow! This was an intense, well written, and absolutely unputdownable read! I loved the characters, originality, and the fact you could not know who was guilty, until the author let you know, because of the way the story was written. I found it to be original, fun, chilling, and a bit heart breaking, but absolutely realistic! A must read if you love thrillers that make you question everyone and trust absolutely no one!
Will make sure I buzz it up on all the different platforms!

🚨Review Comin’ In HOTTT❗️🚨
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Thanks to @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for this #ARC of Jody Gehrman’s, The Girls Weekend, coming out May 26, 2020, in exchange for an honest review; ‘tis but a pleasure to get books simply for agreeing to read.
WIN-WIN👊🏼
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Anywhosies, The Girls Weekend. It is what you think it is. All the usual players are involved:
🍾envy
🍾jealously
🍾insecurity
🍾competition
🍾cattiness
🍾murder
🍾just good ole fashioned female friendship
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This 📖 is ALRIGHT.
Not great, not amazing, but alright.
It’s mindless, and the premise is appealing to all the girls’ girls out there—those presently planning their girls’ trips with friends and frenemies alike(present company included)🙌🏽
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There’s nothing perplexing about it. It’s fairly predictable—but then again we don’t really want every read to leave our brains 🧠 hurting from the strenuous workout that was our book of the moment —you can only read War and Peace so many leisurely Friday afternoons, amiright⁉️
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Wholly, this book was not as fulfilling in the thrillerY way I wanted from a book centered around a weekend away with murder 🔪 on the docket
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There was no real build up of the present day main characters, namely the supposed villain who is murdered- in order to give “valid” reasons for the murder....I mean come on, I’m no monster, I have to BELIEVE in your reason for the murder to feel good about it duh 🙄
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The book ended with an anticlimactic conclusion that left me a little disappointed in the actual murder story- but that’s just me, I prefer real grit to my murder ya know❓🤷🏽‍♀️
In total 2 1/2 💫
#thriller #bookstagram #booknerd #books #bookreview #bookish #booksforlife #bookstabuddies📚

IG Handle: Janicedoesbooks

A very quick, twisty read! I didn't love the characters too much, and felt it was a little under developed, it was almost too simple at times. But, that said, I got through it quick as I did want to find out what happened and was entertained!

Thank you for the ARC!

An enjoyable fast-paced thriller with twists and turns. The characters weren't perfect, but they were well crafted. Not necessarily likeable, and yet completely relatable. In my opinion the storyline was predictable, and yet just challenging enough to leave me second-guessing myself until the conclusion. It was not a terrifying thriller, but my heart was racing with the mystery and my emotions were riled by details of the back story, conflicts in the present, and interactions among the various characters. It was a quick and engaging read.

Having it all isn’t what it appears to be. A group of old school friends get together at one woman’s estate - a large mansion with beach houses - for a weekend of reminiscing, drinking and partying. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, actually. it doesn’t help that the narrator is quite jealous of the owner’s success. The homeowner goes missing, and none of the women can remember what happened the day after. Were they drugged, and why? While I didn’t relate with any of the women, including the narrator, it was an engaging read, fleshed out with well developed characters. I didn’t figure it completely out until 3/4 way through the story. This would make a good beach read. I read it in two sittings, and it held my attention. This is a mystery thriller with some gruesome moments, If you want a fast and thrilling read, you will enjoy this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

June Moody's life has not gone the way she thought it would. Hoping to be the next great American author, she is actually a professor at a community college. When her boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her for a younger European, she agrees to go to attend a girls weekend with her 3 closet college friends.
She has doubts because it's being hosted by Sadie, who it appears has everything June thinks she should have. Even the hot professor they both obsessed over in college.
Sadie HAS made it as an author of very popular children's books, and has an amazing house on the sound near Seattle.
But things are not always as they seem, and Sadie's life is being held together but an unraveling thread.
When Sadie disappears the first night, June is the prime suspect, and she has to prove she didn't do it before it's too late.
I had a hard time getting into this book. June was a character I really couldn't get into, she's so whiny, and so much of the story is just too unbelievable.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was a good, fast paced suspense/thriller. I enjoyed most of the characters and I enjoyed the twist and turns that the book had to offer. I really enjoyed the ending because I didn't see it coming which it always a nice surprise.

Did you ever have that one friend who has it all - money, the big beautiful house on the beach, the novel series you dreamed of writing, the bright, beautiful teenage daughter and the hot Scottish husband?

Sadie has the dream life, that June always wanted. When June is invited for a Girls Weekend at her old friend Sadie’s beautiful home June is reluctant to go until her best friend remaining of the group, Em talks her into it.

They arrive to this beautiful home and reunite with the rest of the “fab five from college,” only for one of them to wind up missing, the remaining girls having amnesia, and blood in the stairwell.

When everyone becomes suspicious of everyone, dark secrets come out, friends turn against friends and the beautiful life of Sadie reveals it isn’t at all as beautiful as it seems.

I loved this book, the suspense, the entangled friendships with dark secrets, and the hard lesson that what you see plastered all over social media to the world, isn’t always how someone’s life truly is. Most people have demons haunting them and these ladies certainly have several.

Thank you @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for the free ARC for my honest review. I give this book 4-4.5 🌟

Publishing date of this book is June 2020.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for a chance to read this title before publication in June.

June Moody (didn’t like the name and kept thinking it was “Judy Moody"), a community college professor is invited to one of her college friend’s home to celebrate the baby another friend is about to have. At first, because of grudges and other negative experiences surrounding different girls in the group, she doesn’t plan to go. Then her boyfriend dumps her and moves in with his new love in Amsterdam. June thinks the getaway will keep her mind off him and it truly does.

Because I live in Washington State and love it here, the setting made this book rock for me. Gehrman used the right names for places and has a real knack for accurate description.

This was a murder mystery where everyone on the property and others had motive and were under suspicion. When the girls at the reunion all wake up with no memory of the night before, the fun has just begun.

I loved the plot and didn’t guess who did the killing until quite a ways into the book. The author left good clues, kept the action moving and spread shadows over everyone. Way to go Jody Gehrman. I hope you’re hard at work on your next thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

This was pretty much a easy read for me and I almost feel like I've read it before.
5 college friends and its been 20 years since they have been together. One weekend they get together to celebrate a life event and people go missing.

It was a easy read and it was quick. While I was invested, I wasn't on the edge of my seat with the book. There wasn't any twists. All of this happens pretty much during one evening and of course drinking is involved.

2 1/2 stars. The book had an intense Ruth Ware vibe. The Girls Weekend was a good beach read, but just that. It didn’t blow me away, but I really liked that all the characters were well developed and fleshed out.

The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman is a fast-paced, atmospheric whodunit that will keep you entertained and guessing up until the very end.

June Moody, along with her friend Em, is invited to attend a girls weekend at the impressive home of college friend Sadie, who is now a hugely successful author. Also residing at the home and in attendance are Sadie's pregnant cousin, her teenage daughter, and Sadie's husband, a former flame of June's. Tensions are running high from the outset, and long held resentments between the group soon come bubbling to the surface. Anxieties continue to mount, culminating when the party's host, Sadie, is discovered to be missing, leaving behind only a bloodsoaked stairwell. Frustrating the local police, none of the guests can remember the events of the previous night, and relationships reach their breaking point as the shadow of suspicion falls upon them all.

This is a fun, quick read that will keep you engaged and searching for motives.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.

When June goes to reunite with her college friends for a girls' weekend, everything seems nostalgic and good until their friend Sadie goes missing. Overnight, seemingly, all the friends are suspected of foul play. Nobody has any recollection of where Sadie could be or what happened. I was so invested in the beginning. I was intrigued by the character development and how the story seemed to be coming together. Unfortunately, somewhere around midway, I started losing interest and I will be honest when I say I did not finish this book. The story started to sound more like a young adult book than an adult thriller. I think many people will really love this book. It just didn't work for me. Thank you so much, NetGalley for the ARC of The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman. I love thrillers and was intrigued by the description of this book as well as the gorgeous cover.