The Girls Weekend was an intense thriller about a fun weekend gone wrong. June has not seen Sadie, her college friend in years, when Sadie invites their group of 5 to her house for a reunion. She has not seen Kimiko or Amy in years either, but her relationship with them does not compare to the intense rivalry that has plagued June and Sadie's relationship. June begrudgingly decides to go at the persuasion of her friend, Em, who she does stay in touch with. The five girls arrive to Sadie's estate, hoping for a good time. But old tensions surface enough to make everyone uncomfortable. When the host, Sadie, is no where to be found one morning after a night of drinking, everyone in the house is a suspect. Everyone at the estate has possible motive, including the landscaper and Sadie's husband, Ethan. Did Sadie disappear on her own, or did something more sinister go down?

This plot was fresh, but also contained elements of a classic thriller that keep the reader guessing. I enjoyed June' character, but would have loved more detail into Sadie's life. Jodie Gehrman did a great job at putting together a conclusion that is sure to be a shock. This book contains some Gone Girl vibes, and the reader really does not know if the accident is real or orchestrated by the missing Sadie. A bit more character depth would have helped me get more engrossed and attached to the story.

This novel really threw me for a loop. I would have bet my paycheck that the main character who went missing, Sadie, had set up her own disappearance in order to escape her life..... however, that wasn't the case. I don't want to give too much away, but suffice it to say, this was not the case. I had a hard time putting this down, and conversely, will have an easy time recommending this to others. Nothing like curling up with a twisty, atmospheric suspense novel on these cold North Georgia mountain nights!

A decent read, and enjoyable. Not great but I finished it and didn't take any shortcuts. Engaging and interesting.

What could possibly go wrong with a group of college friends get together for a reunion weekend? Well, in the case of The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman a lot. This was a wonderfully written and the author had a really engaging style that pulled me into the drama and the story. Old gripes and conflicts bubble beneath the surface and when something happens that changes the entire trajectory of the weekend the women find themselves trying hard to come together and make some sense of the mystery that is happening right before their eyes.
I loved this book and was excited to get an copy from NetGalley for review purposes. It was fabulous book with an author who knows how to write. Great suspenseful novel that will be hard for anyone to put down once they start reading it.

Who wouldn’t enjoy a reunion of college girlfriends for a baby shower? Sadie invites everyone to her posh and exclusive San Juan Island home for just such.

Despite the tension prevailing that seems to have cultivated from years of distance between the five, the weekend starts out with fun-filled activities - a spa gathering, kayaking, and so on.

As the first day unwinds, the group partakes in wine and gin and tonics (minus pregnant Amy of course). Soon everyone retires for the night.

But trouble emerges when the gang awakes with strange ideas of what they did after they retired the night before. Add to the mixture that the host seems to be missing. Sadie’s car is gone but her cell phone is found on the garage floor.

Suddenly everyone realizes they are suspect because none are without a history with Sadie. Everyone has reason to possibly want Sadie out of the picture. Everyone is on edge. Everyone trusts no one.

Maybe Sadie’s perfect life wasn’t as perfect as it appeared from the outside.

What a wonderfully convoluted and “salty” mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

A total page turner!
While the set up might not have been too original—a reunion of five college friends, buried secrets, a murder (or is it?)—this was compellingly executed.
Highly recommended

This is a fun read, I loved the main character, June, the professor. Like many of us, beset with doubt, confusion and some jealousy of a friends' success. Dragged along with others of a college gang, the weekend was to celebrate an upcoming birth.
Once they all get together, it is clear that things are both the same and different. Old dynamics and new mistrust color how they get along, or don't.
When the beautiful,rich and impossible hostess disappears, suspicions and doubts about who is responsible tear them apart.
The final explanation for what happens makes sense and things wrap up pretty nicely.

Well written and a quick read, fun.

The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman- bleh, I couldn't get through the first chapter of this book. The characters came off as self involved, ego- driven, and selfish. Gave up on this.

The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman was a good read overall. Some of the scenes were heart-pounding and had me thinking about what I would do faced with similar circumstances surrounding a possible murder and being a suspect. The writing was good, and the development of the various unique characters was done well. There were times when I questioned some of the characters' actions and believability, but it didn't get in the way of my continuing the story. The plot and revealing of events had me questioning and guessing what may have happened on the night in question and had me going back and forth on who might have been guilty.

I thought the book might end in a Gone Girl style, but the ending and resolution, for me, was satisfying.

The Girls Weekend was a good mystery, and I like the overall story and the characters.

I would be interested in reading more from this author.

A good thriller full of secrets and lies and even a murder. Perhaps not as good as the others out there but I great read

A good all round 'whodunnit' lots of people with motives and secrets that keep spilling out as the book unfolds. It has the feel of an Agatha Christie where all the suspects are in one place and can't leave. I would mark it down for being able to guess where the ending was going and not having any massive twists but overall I would recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman. This is really a "chick book" and is set up with 5 women who knew each other in college. They all have their backstories, but this is led by the voice of one of them. Approaching 40 years old and reflecting on her life is June Moody. June is a college professor who has a reasonably decent life. But June has always felt inferior to one of her friends, Sadie, who not only took her boyfriend, but is now a successful writer.
So all five women meet at Sadie's mansion to catch up and celebrate each other's lives. But old feelings come up and soon after a night of drunkenness, Sadie has disappeared. But the clues are all over the place - blood, missing statues, and other clues that tell the women that something terrible may have happened. And since they are on a mansion with limited access, one of them may be responsible and one of them may be a murderer.
I got thru this book and some parts were good, however, I was disappointed in the dialog and ending. This was just ok for me.
2.5 stars.

Five women were best friends in college and are now getting together for a weekend in WA state to celebrate the pregnancy of one of them. A lot of buried emotions hang in the air at this reunion, and that's complicated by the disappearance of one of the women, apparently accompanied by violence. But, no one else can remember what happened that night. This novel was a real page-turner, with each character having a good reason to hate her. Fast paced and a good read!

I liked the book blurb and plot idea. the writing was ok and moved the reveal forward. There was just too much suspension of disbelief required. I finished the book but not sure why, I think I was intrigued by the possibility of a mother daughter plot line..

I was happy to receive an eARC of The Girls Weekend from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for review consideration.

The Girls Weekend is a quick, thrilling read about The Fearless Five, a group of college friends who reunite to celebrate a baby shower. While the occasion should be joyous, the impending dread of having to relive old rivalries, grudges, and jealousies puts considerable stress on all five women, especially our MC, June. Her ambivalence is directed at Sadie, the organizer of the baby shower and the epitome of Glam Girl. She has the perfect house, the perfect husband, the perfect daughter, the perfect career. Yes, on the outside, everything seems to be, well, perfect.

However, as the girls weekend unfolds, we learn that appearances aren't always what they seem, and when the girls wake up to find the house destroyed, a bloody mess, and Sadie inexplicably missing, the tenuous ties of their former lives are not enough to keep The Fearless Five from turning on each other.

I loved the overall premise of this book. I found the friendship dynamic to be realistic and enjoyed the narrative. Old friendships can be complicated and layered, and that's exactly how this group was shaped. However, I thought the plot felt a little too predictable (I lost track of the number of pages referencing "calling the cops" instead of propelling the story forward), and I wasn't nearly as surprised by the ending as I was hoping.

On the whole, The Girls Weekend is an enjoyable, fun read. A who-done-it murder mystery with delightful insight into the complexity of former bonds.

After starting reading this book I last night couldn't stop reading it. I was so interesting and I wondered who was the killer.
In the story five women come together to celebrate a baby. After a night of to much drinking everything changes. No one of the woman remembers what happened the night and everyone starts to suspecting the other one. I really liked the story. What I really enjoyed was the mystery aspect and the great twists in the story. The characters were written good and the writing style was good too.

“The Girls Weekend” by Jody Gehrman

June Moody and Sadie MacTavish have always been the best of frenemies. Self-named the Fearless Five, June, Sadie, Em, Kimiko and Amy have known each other since college. But life has caused them to drift apart and June is somewhat grateful for the distance. It’s hard enough to see Sadie’s perfect life through the lens of social media. After all, she has the career and family that June always believed should have, and could have, been hers.
After years of silence, Sadie sends a message to the girls inviting them to spend the weekend in her home to celebrate Amy whom is expecting. Against her better judgment, June agrees to attend. However as soon as she arrives, she can hardly stomach the thought of facing Sadie and Ethan, Sadie’s husband, and June’s “one that got away”.
The weekend starts off tense, but manageable. Activities fill the days and alcohol fills the nights. All is fine until the girls wake up to find Sadie is missing. The only clues as to what may have happened are a blood-stained staircase and a cell phone on the floor. To make matters worse, no one has any memory of the night before after they started drinking, and it is beginning to look more like one of them is responsible for whatever happened to Sadie by the minute.
As they try to piece together any semblance of what might have happened, it becomes clear that everyone had their own motive for wanting Sadie gone, even the people living in her own home. She not only had a strained marriage, but also a rocky relationship with her teenage daughter, Dakota.
June quickly begins to look like the most likely suspect and all the girls begin to question each other’s involvement, as well as their own. Their relationships begin to unravel when more than anything, they need to be stronger than ever.
Captivating and exhilarating, “The Girls Weekend” will take you for a wild ride, one that you won’t want to get off of.

Reviewed by Abbey Peralta for Suspense Magazine

This was a fast-paced novel that was exciting until the very end. It’s a real quick read. If you love thrillers and mystery in the vein of Lucy Foley, this is definitely going to be a must-read.

I started last night and couldn't put it down. I was so wondering who the killer was, it kept me through all night. This is really a good thriller. And the important thing for me is, the ending is good. If the finale didn't work out for me, it affects all my journey.

Five women are coming together to celebrate the new baby but after a night of highly drinking (?) everything changes. No one remembers the previous night and everyone suspecting the other one. All secrets are revaling and you see anyone could be the killer. While I was reading toward to last pages, I guessed the killer but everyone is a big suspect in this book. I even thought something like Murder on the Orient Express finale.

Overall, I really liked the story. I liked the mystery. Some characters were written better, but that doesn't affect the book for me. A good and edgy thriller.

Five college friend reunite a decade after graduation. They are all experiencing different levels of success in their personal and professional lives. Sadie, the most successful, now an author, invites her old friends to attend a baby shower at her private estate in the San Juans. The party gets off to a rough start and things only get worse when the next day they discover that Sadie has disappeared. The house is a mess and there is blood all over the stairs and not one of the other women has any memory of what happened the night before. Prepare to drop everything else as you read one of the most intriguing and surprising books of the year