Cover Image: The Girls Weekend

The Girls Weekend

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This was an amazing whodunit type thriller that kept me guessing throughout. It was twisty and unpredictable, and I felt a connection with the characters.

I couldn't put it down and I didn't want it to end. I can't wait to read more books by this author, and may have to pick up a hard copy of this one.

Thanks so much to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

Was this review helpful?

Complex characters, woven together in a twisty and tangled shitshow!!

Your old college girlfriends want to get together for a weekend of fun. Drinking and reminiscing. It might be fun if it weren’t for all that unresolved animosity. It’s planned at Sadie’s “estate”. She’s the one who made it big and has the “perfect life”. She’s also the control freak, who needs everything to go her way. Sadie is more of a frenemy.

Kimiko’s the one who never really grew up. She’s still drinking and drugging like she was in college.

Amy is the reason for the get together. She’s a total mess...not only bipolar, but now she’s eight month’s pregnant after a one-night stand.

Last is Em, your best friend, and the only thing that’s making this trip bearable, after your douchebag boyfriend dumped you by text!

And this is only the beginning of the f*@*@d-up character list! I was immediately pulled into this edgy turmoil!

<blockquote>“They’re two sides of the same coin—the power-hungry monster and her helpless victim. Only this time, the fly has swallowed the spider.”</blockquote>
This would make a fantastic group read...there is SO MUCH to discuss!

@jodygehrman @crookedlanebks @NetGalley
#TheGirlsWeekend #MustReadThriller #NetGalley

<b>My Rating: </b> 3.5 ⭐️’s (rounding up)
<b>Published:</b> June 9th 2020 by Crooked Lane Books
<b>Pages:</b> 311

<b>Recommend:</b> Yes...it’s much better to read about it, than be a part of it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Jody Gehrman for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion!

Was this review helpful?

4.0 stars

This book has been sitting in my netgalley shelf for so long. I finally finish reading it. Yay.

The Fearless Five went to have a Girls Weekend in Sadie's place. Em hit a deer while going there and June feel like it's a bad omen. Something bad indeed happen while they are at Sadie's place. Sadie went missing, there are blood stains on the wall and staircase, the house is crowded. Worst thing, all of them have broken memory of what happen the night before.

The plot is really good. I like that it only has a first point of view mainly of June Moody only. I like first point of view and I like how the writer narrates the story. I also love the set of characters, their differences, and their attitudes. I think they all compliment with the story and it makes it interesting. I like that all of them have motives to what is really happening and it makes it more interesting and confusing.

What puts me off is June Moody's thinking. Sometimes she thinks in a certain way, especially about what happened in the mansion. She is playing detective and I think it spoils the story? Not sure. Though I like how she tries to really think of the situation and who did the killing. She's more on the intellectual matter and not the emotional matter.

The ending is good. Though I must say I am not a huge fan of the ending. I didn't feel it to be a blast. The way they also find the killer seems to be unreal. I'm not sure but it seems to be really convenient to have a thought like that. It may be good but it's not working for me. The story is good but I'm not super hype about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for approving me of this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very quick read, which was fortunate, because I was eager to put it behind me. Perhaps the title should have warned me: using the term "girls" to refer to adult women in their late 30s/early 40s is something that puts my teeth on edge. The absolute tone-deaf treatment of mental illness in the story was also a huge issue for me. Add five main characters who are all intensely unlikeable, a plot that promises twists and delivers the most far-fetched of events possible, and makes them banal... not a winner in my books.

Was this review helpful?

This is one of my favorite genres right now. I love trying to figure out who did it and why.

This book was an easy read with a predictable outcome. I enjoyed the writing but did not really connect with any of the characters.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of The Girls Weekend really excited me. I love books that take place at estates/"locked houses" and love a good friend reunion. The concept of a "whodunit," where are all the characters are stuck together at one place with equal motives to have committed the crime is one of my favourite tropes. The book set-up the premise of the weekend and the environment well and I could picture the estate and location.

Unfortunately I struggled to connect with the characters. I didn't like OR hate them and instead was just a bit indifferent and ultimately wasn't invested in the resolution of the mystery. As a regular thriller reader, I found the story to be predictable.

It is a quick-paced read and I could see the potential. I can see this appealing to readers who don't normally read thrillers and want a lighter "beach" thriller.

Was this review helpful?

This was a hard one to review. It was a quick paced read, and had a decent story line, but it was predictable which made it not as great as it could've been. The main character, June Moody was not a very likeable person and I found that the mystery and circumstances at times to be far-fetched and had me disinterested. If you want a no-brainer, beach read - then this is the book. However if you prefer a suspenseful story that will keep you guessing and giving you no clue as to "who dunit?" then this one is just not for you.

Thanks for the eARC NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This might have received a higher rating for m but the racism and mental health comments really left an awful taste in my mouth.

It felt like the author wasn't sure what kind of book they wanted to write. Is it comedy? Is it a thriller? Who knows?

I read to the end hoping for something to happen and make it better, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

I will say it was a quick read, which I respect.

Was this review helpful?

Fast-paced and perfect for fans of Ruth Ware. A recommended purchase for collections where thrillers are particularly popular.

Was this review helpful?

Really not my cup of tea.

I struggled with getting into this and continued to find it a difficult read, right to the end. A group of friends meet up and what follows is a story of jealousy, secrets, personal animosities, etc.

Just didn't enjoy it, although, I'm pleased to see it has it's fans and I wish it every success.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Was this review helpful?

Now if I didn’t have a child, or a job, this is a book I easily could of finished in less then 10 hours. It was fast pace, kept you guessing, and I enjoyed every moment of it!

Was this review helpful?

Shut the front door!
When the Fearsome Five get back together for a reunion/baby shower everyone is just a little apprehensive. When their host - a celebrity author - goes missing, everyone has a motive and huge chunk of missing memories.
Stuck together in an enormous house on a beautiful estate, tensions run high and accusations start flying. Everyone is a suspect, and as secrets come out - everyone has a motive.
This is a page-turner that I just could not put down.
Fabulous read that reminds us - the grass may look greener on the other side...but at what cost.

Loved this one!
Actual stars: 4.5

Was this review helpful?

I totally enjoyed this book by Jody Gehrman. I like the plot and her writing style. Will definitely be checking out other books written by her in the future.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 Stars. I liked the storyline however there was no element of surprise. Very predictable, far-fetched and uneventful. It was overall an easy read.

Was this review helpful?

This book is In A Dark Dark Wood combined with The Hangover, except those two are far superior. At least In A Dark Dark Wood had a great suspenseful atmosphere, and The Hangover was comedy gold. This book had neither. It might be comedy gold if its plot had prompted even a bark of laughter.
This was predictable, and none of the main characters were likeable, except maybe Em. The central character, June, has the personality of an unripe avocado: enticing on the outside, but once you crack through the surface and discover the rock-hard flesh and pit on the inside, you're left wondering why this particular one was picked in the first place.
There were also some seriously tone-deaf plot devices pertaining to race and mental illness that were hard to get past.
Seriously, skip this one.

Was this review helpful?

A good escapist summer read about college friends reuniting in a luxurious pacific northwest setting. I'll look for more by Jody Gehrman.

Was this review helpful?

Jody Gehrman created a fun read with a lot of good qualities; easy to get into, characters you related to, characters you disliked! What could possibly go wrong when five girls who were close in college, get together for a girls weekend 15 years after college. I felt like Sadie was the most relatable character in that everyone knows a Sadie; whether your good friends with her or you simply notice her from a far, there's one in every crowd. She's the friend that seems to have life figured out and makes it look easy, but as we all know that is never truly the whole story. When the girls wake up one morning and realize something is terribly wrong, everyone seems to have a reason to be suspicious of each other. Almost all the characters brought a necessary relationship and dynamic to the overall plot that made everyone a suspect. That being said I absolutely could not stand Kimiko's character. I thought she was shady, that she was only looking out for herself, she had so many skeletons (some were really out there) and she infuriated me with everything she said or did. When the pieces start coming together and the girls figure out what really happened, and why, it was a big surprise! This was a quick and fun read with a twist you won't see coming.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, Jody Gehrman and Crooked Lane Books for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know why but thrillers that happen on girl’s weekends or parties are like my guilty pleasure! So I was so excited to get approved for this one and I was not disappointed! There is so much animosity between a lot of the women and so many twists peppered throughout this novel that I couldn’t help but be excited to keep reading. I was a bit annoyed that the chapters are quite long, making it hard for me to read when you have only short amounts of time. But the atmosphere was so fraught with tension that you have to know what happens next! I really hated most of the characters and I love to hate characters!

Out June 9th!

Was this review helpful?

Pick this one up! You won't regret it. This mystery thriller combo by Jody Gehrman is such a page turner, I promise you will devour it in a short sitting! The cover is what caught my eye and once I started reading the first few pages, I couldn't put it down! I love books based off of close friendships, suspense and a remote location! Couldn't have picked a better weekend thriller! Thank you to the author of this book, Crooked Lane Books and of course NetGalley for my ARC! I truly appreciate it.

Was this review helpful?

I have always enjoyed a book that is based on friendships, especially college friendships! I met some of my closest girlfriends in college. I also love a good mystery to solve, and this was no exception, until it was.

Things start off innocent enough when everyone arrives at Sadie’s mansion. The girls seem to be getting along and talking about the good old days. The mystery part of the story starts when the ladies wake up after a night of drinking and remember nothing. They then discover that they are not all present and accounted for. Sadie is missing. The strange part to me was even after they discovered the blood streaks in the house, nobody was in a rush to call the cops. The girls wanted to solve the mystery themselves. Ok so your friend is missing, there is blood in the house, and you want to play detective?! Ok.

This may be the reason why I could not connect with any of the characters, and for me that's not a good sign. I found myself putting this one down, starting another book, and then eventually coming back to it. I will say that the ending took me by surprise. I did not see that coming.

If you want to find out what happened to Sadie, grab your copy on June 9, 2020!

Thank you Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for my ARC.

Was this review helpful?