Ok I am never going on a Girls Trip or Weekend after reading this book. Missing friend, blood stains and many other ominous signs. It was. A great read but yeah no trips.

Reunions are supposed to be about having fun and catching up, and you definitely get that and way more on this Girls Weekend! Throw in a missing friend, mysterious bloodstains and some creepy moments and you have a winner! Loved this book! And I'm never going on a Girls Weekend lol

June gets a call from Sadie inviting her up to her house on the San Juan Islands for a baby shower and reunion. The fearless five haven't been together in years and although June hesitates, she eventually agrees to go. What starts out as a tense weekend gets much worse when, after a night of heavy drinking, everyone wakes to a blood streaked living room and Sadie missing.

I quite enjoyed this! Each of the five girls are so different and unique that it was easy to follow the characters and I thought this was such a good move to get good interaction and a group dynamic. After the group discovers one of their members is missing, they make some stupid decisions but honestly that's what happens when people panic. It felt very real. Several of the reveals caught me by surprise though I did figure out who was running the whole show. I also enjoyed that this was set in my state of Washington, the isolated atmosphere added just enough to make it unsettling.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 out of 5 stars

The last thing June wants to do is spend a weekend at her college nemesis Sadie's gorgeous home in the San Juan Islands she doesn't have much of a choice after her boyfriend dumps her in a text her best friend talks her into going. After all Em points out that getting away from home too see all of your best college friends should be a good way to heal. Things do not go well when they all wake up not being able to remember anything and even worse there is blood splattered on the wall and Sadie is missing.

I really enjoyed this and would really like to read more books featuring June. I really believe a series featuring June would be so fun! If you want a modern day Agatha Christie then this is a book for you!

This novel started well, a group of college friends reunite one weekend, then the host goes missing. The story went flat and I was unable to believe in the friendship of the women. Two stars.

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Actual rating of 4.5

June Moody, is a 30-something year old English Professor, she's always wanted to become an author and this is the closest she's gotten to that. When she receives a message in a group chat between her and her college friends inviting them all up to Sadie's sprawling estate to celebrate Amy's impending birth, she cringes. Sadie MacTavish has everything. The lucrative writing career, the fans, the money, the hot husband that June had a thing for back in the day. She's forever comparing her life to Sadie's and can think of nothing worse, but when her current boyfriend ends things abruptly, she has no excuse for not going, and besides, wouldn't it be better to be out doing something rather than sitting at home and dwelling on things? You would think so, but when tensions are riding high and everyone decides to get blackout drunk, things go sideways. They all wake the next morning with no memory of the night before, blood on the stairwell, and a missing friend. What ensues is a hair raising race to find out what really happened and who was responsible for doing what. With the police closing in, the ladies left needs to work out exactly what happened, before one of them goes down for something they're not even sure they did. A locked room mystery up there with the best, The Girls Weekend is a gripping page turner that will have you staying up until the wee hours of the morning trying to figure it out.

Over the past twelve odd months, I've taken quite a liking to the psychological thriller genre which I hadn't explored before, so I've found that I'm requesting more and more of these as they pop up. This one definitely did not disappoint and it was an absolute page turner for me. I couldn't put it down, and when I had to, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

June, in the beginning, is a rather unlikable character to me. She openly admits to stalking her supposed friend, Sadie, online constantly and comparing their lives. She bemoans being a failure and constantly makes reference to how amazing Sadie's life is when hers just isn't. However, what annoyed me in the beginning really set this story up to have some awesome character evolution and development. This is the kind of growth I love to see in a novel, as once June got to Sadie's McMansion, as the story progressed, she gradually came to realise that Sadie's life wasn't as shiny and gold lined as she assumed, this paved the way for June to realise her own self worth and accomplishments, as well as, sometimes, you don't always want what you once wished for. Kimiko, part of the friendship group, was just a downright pain in the arse who had very little redeeming qualities. All she wanted to do was get stoned and drink copious amounts of alcohol and yell and scream about being a minority and how no one else understood, that was pretty much all there was to her backstory and I just felt that it was very superficial. Amy was mentally unstable with very little redeeming qualities besides her honesty, and Sadie was just a deranged control freak. Em was a good supporting character to June, so these two were my favourites. As well as the gardener on Sadie's property, I took a liking to him as well. However, the main thing that stands out for me the most with the way the characters were written was how real they all seemed, while half of them bugged me to no end, they were still very believable and full of dimension.

The narrative was well written with a lovely flow that just kept the pages turning. While there was a lot going on and it was difficult to ascertain who was lying and telling the truth, at no point was I confused about who was who, or what was actually happening. The mystery was incredibly well thought out and executed and I am so here for it. We have the beauty of unreliable characters who we have no idea whether they're being honest in what they do and don't remember, and the best thing was, they all had a reason to have been responsible for what happened. While early on I had a very strong leaning towards one particular character and their motive, which turned out to be right, I still had little niggling doubts in my head with a couple of other theories waiting on standby. So while the revelation wasn't inherently mind blowing, it was still well thought out and incredibly enjoyable.

One thing that I thought was great about this book is that it really hits home about comparing your life to someone else. While they may look like they have everything worked out and have a life you could only dream of, appearances can be deceiving. Especially in this day and age of social media where you have people who post every second of their days online for the world to see, you also have people who only post the good stuff, some wanting to illustrate how amazing and perfect their life is, while others just don't see the need to share dirty laundry with billions of people worldwide. Comparing yourself to someone else is never a good thing, we are all in the middle of our own journeys and we all have our own trials and tribulations to work through, no two people share the exact same journey, we are all individual, and one quote that comes to mind that always made me smile because of it's truth comes from Dr. Seuss "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you". Embrace your individuality because you are the only you there is, don't waste your time comparing your life to someone else because I can guarantee their life isn't as perfect as it seems. That's what I feel the underlying message was in this story - June spent 20 odd years of her life thinking that she was worthless and a no hoper, when in reality she wasn't, and the life she thought was perfect, was anything but. And while I'm sure the Gehrman wasn't intending there to be a hugely deep and impactful message in her story, it doesn't change the fact that that's what I took away from it.

All in all, this was a riveting page turner of a psychological locked room thriller, but it was so much deeper than a run of the mill whodunit? for me. If you love a good mystery with a bit of substance, give this one a go, you won't be disappointed.

The Girls Weekend is a thoroughly enjoyable locked-door mystery. This seems to be a trend right now, and I'm here for it. Inspired by Christie, the locked-door mystery relies on character development and intrigue to keep the reader guessing, and Jody Gehrman has definitely achieved that. A missing friend, women with secrets, and a weekend getaway no one will forget. This one is a great summer - or winter - read. While reading books set in remote locations with no escape might be difficult during a pandemic, this one is definitely one to pick up.

The Girls Weekend is a thriller set on a private estate, beginning when five women in their late thirties - old friends from university that have drifted apart - meet up for a reunion to celebrate a pregnancy. The novel is written from June's POV as she reunites with Kimi, Emily, Amy, and Sadie. Sadie and June have always had a fraught relationship; their similarities both in career ambitions and the same love interest causing competitive tensions. When Sadie goes missing a couple of days into the reunion, all suspicions point to Jude. But she knows she's in the clear, so who is lying?

I devoured this book in one sitting. One of my favourite thriller tropes is a plot where motives are constantly revealed. A thriller with multiple motives and suspicions has the ability to hook me from the word go, and this one was no exception. June was a compelling protagonist, and I thought that her journey outside of the thriller storyline was authentic and slotted in nicely. Each of the women was crafted well enough that they were all distinct and equally suspicious in their own right - as well as the other side characters that added to the story.

My only issue was that some of the conclusions jumped to by June and Emily were a little far fetched, considering the reality of a highly emotive and pressurised situation where most people would not have been thinking clearly.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this, and it was one of the most captivating thrillers I've read in a long time. It's inner look into wealth and fame, and 'the woman who has it all' was interesting to read about too, and well explored.

I thought this book was okay. It wasn’t my favorite and I didn’t hate it. I liked the idea of the story, but there were some issues I had with it that took it from a 4 star read to a 3 star read.

The Story: I think the idea of the story had such potential, but fell a little flat. I figured out the “whodunit” part fairly early on, although I couldn’t piece together how, exactly, they had done it. I’m always a fan of a book that keeps me guessing until the end, so I was a bit disappointed in this. I also was just totally infuriated with the decision the group made throughout the story. I tried not to let it bother me, but some of their decisions were so unrealistic and made things so, so much worse, that it also raised an issue for me. Despite this, the book was a fast read and had all the elements to make a good thriller (ie. Shady characters, murder, memory loss, etc.).

The Flow: This was a fast read that went in chronological order. There were random memory flashbacks, but they were so short and fleeting that they didn’t interfere with the storyline at all.

The Characters: All of the characters were so selfish and unintelligent in this book. I just couldn’t understand how they weren’t able to make educated decisions about anything. Each person was out for themselves, which definitely helps to add more suspects to the list. But really, I don’t think anyone had any real redeeming qualities about them.

For me, this was your average thriller that was just okay. I’m not screaming out that people have to read it, but I’m not telling them to stay away either.

*Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*

Good pace and interesting set up. Some major holes, but it was a quick read that I enjoyed.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

When four college friends are invited to Fidalgo Island in the Puget Sound by the fifth member of their group for a long girls week end, they all go. When they reach Sadie’s retreat they are both in awe and jealous of her tremendous wealth. Each of the four women have a history with Sadie and as the week end progresses “ugly truths and buried resentments” arise. When Sadie turns up missing after a night none of them can remember they are all suspects in her disappearance. Gehrman does a great job of fleshing out her characters and plot making this an interesting read rather than the usual soap opera that goes along with a girls weekend. A captivating who done it that keeps you on your toes and guessing until the very end.

The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman follows June Moody, a college professor with dreams of becoming a best-selling author. She receives an invitation to a baby shower party hosted by college friend, Sadie MacTavish, a successful author, wife of June’s former college lover, Ethan, and mother of teenage daughter, Dakota.

June is reluctant to go, having dealt with enough petty competition with Sadie back in college, also knowing Sadie will shove her success and happy marriage in June’s face. But when June’s boyfriend breaks up with her, she desperately wants to get away, even if it’s to Sadie’s grand estate on the San Juan Islands.

When the five college friends reunite to celebrate their friend Amy’s pregnancy, their interaction is far less exciting than they anticipated.

Amy, Sadie’s cousin who also lives at the estate, deals with bipolar disorder and is as secretive as ever. Em, June’s best friend, ends up in a rage when she finds out a secret she shared only with Sadie is about to be revealed. Kimiko, the aggressive friend, is dealing with the repercussions of her drug-dealing son and relies on Sadie for support. And then there's June, who hates Sadie for how she’s stolen her success from under her feet: marrying the man she loved, to becoming a best-selling author — everything June wanted, Sadie has. With Sadie’s overly controlling personality, there’s obvious tension between the long-time friends, and gossip, resentment, and grudges begin to rise quickly.

Then, when the party goes awry and the night becomes a black hole of lost memories, the women are shocked to wake up discovering their drinks had been tampered with — but worse, their host is missing. As they dwell on the night, trying to figure out what happened, turn on each other — doubt and suspicion grow between them.

When June ends up questioned by the police, she finds herself pushed into a corner, having to share that she did, in fact, sneak out to see her former lover, Ethan. But, she also snuck out to meet the landscaper, Leo…she can’t seem to pin-point which one of them she saw the night Sadie disappeared. As she desperately tries to prove she had nothing to do with Sadie’s disappearance, June finds herself wondering which of her friends would set her up.

+++

Suspense and drama drives The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman, an entertaining summertime thriller. Told from only June’s perspective, the novel reveals events as June finds out about them, the reader following in only her footsteps throughout the story. While many thrillers have alternating timelines or narrators, I appreciated the simplicity of focusing on the point of view of one character.

The plot of The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman was well crafted and intense. Overall, I thrived on the ongoing suspense, the flow of the story, and the way the characters played into the plot. As a reader, my only complaint with the plot was that it described the girls weekend as a baby shower for their friend Amy. This was mentioned once when the characters were dealing with Sadie controlling what they did while they visited. After that, the mention of the baby shower was out of the picture. It may have been better suited to have the reunion be just the girls weekend, nothing more. I felt that having the baby shower element ended up creating confusion for the reader, and was not needed for the plot to take shape.

The characters in The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman were quite widespread in their personalities. Sadie’s character and Kimiko’s were the two that seemed to act in aggressive, far-fetched ways. Sadie’s life is chaotic. Her broken marriage, rebellious daughter, and her cousin Amy living with them seems a little overwhelming. However, Sadie’s calm, controlling presence seems very robotic, and I often wondered how she was able to maintain her friendships with the other girls from college. I am also still left wondering what Sadie’s initial intention was behind hosting the girls weekend. There are quite a few unanswered questions about Sadie's character that I felt should have been addressed.

Kimiko’s aggressive reaction to Sadie being missing was very interesting to me, and also problematic. Her actions kept my eyes on her as she kept refusing to call the police about Sadie’s disappearance. Her reasoning was that she felt she’d be singled out, however that didn’t prove to be the case. I wondered what the purpose was for making Kimiko out to be suspicious, and I feel that her reaction wasn’t normal for someone who didn’t have anything to feel guilty over. It almost felt as though Kimiko's reaction was inserted to somehow throw the reader off — this seemed to occur with multiple characters, and I ended up disappointed in the way this was used to keep the reader from suspecting the culprit.

Sadie’s daughter and her husband also left me a little unconvinced. Dakota’s rebellious nature is touched on in the story, but not fully detailed or experienced. The history of Ethan’s marriage to Sadie is also not elaborated on much in the story. There’s also a part of the story where Ethan is interacting with June, but there’s never any sort of explanation or conclusion. I think with a bit more elaboration, their stories would have made their role more realistic, and also less predictable.

June’s character is one that I found to be the most realistic. As I mentioned, I thought that the story benefited from being written from her point of view, and that the story evolved based on her realizations throughout it. The reader sees June slowly change from a woman with a grumpy, angry personality, to one who is more resolved and content with her life at the end of the story.

The only issue I struggled to understand about June’s character is her complicated encounters with Ethan and the landscaper, Leo. She seems indecisive, wanting to be with Ethan, but also not wanting to be. She also doesn’t seem to care when Ethan ends up being deceiving towards her. Leo also seems to be an odd character, being in the story only momentarily, yet June deems him trustworthy. I did appreciate June’s honesty in her thought process throughout the story — it helped the story to flow steadily and definitely kept me focused.

The Girls Weekend by Jody Gehrman is a thrilling popcorn read that delves into how friendships can affect one another even years later. I connected with the suspense of this read, even though there were some aspects that felt over-dramatic, unrealistic, and predictable. However, with the combination of thoughtful description, an action-packed plot, and unexpected characters, this novel proves to be perfect choice for a summer reading list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced reader copy!

Loved The Girls Weekend! I did not want to put this book down and finished it in about a day! Jody Gehrman knows how to hook you!

A quick read about 5 university friends who get together after some years apart. There are secrets, jealousy and betrayals and after a night of drinks and reminiscing, one of the five is missing and the rest have spotty memories. Once the cops are called in, the feeling of dread and suspicions come out in full force. An entertaining read that will keep your attention.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review**

At one point the 5 friends were inseparable. But even during that hair braiding stage of friendship, June and Sadie were frenemies. There was always an underlying sense of competition.

Now they haven’t been together in years. In that time, they’ve drifted apart. Some more than others. Sadie is now a famous author, living what appears to be the perfect life. She’s married to June’s ex-boyfriend (she obviously never deserved her hair braided), living in a mansion and seems to have everything she could ever want. None of this is particularly great for June’s sense of competition between them.

When Sadie invites them up for a girls’ weekend, it seems fine enough. Sure it might be a touch awkward, but maybe it will be like riding a bike. It will feel like old times before you can say tickity-boo. Me oh my, was that ever wishful thinking.

It appears Sadie and June are still never going to be spit-sisters. And, the other previously healthy relationships with Sadie now have some fissures. This puts everyone in a real pickle when they wake up after a night of partying, to the house in shambles, little to no memory of the night before and Sadie missing. They all seem like they may know more than they’re letting on. They all had a reason to want Sadie out of their lives. Dun, dun, dun...

This book was a game of Clue and someone knocked off Miss Scarlett. I love me a board game, so it was a fun, easy read that didn’t require too much concentration.

Thank you to @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is being published August 11, 2020.

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Ever sit back and ask yourself, “Why exactly am I friends with these people?” Now take the uneasy feeling that thought invokes and bring it with you on a weekend girls’ trip. Once old resentments and grudges are revealed, the weekend can’t possibly end well for anyone involved.

College teacher June receives a group text inviting her and her college friends to a baby shower. The host is none other than Sadie MacTavish, a has-it-all image of perfection and children’s author (think J.K. Rowling, but richer). Sadie also happens to be June’s longtime frenemy and there’s nothing June would love more than to ignore the enthusiastic texts from her friends. But when June finds herself suddenly heartbroken and single, she decides to accept the invitation and meet up with them.

The women fall back into the old rhythm of their friendships, and it quickly becomes clear that some things haven’t changed–both good and bad. Things get even more complicated when Sadie’s husband–June’s ex-boyfriend–requests a midnight meeting, just the two of them.

After a night of heavy drinking, the women wake the next morning to find Sadie’s mansion trashed…and Sadie is nowhere to be found. The women have no recollection of the previous night, but there are bloodstains in the house and a missing Sadie. What happened the night before?

The Girls Weekend is atmospheric and creepy, fast-paced and twisty. It’s also reminiscent of In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware, another locked-room mystery that I enjoyed. The ending felt a tad rushed and I would’ve liked a few story threads to have been tightened up, but otherwise it’s a solid read that I recommend.

Five college friends get together for a weekend for the first time in years. June didn't want to go since she and Sadie have been frenemies their whole lives. Since June's boyfriend recently broke up with her and she didn't have any other excuses not to go, Em convinced her to suck it up and just tag along. After an eventful day where everyone was already getting irritated with each other, they decided they would get drunk that evening.

The following day they woke up to bloodstains, no memories of the night before, and a missing Sadie. Where did she go? Is that her blood? Who is responsible? Everyone had their motives. Sadie controlled Amy's, Dakota's and Ethan's lives, she was writing a very personal book about Em, she and Kimi argued about the money Kimi owed her and was June still wanting to be with Ethan?

The book kept me hooked the whole entire time and I could not put it down. At one point I thought Kimi murdered Sadie, she was the one with the broken nose. Another time I thought for sure it was Amy since she shared an important secret with June while she was in the bath, and was Ethan lying? Did he do it? Then I thought maybe it was Em, even though she seemed too sweet to hurt anyone. The only person I didn't think murdered her was June and she was the one getting the most grief from the cops, and how come no one even mentioned the landscaper that lived in the yurt?! I was completely shocked at the ending! It was such a great book. I definitely loved it and would definitely recommend it. This book will keep you on your toes the whole time and keep you guessing and wondering who is lying.

June Moody is a thirty-something college professor when she is invited to go to the San Juan Islands for a girls weekend with her closest college friends. At first, she not interested. Sure, she likes her friend Em and enjoys keeping up with Kimiko. But she really doesn't want to see Sadie McTavish who was her rival in all things in college and who seems to have a much more successful life than her own. She even married Ethan who had proposed to June first.

But when June's boyfriend dumps her for another woman via a text message, June decides to go to the reunion. She walks into a situation filled with tension and resentment. Amy, their fifth friend and Sadie's cousin, is pregnant. She has always had mental issues and Sadie has taken care of her and controlled her life.

Sadie is a master manipulator who wants to control everyone around her - her husband, her daugher, her cousin, even the gardener. June can see that but is still sort of envious of the life Sadie has created in her lush estate because she happened to write a book that had success similar to the Harry Potter books. June's own single novel is long out of print.

A long evening of drinking ends with memory loss for all of the girls and with Sadie having gone missing. Each of the girls has a reason to be resentful of Sadie as do Ethan and his daughter Dakota. All of them fear that their issues with Sadie will make them wonderful suspects for the police and decide to cover up what little they remember of the past evening.

But suspicions grow among the girls about each other and June spends a lot of time and imagination coming up with various scenarios about the lost time and about what happened to Sadie.

This was a tensely written locked room mystery filled with all sorts of twists and turns. Fans of that sort of thriller will enjoy this one.

A Girls Weekend, a Crime Scene and well, a Bad Soap Opera.

When the girls from college all get together, it seems like all hell is gonna break loose. Can you say Yeehaw?
Unfortunately, the host, Sadie is another girl's (June"s) former nemesis and she is now married to the man June once dated, a damper is put on the weekend. Awkward.

Let the drunken debauchery ensue. After a crazy night, the girls wake up to find Sadie missing and evidence foul play and perhaps something far far worse.

When the police investigate, everyone involved is a suspect! Shocking I know.,

At times I felt like I was reading a night-time soap opera.

Entertaining and highly far-fetched.

Book Info
Kindle Edition, 320 pages
Expected publication: June 9th 2020 by Crooked Lane Books
ASIN B07XM3MGB4
Other Editions (2)
Source:Netgalley EARC
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BOOK BLURB

For fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley, a riveting locked-room mystery about five college friends eager to reunite after years apart--only to be ripped apart again when their host's disappearance unearths dark secrets and old grudges.


Their reunion just became a crime scene . . .

June Moody, a thirty-something English professor, just wants to get away from her recent breakup and reunite with girlfriends over summer break. Her old friend and longtime nemesis, Sadie MacTavish, a mega-successful author, invites June and her college friends to a baby shower at her sprawling estate in the San Juan Islands. June is less than thrilled to spend time with Sadie--and her husband, June's former crush--but agrees to go.

The party gets off to a shaky start when old grudges resurface, but when they wake the next morning, they find something worse: Sadie is missing, the house is in shambles, and bloodstains mar the staircase. None of them has any memory of the night before; they wonder if they were drugged. Everyone's a suspect. Since June had a secret rendezvous with Sadie's husband, she has plenty of reason to suspect herself. Apparently, so do the cops.

A Celtic knot of suspense and surprise, this brooding, atmospheric novel will keep you guessing as each twist reveals a new possibility. It will remind you of friendships hidden in the depths of your own past, and make you wonder how well you really know the people you've loved the longest.
My Thoughts

Four college friends who are now almost 40 get together for a reunion in celebration of host Sadie MacTavish’s younger cousin Amy.

June Moody is the narrator and she Amy, Sadie, Kimiko and Sadies teenage daughter Dakota share space at the MacTavish estate off the coast of San Juan Islands.

For me this book was somewhat of a stretch at times, the group of friends seem less friendly than combative almost from the get go and even before there is a reason for any distrust or suspicion among them.

As the tale unfolded there was distaste on my part for June and Sadie in almost equal measure. While much is made of Sadie being manipulative and controlling to me June was not a sterling character either.

Em and Kimiko, the other two of their former foursome, are not innocents either. One is a techie while the other is a habitual drug user.

Not so much wrong with these qualities per se but when you realize what the women are capable of then it becomes more bothersome.

After the weekend from Hell is over, all the dust is settled, the drama is over as a new foursome emerges from the wreckage that almost broke these women apart for good.

There is a statement or two of truth that is realized by end of book.

Statements that pertain to all of us at one point or other in our lives that I found both profound and somewhat sad truths.

I have feelings about this story and it's characters that are torn but the feelings for its setup are strong until the final execution which seemed to weaken what otherwise was a rather nice who-dun-it.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.