Did I Say You Could Go - Melanie Gideon
Ruth and Gemma were unlikely friends, but being the single moms with girls the same age, they had something to bond over. Ruth, being incredibly wealthy, spoiled Gemma and was always there to help when needed, and she liked to feel needed.
6 years after a falling out, Ruth has an opportunity to jump to Gemma's rescue once again with the hopes renewing their friendship. Gemma takes the bait and finds herself in familiar territory and with the feeling she owes Ruth. The more Gemma feels trapped, the more Ruth manipulates, obsesses and plots to ensure she is always needed. How far will she go to keep Gemma to herself, and at what cost to both of their daughters....
This synopsis was hard to write because there is so much to be said, but I don't want to give anything away. This book is written from 4 POV's and was done incredibly well. You learn of Gemma and Bee's story and Ruth and Marley's story. It's no secret that Ruth is quite the unlikeable character, but learning of her past helps bring things full circle and understand how she ended up with the desperate need to be needed, wanted, loved, etc. And Bee's character starts off as the stereotypical "popular" girl, but her development was my favorite and I was left rooting for her.
The best thing about this book were the twists. Just when you think people cant sink any lower in a desperate state, they do. My mind was blown in the best way.
This book comes out August 3rd and I can't say enough good things about it. Buy it! Borrow it! Read it! Listen to it! Whatever you got to do.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not sure what I expected when I started reading this book but this wasn’t it. It was heavier than I thought it was going to be. Not in a bad way. I expected more a thriller, but this was beyond a thriller.

Good storyline. Was very believable. The characters were well written to the point I actually despised one of them (not saying which one because spoilers, but it shouldn’t take long to figure out).

I did not see the twist at the end coming. Maybe I should have, but there was so much going on in the story, especially at the end, I completely missed it.

Definitely recommend this.

This is a relentless page-turner, Did I Say You Could Go is the story of friendships steeped in lies and duplicity. It's about two families, when pushed to extremes, cross the line with devastating results

Well written and looking forward to reading more by this author!

I lost count of how many times the author used the word “tribe” to describe the characters’ friend group. As someone who is native, I find this word offensive when used by non-indigenous people. The word has been used by colonizers for centuries and is often associated with being “primitive” and “savage”, yet when non-indigenous people use it it’s trendy and cute. No, just no. Thanks.

I was going to DNF this book the first time I read “tribe”, but it’s an ARC, so I persevered. The story is replete with unlikeable characters, which made me even less forgiving in this case. I guessed some of the twists early on.

I give the story three stars and the degrading term one star, for an overall rating of two stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review. Opinions are my own.

Wow. Did not see that coming.

We have Gemma and Ruth, the only two single parents at the kindergarten party. They are quite different, but they are besties, and so are their girls Marla and Bee. They grow up together, an inseparable foursome. Until they're not.

Ruth has everything, and she gives everything too - she wants to be needed. No, she *needs* to be needed. Marla is not the perfect daughter, but she tries, but she's not the daughter Ruth wanted. She's not slim, pretty, and popular. Marla is not Bee. She is loyal, eager to please, but afraid of rejection. Ruth controls her - her clothes, her activities, and even her food.

Gemma and Bee have built a life, Gemma running her business and supporting Bee. She's kind, caring and going through all the normal mother struggles - how much independence to give? Finding the balance between being caring and involved without being over bearing. Bee is happy and popular and keeps her mother locked out of so much, but that's okay because they are okay.

Gemma owes Ruth so much - a debt that can only be repaid in friendship - but Ruth demands all of it. She needs Gemma's attention, devotion, and reliance. How much is Gemma willing to give, and at what cost?

This is truly more twisted than I expected it to be - when some of the earlier twists came up I was surprised and intrigued - it was devious and dark - but that was only the beginning. This shocked me more than Gone Girl.
Truly a page turner that will keep you going to the very last page.

This book was very interesting and very scary how people can control others. Ruth is manipulative and only cares about herself. She uses her friendship with Gemma to help ease the loneliness of her life. No one is good enough and so she does anything to make people do what she wants them to do. Even her daughter, Marley is not immune to her manipulations and lack of kindness. This story is very emotional from start to finish and you can't help but pray that good prevails.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Did I say you could go. Unfortunately I had a really hard time getting into and finishing this novel. It's written from the viewpoint of 4 different characters, 2 mothers and 2 daughters. I found it very hard to keep each of them straight, and I kept getting confused as to who was who. Normally I enjoy a book that keeps you guessing But honestly this was just confusing from the start, about halfway through the characters become more clear to me
Mothers Gemma and Ruth have been friends since their daughters were little. The daughters are now in high school. This is about the relationship between the 4 of them and the twisted things That people will do for attention and control . I like the concept of the novel but I think the writing could have been improved on or how the story was presented.

I don’t know what it is about a book with toxic friendships but it is such an enjoyable guilty pleasure

Did I Say You Could Go is about two single mothers, Gemma and Ruth, raising their daughters who are “frenemies”. They drift apart but years later are drawn back together and begin to rely on each other again while getting through some tough times. This book is full or lies, deceit and a whole life of hateful things.

Solid 4 star story. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for a digital ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This novel by Melanie Gideon was fantastic. Deliciously evil but sadly, how far women will go when jealous or feeling threatened. Without giving too much away this story is told by the perspective of Jenna and Ruth who met a decade earlier when Ruth throws an over the top pre-kindergarten social for the children and the parents at their daughters private school. Gemma and Ruth first bond over the fact that they are the only 2 single mothers whose Daughter’s are attending the school. At first, Gemma is overjoyed at the generosity of Ruth. Free trips, dinners, services, almost like a fairy gif mother. But as time goes by the non stop favours Gemma receives from Ruth become overwhelming and Ruth demands too much time and attention. The daughters who are very different skinny but surely drift apart as well. Phasing Ruth out of Gemma’s life gives Ruth many years to plot her revenge. But Ruth seems to be the devil herself and what face she portrays to the outside world is quite different than what goes on at home. Leaving Ruth’s daughter in situations that are impossible at the best of times. Never a dull moment. I raced through this as fast as I could while still properly devouring each word. And the ending!!!! Do yourself a favour and read this book! Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this terrific ARC. I will be reading more from Melanie Gideon.

Did I Say You Could Go by Melanie Gideon is a dramatic thriller with a complex storyline that keeps you guessing from page one. The book opens with a dramatic scene of a woman, Ruth, following her old best friend, Gemma, around a store. This scene is interspersed with a scandal that has threatened the reputation and livelihood of a widowed single mother.

This wasnt really a thriller, mystery or suspense but boy was it fun to read and hard to put down!

Gemma has been friends with Ruth since attending a kindergarten meet-and-greet party she threw years ago. As single mothers, the two immediately bonded and their daughters Bee and Marley also became friends. Over the years, Ruth has bestowed the spoils of her wealth on Gemma and Bee by taking them on luxurious vacations, paying for their household expenses and being indispensable. But then Ruth is involved in a scandal and Gemma distances herself from her friend. Years later Gemma is involved in her own scandal and Ruth extends a helping hand. Is Ruth just a forgiving person? Or is there something more sinister behind her forgiving Gemma’s betrayal?

I enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were explored- their motivations, their fears, the roots of their behaviours, and this made for a fascinating read. Ruth specifically was an interesting character and while she was unlikeable, i appreciated the author delving into her childhood. This book sort of reminds me of The Push in that it shows how it’s almost inevitable for people to turn out the way they do because of events that happened when they were young. The only thing that I would improve is the ubiquitous twist in the end. It felt rushed and I wish the author spent more pages unraveling that part of the story.

Overall, a good read. I’ll begin with the pros:

1. This book touches on so many important discussion topics, from single parenting, to depression/suicide/bipolar disorder/therapy and medication/ASD, etc. I particularly love that the author has done excellent research (or has a lot of personal experience). The medical and social lingo is well done and does a great job of demystifying these topics.

2. The characters are incredibly well developed. I felt I was able to get inside each of their heads as each individual’s chapters told their version of the story.

3. The pace was well developed and I honestly couldn’t put it down. I read it in an entire day.

Things I hope will be construed as constructive critique:

1. The first chapter should be introduced a little later. I think as we get to know Ruth and Gemma, the nuttiness in the grocery store scene makes a lot more sense. It comes across as comic relief at first, until you understand just how not-funny that scene really is in the grand scheme of the story.

2. Past/present/future tense occasionally comes across clumsily. Not often, but I did find myself having to reread some sections to realize I wasn’t reading about current Ruth/Gemma/daughters, but their past versions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an early copy of The Hunted in return for an honest review.

This book had a lot of things going for it - exotic location, stalker/killer, hidden secrets and several twists and turns consistent with the thriller genre. However, I had difficulty relating to and getting to know the characters, which is a big negative for me. While the book appears to have great appeal to many who have read it, for me it was just an average read.

This was a very well woven plot with a lot of twists. If did keep me guessing until the very end. I did suspect the last twist but that just kept me reading, without a break, to see if I was right. The characters were so well described that I could picture each one in my mind, and all were very different. I would recomnend this book to others who follow authors like Celeste Ng or Liane Moriarty. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free ARC through Netgalley.

Gemma, Ruth, and their daughters were like family for years, until Ruth's indiscretion made Gemma distance their friendship. However, when Gemma's reputation comes into question, Ruth does not hesitate to stand by and support her former friend. Are Ruth's motives sincere, or sinister?

This story is told in the perspectives of Gemma, her daughter Bee, Ruth, and Ruth's daughter Marley. The tension of the story builds just as the tension in the characters build. The quick pace of the storyline, and the short chapters between character perspectives made this book hard to put down.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book held me to the final page. Overall, the story leaves me quite sad. A tale of 2 families- the parents both single mothers of teenage daughters. I will say that I had to read the book in it’s entirety to see if I’d correctly predicted the final twist! Definitely worth a read!

Definitely a page-turner. I finished this in one day because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened. The book is about two on-again-off-again best friends and their teenage daughters, also sometimes besties. Uber wealthy Ruth and and her daughter Marley are unpopular and anxious. Gemma and her daughter Bee are Ruth and Marley’s only friends. The characters are affected by loneliness, abandonment, and trust issues. This book throws twist after twist. You’ll be wondering: Who’s being manipulated and who’s in control? Which characters are trustworthy? A lot of the book strains credulity but it’s entertaining so I’m okay with it. For example, the parents participate in anonymous chat groups in which the moms gossip about their daughters and the other moms.
The daughters, particularly Marley, are not well developed which makes it hard to understand their motivations. The book employs the unreliable narrator device but didn’t drop enough hints so the ending was not foreshadowed - even on a reread. To me, the ending came out of nowhere and I would have appreciated more details wrapping up / explaining things.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Omg! This book was so good. Ruth was a bad person and can’t stop sabotaging Gemma’s life and daughters. Ruth is an awful mother to her daughter. In the end the big twist is revealed and it’s fabulous.

The book is full of twists and turns and have so much drama. I will recommend this book to anyone and I am looking forward reading other books from the author.

Wow, psychological thriller at its best. Intense, manipulative, keep you thinking, twists on the twists.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read the ARC of this fantastic book. The author created a wonderful storyline and then threw in 4 troubled and emotionally wounded women as the main characters This combination makes for an explosive book. I can’t praise it enough.

Rating: 4.1 / 5

**Received ARC from Netgalley for honest review.

This is a story essentially propelled by two things: anticipation and motivation.

Throughout most of the events that happen, there's really not much going on besides that. Most of the interactions and events themselves are mundane, there aren't really any "shocking" incidents that are violent or unexpected or anything until the end, and even so...

Well, to backtrack a bit, this is a story that focuses on four women: poor Gemma and rich Ruth (both single mothers), and their respective daughters, popular Bee and shy Marley. For many years, this foursome have been practically a family, until Gemma and Bee backed out of the relationship once Ruth hit a rough patch in her life. Years later, it's time for payback, and that's what Ruth is (presumably) out to get, but more on that later.

Told through all four shifting perspectives, this story is written very well in terms of building up anticipation that way. For me, reading a story from varying perspectives is usually a hit-or-miss (and it's mostly a miss if it focuses on more than two or maximum three people), but this time it just works, so kudos to the author for somehow getting the balance just right.

As I've mentioned, event-wise it's pretty mundane, just both mothers and their relationships with their daughters, as well as their relationship to each other and the daughters' relationship to each other. A four-way interaction, if you will.

At the heart of it is Ruth, who's really the one pushing for the interactions between everyone. Throughout the story, you definitely get the sense that something is wrong with Ruth, but what really fascinates me about this character and made up the motivation factor of the story is trying to figure out just what her end-goal is. Motivation-wise, the "why" factor of her actions is pretty clear: she's attention-seeking and desperate to form a close connection with someone, and make it seem natural even though in reality it's forced and based more on dependence and debt than true friendship. Also, in terms of her relationship with Marley, it's pretty much Carrie-esque, so that's been done before as well. Okay, so that covers the "why" territory pretty well, but what about the "what" factor: what does she hope will happen and what will she gain from all this at the end?

It's rare for the "why" factor but not the "what" factor to be clear, so this really is quite a switch and kept me as interested in the story as I was, despite, once again, the lack of excitement in the events unfolding. I kept trying to figure out what it was that Ruth wanted, and though I came up with several theories, all of them were left up in the air because...

...the ending, while unexpected, is totally a "trainwreck ending" and is the reason for my taking one star off of what would otherwise have been a five-star read.

Now, of course I'll be keeping this spoiler free, but let me just outline some of the general problems with the ending:

- while it is indeed unexpected and thus a "twists and turns" ending, it happens too quickly and comes from out of nowhere. I'm not saying that authors have to give hints or anything, but at the very least they should leave room for justification, which this book doesn't do. Which leads us to...

- the fact that nothing is elaborated on or explained. We're just dropped with the twist, BOOM, and then left to accept it for what it is without the author taking any time to explain, ironically enough, the "why" of everything. Oh, we get the "what", but since it's in exchange for the very crucial "why" factor, this one-eighty turn was not something that I appreciated. Literally, the ending was only maybe 4-5 pages long, tops. And, given the short sentence fragments and liberal use of page space that this author uses over and over again in "building tension", that's not saying much. I really wanted and truly felt that an elaboration of everything would've helped the readers to better appreciate what the author did here.

- Also, it's just underwhelming. For a story that builds and builds and builds up so much anticipation and wondering and whatnot, really not a lot happens here. Sure, it's unexpected, but it's not shocking or action-packed or anything like that, so it feels more like a light pinch when someone was bracing themselves for a slap. Just...disappointing, in a strange sort of way. Oh, and also...

- um...it's not really much of an "ending", is it? If anything it feels like cutting off in the middle of what the ending is supposed to be, either because the author just got too lazy or too unsure of how to go further and really give us that "The End" factor. Sure, that kind of worked in Gone With the Wind (and even that I only KIND OF think so), but in something like this book? Yeah...nope.

So, anyway, to sum up, it's really only the ending I have a problem with. Maybe that's because it isn't what I wanted it to be, or because I was underwhelmed by it because it didn't live up to the buildup, but...it felt like, at the end, the "twist" factor sacrificed a lot of the sense of the story. Maybe others won't mind that, but my honest opinion is that it really does take away from the story, and therefore prevents this from ever being a full five stars, no matter how many times I might read it. (Though, that being said, I see no re-reads in my future for this.)

All in all though, for most of what I read, it was great. My only warning is not to build up TOO many hopes and theories and expectations however, because some of those are sure to be disappointed. If you can somehow read it without any of those things though, then sure, you'll like this fine.

Recommended as a lighter mystery/thriller (ish, because it's not really either of those) read than you might expect.