3 for neutral.  Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this one,  will definitely update if able to finish at a later date!

The Weekend Escape by Rakie Bennett is just that: a fast paced weekend escape read.  The book is atmospheric and perfect for blustery fall evenings.  
I enjoyed the setting, but found none of the characters to be particularly likable.  
The book is suspenseful, although slow at the beginning it does pick up the pace near the end.  Which is probably why I found the ending rather abrupt and not altogether satisfying.  It is rather open ended, which definitely has an appeal in this genre. 
All in all, an enjoyable read. 
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK One More Chapter for this ARC of The Weekend Escape.

Six friends go on a weekend getaway on a secluded island however they are in for a surprise when they arrive and mysterious things begin happening to them.

I really enjoyed this book! I was a bit skeptical because the reviews seemed to think that it was a pretty basic whodunnit novel but I don't usually read this particular trope so it was pretty exciting for me. The characters were all a little bit plain but I liked having all of the secrets come out and trying to figure out who was behind the events that were occurring. There isn't really much that I think I could critique on this one as it kept my interest the entire time and I didn't figure out the twist until it was happening which is a plus for me when I'm reading mysteries. 

4/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this copy to review.

While I wanted to love this I just couldn’t ….not the authors fault but this plot/ genre has been done too many times before. Island with group of friends and a who is the murderer. Author has potential but plot is tiresome.

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I would definitely be recommending this book to readers on my Instagram bookstagram account.

This book was written pretty well however I felt the story did fall short a little. For a thriller it was quite standard. The twist wasn’t hugely exciting but not one I had guessed anyway. The setting of the book was pretty good and gave the feeling of isolation quite well. I did find that I wanted to read on but I found the story ultimately just okay.

⭐️⭐️

The Weekend Escape by Rakie Bennett 

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for this Advanced Readers Copy that published on October 8th. 

6 friends visit a deserted island off the coast of England for a reunion weekend of climbing and adventure. These friends bonded in high school and together dealt with the death of a member of their friend group. 10 years after the death of their friend resentment and blame still linger. The main character, Lynsey struggles to know who to trust and when to let her guard down. The story comes to a head when all members of the friend group have been put in near death experiences. Lynsey wakes up in a hospital bed with police questioning the events of the weekend and who is responsible for the trauma that occurred. 

I was a bit disappointed by this book. The author threw in too many characters who were all very similar. It was difficult to keep them straight. I didn’t find the climax of the story very convincing nor the motive. I found myself feeling “forced” to finish, which is not a fun way to close up a mystery. I did enjoy the setting on a remote British island and that the story centered around female friendship.

Author: Rakie Bennett
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Age Range: Adult
Format: E-Book
Published: 8th October 2021 
Pages: 692 (This was an e-arc so I think the formatting was different so it definitely is not as many pages)
Rating: 3 Stars 

Goodreads Synopsis

A deserted island, a vicious storm, a murderer amongst friends…

It was meant to be a fun reunion, a chance for six friends to reconnect and relive the adventures that brought them together in the first place. But from the moment they arrive on their island home for the weekend, Lyndsey, Sonia, Bobbie, Amanda, Juliet, and Val realise that their paradise is filled with peril, and there are consequences when you try to outrun the ghosts of your past.

As everything starts to fall apart, and the friends begin to turn against one another, deep, dark secrets are revealed, and an unimaginable horror is unleashed. They came seeking adventure, but now they’ll be lucky to leave with their lives…

CAWPILE

Characters – 6
Atmosphere – 7
Writing Style – 6
Plot – 7
Intrigue – 7
Logic – 7
Enjoyment – 7

Overall: 6.7 

Review

Trigger Warnings: Death, Gun Violence, Blood, Violence, and Loss of a sibling.

This review may contain spoilers.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, however, this in no way influenced my opinion. Thank you to the publisher One More Chapter for providing me with a copy.

So, I have been in the mood for mystery/thrillers recently and after reading the synopsis of this on Instagram and being immediately intrigued I requested this and was so happy to be approved. In the weekend escape we follow six friends who are visiting an island for a weekend holiday, however, after one of the group is injured everything starts going wrong and they are left stranded. One of the strongest aspects of this book was the atmosphere, I definitely felt the claustrophobia of being stuck on the island and the hopelessness of feeling like no one is coming to help. I did think the plot was a little slow-moving at the beginning but once it picked up, I became invested and had no idea who to trust. The last 20% was especially intense to read. The plot twist of Amanda being behind everything really took me by surprise and I didn’t see it coming at all. 

Overall, this was a decent mystery/thriller novel with some shocking twists and a gripping plot. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

This was a different take on a 'locked room' thriller. Everyone is under suspicion when the friend's weekend getaway takes a dark turn and a worsening storm means help is not able to come. Friendships come under close examination as each person looks to themselves and the rest of the group. Unexpected twist at the end.

Thank you for the advanced copy.  This was a good read, a little on the slow side for the first hundred pages then picks up.
It’s about a group of friends who go away for a weekend get away, however they haven’t been together in 10 years and someone hasn’t forgiven the others

I would have enjoyed this book much more but for two things.  None of the characters are particularly likeable so it's hard to care what happens to them.  The ending.  I am so tired of books with 'cliff hanger' endings.  Is Lindsey imagining her talk with Val or is it real?  I also figured out the culprit quite early on.
I've come to the conclusion that I like books with a proper ending so although this has a fast paced plot and there is tension I finished it feeling a bit robbed.

This book took me for a whirlwind of a time!! It kept me guessing until the very end and what a backstory too! I literally adore mysterious novels with groups of friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rakie Bennett and HarperCollins UK for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy novels with people stranded on a island or something equally creepy and this one was no different. I had no idea who was guilty and really enjoyed all the suspicion on each and every character, sometimes multiple times. The tense and dreary atmosphere really helped set the tone of the novel and made it all the more enjoyable. I will definitely try more novels from Bennett in the future.

A story about a group of 6 friends going away to an island for a weekend getaway. They haven't been in touch with each other much for a few years and they are getting the group back together, but not long after arriving on the island, things start to go wrong! 
It very quickly goes from bad to worse and tensions grow high in the group as they start to grow suspicious of each other. 
I did enjoy the story and the book was well written and very atmospheric, you really could picture the island and the horrible weather they were going through on the island. The thing that brought the rating of this down for me was the ending! It ended very quickly and it didn't really make much sense, it didn't wrap the story up in a satisfying way and didn't explain the random ending. For me, this left me a bit disappointed. But I enjoyed the rest of the book and I would read another book by Rakie Bennet.

The Weekend Escape by Rakie Bennett is a thriller about a group of friends on a deserted island in the middle of a storm.  The six friends are having a reunion of sorts, but very bad things keep happening to them.  Is someone else on the island with them?  Or is it one of them that's hurting the others? The characters weren't very likable, and they weren't well-fleshed out;  but the story itself was great.   I love this kind of locked-room mystery, and this one definitely kept me guessing.  Also, the island itself added some spookiness and intrigue to the story.  Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy.  All opinions are my own.

This was a fast and action-packed read, centered in Lyndsey and her friends, who travel to a deserted island to do some climbing and catch up with each other.  It soon becomes apparent that this group has some complex dynamics and that many of them are harboring secrets.  To top it all off, the bunkhouse where they are staying was not as promised, and the landlord who lives on the island is not friendly or helpful.

The action starts right away, with someone getting hurt, and doesn't let up the entire time.  The author is not afraid to kill off primary characters (of course you need to read for yourself to find out who!), which is always fun because the reader never truly knows what is going to happen. The dynamics between the characters held my interest, though some of their issues seemed a bit catty.

I saw the end coming from early on, which was a little bit of a bummer, but it's always somewhat satisfying to see things play out the way you expected.  Beyond the big twist, there were a few more surprises throughout, as well. I thought that the ending was well done and tied up loose ends nicely.

Overall, fun read- I am a sucker for books that take place in abandoned areas and this one had a unique spin. I'd give it a solid 3.5 stars and  recommend it to those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers.  Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you #Netgalley for this advanced copy!

In this read we follow a group of six friends on a weekend get away for a climbing weekend on a deserted island.  During this trip, weird things kept happening. First a rope snapped, then screams were heard, a body was found, items were missing, etc. So many weird things on this island of 6 friends and 1 warden.  Each of these six friends had their own secrets they were keeping from each other and then began to question each other and who to trust. Up until the very last page, this book kept me guessing and questioning what really happened on that island during those 48hours.

.

I’m not sure how to feel about this one. I enjoyed it until the end, and then I suddenly didn’t. It just felt a little rushed and a little too… open ended maybe? Overall it was enjoyable.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

This book is great. Not only because of the plot, which is quite well planned, but the main advantage is the atmosphere. From the very beginning, I felt the thrill, the danger.

The isolated island, old friend reunion - everything goes wrong. From the bad weather to the past that is still present and has an impact on the relations between women. 

There are so many secrets, hard feelings, bad blood between them even though they pretending to be best friends as nothing changed. 

After this one? No way I'm going to any no-man land in the middle of the rough sea, cliffs, and with people with who I have a common history with. No way!

But! This is a book I read in one night. I cannot put it down, I just needed to know who was able to mess like that and if they make it. 

Well deserved 4/5