Peacocking : Having a very high opinion of oneself, filled with or showing excessive self-esteem. For example, She strutted about in her new outfit, proud as a peacock.

I also might be peacocking over my latest book.

That sure was a doozy!

Friends in Napa !!!!

This book might just be my book of the year! It was absolutely wild. How will I ever live without Sheila Yasmin Marikar in my life?

I hope I never have to find out, check out this teaser :

Six old friends descend on Napa Valley for a luxurious weekend of fine wine and good times…until old tensions simmer to the surface. So much can go wrong in this dark comedy by the author of The Goddess Effect.

Just get yourselves here, everything else is on us.

Raj and Rachel Ranjani have invited a small group of their ride or dies from college for a celebratory weekend in Napa Valley. On the agenda: three nights in the couple’s vineyard mansion, a lavish dinner at Napa’s hottest new restaurant, exclusive tastings, and the grand opening of the Ranjanis’ ultra-high-end winery. It’s a reunion of six friends who haven’t seen each other in years. What could go wrong?

To start, there’s the less-than-warm welcome: a brick flung through a window and palpable tension between the hosts. But no worries—all Raj has to do is pop a few bottles of vintage Dom, and the college vibes come rushing back. So do old resentments, animosities, and unrequited crushes. Soon enough, the illusion of friendship shatters like a gossamer wineglass, and one of the friends ends up dead. Everyone has their motivations. Everyone has something to hide.

Here’s to a weekend in the valley. Drink up and watch your back.

A group of friends from college reunite for a luxurious weekend in Napa. As the wine flows so do the old rivalries and resentments. I always love a good college reunion story and was fairly engaged on this one until the ending. It felt rushed and somewhat ridiculous.

I didn't love the book but I also didn't hate it. I found it could use more development and some more editing. I found the pacing to be off especially towards the end it was pretty abrupt

Friends in Napa by Sheila Yasmin Marikar was a really good read.
I enjoyed the characters and especially the writing was done well and entertaining.

Thank You NetGalley and Mindy's Book Studio for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

this book was okay. characters could use a little more development, and the ending was a bit abrupt. plot could use a little more development too. 3/5 stars

Another great one from Mindy's Book Studio. She has a 100% success rate, I have loved every book under her brand that I have read.

Friends in Napa is a book that is pure entertainment. It's so captivating and I loved the diversity of the characters.

The synopsis and the first chapter did grab my attention. But the rest.. it was missing something. These despicable people never redeem themselves, and their issues are seriously first world problems. If only those were the issues. But it was entertaining to a certain degree. Its like the trash TV, where everyone wants to be with someone else, or be someone else.. and there's an undercurrent of jealousy and hate. The end was very convenient. Not much of a shock after, just the after affects of bitter taste in your mouth that never leaves.
Don't expect more than just a character study, without much growth. Even our MC doesn't really get a redemption, she just realizes she can be whatever she wants because she has "grown up".

Just a train wreck I wanted to finish to see where it was going.. but it didn't really go anywhere. So there's that. Thank you to the publisher for my review copy.

What a fabulous thriller. I loved the way that old college friendships play such a big part of this read. The fact that it’s set in Napa was awesome! I also enjoyed the way everything ties together.

Got hooked just from the first new chapters. I love friendship drama! And this gave me college friends on navigating how to maintain their relationships. So much gossip and drama that kept me hooked all throughout. The book also tackles the hardships of marriage, living with kids, and maintaining a good career/work life. The thriller part is a bonus.

THis one was not for me. I wasn't able to get into it. I didn't like the characters and it seemed a bit superficial. Someone looking for a quick summer read may want to try this one, but it wasn't my favorite.

From the author of The Goddess Effect, comes a thrilling new novel set on a vineyard in Napa Valley. This time we follow Raj and Rachel Ranjani, and their closest friends who are there to celebrate the opening of the Ranjani’s winery. Tensions build in the lead up to the grand opening, so much so that one friend ends up dead.

Refreshing and brilliantly fun, Friends in Napa is Marikar’s best in class travel writing combined with an entertaining cast of characters. The result: a cocktail made up of secrets, money, power and a high dose of drama. I could not put this one down.