What a page-turner! Lucy Foley has done it again with an intriguing, drama filled story. This nuanced tale of greed and privilege brought up so many emotions as we learned about Francesca’s past. I was thoroughly pleased with the ending and felt that the story wrapped up nicely!

🌲The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley🐦‍⬛
Thank you to @netgalley for this arc, for my honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
My thoughts: This was told was multiple povs from different characters over different timelines. I got a little confused and had to map out a timeline of events lol. I tried so hard to love this but it wasn’t my vibe and the rating was my own experience, and not the quality of the book. This was my first book by this author and although it wasn’t for me,I’m still curious about their other work.

I have enjoyed The Hunting Party and the Guest List by Lucy Foley, and this book joins the rank of the others! The Midnight Feast revolves around a high-end resort experience in Tome, a city where the original inhabitants are anything but glad for the intrusion. The main character, Francesca (Frankie, as a child) draws the ire of townsfolk and guests alike as her opening weekend develops into a nightmarish experience for all involved.

I love a good mystery, and the gradual unraveling of Francesca’s past mistakes and her current mental state made for juicy reading. The close-knit community of Tome made its slow appearance in the form of various guests, each of whom holds a place in Francesca’s history in one form or another. I also couldn’t help but (unfortunately) admire her guileless manipulative character, who was so certain in her own innocence and righteousness at a very high cost.

Though it felt like the pieces of the puzzle fit almost a bit too well, the mechanics of why this is the case do reveal themselves over the course of the story. The book makes for interesting reading in this way, and I especially enjoyed the final reveal of The Crows at the very end of the book. All in all, I would recommend this for fans of a moody mystery, and especially to fellow readers of Lucy Foley’s other works!

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC.

I’m just as surprised as anyone, but I genuinely loved this. I liked some of Lucy Foley’s past works, but the Paris Apartment was one of my big letdowns so I went into this with a healthy dose of skepticism. It has all of the dark past and ridiculous opulence of The Guest List but with much better pacing (I was truly on the edge of my seat whenever I was reading) and some of the later twists were both jaw-dropping and incredibly moving. The aesthetic of both the main set piece and the lurking mythology is so perfectly poised and spooky. There’s a little too much over-explaining in the end, but as a whole this really got me.

This is only the second Lucy Foley book I’ve read, but after reading this latest thriller of hers, I can confidently state that she has a type. When you read one of her novels, you know you’re in for multiple alternating POVs, characters attempting to reconcile some horrifying event from their past, hot takes on class differences, and plenty of alcohol and (not graphic) sex. This thriller was also deeply steeped in the supernatural, and provided a much-needed critique of New Age-y wellness culture.

I didn’t like the plodding first half of this book. The multiple POVs kept the plot moving enough, but made it difficult for me to keep track of how everything and everyone fit together. However, after the halfway point (when the twists and turns really took off) then I was a more engaged reader. As Foley, one by one, revealed all the spoilers in the final chapters amongst the eerie setting of the Manor and the rural bramble of the town of Tome, I concluded that this was a much better thriller than I thought. The final scene and line were brilliant.

Perhaps I will read this one again. I think "The Guest List" is better overall, but "The Midnight Feast" deserves a second read-through from me.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This book HOOKED me from the first chapter. I could not put this book down to the point I was denying I was falling asleep just to keep reading. I thought I could tell where the story was going, but the reveals at the end truly made me gasp. I wish I could read this book again for the first time.

I’m a huge Lucy Foley book and was thrilled with the opportunity to read The Midnight Feast. A twisty tale told across multiple view points and timelines it’s one where attention to detail is key! I think with so many characters it did detract from the pace of the story and unfortunately falls towards the bottom of my favorite a Foley books list but nonetheless a fun ride. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Two unlikely friends share a dark secret. One is overcome with guilt and has a vendetta against the other. She returns 15 years later to confront the other and to make her confess to the horrible thing she has done. This book is amazing! It took me a little while to really get into it, but once I did, I could not put it down! It was full of secrets, twists, turns, and a climax that had my head spinning! Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Lucy Foley has a brand new fan!

What I liked best about The Midnight Feast was how easily I could picture every scene. Foley created such distinct images in my head that I can still remember how I imagined the Hutches, the woods, the manor, the farms, and the beach to look. It's not often that I have a very vivid picture of a setting that stays in my mind long-term! I think this would make a great screen adaptation. I can definitely picture Nicole Kidman playing Francesca.

I liked the split timeline of The Midnight Feast--multiple POVs in the present and Bella's diary to fill in the past. There were some dark twists that came together wonderfully, and it was fun to see the past come back to haunt Francesca in more ways than one.

Overall it was a solid read and an interesting thriller. It's quite fast-paced, so I was able to read it quite quickly. It felt like a cross between Midsommar and Nine Perfect Strangers (and maybe The Birds, but I haven't seen that).

This book reminded me of Nine Perfect Strangers for some reason, maybe the retreat all natural atmosphere. I was surprised at the ending of the main female character.

It’s the grand opening for the exclusive getaway known as “The Manor”. Francesca, the owner, has spared no expenses to ensure her guests have an unforgettable experience. The local residents are unhappy about the privatized, wealthy, guests that have invaded their territory. Rumors begin to spread that a local folktale, The Night Birds, has been summoned for justice against this intrusion. Francesca, despite being a local, doesn’t believe in the lore but she does have a feeling one of her guests is out to sabotage her opening night. A Midnight Feast, an avenging folklore, and a dead body will definitely make this a weekend to remember.

The Midnight feast is a deliciously twisty tale in which the past and present collide. Nobody is quite who they appear to be as the tale unfolds and reveals secrets meant to stay buried. The story follows several key characters as opening night, the Midnight Feast, and each of their plans creeps closer to fruition. Despite my dislike of the main antagonist this novel had some surprising fun twists and turns..a must read for 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for access to the ARC for The Midnight Feast! I wasn’t crazy about The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley, but I absolutely LOVED this one! It was super creepy, and I couldn’t put it down. It had me guessing clear until the last couple of pages! Sooo many twists!

An enjoyable read!

A little disappointing compared to Foley’s other books in that most of the twists were predictable. The characters tell a little flat for me too. Would be a good beach read and entertaining but not truly memorable.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Riveting, a wild thrill ride that I couldn’t get enough of! I love Foley and expect her books to have some twists but couldn’t have predicted how wild and well planned the plot was. Her writing just keeps getting better but this was my absolute favorite!

Although it took me a few chapters to get into this book, once I was fully invested I couldn’t put it down! The journal entries really changed the pace for me and made it so much spookier.

I thought this one started off a little slow, but once I got through the first 50 pages I was hooked, especially as I got to the Solstice! In true Lucy Foley fashion, there are several character points of view and it moves back and forth from the past to the present. It’s the grand opening at The Manor, a luxury vacation spot on the water. The elusive Francesca Meadows and her husband Owen Dacre have not missed a detail. The staff has been trained to perfection and the guests have been carefully checked. But as the story unfolds, you find that many have secrets. The birds brought bad luck back in 2009, the question throughout is are the birds responsible for the fire? Who were the lucky ones to make it out alive? I really enjoyed the after section of the book, which connected all the dots. Some of them might even get the ending they are looking for!
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers and the author for the copy of this book in exchange for my thoughts.
Publication Date: June 18, 2024
Genre: Mystery-Thriller

Wow wow wow. I wasn’t sure what exactly I was getting myself into after the first few chapters — Lucy blends magical folklore with psychological thriller in this fantastic read. The more I read, the more I couldn’t stop reading. Told from multiple viewpoints and timelines, you’ll find yourself craving justice, rooting for the underdog, and realizing you don’t know near as much as you think you did. This book was genuinely good til the last page.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a fantastic read! The storyline is told in multiple POVs/timelines and it really kept me wanting more after each chapter. The characters were well done and not all of them were likeable . Overall a fast and suspenseful read. Highly recommend

I love Lucy Foley and was really looking forward to this book. The premise sounded so good. Opening weekend of a boutique hotel, No expense has been spared. There’s a fire, there’s a body. Everyone has secrets. Unfortunately for me it was a miss. It was an ok story. It started off slow. The journal entries helped the story pick up a bit. However there were so many POVS and timelines it got confusing at times. The Night Birds that right the wrongs of those gone unpunished didn’t work for me. It was fine. Not my favorite of hers

Whew!! This book was intense! It had a lot of twists and turns throughout the story - some predictable and others completely unpredictable and shocking. The premise was unlike anything I’d ever read before, so I was super intrigued the entire time. My only complaints would be that the book started off confusing because I had to sort out not only the different characters, but also the different timelines - the past journal entries, the day before solstice, the day of, and the aftermath. It was just a lot to keep track of in my opinion. I did enjoy the shocking twists, though!

Thank you to Lucy Foley, Harper Collins Publishing, and NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC! I loved getting to read this thrilling novel!