The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary copy of this novel! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
In 2012, four friends -Mathilda, Anna, Linnea, and Evelina – gather on a remote island off Sweden’s coast to have a night of fun. But by the next morning, all four women are dead and no one else knew of their location. It is now 2022, 10 years after the death of these four women and Tessa with her true crime passion, is intent on finding out what happened. So, when her best friend, Anneliese, caller her to tell her she’s having a bachelorette party at a yoga retreat on a small island off Sweden’s coast, Tessa is all in!!! This is her chance to try and find out the truth of what happened on that fateful night in 2012! The bride-to-be, Tessa, and a few other friends head to the yoga retreat. However, once again, history begins to repeat itself; and revenge is best served cold!
This was a fast-paced novel that I really enjoyed. It kept me on the edge-of-my seat. I am looking forward to reading more books from this author! It was a 5-star read for me and you can enjoy it too when it will be AVAILABLE June 10, 2025!

This was a quick and easy read, which I appreciated. The writing style was straightforward, and it didn’t take long to get through the book. Sometimes, that’s exactly what I’m in the mood for.

That said, I found the story a bit too predictable. The plot felt a little too obvious, and there weren’t many surprises along the way. I kept hoping for a twist or something that would make me see things in a new light, but it never really came.

What made it harder for me to stay engaged was that I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. They felt flat or distant, and I never felt emotionally invested in their stories or outcomes. That lack of connection made it difficult to care about what happened next.

Overall, it was fine for a light, quick read—but not something that left a strong impression on me.

On an isolated island a group of women on a Bachelorette getaway are thrown into chaos tied to a disappearance a decade before.

While the mystery of this book kept me reading there were aspects that were very predictable. I never was able to pinpoint a motive so for that I was still surprised by the ending.

A lot of the plot beats are very similar to other thrillers which makes this an entertaining enough but average reading experience. I will continue to pick up this author as I do still enjoy all her books.

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Years ago 4 best friends vanish while on a trip to Isle Blind. Known as the Nacka Four, no one has been able to piece together what happened. Fast forward years later, struggling podcaster Tessa is invited to spend the weekend on Isle Blind in honor of her longest friend Annalise’s Bachelorette Party. Tessa is willing to go to see if she can figure out what happened to the Nacka Four. While the island is now owned by one of the sisters of the Nacka Four, Tessa realizes she might have made a huge mistake coming to the island.

My thoughts:

I found it extremely hard to keep up with all the names in this story, especially since many of them were similar (Lena/Linnea, Anna, Annalise). I also thought this was SUCH a slow burn, not what I’m typically looking for in my Mystery/Thrillers. I did enjoy the last 20% of the book and I did want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen. I thought the plot twist was a great one and actually can’t believe I didn’t see it coming!

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for this digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This one was not for me. The biggest thing I struggled with was that there was so many characters not in present time and in the past. I had a hard time keeping track of who everyone was, which timeline they belonged in, and by the time things got tense in the present day timeline I didn’t feel a connection enough to even the main character. I also always wanted to stay in Matilda’s story and dreaded when we switched to present day.

Title: The Bachelorette Party
Author: Camilla Sten
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press ~ Minotaur Books
Genre: Thriller
Pub Date: June 10, 2025
My Rating: 2.5 Stars!
Pages: 304

Story is told in dual timeline as both cases involve four friends attending a bachelorette party.

2012: On a private remote island off the coast of Sweden, four friends Tilly, Anna, Linnea and Evelina gather every year to party. However in 2012 something happens and the girls go missing.

Now April 14, 2022 ten years later: Tessa Nilsson, famous true crime podcaster, is invited to her best friend, Anneliese’s, bachelorette party on ‘Isle Blind“/ Hmm might it be the same remote island?
Anneliese’s bachelorette party.is more than just partying; she wants the group to go on a Yoga retreat at the ‘Baltic Vinyasa’ with Yogi Irene.
It seems Irene also has a connection to one of those four women that mysteriously went missing back in 2012. Tessa knows this is her opportunity to find out what really happened to those women ten years ago. Hmmm is someone else seeking revenge?

I was fortunate in that I also got the audiobook but wasn’t a big fan of the narrator and thought perhaps the galley would be better.
However I struggled with the characters in this story-especially Tessa the protagonist and narrator of the story. I found her unfiltered language unprofessional and unlikeable.
I have a low tolerance for profanity but sometimes the story is so good I am okay with it. However that wasn’t happening with this story.
I hung in there but it just didn’t work for and was a disappointment...

I have read other Camilla Sten stories so I know not to given up on her!

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~Minotaur Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 10, 2025.

thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

yeah I really enjoyed this one. I thought the reveals were pretty whatever and kind of predictable, but that was my only issue with this. and the book didn't really NEED those to be great because of how tense it was throughout. the atmosphere was sooo creepy, the protagonist was great, and I genuinely think this author should delve into horror if she hasn't already because some of the descriptions in here were soooo fucking gnarly in the best way

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: June 10, 2025
Swedish author Camilla Sten delivers a dual-timeline murder mystery (times two!) with her new novel, “The Bachelorette Party”. With a desolate, isolated island as the backdrop, two groups of women, over the span of a decade, attend a celebration on the Isle Blind, and not all of them make it out alive.
Sten has delivered powerhouse suspense novels such as “The Lost Village” and “The Resting Place”, and I have been honoured to read both of these stellar stories. Her newest, “Bachelorette” connects eight women and two timelines in an effortless, compulsively readable way. Dripping with mystery and tension, Sten’s newest novel is a tale of friendships, female bonding and, best of all, revenge.
Matilda is the main character from ten years ago, as she journeys to the island to reconnect with her estranged friends and Tessa is the current protagonist, traveling to the resort to celebrate the upcoming marriage of her best friend, Anneliese. Both women are loosely connected at the beginning, as Tessa hopes to use the story of Matilda and her friends as a topic for her podcast, however, they have a much deeper connection that is revealed in the final chapters. Sten provides tension and intrigue with her well-written plot, and crafts a novel with not one, but two, interconnected timelines.
All of the characters have similarities that make it difficult to tell them apart if you aren’t paying close attention. That being said, they are the only characters throughout the novel, so it makes guessing the ending challenging, as there are no random suspects thrown in, which speaks to Sten’s talent. However, due to this, when the outcome is revealed, it was not entirely unexpected but it still manages to hold some surprising elements while providing necessary closure.
“Bachelorette” has “The Guest List” elements, with some “White Lotus” thrown in. Since there has been a great influx of novels lately focusing on women getting murdered while on tropical vacations, I probably won’t be leaving the comfort of my couch anytime soon. Which is a good thing, because “Bachelorette”, and others like it, provide the perfect (and safe!) escape.

Very quick read that I didn’t want to put down. This is my second read by this author and I really enjoy her writing. Her writing is very easy to read.

Locked door with a little gore. Takes place mostly on a beach of an uninhabited island. So perfect for someone looking for a summer thriller.
There are two time lines that are 10 years apart. 4 women went on a trip in 2012 and never returned. Now years later a group of friends go to the island for a bachelorette party. Then a body is found and the past and present timelines start to blur.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the arc of this book!

I love a good wedding themed thriller so was excited to try this. It started out slow and a little confusing, due to the past/present timeline that included two different groups of young women who visit a small island off the coast of Sweden about eight years apart.

The first group of four vanishes and among the second group is Tessa, a podcaster who had a spectacularly bad breakup with her girlfriend/podcast producer and has to start over. She's mildly interested to attend a bachelorette weekend at the site of a famous true crime scene, but when spooky things start happening a second time around, things get horrifying.

The second half of the book picks up considerably and moves more into the horror lane. The ending got a little convoluted for me, but that last part of the book did bring the chills and thrills.

It was okay. The book could have benefitted by having less characters I wasn’t super engaged at the beginning. It picked up in the middle. Then when everything came to light it didn’t feel like the best answer to the mystery. I really liked the setting and Tessa’s backstory though.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was intrigued by premise of this book. Sadly, I was a little let down.

The story begins with a group of friends that meet at a remote island on a routine basis. All members of the group end up dead and become known as the Nacka Four. The mystery is had they all drowned in an accident or was there something more sinister that had occurred.

Ten years later, there is now a hotel on the remote island. And another group of friends are meeting there for a bachelorette party. But there is still an overshadowing mystery, as the island is owned by one of the sisters of the Nacka Four. And one of the current party, Tessa, is a true crime podcaster who has an interest in the real story. When a member of the party goes missing, and other strange things start to happen, it is clear that digging up the past might not be worth it.

The story itself was interesting, but the characters were not very likeable. I just did not connect with the story as a whole. That being said, I think that I would give this author another try. Might be for some but just not for me.
3 stars.

THE BACHELORETTE PARTY will keep you on the edge of your seat. I liked the remote setting and creepy vibes. The story is fast paced and filled with some shocking moments. I couldn't put it down.

Many thanks for my gifted copy. This review will be shared to my account @coffee.break.book.reviews

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I think this is a thriller, but it was fairly straightforward and clear what was going on for me. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy reading it, though. There's something about a mystery where everyone is stuck in one place that I just love.

This book was enjoyable, but maybe a little off pace for me. It felt a little too slow burn- so much so that it drug in some places. I really enjoyed the setting, the characters, and the overall plot. I would definitely read more from this author.

This was not my favorite work by Camilla Sten. It was predictable, and I didn’t care for any of the characters. The pacing was good though and the atmosphere was tense and creepy.

This book is the perfect slow-burn summer beach read. From the atmosphere to the relationship between friends, I was engaged by the story from the very start. I do think it dragged a bit towards the middle, but overall found the ending to be pretty satisfying and would recommend to any mystery readers looking for a quick and fun read on the beach. I loved the dual timelines and how they interweaved though it was a little hard to keep track of who everyone was which is where I struggled a bit. Overall, a satisfying read that I would recommend! Not quite a 4 star for me but more than a 3. 3.5

This was my first book by Sten, and I confess I was drawn to it by the gorgeous cover! However, the story itself fell a bit flat for me. I had trouble keeping up with all of the characters and the ending is a bit over the top. I enjoyed the writing, though, and will look forward to more works by this author!

This book follows a group of childhood friends as they reunite at a bachelorette party of one of the original friends. The gathering seems to have a hidden agenda that includes a break from technology. Of course there's a death among the group that they must try to uncover the truth.

This was a fast paced thriller, but I grew a bit confused with the number of characters to keep up with. The ending wasn't what I was expecting either, so unfortunately this book falls right in the middle with a 3 star rating. It wasn't bad, but wasn't a favorite and I'll probably forget it in the next few weeks.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

Is it just me, or are have there been a lot of books set on remote islands and featuring bachelorette parties as of late? The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten is the latest thriller featuring that particular trope, and unfortunately, this one fell pretty flat for me. The main plot is four friends were murdered there, and ten years later, Tessa is heading to the same island for a bachelorette party, but also hopes to find out what happened to the women in order to create.a podcast and revitalize her career.

Sten's writing is always good; she's great at setting the scenes and pacing her books. However, this story was predictable and felt like a plot that had been done over and over. I nearly put it down a few times but I kept reading because I wanted to see if I guessed the ending correctly (spoiler - I did.)

It was fine. Not my favorite by her, but an okay read. Definitely a 3 star read for me.
Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.