Thank you netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this book before its release. This is a cute novel about sorority sisters and their (not so) secret book getting stolen that they spent their entire college years gossiping in. I just wish this story had more depth and suspense, but overall a 4/5 stars

There's only one reason you choose to read a book with this description and that's because you are titilated by the premise. And I bit. Strangely, it was much more than I expected and a really clever mystery. Also, this is the kind of book that brings you into a world that most of us know nothing about and isn't that kind of fun? Especially in these times? So, I can heartily recommend it for a lovely escape that will keep you engaged. The ending seemed a little forced and contrived, but it essentially had nowhere else to go, so I guessed it and most readers will. But that won't keep you from enjoying the ride!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. Can you say Guilty Pleasure?

While this wasn't a hit for me I think I wasnt the right demographic. I loved the southern setting and thriller style lies. The writing perfectly fits the tiktok generation . I would recommend for fans of PLL and similar shows

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am not and will never be a TikTok person, so I never actually got into the wormhole of RushTok. But I did read several articles about “Bama Rush,” and I watched the documentary (and I have a cousin in a sorority at Auburn, whose Insta frankly frightens me!). I was never in a sorority, but I find them fascinating from afar. This whole book is bonkers and I loved it. Like eating frosting right from the can.

The story follows four Bama besties - Brooklyn, Annabelle, Asana, and Taylor. When the novel opens, they’re five years out of college and have been invited back to their old sorority house for the opening of the time capsule they buried senior year (it was meant to be opened in 100 years, but the former house mother died and her family wanted the ring she put into it, so they insisted on digging it up). The problem is, Taylor put the “spill book” inside. It’s basically a notebook where Taylor bullied all of the sisters into writing down their secrets for the whole four years of college, and there’s plenty of incriminating stuff inside. Taylor put it in the capsule intending for it to be safe until they were all long gone, so this obviously isn’t great news. We follow all 4 girls back and forth through time - seeing what secrets were being told in the past, and what they’re doing to mitigate damage in the present.

All four girls have something to hide from the past and a lot to lose in the present. There’s a ton of jumping around, obviously, and each chapter also opens with a secret from the Spill Book, so there’s quite a bit going on. It’s never hard to follow, and I didn’t have issues telling the 4 girls apart, which is definitely a plus. I also kind of hated all of them? They’re all pretty terrible people in their own ways, so there wasn’t anyone whose chapters I was anticipating or dreading, if that makes sense. It does sort of bug me that they’re presented as the heroes, when again, they’ve all done some pretty terrible shit. And the majority of their problems in both the past and the present are ultimately solved by the fact that they all have a LOT of money. So again, kind of tough to root for (not that I was actively rooting for something awful to happen to them, but it’s annoying to see that they’re able to get out of pretty much everything because they’re rich and white).

Bama Rush! Yes, please! This cover drew me in and the story kept my attention. As a former sorority member, I needed to know the ins and outs of Brandon's book. It was entertaining and juicy. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Such a fun take on the Rush Tok craze... Mean Girls meets Sex Lives of College Girls.

This book follows 4 college freshman from Rush Week to 5 years post grad when they are all reunited after their spill book is leaked. They each had their own secrets in college and they have their own secrets now and this book perfectly linked the two timelines and each of the four women as they explored how strong are the bonds of sisterhood.

I was part of Greek life in college (way back when facebook just started...so no tiktok here) so it was fun to reminisce and speculate how much has changed regarding Greek life... and just how much has stayed the same. Very entertaining read!

Thank you to Net Galley and William Morrow for the ARC.

Thank you for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed the drama of this book, but it got to be a little too over the top. I wish they removed some of the story lines and focused more on the ones they kept.

read if you like:
📱 #rushtok
👯‍♀️ sororities
💁🏻‍♀️ scandals

summary:
I really wanted to love this book, but I just could not get into it. It follows four sorority sisters who decide to return to the University of Alabama for Rush Week after receiving anonymous notes that their “Spill Book” of secrets has been stolen. All four women have something to lose, and decide to come back to protect their adult lives and reputations. It cuts back and forth between all four girls and their time at college and the present day to help build the story of who they were, who they became, and most importantly, what they’re trying to keep hidden.

I have to say — all four women are incredibly unlikeable. They’re obnoxious and pretentious as adults, which makes it nearly impossible to have empathy for them as college students. They’re all deeply flawed and selfish, and I found it hard to get hooked to their journeys or even really care what happened to their reputations. Just when you start to think you’re liking one of them, something transpires that resets your opinion. The book is also a bit hard to follow as it cuts back and forth through time, and it moves a little slowly towards the middle. That being said, I did love RushTok and the traditions and hype of a rush week (as someone who went to a school without Greek life!) There are also some modern pop culture references — like OnlyFans, #OOTD, #rushtok (obviously) and Ashley Madison that make you feel like you’re living in a TV drama.

If you like the college years of Gossip Girl (you know what I’m talking about!) or are obsessed with Greek life, this is a fun book for you. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

A rompy read that highlights the seedy side of Rush, but also the friendships that stand the test of time! Four very flawed characters find redemption and themselves as they navigate the then and now of sorority and fraternity life. With a little bit of who dunnit - the ending is satisfying. Thank you for the advance readers copy I am appreciative!

4 sorority sisters have reunited 5 years later for Rush Week. All of their secrets are being held against them, and their lives might be forever changed.

I enjoyed the pop culture references, which helped distinguish between which time period you were reading (then vs. now). Writing from the POVs for the 4 characters was probably not easy, and I think it was done well. It was easy to remember the different characters and their backstories.

Unfortunately, the ending fell a little flat for me. It seemed a little too late for the characters to have any redeeming qualities.

The whole concept of the "spill book" didn't make sense to me, but maybe that's because I wasn't in a sorority.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

I'm usually a huge fan of anything Greek life/ivies/secret societies but this one just didn't pan out for me. I liked the idea, but I had a hard time getting into it as the story felt like it kind of dragged out before any action started. I like the dual timelines POVs, but I couldn't connect with the characters - it took me a while to tell them apart other than hair color for a good chunk of the book, and I was left wanting more depth and development. I think the storyline had good promise, but the execution fell a little short. Thank you for the ARC!

I hate when writers can’t get timelines right and they are sloppy with cultural references. This was both with references to TikTok and songs that came out only in 2020 but alluding to a timeline 9’years prior

Fun, suspenseful ride! As someone who follows bama rush tok, this book was a blast! The story of 4 friends who are the poster girls for rush talk with some dark secrets, was the perfect way to spend some cold winter nights. Definitely recommend for anyone who’s looking to be distracted from current events in a fun soapy scandalous way! This will be a perfect beach read!

I think this was more like 2.5 stars because I certainly didn’t hate reading it, but it wasn’t anything new or all that impressive.

This is loosely inspired by “RushTok” and that alone means it’s waaaayyy too soon for me to be reading a book about it. Five years after graduating, four sisters from THE house on campus are brought (blackmailed) back together when their deepest secrets are about to be revealed. Can they come together to save their (and the house’s) reputation?

The concept was okay enough, but the characters felt cliché and at times desperate, and often interchangeable with one another. I also don’t think alumni would be this involved recruitment? And also if the gals reunited five years post grad, that means they were freshmen nine years ago, and nine years ago TikTok didn’t exist so…there goes a whole plot line. The writing was fine and I really don’t have any HUGE complaints, just wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! Rush Week comes out in July.

This was an ARC from NetGalley. The summary sounded promising, but didn't live up to the potential. There are four main characters, and consist of short chapters alternating POVs. It took a while to fully be able to tell the characters apart and follow their stories. Overall, the story was fairly lackluster, and we didn't get much character in either timeline. I didn't get invested in their story The ending was uneventful and was a letdown. #netgalley #rushweek #bamagreeklife #dueltimelines #sistersdontkeepsecrets

4 stars out of 5.

What a wild ride! This book had so much drama and had me hooked from the beginning. The characters were all awful but I think that really added to the story. While some of the drama and events were really far fetched, I still enjoyed reading this. I liked the multiple point of views and the switch from past to present but thought it was a bit choppy. I found myself confused a few times on where I was in the storyline. Overall, if you are looking for a book full of drama with some suspense mixed in, this one is for you!

In Rush Week, we meet 4 sorority sisters from ADL. They have been out of school for 5 years, each gone their separate ways. They are brought back to Bama for rush week because they are all being blackmailed. Before they left college ADL buried a time capsule and everyone put something inside to be opened 100 years later. It turns out it was opened only 5 years later and one of the girls put "the spill book" inside it. It was a book where all the sisters wrote their deepest darkest secrets and it turns out the book is now in the wrong hands. They need to work together to figure out who took it and why they are being blackmailed.

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

No rush for me. Sigh.

What I ordered: #BamaRushTok! But make it a juicy mystery! A stolen time capsule, an anonymous blackmailer, and deep, dirty secrets—basically Pretty Little Liars meets the 90s cult classic The Skulls.

What I got: A chaotic, unfocused tree killer drowning in half-baked ideas and overactive libidos. Each sorority sister flaunts a “dark past,” but the characters never rise above their tired archetypes: the queen bee hiding a scandal, the repentant party girl, the aloof rich girl, and the one inexplicably forgiven for everything.

This wasn’t so much a mystery as a GRWM soap opera spritzed in Sol de Janerio. It’s more subpar than supreme, sigh instead of slay, and drama without direction. I could go on.

Skip the book. Pour yourself some sweet tea, stream the HBO doc, and let this sisterhood rush by without you.

*Thank you to Net Galley and Avon for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my always honest reviews*

Final Grade: D, Not worth pledging

Oh wow get ready for a fun ride with this book! The characters were so fun to follow on their journey. I loved the ending! Very well done

This drama-packed book was perfectly written for all the lovers of #booktok and #rushtok. Brandon successfully dramatized all of the things that leave us guessing every August when Alabama comes back around with a new crop of PNMs. As a former member of Greek life at another Southern school, I thought it was interesting to read a book about “#rushtok”, an interesting development in the recruitment process that didn’t exist when I rushed myself. The similarities to my real life kept me hooked, and I read almost all of it in one sitting. I also loved the exploration of the ever-elusive “Machine”, and I’m curious to see what the response may be if this book gets into the hands of Alabama students.

However, the focus on TikTok is what led to some parts of the book that felt unrealistic to me. At least now, there is no way that girls who posted about recruitment on TikTok would end up in the top house on campus due to the liabilities that come with it. Also, in the TikTok-related realm, songs and dances were mentioned which threw off the timeline of the book. Songs that came out in 2021 were mentioned in the “then” period, but movies that came out in 2023 were treated like recent releases in the “now” period, 9 years later. Beyond these small discrepancies, I quite enjoyed the book; it’ll be devoured by anyone considering Greek life, currently in or recently an alumni of Greek life, and those who always wished they joined.

This book was everything I dreamed it would be and more!! The tik tok phenomena of Alabama had me always wondering what rushing there would be like. Following the journey of BATA painted that picture of sisterhood and more. I loved the switching of the protagonists but also enjoyed the then and now touch! It definitely added depth to the story and had me saying just one more chapter! I was grateful for a snow day as I finished this book in a day and a half. I can not wait until it comes out, as I will be adding it to my shelf. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced copy. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!!