I hate that I didnt love this like I wanted to. The premise seemed so interesting and of course I was ready for the drama - but that much? No, thanks. The spoiled flat characters just didnt do it for me. Im sorry

Rush Week - Michelle Brandon

⭐️⭐️

“Little is known and what is known is kept secret.”

Four sorority sisters return to their University of Alabama house for Rush Week five years after graduation, only to discover that their long‑buried “Spill Book” full of dark confessions—sealed in a time capsule—has been stolen and is now being used to blackmail them. As the secrets threaten their reputations, the women must confront past mistakes and decide if their bond of sisterhood can withstand the scandal or crumble under the weight of deceit.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC! This book was Pretty Little Liars x BamaTok, which I thought would be interesting to me but it just didn’t hit. I found the writing to be very brash and kind of shocking in the straightforwardness in the storytelling. I was not connected to any of the girls and they all seemed like pretty terrible humans in general. I would definitely skip this one.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This is a multi-POV story that takes place over 2 time lines. It deals with friendship, family drama, college life, adult life, secrets, lies and the consequences of your actions.

While in college 4 best friends make a spill book where they spill all of their secrets. 5 years after college those secrets start to haunt them as someone is using them to blackmail the girls into coming back to Rush week.

This was a fast moving book with lots of action.

Thank you Net Galley and William Marrow/ Anon A. for providing this early copy for review.

The premise of this book was interesting, but was poorly executed in so many ways. It felt like someone who knew the bare minimum on Greek life just put together all the typical things you'd see / hear on social media into a book.
The characters were insufferable and honestly I couldn't find myself liking any of them. None of them could redeem themselves over and over again they just did dumb shit.
Some parts of the book felt like filler, and it threw the pacing completely off.
Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, mostly enjoyable read. If you like women's wrongs and titanium friendships, you'll like this book. But there were also some fairly glaring issues for me.

To start with some good, I really liked our four main characters. They were distinct right off the rip, each with their own unique personalities and secrets. Considering how many similarities they had to have for the plot to work, this was impressive to me. I never once got them mixed up. However, as someone who is about the same age as these girls, I thought their behavior was sort of weird. They felt way older than the 27 year olds they were supposed to be. How, for example, did Taylor graduate law school, pass the bar (I assume, since she refers to herself as a lawyer), get married, and start a career as a campaign manager in just 5 years? It seems awfully fast. Same goes for Annabelle's husband, Greg, who is already a high-powered criminal attorney only five years after graduating undergrad. I don't know why this couldn't have taken place ten years after graduation instead of five.

Also, if this is set in present day, then these girls would have started school in 2016. Tiktok wasn't a thing in 2016 and I don't think OnlyFans was either. "Rushtok" wasn't really a big thing until 2021 or 2022. So, again, the timeline just felt odd.

And then, the pacing and plot. I get what Brandon was trying to do, but two timelines from four points of view just felt like too much. We never really got to stay in anyone's head for a long time, which wouldn't normally bother me except that it left so much plot off page. I have many, many questions, in particular, about Brooklyn's past. I feel like we never really got to hear how or why a lot of the things that happened to her happened. I also didn't really realize until the end that the girls weren't on speaking terms until the end--I think that tension could have been played up much more. Additionally, the pacing was veeeery slow considering the pressure. I wonder if nine days was too many, and if there would have been more tension if they'd only been welcomed back for the last three days or so of rush. The other sisters contributed very little--I don't really know why we needed them.

And then, the mystery. It just did not have as much bite as I was hoping, and the conclusion fell a bit flat for me. The reveal was pretty much exactly what I thought it would be right from the beginning. There were no twists along the way; the blackmailer never reappears to make more threats.

To end this review back on a high note, I loved the atmosphere. I grew up in a southern college town, and all of that description felt very true to life. I also liked the voice a lot, and I liked how we left the four girls even if I didn't love the resolution of the mystery. Often when I wasn't reading, I found myself really wishing that I was, so I would definitely say it was compelling, even with it's other issues.

I enjoyed Rush Week and thought it was a fun concept for a thriller! As someone who was pulled into Bama Rushtok when it went around last year I enjoyed how well those elements on the story were done. The past setting was well written to fit the social media heavy presence that the sorority rush scene took. The book kind of gave me vibes similar to Pretty Little Liars with the way that you followed a small group of women being blackmailed by a mysterious figure. It also had elements of a Mean Girls vibe with the spill book, similar to the Burn Book.

I enjoyed the two timelines, of then and now, in term of the girl’s college experience versus coming back for rush week after graduation but did find a little tricky to follow in the beginning. It mainly just made it a little difficult to remember who was who of the characters, especially since a couple of them have similar features. I found the characters easy to read, while none of them were overly likeable I think that was the intention of them.

The book had be captivated in the beginning, but did kind of slow down for me in the middle. All in all it was a decent thriller, with an interesting concept.

Rush Week by Michelle Brandon is a wild and entertaining deep dive into the chaotic world of sorority life, where secrets run deep and loyalty is always in question. As former sisters return to the house they once ruled, the story unravels a tangled web of lies, drama, and intense rivalries. Brandon masterfully captures the toxic glamour and unchecked power that can brew behind closed doors, delivering a plot packed with twists and tension.
There’s an unapologetic “bad girl” energy that pulses through the pages—at times delightfully over the top, yet always purposeful. Rather than feeling exaggerated, Brandon’s portrayal of the sorority’s darker side offers an unsettling glimpse into how far these women will go to protect their secrets and reputations. With sharp writing and vivid scenes, Rush Week offers a thrilling, fast-paced ride that’s both scandalous and impossible to look away from.
Overall, it’s a fun and addictive read that balances drama with just enough depth to leave an impression. Michelle Brandon doesn’t just tell a story—she drags you straight into the madness of Greek life, and it’s a ride worth taking.

I had to sit on this one for a little bit. I would say that it's a good story overall, but I felt like some parts missed the mark. The premise had potential—four sisters of the ADL sorority with tangled secrets and an unexpected opening of the time capsule—but by the end, I expected more resolution between the main characters. All the sisters should’ve come clean with each other, but that just didn’t happen—or maybe I missed something?

One sister’s secret being shared with only one other felt like a missed opportunity for deeper character development or emotional payoff. And the big reveals—who opened the time capsule early and who took the "Spill Book"—landed a little dull and predictable. I was hoping for more shock. At least, there were some juicy secrets revealed that absolutely should not have been written down.

That said, I loved Drew’s heartfelt moment with Brooklyn. His little love confession and how he accepts her for who she is—even knowing all her secrets before she was ready to share—was probably my favorite part of the book. A true soft moment that stood out.

It was a fast-paced, quick read for me, and while I didn’t dislike it, I still felt like it didn’t quite hit the emotional depth or intrigue it was aiming for. Worth picking up if you’re curious, but go in with tempered expectations.

Thank you to the author, William Morrow Publishing, and Net Galley for the advance copy to provide an honest review

In “Rush Week”, four former sorority girls are blackmailed into returning to the University of Alabama for rush week. Annabelle, Brooklyn, Taylor and Asana are ‘frenemies’ that must figure out who stole their secrets from the time capsule before it’s too late. The story jumps around quite a bit between the 4 main characters POV and a dual timeline from when they were in college and the present. As a former sorority girl myself, I think the premise has potential, but the book feels very surface-level and based off stereotypes. As a reader, I didn’t feel like I knew the characters well, despite the length of the book. Also, each chapter started with a quote from the “spill book”, but the confession didn’t match the POV for the chapter and that bothered me. The ending was a let down, so I can’t say there was some crazy twist at the end to satisfy mystery lovers. Unfortunately, I don’t see this being a hit with either mystery fans or people who love reading about greek life.

3/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a tense and juicy read as the chaos unfolded and the everyone's perfectly curated lives are in trouble as alliances crumbled.

A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
Such a great story. I enjoyed every minute of it.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

It's been 5 years since Taylor, Annabelle, Asana, and Brooklyn graduated from the University of Alabama and they haven't spoken since. Having been close both as friends and Alpha Delta Lambda sorority sisters, they each have a lot of secrets from those four years; many of which were written down in the sorority's Spill Book that upon graduation, was placed in a time capsule.

But the time capsule, and the Spill Book, has been stolen and the thief is now threatening all 4 women to spill their secrets. So they and other alum return to campus for Rush Week to figure out who is behind this plot before they are all exposed.

What made this book enjoyable to me was the style of writing. Each chapter started with a short entry from the Spill book from one of the girls which would allude to or tease a part of the bigger story. The chapters themselves alternated timelines between when they were in school and now, so with 3 timelines happening (Then, Now, and the Spill Book entries) it kept the intrigue and pace moving fast.

Thank you #NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with a copy of the ebook for #RushWeek!!

Inspired by the viral sensation #BamaRushTok, Michelle Brandon's "Rush Week" takes on the chaotic, high-stakes world of sorority life at the University of Alabama and uses it as the starting point for this dark, drama-filled story.

The plot follows Brooklyn, Asana, Taylor, and Annabelle, four former sorority sisters whose dark secrets, which they wrote in their sorority's "Spill Book" as part of a hazing ritual and locked inside a time capsule, were supposed to stay buried for at least 100 years. However, that all changes only five years later when their former house mother passes away, and the time capsule is stolen. Now someone is threatening to expose their secrets and upend all their lives, and they need to find and stop the threat before it's too late.

This book is full of sharp twists, bold personalities, and plenty of scandal. Brandon balances the glossy facade of university Greek life with complicated emotional ties, and explores the four women's friendship, betrayal, and shared history. While the characters are not the most likable, the writing is fast-paced and captivating, making "Rush Week" a binge-worthy read.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars… what can I say? I really, really, really wanted to love this book, but I just didn’t. I was very intrigued with the premise of behind the scenes rush week details at a big university, but it just didn’t work for me. The characters were underdeveloped and very unlikable. All of them did yuck things. So many cringey moments almost like too much detail in certain areas and not enough detail in the story elements. Just no.

This one wasn’t really for me. I couldn’t really relate in a positive way to any of the characters, and I struggled to finish it. It may well be that I am just too old to be considered the target audience for this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Did you rush in college? Were you addicted to #bamarush videos? Then you must read this book about four sorority sisters who came back to campus for rush five years later. They are trying to make sure their secrets aren’t spilled to the world. “Rush Week” is filled with drama, gossip and scandals. These girls are not who they appear to be.

Fun quick read, perfect for relaxing at the end of the day or by the pool!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon a for an advance review copy. #RushWeek #NetGalley

Thank you, Michelle Brandon, Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book follows four former sorority sisters as they are blackmailed into returning to their old college and sorority house in order to stop secrets from their "Spill book" from being released. This was an interesting read and gave Mean Girl/Gossip Girl vibes. The story is told in the POVs of the four sisters and alternates between the present and their past in college. I liked all the secrets that were told at the beginning of each chapter, and this book kept my attention. It was slightly predictable in places but was still a good read! The four sisters come together to figure out who is trying to blackmail them with secrets from their past while also sharing secrets of their present. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes Greek life and likes a quick mystery read.

I really enjoyed this book! I went into it just expecting a juicy good time, which it was. But it ended up going much deeper. I personally never felt the attraction of the Greek life, but I feel like the story helped me understand it a bit better. I thought that each of the ladies were relatable in one way or another, and despite all of the high drama there were other elements that were easy to connect with. Things like complicated family dynamics, healing after trauma, and dealing with both internal and external expectations.

This story is about four sorority sisters from the University of Alabama, that while they were in college, wrote some of their deepest secrets in a book. That book was put in a time capsule that wasn't supposed to be unearthed until they were long dead, and the secrets in the “Spill Book”no longer mattered. But the capsule is being opened early, and they must stop the unexpected opening of the time capsule before the book falls into the wrong hands.

The story alternates between past and present, so you can see the things they did while they were in the sorority, & the secrets they wrote down in the book. Then you can also see the women they became today. This definitely underlines every reason why I would never have wanted to join a sorority.... from the hazing, to the mean-spirited behavior of those in power. None of those women were likeable - then or now, really. It wasn't just "rich grls behaving badly". They did some seriously messed up stuff. I really wanted to like this book, and thought the premise sounded like something I would enjoy, but unfortunately I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. It wasn't terrible, just not great.

[3.75 stars]

The girls of Alpha Delta Lambda are sisters for life, sworn to keep each other’s secrets for life too. However, some secrets in ADL are no longer safe. During their time in the sorority, Brooklyn, Asana, Taylor, and Annabelle, write their dirtiest secrets in the Spill Book - along with their other active sisters. When the Spill Book is placed in the ADL time capsule, they’re certain nobody will lay eyes on their secrets for 100 years. However, after their house mother dies, the capsule is opened prematurely and their secrets are out in the open. With days left until Bid Day, the girls are being blackmailed with some of these secrets. All four head back to Bama to uncover who is behind these messages before it’s too late. Maybe what happens in the sororities doesn’t always stay in the sorority.

I flew through the first half of this book in a day! I absolutely hated the four women, which made me want to keep reading. However, as we got closer to figuring out who was behind these messages, I found myself losing interest. The second half didn’t have the same appeal as the first, and I kept getting distracted and forgetting what was going on. I did enjoy this a lot! More than I thought I would when I initially started reading. I also may not have connected as much toward the end since I did not have Greek life at my college(s). I think if you have some experience, or are obsessed with RushTok, you’ll really enjoy this! No matter what, this is a quick read that will (likely) draw you in quickly.