I received this ARC through #NetGalley from the publisher and author for my honest review (thank you!).

This book was extremely well-written, had a great storyline, and had me begging to know what happened. I loved the time jumps, and it was extremely helpful for the chapters to be labeled with which year you were reading about.

The main character was very likable and I loved the reveal at the end, wrapping everything up nicely. Highly recommend!

I listened to this audiobook version and LOVED the reader. She kept me engaged the entire time!

The storyline was intriguing, but the telling fell flat. There were no large ah moments. For the Audiobook you could have had different narrators to help the dual story lines.

Thank you for the opportunity to review.

I really enjoyed the suspense, the mystery of murders and the back story chapters in between to keep you aware of past/present

Although it was my first by this writer it won’t be my last!

This was my first book by Camilla Sten and will most certainly not be my last. Wow!!!

The story begins on a remote island where four childhood best friends gather each year to escape and let loose, but this year, something sinister is afoot and the four girls vanish into thin air, never to be heard from again.

Fast forward 10 years later. Tessa is a true crime podcaster. She has cracked many cases, but one has always alluded her. That was the case of 4 girls on a remote secret island who went missing, vanishing without a trace. When her best friend Anneliese plans to have her bachelorette party on an island that seems very similar in description to where the girls went missing all those years ago, Tessa cannot say no to the opportunity to do a little sleuthing.

This fast-paced, shocking and gripping story will keep you glued to the pages from start to finish. While I figured out the “who done it” portion quickly, I was still surprised by all the twists and turns coupled with several jaw dropping or stand up and cheer moments. I truly enjoyed the intensity and “wow” moments. There were a few times I thought to myself “oh, that was predictable” but then something would happen, and it was as though the author was laughing at me saying, “gotcha! You thought you had it all figured out….but surprise!” in a good way.

I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by Laura Jennings who did a tremendous job telling the story.

A huge thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book to listen to and review. This was a very enjoyable listen!!

Unfortunately, I only listened to the first 22 chapters. I found it to be very slow paced and it drug on for me. Not my cup of tea. I prefer it to be faster paced

Camilla Sten's latest book, "The Bachelorette Party", follows Tessa, a young podcaster who is struggling to forward her career, as she travels to a remote island for her friend's bachelorette party. A true crime fanatic, Tessa is intrigued that the island they are going to holds many likenesses to the unsolved case of four women who disappeared a decade ago. Can she solve the disappearances and revive her career? Or will the members of the bachelorette party be bringing their own troubled pasts and secrets to the island to follow in the footsteps of that unsolved case from so long ago?

The story is told in dual timelines between both groups of women, bringing the mysteries together. The audiobook narrator was very enjoyable. It took me a bit to get into the story pacing and learn all of the characters names, but I followed along fine.

This is my second book from Sten ("The Resting Place"), and it was very different from what I expected. The idea was there and the writing was good, but the story just didn't pick up enough for me like her previous novel did. The pacing moved along at the beginning, but it was towards the last half of the book that I started to feel like we were slowing down when we should be picking up.

I would still recommend this book to people as an easy suspense thriller. If they are coming from reading Sten's last book like I was, I would just say not to expect it to be the same.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to read this digital audio advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book had a fun premise to it but it just didn't live up to it for me. I love a book that has multiple timelines so I really thought this would be a hit for me but I found the characters a little boring and I saw the twist coming. It wasn't a bad book I just went into it thinking it would be better.

This was just an okay read for me overall, but still pretty entertaining. A group of friends heads to a remote island for a bachelorette party—and, as you'd expect, things go off the rails pretty quickly.

The dual timeline kept things interesting, and the audiobook was a highlight—the narration really captured the chaos and tension. All the women are a bit unhinged, which made for some fun, messy drama.

Not a standout for me, but it was twisty, fast-moving, and a solid listen if you're in the mood for something dark and dramatic.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy!

The bachelorette party by Camilla Sten was overall a good read. I did find the plot to be a bit predictable but I would still recommend this book. The book takes place in 2 timelines, which usually I struggle with but I had an easy time with this book

The writing for this novel is superb. I enjoyed the storyline and even though it had longer chapters for a thriller, they were so well written-- it did not take away from the plot. A fan fav for sure!

I've always been a fan of locked-room whodunit plots in murder mysteries. They offer everything I crave as a reader: high stakes, escalating tension, and an enclosed setting. The Bachelorette Party grabbed my attention from the start, delivering these elements in an easy-to-devour novel.

Set on a private island where a series of possible murders may have occurred ten years prior, the story introduces a podcaster searching for dirt to salvage her career. What begins as a glamorous weekend celebration for the bride-to-be quickly reveals twists and turns. There’s something sinister lurking beneath this beautiful façade, and if Tessa isn’t careful, she might find herself added to the list of the missing.

While the premise and execution of suspense were spot on, the novel fell short for me in terms of character development. I found it challenging to connect with any of the characters, including the main protagonist, Tessa. This may not be a dealbreaker for most readers, and it certainly wasn't for me, but it did create a sense of emotional distance.

In short, this novel was a great quick read that kept the suspense building right until the very end.

Four friends gather every year to enjoy themselves at a remote island, only this year, none of them came back. Ten years later, podcaster Tessa, who was obsessed with the four friends disappearance, can't pass up the chance to finally find out what happened when her best friend, Anneliese, wants to have her bachelorette party there. What ensues is a wild, scary, suspenseful, dark ride with twists that I did not see coming. This was so good, and I will definitely read more by Sten.

4.5 Stars

There’s something so gripping about thrillers set on isolated islands, and The Bachelorette Party delivers that chilling setting perfectly. The atmosphere is thick with tension, dark, eerie, and quietly unsettling in a way that creeps under your skin and lingers.

I really appreciated how the story took its time without ever feeling slow. Every chapter added something, another layer of mystery, a little more suspicion, or a crack in someone’s mask. The dual timelines were well-balanced and made me just as invested in the past as I was in the present.

And the twist? Completely unexpected, but so satisfying. It landed at the perfect moment and gave the story that extra edge I was hoping for.

My only reason for holding back a full 5 stars is that a couple of the side characters felt a little underdeveloped, and I wanted just a bit more emotional depth in a few key moments. Still, this was a strong, addictive read from start to finish.

If you're into:
🔹 Isolated settings with dark secrets
🔹 Friendships with hidden fractures
🔹 Slow-burn tension that pays off
🔹 Stories that blur past and present

...then this one’s worth picking up. Camilla Sten is definitely an author I’ll be reading more from.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press and Camilla Sten for an advanced copy of this book set to release on June 10,2025. The following is my honest review:

This was my first time diving into Camilla Sten’s work, and from the very first chapter, I found myself completely pulled in—mostly because wow, the prose is gorgeous.

But don’t let the lyrical writing fool you—there’s a sharp contrast between the beauty of the language and the surprise violence and gruesomeness found at times. It caught me completely off guard in the best possible sense.

The novel centers around two intertwined mysteries set on the ominous Isle of Blínn, one from a decade ago involving a group of missing friends, and one in the present day involving a bachelorette party gone wrong. I really enjoyed the dual timeline structure—it moved back and forth in a way that felt seamless and kept the tension steadily building (at least in the first two-thirds of the book). The current-day storyline follows Tessa, a podcaster with a scandal in her past and a stalled career, who is hoping to revive both by solving the mystery from ten years earlier. That premise gave me Between the Waves (by Hilary Tailor) vibes, in the best way.

Tessa herself is a really compelling main character. Her true crime obsession gave me major season 3 Quinn Perkins (Scandal) energy—slightly unnerving, but weirdly relatable. I’ve been down the true crime rabbit hole too, until my anxiety begged me to stop. So yeah, I got that. And this story scratched that itch you get when wanting to solve a crime podcast you’re invested in.

There’s a moment where Tessa talks about feeling stuck in life and the judgement, pity and distaste people meet her with and that hit me right in the chest. I'm a sucker for universal hurts dressed up in poetic prose, and Camilla Sten definitely delivers that. It’s a little Taylor Swift-esque, honestly—pretty packaging for very real pain.

Another highlight: I really appreciated the thoughtful inclusion of bisexuality and the way the story explored harmful stereotypes, microaggressions, and casual disrespect through character interactions. There’s an especially cathartic moment when someone actually calls out the bad behavior and defends our bi character, and it felt so earned. Representation matters, and it was handled with care here.

Also, shoutout to the setting—I didn't realize we were in Sweden until a currency reference clued me in, and that added a subtle layer of atmosphere I really enjoyed.

A few nitpicks: I couldn’t hear the name “Annalise” without thinking of How to Get Away With Murder. That's not the book’s fault—it's mine, but still. And “Matilda”? Same thing.

Where the book lost a bit of steam for me was in the final act. (Arguably the most important part of this kinda story) The pacing, which had been so tight and compelling early on, started to drag. I found myself waiting for that satisfying moment when everything clicks into place—and while it does eventually come together, it felt slower and less impactful than I hoped. The twists were solid, but my jaw didn’t quite hit the floor, you know?

Still, this was a beautifully written, eerie, and thoughtful mystery with strong characters and an unsettling atmosphere. I’ll definitely be checking out more of Camilla Sten’s work after this!

The Bachelorette Party is a murder mystery with dual timelines. This book is full of secrets, suspicious characters, and murder-an entertaining read.

3.5/5 Stars! Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio book of The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten, narrated by Laura Jennings.

I wish I could say that I really enjoyed this book because it got me hooked in the beginning but then...it just got a little bit too much and the group of friends just sounds like a pain and people who are great at holding grudges. There were parts where I feel like it could've been left out and I had the speed of this book at 1.75. I like the idea of the plot, but it just wasn't for me. I'd like to check out another novel by this author because she had got me hooked once...I'm pretty sure she would be able to get me hooked again. haha.

Listened on audiobook and it was all I could want for an easy, twisty listen! Kept up with the characters pretty well even while only paying half attention and didn’t see the twist coming. A good quick suspenseful read!!

Tessa has always been fan of true crime and has created a career around it. However, her once popular podcast has bottomed out amid controversy. As Tessa works to reset her life, an opportunity presents itself in the form of a bachelorette party on an island where ten years ago four women mysteriously disappeared. As she goes to spend a weekend with her closest friends, she can’t help but want to discover the truth of what happened to those women. What she isn’t prepared for though is murder returning ten years later to her group of friends.

First, this was a great audiobook. The narration captured the mood of this mystery/thriller and was super easy to follow. I had no issues at 1.5x speed.

Also, this was a good mystery set in a suspenseful situation. I like how the author slowly unveiled the drama and connections in the parallel story threads (the original missing girls and the bachelorette party). The pacing was well done in that regard and kept me engaged in the suspense. This novel is perfect for a summer read. 4 stars.

Based on an Advanced Audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you!

I would like to thank the author, Netgalley, and the publisher for the Audiobook Advanced Copy.

I give this book 3.75 out of 5

Let me start by saying I'm a sucker for a locked-door mystery and enjoyed reading this book. I found the setting and situation very intriguing, and I kept reading to know if I had figured out the twist before the reveal.

I found myself more interested in Tessa's back story and would have loved more on that. As someone who loves true crime podcasts, I would be interested in more of an exploration of the fallout after the scandal and the after-effects it has on everyone involved.

I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to anyone who likes a good and quick thriller.

I honestly wanted to like this book but found myself lost with all of the main characters. I think the idea was good but the execution was not strong. This book felt dull at times and wasn't able to keep my attention like some other thrillers in the past. Overall, I would give the author another chance in the future but this book did not keep my attention.