Sadly, I had higher hopes for this book. I listened to the audiobook and struggled to get through it. The only intriguing aspect was Tessa's publicized podcast scandal; otherwise, I didn't find the book's actual mystery interesting. I also found it difficult to follow the numerous characters, but that could just be me.

I love secluded location setting, especially one in a very cool place like this. I also really enjoyed the other two books I've read by this author. That being said, I feel like this one just didn't use the setting at all. I never really got the creepy, isolated vibes I loved so much in The Lost Village. I still thought the writing was good and the plot was fine, had some good twists, I just struggled to get into it. Listening to the audiobook the narration helped keep the pace and help the characters sound a little more distinctive, but I still just missed the creepy vibes of the other book.

This was… good. I was very confused for the first like 3rd of the book. I had to restart it twice and was still a little bit confused and idk if I’m stupid or what. But then ending was good. I called it for sure but that’s fine. I like how it wrapped up. It wasn’t my favorite thriller but since it’s not normally my genre.. it was good. I would probably closer rate it to a 3.25 or 3.5 rather than 3 but overall it was good.

This fast-paced thriller had me hooked from the opening chapter. I flew through the pages, eager to uncover the secrets hidden on a secluded island off Sweden’s coast. The story seamlessly blends present-day tension with an eerie mystery from the past, and the remote island setting adds a layer of isolation that keeps the suspense simmering.

I especially enjoyed Tessa as the main character. Her background in podcasting brought a modern, investigative edge to the story, and I appreciated how the author gradually revealed her career shift—it added depth to her character and kept me intrigued. While the person responsible became a bit obvious partway through, it didn’t take away from the enjoyment. The build-up, atmosphere, and emotional stakes were strong enough to carry the reveal.

The plot centers around a chilling disappearance from a decade ago: four childhood friends—Tilly, Anna, Linnea, and Evelina—used to reunite every year on a hidden island only they knew about, escaping adult life with dancing, drinking, and secrets. But during one visit, they vanished without a trace.

Years later, true crime podcaster Tessa Nilsson can’t let go of their story. Her obsession has fueled her career, but after a professional setback, she’s left searching for both answers and redemption. When her best friend Anneliese chooses a yoga retreat for her bachelorette getaway—on an island that bears uncanny resemblance to the one from the old case—Tessa sees a final opportunity to uncover the truth.

The blend of psychological suspense, immersive setting, and personal stakes made this a compelling read. Perfect for fans of dark mysteries with a modern twist.

This was my first book by Camilla Sten, The audio recording was good, and I felt the narrator was well matched for the story. I did have trouble keeping track of the characters and the flashbacks etc., but overall the audio was good. I felt the story was ok, and a few of the characters just really got on my nerves. Yet, this is a fast paced thriller, that fans will love. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian audio for the ARC.

4.25⭐️
ALC
Because I liked this book so much when I read the eARC I got the audio ALC as well and enjoyed it even more the second time around!

The narrator Laura Jennings did a fabulous job with her recitation and all the voices she had to represent. She spoke at a good natural 1x pace and her vocals were not affected by speeding it up to 1.25x which is how I listened to it.

I also enjoyed the crisp production of it and the opening music did a good job of setting the scene. I really thought the audio enhanced the reading experience with the dual POV and duel time line.

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

eARC review
I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant about this book going in as the last time I read a book with the same title that I was really disappointed in despite loving the description.

Well I’m so happy that this one not only lived up to the description but surpassed it. I am so thankful to have gotten an eARC for free from St Martins Press/ Minotaur Books through NetGalley to enjoy which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave this review.

I have been really liking the “locked room” trope in thrillers, particularly the “locked island” variation as opposed to enjoy seeing how the author tackles the characters being cut off from the world in this day and age. Camilla Sten did a great job with this without making it ridiculously obvious.

I enjoyed the duel timeline POV which were nicely labeled with the date and time. I am interested to see the final draft of interior layout as I expect it will be cleaner since this was an uncorrected Digital Galley.

All the twists and turns are there to take you on a ride while having sub plots that pull you in along the way! It has a lot more depth than some other popular thrillers right now which I appreciate.

This book comes out June 10, 2025 so get it on your TBR now as you won’t want to miss it!

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Fairly decent thriller. A lot of back and forth with the two timelines which was a bit confusing sometimes. Also some character overlap as well. I loved the setting on a remote island. You can’t get much better than that. Most of the book kind of drug until about 75% in, so I would say it’s definitely a bit of a slow burn. I found the ending unexpected and surprising.
Narration was good. Decent book all around.

Moving from past to present, the past tragedy of four friends gone missing during an annual friend’s trip overshadows a trip 10 years later by a group of girls celebrating a bachelorette party. One of the bachelorette party guests, Tessa, is heavily invested of the story of the four missing women. She has had a terrible experience with her true crime podcast, losing her producer (and maybe lover?) in the process and is trying to find the positive when feeling like the constant failure of the friend group.

The bachelorette party has some strict rules like no phones, no outside contact, and relying on one boat for transport back to the main island- what could go wrong ?? Tessa sees this bachelorette party as a chance to have a good time, and also uncover the truth about what really happened on the island. She befriends Irene, one of the missing girls sisters, and sees this as a chance to finally get her break. Then things start to get weird, people go missing, their boat drifts off and it feels eerily similar to the past tragedy.

I will say that there were a lot of character names, I struggled to keep it straight between past and present and felt there was not enough development and individualization of each character to keep them apart. The narration was great and I enjoyed reading while following along with the audiobook.

Fast paced, popcorn thriller but it just fell short of five stars for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC/ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 6/10/25.

Definitely a quick read that had me racing to the end to figure out what happened to the 4. Gotta say awesome domestic thriller and did a great job going from past and present and giving you little kernels of the past to keep you intrigued on to what could connect everything. I also loved how it shows what the passive of time can do to friendships that felt real and kinda what happens in some cases. Definitely an ending I didn’t see coming and loved getting to guess what happened to the original missing girls. If you like a nail bitter type atmosphere this book is for you! Thanks NetGalley and Minotaur books for giving me a chance to read this early!

The writing style wasn't for me and the storyline wasn't anything new for a thriller. There was too much info dumping and telling rather than showing right from the beginning and the dialogue between the characters felt off somehow.

The changing time lines and POVs were hard to follow - the personality of the characters didn't feel very distinct or unique so it was hard to keep them straight in my mind.

It also felt like the story had a lot going on with the shifting time lines but hardly anything actually happened for the majority of the story.

The narrator did a good job voicing the story and creating atmosphere.

It was hard to decipher which girl was which since the narrator doesn’t have much range in voice switches. The story itself was barely engaging enough but it all seemed to be predictable. Even the twists . Also each character was so paper thin.

This book totally drew me in right from the start -so addictive, I couldn’t put it down! Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.
#TheBacheloretteParty #NetGalley

ARC Review- pub date 6-10-25

Finished this book and all I could think was, WHAT did I just read?! In a good way.

First, I typically don't enjoy the secluded island themed thrillers, so I was a little nervous going into this one. However, it was pleasantly surprising to find that it didn't give me those vibes at all.
I was captivated from the prologue and when a book gets your full attention that quickly, it's usually a good sign!

The violence is on another level though! Totally shocked at some of the graphic descriptions in a book with such a pretty cover! The big twist didn't completely shock me in the end. I had some suspicions, but I didn't have all the details correct, so there was still a "gasp" moment when some of the character's secrets were unburied.

Overall, for me, this was a great read! I enjoyed the characters, their secrets, and in this specific book- the setting was perfect! Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press|Minotaur Books & Camilla
Sten for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

3 stars

This is one bachelorette party you'll be happy you were invited to witess in fiction and not to attend IRL.

The cover is giving beautiful location and a dose of mystery, and while the setting part is accurate, the mystery is not as prominent as it should be for the genre. That makes this suspense novel more about the journey than the outcome, which takes a lot of the fun out of it.

While I was somewhat interested in the relationships between characters, I also struggled to focus on the audiobook. The characters are in bizarre situations in some cases (the true crime podcast and related outcomes were a bit over the top, for example), and I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters' behaviors or choices, which made it difficult to root for them, too.

While there are some intriguing possibilities presented here, this one fell a little flat for me. I'll still be back for more from this author but with the hope that I'll get some added surprises next time.

I love when a book surprises you and this one did just that. This is a great thriller that was a little slow to get started but once the action starts happening you are totally engrossed in the story and how it unfolds. Just when you think you have the plot figured out then another twist happens. Definitely worth the read! Loved it!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC! I enjoyed the audiobook along with the ARC of this book!

I read this book in tandem—switching between the ebook and audiobook—and it made for a gripping experience. The story is fast-paced and tense from the very beginning, and the audiobook narrator really ramps up that tension with her expressive, tightly wound delivery. Her performance had me leaning in, especially during the more intense scenes.

The plot itself is compelling, with several twists I truly didn’t see coming. While a few scenes were more graphic than I expected, they felt purposeful rather than gratuitous, adding to the raw, high-stakes atmosphere. The pacing never let up, and I found myself constantly wanting to know what happened next. It absolutely held my attention from start to finish.

If you're in the mood for a suspenseful, high-energy read with a few shockers thrown in, this one’s worth checking out!

Thanks to Netgalley ,Macmillan Audio for this ALC. This is my honest review.

I give the Bachelorette Party closer to a 2.5 stars. Reading the blurb about the book, I was excited to read this story. Childhood best friends, remote island in Sweden, and alcohol. Sounds like trouble. A true crime podcast and a similar gathering 10 years later, I was all in. Unfortunately it started out extremely slow. The slow burn fizzled but I stuck with it. I did enjoy the different time lines. The story started to pick up about 60% in that I was eager to finish it and wrapped up nicely. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

*2.5 stars*

The premise promised a gripping and mysterious thriller set against the eerie backdrop of a remote island off the coast of Sweden. I was expecting “Beautiful Ugly” vibes, but unfortunately this one was a miss for me. I don’t feel like the intended atmosphere came through and the changing POV timelines and characters seemed a bit muddled for me. The ending seemed to drag on for a lifetime and came across comically unrealistic.

Specifically regarding the audiobook version - I don’t feel as though the intense scenes were portrayed well through the narrator. It came across as monotone and I struggled to stay focused.

While I was not a fan of this title, I have heard positive feedback on this author and would definitely consider trying another book from her catalog.

This was a quick fun popcorn read. I think the ending was a bit too long, but overall thought the story was easy to follow and is an entertaining beach read!

Thank You NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and St Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel.

"The Bachelorette Party" is an atmospheric locked-room thriller. Ten years ago, Tilly and her three friends disappeared while on their annual trip to a remote island. They had always kept the location a secret, and they were never found. Ten years later, Tessa, a disgraced true crime podcaster, travels to a small island for her best friend's bachelorette party. They stay at a resort owned by the sister of one of the victims. Tessa hopes to use the trip to investigate the missing women's disappearance and save her podcast.

This book was okay. The story is told from the POVs of Tessa in the present and Tilly in the past. I really liked the dual timelines and trying to guess how they were connected. I also liked the remote island setting and the mixed media format. The book started off a bit slow, but it got more interesting after they arrived on the island. There were so many characters, though, that it was kind of confusing and hard to connect with anyone. I started to get a little bored with the present day narrative and was more interested in what happened to Tilly and her friends in the past.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Laura Jennings. She did a great job bringing the story and characters to life. I think this book could have benefitted from having a second narrator for Tilly's perspective. There were just so many characters that it was hard to keep track of who was who. I think another voice could have helped with that.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.