First off, the cover of this book is stunning! Whoever chose it for this book did a fabulous job picking such a beautiful cover. The premise of this book was so intriguing to me - a remote creepy island, four friends coming together, and revenge! I thought I was going to love this book! I really wanted to love it. It is getting a lot of love. But this one just did not work for me.

My one big issue with books that don't work for me is slowness. This book began on the slower side, and I struggle with slow burns. I find myself drifting to other books, finding other things to do. I am an instant gratification reader. So, the initial pacing didn't do this book any favors. I also found that I could not connect with any of the characters. That is not normally a deal breaker for me when it comes to reading, but it just didn't help with my enjoyment of this book.

I kept reading as I was intrigued by the mystery and wanted to know what happened all those years ago. This book does go back and forth between two timelines. Normally I do not have an issue with that in books and often find that it enhances the storytelling, but this one didn't quite work for me. The author did do a great job with the setting, the vivid descriptions, and atmosphere.


I have read two other books by this author, and they were both solid 3 star reads for me. Not every book is for every reader and not every author is for every reader and perhaps that is the case here. I do want to point out that many reviewers are loving this book so please read their reviews as well.

*I had both the book and audiobook version of this book.

2.5 stars rounded up

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.

Great quick audiobook!

I really liked the bounce back and forth between the present and the past and how the characters lived intertwined. The specific details of the setting of the story were great to help me visualize the plot.

Some of the smaller details of the characters back story had me a bit confused towards the end, but it all wrapped up nicely at the conclusion of the book.

I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Laura Jennings. The narration was very good. The pacing was just right for this story.

The story finds five all women friends on an isolated island for a get together before one of them gets married. One of the women, Tessa, had a true crime podcast that recently blew up in her face. She has looked into a case of a bunch of women who were all girlfriends and had disappeared. She's kind of wondering if they could have been on this island. Did someone actually kill them and has that person returned to the island?

This book really kept me on my toes. I think I finished it in two days. It got graphically gory at times as well as very intense. I thought it was very, very good!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio copy. All thoughts are my own.

While The Bachelorette Party sets up an intriguing premise—true crime obsession meets remote island mystery—the execution falls flat. Despite the eerie setting and a promising dual-timeline structure, the plot struggles to build momentum and suspense. The characters feel underdeveloped, with friendships and motivations that never quite ring true, and the twists are either telegraphed early or lack impact. Camilla Sten’s writing has its moments, particularly in atmosphere, but the pacing lags and the resolution feels unsatisfying. For a thriller billed as Scream meets The Guest List, this one barely gets past the first act. A decent beach read, but not particularly memorable.

A suspenseful, dual timeline story that follows two close-knit friend groups that visit a remote island off the coast of Sweden 10 years apart. Something sinister happened on this island 10 years earlier, and Tessa, the main character who had a true crime podcast that followed this case, is determined to find out what during a friend's bachelorette party that is set for the same island the murders took place 10 years before. A perfect title for beach read season. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ALC for this title.

The Bachelorette Party had the makings of a fun, drama-filled read, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver on its potential. The plot was okay—nothing too surprising, but serviceable enough to keep things moving. However, I found myself struggling to stay engaged. The pacing felt uneven at times, and the characters never fully came to life for me.

It’s not a bad book by any means, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. If you’re looking for something light and easy to read without too much emotional investment, this might fit the bill. Just don’t expect it to be especially memorable.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten is a gripping psychological thriller that unravels secrets and simmering tensions among friends during a secluded getaway. With atmospheric suspense and sharp twists, it keeps readers hooked until the chilling finale.

This book was a great mystery/ suspense book! I didn’t know what to expect, and was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It’s a huge story of betrayal and trying to solve mysteries at the same time.
It was a bachelorette party gone wrong and so many twists and turns. While also trying to solve the mystery of a murder that happened 10 years prior.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book before it was released.

The Bachelorette Party is about a group of friends who go to a secluded island hotel for Anneliese's bachelorette party. Ten years before the bachelorette party a group of friends disappeared from the island. This book is mostly told from Tessa's point of view while she tries to figure out what happened to the four childhood friends who disappeared.

The cover of this book drew me in. I think I would have liked the book a lot better if I would have read it verse listened to the audio. The narrator did a good job with the narration. There were just times it was hard to follow with how many friends there were and also with it bouncing back and forth between past and present. I had a hard time keeping track on who was who. There was a chapter in the book that rattles off phone numbers and messages they were leaving it was hard to remember what phone number left what message.

I would the book to be different than what it was.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the Arc copy.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 6/10
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The Bachelorette Party is going to be one of those books that just hit hard for that beach read list this summer.
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Set on a remote island, The Bachelorette Party is set in a dual timeline ten years apart. One setting is where one group of friends goes missing, the other is during, you guessed it, a bachelorette party where things take an unfortunate turn for the worst. This is a very easy book to follow. Sten also does a fantastic job at creating the perfect atmospheric read and really brings in those more eerie elements to the story. I thought this was more of a slow to steady paced with some parts that had those adrenaline rushing moments. I found the twists to be executed well and I really enjoyed the ending!
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I listened to this one while reading my eBook. Laura Jennings was perfect for this role. I think that she did a fantastic job. One thing I will state (which has nothing to do with the quality of the audiobook) is that I am very grateful to have had the audiobook to listen to the story along with the eBook because there is a large cast of characters that I found myself mixing up quite often. So a recommendation to do both!
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Definitely a book I think thriller lovers will love for the summer!! Be sure to check this one out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Camilla Sten, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.
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Favorite place to vacation?
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2025 releases • early release copy • summer beach read • summer slasher • thriller • mystery • dual timeline • podcast • murders • missing persons • beach read • summer 2025 reads • four star read • book recommendations

(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!)

This was a fun summer read, but nothing very memorable. I kept expecting another twist, but the plot was fairly predictable and not particularly satisfying. I'm not mad that I spent time reading this, but I'm not sure I would pick up another book by this author.

I wanted murder. I wanted secrets. I wanted wine-fueled confessionals around a campfire while the wind whispered "someone here is lying." What I got instead was an island full of trauma, resentment, and some deeply unpleasant women who would likely benefit from individual therapy and group accountability. Not a yoga retreat.

Tessa Nilsson made a name for herself with her hit podcast "The Witching Hour," a true crime series that once had real teeth. But when her obsession with one particular case ended in tragedy and derailed the show, her career crashed and burned. Now, with the podcast dead and her credibility circling the drain, she’s heading to a remote island for her best friend Anneliese’s bachelorette weekend. An island that just happens to be the last place the "Nacka Four" were seen. Ten years ago, four women went to that island for their annual girls’ trip and were never seen again — no bodies, no answers, just a single chilling clue left behind in the sand.

The setup should be everything. Bridesmaids with secrets. A crumbling friendship. A creepy inn run by Irene, the sister of one of the long-missing women. Flashbacks to the original girls’ final, fragmented trip. It’s a whole buffet of potential chaos. But instead of tension, we get simmering mood and no one willing to light a match.

Here’s the thing: I didn’t like any of them. Not Tessa. Not Anneliese, the bride-to-be with a vision board and a death wish. Not the other women orbiting this supposed celebration. Everyone’s emotionally calcified in a way that makes sense on paper but reads flat. Even when things start to go sideways, and they do, I didn’t care who got hurt. Because honestly? Some of them kind of deserved a karmic slap. The rest? I just couldn’t be bothered to care.

Alongside Tessa’s unraveling in the present, we get a second timeline set in 2012, following the four girls during their final, doomed trip to the island. The girls who disappeared then are full of the kind of petty, youthful tension that could tip into something deadly, and their scenes had more rawness than anything in the present. Meanwhile, Tessa mostly drifts through the bachelorette weekend on autopilot. The current-day plot doesn’t truly kick into gear until very late, and by then, most of the emotional momentum is gone.

Atmosphere? Gorgeous. The island is bleak, wild, isolated. The cliffs, the sea, the tangled forest paths — all 9 out of 10 spooky energy. But this isn’t a setting problem. It’s a human one. And no amount of wind-whipped ambiance can make characters interesting if they’re not giving you anything to hold onto.

The audiobook, narrated by Laura Jennings, is the best way to experience this story. She gives voice to each timeline with enough variation to make the jumps feel a bit distinct. I won’t say it transforms the material, but it adds structure and urgency the prose didn’t quite manage on its own. If you’re going to do this one, go audio.

As for the twist? I mean, it’s technically there, but if you saw it coming three chapters ago, does it even count? It doesn’t shock, it doesn’t wreck you, it just... shows up, shrugs, and leaves

Three stars. Solid premise. Atmospheric setting. Clean narration. But the characters left me cold, the emotional stakes never snapped into place, and the pacing dragged its feet until the last possible moment. This island might be cursed, but the real haunting is how much potential this story had and didn’t use.

Whodunity Award: For Spiraling on a Remote Island While Everyone Pretends It’s Still a Vacation

Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early audiobook. This one wouldn’t have hit half as hard without Laura Jennings keeping the pulse alive.

The book drew me in immediately and I was invested in the story! It was predictable and the ending wasn't my favorite but it was a decent read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.

It's hard to like a book with such unlikeable characters. I wanted to enjoy the mystery but it fell flat for me. Would be interested in other works by this author in the future.

3 stars for The Bachelorette Party. The prologue got me so invested but the book ended being only okay for me. The dual timelines and many characters made it a bit challenging to follow and overall lacked shock value for me. It needed more to be an exciting thriller for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook. The Bachelorette Party hits shelves on June 10, 2025.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten was not nearly as corny as I thought it was going to be, although parts of the plot were still very predictable. That being said, there were still some things I hadn't totally figured out by the end, and I really enjoyed sitting down to read this book.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3ish stars!

I debated rating this story 2 stars, but felt a little bad about it because there were pieces of the book I did enjoy. The dual POV between 2012 and 2022, seeing two sides of the same story, and a conclusion that pulled it all together were in the positive column! The fact that the drama didnt really get going until about the 60% mark, and the REAL action didnt hit until about 90% made this a slow read for me. When the real action finally hit, it felt rushed and dramatic. The final resolution of the story felt like it was lacking substance for me personally.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Macmillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was fortunate enough to get this advanced copy of the audiobook from #NetGalley.

First, the narrator is fantastic. Her voice was perfect and it didn't come off like she was trying too hard.

The storyline is a little difficult to keep track of because it's two separate girl groups during different time frames. So if you're not paying attention, the names seem to overlap and you forget which group you're reading/hearing about. This was just my personal opinion and may not be the same for everyone

I was able to peg who the killer was but did not guess the motive. So a nice surprise.

Pros:
-not your typical predictable ending as far as motive is concerned.
-The story is entertaining and well-written
- Narrators voice is well done and not overly animated. perfect narrator.

Cons:
- I would definitely seek the print copy to read instead of an audiobook for this one


#TheBacheloretteParty hits the shelves June 10th and would be a great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio as well as the author and the narrator for these ARCs in exchange for my honest opinion.
#NetGalley @NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress @St.Martin’sPress #MacmillanAudio #MacAudio25 @MacAudio25 #Mystery #Thriller #Fiction #BookReview #audiobook #LauraJennings

Title: The Bachelorette Party
Author: Camilla Sten
Formats: eBook and audiobook
Narrator: Laura Jennings
Publishers: St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: June 10, 2025
Themes: Friendships, relationships, LGBTQ+, marriage, murder mystery, remote island
Trigger Warnings: Disappearance, murder, some homophobia, remote island, isolation

I really enjoyed Camilla Sten’s previous books and I loved the synopsis of this one.
Tessa is a disgraced podcast host and a true crime junkie. She has long been obsessed by the mystery of the four friends who met for their annual weekend at a remote island off the coast of Sweden. When her friend Annaliese gets married on the very same island, Tessa sees the opportunity to revive her podcasting career by solving the mystery. This is her chance to get her life back on track. It’s also another's' chance to exact their bloody revenge. When history starts to repeat itself, Tessa tries her hardest to solve the mystery before it’s too late.

I really have enjoyed this author’s work in the past. I was excited to start this one. Unfortunately, it was a lot harder for me to get into than her other books have been. The characters were hard to like, which made it hard to care what happened to them. The plot was engaging, the pace was gripping, the writing was great. When I have trouble engaging with the characters, it’s hard for me to care enough to follow the mystery and, unfortunately, that’s the trouble I had here. Tessa was a weak character and her relationships with the other characters were never really firm. I felt like Tessa was as disengaged with them as I was. I found the ending unsatisfying as well.

The narrator of the audiobook, Laura Jennings, did a nice job. I may not have finished the digital copy if I hadn’t listened to it first. She was able to bring some life to these characters. Her voice was pleasant to listen to and her interpretation was great.

All in all, I will continue to read Ms. Sten’s work, but this particular book wasn’t my favorite.