First of all, I want to thank NetGalley for the ARC, because this book caught me off guard and pulled me in from the very first pages. We Were Never Friends is a domestic thriller that mixes drama, psychological suspense, and that irresistible “train wreck” feeling that makes you devour pages without realizing it. I found it both unsettling and incredibly entertaining, a story that grips you while making you face just how toxic certain relationships can be.

The plot revolves around what seems like a festive weekend: a reunion of former sorority sisters for the engagement of their children, Celeste and Zach. The event takes place at Roxy’s Palm Springs estate, a stunning and meticulously maintained house, but one steeped in haunting memories. The mansion mirrors the hotel where, twenty-five years earlier, their friend Sunny Spencer died under tragic circumstances and Roxy’s husband, Ryan, designed it almost as a shrine to remember her. As the women gather, old tensions, grudges and buried secrets resurface, turning what should have been a joyful celebration into a tense game of suspicion, rivalry and hidden agendas. A sandstorm and a nearby fire isolate the house, while mysterious events, including ghost sightings and a new death, force each of them to confront their past and their role in Sunny’s tragedy. Amid lies, betrayals and constant twists, the story keeps you hooked, leaving you breathless and desperate to see how it all ends.

The characters are the beating heart of the book. Beth Harrison is the group’s outsider, a single mother with quiet strength who is often underestimated. Roxy Callahan Gentry is the queen bee, perfect and obsessed with control, narcissistic, sometimes unbearable but impossible to ignore. Amelia Dell arrives like a whirlwind, provocative and ruthless, always ready to compete with Roxy and fuel the drama. Jamie Vale seems like the picture of success and perfection, but hides secrets that slowly surface, adding more layers of tension. Then there’s Sunny, the “golden girl” whose death shaped them all and who remains the dark focal point around which the women’s dynamics revolve. Ryan, obsessed with Sunny, adds a chilling psychological element, while the children, Celeste and Zach, mostly stay in the background.

The relationships between these women are complex, toxic and fascinating to follow. The title doesn’t lie: they were never real friends. Rivalries, long-held grudges, backstabbing and hidden agendas make every interaction tense. Beth and Roxy are often in conflict, Amelia constantly challenges Roxy in a battle for dominance in the drama department and Sunny’s memory binds the sisters in a painful and unsettling way. Rouda crafts these relationships masterfully, turning the story into a maze of fragile alliances, hidden jealousy and secret schemes.

Rouda’s writing style makes everything incredibly smooth and readable: short chapters, multiple POVs and a fast pace push you to keep going. The dark humor and social satire add a unique layer of entertainment, while plot twists and surprises maintain suspense, even if some twists feel predictable at times. A few dialogues can feel unnatural and some events are over the top but overall the story works, entertains and fully immerses you.
You can’t stop reading, even though the group of women will make you angry, laugh and cringe all at once. The tension between the characters, the buried secrets and the exaggerated drama make it irresistible and despite a few flaws in the ending or lingering questions, We Were Never Friends is a thriller that grabs you and doesn’t let go.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of We Were Never Friends.

Beth's daughter is engaged! To the son of one of her old sorority sisters, Roxy. Beth always felt like an outsider among the group. To celebrate Roxy invites the small group of sorority sisters to her Palm Springs home to celebrate but tensions are high and things start to get weird.

This book was VERY sorority heavy. The storyline was fine and it keeps you guessing as to what is really going on.

Overall, this was just okay to me.

I received the ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.
The story focuses on 4 sorority sisters, and engagement party weekend and secrets from years before, including the accidental death of Sunny.
Beth and Roxy are sorority sisters. Beth’s daughter and Roxy’s son are engaged to be married. Roxy’s husband Ryan, has designed a house that looks exactly like the hotel they stayed at when Sunny died.
The story is engrossing and descriptive.
I’m a little angry about how things were unresolved regarding Ryan. But all in all, I enjoyed it

We Were Never Friends is definitely a popcorn thriller—fast, messy, and full of drama. It was a quick read with some fun twists, and I did find myself hanging on until the end. The sorority sister reunion premise had a lot of potential, and I liked the mix of secrets, cattiness, and tension that kept things moving.

That said, the short length made the story feel rushed, and some parts didn’t land as strongly as they could have. The characters felt one-dimensional and a little too immature for their age, which made the drama harder to buy into. I also found the writing a bit simplistic at times, which pulled me out of the story.

Overall, it wasn’t bad—I’d call it entertaining enough if you’re in the mood for a quick, drama-filled thriller with unlikable characters and sharp social satire. Not my favorite Rouda book, but I’d give her writing another shot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The title of this book certainly fits the characters! A reunion weekend of sorority sisters to celebrate an engagement turns interesting with buried stories, lies, and events that keep you guessing as to what really happened.

Not my speed, even though I love a thriller. The writing was very disjointed and awkward; characters spoke in unnatural ways and nothing was implied, only explicitly told.
The entire premise made no sense - an engagement celebration with no age appropriate friends or family coupled with a sorority reunion? Not to mention sunny was not even mentioned in earnest (as in beyond a passing mention) until 20% through the book. Some details were endlessly drawn out (how much the house resembled the hotel) and some were totally sprung on the reader in a passing sentence (sunny and Ryan dating). Not for me, but others may enjoy the twist.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen for the opportunity to read this book early!
We Were Never Friends was so addictive and unsettling! Some twists are a little predictable, but overall it was a fun time! Fast paced, easy, I couldn't put it down popcorn thriller! I highly recommend checking this book out!

A sorority reunion with something to celebrate, is a visit to the past in this twisty, turny novel by Kaira Rouda! A cast of characters that are unforgettable and in many cases, unlikable as the past and present intertwine! Grab a glass of wine and get ready to settle in because you won't want to put this down! Thank you for the advance copy! Will be checking out more books from this author and recommending to my book club!

This book hooked me from the start, it was a fast and a easy popcorn thriller read!! It was filled with the drama and tension that was a riveting train wreck that had dark humor and did i mention drama?? It made me wish I could watch this unfold in real life lol. First book by this author and absolutely loved it, I would read anything she put out!

We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda is a domestic thriller with a solid premise and some moments of tension. The story had potential, and Rouda does a good job setting up suspense and exploring the complexities of friendships and hidden secrets.

That being said, the book felt fairly mediocre to me. There were sections where the pacing dragged, and some of the twists were predictable, which made it hard to stay fully engaged throughout.

Overall, it was an okay read. Fans of domestic thrillers might find it entertaining, but it didn’t leave a strong impression for me personally.

Thank you to Kaira Rouda, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own and completely unbiased.

We were never friends. Another book about a group of women, who are not friends. When they were sorority sisters in college they were dealt a tragedy. Now that they have reunited for an engagement party they have to deal with each other again

We Were Never Friends gave me major John Dickson Carr vibes. A locked room mystery with a modern twist. A college reunion with old rivals and many secrets.
To me, this was definitely a slow burn psychological suspense. Old bonds are broken and layers of friendships are unraveled!
Thank you NetGalley, to Kaira Rouda and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. All Opinions and Comments are my own.

This domestic suspense pulls you straight into the cutthroat world of power, where ambition runs high and trust runs low. This book is dark, addictive, and brimming with tension. The unreliable narration adds even more distrust.

The characters seem polished and perfect on the outside, yet are deeply manipulative and flawed beneath the surface. The shifting perspectives add intensity and make you constantly question who, if anyone, can be believed. The story is a tightly spun web of deceit, secrets, and betrayal, with the suspense escalating at every turn. The pressure is built so well you’re just waiting for it to explode.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an e-ARC!

The book is based around a weekend celebration for the engagement of a young couple who happen to be the children of two sorority sisters from college. The engagement celebration weekend acts as a mini reunion for a small group from the sorority (and their partners) who have not been in one room together for years. There is plenty of drama, old wounds are uncovered, and old rivalries flare up again as the weekend unfolds. Throw in a mysterious event from the past, which affected all of them, and you have the recipe for a good thriller.

We Were Never Friends is a dark, twisty, and highly addictive thriller that grabbed me from the very first chapter. What begins as an innocent sorority reunion quickly spirals into a weekend filled with buried secrets, old grudges, and shocking revelations.
The Palm Springs setting is beautifully atmospheric — the luxurious estate is almost a character in itself, tying the present drama to a past tragedy that still casts a shadow. From the moment the sisters arrive, there’s a constant sense of tension beneath the glamorous surface, and every interaction feels loaded with hidden motives and unresolved wounds.
The characters are messy, complex, and gloriously flawed. Roxy, the perfect hostess determined to control every detail, has layers you slowly uncover. Amelia brings unresolved pain, Jamie carries secrets beneath her composed exterior, and Beth feels like the outsider trying to survive the chaos. Watching their rivalries and regrets collide made the drama utterly irresistible.
I especially loved how the book blends simmering suspense with sharp, dark humor. The biting dialogue and clever observations add levity without losing the tension, making it impossible to stop turning the pages.
There are a few slower moments where the pacing dips slightly, but the explosive reveals and betrayals in the final act make it all worth it. The ending delivers exactly the kind of shock and satisfaction I look for in this type of thriller.
We Were Never Friends is the perfect read if you enjoy dark domestic suspense packed with layered secrets, flawed characters, and a past that refuses to stay buried. A solid 4-star page-turner that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #PoisonedPenPress for the book #WeWereNeverFriends by #KairaRouda. I was never part of a sorority but this book gave me a glimpse of what it would be like and I have to say, I am ok with never being in a sorority. I loved this book filled with backstabbing, secrets and murder. Roxy, Amelia, Jamie, Beth and Sunny were all sorority sisters until one spring break twenty five years ago when one of them didn’t return. Now, they are all gathered again at Roxy’s luxurious home that resembles the place they stayed back then. As tensions and accusations fly about what happened long ago, they all seem to be turning against each other. Can they survive the weekend when the truth comes out?

OMGSH! This is a domestic thriller that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. It’s a chilling and expertly crafted deep dive into the complex and often venomous world of female friendships.

Rouda has a phenomenal talent for creating characters who are so seemingly perfect on the surface, yet so deeply flawed and dangerous underneath. The narrative is a constant, breathless spiral of paranoia and distrust, making you question every single thing you read.

The plot is a tightly wound spring of secrets, lies, and betrayals, with an unreliable narration keeping you completely off-balance. The pacing is flawless, building an almost unbearable tension that culminates in a series of shocking revelations that will leave you reeling.

The journey is a heart-pounding one, and the final destination is a complete jaw-dropper. This book is for anyone who loves a dark, twisted, and unforgettable thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a temporary e-ARC!

This is a popcorn-worthy, fast-paced book that almost goes by in a single sitting. The level of drama is really high. The tempo is blazing. I wasn't really satisfied with the execution, even though it promised to be a creepy, twisty thriller. It gave up depth for drama and leaned a bit too heavily towards soap opera theatrics.
A solid 3 and a half star read for me for the pure entertainment value of the plot, which is full of drama and fantastically repugnant antiheroines.

Wanted to like this book, but ultimately it was a letdown for a few reasons. First, the characters and storyline felt quite one-dimensional, if not over-the-top caricatures, which didn't read as 'real.' It's a short book, but with the amount of description and repetition, there wasn't much room left over for character development and plot. There were certainly a lot of twists, but the ending felt really rushed. This book was not memorable or anything to write home about, overall. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

3/5 stars
One word for this... DRAMA!
I dont think there was a page without some drama of some form, so much to unpack! A murder mystery with a... ghost? Not what i was expecting! Seeing how everyone is connected together was interesting and slightly addicting. not my usual kind of book, but i enjoyed it!

Thanks to netgallery for this ARC!