We Were Never Friends is another addictive, twisty domestic thriller from Kaira Rouda! The story pulls you in quickly and keeps a tight grip with its sharp pacing and dark undertones. Rouda does a fantastic job creating flawed, bold, and layered characters, ones you might not always like, but you can’t stop reading about.

The tension builds steadily throughout the book, and the web of secrets and manipulation makes for an engaging ride. I really appreciated the perspective shifts and how Rouda gives each voice a distinct tone. The emotional complexity and quiet unraveling of relationships were incredibly well done.

This was a compelling and entertaining read, perfect for fans of suspenseful, character-driven stories with a chilling edge. Kaira Rouda continues to prove she knows how to write unsettling, smart thrillers that leave you thinking long after the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Sorority sisters Beth and Roxy’s adult children are getting married to each other, and to kick off an engagement party, Roxy has pulled out all the stops for a sorority sister reunion to celebrate Celeste Harrison and Zach Gentry in the latest from Kaira Rouda, We Were Never Friends.
Roxy has invited Beth, the mother of the bride of course, but she has also included Jamie Vale, the double-legacy pledge who is now a cardiologist. A fourth “sister,” Amelia Dell gets word about the festivities, crashing the party with her current boy toy Brett.
Gathering at Roxy’s Palm Springs vacation home, the “sisters” notice how the home refurbished by Roxy’s husband Ryan looks so much like the hotel where the last gathering of the women occurred, the Desert Sands, giving the gathering a déjà vu moment. A fifth member of the sorority sister group, Sunny Spencer, drowned at that celebration 25 years ago.
But as the title declares, these women were never friends, and the cracks in their relationships grow over a couple of days together. Rouda expertly weaves the women’s past entanglements and simmering resentments into the weekend’s escalating drama. Before the party is over, one of the revelers will not be leaving alive.
Kaira Rouda was born in Illinois but lives in Long Beach, California. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Women’s Fiction Author Association, and the International Thriller Writers. Her book Jill is Not Happy has been named a Most Anticipated Book of 2025 by Zibby Media.
My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 1, 2025.
I would like to thank Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

We Were Never Friends is a dark, fast-paced domestic thriller that dives deep into power, manipulation, and the dangerous games people play behind closed doors. Kaira Rouda, known for her sharp, suspenseful narratives, once again delivers a story filled with secrets, ambition, and a protagonist whose reliability is always in question. Set in the elite world of politics and privilege, the novel follows a woman navigating the treacherous aftermath of her husband’s death—a death surrounded by mystery, shifting alliances, and hidden agendas. As she struggles to reclaim control in a world built on image and influence, every step forward reveals another layer of deception. Rouda masterfully builds tension through a tight, psychological lens, revealing just enough to keep readers guessing, yet never fully comfortable. The prose is cool, cutting, and laced with a sense of self-awareness that turns the story into more than just a tale of deceit. It becomes a sharp commentary on the roles women are forced to play, the cost of survival, and the fine line between reinvention and delusion. Gripping and provocative, We Were Never Friends is a page-turner that blends psychological insight with a ruthless look at the price of ambition. Fans of unreliable narrators and morally complex characters will find themselves hooked from the first chapter to the final chilling twist.

We Were Never Friends is a twisty, fast-paced thriller that pulls you in from the very beginning. Kaira Rouda delivers a tense, drama-filled ride that’s hard to put down. The pacing is spot on, and the characters are layered in that deliciously unreliable way that keeps you second-guessing everything.

That said, there was one major question left unanswered that really stuck with me. It felt like an important piece of the puzzle was missing, which made the ending fall a little flat. Still, I enjoyed the journey—this book had so much going for it, and fans of locked-in thrillers will likely find it a worthwhile read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I gave this book the full five stars. The book sucked me in at the beginning and kept me hooked. Kaira Rouda knows how to spin a story! You will not regret reading this one.

“We Were Never Friends” by Kaira Rouda is a twisty, fast-paced thriller that brings sorority sisters back together for a weekend reunion to celebrate the engagement of two of their kids—but not everything is as it seems. Beneath the surface of smiles lies a tangled web of tension, suspicion, and long-buried secrets threatening to resurface. Kaira Rouda masterfully builds suspense as the past collides with the present in shocking ways. A gripping read that keeps you guessing until the very end!

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press for providing the copy of We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda. I love thrillers about old friends getting back together and if they were in a sorority, that's even better! There was no question about the title of this book. I never expect Rouda’s thrillers to be particularly deep, but I know I will always enjoy a good read. If you’re looking for a fast, fun read with lots of surprises, this is the book for you! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

As someone who was never in a sorority, never wanted to be, and who read Pledged after college, I find pretty much everything about sororities to be sinister. Thus making them a potentially fun starting point for a thriller. While this was an interesting page-turner for the first half, wondering where this was all going, it quickly started going off the rails, I have so many questions and by the time I got to the end I thought, "Is that it?"
I suppose some characters get their comeuppance for their terrible deeds but for the most part you're left wondering what on earth everyone's deal is.

Beth Harrison is headed to Palm Springs to celebrate her daughter Celeste's engagement. The weekend is also a mini reunion with some of her sorority sisters as Beth's daughter is marrying into the wealth Gentry family whose matriarch is Roxy, who was also in Theta Gamma Nu.

Beth and her sorority sisters are shocked when they arrive at The Gentry mansion as it is eerily like the hotel they stayed in during their senior spring break. The trip where their dear friend and sweet natured sorority sister Sunny died. Why does the mansion look this way and will they all make it out alive?

A few of the characters felt a bit one-dimensional, I would have liked to have seen more development of Roxy and Jamie. Nevertheless this book was a fun fluffy read as I love a good sorority thriller. I didn't love the way the ending shook out however. Three and half stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I just finished reading We Were Never Friends and I'm still reeling from the experience! This thriller masterfully weaves together a complex web of plot twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are expertly crafted, with each one more unpredictable and sinister than the last. Just when you think you've figured out the mystery, the rug is pulled out from under you, leaving you breathless and begging for more.

Thank you netgalley for the arc !! 🩷

A story about college sorority sisters, gathered together again in celebration of two of their children are getting married. They all gather in a newly renovated home that looks eerily similar to the hotel they stayed at year ago when one of their sorority sisters turned up dead. All secrets of that night will be revealed, with many twists! It was fun reading through all of the details and discovering things are not as cut and dry as they seem.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I got this book off of NetGalley and devoured it. The characters are all so different, yet there was so much description to bring them all to life. I think the author did a great job of that. The mystery:thriller part was great too. I didn’t see all the twist coming. So many! The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was that we didn’t get much on the engaged couple. I want to know if he is like his mom and dad. You get ideas of what he’s like then something else happens and you’re like hmmmm maybe it’s this. I just wish we knew what was happening with them too. Over all I’d say it’s a 4⭐️ read. Kept me turning the pages and guessing.

Sorority? More like social chess with manicured claws. We Were Never Friends delivers exactly what the title hints at: a deliciously twisted reunion full of passive-aggressive jabs, secrets long buried under designer heels, and relationships that never were as pretty as they looked on the surface.
I’m a sucker for suspense stories where the past refuses to stay dead, and this one plays that card beautifully. The setting—a perfectly curated engagement weekend at a luxurious Palm Springs estate—is both dreamy and chilling, especially as it mirrors a Spring Break tragedy from twenty-five years ago that none of these women ever truly recovered from.
The vibe is Big Little Lies meets The Guest List, but with a sharper bite and darker humor. Roxy, the self-anointed queen bee, choreographs the weekend like it’s her personal performance piece—only to find herself trapped in a play where everyone else knows her lines too well. And the rest of the cast? Flawed, petty, secretive—and deliciously human.
The only reason I’m not giving it a full five stars is the ending. After so much expertly built tension, I found the resolution slightly underwhelming. I wanted more fallout, more fire, more consequences for everything that had unraveled. But honestly, even with that, it’s still a compulsively readable, well-crafted story filled with dark humor, betrayals, and the kind of juicy tension that makes you keep turning pages.
A must-read for anyone who loves messy friendships, upscale dysfunction, and secrets that don’t stay buried. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Ms. Rouda has done it again! Sorority Sisters or Frenemies? A carefully choreographed engagement party turns deadly when the women and their SOs gather to celebrate 2 of their children getting engaged. You can never escape the past because it will always resurface when you least expect it. As their lives unravel, the ladies strive to find the truth about how one of their sisters actually died. Each person has a part but who is really the killer? This novel delves into the past and current relationships revealing all of their secrets. I could not put this novel down. So well written and the character development is amazing. I loved watching the cracks in the sisters’ and their SOs facades. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I could not put this book down! Definitely shocked me with the twists. None of them were ones I expected especially the ending! Such a quick read and worth it!

This was a great time a a book I think a lot of people will be able to relate to on some level. You never really know someone, do you? This book is the literal definition of thriller and I’m here for it!!

It was brilliantly paced from the very first page, I found myself engrossed in the read! I had to remember to breathe, it was so gripping! UNPUTDOWNABLE!!

I read a lot and very critical! I can figure out the twists from almost the start, but not this book you will love this book!

I absolutely LOVED it!! It kept me on my toes the whole time and instantly grabbed my attention. It’s definitely a must read!!

A group of sorority sisters led by ‘Queen’ Roxy Gentry who was President at the time, Sunny her best friend Beth along with Amelia and Jamie spent their university days as remarkably close friends. Fast forward twenty years and the group comes together for a prewedding event for Roxy and her husband, Ryan’s son Zach and Beth’s daughter Celeste. Ryan has now spent years building a replica of the 1920’s resort Desert Sands and as each member arrives, including Roxy only the day before, they are thrown back into the past but not in a good way. Each of them gets the chill up and down their spines as memories hit.

However, one of the original group is missing, Sunny the standout golden girl who tragically died at a resort called Desert Sands when they went holidaying all that time ago. And so, the festivities begin but by the end of this weekend lives will again be changed forever.

Nothing like a band of malicious, spiteful, devious, backstabbing and devious women getting together and in a lot of ways, nothing has changed. Friendships will be tested, and revelations will be broadcasted, and the author has thrown in her usual mix of red herrings and surprises to spice up the action.

This is a quick read that I read in an afternoon has you turning the pages quickly as the story barrels along at a fast pace, full of drama and all leading to a very explosive climax.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

You have to pull me away with pliers and a pulley system to stop me from reading a sorority thriller - such a great genre and not enough out there!

This is a longtime coming reunion that involves their KIDS getting together (wait nightmare situation anyone?) and the following incidents that ensue.

Sand, fire, whodunnit, and secrets - totally a great read and was perfect for beside the pool. It was really all over and chaotic but expected. Characters were insane with their altering point of views but made for a fun storytelling.


Cheers, and thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

It was addictive.
I liked the unsettling setting and that the creepiness starts right off the bat. Some of the revelations were a little predictable but they kept piling up and getting worse and worse.

Some of the characters were really interesting and fun in a twisted way, and in my opinion they were the best part of the book.
I was a little disappointed in Beth, who felt like the main character but was a bit flat less interesting than the others.

Overall, it's a solid closed room mystery with some entertaining characters.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!