Review: Girls’ Night Out

Book Title: Girls’ Night Out
Author: Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
REVIEWED BY: CHELSEA
Series: None
Genres: Psychological Thriller, Domestic Suspense, Women’s Fiction
Goodreads
Pub Date: 07/24/17
4 STARS

For estranged friends Ashley, Natalie, and Lauren, it’s time to heal the old wounds between them. Where better to repair those severed ties than on a girls’ getaway to the beautiful paradise of Tulum, Mexico? But even after they’re reunited, no one is being completely honest about the past or the secrets they’re hiding. When Ashley disappears on their girls’ night out, Natalie and Lauren have to try to piece together their hazy memories to figure out what could have happened to her, while also reconciling their feelings of guilt over their last moments together.

Was Ashley with the man she’d met only days before? Did she pack up and leave? Was she kidnapped? Or worse—could Natalie or Lauren have snapped under the weight of her own lies?

As the clock ticks, hour by hour, Natalie and Lauren’s search rushes headlong into growing suspicion and dread. Maybe their secrets run deeper and more dangerous than one of them is willing—or too afraid—to admit.

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“It’s all very well to tell us to forgive our enemies; our enemies can never hurt us very much, But oh, what about forgiving our friends?”
-Willa Cather, My Mortal Enemy

You know that old saying where there’s always one left out in a group of 3 friends? Welcome to Girls’ Night Out, where this theme is explored and portrayed in the most delicious and dramatic of ways. If you’re like me, then you wholly enjoy some “escapism” fiction, and this guilty pleasure novel is just that. I was so completely sucked in by the drama that I was sure this plot put the Real Housewives of insert any city I’m not as knowledgable as Dennis on these things to shame. Ladies, you want domestic drama? You want cat fights? You want suspense that compels you to keep reading even if your family is begging you to feed them and wash their clothes but you say, not today fools? Then sit down and read on; this book is for you!

Suspenseful and compelling- I know I already implied this above, but I swear they are the two most legit adjectives I can use to describe this plot. The deeper I went, the more I had to keep going. I was a woman on a mission, and I needed to know what happened to Ashley! It’s tricky, because Ashley initially is an extremely unlikable character, but by the end of the book, the authors leave all the pieces for you to decide whether you think she was redeemable or not. I LOVED THIS. I adore when authors give their readers the freedom to make their own conclusions and assumptions rather than spoon feeding us how we should think and feel. I can’t promise you’ll feel sorry for any of the characters, as that will be up to you, but I can promise that by the end of the book you’re brain will be digesting every aspect long after you close the book.

I really don’t want to discuss any specific plot points, because this book is best read going in blind, but I did love how the story flips between the days of the girls’ trip and the present day where Ashley is missing. It’s still a relatively short span of time with no major calendar jumps to keep track of, which makes it easy to follow but ratchets up the tension to the point you just want to fly through to the ending to know what happens and have closure. There are multiple POVs, so we get a little glimpse into each character’s side of the story for a well-rounded and balanced narrative. Again, if you like drama you are going to eat this one up.

I know there will be people who won’t take to this book, but if you’ve been a fan of Liz and Lisa’s novels in the past, it’s a safe bet you’ll enjoy this one too. These ladies have really upped their game by switching over to the suspense genre, proving they know how to keep a reader flipping the pages at lightning speed. I look forward to more from the duo and can’t wait to hear everyone else’s opinions of THAT ENDING. <insert gasping emoji> This book goes best with a pint of ice cream, a bottle of wine, and a week at the beach. Ok, maybe that’s a bit lofty, but this is a beach read at it’s finest! Thank you so much to Lisa and Liz for sending me an early copy; I adore you both and look forward to the next one! And the next one and the next one and the…