I thought this book was very, very silly, even before the over-the-top ending. The introduction references The White Lotus and Knives Out, and I agree I would have rather watched a movie/show of this than read the book. I found it overstuffed and underdone, trying to pack in too many themes - and it was fun to read but not really fun enough.

This book is mismarketed as a thriller but I still loved it. The murder the book opens with is almost beside the point. The story is instead built on the overlapping secrets and quickly-building tension in this reunited college friend group. The author does not shy away from ugly feelings: jealousy, resentment, obsession, anything. It was an often funny, thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable darkly comedic book.

Numerous times throughout the book I kept waiting and waiting for the suspense. For the “on the edge of my seat, can’t put this down” suspense. But nothing. It was really hard to find connections with the characters. It was a lot of backstory and not enough current suspense story.

I’m giving it 4 stars because it is the first book I have read in a while that did have a heavy dose of trauma woven into the story. A little pretentious and over the top but I didn’t mind.

This was so close to being five stars for me, but the last 10% attempted too much for me. I loved almost everything about this story: the characters, the setting, the fact that no one is likeable but in a very real way. Rachel, Anjali and V are very fun to root for, and the men are *such* helpless dude bros it's very fun to hate-read them. Truly an enjoyable story.

This was awful.

Five friends meet up 20 years after college for a weekend of fun. Raj and Rachel Ranjani, excited to show their friends their new winery, are falling apart beneath their glitzy façade. Working mother Anjali’s life is also falling apart, in a non glitzy fashion and everyone is just trying to hold on.
Through bottles (and bottles) of wine, backhanded comments and a whole lot of background, we end the weekend with a surprising and unexpected death.
This was not a thriller but not....not a thriller. The only thing thrilling about it was the last 20 pages and even then it wasn’t super shocking with what happened, and the aftermath was lackluster.
But, I still enjoyed reading the book, it was a quick page turner for me. And I enjoyed reading about places close to home, they even had a shoutout to one of my best friends wedding venue (where you at MadB).
Anywho, it’s out today, quick lil’ read.

Thank you Net galley and publishers for this arc in return for an honest review.

6 college friends reunite 20 years later for a weekend at one of their wineries for good times. They all have secrets, and tensions are rising as they rehash old memories. One of them ends up dead on the night of the grand opening. What are they hiding? A weekend trip of finding themselves, of starting over, of wanting what the others have, and jealousy. How far would they go for happy ever after? This was a quick read for me as I couldn't put it down. It was an easy thriller that I didn't have to think to much about who done it. None of the characters were likable. All catty, and fake towards each other, but that made the story all the more better. You loved to hate them. A very good weekend read for me.