That cover is amazing! Draws you right into it with the synopsis. I went into this one blindly and was completely creeper out by the way this story turned. It was an edge of your seat thriller with an obsessive take and I was there for the ride. Highly recommend.

A great, thrilling read, which will keep you entertained throughout. A good one sitting read, get the nibbles ready, close the door, and read!

A great page turning thriller! Ana is ready to leave everyone behind and start new in a new country with her boyfriend. Her best friend Lena is having a hard time letting Ana go but has thrown a wonderful party for her before she leaves. The past comes creeping up though and someone is not going to let the past stay in the past. But who?

Had a great plot. Suspenseful but not gripping. Maybe creepy. I mean I would be creeped out if I received a black rose on the anniversary of something she’s been hiding. The ending plummeted.

This story is told from a dual timeline perspective.
This is a quick easy read. However I felt there were holes and inconsistencies within the plot.
The characters were one dimensional and the story lacked suspense.

I found this book to be a bit slow and I was a bit disappointed. I really was hoping to enjoy this one but it just didn’t do it for me.

Enjoyed the book and found it pretty gripping. Good twist towards the end which I didn't see coming.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC of this book .
Well that wasn't quite what I expected - interesting story, well written, good characters and a twist!
I want to give 5 stars but something is holding me back and I can't pin my finger on why, but that's why I have given 4 - would have given 4.5 if I could!
I hope to read more by Lesley - definitely recommend

The Leaving Party is a quick thriller read focused on friendship and obsession. It's told in duel timelines at two different parties and through multiple POVs. I'm generally a fan of this structure but in this case, I found the voices /POVs of Ava and Lena very similar and struggled to keep track of the two characters and found the dialogue and character responses didn't always match.

Lena's character is more developed and the story is at it's best when it's focused on her obsessive nature.

Thank you to Netgally and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Ava and Lena have been best friends since they were teenagers. Thirteen years ago, a tragedy occurred that both girls want to forget - but someone keeps sending her a black rose on the date of the tragedy every year. This year, the 13th, the rose arrives later than usual along with a cake with black icing. Who won't let her forget? Ava is due to pack up her life in the UK and move to New York with her fiance Ben. Lena throws her a surprise "leaving party" to wish her well. The day of the party, things start to go very wrong.
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The story is written from both Ava's and Lena's POVs with two time lines, the present and the past (2005). I generally love the dual timelines in books and this one was no exception! It was a fast read for me as I was so curious as to what happened. The ending, however, left a lot to be desired. Good read, but I wanted a better ending!

Thanks to Lesley Sanderson, Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

I’m impressed by Lesley Sanderson’s writing. This story of a long hidden secret, and obsessive friendship keeps you guessing all the way. A claustrophobic sense of dread adds to the tension. Recommended.

Loved this. Interesting story and great author...fave twist. Such a god book 5 well deserved stars woohoo!

Thirteen years ago Ava attended a party which ended horribly. She's been on the run ever since. But every year on the anniversary, she receives a single black rose. Someone knows her secret ... and where she is.

Ava is moving to another country to live with her boyfriend. It means leaving everything familiar .. her friends ... her family .... and maybe the black roses.

Her best friend is giving a going-away party. There's lots of champagne, well wishes, hugs and I'll miss yous. Another black rose shows up and her passport go missing.

Someone knows her secret ... and they're attending the party.

The book is written in two timelines ... two parties then and now. There are lots of characters, making it somewhat difficult to follow. The beginning of the book is actually more suspenseful. It is intense in places, but it comes and goes. The characters, themselves, weren't impressive.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This book tells the story of Ava, a girl who receives a black rose once a year, on the anniversary of a mysterious accident she was in when she was a teenager. A well-structured narrative, good plot, great characters. A recommended read

A thrilling twisty compelling read! This had me hooked from the onset. Ava receives a black rose on the same day each year for the last 13 years. But she has received one today,the day of her leaving party as she embarks on her new life with Ben. Her bestie Lrna is throwing the party for her as she'll miss Ava so much..they did everything together. Later she finds out that whomever sends her these black roses is at her party. Trouble is g0ing to ensue!

A really good Dark thriller thirteen years of black roses left on the same day. The book flips between Ava's leaving party and Danny's party in the past. Its a really good read and the first I have read from Lesley Sanderson, and I really enjoyed it and will be watching for more books from this author in the future thanks so much for the book to review

Everyday on the same day, I receive a single black rose.Thirteen years of dark petals, jagged thorns, dredging up memories I’ve tried to forget....Author #Lesley Sanderson can draw you in with her writing so easily.The book is absolutely gripping and a wonderful psychological thriller.
Thank you,
#Netgalley,#Lesley Sanderson and #Bookouture

This a super twisty and dark thriller that was really interesting by Lesley Sanderson. Most of the book takes part over one day, and you kinda of hop back and forth to a time in history where something really important happened. (No spoilers!) Highly recommend you check this book out.

A quick, easy thriller.

I love friendship themes in my books and this book definitely served up some interesting friendship dynamics, however, a lot of the character interactions felt very stilted on the page as a lot of the character responses within the dialogue didn't seem to make much sense.

While the story was a quick read, I overall found the pacing rather slow and I didn't feel like the author managed to build any real suspense or tension.

If you're after a quick thriller with interesting friendship themes, then this one is worth checking out.