Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
This is the 2nd book that I have read by Leslie Sanderson, the 1st book was “The Woman at 46th Street”.
I thought this book was original and well written.
I loved that the book took place in 1 day & alternated between the current time and the day in the past that changed everything.
I would describe this book as a twisty and addictive thriller about dark secrets and obsessive friendships.
I would definitely read the next book that Ms. Sanderson writes.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

Having thoroughly enjoyed "The Woman of 46 Heath Street" I was excited to read Lesley Sanderson's new thriller THE LEAVING PARTY, a story about what happens when secrets and toxic obsession collide.

Ava and Lena are best friends who have known each other since high school and share a beautiful Victorian house together. That is, until now. Ava is about to leave London and her past behind to live with her boyfriend Ben in New York. Lena isn't thrilled about it but Ava is her best friend and so she plans the biggest and best leaving party for her.

It is meant to be a surprise but Ava caught on fairly quickly what Lena was planning and played along, whilst secretly hoping for a quiet exit. Then on the day of the party, she receives a familiar package - long, slender and containing a single black rose. Ava is immediately fearful for this is the not the first one. It all goes back to the past...a time Ava would rather forget and one from which she hopes to now escape with this move.

Thirteen years ago, Ava and Lena were teenagers at a party when a tragic accident occurred involving them both and which resulted in a friend's death. Every year since, on the anniversary of that night, Ava has received a single black rose. Someone knows her secret. And they are intent on never letting her forget the part she played.

But this year is different. This is the first year that a rose has arrived out of sequence...and not on the anniversary but rather on the day of Ava's leaving party. Then just as the evening is about to kick off, another rose arrives. Who is sending them? Is it someone she knows? Someone closer than she thinks? Are they at her party tonight?

But then more strange things begin to happen when a cake decorated in black icing with the number 13 on it is left on the doorstep and a vase of black roses appears. Ava becomes even more fearful that someone at her party is responsible and she is unable to relax. She desperately wants to see Ben, who Lena says will be there tonight but where is he? He should be here by now and she can't even call him because her phone has somehow disappeared. She decides to spend a few quiet moments to collect herself and admire the beautiful engagement ring from Ben - a secret until they can announce it together - when she discovers her passport is also missing.

Downstairs Lena is determined that Ava enjoy her party though the moment is bittersweet for her knowing that she will say goodbye to her best friend in just two days time. But will she? What if she moves to New York with Ava? That would be just perfect! After all, she really has nothing keeping her here.

Then when Ava's estranged sister Martha arrives, Lena resolves not to let her ruin Ava's night. Martha hates Lena and the feeling is mutual as Lena tries to keep Martha from spoiling things. She certainly wouldn't put it past her. And despite resolving NOT to let Martha ruin the party, Lena then begins to feed Ava's fears by planting the seed that her sister is the one behind the roses.

Soon Ava doesn't know what to think anymore. All she knows is that someone is out to torment her, never letting her forget one drunken teenage night and that whoever they are might be out for revenge. She is certain now that moving across the Atlantic and away from her past is the best thing for her. Suddenly her leaving party doesn't seem to be the joyous occasion it was meant to be and Ava can't wait until it is over and she can escape the past once and for all. But can she?

The story is told in the past and the present in alternating perspectives of both Ava and Lena. I did get a little confused as to whose narrative it was at times because both are in the first person. The entire present day story is at the leaving party which I thought dragged on a little. I felt I was stuck in a timewarp that existed only at that party. And then every so often we are given a flashback to another party 13 years before, as events there slowly unfold and the two stories are woven together to suddenly make sense.

A different kind of read, THE LEAVING PARTY is a party I didn't really want to be at. In fact, if anyone wanted to leave it was me. The air was toxic, the people unlikeable and I found I couldn't trust any of them.

Neither Ava or Lena are particularly likeable, in my opinion, which does make being dragged into their drama a bit tiresome in part. Ava just seemed a little detached and I felt somewhat indifferent to her. She droned on about having done something awful for which she was being tormented and alluded to it being some dark secret...but when the reader discovers what that secret is, I was left wondering how she came to that conclusion? I understood she felt a tremendous amount of guilt but what was the big secret? It felt a little anti-climatic to me. Lena was different. I didn't like or trust her almost from the beginning. There was something creepy about her and she was incredibly unnerving. As the story unfolds it is revealed that she has an unhealthy attachment to Ava that is undeniably toxic and yet neither woman could see it that way. She was a far more rounded character than Ava, as unbalanced as she is, and clearly disturbed. And yet, we're never quite sure whether she's the good or bad guy here.

Although I did find the book a bit underwhelming after her previous thriller, THE LEAVING PARTY was still a reasonably enjoyable read. It lacked the thrills and chills, needing more suspense and plot twists. The whole book party concept was original and interesting but it became a little long winded by the end. Again, Lena made my skin crawl and if anything I couldn't wait to be out of her presence.

THE LEAVING PARTY had a lot to live up to after the last thriller, so it could be forgiven that. It was still a good read, if only for the unfolding toxicity being revealed.

I do enjoy Lesley Sanderson's thrillers and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us. THE LEAVING PARTY was just not her best, in my opinion, though she is still an author to enjoy.

I would like to thank #LesleySanderson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLeavingParty in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good book with lots of twists and turns. Ava and Lena have been neat friends for years following a tragedy in their teenage years which has bound them together.
The story surrounds Ava’s leaving party, she’s off to start a new life with her fiancé Ben in New York.
Lena is devastated but understands that Ava wants to start a new life.
It’s a clever plot, as new characters arrive throughout the story and we gradually discover how they are weaved into the incident that shaped all their lives.
Why doesn’t Ava speak to her sister? What happened at Danny’s party? Who is behind the black roses that are sent each year on the anniversary of the accident?
It kept me guessing to the end.

I wanted to read this book because the description compared it to Girl on the Train and The Wife Between Us. I don’t think it is comparable to those two books.

The majority of the books takes place at a going-away party with some flashbacks to a High School party. I just didn’t find it that interesting. It certainly wasn’t an addictive psychological thriller. The post moves slowly and I struggled to stay interested.

The main character, Ava, was very self-absorbed. Much of the book seemed repetitive and just moved too slow for my preference.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

Thirteen years before, a crime was committed at a teen party that left everyone there affected. Two friends, both who attended the party before, are celebrating Ava's impending move while Lena stays behind. Both young women have been unable to forget the trauma of the teen party. Someone sends a black rose to Ava every year. Is it because she is guilty, does she know something, is she in danger? As the story moves back and forth between the two parties and the two young women, we readers get more clues but it was still a surprise to me when all was revealed. A thriller with emphasis on the thrill.

Rarely have I read a book about a party that was so full of suspense and paranoia.

"The Leaving Party" is about Ava moving out of the house she shared with Lena. She's planning to move from the UK to New York City to be with her fiancé. For their last night, Lena is throwing Ava a huge going away party. Only she doesn't want Ava to go away. The two of them are like sisters. Always there for each other. They need each other. Surely Lena can make Ava see that.

Ava needs a new start. Someone has been sending her black roses once a year on the anniversary of a tragedy. She's been hiding that secret from everyone, and maybe that will stop once she moves across the ocean. When more black roses start appearing at the party, Ava knows someone there wants to cause her harm. Is it Lena, trying to prevent her from leaving? Or maybe her creepy former boss? Or the estranged sister who turned up uninvited? Is she sending them to herself for attention?

This is a great example of an unreliable narrator, except there are two - the story switches between the perspectives of Ava and Lena, while also taking the reader back to the night of the tragedy and bringing it back to the present. The characters were a little flat to me, and I do wish the reader had a chance to meet Ben, the fiancé. Overall it was a fun story and it kept me guessing until the end.

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book and it kept me guessing. Definitely another author for my must read list.
Recommended read.

Every year on the same day, on the anniversary, she receive a single black rose.
No one knows the real reason she is desperate to leave.
No one knows what she is running from.
Someone knows what she did.
Someone knows her secret. They’re in her home, they're at her's party, and they’re making her pay for it.
This is my first book by this author and i would love to check more of her work.
It was an interesting psychological thriller with some good twist.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

The story is about two friends Lens & Ave who have been friends since secondary school. Something happened at a party in 2005.
This story switches from the present to 2005.
In the present Lena is throwing a party for Ava who is leaving to go to go to America to be with her boyfriend.
Throughout the party strange things start happening .
Ava hasn't told anyone but on the anniversary of the incident she receives a black rose .
And today she has received a rose and a cake.
Somebody is out for her.
Who is doing this to her.
Is Lena her friend or for
Good read
Thanks NetGalley

My first book by this author, I'll definitely read more! I found this an addictive interesting story.

Ava and Lena have been friends for decades. So close, that after an accident 13 years ago, Lena moves in with Ava's family and becomes like a sister to her.

Now Ava is on her way to the US and Lena isn't sure she wants to be apart from Ava. She decides to throw Ava one last going away party on the eve of her departure.

This book is told between alternating viewpoints of Ava and Lena, and also through a flashback to the night of the accident 13 years ago.

Usually, flashbacks or multiple viewpoints throughout the story don't bother me. This book, however, took me an extraordinarily long time to get through. The plot did not capture my attention like I hoped it would. The characters did not drag me in. And the storyline dragged on longer than necessary. I kept at it, though, in hopes that the ending would pay off. Unfortunately, it didn't pay off for me.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars
An interesting psychological thriller that kept me on the edge for half of the book but the other half was very predictable for me and a slower pace that I would have wished for.

Ugh. It’s not bad but it’s nothing new.

I really enjoyed The Orchid Girls but haven’t been enthralled by anything since by this author. I need to take a break from the thriller category I think. I am just finding that I’m not seeing anything that really grips me lately. That being said, you should probably take this review with a grain of salt, getting jaded.

The characters voices were not distinct enough. Their thoughts, not actions, were too abundant. I felt as though I should have been on edge through this ride but I wasn’t. I didn’t get invested enough.

The ending is not bad but something I feel like I have run across a bit too much lately. I would suggest you try this for yourself as many have enjoyed it and I think I’m getting burned out on this genre.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture for a copy in exchange for a review.

i loved the way this book was written. It was so unpredictable. It had me guessing right to the end. I loved the plot and i could really connect with the characters. Alth0ugh i guessed it early on and still kept my interest.

This book definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, I had no idea what was going on until the very end! I kept guessing but then would be proven wrong a few pages later... loved the unpredictable nature of this story!

Ava is leaving England to head to the US with her fiance Ben. Her best friend Lena is heartbroken but determined to throw her a leaving party she’ll never forget. Except that Ava is also leaving to escape the memory of her past, haunted by a death and the black roses that arrive every year of the anniversary…
This is a fascinating psychological novel and I really had no idea who to trust, just like Ava. Lena’s behaviour is clingy and she becomes increasingly desperate to stay close to Ava. Meanwhile Ava’s estranged sister makes the effort to build bridges and rekindle their sibling relationship. Ava is also waiting anxiously for her fiance Ben to join the party, concerned he may be having second thoughts about living together in the US.
The majority of the book is told through the eyes of Ava or Lena on the night of the leaving party but these are interspersed with chapters set at another party in 2005. I love that all the action and events are just two nights, yet it doesn’t feel contrived or lengthy.
I felt a strong emotional connection with both Ava and Lena and could sympathise with them both. Lena’s desperation and manipulation is caused by her sad home life as a teenager and Ava’s family fostered her. Ava feels trapped and ready for a change but also guilty as she leaves Lena behind.
The plot develops slowly and steadily over the course of the book and author Lesley Sanderson keeps her readers guessing. I suspected everyone of trying to derail Ava’s happiness as they all seemed to be acting suspiciously!

This was my first book by this author. It was a very interesting one and sure had me wanting to know what happened next. I did figure out who was doing what with the exception of someone’s little sister. That part got me. The best friend is not always who they seem to be. But a best friend will always be there for you. Won’t they.

This is a story of two best friends who experienced a tragedy thirteen years ago. A girl was killed and one was hurt badly. One saved her best friend. It’s told from two different people’s view and from the two timelines. From the past when the accident happened and the present when the party happened. Ava is moving far away to be with her boyfriend, Ben. Her best friend, Lena, doesn’t want her to leave but is also happy for her. At least she wants to be. She honestly does not want to loose Ava but doesn’t know what to do to keep her from going. She throws Ava a huge going away party and the fun begins. At least the mysteries and the stories.

This book didn’t really have any likable characters in it for me. Though it was a good story and kept me wanting to read more, it just didn’t have any characters that I liked. Lena was to needed and Ava seemed to be afraid of her own shadow and totally did not have a mind of her own. Whether it was Lena or Ava’s sister, Martha. One of them was constantly taking Ava by the hand and telling her what to do and how to feel. And with all the alcohol they drank I do not see how any of them, with the exception of Martha, could stand up much less tell anyone what to do. There was enough going on that it held my interest and made me want to know what was going to happen next and find out who was doing the mean things that were being done and I wanted to know who did what back in 2005. It was a good story just no good characters to connect with. It had lots of twists going on and will make you hold your breath in parts. In places it’s a bit repetitive though. But that aside I still am glad I read this book. It definitely is one that I had to finish.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Lesley Sanderson, #Bookouture for the ARC of this book.

I gave it three stars. I do recommend you read it for yourself as things to appeal to different people in different ways. It was one that I had to finish and I enjoyed it in many ways.

A good twisty, turny thriller. Dark and gripping. Two girls, best friends recount their story now and back to when they were teenagers. A leaving party is being held for Ava by Lena. There is a big secret here along with lots of lies. Someone wants this secret outed and revenge sought. A good thriller with a great ending.

Told from two viewpoints this book goes back and forth from 2005 to present day

Both Ava and Lena were hard to like and the more I read the more I disliked them. I pretty much had some things worked out quite early on. This was a good read but didn’t have me eagerly turning pages to see what happened next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.