This was absolutely an entertaining, gripping story. I was saving the book for a naughty cozy afternoon, and Lesley Sanderson’s writing pulled me in. I tell ya, the lady was crafty with her words. She lured me.

4 friends met up after 15 years, and it was time to put to rest the spirit of an old friend, Hannah. But playing Truth Or Dare brought out more questions than answers.

The book started slow, and as a plot arc, it seemed most familiar. But as the pages turned, with tiny things coming to light about their dead friend, I got to know the dynamics of the group.

I liked how the author didn’t make these friends syrupy sticky, to begin with, during their college days. There was an ebb and flow to them, moments when they were close to one above the others, as it often happened in a group. At least it happened in my group of girls.

The last one third was explosive and curiosity really killed this cat, as I desperately wanted to know what happened to Hannah. It was quite an invigorating read. I played the part of a voyeur as I got more gossip than I intended.

So I would say, an afternoon well spent looking into the lives and minds of these women and a killer.

This story is told mainly by Louise .
Amy invites her university friends to a party to celebrate her 35th Birthday and also she has got the all clear from cancer.
They are also there to remember their university friend Hannah who committed suicide but new evidence is uncovered and the police now believe she was murdered.
Each one of them is hiding a secret .
But is one of them a murderer.
A great read
Thanks. NetGalley

This was a fast paced, well structured book that captured my interest right away.
A group of college friends arrange a get together for one of their birthdays after several years of drifting apart. This group of friends share a rather dark and tragic past, and when they think it is all over and done with, things begin to creep to the surface once more.
This book is full of suspense, drama and a whole lot of tension, and as this story progresses it has so many twists and turns that has you holding your breath to the last page.
An absolute page turner that everyone must read!

This was initially a slow burner, but there are enough secrets to keep you engaged right till the end.

The major characters are well written, each suspicious in their own way, that you end up suspecting all of them. It was kind of difficult to believe that they were close friends in life because their actions don’t seem to suggest that.

The twist at the end was kind of expected, but the build-up to it was good. The only thing I was curious about at the end of the book was the journalist who was introduced in between.

Overall, an okay but twisted read.

Good book. Will definitely read more books by this author. First time reading anything by this author. Story keeps you interested.

This was my last read of 2020 and I enjoyed it but I wouldn't say it's one of Lesley's best.

This was a slow burn for me and I felt it dragged in places, I also found some of the plot frustrating and unfortunately predictable, having said that it hasn't put me off the author as some of her past reads have been of a much higher standard.

This was a chilling and gripping nail-biter, the kind of book that you read if you want a few hours to disappear into another world. A group of college friends get together after years apart to celebrate a birthday. They have a dark and tragic past, and as much as they had thought it was buried, surprise! It's not. There's tension, lack of trust, fractured relationships, and secrets. We all want to think we know our friends but at the end of the day, how much can you really know another person? I love a good suspense good that keeps me guessing and I recommend this one for that very reason.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Lesley Sanderson for this advance review copy.

Louise and her friends Amy, Daisy and Kat were all good friends during their University days when something happened that changed all their lives forever. Their friend Hannah was found dead in the woods and it was assumed that she had commited suicide. Hannah's boyfriend Sam had recently left her for Daisy and it appeared she'd never quite got over it, acting quiet and subdued in the weeks running up to her death. After university, they all went their separate ways but stayed in touch.

With Amy's 35th birthday approaching (and having recently been given the all clear from cancer), she's looking for closure on the events from those times, and gathers the girls all together for a celebration. She had been left a house close to the woods from her aunt in her will, and felt this would be a good opportunity to gather everyone together, lay flowers in the woods and talk about what happened all those years ago.

When new evidence comes to light that shows the death may actually have been murder, Louise realises that any one of her university friends could have killed Hannah. How well does she really know them? What secrets are they hiding? After all, Louise is hiding secrets of her own too!

At the party, a game of truth or dare reveals more about Hannah's last movements which lead us to understand the real version of events leading up to Hannah's death.

This book is a relatively easy read and I finished it in a day, That said, it is somewhat predictable in parts, and none of the twists left me completely shocked or wowed.

It is written in a way that always eludes to a secret throughout e.g. 'she couldn't know about the argument could she?' 'we both remember what happened that day...' and whilst it does build suspense, it also meant that at times, the dialogue / vocabulary that the characters used felt a tad unnatural and read a bit scripted - I struggled with this a little as it just didn't seem natural,

Whilst I liked the character build up, I found I couldn't relate to some of Louise's decisions in the book - particularly in relation to her husband Theo. I felt that the reveal was a tad on the unrealistic side as I don't believe people would be that open in this scenario after hiding secrets for so long (unless you can blame the alcohol and heightened emotions).

If you can see past some of the unrealistic elements and don't mind the fact that almost everything is revealed at the end as opposed to twists throughout - this was an enjoyable slow burn read with an exciting fast paced conclusion.

This is going to be a tough weekend. Old friends get together for the first time in 15 years. When they were younger, one of their friends, Hannah, disappeared, and was later found dead. Her life was lost and friendships were destroyed.

But now Amy, Kat, Louise and Daisy, and their significant others, are going to spend a weekend together. Not only is it Amy's birthday, but it will give the small group a long-awaited opportunity to discuss what could have possibly happened when their college friend Hannah disappeared. They were tight back then, but everything crumbled for them, never to be the same again.

Although there were several friends, the entire story is delivered in Louise's first-person perspective. She was Hannah's best friend in school, and just might be the one most devastated by Hannah's death. This weekend certainly will not be easy for any of them. Amy, however, has a plan, and that is for each of them to discuss what happened to Hannah the last time they say her. Will this be to all of their undoing?

Not only do they have to deal with the trauma of remembering that awful time, each of them have major issues they are coping with. As they try and unravel events from that time, the drama surrounding their lives now comes into play. Things are certain to be revealed during the weekend, and it will soon become evident that nothing is as it seems for any of them.

This thrilling story by Sanderson hits the mark when it comes to secrets, lies and tension. I could not put this exciting book down and found myself drawn to the drama as it unfolded, and shocked at the revelations that were revealed.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Birthday Weekend is a slow burning psychological thriller that picks up the pace dramatically in the second half.
Louise has been invited to one of her best friends birthday weekend, Amy is celebrating at a cottage her grandmother left for her in her will. Louise was part of a tight knit group of six friends at uni, that is until Hannah committed suicide, leaving them a five piece. The weekend is also for Amy to try and get to the bottom of how Hannah died as the police have re opened the case. Alcohol is consumed and a game of truth or dare is started, but what starts as a game starts to reveal lies and secrets that have devastating consequences.
This was a book that was hard to put down the more I read. I enjoyed getting to know Louise and think that helped in the overall enjoyment of the book.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

The Birthday Weekend by Lesley Sanderson was originally to have been released as Our Little Secret but has undergone a pre-publication title change. I enjoyed reading this new book by Lesley. It had lots of twists and turns throughout that will leave you gripped right till the end of this great new book.

I highly recommend this new book It was brilliant. I recommend all of her other books as well.

Excellent author throughout

Big thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Lesley Sanderson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read by this great author. I loved the way the tension built, all the players finally gathering for a deadly game. A great premise, and a well told story with a fitting end.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy on netgalley.

Fantastic thriller and one i raced through.Thought provoking ,complex and twisty. This had everything you need for a great addictive book.

Friendship ,lies, loss and rivals...sounds like the perfect weekend right?

Unpredictable and compelling. This is a author i can highly recommend.

Published 15th December

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC. This story pulled me in from the beginning. Louise is invited to a birthday weekend to celebrate not only the birthday of a dear friend, but also to remember a friend that died tragically. Hannah’s death is shrouded with mystery and suspicion. Long, hidden secrets must be revealed to get to the truth of what really happened when Hannah disappeared. I enjoyed how the plot unfolded leading down a winding path of twists and turns. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5

A book I enjoyed from the first line all the way through.

<B>The Birthday Weekend</b> is a novel where a group of old university friends will be meeting up for a birthday weekend in a cottage in the country, close to their university. This area, also, happens to be where something terrible happened during their last year of university, and has forever changed them. This weekend is meant as a birthday celebration, and a chance to set things straight about what really happened.

Now for my review... I really enjoyed the plot. It was well set-up, and well executed. I was hooked from the beginning and didn't want to put it down. The ending definitely had me surprised. I'm always worried that I'll give away a piece of the story, so I'll do my best to be careful here. I had a feeling that certain things would be uncovered, but I had no idea who would be behind these things, nor the motive behind it. Sanderson has found a way to develop a thriller that is both addictive and challenges the mind as you go through the twist and turns to reach the conclusion.

I would also like to say that I enjoyed the portrayal of characters in this novel. It is told in the perspective of Louise and you really got to know her more deeply, as well as her opinions and perspectives of her old friends. There was an interesting dynamic between each of the group members, and it slowly became uncovered the events that led up to their dynamic being this way. The rest of the characters developed nicely and you really got a feel for them as the story progressed.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more of this author's work!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review!</i>

After receiving an invitation from her friend Amy to spend her birthday weekend with her and their closest friends, Louise heads up to their old university town where Amy still stays. But the woods next to the university holds bad memories for the girls, with their friend Hannah being found dead there fifteen years ago.⁣
⁣
When a game of truth or dare reveals secrets from each person, pieces about Hannah's death are slowly revealed and it looks like there may be a killer among the group. ⁣
⁣
The Birthday Weekend was a great change for me in between all the happy romcom's I seem to be reading lately. I do love a good thriller and this one was just that. I highly recommend this book for fans of Ruth Ware and BA Paris.⁣

Amy is celebrating her 35th birthday. She gathers old uni friends Louise, Kat and Daisy together, inviting them to a cottage on the edge of the Blackwood Forest for a weekend celebration. She also wants it to be an opportunity to remember and lay flowers for Hannah, another friend who committed suicide in the nearby forest during their last year at university.

Narrated by Louise, the gathering at Amy's cottage gradually begins to pull memories from that unhappy time to the surface. People are keeping secrets, Louise included. When partners arrive to join the women, a truth or dare game suggested by Daisy finds the group confronting some unexpected truths.

This is a slow read which takes time to get going, but when it does it is difficult to put down. Written from Louise's perspective, the pace never falters once all the friends are assembled and the truth about Hannah's death is finally revealed.

A great five star read...

Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC of The Birthday Party in exchange for an honest review.

Louise, Kat, Daisy and Amy reunite for Amy's 35th birthday celebrations. Its an extended weekend for the ladies to also remember Hannah, their friend who died by suicide while they were all studying at the University.

Louise has issues with her partner Theo, Amy hasnt been in a relationship since her last breakup, Kat and Daisy seem to be happy with their partners. But as the friends recall their time at the University, each has a secret that they have kept from one another. A thought that Hannah might have been murdered does cross their minds and then the local police too are looking at new evidence that supports this thought.

Friendship and partnerships are tested as a game of truth or dare gets some of the deepest darkest secrets out in the open.

Mainly narrated by Louise, its a fast paced story and the plot is interesting.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC

'The Birthday Weekend by Lesley Sanderson is not only a whodunnit but it is much more than that. This story will keep you on the edge of the seat till the end.

A story that makes us question, how much do we really know a friend?' is it all they show us or is there something more to them.

The story of 5 friends Lou, Amy, Kat, Sam and Daisy...from college days. A supposed suicide of their common friend Hannah has been eating them away emotionally. Each feeling in a wee bit way responsible for her death. Amy has just had a harrowing two years and has survived cancer, her 35 th birthday is nearing.....so she organises a party for the birthday weekend with an intention for everyone to get over the Hannah' episode. Is it only that much or are more truths going to come to light. Read the story to find out.

The story is written in a first person POV of Louise. The story goes for a bit back and forth between a few past events and present. The story progresses bit by bit almost like a peeling of an onion and takes us to the end to an almost surprise end.
I liked the storytelling very much, the personalities of each of the friend brought forth through their interactions was very vivid. The pace is fast and it is very difficult to put down the book after about the 35 percent mark.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and will recommend this to all those who love mysteries. If you love to read about long standing friendships, troubled relationship etc....along with a mystery angle then this book is for you.
I thank Bookouture, author Lesley Sanderson and Netgalley for approving my request to read the book. The opinions expressed are honest and mine alone.

This book say on my TBR for a long time, a story about truth or dare isn't what I would usually choose to read. The reviews were also very ambivalent so from the outset I wasn't keen to read the Birthday Weekend.
Possibly because I was already biased I really didn't think much of the plot and didn't like any of the characters. The book was slow to get started and I very nearly didn't finish it many times. Unfortunately not for me, sorry.