The Birthday Weekend by Lesley Sanderson has a pleasing premise and this lured me into picking up a copy. I was thrilled with it and I am glad that I gave it a go!

Having read The Leaving Party and I Know You Lied by the same author, I had an inkling I would be in for a treat! Meeting up with an old friend for birthday celebrations should be an event to look forward to... shouldn't it? Not so, for Louise who has received such an invitation from her friend Amy. She has been invited to spend a weekend in a remote cottage next to the woods near their old university campus. Louise, Amy and four other friends were a tight-knit group back then, but in their final year, one of their crowd, Hannah, went missing, then was found dead in the woods, her death being ruled a suicide. The remaining five drifted apart and have not been in touch with each other for years, until now...

The Birthday Weekend is told over a period of two days mostly through the eyes of Louise. I really enjoyed the story-line, the succinct chapters, the rapid pacing and all of the many twists. Full of drama and mystery, it is a book about friendship, bitterness, lies, deceit, betrayal, and suspicion. There is a general air of tension, though it never reached a level where I was on the edge of my seat. Although most of the characters were not particularly personable, this did not interfere with my appreciation of this delightfully menacing and gritty psychological thriller. Overall, a great novel with a stunning, riveting ending that I'm delighted to recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

When Amy invites her old friends for her birthday weekend, she also wants to honour the memory of their common friend, Hannah who took her own life, 15 years ago. Since the party is going to be near the woods where she died, none of the friends are keen on coming, but they oblige because of Amy.

What transpires is a gripping tale of complicated relationships between Hannah and each of the other friends. Most of the book is told from the perspective of Louise who considered herself Hannah’s best friend. However, even she didn’t know some of Hannah’s secrets. As each of the friends share about their last time with Hannah, a lot begins to get revealed. Was Hannah’s death really suicide or was she murdered? If she was killed, who did it? Was it one of her friends?

I love how the book built up to the end. Intrigue. Secrets. Jealousy. Unspoken hurt. Things that threaten to break old friendships. And finally, the truth.

The book had me engrossed throughout. A great weekend read!

This is the new psychological thriller from Lesley Sanderson and it was an enjoyable read.

It grabbed my attention from the start and kept me intrigued in the story.

It had secrets and twists and turns all the way through.

I'll look forward to reading more from this author

Louise is invited to her friend Amy’s cottage along with a few others who they were friends with at university for a birthday weekend. The cottage as it happens is in the same place as the university and it backs on to the woods where their friend Hannah was found dead fifteen years earlier.
The Saturday night of the weekend was planned by Amy to be a time to remember Hannah and maybe get closure. What happens is a little different from what she had planned when new evidence comes to light and Hannah was actually murdered. Who murdered her?
A game of truth and dare brings forward a lot of secrets and betrayals are revealed and it is not just about that fateful day but things more recent too. Will the friendships and relationships be able to survive this?
I really enjoyed reading this book, I felt that I got to know the characters well like they were my own friends as it was very detailed, the world building was so good I felt like I was in that cottage, sitting in the living room looking at Hannah’s photo.

I was not too shocked with whom the murderer was but it did not have me feeling flat as it was a really good book that kept me engaged from early on.

This is the second book I have read by Lesley Sanderson and I have enjoyed both, I will be looking out for more from her.

The first thing that got me hooked on this book was the tag line and the intriguing image on the cover. The house clearly has significance – what is it? What’s the big secret?

The second thing that hooked me in was the talent of the writer. The writer uses some carefully crafted imagery and creative language within the book to create a subtle eerie atmosphere. This really made me sit back and take stock, realising that with many of the authors I read, they rely or sometimes over rely on the plot or the characters to fill the narrative and create the atmosphere, but this writer has a fantastic set of tools and makes use of them all.

We come next to the ensemble of characters. Each one is described and developed thoroughly. A sense of secrecy and unease surrounds each of them, but the author carefully crafts one out to be the villain. I won’t say who, for obvious reasons, but it is unexpected and cleverly done!

This has been one of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year. It has been difficult to predict and impossible to put down, hence writing this review currently at 3am. This is definitely an author I will look out for in future!

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Amy is approaching her 35th birthday and decides she wants to have her old college friends come stay for the weekend at the cottage she inherited from her aunt. The only problem is that it is very close to where their friend, Hannah, was found dead. All these years it was determined that it was suicide but after a game of truth or dare, could it possibly be murder? This book was just okay for me. I felt like the main character was a know it all and was annoying. The second half of the book was better but overall it was predictable.

A gathering of friends celebrating a birthday and remembering a friend who tragically died when they were all at college. This reunion brings college friends together and also bring secrets and lies . This was a really good read that didn’t take me long to finish, It was a guessing game right up until the end and my suspicions were proved wrong on a number of occasions as to who or if anyone was guilty, A tale of friendship , bitterness and jealousy,

When Louise receives an invitation to her old friend Amy’s birthday weekend in a cottage next to the woods near their old university campus, a chill runs down her spine as she recalls the unpleasant memories of that place.

Fifteen years ago, Hannah walked into those same woods and never came back. Her death destroyed her friends. And they’ve not met as a group since then.

As the party gets underway and old grudges are uncovered, a game of truth or dare is proposed. When everyone has buried secrets, digging for the truth is going to get dangerous.

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

The main 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 at some point 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 about the journalist who was introduced in between.

Overall, an okay but twisted read.

Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

The Birthday Weekend, now entitled "Our Little Secret", had a great premise. An invitation to get together under the premise of celebrating Amy's 35th birthday and remission from cancer. But all of the women involved, Lou, Kat and Daisy, know this is going to bring up reminders of Hannah, one of their original college girl squad, who presumably committed suicide. Oh, and there's also Sam, married to Daisy and former boyfriend of Hannah. You can see where this is going, right? I loved the setting of the cottage in the woods, because, again, you know that's leading to no good....

It takes a long time to get there (about 3/4 of the book), but when it does, it really takes off. There are a lot of hints and red herrings throughout the book. I would have liked it better if there were more reveals early on, because some of the allusions to past events (what happened at "that" dinner? what was the "secret" that Lou knew about Daisy? why was Kat so strung out?) made me feel like I had missed something early on.

The last quarter of the book really takes off, and I'd like to believe that the ending could happen in the midst of heightened emotions, but it didn't ring as true for me. I think there were opportunities for more character development, especially in terms of Lou's husband and Kat's girlfriend. Having said that, the setting, characters and plot line make for an entertaining read.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this Fantastic Psychological! This was a good one, it did take a bit to get into but then I could NOT stop reading. I LOVED the characters, there were PLENTY of twists and turns. What a Great read, I’m sorry it ended.

Lies lies more lies, you really don't know who to believe. Such a tangled web. Friendships and all that they endure
Perfectly written to make you sit on the edge of your seat waiting.

Thanks to the Author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

The Birthday Weekend is an entertaining read that will keep you turning the pages.

A reunion of 4 women is about to take place in a locale where the 5th member of their group met her untimely death.

Not surprisingly you just know this wont go well .

There are always secrets .

Secrets have a way of getting out.

What really happened to Hannah?

Who is hiding the biggest secret of all?

It is always a fun read to try and figure it out.

I quite enjoyed The Birthday Weekend and will certainly check out Lesley Sanderson's other books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a solid read.

The Birthday Weekend is mostly narrated through the eyes of Louise as she reunites with old friends in order to celebrate their friend Amy’s birthday and to get closure for events that happened in the past. This is the first book by Lesley Sanderson and I really enjoyed it.

I loved all of the twists and turns throughout the story because it kept me guessing about what was going to happen next. I found all of the characters to be interesting but I didn’t like Theo or Daisy because they came across as shady and untrustworthy.

I liked the surprises at the end but there was a part of the ending which I didn’t really like but I won’t spoil the ending.

I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.

Amy, Lou, Kat and Daisy, the only one missing is Hannah. Although absent her presence hangs heavy over all of them as they gather for a birthday reunion.

Then there is Sam the catalyst of their friendships become awkward after dumping Hannah and going off with Daisy.

Amy is the lynchpin of the group keeping them all updated on each other’s lives. Having recently recovered from cancer they all agree to attend the reunion, despite their misgivings. Returning to the location of Hannah’s suicide, and with a podcast about to explore mental health wanting their involvement, long buried secrets are about to be unearthed.

Wow did the tension simmer in this book, although friends you get the distinct impression that not all is well in the group. Secrets kept, lies told, bitterness due to old loyalties. This book has it all going on. How well do they really know each other? Not one bit as it turns out.

I flew through this book, the pacing is so fast and the chapters short and snappy that before I knew it I was half way through. The characters all have their own distinct voices, personalities and issues.

The nearby woods add an almost ghostly presence and the growing tension absolutely explodes in a nail biting finale.

**BLOG TOUR**

I'm excited to be posting as part of the Bookouture Blog Tour for their latest thriller, The Birthday Weekend.

Back in college, there was a close-knit group of girls who were seemingly very close: Amy, Kat, Louise, Daisy, and Hannah. Everyone got along until Hannah's boyfriend and first love Sam left her for Daisy. Not too much later, Hannah was found dead in the woods by the school, presumed a suicide. Now, 25 years later, the group has grown apart -- the catalyst being Hannah's death -- but after a battle with cancer, Amy wants to bring them all back together to get some closure. She inherited a cabin near the woods were Hannah went missing, it's her birthday, and she wants everyone to come back together to try to figure out why Hannah killed herself. And while they're there -- and all being awkward and feeling uncomfortable -- a reporter shows up -- the police are reclassifying Hannah's death as a potential homicide, and they want to interview everyone. But the group decides to take matters into their own hands...

This was a fun, quick read. There's a creepy forest, lots of secrets, and a love triangle, so even though the big death happened more than two decades earlier, there is still the psychological suspense. The big twist honestly wasn't a big surprise, nor was the smaller twist closer to the end... Most (but not all) of the big reveal was something I had figured out closer to the beginning of the book. But, even so, I liked the premise and it was interesting to see these characters come together.

This book was told almost exclusively from Louise's point of view -- she's the person still best connected with the rest of the women -- and she steers the reader's knowledge of each of the women at the birthday weekend. She's keeping some secrets -- one big one we don't find out until the end --  and a bunch of smaller ones that friends keep for other. She doesn't know if she can trust the other people in the group, and the reader doesn't know if we can trust her. There's also a side plot with her husband and an affair they are trying to move past, which also builds during the party, and gives Louise the motive for most of her actions.

Some of the characters are a bit flat... they're there to fill a role in the story and aren't any deeper than that. But even so, if you want a book to escape for a few hours, pick up this one.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

EXCERPT: I go back downstairs. Daisy is in the kitchen with Amy. They both look startled to see me, as if I've disturbed something.

'What's up?' Daisy's posture is rigid and Amy is twisting a curl around her finger.

'You tell her,' Daisy says.

'It's Sam,' Amy says. 'He's going to be arriving much later than he said.'

'That's okay,' I say. 'We already knew that, and it doesn't really matter -'

'No, it isn't okay.' Daisy's sharp tone takes me by surprise, makes me flinch.

'Sorry.' I hold up my hands. 'Nothing to do with me.'

'It's not that,' Amy says. 'It's the reason he's late. He isn't working, like he said he was.'

'I don't understand.'

'He's at the police station.'

'Oh no.' I sit down with a bump on the hard wooden chair. Images of police cars, ambulances, a broken body flash into my mind. 'Has he had an accident?'

'He's been called in to answer some questions.' Amy looks at me as she says this, and a chill envelops my body. I know what she's going to say. Hannah. The journalist. Blackwood Forest. My mind is on fast-forward, willing her to spit it out. 'About what he was doing the day Hannah disappeared.'

ABOUT 'THE BIRTHDAY WEEKEND': Dear Louise. It’s time we all put the past behind us. We’re meeting for my birthday. I want you there. Love, Amy. X

When Louise receives an invitation to her old friend Amy’s birthday weekend in a cottage next to the woods near their old university campus, a chill runs down her spine.

Fifteen years ago, Hannah walked into those same woods and never came back. Her death destroyed her friends. They’ve not met as a group since. Until now.

As the party gets underway and old grudges are uncovered, a game of truth or dare is proposed. It’s clear one person has questions about their friend’s death – and now they want answers. And nothing will stop them.

When everyone has buried secrets, digging for the truth is going to get dangerous.

MY THOUGHTS: Better than average, but not great.

Amy, Kat, Louise and Daisy were a tight bunch at university, along with Hannah whose death was ruled a suicide. For Louise, going to university was a big adventure. For Kat, it was the chance to escape a miserable home life. Amy had a passion for knowledge. Daisy wanted to be on stage, the star of the show. All Hannah had ever wanted was to be loved. These five gravitated towards one another and formed a tight knit group until Hannah's death. Although her death is ruled a suicide, and this suits each of them for one reason or another, none of them have ever really believed it.

The thing that I had most difficulty with was that if they were all so close, wouldn't they have turned to each other for support after Hannah's death? 'They've never met as a group since.' I find that more than odd. And they've never talked about it together? Really? That is just downright strange! Even stranger, Louise has never told her husband Theo about Hannah's death. This is a major life event! Could you just blithely sail on through the rest of your life and never mention your friend's name again? I couldn't.

Then there's a journalist who is introduced into the story and then . . . nothing. What was the point?

I guessed reasonably early on who was responsible for Hannah's death, and I was mostly right, but there was an unexpected twist to the denouement.

I mostly enjoyed The Birthday Weekend, but it doesn't measure up to the two other books I have read by this author.
The Birthday Weekend was originally to have been released as Our Little Secret but has undergone a prepublication title change.

⭐⭐⭐.4

#TheBirthdayWeekend #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Lesley attended the Curtis Brown Creative 6 month novel writing course in 2015/6, and in 2017 The Orchid Girls (then On The Edge) was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish fiction prize. (Amazon)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Birthday Weekend by Lesley Sanderson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Dear Louise. It’s time we all put the past behind us. We’re meeting for my birthday. I want you there. Love, Amy. X

Louise has just received an invitation to Amy's birthday weekend, when she sees the address it chills her to the bone, because 15 years earlier, when they were all at university, Hannah walked into the woods near the campus and never came out, the same woods that border Amy's newly inherited cottage. Hannah's death destroyed their group and this will be their first time all together since then. Can they really put the past to bed or will the game of truth or dare uncover a secret that one person seems desperate not to be revealed?

This story is told from Louise's perspective with the odd chapters telling us of the lead up to Hannah's death. It's a tale jam packed with secrets, obsession and infidelity, with a well crafted plot, authentic characters created by the author, and a twist that I didn't see coming. It's an intriguing read that makes you question how well you really know those you're closest to. This is the first I've read by this author and I look forward to reading more.

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

The Birthday Weekend (originally titled Our Little Secret) by Lesley Sanderson is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Amy, having just survived from a cancer scare,  is having a reunion of her old friends in a cottage she just inherited from her aunt.  It is close to the college that they all attended.  Louise, however, is not keen on attending, and neither are Kat nor Daisy, and Daisy's husband Sam wants no part of it either.   It is too close to where their friend Hannah went missing, and her body found in the woods.  Her death was ruled a suicide, but that may be wrong.

The six were once close, but things changed, and when Hannah died, they changed more.

They all have secrets about that time in their lives, and they all have guilt.  A game of truth or dare sends everyone spiralling.




My Opinions:   

Well, that was a pleasant surprise.  It was an interesting tale of friendship, love, obsession, secrets, lies and deceit.  Everyone had a secret, some buried real deep.

Even knowing that they had secrets, I found myself liking a number of the characters,  and disliking a few immediately.  Turned out I was correct in my assumptions, although the motive behind the death had escaped me.  The author wrote believable characters, and that made the book feel real.  I can see college students going their separate ways and trying to ignore a horrendous event.  I can see it weighing them down, too.

I liked the setting of a cottage on the edge of the woods, and I liked the plot.   I think the pace was a little slow at the beginning, but it certainly picked up speed.

Anyway, overall, this was a good book.  Maybe not quite a 4 star, but close enough.

I will continue to read this author's books, because they keep improving.

I absolutely loved The Birthday Weekend by Lesley Sanderson. It is a fantastic story that I could not put down and it kept my interest until the very end.
I loved the characters, I loved the twists and turns and I loved suspense.
I would definitely recommend this and look forward to reading more by Lesley Sanderson.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

The Birthday Weekend is the latest standalone psychological thriller from Lesley Sanderson and tells a twisted tale of deceit, duplicity and the unravelling of devastating, long-held secrets and lies. When Louise receives an invitation to her old friend Amy’s birthday weekend in a cottage in the country, a chill runs down her spine. Of all the places they could go, why there? Why would they want to go anywhere near the scene of the worst thing that ever happened to them? In their final year of college, their friend Hannah, part of their close-knit gang of six, went missing. Her body was found in the woods near their campus, and her death was ruled a suicide. The remaining five dealt with their grief and guilt at not being able to save her by drifting apart, trying to put the past behind them. So why has Amy brought them back now? Over the course of the weekend, old loyalties are tested and shocking betrayals uncovered. Then a game of truth or dare is proposed. And it’s only a matter of time before someone dares to tell a secret that will shatter everything they thought they knew about Hannah’s death…

This weekend was supposed to bring them all back together. But the tragedy that drove them apart has resurfaced. And this time it will destroy them. This is a compulsive, absorbing and totally riveting read with a plot that grips you early on. It starts off at quite a brisk pace but Sanderson doesn't let the speed lead to a neglecting of character development and it has you racing along whipping through the pages. It is a terrifying and chilling psychological thriller that plays with your mind and is written in a gritty and gripping fashion to ensure you're engrossed from start to finish. There are many twists and some I found really shocking, which relate back to an incident many years ago. This is a superbly plotted read full of secrets, lies, betrayal and suspicion with an interesting focus on the nature of small-town gossip and how insidiously it can creep under a persons skin. It's an addictive and easy read to get into and is fast-paced, tense and exciting. If you enjoy menacing, tension-filled stories with killer climaxes then give this a try. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.