Twisty and twisted tale! Star women’s friendship was weird, but believable. The daughters had distinctive and believable personalities. I enjoyed the very last twist so much! I was not prepared for it, so it took me by great surprise.

Spoiler free review!. I enjoyed the way the author created suspense and the way the author really brings out the characters. If you like thrillers, I would definitely recommend this book!

Wow! Absolutely loved this twisty-turny psychological thriller! Excellent!
Excellent psychological thriller.
I couldn’t put this book down, there were so many twists that I didn’t see coming!

What I loved most about this book is how well it explores a toxic friendship between two grown women. I loved how the author used money as a way for one character to make her friend beholden to her and found it SO realistic because I've seen it happen with family and friends, where they're forced to accept a big gift out of necessity, and then that ends up hanging over their heads for a long time. I also loved the daughters in the story and the roles that they played. The only thing I wasn't a big fan of was the writing, because it felt a bit too clinical, like I was reading a book report. I think it did work well with the story, but it wasn't really a style that I enjoyed. Overall, I loved this book and would definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a twisted domestic suspense.

Did I Say You Could Go is a twisty thriller about family, friendships and the consequences of secrets. Though I did guess a few twists and turns, it was quite an entertaining book and fast paced at that. Recommended!

Great read! This is the first book by Ms Gideon that I’ve read but won’t be the last. The suspense was slowly but steadily amped up while wondering which one of the normal seeming women were really, really cra-cra 😁

I enjoy this book. Good mystery. I like the story. Would recommend this book. I would read more by the this author.

This thriller focuses on the lives and connections of two single mothers who have a pretty unhealthy relationship. The story shares a lot of twists in the lives of these moms, Ruth and Gamma, and their changing friendship after a school scandal one is involved in really shakes things up! Learning about the creepy and manipulative tactics these friends resort to...they are connected, but should they be? Is their friendship causing more harm than good, or do they really need each other in the end?
The book kept me interested and surprised throughout, and I enjoyed truing to figure out what would happen! I would recommend this to others who enjoy suspense novels. I would also caution that suicide and eating disorders are included in the book, so you may want to avoid if those are triggers for you.

Such a great book by Melanie Gideon. We all have memories that stick with us. The characters in this book are well developed. When Ruth reunites with Gemma, they become best friends again, although their daughters are a bit distanced from each other. Can they're friendship survive all that life throws at them? Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A tale of mothers and daughters and fitting in and finding your place. Ruth and Gemma found each other at a kindergarten round up hosted by Ruth. Both moms were single and they bonded; mothers and daughters, BFFs. Until they weren’t. Rich, flawed characters, most quite unlikeable, explore the beauty and ugliness of friendship. A page turner that grabs the reader from the start, with an ending you won’t see coming!

This was quite the tale that had me on the edge of my seat and ignoring my own best friends phone calls.
Will definitely keep you up!

This book was so good... I am still feeling from Ruth.. Some people have not mounds. But good in marley

Thanks to the Publisher and Net Gallery for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is sort of a mash up betwteen Big little lies, Mean girls and Gone girl. The plot centers around two single moms, and their teenage daughters who were once best friends but now have grown apart. The social commentary touches on toxic friendships- their schemes to maintain or get social status, the damage social media does to teenagers, and the lies they tell each other and themselves. There is no fury like a woman scorned.
Recommend for book club reading.

Did I Say You Could Go by Melanie Gideon #tenthbookof2021 #arc Thank you to #NetGalley and #SimonandSchuster for the advance reader copy. (Pub date 8/3/21) **Content warning: emotional/verbal/physical abuse, suicide attempt.
Okay, let me just say how glad I am that social media didn’t exist when I was in school. It was hard enough back then to be a teenager, and I can’t imagine dealing with the extra layer of always being available to others and the constant pressure kids (and adults) are under now to maintain an image. Also, I genuinely detested characters in this book, which made for an interesting read. I read this in a few hours and now I need a palate cleanser of puppies and babies. Overall, an interesting story that shows the societal pressure people are under and the lengths they’ll go to in order to maintain images and relationships. #didisayoucouldgo

What a book!

Loved the way the characters were written even though they were so unlikeable
I think I read this books under 5 hours or so. I wanted to find out what as going on and I was glued to it until the end.

Thank you to the publisher and netgally.

n interesting tale of friendship, betrayal, abuse, and obsession.

**This has some trigger warnings in it for those fighting eating disorders, as well as teen suicide.**

“When Ruth, a wealthy divorcee, offers to host the Hillside Academy kindergarten meet-and-greet, she hopes this will be a fresh start for her and her introverted daughter, Marley. Finally, they’ll be accepted into a tribe. Marley will make friends and Ruth will be welcomed by the mothers. Instead, the parents are turned off by Ruth’s ostentatious wealth and before kindergarten even begins, Ruth and Marley are outcasts.

The last guest to arrive at the meet-and-greet is Gemma, a widow and a single mother to her daughter, Bee. Ruth sets her sights on the mother-daughter duo, and soon the two families are inseparable. Ruth takes Gemma and Bee on Aspen vacations, offers VIP passes to Cirque de Soleil, and pays for dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants. For Gemma, who lives paycheck to paycheck, Ruth’s largesse is seductive, but as the years go by, she can’t shake the feeling that she’s accruing an increasingly unpayable debt. When Ruth’s affair with a married Hillside dad is exposed, and she’s publicly shunned, Gemma uses it to sever ties with Ruth.

Six years later, when Gemma finds herself embroiled in a scandal of her own—Ruth comes to her defense. Their renewed friendship rehabilitates their reputations, but once again, Gemma starts to feel trapped as Ruth grows more and more obsessed with their relationship.

A relentless page-turner, Did I Say You Could Go is the story of friendships steeped in lies and duplicity. It’s about two families, when pushed to extremes, cross the line with devastating results.”

To be honest, at first, I thought this was going to be a DNF for me, but then I hit a point where I just had to finish to see if I was right about the big twist, which I guessed fairly early on.

It’s an interesting book, but it takes a while to get into, and I’m not sure what genre this even falls in. Part suspense, part general fiction, part YA- it’s an odd sense that I feel like I can’t pin down what to call this, but it’s a wild, tangled tale that is sure to make people question their friendships, their relationships, and their family members.

This was a three star read.

**I’m very thankful to Simon & Schuster, as well as NetGalley, for the free eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.**

Disclaimer: this book contains themes of eating disorders and suicide

Let me start with saying that I DEVOURED this book. I couldn't stop myself and was so intrigued by these characters.

Ruth is a master manipulator who also has a bit of a savior complex. She uses her wealth to make others feel like they owe her something. She's obsessed with her daughter's, Marley, image. Marley is shy, quiet, and bigger in size than her mother wants. Their relationship is volatile. Ruth is controlling of Marley and Marley feels like she owes her mother. Marley is an insecure outsider and doesn't fit in with the popular crowd in school. She has no friends; only her mother.

On the other hand, there's Gemma and Bee. Gemma's husband died when Bee was very young. They have loving mother-daughter relationship and Gemma is Bee's biggest fan. Queen Bee is the opposite of Marley. She's popular, has a lot of friends, and even finds a boyfriend.

Gemma and Ruth met when their daughters were in kindergarten. Gemma and Bee were outsiders and didn't have the lavish means that Ruth did. They became the best of friends. After scandal strikes and Ruth is found out to have had an affair with a married man, she becomes the pariah of the community. Everyone cuts her off, even Gemma.

Fast forward to the girls being in high school, scandal strikes again. This time, the scandal is surrounding Gemma. Ruth comes to the rescue and fixes everything. But as Ruth re-enters Gemma's life, Gemma is reminded of how much she owes to Ruth.

The author does a wonderful job telling the story through the four different perspectives. This isn't easily done and the characters have their own voices. The twist in the ending left me shocked. I'm still not over it.

I loved how interesting this book was and I really loved it, I would definitely give it a 4/5 stars.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free E-ARC in exchange for a honest review. This was a fast paced and entertaining read that I’d recommend for a weekend read or to take on vacation. The chapters are short and each chapter is told from 4 different perspectives: The moms and their daughters. The toxic relationship between Ruth and Gemma was well developed. I found this book a bit predictable and I wasn’t overly shocked by the ‘twists’ in this book. However, I still enjoyed this book and would recommend if you’re looking for a quick read.
🌟🌟🌟/5

This book gave me whiplash! But like, in a good way. I read a ton of psychological thrillers, so I’m very rarely surprised. Of course there were a few things I still saw coming, but a couple twists totally shocked me! I loved that this book had such a unique premise. A lot of suspense books have similar story lines, so this was a refreshing read. Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!