Did I Say You Could Go was so, so good, exactly what I needed to finally get out of a massive reading slump.

It was an extremely quick read, a compulsive read, actually. One intriguing chapter flew into the next, and in an afternoon, I was finished. I had my suspicions about who and what was really going on, but it wasn't clear until the very twisted end.

Lots of good themes in the book, as well. Parenting, being a teen, social media use, cyber bullying, mental health all played a role in the story. Very relevant for the world we live in, and just a super entertaining story.

This was a great story that was like a chess game. Each play must be well thought out. It was definitely a page turner.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have never given a book a one star before but this book has 1 star written all over it. I was pretty underwhelmed by this book. The storyline was basic and there was really no twist to it. I forgot everything about what happened in the book because the storyline was a a bit forgettable. I do commend the author for at least doing her research about college admissions and how social media affects each individual’s mental health. I just wish the author made it more exciting that after I finished reading it, I asked myself, “Where was the twist?”

This was a fun and twisty domestic suspense. This was a slow unraveling of a twisted story. I enjoyed the plot and found it moved at a nice pace. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for the characters and had a hard time becoming invested in their story. The deeper you get into the book, the darker it gets and I thought that was executed well. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Manipulation...Obsession...Lies...Bullying...Frenemies - Did I Say You Could Go has it all! This is a twisty tale of two women, one a divorcee the other a widow, and their toxic friendship. I enjoyed this book despite the fact that I found all of the characters unlikable. It definitely kept my interest all the way up until the surprise ending!

How is this the first Melanie Gideon novel I have read? Did I Say You Could Go is a thrilling, suspenseful read that starts out as domestic fiction and clearly becomes a psychological, twisty thrill-ride. In the wealthy Bay Area, Ruth hosts the Kindergarten meet-and-greet. Recently divorced, she thinks this is the chance for both her and her daughter Marley to be accepted and welcomed into the community. Instead, the parents are turned off by Ruth's obvious wealth, showing-off and feel she's very out of touch. The last mom to arrive, Gemma, is also the only mom without a partner present. Ruth finds out she's a widow and is determined to be friends. Soon, the families are inseparable for years.

Expensive trips to Aspen, dinners, roof repairs-you name it-nothing is too much for Ruth. Gemma starts to feel it's too much, seductive yes, but that she will never be able to repay Ruth or separate. When an opportunity presents it self to get some space, Gemma jumps at it while Ruth is shunned. Fast-forward to the present, Gemma is on the receiving end of being shunned by the community. Who is there to swoop in and rescue Gemma? None other than Ruth. The two quickly fall back into old habits but Gemma realizes Ruth is obsessed with their friendship. What are the consequences when lies, secrecy and obsession are at the heart of a relationship? Pick up this page turner and find out!

This is one of my favorite novels this summer; the story is fast paced (I couldn't put it down), twisty and has plenty of unexpected revelations. I cannot wait to read Melanie Gideon's next novel.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This wasn't exactly the thriller I was looking for but I'd say that this book is a perfect read for those who love mom/family/school drama.

DNF - Did not finish. I decided not to keep reading this title because I did not connect with the writing or plot. Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for the early copy!

This is a Thriller/Suspense Mystery. I have to say this thriller was not for me, but I do not think it was a bad book. I think it was just not for me. I found it hard for me to care about the characters not because they where not developed, but I found them just to act so immature. The kids in this book also acted older then the parents of this book. I also found this book to be very slow moving, and I like a fast pace thriller. I did not guess the twist at the end, and WOW...I did not see the ending to happen how it did. If you like a slow burn thrillers/YA thrillers then I may really enjoy this thriller. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher or author via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

This wasn’t a bad read, but it wasn’t my favorite. It was slow paced and the characters were immature and hard to connect with.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Melanie Gideon, and Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review. This will keep you on your toes and you’ll never guess the ending! 🌟🌟🌟🌟 strong rating from me.

Ruth Thorne is a wealthy divorcee whose daughter, Marley, will be starting Kindergarten at the Hillside Academy. Gemma Howard is a widow who owns a testing center for helping students study to make good grades on PSAT tests. Her daughter, Bee, will be entering Kindergarten as well. Ruth decides to host the school’s meet and greet. However, most parents are taken aback by her ostentatious get-together. When Ruth and Gemma meet, they immediately bond and become good friends. While Gemma is struggling to make money, Ruth ends up insisting on treating her and Bee to nice vacations and shows. Gemma worries that she is building some kind of debt to Ruth. Later, Ruth meets a man who appears to be a genuinely nice, single man and Hillside father, but is outed as cheating on his wife. Ruth is so embarrassed and a number of people back away from her thinking she knew he was cheating and Gemma decides that this is a good time to step away from her. Now, Gemma’s employee has been found to be taking money from parents to take tests for some students which Gemma knew nothing about. Ruth steps up to vouch for her and renew their friendship.

The give and take in this so-called friendship is more than just favors. There is jealousy, hatred, and serious mental disturbances depicted here. The evil things that people do to others is mind boggling. The thing that I found juvenile are the texts between the members of the mother’s POD. So immature. In addition, this is another reason why I’m sad to see our young children so wrapped up in social media where they are all vying to out-do one another. The ending is really good and surprising as well. I couldn’t help but think about the movie “Mommy Dearest” as I read this book. Check it out. You will not be sorry.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Loved this psychological thriller by Melanie Gideon! The toxic friendship that Ruth and Gemma have kept me hooked. Lots of twists and an unexpected ending! This is a must read if you enjoy dramatic mom relationships, teenage drama, thrilling twists, and a few scandals.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my ARC!

To read my full review visit @thrillersandcoffee on IG.

I truly enjoy thrillers that mess with your mind. Almost gaslighting but not quite there. Ruth seems like the friend you'd want to have: always supportive, helpful and caring. Gemma and Ruth are inseparable from the day they are introduced until Ruth is involved in a scandal but then Gemma is in her own scandal which Ruth rides in to her rescue. Something is off with Ruth though and even though Gemma is seriously grateful for what Ruth has helped her through, she starts to question their friendship. Not to mention that their daughters were close but are now on opposite sides of the social spectrum which makes things that complex.

Ruth will do anything to keep Gemma close to her. She just can't let go. Gemma doesn't know how to break free so it's this vicious cycle until it breaks.

I really enjoyed this novel until the end. I almost feel like it was a bait and switch. While I liked where Ms. Gideon went with the story I feel like I was gaslighted. I'm still thinking about this ending which is why I'm going to give it the stars I did.

I have mixed feelings about this book.

The first 1/3 was really good. It was interesting, I liked the characters, it seemed to be going somewhere.

Towards the middle it started to seem like it was going somewhere really obvious, and I wasn't super excited about it.

The last part of the book did end up packing a good punch....but not until so late that it wasn't really the huge pay off I was hoping for. I wish there would have been hints (or stronger hints, maybe I missed something?).

Overall I liked the tone, and I think it would be a big hit with the now grown-up fans of Pretty Little Liars, I just wish she would have laid more groundwork for the ultimate plot twist so that you get that feeling where you kick yourself for not realizing, rather than just feeling like "oh ok i guess that makes sense".

Holy hell this book is good! I read it in less than 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down.

I loved the POV from both mothers and both daughters. It added a lot of background and filled in gaps. There was so much build up between the characters. Mother’s who have secrets and bratty daughters who act badly? Sign me up.

The ending was perfect and I couldn’t imagine it ending any other way. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Wow! This book was such a page turner! Full of twists and turns, I didn’t want to put this one down. 5/5! For sure.

Full review to come on Instagram and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

When the only two single mothers in the class at a "getting ready for kindergarten get-together" meet, they bond with each other instantly, despite the wide disparity in their financial situations. Well-to-do Ruth and her daughter Marley are so hungry to fit in, that Ruth doesn't mind paying for things for Gemma and her daughter Bee. Gemma, also in need of a friend is grateful for Ruth's interest and largesse. Their daughters become best friends also. All is well, until suddenly it isn't.

This book is about friendship, drama (so much drama!), mean girls, bullying, betrayals, manipulations and duplicity. It's also about how hurt people hurt people, and the high price of trying to fit in. There are so many twists in this book, and the ending took me quite by surprise!

An engaging and quick read, you'll be glad you don't know these people!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an e-copy of this book which was published on 8/3/21. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed Did I Say You Could Go. The story was different than any book I’ve read lately. Ruth and Gemma are both unlivable people. I wasn’t sure how their story would develop. There were pile of twists and turns throughout the book that had me wondering which character would come out on top.