Oh the manipulation and the twists! This book is dark but so thrilling. I enjoyed the ride and living in a world so unlike my own for a little while. I think this is why I read thrillers. I enjoy safely being within a world and around characters that are dark and manipulative because that is so unlike my own.

Dark, thrilling, captivating. A page turner that is difficult to put down. The POV sets this story apart from other thrillers I've read. Lies, betrayal, and manipulation- this novel checks all the boxes for a gratuitous and engaging ride. Great read.

Wow! I could not put this one down. At first I thought it would be your typical story regarding upscale moms and their children. But it totally wasn't and was crazy good, very fast paced. The chapters flip between Ruth and her daughter Marley, and then between Gemma and Bee. I loved hearing from each character, they were very well drawn out and you could be immersed into them and totally envision their personalities and feel for what they each were going through in their lives. I loved the idea of integrating the blogs into the story. As it progresses, the story takes a dark turn and the twist at the end made me want to go read it again.

I can't wait to read future work by this author!

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for my advanced reading copy!

Without even reading the description, I knew this was a book for me. That cover. That title. SO CREEPY! This was the first book by Melanie Gideon that I’ve read, and she exceeded my expectations.

Did I Say You Could Go by Melanie Gideon grabbed my attention on page one and kept me reading faster and faster to find out what was going to happen next.

As an avid thriller reader, many of the twists and turns did not surprise me, but I never felt disappointed with any of the reveals. Gideon masterfully weaved the web, trapped my attention, and slowly unwound the various plot elements. Before I knew it, the story was over, and I was satisfied with all of the revelations and conclusions of the mysteries and character arcs.

I expected the story to be told from the two adult women’s points-of-view, but I was taken by surprise when the narrative switched to the teenage daughters’ points-of-view also. As a frequent reader of young adult literature, the teenage POVs felt forced with lines like, “All of them have pubes, one of them has been fingered, and most of them have their periods.” Yikes. So, needless to say, it was weird, but the teenage POVs settled into their own grooves and felt less forced as the story progressed.

Additionally, there were several elements that pulled me from the world of the story. First, while it was told in a linear fashion, there were a lot of awkward flashbacks that felt forced. Second, I found it extremely hard to believe that Gemma would just let Ruth buy her a new car. Third, there were so many trendy pop culture references, such as: "'I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in Lulu,' says Madison. Actually, Ruth’s in Stella McCartney, but she isn’t about to reveal that to Madison. Labels are nothing to brag about – that’s what her mother always said."

Nonetheless, Did I Say You Could Go was loaded with excellent twists and jaw-dropping moments.

I won't spoil any of them for you, but trust me, there are some good ones.



Some favorite lines from the story:

“Gemma’s face looks melted, like candle wax just before it hardens.”

“She is so endlessly interesting to him – it makes her heart hurt. She is endlessly interesting to her mother, too, but in a completely different way. Her father’s love is a hummingbird. Her mother’s is a hawk.”





[I received an early copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.]

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Ruth hosts the kindergarten meet and greet at her home. She is a wealthy divorced woman with her daughter Marley. She hosts the party hoping her daughter will meet her classmates and start friendships. Ruth, however, overestimates showing off her wealth and the parents are not keen on being friends with her.

The last child to arrive is Bee and her mom Gemma. Gemma, like Ruth, is the only single mom in the class. They bond over that fact and quickly become a mom-daughter duo who are best of friends. Gemma is the opposite of Ruth - widowed and barely making ends meet. Ruth exploits this fact by treating Gemma to over the top items - trips, designed handbags, and even buys her a car - used - but still a car!

When Ruth was exposed in an affair she had with a married man, Gemma takes this opportunity to put space between them. However, several years later, Gemma is in a situation and Ruth helps her out and now Gemma is back in Ruth's debt.

This story is full of so many twists and turns that when the story ends - I could not believe the ending and wondered how I missed the signs.

Amazing book - I cannot wait to read more by this author.

While this was a good story, it was a little too manipulative & brainwashy for my taste. Good bones tho!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for letting me read this one early. This book publishes on Oct 1.

I did not enjoy this book because of all the brainwashing and manipulating. I just didn't find it entertaining to read because it was just too icky for me.

Did I Say You Could Go is a story of friendships, lies and duplicity. It’s about two families who, when pushed to extremes, cross the line with devastating results. Brainwashing, and manipulating at the extreme.

SUCH a great multi-narrator thriller! Two sets of mothers and daughters navigate their relationships, society, and high school. But to what end? How far will some of them go to have the most power?

Pretty average thriller for me. It had a really interesting premise but ended up being a little too predictable for my taste. It would be a good choice for readers who are new to the thriller genre.

I wanted to like this book so much but it sadly didn't live up to the potential. It was so hard to like any of the characters and all of their superficial issues. I guess there are people out there who thrive on the anonymous online trolling but it was painful to keep reading over and over. The author repeated thigs over and over which just dragged the story out. There were too many "tells" that it wasn't hard to figure out who was the person behind the scheme.

This is a delicious romp through the valley of the mean girls. Not all are mean, like Gemma, who might lose her business because an underling was taking bribes. Yes, Gemma did quietly unfriend Ruth several years ago after her scandal with the married man, but basically, she’s a nice woman with a troubled 14-year-old daughter.

Now that Gemma is in trouble, Ruth sees a way to renew their friendship. Vast amounts of wealth go a long way in being able to help a friend. If only Ruth could get her daughter to stop eating so much, life would be great.

I thought this was a lot of fun. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 3, 2021.

This latest book by Melanie Gideon started off for me rather slow. I found myself not liking Gemma or Ruth. And the ending was shocking!! This book reads more like a YA book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

I have never felt so happy not to be part of a mom "tribe" after reading this novel! "Did I Say You Could Go" focuses on two mothers and their two teenage daughters as they navigate their lives of deception, mental illness, and catty drama.

I was pulled in with the tagline of 'relentless twists and turns'- and unfortunately, I don't think that this book delivered that. I don't consider myself an avid suspense/thriller/mystery reader, but I do think that people who enjoy that genre and are looking to solve a mystery will be able to figure this one out before 'the big reveal. 'Bullies, mental illness, body dysmorphia, abusive parenting... Melanie Gideon does a great job using social issues to make this book feel like a modern suspense story. However, there is very little done with the minor characters to the point that it seems like there is hardly a world outside of the four main characters. I didn't like any of the four main characters- stories about their friendship in the past didn't make their current friendship any more believable.

I liked parts of this book. It would be easy to use this book for a book club pick- there's a lot of content that can be related to modern society/our own lives.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A very fun and twisted read! My first read from this author. The chapters were so short and fast paced that I felt like I couldn't keep up at times. I highly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of Melanie Gideon in the future!

This book floored me and shocked me. In a creepy, chilling, sinister way. You must read this book If psychological games and manipulation appeals to you. Two women are best friends. It’s a lopsided relationship. Their daughters have drifted sort but have issues Of their own. Social media plays a huge role in the story as do mommy pods. You have to read to find out what those are. I was aghast at what one woman does to the other. Only to discover someone else was behind the entire scheme. Someone who needed to be liberated. This is book is the ultimate mind screw. Which is why I would recommend hanging out with guys for friends 😀

Toxic moms in an elite school setting? Check.
Teenagers dealing with cyber bullying and mental health (in a pro therapy, positive way)? Check.
Secret anonymous mom pod groups? Check. Obsession? Check. Drama? Check. Basically I had a great time during this book. The beginning was a little slow and it took me a little bit to figure out who I needed to be paying attention to, but once that second half hit...I was hooked. I loved the alternating POVs between BOTH daughters and BOTH moms (I could see this being really confusing in an audio with the wrong narrators, and maybe even for some during this book but the characters are so different it won't take long to figure out who is who). The ending was satisfying, I can't think of another way I would've liked better for it honestly.

This is a perfect summer read for those that like domestic thrillers and stories where the drive is just as juicy as the destination.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC, this one is out on 08/03/21 and you don't want to miss it!

I loved this book and loved the twist at the end. I was fully convinced it was another character! The teacher component at the end was a bit confusing however. nevertheless, i loved this book and will recommend to everyone!

I had no idea what to expect when I started reading Did I Say You Could Go by Melanie Gideon. This one started out somewhat slow for me but it quickly picked up. This is the story of the friendship of Ruth and Gemma. They have been friends since their daughters were in Kindergarten. Ruth is wealthy and always seems to be there for Gemma both financially and emotionally. Ruth also helps Gemma pick up the pieces of her career. But, when Gemma starts dating a suitor; Ruth becomes obsessive and possessive over Gemma. The story also touches on both mothers relationships with their daughters and the friendship between the two daughters. Let's just say that things aren't always what they seem.

On a serious note, this book also touched upon some mental health issues and cyber bullying, This was a fast paced and addictive read for me. I thought it was cleverly written and I really enjoyed it. This may not be for everyone; but I quite liked it!

This one comes out August 3, 2021

I was only able to make it through half of this book. The plot was slow and the character development was even slower. The characters were not likable, especially Ruth, which makes it hard to read. If the plot is slow but characters enjoyable then it’s definitely a finishable book.

This book was a great combination of toxic friendships, lies, social status, child-raising, and manipulation. It was fast-paced, with a writing style I was drawn to.

It tells the story of two mothers of teen girls who met years before at a kindergarten meet-and-greet. Ruth is wealthy and Gemma has struggled with money for awhile. The plot turns darker when the daughters problems are opened up as well. Good twist at the end!