Hello drama!

At first, I wasn't sure what to make of Did I Say You Could Go. Is it a thriller? Domestic drama? Contemporary fiction? It's really a combo of all of the above and layers the elements throughout with an ending that screams thriller.

Gemma and Ruth are both single moms with daughters the same age. They bond, becoming best friends & frenamies before the friendship ends due to Ruth's affair with a married man. Six years later, Gemma's business is wrapped up in a scandal and Ruth seizes this opportunity to rekindle their friendship and cement her place in Gemma's life. All the while, their daughters Marley and Bee are navigating the complexities of high school.

This book started slow for me- I really wasn't sure what route the book would take as it seemed like a story about a friendship, teenage drama and the day- to-day lives of mothers and daughters at a swanky school. But it's really a story about obsession and control.

The book really came into its own in the latter part when the suspense built and everything started to fall apart. What can I say, I'm a fan of of messed up characters and situations! The ending was my favourite part and made the build-up worth it. This was my first read by the author and I will definitely check out more.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada. This was a good read. I was shocked many times with the twists. that appeared in the book . It was paced very well. I do not give details in my reviews for thrillers because I think most review readers just want to know what the majority think when buying the book. The book was worth. reading and it would be a good re-read as well.

Thanks again!

I dont know how to feel about this book. I loved the drama, but the characters were pretty unlikable. I loved the mom pods, where moms had online groups where they stayed anonymous to gossip to eachother. I loved how luxurious of a life Ruth lives and hearing about how easily things come for her. I loved how great of a mom Gemma seemed. But how weak of a person she was, constantly falling into Ruth's lap because of how well Ruth takes care of her and her daughter financially was annoying.

Ruth and Gemma have been best friends since their daughters, Marley and Bee, were in Kindergarten. They were the outcast parents, being the only single mothers. As the kids grew older, they seemed to drift a part a bit but their mothers were always trying to keep them close. Gemma always felt like she owed Ruth because anything that she needed, Ruth took care of. Issues with the house ? Ruth has it covered. Car breaks down and too expensive to fix? Ruth buys her a new one. Christmas in Aspen, with a fancy chef who only caters to celebrities ? Ruth will take care of it. Until things start to turn. Ruth wants all of Gemmas attention. Marley, Ruth's daughter, wants to be more independent and escape her mothers controlling lifestyle. How far will people go to get what they want ?

TW: suicide, depression, bullying

Really enjoyed this book and found the story really picked up as the novel went on!
This is just the type of novel I enjoy reading!

I'm not sure what I just read. My head is still spinning. This book takes Passive Aggressive to a whole new level. It takes Mean Girls to a new level too. Except that these “girls” are grown women. But there are also teenage Mean Girls. We get a huge dose of meanness in this book. And, I am very happy I’m not part of any of their circles.

Ruth and Gemma and their daughters, Marley and Bee (respectively) are the main characters. Each one of them would be ideal candidates for group therapy and/or psychiatric counseling. They have been best friends for many years…..the mothers and the daughters. The relationships have been off and on. But, have they really been friends???? I guess it depends on your definition of friendship.

The characters take turns telling their version of the story in each chapter. Non of the characters are likeable. But, like a train wreck, I could not look away.

Several twists and turns. Nothing too earth-shattering but it kept me turning the pages. Then, I got to the end. I had the final twist partially figured out but that did not detract from the story. As I’m reading, there's always the chance that I could be wrong.

This was an entertaining story. A fast read. A perfect book to escape with.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy.

Did I Say you Could Go has it all: secrets, lies, plotting revenge, jealousy and some down right nasty characters.

Ruth and Gemma are single moms and their daughters Marley and Bee are at times good friends and at other times arch rivals.

Twists and turns, red herrings are all thrown in the reader's direction.

Who is more evil I wondered.

Still I cheered on Marley and Bee.

The ending was the best.

Perfect reading for a summers or winters day. Anytime really.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada, Simon and Schuster for a twisted but delightful read.

I’m a little divided on this book - does that happen to you too? It was fun, with the most wicked characters but overall, it won’t stick in my mind for very long. It was like fast food in book format.😜

Did I Say You Could Go introduces us to two women - from different walks of life - who come together as the most unusual of friends. They possibly have the most unhealthy relationship of all time and this spreads onto each of their teenage girls. What the one woman, Ruth, will do to bring down her supposed best friend, Gemma, will blow your mind. Ruth is all about control and will do anything to ensure she keeps that control but does she really have the control she thinks she does? Can people even be this awful? It has a great twist at the end which I did not see coming.🤯

I’m not a big fan of YA fiction and this did read as though it could easily be YA. Funny enough the teenage girls in this book acted more sensible than the mothers. It’s not really a thriller but is more about people acting truly awful and we get to witness the fall out. I read this one pretty fast and although it may not have any staying power for me and it is a bit predictable, if you are looking for a book to reassure you that you are a good friend and not these characters (😂) - then pick this one up. You may enjoy the ride. ⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review. It will be coming out on August 3rd.

They met and became best friends when their girls first went to kindergarten, the only two single parents in the class. One a rich divorcee, the other a ‘poor’ widow, Ruth and Gemma. Their girls Marley and Bee became inseparable. Two different families you cannot imagine. The twists and turns are haunting, and jealousy becomes a dangerous game. The book provides an interesting insight into the minds of these characters, one by one you look into their inner feelings. One can expect emotional ups and downs of teenagers……but Mothers too?!
A great read.

I just read “Did I Say you Could Go” by Melanie Gideon. I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. This was a fast read. I would definately call it a page turner. It is the story of obssessive friendship between two grown women and their daughters. The women are both single mothers with sad pasts, who are trying to navigate their young daughters through the perils of today’s society.

The book is written from the perspective of the four main characters: Ruth, Gemma, Marley and Bee. Each character is quite fascinating and certainly flawed. The character of Ruth is shown to become increasingly unraveled throughout the book as she wants to be the main person in Gemma’s life. The way she goes about this can only be described as “crazy”. Added to that element is the young girls who suffer their own trauma of being teenagers.

The story unfolds in a way that keeps the reader interested. Although some parts are a little slow and writing at times lacks creativity, there are enough points of intrigue to keep the reader guessing. And just when I thought I had it all figured out….BAM, crazy twist.

I liked this book. It was suspenseful, entertaining, and included a great twist at the end. My only complaint is that at times, I was underwhelmed by the writing. Not quite sure how else to explain it. But for a psychological thriller, it met all the marks, and I am quite sure people who enjoy this genre will like this book.

Happy Reading everyone…talk soon

#didisayyoucouldgo #psycologicalthriller #NetGalley #toxicfriendship #obssessivefriendship #unhingedthriller #quickread #pageturner

This book is full of twists and turns which I thought I had predicted but it turns out I was wrong in some ways. It was really interesting to read the 4 perspectives and how the women all thought they knew each other so well when in reality there were so many secrets.
Things I enjoyed:
- the twists and the ending, turns out I did not see what was coming
- the switching of the perspectives, I always enjoy multiple POVs
- the "name drops": glossier, tiktok, Gilmore girls. it made me feel like this was happening in real time and I just enjoyed it
- the description of autism near the end of the book
things I didn't love:
- the description of the daughters bodies (bra size, how their clothes fit, etc.), it made me a bit unconfortable to read about teenage girls bodies repeatedly
- the use of the word "tribe", I feel like this could have been easily replaced with another word
- sometimes got a bit confusing to decipher if we were in current time o hearing a story about their earlier lives
also wanted to mention BIG TW for suicide. I was not expecting the scene and mentions of suicide and it took me by surprise, so read with caution.

Friendship is a funny thing. A good friendship is balanced and there’s often an element of give and take in the relationship. But, what happens when it’s not always balanced or reciprocal. Ruth and Gemma’s friendship, and that of their daughters, evolves and changes over the years. As the time progresses so does the twisting and turning of their unbalanced friendship. Just how well did they know each other. You won’t put this book down until you finish it and you’re likely to question your own friendships moving forward.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC.

I found Did I Say You Could Go a bit rocky to start but once I settled into it really enjoyed it.

This is a story of two single moms and their daughters who meet at a kindergarten meet n greet hosted by Ruth, one of the single moms. Ruth and Gemma hit it off and their daughters become dear friends. But when Ruth is involved in a scandal, Gemma takes the opportunity to distance herself as she had felt suffocated by Ruth. Now years later it is Gemma who is embroiled in her own scandal when Ruth comes to her defence. The pair reunite and the two families begin spending more and more time together. Ruth, who lost her own parents at a young age, craves attention, loyalty and intimacy with others. Gemma has benefited from Ruth’s generosity by accepting trips to Aspen, a car, and bills paid. But when Gemma wants to spend time with someone else she feels stifled by Ruth. It is 10 years ago all over again.

Classified by the publisher as women’s fiction and a domestic thriller, Did I Say You Could Go manipulates the reader by providing a story of friendship and teen angst that quite suddenly takes a big twist. I did not see this twist coming. I thought I knew it the whole time but I was totally wrong.

I found myself flipping the pages fervently at one point and couldn’t put it down until the final conclusion.

Melanie Gideon is a new to me author but I will definitely be looking for more to read by this author. Thank you to @simonschuster and @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. Did I Say You Could Go publishes August 3, 2021.

Did I say You Could Go is a page turner, with so many moving parts. The story is told via Ruth, Marley, Gemma and Bee’s point of views, and it was flawless. I love multiple POVs but this one has become a favourite. The anonymous mom IM chats were life, I loved that element! The characters will give you all the feels, mostly anger. The twist was incredible, you kind of see it coming but, don’t at the same time, if you know what I mean? This book was entertaining and held my interest the entire time.



Thank you Netgallery and Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC, in exchange for a review.



I’m having a thriller hangover now, so diving into a romance novel, cheers!

This was a good read, although I could figure out the twists most of the time it was well written and kept me wanting to read until finished

Catfishing: You would think that teaching teens daily, I’d know most of the jargon. Obviously, I missed this one. If you don’t know what it means, you should read this book.

You just know from the dramatic opening scene that this is going to be a deliciously wicked indulgence! One woman stealthily follows her former best friend around the grocery store, spying on her and ducking when she thinks she’s been spotted. The author makes sure to hook you in as she knows readers’ curiosity will get the best of them. You keep reading because you have to know why the friends terminated their friendship and why they felt the need to spy. In fact, most of this book feeds human insatiable desire for gossip and comeuppance.

Immediately, readers become aware that the author has fully developed in her characters. They are fleshed out and multi-dimensional and, although you may love to hate some of them, you'll tone it down when you see their motivations. Those, as well as their hopes and fears, are clear despite the author playing up on stereotypes. You’ll read about two moms who met when their children started kindergarten and quickly developed a toxic friendship. It’s kind of like “Mean Girls” on steroids! There’s backstabbing, gossip, and nasty posts in online mommy groups. The most unfortunate part is when their daughters get pulled into this hurtful cycle of bad behaviour and peer pressure.

The beauty of this story is that readers get the whole picture because the author unravels her tale over four different points of view and from different stages in the friendships. Worthy of mention is the author’s exploration into dealing with mental health issues that arise from social media use. Isolation, depression, and cyber-bullying are met with modern responses such as text-based therapy.

The final twist will ruminate in your mind … for days.

Corleone in The Godfather said it best, “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”

Publishes August 3, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Melanie Gideon, Simon & Schuster Canada, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This was a nice quick read full of twists and turns. I thought I had the ending figured out but was shocked at how wrong I was!

Gemma and Ruth have been friends since their daughters began kindergarten. The women come from entirely different lifestyles (Ruth is wealthy, divorced from Marley's dad. Gemma is a widowed mother to Bee, and never seems to have quite enough money to get by in life. The daughters have been best friends for years, but their friendship is struggling now that the girls are 15 and have polar opposite personalities.

Ruth and Gemma's relationship is what I would consider to be beyond toxic, Ruth is clingy and controlling, and hasn't always been the easiest to be friends with, Gemma likes to give the benefit of the doubt, but always feels as if she is indebted to Ruth's generosity to her over the years.

This story seems predictable from the start, but there was definitely some unexpected twistiness to it.
We see toxic relationships in both the adults and the teen sets in this book. Also be prepared for lies, deception, RUMORS (think anonymous chat groups for moms!), and huge scandal.

There was a lot of icky behaviour amongst the adults in this one., but I would consider it a perfect summer read for anyone who loves a good scandal!

Did I Say You Could Go by Melanie Gideon was an enticing page turning psychological drama/thriller. The book drew me in immediately and I could not put it down.

Gemma, a single parent widower, is raising her daughter Bee, a popular, spunky, high spirited teenager in California. She runs a successful tutoring business until a scandal jeopardizes it and leaves her struggling financially. Ruth, an old forgotten frenemy of Gemma’s reaches out to Gemma when her life starts to crumble. Like Gemma, Ruth is also a single parent but this is where their similarities end. Ruth is an extremely wealthy divorcee, who doesn’t need to work and considers it her job to raise her teenage daughter Marley. Ruth had a very traumatic childhood and it still haunts her as an adult. Ruth is a troubled intense woman who is obsessed with Gemma and her daughter Bee. They think that Ruth is their saviour and feel indebted and grateful to her. But is Ruth really their saviour or is she a villain in disguise?

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for my electronic arc of Did I Say You Could Go. I absolutely loved it. I will definitely be reading more books by Melanie Gideon

A very dark and twisted story about 4 people whose lives are bound together by need and fear. The author’s well-developed characters, who you will love to hate, make this a visceral and riveting read. The story constantly twists and turns upon itself to the point where you are sometimes left dizzy. The author shows the impact of cyber bullying and its most negative result, suicide. This provocative and convoluted tale has a deliciously twisted and evil surprise at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster Canada who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Absolutely loved this story. The development of the characters was perfect and there were enough twists and turns to keep me reading long past my bedtime--I couldn't put it down! Highly recommend.