The Perfect Escape was a fantastic, deliciously twisted thriller. It’s a slow-burn story, that definitely picks up with the reveals in the second half. The writing style is riveting—sucks you in from the first page, and holds you there till the last.

If anything, a few of the reveals seemed unnecessary, and made some of the tension from before end up as red herrings, which was a bit of a downer. But still, I really enjoyed this pacey thriller that’s definitely in the vein of Megan Miranda and Shari Lapena.

3.5 stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

-A

Sam, Margaret and Diana are each grappling with the end of their respective marriages and decide to take a girls trip away from the city to regroup and relax.

But it turns out this relatively-new friend group is built on a foundation of lies. While each of the three women trusts the group with more information than they give their other family members and friends, they are all holding back critical information about their marriages and why they are newly separated.

The trip quickly goes awry thanks to a missing car key and the trio ends up stranded n Catskill, NY. Is it a series of missteps and misfortune, or did someone want them to be in this exact place at this exact time?

There were SO many lies to untangle in this story, up until the very last page. The story was told through alternating points of views, which kept the suspense going until the end.

This book can best be summed up as a wild ride told by unlikeable narrators. While I didn't particularly like any of the women, the story was compelling and a fast-paced race to the long-awaited truth of a girl's weekend gone wrong.

The Perfect Escape is a well-paced mystery perfect for fans of Riley Sager, Rachel Hawkins, and Lucy Foley. Three friends become stranded during a road trip that was meant to distract from their ongoing divorces. When one woman disappears, the remaining women realize they don’t know much about their friend at all. Who is she? Where is she? Did they really wind up staying in this small town by accident—or was it all orchestrated for a dark purpose? The villain is easy to guess, but readers will still enjoy following the story to figure out the nuts and bolts of the mystery. Konen is skilled at maintaining tension throughout her novel, and it’s an enjoyable read.

This is not the roadtrip they expected. Three friends going through divorces just want to get away for the weekend. First, there's a lost car key, a drunken night out, and somebody ends up dead. Not what anyone was expecting.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

The twists and turns are strong with this one. The whodunit kept me guessing the entire time and the very end was even more of a shocker!! I could not put it down! I read this in less than 24hrs, Happy Thanksgiving morning to me. I would highly recommend this suspenseful read.

Thank you Leah Konen, @netgalley, and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC. I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Leah Konen for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Perfect Escape in exchange for my honest review.

Sam, Margaret, and Diana are new friends who have commiserated over the dissolution of their respective marriages. They're eager for a girls' weekend away when car trouble strands them halfway from their destination.

Trying to make the best of a bad situation, the ladies hit the town, only Diana doesn't return the following day. As they hunt for their missing friend, Sam and Margaret uncover secrets that tell them they may not have known Diana at all. And someone appears hellbent on keeping it that way.

A couple things I really enjoyed about this book: the alternating narrators, the short chapters, and the overall length of the book made it a quick and easy read. The story was paced well and I found I was interested early on and my attention was largely held throughout.

I did find certain elements to be a tad predictable, but the last two big twists I ultimately did not see coming. I also thought one of the narrators far more likeable than the other, so certain chapters were harder for me to get through.

The Perfect Escape will be released January 4, 2022!

I was so lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This book had me absolutely loving all the twists and turns! It’s one thing after another and I never would have guessed the way this would end! WOW WOW WOW! This book was so fast paced that you won't want to put it down! If you like psychological thrillers than this is the book for you! Highly recommend!

Pub day: January 4, 2022

Trigger Warning: Child loss

🚙 Multiple POV
🚙 Unreliable narrators

First impression: Going into this one blind and based solely from one review I read on it! I’m definitely intrigued to figure out what’s going on with these characters. There’s quite a few “wait what?” moments!
Every chapter leaves you wanting more.

Halfway point: This is definitely a “one more chapter” book. You alternate POV’s and every time their chapter ends, another mini bomb is dropped. I can’t wait to see what happens and I just might be up the rest of the night to find out!

Final impression: That was a good one! Each chapter left me wanting more and I loved that each character had secrets that were exposed by the end of every chapter! I’m usually good at guessing endings, but this one caught me off guard. I think this is a binge worthy read and I would definitely recommend!

What can go wrong on a girls' weekend for 3 friends? Pretty much everything. Sam, Margaret and Diana take off on a weekend escape to Saratoga Springs as a way to get over their horrible exes. Unfortunately, at their first stop they lose the key to their rental car and are forced to stay the night. After checking in to a local AirBNB, they decide to head to a bar to let off some steam. Margaret meets a guy, Sam runs into her ex, and Diana goes missing. Lots of secrets and several twists that take things in different directions. Is anyone telling the truth?

This was a fast-paced thriller that kept you guessing. Some of the things these women did were very immature, but I can relate to reverting back to my 20-something self after breaking up with an ex; sometimes you do irrational things. This was a fun book to read and get caught up in the drama of these women's lives.

While it was a bit slow to start, once the plot hits its stride, the pacing picks up and the story completely sucks you in. It’s a book that keeps you guessing with its twists and unreliable narrators, and it’ll take you on a wild and unpredictable ride.

Thank you Netgalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Author Leah Konen for this ARC.

I so wanted to like this book. The story was intriguing and sounded exciting. I was hooked after the first few pages but then something happened . . . the writing seemed to change, and it makes me feel as though I got a different copy of this book than everyone else because everyone loved it like I wanted to, it got thick, overly descriptive, with so many run-on sentences, too much info being dumped on me all at once. I quickly lost interest and could no longer follow along.

A girl's weekend to die for? The Perfect Escape sounded exactly like the thriller I was looking for.

Sam, Margaret, and Diana head out of NYC for the weekend after bonding over messy divorces. They stop at a gas station in the Catskills where they lose their car key and are forced to stay the night in the little town. From there, chaos ensues.

It took pretty much up until they arrive at the bar in the Catskills for me to really get sucked into the story. But once I did, I couldn't put it down. At first, I thought the house they ended up staying in was going to be a "house of horrors" but I was so wrong. The Perfect Escape had me guessing at every turn and I honestly never suspected what actually happened. Definitely a wild ride.

Escape into a good thriller with The Perfect Escape. You won't be able to put it down..

4/5 stars.

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Konen messes with readers’ minds. One is left wondering who is lying, who is factual, and who is betraying whom. Three friends out in a weekend of fun have no idea how it will end it. Or do they? Two of the friends are hiding secrets from third friend, who is deceptive herself. I read feverishly to tackle all the lies and to see who actually committed the crime. Only to be surprised at the end when the author gives one final curve to the story.

This was a twisty thriller. It alternated between two unreliable narrators and was filled with surprises. I thought I had things figured out, but I had no idea how complex the twists really were. It was suspenseful and enjoyable and definitely recommended for any fan of thrillers.

Mind blown! This book had me dizzy in the best possible way with all the twists and turns! It’s one thing after another and I never would have guessed the ending! Wow! So fast paced and you’ll be continually shocked by what you’re reading! This book has everything you could want in a thriller! Highly recommend!

Synopsis:
A girl’s trip to get away from it all. Three friends that are all going through divorces/separations decide to rent a house outside the city for some much needed relaxation! Things soon go terribly wrong when one of them goes missing….

3.5 rounded to 4 stars

This one started off a bit slow but man when it picked up it started going full speed and I could not put it down when I got to the last quarter of the book! The ending was not at all what I expected (either twist) and I was genuinely surprised which I was not expecting. All of the characters were so interesting and engaging and I was constantly on the edge of my seat to see which lie would get exposed next. The only downsides I had was that it did take me until about halfway through to really get into the book and pick up steam. However I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend to people who love thrillers

The Perfect Escape is the perfect thriller. I scanned through this book in two days!
Absolutely loved this book and honestly that's why I've held off from reading this book for so long.
Because I knew I'd devour it and bam it would be over!

Y'all! Need. To. Get. This. Book. In. 2022!
This is an intricate character-driven story full of surprises. I was hooked by the mystery and revelations, and really felt I got to know all the characters.
The writing was very well paced, engaging, suspenseful, and an unforgettable story.
The Perfect Escape is an amazing thriller and both an addictive page-turner and a brilliant story.
Leah is a unique, fantastic storyteller who can grab and hold tight to my attention with her book.

Thank you oh so much NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons and Author for this advance ebook!
Will post to my accounts closer to pub date!

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me an advance copy of Leah Konen’s latest thriller, The Perfect Escape, in exchange for an honest review.

#ThePerfectEscape is about three girlfriends who intend to take a trip to Saratoga Springs for the weekend, only to get stranded along the way in the Catskills. From the moment the trio lose the keys to their rental vehicle at a gas station, what was supposed to be a fun escape from the city turns into an increasing nightmare of a trip. The story is told from the alternating perspective of two of the three main characters, Samantha and Margaret.

The novel was a smidge below mediocre for me. On the one hand, I wanted to scream and rip the pages out of my e-book due to the characters’ stupidity, which to me, reads as writing that is as sloppy as this review. On the other hand, the short chapters, twist and turns, and my compulsion to know the real story forced me to struggle through the absolutely absurd writing devices.

I am all for suspending disbelief, and I am certainly no stranger to the beach novel, but this was total garbage at times. Then again, it also made for an entertaining filler between breaks. I would not be surprised to see this listed on Amazon First Reads next month if it has not already been listed. Overall, 2.5 Stars rounded up.

This was a quick thriller with a couple of surprise twists! I really loved the premise - 3 women whose relationships are in trouble, who decide to take a weekend getaway. But then, things turn sinister.

Three friends go on a weekend trip and one goes missing. My worst nightmare! This book grabbed me from the very first page and it did not let up. So many twists and turns that leave you saying “what?” And even down to the last chapter there’s a big twist. Loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published January 2022.

This was kind of a meh read for me. The pacing was like a child dragging its feet while the parent repeatedly shouts COME ON! The suspense and “twists” fell super short. I’m assuming the author was trying to be all SURPRISE but really it was more like whhhyyyy.

Three friends Diana, Margaret, and Sam all go on a little road trip together that of course goes all wrong. Main subject? Men who done them wrong. Troubling issue is these women barely know eachother and all have big secrets BUT they’re just best of friends. (Insert raised brow here)

It was an easy read but it was just quite unrealistic and usually that doesn’t bother me (hello fiction and books!) but this was just a bit too much.

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.