Author: Rakie Bennett
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Age Range: Adult
Format: E-Book
Published: 8th October 2021
Pages: 692 (This was an e-arc so I think the formatting was different so it definitely is not as many pages)
Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis

A deserted island, a vicious storm, a murderer amongst friends…

It was meant to be a fun reunion, a chance for six friends to reconnect and relive the adventures that brought them together in the first place. But from the moment they arrive on their island home for the weekend, Lyndsey, Sonia, Bobbie, Amanda, Juliet, and Val realise that their paradise is filled with peril, and there are consequences when you try to outrun the ghosts of your past.

As everything starts to fall apart, and the friends begin to turn against one another, deep, dark secrets are revealed, and an unimaginable horror is unleashed. They came seeking adventure, but now they’ll be lucky to leave with their lives…

CAWPILE

Characters – 6
Atmosphere – 7
Writing Style – 6
Plot – 7
Intrigue – 7
Logic – 7
Enjoyment – 7

Overall: 6.7

Review

Trigger Warnings: Death, Gun Violence, Blood, Violence, and Loss of a sibling.

This review may contain spoilers.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, however, this in no way influenced my opinion. Thank you to the publisher One More Chapter for providing me with a copy.

So, I have been in the mood for mystery/thrillers recently and after reading the synopsis of this on Instagram and being immediately intrigued I requested this and was so happy to be approved. In the weekend escape we follow six friends who are visiting an island for a weekend holiday, however, after one of the group is injured everything starts going wrong and they are left stranded. One of the strongest aspects of this book was the atmosphere, I definitely felt the claustrophobia of being stuck on the island and the hopelessness of feeling like no one is coming to help. I did think the plot was a little slow-moving at the beginning but once it picked up, I became invested and had no idea who to trust. The last 20% was especially intense to read. The plot twist of Amanda being behind everything really took me by surprise and I didn’t see it coming at all.

Overall, this was a decent mystery/thriller novel with some shocking twists and a gripping plot. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

This was a different take on a 'locked room' thriller. Everyone is under suspicion when the friend's weekend getaway takes a dark turn and a worsening storm means help is not able to come. Friendships come under close examination as each person looks to themselves and the rest of the group. Unexpected twist at the end.

Thank you for the advanced copy. This was a good read, a little on the slow side for the first hundred pages then picks up.
It’s about a group of friends who go away for a weekend get away, however they haven’t been together in 10 years and someone hasn’t forgiven the others

I would have enjoyed this book much more but for two things. None of the characters are particularly likeable so it's hard to care what happens to them. The ending. I am so tired of books with 'cliff hanger' endings. Is Lindsey imagining her talk with Val or is it real? I also figured out the culprit quite early on.
I've come to the conclusion that I like books with a proper ending so although this has a fast paced plot and there is tension I finished it feeling a bit robbed.

This book took me for a whirlwind of a time!! It kept me guessing until the very end and what a backstory too! I literally adore mysterious novels with groups of friends.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rakie Bennett and HarperCollins UK for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy novels with people stranded on a island or something equally creepy and this one was no different. I had no idea who was guilty and really enjoyed all the suspicion on each and every character, sometimes multiple times. The tense and dreary atmosphere really helped set the tone of the novel and made it all the more enjoyable. I will definitely try more novels from Bennett in the future.

A story about a group of 6 friends going away to an island for a weekend getaway. They haven't been in touch with each other much for a few years and they are getting the group back together, but not long after arriving on the island, things start to go wrong!
It very quickly goes from bad to worse and tensions grow high in the group as they start to grow suspicious of each other.
I did enjoy the story and the book was well written and very atmospheric, you really could picture the island and the horrible weather they were going through on the island. The thing that brought the rating of this down for me was the ending! It ended very quickly and it didn't really make much sense, it didn't wrap the story up in a satisfying way and didn't explain the random ending. For me, this left me a bit disappointed. But I enjoyed the rest of the book and I would read another book by Rakie Bennet.

The Weekend Escape by Rakie Bennett is a thriller about a group of friends on a deserted island in the middle of a storm. The six friends are having a reunion of sorts, but very bad things keep happening to them. Is someone else on the island with them? Or is it one of them that's hurting the others? The characters weren't very likable, and they weren't well-fleshed out; but the story itself was great. I love this kind of locked-room mystery, and this one definitely kept me guessing. Also, the island itself added some spookiness and intrigue to the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a fast and action-packed read, centered in Lyndsey and her friends, who travel to a deserted island to do some climbing and catch up with each other. It soon becomes apparent that this group has some complex dynamics and that many of them are harboring secrets. To top it all off, the bunkhouse where they are staying was not as promised, and the landlord who lives on the island is not friendly or helpful.

The action starts right away, with someone getting hurt, and doesn't let up the entire time. The author is not afraid to kill off primary characters (of course you need to read for yourself to find out who!), which is always fun because the reader never truly knows what is going to happen. The dynamics between the characters held my interest, though some of their issues seemed a bit catty.

I saw the end coming from early on, which was a little bit of a bummer, but it's always somewhat satisfying to see things play out the way you expected. Beyond the big twist, there were a few more surprises throughout, as well. I thought that the ending was well done and tied up loose ends nicely.

Overall, fun read- I am a sucker for books that take place in abandoned areas and this one had a unique spin. I'd give it a solid 3.5 stars and recommend it to those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you #Netgalley for this advanced copy!

In this read we follow a group of six friends on a weekend get away for a climbing weekend on a deserted island. During this trip, weird things kept happening. First a rope snapped, then screams were heard, a body was found, items were missing, etc. So many weird things on this island of 6 friends and 1 warden. Each of these six friends had their own secrets they were keeping from each other and then began to question each other and who to trust. Up until the very last page, this book kept me guessing and questioning what really happened on that island during those 48hours.

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I’m not sure how to feel about this one. I enjoyed it until the end, and then I suddenly didn’t. It just felt a little rushed and a little too… open ended maybe? Overall it was enjoyable.

This book is great. Not only because of the plot, which is quite well planned, but the main advantage is the atmosphere. From the very beginning, I felt the thrill, the danger.

The isolated island, old friend reunion - everything goes wrong. From the bad weather to the past that is still present and has an impact on the relations between women.

There are so many secrets, hard feelings, bad blood between them even though they pretending to be best friends as nothing changed.

After this one? No way I'm going to any no-man land in the middle of the rough sea, cliffs, and with people with who I have a common history with. No way!

But! This is a book I read in one night. I cannot put it down, I just needed to know who was able to mess like that and if they make it.

Well deserved 4/5

This is my first novel by Rakie Bennett and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing style really transported me to the island where the novel is based and I stayed there until I finished this novel.

We meet six female friends, all have drifted apart so meet up for a sort of "reunion" if you like. They have a weekend planned filled with activities. Obviously not all is at it should be for this fun filled weekend, the women soon realise that someone is out to get them, only realising later that it may not be a stranger, they are soon isolated due to the weather cutting the six friends off and terror strikes from within.

This book had me on my toes and I really enjoyed the descriptive scenes that occur within the book. The only thing that I found hard about this novel is that for me, the characters all seemed quite similar and I found it hard to remember who was who, but nonetheless this is a small thing and maybe I should learn to note who is who in a notebook.

Thanks to NetGalley, Rakie Bennett and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A weekend away on an almost deserted island. A group of friends get together for an activity weekend which turns into a weekend of hell. Friendships dissolve into bickering and accusations and one of the women is found dead. There is no means of getting in touch with the outside world.
A sense of foreboding builds up as the book goes on . The plot was OK, though confusing at times, it took me a while to sort out the characters in my mind. The book is written from the perspective of Lindsay, one of the less fortunate members of the group. Although they profess to be good friends, the women do not see each other regularly and some behaviour suggests that they do not always have each others best interests at heart. All had misgivings about going on the weekend . I did not really like any of the characters, some felt too 2 dimensional.
Not a bad read though I have read better. The ending could have been better
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58657953-the-weekend-escape

This was just not for me. I read about 100 pages and could not get into the story. Very predictable and was just like alot of other books out there.

This was an atmospheric and captivating thriller. I love a locked room mystery and even more so on an island (an incredibly popular setting in books at the moment).

The story hooked me in really quickly. I did find the pace slower in the middle but it ramped up again towards the end. I guessed early on who the killer was, but this didn’t detract from my enjoyment - as I still didn’t know the “why”. The characters were well written and the setting was described incredibly well, very atmospheric and captivating.

This is the first book I’ve read by Bennett but I will certainly keep a look out for others, as I enjoyed this one.

Perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon with a cuppa - if you like a locked room mystery, give this one a go.

The Weekend Escape by Rakie Bennett is a fast-paced read that pulls you in from the very start and doesn't let go. Clear your schedule, because you will want to enjoy this one uninterrupted,

Six friends have planned a weekend away on a remote island where they can reconnect without distraction. But the getaway quickly turns into a nightmare, and longstanding friendships will be put to the test in a way that none of the women could have ever anticipated when the weekend began. Bonds will be broken, but the very survival of the women will ultimately hang in the balance.

This is a tense, ominous, and atmospheric read that held me in its grasp for the duration. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for an ARC.

There's quite a books now with friends being trapped together with terrible consequences. This book follows the same flavour. An entertaining read, a few twists and turns throughout to keep you on your toes. A decent book.

This was a great thriller. Six friends stuck on a deserted island! Right up my alley. I feel the diversity of characters made this difficult to follow at times. I had to keep referring back to remember who was who. The middle kind of dragged but the ending flew by with the suspense.

I received a complimentary copy of The Weekend Escape from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Action packed! From the minute these friends hit the island, they are bombarded with mysterious acts of aggression from nearly every side. They become suspicious of one another and the ranger on the island. As the women tried to improve their situation, it spiraled out of control. Great novel!