An engagement party on a remote island with college friends harboring a murderous secret, what could go wrong? Honestly, the premise seemed a little far fetched but the execution was on point. I really enjoyed getting to the end of this one. The Engagement Party brings a group of college friends together to celebrate just that, an engagement, but it seems off from the beginning, There was a tragedy in college that affected each member of the group in a different way and it shows in their interactions and mistrust of one another at the party.

The story is told through multiple POVs, which of course makes the suspense even better. Not only that, but you definitely have unreliable POVs and that makes you question basically everything you just read. Which for me, makes it again, even more like-able because we don't want just a simple cut and dry thriller. I love the twists and it's even better when I can't guess the ending, which I did and I didn't. I think there were some slower parts to the story, but overall it was a fast paced locked door thriller, that definitely had me turning the page. I did feel that towards the end, there was a lot of things happening that seemed slightly erratic, which may have been the theme but could have gone in depth a little more. The character's weren't exactly your favorite people, I actually think I only liked 1 character in the book, but the mystery and twisted plot was entertaining and sometimes it's good not to like the characters.

Rated up for 4.5 stars for The Engagement Party by Darby Kane.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Darby Kane for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing date for The Engagement Party by Darby Kane is 05 December 2023.

This book has so many twists and turns the reader will have no idea who the real killer(s) are! A real psychological thriller. I gave this book only 4 stars because there were parts of the book that seemed to drag on with a lot of description.

I was disappointed with Darby Kane's work. I had hoped for a thrilling read, but it seems that wasn't what the author intended. The plot was too straightforward, leaving no room for suspense or guesswork. The story ended up being quite dull, especially the motive. The characters lacked depth, and the story was very predictable from chapter one. There was no build-up to what little suspense there was. I feel the story line started in the middle, without an introduction to any characters. This may appeal to those who prefer a simpler read without the need to solve a mystery, but for me, it fell short of expectations.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for letting me read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review! The Engagement Party by Darby Kane releases December 5th, 2023.

Honestly, I don’t really have much to say about this book. It wasn’t my favorite, despite how interesting the premise was. It felt…kind of unrealistic and campy? If you enjoy those type of books, definitely give it a go! I think that my rating would have been higher had I done the audio version - listened while I was doing other things.

WOAH. This was a super fast-paced, locked door thriller! I loved it. Luckily not all the characters were unlikable! There was at least someone to root for. This one had me reading at what felt like a record breaking pace! I could not put this one down! The ending. THE ENDING! Definitely read this one!

The Engagement Party didn't work for me sadly. For fans of Alice Feeney, I would definitely check this out. Sadly for seasoned thriller readers this just doesn't bring anything new to the table.

My Thoughts
I am finding a trend in the review books that I am choosing to read these days.

The story fully engages me and either some or all of the characters leave little to like or empathize with as it unfolds.

This time around I already expected that would be the case so went into reading a new to me author’s work open minded and got some welcome surprises along the way that I didn’t expect.

The Engagement Party has a great setting for this type of mystery and it worked well for me.

I did feel, as others have pointed out, that it could have been a shorter process to finalize it but I am not unhappy about that point at all once things were settled at books end.

The twists were set up nicely for me, some better than others, the final reveal was a surprise I didn’t expect and this was a good introduction to authors style for me as well.

Many thanks to Publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to find another authors work that kept me turning pages rapidly as well as eagerly.
[Earc from Netgalley]


On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

College friends are reunited on an isolated island for the engagement of one of their own. Secrets related to the death of one of their group bubble to the surface. A hurricane hits the island trapping them all together. What could possibly go wrong? I enjoyed this story but it did fall apart a bit at the end. Three solid stars.

This is a fast paced book about old friends reuniting for an engagement party. However, there are secrets some of them will kill to keep quiet. I enjoyed this book even though it had some plot holes. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Secrets can make or break you...🔪🔫

Special thanks to @hkdimon @williammorrowbooks & @thrillerbookloverspromotions for this ARC ❤️

➡️SWIPE for synopsis👉🏼

MY REVIEW::
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As you all know, locked room thrillers are my top #thrillertrope , and this one does NOT disappoint! There is a new twist around every corner, and you swear you know who is behind it ...... the BAMM just kidding , ANOTHER TWIST!

I'm ashamed to say, this is my 1️⃣st Darby Kane novel, but it most certainly won't be my last! Her writing was great! The multiple POVs also cemented my love ❤️ for this one.
It also gave me a hint of dark academia vibes because the group is old college friends, and I LOVE dark academia!

Pretty much you'd be crazy not to pre-order this NOW, then thank yourself later when it shows up and your reveling in this masterpiece!

ℙ𝕌𝔹 𝔻𝔸𝕋𝔼:
December 5th, 2023

QOTD❓️⁉️❓️ What is your favorite trope (thriller or non-thriller)?

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#thrillerbooks #suspensethriller #thrillerreader #thrillerlover #thrillerobsessed #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #bookaholic #booklover #bookstagrammer #booklove #bookcommunity #bookobsessed #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #booksofig #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookishfeatures #tbr #tbrpile #bookbuzz #mysteryandthrills #BookstaBFF23 #thrillerbooklovers #theengagmentparty #darbykaneauthor
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Old friends reunite for an engagement party. They share a 12 year old secret about the murder of a classmate and have avoided each other since, but this is an invitation they simply can't refuse. Of course, this party takes place on a secluded island in Maine only accesible during low tide. Oh, and a storm's moving in. And somebody on the island has long buried secrets and revenge on their mind.

So yes, this is a familiar premise, but I didn't even care because it's also one of my favorite thriller tropes. I'll pick up a mystery with an isolated setting and a small group trapped with a killer plot every single time. Add in a storm and an extra dose of paranoia, and it's my absolute favorite type of story.

A couple of things kept me from fully loving this book: I often struggled with keeping the characters straight. All of the characters were unlikeable, which isn't necessarily a bad thing with thrillers, but they lacked the depth and dimension needed to move them into love-to-hate territory. There's also quite a bit of repetition, which slowed down the pace of the story for me. I really enjoyed the plot, but the uneven pacing kept the tension and sense of dread from truly gaining momentum and fully immersing me in the high stakes events.

The Engagement Party has a familiar thriller setup, but familiarity didn't keep me from enjoying this story. I absolutely loved the I Know What You Did Last Summer vibe and locked room whodunit elements. There were plenty of twists and unexpected reveals to keep the story from feeling predictable and each chapter ended with a mini cliffhanger or tantalizing reveal, which worked great to keep me on the hook, suspecting everyone, and flipping pages. The characters were a weak point for me, but the unpredictable, twisty plot and satisfying ending were enough to keep me invested and entertained.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for providing me a copy to read and review.

I enjoy a good *whodunnit* and this cast of unlikeable characters will keep you busy. A LOT goes on in this story.

Told by alternating POV, you quickly learn that really no one wants to go to this party, which right away made the situation feel off. Poor Sierra is not apart of the original group, and unfortunately is dragged into the nightmare college friend reunion.

This one had some escape room type vibes as the crew is trapped on an island in the middle of a storm. They of course quickly learn that they are not alone. A whole lotta secrets upon secrets, twists and action to figure out what happened in their ugly past.

This was my first Darby Kane book, so I don’t know what I was expecting, but it felt very YA to me. Very teenager-y, at least in my opinion. But a decent thriller nonetheless.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

For the first time in over ten years, a group of friends reunites for an engagement party. Why the long gap? Well because during college one of the friends in their group was killed, and there has always been some questions about what really happened that night. Now, back together again, the friends are terrified when they find a dead body in a trunk. They want to leave the engagement party, but of course, it is on an island, in a storm, and they can't.

A lot of author's have been telling this, "And Then There Were None," type story lately, and I would be lying if I did not say I am getting bored with it. Is this book interesting? Yes. Is it face paced? Yes. I think it would be enjoyed by those that don't read as many thrillers as I do, but I am growing tired of this concept and need a break from it. Because of that, I give it 3 of 5 stars, but will stress if you haven't read other stories like this one you will most likely enjoy this book

Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a serviceable thriller that people who enjoy true crime, gossip, and unsolved mysteries would enjoy. There are a couple plot holes, but I won’t enumerate them in case they get fixed with the final round of editing. I would pick up this author again.

Thank you for the ARC Netgalley and William Morrow Books! I liked the concept of this book a lot. It’s dark and mysterious and full of twists and turns. I will say I didn’t feel any connection to any character so I did find myself a bit bored and uninterested at times. I liked it, but not a super compulsive thriller for me.

4⭐️

I have heard amazing things about Darby Kanes writing and this did not disappoint! The Engagement Party follows a group of friends who come to together to celebrate an engagement on an isolated private island. The secrets and continue to build up as the tragedy that occurred on their graduation weekend comes back to haunt them.

This book is so fast paced and the multiple povs and writing style make it very easy to read. You didn’t know who to trust and everyone had their own secrets that they were ere desperate to keep the other from knowing. There was a lot of twists and it kept my heart pounding and I did not expect the ending! I am so exited to read more of Darby’s work!

Thank you to @netgalley, @hkdimon and @williammorrowbooks for the opportunity to read this early and all opinions are my own. The Engagement Party is releasing December 5th

A get-together amongst old college friends to celebrate a new engagement that quickly turns into a bloodbath. No one wanted to attend what would be yet another failed engagement of Will’s, but his fiance Ruthie went through all the trouble to invite them. Once there, it doesn’t take long for everyone to realize they’ve been brought into a deadly game of Truth or Dare where if you lie, you die.

All the killer wants to know is who killed Emily. And until one of them confesses, the bloodshed will continue. But the pact they all made years ago to never speak of it still holds stronger than ever. Even with their friends being picked off one by one, the group refuses to give the truth up, proving some secrets really are worth dying for.
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This was a pretty good read. I love dubious pacts and unhinged revenge plots. I thought the engagement party was a great way to get everyone together as well as slowly reveal little glimpses of their collective past, but it was a bit slow for me at first. I felt there was a bit too much time spent on setting the stage, and I wasn’t too keen on the “book notes” chapters. I did like how unpredictable the plot became halfway-through and that’s when I really began enjoying it. Great twist as well. I’d definitely recommend this one.

Wow! My first Darby Kane book but for sure not my last! This was such a great read. Action packed with so much tension it was crazy. So many great twists and turns that I had no clue who to trust in this one. Fabulous characters that kept me reading way past my bedtime.
Thank you NetGalley, Darby Kane and William Morrow/Custom House for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Review of The Engagement Party by Darby Kane

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the copy of this one. I am sad to say that I was a little bit disappointed by this book. I have high expectations as I love this author’s work. I just felt underwhelmed and a little bored at times with this one. If I still did star ratings, it would still be at three and I had no problem finishing it. I love the setting of a remote island, and I loved the idea of college friends meeting for a reunion, and then discovering a killer was present among them. But the characters overall fell flat for me except one of the main character Sierra, and the overall story plot felt thin at times to me.

Synopsis:

Emily Hunt went missing from her affluent liberal arts school on graduation weekend. Her body was found floating in a river, and a quiet loner who most people on campus really didn’t know committed suicide. A tenuous link—one text—bound the two dead students together and was enough for law enforcement to close the case. But they got it wrong and now someone is determined to set it right.
Twelve years later, college friends gather to celebrate an engagement over a long overdue getaway on a swanky private island in Maine—with only one way in and one way out. Sierra Prescott, invited as a guest and unconnected to past events, is the only person who soon senses not all is what it seems.
The tension in the air is ignited when they find a dead man in the trunk of a car with a note: time to tell the truth. And things only get worse. As a torrential storm strands them together, the group’s buried stories begin to surface and secrets are bartered. To survive this deadly party, they’ll need to stop a killer before they become prey