The Van Ness children are grown up and living their lives with their significant others and businesses, not recognizing (or caring about) the privilege they've been afforded and how it impacts how they treat people. They're back together to celebrate a birthday, but no one knows how their secrets what's to come.

I enjoyed this book. I like the locked-in location, knowing there was no character without secrets and that the family relationships and past shape a lot of how the characters view themselves and how it's others' fault they've been slighted.

I enjoy unlikable characters. I immediately disliked a couple and sorta rooted for others, and thought it was intriguing how my opinions could shift and sway as the full story unfolded. I also liked how the author chose whose perspectives were used to narrate.

Without spoiling anything, I thought there was a good amount of suspense and violence in the story without just turning everything into a gore fest or making every person suddenly a killer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing. I appreciated the book to read in advance and to share my thoughts.

Golden boy, Zach Van Ness’s older siblings, Richard and his twin sister Harper, are celebrating their 35th birthday in style - at the luxurious 1000-acre Van Ness Finger Lakes winery home. It’s been a tradition they’ve agreed to maintain even after the recent death of their mother.

Laskowski masterfully sets the scene and contrasts the weather (isolated, dark winery, and storm brewing) with the bright and lavishly decorated home full of revelry. Into this she quietly plants seeds of intrigue, making readers beg to know who dies, who is the mystery guest, what secrets are the siblings hiding and why doesn’t Lauren want anyone to know of her past. The Gilded Age mansion provides the perfect mysterious setting for the unravelling and the Van Ness siblings provide the drama that makes this book so bingeable!

Three things that elevated this book for me:

(1) the structure
(2) the former name of the estate reflects what’s going on behind closed doors - Secret’s Edge.
(3) foreshadowing of the common barn spider wrapping the stink bug in “a silk prison.”

When the thin veneer of perfection is chipped away, readers see what the Van Ness family doesn’t want you to see.

I loved every minute of this tension-filled read! I wish I could read it again for the first time.

I was gifted this copy by Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Van Ness family, a very, wealthy family, takes a family weekend retreat at a gothic wine estate to celebrate the 35th birthday for the twins, Richard and Harper. The three families of the three siblings have a lot of secrets kept and a dysfunctional history. The suppressed resentments, anger, jealousy, vindictiveness and utter hatred that they each have for each other is leashed for awhile during their stay until the weather heads south and the power goes out.

In honesty, it is hard for me to read books where I do not connect with the characters or find them repugnant. The level of stress from the constant bickering between the siblings did have me on edge. However, the slow burn and mystery elements did counter balance that and make for an interesting read. The ending is very satisfying as well.

Recommend. 3.5 rounded to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!!

This book was a relatively quick read. Who doesn’t love some juicy family gossip?? The big twist became apparent about halfway through the book. Loved the writing style!!

3.5 stars

Three siblings and their significant others join together for a birthday weekend at their family's estate. However, there's an extra guest along for the ride, stalking the family and exacting their revenge over long-buried secrets.

I think I would have liked this book a bit more if any of the characters were likeable. Everyone was either very unpleasant or had a secret, and it just made for an overall negative vibe. Interesting twist at the end though!

Thanks to Netgalley and Graydon House for my copy of this book.

3 couples. A 3 day getaway. And a FORCED family reunion like no other. “The Weekend Retreat” by Tara Laskowski is a domestic thriller loaded with family drama and vengeance! 💰 🔪

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

The prestigious Van Ness siblings are getting together for a weekend getaway to celebrate the twins’ big 35th birthdays! This weekend is supposed to be a family retreat filled with rest, relaxation, and a fabulous birthday party. However a dangerous storm is in the forecast … as well as an unexpected party guest ⛈️!

As the storm brews around the luxurious Van Ness estate and winery, the siblings and their significant others are all forced to play nice with one another … but that does not last for long. The secrets, lies, resentment and tension follow them to the isolated estate and slowly their cards begin to show! As the family drama begins to spiral out of control, they begin to receive taunting messages and mysterious gifts as the killer count down to the party begins ⏰!

This slow burn whodunit, with gothic atmospheric vibes and a case of major claustrophobia, is jam packed with drama and increased tension! If you are a fan of The Family Game, then you need to pick this one up!! 🎲

Thank you kindly to @taralwrites @graydonhousebooks @harpercollinsca @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on December 26, 2023!

This was a solid suspense/mystery. Who doesn’t love stories about rich entitled siblings at their family run winery where a special guest shows up in the midst of chaos?

This had a good background to most of the characters and the family mansion/winery.
The twists were good but partially predictable.

Overall this was a good read!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Grayson House for providing me this free digital ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pretty typical murder-mystery with a "retreat" plot. Lots of family drama with lots of hard-to-like characters. Pretty enjoyable read!

Ok, so first off, I love a book full of family secrets, rivalry, and drama. The more rich and prominent the family, the better. Secondly, I was over the moon with the descriptions of the estate - what trouble I'd get into if I found myself in such a massive mansion! I purposely waited until the weekend to start this book and I'm glad I did because I didn't want to put it down! Sure, some of the drama that unfolded was relatively predictable - I mean, there are only so many directions one can go - but I was still left with some surprises as the story unfolded, so I didn't mind. If you're newer to thrillers and enjoy tropes like, "sibling trauma bond", "friends to enemies", "everyone has a secret", or "stuck together", go ahead and give this book a go!
The pub date is Dec 26, 2023.

Many thank-yous to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
My full review will be posted to my Instagram, Goodreads, and bookstores about a month prior to the pub date (i.e. Nov 26).

An excellent addictive psychological thriller about old money, secrets, and family drama. The author creates multiple narrations with vivid descriptions that I experienced I was in the story. The setting at the vineyard in a secluded house I enjoyed immensely. The book has so many elements, such as betrayal, revenge, and murder. Very intense, twisty on the edge of your seat mystery slowly reveals each family members lies. The ending is sensational.

Every year the Van Ness siblings gather at their secluded winery estate for a joint birthday celebration. This year they have gathered with all their significant others for a much needed break. This trip is planned so they can all have a nice escape, but things take a turn. Old tensions are highlighted, and each couple is pushed to the edge. Will their secrets destroy them, or will they destroy each other first?

This was a very slow burn mystery book with lots of family drama. There were several different points of view, and all the siblings were equally horrible. I really didn’t like any of them and found them insufferable. But reading their views was like watching a train wreck, I couldn’t stop reading and I needed to know how things resolved. I do think that this story was pretty cookie cutter and formulaic, but it was still entertaining. I don’t think everything needs to be unique for a story to be fun. Things started to pick up in this book towards the end, and I think that it shifted from a character study to more plot driven. I love reading about rich people and how they take so many things for granted, and this book delivered on that front.

If you are looking for a slow-burn, character driven mystery book, then check this one out.

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher, and Tara Laskowski for an ARC of The Weekend Retreat!
A family getaway - 3 days - 3 couples
The Van Ness siblings are back to celebrate the twins 35th birthday, as how traditions have gone.
Relaxation, traditions, wine - what more could you ask for?!
Except everything is not how it seems. Everyone seems to have their own little secret this year and if the others find out it may impact the whole dynamic.
This book had me wanting to finish it as soon as possible! I had to find out what their secrets were. The characters are love to hate. They are completely spoiled and entitled, but sometimes you just understand they are having to fight for themselves. It did get slightly predictable, but I do find joy in that being able to uncover the mystery. Definitely a great thriller!

this was a pretty fun but run-of-the-mill rich family murder mystery - most of the book centers around getting to know the characters in the family and their individual secrets and personalities rather than focusing on the mystery, which makes it feel like more of a domestic drama. really nothing too special or memorable here but an entertaining enough read if you’re looking for a book for a plane ride

I really enjoyed this one despite the slow build up. I would say that around midway it starts to pick up more and the finish is great. Each of the characters is unlikeable to an extent but I really liked that that was true for all of the characters and there wasn't one "good" one that was superior to the rest. They were all flawed human beings but I understood their intentions, even if they were questionable, and could empathize with them to a degree. Solid 4 stars.

“Three couples. Three days. A family getaway to die for.”

Personal review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This novel has the perfect setting, and rich people problems trope that some love. It contained mystery and intrigue, as well as plot twists galore. I struggled to differentiate the characters, from one rich sibling to the next and follow the plot line, although it certainly kept my attention. Elle, Harper, Richard, and Zach were all your typical woe is me rich characters with their own set of problems, self inflicted mostly! Loved Laura’s character and the intrigue of the weekend guest and who it would be, as the omnipresent character that provided mysterious dialogue. When the author revealed who that person was, I was happy to be correct! Predictable but a fun read. Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Every year, the illustrious Van Ness siblings, heirs to a copper fortune, gather at their secluded winery estate for a joint birthday celebration. It's a tradition they've followed nearly all their lives, and now they are back with their significant others for a much-needed weekend of rest and relaxation, away from the public spotlight. With lavish comforts, gorgeous scenery, and indulgent drinking, the trip should be the perfect escape. But it soon becomes clear that even a remote idyllic getaway can’t keep out the problems simmering in each of their lives. As old tensions are reignited, the three couples are pushed to the edge. Will their secrets destroy them, or will they destroy each other first? And who’s been watching them from beyond the vineyard gates? When a torrential rainstorm hits, plunging them into darkness, the answers prove all too deadly…

Thank you, Graydon House and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of The Weekend Retreat.

The synopsis had it all: wealth, turmoil, storms! What could go wrong? Well, quite a bit actually. The storyline was fine. The buildup to get to the twist not so much. The characters weren't very likable. This book was really quite unremarkable. Not a total waste of time, but not the best read either.

A rich family getaway for rest, relaxation, and birthday celebrations, turns into a fast paced murder mystery with twists you don't see coming. Unputdownable.
Definitely add to your TBR list!

An annual birthday party gone wrong.

The Van Ness family is celebrating their annual birthday bash for the twins at their mansion.

This year was no different, except for the death of their mother and the addition of Zach’s soon-to-be fiancé.

But what can go wrong and does go wrong with this year's celebration?

PLENTY!!

Each sibling has some secret.

Who has the worst secret and who will survive the weekend?

And...who is the unidentified guest who seems to be planning some disaster?

A very character-driven novel that has a slow buildup, but once ALL the secrets and conniving characters are revealed you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough to find out what happens. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Tara Laskowski writes another winner of a mystery with her new novel, The Weekend Retreat. This clever and enthralling domestic psychological thriller (set in the gorgeous background of a vineyard) proves that not only are things seldom as they initially seem, people's identity and motivation can be equally as obscure as the tight knots of this carefully woven mystery are undone.

For fans of Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell, this one will not only have you guessing, it will leave you flabbergasted as the truth comes to light.

The synopsis for this book is very intriguing. The characters, not so much. It was impossible to differentiate between them, so the constant POV switching was not ideal. The beginning lacked suspense, it was very dull and drug on and on. While things did pick up, it wasn’t enough to merit additional stars. This wouldn’t be a read I recommend.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC