Things I love: wine, family drama, and a giant estate as a setting. Needless to say, once I read the description of The Weekend Retreat, I knew I had to read it. From the beginning, it was apparent that there would be no "reliable" narrators throughout the novel; however, it was more difficult that I thought to parse out the truths. This was such a clever storyline, with just enough twists and turns and wine to go around. A must read!

The weekend retreat follows three siblings who are heirs of a vineyard fortune, and their three significant others, who have all gathered at their family property to celebrate birthdays of the older siblings, Richard and Harper (twins).

The youngest sibling Zach is bringing his girlfriend, Lauren, to meet his family for the first time and she has absolutely no idea what drama she is in for.

To say the family are rich elitist snobs is to say the least. With their harsh judgemental words and twisted games, it would be anybodies worst nightmare to be thrown into the mix.

However deeper plots are lurking beneath the surface of all the insults, lies and betrayal. There is a mysterious stranger hiding on the property playing mind games, leaving cryptic gifts and messages, and making plans for a big reveal.

Nobody is telling the truth, everybody is harbouring secrets and they are all about to boil over.

Expect lots of drama from this one guys! It’s debatable whether any of the characters are likeable or have redeemable qualities but you’ll have to decide that for yourselves! I’d say my favourite character was Lauren but she’s not little miss innocent as she would have you believe!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an early copy of this book 🩵

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for my copy of The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski.

The premise of the story is really interesting though not that original in a sense. Simple and sweet individual meeting their rich partner's family. We have all read something similar and we just look with how the story is executed to go on with our ratings.

I think it is a well-written thriller. The family drama was so juicy, the thriller aspect was pretty good although I did manage to put two and two together early on in the story. The execution of the big reveals were pretty good and well placed. The story was told from four POVs: Lauren Brady, the girlfriend. Elle Van Ness, the sister-in-law. Harper Van Ness, the sister. And The Party Guest (I did cringe on this one). I did like Lauren but felt conflicted with some of her actions. I hated how selfish and spoiled Elle and Harper are but oh the drama on that one was just spilling and I was totally immersed. Zach, the boyfriend, is a gaslighting liar and I swear he was annoying me. Richard, the brother, didn't really have any grand scenes that made me have an opinion on him. Lucas, the brother-in-law, was okay. Bit weird but okay.

It's not the most tantalizing thriller but it does it's job on entertainment. I definitely recommend this for quick thriller read that will definitely entertain you.

The retreat novel has become a suspense subgenre of its own in recent years. A group of people, bound by family, work, or friendship, head off to a secluded location for a weekend, a drastic weather event strands them there, and mayhem ensues. I've read a number of retreat novels in the past few years, and the sameness of most can't be denied. But Tara Laskowski's The Weekend Retreat is different. It stands out because it's a fully developed novel about a broken family, enhanced by the author's talent for deep characterization and sharp observation. And it steadily builds suspense to create a sense of dread about what's going to happen to these people.

The three wealthy Van Ness siblings have gathered with their spouses and one fiancé at the family's magnificent winery for the first time since the recent death of the family matriarch. The occasion is the 35th birthday of twins Richard and Harper, but some have other reasons for being there. One is searching the mansion for a hidden treasure. Another is collecting information for mercenary reasons. Instead of enjoying their birthday celebration, Richard and Harper worry about the anonymous messages he is receiving and the media storm and personal threats surrounding the implosion of her beauty products business. The story is told through the rotating voices of the characters, including one person the family is unaware of, a "party guest" who lurks in the background and waits for an incoming storm to trap the family in their gilded cage.

These people are not lovable. Like the Roy family in the TV drama Succession, they can be prickly, conniving, and vengeful. Harper, for example, muses about her sister-in-law, "I'd be doing the world a service if I strangled her with one of Lucas's woolen ties and dragged her out into the middle of the woods for the coyotes." They're THAT kind of family. But like the Roys, they are fascinating to watch as their fate comes barreling toward them.

This was a fun book about a large family on a retreat together. As with any family there is a lot of drama. I did at times struggle to keep all the characters straight. There was a twist at the end that I did not see coming.

This locked room mystery is a must read!! Iwas captivated by this riveting suspenseful mystery. I read this in one sitting because I couldn't put it down! I loved this book so much! Was absolutely surprised at the end!
I just reviewed The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski. #TheWeekendRetreat #NetGalley
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"All it will take is one simple push to topple their empire over."

I absolutely loved this! I loved Laskowski's last book, The Mother Next Door, so I was definitely interested when I saw this. The retreat trope is big right now and is a bit overdone if you read a lot so I was hoping this would be different and it was! It was a breath of fresh air. It's not really a retreat, it's a birthday party and reunion. It could have had a better name to draw people in.

These characters were beautifully crafted and the descriptions of the vineyard were so vivid that it was a bit atmospheric. I could really see it in mind and with the characters, I found myself thinking "yes, that is so Harper" because they jumped off the pages. Not because they were so lovable but honestly because they weren't. They were flawed, complex, petty and they tell you why and you're waiting at the edge of your seat.

The Van Ness family lost their matriarch and this will be their first time back at the vineyard since she died. It's Richard and Harper's birthday. They're twins and they have one younger brother, Zach. Zach brought his girlfriend Lauren and Richard and Harper are married to Elle and Lucas respectively. So it's 3 couples and I usually don't like any more than 2 narrators but we heard from Harper, Elle, Lauren, and our *mysterious* party guest and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

This family is strained and this weekend is already tough but little do they know, someone is harboring a secret and they want revenge. There's a big storm coming and this will be the perfect time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!

The synopsis of this book had a lot of potential to be a fun, unique thriller, murder-mystery...but there was just something lacking for me that I can't quite pinpoint.

I felt like none of the characters were very likeable, and while there were a few twists near the end, they all just felt pretty anticlimactic. I even read the last few pages extra slowly because I thought something major was finally going to be revealed, and then it wasn't and the book was over.

#petpeeve #nitpicky #iknowitsjustme I also really don't feel like this title matched the story. This so-called "weekend retreat" was actually three siblings getting together at their families mansion to celebrate their birthdays, followed up with a massive party with friends. This is hardly what I would call a weekend retreat, and thus left me annoyed with the title.

Regardless of everything I said above, I still found this to be an enjoyable read, and a pretty quick one too. #thankyou to @NetGalley for my #ARC.

THE WEEKEND RETREAT is a suspenseful and entertaining novel with a great sense of atmosphere.

We have 3 couples gathered for a birthday celebration at the family's remote winery. What could go wrong?

Laskowski has crafted a clever plot that keeps the reader guessing. My one quibble is that the pacing feels a little slow for this genre. Not much happens for a while. However, the interspersed chapters from the view point of "the party guest" add a sense of intrigue.

Other reviewers have mentioned they had trouble keeping the various husbands and wives straight; however, that was not a problem for me as I felt the author adequately differentiated between them.

This is not a super twisty story. I kind of appreciated that for a change; it made the story seem more realistic and like something that could actually happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-galley; all opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tara Laskowski and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was just what I needed, a fast paced, twisty and drama filled thriller full of liars. So fun and such a quick read.

4/5 🌟

3 couples, 1 house, 1 weekend and a lifetime of secrets.

The wealthy Van Ness children grew up in a luxurious estate & winery that Laskowski beautifully set the scene for. I could picture every room and detail of the estate perfectly.
The 3 children: twins Harper & Richard and their little brother Zach come back to the estate to celebrate the twins birthday, and bring their significant others in tow. Elle, Richard’s wife, has thought of every detail for the weekends celebrations- bringing back old traditions their mother Katrina instilled when they were children. But as perfect as the weekend is set out to be- nothing but disaster is in their wake. A cancelled party, rainstorm, lies, deceit, a newcomer, and intruder, murder and more.


Things I enjoyed:
•the artfully laid out setting
•the structure of the story, a slow build with plenty of background knowledge & foreshadowing laced in
•the thought & care- details did not seem to just drop into your lap unannounced and not addressed, everything was intentional and lead the story to come full circle in the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, and thank #NetGalley for this Arc of #TheWeekendRetreat

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski is a twisty thriller with a slow burn. The Van Ness twins are celebrating their birthday in the estate they grew up in. Elle, the sister-in-law, has planned what she thinks will be a great weekend full of family traditions. What she doesn’t bank on is the arrival of an unexpected guest. I found the story, though slow at times, really developed the characters which allowed the reader to both sympathize with them and be appalled at their behaviour. Overall, a novel I’d recommend to those who enjoy mysteries and thrillers.

In The Weekend Retreat, author Tara Laskowski, treats her readers to page-turning mystery/thriller. This is the Van Ness family’s first time back to their winery home since the matriarch died. The family’s untouchable façade is starting to show cracks, and as the story reaches its zenith, this reader was wide-eyed at the revelations.

I loved the story structure and the literary nuances within the writing such as the estate’s former name and how it relates to the core of the story and a spider spinning a "silk prison" like the wealthy characters are in. The characters’ development occurs as layers of the onion are slowly peeled away and their actions and motivations are revealed. The story is alternatively narrated by all of these highly-unlikeable characters, including an unidentified “mystery guest”. The scene setting and foreshadowing are excellent. The tension grows steadily through the story and matches the intensity of the brewing winter storm that hits the area. Between the high drama of Van Ness siblings and the masterful storytelling, I could not put the book down.

Three siblings and their spouses meet every year for a birthday celebration. This year though, the celebration turns deadly.

I wanted to like this because the premise sounded so good, but I was just lacking the suspense. Even with the interlude of the mystery guest narratives, it didn't make wonder what was going to happen next.

5/5 STARS

This was a great book! If you enjoy The Guest List by Lucy Foley (which who didn't?) then you will LOVE this book. It's told in similar style with each chapter changing viewpoints of one of the guests on site at the weekend retreat as well as one character which is not revealed until the end.

The main characters are siblings from a wealthy family and with their significant others - ranging from girlfriends to married spouses provided a hilarious interpretation of family dynamics - especially when you include the fact that not all of them come from wealth. Some of them have married into the family and are still working to belong. The interpersonal thoughts are hilarious - and shocking - as you try and figure out where the story is going to go. Several surprises occur and unexpected experiences (fancy a blind folded walk through a vineyard...in the dark?!) as the family tries to recreate past games as they gather for the first time since the loss of their mother in order to celebrate the birthdays of the twin siblings.

Each character is unique and right or wrong you fall in love with them all and wondering which ones won't make it until the end. I read this over the course of a few days, although if I'd been at the beach (or not had work to get in the way) I wouldn't have put it down. The setting is great and the overall book leaves you wondering...do you really know the history of your family?

Family wealth, secrets, lies, resentment all wrapped up in one awful weekend party. Harper, Richard, Zach, Elle, Lauren, and the "unnamed party guest" tell this tale of a 35th birthday gone wrong. What starts off well goes sideways even before the rain takes out the power to the estate where they've gathered. And then there's a murder. This plot might seem familiar but Laskowski does a good job of putting meat on it. The characters are pretty much all unlikable and if I have a quibble, it's that their voices all sound the same. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Makes for a good rainy day (I know) read.

I’ve enjoyed this author’s books in the past so when I saw she was writing a new one I was excited! For the most part I thought this was a good read. Sure, it’s predictable and it takes a little while for anything exciting to happen, but I think it’s a solid read regardless. The characters- well, none of them are likable. I had a bit of a tough time remembering who was who which took away from my enjoyment. They do, however, make sense for the type of plot the author is going for so their unlikability makes sense. I just wish there was at least one I enjoyed! Overall, this is a decent read and because I enjoyed the author’s previous novels I’ll be reading more from her but this one isn’t a favorite.

Good murder mystery revolving around a rich family. Slow start but picked up towards the end. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC !

The synopsis of the book hooked me right away because I love locked-room mysteries. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark. The book felt slow and really didn't get going until the last third of it. It was told from multiple female POVs, which I liked, but it took me a bit to sort out who was who.

The setting of the story is great: an old winery with secret passages, creepy woods, and older caretakers. I didn't feel like the "secrets" in the house were used enough. Although I didn't like any of the characters, I did enjoy the drama they had between them. Rich family drama is a different type of drama.

The ending of this story was anti-climatic. It waited until the very end for something to happen to the characters.

Read if you like:
🗣️ Family drama
👓 Multiple POVs
🔥 Slow burns

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Graydon House for this eARC to review. All opinions are my own. This book will be available on December 26th!

I liked this story, did not like the characters that much. A very good thriller story itself with unlikeable characters.