I’m rating this one a 3.5 stars.

I usually devour and love Miranda Smith books but this one fell short for me.

I did love the fact that it kept me guessing. The shocking truth at the end was very good.

Overall, not my favorite but still one of my favorite authors.

Wow, this was a fantastic read. Tense and addictive. I read it very quickly as I couldn't put it down. Very twisty and I recommend this one. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Miranda Smith’s “The Weekend Away” is a psychological thriller that keeps the reader guessing. A group of friends reunite one year after the devastating loss of a friend and sister who who died suddenly. Now they are back together for a weekend away and the atmosphere is tense because there are untold secrets and lies within the group of friends.

This is well written novel, with very good characters that is told from the viewpoint of Sienna who was the twin sister of the girl who died, Samantha. She wants to uncover the truth of her sisters death and is helped by the discovery of a Samantha’s diary which tells the true personalities of the friends. Together again on a weekend away, in a wood-panelled cabin in the mountain, one of them is a murderer and Sienna is intent on solving the mystery even though it will put her own life in danger.

A real mix of characters here and there is plenty to get your teeth into in an effort to uncover the killer. The novel is full of suspense and deceit that kept me turning those pages.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't put it down! I had to keep reading to find out what happened to Samantha. Twists and turns until the very end!

Sierra misses her twin Samantha, who tragically died the year before. Samantha‘s friend group invites Sierra to a weekend getaway in the smoky mountains. Sierra reluctantly, except after reading her sister’s diary which uncovered motives for each one of Samantha’s friends, to be a potential murderer.

I thought this was a decent thriller. I could not figure out who the killer was, and there were a lot of red herrings. I wish the story it was a little more fleshed out, but overall it was a satisfactory book.

Thank you to Bookouture, Miranda Smith and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Miranda Smith's psychological thriller, delving into the enigmatic depths of human nature, is nothing short of an engrossing masterpiece. This narrative unfolds through the eyes of Sienna, a young woman who, in the wake of her twin sister Samantha's tragic demise, has sacrificed her own life to provide solace to grieving parents.
As the anniversary of Samantha's death looms ominously, Sienna is unexpectedly drawn into the past when she receives a call from one of Samantha's friends, inviting her to partake in a commemorative journey. Initially hesitant, Sienna experiences a change of heart upon discovering her sister's diary. Within its pages lies compelling evidence, hinting at a hidden motive behind Samantha's death. Driven by an insatiable need for answers, Sienna embarks on a relentless quest to unearth the truth surrounding her sister's death and the secrets concealed within it.
From the very first page, this narrative unfolds as an intriguing, mysterious, and profoundly compelling work of fiction. It grips the reader's attention with unwavering tenacity, ensnaring them in a labyrinth of suspense and revelations. The narrative structure, with Sienna's first-person perspective intertwined with Troy's third-person point of view, weaves a spellbinding tapestry of outlooks, intensifying the narrative's allure.
However, it is the excerpts from Samantha's diary that truly tug at the heartstrings, evoking a poignant mixture of emotions. Through these glimpses into the past, readers bear witness to the complexities of a life abruptly terminated.
The storyline, filled with unexpected twists and turns, maintains an unrelenting grip, holding readers captive to its mysteries until the very end. Miranda Smith's talent for crafting an intricate web of suspense and her ability to breathe life into her characters are nothing short of remarkable. I'm eagerly anticipating reading more from Mirand Smith.

Overall I really enjoyed this book - it was a super quick read, there were enough characters where it kept the storyline flowing but not too many characters that you got confused or lost by the different roles. While it was not a ground breaking or memorable book I did enjoy it and would recommend to readers.

The premise of this book was exciting but the repetition and slow storyline made it less so. I didn’t really like any of the characters, some of whom were two dimensional. The story dragged in places but I did finish it and liked the guessing of what had happened to Sammie.

This book was good, the fact that this sister went all the way to find out what happened to her sister was awesome and scary. I was wrong the entire time on who did it. This is a psychological thriller that features death, r*pe, suicide and suicide.
Sienna, the sister goes on a weekend trip with her sisters friends to find out what exactly happened to her sister, how she really died a year ago. She finds he sisters diary but the last pages on it were ripped off. They all go to a location where no cell signal is available. But with the help of her sisters diary she finds out everything she needed to know. I loved that I kept guessing who the killer was till the end.
This is a good read for October.

I love a psychological thriller and I’m always on the look out to discover new authors and seeing their spin on what makes a good thriller!

Sienna and Samantha are twins, albeit both with completely different lives. Sienna escapes her twin life to become a freelance photographer and definitely loved not having to compare to her extremely successful sister. However, the death of Samantha beings Sienna back to the place she spent so long trying to escape. On the anniversary of Samantha’s death, Sienna reluctantly agrees to a weekend away with her sister’s friends and aims to find out the truth behind her passing. The discovery of Samantha’s diary gives the idea that each of her friends have a reason to want her dead and Sienna takes it upon herself to find out what really happened.

I was completely gripped by this book and the twists along the way were nothing less than spectacular! I loved having the multiple POVs, Sienna’s, Troy’s and also excerpts from the diary. I think this was a great way of building the plot and developing the reader’s relationships with the main characters. What I did enjoy was the plot didn’t seem rushed nor did it seem too slow - it was perfect to enable us to come to our own conclusions of what happened even though mine were wrong!

This was the first book I’ve read of this author’s and it won’t be the last. Looking forward to reading more. Thank you for allowing me access to the ARC and I would highly recommend to others!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sienna’s sister died a year ago. Sienna has been frozen for a year in mourning. This is a story about a sister who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth about her sisters death.


It was hard for me to get into this book. I got 55% of the way through before it pulled me in. I rated it three stars

This was a fast-paced suspense that could also probably fit into the horror genre. Unfortunately it wasn’t a good book-fit for me - I think it was intended for a younger audience.

Sienna lives with her parents working at their launderette following the accidental death of her twin sister Samantha. Sienna is invited on a weekend away with 5 of Samantha's friends who all worked for her company. Sienna finds Samantha's diary containing secrets about all of the group and wonders if any of them were involved in Samantha's death. Their landlord Troy, also has a bad feeling about the group. There's lots of drama over the weekend with a climatic ending. The start of the book was a bit slow, but it got more interesting once they were at their holiday home.

This book was a one session read for me and kept me completely addicted throughout, but I would expect no less from a Miranda Smith book. The location setting was brilliant and I loved the way that Troy was brought in to the group on the outside. Yes there many triggers here, rape, fires so be warned.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and bookouture but the review is entirely my own.

Sienna works in her father’s cleaners store helping in every way she can. Her parents are grieving the death of her twin sister, Samantha, who fell from a balcony, fatally striking her head.

It has been a year now since she died and Samantha’s friends have invited her to join them for a weekend away to remember Samantha. They have rented a 6-bedroom cabin in a rather remote area located in the Smoky Mountains. The people all include friends and employees of Samantha in her successful company. Jackson coordinated the getaway, along with Colby, the man Samantha had been with for years, plus Matilda, Nessa, and Harper.

As Sienna had not always been close to these people, she is surprised to be invited and is somewhat hesitant to go. However, she had just found Samantha’s journal with some revealing things about these people and Sienna wants to confront them.

The tension is high in this story and the characters aren’t very likable. Even Sienna and Samantha had their own problems. But Sienna is a stubborn woman and is determined to find out what happened to her sister. The owner of the cabin, Troy, plays a part in this book and I truly liked him. It’s scary, gritty, and surprising how cut-throat some people can be. This is my fourth book by this author and I found it well done.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sienna and her parents are grieving her twin sister, Samantha's death a year ago when she is invited to be a part of a weekend getaway in memory of Samantha by Samantha's friends.
Sienna stumbles upon Samantha's diary and realises that her friends all have secrets that they would do anything to protect.

The Weekend Away is a locked room mystery set in a luxury cabin in the Smokies mountains. While I did not care much for some of the characters, it was fun and thrilling to work alongside Sienna to unravel the secrets and lies and uncover the truth behind Samantha's death. The plot was smartly executed as we get Sienna's PoV as well as the diary entries with the secrets and the cabin's owner's Pov that pushed the narrative to a surprising yet satisfying end.

Since the book is set during fall, it was a perfect popcorn thriller read for this time of the year.

Thank you @bookouture for having me on the #booksontour and @netgalley for the digital ARC to read and review.

A weekend away sounds great doesn't it? Not so much so for Sienna who's spending the weekend with her sister's friends. Why is she going if she doesn't like them I hear you ask - one of them is responsible for the death of Samantha and it's time for justice!

I've read and reviewed several of Smith's books now via Bookouture, and I have to say I'm definitely a fan.

The Weekend Away is a well written, fast paced, twisty thriller. It's set in an isolated cabin in the mountains, which is the perfect setting for the story and adds to the atmosphere.

I flew through the book in one sitting and couldn't turn the pages fast enough it's that good.

The suspense is palpable and throughout their stay you're waiting in anticipation of something happening. The ending, and that final twist though...wasn't expecting that, were you?

It's entertaining, engaging and definitely one to recommend.

The Weekend Away was the first book I've read from Miranda Smith. I was immediately drawn in from the cover and the jacket description. It was a slow burn, for sure. However, towards the middle, the book ended up falling a little flat for me. There was a lot of repetition, especially when it came towards ending out a chapter. Overall, the book was a good read. I couldn't pinpoint who I thought was the culprit (I was between two and one of them was right), but I enjoyed not knowing for certain until the big reveal.

3.5 stars. I love fast paced psychological thrillers and this one did not disappoint. Loved that the book was set in the Smokey Mountains. Lots of twists I didn’t see coming. I liked the way the book wrapped up. I didn’t love most of the characters but I think that’s how the author intended it. Would definitely recommend this to a friend.

A woman in search of answers when her twin dies by falling from her balcony. She accepts an invitation to a cabin getaway with her sister’s closest friends. Will she get the answers she needs?