This was a great thriller which started strong and continued that way throughout the book. It was easy to read and it had me hooked from the very beginning. For me it was difficult to guess who was behind it all, which obviously makes for a good book. I loved the setting of the book, and read it over just a few hours.

I would love to read more from this author in the future!

I loved the storyline of this book and it kept me guessing right until the end! fantastic writing! Would recommend to new and experienced readers of the genre

Lots of twists and turns indeed. Loved it. It Did a whirlwind on my head which I love. A great story.

Thanks Bookouture and Netgalley. All thoughts are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else

Sienna’s sister died accidentally one year ago after falling from her balcony but sienna has never believed that it was an accident. Now for the one year anniversary of her death, her sister’s closest friends have invited Sienna on a weekend trip to memorialize her in the Smoky Mountains. Sienna doesn’t want to go because she is still dealing with the loss and doesn’t feel especially close to any of them despite knowing some of them as long as her sister did but then she finds her sisters diary tucked away in her room and it changes everything. The diary is locked and loaded with secrets about Samantha’s supposed friends and it gives Sienna enough reason to think that more than one of them had a motive to kill her sister and she decides to go in the trip and see if she can finally figure out what really happened to Samantha after all.
This was kind of a locked room experience mixed with diary entries and an alternate POV of the cabin owner reflecting on what happened at the cabin in the past. His perspective added the extra dimension needed to help tie things together with what happened to Samantha to bring her to where she was at the end of her life.
This had a few good twists, untrustworthy characters and was a quick read.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the ARC #TheWeekendAway by #MirandaSmith. This book is about trust or non trust and kept me guessing till the end. Relationships and pure evil are all around you. Highly recommend.

The Weekend Away was a complete page turner. The description had me intrigued and I was sucked into the story immediately. It had plenty of twists and turns that kept throwing me off track and sent the story off in a different direction to what I expected. I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

I read this one in less than two days. It really sucked me in. Even though I guessed who the killer was fairly early, I still needed to hear all the different pieces. I loved the flashbacks to Samantha’s journal. It gave us a great backstory of each of the characters. I was middle of the road on how I felt about most of them. The only one I truly liked was Sienna. She was so determined to get answers for her sister and I couldn’t help but feel for her.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC & ALC of this book.

So great!!! You think you know what is going on the entire book then bam there is a secret revealed at the end that blows your mind. You will flip through the pages so fast. Sienna’s twin sister died unexpectedly last year. She finds her twin's diary and realizes that her friends all have secrets that they would do anything to protect. What follows is an unputdownable novel that will keep you guessing until the end.
Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Sienna has never felt right about her twin sister's sudden and tragic death
As the 1 year anniversary approaches, she discovers her sister's journal containing dark secrets about her sister's tight-knit group of friends. At a weekend away with the group to commemorate her sister, Sienna will stop at nothing to get answers about her death. Could one of them have played a part in her death? Can she trust any of them? And is she in danger herself?

This book had me hooked from start to finish! The characters are so captivating and well-crafted, with motives that keep you guessing until the very end. I couldn't put it down! A must-read for anyone who loves a good page-turner.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Weekend Away' by Miranda Smith.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Miranda Smith, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous


Publication date 4th October 2023



This is the seventh book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The One Before', 'The Killer's Family', 'His Loving Wife', 'The Family Home', 'Not My Mother' and 'The School Trip'. All of which I highly recommend.


This novel consists of a prologue and 58 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

'The Weekend Away' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Miranda discusses death of a twin sister and $3*ua! @$$@u!t.

WHAT did I just read!!!! WOW!!! I mean seriously Wow!! I was NOT expecting that lot fairplay!!! This has GOT to start with a MASSIVE WELL DONE MIRANDA SMITH!!!! Ooops sorry, yes, needed a minute to get over that but I've just left you hanging there... Sorry.... Let me tell you more...


Firstly let's start off with the writing style, etc!! Yet another extremely well written book by this amazing author which had me hook line and sinker!!! It is so smoothly and beautifully written with vivid evocative descriptions I completely forgot I was even reading a book a few times. The blurb, title and cover really fit the storyline.


As you can tell I LOVED this unique storyline. I found it to be realistic, very fast paced and I read it in a day. I loved the setting and atmosphere and just well... Everything!!! Twists after shocks after turns!!! Arggghhh... Its so hard to NOT say anything about them as it will give too much away and spoilt it for future readers but it definitely left me speechless over and over!!! I have read hundreds of psychological books and I really do think this one is definitely in the top 10 when it comes to dropping bombshells. I am, in fact still shell shocked!! Just brilliant fairplay and all links in and wraps up perfectly!!! I cannot remember the last time I flew through a book so quickly. Each and every time I went to put it down to do something my fingers were itching to pick it back up as I just HAD to know what happened next!! Miranda's evocative writing skills ensures you are dragged deep into the storyline seeing everything that is happening and feeling the tension and suspense that Sienne and Troy are going through along with Samantha although Samantha was in the form of a diary. It is ram packed with twists, heartbreak, secrets, lies, loss, tension, stress, suspense and everything you could ask for in a psychological thriller. I have yet to come across a book by this amazing author that is yet to shock me and have me turning the pages until I devour her books in one sitting!! I can't say more than that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers so if you want to know you'll have to grab yourself a copy!! You won't regret it!!

This is one of the few books that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Madeline Pell who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Miranda but also to listening to more books narrated by Madeline! The only criticism I had with Madeline's narration was that there wasn't any attempt to make Troy's characters voice male which is a shame but it may be as she isn't confident in doing male voices yet so I am intrigued to see if she does any in the future.

THE plot throughout is rammed with suspense, romance, family, mystery, lies, surprises, tension and did I say surprises!!! Well done Miranda this is exactly the reason you are on my favourite author list!! I am looking forward to reading more of your books and when oh when is this going to be turned into the movie of the year!!! Gone Girl and many others have NOTHING on this one!!!


It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.


Just like with the storyline the characters come to life with Miranda's evocative writing skills along with Madeline's fantastic narrative skills. They are well rounded, realistic and strong making them all the more believable. All the characters may have been realistic but they were not all likeable and this is one of those addictive books where you have no idea which characters are telling the truth or who you can and cannot trust. I was completely invested in Sienna and Troy who are the two main protagonists and they were the only two really who I actually liked. I normally struggle with books if I don't like alot of the characters but Miranda's fantastic storytelling skills means that I had no such problem reading this thriller! I won't go into more details about the characters as I don't want to risk giving anything away but yet again Miranda has done an amazing job constructing an addictive and explosive psychological thriller that you just won't be able to put down. Regardless whether you love or hate the characters each of them comes to life and had a part to play, which they did perfectly!!


Congratulations Miranda on yet another explosive success!!! This is why you are one of my favourite psychological thriller authors. Here's to many more successes 🥂!!!


Clear your schedules before picking this up as you will not be able to put it down!!!


Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the prologue and the first chapters of Miranda's absolutely addictive 'Not My Mother' which is another explosive page turner and one I have read myself and would highly recommend!!

Overall an absolutely page turning, addictive, gripping and explosive must read that will leave you shocked!!!


310 pages / 8 hours 22 minutes via Audible.


This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited, £8.99 in paperback, £16 for the Audiobook with Audible (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 5/5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews.



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I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from Bookouture and the author to read. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Sienna and her parents are still mourning the loss of her twin sister, Samantha, who died one year prior by falling off a balcony. Authorities say it was an accidental death, which makes it all the harder to take. Samantha had been the successful twin, the popular twin, with a tight group of friends who grew up with her and worked for her at her upstart company. Sienna feels guilty because she wasn’t there for her sister in recent years because she was still in the process of finding her own path in life.

One of Samantha’s friends invites Sienna to a cabin in the mountains with her other friends and former boyfriend to remember her on the one-year anniversary of her death and to celebrate her life. At first, Sienna says no, but while hanging out in her sister’s room, she discovers a diary that dishes the dirt on these so-called friends, and it becomes apparent that any one of them had reason to want Samantha dead. Suddenly, Sienna is very interested in this weekend away.

Told from three POV, Sienna’s first person, Samantha’s diary entries, and third person POV of the man who rents the cabin to the group, it could be difficult to shift from one perspective to another, but the author does an able job of moving the story forward with short chapters and lots of intrigue. This is definitely what one calls a classic page-turner!

With every diary entry Sienna revisits during the weekend, the focus of the story shifts to another character, making them the plausible murderer. Sienna confides in one friend, which I thought was a mistake in case he turned out to be the guilty party, which just adds to the suspense. With every revelation, the waters become muddy and it is not clear who could be the murderer, which makes for great reading.

If you’re looking for a who-dun-it where lives are on the line while the murderer is smoked out, then you’ll love The Weekend Away.

I am a person who always seeks answers and easily becomes obsessed with things I focus on. So I really felt why the main character, Sienna, was so into the investigation of her twin sister Samantha’s death.

It looks like just a stupid accident, but for Sienna, something felt off. No one agrees with her. The suspicions grew only stronger when she found Samantha’s diary almost one year later.

Her sister’s friend Jackson invited Sienna to a getaway to the woods to honor Samantha. All close friends will be there so Sienna is definitely willing to go. She needs her closure.

This is a fast-paced thriller and the story goes so smoothly. I was suspecting every single character. It never ends! A few pages from the diary reveal, you clearly see the motive, but then new pages and new facts come so you start to suspect someone else.

I admire Sienna, she is very clear about what she wants and stubborn and fearless. Sometimes maybe a little bit too much but hey it’s hard to control urge for the truth 🙈

For me, it’s a very solid 4.5/5. Just Troy’s chapters felt kinda of unnecessary (hard to explain without spoilers). Also, Samantha’s friends felt a bit flat, even after I got to know them better.

The ending is good, we get the closure.

For mood readers - “The Weekend Away” is perfectly matching midsummer/fall vibes ❤️

Going to read other books by Miranda Smith and can’t wait for it ❤️

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Smith’s writing. The Weekend Away by Miranda Smith was another amazing suspense story.
Miranda Smith writes dark, intelligent and captivating thrillers that have to be devoured in a single sitting and in The Weekend Away, she has once again created a superb page-turner that will blow readers away.
The book is well written, just like all the other books by this talented author are, so there are no surprises. The book sucks you in. It keeps you glued to the pages, and it keeps you interested.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Six friends...three days...one killer...

Sienna's life stopped a year ago when her twin sister Samantha died tragically falling from her balcony in the middle of the night. She was in Paris on a six month long adventure across Europe when she received the news that her sister was dead. Adventure cut short, she flew home where her parents requested an autopsy. Samantha was over the limit to drive but as she was at home it wasn't an issue. So her death was ruled an accident by misadventure. But Sienna didn't believe so. However, it was tearing her family apart and for her parents' sake, she put it behind her to get on with her life.

Unfortunately, that meant moving back in with her parents - with Samantha's old bedroom glaring accusingly at her every time she walked upstairs - and working at the front of her parent's business Roth Family Cleaners. Her life stopped when Samantha's heart did and she has barely lived since.

Until she receives a phone call in her lunch break one day from Jackson, one of her sister's best friends and the only one of her sister's friends she could actually stand. With the anniversary of Samantha's death looming, the friends were getting together to honour their friend in a weekend away in the Smoky Mountains. Sienna inwardly groaned. She could not think of anything worse.

Until she walks upstairs and sees the closed door of her sister's room once again...and before she knows it she has opened the door, switched on the light and is bathed in memories of Samantha. Every inch, every crevice of the room oozes Samantha. And as she sits on the window seat, she recalls the bit of stealthy DIY she and Samantha undertook one day when they made a secret hiding place under the seat. Awash with memories, Sienna opens the seat and reaches in not expecting to find anything knowing it has been years since the sisters had used it. But when her hand finds something, she pulls it out. Samantha's diary. And so she lays down on her sister's bed and begins to read...

Sienna couldn't think of anything worse than a weekend away with Samantha's friends but after what she ready in the diary, she's changed her mind. While some of the pages have been ripped out, what she did read were not only her sister's secrets but those of her friends. And every one of them had something to hide. And very possibly a motive to kill her. So which one did?

A weekend away in the remote Smoky Mountains with five people she doesn't really like to uncover the truth about her sister's death is the motivation she needs to punish herself with their company. But when a wildfire breaks out during their stay, and someone wanting to silence Sienna for good, is she able to make it to safety in one piece? Before it's too late?

OK, so this is a popcorn thriller with not a whole lot of depth to it but a fun read just the same. It's my fourth read by Miranda Smith and while it's not my favourite it is still a quick read that's compelling enough to keep you turning the pages. As for the characters, none of them were really likeable...except maybe the strong silent Troy.

I would like to thank #MirandaSmith, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheWeekendAway in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Good one. Interesting storyline and definitely a page turner. It is fast paced. You can finish it in 2-3 settings. Recommended to thriller fans.

This book is a classic locked-room-in-the-middle-of-nowhere scenario. We have all the tropes going on with this popcorn thriller:

1. A twin who believes her sister’s death was not an accident.

2. The one-year anniversary of said death.

3. A diary chock full of secrets.

4. A group of friends who all have secrets, many of which were revealed in said diary.

5. A remote mountain cabin with no cell service being the setting for a memorial weekend.

6. Events transpired.

Overall, I did like this story. Sienna knows something is off about the death of her twin sister, Samantha, but she’s never been able to prove it. When Samantha’s friends plan a trip to memorialize the one-year anniversary of her death, one reaches out to Sienna with an invitation. She’s hesitant to be with her sister’s group of friends, but after finding Samantha’s diary, she has some questions. Going may help her find closure, so to Tennessee she heads.

Along the way, we meet these people who Samantha leaned on, and yes, we get to read their dirty secrets in her journal. The owner of the cabin also has a story to tell, and he is also the voice of some chapters. Overall though, the book was written from Sienna’s perspective. I didn’t care much for most of the characters, and I felt a couple characters really didn’t need to be written, but the mystery kept me intrigued and by the end, we had a page turner. The author rarely disappoints; the book is a quick one to get through, and a nice, easy read. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Bookouture, Miranda Smith and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released October 4, 2023.)

Y'all, get this book! If you like mystery and psychological thrillers, then you need to read The Weekend Away by Miranda Smith. The twists and turns and reveals in this book will leave you shooketh!

Sienna has never felt right about her twin sister's sudden and tragic death, but nobody would listen to her. Coming up on the 1 year death anniversary, she discovers dark secrets about her sister's tight-knit group of friends. At a weekend away with the group to commemorate her sister, Sienna will stop at nothing to get answers about her death. Could one of them have played a part in her death? Or maybe all of them?

I definitely recommend this book, especially with spooky season upon us!

There are just so many good things I could say about this book. I absolutely tore (pun intended) through this read . Everyone needs to go read it

The Weekend Away by Miranda Smith is a totally gripping contemporary psychological thriller that I just could not put down.
Everyone grieves differently. A group of friends meet up one year after the death of a friend and sister, to remember her. All seem sincere in their grief – but at least one of them is lying.
The story is told mainly from the victim’s twin sister Sienna’s point of view and also in the form of a diary written by her late twin. Sienna has felt guilty since her sister died – but now she is angry and determined to seek out the truth.
Friends turn out to not be as true as they first seem. Covering up crimes in order to preserve the face of a company seems more important than letting the truth come to light.
Much of the tale is set on a remote wooded mountain in an isolated cabin. The landscape and the elements mirror the torments within. As a heated situation gets more and more out of control, the reader’s heartrate ramps up. Can anyone take control? Will the truth ever be known?
All the characters were well drawn and realistic. Not all were likable and definitely not all were trustworthy. My emotional responses to the characters were guided by the author’s pen. As the novel progressed, I tried, along with the main character, to discern the wood from the trees.
The Weekend Away was an exciting read that had me questioning throughout. I could not put the book down. It was totally thrilling.
I received a free copy from the publishers for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

You’ll think you know where this book is going - only for it to take a totally different direction! Very hard to put down, easy to follow characters and overall well written!