The Weekend Away
By: Miranda Smith

5 stars

Sienna and Samantha are twins. A bond like no other. When Samantha dies, all Sienna wants to do is find answers. Something isn't right concerning her sisters death and she knows just who too look at. Samantha's friends: Colby, Matilda, Nessa, Harper, and Jackson. When Jackson invites her on a getaway for the one year memorial of Samantha's death, Sienna knows now is the time to get her answers.

Wow. I have seen this author on Kindle, but this was my first book I have read and I loved it. It was action packed. Full of drama and danger and it kept me guessing. I never could figure it out, and I loved that.

It was a well written book with a strong storyline and awesome characters. I can't wait to get my hands on some other books by this author.

I'd like to thank the author and Netgalley for this Arc in return for an honest review. I am honored.

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

Never before have I encountered a thriller that made me also sob from the guttural heartbreak of grief. I KNOW grief, I live in a constant state of grieving the loss of my son…I’ve read books that have hit close to home for me and touched my heart…but for a thriller type book to also take me by surprise and make me feel that deep emotion of the pain of loss is something unique and unexpected! I really enjoyed that aspect, it added another dimension for me because I was able to really put myself into that devastation and desperation Sienna felt as she searched for answers surrounding her twin sister, Samantha’s questionable death.
5/5, highly recommend!

This was epiccc! I mean literally this was done so well. After the synopsis you think that you have an idea as to what’ll happen but noo this takes a whole another turn. I loove revenge stories. I stayed up all night to finish this and it’s so easy to read within few hours. Highly recommend it!

I have to say this one hit home for me. Sienna is deal with the tragedy of her twin sister's accidental death a year prior. I lost my brother 8 months ago in an accident. Miranda Smith makes Sienna's grief palpable. I know I could put myself in her shoes because I'm there already but her writing truly makes you feel what Sienna feels throughout the entirety of this thriller.

We know that Samantha's death doesn't sit right with Sienna, and when all of Samantha's closest friends want to get together in her memory, Sienna takes the opportunity to confront them about what they're hiding. There were a lot of twists with this one. Some of them were relatively predictable and what you would expect for a closed group thriller, where everyone is a suspect but I also feel like it escalated quickly towards the end. It was a quick read that captured your attention. I think that the character development was a little rushed and there could have been more to that, but overall it was a good read.

Rated up for 3.5 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Miranda Smith for the eARC of The Weekend Away in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date for the The Weekend Away, by Miranda Smith is 04 October 2023.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Bookouture and Miranda Smith for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Weekend Away, to be published October 4, 2023. Sierra and Samantha were twins with very different lifestyles from one another. Samantha was an entrepreneur and Sierra wanted to travel the world. While Sierra was in Europe, she received the devastating news of her sister’s death due to an accident falling off her balcony. When Sierra finds her sister’s journal a year later, she is determined to prove that one of Samantha’s so-called friends killed her. She accepts an invitation to spend Memorial Day weekend with those friends to honor Samantha’s passing and to confront the guilty party which results in more deaths. 4/5 Stars for this destination mystery. Anyone who enjoys a good “who-done-it” will be happy with this novel. #NetGalley #Bookouture #TheWeekendAway #MirandaSmith

Decent thriller follows Sienna who lost sister Samantha last year. These twins were a bit different and now Sienna is spending a weekend away with Samantha’s closest friends and business partners trying to determine if there was foul play in her death. I enjoy thrillers with a closed group of characters like this and this was a fair example of the genre.

If you are into thrillers with twists and turns you need to read this. Siena knows something is wrong with her sister's death but can she prove it on a weekend away? Excellent plot was not what I was expecting. The ending as a little to be expected.

Thank you NetGallery and Bookouture for this ARC! 3.5⭐️’s for this book! When Sienna’s twin Samantha dies from falling off her condo balcony something does not sit right with her. A year later when Samantha’s closest friends plan a weekend away in the mountains to honor her they invite Sienna who at first declines but after finding her sisters hidden diary with secrets exposed about her friends she decides to confront them. Is one of them a killer? Full of twists and turns, everyone’s a suspect.

It was a quick read that holds your attention but not much character development in the friends that could have added more depth and falls a little flat, there was more depth about the minor cabin owner character then about the key players of the story.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

If you're a fan of gripping thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat, Miranda Smith's "The Weekend Away" should be at the top of your reading list. With its tantalizing plot, well-crafted characters, and an atmosphere that oozes suspense, this novel delivers a riveting reading experience that's hard to put down.

The story begins with a haunting message from the protagonist's twin sister, Samantha, setting the stage for a mystery that will haunt you throughout the book. Samantha's untimely death is shrouded in suspicion, and her sister's determination to uncover the truth becomes our journey.

Smith masterfully weaves a web of deceit and secrets, introducing a cast of characters, each with their own motives and hidden agendas. As the story unfolds, the reader is constantly left guessing who can be trusted, mirroring the protagonist's own sense of paranoia and mistrust.

The cabin setting in the mountains adds an eerie and claustrophobic backdrop to the story, intensifying the tension as the characters are forced to confront their secrets while dealing with a life-threatening situation.

What truly sets "The Weekend Away" apart is its breakneck pace. Smith's writing propels the story forward with an irresistible force, making it nearly impossible to pause once you start reading. The short, punchy chapters further contribute to the book's addictiveness, and you'll find yourself racing through them, eager to uncover the next revelation.

While the novel excels in keeping you hooked, there are moments where the plot feels a tad convoluted, with twists that might strain credulity. However, this doesn't detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the book.

In conclusion, "The Weekend Away" by Miranda Smith is a rollercoaster of suspense and intrigue that will satisfy any thriller enthusiast. It's a heart-pounding journey filled with shocking revelations, intricate characters, and a relentless sense of urgency. If you're a fan of authors like Ruth Ware and enjoy a suspenseful, page-turning read, this book is well worth your time. Grab it, clear your schedule, and prepare for a thrilling weekend escape into the secrets and lies of "The Weekend Away."

This book fell a little flat for me. The entire first half I FLEW threw it. It definitely had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen. The second half was more sporadic and didn’t seem to really fall together well.
I will say I never expected the person that did it to have done it, so that was a surprise.
The way the characters spoke seemed a little forced and unnatural as well. The dialogue just seemed off to me.
I also questioned why Sienna made some of the choices she did. I know she was spurred on by her grief but it was to a point that it was clearly unsafe for her but she continued pushing so hard.
Also I think Troy’s POV being third person was strange to me as well.
Overall, it was definitely a thriller and the first 50% held so much potential!! The last 50% just needed some tweaking to hold it all together.

I enjoyed reading this book. The pacing throughout the first 2/3 of the book was well thought out and intriguing. I thought the last part of the book had parts that were a bit of a stretch - without giving too much away it was the behavior of some of the characters that made me wonder "what were they thinking!". I liked the ending and the resolutions and thought it was mostly plausible. I look forward to reading more of this author's books. I received an ARC for my honest review and sincerely thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this opportunity.

This book.. just wow! I could not put this book down. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat more than once while reading this. The author did a fantastic job with the characters, never giving you more than you needed from each of them. When you think you have the twists figured out, the book took takes an entirely different turn. It is everything I love about a mystery novel!

Thank you to Net Galley and the puiblisher for the advanced copy of this book!

This was a good story! Not super suspenseful or thrill filled, but a good who-dunit that kept me wanting to read! I would have liked more shocking twists, and it was a slow burn that took a while to get to the good stuff.

Sienna’s twin sister Samantha, died in what was deemed an accident one year ago. Sienna agrees to join a group of Samantha's closest friends on a memorial getaway in a secluded cabin in the mountains, where she discovers people are not always who they seem. Secrets, lies, and betrayals will all be exposed.

The story is told from multiple points of view, including entries from Samantha’s journal, alternating between chapters, and touches on grief, obsession, addiction, suicide, and sexual assault.

The was a quick fun read with plenty of twists and turns, and no shortage of suspense in the second half.

I look forward to reading more from the author, Miranda Smith.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my voluntary and honest review.

A twin sister joins her late sister's friends on a retreat to figure out if there was foul play in her twin's death.

The premise was a hook, but the book itself did not hook me. I found the characters to be shallow, though I did keep reading to see which character is the bad egg.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Sienna’s twin Samantha died a year ago, after falling from her balcony. Sienna doesn’t believe that it was an accident. Her sister had reached out to her and left a voicemail asking for help.
When Samantha’s friends invite her away to a memorial weekend, Sienna is determined to find out the truth. With Samantha’s journal and the secrets it hides, she is ready to discover their secrets.

I enjoyed this. It was an easy read. It’s told from the pov of both Sienna, and Troy (the owner of the cabin they are staying in). I didn’t think the addition of Troy’s story added anything to the book. There was a bit of suspense, but fairly slow building. Enjoyable though.

A year ago, Sienna’s sister Samantha died after falling from her balcony. Her death was ruled accidental, but Sienna has never bought that explanation. Samantha’s five closest friends invite Sienna to go on a sort of memorial weekend trip to the Smoky Mountains. Initially, Sienna doesn’t want to go, but then she finds her sister’s diary, which had been carefully tucked away in a childhood hiding spot. The diary is brimming with secrets about her closest friends. Convinced one of them had enough motive to kill Samantha (but not sure which one), Sienna goes on the trip, intent on finding out the truth about what really happened to Samantha.

“A Weekend Away” has the feel of a locked room mystery since most of the story takes place in a cabin in the Smokies and the pool of suspects is limited to five people. Samantha’s diary entries and the cabin owner’s perspective are interspersed throughout. The diary entries contain a lot of dialogue and read more like flashbacks than someone writing in a diary, but using the diary device makes sense since Samantha is dead. This is a solid mystery with a “Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six” vibe but with a younger cast.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I was lukewarm with this one. I thought the premise was good, and there were elements of a whodunit, but it just didn't all come together for me. Maybe I'm a little jaded about story lines featuring twins and secret journals. It's not like I didn't enjoy reading it, because I did. Not to nit-pick, but I don't think the cover related to the story at all, and I was a little surprised by the idea of Tennessee wildfires being a major plot line. All in all, it was a reasonably entertaining story that clearly many people have enjoyed..

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts out as a reunion of friends taking place a year after the death of one of them.

It quickly becomes a situation where the truth of what happened and everyone's secrets come out.

A psychological thriller - if you like locked room mysteries this one is for you