Lucy Lucy Lucy! Thank you for another sleepless night! The Midnight Feast has it all. Twist, Turns, Excitement, and Electric Shocks to the heart!!! Loved this read, loved the plot, loved it all!

I pride myself on my honest reviewing & that will continue even if I am gifted copies of books. With that being said, I wasn't the biggest fan of this read. It is very difficult to write thrillers that surprise the readers, truly capture attention, while being memorable in the midst of many repeat tropes. While Lucy Foley's storyline was different from most things I have read before, I don't think it was for me. I won't spoil anything for those that are planning to pick it up in May, so I will just say that almost 400 pages is a lot for a thriller & the trope/ending was not my cup of tea.

I love Lucy Foley’s mysteries and this one was no exception. I cannot wait to read more by her in the future because her stories really keep me on the edge of my seat.

The Midnight Feast is another fantastic book by Lucy Foley. The story involves multiple POVs and timelines, as is usually the case with Foley's books. The Manor is a seemingly perfect getaway for those who can afford it. It has incredible views, locally sourced food and an infinity pool. But what the guests at The Manor don't realize is that a dark secret lies beneath the perfect veneer. There are chapters written from several perspectives: Francesca, the founder; Owen, her devoted husband and architect of The Manor; Bella, a woman who seems to take a special interest in Francesca; Eddie, a dishwasher/aspiring bartender; and DI Walker, who has to invesitgate when tragedy strikes The Manor. It took me a little while to get into the story because of the multiple POVs but once I did I read it quickly. Lucy Foley is so good at taking multiple characters who seem to be unconnected and weaving together a tense, gripping story. The ending of this one was such a good twist. I look forward to the next Lucy Foley book. Thanks to NetGalley fort the ARC.

If you're looking for a page-turner, this book will deliver. A new luxury resort is celebrating its opening weekend. Guests are ready for the excitement and events, staff is fully trained and prepped, and owner Francesca is ready to bask in the spotlight. However, not everyone is thrilled about the new resort, including many of the locals or those who have memories of the woods where the resort has started to encroach. An old summer diary is uncovered which enlightens the reader of some of the past history and reveals some of the characters. Lots of twists and turns will keep those pages turning quickly.

An exclusive resort is opening in a wooded forest overlooking cliffs leading down to the sea. All the guests have been specially invited (there was a request for personal bios) and have taken cabins named for their surroundings: Woodland Hutch, Seaview Cabin, Clifftop Cabin, etc. A special Midnight Feast is planned complete with robes and headpieces. At the center of it all is Francesca Meadows, owner of the resort, and her husband, the famous architect Owen Dacre.
The day before, day of and day after the solstice and the midnight feast contrast with a summer diary of happenings that took place fifteen years earlier. These two plots weave and wrap around each other to explain what happens the night of the feast and why it had to happen.

Lucy Foley is a master of the character driven mystery. As usual, in The Midnight Feast the characters are well described and come alive as you turn the pages. And again, as usual, the setting, a contested piece of land, is a character itself. From the foreshadowing visit by a group of hikers, to the conclusion linking past and present, the land, its legends and superstitions dominates. The Midnight Feast is another best seller from Foley. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Lucy Foley for this ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley for granting me an early release of The Midnight Feast written by Lucy Foley, an author whose books I've been reading and enjoying for the last few years. Set on England at a newly renovated hotel named The Manor, the plot revolves around a mysterious event that occurred fifteen years ago and the secrets people need to keep. A strange group who were costumes resembling giant birds appear from time to time and when they do, a horrific death occurs. Francesca is determined to successfully open her new hotel, but everything is getting in the way. Despite a wonderful husband, supportive staff, and fond memories of growing up on the estate, the darkness continues to plague them. Is she causing it, or is she being subjected to someone else's vindictive nature?

This was a tough read. I enjoyed many parts of it, but it was also filled with double identities, weird scenes that didn't seem to connect to anything else, and a frequent expectation to accept that people wouldn't recognize others from the past. Toss in a failure to explain a lot of situations in the end, and I found myself struggling to want to know what happened. There were too many changes in POV, and a diary that was written in teenage drama language, making it pull readers from the story too often. Had I picked this one up first, I wouldn't keep reading Foley's work. I may have even stopped midway... but overall, it had a good foundation to the story... just didn't pan out well for me. Will continue to read more of her work tho.

I really enjoyed this Lucy Foley book— though not as much as her earlier works. The twists were a bit predictable, but the pacing was great and the characters came together nicely and organically. Could’ve used a little more thrill though.

It's opening weekend at an exclusive faux rustic resort in this darkly sinister tale told from multiple perspectives in the past and present. Guests, staff, locals, and the manor's owners are connected in ways none of them realize until it's far too late. Fans of intricately plotted thrillers will lose sleep over this freight train of a novel.

Although "The Midnight Feast" had a similar plot/timeline as "The Guest List" and "The Paris Apartment" I found myself being transported to Tome, the small community outside of London.. The locals of Tome are not fond of an outsider bringing a wellness retreat to their quaint and tight-knit town.

The locals share the story of "The Birds" that watch out for their community. Some say folklore, some say that they have seen the birds and they are the town's version of judge and jury for any crime. With full feathers, and a long pointed beak, it sounds like something that should haunt all your dreams. Who can believe in such a thing? When Bella, a now grown woman with a history with the town, reappears after 15 years, she makes it very clear she is coming back to Tome for revenge. But against who?

With literally a TON of twists and turns, this is another Lucy Foley book I absolutely tore though!

This was my first Lucy Foley book, and color me impressed. Where the characters likeable? For the most part, no. However, you were invested in their lives/story either way. Lucy did such a great job creating each characters aesthetic and how they changed from childhood. I loved all the hidden personalities, especially with one of the main female characters, Francesca. The connection between all the characters was excellently executed. Some of the twist I guessed before the end, but there were a couple things that were revealed towards the end of the book that were a surprise! I definitely recommend this one to thriller/mystery readers!

I have read every single book by this author since first discovering her from Reese's book club and I have definitely liked some books better than others. This one was one of my favorites as I really really enjoyed the multiple POV's and something about things happening at midnight makes a perfect thriller. I enjoyed the pacing of this book and had a fun time guessing the next twist and turn and also who was going to die and why. I loved the pacing of the reveals and this will definitely be a book I want to listen to the audiobook for. I really hope it has multiple narrators.

Thank you to the author and netgalley for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley, and author Lucy Foley for the advanced copy.

My Grade: B ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Slow to start, but once the shenanigans start I found it impossible to put down.

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ out of 5. Some kissing and sexual situations, but without any too graphic descriptions.

The Good:
-The multi character POV's are done really well. Also the journal flashbacks really helped build the anticipation of what was going to happen next.
-So many twists and turns!
-An ending that had me chuckling! **chef's kiss**
-Really creepy and dark folklore. I loved it!

The Meh:
-Too many "secret identities" that had me wondering if everyone just needed a really good pair of glasses.
-The really slow start.

I had the honor reading an ARC of The Midnight Feast - an upcoming June 2024 release from @williammorrowbooks by author Lucy Folley.

This multi- POV atmospheric thriller hooked me from the very beginning. After a dark and foreboding prologue we are thrown into the action as we join a cast of characters on the opening night of a new luxury resort nestled along the outskirts of an ancient wood.
We experience a few timelines - including one set the day offer the opening in which we learn an unidentified body has been found. Whose body is it?..and what led to this deathly outcome is only one of the many mystery’s that this story surrounds.

The way Lucy builds the atmosphere created a very clear picture of the luxurious coastal setting with a dark past. Although the many points of view may seem daunting at first- each character has a unique voice and inner monologue which kept reading the story fresh and varietal.

The ending was a rollercoaster of twists and revelations and I was on the edge of my seat with goose-pumps until the very last second.

This was so much fun and I highly recommend to pick it up when it releases in June!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC.
This was a highly satisfying read for me, I loved it!
Suspenseful, creepy, with multiple points of view that were easy to follow and a highly surprising and satisfying ending. Set in a country estate in the middle of the woods is the newly opened posh hotel that's owned by one of the most disturbing and lethal female characters ... so dark and dangerous. It's a bit gothic and I really liked the multiple past and present experiences of the locals and the hated 'interlopers'. Great read that was difficult to put down.

Classic Foley. An author I’ll read no matter what. It moved around a bit too much but I was still into the story. Thanks to NetGalleu for the ARC.

I anticipated reading this because I had enjoyed The Guest List a few years ago. The premise was interesting enough, but the POVs jumped around a bit too much for me. It just got to be a bit confusing by the end there. But I do think it’ll make a good adaptation which I read is supposed to be happening.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

As a fan of Lucy Foley’s books I was absolutely thrilled to receive the email letting me know I had been approved to read the ARC of her newest book, The Midnight Feast, which comes out on June 18th. I loved this twisty story of an exclusive new resort and all that unfolds over the opening weekend. The story is told through a few changing points of view that slowly reveal hints and twists to the story.

I loved the inclusion of the local folklore to the book and felt I really added to the eerie undertone of the story. The elements of rich and poor, or us and them, also really added to the overall feel. The use of the journal for flashbacks was also well done improved upon the more typical flashback chapter.

I felt each different character as I read their chapters, they each had a different tone which I thought worked really well. The twists were many and I didn’t see the majority of them coming, so was able to sit back and enjoy the ride.

The Midnight Feast is a fun, spooky and twisty read and I highly recommend.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the digital ARC to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC.
This was a wild ride! A posh, new-age resort, built in a forest, has their grand opening over the summer solstice. Local residents are angry and want to interfere. While the overall premise isn’t a new theme, the rest of the story sure is! Events from 15 years ago threaten to resurface, no one is who they appear to be, and amongst all of the chaos are The Birds, who according to folklore, will appear when they feel that their natural habitat is threatened. The story is mainly told from the perspectives of Bella, a resort guest, Eddie, a worker at the resort, and Francesca, the owner. Just when you think the crazy is wrapped up, there’s more crazy!

Thank you to both #NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me an advance copy of Lucy Foley’s latest #thriller, The Midnight Feast, in exchange for an honest review.

#TheMidnightFeast lands somewhere between better than #TheParisApartment, the author’s previous novel, but still nowhere near as engaging as the #TheGuestList. Foley maintains her signature format of short chapters that feature multicharacter perspectives and are interwoven with ones intended to set the scene of some grand event, such as a wedding, #NYE, and so forth.

In this instance, the reader is anticipating the novel’s namesake, which the scene-setting chapters refer to as the, “The Day After the Solstice.” These chapters, along with old journal entries written by one of the main characters, help capture the timeline of events leading up to and following the Solstice.

The story opens with an unsettling and mood-setting prologue, hinting at the mystery central to the plot in case it was not clear from the title. The notion of a cult is further reinforced by the first few chapters, which are reminiscent of Liane Moriarty’s, Nine Perfect Strangers.

As the reader continues the journey, however, the cult theory branches off into one of several potential premises. Whether it is the inner workings of a cult, dark magic, or hallucinogens remains unanswered until the conclusion.

The cast of characters include two protagonists (obvious spoiler: one is actually an antagonist), a few supporting characters, and many side characters, though the story is mostly told from the perspectives of the two mains and one supporting that could arguably be considered a tritagonist given their role and the number of chapters dedicated to them.

Bella, a single, 30-something-year-old, woman, is the first character introduced and is a guest at The Manor. Then there is Eddie, who is a nineteen-year-old farm boy, townie, and a dishwasher at The Manor. Finally, there are the married owners of The Manor, Francesca Meadows and Owen Dacre. Francesca is a wealthy, spiritual guru (think Gwyneth) who envisioned The Manor as a luxury weekend escape from the hectic pace of city life for the privileged. Owen Dacre is Francesca’s husband and a renowned architect who built The Manor and helped Francesca achieve her dream retreat.

Despite the varied characters, breezy chapters, and elements of mystery, both the plot and writing fell flat. The story seems disjointed, yet the multicharacter perspectives and past-present-future timelines are not to blame for the issue. The writing felt dull and uninspired, with the occasional snarky comment or two to reengage the reader. While I did not personally connect with any of the characters, they were mostly fine and even intriguing at certain points. The only question I have is whether this is a YA novel in disguise; especially, since Eddie is prominently featured.

It takes nearly three-fourths of the novel to reach exciting passages, which is essentially the climax. If you can slog through and don’t mind completely predictable plotlines, the author does manage to make the ending entertaining and ties together a few subplots nicely.

Overall, I sincerely hope the novel receives some polishing prior to its publication date. I look forward to reading Lucy Foley’s next release since my ratings for her thrillers are two for four currently, and thus will serve as my tiebreaker. In channeling Francesca’s guru mindset, here’s to manifesting that her future #mysterythriller returns to the caliber of #TheGuestList.