This was simply not very good for me. Poor writing, dumb characters, and twists that either were so poorly contrived or made me angry or both!!

I don’t have much else to say. If you can’t say something nice and all that.

This story was fast-paced, but it definitely felt like it needed a good edit. I'm hoping that since this was an ARC, those errors will have been caught before final publishing. The plot was also just a bit messy--I was really confused by the characters, their characterization and their choices. I questioned the motives of the killer, because...why? I don't know. It felt like the author wanted the chance to make anyone the killer if a good idea or way came to her, but that just made the whole story a little messy.

A girl’s getaway turns into a night Alex will never forget in The Bachelorette Party, Sandra Block’s mix of thriller and horror. Alex is already having trust issues with her fiancé Jay when her best friends Lainey and Melody plan a surprise trip. And what a trip it is. Alex is a writer for the tv show Crimeline. She’s planning an anniversary show on the bloodthirsty 666 killer complete with prison interviews. Of course, convicted murderer Eric Myers swears he is innocent. So, in keeping with Alex’ interests, Lainey and Melody book a weekend at Hobbes Lodge, where Eric wrote 666 on the walls in his victim’s blood. Cheery, isn’t it? It gets worse. In the morning, her friends have vanished. There is a knife and pools of blood on the basement floor, the same blood that drips from Alex’ hands.

A better title for this thriller would be “With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies”. While Alex tries to discover the real identity of the 666 killer and untangle Jay’s possible financial problems, she fights through a web of surprise and horror. It’s not fun nor is any character likable enough to make you care. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penzler Publishers and Sandra Block for this ARC.

I am late reviewing this because I accidentally read another book with the same title by another author. It was also good but I was like "this doesn't sound like the description." Anyway, I am glad I cleared that up and read this. I really liked it but I was confused by a lot of the side characters names coming up but they weren't like part of the story. Like Caitlyn and Juanita. I kept getting confused by who they were and it threw me off a little.
The "conclusion" was just ... WTF? I read the part about the blood while watching a work video on bloodborne pathogens, so the timing made it so much more gross.
I loved the ending!

I love thrillers for their fast pace and uneasy feeling. I like to fear for the character’s well-being and feel reticent for what’s yet to come. Unlike horror, the point is not to scare or disgust. Thrillers pick up the attention without going too far. Although thriller and horror are next-door neighbours. And this time, I think it just knocked on the other door.

This is one of the most intense thrillers I’ve read. Also one of the fastest. In about three chapters, the crime happens. Just a few hours after falling asleep, Alex finds her friends are missing, and there’s blood everywhere. Obviously, she jumps to the worst-case scenario. Maybe the real killer is still out there. And now, he has found his new victims.

The story is told between the present and the past. That’s where we find out about the 666 Killer, see Alex interact with him, and how the whole investigation interferes with her personal life. This also brings some uneasiness to the story. And so, there’s a high-intensity potential murder happening in the present and a stressful look into the past. All these emotions reached a point where I didn’t trust any character. Everything that could go wrong was going wrong. Alex was in constant danger. She couldn’t get any help. And nothing was making any sense.

At some point, the book reminded me of Psycho, which is even referenced in the story. There’s this constant feeling that something is wrong. That something bad will happen at any moment. That something is very very wrong. And the danger is constant. So, I think the movie is a good comparison. Although story-wise, they are different. I’m just talking about vibes here.

The best part of the book is without a doubt the ambient. The story gets really intense and involves me in all the uneasiness. And for that, I love this book. Although it comes with its flaws. The ending was a bit of a stretch. For a lack of a better word… A bit stupid. For me, it doesn’t make much sense in the context of a bachelorette party. It wasn’t a total failure. Although it throws a curve ball I was not expecting it and looks like an easy way out to explain the horror night the protagonist went through.

The characters aren’t fully fleshed out. We spend a lot of time with Alex, and she is a bit bland. She doesn’t have much personality other than being obsessed with her investigation of the 666 Killer. Even calling it an obsession is an exaggeration. However, that can be somewhat intentional since she will go on a self-discovery journey afterwards away from her job and her romantic relationship. In general, the characters each have a unique trait that distinguishes them from the rest, but the story doesn’t explore more than that. It’s a characterisation on a surface level. And I don’t mind it. What I wanted from this book was to be on the edge of my seat. That’s what I look for in a thriller. And this book delivered that in a great amount.

Also, the focus of the story isn’t always the mystery. Alex’s investigation is often on the back burner while the story focuses on her relationships and presenting everything about the 666 Killer. She doesn’t make many breakthroughs. The book doesn’t lay out the puzzle pieces for the reader to solve. It’s about enjoying the vibes more than anything. The author doesn’t exactly hide information. It’s just never fully explored by the character. I could still guess the identity of the killer because it was the plot that made more sense. And if you read enough murder mysteries, you will start to correctly guess some endings.

Overall, I liked this book a lot. The high-intensity thriller, almost falling into horror, created a great atmosphere. The story just jumps straight to the point without losing any time, and so it grabs the reader straight away. It’s a great company for a moody read in the colder months.

The Bachelorette Party by Sandra Block was a compelling mystery that hooked me instantly and kept me turning the pages till the very end.
It had good characters, a good mystery, and an interesting ending.
I enjoy reading Blocks books and this one was no different.
This has a good mystery that keeps you engaged until the end.

This was not good 😂. The only pros: it was fast paced, had me a little spooked at times, and kept me semi entertained. It’s terrible for a thriller, but I read it quickly so props for that.

Writing errors galore, the plot was all over the place. The ending was SO very stupid omg. I cannot believe someone wrote this and was like yeahhh these are good ideas. This girl makes absolutely zero sense, nothing she does make sense. Her sort of ending things with her fiance? Why?? Her friends are such pieces of shit and she doesn’t care?? The killer made no sense. Everyone was set up to be the killer like the author had no idea which way she’d go and wanted every option at the end. I guessed the ending in the first chapter but thought no WAY the author would write that as the ending, that’d be so dumb.

"The Bachelorette Party" combines elements of true crime, a traditional thriller, a girls' trip, and a whodunit murder mystery, drawing you in from the very first chapter and keeping you guessing throughout. Like with many of my favorite thrillers, I thought I had figured out the plot early on, only to be surprised by an unexpected twist. The story unfolds through a dual timeline, allowing you to get to know the main character, her friends, and those she encounters while researching a crime for her internship on a crime television show. If you enjoy a book that keeps you guessing, this one is for you.

I always enjoy a good “girls fun weekend getaway” theme. This story focuses on a bachelorette party for Alex (the MC) and what a party it is. The MC’s two best friends choose a surprise location—a secluded VRBO in the Catskills where a girl was murdered by a serial killer. Alex is researching this particular serial killer so this is a total surprise for her. There was quite a bit of tension, action and suspense. I think many will be shocked with the plot and surprise ending. It is a good read, especially for this time of year.

Thank you to the author @SandraBlock as well as to @PenzlerPublishers and @NetGalley for a free e-ARC. The opinions are mine alone and not biased in any way.

Thank you to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow.

This book is the definition of a popcorn thriller. If you are a Frieda fan, you will likely enjoy this twisty thriller. Is this the best book ever written? No, but neither are Frieda's books. It was at least creative, bingeable, and the last 75 pages or so were unpredictable and exciting. I honestly couldn't put it down and felt engaged for most of the time.

Alex's inner monologue was repetitive at times, and her friends are literally the WORST. Some parts of the ending make little to no sense. This is all plot driven, so you will not find much depth here.

Overall I had a decent time and I don't regret my time reading it. I think I need something slower paced next to recover from this roller coaster...

I’m finding a difficult time writing a review for this book. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me.

There was plot hole after plot hole, and so many aspects that just plain didn’t make sense or were superfluous to the actual storyline. I feel I was mislead in many directions, but not in a good way.

I was not a fan of any of the characters. It gave me a lot of “why would you ever go down into the dark scary basement?” bad horror movie vibes. And Alex’s friends… they have zero redeemable qualities, and their ideas/actions really got to me (in the worst way).

I love a thriller where I don’t correctly guess the twist, but this one came so far out of left field that I was left wondering what I just read…

Sadly, I am very disappointed and I hate writing negative reviews like this. I loved the premise of the book and was very excited to be approved to read the advanced copy, but for me it was a big let down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the gifted ARC.

I mean definitely a Bachelorette party no one is going to forget anytime soon!!!

I don't want to give anything away so I'll keep my review vague 👻
The main character working at a company that deals with true crime was cool , I'm into true crime too so ok but I highly doubt an intern would be doing all that she was but still that was an interesting aspect.
& I don't see the ending coming & thought it was unique but did I love it ? No ... I think it could have been A lot better.
I LOVE Sandra Block & have all her other books so I was sooo excited to get this ArC but I felt she was trying to go in another direction with this one & sadly it didn't work .. at least for me 🤷‍♀️

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for this advanced copy 🖤

If you are looking for a Bachelorette weekend gone horribly wrong then look no further. Sandra Block spins a web of suspense, creepy location with questionable characters that makes you wonder is it a nightmare or horrific reality.

Read this if you like:
-the world of true crime journalism
-creepy, isolated lodge in a snowstorm
-past and present timelines
-tension filled moments and the need for survival at all costs
-serial killer trope
-unlikeable characters
-long term female friendships
-dangerous sleep disorders with potentially deadly consequences
-twists and turns that you don’t see coming while some you can predict
-unexpected satisfying ending

My rating 3.75 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers Scarlet for this eARC that will be published September 3 2024.

I’m pretty confused on what I actually want to say about this book. I almost put it down for good around 50-60% because it felt too drawn out, but then I was curious about how the story would end and couldn’t stop reading from 65-80%ish. I got super annoyed at the friends and couldn’t tell if the characters were the issue or the actual story. Anyway, I’m glad I finished the book. I think I will have to come back to the review after I’ve had a little time to process.

Alex is the kind of person who lives and breathes true crime and even aspires to be a crime reporter. So when her best friends whisk her away to the Catskills and she ends up at the scene of a committed by the 666 Killer, her recent obsession, it’s kismet right? What could possibly go wrong in a cabin where a gruesome killing took place?!

It’s all fun and games until it turns into the bachelorette party from hell! After a cannabis induced nap, Alex wakes up to a nightmarish scene she can’t remember. She’s covered in blood, and her friends are missing.

The alternating timelines help weave the plot into place with bizarre twists along the way. Overall, it’s an easy and fast read that's sure to appeal to fans of popcorn thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I did not love this book because so many things happened that didn’t seem real, so I couldn’t relate to the characters . I felt they were making all the wrong /bad choices . I also felt like some things happened that didn’t make sense and I didn’t get answers to.

Thank you Penzler publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

If I had a nickel for every book I've read in the past year where the FMC sleepwalks and thinks that could possibly make her a psychopath I'd have two quarters. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

The book has dual timelines, one taking place at the current time in remote New York, the second takes place several months prior in New York City. In the current timeline future bride Alex is headed to her bachelorette party with her two best friends. In the past timeline, you follow Alex as she researches a new angle on the 666 murders. When her proximity to the murders and her bachelorette party meet things get messy.

The Bachelorette Party reads like a debut novel, the dialogue is bare bones and there are many overplayed elements featured in the plot. While the past plot line is crucial for some backstory regarding the 666 murders the majority of it is filler. There are many chapters thrown in of podcast episodes and X threads. It got to the point where I skim-read the majority of the past chapters and only read the chapters happening in the current timeline.

The ending was something I had considered when I began reading the book and I wish Block would have went a different direction. When the cause of the crazy path Alex had been on throughout the whole book is revealed it was underwhelming. It made the book feel like it was not worth it.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5 out of 5 stars! Sandra Block’s The Bachelorette Party is a thriller with many unexpected twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing all the way to the end of the book and will make it difficult to put this book down. The author meticulously reveals new details each chapter that will cause the reader to change everything they thought was true! The story is about Alex who starts investigating a decade-old murder to determine if the correct murderer is sitting in prison. Meanwhile, her closest friends plan a bachelorette party to celebrate Alex’s future by incorporating her crime solving passion. Alex is not prepared for what happens next nor do her friends understand the complexities of her recent struggles to decipher her dreams from reality. This bachelorette party will eventually uncover the truth about the past but how it affects Alex’s future may shock you.

The Bachelorette Party starts off miserably: with an unsuitable title. The story of a true crime journalist who is trying desperately to rewrite a solved crime, The Bachelorette Party rotates between Alex's past six months of research and interviews with a convicted killer to the present, where she and her friends are on a weekend trip to celebrate Alex's upcoming wedding. During the interviews, Alex frequently finds herself well out of her league and getting nowhere. During her party, her friends disappear into the snowy night, leaving behind only blood and signs of struggle. Are the two connected? Has Alex connected too many dots (unlikely)?

Poorly timed, with characters who make one unbelievably bad decision after another, The Bachelorette Party is ripe with unnecessary scenes and details, overflowing with life choices that will make readers roll their eyes, and a general need for suspended disbelief that cannot be met.

The Bachelorette Party by Sandra Block

I rated this 2 stars.

I couldn’t. Very random order of events that were unnecessary, things said but not shown, and the ending…

Thank you, NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.