This was a fast read. A quick paced fun romper through Vegas. It was a bit predictable but I enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Jess and her closest friends are headed to Vegas for a bachelorette party and what could go wrong? This was a quick read that takes you back and forth from the night of to to the next morning. It has a mysterious air to it that keeps you going from chapter to chapter to find out what happens!

Thank you so much for allowing me the chance to read this as an ARC!

I found some of the writing to be a bit cliché especially the constant references to 'a night to remember' or 'a night you'll never forget especially considering the main characters end up not remembering anything from that evening. However I really enjoyed the duel timelines and charecter growth.

I truly enjoyed the twists and turns in this book! When the girls on a trip wake up after a night in Las Vegas, their night rivals The Hangover in mystery. I never guessed the ending, and was always looking forward to finding out what REALLY happened that night. This was a fun read that I recommend that others enjoy, as well.

What could have been one of “those” women’s fiction novels veers in the thriller direction rather quickly. Jess, the bride for whom all the plans have been laid, wakes the morning following their inaugural night out in Vegas in a tub of ice water.

It doesn’t take long before Jess sees the destruction of the hotel suite but does take a little longer to find three of the others, Rachel is missing. The common denominator between them all is that none of them have any memory of the night before. So what happened? And where is Rachel?

After some deliberation, they begin to pool what little memories each have of the night before. They determine their first consideration has to be to find Rachel.

As the day wears on, each character is fully developed, and the reader fully engaged.
In the meantime, Vegas is depicted as the exciting spectacle it is with lights and sounds and then the somewhat dark, sinister crush of humanity in the underbelly. Each nuance adds to the tension and lays on another level of psychological stress. Trust each other? Trust Jess’s fiance’s warning?

I have to admit I tired of some redundant angst and was also thrown by several twists. Certainly unusual and well paced after a leisurely start and kept my interest. It is unique and entertaining.

Waking up in Vegas by J.E Rowney was a good read! I enjoyed the book. I liked the mix of different personalities and how they each played a role in the plot. I was always finding myself chuckling or in suspense of what happened next! It is a great book if you are looking for a quick read or a palette cleanse from other books! Great Job! Well done!

I dig the "girls' trip gone awry" trope, and this book definitely fit that bill! Bachelorette parties are the perfect scene for a murder mystery in my opinion.

An enjoyable and exhilarating girls’ trip takes an unexpected turn when they awaken disoriented and unable to recall the events transpiring the previous night. Compounding this predicament is the absence of one of their companions. This situation bears a striking resemblance to the aftermath of a hangover, yet it also incorporates elements reminiscent of several other films that I found particularly captivating. Despite the challenges they face, this group demonstrates remarkable resilience, surpassing my own expectations. Overall, this captivating mystery novel provides an entertaining and engaging reading experience.

Can a book be both fast-paced and have you wanting it to go faster at the same time? This Hangover-like mystery uses alternating timelines to reconstruct a bachelorette party gone awry. The two threads are both evenly interesting and keep the intensity high.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book does a great job delivering on the mystery and thriller aspects, drawing readers into Jess and her friend group’s adventure. The author has a knack for sparking vivid imagery, immersing us in the scenes through imagination. However, I did notice a lot of repetitive information throughout—sometimes only just a chapter or two after the initial details were introduced. Additionally, the story feels a little drawn out in some places because it delves into descriptions that do not really advance the plot. Another aspect that didn’t work as well for me was the introduction of some ideas, characters, or background information. Occasionally, there’s a lot of backstory given all at once, wherein a more gradual introduction could’ve made it feel more natural.

The characters are generally likable, but a few feel somewhat two-dimensional. They’re often so confined to certain personality traits that they can come across as unrelatable, and at times, their actions seem questionable or frustrating. Despite a few plot holes or loose ends, the author did a solid job wrapping up the story with a “full-circle” ending, which felt satisfying.

I’m also not entirely sure who the target audience is supposed to be. While the ending feels aimed at teens or young adults, some of the book's themes suggest it could be for a more mature audience.

Overall, I still think that this was an engaging read!

#WakingUpInVegas #NetGalley

A bachelorette party in Vegas takes a turn for the worse when the bride wakes up to a trashed hotel room, a missing maid of honor, and no memories of the night before. This one reminded me of the Hangover but not in a good way. The beginning felt too similar and there was not really any suspense for what is supposed to be a thriller. I think part of it was just the way the characters were written. A few pages in, I was like why has Jess been described as a teacher?? Like the voice she used was different than her normally calm teacher voice. Why couldn't it just be her normal voice? It was just things like this. I think part of the problem was that I just didn't care enough about the characters to really be invested in it.

I felt like the first half of the book was extremely repetitive, to where I was finding myself skimming through it to just read the dialogue. Overall, I feel like the story line was alright. The twist I did not see coming but I felt it was a little anticlimactic and was anticipating something more sinister. Great idea though for a story.

I found this book a fast paced thriller from beginning to end, with no shortage of twists and turns it had me gripped wanting to find out how the story ends whilst also being funny, would recommend

In the novel "Waking Up In Vegas", five best friends - Jess, Lisa, Olivia, Rachel and Megan sets on an unforgettable bachelorette weekend that quickly spirals into havoc and fog of confusion. Jess, the responsible planner, is ready to trade her usual careful attitude for a wild celebration in Las Vegas. With VIP passes and promises of carefree fun, she hopes to make memories that will last a lifetime before she the knot with Miles her fiancé. However, her excitement turns to horror when she wakes up in a bathtub full of ice and poker chips floating around her, her memory of the previous night completely vanished when she wakes up in Bellagio one of the most prestigious hotels in Vegas. Last night was stormed with Pulsing Lights, thumping music and flowing drinks, Here, then laughter and the overwhelming exciting bachelorette night turns to wild goose chase to figure out what had happened later for the five girls.

As Jess frantically searches for her missing friend, Rachel, she discovers her friends scattered around their lavish suite, each dislocated in various forms. Together, they attempt to bring together the fragmented events of their lost night, only to unearth a tangled web of secrets that could spoil their longstanding friendship.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Las Vegas, the novel draws reader's attention to the complexities of female friendships, trust, and the insecurities that lie beneath the surface. With every discovery, the group must confront not only the fallout of their wild escape form reality but also their own lives and choices.

A gripping psychological thriller that intertwines humor with tension, Waking Up In Vegas is perfect for fans of "The Hangover" and "Gone Girl." It’s a journey of self-discovery and resilience, reminding readers of the strength found in true friendship, especially when the stakes are high.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy for my honest review. Novel Nerd blog: https://smithareading.blogspot.com/

Not what I expected at all. A book that will keep you intrigued and turning the pages. Not just a fun bachelorette weekend in Vegas.
Missing friends, secrets and extortionate credit card charges are all part of the fun. Or is it chaos?

An intriguing mystery involving a group of friends in Vegas for a bachelorette party. The story goes back and forth between the night before and the morning after the girls wake up and can’t remember what happened.

There was a lot of repetition in the writing. I remember reading “expensive smelling perfume” quite a lot.

Also, the ending did not seem realistic to a Vegas experience in my opinion and felt off.

Waking Up In Vegas is a book about mystery and friendship. I picked it up because I’m about to head on a trip to Vegas myself, and I loved the references to notable places in the city. I really enjoyed the alternating chapters, as you move between the past and present to find more clues and move towards finding out what happened the night before.

Although I found the characters likeable and loved the friendship between the women, I wish they had been developed more at the beginning. Some of the dialogue feels a bit superficial and gets quite repetitive, as they keep telling each other how amazing they look and Rachel keeps telling Jess how she wants to make it the best night ever.

I didn’t see the ending coming and it was a very different approach for this kind of book - I’m really not sure how I feel about the answers we got.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book but, for a psychological thriller, it just didn’t have me gripped.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Five woman go to Vegas for a bachelorette weekend but wake up in the morning misding one of their friends and not remembering a thing from the night before. The story starts very gripping and is told alternately from the night before and the morning after. I kept on reading and guessing what could have happened but the solution in the end was kind of disappointing. Also the writing was a bit repetitive: in the first part whenever Olivia is mentioned there is the explanation that she "is the newest member of their friend group" and we read about the fact that Lisa is recently divorved again and again. All in all a book that in my opinion started out really gripping and kind of fizzled out in the end.

This was my first book by J.E. Rowney and I absolutely loved it. I always like a good book that goes back and forth in the timeline, so if that's not for you, you might get frustrated. I also love a book that makes me guess and gasp, and I found myself doing both! Check this out if you want a fast-paced read! I can't wait to dive into more by this author!

Waking Up in Vegas - 2.5 stars

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. I found the pacing slow, which made it hard to stay engaged. Despite my efforts to enjoy it, I ultimately felt disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.