I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

It took me a minute to figure out the initial story in the book was not the main character the book was about so I was initially a little disappointed when the story moved on from them. However, it was likely my lack of reading the book summary fully.

I was interested in how the author was going to tie together the story in the beginning of the book with the main plot. This kept me reading and engaged in the book.

The whodunnit portion seemed to be obvious so the mystery for me really was more on where the stories intersected.

When the stories do start to intertwine, I kept mixing up the names of the women from the different timelines. Tilly and Tess, Anna and Anneliese, Linnea and Lena. There didn’t seem to be a reason to give them such similar names so it just seemed to be lacking creativity.

Overall, it was an interesting read. Enough to keep me engaged but not necessarily something I’m insisting my friends need to read because it was so good.

*I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Now, this was a delicious summer read that I needed to stay with to see how it all played out. A remote island off Sweden. An unsolved mystery involving four women who went missing years before. A true crime podcaster seeking redemption.

A tangled web that I couldn't wait to see how it would unravel! It was a little overdramatic, but I confess to falling prey to it. Maybe it was a little too transparent as to who the killer was, but I still am going to leave it at a 4-star rating as it kept me hooked.





Publication Date 10/06/25
Goodreads Review 11/07/25

📚The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten

⚠️CWs for infidelity, a pregnant woman being harmed, graphic violence, blood/gore, murder, suicide, and more

Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5

I was initially drawn to this by the cover and synopsis, but this didn’t work for me at all. The story and characters were all just sooooo flat. The mystery included alternating timelines, but I found them more annoying than anything. I didn't feel like the timeline shifts added anything substantial to the plot, like the information gathered from the “past” timeline could have just been discovered or discussed in the “present” timeline (if that makes sense). The plot twists were incredibly predictable and lackluster. Super bummed about this one.

This was good! Thrillers never get crazy ratings from me because I see things coming but no characters were too annoying and it was suspenseful enough!

I've read a few other of Sten's books and mostly enjoyed them, but this felt too short and rushed in the end to be a good read. Only took a few hours to get through and I'm not entirely sure that I was sad when certain characters died/were hurt. It is fine, but nothing that will enthrall

This was just okay for me. A locked room thriller is typically one of my favorites and while the premise was intriguing and the pacing was good, the execution was a bit meh.

I found it difficult to like our main character, Tessa, and found myself annoyed with her and her theories. The side characters were also flat for me.

I thought it was too obvious who the killer was so the twists were anticlimactic. The ending also wrapped up too quickly for my liking.

(Oh no, I thought I had posted feedback already! I posted a long time ago! Review and links below)

https://onereadingnurse.com/2025/06/10/book-review-the-bachelorette-party-by-camilla-sten/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKppZxiP14J/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MXg5b2Y3cjlqMTQzZw==

Many thanks to Minotaur Books for my early copy of The Bachelorette Party via NetGalley! Summer is my favorite time to read fast paced, twisty thrillers that can be devoured in a few sittings. If you’re looking for summer 2025 new book releases to try, this might be one for you.

I really enjoyed The Resting Place and wanted to try another by Camilla Sten. I didn’t enjoy this one as much (and the early GoodReads rating is only 3.46 stars) but if it sounds up your alley, give it a shot!

I love slow burn mysteries but The Bachelorette Party book took forever to get going. The last 30% went by so much faster than the first 70% and I didn’t see enough connection between the past and present storyline to really be invested in the outcome. A good closed area thriller will build slowly but I just didn’t love the progression as the events unfolded.

I thought everything went from chill to suuuuper dramatic, real quick, to the point that I was rolling my eyes more than being thrilled. I loved The Resting Place and Sten executed the dual timelines very well in that book, but this one didn’t link the past and present well enough for me to believe the who-dunnits. Maybe more from Matilda’s storyline would have helped?

I didn’t dislike any of the characters but it was hard to get close to any of them, or root for them. I obviously didn’t want to see anyone get hurt but I didn’t….care that much either?

There are some good aspects here though, like…. umm….hum. Hmmm. I finished it. I liked the closing chapter about accepting your life after drastic changes have occurred. I liked the descriptions of the island and atmosphere. The last 30% wasn’t a bad read and flew by, even if the first 70% was a very very slow burn without many consequences. Also as a personal preference I thought there were a few too many characters to keep up with.

I don’t see translation credit being given for this book so *maybe* she wrote it in English this time? It’s hard to comment on the language in an ARC (final edits not completed) but the writing seemed a lot more particular and spelled out at times which make me think maybe she wrote in English? Will follow to see if credit is given.

Recommended for fans of dual timelines, murder mysteries, slow burn thrillers. If you read this one, let me know what you think!

The things I love in my thrillers:
more than one POV
intriguing mystery
suspense
fast paced
twists that twist

This story had all this! The one thing I wish could've been better was the ending, but it wasn't a horrible so I still highly recommend if you're looking for an entertaining page turning tale.

Wow what a twisted story! I can’t say any of it really surprised me. It felt a little predictable at times.
It was still an edge of your seat thrilling read.

If you enjoy locked murder mysteries, this book may appeal to you as a solid thriller with some engaging twists.

On a remote island, four friends gather annually to drink, dance by the water, and shed the burdens of the past year. However, after one night of secret-filled revelry, they never returned home. A decade later, Tessa, a true crime podcaster, becomes consumed by the mystery of the missing friends. Though she covers Sweden's most notorious cases, she has been unable to unravel what happened to the four women. With her podcast now defunct, any hope of uncovering the truth seems lost. Anneliese, Tessa's best friend, decides to host her bachelorette party before getting married. They choose the Baltic Vinyasa, a sleek yoga retreat on a small island, as the destination for yoga, drinks, and bonding. For Tessa, this trip may be her last opportunity to solve the mystery, but it also becomes someone else's chance for revenge.

While I enjoyed the book's intriguing mystery and lively atmosphere, I found the characters difficult to connect with. Additionally, the alternating timelines and extensive cast made the story harder to follow. Nevertheless, it remains a worthwhile read, though I had hoped for more.

3.5⭐ rounded up
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

10 years ago four best friends went missing after partying on an island. Many believed the "Nacka Four" got drunk and drowned, but those closer to the case think it was murder. When disgraced podcaster Tessa gets invited to a bachelorette party on the island, she sees it as an opportunity to get to the bottom of things and maybe even make her comeback.

This is the exact popcorn thriller I needed after back-to-back duds of books. I loved the pacing of this story and the multiple intertwined mysteries that kept the story exciting, without getting too convoluted. I was worried the has-been podcaster angle would be too reminiscent of other stories I have read, and while that storyline is a bit overdone, I did still enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5⭐️

This landed firmly in the meh category for me. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. I found it to be a little predictable, and while I love dual timeline, I didn’t connect with the past timeline very much and felt it wasn’t very fleshed out. I felt like this book could’ve been really good with a little more story development and clean up though, and I’m most certainly willing to give this author another chance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Just when I thought I knew where this book was going, there was a swerve of all swerves. I love how this author always keeps me on my toes and keep me guessing. Perfect summer read. Can’t recommend it enough.

This was a suspenseful psychological thriller.

Written in dual timelines, the novel kept me glued to the pages as I tried to keep up with all the characters and figure out what had gone on years ago and what was going to happen in the present. Tessa Nilsson is attending a bachelorette party along with her sister, Lena, for one of their oldest friends on a remote, basically deserted island known as Isle Blind. Coincidentally (or not) the place happens to be where four friends disappeared 1o years ago. It so happens that Tessa is a true crime podcaster (now disgraced and canceled) who is set on trying to revive her career by finding out what really happened to those women known as the Nacka Four. Shortly, Tessa finds herself in a very precarious position that might just end her and her friends.

Without spoilers, the book deals with sisterhood, friendship, and the girl code as well as what happens when you don’t do the right thing by others. Although it didn’t end as I’d hoped, it kept me in suspense and guessing throughout the story.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC —both formats provided by the publishers. The narrator, Laura Jennings, did a great job of voicing all the characters and bringing great dramatic flair that made for an excellent production. At one point, toward the end, I just had to speed up ahead of the audio as things got really tense and exciting. The audio definitely enhanced my enjoyment.

I definitely enjoyed this & was excited to see what truly happened to the Nacka 4 but it was a bit drawn out for me. I was def intrigued with whatever threw Tessa's life into a tailspin but for the girls at The Bachelorette Party, none of them are very likeable. It was entertaining and I didn't 100% guess the outcome which is refreshing but also, it was a bit unrealistic and that loses the suspense for me.
Good, not great.

This is my first book by this author. She and it came highly recommended by several of my book buddies. While it was enjoyable, I do feel it fell a little flat. While every thing felt very thought out and planned, it just didn't come together the way I really wanted it too. I became easily confused about who was who, guessed the twist early, and felt there was no good twist that just left me shocked.
The writing was very good, very fleshed out characters. I definitely want to read more by this author cause she does come highly recommended. Maybe one of her earlier works will hit the spot so many people told me about.

The tag line initially drew me in but overall this book fell flat for me. I couldn't get invested in the characters and the dual timelines were clunky.

i really enjoyed the first half of this book, however the second half, and the reveals, fell flat to me. additionally, i feel that splitting the timeline impeded my enjoyment of the book, because it felt like there was not enough development in either timeline.

Two timelines - one in the days leading up to a yearly get together of longtime friends on Isle Blind, a tiny island in the Baltic Sea. The other timeline is ten years later, five friends have been invited to stay at a luxury resort not yet open to the public, built on that same island. While the author does a great job of building tension, at times I felt like it was just dragged out for too long. In the middle of several very intense what-will-happen-next moments, we have repetitive inner thoughts of the main character. It felt oddly forced. The overall story was good, and I definitely kept turning the pages. There wasn't a big revealing moment for me, because much of it was inevitable, but I did enjoy the story.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this new-to-me author! I'm adding her backlist to my tbr to try out!