Rush Week by Michelle Brandon is a drama-packed story of secrets, scandals, and sisterhood. The premise is juicy: Four sorority sisters with dark pasts reunite to face the fallout of their buried confessions in a stolen time capsule. The book has all the ingredients for a wild, suspenseful ride, but while it delivers the drama, it doesn’t dig as deep as I hoped it would.

The setting and atmosphere are spot on. The sorority culture, the tension of Rush Week, and the looming threat of exposure all add a layer of intrigue. The dark humor and sexy scandals keep the pages turning, and the blend of past and present secrets creates some genuinely tense moments.

That said, the characters felt a little underdeveloped. While each sister had a unique backstory, their motivations and relationships often felt surface-level, making it hard to connect with them on a deeper emotional level. The narrative leaned heavily on the drama, but it could have used more time unpacking the consequences of their secrets and the complexity of their bond.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, drama-filled escape, Rush Week is an entertaining read. It’s light on depth but heavy on scandal, making it perfect for fans of soapy thrillers. Just don’t expect it to leave a lasting impression once Bid Day is over.

I thought this was a super entertaining read but that was all it was. I really enjoy thriller books with a plot twist but I fully guessed the twist of this book from the beginning. The constant switching of the characters’s POVs as well as the switching between the past and present timelines made for a confusing read (even though it gave the story a lot of backstory and helped to flesh out the plot). Additionally, I felt that it was hard to care about the any of the characters and despite the attempt to make them interesting, they still fell flat. Lastly, this is such a random and minor thing to be annoyed about but I really did not like the slang/references used to make the book seem “hip”?? They felt so forced and kept throwing me out of the story bc I could not stop cringing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This title definitely lived up to it’’s hype. It had all the drama of sorority life. It started off immediately with a suspenseful twist that followed through the book. I always enjoy when a book gets you hooked quickly!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for granting me early access to this book in exchange for my honest review! "Rush Week" transported me back to my sorority days, incorporating a modern twist with a Bama Rush theme and social media elements. While my sorority experience wasn't as wild or dramatic, I enjoyed reading a story that captured all the various elements—and then some!

The story centers on four sorority sisters, each with their own quirks, who return to the University of Alabama during Rush Week. When a time capsule filled with their confessions is opened, chaos ensues.

This book is a fun mix of humor and drama, making it a great pick, especially if you've been part of a sorority and can relate to the experiences and dynamics. Definitely worth a look if you are looking for a laugh.

I wanted to love this. I really, really did. The concept was so interesting. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me.

What I liked - the drama. So. Much. Drama. It reminded me of the nighttime soap operas from the 80s. Unfortunately, most of the plot, the characters’ backstories in particular, were completely far fetched and unbelievable (to me, anyway). The characters were all truly awful and it made it difficult for me to care about what happened to them in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Not sure what I was expecting… I did learn a lot. I love the suspense. I love that we got to see the different lives of the women and how they were went they went to school. I’m not familiar with rush week so this was interesting!

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow Books for the arc!

I'm from Alabama, so I am very familiar with Bama Rush and all the insanity involved. I loved reading about these girls #ootd and their Tiktok videos. However, I loved reading about their secrets even more. This was such a a wild ride!

Delicious ! Michelle Brandon brings the tea in this perfectly executed story of sisters returning to their beloved sorority to save their secrets.

It's five years after Asana, Taylor, Brooklyn and Annabelle have left their beloved University of Alabama for the real world. The young woman has spread far and wide and no longer keep in touch. But when they hear that their infamous “Spill Book” containing all of their very personal secrest is being used for blackmail, they reluctantly return to try and mitigate the damage. Brandon keeps the tension as she flashes back and reveals each girl's secret and why it's so important to them to keep it that way. Shocking, quickly moving, Rush Week is soapy Mean Girls with lot of Real House Wives. I loved the twists and turns and all of the secrets and. you will too!
#williammorrow #rushweek #bamarush. #michellebrandon

It’s Rush Week at The University of Alabama, but for four former alumni and sisters of Alpha Delta Lambda, bid day could spell disaster. Five years ago, sorority sisters and besties Taylor, Asana, Brittany and Annabelle ruled the house. Strong willed, competitive chapter president Taylor had started the Spill Book, a diary that each active member was required to record her deepest, darkest secrets and desires. Though it was placed in a hundred year time capsule during their graduation year, current leadership was forced to dig it up and someone has stolen the book and is threatening to air the past. These four women will do anything to stop that from happening.

This was a quick and easy thriller for me. Told from the points of view of the four central characters and set in changing timelines between five years ago and today. I was sometimes confused about which secret went with which character because the story was brimming with them. Not an outstanding thriller, but a reliable story with an almost a YA element. 3 and a quarter stars

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

It’s clear the author put work into this novel, but it didn’t work for me for several reasons:
1. It ages itself very poorly. TikTok didn’t exist 5 years ago and as of Monday, won’t exist anymore.
2. While I recognize things are different at Alabama, in no world would alumni be invited for all of recruitment.
3. The whole concept of the “spill book” was too silly to be the main premise of this book. In no world would people sign their names on these quippy little riddles, even if the intention was it would be buried and never seen.
4. I don’t think adding The Machine storyline was necessary; it could’ve been the main story here and been infinitely more appealing, but the small bits we get about it just feel like an add on. Plus, I’m supposed to believe a 21 year old brought the entire thing down (though it barely seems she made a dent)? Whether it exists or not, even the made up version in this book makes that seem highly unbelievable.
5. The fact an alumna, regardless of who she was, stole the spill book and the reason given was so idiotic and made absolutely no sense given what we knew about the character.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The "then" and "now" was a bit confusing but I really enjoyed this book! The secrets at the start of each chapter was truly delightful and kind of scandalous. I loved seeing how BATA's friendship changed during the course of rush week both when they girls were rushees and alumni. I would NOT have pegged the wicked web that was spun and who actually was the culprit behind the threats. Truly a dastardly tale of intrigue, scandal, and sisterhood to make your head spin!

This was so juicy and I loved it! I liked that we got four different characters and while they were not pleasant I loved their stories, secrets and betrayals. I devoured every bit of this book. The writing and thought that went into this story was phenomenal.

I loved every page of this book! What an absolute guilty pleasure. Mean Girls meets Greek meets Deaperate Housewives. Loved the different POVs. Loved all the betrayal and secrets. Just loved, loved, loved. It was such a great time!

I devoured this book! It makes me laugh because pledging in itself is absolutely horrendous on both sides and then to turn it into a horror story was chef's kiss.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Rush Week was a phenomenal read, combining suspense and women behaving badly along with the power of said women supporting each other to make a fairly unique story that captured my attention.

For any who have seen the TikTok storm of Bama Rush, or the documentary following that, this gives an inside look into that but throws in a look at what might happen to some of the more privileged of a sorority sisterhood. I loved the first hand accounts of rush and how our main characters, four women who all have out of the ordinary upbringings, grew up together and apart throughout their time in their sorority. None of these women start out especially endearing but as we dive deeper into their time in college (alternating with the present five years post graduation) they start to become more understanding and their wicked deeds, which are about to be exposed, make a little more sense.

Completely fun, this isn’t for shrinking violets as we have storylines focused on OnlyFans, Sugar Babies, a more privileged and more secretive version of Ashley Madison, and sexual assault. But if you aren’t offended by any of that, Michelle Brandon writes a most colorful and salacious tale that is a grown up look at what happens next for Alabama Sorority Sisters that, while likely not realistic, felt like the sequel we could only hope for with those TikToks.

At first I thought this one was going to be a 2 star. The characters were so unlikable. I will say that at about 40% of the way in, I changed my mind. I got drawn into the story of these four sorority sisters who have returned to the University of Alabama to keep their darkest secrets from being exposed. My advice to readers is Stick With ThIs One!