Review: Girls’ Night Out by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Title: Girls’ Night Out

Author: Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Published: July 2018, Lake Union Publishing

Format: ARC Paperback, 336 pages

Source: Publisher

Summary:

For estranged friends
Ashley, Natalie, and Lauren, it’s time to heal the old wounds between
them. Where better to repair those severed ties than on a girls’ getaway
to the beautiful paradise of Tulum, Mexico? But even after they’re
reunited, no one is being completely honest about the past or the
secrets they’re hiding. When Ashley disappears on their girls’ night
out, Natalie and Lauren have to try to piece together their hazy
memories to figure out what could have happened to her, while also
reconciling their feelings of guilt over their last moments together.

Was
Ashley with the man she’d met only days before? Did she pack up and
leave? Was she kidnapped? Or worse—could Natalie or Lauren have snapped
under the weight of her own lies?

As the clock ticks, hour by
hour, Natalie and Lauren’s search rushes headlong into growing suspicion
and dread. Maybe their secrets run deeper and more dangerous than one
of them is willing—or too afraid—to admit.

My thoughts: This is the second thriller that this writing duo has penned together and let me just tell you, they definitely seem to have figured out how to craft some clever, twisted stories. This is definitely a genre that works for them, if these last two books are anything to go by!

This latest book, not only delves into the intense bonds of friendship, but also gives us one crazy mystery to boot…what happened to Ashley? Right from the beginning you get the sense that some something bad has happened, but you just don’t know what. And having the story jump around between the different narrators – the three friends – as well as to different times in the story, really keeps this story moving. It also ups the suspense as things are hinted at, but not quite ever fully revealed until the just the right moment. I thought for sure I had figured everything out a few times, only to be thwarted each time.

These three women once had a pretty solid friendship, despite the fact that there were three of them – you know that saying, “three’s a crowd.” But, life happens and things had been said that left some major rifts between them. In an attempt to heal old wounds, Ashley invites the girls on this “girls getaway trip” in order to work on getting the friendship back on track, yet things don’t quite go according to plan. 

What I loved most about this book is that the deeper I got into it, the more I questioned everything I read. I was all over the place with how I felt about each and every one of these women…every time something new was revealed about them, I felt my opinions about them changing…and I loved that! This isn’t a book where you are pigeon-holed into feeling a certain way about the characters…these very clever authors give us just enough to allow us to make our own judgements.

The tension and suspense will keep you flipping through the pages, and while it’s not a heavy read by any means, it’s certainly one that is addicting and binge-worthy! Definitely a great beach read, for sure. It’s got drama and secrets and all the angst you want with your summer read, plus it’s set in a dreamy destination setting with cocktails aplenty. Pour yourself a drink and enjoy the ride…you’ll thank me for recommending this one!