This book was not at all what I expected- and I think I'm glad that's the case! This was dark, heavy, meaningful, sharp, and shocking. Like genuinely, I expected almost none of the twists and turns that unfolded. If you've ever thought "I wish Mean Girls were waaaaay more sinister." then you need to pick up this book. One of my favorite reads of 2023.

Don’t let the cover fool you. After a mom and daughter move cross country for a fresh start things go awry. I love a good, twisted, academia based read and this one got more and more shocking the further I got into the book. Definitely a great read.

This book checked all the boxes! It had romance, suspense, mystery, spice, and plenty of drama! I read it in one day because I couldn't put it down! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Boy howdy, this was darker and heavier than I was expecting, and it quickly picked up after about 20%—I couldn’t put it down after. Trauma-causing incidents left and right, maybe too much at times.

Noting first that I had a hard time getting invested in the characters: Bec is pretty hypocritical at times, especially in terms of body image. Can’t say I liked Mr. Brady all that much either (even pre-“twist”)—there was too much clouding his judgment and encouraging others to behave similarly. I unfortunately am always trying to find someone to root for when I read, and it was hard to find someone in this book. (But Willow, I will ride at dawn for you!)

That being said, the author really did a great job of articulating the horrors that can accompany being a tween/teen girl or being the mother to one. To deal with bullying, gaslighting, the lies and not knowing when to open up or to pry, on top of one’s existing grief and feelings of guilt. It’s unbearable, and seeing so much of Bec’s inner monologue kept me turning page after page. All with a heartbreaking ending.

Pacing was great. Not sure if it was just my device, but the spacing for the ebook was strange, such as quotes from different characters not being separated by line; it made reading a little confusing.

3.5 stars!

An endearing story about grief, motherhood and navigating the horror that is teenage girls’ friendship groups.

Weekend Friends makes you entirely too grateful that you aren’t a tween anymore or the parent of one – unless of course, you are me, who has two of them in her household. Those years are crazy – both for the parent and for the child. There’s so many big emotions to navigate and as the parent it can be hard to keep that in the forefront of your mind, especially when they scream ‘I hate you.’ Every inconvenience seems like the end of the world, and maybe, for them it is.

At its core, it’s a thrilling book. Within its pages, twists, turns, and significant revelations unfold. Friendship groups are formed and lost, relationships commence and conclude, and life, in its peculiar way, demonstrates that change is indeed beneficial.

Rebecca, a food photographer, and her daughter Willow have just moved from Alaska to Florida. Life hasn’t been kind to them. They are still recovering from the loss of her husband Theo, who died from colon cancer. Being surrounded by all the things they did together as a family is too much, so Rebecca decides to move them back to a place where she had fond memories as a teen. It’s there that she bumps into her childhood friend, Odelle, and her daughter Stella. Can the pair heal a rift that is decades old?

This debut book was so enticing, I was captivated by both the girls’ relationships and the mothers. An emotionally charged novel, a Mean Girls story for adults.

Weekend Friends examines with crystal clear clarity just how cruel kids can be. No scrap that. Kids are just evil, let’s not beat around the bush. Some of them get off with absolute carnage. They pick, tease, and berate they’re so-called friends until they break. Now of course, with the added complication of social media – there is no escape from it. I do feel parenting in the age of social media is a bit like avoiding a landmine.

This thriller delivers. The protagonists are believable, flawed and brave. Addictive.

Really enjoyed this one!

It was a good thriller to sit back and cosy up with, with plenty of decently-arrived plot twists and turns. The characters were equally unloveable as well as relatable, which made for a more compelling read. I definitely liked the juxtaposition of Rebecca in her attraction and obsession with Mr Brady, compared with her complex relationship with Willow. At the heart of this book, amidst all the secrets, was definitely the struggles of Willow as a young teenage girl and the ways that could easily develop darker attributes. Liked how the author didn't shy away from those struggles, and it definitely left me emotionally affected by them in a strong way.

I did not want this book to end - couldn’t put it down. The characters could have a bit more developed, but overall, this is a wonderful read with an unexpected ending.

Middle school can feel like The Hunger Games for girls, and for their mothers, it's often even more challenging.

Rebecca, a food photographer, and her tween daughter, Willow, make a fresh start by moving from Alaska to Boca Raton, leaving behind a troubling secret about the death of Rebecca's husband. They hope the warmth of the sunshine state will help alleviate Willow's night terrors.

As Willow becomes entangled and bullied by the popular group in school, Rebecca finds herself drawn to the charismatic head of the school, Mr Brady. A hot and steamy, albeit uncertain, relationship begins to unfold. However, the web of lies, deception, and hidden secrets eventually spirals out of control, placing both mother and daughter on the wrong side of their gated community with devastating repercussions. The sunny exterior of their new life quickly unravels, revealing the darker truths beneath the surface.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if it were in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Weekend Friends is a thrilling mix between romance & mean girls, but take it up 100 notches.

Rebecca and her tween Willow move from Alaska to Florida after the death of Rebecca's husband who was terminally ill. Immediately after moving they are thrown into suburban life with bullying and secret relationships. And it is non stop.

Right from the beginning this book hooked me in and I was very intrigued the whole way through with all the secrets and lies.

This book explores the darker side of suburban life, family secrets, and the complex relationships between mother and daughter, all while trying to navigate Rebecca being a newly widow, and her daughter navigating life in middle school.

But I will say don't let the cover fool you, this is a dark and twisty read.. even if it is based in the Sunshine State.

TW: Bullying, Suicide, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Stalking

Bella Ellwood- Clayton’s Weekend Friends was a provocative read!

I am struggling with how to articulate my feelings about this novel.

While I read the book’s description, I was not prepared for what I got. Where I thought I was getting a slightly darker version of Mean Girls, I got: weight shaming, disordered eating, stalkers, pedophiles, blackmail, self-assisted suicide, and the death of a young girl.

I can appreciate what Ellwood-Clayton was doing in bringing awareness to the struggles facing our youth, girls in particular, but it was very difficult to read. I was so overcome with emotion that I had to set this book aside and pick it up at a later date when I was in a better head space.

This is a story that will stay with me. I need to sit with it some more before I decide if I would recommend it and how to rate it.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Post Hill Press, and Bella Ellwood-Clayton for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for my opinion.

I would give this book 3.5 stars.

The book really hooked me! The little nuggets of information about the past were perfectly dispersed throughout the book so I didn’t want to put it down. The characters were all really well developed and I think it depicted grief really well from the perspective of a wife and a daughter.

However, a lot happened in this book. I was quite taken back by the amount of things that happened and the severity of them. I think if a little less had happened then the book would have been a solid 4 stars if not more. But that is just my personal preference.

Overall I did enjoy this book. It was really well written and I couldn’t put it down. I would recommend it to others.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
*Trigger warning: suicide, poor health, grooming/exploitation*

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Went into the book open minded and not sure how it would go, and believe me there were more twists and turns than I was expecting. Forever kept not knowing the next turn, but also felt there was many too many? However, over all an enjoyable read. Some heavy topics but I felt they were handled appropriately and the author had done her research. Would recommend.

This is an engaging story of a mother and tween daughter struggling with grief and starting over after a move from Alaska to Boca Raton, FL. The exact cause of the loss of Rebecca’s husband, Willow's father, is somewhat mysterious at first, and gradually revealed prompting me to really think about the challenges facing such a difficult decision. The novel is written in such a relatable manner that I found myself going through a range of emotions along with the characters. You could feel the confusion about moving on and still coping with the waves of sadness. There are some trigger warnings to be aware of, but there is also humor, hope, love, and acceptance. I love a thought-provoking, well-written novel that gives me all the feels.

Love the cover sooooo much!!!!! I went into this book almost blind knowing nothing other than the name and that gorgeous cover (hello?) and was surprised at how quickly I was hooked. I thought this was a good book - I like that it kept me interested and was hard to put down, I kept wanting to keep reading til the end.

4 stars.

I enjoyed the book. I felt there could’ve been more character development of the main characters. The surprises at the end made up for this.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
🙃 I'm just not the right audience, but I don't think there's anything wrong with this book in terms of rep, plot and character development, or writing style.

The major suspense is driven by a steamy fantasy romance, mother-daughter dynamics and parenting challenges, ageing insecurities, and the grief and mystery of what happened to a loved one who had a terminal illness.

I think it's really geared toward an audience of mothers (or parents), because most of the tension and plot revolves around anxieties and issues that I admit I didn't understand or relate to enough for it to keep me hooked.

I think the hidden bullying of the tweens was realistic and well-written without being OTT and more like how it occurs in the 2020s.

I had a hard time with the grief and loss parts, just because I already have such high anxiety about my partner and loved ones suffering and dying. It isn't that the death or illness was a surprise or gratuitous, rather it was woven into and more vital to the plot than I expected.

^^ All of these reasons are totally a me problem!

Mood Reading Match-Up (so far):
-Contemporary fiction around mothering, parenting, ageing, grief, and moving on after loss
-Insta-love, should-we-or-shouldn't-we, slightly forbidden romance
-Tween friendship dynamics and bullying
-Summery pool-side hang-out vibes (set in Boca Raton, Florida and atmospheric!)

Content Heads-up: Sexual content (consentual). Bullying. Body shaming. Suicide (on-page, descriptive). Stalking. Pedophilia.

Format: Digital advanced review copy from Post Hill Press and NetGalley (I received the arc at no cost, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)

I enjoyed the story, eventhough I expected a gripping thriller and for me the book was a mix of a rich people drama and a tragedy. I would say you should read the trigger warnings before you go into it.
I liked some of the characters but many of them were just kind of annoying and I couldn't really understand the way the main character was thinking because I would have done a lot different and would not be in contact with a lot of the other characters. I think that the story could have focused a lot more on the daughter because a lot of things that happened to her were just on the side and I think more information would have made the story a little more interesting.
I would recommend it if your looking something with a lot of drama rather than gripping fast paced thriller.

Bella Ellwood-Clayton, has caused quite the stir with the release of her debut thriller, Weekend Friends.

If just for the cover alone, this book is irresistible ! What I would do to be floating around in a pool on a giant watermelon float, Pina Colada in hand.

This is the kind of book that will send chills up your spine and make you extremely thankful you are no longer in middle school or have a middle school child.

Kids, are evil.

There is no sugar coating it.

Don't be fooled, this is not a YA thriller. Jam packed with secrets, lies and deceit, you'll barely catch your breath without being thrown for another twist.

Check out this teaser :

For girls, middle school is practically The Hunger Games—for their mothers, it can be even worse.

Food photographer, Rebecca, and her tween daughter, Willow, move from Alaska to Boca Raton, leaving behind their terrible secret about the death of Rebecca’s husband. They’re ready to start anew in the warmth of the sunshine state, hoping it will help vanquish Willow’s night terrors.

As her daughter becomes controlled and bullied by the popular group, Rebecca is drawn closer to the charismatic head of school, Mr. Brady. A hot and steamy—though uncertain—relationship begins. Soon, lies, deception, and secrets cause everything to spiral out of control and both mother and daughter find themselves on the wrong side of their gated community with devastating repercussions.

Full of dark twists and turns, Weekend Friends makes you grateful you’re no longer a tween…or the parent of one.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC
Rebecca, and her tween daughter, Willow, relocate from Alaska to Boca Raton, after the death of Rebecca's husband in an attempt to leave the past behind and to help Willow overcome her night terrors. Meanwhile Willow ends up with the mean girls, under their control & bullying which become the forefront of the story.
Middle school girls are horrible, and their moms aren’t any better.
The story has mother/daughter dynamics, romance and much more.

I thought this book was going to be fun with a little bit of mystery but it was the complete opposite of that - it was heartbreaking and dealt with serious topics such as cancer, suicide, relentless bullying, weight-shaming, depression and pedophilia so please be cautious if you are triggered by any of these things. I believe that I enjoyed this book more because it focused on these issues compared to if it were what I expected it to be as it really played with my emotions and made me feel sad for what Rebecca and her daughter Willow were going through.

Willow wants what every tween wants and that is to be accepted by the popular group at school - she starts hanging out with a group named KISS but must learn that not every friend is a true friend and not every girl has good intentions. On top of this, she has just lost her father and is dealing with grief and her own struggle with depression.

Rebecca has reunited with her old friend Odelle, who is the mother of one of the girls in KISS. She is introduced and welcomed into the circle of other KISS mothers but like Willow, tends to feel different from them. She becomes intimate with the school principal Mr Brady, the only person she deems somewhat trustworthy.

There is a lot of drama involving all characters with a few surprises, though some were easy to guess at the beginning. Some chapters felt a bit unnecessary and the most of action doesn’t occur until about the 70% mark, but this is still a great read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Post Hill Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!