Book Review: Girls' Night Out

Girls' Night Out by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

I had high hopes for this one, but sadly, it left me feeling very disappointed.

*After seeing all the hype it is getting, I appear to be the outsider here. But, if you give me a minute, I will explain. Also, I feel bad giving a negative review on a popular book, but I can't lie. It was so not my favorite.

This novel is about three estranged friends who travel to Mexico on a girls' trip to mend fences, but along the way, one of the girls goes missing. I purposely read this book at the end of my own girls' trip to Mexico, so I think my experience (and friendships) greatly influenced my feelings.

Ashley is the loud on the group and the one that goes missing. I hated Ashley. She came off as obnoxious and stupid, honestly. For example, she spends her time on the girls' trip with a local guy she just met talking about spiritual crystals and whatnot (she's married, by the way). And, she does not seem to understand why her friends might be upset with her.

Lauren is the most estranged from the group because her husband died from a heart attack when Ashley convinced her to leave him because he was beating her. So, she's mad at Ashley for "killing her husband." I can't even with this one. Oh, and she apparently has a sex addiction now.

Natalie is Ashley's actual BFF and company partner, but she wants out. The problem is she has zero backbone and just won't be honest and tell her friend that her family is in desperate need of the money they'd get from selling the company to Revlon. Oh, and she woke up from being blacked out on the beach the night her BFF went missing.

The novel is basically a series of whining and arguing and talking behind each other's backs. This is the stuff of high school (or college at the most), but THESE ARE FORTY-YEAR-OLD WOMEN! Um, no. I am nearing forty and my friends and I do not act anything like the women in this book.

The climax and ending were disappointing, mainly because I hated the characters so much. I didn't really care what happened to them or who did it. All I thought the whole time was that this was a very immature view of adult female friendships and women, in general.

It was unrelatable and unbelievable. But, then again, maybe it is because I have been lucky enough to have friendships based on love and respect. I say pass on this one unless grown women acting like thirteen-year-olds sounds appealing to you.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review. I wish I had liked it more!

Book Review: Her Pretty Face

Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding

If you are looking for a book with pages that seem to turn on their own, then you need to read Her Pretty Face, the new release from the author of last summer's hit, The Party.

This novel tells the story of a stay-at-home mom named Francis who is really struggling to fit in with the other moms at her son's new uppity private school. But, then, she meets fellow school mom, Kate. The two women instantly click and embark on a whirlwind friendship. They practically become besties overnight.

However, Francis begins to slowly notice that Kate is a little wilder than her beautiful, classy look suggests. For example, she convinces Francis to take off her wedding ring to flirt with some men they meet at an impromptu during-the-school-day wine lunch, and she later seems to put the moves on Francis's husband.

But, the big turning point is when Francis discovers Kate is not really Kate at all. Instead, she is someone else completely - new name, new identity. And, the person she left behind in the past is notorious for a gruesome crime.

Once Francis finds out Kate's secret, it then turns to a question of whether or not she can (or should) trust her new BFF or if she should end the friendship and protect her family. As Francis has no other friends, this is a bigger decision for her than it would be for others.

In addition to a fast-paced, intriguing plot that left me guessing, I liked how the novel was told from three different viewpoints. And, I like how one of the viewpoints surprised me. I also like how Harding has a teenage daughter thrown into the mix. Like her previous novel, the plot seems outlandish, but the questions she poses are important (such as what is she hiding behind HER PRETTY FACE? dun-dun-dun).

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing me with a copy to read and review!