Blog Tour || The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson.* [AD | Gifted]

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been dying to get away for a holiday (when it’s safe). But after reading The Weekend Away by Sarah Alderson, I’ve started to rethink my plans…

Blurb

Two friends go on holiday. Only one comes back.

Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. Together they’ve faced it all – be it Orla’s struggles as a new mother or Kate’s messy divorce. And whatever else happens in their lives, they can always look forward to their annual weekend away.

This year, they’re off to Lisbon: the perfect flat, the perfect view, the perfect itinerary. And what better way to kick things off in style than with the perfect night out?

But when Orla wakes up the next morning, Kate is gone. Brushed off by the police and with only a fuzzy memory of the night’s events, Orla is her friend’s only hope. As she frantically retraces their steps, Orla makes a series of shattering discoveries that threaten everything she holds dear. Because while Lisbon holds the secret of what happened that night, the truth may lie closer to home…

A twisty holiday read for fans of The Holiday and Date Night.

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About The Author

Sarah Alderson is a London-born, LA-based writer whose previous books include Friends Like These (Mulholland) and most recent release In Her Eyes (Mulholland). She also writes women’s fiction under the pen name Mila Gray. Sarah is currently writing on the CBS show SWAT. The Weekend Away is her first thriller with HarperCollins.

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The Weekend Away – My Review

Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. They’ve partied hard and weathered storms together. After a tough IVF journey, Orla is struggling to balance life as a new mum with maintaining her marriage. Kate is going through a bitter divorce from her cheating husband. The friends’ annual getaway can’t come quick enough.

But this weekend in Lisbon is about to go very wrong. When Orla wakes after a raucous night out, Kate is missing – and only Orla seems to care. As she desperately struggles to remember what happened the night before, she begins to unearth the truth. Orla has lost Kate… but is she about to lose a whole lot more?

I absolutely love books that revolve around women. I know that sounds a bit strange, but there’s something fascinating about the dynamic between female friends. I loved the way Orla and Kate were written, and it was so intriguing to see how they loved each other deeply, yet there was still a frisson of tension between them at times.

The two women are very different. Orla is almost reluctant to be on holiday, wishing instead she was home with her young daughter, Marlow. Kate, however, still loves to party and is incredibly generous with her wealth. I really loved the way that Sarah Alderson portrayed their relationship. I think most of us can relate to the feeling of slowly drifting from someone who was a close friend, and finding your priorities have shifted.

This was a real whirlwind of a story. There was a lot going on but it never felt confusing or distracting. If anything, it was so perfectly written that I could practically feel my head spinning alongside Orla’s. Her confusion and shock were palpable, and I really felt as hopeless and alone as she did. The idea of being stuck in a foreign country, searching for your friend while the police don’t take you seriously is terrifying. The writing and plotline kept me deliciously off-kilter too, perfectly ramping up the tension and keeping me on the edge of my seat.

My only criticism of this book is (SORT OF SPOILER) [that I think the blurb gives away slightly too much. After I read it, I instantly predicted some of the events of the plotline.] However, this didn’t actually ruin my enjoyment of the book, and there are so many red herrings and twists thrown in that I still couldn’t quite make my mind up on what had happened. It’s still a thrilling ride, I just think that some of the language in the blurb hints towards a major plotline.

Overall though, this is a thrilling, tense and twisty novel that I absolutely loved. It is extremely clever and left me with chills up my spine. This would be the perfect summer read – although if you do take a trip, be wary of who is around you…

Be sure to check out all other blogs hosting The Weekend Away on this tour. Huge thank you to Sanjana and Ellie at Avon Books for providing me with this copy.

*I was provided with a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own and 100% honest. For more information, please see my disclaimer.