Liz and Lisa take the readers on an unforgettable adventure that will change the lives of three life long friends forever. This suspenseful and thrilling trip to Mexico will have you hooked from the very beginning. When one friend goes missing after a very questionable night of drinking and fighting the other two are left to piece together what really happened. Girls Night Out makes you question friendships that you’ve had for a lifetime. You never know what even your closest friends are completely going through and how ultimately it impacts your life too. With a jaw dropping ending Liz and Lisa have delivered the perfect follow up to The Good Widow.

Three's a crowd.

Girls night out is about a group of friends who had a falling out and are looking to Tulum, Mexico to reunite them and restore their friendship. The trip goes horribly wrong when one of the girls go missing and the other cannot remember what happened.

This is the first book I have read by these authors and while I enjoyed the twists and turns the execution of the ending fell flat for me. It is still worth the read if you like thriller type books, just don't expect to be wowed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Absolutely enthralling, gripping, emotional and haunting story about 3 woman and their broken, grief filled friendship. I could not put this book down! I was sucked in from page one and it kept my mind wrapped up until the end! So so good!

Who doesn't like a book about a girls' trip to Mexico? It has to to be a fun, relaxing time, right? Not really when you're 3 friends who all hold something against each other. Ashley, Lauren, and Natalie bring a lot of hard feelings, secrets, and emotions along with their bikinis to Mexico. Then they meet Marco and emotions run even higher. When someone goes missing, everyone becomes a suspect. This was a great book, although I found each of the main characters to be unlikable at times. Other than that, I'm super thankful to have gotten the opportunity to read and review this book and I will recommend it to friends.

"Girls' Night Out" was a page-turning mystery. I didn't know until the final pages what had happened and I really enjoyed reading a thriller that didn't have an easily guessed resolution. I enjoyed their previous book, "The Good Widow" but I feel like they knocked it out of the park with this one. Plus, it made me put Tulum, Mexico on my vacation wish list! Definitely recommend.

Ashley, Natalie and Lauren, three old college friends get together for a relaxing trip to Mexico to try to reconnect and remember the old days. Everything is a mess and then the last day of the trip Natalie wakes up alone on the beach and Ashley is missing. Lauren went home early and Natalie can’t remember anything, so they decide to get the authorities involved while trying to retrace their steps. We find out they’ve all been fighting among one another and you begin to wonder if the other two had anything to do with it.

I was interested right from the first few chapters, all these woman have their own problems that they seem to be hiding from one another. This book is full of drama and usually that would tire me out, but I actually loved it in this novel. I loved that the chapters go back and forth between the woman and from the past to the present time. I didn’t enjoy Ashley and it made it hard for me to feel bad for her most of the way through, but by the ending I did feel a bit bad for her. I loved that Natalie couldn’t remember what had gone on and that we still got Ashley’s perspective while she was missing from the time before she went missing.

There is so much tension in this novel and the authors leave each chapter so that you have to keep reading and know where Ashley has gone. I loved how much history and sites of Mexico were in the novel and it made it easier to visualize where they were in certain parts of the novel. I also love that as you keep reading, you see that each woman has played a large part in where they are now. I also liked that I found each character relatable in their own way and there were certain parts of the novel where I didn’t like any of them. Overall, I would definitely recommend this compelling novel as a great summer read!

Thank you NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Three friends with issues to resolve take a trip to Mexico to try to reconnect.

The issues seemed to compound rather than lessen. When one of the friends is missing the morning after a wild night of drinking, the tension between the two remaining friends continues and worsens as their fears mount.

GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT goes back and forth from past to present bringing with it a bit of confusion as to what is going on for the reader, but revealing that the friends have a lot of secrets they never told each other.

The book actually dragged on for me even though the secrets were interesting, but they were a bit too vague to bring anything to the story for me until around half way through the book when the reasons for the fights and the estrangements started to emerge.

The tension mounted even more when the police arrived, but up until that point, I didn’t think there was that much suspense.

GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT gives wonderful reasons for friendships to repair themselves and for women to support each other.

GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT was suspenseful because of the missing friend, but the majority of the book was about repairing friendships and revealing secrets.

Most of the secrets dealt with domestic abuse which is an excellent topic to get out in the open.

Another issue about being safe and making smart decisions when you are in a foreign country and with strangers was addressed. That is great advice and very frightening.

The tension in the last 20% of the book definitely picked up my interest and my opinion despite the slow read until then. So instead of a 3/5, I am changing my rating to a 4/5.

I received an Advanced Reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
3.5 stars so rounding up to 4 stars.
Once you get used to the back and forth of days and 3 characters perspectives, the beginning was strong. I read the last half of the book straight through just waiting for the big reveal you usually get with a thriller book that ended up being a small one, that was kinda disappointing. Would have liked more of a punch but that being said it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC. Wow-this book definitely had me on the edge of my seat. The whole time I was trying to figure out what had happened. 3 best friends come together for a trip to Mexico. Their final evening there, one of them goes missing. Highly recommend this book!

I'm not really sure where to begin with this review. For the record I've always really enjoyed all of the books by these two authors. I always find them surprisingly enjoyable, and I like that. I was super excited to find that I had received their newest book for review.
However, this book left me with more anger then anything. It took me a week to read it, which usually when I enjoy a book it takes me a day and a half. I dreaded reading this book!
At the very beginning it was very confusing between the three main characters. Their voice was the same, so it was hard to tell them apart. Even tho each chapter was titled with which character's head we were in, it was still confusing at first. They sounded like the same character.
Then the big reveal of why Lauren was mad at Ashley in the first place, has got to be one of the silliest things ever. Sure maybe in the moment, when things were fresh and emotions are everywhere, I can see why Lauren would feel the way she did towards Ashley and Ashley's responsibility with Lauren's husband. But after some healing and logic set in she could see how she totally over reacted and was just picking something to be angry about. I was telling my aunt about the book, and about the part where you find out why Lauren was mad, and she laughed. I suppose it could happen, but it just seemed like something petty to hold a long grudge over for a year.
And then Natalie and Ashley who are supposed to be BFF's forever, and they don't tell each other anything? Really? Girls, you are writing this novel and are best friends, really you don't tell each other everything? These two woman work together and have been best friends forever, they practically spend all their time together and nothing? Just because the words say "they were best friends forever, like sisters" doesn't make me as a reader believe it. I've been best friends with my bestie since Grade 7, and we tell each other everything serious going on in our lives, it's more the everyday things we don't say. But I would think, losing everything in your life is a major thing, and she wouldn't tell her best friend?
There was NOTHING in this book that made me believe the three of these girls were best friends. Or that Lauren and Ashley were best friends, or Natalie and Ashley were best friends. This book was completely how much they were NOT friends. Which made them very unlikable. I had no reason to feel for any of the characters or understand why they were best friends to begin with.
When describing Ashley, it was like she was so amazing and everyone wanted to be with her, but not explain why. What was so amazing about her that everyone wanted to be around her? Because having Natalie and Lauren as her friends is not the impression I got.
And Ashley for all her business sense seemed dumber then a brick. It made me so mad. The only part of the book I could maybe feel some emotion was she seemed to dump her friends, whom she begged to come on this trip with, to hang out with a guy name Marco to feel spiritual. But then the Natalie and Lauren going off about him every chapter was just was like, shut up already! It felt very high school like, from woman that were in their 40's. I'm not saying I can't have fun and act immature, but the fights were ridiculous.
Pretty much the whole entire book they were arguing. It was none stop arguing, every single chapter. Then you get to the end and it was like "I can't believe this happened to another person I love." Seriously WHAT??????
I have no idea why these girls were friends, but all I know is that they should not of been friends in the first place. And these girls are bickering non stop with each other, and then Ashley's husband shows up, and his whole situation with Ashley and they treat him as sweet as pie?
It was so far off from a thriller I can't even tell you. There has to be some changes made to this book. Less bickering with the girls, more back story of why these girls were besties in the first place. I should've been able to sympathize with at least one of these characters and pick a side, I just couldn't. I did not feel thrilled, or wonder what is going to happen, and the end....it just seemed like...well we don't know what the end should be so "meh" here ya go.
The idea is there, but it's missing to many elements to make the book a success. It would've been better if the girls had been friends and where just having a trip before they decided to sell their business, to celebrate. And it goes on about how much they loved each other. Maybe they were there for two weeks, and they do all these wonderful things together, maybe with the same guide. And you get to know about their friendship, and you love them all. Maybe along the way there is an argument of some sort. But the twist at the end reveals that maybe one of the friends is not who she has been pretending to be. I don't know, I'm not a writer, but I am a reader, and unfortunately this book was not what I had hoped for.
Thank you for the chance to read your book.

Girls' Night Out by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke Book Review
I strongly feel expectations can make or break a read. I don't know why, but I expected Girls' Night Out to be a fun, frolicking ride to Mexico with some petty drama between old friends, and, I was ready for it!

Dark, Twisted & Deep Wounds
I guess I should have read the summary because Girls' Night Out is not what I consider "fun". Girls' Night Out dives head first into the often convoluted world of female friendships. Ashley, Natalie & Lauren have some serious issues; money, business decisions, deceased spouses, hurt feelings, etc.

The three women travel to Tulum, Mexico & surely a little bit of sunshine, sand & tequila can help them heal. They get past their initial tension & are making headway until Ashley is gone. She's a little wild, but after a few hours pass, things are not looking good. Too bad Natalie woke up on the beach & her memory of the previous evening is completely gone. In a hungover haze, Natalie & Lauren do their best to put on their detective hats & get moving. They have to find out what happened to Ashley.

THE VERDICT
I am Into This book. These women have some serious drama & the tone of the book is much darker than I was ready for. While The Good Widow is perfect for a warm day at the beach, get your serious pants on for Girls' Night Out. Lisa & Liz are two of my favorites. They have a talent for writing REAL women & Girls' Night Out is no different.

Special thanks to Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, Great Thoughts Great Readers & Lake Union Publishing for providing our copy.

I had loved The Good Widow last summer, so I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately the characters just fell flat for me. They were too similar...similar names, similar marriages, similar kids...I found myself getting confused. I don't need likable characters, but these definitely weren't that anyway. They were privileged and a little petty. I didn't mind the ending, but the overall narrative was just non-believable.

I always enjoy learning something new when I read, and the parts of the book that feature descriptions of Tulum, and especially Chichen Itza, were very interesting to me. Kudos to the authors for being able to convey the mysticism of this ancient setting so well. Unfortunately, I found the story being told from three points of view with constant flipping forward and back in time to hamper the flow, ruining the build-up of suspense I expect in a psychological thriller. I found myself constantly having to stop and figure out which woman was speaking as they were so similar, even down to the causes of their marital problems. Also, I found it implausible that two smart, savvy women who could build a business that a company like Revlon would want to buy would fall for such an obvious con-man as Marco. Too many of their actions based on their interactions with him did not ring true for me. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest opinion.

Girls’ Night Out is the story of three friends who travel to Mexico together in an effort to repair their friendship, which has become broken and fragile after years of being close friends. During their trip, one of the women goes missing. This story is told through the viewpoints of the three main characters, and vacillates between present and past tense. Despite the multiple viewpoints and changes between the past and present, this story was an enjoyable read that was not compromised due to these elements.

I enjoyed the mystery and questions that were woven throughout the story, intermixed with the complicated relationships and hidden secrets held by each character. Girls’ Night Out kept me guessing till the last page. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good suspense book. I think this would be a great book to read on vacation or if you’re like me and dreaming of being on vacation, you’ll certainly enjoy all of the imagery presented about the Mexican vacation in the story.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Ashley, Natalie, and Lauren have been friends for over 20 years. Natalie and Ashley own a thriving company that Revlon now wants to purchase and it has created tension between the two because Natalie wants to sell and Ashley doesn't. Lauren hasn't been a part of their lives since her husband died of a massive heart attack a year ago and stopped speaking to them because of a heated argument between Lauren and Ashley after the funeral.
Ashley, feeling the loss of her two best friends, arranges a week long getaway in Tulum, Mexico to work on their issues and repair their relationships.
The book opens with Natalie waking up on the hotel's beach in wet clothing after a night out. She has no idea how she got there and hurries to the room she's sharing with Ashley but Ashley's nowhere to be found. Realizing Lauren hasn't seen her either, the women begin a search for their friend. The book alternates timelines to cover their week in Tulum (before / the night of / after the disappearance) from the perspective of the three main characters.
The news is soon leaked to the press that Ashley (a sort-of celebrity thanks to the business she co-owns) is missing and the police are called in. Natalie is under suspicion because she can't remember a single thing about the night of her friend's disappearance and the police learn of the tension between them over their business disagreement that could be a motive.
All three women were hiding a major secret about their lives that they didn't want to share with each other and their strained friendships were further put to the test soon after their arrival when Ashley began flirting with a local named Marco who decided to act as their tour guide for the week.
Natalie and Lauren knew that Ashley's marriage was on the rocks but cautioned her against the dangerous flirtation and explained they only agreed to go on the vacation to spend time together and didn't want this random guy around.
The morning after the disappearance, Natalie and Lauren find that Marco has cleared out his apartment and is nowhere to be found. Did he hurt Ashley? Or did she leave willingly because of the issues in her personal life?
The actions of the characters were unbelievable for me; they read more like immature girls with no common sense rather than the intelligent women raising daughters of their own they are described as being. The reasons given for each friendship being strained were written as if they were insurmountable issues and each woman was just completely stubborn and unwilling to forgive. Girls' Night Out wasn't the "chilling novel of psychological suspense" it was described as at all, just a mystery, and one that unfortunately didn't grab my attention. I'm sure this will be a big beach read for summer 2018 but I'm disappointed in the predictable plot and the anticlimactic ending.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Right in the beginning we have the basis for the mystery – a missing friend on a Yucatan peninsula vacation with 2 girl friends. Then we have background. Then we have description. Then we have side bars. More description – more background – arguments and disagreements from the past – more talk about who hurt whose feelings – more descriptions of how hair was fixed or what color eyes are or who’s sleeping with whom. After about 100 pages we never got back to the actual story line. I found myself not only skipping passages, but whole pages trying to find the plot. I gave up.

Sorry. Total boredom.

I thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publisher for an ARC of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC of “Girls’ Night Out” by Liz Felton and Lisa Steinke.

This book began with a lot of promise: 3 friends from college hoping to reconnect in Mexico, until one goes missing.
The problem that I had with this book is the skipping back and forth in time with each character made it extremely hard to follow. Also, the 40 year old women in the story were catty and unlikeable.

I really wanted to like this story, but it just didn’t connect.

All three women in this story had “real” lives but seemed so very immature. Each was focused on her own needs and wants rather than appreciating their blessings. Despite being friends for decades, they each held resentment and anger toward the others for various reasons. It was difficult to like any of them, actually. That set the perfect stage for a drama-filled, tense story. It was suspenseful and mysterious.

The story’s format was unusual. The story was told from each character’s viewpoint, and it also alternated between timelines. That made it confusing to keep up at times, but it also helped to portray the different perspectives of each situation. The characters seemed to refuse common sense at every turn. I don’t think I could have been friends with these women for 20 years! I have, however, traveled with my friends before, and it can test the boundaries of the relationship.

This book started off so strong. It was easy to follow and well written and each character (Natalie, Ashley and Lauren) had specific character traits and secrets. I understand the whole keeping secrets from best friends. There are times when you are either embarassed, or don't want to make it real, but as I learned, your best friends love you no matter what. At the end of the day, this was a story about friendship. The thriller part took a back seat in my mind. This dealt with friendships that had been through a lot and how they can or can't be repaired.
Now let's get to the thriller. If you are looking at this book as a thriller, then you will be disappointed by the end. It will be a HUGE let down. They make it painfully obvious that they want you to think this one person is the one who did it.
However, if you look at this as book about friendship (which I did) then the ending makes complete sense and isn't as much as a huge let down. All in all I enjoyed this book .

Girls’ Night Out is the second suspense/mystery novel by duo Lisa Fenton and Lisa Steinke. Years ago, before I reviewed every book, I read Your Perfect Life, one of their chick-lit, light, easy reads – and enjoyed it quite a bit. I think they work better in that genre as right now the thriller/suspense genre is a dime a dozen, and they all start to blend together. Now, a suspense book has to be a nail biter with believable yet shocking twists This book doesn’t stand up well to the competition but it does offer an engaging plot about three longtime friends.

The authors were able to create a palpable tension between the three women that most female readers could relate to. Three is always a crowd no matter what anyone says and at times, each one of woman felt left out. The mystery of where Ashley disappeared to didn’t frighten me as much as it should have as the character was developed as impulsive.

How each woman dealt with fear, marriage, parenthood, lies, trust and desire to reestablish their friendships is what kept the book moving.

After the details of Tulum, I’m so glad I’m not planning on going back to Mexico soon. The timeliness of this book, with so many stories of tourists dying and getting sick, works to their benefit. I hope move back to their roots with light reads about women and friendships.