I didn't connect with this book at all since I found the plot unbelievable and predictable at the same time. I didn't relate to the characters or their lives ... just didn't do it for me.

Unfortunately I'm struggling to find anything I really liked about this book. The plot was relatively obvious from the first couple of chapters, the switched perspectives and parallel narratives of the two parties took me a while to get my head around, none of the characters were particularly likeable/relatable, and ultimately this just fell short for me. I basically only finished it to confirm what I thought I already knew.

At its core, this is very much a story about the toxicity of codependency.
The real intriguing in this one is the various relationships, particularly that of Lena and Ava. They have an unusual and smothering relationship, which Ava wants to break away from while Lena wants to continually cling to it. This showcases the difficulty in setting boundaries in an unhealthy codependent relationship.
Escapism is another running theme in this book. In Lena's case, pretending things aren't happening and hoping they will go away. In Ava's case, running away from problems and from the past and believing those things won't follow her. It stands to show how disillusioned our main characters really are.

As for the mystery at its center, it was bit of slow burn which I didn't mind. If you read these types of book often, you will figure it out fairly quickly, however, that didn't deter my enjoyment of the book. I enjoyed how things were slowly unraveled and came together in the end. Overall, I found the ending to be a satisfying one that continued the ongoing theme of codependency and escapism presented throughout the rest of the novel.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Leaving Party" is the story of Ava and Lena, best friends since they were young, and inseparable as adults. Until now: Ava is leaving to live in New York with her boyfriend, Ben, and Lena doesn't know what she's going to do without her. She can't let her best friend go without a send-off, so she arranges a surprise party in Ava's honour. But Ava may not be the only surprised by the party, and maybe Lena will have to say goodbye to more than just her friend...

The story zigzags between two timelines - a party attended by the two girls thirteen years before, and the titular leaving party set in the present day. At the former, we are aware that something terrible and tragic occurred, which is gradually revealed in flashbacks; at the former, things start unravelling for Ava as it appears someone is trying to sabotage her move to America. 

I enjoyed both storylines, and the author does a great job of slowly increasing the tension. There are plenty of twists and turns, and I genuinely couldn't decide who was responsible for Ava's misfortunes. I enjoyed trying to unpick the final twist, and also watching the friendship of Lena and Ava both form and unravel. 

A tense, well-paced thriller with some real surprises. I look forward to reading more from this author. 

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an intense read, I was captivated from the start. This book goes back and forth from what happened at the party back in 2005 when Ava and Lena were teenagers, to present-day at Ava’s leaving party, and Ava and Lena’s POV.
Ava is about to leave the country to live with her fiancé Ben, Ava and Lena have been inseparable since they were teens, and more so after events in 2005 when Lena saved Ava’s life, Lena wants to throw a leaving party that will be remembered, planning every last detail. But strange things happen during the party, black roses appearing, who is sending them? Everyone is under suspicion.
All of the time I was reading it I suspected one person, it had to be them surely, oh how wrong I was. It was full of twists and turns not just in the present but in the past too.
This is the first book I have read by Lesley Sanderson but wow, she wrote this so well and it flowed smoothly, I will be looking out for more of her books.

Ava is going to join Ben in New York. Her best friend Lena has organised a leaving party for her in the house they share. But what begins as a straightforward farewell attended by friends and work colleagues quickly descends into a nightmare for Ava.

The bulk of this story takes place during the party held in the house shared by Ava and Lena. In between there are glimpses of the girls' lives 15 years back and a tragic accident which has affected both of them. Each year on the anniversary of the accident Ava has received a black rose. She has no idea who is sending them, but feels they mean her harm. Tonight, as she looks forward to her new life with Ben in America, another rose arrives. As the guests join her Ava begins to analyse each of them, wondering if they could be behind the tormenting symbol she has received for the last 13 years. Could one of her close friends or work colleague want to do her harm? And if so, why?
Told from Ava and Lena's perspective this story is cleverly written so the deeper you get into it, the more suspects there are to choose from. Everyone, it appears, has a motive.

Highly recommended.

~This ARC has been gently provided in exchange for an honest review~

The story is mainly told by Ava and her best friend Lena. First of all, we know that it has been an accident. A woman has been hit by a car and it seems like she's dead.

Most of the story happens at the leaving party Lena has organised for Ava, who is going to the USA -in a couple of days- to live with her fiancé. Therefore, she should be happy, but someone has been reminding her a terrible accident that happened 13 years ago. A black rose has been sent to her all those years on the anniversary of the accident. It seems like someone is trying to take revenge. Her leaving party was supposed to be a moment to share with her friends, to spend one of her last days in the country with them and have a good time, but it turns out quite the opposite.

In summary, the leaving party is a twisty story about revenge and an obsessive friendship.

This is told from the perspective of two best friends who have been inseparable for years. During a leaving part for Ava mysterious events start taking place. This is a fantastic book which will grip you and keep you guessing from the very beginning.
There are secrets, obsession, manipulation, lies and revenge, the plot will keep you hooked. I really like that the chapters are short and snappy, it has made this a read which is impossible to put down.
There is nothing negative I can say about this book, it has been a fantastic read which I devoured in a matter of hours. My first read by this author which is definitely five stars worthy. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

This was a slog for me. It's a story of two best friends told from alternating points of views and going back and forth between 2005 and present-day.

- Ava and Lena are best friends and roommates. Lena is throwing a leaving party for Ava who is moving to the United States from London to live with her boyfriend. The first thing I disliked about this book were the two main characters. Ava was a weak, codependent, whiny woman and Lena was just as unlikable for the opposite reasons.

- The writing style was not my taste. It read like a bad YA novel. Lots of repetition and melodrama going on. These women were suppose to be adult women but they sure didn't act like it. It did go back and forth in time to when they were in high school to the present, but it all felt like high school.

_ The thriller part was very predictable and I figured it out so early on that I really struggled with the rest of the book. I didn't find there to be any twist and turns. I will give it credit for being a fast read thankfully.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the book in exchange for an honest opinion. I'm giving this a 2

Thank you to Lesley, Bookouture, and Netgalley for an advanced copy of The Leaving Party.

The Leaving Party is a multi-POV thriller featuring flashbacks to the past. Lena and Ava have been inseparable forever, mainly because of a terrifying incident they experienced together as kids. When Ava decides to leave England to join her fiance in New York for a brand new life, Lena throws her a leaving party that no one will forget.

The story itself wasn't mindblowingly original, however it was a nice break from the run of domestic thrillers I've been into lately. I always enjoy a good 'secret from the past' plot and secrets involving friends gets me hooked as well.
The characters were neither lovable or dislikable. I didn't necessarily care for Ava or Lena, nor the supporting cast but it didn't deter me from enjoying the story. I found both main characters to be somewhat self-absorbed and only interested in their own gains.
The twists were okay. I didn't see the entire thing coming and there were a couple of misleads that I fell for. The main twist however I did kind of figure out. I knew the party/parties involved to a degree. That doesn't make me dislike a book (I actually get really excited when I figure it out ahead of time!) but I know a lot of people don't enjoy when they can guess.
Overall, a quick engrossing read.

I loved the first quarter of this book but as it progressed I struggled to keep on top of the narrative. I wasn't always sure who's chapter I was reading and sadly was disappointed by the ending. However I did really enjoy the pace of the storyline.

This was a fun and quick read. Ava and Lena's friendship was interesting to read about. The flashbacks were good. My favorite part is that most of the book happens in one night.

Oh my goodness -I think I need therapy after this book has drawn me in , chewed me up and spat me out! What a dark , bewitching psychological thriller this is. The Leaving Party is the culmination of 13 years of mental torment inflicted upon Ava, black roses arriving each year on the anniversary of the death of a young girl , killed in a car accident caused as she swerved to avoid a drunken Ava lurching into the road in front of her. Ava' s life was saved that night by her close friend , Lena , who now shares her flat and her life . The girls have been inseparable since that awful night-Ava' s parents even had her live with them as part of their family, partly in gratitude for saving their daughter's life and partly out of guilt for previously distrusting her and considering her a bad influence. The Leaving Party is supposed to be a farewell for Ava as she embarks on a new life in America ,with her fiancee ,Ben but despite throwing the party in her honour, Lena does all she can to persuade her friend to stay . However , events spiral out of control at the party and nothing is as it seems. Who is tormenting Ava ? Are they at the party? I guarantee you won't be able to put this book down until you get the answers- and they won't be what you are expecting! A thoroughly engaging read which I highly recommend

Thank you to Netgalley & Bookouture for my advanced copy.
Chilling and suspenseful, with excellent characters and a perfect pace. I will be looking for more books by Lesley Sanderson.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In "The Leaving Party", Lesley Sanderson has written a compelling thriller with a palpable sense of tension and menace. This is very much an edge-of-your-seat novel which will either leave you holding your breath or with a temporary nervous twitch.... waiting and waiting for the inevitable explosion that ties present events with past ones. Sanderson proves masterful not only with her tautly constructed plot, but in the subtle ways she ratchets up the sense of suspense... bit by bit. Switching between events of 2005 and the present day, Sanderson paints a convincing picture of the tangled interplay of human relations that are both complex and twisted; where a façade of humanity hides the darkness that lurks just beneath the surface. The moral of the story? Well, that's easy. Be carefully who you trust. Not everything is as it seems.

A real page-turner.

Ava and Lena have been best of friends and inseparable for years, especially after a significant moment 13 years ago.

Now Lena has organised a surprise leaving party for Ava, before Ava flies to New York to start her new life.

However I had the feeling very early on that something wasn't quite as it seems, and as the evening of this party progresses, things go from strange to creepy, and I'm trying to puzzle out just how it will all turn out.

At the same time we get snippets of what happened at a party 13 years ago that changed their lives forever.

There was an overwhelming feeling of dread and creepiness, all triggered by some black roses, and I do love a book that makes you feel uneasy as you read it.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I was incredibly impressed by the storytelling and how it made me feel. I found it to be a very quick and compelling story that I read in a couple of very short hours poolside, unable to tear myself away for any reason.

A gripping and enchanting story that may make you think twice at how well you know the people you are closest too.

Thank you to Bookouture on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Ava is moving to the states to be with her long-time boyfriend, Ben, and her best friend, Lena, has set up an evening full of surprises for her leaving party. Neither of them expects the night to be anything like the party thirteen years ago that left them with both physical and emotional scars. But someone, presumably the same person who has been sending Ava a single black rose every year on the anniversary of that party, is determined to make sure that Ava never forgets. This was a quick read about the secrets we keep from those closest to us. Ava's mounting anxiety was so well written, I found myself biting my nails as I raced toward the ending!

This was a solid read that alternated between events in the past and events in the present. Ava is moving and gets a black rose at her going away party, and she is alarmed based on events in her past. This book has a cast of shady characters at this party. I found the parts explaining the relationship between Ava and Lena interesting. This book is definitely a page-turner.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy.

This was a really thrilling ride! Throughout the whole book the reader is kept guessing for the reason of the sudden move and the hidden reason behind the black roses. It was well written and worth your time and effort. Recommended.

I love this authors work her story s always addictive . Ava is going to America to be with Ben so her flatmate and very close friend Lena . and Lena throws a surprise party for her but they have a past together that Ava does not want Ben to find out .Ava has not seen her sister Martha for a very long time and things start to fall in place not saying no more is about loyalty obsession I so recommend