The phrase, I was glad I didn't have a middle school student, was so true for me. Wow, crazy ride of navigating parenting, through both of their eyes, parent and child. Couldn't put the book down because I cared enough about what was going to happen next!

This was a wild ride and I loved it! There were so many layers to these characters and the storyline. Not a typical thriller. I would definitely recommend this book….with a few trigger warnings provided. So entertaining, yet covered some hard issues. A great read!!

This was a stunning debut novel that covered an amazing amount of ground, and written in a way that didn’t minimize the complex issues involved.

From the first scene I was gripped, simultaneously feeling awful for what is unfolding, and needing to know the details.
The dual POVs provided an enjoyable experience being able to see the same occurrences from both characters eyes and the storylines were woven well together.
The main character was relatable and written in a way that made her likable despite her flaws and the author did an outstanding job writing all the characters in a way that evoked emotion from their actions as if you were on the receiving end of them.

This absolutely wasn’t an edge of your seat, up all night thriller, rather a poignant depiction of contemporary family dysfunction and the reality of school life today.

Thank you to Bella Ellwood-Clayton, NetGalley, and Post Hill Press for this ARC!
Publication date 11/7/23

I read this book in a day and I never looked back! The twist and the plot were pretty easy to identify but the different POV's kept me intrigued to see how everything was going to unfold. A couple of the characters were so unlikable that it made it hard to feel bad or connect with them in any way. I do wish that the ending would've given a little more, I wanted to know how the characters dealt with the aftermath.


*I received a copy of this eARC via NetGalley*

Thank you NetGalley, Post Hill Press and Bella Ellwood-Clayton for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Wow! Weekend Friends is a rollercoster or deep dark twists and turns right from the beginning. I was hooked right from the prologue.

As the story unfold we follow the complex mother daughter relationship, filled with emotion, dark secrets and school dynamics.

This story hits on so many different levels, with teenage issues, deception and lots of secrets. These unpredictable twist will draw you in, keep you hooked as we follow the mother daughter issues and the complex life of middle school!

Trigger Warnings
-Bullying
-Loss
-Mental Health

Thanks to Netgalley and Bella Ellwood-Clayton for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This was not what I expected at all. I thought I was in for a basic thriller with a bit of spice. There was nothing basic about Weekend Friends. I couldn't put it down, it hooked me from the start and didn't let go. I finished it in less than a day.

I loved Bec and Willow, their relationship was complex and interesting. Not all the characters were likeable, but they were all entertaining.
The chemistry between Bec and Brady was sizzling.

Weekend Friends was very well written and touched on some serious issues, which I thought were dealt with well.
It was a family drama/romance/suspense all rolled into one. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'll definitely be interested in more from this author.

5 Stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a hard one for me to rate, so I finally settled on three stars because that’s how I personally felt after reading it, but that in no way reflects on this authors ability to write.
This author has a great future in writing, and I enjoy her style of writing, and her weaving of the storyline.
The content of the storyline were just not for me, even though I thought they would be.
I thought it would be more of a lighthearted romp through the trials and tribulations of a mother and daughter finding their way on a new adventure in a new place with new people, etc.
It went a little bit too deep for me, so if you are into wanting to read about the nitty-gritty feels of life’s hardships then this book would be for you, for sure.
So I would say well done to the author, because I think her intention came through in the story, it just wasn’t my favourite story to read.
With this being a debut novel, I think that I am going to look forward to reading more from this author, even though this story in particular wasn’t for me.
Thank you to author Bella Ellwood-Clayton, NetGalley and Post Hill Press for the opportunity to read this book before the publication date.
Charlene @lastnownext 🌸📚🤗

📚: Weekend Friends by Bella Ellwood-Clayton (@bellaellwoodclayton)
⭐️: 4/5

Middle school is like the Hunger Games, especially for 12 year old Willow. Fresh from a move from Alaska to Boca Raton, Willow finds herself battling for a spot in the popular clique. Desperately craving acceptance in her new life, she finds herself surrounded by controlling bullies. 

Parenting a middle schooler is like a battle zone, especially for Willow's mom, Rebecca. After losing her husband to cancer, her fresh start in Boca is less than smooth with her own frenemies, an unexpected new relationship with the head of school, and secrets that are destined to come out. 

Reminiscent of Mean Girls, but with a far darker tone, I absolutely devoured this book, #inonesitting, last night. A look at tween - and parenting a tween life - today, this book takes on that awkward, vulnerable, and traumatic time as an almost-teenager and the sometimes-tragic results. As a girl mom of a toddler, I'll be living through parenting this era of life in a decade. With that in mind, this contemporary fiction read had shades of horror to it for me. (Tween moms, how do you do it?) 

Minus one star for a very tied-up conclusion after so much angst, tragedy, and drama. Life never cleans up that easily, that quickly, does it?

Big thanks to Post Hill Press via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Weekend Friends is out this upcoming Tuesday, 11/7!

After a tragedy, Rebecca and her almost teen daughter, Willow, move back to Florida. Willow must deal with the mean girls at school but Rebecca isn’t free from the drama that is middle school.

for some reason, I was expecting this to be more thriller-y than it was. I think the twists and turns made me think it would be suspenseful but I didn’t really get that feeling. Maybe someone who goes in without that expectation will enjoy it more!

After the death of her husband, Rebecca and her daughter, Willow, re-locate to Florida for a chance to start over. They are both swept up into the "it" group of moms and daughters at their prestigious private school. Bullying and other trigger warning worthy topics ensure that Rebecca and Willow end up on the outside looking in.

The author did a remarkable job of making the mother-daughter relationship between Rebecca and Willow very authentic. The bullying and general mean girl behavior between a group of 12-year-old girls was absolutely awful and very hard to read. There was also a plot line included where Rebecca thinks she's being followed, which added a some suspense, but it didn't do anything to advance the plot and I could have done without it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Post Hilton Press for an advanced copy of this book.

WOW! This book was a hell of a ride. The first chapter instantly grabbed me with that dark, intriguing opening image. Poor Theo. :-( The mysteries sparked by that first scene kept the pages turning well past bedtime. As things progressed, I found myself wondering if I was rooting for the right character or if they’d turn out to be a baddie - I LOVE when authors can keep me guessing. If you are or have ever parented a tween (or had an obnoxious mother-in-law), you will definitely relate to the struggles, heartbreaks, and sweet moments in this book.

I loved the romance in this story. The school mom and school principal dynamic was fun to read. I love the banter and chemistry between them.

Weekend Friends fits within the mould of Big Little Lies; It’s garishly suburban with a dark twist. Ellwood-Clayton is expert at unravelling the psyche of a mother—of our own mothers.

This was an enjoyable read, but one that I don’t think will linger long in my memory.

This had a bit of the rich mom angle, academia, hot principal, forbidden relationships, but it just never got going for me. It felt a bit slow and stalled.

Thank you to NetGalley & Post Hill Press for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I went into this book with high expectations because the synopsis sounded so good. Middle schoolers gone wild in a girl clique, and their Moms running equally as wild in their friend group, sign me up.

Sadly, this book totally missed the mark for me. It was a tedious read, and each chapter felt like absolutely nothing happened. The action did start to pick up around 80% but at this point I was so over this story, I didn’t even care how it ended. While the topics covered in this book are important and serious, the delivery of it all felt like a cheap and quickly put together Lifetime movie.

Rebecca and her daughter Willow, move from Alaska to Boca Raton FL after the death of Papa (Rebecca’s husband and Willows Dad). As soon as they arrive she enrolls Willow into a prestigious private school, Aqua Vistas. At school Rebecca bumps into her friend from childhood, Odelle. Odelle vows to show her around, and invites her to become friends with her Mom group. At the same time Willow begins hanging around with their daughters, but it isn’t that simple. Bullying is running rampant through the group of girls and time after time Willow is left out, treated cruelly, and laughed at. To make matters worse, Rebecca also begins secretly dating the head of school Mr. Brady. There are several plots going on at the same time, and the end of the book does deliver answers for all of them, but that’s about it.

If I were you, I’d skip this book. Also a heavy trigger warning needs to be included for: bullying, suicide, assisted suicide, and child sexual abuse.

I love these books about those rich suburban moms and their bratty kids, and this one certainly didn't disappoint! Good mother-daughter stuff, steamy forbidden relationships, gossip.... this would make a great limited series on a streaming service!!!

The complexity of late childhood friendships are explored well - the shifting power dynamics between the girls was really intriguing, although concerning/odd that there had been no parental intervention before?
The relationship between the narrator and teacher was not particularly interesting - the (many) sex scenes were also incredibly unsexy. I found myself wanting to skip through any scenes when it was just the two of them together! I think this sub plot could easily have been dropped without the book losing anything.
One minor point - would Never Been Kissed be a cultural reference point for eleven year olds today?

I really enjoyed this book. The author manages to explore serious issues in a way that is insightful, fun, and surprising. I was fascinated by how the author explored females friendships at the tween level and the adult level. These relationships are so complex - deep and intense - and I found myself completely caught up in the story and the complex dynamics. There are huge lows in the book - then comedic moments, and a hot romance. All bases covered. And many twists. At the same time, it was a fun, pacy read with lots of twists.

It’s a great take on a true dynamic of the ways girls behave these days. It’s a gripping read. Loved it!

I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down and stayed up way too late. Tween dramas impacting drama between moms. Dealt with serious issues but was also very entertaining. Highly recommend