Release date: February 3, 2026
Publisher: Poisoned Pen
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Synopsis:
Sisters? Forever. Friends? NEVER. Who knew a reunion weekend could be so deadly?
Meet the sorority sisters of Theta Gamma
Roxy Callahan Gentry, the ruthless former sorority president and current hostess who has painstakingly choreographed every detail of this weekend—even matching the cocktails to her couture—to prove that she remains their undisputed queenAmelia Dell, the widow drenched in old money and alcohol, with her big pot-stirring spoon and uninvited boy-toy in towJamie Vale, the double-legacy pledge, straight-A student with no sparkle, now a top cardiologist with a picture-perfect family—and a well-guarded bad habitBeth Harrison, the scholarship student who never quite fit in and was only admitted because her best friend Sunny insisted that the two were a package dealSunny Spencer, the carefree and beloved friend to all, or so it seemed—until she wasn’tThey’ve been summoned to Roxy’s luxurious Palm Springs vacation home to celebrate the engagement of her son to Beth’s daughter. But the refurbished 1920s estate is eerily reminiscent of the hotel where tragedy struck during Spring Break twenty-five years ago. Long-simmering tensions and shocking secrets begin bubbling to the surface like bodies—because while the weekend was supposed to be about celebrating the future, it’s not so easy to bury the past…
For fans of Shari Lapena, Mary Kubica, and B. A. Paris, We Were Never Friends is an unputdownable, riveting train wreck full of dark humor and bad behavior.
Review:
I usually have a great time with Kaira Rouda’s brand of glossy, over the top domestic thrillers, so I went into We Were Never Friends expecting campy chaos and deliciously unlikable women. While the setup has all the right ingredients — a luxe Palm Springs estate, a sorority reunion, long buried secrets, and a locked room style mystery — the execution didn’t quite land for me. The story is undeniably fast paced and dramatic, and it keeps the pages turning, but much of the tension felt manufactured rather than earned.
The biggest issue was the lack of depth across the multiple POVs. With so many catty, antagonistic women sharing the spotlight, it became difficult to distinguish their voices or motivations in a meaningful way. I don’t need characters to be likable , I love a “love to hate them” cast, but these characters weren’t particularly fun to dislike, just frustrating. Add in some noticeable plot holes and increasingly silly twists, and the story veered into ridiculous territory instead of leaning into sharp satire or dark humor. This may still work for readers who want pure, soap opera level drama with zero downtime, but for me, it fell short of what I usually enjoy from this author.
Overall rating: 3/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
Novelgossip 