"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 queen Amelia Dell, the widow drenched in old money and alcohol, with her big pot-stirring spoon and uninvited boy-toy in tow. Jamie 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 habit. Beth 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 deal. Sunny Spencer, the carefree and beloved friend to all, or so it seemed—until she wasn't. They'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…"
What Worked for Me:
The frenemies vibes were fantastic and I loved that this was multi-POV so we got to see how the different characters really felt about each other - both in the past and the current day. There is some great moments of tension where characters have to choose if they want to confront someone or stay quiet and keep the peace. There are so many 'unspoken' moments where the characters allude to something or make a small comment that doesn't mean much unless you are in the know.
The isolated setting really helped ramp up the tension combined with the fact that it brought back memories for all of our characters. I really think Rouda captured the desert's dangerous beauty perfectly and then when the danger starts ramping up in the third act, we really see the desert come to life. Snowy settings seem to be the go-to for isolating characters, but I really enjoyed seeing that dynamic but in a warmer setting.
What Didn't Work for Me:
My biggest gripe with the story is a little hard to explain without spoilers, but there is an alternate universe where this book is much more of a psychological thriller that I think I would have enjoyed more. This could have been achieved by leaving some details about what happened in the past more vague - then the parts of the story that were related to those past details would be a little more up to interpretation and maybe we could have seen different ideas of what happened in the past from the different POVs. As it currently reads, anytime there was even a hint of something mysterious in regards to past evens, all of the characters pretty much immediately dismiss it as being impossible because the events of the past aren't in question - all the characters know the final outcome.
This might fall under a 'me' problem, but I didn't really understand the pull to get together after so many years of being apart. It didn't really seem like the sorority sisters stayed in touch very much, if at all, but they still all showed up. I think the character motivation was a little underdeveloped for my taste because as the narrative progressed, I just kept thinking "why did they show up at all?" I liked the frenemies vibes, but I think they could have been even more pronounced if we had an idea of how involved they all were in each others lives still. I wasn't in a sorority, so maybe I'm just not fully understanding the dynamic at play here.
Overall, this was a fine read. It didn't have as much tension or psychological elements as I was expecting, but I still enjoyed the frenemies aspect.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. Expected publication date is February 3, 2026.
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