Girls' Night Out by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Title: Girls' Night Out 

Author: Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Release Date: July 24, 2018 

For estranged friends Ashley, Natalie, and Lauren, it’s time to heal the old wounds between them. Where better to repair those severed ties than on a girls’ getaway to the beautiful paradise of Tulum, Mexico? But even after they’re reunited, no one is being completely honest about the past or the secrets they’re hiding. When Ashley disappears on their girls’ night out, Natalie and Lauren have to try to piece together their hazy memories to figure out what could have happened to her, while also reconciling their feelings of guilt over their last moments together.

Was Ashley with the man she’d met only days before? Did she pack up and leave? Was she kidnapped? Or worse—could Natalie or Lauren have snapped under the weight of her own lies?

As the clock ticks, hour by hour, Natalie and Lauren’s search rushes headlong into growing suspicion and dread. Maybe their secrets run deeper and more dangerous than one of them is willing—or too afraid—to admit.

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I couldn't say no to the Girls' Night Out by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke since I enjoyed so very much the Year We Turned Forty. Sadly, I can't say the same thing about this novel. 

Where to begin? 

Well, I couldn't sympathize with any of the three women. The reason why their friendship was so dysfunctional was that they truly weren't real friends to each other. As women in their forties, their behavior was selfish, petty and childish. Talk about a letdown! 

What's the story about?

Three women who have been friends since college go on a vacation to Tulum, Mexico in order to reconnect. Ashley is the one who invites both. A year ago, Ashley and Lauren had a falling out and Ashley thinks this vacation can repair their friendship. 

Looking from the outside, Ashley's life is perfect. She lives in a huge home, has a great husband and two beautiful daughters. Her company is a success and recently Revlon has offered to buy it from her. She's a go-getter. People gravitate towards her. It has always been this way and the other two women resent her for it. Yet, Ashley is keeping secrets from her two best friends.

Lauren has had a tough year. After her fight with Ashley, her life has been full of dark times. There are several things she won't admit about herself. When she's invited to Mexico, she's ambivalent about her decision to go. She wants to forgive and forget what tore their friendship apart but she also wants to punish Ashley at the same time.

Natalie is Ashley's business partner. She came up with the idea of the BlowBrush. Yet, it was Ashley who did all the marketing. Ashley was the one who made their company BloMe a success. Natalie holds a grudge about it even though her family has benefitted from all of their success. Natalie wants to sell the company to Revlon. She won't confide in Ashley why she wants to sell it but she accepts the invitation in hopes to convince Ashley to sell.

Why didn't this book work for me?

I was disappointed with the main reason Lauren was mad at Ashley. It made no sense to me. If anything, she should've been grateful. She needed to put the blame on the right person, not project it.

Natalie was anything but sweet. She has resented Ashley for all these years. She was always fighting for Ashley's attention and didn't want Lauren to have it.

Ashley was supposed to be the worst of the three but if anything she has been there for both of them when they needed it, although she could be very manipulative, self-centered and narcissistic. 

The ending was a fiasco. After all the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Ashley, it felt like a copout.

Girls' Night Out is told from three points of view and with scenes from a few days before and after Ashley's disappearance.

I didn't enjoy it but it doesn't mean you won't. Take this review as my opinion. Believe this, no one is more upset this didn't work for me than this reader.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for my early copy of the Girls' Night Out in exchange for an honest review.

Cliffhanger: No

2/5 Fangs