Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay Genres: Adult, Mystery/Thriller
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on May 6, 2025
Format: Audio/eBook (320 pages) • Source: Libby
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AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
From the bestselling author of If Something Happens to Me, comes one of the year’s most anticipated thrillers.
In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families gather over dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up to dinner.At first, everyone thinks they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours tick by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.
Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths soon call them—come from very different families. What drew them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril—or a threat to the friend group from within?
Told from each family’s point of view—and marking the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift—Parents Weekend explores the weight of expectation, family dysfunction, and those exhilarating first days in the dorms when friends become family.
I’ve had books by Alex Finlay on my TBR for a long time – I don’t know why this one is the one I finally read but I think it maybe gave me a good sense for his writing and overall style. I’m definitely interested in reading more books by him now! This was good.
The story follows a parents weekend at a college in California. Five students (of parents attending the weekend) go missing and a newly relocated FBI agent, Keller (I guess she’s from some of his other books), is on the case. Many of them are rich and powerful so there are theories about why these kids were taken, by who, how, and – most important – where they are.
A few things kinda bugged me (lots of red herrings and plot points that didn’t do anything) but overall I liked the format and writing. I did predict whodunnit. The more middling reviews I read, the more I think I should have lowered my rating to the 3.5 range… but honestly it kept me engaged the whole time. I was curious to read more and thought the multiple POVs were decent, albeit a little confusing.
I’ll be especially curious to read more books featuring Keller!
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune Genres: Adult, Contemporary
Published by Penguin on May 6, 2025
Also by this author: Every Summer After, Meet Me at the Lake, This Summer Will Be Different
Format: Audio/Physical (320 pages) • Source: Libby, Purchased
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#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
A radiant, new escape to the lake from #1 New York Times bestselling author Carley Fortune
I never anticipated Charlie Florek.
Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.
Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.
Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.
Carley Fortune is soooo good. I was really craving a summer read like this thanks to a conversation with my friend Jackie, and this totally hit the spot. I wrote a TTT about this and a summer bucket list within the last week describing this exact thing – a super summer-heavy book, maybe set in a small town, definitely on the water, with all of the warm weather romance vibes.
The book follows Alice, a photographer who is heading back to Barry’s Bay (the site of one amazing summer she had as a teen) with her grandmother. The owner of the cottage is an old friend of theirs and puts them in touch with THE Charlie Florek to help around the house.
I loved returning to Barry’s Bay and experiencing Charlie’s story. I was really hoping he’d find love after his initial (important) appearance in Fortune’s debut. I didn’t like Alice at first honestly – she was really annoying and Type A when it came to her grandmother’s care and everything in her life. I was nervous she wouldn’t be right for Charlie but honestly this book was about her finding herself – she was so much easier to deal with once she let loose over the summer and the more time she spent with Charlie on the lake. She was hoping to change up her work life as well and it was fun to watch that come to the forefront.
There was also a lot of character development for Charlie, which was lovely. I really enjoyed the cameos from Sam and Percy as they embark on a new chapter in their lives.
Charlie and Alice decided to stay friends from the jump but of course a romance blossoms. There are some reveals later in the story as to why Charlie doesn’t want a serious relationship despite how obvious their love for one another is.
Cute family feels and super solid romance! It’s another amazing installment by this author.
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