The Book:
The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski
Published December 26, 2023 by Graydon House
Date read: January 13, 2024
The Characters:
Siblings Harper, Richard, Zack
Richard’s wife Elle
Zack’s girlfriend Lauren
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The Plot (from Goodreads):
Every year, the illustrious Van Ness siblings—heirs to a copper fortune—gather at their luxury winery estate for a joint birthday celebration. It’s a tradition they’ve followed nearly all their lives, and now they are back with their significant others for a much-needed weekend of rest and relaxation, away from the public spotlight.
With lavish comforts, gorgeous scenery, and indulgent drinking, the trip should be the perfect escape. But it soon becomes clear that even a remote idyllic getaway can’t keep out the problems simmering in each of their lives. As old tensions are reignited, the three couples are pushed to the edge. Will their secrets destroy them, or will they destroy each other first? And who’s been watching them from beyond the vineyard gates?
When a torrential rainstorm hits, plunging them into darkness, the answers prove all too deadly…
How did The Weekend Retreat end?
The Reveal:
Penny, Harper’s assistant, was the uninvited guest. She had been sending Richard letters insisting she was related to the Van Ness siblings. Richard ignored them. Penny didn’t even mean to become Harper’s assistant–she went to Harper’s office one day to confront Harper with her evidence, but Harper just assumed she was a temp. Penny changed her strategy to become close to Harper first.
Elle was the one giving the press the videos of Harper. She was mad that Harper stole her idea to start a beauty company and wanted revenge (also that they used to be best friends and she felt Harper had left her behind).
Lauren was “Kat” the blogger. She wanted to stop because she actually had feelings for Zack, but hadn’t quit just yet. Harper found out and was understandably pissed.
The biggest reveal was that the Van Ness siblings weren’t actually Van Ness descendants. Penny had evidence that Katerina had switched places with her friend Celeste. The real Katerina had died in a car crash that shattered Celeste’s femur, but their mom had the femur surgery scar. Penny was their cousin (the real Celeste was their aunt). If the public found out that the siblings weren’t really of Van Ness descent it would be a huge scandal.
Penny confronted the siblings, but Harper pulled out an unexpected gun. Penny broke a table and accidentally slit Richard’s throat with a piece of it. The other siblings killed her in revenge/self-defense.
The Ending:
In the epilogue, Harper and Lauren had struck a deal to keep Lauren quite about what she knew. Lauren and Zack didn’t stay together–he actually ended up with Elle, ew. Elle had Richard’s kid, though.
I hope these The Weekend Retreat spoilers were helpful!
The Review:
I love thrillers about rich people behaving badly, so the synopsis of The Weekend Retreat sucked me right in. Just about every character in this book was entirely unlikeable, but so much fun to read about. This is a short, quick-moving read, as the reader uncovers each character’s juicy secrets. I definitely recommend this semi-locked-room popcorn thriller!
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