Book Review for We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda

 

We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda

Published:  February 3, 2026 by Poisoned Pen Press

Genre:  Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

Taken from Goodreads:  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 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…

My Thoughts:  This book was the perfect sorority sisters get together and all goes wrong book.   The friendships are never ending but the cattiness is still there.   These sisters have so many secrets.  Some of the secrets bind them together as a group but even more the secrets could bring them all down.    

With every turn of the page, there was another gasp of surprise from me.  I thought how much trouble can these ladies have caused as college students?  The answer, more than you would think.   While it all seemed too much at times, the story is very entertaining.   I looked forward to every moment that I had to read this book and was invested in how it ended.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet the Author(taken from her website):  Kaira Rouda is an award–winning USA TODAY and Amazon Charts bestselling author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Her novels of domestic suspense include JILL IS NOT HAPPY, THE WIDOW, SOMEBODY’S HOME, THE NEXT WIFE, THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER, BEST DAY EVER, ALL THE DIFFERENCE, BENEATH THE SURFACE, UNDER THE PALMS, THE NEXT MRS. STROM, and WHAT THE NANNY SAW and the forthcoming WE WERE NEVER FRIENDS (February, 2026) and TAKE BACK THE NIGHT (2027, with Kimberly Belle and Heather Gudenkauf).

Reviews have touted her novels as “pure genius” (SheReads.com), “an exceptional psychological thriller” (Publishers Weekly starred review) and promising to “keep you at the edge of your seat” (PopSugar). It is clear, one outlet shares, that “Kaira Rouda is the new mistress of domestic suspense” (Bookstr).

Kaira’s work has been translated into a dozen languages and BENEATH THE SURFACE has been optioned for feature film. Three of her novels have been named Amazon Editor’s Picks for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. THE NEXT WIFE was named a Suspense Magazine Best Book of 2021, won the 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Suspense Novel and was a 2022 Silver Falchion first runner-up for Best Book of the Year. BENEATH THE SURFACE won a Zibby’s Book Award for Best Beach Read, and WE WERE NEVER FRIENDS was featured in People magazine.

Kaira is active in the mystery and thriller writing community as a co-founder and co-host of the Killer Author Club, a live online show supporting authors. She’s also a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Women’s Fiction Author Association, and the International Thriller Writers Association. She served as a committee chair for the Edgar Awards 2024 and frequently appears on panels at conferences across the country. She is a candidate for a Master’s in Creative Writing at the Palm Desert Low-Residency program at UC Riverside.

Prior to writing novels, Kaira was a journalist, society columnist, magazine editor, and marketing executive. She has received numerous Prism, Addy and Webby Awards throughout her career. For her efforts creating the first women consumer focused residential real estate brand, Real Living, she won the prestigious Stevie Award for Women in Business. Her first book, REAL YOU INCORPORATED: 8 ESSENTIALS FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS, inspired women nationwide. Active in the areas of homelessness, food security, and empowering women and girls, in her twenties, as a volunteer, she created the first walk-in emergency shelter for homeless families in Central Ohio. Kaira has received numerous awards for her community service, including the national Kiwanis Service to Mankind Award, the Ohio Sertoma Service to Mankind Award, and Kick Ass Woman of Orange County by Orange Coast Magazine. Kaira was honored to be appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Volunteers commission. Kaira Rouda lives in Southern California with her family.