The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski
The perfect beach read.
Summary:
Three couples. Three days. A family getaway to die for.
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…
From <https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75339198-the-weekend-retreat>
Book Review (Includes Spoilers!) 3/5 stars
A few weeks ago, I went to the library to pick up a book I had requested… of course while I was there, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to grab a few more books. One of those books was "The Weekend Retreat" by Tara Laskowski. The summary and the cover got me. I mean, who doesn't love a good mystery? And it's set at a vineyard owned by a wealthy family? What could be better?
I actually didn’t think I'd get to reading this past weekend because I was out of town in Michigan with some friends and it wasn't a reading type of weekend, but I brought the book just in case and boy was I happy I did. We ended up going to the beach one day during our trip. With a moment to myself I started the book and could not put it down. I legitimately read it in two days, which is rare for me. I'm not a fast reader.
The book starts with a breaking news article about a tragedy that occurred at a vineyard. Not much is known at the time, but the readers are introduced to the family via this article. We then backtrack to a few days before the accident and are introduced to Lauren, the girlfriend of the youngest brother on their way up from New York City to the Vineyard. The book bounces between four different points of view; Lauren, Harper, the oldest sister and twin of Richard whose birthday is being celebrated, Elle the wife of Richard, and last but certainly not least, the unknown Party Guest. Throughout the first 3/4 of the book, we are learning about the events leading up to the party and family history through their points of view.
You are never with one character for more than a few pages. Which is partially why I think I liked the book, the author kept the chapters short. We were never in one person's mind for too long. Even though the chapters were short, the information was jamb packed. The way the author set the scene, described the vineyard, talked through the family dynamics without overly explaining things were all reasons why I loved this book.
I did have a few critiques. Mainly, that I was craving more detail. I wanted more information on the mother's background. We got a bit at the end, but honestly she could have a standalone book. I wanted to know more about the father. Why he left? Was he still alive? Why did he not make contact with anyone in the family? I wanted to know more about Elle's upbringing. Was it really as depressing as she made it seem? Another critique I had was the Party Guest. I think Penny ended up being a little too deranged. I felt like the ball was dropped a little when it came to the climax. I was hoping the catalyst event for her trauma would have been a bit more than what it was but none the less, it was a twist I didn’t see coming. Oh also, the Todd scenes of it all were so random. I understood we needed a physical representation for Harper's affair but he was in two chapters, and went missing during the critical events and then reappeared at the end. It's almost as if there were additional plans for him but the author had to edit some of the plot.
And finally, I wanted to know more about what happened after the event. We are teased with a 2 years later chapter but I was craving more. With that being said, I do think this would be a good movie or mini-series because there were so many additional details to explore that I feel would translate well to the screen.
I haven't done this for the bast few book reviews, but I'm going to draft up my perfect cast for this book.
Lauren - Allison Williams
Elle - Alexandria Daddario
Harper - I know she's not an actress but I imagined Lindsay Hubbard as Harper so that is who I would cast. If I had to choose an actress I'd say Sophie Turner
Party Guest / Penny - Amanda Seyfried
Zach - Scott Eastwood
Richard - Josh Bowman
Lucas - Sam Claflin
Overall, I would say if you are going to a beach, hanging out by the pool, or just have a summer weekend with nothing to do and need a quick read this is your book. It's a quick read, the story line is interesting to keep you wanting to know more and the characters are likeable enough.
If you've read the book let me know! Can't wait to hear your thoughts!
