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Friends in Napa
“Smart and wildly entertaining…like drinking a glass of wine with an endlessly witty, scandalous friend.” –Mindy Kaling
Six old friends descend on Napa Valley for a luxurious weekend of fine wine and good times…until old tensions simmer to the surface. So much can go wrong in this dark comedy by the author of The Goddess Effect.
Just get yourselves here, everything else is on us.
Raj and Rachel Ranjani have invited a small group of their "ride or dies" from college for a celebratory weekend in Napa Valley. On the agenda: three nights in the couple’s vineyard mansion, a lavish dinner at Napa’s hottest new restaurant, exclusive tastings, and the grand opening of the Ranjanis’ ultra-high-end winery. It’s a reunion of six friends who haven’t seen each other in years. What could go wrong?
To start, there’s the less-than-warm welcome: a brick flung through a window and palpable tension between the hosts. But no worries—all Raj has to do is pop a few bottles of vintage Dom, and the college vibes come rushing back. So do old resentments, animosities, and unrequited crushes. Soon enough, the illusion of friendship shatters like a gossamer wineglass, and one of the friends ends up dead. Everyone has their motivations. Everyone has something to hide.
Here’s to a weekend in the valley. Drink up and watch your back.
Six old friends descend on Napa Valley for a luxurious weekend of fine wine and good times…until old tensions simmer to the surface. So much can go wrong in this dark comedy by the author of The Goddess Effect.
Just get yourselves here, everything else is on us.
Raj and Rachel Ranjani have invited a small group of their "ride or dies" from college for a celebratory weekend in Napa Valley. On the agenda: three nights in the couple’s vineyard mansion, a lavish dinner at Napa’s hottest new restaurant, exclusive tastings, and the grand opening of the Ranjanis’ ultra-high-end winery. It’s a reunion of six friends who haven’t seen each other in years. What could go wrong?
To start, there’s the less-than-warm welcome: a brick flung through a window and palpable tension between the hosts. But no worries—all Raj has to do is pop a few bottles of vintage Dom, and the college vibes come rushing back. So do old resentments, animosities, and unrequited crushes. Soon enough, the illusion of friendship shatters like a gossamer wineglass, and one of the friends ends up dead. Everyone has their motivations. Everyone has something to hide.
Here’s to a weekend in the valley. Drink up and watch your back.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 752 reviews
March 14, 2024
Sorry I liked nothing about this book. I kept reading hoping it would get better but it didn’t. Characters were not well developed, nor was the plot. So much time devoted to impressing the reader with the toys of their wealth, frankly I had no idea what many of them were so I wasn’t impressed;) The ending was particularly unbelievable; it was almost as if the author became bored and just wanted it over. So did I
March 7, 2024
At least it was free
April 16, 2024
By now you are probably aware of how far behind I continually am when it comes to posting reviews. This morning, however, when I logged on to Goodreads I saw this little diddy was right up there on the heading ticker which was just the nudge I needed I guess to write something up real quick.
The best way for me to describe Friends in Napa is that it is Big Little Lies meets Keeping Up With the Kardashians meets The Big Chill - and if that sounds like a Frankenmashup to you, well . . . .
And also, why does it have such a horrible rating? Why do I love the things everyone else hates???? Wait, I know the answer to that . . . .
If you too are a trash goblin and are experiencing some unseasonably warm weather and enjoy reading some pure stabby fluff on the deck, or like the same stuff Kelly Kapoor likes, then definitely give this a go.
The premise here is a fairly familiar one: There’s a dead body and you meander your way to the big reveal while meeting these various “friends in Napa” and watching their various skeletons fall out of closets. It’s vapid in the best guilty pleasure way possible and I gobbled it right up.
An Amazon First Reads selection
The best way for me to describe Friends in Napa is that it is Big Little Lies meets Keeping Up With the Kardashians meets The Big Chill - and if that sounds like a Frankenmashup to you, well . . . .
And also, why does it have such a horrible rating? Why do I love the things everyone else hates???? Wait, I know the answer to that . . . .
If you too are a trash goblin and are experiencing some unseasonably warm weather and enjoy reading some pure stabby fluff on the deck, or like the same stuff Kelly Kapoor likes, then definitely give this a go.
The premise here is a fairly familiar one: There’s a dead body and you meander your way to the big reveal while meeting these various “friends in Napa” and watching their various skeletons fall out of closets. It’s vapid in the best guilty pleasure way possible and I gobbled it right up.
An Amazon First Reads selection
March 3, 2024
3.5 I enjoyed this book, but I don’t really think it should be categorized as suspense. The prologue puts out there right away that there will be a murder, but there absolutely is no mystery or build up to it happening in the narrative, IMO.
Potential light spoilers in this next part: As a reader you don’t see the murder until the *last* chapter of the book (there is an epilogue that does tie things up nicely). If the prologue didn’t exist, there would be no buildup or mystery as to who died and who killed them.
Honestly, I did enjoy reading the book a lot, but I think this book would be better served if there was no prologue. It reads like a fun beach read—the descriptions of wealth, luxury goods, Napa, and the complex relationships between a group of college friends are the most enjoyable parts. It would have been a fun surprise to drop the murder at the end unexpectedly. I think I’ve seen it both advertised as “suspense” and “dark comedy” and I think “dark comedy” is closer to what it actually is.
Potential light spoilers in this next part: As a reader you don’t see the murder until the *last* chapter of the book (there is an epilogue that does tie things up nicely). If the prologue didn’t exist, there would be no buildup or mystery as to who died and who killed them.
Honestly, I did enjoy reading the book a lot, but I think this book would be better served if there was no prologue. It reads like a fun beach read—the descriptions of wealth, luxury goods, Napa, and the complex relationships between a group of college friends are the most enjoyable parts. It would have been a fun surprise to drop the murder at the end unexpectedly. I think I’ve seen it both advertised as “suspense” and “dark comedy” and I think “dark comedy” is closer to what it actually is.
March 4, 2024
dnf - not for me
March 5, 2024
I’m hoping this book was a satire on the shallowness and narcissism so prevalent in Americans today especially as promoted on social media. But, I fear it’s not. Not a single likable character in the entire book — all of them shallow, virtue-less, weak-minded with little to no moral compass.
It must have been a satire??? I finished the book only out of habit.
I gave the book 2 stars instead of 1 star because the plot reveal was quite good.
It must have been a satire??? I finished the book only out of habit.
I gave the book 2 stars instead of 1 star because the plot reveal was quite good.
March 9, 2024
First Amazon First Reads of the year. First 2 star rating and I honestly feel like I’m being generous. There was not a single redeeming quality about this book. I slugged through it to see if I was missing anything and spoiler: I was not.
The characters were so incredible unlikeable it felt like it was done on purpose. Some examples: FMC 1 was a stereotypical socialite who was obsessed with a Facebook group about equally annoying and out of touch women. FMC 2 was a holier than thou mom who gave her grade school aged kid a “medically necessary” vape and then had a Shocked Pikachu moment when it turned out to not be good for her. MMC 1 was a horrible person start to finish. Not enough characters in the world to describe how difficult to was to care about anything he has to say.
This book was labeled as a suspense and that was a bold faced lie. The prologue mentioned a murder and it wasn’t until ***spoiler**** the last chapter that it occurred. And guess what, once again I didn’t even care.
The characters were so incredible unlikeable it felt like it was done on purpose. Some examples: FMC 1 was a stereotypical socialite who was obsessed with a Facebook group about equally annoying and out of touch women. FMC 2 was a holier than thou mom who gave her grade school aged kid a “medically necessary” vape and then had a Shocked Pikachu moment when it turned out to not be good for her. MMC 1 was a horrible person start to finish. Not enough characters in the world to describe how difficult to was to care about anything he has to say.
This book was labeled as a suspense and that was a bold faced lie. The prologue mentioned a murder and it wasn’t until ***spoiler**** the last chapter that it occurred. And guess what, once again I didn’t even care.
March 1, 2024
Power couple Raj and Rachel Ranjani are opening a winery in Napa Valley, and invite their three friends from college. Although Raj and Rachel are the hosts of the celebratory weekend, it's neurotic workaholic Anjali, with her unrequited college crush, who is the standout character. Friends in Napa is a triple-threat must-read: it is written, published by and starring a brown girl. This quick-witted page-turner is perfect for lovers of thrillers, bff drama, or the Netflix comedy Wine Country. Once readers get past the seemingly snarky, possibly wistful name-dropping of wine lists, designer clothes and Mexican resorts, they will see the story is about women trying to reclaim their identity.
Thank you MBC for the copy of this entertaining book!
Thank you MBC for the copy of this entertaining book!
April 23, 2024
Wanted to DNF this many times but momma ain’t raise no quitter
March 10, 2024
The publisher's blurb had this: "Smart and wildly entertaining…like drinking a glass of wine with an endlessly witty, scandalous friend. –Mindy Kaling"
I found it to be neither. I only found 2 parts to be slightly interesting (but still not smart OR wildly entertaining...), and neither happened until I was 3/4 of the way through the book. The 1st was the fight, the 2nd was the ending--and the only reason I found that to be of note is because it was not believeable in the slightest.
I was bored throughout the whole book; only finished it because I kept hoping for the entertaining parts to actually happen, and I'm not a quiter.
I found it to be neither. I only found 2 parts to be slightly interesting (but still not smart OR wildly entertaining...), and neither happened until I was 3/4 of the way through the book. The 1st was the fight, the 2nd was the ending--and the only reason I found that to be of note is because it was not believeable in the slightest.
I was bored throughout the whole book; only finished it because I kept hoping for the entertaining parts to actually happen, and I'm not a quiter.
August 11, 2024
These “ride or die” friends from college are far from it. This group of friends are more shallow and narcissistic than anything else. After you get passed the constant brand name dropping, trendy topics, and whatever else the author thinks is “hip” in 2024, you’ll find yourself extremely bored as the plot has little to no substance as well as characters who are way too old to be acting and talking like high school kids, who are all miserable, arrogant, or wannabe business successors. It was as if the author couldn’t decide if she wanted this to be a quaint but mature college friend reunion or a sloppy high school getaway with everyone thinking too highly of themselves. The ending wasn’t ‘thrilling’ and I am very tired of modern thrillers/stories making this generation out to be so self centered and have zero self awareness for anything or anyone other than themselves.. 🥱
March 20, 2024
Yikes lol they really just let anyone publish a book these days
March 10, 2024
I think it's probably a generational thing but I just didn't connect with much of this book. A book which is so millennial that it should come with a pair of year 2000 deely boppers. I have to admit that I found a lot of the language and phrasing beyond my understanding and much of the slang used feels as disconcerting as newspeak. Whether this truly is a generational thing or just a Napa one percenter thing I'm not sure but it did make me muse on the mutability of language and isn't it strange how we can easily understand the writing of previous generations even going back some 300 years but struggle with the language that is evolving around us. Maybe it's not the past which is a foreign country but the future.
Anyway, back to the book. Yeah, it's fine. It's a shame there are so many DNF reviews since it definitely gets stronger toward the end. The pacing is a little strange and for a relatively short novel it feels unusual that we're still getting quite important character exposition some 80% of the way through. The book also seems to have a bit of an identity crisis and is unsure whether it wants to be farce, satire, Midsomer Murders or a modern take on The Great Gatsby, a novel with which it shares some surprising structural elements. I did find myself wondering at the denouement what would have happened if Tom Buchanan had just fessed up? Which on reflection was probably not the takeaway that Marikar intended.
It's not going to change the world but it was a nice diversion for a quiet weekend, a bit like going to Napa with friends.
Anyway, back to the book. Yeah, it's fine. It's a shame there are so many DNF reviews since it definitely gets stronger toward the end. The pacing is a little strange and for a relatively short novel it feels unusual that we're still getting quite important character exposition some 80% of the way through. The book also seems to have a bit of an identity crisis and is unsure whether it wants to be farce, satire, Midsomer Murders or a modern take on The Great Gatsby, a novel with which it shares some surprising structural elements. I did find myself wondering at the denouement what would have happened if Tom Buchanan had just fessed up? Which on reflection was probably not the takeaway that Marikar intended.
It's not going to change the world but it was a nice diversion for a quiet weekend, a bit like going to Napa with friends.
July 21, 2024
Shallow! SOOO FREAKING SHALLOW!
Like I get that's the point of the plot, but it was utterly unbearable. Every single character sucked. It was beyond "unlikeable"... they were just all awful humans.
And this is definitely NOT a thriller. Or mystery. Or anything other than straight drama. So much insecure and judgmental drama.
Like I get that's the point of the plot, but it was utterly unbearable. Every single character sucked. It was beyond "unlikeable"... they were just all awful humans.
And this is definitely NOT a thriller. Or mystery. Or anything other than straight drama. So much insecure and judgmental drama.
March 7, 2024
I picked up this book for three specific reasons:
1. I had read a slew of heavier of books, and I wanted something light & thrilling
2. This took place in Napa, and it seemed fun to read a book where I would know some of the places
3. 1/2 of the main characters were Indian / Indian-American, and it seemed nice to be able to understand some of the cultural references in the book without having to Google.
#3 was actually the nicest (for me); at one point in the book, one of the main characters says a line from a Bollywood song, and I had never seen that in a book before.
Did I enjoy this book? 3/5. I thought the start of the book was much better than the end; the set up for the plot was fantastic, and it did keep me guessing, but the resolution was done far too fast and very confusingly. I'm not quite sure, even after I finished reading the book, how the resolution came about. It seemed like it was hand-wavily explained to avoid having to think through some of the tricker details.
1. I had read a slew of heavier of books, and I wanted something light & thrilling
2. This took place in Napa, and it seemed fun to read a book where I would know some of the places
3. 1/2 of the main characters were Indian / Indian-American, and it seemed nice to be able to understand some of the cultural references in the book without having to Google.
#3 was actually the nicest (for me); at one point in the book, one of the main characters says a line from a Bollywood song, and I had never seen that in a book before.
Did I enjoy this book? 3/5. I thought the start of the book was much better than the end; the set up for the plot was fantastic, and it did keep me guessing, but the resolution was done far too fast and very confusingly. I'm not quite sure, even after I finished reading the book, how the resolution came about. It seemed like it was hand-wavily explained to avoid having to think through some of the tricker details.
March 7, 2024
Shallow unlikable characters. Thought this was going to be a suspense after starting with a murder? no such luck. Endless name dropping of luxury items, places, events and miserable people trying to attain or unable to enjoy them. Maybe this is genius ridicule of Instagram and Tik tok influencers? Last chapter pulled it together but didn't make up for slow slog through a lot of the middle for me.
March 19, 2024
1 star for the great cover
I have this guilt for DNFing books....but man, should I have saved myself the time with this one.
Boring storyline, nothing happens until about 85% into the book.
Just pages of awful, one-dimensional characters braging a flaunting fancy brand names, locations, and celebs.
Blah!
I have this guilt for DNFing books....but man, should I have saved myself the time with this one.
Boring storyline, nothing happens until about 85% into the book.
Just pages of awful, one-dimensional characters braging a flaunting fancy brand names, locations, and celebs.
Blah!
March 5, 2024
DNF - barely even started. Prologue was so poorly written, I couldn’t force myself to waste the time
March 10, 2024
Genuinely wish I googled the ending instead of putting myself through the torturous task of finishing this
April 1, 2024
3.5 rounded to 4 ⭐
PUB DAY REVIEW
Thank you #partners @mbc_books & #mindysbookstudio @brilliancepublishing for my #gifted copy. Happy pub day! 💕
Friends in Napa
Sheila Yasmin Marikar
📖 A group of friends gather at a luxurious mansion in Napa, seeing each other for the first time in years. While supposed to be a celebratory weekend away, things take a violent turn, and someone winds up dead. 👀
Friends in Napa is a biting, rich-people-behaving-badly murder mystery, full of juicy drama, long-held secrets, adulterous crushes, and unbridled resentments. Examining the implications of wealth, power, and privilege amongst friends, and rich with Indian-American culture, Marikar's sophomore novel is a super quick and entertaining read at just 230 pages.
Though this seems to be getting mixed reviews, I went in with realistic expectations (it's NOT a thriller, more like a contemporary fiction / drama with an underlying mystery), and therefore I enjoyed it. ☺️
📌Available now!
📌A Mindy's Book Studio pick
📌Available on Kindle Unlimited
PUB DAY REVIEW
Thank you #partners @mbc_books & #mindysbookstudio @brilliancepublishing for my #gifted copy. Happy pub day! 💕
Friends in Napa
Sheila Yasmin Marikar
📖 A group of friends gather at a luxurious mansion in Napa, seeing each other for the first time in years. While supposed to be a celebratory weekend away, things take a violent turn, and someone winds up dead. 👀
Friends in Napa is a biting, rich-people-behaving-badly murder mystery, full of juicy drama, long-held secrets, adulterous crushes, and unbridled resentments. Examining the implications of wealth, power, and privilege amongst friends, and rich with Indian-American culture, Marikar's sophomore novel is a super quick and entertaining read at just 230 pages.
Though this seems to be getting mixed reviews, I went in with realistic expectations (it's NOT a thriller, more like a contemporary fiction / drama with an underlying mystery), and therefore I enjoyed it. ☺️
📌Available now!
📌A Mindy's Book Studio pick
📌Available on Kindle Unlimited
March 14, 2024
Ok
Wordy story that ended w rapped too neatly. This story seemed to take forever to unfold. Once it did, it wrapped up in just a few chapters.
Wordy story that ended w rapped too neatly. This story seemed to take forever to unfold. Once it did, it wrapped up in just a few chapters.
March 23, 2024
If you like horrible rich people, then this book is for you. I do indeed love poorly behaved wealthy brats and this was right up my alley.
Do I have rich college friends to spend a luxurious weekend in Napa with? No. But I did just spend a week in Hawaii with a best friend from Uni. And no one died on my trip. So, you know, I can’t complain.
Also, read this book. It’s very bingeable and entertaining.
I am also a huge Mindy Kaling fan so books from her book studio pique my interest.
Pub Date: April 1, 2024
Thank you Fire Fly Distribution for the ARC!
Read if you enjoyed: Pineapple Street, The Fake or None of This is True
Do I have rich college friends to spend a luxurious weekend in Napa with? No. But I did just spend a week in Hawaii with a best friend from Uni. And no one died on my trip. So, you know, I can’t complain.
Also, read this book. It’s very bingeable and entertaining.
I am also a huge Mindy Kaling fan so books from her book studio pique my interest.
Pub Date: April 1, 2024
Thank you Fire Fly Distribution for the ARC!
Read if you enjoyed: Pineapple Street, The Fake or None of This is True
March 17, 2024
Believe the 1-star reviews, (not the 3,4,or 5’s) especially Devon’s review. She said it better than I could. It’s not a thriller, not suspenseful, and not a murder mystery. It’s A cast of misfits, selfish, self-absorbed, shallow, narcissistic, users and losers by an author citing luxury brands making Gucci and Fendi seem like stuff of Target and Walmart. Had the author written this as a farce, a Moliere-like satirical take on the social media generation, fakers and takers venerating monetizing followers for the sake of fame and fortune she might have had something. But alas she is no Moliere. She does have an easy, fluid way with words, but that is not nearly good enough. A big miss, I’m afraid.
March 17, 2024
I picked this as my free Amazon First Reads book for March and what a mistake I made. The book starts by telling you there will be a murder so, yay, how exciting! But then literally nothing happens until you’re 90% in. And, yes I looked, it was 90%. I was so bored, I was not engaged. It was all about rich people whining about rich people problems and wah wah wah. I’m just happy it’s over. If you haven’t picked your free first read yet - don’t pick this one.
May 2, 2024
This is an excellent mindless beach/pool read. Easy to digest with a slow enough plot that you can toss back a few margs by the pool and pick it back up later without missing anything substantial. There was little to no character development either which made me pretty much dislike everyone. But again, this is a great choice if you want a surface level storyline.
May 21, 2024
So lackluster. Very shallow. Don't waste your time.
March 27, 2024
2.5 -3 short read. Heavy references to social media and status symbols. Lots of drama. Don’t try to buy into it, just accept it for what it is and you’ll be able to finish. Make no mistake, you will hate many of the characters, but you also, probably know or follow someone just like them. Some of the worst traits available are on display in the friend group that this story follows.
March 4, 2024
4.5 rounded 🆙 I chose this as my monthly free Amazon First Read’s for kindle & it did not disappoint! It was a super fast read ~215 pages and a fun story. It’s like if Netflix’s Friends from College met White Lotus in a way 🤝
March 11, 2024
This one was a difficult read in some respects but was better than taking melatonin to help me sleep.
If I removed all the name dropping for clothes, products, and people then I think this would have been a less than 100 page book. It felt like the author and or publishers were getting advertising money. The sad part is that it appears that this author really could write a good book if she didn’t get so hung up on fashion detail and who they were borrowed from. The murder was at 93% on the kindle and honestly the trial was near non existent. Had their focus been on the friends who were college friends and trying to maintain that relationship as adults, this book would have rocked as many can relate. If the emphasis was more on the murder and trial and life after, it would have been great. The book did not catch my attention until that 93 % murder section and then with no details, life went on without consequences besides the thread in Reddit. Missed the mark for me. I really think the author has potential but needs to develop the story better.
If I removed all the name dropping for clothes, products, and people then I think this would have been a less than 100 page book. It felt like the author and or publishers were getting advertising money. The sad part is that it appears that this author really could write a good book if she didn’t get so hung up on fashion detail and who they were borrowed from. The murder was at 93% on the kindle and honestly the trial was near non existent. Had their focus been on the friends who were college friends and trying to maintain that relationship as adults, this book would have rocked as many can relate. If the emphasis was more on the murder and trial and life after, it would have been great. The book did not catch my attention until that 93 % murder section and then with no details, life went on without consequences besides the thread in Reddit. Missed the mark for me. I really think the author has potential but needs to develop the story better.
May 8, 2024
I asked the universe for a fun read set in California wine country before my bachelorette trip to Sonoma, and this book was the first thing I saw when I opened Instagram a few days later! The lord (Mindy Kaling) works in mysterious ways! This book was everything I’d hoped for—I loved the descriptions of the luxurious setting and found the braggadocios tone to be reminiscent of the Crazy Rich Asians series. The ending felt rushed and could’ve used a bit more drama/suspense, but wholeheartedly enjoyed it overall and got even more excited for the trip! (Really happy I liked this one because I ordered 17 copies for my bachelorette attendees!)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 752 reviews