We Were Never Friends

Judith D Collins
Jul 18
3 min read

Updated: Jul 21

By: Kaira Rouda

ISBN: 9781464244995

Publisher: Poisoned Pen PressWe Were Never Friends

Publication Date: 02/03/2026

Format: Paperback

My Rating: TBR (ARC)

FEB 2026 MUST-READ BOOKS

"As twisty and suspenseful as it gets...instead of looking to the future, these old friends and sorority sisters discover it’s not so easy to bury the past. A haunting page-turner. I loved it!"

— Robyn Harding, bestselling author of THE HATERS

“Mix one part ruthless college frenemies out for vengeance with another part juicy scandal not-so-deeply buried in the past, then shake it up with messed-up family dynamics and Rouda’s trademark dark humor, and you get the heady cocktail. A fun, clever spin on the revenge thriller and a rollicking good time.”

— Kimberly Belle, USA Today and internationally bestselling author of THE PARIS WIDOW

Sisters? Forever. Friends? NEVER. Who knew a reunion weekend could be so deadly?

Meet the sorority sisters of Theta Gamma Mu:

~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…

For fans of Shari Lapena, Mary Kubica, and B. A. Paris, We Were Never Friends is an unputdownable, riveting train wreck full of dark humor and bad behavior.

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Poisoned Pen Press

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Kimberly Belle calls Kaira Rouda’s powder keg, high society thriller “a fun, clever spin on the revenge thriller and a rollicking good time!” Four sorority sisters who reunite in Palm Springs despite what happened twenty-five years ago to celebrate what should have been a joyous occasion.

The read is a thrilling toxic brew in which five sisters vying for main character status. Make no mistake, they will bring the house down in an unputdownable, riveting train wreck full of dark humor and bad behavior.