The Girls Trip
Hope, Ash, and Caro are inseparable online friends who have never met in person. When their lives simultaneously hit rock bottom, they agree to a retreat at the picturesque Sonnet Resort in Eden National Park. Hope is seeking refuge from overwhelming Hollywood fame, Ash is trying to piece together her unraveling marriage, and Caro is a doctor questioning her future after losing a patient. But as they finally come together to heal, they quickly realize they are all holding back the full truth.
- Hope - Actress
- Ash - Owns Three Sisters Flowers
- Caro - Anesthesiologist
- Dan - Caro’s husband
- Henry - Caro’s father
- Page - Sonnet employee
- Eve - Page’s older sister
- Ty - food truck chef at Sonnet
- Colby - Sonnet manager
- Hope, Ash, and Caro meet at Sonnet Resort to escape their busy lives.
- The women write postcards to their loved ones with the intention of sending them at the end of their trip.
- The women go to hike the Underground.
- At their campsite on the second night, a flash flood hits.
- The women climb to safety, but Hope falls and is not seen again.
- Caro and Ash find a body washed free in the debris but it's clear this person has been dead for years.
- Search and rescue save Caro and Ash.
- Ash and Caro get a text from a mystery number telling them to go to the ghost town.
- Ash admits it was Hope’s plan all along to disappear in the Underground because someone was stalking them and she thought disappearing would keep the others safe.
- A man in a ski mask appears holding Hope at knifepoint.
- Hope says she’s been hiding in the ghost town and Page has been helping her.
- They subdue the masked man - it's Ty.
- Ty has been stalking Hope for years.
- Ash shoots Ty with a flare gun when he lunges at Hope with a knife.
- The women planned the trip from the beginning to lure out their stalker.
- The message directing them to the ghost town was from Ty.
- Page sent the postcards they wrote and planned to mail at the end of the trip.
- Years ago, Ty killed Eve and hid her in a crevice while they were hiking the Underground because she tried to break up with him.
- The girls become friends with Page.
The Girls Trip starts with a great hook, but despite the strong opening, the story struggles to keep the momentum going. Between the crowded cast and a mountain of side stories, the plot feels weighed down by filler. Too many of these subplots don’t add anything to the mystery or help deepen the narrative; it ends up feeling like a lot of pointless noise while you’re just waiting for the book to finally get to the point.
I also had a hard time with how the main group was written. They’re supposed to be in their mid-to-late thirties, but their actions and dialogue make them seem much younger, which makes it tough to really buy into their characters. Furthermore, after the climax finally arrives, the ending is notably drawn out - causing the reveals to lose their impact.
The premise had so much potential, but with so many distracting side stories and a slow middle, it turned into a tedious read. I recommend you skip this one.
- Death
- Stalking
- Vulnerable older adult
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 9781538773451
Publication Date: April 7, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
