A reunion between sorority sisters exposes old wounds in Kaira Rouda’s page-turning psychological thriller, WE WERE NEVER FRIENDS.

Down-to-earth single mom Beth is apprehensive when she receives an invitation to join her former college classmate, Roxy, at her luxurious Palm Springs estate for the weekend. But Beth can’t exactly say no to Roxy’s summons, despite the “dread” she feels at seeing her fellow Theta Gamma Mu member for the first time in decades.

The occasion is her daughter Celeste’s engagement to Roxy’s son, Zach, and she’ll do anything to support her beloved only child, even if it means spending time with a “self-centered snob.” Unfortunately, the weekend at Roxy’s lavish “desert dream home” is doubling as a sorority reunion weekend, reawakening Beth’s sense of inadequacy as the poor scholarship student among her wealthier sisters.

"Kaira Rouda keeps readers guessing with some truly shocking reveals in this fun, pulpy book that many will want to binge in a single sitting."

“I’m sunk before I even arrive,” she thinks. “I cannot compete with these women, these so-called friends from college. The fact is I never could.”

Beth isn’t the only one on edge heading into the weekend. On the surface, posh, polished Roxy is still the same queen bee she was during her days at Southern California University, where she was Theta Gamma Mu chapter president. But behind her glamorous facade, she’s struggling with a fraying marriage to her increasingly distant husband, Ryan.

Also in attendance is Jamie, whose academic success in college has propelled her to a career as a top cardiologist. For Jamie, a double-legacy membership in Theta Gamma Mu was another box to check on her to-do list for success. Though she might not have “sparkle and shine,” she’s earned an enviable life. But at what cost?

And then there’s the vivacious, troublemaking Amelia. Recently widowed following the sudden death of her much older senator husband, Amelia has arrived in the California desert, Louis Vuitton luggage in tow, ready to stir the pot. Never mind that she’s crashing the party, much to the consternation of her longtime rival, Roxy. “How could I not show up?... There is no Theta Gamma without yours truly, and they all know it,” the unapologetic Amelia thinks.

Given their history, drama is all but guaranteed when these women get together. But the setting adds to the tension. Ryan has sunk his time and energy into an all-out renovation of Gentry House. Now, his and Roxy’s sleek retreat bears an unsettling resemblance to the “godforsaken” Desert Sunrise hotel, where these frenemies once spent spring break and was the site of an unthinkable tragedy involving another of their sorority sisters.

The mysterious death of Sunny Spencer looms over this unlikely Theta Gamma reunion. At the time, it seemed that she was simply the victim of a tragic accident. But did a more sinister sequence of events lead to her being found floating in the Desert Sunrise’s picturesque pool?

Everyone has a motive --- and a secret they don’t want exposed --- in this delightfully twisty, and at times darkly funny, novel. Told in alternating perspectives of each of the four main characters, the tension ratchets up with each chapter. Creepy messages and spooky sightings of a blonde woman who resembles Sunny add to the gothic atmosphere, as does the arrival of a dangerous haboob, or dust storm, which leaves everyone stranded in this elegant but creepy desert retreat.

Kaira Rouda keeps readers guessing with some truly shocking reveals in this fun, pulpy book that many will want to binge in a single sitting.