The Secrets Game: A Fight Like Final Girls Short Story
Erica Damon
Reader Reviews
4.5
2 ratings
Karen B.
Feb 25, 2026
The Secrets Game
~Erica Damon
I’m thrilled to have had the chance to read three stories from A Fight Like Final Girls, a seven-part series. Of the three, The Secrets Game was probably my least favorite - yet it’s still a creative, chilling, and original entry in the series.
Let me start by introducing the cast of characters: Lulu and ex-fiancé Darren, Heather and her wealthy boyfriend Seth, Janey and Willem, and Fiona and Adam. The introduction feels a little rushed - I actually had to reread the beginning to sort everyone out, hence the intro - but once the story kicks off, it doesn’t slow down for a second.
This story centers on a group of friends whose weekend trip takes a sinister turn. After a girl’s night out, Lulu, fresh off a breakup with her cheating fiancé Darren, suggests the idea of a weekend getaway at Seth's parent's lake house. Heather is given the green light to plan the weekend, where she plans scary movies, snacks, and downtime. But as soon as the group arrives, unsettling events begin, leading to the first shocking murder. From there, tension escalates as secrets are exposed, alliances fray, and survival becomes uncertain. Some secrets should never be told… or should they?
Damon delivers a fast-paced, terror-laced tale that hooks you from the start. The premise is excellent, and the ending twist completely shook me. That said, I did wish for more character development - without deeper connections, it was hard to care strongly about any individual character’s fate. Personally, I think this concept would have thrived as a full-length novel, allowing the tension and characters to grow and develop more fully. Still, with the limited length of a short story, Damon crafted a gripping story that proves her storytelling skills.
I would like to thank Erica Damon for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC for The Secrets Game. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher for a fair and honest review.
~Erica Damon
I’m thrilled to have had the chance to read three stories from A Fight Like Final Girls, a seven-part series. Of the three, The Secrets Game was probably my least favorite - yet it’s still a creative, chilling, and original entry in the series.
Let me start by introducing the cast of characters: Lulu and ex-fiancé Darren, Heather and her wealthy boyfriend Seth, Janey and Willem, and Fiona and Adam. The introduction feels a little rushed - I actually had to reread the beginning to sort everyone out, hence the intro - but once the story kicks off, it doesn’t slow down for a second.
This story centers on a group of friends whose weekend trip takes a sinister turn. After a girl’s night out, Lulu, fresh off a breakup with her cheating fiancé Darren, suggests the idea of a weekend getaway at Seth's parent's lake house. Heather is given the green light to plan the weekend, where she plans scary movies, snacks, and downtime. But as soon as the group arrives, unsettling events begin, leading to the first shocking murder. From there, tension escalates as secrets are exposed, alliances fray, and survival becomes uncertain. Some secrets should never be told… or should they?
Damon delivers a fast-paced, terror-laced tale that hooks you from the start. The premise is excellent, and the ending twist completely shook me. That said, I did wish for more character development - without deeper connections, it was hard to care strongly about any individual character’s fate. Personally, I think this concept would have thrived as a full-length novel, allowing the tension and characters to grow and develop more fully. Still, with the limited length of a short story, Damon crafted a gripping story that proves her storytelling skills.
I would like to thank Erica Damon for the opportunity to Alpha/Beta/ARC for The Secrets Game. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher for a fair and honest review.
Rachel B.
Feb 8, 2026
“The Secrets Game: Fight Like Final Girls Short Story” by Erica Damon is a suspenseful, twisty shocker! A lake house getaway turns deadly as Heather’s friends are picked off one by one—each body revealing a dark secret. The ending was shocking! Whose secret was worth dying for?