The Summer We Buried seems to be marketed as a thriller, unfortunately I did not see that. The story itself is ok, it does have a few twists and turns but not nearly enough for me to over look the rest of the book. It is definitely a "slow burn" style story but in this case it was just too slow. Adding the fact that I did not really like either of the main characters, plus the slow pace, this book just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

The Summer We Buried starts out at a nice leisurely pace, then it runs faster and faster until I fall into a hole. While the characters are well fleshed out with a good backstory, I struggle to connect with them. 

For a psycho thriller, there is not much thrill in it. Just a lot of avoidance in the past, then we have a young person who needs help. I think there's not much fear factor in it, despite there's a psycho on the lose. 

Overall, it is a well-written book. I will not deny that, but I think for a person who likes psychological thrillers, this just ain't one.

We all have that one friend who isn’t really good for us and puts us in some rough spots but at the same time, we just can’t seem to let them go!
Tansy is young and drawn to the fearless Selene until covering up a murder becomes too much and she cuts Selene off. Twenty years have passed and Tansy has never gotten over that night and what Selene did for her! Selene hasn’t gotten over it either and has now come back for Tansy help with her daughter Jupiter and won’t take no for an answer! She threatens to expose long buried secrets even at her own expense to make Tansy do what she wants! Tansy is once again caught in the web of Selene and her family, unable to walk away! When she suspects the worst, she has no choice but to confront Selene and find out the truth!
Packed with family drama, love and an undying friendship, this was a great read and I highly recommend!

I devoured this story. It kept me glued to the pages well into the night. Tansy kept getting reeled into trouble with her once best friend and her request to help her daughter. Tansy is a school counselor and must get Jupiter away from a potentially abusive boyfriend. Or is Selene being overly chaotic once again. Drama, drama, drama. But the ending I never saw coming.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

This was such a refreshing read. Having read so many books lately where the author feels compelled to put action on every page, it was great to read a slow-burn. Brilliant character development and great writing had me turning the pages. I had great empathy for the all of the characters, and the twists never felt contrived or gimmicky. I would highly recommend this one!

I really enjoy Jodi Gehrman and think she just gets better and better with each book. I loved the unique writing style, amazing character development and realistic storyline! This one was packed full of thrilling thrills, chilling chills, twisty turns, and gasp worthy shocks! Mind blowing good! Highly, highly recommend!

Excellent! I love Jody Gehrman's novels and this one did not disappoint! While it wasn't as thrilling as I thought it would be I enjoyed the slow burn of this psychological suspense much more than I thought I would. Jody Gehrman is an excellent writer and I've been a fan of her work for the past few years. I hope she continues to write because I seem to be glued to the pages when its her books in my hands!

Again, another book that I really struggled to relate to the characters. I felt like I was reading a book for middle school kids or early high school, yet these were supposed to be adults. I did finish it but it was not easy.

This book was pretty good! At the beginning, the story moved slowly. I did not enjoy the characters- especially Selena. But by the end, I was much more satisfied with the plot.

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Crooked Lane for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: gaslighting, manipulation, murder, rape, sexual assault, abusive relationship

This was a slow burn psychological mystery book with suspense and extended tension. I came into this book expecting for a thrilling read but it wasn't what I expected. This book focused more on character's development and the extent of toxic relationship. It highlights abusive relationship and gave us in depth look of what happened with all of the characters in the book.

The story followed Tansy, a guidance counselor in university who was approached by her l0ng lost friend, Selene, a very demanding and difficult woman that forced Tansy to talk with her daughter who seems to be in a trouble. With a threat of their past secret, Tansy was forced into the situation and soon she was entangled in Selene Rathbone's problems and her families too. More and more secrets unraveled and Selene's daughter problems seems to be quite serious and Tansy couldn't help herself but to take care of it.

We mostly see the characters in this story thus following them and knowing their secrets. Tansy who befriends Selene back when she was younger was easily influenced and unable to defend herself in the presence of the older woman. It was quite frustrating to see her timid personality as she could not reject Selene's demand and attentions. There is representation of Borderline Personality disorder (BPD) which is what described Selene but I think her mental health problems runs deeper than that. I'm not sure if BPD was represented well in this book because I do not want to assume it but Selene is a terrible character. Although, she was very protective of her daughter and little brother, Zack. She was quite abusive and seems to always want attention on everything she did which is hard to like her as a person. Jupiter, her daughter also seems to fall into a bad relationship that may leave you with a bitter taste in the mouth but its the kind of relationship that happened in real life too.

Overall, this is a 3.5 stars read for me. I felt the book was quite a slow read although the highlights on abusive and toxic relationship was great, the execution on the final conclusion left me with wanting more.

The start of this book was promising, but by the second or third chapter my eyes were crossing in boredom. They say the devils in the details but in this case the details are the devil. No one cares what brand of beer the character is drinking. The main character grated my nerves so horribly, I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a fictional character as much as I did Tansy.

A twisty thriller! Tansy is reunited with her Selene, which she's not very happy about. Tansy has wanted to forget the past, but when Selene introduces Tansy to her daughter Jupiter, she learns that Jupiter is in an abusive relationship. Now, Tansy has to decide if she wants to help Jupiter, while trying to forget what happened 20 years earlier.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book!

Did not love this book it was very slow did not finish it found it to be very similar to other books in this genre Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read it

THE SUMMER WE BURIED
BY JODY GEHRMAN

Out of my long list of books that I have on my "to be read list," it was this excellent crafted novel by the talented Jody Gehrman, aptly titled, "The Summer We Buried," was my most eagerly anticipated novel that I looked forward to reading the most. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite Author's when I feel in the mood to read a novel in the genre of psychological suspense. I have loved her novel which I read an early ARC and reviewed it called, "Watch Me," which was phenomenal and remains chillingly unforgettable. I will provide a link to my review to it at the end of this one. I highly, highly recommend it to all fans who love a clever and unique well written thrill ride that immediately draws you in and doesn't let go keeping you turning the pages until you are saddened that you just devoured it. This new one was a very similar reading experience for me as well. I was not disappointed and as the above titled, "Watch Me," I was enraptured from the very first sentence in this one until I read to the very last paragraph.

Jody Gehrman writes interesting plots and in my opinion very realistic character's that intrigue you and in this newest novel made me feel empathy and really care about each and every one of them. Even the antagonistic character Selene who is manipulative and has committed despicable acts--I found myself feeling sorry for her. Perhaps it is because we both are mother's and would do anything for our children because we love them more than ourselves and it is a universal instinctual innate desire to sacrifice whatever it costs us to protect them. I find myself at odds at my reaction towards the bad things that Selene did and my profound sadness in the arc of this compelling story. Tansy is the main character who is a thirty-eight year old guidance councilor working at a college in California.

Tansy is the main character who narrates this outstanding novel in the voice of the first person. She is the lovable character with an acute sense of kindness towards everyone else--even Selene. It is not a spoiler to divulge that in the very beginning of this narrative Selene ambushes Tansy at work showing up after approximately twenty year's that their friendship has been estranged due to Tansy's decision. They met at a community college while taking a creative writing class. Tansy was only eighteen year's old compared to Selene being a full decade older at the age of twenty-eight. I got the impression that Tansy was young, innocent, and vulnerable to Selene's seductions as Tansy's mother abandoned her and her brother Tim at a tender age leaving Tansy's father to be the role model and single parent whom seemed to have done a great job of instilling in both children to have a strong sense in knowing right from wrong actions.

Selene and Tansy were close friends for two years until one night an incident occurs at a party they were both present at. What transpires causes Tansy to end the friendship and ignore Selene's attempts to rekindle it. Twenty year's later Selene catches Tansy off guard by showing up for an appointment under a false name trying to disguise herself but Tansy recognizes her immediately. Selene is there to ask Tansy to check up on her daughter Jupiter who is a student enrolled at the University where Tansy works. Selene tells Tansy that Jupiter is in an abusive relationship with an older rich law student. She tells Tansy that she is there to collect her debt and that Tansy owes her.

Colton who is Jupiter's boyfriend whom they both share an apartment together has blocked Selene on Jupiter's phone and has also taken out a restraining order against Selene. Selene is convinced that Tansy is the only one that can help her find out if her daughter is okay. Tansy tells Selene that it is unethical for a guidance counselor to disclose anything a legal aged adult may talk about during an appointment to a parent. In addition to that the sort of discussion's that transpires from a meeting usually is about grades, picking classes, etc. Selene is menacing in nature and very aggressive and has always had problems respecting other people's boundaries. She doesn't understand the concept of the word "No."

Does Jupiter feel a welcome relief from some distance to her mother? Tansy feels the idea of Selene having a daughter as incomprehensible. I feel myself trying to imagine what it was like growing up with Selene's mind games and tests. Is there something to the story that Selene is leaving out? Is she telling the whole story?

Selene has leverage over Tansy that she is holding over her head to persuade Tansy to break protocol of her job to set up an appointment with Jupiter because the policy is for the student to be the one to do the reaching out to the guidance counselor. Normally it is the student who would initiate contact.

"Get her to come see you," she says. "Become her counselor." Says Selene. "This isn't a social call." "I know you can figure it out. You like to play by the rules, but you also know how to bend them when you feel like it." Says Selene to Tansy.

"And what then?" Says Tansy.

"One step at a time, Tanzanita." "Good Meeting," she said. "I'll be in touch."

"I have a terrible feeling this is one promise she's going to keep."

I don't know how I would feel if I were Tansy. Selene promised that she will reveal what they did during that party twenty year's ago if Tansy doesn't cooperate. That would be a disaster and ruin both of their lives but Selene feels like she has nothing more to lose. Her mother died the year before.

This is just a small facet of this multi-layered pulse pounding novel filled with staccato dialogue. I was all in from the beginning reading this quickly and once again feeling bereft when I finished it. Unlike, "Watch Me," I was left haunted by how much I ended up caring for all of these character's and their outcome. I was totally unprepared to be as grief stricken as I was by Selene's choices and actions. I don't ever remember feeling depressed over a character in a psychological thriller which I can only attribute to this Author's fascinating ability to write so powerfully. As promised you can read my review to "Watch Me," if you are interested here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...
I will continue to read everything Jody Gehrman writes. Both of these novels are fantastic and will remain as favorites. Highly Recommended and both deserving of Five Plus Stars! I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Publication Date: March 8, 2022

A huge Thank you to Net Galley, Jodi Gehrman and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheSummerWeBuried #JodyGehrman #CrookedLaneBooks #NetGalley

I don’t have much to say about this one, unfortunately.

It’s very slow, and I never felt fully invested.

I kept wanting more…but I don’t feel I ever got IT. I wanted to love it. The summary seemed right up my alley.

But it fell flat.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author for approving my request to read the eARC of the book. 

The Summer We Buried follows Tansy's first person narration as we meet her and the various other characters through her experiences. The story starts of with an encounter between Tansy and Selene, an old friend. Their friendship was complicated and filled with a secret buried deep down. 

The author starts off alluding to this secret and builds up the story around Selene's request, expectations and personality. We also see the influence she has on people around her through Tansy's eyes. The story starts off quite slow and picks up momentum towards the middle.

Tansy, having ignored a secret from her past for a long time is forced to revisit the last summer that she and Selene were together, even as she navigates meeting Selene's younger brother and her daughter. There is some mystery to the plot, but not enough to be intriguing. Some of the plot lines could have been further developed to include details and situations that help us understand the characters better. I found Tansy's relationships and past to be under-developed as there was not enough of an explanation. There are just enough facts about what has happened. There are also some plot lines that do not get a proper conclusion leaving us to wonder as to what happens in the end.

However, all this does not take away from the fact that the book kept me hooked until the end. I got the chills in some sections and was even able to empathize with some of the characters' feelings. There is a lot of negativity, some abuse and a budding romance that make the story interesting to read. With all the troubles the characters face, we also see that a mother can do anything for her child and that love knows no bounds.

I would love to recommend this book to those who enjoy a good psychological thriller as the book touches upon some aspects of the human mind that makes us pause to think about people's actions and the reasons behind them! This is definitely worth reading at least once.

Twenty years ago, Tansy was drawn to Selene’s hard edges, her grit, and her knack for survival. Since then, the confusing tangle of guilt about covering up a murder shattered their friendship, and even now, at thirty-eight, Tansy has never come to terms with what happened that night.

Tansy and Selene were drawn to each other 20 years ago. Tansy is settled in her everyday life when Selene shows up out of the blue and wants her help.

This story is a complex and complicated one and it took me more than one minute to get into the storyline.
Best friends share a deadly secret. Yet when their friendship is strained will the secret stay hidden?

This is a really good, fast paced thriller!
I sailed through it!
A little slow to start but it certainly made up for it by the middle, and had a great ending.
An easy recommendation and worth 4 stars.

I really had a tough time getting into the flow of this, there was just something that felt like it was dragging and I felt so lost and confused. I read the first few pages and thought my kindle was messed up because it felt like I was just dropped into the middle of the book. BUT the second-half of this book truly makes up for the scene-setting that was necessary at the beginning. The timeline switching is very appreciated and gripping.

The Summer We Buried by Jody Gehrman follows the story of Tansy and Selene.

Tansy lives a solitary life as a college guidance counselor. Her social life is limited to her work and occasional visits from her brother. Tansy's quite normal life gets interrupted by an unexpected visit from her old friend, Selene. Twenty years ago, Tansy was drawn to Selene's hard edges and her evil ways of life. They were best friends until a dreadful summer evening. After which, Tansy cut ties with Selene and her toxic friendship.

Now Selene is back, demanding Tansy to return a favor. She wants Tansy to intervene in her daughter Jupiter's relationship with Colton, who she believes is abusive and dangerous. When Tansy refuses, Selene threatened to reveal their life-shattering secret. Now, what will Tansy do? And what will it cost her?


This is a well-structured thriller with complex characters. The author weaved the story with suspense and mysteries. I would say it is more of a slow-burn thriller than a past-pace one, at least the first half, which was completely invested in introducing the characters. It started picking up the space during the second half, and there was romance, violence, manipulation, and lies.

The story was mostly about family issues, dysfunctional mother-daughter relations, abusive and toxic relationships, and mental health. I liked how the author carefully represented mental health issues or how living in an abusive relationship affects us mentally.

Overall, The Summer We Buried was an intriguing and entertaining read. Though I found the storyline quite predictable, I liked it because of the narrating style and the characters.

I would recommend it if you enjoy thrillers. It was definitely an enjoyable read for me.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for the ARC.