The Summer We Buried - Jody Gehrman

This one was a psychological thriller but definitely a slow burn. This one was full of mostly likeable characters. There were a few things that were repetitive and Tansy’s paranoia was overwhelming at times. I didn’t think it was necessary for her ex and his new wife to be in the story either. Seemed a bit distracting.

I did like the ending. It continued with the theme of being psychologically twisted.

I listened to this one on audio and did enjoy it mostly. With many of netgalley’s versions of audio I think the quality is subpar because when you speed up the narration it is extremely echoey.

Tansy hasn’t seen Selene in 20 years. They used to be the best of friends, but after a big fall-out, they went their separate ways. Out of nowhere, Selene shows up in Tansy’s office demanding that she help Selene’s daughter, who she fears is in a toxic and abusive relationship. After all, Tansy owes her for what Selene did for her so many years ago. Tansy finds herself tangled in Rathbone family drama and is deemed “keeper of Rathbone secrets.” Are these secrets too much to keep? And when things turn deadly, who will she protect?

This book was well written, and I enjoyed it very much. For me, it felt more like a women’s fiction novel instead of thriller. There was murder involved and some mystery, which added to my entertainment. In the end, the feelings of happiness, friendship, and love were at the forefront of how the book made me feel. Overall, a very good read, but not one that really “thrills.”

I listened to this as an audiobook and enjoyed the narrator, Emily Ellet. She did an excellent job in changing the tone of her voice to represent the different characters. Great performance.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Jody Gehrman for allowing me to listen to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a good read for me. A friendship of the past returns. The complications of choices made in the past can determine what we will do for an old friend. Recommend

A tangled web of suspense & surprise with a blend of psychological, twisted and mind-bending schemes. Thank to the author, publisher and NetGalley

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the narrator of this book and how she transitioned seamlessly between male and female characters. The writing was phenomenal and kept me entertained and listening for hours on end. I will say there were less twists than I was expecting as the story runs pretty smoothly from point A to B, but I was still captivated and would love to read more work from this author. I would recommend to anyone looking for a light thriller with nothing too graphic or vulgar.

The Summer We Buried started off slow, but continued at a good pace and was a fun, enjoyable read. I enjoyed the writing and the narrarator.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jody Gehrman, and the publisher for allowing me an ARC audio in return for my honest review.

This was an interesting read. It started out as a very stereotypic thriller, but I felt like it went several different directions from what I expected. A pretty compelling resolution as well. Worth the read if you are a fan of the genre.

This book is marketed as a thriller, which I would disagree with. Which is also a little disappointing because the blurb makes it sound like it's going to be a high-stakes thriller. So I was a little bit bummed that it wasn't.

I listened to the audiobook, which I found to be enjoyable. I thought the narrator, Emily Ellet, did a great job bringing the characters to life and giving them each a distinct voice. There's about 4 characters you have to keep track of throughout the book, and being able to distinguish each one is always something I appreciate in an audiobook.

For me, "The Summer We Buried" was a bit slow to start, and a lot of the times I felt like there wasn't much happening. And the things that DID happen didn't really add to the overall story. That time could have been spent shaping the characters a bit more -- there's a lack of character development. The main character Tansy, whom the story is told through, made a lot of really stupid, illogical decisions, which I think shifted how I felt about the general story.

I personally thought the plot of Jupiter and her abusive, manipulative boyfriend Colton, to be a lot more interesting than the rest of the story and expected there to be more of a focus on that. Unfortunately, it didn't quite deliver in the way I was hoping / expecting, which left me a bit disappointed.

I did find the ending to be a nice wrap up, and I think it speaks true of how far we'll go for the people we love.

Overall, this was a fine enough book if you're looking for an uncomplicated story with flawed but likeable characters, a little bit of romance, and a honest look at our innate nature to protect.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing the audiobook early in exchange for an honest review.

As a whole, this was an enjoyable and interesting read, but it does follow the stereotypical format of most thriller/suspense books and it was extremely predictable. That being said, the writing was very well done and kept you engaged throughout the story, so the predictability aspect didn't hinder the overall experience. Trigger warnings: Sexual assault and abusive relationships

Tansy, Selene, Jupiter, and Zack were a good group of characters to follow, but I was a little thrown off by Jupiter's name. When looking at her mother's beliefs and background, it makes sense, but generally speaking, it's kind of an odd choice if you don't know the characters.

The romance between Tansy and Zack started as a cute, slow burn relationship and was nice at first, but their heavier romantic scenes taking place in the midst of these more suspenseful plot lines seemed very out of place. I mean, I get that they were falling for each other, but seeing as how their family/friends were dealing with abuse, mental illness, covering up crimes, etc., you'd think they'd have a little something else on their minds besides each other.

I appreciated the conversations regarding abuse/abusive relationships, how to talk with someone going through that experience, the emphasis on the delicacy of those situations and how careful actions need to be taken to ensure safety for all involved. Those moments between Selene/Tansy/Zack when discussing best practices for helping Jupiter were very poignant and real, and the emotions expressed were relatable.

I thought the story moved at a steady pace, leaving no time for boredom, and I enjoyed the flashbacks thrown in to give more details on Tansy and Selene's past. Overall, I'd recommend this for someone wanting a thriller/suspense read that follows a traditional path while still providing a good bit of entertainment.

Thanks for the opportunity to review this book and give my honest opinion!

This was a good, solid, read! Could have gone a couple different ways, and the authors keeps you guessing. Characters are likable. Even the questionable ones! I will recommend our library purchase!

This was more of a story about toxic friendship and a family drama than it was a mystery; and certainly not a thriller. While it was more tame than I expected, it was still an enjoyable read. Albeit a little slow paced.

Tansy lives a rather humdrum life in Sonoma until her former friend Selene returns with an unusual request - use her role as a college counselor to convince Selene's daughter to break up with her abusive boyfriend. Selene won't take no for an answer and threatens to reveal a "big secret" about her and Tansy's past. The secret is revealed quite quickly so no mystery there. Tansy agrees to go along with Selene's plan and ingratiates herself quickly into Selene's family - befriending the daughter and very quickly starting a serious relationship with Selene's brother. (Could have done without the instantaneous love story; not my thing in a "mystery/thriller".) But plans go awry, people get hurt, and the story ends in rather an odd way (also could have used a trigger warning: suicide).

I wasn't sure what to think about this one. Definitely not a thriller, so that threw me for a loop. And I wasn't very pleased with the ending. But it wasn't awful. Just wasn't what I expected.

Entertaining and engaging domestic suspense. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and dark family dramas are popular.

This was an interesting slow burn domestic violence thriller, than a fast paced on the edge of your seat. ⁣
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Gehrman handled mental health problems and domestic violence in a graceful way, with a writing style that left you feeling like you were having a chat with these characters instead of truly reading about their story, which I enjoyed.⁣
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The beginning of this story is fairly slow but you do get a lot of good back story information about the characters. ⁣
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The suspense of finding out what secret Selene was holding over Tansy’s head that kept Tansy sort of fearful made you want to read to the end. ⁣
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Overall, if you like a slow burn suspense this is for you; but if you want more intensity, this isn’t it.⁣
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The narration was really well done; as I did go back and forth between reading and listening. I always like when a narrator changes their voice so you know a different character is talking. ⁣
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3.75-4 ⭐️⁣
Thank you @crookedlanebooks for an ARC!

This book was a little slow to start with a lot of back story and character lines. Honestly, I don’t feel there was much mystery, some thriller aspect- but it seemed like the finale left a little to be desired. Overall, I did enjoy the book, but the ending snuck up on me and I didn’t really feel like there was much suspense or excitement to it.

I really liked the book and the characters in it. I am not sure that I could be as understanding as Tansy and Zach regarding Selene's drama, mental illness, and lack of personal responsibility. I think the author did a great job of trying to explain borderline personality without just glossing over it and chalking her to being "crazy". She did a great job of showing how hard it is to love someone with a mental illness and still want and try to be there for them.

I did not see the ending coming! Which always makes me happy! I would totally read another book by this author!

#TheSummerWeBuried
#NetGalley

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audiobook.

I didn't totally relate to the characters in this one, I think maybe because it was a little slower burn than I was expecting. However, I thought it was well written , and complicated without being too confusing. The narrator did a good job as well.

The entire story behind The Summer We Buried is based on Tansi feeling shame and being afraid of jail. The problem with this is that trying to keep her secret involves her getting more and more into a twisted woman’s story. When, really, she could have simply opened up about what happened to her.

The odds she would have gone to jail were slim to none (she didn’t actually do anything, after all), and even after so many years had passed, she had a compelling reason for why it would have taken her so long to speak up. She may have gotten a minimal sentence, but even then, she probably would have gotten a suspended sentence and probation. In other words, everything she goes through could have been avoided.

Like so many other books, though, it seems as if Tansi was drawn to the danger and almost wanted to get involved in even worse stuff. Even at the end, she’s keeping a secret that could blow apart her world. And for what? Sure, it makes a couple of people temporarily happier, but at what cost?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

The Summer We Buried
Jody Gehrman
Thriller
336 pages

My rating: ⭐️⭐️✨

This one just unfortunately didn’t do it for me - I was waiting for a bigger twist that unfortunately never came. I didn’t particularly like the ending and I found it frustrating that much of the drama could have been avoided if everyone wasn’t so dead set on keeping their secrets!

Single POV
Decades-old crime
Secrets, secrets, secrets!
Explores friendship and trauma
Epilogue
TW: Rape, abusive relationship

#caitsquietplacereviews #caitsquietplace #cqpthrillers

Toxic Friends

Tansy and Selene were best friends in high school. A tragic event caused Tansy to distance herself from Selene and they didn't talk for twenty years. For twenty years Tansy has carried the secret of that night and now Selene is back and wants a favor from Tansy.

It revolves around Selene, her daughter Jupiter, and her daughter's abusive boyfriend Colton as well as her brother and her best friend Tansy.

This is a story of a dysfunctional family, a friend drawn into this family. It is a story of secrets and tragedy. It is a good story, but it is a bit unbelievable at times.

The narrator did a good job narrating the audio book and it was easy to listen to.

The book was full of secrets and more secrets. The Accident that happened was not how it really happened which led to yet another secret. The ending was just kind of weird. I am not sure it brought closure to the story but left secrets untold.

If you like a suspenseful book that is a bit different that you will like this book.

Thanks to Jody Gehrman for writing the story, to Emily Ellet for a great job narrating it, to Dreamscape Media for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

2.5 Stars rounded up to 3 solely because I was able to finish it and I usually reserve 1-2 stars for books I cannot finish but have finished more than 50% of.

For starters- the narrator was fine EXCEPT for male characters but even her female characters were breathy and annoying.

I’m not a prude but the overly graphic sex scenes with the exception of the first scene that actuality has relevance in the book made me cringe.

I don’t feel this was a suspense or really even a mystery. What happened was laid out pretty quickly and the only, I guess what was supposed to constitute as a twist, was lead up to so it wasn’t really shocking or surprising.

I could not relate with any character. I found them self absorbed and justifying bad decisions and instead of breaking cycles- continuing it on to the next generation.

There was so much implausibility in this story my head spun. For starter’s Tansy isn’t a common name- we are expected to believe that Celine never spoke of her to her daughter although Tansy spoke of Celine to everyone she knew. At one point Tansy asks if another character told xxx she was pregnant. No one knows they are pregnant after 2 days. I’d elaborate but don’t want to give away anything that could be considered a spoiler.

I struggled through this audiobook. I wanted to love it. The description was so promising but it fell way short of the mark. It also had too much of a romance vibe for me.