I was excited to dive into this one (haha) because of the gorgeous cover and intriguing premise, but I am not a big fan of the writing nor any of the characters. I don't think this book is ultimately going to be my cup of tea. I also feel it is going to drag far too long and save all the good stuff til the very end.

I have to DNF this one .

Lucy Ross has returned to the town of Queen's Point to sort out her Nan's cottage, following her death. There has been a gap of 20 years since she was here. A magical summer when as a sixteen-year-old she felt under the spell of the Whitlam's - the grand folk who lived on the hill. Returning brings back memories and reunites her with the three (now grown up) siblings - Mae, who is a successful businesswoman, Annabelle, married with three children, and Harry, her first crush and now an international artist. Coinciding with her arrival is the discovery of a body on the beach. The remains of Brooke Whitlam, their mother, who disappeared twenty years ago.

I really enjoyed this well written debut novel, set in 2000 and 2019. The story moves back and forth. Present day is narrated by Lucy and the days running up to the party from several of the characters' POV. As a sixteen-year-old Lucy is overawed by the family. Spending time with the Mae, Annabelle and Harry, she envies not only the life they lead, but also the sophistication of their mother. However, behind the confidence she perceives are three very different individuals, who are subjected to a constant barrage of spite and cruelty by their mother. The discovery that she has been murdered opens the door to many suspects, including Lucy's own grandmother. Lucy discovers this as she sorts out paperwork at the cottage. I thought the structure of the novel worked well. The story moved between then and now, showing how Lucy had been drawn into this mysterious and wealthy family. Seeing situations from others’ viewpoints also gave a more balanced view of events. All of the characters had flaws but it was difficult to pinpoint the murderer - Brooke Whitlam was such an awful woman. Beautiful she might be, but no one escaped her scathing tongue or arrogant attitude.
Lots of red herrings and some surprises. What I’d hoped for in an ending didn’t materialise, but on reflection, I think the story ended in the only way it could. I look forward to hearing more from Rebecca Heath.
My thanks to the author, Aria and Aries and Netgalley for an ARC of The Summer Party in exchange for an honest review.

When Lucy returns to the cottage she shared with her grandmother one summer 19 years ago, she has to face her past. Told in dual timelines, this was very well crafted. This psychological thriller is Rebecca Heath's début and she hit the nail on the head! The story was immediately gripping and kept my attention throughout. There was a lull in the middle, but the excitement of the last third of the book made up for it. I'll gladly read this author's follow up novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the advanced copy of The Summer Party. I offer my opinion freely.

Expected publication date: 05 January 2023.

Lucy heads back to her hometown after her grandmother passes to clean out her cottage. Her grandmother worked for the wealthy family next door. Lucy befriended the children who lived there when she was younger and was involved in some questionable events. Now twenty years later, she reunites with them. Secrets are exposed and friendships are tested when a body is found.

This was just ok for me. It was more of a mystery than a thriller. There was nothing memorable or that stood out for me.

The Summer Party is available January 5,2023

Thank you to netgalley and ariaaries for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Oh Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. She's always wished she were rich and elegant. She's always wished she was just like her neighbors, from 1 summer in her teen years.

If you're looking for a solid mystery that will keep you guessing, this is the story for you. I was left wondering just what was true, and what happened, until the very end. Lucy has idolized and put this family on a pedestal - to the point I lost respect for her about midway through the story. One summer, and she's wanted to be a part of their orbit ever since, even though she's grown up, been married and had her own life while they ignored her messages and kind gestures.

I like that all the characters were messy. Each one was hard to like but I didn't mind the dislike since the story doesn't require you to like them. It flashes from the past Summer Party when they were all kids to present - and gives a few POV from Harry, Mae, Anabelle, & Lucy's grandma - but the main one is Lucy.

And for anyone like me, who is always nervous when there is a dog in the story, rest assured, he is okay and happy in the end.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Rebecca Heath's The Summer Party is reminiscent of Megan Miranda's The Last House Guest: teen girl gets too deeply involved with a wealthy family the summer of murder gets sucked into the investigation as an adult. Lucy, Heath's protagonist, returns to clear out her grandmother's cottage just the body of the Whitlam family matriarch is discovered. In the summer of 2000, Lucy tailed along behind the Whitlam siblings, and possibly witnessed their mother's murder.

Full of twists and turns, The Summer Party will keep you guessing! Everyone is a suspect and they all have history.

The story moved a little slow, but was set up wall. Some of the characters were a little unbelievable; Lucy's simpering obsession with the Whitlam siblings is a little over the top and the Anabelle, the best friend of the past, is fairly flat.

Overall, a fun read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

After 19 years, and the passing of her grandmother, Lucy is back at her Nans cottage, for a short visit to pack up her Nans stuff. Her short visit is extended due to a body washing up on the beach. She is now pulled into a murder investigation. The Whitlams live next door to her Nans. Who, nineteen year ago, were THE family to befriend. So when sixteen year old Lucy was let into their inner circle, she was prepared to do anything.


I loved the cover and the synopsis but there was something about this book, I just couldn’t get into it. It kept losing me.




Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy!

3.5ish stars

It took me longer to get through this book than it should have. It wasn’t bad, but parts of the beginning felt like they dragged a bit; coupled with some (reasonably small) issues I had with the writing style, the story just didn’t hold my attention very well at first, to the point where I briefly considered marking it as a DNF. Also, although it’s not a huge book, it felt unnecessarily long at times. It did get better, and I found the rest of the story more enjoyable, if a bit over-the-top dramatic. I enjoyed the flashbacks to the early 2000s; in addition to being necessary for building the backstory, there was some fun nostalgia for me there. Anyway, it wasn’t my favourite book of its kind I’ve read lately, but I think it will find success among fans of the genre.

What an interesting tale. As we all suspect, being rich doesn't always mean a wonderful life and definitely doesn't mean that you will have a great family. I really like when stories show that people have many different sides and not all of them are necessarily perfect. These characters had many sides and even the good guys weren't all good and made some bad decisions.

Set in Australia, take a wealthy - entitled, and expectant - mix in “the help” and a murder along the way and you’ve got an interesting storyline. I felt it could be more compelling, but the dual timelines kept one guessing unless they paid close attention. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read. I think many will enjoy this one in the coming months.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!! I have to say I was drawn in from the beginning and always wanting to read what happens next. I loved that the author had dual timelines, one leading up to the summer party and one that was present day. I really enjoyed that I was easily able to visualize the landscape that was painted throughout the book! This thriller definitely had a satisfying ending with a few plot points I hadn’t guessed, and I felt that the plot being rooted in familial secrets made it exciting to read. Will definitely be looking for more books by this author! Highly recommend.

This started off really strong even though the concept itself isn't entirely unique. Wealthy family that not-so-rich girl idolizes, drama, murder, etc. etc. but Heath does a really good job of making you understand the no-so-rich girl and really root for her. The middle was decent, love interest and possibly a triangle present. The end was kind of punch after punch of twists WHICH I don't always mind but the story was good enough that I don't think it was needed. I saw that this is her first book and I really do want to reach the next one!

2.5 stars
Overall, this is a decent mystery novel, but it suffers from some very OTT moments, and no characters that I really liked. FYI: There's an awesome dog (literally the best part of the story) and he does encounter some scary situations a couple of times, but he comes out fine so you can read this without that worry.

Lucy has come to pack up her grandmother's home after her death. She remembers back to the summer she spent hanging around the wealthy Whitlam siblings, Annabelle, Harry, and Mae, almost twenty years ago when she was sixteen. She envied their ease and self-assuredness and was heartbroken when the friendships she made fell away. Now that she's back she hopes to spark the relationships once again, and then a body is discovered--it is Brooke Whitlam, the mother of her friends. And she hadn't been seen since the party at the end of the summer all those years before. What happened to Brooke and what secrets are everyone hiding?

I thought Lucy's simpering obsession with the Whitlams was ridiculous. She followed them around like a needy puppy, even after twenty years and a career and relationships of her own. She put them above everything else, which made me roll my eyes so many times. There was one encounter she had with Jake that made me almost quit reading it was so ridiculous. She honestly acted like a tween rather than an adult in her mid-30s. She was fawning around after the Whitlams and I could almost hear her whining "Why won't you talk to me? Why won't you be my friends?" Blah.

The mystery itself had lots of surprises and twists and I did like the way it was presented and it kept me guessing until the very end. Even after the main mystery of what happened to Brooke was revealed, there were still a few other surprises and that elevated the story for me. The pacing of the book is a bit slow, but the Australian setting is captured beautifully.

Bottom line: A bit lackluster, decent mystery but unlikable characters.

⛱️⛱️⛱️⛱️ / 5

Thank you to @netgalley and Aria & Aries for providing me early access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a debut novel! I loved that this was set in Australia, as it gave beach-read vibes, but it was also a bit eerie. It was thrilling, chilling, creepy, and mysterious, and I truly didn’t know what to expect. There were quite a few characters to keep up with, especially with the multiple POVs, so I did feel a little lost at times, but this was all cleared up in the end. And the ending was crazy! If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers and wealthy family drama, you’ll love this glamorous debut novel!

Lucy returns to Queen’s Point in Australia after the passing of her Grandmother to clear out her home. Her Grandmother worked at the nearby mansion and Lucy finds herself drawn back to it during her stay. Remains of a body are found at the time Lucy arrives, were the people who lived at the mansion involved?

I thought this book was okay! I wasn’t hooked to the point I read it in a night but I didn’t dislike it so much to not finish it. I liked the story plot itself but the main issue was I didn’t like the main character Lucy at all. She was really unlikeable in my opinion and I struggled to connect to her character.

Amazing storyline and author. I can’t believe I had never read another book by this author before. I highly recommend this one to everyone looking for a good thriller

This is the first book I've read in which a murder takes place, and I didn't know right off the bat when it happened. I enjoyed the introduction of each character, and there were a few that made me flip flop in the dislike of them. While it did have some romantic elements, that wasn't a big part of the story. The way the past was intertwined with the present was a plus for me, as it kept the story moving smoothly. I would definitely read more titles by this author.

Lucy Ross has to return to the South Australian coast to pack up her grandmother's home. Here, memories of a fateful summer when Lucy was 16 resurface, as the enigmatic Whitlam siblings are also gathered in the town. Will long covered secrets be revealed, or will people suffer to keep them?

A dual timeline story, we see Lucy as an innocent 16 year old and as a 35 year old. I liked the characterisation in the main, but did find the story a bit slow at times and a bit predictable.

When Lucy Ross hears the news that a body part washed up by her deceased grandmothers property, memories of a summer party come flooding back and she decides it’s time to visit the town she spent one summer and pack up her grandmother cottage. What she doesn’t expect is the return of the wealthy family she spent that fateful summer trying to impress, and the lies and secrets that are intertwined between them. With emotions running high, and a body uncovered on the property, Lucy can’t help but question everything, and every one. A fast paced, exciting thriller that will keep you heading to the end!

After losing her grandmother Lucy returns to the property to clean it out. Being there and being so close to the Whitlams again really starts to bring up old memories especially once a body is found belonging to Mrs. Whitlam. Lucy is trying to figure remember what happened that night and if she can remember anything when she gets caught in the middle of this. Will a killer be caught and will Lucy uncover the truth?

This mystery will keep you guessing trying to figure out what happened on the night of that party. This book takes place in Australia and really sets the scene for you! It will have grab your attention! Thank you to Netgalley and Aria&Aries for a digital ARC copy of this book!!