Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun quick read with lots of secrets - possibly too many secrets as it became to keep track of which secret was being hinted at by which character and then there was a bit of a rush at the end to try and resolve them all.

Really enjoyable though.

I couldn't read this as an ebook for some reason so will get it when it comes out! Sorry! (Leaving a 4 star review to be fair.)

Oooof I liked this one. Very gripping and some great characters. Nina the central character is especially well written. The twist and thriller element is very believable. I stayed up late a few too many nights desperate to find out more.

This was a fast paced holiday thriller which kept you guessing and wondering what was going to happen. Most of the book is spent in the past as we experience what happened 33 years ago and I was expecting it to switch between timelines more than it did.

Despite this helping to establish the events of that holiday, it left me questioning everyone. I warmed to Zoe and Will but the same couldn’t be said for the rest of the group, especially Nina! Some of the moments in this book were really shocking and I just couldn’t see a way out for a while. I also didn’t have a clue who was sending the emails!

There were a few little twists in this, some of them a bit more shocking than others and for 90% of the book I was hooked and found myself wanting to keep on reading. The last few chapters let it down for me a little bit though as it felt like the ending was a bit rushed and left lots of unanswered questions.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC. This is my first Nikki Smith book, and it won't be my last! I loved the fast-paced action and unpredictable plot. A must-read for thriller fans. 10/10.

A luxurious villa, a group of old university friends, and way too many secrets.
This book was definitely more of a character-based thriller with movement between two timelines, ‘now’ and 1989 (is this a purposeful reference to Taylor Swift? We will never know). I enjoyed the ‘pretty little liars esc’ element of the anonymous mystery person sending them threats.
I feel like the book could have spent more time developing individual characters, sometimes it felt like we moved on with too little development which didn’t work well with some of them who were unlikeable.
The 1989 references did go slightly over my head as a 2000’s baby but I still enjoyed feeling like I was going back to a nostalgic time. I feel like the constant switching between timelines did get somewhat confusing and would have worked very well on screen rather than page.

This was a fun, twisty summer thriller and the first I've read by this author. I'd probably pick her work up again and I'd definitely recommend this as a slump breaker!

Thank you Penguin and Netgalley for a brilliant read.
I've read another book by Nikki and this is by far the best yet.
Suspenseful, great storyline and characters and keeps you guessing.

This book was something I wasn't expecting.
I was thinking about something different, but the final effect was even better than I thought it would be!

Six friends. One summer. And one mistake...
Years later, again they are meeting on the island.
Not because they are really fond of the unexpected reunion, but more like they are threatened that the truth will be uncovered.
So there they are again, as an adult now, and they have to face the consequences and the facts, everything that had happened that summer years ago.
And it won't be a delightful journey back in time...

Ok, so that is awesome. I have read that with goosebumps and definitely wanted to know more and more with every single page. The story itself is a masterpiece with so many details, lines, and secrets to uncover by the way.
And a great final? Amazing.

The book is definitely worth the hype.

It’s July 1989 and six friends (Aiden, Claire, Nina, Seb, Will and Zoe) have just finished university and head to Deià in Mallorca to spend a fortnight at Nina’s parents’ luxury villa. They’re looking forward to relaxing, drinking and partying hard, especially as they’re there during the Correfoc, a one-night festival of fire where you can dance with the devil! Terrifying!

Right from the start, there’s tension among the group and it’s clear there are lots of secrets to be revealed. They don’t seem to like each other very much and things are bubbling beneath the surface, waiting to be unleashed, as they begin to irritate each other and forget to be on their best behaviour.

The chapters are short and snappy and focus on each of the characters in turn so that we learn more about them gradually. Throughout, there are hints and forewarnings of things to come, and it makes for an uncomfortable and tense read as you try and untangle what each of the characters has been up to. It’s all rather toxic and disturbing behaviour and it’s clear that things aren’t going to end well for anyone, especially after they’re involved in an incident that has awful repercussions for all of them.

After the first few chapters, I became accustomed to the style and raced through the book and couldn’t put it down, desperate to work out who, what, where, when and why! Very quickly, things started to get out of control. There was so many revelations and just when I thought I’d figured things out, another twist would totally surprise me!

The story is mainly set 33 years ago but there are also chapters from the present day, in which we learn that each of the characters has been sent a threatening email requesting that they return to the Mallorcan villa to discuss the events of July 1989. Who sent the message and what do they want?

Overall, this was a gripping, claustrophobic, dark and engaging read with an excellent cast of horrible characters! I certainly wouldn’t like to be friends with any of them; you’d need to watch your back! There are lots of threads to the story and I enjoyed trying to put everything together and work out what on earth had happened in the past; there was so much we didn’t know about the characters when we first met them and lots to uncover. This was definitely a page turner and a perfect, if rather exhausting, summer read!

I loved the references to fashion, music and products from the late 1980s and was very excited to discover there’s a playlist for The Beach Party on Spotify! The cover is brilliant too – so striking and eye catching – and very appropriate for the storyline and setting.

This was actually my first novel by the author but I’ll definitely be checking out her other books, All in Her Head and Look What You Made Me Do, and eagerly looking out for her next one, which is due out next year!

Thank you netgalley for my copy of this book. I haven't read anything from this author before and enjoyed this book. I liked the dual narratives and it kept me guessing. I did find it a bit hard to get past the grammatical errors, as they took me out of the story. All in all though, I enjoyed this.

A good read
Will keep you turning the pages
This is set in two timelines
With plenty of secrets and twists
You will be hooked
Thanks NetGalley

This book was OK but found it confusing as it switched perspectives if each character quite often. Lived the location setting and the 1989 setting.

In 1989 a group of college roommates get together for a holiday at a friends villa. There are undercurrents among them for various reasons so they fall in and out with each other. The tension mounts up and on the night of a beach party there is a tragedy. Choices are made but they are now coming back to haunt them. Who is looking for revenge?
This was a great read, short, punchy but full of tension. Every time that I thought I knew what happened I had to change my mind.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an advance copy

I didn't love this or hate this. It was a great read with some interesting parts. I wouldn't read again but would recommend to anyone to read at least just the once

This was my first read of Nikki Smith and I have to say I didn’t love this one! The synopsis had me wanting something gripping and juicy but I didn’t feel like this fully delivered. It all felt a little too predictable and the ending just fell a little flat.

I’m not sure if I will be picking up another of Nikki’s books after this one

A book to read to cheer yourself up in winter or as a pool read. Either way it’s an easy read. Characters are intriguing and I liked it was set in 1989 as I was the same age as the characters. This is a fabulous builder that will keep you reading into the small hours.

Six friends, The holidays of their dreams, what could possibly go wrong? Set in 1989 the story moves between then and the present day. A good read.

A gripping and compelling read that kept me hooked. Good characters and lots of tension and suspense.

A tense thriller bouncing back and fore between 1989 and the present day. Six university friends spend a holiday together at a Mallorcan villa. Drink, drugs and an ill advised boat trip lead to a disaster and a cover up. Years later they all receive and email ensuring their return.