Simone, Hannah and Vicky are middle-aged women invited to a lavish birthday island getaway for their former friend Jodie. Although their friendship broke apart each has their own reason for deciding to attend the reunion. But oops, when they arrive, Jodie is surprised to see them, because she didn't invite them! Who did? And why? These are the main questions that had my reading "just one more" of the short chapters but the reader also discovers what drove the women apart and what is going on in their lives today. A satisfying thriller.

This was such an action-packed and thrilling story. The conversation between past and present made it even more interesting. The descriptions of the setting made me wish to be there. Great read!!

Insight into female friendships. Twists and turns. Couldn't put it down. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review

This book really draws you in with an amazing premise and cover, unfortunately it didn’t work for me.

I usually love short sharp chapters, but the chapters in this novel are two short and left me wanting more. None of the characters are likeable and I don’t feel like I got to know them or give them a fair chance.

The other thing that bothered me was the timeline. It jumps around a lot which usually is a tool I’m a fan of, but in this case didn’t work.

A great idea for a story that didn’t work for me sadly.

This book was just OK to me but it did keep my interest through out and did have some twists and turns that were pretty good.

This book sounded really promising but after more then 70% through the mess of a plot It just kept winding you up and getting nowhere! The overall execution for this plot was all over the place. Takes place between past and current timeline for a group of friends with a shady past full of secrets that end up on a deserted island for a "birthday celebration" After years of not seeing each other the conflicts start to unravel when they get together. Why are we here and who planned all this throughout the plot. Is the place Haunted? Who's trying to sabotage us? so many questions throughout the book but it all fizzles and the ending not very surprising. Many times wanted to DNF but the hopes of a great ending got the best if me unfortunately. plenty of drama, and gossip but not much of a suspenseful thriller here.

Thank you Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

"The Birthday Reunion" by Claire Seeber is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The story follows four former friends who reunite on a Mediterranean island for one of their birthdays. However, things take a sinister turn when they discover that none of them actually sent the invitations, and they are trapped on the island with an unknown assailant who is seeking revenge.

The book alternates between the present and past timelines, providing a detailed backstory of the characters and their fractured relationships. While the premise of the story is intriguing and the tension builds steadily throughout the book, there are some weaknesses in the execution of the plot. The big betrayal that led to the friends' falling out is not explored in depth, and the mystery feels disjointed with too many moving parts.

However, the book's strengths lie in its well-developed characters and their relationships. The author does an excellent job of exploring their motivations and vulnerabilities, making them relatable and adding depth to the story. The slow pace of the book may not suit readers looking for a fast-paced thriller, but it allows for a gradual buildup of tension that leads to a satisfying and unexpected twist at the end.

Overall, "The Birthday Reunion" is a worthwhile read for fans of psychological thrillers who enjoy character-driven stories. While it may not be perfect, the book is a testament to the author's ability to craft a suspenseful and engaging story that will keep readers guessing until the end.

When long-time friends Simone, Hannah and Vicky receive gold embossed invitations to a birthday reunion on an island off Ibiza they are taken aback- the birthday girl is Jodie- someone who had betrayed them many years ago. There had been times when they were extremely close & each for their own reasons decide to accept. On arrival there is no sign of Jodie- she arrives later & seemed shocked to see them.. Others arrive who are connected to them. The setting is beautiful, the accommodation luxurious but when they discover there is no phone or wi-fi & they are about to be isolated by a storm, things take a darker turn. Told from different perspectives & a 'Now' & 'Then' timeline the reader struggles to untangle the different grudges being acted out.

This was a very enjoyable & convoluted read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

An interesting book. There are all kinds of missing information and hints about the information that slowly unravels as you read. And I do mean slowly. This is very much a slow burn book. Nothing is as it seems. Told from multiple points of view in the present and the past. I definitely had no idea where this one was heading and never knew what would happen next.

I loved the short chapters, but wasn’t really a fan of any of the women. There were many cliffhangers at the end of the chapters, but some of those were the same cliffhangers over and over. That ended up being a con for me. While I didn’t like any of the women, I was curious who could go to all this trouble to bring them together and wreak havoc on them. Also a con for me was that while the chapters in the present were labeled as to the point of view character, the chapters in the past were not and I was often confused trying to figure out the point of view character

All in all, it was a quick entertaining read. If you’re a fan of slow burn psychological thrillers showcasing former friends, you should give this one a read.

Let me say, first of all, that once I started this one, I could barely put it down because I HAD to know what happened. With that being said, what happened in the end was a total flop. I don't think I've ever read a book with a more anticlimactic ending. It was like "this is what happened, the book is over now, goodbye." Frankly, disappointing.
Let's talk about the writing style for a second. The contractions were really odd to me and made the dialog very hard to read smoothly (ie "where d'you" vs "where'd you"). Not sure what is "technically" correct, but the first way was how this was written, and it felt very awkward to me. Also, can these characters come up with a different way to address each other? The use of "babe" was... excessive to say the least. I get the vibe she was trying to create, and I actually liked it a lot, but the dialogue needed more variety.
My favorite character was actually Jodi and I honestly wanted her to be more evil then she was. I love the manipulation and selfishness of her character. The bitchiness of her character really worked for me, weirdly. But, speaking of characters, it almost felt like there was one too many narrators. The characters started to feel a bit jumbled, which made me like Jodi more because her personality really stood out as different from the rest.
In the end, I was ready to give this was 4 or even 4.5 stars, but the ending made me want to throw my kindle across the room. We know "who done it" but I wanted more details about the rest of the characters. This story kind of turned into just a bunch of people being truly terrible people. Overall, three stars because I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it as much as I wanted to.

My review for this book will be posted on my public instagram @leannaslittlelibrary on 5/4
Thank you for the ARC!

This is what a true psychological thriller is all about! This book has it all and was tough to put down. I was hooked from the start and the twists .. I am still in shock! A great read!

The ending of this book was good, at the beginning there was so many characters introduced I struggled to keep up with

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Birthday Reunion' by Claire Seeber.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Claire Seeber, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 13th April 2023.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have also read 'The Street Party' which I would also reccommend.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching beautiful cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'An absolutely addictive and twist-filled psychological thriller that will have you reading late into the night. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies, Lisa Jewell and T.M. Logan.' I am a huge fan of Lisa and T.M. Logan so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a fan of Claire and if this book is as good as 'The Street Party' then it is guaranteed to be a page turner. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 92 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

The storyline is set in Ibiza and England.I always enjoy when books are partly or fully set in the UK as I'm from Wales and have sometimes visited areas mentioned in the book. This makes it easier to picture where the scenes are set at times. I have in fact visited and gone on holiday in London and England on many occasions so am looking forward to possibly recognising name places.

This book is written in first person perspective and the main protagonists are Simone, Vicky, Hannah and Jodie. This book is written in a mix of third and first person perspective and the protagonists are Simone, Vicky, Hannah and Jodie. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. To have the benefit of both first and third person perspective ensures you don't miss out on anything.

This book is well written with several perspectives which ensures you get to see the full picture. The cover, title and synopsis all worked well with the storyline.

I absolutely LOVED this action packed, fast paced and addictive storyline. I especially enjoyed the fact that we get to see both past and present timelines and Claire manages to weave them both perfectly together ensuring the reader gets just the right amount of information to understand what is going on but not too much to give anything away too quickly. I found it to be realistic, addictive and I read it in a day. I loved the stunning Ibiza setting and atmosphere and just well... Everything!!! The setting made me feel like I was in Ibiza myself feeling the sun on my skin and warm air around me. I was so absorbed in the book I was gutted when I came to the end and realised I had to unpack my suitcase and land back in dreary rainy Wales. The atmosphere may have been stunning but the toxic relationships of the party guests was not quite as fun but definitely intriguing!!! It is filled with sun, sand, toxic relationships, secrets, mystery, crime, tension, suspense, twists and so much more. There was everything you could ask for in a page turning read!! I was constantly questioning myself on who I thought would be the one to not leave the Island and who was the one who actually invited everyone there but lo and behold... I was wrong!! I normally NEVER admit I am wrong so don't go telling my partner I did and normally I hate being wrong with a passion but when it comes to books there is nothing better than being proven to be completely wrong and to be shocked by the reveals which Claire completely manages!!! Arggghhh... It is so hard to NOT say anything about them as it will give too much away and spoil it for future readers but it definitely left me speechless over and over!!! I have read hundreds of psychological books and it gets harder and harder to keep my interest and to shock me but Claire managed it hook, line and sinker Just brilliant fair play and all links in and wraps up perfectly!!! I cannot remember the last time I flew through a book so quickly. Each and every time I went to put it down to do something my fingers were itching to pick it back up as I just HAD to know what happened next!! Claire's evocative writing skills ensures you are dragged deep into the storyline seeing everything that is happening and feeling the tension and suspense that all the characters are feeling and going through. My heart was in my throat throughout reading this fast paced, gripping and gritty psychological thriller! I can't say more than that as I don't want to spoil it for future readers so if you want to know you'll have to grab yourself a copy!! You won't regret it!!

Clear your schedules before picking this up as you will not be able to put it down!!! "


It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture



Just like with the storyline the characters come to life with Claire's fantastic writing skills. They are well rounded, realistic and strong making them all the more believable. Hannah, Vicky, Simone and Jodie used to be a tight knit group of friends until something tore them apart and Jodie is no longer part of this friendship group. When Hannah, Vicky and Simone receive an invite to Jodie's lavish birthday party in Ibiza none of them are quite sure what to make of it or whether to go. In the end they decide to accept the invitation and to take the trip. I loved getting to know each of the characters backgrounds and seeing their relationships with each other. I am not going in to any detail on them individually as I don't want to give too much away and potentially spoil things for future readers. I will say that each of the friends remember Jodie differently to each other and that Jodie is a very complex character who can be warm and generous but is also not afraid to step on toes to get her own way. Claire has done an amazing job constructing an addictive and explosive psychological thriller, with fantastic and varied characters, that you just won't be able to put down!!


Congratulations Claire on an explosive success!!! Welcome to my favourite author club!! Here's to many more successes 🥂!!!


Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the first two chapter of Claire's 'The Stepmother' which promises to be as addictive as this and is one I'm looking forward to reading myself!


Overall an unputdownable suspense thriller that will keep you flipping the pages until you've devoured it in one sitting!


Genres covered in this book include Crime Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Domestic Suspense, Suspense Thriller, Women's Psychological Thriller, Suspense Thriller, Crime Thriller. Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Domestic Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Women's Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Women's Psychological Fiction, Domestic Thriller, Psychological Literary Fiction, Women Writers & Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction, Women's Psychological Fiction and Mystery amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of "Big Little Lies", The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors, fans of Miranda Smith, Sheryl Browne, Sue Watson, K.L. Slater. Shalini Boland, Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, Gillian Flynn, Lisa Jewell and T.M Logan.

385 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle and £9.99 in paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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3.5 stars, really

When three friends receive an invitation from a former friend to celebrate her 40th birthday with an all-expenses paid island vacation, they decide to accept- old feud be damned. They could really use a vacation and maybe a cathartic clearing of the air after 20 years. But when they get to the island, their friend doesn’t know anything about any party. Or why they are there. And then more people from their past show up. Stranded for at least the long weekend as a storm rolls in, can the group work out what’s going on before someone gets seriously hurt- or worse?

The book alternates between timelines: the past when the big blow-up between the four friends occurred and the present on the island

The premise of this book grabbed me right from the start: an isolated island, in which a puppet master has initiated a mysterious reunion between enemies with a strange, strained past…..it has all the makings of a great mystery. And for the most part, the book did deliver for me, I was drawn in as weird things happened in the present and as the suspense and tension in the past started to ratchet up.

And there was a bit of a nice twist at the end which was unexpected which left me smiling.

But where I think things didn’t really go into 4- and 5-star territory for me was that while things did happen and we did get some explanations, we didn’t get really full pictures of things. It was almost like passive explanations or insinuations that we then had to put together. The “big betrayal” that split the friend group kind of fell flat, it was really mentioned almost in passing. And the big mystery of the whole book felt disjointed and with a lot of moving parts, since several people were doing several things all at once.

But I wouldn’t call the book bad or anything. I enjoyed reading it. It may just need a polish to get the plot and action a little tighter and emphasize some parts of the story more than others.
That’s my two cents.

I love psychological thrillers and I am always on the lookout for one with an intriguing premise.  So after reading the synopsis for The Birthday Reunion I thought I hit the jackpot. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver as expected.

The Birthday Reunion tells the story of four (4) friends, Jodie, Hannah, Vicky and Simone. These four ladies friendship forged over adverse circumstances and they remained close until Jodie betrayed them. Since then they have had no contact with her. Fast forward twenty (20) years later Hannah, Vicky and Simone received an unexpected invitation to Jodie's 'fortieth birthday celebration' on the island of Ibiza.

Now the ladies made a promise to never speak to Jodie again which had them questioning if they should accept the invitation.  After much deliberation the decided to go. However, upon reaching their destination they learnt Jodie did not send them an invitation. So the question on everyone's mind was, who sent the invitation and why?

Now with a premise such as this one would expect a fast paced and thrilling tale. Well the story moved at a painfully slow pace and it did not offer up a thrilling ride.  It wasn't until around the eighty percent mark that things started to get interesting.

The characters failed to wow me. None of them were likeable and I cared not one iota about any of them.

The story moved between the past and the present. Now usually I don't have issues with this, but it didn't work for this story.  The switch between timelines was not seamless which led to some confusing moments.


Although classified as a thriller, The Birthday Reunion failed to offer up an thrills. No unexpected twists occur, neither did the story deliver up any nail biting moments. In other words the story bored me. I must admit the reason I kept reading lay in my desire to know who extended the invitation and the motivation behind it. Unfortunately the revelation proved quite underwhelming.

This was my first experience with the author's work and it quite likely may be my last.

I was pretty excited about the birthday Reunion however once I started reading it took until halfway through the book to become hooked on the story. It was a good mystery in the beginning but i think too many new characters were introduced at once and I struggled to keep them all straight which then made it difficult to keep up with the story

A body with a knife protruding out their back has washed up on the rocks, but who could have done this?

3 best friends named Hannah, Vicky and Simone receive gold-rimmed envelopes in the post. When they open them they see it is an invite for their ex-best friend Jodie's belated 40th birthday party - an all expenses paid trip to an island in Ibiza. They haven't spoken to Jodie since she betrayed them and shattered their lives, so why is she inviting them here? And will they all say yes?

Simone is a stay at home Mum, Vicky is in a decaying relationship, and Hannah spends her time taking care of her parents and mourning the love of her life that she lost years ago. Simone and Vicky decide to go, as they board the plane Hannah turns up too after initially saying no. When they arrive at the luxury villa, Jodie turns up with the same surprised look on her face. She didn't invite them here, this isn't her fortieth Birthday party, so who did invite them? And why did they also invite their former flames from when they were younger?

The Birthday Reunion is a fast paced and captivating read, with twists and turns aplenty. From the very beginning I was hooked, I love it when a book throws you straight in with a murder, then takes you back in time to reveal how they got there. I also loved the different POVs through the eyes of the four ex-best friends, giving us a glimpse into each of their feelings and reasonings for being there. The short chapters kept me reading and turning the page to know more, and more specifically, who invited them to Ibiza and why?!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Claire Seeber for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A stunning setting but after arriving to the birthday reunion a trio of friends find they were not invited. A story set today at the incredible Mediterranean villa and a backstory of how the relationships turned toxic and one estranged. The story leads to a gripping conclusion with good twists.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as I am a great fan of Claire Seebur’s and the story sounded riveting …. three friends meeting up to celebrate a long lost friend’s birthday…. but it didn’t really gel for me. The chapters , of which there were too many, were told by each of the four friends in turn and because they were very short I became confused over who was narrating and had to keep checking back and forth and the fact that there were past and present timeline just made it all the more confusing for me. The plot was very disjointed and consequently I lost interest and just wanted to finish the story, not really caring what happened to the characters. A disappointing read.

I really enjoyed The Birthday Reunion. I loved the setting and how the story was told from the different perspectives of the individual characters and there were plenty of twists that kept me reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.