Loved this amazing book so much. I just couldn't put it down. Brilliant from start to finish. A stunning story from an author who just keeps getting better with each amazing book. This one is just wow.

I can’t tell you how many times I was frustrated at where a chapter would end. I thought okay the author is finally going to reveal information and it would give just enough of the back story to not actually tell me anything about what was happening in the future. It was infuriating and also genius. I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know how it all came together. The ending was ok and I didn’t see the one twist coming. Not an edge of your seat thriller, but written in a way that you need to keep reading to unravel the mystery!

Your thrown straight into the story. Told from the point of view of Simone, Hannah, Vicky and Jodie switching between a past and present storyline. It’s a gripping unputdownable story and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out how it was going to turn out. It’s has a well developed plot and well developed characters that you really get a feel for. It’s cleverly written an it reveals just what’s needed at the time to keep you hooked and wanting more. It felt like there was someone looking over your shoulder 😜. One to read for sure.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #TheBirthdayReunion

Despite strong misgivings, Simone, Hannah and Vicky decide to except the invitations that they receive to an exclusive birthday celebration for their former friend Jodie. They all have very good reasons for being very reluctant to attend, but they do anyway, even though they have not spoken to Jodie or each other in several years.

Each of the women have their own problems. More than that, there is a dark past that they have not dealt with and perhaps this weekend they can all confront Jodie and settle something that really needed to be cleared up.

Not only is Jodie beyond shocked to see them there, the plans that she had for that weekend are not about to come to fruition. With no one having cell phone service, and no way off of the island at least for the weekend, things are about to get quite hairy, especially since they quickly learned that Jodie did not send the invitations.

As it turns out, revenge is the name of the game. This was not to be a lavish birthday party. Instead, their friendships are explored, and the reason that none of them have really spoken for years soon becomes very clear. As this intense story is written from each of their perspectives, it comes to no surprise that the once tight knit group had completely broken apart.

Claire Seeber has written a dark, compelling story that was impossible to put down. I could not wait to see how everything would unfold and whether or not someone might not make it off of the island.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Birthday Reunion is a great
psychological thriller with lots of twists! I love the short chapters! Chapters take place in the past and present, told from different character perspectives. This is the second Claire Seeber book I’ve read & again loved it!

Thank you, Claire Seeber, Bookouture & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

This was exactly what it said. A fast paced thriller with short chapters that keeps you turning the pages! Will read more from this author.

The Birthday Reunion by Claire Seeber is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story follows four women - Simone, Hannah, Vicky, and Jodie - who were once good friends until Jodie's betrayal drove a wedge between them.

When they receive gold-rimmed invitations to a dream getaway, they reluctantly decide to attend, maybe hoping to rekindle their friendship or at least find out why they were invited. However, things quickly take a dark turn, and the women find themselves trapped in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Will they live through this? I can't spoil that one for you!

The novel is told from multiple perspectives, both in the present and with flashbacks to the past, adding depth and complexity to the characters and their motivations. Seeber's writing is sharp and suspenseful, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the very end. Overall, The Birthday Reunion is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and a testament to Seeber's skill as a writer!

Thanks to @netgalley and @bookouture for providing me with an ARC of this book which was released yesterday. This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and the book description really pulled me in.

I really liked that this book had short chapters but I found that the constant changing between character viewpoints in each chapter difficult to keep up with and remember which character was voicing the chapter.

The middle of the book felt a bit flat and it wasn’t until the last 20% of the book that I became completely hooked in it. I would recommend reading this book and I will definitely check out other books by this author in the future.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. I do not like different timelines and characters’ viewpoints, but this talented author has written a novel of intrigue that keeps the reader guessing. The story grows on the reader. It is worth staying with the characters and listening to their voices. They are realistic. This is an intriguing read. Try it.

The Birthday Reunion is a dual POV, dual timeline psychological thriller. This is a great format for thrillers but unfortunately this one ultimately wasn’t for me.
I love the cover. I love the plot. I liked the suspense at the beginning of the story. I even liked how unlikeable Jodie was.
This story had a strong start and was a nice slow burn and then everything started to pick up speed and it started to feel contrived and overdone. The actions of the characters seemed highly unrealistic and the twists felt elaborate, but not in a good way.
I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it. I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it but it just wasn’t for me.

I will be posting this review on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrMh8LYrq24/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5494013468

And Amazon.

The Birthday Reunion by Claire Seeber
Bookouture
Publication: 18 April 2023
4.5⭐️

This is a thriller you don't want to put down! And with the short chapters, it pulls you in to keep reading. What I enjoyed most about this book are the different POVs and the back and forth between the past and present. I find that it's such a great way to keep a reader on their toes. Claire Seeber did an excellent job with the portrayal of the characters. It made me want to know more about them. The only problem I had was that I thought the ending moved a little too quickly. Taking into consideration the changing of different viewpoints and the shortness of the chapters, it seemed a little rushed. With that being said, I thought I figured out who was responsible, but I was shocked to see I was wrong, lol 😆. This book threw me, and I'm glad it did!
Thank you, Netgalley, Bookouture, and Claire Seeber, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This gripping, fast paced book kept me on my toes and turning the pages! I didn't want to put it down. I had to keep reading as I was glued to the pages!

An invitation has been sent to Simone, Hannah and Vicky for a lavish birthday party taking place in Ibiza for their former friend, Jodie. Should they go? Their interest in piqued. They were once inseparable, but not now. The three of them had not been friends with Jodie since she betrayed them all those years ago. But they could all use a break from their lives. Simone is a Stay-at-home mum, Vicky is a struggling café-owner, and Hannah lost the love of her life all those years ago. They decide to go, have some fun, and do some relaxing by the pool. How bad can it be?

When they finally arrive, they find that Jodie is shocked to see them there. She didn't invite them. If she didn't invite them, then who did and why?

This book was told in short chapters which gave readers glimpses into both the present and the past. I appreciated the chapters being headed with the year and the name of the character giving her POV.

The Birthday Reunion was captivating from the very beginning. As we meet Simone, Jodie, Hannah and Vicky in their younger years, we see how they interacted and what happened that caused a breakdown in their friendship with Jodie. Readers also get to see the women after they have moved on from that last party together all those years ago. We change and mature as we grow older, don't we...some of us...maybe? But do we let go of past hurts?

The intriguing part was WHO invited them to Ibiza? What was the motive? Plus, the book takes place with those on the island being trapped. No one is on the island but them. They must wait for someone to come pick them up. This private island and villa could be paradise, but soon strange and eerie things begin happening. There is an unsettling sense of unease and dread flowing just under the surface.

I enjoyed the tension between the four women but also between all the characters who are stuck together with their uncomfortable past looming over them. I could feel the uncomfortableness in the air, the creepy vibe of the isolated island, and the mounting sense of danger. I enjoyed the feeling of something not being quite right. I loved trying to figure out who may have invited them and why. I didn't guess correctly, in fact, I was way off base.

I found this book to be gripping, tension filled, creepy and hard to put down! I look forward to what Claire Seeber writes next!

This is a book I was intrigued by at first glance (I do judge books by their covers a bit.. normally with good enough results to my liking) and the title seemed interesting to me.

I'm a thriller lover and was happy to receive this as an ARC on Netgalley.

As for the book itself I really loved the setting of the novel, 4 friends catching up after a falling out, a holiday home in a beautiful setting and the mystery on who could or could not be trusted- definitely the sort of thing I'm into. I also have to mention how much I loved the short chapter lengths!

It was a fun read with unpredictable twists, the only thing that I struggled with was understanding who the characters were.. I feel like there were a lot of characters overall and a lot of them blended together to me. I struggled like a few others to distinguish who's POV was telling us the story in varies chapters.

With that being said I really did enjoy it, it felt like a thriller movie in book form.
I would recommend but feel it is best read when you can fully concentrate on it!

After receiving mysterious invitations for an all expense paid trip for an estranged friend’s birthday, three friends decide to take a chance to celebrate their old friend. Once arriving to their destination, their past begins to come to light and other people from their past show up for the “party”.
The web of lies and deceit gets more tangled as it’s weaved causing even more friction among the group. Each had their own motive for going on the trip, but one behind it, is unexpected.

I enjoyed the short chapters, the different story perspectives, and dual timelines, but felt the story was a bit stale through the first half of the book. The story started to pick up through the second half but still moved relatively slow. The height of the story ended up falling flat for me. I will say, though, the final chapter revealing all of the plan was unexpected.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Tbvh, this book was very annoying, but I still managed to finish it so I gave itva 2.5. The characters were so stupid, you fell out with someone, didn't speak for 10+ years and the person invited you to birthday party through an 'assistant' and you went?! Just like that!
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In addition, this book was not thrilling or dangerous enough, it didn't even feel like i was reading a thriller and the ending was such a letdown, I was so disappointed!
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But, I reiterate, I was able to finish it and it didn't bore me(much), the characters were just very, very stupid.

This my first time reading a novel by Claire Seeber. I rated it a 3.5. I enjoyed the first half of the book which had me hooked. The second half was disappointing and the story wasn't as exciting. I will still read her other books!

Four friends. One dream getaway. But who will make it out alive...?

When the gold-rimmed invitations arrive through the mailslots of Simone, Vicky and Hannah, the friends cannot believe it. After all she has done to them, has taken from them and thrown back in their faces, their ex-friend Jodie has the audacity to invite them to an all-expenses-paid four day weekend on a remote island in the Mediterranean to celebrate her birthday...when they all knew her birthday was in November. The four friends have not spoken in two decades since Jodie betrayed them all in the worst way. So why is she inviting them to this weekend escape? And why now? And more importantly, what does she want from them?

The journey to the island takes somewhat longer than expected, drawing out the journey and the story a little. The three friends have to spend the night in an old near-abandoned farmhouse villa which is reminiscent of the forties horror movie sets. But as soon as daylight comes, the friends are down at the jetty awaiting their boat to the island. And when they get there...they discover it just as deserted as the old villa from which they've come. But on a much grander scale. Far more luxurious, each with their own room and ensuites, a fully stocked pantry and fridge, all with gorgeous turquoise views and a mosaic infinity pool. There was just one thing missing: the birthday girl herself, Jodie.

But when Jodie does arrive, she is just as shocked and surprised by the presence of her three former friends. So who invited them all here? Who has orchestrated this entire weekend? And to what end?

With no WiFi, weird messages, missing knives and no way off the island...each begins to wonder if any of them will make it out alive. But one of them is hell bent on revenge...but who? And why?

The concept of this story was intriguing but I think for me the telling of it fell a little flat. It takes almost 30% of the book before they even reach the island and the rest of it to remain as confused as ever as to what is really going on. I am all for multiple narratives but even I got a little confused with the constant changeover between the four friends that I had to keep checking back as to which one of them was narrating at times. Particularly as every chapter was in the first person and somehow I always felt it was Simone's voice I heard every time, even if it was one of the others.

The story is also a slow burn of which I'm not particularly a fan generally unless it is done in a way that does hold my interest. This one hovered between doing so and not. And once they got to the the Isle del Diablo (Devil's Island), all they seemed to do was bitch and moan and argue all the time.

It's an OK read for me and I wasn't totally satisfied with how it all ended. Although it was nicely done in the epilogue, I was left somewhat confused as to where everyone stood and what the whole endgame really was. I was left shaking my head in the end, and somewhat puzzled. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me in the end.

I would like to thank #ClaireSeeber, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBirthdayReunion in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Three friends, Vicky, Simone and Hannah receive invitations to a getaway in Ibiza. The invitations are from their previously estranged friend Jodie. The friends are surprised to receive the invitations as Jodie previously betrayed them and humiliated them in a hideous manner, and they swore to never have contact with her again.
The friends are curious and want to lay some ghosts to rest, so decide to take up the all-expenses paid invitation. They arrive on a beautiful island which houses a lavish villa and cannot understand why they are initially the only visitors, and their ex-friend Jodie is not there to greet them. A while later other people from their past, including Jodie start to arrive and they discover that it wasn’t Jodie who invited them.
Before long, the stories start to tumble out and the identity of the host and their reasons for the invitation are revealed.
Unfortunately, this book didn’t grip me in the way I expect a thriller to. The story is disjointed and flits between the past with the characters back stories and the present day, on the luxury island. It is also told from the perspective of the four main characters. I found this too confusing and somewhat spoilt the flow of my reading and enjoyment. As I have read and enjoyed Claire Seeber’s previous books I ploughed on and did finish it, more from loyalty than anything else.

The synopsis, author and cover were enough to convince me that this was going to be my kind of book and it did begin really well. About a quarter of the way through it took a downturn for me. I wasn't engaging with any of the characters, none of whom were likeable and the short chapters that I usually love became annoying due to the constant switching of multiple characters and timelines within a few pages. I ploughed on as I hate giving up on a book but I found myself eager to get through it not because I wanted to see how it ended but because I no longer cared about the characters and just wanted to leave them behind. Sorry but it just wasn't my kind of book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Four friends after years of not having any contact with one, decides to go to a all expenses paid trip to reconnect with Jodie
Jodie Hannah Simone and Vicky were really good friends 20 yrs ago
But things changed and they decided they wanted nothing more to do with Jodie
What will happen when they all get together on this paid adventure