The Birthday Reunion by Claire Seeber is a psych thriller that is mostly good but ends up collapsing under So. Much. Going. On.
The premise is great – three long-time friends are invited for what they think is a birthday reunion of the fourth friend. Mysteries abound. Nothing is as it seems.
Are the people really who they say they are? Who is hiding what? How many secrets can be crammed into a short getaway?
The author attempts to answer all of these questions, sometimes successfully – but sometimes creating more questions in the process.
Overall, I felt a lack of focus in the book. It started straightforward enough, and there was plenty of material that could have gone along with a simple getaway turned…odd.
But the author veers into past traumas, old relationships, convoluted connections, and other gimmicks meant to cause mystery and fear (among the characters). It really just created confusion for the reader.
For example, when the three friends first arrive for the “reunion,” there is a delay in getting to their destination. The groundwork that went into creating their initial overnight stay is essentially thrown away when it could have been built out much more satisfactorily.
The same could be said for the actual “reunion.” Instead of focusing on the friends, the author throws a bunch more characters in. Again, I suppose it is to create mystery and distrust, but it muddies the waters. And there were more than a few consistencies.
By the time the event from the prologue actually occurs, it is almost an afterthought. Frankly, so is the resolution. I felt like it was “blink and you’ll miss it. In fact, I had to read the last few chapters twice to figure out who actually was responsible for all of it.
In spite of all of this, I still liked The Birthday Reunion. It certainly kept me guessing. I’ll look for the next psych thriller from Claire Seeber.
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Wow what a fabulous read

This one had me enthralled the whole time. Multiple POVs and dual timelines was an excellent way at giving an insight into each character and shrouding each in even more mystery.

I suspected each and every one of the characters at one point and I did not expect the ending at all.

Well written, suspenseful, mysterious and an excellent ending.

Highly recommend

Thank you Netgalley, publisher & Claire Seeber for the ARC of this book!

Enjoyable thriller/mystery that takes a look at friendship and life. It was easy to read and the characters were very well done. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.

Didn't enjoy this so much sadly. The short chapters baffled me a little bit and I found it a bit tricky to keep up. However, perfect for those who want something moresih and want something pacey and easy to keep up with!

This one did not work for me for a few reasons. I found it very confusing to follow the narrative. The "then" chapters are labeled as to whose POV is being shared, and they are very short (sometimes just 1 or 2 pages), but I'd still forget whose POV I was reading. The "now" chapters are not labeled and it would take me forever to figure out who was speaking - and usually it took me running through all the characters to see if they were mentioned by name so I could rule out that this was their stream of consciousness. The plot itself was rather complicated as to who was doing what to whom. While I wanted to stick around and find out what was actually going on, I was only interested because of time I'd invested and thought about skimming (but didn't).

I would give this 3.5 if that was a choice. I liked the plot. There were a lot of “main” characters though and it was hard to stay focused on whose viewpoint we were in. It was also a little choppy at times. That being said I am a sucker for deserted island stories. I loved the atmosphere. There was suspense. Lots of twists and turns and it kept you guessing right till the last page.

Enjoyed this one and hearing the viewpoints of all the different characters throughout the story. Thanks for the early review copy.

An interesting storyline however jumped from topic to topic often which detracted from the enjoyment of the book.

Six stars! Where to begin? Maybe with how engaging the writing is. The author’s conversational style, and the unique voice she gives each character, really draw you in. For example, here’s a peek into one character’s thoughts when another extends her hand. “It was a hot little paw, adorned with many gold and silver rings of different sizes, at least one on each finger.”

The author’s descriptions are just enough, and paint such a creepy picture in your mind with her choices- such as this, “moth-eaten tapestries; a wicker birdcage with two fake canaries inside gently sways high up in one corner”. I LOVE the caged fake canaries!

As for the mystery/thriller plot itself, I found it compelling from the first. The intrigue builds and builds, as the story veers from present to past and back, leaving the reader with more questions than answers with each passing chapter. The premise is terrific- a group of flawed but relatable women with a possibly malevolent friend, codependency, and no way out of the danger they find themselves in. The plot and setting give off both a “Lord of the Flies” and a “Yellow Jackets” vibe. The prose and theme is also reminiscent of Ruth Ware. Somehow, the
author combines all these moving parts into an off the charts fabulous story. I absolutely adored this book!

This was a bit slow for me. Nothing really happened until the very end. I did however really like the multiple POVs and multiple timelines.

This is a twisty fun read set on Ibiza when 3 gal pals get an invitation to Jodie's 40th birthday. What a fun get-a-way, right? But of course appearance is often different than reality and soon the women realize something (actually many things) is going wrong. Where is Jodie and why aren't these accommodations more luxurious? Alternating in time from past to present, the novel details their changing relationships over time in crazy detail. Don't even attempt to figure it out as it's way too mind-bending...but so worth the ride!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

A fast-paced story skilfully told in short chapters from the viewpoints of the four main characters, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. Beautiful cover and great premise.

This was a good read with short chapters that have you keep reading ONE MORE, late into the night in my case. However, there were some loose ends that didn’t get tied up and I didn’t feel that some of the betrayals that occurred should have prompted such elaborate revenge. The story centers on 3 women in their 40s, Hannah, Simone, and Vicky, who get invited to a lavish birthday celebration in Ibiza by a former friend named Jodie that none of them have spoken to in years. They all have good reasons not to go but ultimately decide to do so because they all felt like they needed a break from their daily lives. The book alternates between current time and 20 years ago so the reader learns the events that lead up to the current situation.

I love books where people are stuck on secluded islands and I feel like there was good creepiness throughout. The mix of the fancy accommodations and the creepy happenings was very cool. There were a lot of twists in the book with pretty much every character having reasons to mess with at least one other character, and I enjoyed trying to figure out who was really behind the escalating scariness. Definitely some genuine surprises. None of the characters were especially likable but they were mostly tolerable (at least the ones who were supposed to be), though I did find Hannah to be immature and petty compared to the others. The end of the book was interesting but fell a bit short for me because I felt like I was left with unanswered questions that didn’t get tied up as I’d hoped.

Overall, this is a fast paced and interesting read and I really did enjoy it, though I would’ve liked it more if more of my questions were answered. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Trying to unravel the history between four “former” best friends while on the island in Ibiza, you will be questioning everyone’s truth and loyalty! I found myself rereading chapters to see if I missed any clues to help me figure out who got them on this island for the surprise birthday that didn’t even exist! While I needed a bit more desire to turn the page, the ending has another twist of information you won’t want to miss!

A thriller about a vacation gone wrong? Sign me up! The synopsis and cover? Perfection! I liked the beginning of the book as I started to anticipate the messiness of this trip. Unfortunately, the story felt so slow once they left the airport. The chapters about the past were hard to get into. It took too long to connect with the character and by the time I did, I didn't care about them. The story felt too confusing at times. Sorry, this one wasn't for me.
Best wishes to the author and thanks for the advance review copy.

Four friends One dream getaway But who makes it out alive?
Simone,Hannah and Vicky are surprised when they receive gold rimmed invitations inviting them to their ex friend Jodies lavish Mediterranean villa to celebrate her birthday, they haven't spoken to her in years after she betrayed them in the worst way.
So how have they been invited?All have a reason to say yes it's their one chance to confront Jodie and the past once and for all.
But Jodie hasn't invited them,someone else has a reason for revenge, but in the end who will get out alive?
An enjoyable read told from the prospective of the main characters,I did find it different to the authors other books and my only quibble was I found it a bit to long.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC

How much do you want an all-expense paid trip to Ibiza? Do you want it badly enough that you'd go if your estranged friend invited you for her 40th birthday? That's the question Simone, Vicky, and Hannah have to ask themselves. Because they're normal human beings, they can't resist and are whisked away to sunny Spain for a weekend of fun and fiesta.

However, once they arrive, they realize something is amiss when their host and estranged friend Jodie wasn't expecting them. What follows is the terrifying realization that they're stuck on an island and someone there with them is out for blood.

I had pretty high expectations for this book, especially since it hits so much fun tropes that I love (Murder mystery on an island! Rich people doing awful things!). Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat and it felt like there were some threads that didn't get tied together as concisely as they could have.

The concept was great, but it wasn't executed very clearly and I was a little confused, especially in the back half of the book. There were some good twists but ultimately it didn't make up for the lack of clarity.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

The Birthday Reunion by Claire Seeber was a great page-turner.
TBR was an easy, entertaining read, I really enjoyed this and found myself absorbed in the story.
I felt as though it was more of a slow paced read. Which is totally fine.
Still a good solid story, with intriguing and well developed characters.
I also enjoyed the storyline. It was really fun and suspenseful.

Rating: 3.5

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book had great short chapters with an awesome breathtaking ending. However, it was definitely a long, slow burn for me. It had some good suspenseful bits and kept you guessing why this was happening and who was behind it, but it seemed to get lost between the back and forth of the then and now.

Jodie invites her 3 old friends (Simone, Vicky, Hannah) to come on an all expenses paid posh vacation for her 40th birthday. They all haven't been together in years, and the 3 friends aren't too keen on seeing Jodie again, let alone spending a whole vacation celebrating her. Weird things start happening once they're on their way, and once they arrive at Ibiza, Jodie is nowhere to be found.
Once she finally shows up, she acts like she doesn't know why they're there. And many creepy things start happening. No wifi, no way off the island, weird notes, and missing knives.
Will they end up making up and get out alive?

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