I always enjoy Shalina Boland’s books and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. Chloe is rcently divorced, with no friends and a boring job. When she receives an invite to a school reunion she decides to go and reunite with her two school girlfriends. She sees that Nathan, a boy she had a crush on, is going and hopes that she can connect with him. The story is told from Chloé’s point of view and also from Dean, who is struggling as his building firm is owed a lot of money but he cannot get a settlement. As the book progresses we see how their stories connect. Chloe receives a threatening email before the reunion warning her not to go but decides to go ahead. She reunites with her friends and Nathan turns up and seems to be interested in her, but soon secrets from the past begin to surface and the suspense begins to build. A gripping read and a dramatic conclusion.
Thanks to a Netgalley and a Thomas and Mercer for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Another gripping read from the author. It's a bit of a slow burner but the intrigue of where Dean's character fitted in kept the interest high.

I was excited to be approved for this one as Shalini Boland has become a favorite author and this one did not disappoint.

Wow!!!
The invitation to her school reunion couldn’t have come at a better time for Chloe Flynn. Divorced, broke and bored at work, she’s living a life her teenage self would hate. Turning the clock back fifteen years might be just what she needs to wipe the slate clean and start again. And then there’s the chance she’ll bump into Nathan Blake, the one she still regrets letting get away… Back at her elite private school, Chloe sparkles as she reunites with old friends and long-forgotten love interests. And then, just as she’d hoped, there’s Nathan, more handsome than ever before. Even better, he’s single too, and seems to be just as keen to make up for lost time… But as the evening progresses, Chloe can’t help feeling that something’s not quite right—that she’s not the only one who’s come here for more than just a party. When the secrets of the past start to emerge and the reunion takes a sinister turn, it’s clear that nothing is what it seems—and nothing will be the same again.
I loved it. Thank you for the advance copy.

*The School Reunion* by Shalini Boland is a gripping and suspenseful read that had me hooked from the very first page. Shalini Boland has once again delivered a novel filled with twists, secrets, and edge-of-your-seat moments.

The plot revolves around a school reunion that quickly turns into a nightmare as long-buried secrets come to light. The tension builds steadily, and Boland masterfully keeps the reader guessing with each new revelation. I loved how the story unfolded, with plenty of unexpected twists that kept me on my toes.

The characters are well-drawn and relatable, each with their own hidden depths and motivations. I found myself invested in their stories, eagerly turning pages to discover how their pasts would catch up with them. The protagonist, in particular, is compelling and well-developed, making it easy to empathize with her journey.

The setting of the school reunion adds an extra layer of intrigue, as old friendships and rivalries are reignited. Boland does a fantastic job of creating a tense atmosphere, and the interplay between the characters feels authentic and engaging.

While the pacing is generally good, there were a few moments where the story slowed down a bit. However, the suspenseful plot and the well-executed twists more than made up for these lulls. The ending was satisfying and tied up the loose ends nicely, leaving me thoroughly satisfied with the conclusion.

Overall, *The School Reunion* is a fantastic read for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller. Shalini Boland has crafted a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, with plenty of surprises along the way. If you're looking for a suspenseful page-turner with well-developed characters and a gripping plot, this book is definitely worth picking up. Highly recommend!

Wow, Shalani Boland really knows how to write a good thriller. The main character, Chloe, is someone you really sympathize with during the first half of the book then something happens to make you question certain things. Such a great story.

The school reunion is a fantastic read with lots of twists with an ending I didn’t see coming. After receiving an invitation to her school reunion, Chloe Flynn accepts. She thought she might get the chance to meet Nathan Blake the one who got away. She is recently divorced and doesn’t like her job working in a bank. Not long after she accepted the invite she started to get anonymous emails telling her to stay away.
The story is told in three perspectives Chloe, Dean and a flashback of the past.
Dean who is the second perspective who is out of pocket and not having any luck with his building company. He also has a son who he needs to look after.
This book had me right on the edge of my seat and I loved everything about it. Would definitely recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this and to honestly review it.

In Shalini Boland's "The School Reunion" protagonist Chloe Flynn finds herself at a crossroads in life: divorced, financially strained, and disillusioned with her mundane job. When an invitation to her high school reunion arrives, she sees it as an opportunity to escape her current rut and perhaps reconnect with Nathan Blake, a figure from her past she still regrets letting go. However, ominous anonymous emails warning her away from the reunion cast a shadow over her anticipation.

This was an interesting, engaging thriller with a lot of twists and turns. Although prolific thriller readers may find the plot somewhat predictable, the narrative weaves in glimpses of Chloe's past, adding depth to her character and the events unfolding in the present. Shalini's skillful storytelling ensures a gripping and unpredictable journey, culminating in a shocking twist that will leave readers reeling. This may not be the book that redefines the thriller genre, but it is certainly an entertaining "popcorn" novel that will make for a fun beach read.

This was my first Shalini Boland book and it was just okay. It’s only 232 pages so I got through it very quickly - the writing is good but the beginning was a bit slow and the twists were predictable. The story is told in the alternating points of view of the two main characters - Chloe and Dean. Chloe attended the elite private school West Cliff on a swimming scholarship. Dean is a divorced dad with custody of his son. He’s having issues being paid for a building job he did for a very wealthy client. It takes a while to learn how Chloe and Dean’s lives interconnect and how that ties in with the part of the story that goes back in time to high school. There was really only one part of the story that wasn’t easily guessed, so I can’t really recommend this book. Thanks to #netgalley and #thomas&mercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Recently divorced, Chloe is not doing so well in life. She hates her job, things with her mom are not the best, and she is feeling low. She is invited to her 15 year class reunion, and feels that something like this may be the pick-me-up that she needs. Old friends, past loves, and even enemies, will be attending this reunion, so anything could happen!

The book leads up to the crescendo of the night of the reunion. Chloe has been getting strange messages, warning her not to go to the reunion. As the nights go on, secrets of the past emerge and it becomes clear to Chloe that she may not be safe.

I love a good Shalini Boland page-turner, and while this one wasn't my favorite, I am still a big fan. I think the problem is that this book lacked character development for most characters and the ones she did define, like Chloe, I didn't care too much for.

Special thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this story started slow…I was skimming a lot of the descriptions, and the thoughts. About half way through it picked up, and the mystery became more complex, with surprise changes in how characters were being portrayed to the reader, and an interesting twist ending.

Simply WOW!! I loved the ending! The author brought out so many emotions in me. First I sympathised with Chloe. By the end of the book I was despising her! I wasn't expecting that ending. It totally blew me off! The book is well written. It alternates between past and present.

Secrets May Out..
Secrets may out when a reunion at an elite private school scratches underneath the surface of lives. Relayed by two main protagonists, the reader is privy to two sides of a story whilst numerous others play their part - each has their own personal reasons for attending the reunion. With a rather predictable premise, the tale unfolds exposing the unlikeable characters within and a somewhat weak and wishy washy plot. Nicely penned but ultimately disappointing.

Well I've been to a high school reunion, and while it was crazy, it wasn't THIS crazy! I enjoyed this book. The chapters were short, and there were lots of twists and turns. I did not see that ending coming. I had so many thoughts about what was going on, but I was SO wrong.

The writing had me gripped. The plot was delivered in such a tense way. I was wondering the entire book what was going to happen. I enjoyed following the dual POVs. Overall a good read.

I also think I'm skipping the next reunion!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

I hate it when thrillers underestimate my intelligence. This book had one weak, underdeveloped plot, that I truly don't know what made me finish it.
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The characters were all unlikeable, the fact that the narrative switched for one of the characters to unreliable suddenly in the middle was really irritating.
It was like... Oh, you thought this? It was actually that all along.
The link between both Chloe and Dean was super flimsy, the way the author connected them was extremely unrealistic and unexplainable, even in book logic.
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Also, the first third of the book could have been literally few pages. At some point I was like, ok, I get it. Chloe is a wreck after the divorce, and Dean is lonely and has money problems because of Chris. Let's move on, for God's sake! How long should I read the same thing?
We didn't reach the actual reunion until the middle point, which would've made sense if there was a backstory we need to understand before the event. This wasn't the case, it was mostly narrating the day-to-day life of Chloe and Dean.
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There were some parts that the book could have done without, like, the relationship between Chloe and her mother. It didn't add anything to the storyline, and didn't give any insight on Chloe as a person.
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The flash back scenes were underwhelming, they kept hinting on secrets and the struggle the character was going through.
The reunion scenes were over the top, basically a group of people in their thirties acting like middle schoolers. Their mannerisms and actions gave me second hand embarrassment.
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The ending was super abrupt, but I wasn't expecting much at that point, so it was fine.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

The School Reunion is a story about people with unresolved issues returning to their school reunion to tie up loose ends - whether they know it or not. 


It's rare for me to DNF a book once I've hit 50%. When I hit the halfway mark, I'm usually in until the end. But once I hit 71% and this book took an odd, incredibly unbelievable turn, I tapped out. Told from a few points of view, Chloe's and Dean's lives are seemingly unrelated until we find out halfway through how they converge. Here's the thing about this book - the beginning is pretty interesting, particularly Dean's circumstances. I did find Chloe's complicated relationship with her mother relatable as well, but once she made it to the reunion, things got odd. Her whole preoccupation with a former male classmate that she rarely crossed paths with was something I found weird, and once she made it to the reunion, I felt like she became a different person. I know when I get together with my high school friends we have a good time and reminisce, but we don't revert to who we were back then. It felt like Chloe did, and the whole storyline turned so immature and unbelievable, I couldn't go on. 

I wish I had been more intrigued, because as I mentioned before, Chloe's and Dean's lives pre-reunion were interesting. The changes once the reunion started were too much for me. I would not recommend The School Reunion without checking out some reviews first.

'The School Reunion' focuses on, you guessed it, a school reunion. Boland writes this by alternating chapters between Chloe and Dean. These seemingly unrelated characters have different reasons for attending the school reunion and as the book progresses, we see how their story begins to link together.
I liked the concept of this book and for the most part I enjoyed it. Boland throws in a few surprises along the way. however I did think they were fairly obvious. I just needed something a little extra injected into this book in order to improve my time reading it.
Boland's characters are okay although not particularly likeable or relatable. As the book progresses I only found them increasingly unlikeable which did not help with enjoyment.
Overall this was okay and there are some surprises and drama along the way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy.

An honest review of this is that it felt rushed. 80% of the book built the story and then it felt like the author said - Crap, I need to end the book. Let's throw in this and this. Done. It was a very disjointed ending.

I am a fan of Boland's works and was excited to read this. I was also leery because I was seeing mixed reviews. I will continue to seek out the author's works maybe with not as much excitement.

Chloe Flynn receives an invitation to a school reunion, newly divorced and with an overbearing mother, Chloe decides that she will attend. Maybe she'll even bump into Nathan and wind the clock back 15 years.... But of course nothing will be as it seems, in the excellent Shalini Boland way.

The story builds quite slowly while the scene is set. We gather information from the point of view of three different characters, Chloe Flynn, Dean Tamber, and a third unknown person, who tells the story from the past.

The story picks up pace in the second half, and we get plenty of twists and turns. Whose motivations for attending the party are genuine? Who hasn't forgotten the past? Who is the secret third voice? It all unravels beautifully and excitingly. And the obligatory the school reunion"mean girls "also add to the drama!

Shalini is an excellent writer, I never hesitate to choose her books. Drama, mystery and a dramatic conclusion. What's not to love!

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Shalini Boland for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

The School Reunion
Shalini Boland

Publication Date: 16th Jan 2024

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The blurb on this one was fairly vague but I adore Shalini as a thriller author and have read all of her past books (and loved them) so shes firmly earned her place on my 'must read list' regardless of what the blurb says or what the book is called or about.

I requested this one and was absolutely chuffed to be approved an early copy prior to its publication in exchange for my honest review. Thanks so much Shalini Boland and Netgalley.

I dropped all my plans for that evening and got stuck right in...

Chloe Flynn - recently divorced, skint and fed up with her life and her job receives an invitation to her old High Schools' upcoming School reunion. Hesitant at first about going, she soon makes up her mind and decides she will go and its then the story kicks off. The plot is told from Chloes point of view, aswell as from the point of view of another character, Dean Bradley, a building contracter - without me saying too much here, his part in the reunion storyline becomes clearer as the story unravels 🫢🤣 (but thats as much as I'm saying in this review!)

I thought this one had a slightly 'youngish' vibe to it - but I guess taking adult characters back to their high school days will do that ... bringing back some of that high school drama and tension LOL, but young'ish feel or not, there was soooo much going on - it left my head spinning ... in the best way possible. I was glued to the pages and couldn't turn them quick enough. I flew through it in one sitting. The ending was fantastic and it all came together perfectly.

'The School Reunion' was everything I look for in a good thriller read -
It was well written with great characters, short grippy chapters, fast paced throughout and with an explosive twist at the end that I just never saw coming.

A very well deserving 4 stars from me!

Defo one to read Folks!

Thanks again Ms. Boland for my ARC! Already looking forward to your next book!

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