I received an advanced copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley.

Six friends reunite for what’s meant to be a relaxing weekend getaway in a beautiful French villa. As wine flows and laughter echoes through the villa, an unexpected visitor arrives—someone they thought they’d never see again. With a raging storm outside and no way to leave, the group is forced to let him in, and from that moment, the dream weekend spirals into a nightmare of deception, secrets, and revenge.

The story hooks readers with an intriguing premise: someone invited this mysterious man, someone has been lying, and someone is seeking revenge. The tension is palpable from the start, as each character harbors a secret, making you eager to uncover what they’re hiding. This is where the book shines, as curiosity about the characters’ secrets drives you to keep reading.

However, while the plot promises an engaging thriller, it stumbles in execution. The characters are difficult to connect with, and their selfishness and unlikable traits make it hard to root for any of them. Vannie and Henry are particularly ruthless, and Jules is frustratingly clueless. Ellie is portrayed as insecure and jealous, while her husband Safet is the only somewhat sympathetic figure in the story. Even the children, especially Ahmed, are portrayed in ways that make it hard to invest in their outcomes.

As for the plot, it’s a mix of intrigue and absurdity. While the secrets themselves are interesting, the way they unfold feels far-fetched at times, and certain twists border on the unbelievable. The pacing is uneven, with moments that drag and others that feel too rushed. The thriller element is diluted by the overwhelming focus on domestic drama, which might appeal more to fans of interpersonal conflicts than those looking for heart-pounding suspense.

Despite these shortcomings, the book does have its strengths. The atmosphere of the isolated, storm-battered villa adds a nice touch of suspense, and the quick pace makes it an easy read. There are a few surprising twists that keep things entertaining, even if they don’t always make sense. Ultimately, this is the kind of book that’s best enjoyed as a light, holiday read—nothing too deep, but engaging enough to pass the time.

While it’s not a standout in the thriller genre, readers who enjoy domestic dramas with a touch of mystery might find it worth a try. If you’re looking for a quick, fun escape with a few secrets to unravel, this book could be just the book for you.

Wonderful. I was absolutely blown away by this amazing book. Brilliantly plotted. Suspenseful. Loved it.

This one had too many stories with it. Everything that could happen in a thriller/mystery, happened in this one. The majority of things was all done by one person and we can't really make any connections until the end.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



✨ whodunit?!
✨secrets
✨ drama




✨six friends get ready for a reunion in a french villa.
Relationship of friendship is being tested when 2nd then is locked in the cellar.
The secrets of 20 years just unfold on 1 afternoon only.
Too much drama and a lot to uncover.
Definitely worth the read. But it’s quite a slow paced.



✨Thankyou @bookouture for the opportunity to read this book for a honest review.


🫶🏼shaye.reads

A long overdue reunion for friends turns twisty and turny.

Granted, this book does a lot right, everyone is complex and has a past, everyone has secrets and they all fit together perfectly, but the pace of this book makes all of that seem impossible to keep up with.

Perhaps it was long overdue, but six friends get together for what would ultimately be an unforgettable holiday. The French Villa they have chosen should have been a place where good memories were formed. Instead, it was wrought with trouble almost from the very start.

When two people get locked in a wine cellar, all kinds of theories immediately come to the minds of the other guests. For one thing, years before the two that were locked in the cellar had a relationship, but that was indeed the past. But that’s not the biggest issue at the moment. The biggest issue is how they got locked in the wine cellar and how can they be rescued from what just might be a very dire situation.

While that drama is occurring, there are other issues that are prevalent. For one thing, one couple, Ellie and Safet, have a son, Ahmend, whom they are in the process of adopting from Syria. The young boy has serious issues, and these issues carry their way throughout the story. Then there Jules and Harry, who have 15 year-old twin daughters. They are soon joined by Jules and Harry’s older daughter, Ivy. There is a third couple, Vannie and Nicola, as well. Then, a guest named Frederick arrived, although he did not respond to the invitation, so therefore his arrival was unexpected.

So, with more than one dynamic involving the couples, the older daughter Ivy, and Frederick, the drama in this intense story never once lets up. There is the past to be considered, because it has a very strong affect as to what is going on now. Meanwhile, some serious issues are threaded into this book. One is how adoption can change the family and how a child that has experience great trauma is now acclimating to the situation. Then there is the matter where one of the members of the group has a serious addiction and this impacts what goes on as the story develops.

Lots of drama. Lots of secrets. And more than one surprise twist. The holiday that should have brought joy to the guests did the exact opposite, and this made this latest book by Leah Mercer a thrilling read that was impossible to put down.

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

This book was a real page-turner! I was hooked from the start with the setting in the stunning French villa and the tight-knit group of friends. The way the suspense builds as secrets unravel and the tension ramps up was masterfully done. I found myself constantly guessing who might be behind the sinister events and what would happen next. The blend of mystery and psychological drama kept me on the edge of my seat, and the dramatic twists were both surprising and satisfying. If you love a good, gripping thriller with deep secrets and high stakes, this one’s definitely worth diving into.

I enjoyed the story it had some interesting twists although the beginning was difficult to get my head around as there were a lot of couples introduced at the same time.

I am always eager to read the latest Leah Mercer novel, as her stories keep me riveted and are full of twists and surprises. Her latest novel, The Summer Reunion, has a lot happening the entire time because of some situations that happened in the past that someone is trying to keep hidden. The stakes are really high for all the characters, as the others have secrets that will also be damaging if they get out. And two of them are at risk of dying!

I can't really say too much about what is happening because that would lead to spoilers. Leah managed to throw in some surprises and game changers that kept me on my toes. Overall, this is a domestic suspense but I wouldn't say it's a thriller. Some intense stuff happens, but some of her previous novels felt more like thrillers than this one did. Still, it's an engaging page-turner that I still thought about after I finished.

As with all of Leah's novels, I recommend checking this out. And if you haven't read her others yet, you are missing out!

Movie casting suggestions:
Ellie: Joanne Froggatt
Jules: Rose Byrne
Vannie: Clea DuVall
Safet: Nick Mohammed
Harry: Tom Ellis
Frederick: Joel Kinnaman

Good book but nothing great! I finished about two hours ago and I already forgot about half of the book. Nothing that makes it better than the rest. Worth the read but not enough to add to my recommended list.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Leah Mercer, who also publishes as Talli Roland is an author I have been following since 2010 when she published her first novel. I have said this before, but her writing seems to go from strength to strength. Once again she has wowed me with her latest addictive thriller.

In 'The Summer Reunion' a group of friends gather for a holiday at a villa in France, where they had last met up twenty years previously, when they were fresh from attending university together. Now with careers, partners and families they plan to recreate that time of their lives and the fun they had together. It doesn't work out as expected as straight away lies and secrets start to surface. Apparently things were not quite as their memories led them to believe.

I have always enjoyed reading the work of Leah Mercer over the years and followed the development of her style with interest. Her recent psychological thrillers have all kept me riveted to the stories, so along with her earlier ones recommended for fans of the genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

THE SUMMER REUNION-LEAH MERCER - ARC
To say I devoured this would be a joke ! read it in around 2.5hours. It was incredibly fast paced although at the beginning there was some information overload with meeting so many characters all at once but you quickly understood who everyone was.
I loved how different these peoples lives all are even though they came from the same friendship group!
I never read the blurb so I thought this was a thriller but I wouldn't say this was.
Definatly a little bit more psychological rather than action but I would love more of this genre! Will deffo be checking out more from this author!
@rachaelmcreads

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Summer Reunion' by Leah Mercer.

WELL DONE LEAH YET AGAIN ON YET ANOTHER ABSOLUTE PAGE TURNER!!

This book is extremely well written with fantastic descriptions that really set the scene and put you in the storyline. The cover and synopsis suit the book perfectly!!

This book is absolutely addictive, I just could not put it down. The storyline isn't just one plot but has many layers that peel apart as you read it. The book just keeps getting better and better as you go on. In this fabulous book Leah flies us over to France where six old friends have come together to reunite after 20 years. We are told what happens through the perspectives of Jules, Ellie and Vannie. Jules and Harry are married with 3 children, twins and 15 year old Ivy, Ellie and Safet are married and have 2 children Ahmend who is adopted from Syria and Victoria and Vannie comes with her girlfriend of 6 months Nicola. The friends stayed in the same villa they did when they had just finished university. When a storm hits, roads are closed communication is cut off and someone most of them were not expecting turns up the reunion doesn't go at all as planned. With a storyline ram packed with lies, drama, friendship, secrets, heartbreak, twists, suspense, deception, mystery and everything that you could ask for in a psychological thriller including bombshell twists and an ending you will not see coming, this is one book that you need to pick up today! I promise that you will not regret it! I wasn't expecting that absolutely mind blowing reveal at the end that Leah was building up to all along!!! Just absolutely WOW!!! That was a true jaw dropping WTF moment!!. Leah weaves the multiple protagonists storylines together and it was intriguing seeing what one character thought of another and then how different things actually are when she switches character perspectives. I thought the ending was fantastic and it wrapped the storyline up perfectly. The fact that there were several protagonists leading this story ensured the reader had the whole picture, with that and Leah's fantastic writing skills and vivid descriptions the reader becomes completely absorbed in the storyline from the very beginning to the very last word. I completely forgot where I was on several occasions and got completely lost in the plot! An explosive and unexpected twist and shocking ending to a dramatic storyline. The detail Leah uses in her writing makes it very easy to visualise the people and surroundings and I felt I was beside each of the characters throughout. It is a very smooth, easy and quick read. An absolutely riveting, page turning and addictive read that I would love to see turned into a movie.

The characters were all well written and strong. Each of the characters had completely different and complex personalities and the reader finds more and more about them and discover which one is hiding secrets and what they are the more we delve into this absolutely amazing page turner!! Every one of the characters had their own flaws, weaknesses and strengths and it was intriguing to see what each character thought of another one to then move on to that characters perspective to see them completely differently. It is one of those brilliant books that leaves you questioning who is telling the truth and if you can actually trust any of them at all! The deeper in this storyline I went, the more my feelings changed for each of the characters. There were times my heart went out to characters, I disliked others and hug them or other ones later on. Leah's fantastic and vivid descriptions not only brought the storyline, atmosphere and surroundings to life right in front of my eyes but also each and every one of the characters too!! I was completely invested in each of them and I could see and feel exactly what they were seeing and feeling. You will just have to pick up a copy today to find out!!! I won't say more now but the characters all came together to make this storyline captivating. Regardless of whether you love them or hate them each of them played their roles perfectly!

Congratulations again Leah on yet another riveting page turner!! This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors and here's to your next success 🥂

Overall an addictive page turning domestic, psychological fiction that will keep you on the edge of your seat and will make your jaw drop with the explosive ending!!

#TheSummerReunion #LeahMercer #Bookouture

@LeahMercer @Bookouture

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In The Summer Reunion by Leah Mercer, six friends return to a villa where they vacationed together a decade ago, hoping to relive some fun memories. But things quickly take a turn when an unexpected guest shows up—someone no one wanted to see again. The question is, who invited him and why? As the tension builds, it becomes clear that not everyone will make it out of the villa alive.

Full of suspense and mystery, this book kept me hooked from start to finish. If you're looking for a page-turner, this one's for you!

There are so many different small plot lines that tie together into larger themes, it was definitely a page turner. The multiple different POVs made the story interesting and complex, if not a tad confusing in the beginning trying to keep all the characters straight. I was thoroughly drawn in throughout though, and really invested in the different characters' stories. There is second chance romance, violence, and rumor of an affair, so many different sub genres. I recommend this book as a good summer thriller!

This book was full of drama and secrets and all the plottwist that you don't see coming. I couldn't connect with the characters but I enjoyed reading this book and I had a great time. This is a great book to read at the end of the summer.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this arc.

This ended up being a bit of a slow burn for me, like everything and nothing happened at the same time. BUT after a few chapters I started to get more into it. I don’t think I’ve ever rolled my eyes at a character so much, I absolutely loathed Vannie. Although this wasn’t a 5 star read for me, I did very much enjoy this book.

Interesting domestic drama with lies, secrets, and betrayal. The families are not as perfect as they all seem at the start. Long friendships had lots of secrets buried deep. I liked some characters and hated some. Total dramatic situations create tension, and all revelations came out. I'm glad everyone find their happiness in the end. Overall, it was an easy-to-read book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

20 years after a last minute get away, university friends gather together. Reminisce. Friendships. Show off their amazing lives.
Oh yeah - and that one thing no one can know about.
I loved the complex, behind the door relationships. Lota of heated drama, shocks and twists.

What a great beach read. loved it couldnt put it down. Thanks for the opportunity to review Will def look out for more books by this author