This was quite a slow burner but one which is written in a way that you keep reading because all of the characters had a secret that I needed to know. Themes of lies and secrets emerge over the course of the book. Overall, an easy and quick read.

I've lost count of the amount of books I've now read by Mercer, but every time they just get better and better!

The Summer Reunion is a fast paced thriller, with the story taking place in a gorgeous French villa.

It's narrated from the POV of three of the main characters - all female - with the possibility that they're unreliable narrators.

With all the elements that hold a good thriller together; secrets, lies, suspense and drama, Mercer has yet again raised her game!

Me, I'm put off reunions for life.

The Summer Reunion by Leah Mercer is a really interesting read. It deserves to be devoured in the sunshine by a pool with a cocktail in hand. I however, read it in dreary, rainy Lancashire. This book deserves better!

There are a lot of characters, so it took me a little while to figure everyone out and to make connections. The first third was a lot of back story and introductions, so it was a bit of a slow start.

However, once the story got going, things picked RIGHT UP! There was more action than I expected, and I am not mad about it. There were twists and turns galore, too! I really was shocked by some of them!

With chapters being written from different characters POVs, I was a tiny bit confused, but I really think that was a me problem. I loved the dynamics within the individual families, but also thr group dynamic! It was crackling with tension!

Overall, this was a dark, twisted thriller and I would absolutely recommend it!

The 'friends gathering in a villa' trope is very popular right now. But it's summer, and I fancied a read at this kind of location. I'm glad I gave it a go, it was well written and full of tension and negative energy, which made it a real page turner.

I loved the title and blurb of this book as reunions are always good for drama in a story.
However although the plot was interesting and I wanted to see how it ended, I did skip a lot of the narrative as I found it boring and irrelevant to the story. Not my favourite book from this author.
Thank you for the advance copy.

I have read 2 other books by this author and those moved slow just as this one did for me. It had a great plot but I was getting so confused with all the characters and just had a hard time with it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Summer Reunion: An absolutely gripping page-turner filled with secrets and heart-pounding suspense
by Leah Mercer

Jeepers! What a concept and what a thriller!

Six friends return to the villa they holidayed in a decade earlier to reunite and have some fun

However, they are not alone. They have a visitor, a man who nobody wanted to see again, so why is here? Someone invited him and someone had reason. Six friends arrived at the villa, how many wiill leave? And how many will leave alive?

OOOf, I was expecting a psychological thriller of deception and revenge but this book is all of that and then some! Stunning!

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for this riveting ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Well, if you enjoy drama, secrets and more twists than a tornado, this one if for you. The beginning is a bit slow, but, there is a reason for that. You need to meet all of the players. Six friends going on holiday, mixed with a scary storm turns into one heck of a ride. I found myself holding my breath and gripping the kindle. The story definitely ebbs and flows but it is worth it.

The Summer Reunion is a gripping page-turner filled with secrets and heart-pounding suspense by Leah Mercer.
I could not put this book down. By far my favorite by Leah Mercer story.
I was so pleased to be able to enjoy indulging in another sensational read by Leah Mercer. There are so many twists and turns in this novel and a cast of characters that leaves you questioning just who you can trust.

Their Secrets Have Secrets. Easily a great line in The Avengers (the Marvel version, you Imperialists) is when Tony Stark is speaking of Nick Fury and says "his secrets have secrets" - which is absolutely true, both in The Avengers and this book. If you enjoy semi-slow burn (to start) almost disaster movie type suspense, where everything starts off a touch slow and normal ish before completely fucking unravelling... this is exactly the kind of book you're going to enjoy.

The other great thing about this, to me, was how well Mercer used the setting she created to create an atypical emergency situation. Without giving anything away, let's just say that it put an interesting spin on a couple of fairly worn concepts and made everything seem newer and much more intriguing in the process.

Ultimately one of those books you're going to be reading deep into the night, because "one more chapter" will never be enough.

Very much recommended.

While I found the characters in this book to be annoying, I did appreciate the multiple POVs, I found the plot to be predictable in parts but still enjoyable, and it became quite fast paced towards the end.
I appreciated the length of this book and got through it quickly, it was my first book by Leah Mercer & I really enjoyed her writing style so will definitely check out her other books.

★★★½ ROUNDED UP ⬆️⭐️
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I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to review this book.

This story grabs the reader from the start- the water is rising, will they get out in time? Six friends come back together on a group vacation. Each person with their own secret(s) and reasons for not telling the others. As the water continues to rise and the storm wrecks havoc, part of the lies and deceits that led to these secrets start to come out.

With so many different perspectives, the storyline get a little hard to follow in the middle. Overall, the book kept me wanting to know a few of the deep seeded lies and what is going to happen when they come to light.

So many dark and twisted secrets that keep you wanting to get to the end!

Leah Mercer knocked it out of the park with The Summer Reunion! I absolutely loved the plot. Kept me on the edge of my seat!

super thrilling and downright addicting!! i loved this from start to finish. it was such a quick read because the content itself was so addicting you couldn't put the book down. i will definitely read more from this author.

This was quite a slow burner which kept me reading till the end because all of the characters had a secret that I needed to know!

Five friends from university meet up at a villa for a reunion with their family and partners. Each of the main characters have a secret that they are desperate isn’t revealed to the rest of the group.
The holiday takes a turn for the worse when a storm sets in and people’s lives are at risk as well. There was some tense moments throughout.

I did get slightly confused at the beginning trying to keep a track of who was who as it was quite a big cast but overall an enjoyable read.

Six friends arrive on holiday, staying in a French villa. As they reminisce, a shock arrival at the door and a storm raging, makes the holiday take a dark turn. As secrets and lies come to light, will everyone make it through the holiday?

This one sounded like a lot of fun so I was drawn into reading it. This was definitely a quick, easy read, which keeps you turning the pages as you want to know what is going on. The premise was interesting and I liked the atmosphere. I wasn’t as keen on the characters and found it hard to connect them. The overall story felt a bit slow paced and more of a domestic drama than thriller. However, there were entertaining moments and twists and turns. This is a great read for those looking for a fun, holiday read. I would be interested to see what else this author writes. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Wow, to say this friendship group is filled with drama is a bit of an understatement! Six friends meet back up on - what is supposed to be - a lovely 20th reunion vacation. However, it turns out that it will be a vacation to remember for all the wrong reasons. There are so many layers of secrets in The Summer Reunion that you soon realise that pretty much everyone has something to hide.

The drawback is that I can't say I particularly liked any of the characters. All were self obsessed and only really cared about themselves, how things looked, or how things impacted them. That being said there was certainly enough drama and action happening to keep you turning page after page to discover what happened next.

The pace was a little slow but intense and there was so much going on that is builds and builds and builds, keeping you gripped until its explosive conclusion.

The Summer Reunion is a novel filled with secrets and drama among old friends that have reunited. And the secrets do truly run deep. Friendships are tested while they race against time to save their friends from a tragedy. Some friendship make it. Others don’t. The summer reunion is a novel that left no room for confusion. It was very detailed including with characters. By the end of the novel, there were no questions left unanswered. Unfortunately, getting to the end was a struggling for me. I found the book to be slow and hard to stay interested in. I found myself at times wondering what the plot of the book even was. It is also written in third person which is not my favorite writing style.. I wish the drama that unfolded at the end was felt more so through the whole book. Majority just felt like it needed more

A brilliant intriguing read.
Old college friends have a reunion in a French villa but their lives are hugely different than on their first visit.
Lies, secrets, and shame are just a few of the common themes amongst them. As the truth about their history unravels the old proverb ‘Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive,’ was never more true.
Read over two evenings this is a book you won’t want to put down. This is the first book I've read from this author but definitely not my last.

Going into this Leah Mercer was a new to me author.
In fact I had never even heard her name before, but when I read the blurb for this book it sounded right up my street so I thought I'd give it a go. And I'm glad I did!
This was an entertaining book right from the start. Is it the best written or best suspense book out there? No. But I had a fun time reading it.
It was such a binge able, easy to read book that I flew through quickly. I liked the setting and thought this did add to the plot. The characters were likeable if a bit 2D in places.
Whilst I have to say the reveals weren't at all surprising it didn't spoil my enjoyment.
If you are looking for a short, snappy, well paced, entertaining book to spend a day reading you should pick this up!