This thriller had an interesting plot but there was almost too much going on. I liked it overall but it fell a little flat for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review – pub day is 9/6/24!

This was such a tense read overall, it really had me gripped especially as we learnt more secrets about the group.

A group of friends revisit the French villa they stayed in just after they had finished uni. From the beginning there are hints that their friendships were not as rock solid as they originally believed. Now in their forties, with successful careers and families, it does not take long for the reality of that holiday to surface. There are secrets, lies and deceptions, all of which are about to reveal truths which some of them would prefer buried.
This is a roller coaster of a read, with edge of the seat moments as secrets are gradually revealed and those who appear innocent are anything but. A great cast, with the usual human frailties - some I could forgive, others I disliked as soon as they 'stepped' onto the page. When the storm puts two of the friends in danger, the author cleverly ramps up the suspense surrounding this.

A good, gripping psychological thriller, worth every one of the five stars I have awarded. Highly recommended.
My thanks to Bookouture, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of The Summer Reunion in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really good read.
Will recommend to others.
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

This I the second book I have read by this author. This was a story told from each of the characters points of view and as the story unfolded secrets from the past were uncovered.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this suspenseful psychological thriller which makes up question do you ever know anyone as well as you think you do.

Thank you Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
A very quick, fast paced suspenseful melodrama with occasional moments of thriller.
A group of friends and their families holiday in France for a getaway.
A reunion of sorts to reclaim the college year bonds and vacations that they took back in the day.
A dazzling French villa.
A weekend of laughs and reminiscing.
A lifetime of secrets.
A ravenous storm.
No escape and the fantasy weekend takes a gloomy twist…..
Leah Mercer is a great storyteller.
With a drama filled plot, the unknown and a cast of unsavoury characters set in an alluring location, you have an intriguing concept experience.
A locked room mystery style of an adventure that will stimulate you reading mind.

Unique plot and amazing atmosphere. This one had so many twists and turns you didn’t know who was up to what. Major surprises throughout. A great set of characters and a great plot. A good solid summer read. It kept me invested and ran at a great pace!

Six friends on a lovely 20th reunion vacation - what could go wrong? There are secrets upon secrets to be revealed in this domestic drama culminating in an explosive conclusion.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Ellie Kovic and her husband Safet go to a villa for a reunion with their friends but instead of a happy reunion dark secrets are revealed as they fight for their lives.
This was a twisty mystery that had me on the edge of my seat.
Thanks NetGalley and Bookouture for this eARC that will be released September 6, 2024!

This book was full of drama, lies, secrets and deceit it was a fantastic book which I read in one sitting I couldn’t put it down. Most of the characters were not very likeable which I found I enjoyed so much. Every time I thought I had worked out what was going on bam another twist. This was a great summer holiday thriller which I will be recommending to everyone. Fantastic thriller thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

Thank you for the ARC.

This was an extremely messy friend-group/family drama full of unlikeable characters, each with awful secrets and lies. I enjoyed reading about people I would thoroughly dislike in real life. However, they were all so terrible that I wonder how they even managed to stay together all these years and why they agreed to this reunion event.

I didn't like the writing style. It was very clunky and about halfway through I started to highlight phrases that pulled me out of the immersion. This and the missed opportunities to add depth to the characters and the setting are why it only ended up being about a 3 star read for me.

This review is also on Goodreads and Storygraph.

This is a book that once I picked up, it totally consumed me. I ended up reading it in one evening as I was so absorbed by what was in front of me and I had to see how everything was going to end… An absolute must-read!

Hence the title, this book is about a reunion of six friends at a beautiful villa in France. Many of them had not seen each other for twenty years, and it was quickly revealed that there was lots of drama and secrets under the surface.

In the best way, I think it is always impressive when an author can write characters that truly annoy me. Leah Mercer did just that with several of the main characters in this book (particularly Vannie and Harry). The entire plot oozed with revelations and lies finally brought to light. There were not any lulls in the story and it moved right along, which I appreciated. I guessed some of the plot twists but others caught me by surprise. Leah Mercer does a fantastic job of depicting complex dynamics and personalities in a fairly short book.

The only reason I did not rate this higher is because the plot and conflict itself were not particularly compelling to me, personally. But overall, it is a fast-paced and easy read, so if you are in the market for a mystery that will keep you on your toes, you'll enjoy this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.

This book was full of twists and it felt like a domino effect of one after the other! Everyone is hiding some sort of secret and once it starts to come out, everything falls apart! What was meant to be a fun reunion for a group of friends ends up with 2 trapped in a cellar during a storm and everyone else trying to get them out while hiding more secrets. This was a great page turner and I was glued. A lot of powerful messages here and a great story!

This was a real page turner!! So many secrets and lies. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book

Started and finished this in one day and thoroughly enjoyed it. Set in a holiday villa, the author introduces the reader to friends from university meeting up 20 years on, at the same villa they were last all together.

The events of the past have shaped the lives of those staying at the villa and it doesn’t take long for the guests to become aware that there may be tension and danger ahead.

Good writing, particularly the start which I found gripping. The characters are both likeable and detestable where the author wanted them to be. I enjoyed the plot and found it an interesting twist on a thriller and it certainly kept my attention.

Would recommend this as a good holiday read and for those who enjoy a thriller . Good pace and I enjoyed the ending.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Six friends- or are they- on a vacation in France finally spill secrets they've been holding for 20 years. And two of them must cope with being locked in a flooded wine cellar. The plot line isn't new but Mercer has created some nicely icky people. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read for travel or the beach.

The Summer Reunion is a great book! Lots going on with so many secrets from all the characters, I really enjoyed it. Especially the suspense aspect! It definitely kept me guessing what was going to happen.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Summer Reunion’ written by Leah Mercer in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

‘The Summer Reunion’ tells of a group of six friends who arrange to meet up at the villa in France where twenty years ago they celebrated the end of their university education. Initially they appear to be close friends having a long-overdue reunion but the longer two of their party stay locked in the rapidly flooding wine cellar the more secrets and lies are discovered and the jealousy and disloyalty threatens to implode their relationships.

This is an involving dramatic thriller that’s kept my interest in the characters and the reasons behind two of them being trapped in the wine cellar. With a raging storm limiting what they can do and most of the characters having their own agendas, of the six I felt that Ellie was the only one I could trust to tell the truth although she too had her own secret. This has been a relatively quick read that I finished in a day and although maybe not my favourite by Ms Mercer it’s a well-written suspenseful thriller that’ll have you guessing right up to the final chapter.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC of the book. I enjoyed the story and the character development. I was engaged from the very beginning. As a fan of horror/thrillers, I loved this story. The mystery and intrigue was there and I found myself staying up late to finish chapters. This is a book that's great for spooky season.