This was a great read, I loved the suspense of the story, I knew that it would all break into chaos after lies that were
held onto many years started to come out and splinter the group, with a husband and best friend at the center of
betrayal ..
Really great read, loved it.

The premise immediately drew me in. Friends from college all gathered one weekend to visit a villa they haven’t been to since college. Secrets are exposed! Will they all make it out?

I would not consider this story twisty or edge of your seat thriller like I normally enjoy. It seemed slower paced and not very thrilling to say the least. The story was well fleshed out as were the characters. It fell a little flat for me. I initially couldn’t wait to get to the ending because I HAD to know everyone’s secrets and who locked Jules and Frederick in the cellar. When everything was exposed it was a bit like…. Oh that’s it then?

All in all, it was a quick read.

Would I call this "absolutely gripping page-turner filled with secrets and heart-pounding suspense" like the promo describes? Hmm.. no. It was definitely entertaining, but a little bit predictable and at no point did I think any of the characters were in genuine danger. If you are a fan of a quick-paced thriller like Freida McFadden, you are likely to enjoy this as a bit of entertainment.

Six friends reunite with their children for the ultimate French getaway, but when someone from their past shows up at the door, everyone is shocked. This newcomer's past is riddled with secrets, and it's only a matter of time before it all starts spilling out. And when he and one of the friends get trapped in a wine cellar during a storm, it's a race against time to get them out to safety before it completely floods.

Bonus points to this one for being a quick read - I finished the entire thing in an afternoon which was a welcome palate cleanser to a lot of the longer books I've been reading recently. There were some good twists in here that I didn't necessarily see coming, but I can't say anything about this truly made my heart race. It was pretty standard for a thriller and just an overall solid 3 star read.

Six old friends come together to reunite after twenty years, Jules and Harry with twins and 15-year-old daughter Ivy, Ellie, Safet and their adopted son from Syria named Ahmend, they have a daughter Victoria. Also joining them are Vannie and Nicola. They are holidaying in a remote French villa they had stayed in together twenty years ago. Then to add to the mix Frederick arrives, another friend from a long time ago.

To make the atmosphere more enticing for the story, it is set in amongst a raging storm, and communication is cut off due to a lack of signal, what could go wrong? The group has not been there long when Sayet has disappears and two of the others become trapped in a cellar with water leaking into it and rising at a rapid rate. But is this just a terrible random incident or has someone instigated this set of circumstances?

As time progresses secrets are unveiled and soon it is revealed that several of their lives may have been vastly different if it was not for the selfish antics of others. The story is told by alternating POV’s which presents us with different perspectives and keeps you guessing as to who has created all this drama and why.

Quite a few twists along they way to keep the reader engaged and a satisfying ending all make this a recommended book.

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publisher for an ARC, all opinions are my own.

One word.....YES! A MUST read, fast paced thriller! This was such a good read and it had me on the edge of my seat from the beginning. This thriller was full of twist and turns.

I love a book that is so good you can't stop thinking about it and rush through your daily routine so you can pick it back up and start reading again. This is THAT book.

Going back to a destination from your past with a group of friends can be risky, and if you all have secrets from each other it is definitely a bad idea. This is what happens when six friends take a holiday together back to a French Villa they had once visited. Each of the friends is keeping a secret about one of the others and when two of them get locked in a wine cellar together and a storm causes the cellar to fill with raging waters all the secrets start tumbling out. The aftermath leaves no one unaffected.

This twisty domestic thriller will have you guessing through the entire book as to what each of the characters secrets are. This was well written and will keep your interest throughout.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy of this book

This was a great page turner, told from multiple points of view. I got right into it and loved it, read it in a day, I just couldn’t stop reading!

The book is told from Ellie, Jules, and Vannie’s characters perspectives in alternating chapters, although arguably the book has six main characters, including Harry, Safet and Frederick. The six of them all having known each other since their university days and whilst not all of them have stayed close over the years, their lives are all still inextricably linked.

There is Ellie and Safet, married and have been together since their university days. They have two children and at first appear as if they are very content in their comfortable lives. Then we have Jules and Harry, also married and have been together since university days. On the surface they appear to have a marriage that everyone would want, but it becomes clear from the beginning that looks can be deceiving when it comes to this couple and that Harry has already strayed before. Vannie and Jules are firm friends, but Ellie has always felt a bit like an outsider when it comes to the females group friendship.

As each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective, what I found really interesting was to read how one character perceived the others to be. Then when you read that character’s chapter it’s found not to be the case at all. It put in stark contrast how everyone is putting on a bit of a front and trying to show the best versions of themselves. It made me think that at some point throughout the book peoples mask will surely start to slip….

They all visit a villa in France for a reunion, the same villa they all visited over twenty years ago at the end of university. Throughout the book there is mention of something that happened in the past when they visited the villa. I found myself eagerly reading through the chapters trying to figure out what had happened in the past that everyone was so eager to keep secret.

Each chapter, a little snippet of information about the characters inter-relationships is revealed. Nothing is really as it seems. The book is like a jigsaw, there are a lot of pieces but it’s only as you move through the story that you start to see how the pieces fit together.

As one lie turns into another and another, it’s difficult to know where the truth begins and the lies end. This book kept me guessing throughout, with a fair share of twists and turns throughout. This book really has something for everyone, drama, intrigue, suspense, heartbreak, the list goes on. I think this book would appeal to a very wide range of audiences.

Wow what did I just read!!! This book was such a page turner it had me gripped from the very first page!!!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

WOW! What a great book! This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Had me guessing! That plot twist got me! lol what a great read!

This is a fun and twisty thriller that readers will love. Overall, the plot could have been a tiny bit more interesting, but the twists at the end make up for most of those concerns. I found myself entertained and excited to finish this book. I love unreliable characters and hidden secrets and this certainly did not disappoint.

Fans of Freida McFadden will love it and this deserves to be given the same amount of hype and attention as her novels. I can’t wait to read the rest of Leah Mercer’s books. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital ARC of this book!

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for an early copy of The Summer Reunion. The cover is eye catching, very fast reading, Vannie was so warped but eventually you found out why. Secrets truly hurt and can definitely spiral out of control. I loved the characters, the plot, the way it was wrapped up. This was a Fantastic read, thank you again.

Another fabulous read by Leah Mercer! This one is FULL of secrets. Friends, vacation, and secrets…3 of my favorite things included in one book. There are tons of twists and so much drama. This one is definitely a page turner!


Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC in exchange for my review.

Set in a villa in France, six friends reunite in the exact location after twenty years. How much had they changed?

This book had plenty of twists, ulterior motives, and drama. I was glued to the virtual pages.

I love Leah Mercer's writing style and have read many of her books. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Friends go on a Summer reunion to the same villa they were at 20 years ago. The secrets and lies that unfolded back then are being brought to light this Summer. This was a page turner and kept me wanting more through the whole book! As things started to unravel I thought the drama couldn’t get any worse for these friends but I was so wrong. I definitely recommend reading this one!! This book has family and friend drama with twist you will never see coming. Thank you NetGalley for the arc!!

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Summer Reunion.

A solid 3 star read, more of a family drama than a thriller.
A lot of characters to keep track but kept my interest.

This is an exciting and engrossing read, about a group of college friends who get together for a reunion at a winery. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, for starters you might get stuck in a cellar with the one person whom you don't want to see at this reunion, who shows up as an unexpected (and, to you, decidedly unwelcome) guest!

For another thing, that long-delayed clearing of the air may result in the throwing up some even more unwelcome possibilities for you to face when it comes to the people whom you consider your nearest and dearest...

Leah Mercer delivers a compelling take on a somewhat familiar trope, effortlessly holding the reader's interest. Check this one out if you enjoy a good thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Summer Reunion transports you to a winery as the setting of a college reunion for close friends - but naturally everyone is hiding some secrets, and the appearance of a long lost friend who wasn’t expected is going to blow up some of the oldest ones. The tension of course sucks you in right away given this book isn’t shy about layering in some ominous undertones from the jump. My takeaways were that I’d most definitely carry a grudge if I find out one of my closest friends did to me what one did to her bestie.

All that said, with a great setting to work with Leah Mercer takes full advantage of the close quarters and tensions and develops her characters so that readers have intense dislikes for many while others remain a mystery. When she expertly adds in urgency with two characters trapped, some of the more subtle story lines come to the forefront and the mysteries take a turn for life and death.

I enjoyed every minute of this, including some red herrings that were thrown in. While I did wish some of the story lines weren’t thrown in as towards the end they took away from the main mystery, they all did leave me thoroughly engaged and I feel other thriller lovers will also find themselves equally absorbed by this book.

Wow! This book starts slow and deliberate as we meet each character heading for their twentieth university reunion and I could not help but wonder where this story was actually heading.
THEN--Suddenly I felt as if I was on a zip line!
The plot thickened and the drama became intense!
The twists and turns are incredible and there is never a dull moment as I read quickly to see how this was all going to play out.
If you enjoy psychological, hair raising novels, then this is definitely a must read! You will love it!

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Bookouture for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

The more I read thrillers about friends from high school or college getting together years later, the more I am convinced that going to a reunion is a terrible idea. Too many old secrets that should have been left where they belong, in the past. However, when six college friends plan a reunion, each person’s luggage must not have had any room left for clothes. Every one of those suitcases was packed with so many secrets and lies.
Ellie and Saret were college sweethearts who married and have 2 children. But Ellie’s secret might break up their happy family. Jules and Harry were also a couple, but she settled for marrying him when someone else abandoned her. Frederick shows up, and Ellie is the only one happy to see him. Vannie does not have a partner from college. What she has though are manipulative secrets and lies. If they are exposed, let us just say that she might become someone who is loathed by all.
A terrible storm, two people locked in a cellar with water pouring in, and enough red herrings to make me think that everyone was guilty of something. A page turner, as I tried to figure out who did what before the author reveals.