Well MA Hunter does it again! Quickly becoming a go-to author for me. This was fast paced, twisty and had very clever reveals. Characters were perfectly matched with all of their personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Totally enjoyed this one.
Thank you NetGalley, MA Hunter and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Firstly thank you net galley and M A Hunter for the opportunity to read The Reunion.

The story kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I loved this book, it was exceptionally written and executed beautifully.

We have purchased for our library.

3.5/5

When you go to meet up with some old friends from college (or university as they call in the UK) for a wedding in Scotland, but there's lots of past drama, current drama, secrets and a dead body...you know, super casual and normal things...

This book definitely starts out well, bringing you right into the middle of the drama and the heightening the anticipation. You know from the very beginning that there is a lot of stuff going on with this group of friends and there is a lot of questionable history between them. But then once you get into the thick of it, I found that it slowed down quite a bit.

The ending wasn't nearly as satisfying as I wanted it to be. The end of a book (especially in this sort of thriller or mystery category) should be the most exciting and climactic.

But another fun theme of this story is that none of the characters are particularly likable, they're all questionable and unreliable characters. And I find that can make the drama and chaos of a book even more dramatic and chaotic. And that's always a fun little twist for the reader's mind to try to deal with and understand.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I love Hunter's books so was excited to read this one and it did not disappoint! It's a wonderfully convoluted story of a group of friends who all have their individual secrets but share others. Now they are all convening to celebrate the wedding of Rod and "new' woman, Bella. They are somewhat suspicious of her as it seems she suddenly appeared in Rod's life and is acting a bit standoffish to them on this trip. The novel vacillates between 1999 and the present as we see protagonist Zoe relive her high school years as she goes to prom with boyfriend, Dan but then as they all mourn friend, Saul who was killed in a car accident. All of this comes to a head as they are thrown together in the present and we are never sure--until the bitter end--who is telling the truth and who is lying!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Three and a half stars rounded up. I requested M. A. Hunter’s “The Reunion” because the premise was interesting to me. Zoe has been invited to attend a wedding for her childhood friend Rod at his manor house in Scotland. To get there, she has agreed to a ride by Lily, but doesn’t know that Lily will also be giving a ride to Dan, Rod, and Rod’s fiancé, Bella.

The group begins their journey and have a reservation to stay a night or two on the way to Rod’s manor house. Things don’t go according to plan, though, and the rest of the book is sorting out what happened. And also ultimately understanding what happened to their childhood friend, Saul, who died over 20 years before in an incident.

This book started off well, but I struggled at times to read the ensuing chapters. None of the characters were particularly likable. Both Dan and Lily would jump to conclusions based on flimsy premises. Later in the book Lily even gave herself credit for “making connections” and “connecting the dots” on things where her logic was flawed.

I did enjoy the last few chapters of the book and liked how the author ended things. However, I did feel the events revealed that led to Saul’s death were a little too convenient.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

A group of friends reunite to attend the wedding of one of them. Even though they haven't seen each other for years, they decide to travel together to the remote Scottish island where the wedding is to be held. While travelling, they decide to stop overnight, and after a drunken party, a tragic death occurs. Secrets and lies. and old insecurities from the past resurface, and none of the friends feel they can trust each other, and they wonder which of them could or would commit murder.
I enjoyed the plot of this psychological thriller, and the ending was a surprise to me, I didn't expect it. I didn't find the characters particularly likeable though, and couldn't engage with any of them.

A terrible event separated the paths of four friends and now, after years of not seeing each other, the wedding of one of them brings them back together on a road trip. A party, a drunken binge, drugs and a new accident will bring the past to light.
From that moment on, everyone becomes suspicious of each other. Old wounds are opened and that creates dissension and misunderstandings within the group.
The truth is that the characters in general are not very likable, they are selfish and irresponsible, they do not seem to have matured too much since their split. Their past problems are joined by the problems of their current lives which makes the whole trip a big mess.
If you are a regular reader of the genre you may suspect where the plot is headed. Still, it is one of those novels that keeps you enthralled until the end.

3.5 stars rounded up- The Reunion is a thriller driven by secrets and a death mystery. Four school friends get back together to attend the wedding of one of them. Three of them harbor a secret from the past that led to the death of one of their school friends. Drunkenness and drugs lead to a new death where everyone is turning on each other and no one knows who to trust. Secrets and outright lies are exposed before the mystery is wrapped up. The mystery is twisted and keeps you guessing until the end. The characters all kind of leave a bad taste in your mouth as they all are not really likable and somewhat selfish. Overall this is a decent mystery with characters that won’t win over any fans. My voluntary, unbiased, and non-mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

They all drifted apart after graduation. Years after having lost touch, they are all forced to reunite at a wedding in Scotland. Chaos ensues shortly after the six friends reunite.

I found the prologue to be incredible! It might have been short but it was filled with anticipation. This book was very good at first. The writing was fast paced and things began happening quickly. After that, though, things slowed down. This book would have been four stars for me but the ending was unsatisfying.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bold Wood Books so much for this opportunity!

Lily, driving her dad’s old Land Rover, is travelling north to the wedding of an old friend from high school.. On the way she picks up BFF, Zoe, then the groom Rod and his American fiancée Bella. Last to climb into the packed vehicle is Dan. A past tragedy hangs over the four friends and its consequence is a shadow over their strained relationship with each other. This It’s the first time some of the friends have been together since Zoe’s fortieth birthday party’s over two years ago. That was an event a couple of the passengers would prefer to forget. The reunion is far from ideal and secrets abound. None of the guests are as close as they once were. Rod, who has recently inherited the title Lord Astor and its estates, is even more loud and lairy than usual. Dan is morose and distant, while Bella is rude and unfriendly. Not the best mix. To break up the journey to the far reaches of Scotland and Rod’s estate on Jura where the wedding is to be held, the groom has booked a house for them all to stay in overnight before the ferry crossing. After a struggle to find the property they are far from happy with what’s been booked. However, a rubbish, damp, cold house in the middle of nowhere is only the start of their problems. They really should have let sleeping friendships lie!

Another offering on the much travelled reunion trope. It takes a good author to write such awful characters, with even the ‘nicer’ ones pretty dire. It took me a while to get into the story, and thought some conversations or eavesdropping didn’t go anywhere with no follow up. Quite a strange ending, bit of a cop out?

Lots of repetition and a thorough editing is desperately needed, but has potential once all the gremlins and unnecessary bits have been cleaned up.

2.5*

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books.

Four old friends travel up to rural Scotland for one of their friends wedding and decades-old secrets threaten to come to the surface. Fast-paced with good character development with a plot that will keep you guessing. Very well written, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

This plotline has been done several times and while each time they very samey I still do enjot the read.

4 friends, remote holiday spot and many secrets .. Oh! and a death are what makes this pacy read not so unique.

It is well written and I enjoyed the characters and getting to know them

Filled with sspense and lots of drama there are many twists, I was satisfied with my reading but please please I want a more unique plot..

4 friends from University meet up on a road trip to travel to rural Scotland for Rods wedding. 3 of them are carrying a secret from the past but this secret threatens the present and the future.
Dan is struggling financially and still holds a candle to Zoë.
Zoë is receiving threatening messages from a colleague she's been havng an affair with and Lily is making mysterious phone calls.
After a party, the friends wake up in the car with no recollection of travelling in it. Even worse a dead body is in front of the car. History has a habit of repeating itself as the friends soon discover.
This was a very fast paced thriller, with each chapter my mind was all over the place trying to work out what had happened and who was telling the truth. A unique plot and very cleverly written
I'm grateful to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this advanced copy, my opinions are my own and not expected

This book is an amazing read! This thrilling story haunts the characters with secrets from their past, and keeps you on the edge of your seat!

You’re immediately curious about what secrets these friends are keeping. The story is packed with unexpected twists and tons of surprises, making you think everyone is guilty at first, but then you realize they’re not. Plus, none of the characters trust one another. I highly recommend this book to fans of a good thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Rachels Random Resources for allowing me to read and review this book.

I loved this book!

It was very “I know what you did last summer” and I LOVE that premise. Friends hold a secret regarding their part in the death of a friend and the secret ends up haunting them for years to eventually come to a head as an adult. I loved the roadtrip aspect to this story, that put a unique spin on the plot. It was claustrophobic and kept me guessing!

Definitely enjoyed this read!

I want to start off by thanking you for this advanced copy!

The storyline definitely caught my attention. I stayed up way to late reading this, needing to know what happened. I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong and I actually love when that happens! You won’t be disappointed reading this M.A. Hunter book

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Reunion by M.A. Hunter due to be published November 20, 2024.
I have previously read Every Step You Take and Sleepwalker by M.A. Hunter and loved them both!
Zoe has not seen her friends Rod, Dan, and Lily since they graduated and lost touch many years ago. She hasn’t seen them since she and Dan broke up after that fateful accident that separated her from them. Now Zoe is invited to Rod’s wedding to Bella in Scotland, and things are far from normal. When they get in trouble on a lonely road, it will leave them questioning everything and what they knew about each other.
This one had me hooked from the beginning – I read it in one day! Everyone in it had a secret they were keeping from the other friends. Two hit-and-run accidents also figured in to the mess – who was to blame? It could have been any of them, and I didn’t find out until the last few pages – that is what kept my interest the entire time. Another good one by M.A. Hunter!
#NetGalley #MAHunter #BoldwoodBooks #TheReunion

Four friends from school gather for a wedding at the family estate of the groom in Scotland. They haven’t been together in years, and they agree to travel together. They plan on driving for part of the way in Lily’s old family 4x4 and it’s a tight squeeze as there are now 5 of them - the groom’s fiancé surprisingly accompanying them, too. It’s not just physically uncomfortable, as Zoe and Dan used to date, Lily and Zoe are keeping secrets from each other even though they’re best friends, and no one knows Rod’s fiancée, Bella. She’s quite a bit younger and the gang can’t help feeling she’s more attracted to Rod’s wealth than his not-so-appealing personality. But it’s when they stop off in the countryside for an overnight break from driving that everything seriously spirals out of control.

Waking up with no memory of the night before and in a compromising situation, the friends immediately turn on each other. Seriously, the accusations are non-stop throughout the story. Who is betraying who, who is secretly conspiring with who, etc. Whole pages of the same paranoid ramblings of each member of the group. Not only regarding their current situation but calling back to an event from their youth involving the death of another of their friends. The reader knows it will somehow be related because it wouldn’t be part of the plot, otherwise. But when it’s revealed what actually happened, you want to slap the characters for thinking they had to hide anything!

The action picks up towards the end when secrets start to be spilled and I wish there had been more of that earlier in the story. It’s a fun read though, and it will make you think twice about keeping secrets, no matter how good your intentions may be.

I really enjoyed this book. The buildup of suspense was great and I didn’t know who to believe the entire way through the story. I felt that the characters were well developed and it was easy to like/dislike all of them at certain points through the whole story. The way the story was set up made it easy to see why certain characters reacted the way that they did and I didn’t feel like any of the actions of the main characters were super outlandish or ridiculous, which can easily happen. I will definitely read more from this author in the future!

Thank you to Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Old school friends gather for a wedding. They were very close at school, until there was a tragedy. They took a vow of silence, and then it seems as though history is repeating itself.

From the first page, you will be gripped, wanting to know what the big secret was that these friends were keeping.
The twists and reveals were numerous, and every person seemed to be a suspect!! Plus, none of the players trust each other!

I recommend. 4/5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for allowing me to read this book.