Published by Bookouture Genres: Fiction, Mystery, thriller
Format: ARC, eBook
This gripping, fast paced book kept me on my toes and turning the pages! I didn’t want to put it down. I had to keep reading as I was glued to the pages!
An invitation has been sent to Simone, Hannah and Vicky for a lavish birthday party taking place in Ibiza for their former friend, Jodie. Should they go? Their interest in piqued. They were once inseparable, but not now. The three of them had not been friends with Jodie since she betrayed them all those years ago. But they could all use a break from their lives. Simone is a Stay-at-home mum, Vicky is a struggling café-owner, and Hannah lost the love of her life all those years ago. They decide to go, have some fun, and do some relaxing by the pool. How bad can it be?
When they finally arrive, they find that Jodie is shocked to see them there. She didn’t invite them. If she didn’t invite them, then who did and why?
This book was told in short chapters which gave readers glimpses into both the present and the past. I appreciated the chapters being headed with the year and the name of the character giving her POV.
The Birthday Reunion was captivating from the very beginning. As we meet Simone, Jodie, Hannah and Vicky in their younger years, we see how they interacted and what happened that caused a breakdown in their friendship with Jodie. Readers also get to see the women after they have moved on from that last party together all those years ago. We change and mature as we grow older, don’t we…some of us…maybe? But do we let go of past hurts?
The intriguing part was WHO invited them to Ibiza? What was the motive? Plus, the book takes place with those on the island being trapped. No one is on the island but them. They must wait for someone to come pick them up. This private island and villa could be paradise, but soon strange and eerie things begin happening. There is an unsettling sense of unease and dread flowing just under the surface.
I enjoyed the tension between the four women but also between all the characters who are stuck together with their uncomfortable past looming over them. I could feel the uncomfortableness in the air, the creepy vibe of the isolated island, and the mounting sense of danger. I enjoyed the feeling of something not being quite right. I loved trying to figure out who may have invited them and why. I didn’t guess correctly, in fact, I was way off base.
I found this book to be gripping, tension filled, creepy and hard to put down! I look forward to what Claire Seeber writes next!
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.