A good little thriller set in a university theme, with a bully /revenge style trope. The POV is from a single person in the main, with a revenge trope. The psychological thriller had a number of twists and turns within the plot that kept the reader gripped.

This book starts off so slowly and builds up to a good conclusion
I didn’t warm to any characters. I did enjoy the plot.
The second half is so fast paced

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster and sorry I didn't read this sooner.
A definite slow burner, but what a great storyline and I really didn't see some things coming.
Highly recommend.

This is the first book which I have read by Polly Phillips, which I really enjoyed.

I found this book a good easy read, which is a great summer read!

The Reunion is a book based on a woman wanting revenge for what happened to her in university.
The book goes back and forth between present and future to show what happened then and what is happening in the present. I like this kind of writing, as it keeps it interesting and mostly keeps you guessing.

The university in question is Cambridge, and the book did not give a good picture of the students that went there, rich, entitled, and toxic. I suppose there are these types of people in most universities, though 🤔 .

I like the toxic friendship stories, and I like revenge tales. I found the middle part of this book quite slow paced, and I wanted to get to the " revenge" part sooner than it arrived.

I wasn't expecting too many twists in the tale, so the final part was a lot faster paced than I was expecting, and I finished that part a lot quicker than the middle.

An easy read with a lot of unlikeable characters and a whole load of revenge.

Emily Toller is married to Nick & they have two children. Although they both attended Cambridge university at the same time, they moved in very different circles & didn't connect until afterwards. Nick still has a close connection to the place & attends the reunions etc but Emily has never bothered - until this weekend. Something happened to Emily in the final week of university that changed the rest of her life as she never actually graduated.

Emily had been friends with Will, Lyla, & Henry, three rich popular students & had become part of their world for a time, or so she thought. What happened to her though, showed her that they were never really her friends & now the perfect time has come to take her revenge. All three will be there this weekend & Emily's going to unmask them for what they really are.

Although there are no big surprises in this (I predicted the twist from the start), the opening chapter is great as it grabs the reader's attention from the off & keeps it. The main character starts off as quite prickly & unlikable but that does change through the story, especially as you learn what happened to her. I probably wouldn't read it again but it was a decent enough thriller. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

TWs: misogyny, sexual assault, infidelity, terminal illness, death.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Simon & Schuster UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

The Reunion by Polly Phillips.
Emily Toller has tried to forget her time at university and the events that led to her suddenly leaving under a cloud. She has done everything she can to forget the shame and the trauma – and the people involved. She has tried to focus on the life she has built with her children and husband, Nick.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked Emily and Nick. 4*.

Slow but interesting burn ramping up to a twisty and unpredictable conclusion.

All told from Emily's point of view, in a mix of past chapters surrounding her time at Cambridge, and the present which is to do with 15 year reunion at Cambridge, and her determination to make people pay for the reason she left under a cloud.

I can't say I necessarily by the end of this book particularly liked any character, many of them were clearly meant to be figures to be hated, and with Emily herself, I just found she was lacking a backbone, what I initially thought was courageous by the end I felt was her just kowtowing to someone else's will.

The last perhaps 30-40% of the book I read in one sitting unable to put it down, as it suddenly became compulsive reading, and I just had to know how everything would resolve. It was great.

This is a cleverly plotted novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

BOOK REVIEW
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
The Reunion by Polly Phillips

Sucker punch twists I did not see coming!

Happily married Emily and Nick, return to Cambridge University for a 15 year reunion. Emily has some revenge to take whilst Nick, her supportive Husband, seems oblivious.

Emily is seeking revenge on her former friends Lyla and Will, and her first love Henry. She promised her sister Helen after all! The night twists and turns and takes the reader back to the fateful night of Emily’s trauma …… but is all as it seems??

I loved how just as I thought I knew what was happening, a sucker punch twist appeared and totally threw me! Literally had to finish this book within days - couldn’t put it down.

A wonderful read - thank you Polly!

A chance to reconnect.
A chance to get revenge . . .
Emily Toller has tried to forget her time at university and the events that led to her suddenly leaving under a cloud. She has done everything she can to forget the shame and the trauma – and the people involved. She has tried to focus on the life she has built with her children and husband, Nick.
But events like that can’t just be forgotten. Not without someone answering for what they’ve done.
When an invitation arrives to a University reunion, everything clicks into place. Emily has a plan.
Because if you can’t forget – why not get revenge?

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Interesting premise. What would happen at a reunion?
Good read by the author. Would read more from them in the future.

I know, I know…another book with Reunion in the title but then I guess there’s quite a few as it’s a good base for a story, characters, revenge and the like…I think now though there has to be something’different’ to make us connect with the theme…and it’s a risk when you decide on a book but with this, for me, it was a good risk that managed to have all the elements expected; revenge, secrets, obnoxious characters, comeuppances a plenty BUT did have that extra ooomph to make it stand out, and a pretty big ooomph it is too
There is also a really touching look at sibling support and love which then hits like a sledgehammer towards the end
I was dubious to pick this but even though as say am wary of how many reunions there are in books at the mo but the theme is still a draw and am really glad I did as its a well written polished read with surprises and a victory to relish!

9/10
5 Stars

Another fabulous book! Seem.to be on a role lately with phenomenal books!
Just from the prologue of this I was without a doubt hooked.
Personally I think the prolouge has such a big impact on books..I never used to bother reading prologues, was only a few years ago when I started to read them.
I found I wasn't quite sure what to make of Emily, the main character. And I also was a bit suspicious of her husband Nick. Obviously I'm not going to give anything away, so you will just have to give it a read and see how you feel about them too.
Loved the whole plot, of the story, also without doubt kept me on my toes!! Revenge......such a juicy subject

A great read
A definite page turner
You won’t want to put this book down
Would definitely read more by this author
Thanks NetGalley

This twisty psychological thriller is a must read. The prologue had me hooked from the first few lines and the final twist floored me.

The story opens to find the main character trapped and being strangled. So I just had to keep turning the pages to find out what had lead to this point.

The narrative then flicks back and alternates between earlier at the reunion and the events that destroyed Emily's life 15 years ago at the college. I quite like dual timelines in a novel as I feel it helps to build the tension and intrigue.

The author expertly deals with the emotive themes of privilege, elitism, toxic masculinity and victim shaming. The characters are well drawn; some I loved and others I hated (in a good way). I felt empathy for Emily and I was totally with her as she begins her count down to exacting her revenge and reclaiming her life and self confidence. I also loved her feisty, older sister, Helen, who is always had her back.

Definitely a book I would recommend and give a solid 5 Stars.

Emily appears to have a good life, with two beautiful children and a loving, supportive husband. .....but a past event haunts her and prevents her from becoming the woman she aspires to be. She plots her vengeance with the help of her incredible sister. Who doesn't enjoy a good vengeance?

If you've ever wanted to experience life at an Ivy League university, The Reunion will transport you there. I couldn't help but think of some of our current politicians and tech billionaires.

I don't want to spoil anything, but the plot is not what you might expect. You'll be kept guessing until the very end.

A must-read for your summer reading list!

Admittedly I found this difficult to get into at the beginning and it didn't grip me.

I also really disliked all the characters which is probably why I found it hard to get in to but this could have been the authors aim.

However, The Reunion is a story with many secrets, surprising revelations and very flawed characters - if this sounds like your cup of tea then you should pick it up and give it a go!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher & Polly Phillips for the ARC.

This was a briliiant psychological thriller that pulled me in from the start. The flashbacks & multi layered plot kept the story fresh & intriguing and ensured the reveal wasn’t discovered to early.

I read the author’s debut novel, My Best Friend’s Murder, last year and enjoyed it. This one, in my opinion, is even better. The story was gripping, and I found myself unable to put it down.

The opening chapter is just thriller-perfect, it makes you want to fly through the book just to find out what will happen. I enjoyed the then/now timeline; it keeps you guessing right until the end. The perfect pace and tension in both timelines kept me wanting to turn the pages.

Full of well-rounded characters, some you will love to hate. I do love a thriller where you never quite know who to trust, and The Reunion does that very well.

With twists aplenty, I’d recommend The Reunion.

This was a great psychological drama that pulled me in from the start. It was full of intrigue and I loved how the two timelines fit together; the current reunion and the flashbacks. The suspense was ongoing throughout right to the reveal and the twist at the end. A great mix of characters who you both love and hate and a plot which kept me immersed from the start. 3.5 stars