This was such a good book! I could not put it down. I could not wait to keep reading to see what happened next. There were lots of twists and turns in this amazingly written thriller!

This was a fantastic thriller. Twists, suspense, tension. The mystery was riveting. I . Right away, I was hooked with how odd this situation was, and things only increased, which had me on the edge of my seat.

A gripping thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. This one was a winner for me I love all of Julia’s books and her new one was no different. Perfect read for anyone who loves thriller fans out there.

This was certainly a gripping story, and it was set in a fabulous location.

However I really found myself not being a fan of most of the characters. They were all quite hard to like and Eve is an utter doormat and seems to be able to manipulated by everyone in her life.

There are all sorts of secrets to uncover, but nothing that overtly shocked me or had me gasping. I was keen to know what was happening but ultimately it didn't quite grab me in they way I hoped it would.

I was able to read it quickly, as I wasn't feeling great and this certainly took my mind of my cold, but at least some of the key reveals I guessed fairly early, and with my disconnect from most of the characters, it just didn't work for me.

It's not a bad book by any stretch, but I think it may have just been the wrong book for me at the wrong time.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I want to express my gratitude to Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of The Surprise Party by Julia Crouch.
From the very beginning, I was completely engrossed in the book. Being a lover of Greece, I was immediately intrigued by the setting of the story. The concept of a surprise party is something I adore, and Will goes all out in planning one for his wife Eve's 50th birthday inviting all their family and friends!
Just when things seem to be going well, a murder takes place the morning after the party. As the investigation unfolds, a variety of secrets come to light. While the book starts off at a slower pace, it gradually becomes more intense as deception takes center stage. It contains all the thrilling elements you would expect from a thriller! The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.
I highly recommend this book to all thriller enthusiasts out there. It's a story that will completely catch you off guard!

I had a hard time getting into this one, the beginning was a bit slow for me. I have to say I absolutely love a thrillers set in an isolated location. Even more so when secrets are revealed and it sets off a wonderful chain of surprise events. Eve thinks they are going tot he island to reconnect and improve their marriage, he ends up throwing her a surprise 50th birthday party. I didn’t find any of the characters that likeable, or really connect with them. They all had selfish agendas. It’s an okay read, not too many twists or surprises (as the title suggests). I also had an issue with the dual POVks not being noted on the chapter, I figured it out, but like going into the change knowing who’s pov it is.

I absolutely love thrillers set on isolated locations where secrets and revealed and its all very tense so I was excited to get stuck in. I more of less hated absolutely everyone, which I've no doubt is by design! Such horrible people and granted it's not the most realistic but its a fiction so doesn't have to be. Don't think too hard about the logistics and just enjoy it for what it is

There were bits I liked and bits I didn’t - but in all it was a decent thriller.
Lots of unlikeable characters, meaning lots of people to be suspicious of!
I loved the premise - a surprise romantic trip for 2 actually being a party with a boat load of family.
It just didn’t measure up to some of the absolute bangers I have read this year.

This one was a bit too unrealistic for me. The ending was disappointing, and I found it easy to put down. Loved the plot and the setting though.

Meh.

I couldn’t connect to the characters and just wasn’t super involved in the story. It took me forever to finish and I never really looked forward to reading it.

I enjoyed Julia’s writing, but this story wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me an ARC in exchange for a review!

What a thriller. What a great read. Absolutely loved it and have already recommended to my friends. Loved the way it was written. A super beach read and so good!

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Great beach read with lots of very unlikeable characters. Could not put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Surprise Party
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Julia Crouch

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Bookouture and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: This trip was meant to save our marriage. Instead it will destroy everything…

To celebrate my special birthday, my husband and I have returned to the beautiful Greek island village where we spent our honeymoon. As the boat pulls in to the harbour, I feel hope rise in my heart. The white houses, the blue doors, the brilliant turquoise of the sea, are just as I remember. If two weeks in this paradise won’t fix our marriage, nothing will.

But then the next day a boat arrives, full of my friends and family. My grown-up children jump on to the shore, grinning and holding balloons. My husband beams at me and says, “Surprise!”

I can’t believe it. It was meant to be just the two of us. This was my chance to confess what I’ve been hiding for years, the truth that will change everything.

Now I’m surrounded by all the people I’ve been desperate to escape, all the secrets I’ve been pretending I don’t know. I force a smile on to my face, but inside I want to kill my husband.

But even after my party ended in disaster, I didn’t expect anyone to die…

My Thoughts: Almost three decades later, and Eve and Will return to their honeymoon destination. Eve has been planning this two week getaway for them to reconnect, well, that is after she confesses a secret to him. Will also has a surprise for Eve when the entire family shows up the next day for Eve’s milestone, 50th birthday. Also on the island is Poppy who just departed from her cheating ex and is fed up with her mother’s lies. Before morning, there will be a dead body. The story opens with a gripping and compelling prologue that hooks you, immediate suspense, which I love.

There are a lot of characters in this book which means many suspects, unlikable characters, secrets, betrayals, accusations, and characters acting a fool made for a suspenseful thriller with so many twists. The mysterious character Poppy has an agenda. The characters are built with depth, secrets, mystery, outlandish antics, and were intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, had a compelling plot, twisty, with an atmospheric setting, and sharp characters with a satisfying ending with a surprise twist.

This was a domestic psychological thriller that can be read in one day. It keeps you on your toes. It is twisty, suspenseful, dark, and a wonderful spin on a whodunit mystery. I highly recommend for other readers.

I love thrillers with isolated settings and complicated family relationships so this book was definitely for me. We meet Poppy who is on the island looking to figure out the secrets she's found about her own life, and Eve who is on holiday with her husband to celebrate her birthday but he's planned a surprise for her, and it's not what she really wanted. I found this such a gripping read as we learn more about what each of the characters is up to and how it all interconnects. This was such a brilliant summer thriller and I recommend it!

Julia Crouch's "The Surprise Party" is a compelling psychological thriller that has you second guessing until the very end. Crouch tells a story that is both captivating and unpredictable by skilfully evoking tension and suspense throughout the entirety of the novel. The plot centres around Eve who believes she is going on holiday to Greece with her husband, only to be surprised by her family when she arrives. The secrets that begin to be revealed makes the story all the more complex.

I did find that the start of the story was a paced a bit slow, but it was a great read regardless!

This was such a great and fun read and I was so engrossed from the beginning. There were so many unlikeable characters and it really worked loved it. Such a great summer read.

Returning to the island where they enjoyed their honeymoon Eve is looking forward to spending time alone with her husband.

Poppy is staying on the island to get over an incident at work and the revelation her partner is a cheat

Will had arranged a surprise party for Eves 50th birthday and arranged for the family to surprise by their arrival

While this all sounds idyllic lives are about to be upheaved,secrets revealed and the birthday party guest numbers about to fall

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Surprise Party by Julia Crouch in return for my honest review.
This is the first book Ive read by this author and certainly not the last, this is a story full of secrets and lies and it had me hooked from the beginning till the end. There are lots of really interesting characters some you’ll love and some you’ll love to hate this is a really well crafted story one that I shall definitely be recommending.

Loved this one so much. Tense and thrilling and absolutely unputdownable. One of my favourite reads of the year. Very highly recommend this one.