Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed the writing style and the character development. A darker storyline outlining the grip of alcoholism. The story kept me reading and I’d recommend to others, but not as a light read!

I really enjoyed this book but did have to escape from reality and credibility at the end but it did sort of make sense.

I found the descriptions of recovering addicts incredibly well researched and thought out.

I would like to investigate more by this author.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

A great story about a toxic friendship between two women and its consequences. Loved every second of this read!

I enjoyed this book. Kate is a recovering alcoholic. With the support of AA she has put her life back together and has a career as a teacher and a lovely fiancé. However, when she bumps in to her old friend Becky, she realises she has to find out what happened on the last night they spent together, after which Becky broke off all contact with her. Kate was drunk and high and can't remember anything. This is a great story and the ending was certainly not what I was expecting! Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A twisty and haunting thriller that will keep you up into the early hours captured in its grip. The writing is very good and the MC's fascinating.
A good read.

A book full to the brim of twists and turns that I could never have anticipated!. Intriguing characters, a fast paced plot, and brilliantly written. A fantastic read from beginning to end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books on the arc of this book.

4 star read for me- this was a great book, a huge page turner had me hooked for hours, a quick read as well completed within one day.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Brilliantly written and captures the destructive force that is alcoholism perfectly.
Having family members that faced the same struggle it was a very personal read for me. Excellent.

A book with some truly incredible prose. It’s a challenging read, it’s very morose but a satisfying end.

I appreciated the style of writing and character development but the plot was too bleak for my current mood and I didn't liked it.
It's not my cup of tea, I will re-read it in the future.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Kate is getting married and everything appears rosy in her world. But then her old school friend turns up and she has to confront her past. Trouble is she was drinking too much at the time and can’t remember.
I struggled to identify with Kate and did wonder if that’s how she would react. I don’t know but it certainly got me thinking

Closure is a brilliant debut novel by Emily Freud.
Kate has everything to look forward to; she has reached a stage in her life where she is happy. She is a teacher, with a wonderful fiancé, Ben, she’s planning her imminent wedding and she has successfully maintained six years sobriety. When Kate has a chance encounter with her childhood best friend, Becky, whom she has not seen for ten years, she feels unsettled as she cannot remember what happened the night they last saw each other all those years ago. Although Kate was drinking so heavily at that time she often blacked out at that time, she believes that she must make reparations to her friend. Is Kate doing the right thing? Is Becky looking for revenge for what happened ten years ago? Will Kate be able to remember what happened that fateful night? Is Becky a threat to Kate’s current life and her sobriety?
An excellent thriller. One which kept me on my toes and really did not know which way it would go. Such a great read and would highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A book that reveals itself,as progresses,to be a corker
Kate is an alcoholic, 6 years sober, now a teacher and a wedding to organise, all is going well....but she misses her ex best friend Becky, the last time she saw her ‘something’ had happened, something terrible that caused their friendship to halt, problem is Kate just cannot remember and all the time she has been sober it has been on her mind, so when Becky re-appears in her life she sets out to find the truth
And trust me she wishes she hadn’t as the past hurtles back to both of them in ways Kate could never have imagined
A hardish read at the beginning, much talk of alcohol, AA meetings, being drunk and then being sober and you really feel ( by the authors writing ) the horrors of addiction, how it affects the person, their friends and family, obviously this is a running theme through the book but then suddenly you realise you are in the middle of a VERY tense psychological thriller and the book has you and from then on didnt let up until the end
Another book I almost overlooked ( there are almost too many at the moment to choose from ) and am really glad I didnt as the author has created a real gem here that if you stick with reaps many rewards for the reader

9/10
5 Stars

Emily Freud has delivered this season’s must read with her debut novel Closure.

Six years sober, Kate Sullivan is living the life she once only dreamed about. She’s a respected teacher and about to marry her handsome, wealthy fiancé Ben. However, a chance meeting with her old friend Becky plunges her into a nightmare world of doubt, suspicion and shadowy memories that threaten both her future with Ben and her newfound sobriety.

Soon Kate has invited Becky to move into the luxurious apartment she shares with Ben. Having her close by causes Kate to relive their drunken experiences but she can’t quite remember the last night they spent together. She believes something terrible happened although Becky reassures her that isn’t true. Vague thoughts and broken phrases flicker through her mind and obsessive thoughts about drinking distract her. As suspense builds, Kate puzzles through her memories of that night. Will she remember before she destroys her sobriety? Will something in her past shatter her future?

Not only is Closure a top notch, multilayered domestic thriller, it also shows the struggles alcoholics face in a society where drinking is socially accepted, even expected. Kate relies on her sponsor Clare yet still holds back. The secrets she keeps are the most dangerous to her, her sobriety, her relationships with others and her future. Please add this beautifully written novel to your “to be read” list. You won’t be sorry. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quercus Books and Emily Freud for this ARC.

Kate Sullivan has been sober for six years. She has a lovely home, a job she loves and her fiance, Ben. When her old friend, Becky appears in her life after not seeing each other for ten years, old anxieties surface and threaten to ruin Kate's life. Kate invites Becky to move in to her home hoping that this will help make amends. Kate remembers nothing of the last night they spent together when they were young as she had blacked-out from all the alcohol she had consumed.

I was pulled into this story quite quickly. Kate us an English teacher in a secondary school. She's on a night out when she bumps into an old friend she hasn't seen for ten years. Kate is desperate to make amends. I found this quite a gripping story and I wanted to know why the two women had fallen out, I wanted go hear it warts and all. There's a mixed bunch of characters, some you'll love others you won't. The story is descriptively written in places.i would have liked to have heard more from Beckys perspective. This is a good debut novel.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #QuercusBooks, and the author #EmilyFreud for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Sullivan has been sober for six years and before that she often drank herself into oblivion. She’s put her life back on track, she’s now an English teacher in a secondary school, a job she loves and is very committed to and is happily in love and engaged to American Ben Hamilton. On a night out she has a chance encounter with former friend Becky, who she fell out with ten years ago, something which still haunts Kate. She wants to make amends, after all its all part of her AA steps but letting Becky back into her life leads her into unexpected territory.

This is a well written novel which is easy to read. Kate’s addiction is depicted extremely well as is her constant battle not to succumb especially when things get tricky. The comparison between Kate of the past and Kate now is starkly different and as events unfold we can see the far reaching the effects of her addiction. The reconnection with Becky and all its potential pitfalls and dangers is very intriguing. You feel Becky awkwardness with Kate and sense there’s depth beneath the surface and that there is something ‘off’ but not what that may be. When that finally emerges it’s certainly not good but maybe not that much of a shock given Kate’s old behaviour. The characterisation is good, some are colourful like Becky’s mother (she’s not much of a mother) and some are very likeable like Kate’s dad Jonny and his partner Rhona. You root for Kate’s success to overcome her demons and applaud her dedication to her job. There are some very good descriptions especially of areas in London such as Camden and of Kate’s former life in all its messiness. There are some emotional sections such as later scenes between Kate and Jonny and I like the optimistic end after some dramatic discoveries and major changes in Kate’s life. I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the book though there is a bit of repetition and some characters don’t quite ring true such as Becky’s sister Alexa.

Overall though, this is an interesting book which is well written and keeps your attention.

With thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the ARC.

The title ‘Closure’ sums up the plot of this novel beautifully. Recovering alcoholic, Kate, an English Teacher, is happily engaged to New Yorker, Ben. All is going smoothly until Becky enters the equation. Becky was the best friend Kate lost touch with 10 years previously, the friendship being a casualty of Kate’s heavy drinking. Kate is keen to make amends and invites Becky back into her life, and decision that causes Kate’s life to quickly veer off track...

This is a highly enjoyable psychological fiction. Ticks all the boxes of being highly readable, unpredictable and thoroughly entertaining! Those plot twists don’t disappoint. The ending felt appropriate and satisfying. This is a book I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend and I will actively seek out future novels from this author.

My thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

2.5 stars.
I was so excited to read Closure. This book should have been right up my alley. A little Single White Female meets a friendship version of Fatal Attraction. I wanted drama and paranoia but instead got dull and slow. Unfortunately, I really struggled to get into the story. Almost half way in and I was bored. There just wasn't enough happening to keep me engrossed. By the time the big reveal happened right at the end of the story, I simply didn't care what happened to Kate. There was too much nostalgia, of Kate thinking back about her drinking days. I expect a little background but this seemed excessive. It went on and on right to the end.
I would have loved to read a little from Becky's point of view. Maybe if there had been contrasting chapters between the two women or if the big reveal had happened earlier I might have been more forgiving. A slightly below average debut.
Thanks to Quercus Books for providing my review copy. I was unable to post a review on Goodreads as the book isn't on the website, however I will post on Amazon AU after the publication date.

This book is an excellent psychological thriller that leaves the reader engrossed until the last page. I would highly recommend Closure be on your Fall reading list.

two best friends Kate and Becky . Kate was the wild one Becky was the sensible one .the night before Becky went to Uni something happened to change there relationship Kate is an alcoholic but she gets her life together becomes a teacher and is getting married to Ben . then one night in a restaurant she bumps in to Becky i not saying no more but this story is a must read .