I thought this was an OK read, but there were too many indistinct characters and no clear rationale for some of the decisions that they made. The story centers on 8 former high school teammates who get together at an isolated fancy spa for their 15 year reunion. There are immediately unexplained things happening, like other students from high school who seem to be randomly there, and a mysterious new owner of the venue. It becomes clear pretty quickly that someone has an ulterior motive for bringing them together. The book alternates between Desiree and Leona's POVs.

Desiree and Leona were likable enough characters, but I didn't think their voices were distinct enough for me to always remember whose chapter I was reading. I also found it odd that they seemed to drop their stance of being sworn enemies awfully quickly. The other characters were less likable but the dynamic between them all made sense. I enjoyed the twists (though I thought sometimes the characters were a little slow on the uptake as to what was going on). I liked that the author didn't seem to make any characters off-limits to being murdered, which amped up the suspense. The book moved at a fast pace with lots of action. There were a lot of believable red herrings, but when the villain was exposed I wasn't sure I totally understand their reasons for doing the things they did.

Overall, this was a fast paced read and I enjoyed it, but there were a few things that detracted me from liking it even more. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First, thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for the ARC!

So, we do have an invitation to a high school reunion, a snow storm, and a friend vanishing right after prom. Really a mix for a good thriller, if you ask me! I am not sure if I've read anything by Sonya Bateman before, but she is surely on my list now.

I think the only thing I did not like so much was the amount of characters in the book. But besides that, we have a twisty story with just the right pace that makes you say 'just one more chapter' until you suddenly finished the whole book! very well done!

The Reunion is a dark and twisty psychological thriller full of shocking surprises. Sonya Bateman is a new author for me, and if all her other thrillers are this shocking, I'm in!

A reunion of friends at a five star resort and free champagne, what could possibly go wrong here? Apparently plenty can and does. Getting snowed in is one thing, but then the bodies start turning up. Turns out someone knows what really happened that night in the past and wants revenge for it. But which one of the friends gathered is the culprit. Eight have gathered, but how many, if any will leave?

This book was so unpredictable and dark. The pace is a brisk one, keeping the reader turning the pages. Though there are a lot of characters, I didn't have trouble following them all. This is a definite must for thriller lovers. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for the advanced copy

Review of ‘The Reunion’ by Sonya Bateman, due to be published on 17 July 2025 by Joffe Books.

Desiree is invited to her high school reunion, and although she really doesn’t want to go, she decides to attend to try and bring a close to her past.

Things soon take a turn when a snow storm traps the former school friends in, and bodies start to show up, with someone amongst them the culprit.

A strong female protagonist, twists, turns and lots of clues that are misdirections.
Recommended read.

The Reunion by Sonya Bateman is an intense, twist-filled thriller that blends dark suspense with sharp humor in a way that keeps you completely hooked. What starts as a lighthearted gathering of old friends quickly spirals into a chilling and unpredictable nightmare when a snowstorm traps them together—and the bodies start piling up. The pacing is brisk, the twists are genuinely surprising, and every chapter leaves you needing to know what happens next. I couldn’t put it down.
If you're into thrillers that keep you on edge but still manage to make you laugh out loud, The Reunion is absolutely worth the read.

I loved this book. The protagonist was amazing and I really liked the female friendship, and the twists (although some of them were a bit out of the blue).
I'm going to read more books by Sonya Bateman, her writing was great.

I really struggled with this one. It took me half the book to really get into it.
Lots of characters, plenty of red herrings.
Should a book be that difficult to understand and enjoy??
Sorry this was not for me.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

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Desiree has been invited to a luxurious reunion of her high school clique (who have a moniker everyone used. Is that a thing?) but is really dreading seeing some of her old “friends.” One of those is Leona, attempting to take a break from her man-child husband, and protecting secrets of her own. They used to be close, and what tore them apart all comes down to prom night, the night that left one dead and one missing. And whatever happened that day is a secret someone will kill to protect.

Trapped in a luxury hotel in a snowstorm with a murderer is pretty overdone, and this book didn’t add anything to the genre, sadly. Ultimately, I didn’t find the murderer’s reasons convincing and the plot was cluttered with red herrings.

The trope about old school/university friends meeting up at a secluded location/resort some years later and having all hell break loose as long-held secrets rise to the surface is one that has really has been done to death. So, if this were anyone other than a writer like Sonya Bateman offering a new book on this theme, I am not sure I would be interested.

But in this twisty tale of cool kids, ROTC teammates, murdered losers, disappeared friends, and more predators and serial killers than you can shake a stick at, call you need to do is suspend disbelief and strap in for a wild ride! It gets 3.5 stars for entertainment that keeps you guessing.

Great twists and unpredictable thrills in this read! I am giving this one 3.5 stars! I enjoyed the setting and the plot of the book, I just had a hard time keeping track of the characters as I read. I found myself having to re-read the pages over, to keep everything in order. I felt like the loose ends were completely tied up for at the end either. I was able to connect with some of the characters and enjoyed their personalities. Overall, I enjoyed the read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eArc opportunity in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this but o couldn’t get to grips with it at all. I did finish it but it wasn’t one I enjoyed, there were so many strands that needing pulling together.

While this has a strong premise, I found it hard to get into as there are a lot of characters and I did not like any of them enough to really care about what happened to them. I also struggled to understand why, even as teenagers, they were so easily led and influenced.

A high school reunion in a remote area, and they are all snowed in.
The night of the prom, one student died and the other vanished. Now the remainder are in fear of their lives.

I only got into this novel about three quarters of the way through. There are so many characters and relationships, it took me a while to get everything straight without having taken notes.
However, there are good twists and lots of red herrings.

I almost didn’t come. Even with the free champagne, the five star resort, the promise of closure. Even though it’s fifteen years since we all finished high school. But now I’m here. Snowed in. And someone’s already dead. It should’ve been a reunion. Laughter. Memories. Old friends even if they never really saw me. But our old prom dates are waiting tables. Our teachers are lurking in corridors. And one by one, the people I once called friends are acting like we’re back in school. There are eight of us. There were eight of us then. But one vanished after prom. And someone knows what really happened that night. They invited us here for a reason. And they’re not going to let us leave! Great read!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It had great suspense, gruesome murders, mystery, intriguing, dark past secrets, and some jaw dropping twists! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Are you a thriller fan? Watch out for The Reunion by Sonya Bateman. It's available this summer. This is one you won't want to miss.