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The Reunion
The brand new enemies-to-lovers romcom for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and The Love Hyphothesis.
‘A properly joyful caper of heads vying with hearts. Drummond had me laughing, ‘eeek!’ing and 'aaah'ing, as Posy and Lucas navigate their fake-wedding planning, old animosities and new longings of the heart. A lovely funny uplifting read.’
Pernille Hughes
Two high school rivals. Ten years later. A vow not to fall in love . . .
School reunions: the perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends, dazzle old foes, and basically show everyone that your life could not be going better.
But for Lucas O’Rourke and Posy Edwins this isn’t quite the case. Lucas is about to lose his business unless he finds an investor fast, and Posy’s father has cut her off financially, just when she needs to get to Hawaii. And a reunion is the worst moment to come face-to-face with your rival. Ten years ago they hated each other, what could have changed since then?
As tensions rise, Posy comes up with a plan to solve both their problems, all she needs to do is persuade Lucas to go along with it. Trouble is, how do you ask your high school enemy to pretend you’re madly in love when everyone knows you don’t get along? And what happens when that plan involves a wedding, honeymoon and an old school bylaw stating that the school will pay for the entire event…
Surely Posy has thought everything through, hasn’t she?
‘A properly joyful caper of heads vying with hearts. Drummond had me laughing, ‘eeek!’ing and 'aaah'ing, as Posy and Lucas navigate their fake-wedding planning, old animosities and new longings of the heart. A lovely funny uplifting read.’
Pernille Hughes
Two high school rivals. Ten years later. A vow not to fall in love . . .
School reunions: the perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends, dazzle old foes, and basically show everyone that your life could not be going better.
But for Lucas O’Rourke and Posy Edwins this isn’t quite the case. Lucas is about to lose his business unless he finds an investor fast, and Posy’s father has cut her off financially, just when she needs to get to Hawaii. And a reunion is the worst moment to come face-to-face with your rival. Ten years ago they hated each other, what could have changed since then?
As tensions rise, Posy comes up with a plan to solve both their problems, all she needs to do is persuade Lucas to go along with it. Trouble is, how do you ask your high school enemy to pretend you’re madly in love when everyone knows you don’t get along? And what happens when that plan involves a wedding, honeymoon and an old school bylaw stating that the school will pay for the entire event…
Surely Posy has thought everything through, hasn’t she?
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 10, 2022
60 people are currently reading
811 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
March 14, 2022
Generally, when I review a debut, I look for potential because new authors are only going to get better, right? If their prose is clunky or they leave plot holes … well, it’s better not to write an absolutely scathing review because bad reviews can eliminate opportunities for new writers. Sometimes, it takes a book or two or five for an author to hit their stride.
Today, I’m making an exception. I’ve just finished The Reunion by Elizabeth Drummond. May I suggest that you consider scheduling a root canal or colonoscopy instead of submitting to the hours of torture I endured to give you this review?
How bad is it, you ask? I had to give myself pep talks in order to finish it:
Come on, Sandy. Read two more pages and then you can reward yourself by rotating your tires.
Sandy, girl, just one more chapter tonight and then you can succumb to the nightmare that you forgot to write your senior thesis.
If you finish the whole epilogue, Sandy, you can re-watch paint dry on the bathroom walls.
The story has a fun premise: former high school enemies meet at their ten-year reunion and discover that they’re not enemies anymore. Doesn’t that sound like a great setup? Well, you’re going to have to look elsewhere for that story because The Reunion isn’t it.
Let’s start with all the things I liked about this book … uh, Lucas’s mom and Posy’s best friend are pretty okay.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s move on to all the ways this book went sideways. Okay, not all. I don’t have enough time or interest to write an exhaustive list so I’m just going to touch on some of the most egregious problems.
Posy is never anything other than a spoiled, entitled, unlikeable, rich girl who also seems to have neither morals nor ethics. When Daddy cuts her off, she bullies Lucas in order to get what she wants. Since Lucas agrees to go along with Posy’s scheme, he also falls into the category of people I don’t need to know.
Although she should have matured since high school, Posy is still motivated entirely by hedonism. She drinks herself into stupors, has so much drunk sex I’m not sure why the author – who was apparently going for realism – didn’t include STDs and unwanted pregnancies. She steals from her father, verbally abuses her loving stepmother, has no financial sense, and ditches her responsibilities endlessly. (You probably know how I feel about drunk sex as a trope so I won’t bother to discuss that again here.)
There are a lot of really endlessly boring scenes that don’t move the story forward. They’re skippable and I think you probably know how I know that. All of her characters “tut” a lot and there’s a description of the carpet in every scene (do we really care that the carpets are thick-pile, plush, or threadbare?).
I’m convinced that, to make her word count, the author decided to create a dead mom so she could write about Posy being sad and stuff. My mom is dead so I feel qualified to discuss this topic in detail. Unfortunately, even if the author has a dead mom, too, she didn’t write authentically about grief and used the dead mom trope inconsistently (you know, just for fun).
That’s just another missed opportunity to show Posy as a human being with actual emotions. Sometimes, in the dead mom scenes, Posy (whose mom died when she was 4) remembers her mom’s favorite music, sometimes Posy hardly remembers her mom at all. It depends on the scene and since you’ll skip most of these, it won’t matter that they contradict each other, right?
At some point pretty far along in the writing process, the author probably said to herself, “Well, I’m out of fat jokes so it’s time to wrap this book up.” And then she wrote a scene which was intended to be transformational but is filled with bullying, more fat jokes, and hateful stereotypes. While I agree that these two protagonists undoubtedly deserve each other, none of this could make anyone believe that they’ve fallen in love. It could, however, make us readers root for both of them to fall into the nearest volcano (a reference to Posy’s interest in Hawaii which you won’t care about even if you do read this stupid book).
Finally, I think we can agree that shaming people for being fat, old, poor, or Irish isn’t humor. It’s just lazy writing. If you can’t be funny unless it’s at the expense of others, then it’s time to face the fact that you aren’t funny. Shame on everyone involved in this masterpiece of toxicity.
The Reunion by Elizabeth Drummond will be available on June 10, 2022. Purchase it at your own risk.
I received a digital ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
Today, I’m making an exception. I’ve just finished The Reunion by Elizabeth Drummond. May I suggest that you consider scheduling a root canal or colonoscopy instead of submitting to the hours of torture I endured to give you this review?
How bad is it, you ask? I had to give myself pep talks in order to finish it:
Come on, Sandy. Read two more pages and then you can reward yourself by rotating your tires.
Sandy, girl, just one more chapter tonight and then you can succumb to the nightmare that you forgot to write your senior thesis.
If you finish the whole epilogue, Sandy, you can re-watch paint dry on the bathroom walls.
The story has a fun premise: former high school enemies meet at their ten-year reunion and discover that they’re not enemies anymore. Doesn’t that sound like a great setup? Well, you’re going to have to look elsewhere for that story because The Reunion isn’t it.
Let’s start with all the things I liked about this book … uh, Lucas’s mom and Posy’s best friend are pretty okay.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s move on to all the ways this book went sideways. Okay, not all. I don’t have enough time or interest to write an exhaustive list so I’m just going to touch on some of the most egregious problems.
Posy is never anything other than a spoiled, entitled, unlikeable, rich girl who also seems to have neither morals nor ethics. When Daddy cuts her off, she bullies Lucas in order to get what she wants. Since Lucas agrees to go along with Posy’s scheme, he also falls into the category of people I don’t need to know.
Although she should have matured since high school, Posy is still motivated entirely by hedonism. She drinks herself into stupors, has so much drunk sex I’m not sure why the author – who was apparently going for realism – didn’t include STDs and unwanted pregnancies. She steals from her father, verbally abuses her loving stepmother, has no financial sense, and ditches her responsibilities endlessly. (You probably know how I feel about drunk sex as a trope so I won’t bother to discuss that again here.)
There are a lot of really endlessly boring scenes that don’t move the story forward. They’re skippable and I think you probably know how I know that. All of her characters “tut” a lot and there’s a description of the carpet in every scene (do we really care that the carpets are thick-pile, plush, or threadbare?).
I’m convinced that, to make her word count, the author decided to create a dead mom so she could write about Posy being sad and stuff. My mom is dead so I feel qualified to discuss this topic in detail. Unfortunately, even if the author has a dead mom, too, she didn’t write authentically about grief and used the dead mom trope inconsistently (you know, just for fun).
That’s just another missed opportunity to show Posy as a human being with actual emotions. Sometimes, in the dead mom scenes, Posy (whose mom died when she was 4) remembers her mom’s favorite music, sometimes Posy hardly remembers her mom at all. It depends on the scene and since you’ll skip most of these, it won’t matter that they contradict each other, right?
At some point pretty far along in the writing process, the author probably said to herself, “Well, I’m out of fat jokes so it’s time to wrap this book up.” And then she wrote a scene which was intended to be transformational but is filled with bullying, more fat jokes, and hateful stereotypes. While I agree that these two protagonists undoubtedly deserve each other, none of this could make anyone believe that they’ve fallen in love. It could, however, make us readers root for both of them to fall into the nearest volcano (a reference to Posy’s interest in Hawaii which you won’t care about even if you do read this stupid book).
Finally, I think we can agree that shaming people for being fat, old, poor, or Irish isn’t humor. It’s just lazy writing. If you can’t be funny unless it’s at the expense of others, then it’s time to face the fact that you aren’t funny. Shame on everyone involved in this masterpiece of toxicity.
The Reunion by Elizabeth Drummond will be available on June 10, 2022. Purchase it at your own risk.
I received a digital ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
June 10, 2022
1.5 stars ☆ I didn’t really enjoy reading this book. With the tropes of enemies to lovers, fake dating and marriage convenience, it didn’t execute well. It’s a 3rd person pov and also a slow burn since it took a while for them to be together.
The plot… was so unrealistic and not that interesting. There’s a part where both of them went to their high school so that they would be able to give them money from the school funds (since it’s on their school rules when both of their students are getting married blah blah idk) for their plan- like huh??? what type of school is this?!
Both characters are unlikeable. I was so close to dnf this since I just couldn’t stand Posy and Lucas so much. With them being together, I don’t feel any connection/chemistry with each other throughout this book at all.
Posy… she annoys me plenty of times and she’s also selfish and self centered 🫡. Like she had some good moments but just no.
Lucas… sadly, he isn’t a better character either. I knew from the start that he already gave me bad vibes with his personality.
Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC !!
The plot… was so unrealistic and not that interesting. There’s a part where both of them went to their high school so that they would be able to give them money from the school funds (since it’s on their school rules when both of their students are getting married blah blah idk) for their plan- like huh??? what type of school is this?!
Both characters are unlikeable. I was so close to dnf this since I just couldn’t stand Posy and Lucas so much. With them being together, I don’t feel any connection/chemistry with each other throughout this book at all.
Posy… she annoys me plenty of times and she’s also selfish and self centered 🫡. Like she had some good moments but just no.
Lucas… sadly, he isn’t a better character either. I knew from the start that he already gave me bad vibes with his personality.
Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC !!
July 10, 2022
enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience, dual pov, enemies to lovers romance between two former high school rivals and also a slow burn my beloved <3<3<3<3
la historia prometía bastante con esos clichés y estoy bastante decepcionada... los personajes son muy planos y estereotipados, no hay nada que destaque de ellos.
la historia prometía bastante con esos clichés y estoy bastante decepcionada... los personajes son muy planos y estereotipados, no hay nada que destaque de ellos.
May 12, 2022
Tropes: enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience
This is a dual pov, enemies to lovers romance between two former high school rivals. Posy and Lucas were complete opposites in high school and after meeting again years later at their school reunion, it seems as though nothing has changed. When Posy gets cut off from her family’s money and Lucas’s business is months away from failing, the two decide to enter into a marriage of convenience thinking it will solve both of their problems.
The romance is a slow burn with the leads not getting together until over halfway through the book. I love a good marriage of convenience but this book slightly missed the mark for me. I would’ve liked to see more of Posy and Lucas warming up to one another before getting together.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a dual pov, enemies to lovers romance between two former high school rivals. Posy and Lucas were complete opposites in high school and after meeting again years later at their school reunion, it seems as though nothing has changed. When Posy gets cut off from her family’s money and Lucas’s business is months away from failing, the two decide to enter into a marriage of convenience thinking it will solve both of their problems.
The romance is a slow burn with the leads not getting together until over halfway through the book. I love a good marriage of convenience but this book slightly missed the mark for me. I would’ve liked to see more of Posy and Lucas warming up to one another before getting together.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 28, 2022
I was excited to be given early access to this book but was super disappointed. I usually love fake dating and enemies-to-lovers tropes, but this one really missed the mark. I've said it before, and I'll probably say it again, but a badly written character can make or break a book, and in this instance, it broke it. Posy is a horrible main character (whose personality contradicts itself based on who she interacts with) who is impossible to relate to. The story is also problematic because Lucas isn't a very likable character either, though not as bad as Posy. To be honest, there were parts that I had to skim just to finish it.
Note: Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for allowing me access to this arc in exchange for an honest review! Please note that all opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Note: Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for allowing me access to this arc in exchange for an honest review! Please note that all opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
May 31, 2022
[Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself]
Sencillamente horrible, no hay por dónde cogerlo. Yo le he puesto muchas ganas al leerlo, ya que es un fake dating y enemigos que se trincan vivos, dos tropes que me encantan, pero creo que una tortura china me habría resultado más placentera.
Ninguno de los personajes tiene encanto, son planísimos y más tontos que Pichote (en serio, tontísimos, solo se libran dos y son secundarios). No hay evolución en ellos, no hay enamoramiento por ningún sitio, no hay tensión, no hay nada de nada. En serio, un coñazo. Tal vez si se le hubieran dado cuatro vueltas más a la historia y se hubiera reescrito podría salvarse pero tal y como está, megamñe.
Ah, y eso de que es perfecto para fanes de The Love Hypothesis... Será perfecto para que quieras volver a leer The Love Hypothesis y olvidarte de este.
(Seguro que lo traducen, que todos los de Netgalley que no me gustan luego los veo en las librerías traducidos, fruta vida XD).
Sencillamente horrible, no hay por dónde cogerlo. Yo le he puesto muchas ganas al leerlo, ya que es un fake dating y enemigos que se trincan vivos, dos tropes que me encantan, pero creo que una tortura china me habría resultado más placentera.
Ninguno de los personajes tiene encanto, son planísimos y más tontos que Pichote (en serio, tontísimos, solo se libran dos y son secundarios). No hay evolución en ellos, no hay enamoramiento por ningún sitio, no hay tensión, no hay nada de nada. En serio, un coñazo. Tal vez si se le hubieran dado cuatro vueltas más a la historia y se hubiera reescrito podría salvarse pero tal y como está, megamñe.
Ah, y eso de que es perfecto para fanes de The Love Hypothesis... Será perfecto para que quieras volver a leer The Love Hypothesis y olvidarte de este.
(Seguro que lo traducen, que todos los de Netgalley que no me gustan luego los veo en las librerías traducidos, fruta vida XD).
June 30, 2022
I’ve never laughed so hard as I did while reading this one. It’s the perfect summer read for 2022 so make sure you all add it to your TBR. The main characters were lovable, the plot was amusing and the pacing was sheer perfection. Not too slow, not too fast. I couldn’t have asked for a better romcom to break up my fantasy and thriller reads.
July 8, 2022
Had to DNF @20%
The characterisation was just plain awful. The two pain protagonists were terrible. Posy was an entitled little rich kid ( who was still living at home and having Daddy pay for everything) Her manners were shocking to everyone around her. It was just too much for me to be able to push through it.
The characterisation was just plain awful. The two pain protagonists were terrible. Posy was an entitled little rich kid ( who was still living at home and having Daddy pay for everything) Her manners were shocking to everyone around her. It was just too much for me to be able to push through it.
August 13, 2022
I really wanted to love this one but it just fell super flat to me. None of the characters were particularly interesting and the whole plot line just felt messy and strange.
2/5 stars. I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an authentic review
2/5 stars. I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an authentic review
January 1, 2023
New Years Resolution: maybe I'll get some self-respect
April 4, 2022
This is a nice, easy enemies to lovers romance.
Fun to read with a plot that uses many of the popular tropes; marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, forced proximity.
The characters are irritating at first, however as they grow and develop they grew on me - especially Posy. She starts off as a spoilt rich girl but slowly learns the meaning of money, love and life.
Plot was uncomplicated and easy to follow - did get a little redundant and dull in the middle but nothing awful.
A good summer read
Fun to read with a plot that uses many of the popular tropes; marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, forced proximity.
The characters are irritating at first, however as they grow and develop they grew on me - especially Posy. She starts off as a spoilt rich girl but slowly learns the meaning of money, love and life.
Plot was uncomplicated and easy to follow - did get a little redundant and dull in the middle but nothing awful.
A good summer read
August 10, 2022
Argh!! I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately, I found it really difficult to connect with the characters; Posy in particular. The writing also felt a little bit clunky and YA rather than an adult romance.
Some bizarre (and offensive?!) choices were made regarding humour - fat-shaming for one + harmful stereotypes which for me was an instant turn off.
For a book that should be everything I love - enemies to lovers, hello - it completely missed the mark for me.
I DNFed unfortunately.
Some bizarre (and offensive?!) choices were made regarding humour - fat-shaming for one + harmful stereotypes which for me was an instant turn off.
For a book that should be everything I love - enemies to lovers, hello - it completely missed the mark for me.
I DNFed unfortunately.
Read
April 4, 2022DNF.
I can't get past the absurd premise and the shallow characters.
I can't get past the absurd premise and the shallow characters.
June 7, 2022
The Head boy and girl from a private school
Don't get on at all, they're nothing cool.
She's wealthy, entitled, enjoys partying and fun
He's a scholarship nerd, always finds work to be done.
A decade later, they're opposites in so many ways
He still pans and lives to work, whilst she always plays.
A fake romance could help save them both and so
They agree to give it a go.
Get ready for shenanigans, disasters and lies,
And possible romance as the fur flies.
Working to a budget is not her scene
Other than the money, about it all she is not keen.
A supposedly enemies to friends romance
I kind of regret giving this book a chance.
I never got to like her at any point in this book,
He's kind of better, perhaps worth a look.
We all have different tastes, this is very true
So this maybe a winner, a great read for you.
Whilst the writing itself is good and flows,
For me, disliking the main characters and plot makes this a no.
(Sorry!!)
For my copy of this book, I say thank you,
This is - obviously - my honest review!
Don't get on at all, they're nothing cool.
She's wealthy, entitled, enjoys partying and fun
He's a scholarship nerd, always finds work to be done.
A decade later, they're opposites in so many ways
He still pans and lives to work, whilst she always plays.
A fake romance could help save them both and so
They agree to give it a go.
Get ready for shenanigans, disasters and lies,
And possible romance as the fur flies.
Working to a budget is not her scene
Other than the money, about it all she is not keen.
A supposedly enemies to friends romance
I kind of regret giving this book a chance.
I never got to like her at any point in this book,
He's kind of better, perhaps worth a look.
We all have different tastes, this is very true
So this maybe a winner, a great read for you.
Whilst the writing itself is good and flows,
For me, disliking the main characters and plot makes this a no.
(Sorry!!)
For my copy of this book, I say thank you,
This is - obviously - my honest review!
May 9, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley & The publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was he best kind of childhood nemesis to lovers. I loved everything about Lucas and Posy once the book got started. It started slow and took me awhile to get into it but oh my i fell so hard for this. I didn't expect fake dating at first to go in this direction and i was unsure of it but oh my I love the reconnecting and how them being enemies was to me just banter on disagreements. I think it had followed Lucas and Posy on a way to learn to find a middle ground and learn and grow as individuals as they had started off still in the same mind set they had as teenagers. I thought the marriage part of the contract for the school was something cool and something i had never seen done before which made this so much more attracting to not put it down for a second and want to see how they work through this fake dating situation. Overall this was not the same typical romance i found myself loving how unique it felt and i absolutely loved how it ended! i will for sure be recommending this in the near future to friends!
This was he best kind of childhood nemesis to lovers. I loved everything about Lucas and Posy once the book got started. It started slow and took me awhile to get into it but oh my i fell so hard for this. I didn't expect fake dating at first to go in this direction and i was unsure of it but oh my I love the reconnecting and how them being enemies was to me just banter on disagreements. I think it had followed Lucas and Posy on a way to learn to find a middle ground and learn and grow as individuals as they had started off still in the same mind set they had as teenagers. I thought the marriage part of the contract for the school was something cool and something i had never seen done before which made this so much more attracting to not put it down for a second and want to see how they work through this fake dating situation. Overall this was not the same typical romance i found myself loving how unique it felt and i absolutely loved how it ended! i will for sure be recommending this in the near future to friends!
June 14, 2022
I love a great enemies to lovers fake dating trope book. Posy and Lucas were rivals in high school, and now at their reunion, they realize that they could use each other as a means to an end. Let the fun begin.
I think it is the most fun when enemies realize the reason they are enemies is because they secretly harbor feelings for the other. I just wish I would have seen more of that.
While I usually love this type of situation, Posy was a bit of a mess and that deterred me a bit, but I did like the two working together.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, Netgalley and Elizabeth Drummond for an early copy.
I think it is the most fun when enemies realize the reason they are enemies is because they secretly harbor feelings for the other. I just wish I would have seen more of that.
While I usually love this type of situation, Posy was a bit of a mess and that deterred me a bit, but I did like the two working together.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, Netgalley and Elizabeth Drummond for an early copy.
August 24, 2022
Cute story, interesting characters, but my straight arrow self couldn’t get past the entire plot being a “cool motive, still fraud” situation
March 23, 2022
I did not enjoy this book at all, the patriarchal control and pressure for Posy to find a man to marry her was very archaic and actually painful to read. The whole find a husband and a career before you’re 30 and the over the hill-spinster narrative is tired. It is 2022 - women have enough problems, we should not be telling women they have to ‘settle down’ and become responsible wives in chick lit novels.
As for the fat jokes - very disappointing. Chick lit should be empowering, a safe space to explore sensitive and difficult themes with a happy, secure and safe resolution NOT shaming women’s bodies for cheap laughs. It’s not funny and we’re over it. Women can be any size, there’s no beauty code we have to conform too. Our bodies are not jokes or plot lines - they’re off limits. Gosh I can’t believe we’re having to cover this!
Don’t even start me on the characters! It was very Tory-esque. Given the current situation with Boris in the U.K. and the current economic climate, it was frustrating and almost angering to read these characters who are quite frankly idiots parading such frivolous wealth around. It really missed the mark if it was looking for empathy.
I do not recommend this book.
June 14, 2022
Thanks to One More Chapter UK and Netgalley for providing this book for me to read and review.
The Reunion has a great premise - that if the head boy and head girl of prestigious Arundel Boarding School marry, then the school pay for the wedding and honeymoon. Archaic and patriarchal certainly. And given stoic, spreadsheet loving Lucas O'Rourke and social, flighty Posy Edwins could not stand each other at school, it seems highly unlikely. That is, until Posy is cut off from the family fortune and forced to actually work .. well, she actually isn't working, she's scheming her way to Hawaii so she can show some photos she's taken in an exhibition she vows will make her famous. Lucas is part of the plan - if she marries him, she can have the honeymoon in Hawai. So she presents her case to Lucas at the school reunion, his price being access to her family's social contacts to prop up his failing business. And problem solved. What they don't factor in is the impact of their decisions - for themselves, for their loved ones, and for their future.
Sounds great in theory. Where The Reunion struggles is in the execution of this promising fake dating / fake marriage plot (though it is 2022 and I sometimes think we have to be beyond this plot, right? And she really only needed the airfare .... how hard could it really have been to raise the funds.....)
There are a couple of promising characters in Tara (Posy's friend) and Lucas' mother, who have some real backbone, but otherwise the characters don't really jump off the page. Posy is unlikeable (not that I require this in order to enjoy a book), and her about face happens so quickly it seems disingenuous. Lucas is pretty staid, and a bit one dimensional, despite the author's best efforts to round him out. Together they share a drunken night of passion (which is a fade to black scenario) without anything further, which I think is a real missed opportunity to allow these characters expression or at least give the reader some confidence about the foundation of their relationship when it does the about face.
This book is strongly reliant on humour that involves slighting, and undermining, particularly Posy's family towards her Posy. There are also fat jokes and digs at the Irish, and the "lower class". Whilst the intent was obviously to create humour, the "jokes" all fell flat for me, to the point where I found some of them insulting and they made me uncomfortable.
This book was disappointing, and I would not usually be as critical for a debut novel, but I really struggled with this one.
The Reunion has a great premise - that if the head boy and head girl of prestigious Arundel Boarding School marry, then the school pay for the wedding and honeymoon. Archaic and patriarchal certainly. And given stoic, spreadsheet loving Lucas O'Rourke and social, flighty Posy Edwins could not stand each other at school, it seems highly unlikely. That is, until Posy is cut off from the family fortune and forced to actually work .. well, she actually isn't working, she's scheming her way to Hawaii so she can show some photos she's taken in an exhibition she vows will make her famous. Lucas is part of the plan - if she marries him, she can have the honeymoon in Hawai. So she presents her case to Lucas at the school reunion, his price being access to her family's social contacts to prop up his failing business. And problem solved. What they don't factor in is the impact of their decisions - for themselves, for their loved ones, and for their future.
Sounds great in theory. Where The Reunion struggles is in the execution of this promising fake dating / fake marriage plot (though it is 2022 and I sometimes think we have to be beyond this plot, right? And she really only needed the airfare .... how hard could it really have been to raise the funds.....)
There are a couple of promising characters in Tara (Posy's friend) and Lucas' mother, who have some real backbone, but otherwise the characters don't really jump off the page. Posy is unlikeable (not that I require this in order to enjoy a book), and her about face happens so quickly it seems disingenuous. Lucas is pretty staid, and a bit one dimensional, despite the author's best efforts to round him out. Together they share a drunken night of passion (which is a fade to black scenario) without anything further, which I think is a real missed opportunity to allow these characters expression or at least give the reader some confidence about the foundation of their relationship when it does the about face.
This book is strongly reliant on humour that involves slighting, and undermining, particularly Posy's family towards her Posy. There are also fat jokes and digs at the Irish, and the "lower class". Whilst the intent was obviously to create humour, the "jokes" all fell flat for me, to the point where I found some of them insulting and they made me uncomfortable.
This book was disappointing, and I would not usually be as critical for a debut novel, but I really struggled with this one.
April 18, 2022
2☆
Going into this, I was so excited I'd found a book that had The Proposal vibes since it's one of my favourite movies. Enemies-to-lover and fake dating? Sign me up. Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me.
Predictable
I'm the kind of person that hates when a book is overly predictable. In romance books, there's a normal level of predictability (for me at least) so I don't take that into account when reviewing. However, in this case, I couldn't disregard that because this whole book was predictable, from Henry to the ending.
Characters
Posy was the most insufferable character ever, sort of similar to another ARC I read recently: Stone Broke Heiress. She's spoiled, entitled, and unlikeable. Also, she constantly verbally abuses her stepmother who has done nothing and is always nice to her. I don't get it. Although the author tried to give her some sort of a redemption arc, I still hated her. She didn’t have enough character growth to change Lucas’s/the readers' opinion of her. She had a very flat and superficial growth.
Posy's family members were always unnecessarily bullying her, except for the stepmother. I hated the “we only tease you because we love you” excuse the family gave; it was extremely toxic.
Lucas was an okay character, much better than Posy (although that's not very hard). He had some sweet moments.
Romance
It was supposed to be a slow burn but there was no development between them and I didn't understand why they suddenly were attracted to each other. And then they were suddenly in love after a month of barely seeing each other or talking. Also, the fade to black drunk sex scene was a no. Their romance lacked chemistry (nothing built up for them to feel what they did), although they had good banter at times.
Ending
The ending was predictable and boring. I think it would have been much better if we didn't have the headmistress' POV (her whole POv was unnecessary).
Overall, this just did not work for me. Thankfully it was fast paced to read. Also, the incessant bad fat jokes should've been deleted.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Going into this, I was so excited I'd found a book that had The Proposal vibes since it's one of my favourite movies. Enemies-to-lover and fake dating? Sign me up. Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me.
Predictable
I'm the kind of person that hates when a book is overly predictable. In romance books, there's a normal level of predictability (for me at least) so I don't take that into account when reviewing. However, in this case, I couldn't disregard that because this whole book was predictable, from Henry to the ending.
Characters
Posy was the most insufferable character ever, sort of similar to another ARC I read recently: Stone Broke Heiress. She's spoiled, entitled, and unlikeable. Also, she constantly verbally abuses her stepmother who has done nothing and is always nice to her. I don't get it. Although the author tried to give her some sort of a redemption arc, I still hated her. She didn’t have enough character growth to change Lucas’s/the readers' opinion of her. She had a very flat and superficial growth.
Posy's family members were always unnecessarily bullying her, except for the stepmother. I hated the “we only tease you because we love you” excuse the family gave; it was extremely toxic.
Lucas was an okay character, much better than Posy (although that's not very hard). He had some sweet moments.
Romance
It was supposed to be a slow burn but there was no development between them and I didn't understand why they suddenly were attracted to each other. And then they were suddenly in love after a month of barely seeing each other or talking. Also, the fade to black drunk sex scene was a no. Their romance lacked chemistry (nothing built up for them to feel what they did), although they had good banter at times.
Ending
The ending was predictable and boring. I think it would have been much better if we didn't have the headmistress' POV (her whole POv was unnecessary).
Overall, this just did not work for me. Thankfully it was fast paced to read. Also, the incessant bad fat jokes should've been deleted.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2022
This book has all of my favorite tropes fake dating, rivals to lovers!
Rating: 3/5
Synopsis:
Two high school rivals. Ten years later. A vow not to fall in love . . .
School reunions: the perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends, dazzle old foes, and basically show everyone that your life could not be going better.
But for Lucas O’Rourke and Posy Edwins this isn’t quite the case. Lucas is about to lose his business unless he finds an investor fast, and Posy’s father has cut her off financially, just when she needs to get to Hawaii. And a reunion is the worst moment to come face-to-face with your rival. Ten years ago they hated each other, what could have changed since then?
As tensions rise, Posy comes up with a plan to solve both their problems, all she needs to do is persuade Lucas to go along with it. Trouble is, how do you ask your high school enemy to pretend you’re madly in love when everyone knows you don’t get along? And what happens when that plan involves a wedding, honeymoon and an old school bylaw stating that the school will pay for the entire event…
Surely Posy has thought everything through, hasn’t she?
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an eARC!!
Rating: 3/5
Synopsis:
Two high school rivals. Ten years later. A vow not to fall in love . . .
School reunions: the perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends, dazzle old foes, and basically show everyone that your life could not be going better.
But for Lucas O’Rourke and Posy Edwins this isn’t quite the case. Lucas is about to lose his business unless he finds an investor fast, and Posy’s father has cut her off financially, just when she needs to get to Hawaii. And a reunion is the worst moment to come face-to-face with your rival. Ten years ago they hated each other, what could have changed since then?
As tensions rise, Posy comes up with a plan to solve both their problems, all she needs to do is persuade Lucas to go along with it. Trouble is, how do you ask your high school enemy to pretend you’re madly in love when everyone knows you don’t get along? And what happens when that plan involves a wedding, honeymoon and an old school bylaw stating that the school will pay for the entire event…
Surely Posy has thought everything through, hasn’t she?
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an eARC!!
November 25, 2024
Whilst I am all for an “enemies to lovers” story, I didn’t think Drummond hit the mark here. I think it was because of how self-entitled and snobbish the characters were in contrast to Lucas’s more humble upbringings that made this book less than appealing.
Drummond plays on the social class theme here with Lucas and Posy having attended an elite school which is brimming with the wealthy. However, Lucas earned his place through a scholarship, opening up the constant bullying and feelings of inferiority. This never disappears and is even more prevalent at the school reunion years later.
However, Posy’s spend, spend, spend lifestyle has caught up with her. She is a rich girl but now living a poor life as her father no longer wishes to fund Posy’s circumstances – especially as they do not seem to be getting her anywhere. I felt sorry for Posy in this sense because the writer implies that Posy is rather talented at her photography but no one seems to take this seriously, just seeing it as a casual hobby. Of course, this is then heavily contrasted with Lucas’s work ethic and how he has strived to create his own business… which is on the brink of failing because, of course, it needs a massive cash injection and some wealthy clients.
Therefore, this story follows money throughout and I found it a bit uncomfortable to witness, especially as all of Posy’s friends are frivolous and selfish. They have no need to work for anything in life and I hated the exaggerated wealth divide that keeps being referenced in the plot. It didn’t feel much like escape fiction and furthermore, this class divide just felt rather old-fashioned.
The fake wedding is the only way that Posy can see a way out of her situation to ultimately get what she wants. I was frustrated by how much she uses people throughout the story and was pleased when Lucas’s mother stands up to her and tells Posy some hard truths. Yes, Posy does change in the novel for the better, but I was never convinced by her moral standards and certainly did not believe that her feelings for Lucas became genuine. If I were Lucas, I would have stayed away indefinitely because Posy’s circle of family and friends do not display the more positive of human attributes.
In my opinion, I thought this was an out-of-touch story that did not get my romance senses tingling. Disliking Posy so much from the beginning did not help and I was uncomfortable with the exaggerated wealth divide. The pace was on the slow side and I don’t think the romance was as heart-warming as I wanted.
With thanks to Harper Collins, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Drummond plays on the social class theme here with Lucas and Posy having attended an elite school which is brimming with the wealthy. However, Lucas earned his place through a scholarship, opening up the constant bullying and feelings of inferiority. This never disappears and is even more prevalent at the school reunion years later.
However, Posy’s spend, spend, spend lifestyle has caught up with her. She is a rich girl but now living a poor life as her father no longer wishes to fund Posy’s circumstances – especially as they do not seem to be getting her anywhere. I felt sorry for Posy in this sense because the writer implies that Posy is rather talented at her photography but no one seems to take this seriously, just seeing it as a casual hobby. Of course, this is then heavily contrasted with Lucas’s work ethic and how he has strived to create his own business… which is on the brink of failing because, of course, it needs a massive cash injection and some wealthy clients.
Therefore, this story follows money throughout and I found it a bit uncomfortable to witness, especially as all of Posy’s friends are frivolous and selfish. They have no need to work for anything in life and I hated the exaggerated wealth divide that keeps being referenced in the plot. It didn’t feel much like escape fiction and furthermore, this class divide just felt rather old-fashioned.
The fake wedding is the only way that Posy can see a way out of her situation to ultimately get what she wants. I was frustrated by how much she uses people throughout the story and was pleased when Lucas’s mother stands up to her and tells Posy some hard truths. Yes, Posy does change in the novel for the better, but I was never convinced by her moral standards and certainly did not believe that her feelings for Lucas became genuine. If I were Lucas, I would have stayed away indefinitely because Posy’s circle of family and friends do not display the more positive of human attributes.
In my opinion, I thought this was an out-of-touch story that did not get my romance senses tingling. Disliking Posy so much from the beginning did not help and I was uncomfortable with the exaggerated wealth divide. The pace was on the slow side and I don’t think the romance was as heart-warming as I wanted.
With thanks to Harper Collins, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2023
picked this up because i wanted a romance and it was exactly what i wanted. i enjoyed how both posy and lucas themselves had separate lives and there own desires, i did find posy a bit annoying on that account. i did not like lucas being braided at any occasion necessary. however i did like the banter and how the hate went to love, not the ‘oh he definitely doesn’t like me’ bs. as the rule from the school is quite strange, i think she only came up with it to have a marriage of convenience, but i enjoyed watching there outings and felt that the headteacher was overbearing, and lucas sometimes didn’t talk as if a man. i did like tara!! overall was a good romance for romance sake and did read fast for being in a small slump, and i felt myself wanted to read it.
May 26, 2022
I was excited when I had read this synopsis for this book, but the story didn’t fall through for me. I really wanted to love this book. An I tried to get into the story, but I found myself just skimming through because some places the story just didn’t flow very good. I think there could have been more romance and it could have taken less time for the main characters together. The main characters were a little hard to connect with. I just couldn’t feel the chemistry between the two. I really had to push through to get this one finished.
Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for sending me this eARC for my honest review.
Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for sending me this eARC for my honest review.
June 10, 2022
Thanks to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the ARC of this!
This was comped to The Hating Game and I was so excited to read it, especially with a fake dating element. Unfortunately Posy is just completely unlikable and I struggled to want to see her end up happy with anyone. Typically I expect an enemies to lovers to have a misunderstanding, but Posy was just genuinely trash and changed very little too late for me. Not just to Lucas, but to her whole family, especially Ines. There were too many POVs, too, I think. Seeing the school worker’s trying to catch them in their lies for a POV was an unusual choice that didn’t work for me. Overall, this was just ok.
This was comped to The Hating Game and I was so excited to read it, especially with a fake dating element. Unfortunately Posy is just completely unlikable and I struggled to want to see her end up happy with anyone. Typically I expect an enemies to lovers to have a misunderstanding, but Posy was just genuinely trash and changed very little too late for me. Not just to Lucas, but to her whole family, especially Ines. There were too many POVs, too, I think. Seeing the school worker’s trying to catch them in their lies for a POV was an unusual choice that didn’t work for me. Overall, this was just ok.
June 9, 2022
The Reunion is the debut of Elizabeth Drummond which will be released by Harpercollins UK. This book is said to be a enemies-to-lovers romance for fans of The love hyphothesis, and since I am always in for a good enemies-to-lovers romance I was really curious about what this debut will bring. Will this author be one to keep an eye on? What will I think about this debut?
Find out in my review on my blog Boekensteeg
Find out in my review on my blog Boekensteeg
May 23, 2022
What a fun and original story. I just need more stories like this. The characters made me laugh and cry and what else do you want from a book than that? Highly recommend this to anyone and everyone.
June 11, 2022
I love a good enemies-to-lovers, fake dating trope but this one did not do it for me. The only likable character was Lucas and I felt sorry for him the whole time. I had a difficult time getting into the story and connecting with the characters. The ending saved the book, which is why I gave it 3 stars instead of 2.
Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter or a copy of the book.
Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter or a copy of the book.
June 16, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
I started reading this book on a lunch break at work and then had to spend my whole evening reading to get it finished, it's safe to say I was hooked!
I just loved Posy and Lucas even with their flaws and how they got to know the person they thought they hated at school. I despised the characters with names so fancy I couldn't pronounce them and loved Posy's friend Tara and how she loved her friend fiercely.
This was such a fun read and I can't wait to see what Elizabeth Drummond writes next!
I started reading this book on a lunch break at work and then had to spend my whole evening reading to get it finished, it's safe to say I was hooked!
I just loved Posy and Lucas even with their flaws and how they got to know the person they thought they hated at school. I despised the characters with names so fancy I couldn't pronounce them and loved Posy's friend Tara and how she loved her friend fiercely.
This was such a fun read and I can't wait to see what Elizabeth Drummond writes next!
February 17, 2026
This is a 2.5 rounded up to 3. I don't recommend it. It's a fake relationship trope. Rich girl, scholarship kid reunited. The author doesn't really sell it in my opinion. mostly writing this review so I don't check it out again.
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