Reunion

by J.L. Penn

Meet Jessica Stratford, a level-headed girl next door with an enviable life of professional and marital success ... well, except for that one little uncharacteristically impetuous detail that changes everything. When a friend talks Jessica into finally embracing the digital age, Jessica's life slowly turns upside down.

You see, Jessica finds her old high school crush on Facebook. In fact, she finds him quite attractive even after twenty years. A simple hello seems harmless enough until he suggests that they meet for lunch. Of course, lunch is ... just lunch. Then harmless lunch becomes harmless text messages, late night chats, and dinners. But are they really as innocuous as she likes to think they are?

If the person who would not give you the time of day in high school suddenly wanted to give you all the time in the world, would you be tempted? How far would you go in vindicating your high school obsession? Follow Jessica on the journey to her ultimate choice. Will she remain faithful to her steadfast husband, or will she succumb to nostalgic desire for the one that got away?

Reunion is honored to be on the exclusive High Raters page at ChickLitClub.com among bestselling authors Emily Giffin (Something Borrowed), Sarah Strohmeyer (The Cinderella Pact), Helen Fielding (Bridget Jones), Marian Keyes, and Sophie Kinsella (Shopaholic). It's been rated 8/10 by Paula Phillips, called "a page turner" by The Book Habit Show, and called Sex and the City for the suburbs among other favorable reviews. Read Reunion to find out why it's the year's hottest read in women's fiction.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2009

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I seriously hope this was a book that I paid next to nothing for my Kindle. The writing was seriously horrible. In many places, it read like a 15-year old's diary. For instance "We both indulge a bit -- Kyle with bacon and sausage and me with a croissant and a big blueberry muffin. Yum!" And previously, she states "We have a yummy dinner and Kyle even remembers to ask about my spa appointment with the girls.

When the would-be lover and the husband meet in the mall, the narrator exclaims "These are two worlds I foolishly never really envisioned colliding" and yet earlier, seemed relatively non-plussed that the would-be lover winds up staying with a group of guys in the beach house next to the one where the narrator is staying with her girlfriends.

Given the premise of the book, it wouldn't surprise me if the author is an actual teenage girl, fantasizing about what it would be like to be an adult and be reunited with her current high-school crush. Oh, to be 15 again and dreaming of yummy dinners at the Cheesecake Factory, Outback and TGI Friday's...

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

J.L. Penn’s Reunion is longer than a typical romance or “Chick Lit” read at 82,000 words, yet never feels so, due to the smooth pacing throughout most of the book. Only the first couple chapters seemed bumpy and unpredictable to me; after that, the scenes and the plot unfolded quickly and held my interest throughout. The book is written in first-person, present-tense, which I personally dislike, but must admit, gives the story an ultra-modern polish, entirely appropriate for this tale of virtual flirtation and temptation and where they may lead. While the content is not appropriate for young audiences, neither is it overtly sexually graphic, and handles the necessary sexuality gracefully.

The one bone I would pick with this author is with her consistent failure to use commas before conjunctions that join complete phrases. While I firmly believe a fiction author can and should bend grammatical rules to suit his story, his characters, and his voice, this particular omission makes it difficult to read the longer sentences and seems like more of an oversight than an intentional stylistic choice. That one minor flaw probably only caught my eye, however, because the book is otherwise so well edited.

Overall, Reunion really hit the spot for me with its delicate balance of drama and humor. It is not laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish, but I did find myself chuckling, giggling, and grinning throughout the story, while simultaneously feeling pensive, thoughtful, and at times, even a bit misty-eyed. I eagerly await the next production from J.L. Penn.

[Lizz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those books where you were PRETTY sure how it was going to end, and that really was how you thought it SHOULD end, but you just weren't sure if that would be the outcome. As I look back on the story however, I think I would have felt cheated had the author ended the story any other way. Jess is a mostly happily married woman who reconnects with her high school heartthrob via Facebook. Other story lines chronicle her friends and their relationships. The book resonated with me, I was just head over heels in love with a guy in high school. Sadly the guy never even knew I existed, and I've not searched for him on Facebook due to the whole "who the heck ARE you?" factor. After 15 years with her husband, Jess's marriage is predictable and she is enthralled with the newness and the "what if" idea of her relationship with her high school crush. I can understand how that would be intriguing. So what does Jess choose to do? Will she leave her husband? Will she have an affair? Will she say the heck with it and go document penguins in the Antarctic? I suggest you read the book to find out. Yes, I know. I'm wicked that way.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's the thing (or things) about this book - I had just read 2 serial killer books and needed some fluff. This was perfect fluff. I also plowed through it, so I can't give it 1 star because clearly a part of me (the same part that STILL watches the RW/RR challenges) enjoyed it.

All that being said, OH EM GEE. This was just...poorly written. It honestly felt like a 15 year who thought she knew what a cool 35 was like wrote this book. I should have known it would be like that since the plot centered around reconnecting on Facebook. The main character was beyond unlikeable and my god, if she said "yummy!" one more time or talked about the food she ate one more time....

But I digress...I think it was 2.99 on Kindle. It was a fine little story but could have definitely used some better writing.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever wondered what happened to past boyfriends or crushes from high school? Reunion, by J.L. Penn, takes this as its starting point when its protagonist, 30-something Jessica Stratford, begins using Facebook and makes contact with a former high school crush, David.

Reunion is an enjoyable, light read. Its plot is appropriately paced and its characters are consistent. Readers of a similar age and life-stage will likely find much to relate to and smile about. Although typical of the chick-lit genre, Reunion also raises more serious ideas concerning married love, fidelity and finding a balance between appreciation of what you have and what you could have.

This isn't a genre I am normally drawn to but I enjoyed Reunion and it was perfect rainy-day Sunday reading.

[Jeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked reading this book! It was easy to follow and easy to relate to. Facebook is exploding now with everyone wanting to find people they have not seen in years. This book shows how reconnecting with someone from the past can make you question yourself and what is really important to you. I enjoyed following Jessica through this journey she took with her friends and the challenges they were all going through in their lives. It is always interesting the path that life presents to us and more importantly how we react to it.

[Maria Hooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the premise for this novel, I was intrigued, and Reunion definitely delivers what it promises--a what-if story with a moral about being very careful what you wish for. Since I don't particularly enjoy spoilers, I won't reveal the end, but I was very satisfied with Jenn's final decision. The only thing I had a little trouble buying was that two other characters were in the middle of affairs in the novel. I think I would have accepted just one better. Aside from that, this is a novel that is well-written, funny, and definitely a reality-check when it comes to Facebook temptation.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Halfway through, I began to wonder if the author's first language WASN'T English... Then wondered if the sentences were computer-generated or edited by somebody who violently opposes contractions. Who says "I am glad that we spent time together????". The dialogue was like listening to two statues in its formality.

Sucker that I am, I read on, skimming a LOT. (Who among us hasn't wondered about a high school crush??). Interesting premise and story but they lost me somewhere in the stilted language.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It was a very fun read for me and I couldn't put it down. I felt like the characters were all people that could easily be my friends and I am sad that my time with them is now over. I would love to read a sequel and I am very excited to see what J L Penn writes next. Whatever it is, it will definately be on my to be read list!!!

[Stormy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting. What would happen if the guy you crushed on in high school suddenly wanted you too. This book brings a whole different perspective on reconnecting with old friends and flames on Facebook

[Terry Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

chic lit-quick read, Story about Facebook, marriage, and old flames. .

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me hooked immediately. I identified very well with Jess and while the end was kind of predictable, it was a fun read. I will read more from this author!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, entertaining read. Not a very surprising ending. . . but the book wasn't too surprising in general. I'd still recommend it, though. Kept me entertained!

[Loubieka2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a first time author I think she did a nice job at keeping the reader interested. It's definitely a good chick-lit book.

[Alex Roosenburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super easy read.

[Tula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, light read and quite enjoyable.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute. fun to read

[Maxwellsdaughter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool easy read shows how technology can reunite people from the past and how casual meetings can lead to life changing decisions. Liked how it ended.

[Cindy DeMoville · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book..... and glad it ended the way it did! :)

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, chick-lit. Quick read!

[Luisa Rivas · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought the book was boring, then as I got into the plot, I found it slightly offensive because it deals with cheating on spouses. But there was something about the book that made me keep on reading, and eventually I came to understand that it deals with marriages where the couple falls into a boring routine, the husbands work excessively, and the wives have too much time on their hands to look for mischief. In this case, the wife discovers Facebook and thru the social network finds her long ago high school crush. they meet for lunch and things escalate. The lesson inside the book, and a very good one it is, is that you have to work on your marriage and never take your spouse for granted. At the end, it turned into a very good book!

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to think of this book. How could a mature, 40ish woman delude herself that she wasn't being stalked and manipulated by the ex-boyfriend? Why was there even a decision to make between her husband and this creepy guy? I understand the morbid curiosity about ex-flames, and how Facebook allows people to satisfy that curiosity, and possibly clear air of unfinished business but unless one is actually unhappy in their marriage and looking for an out, the normal outcome is "Whew! Glad I dodged that bullet." Especially when the guy starts out coming on so strong like David. The red flags that he was looking for a new woman in his life couldn't be missed.

[Daneen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Without giving too much away, the story is about a woman who reconnects with a high school friend and the complications it caused. She also talks about the beauty of her and her husband. I thought this would be important to the story line so I was not immediately turned off. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The ridiculous idea that someone will not have a relationship with someone else because he/she is not attractive enough was the author's hang-up and had NOTHING to do with the characters in the story.

I thought the story was okay with the exception of this piece. Too bad too because I WILL NOT read anything else by an author who has is so narrow minded.

[VLynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was Ok. It was an easy read, read it in one day. I liked the characters, and the situation was very life like. But maybe too life like. Boring life like. A lonely housewife boring like. However, I did like J. L. Penn's writing style and I will look for others books by this author. This is my first one by this author, and while it was too hum drum normal for me. I look forward to try another.

[JoLene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read in the chick-lit category.....some complained about awful writing, but I didn't notice it (I don't have high expectations from chick-lit writing anyway, I read CL for pure escape, which this was). It was an interesting "what if" where you connect with an old crush on FaceBook. I think that it did capture how a woman who is in a settled, somewhat happy marriage could be tempted by the old crush.

[Taysha Boehmer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This read like a YA book. It was too filled with little details - almost a total recounting of EVERYTHING the main character does with her day. I don't care about grocery shopping, or what you ordered for room service, or really anything else - it's not integral to the story, and contributes nothing to the character.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I seem to be losing my taste for chick lit. Or maybe I just haven't read anything great lately in this genre. This book was okay, but nothing special. I wouldn't feel good recommending it to anyone though.

[Rainey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that the subject covered in this book was right with the times. I loved this book. The characters were real and once I started I couldnt put it down.

Well done.

[Melissa Schmidt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the authors style of writing and the storyline, but it drops off to suddenly at the end.

[Jessica Abell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story. I was happy with the ending.