Where do I begin with this book?!

At the beginning I had very mixed feelings about this story. I wasn't sure what kind of mystery I was getting myself into. I was afraid it would be TOO cut and dry, black and white, that I would be bored and lose interest.

Boy was I wrong.

20 years ago Tansy and Selene found them in a situation. One that forced them to keep their mouths shut and look the other way for the sake of staying off the radar of law enforcement. Selene was always so impulsive and 10 years older that Tansy. Tansy was impressionable and easily swayed by Selene's all encompassing demeanor. Many saw their friendship for what it was, a lamb being led to the slaughter. It took one night, one dangerous night for Tansy to realize that Selene was not who she thought she was... Tansy got a do-over, she moved on.

Fast forward 20 years... Tansy is a counselor at the local university. Minding her own business she is cornered by Selene asking for the impossible. Lie to Selene's daughter, a former student at the university, and get her to break up with her boyfriend.

Will she? Can she? At what cost to Tansy's Selene free life?

Just when I thought I had this story pegged I was pleasantly surprised I was wrong. This story took me on a whole other track of ups and downs and twists. Not only is there a mystery to be solved in the present day you are also slowly solving a mystery from 20 years ago.

Now don't be fooled... This story isn't all mystery. of course it has a love story!! This slow burn love story fits right in to the mystery and hunt for the truth without taking away from the problem at hand. Purposeful and genuine would be the two words to describe the romance of this story.

If you like puzzles this is a read for you. Will Tansy and Selene be able to keep the past buried and safe an innocent? Or will the cost be too high of a price to pay?

Read on.

the.bookish.teach.

A long time ago, just before Tansy went to college, she and Selene were the best of friends. But Tansy cut Selene out of her life for the best of reasons - she's dangerous! But now Selene is back and she says Tansy owes her. The repayment - get Selene's daughter Jupiter away from her abusive boyfriend. Although Tansy refuses, she is slowly drawn back into Selene's orbit. And then she meets Luke, Selene's brother and things get really complicated. While the plot line wasn't terribly realistic (or I hope it's not!), the book kept me thoroughly engaged. Good writing and interesting characters. I would definitely read another of Gehrman's books.

Thank you to Joey. Gehrman,Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is an intriguing book ,it had me interested but was slow getting into the story,but then I couldn't put it down.
The characters are complicated and not always likable,but I enjoyed learning their backgrounds .
Many secrets and twists,,but I do feel the ending was rushed and didn't really conclude the whole story .

💖𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑾💖 (𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑼𝑴𝑴𝑬𝑹 𝑾𝑬 𝑩𝑼𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑫) ( 𝑷𝒖𝒃 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆 08 𝑴𝒂𝒓 2022)

"𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞, 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐞"

𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5

🇷 🇪 🇻 🇮 🇪 🇼:

This one is a slow burn psychological thriller that is full with suspense and thrilling situations. 😖

This book is basically about Tansy who works as College guidance Counsellor which one day, her ex best friend whom she lost contact with from 20 years ago, Selene reach out to her to help her daughter away from his abusive boyfriend. As Tansy and Selene had a dark past together, Tansy try to resist to help her however Selene threatened her on a secret that only both of them knows which can brought down both of them.🧐

I would say, this book is quite unique becouse first the plot-pacing. Usually thriller book have a fast pacing plot but not this one. Even if it is quite slow, it is still good and I'll be honest here I read this in 2 days. I love the unique pacing of the book. 💕

The first half of the book mostly introduced us to each characters in depth and what happened between Tansy and Selene in the past and the introductions between Tansy and Zack (selene's brother) and also Jupiter (selene's daughter). This is the moment that I actually quite attach with the characters. I love how it being narrated and it shows each characters personality. The second half, the pace is already picking up and we can see the conflict that happened there and also some twist that I am not expecting there.😲

This is a very engaging read with a complex characters. This is the story of friendship, family, protecting someone you love + suspense and thrilling moments. It is a good book and I truly enjoy this and I love how the author brings up some complex issue in this book which is unexpectedly enlightening. As someone who love thriller book, this is a very entertaining read. 🤩

Thanks to the author, crookedlanebooks and netgalley for a free e- copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.🥰

🇹 🇼 : ATTEMPTED RAPE, ABUSE, BPD DISORDER, SUICIDE

I was interested in this book but it fell flat for me, it took me a while to get into and it was anticlimactic, nothing ever really happened and I wasn't invested in the characters.

This one just didn't work for me.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for an ebook copy.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley on Kindle for review. This is a book with intrigue and mystery, red herrings, plot challenges, and characters who are sometimes just not all that likeable. The author moves the story along at a quick pace, but at times, it is difficult to determine what will happen next…

The Summer We Buried by Jody Gehrman, published by Crooked Lane Books, is a stand-alone, psychological thriller.
Tansy and Selene were drawn to each other 20 years ago. Tansy is settled in her everyday life when Selene shows up out of the blue and wants her help.
This story is a complex and complicated one and it took me more than one minute to get into the storyline. I was just about to give up on the book when I got into the story of secrets, lies, threats and it was a good one. All in all an ok read.

I rated this book a 2.5/5 stars purely because the plot is very anticlimactic. Tansy is reconnected with her old friend, Seline, where the drama seemingly unfolds. It seems that all drama is connected to Seline and that even after all these years apart, this still holds true. As a reader, we find out the very toxic elements of the friendship and even learn that she has a daughter. Seline asks Tansy to seek out her daughter, Jupiter, for counseling. The plot continues from there.

I felt that this book a ton of potential but I truly was not captivated by it. I wouldn't really classify this as a thriller.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this psychological suspense. It was a great exploration of toxic female friendship between Tansy and Selene, which is the only type of friendship it can be when Selene has border personality disorder (probably more towards the psychpathic end of things) weaved in with coercive/domestic violence with Selene’s daughter, Jupiter and her boyfriend. A very tangled web in the end but so satisfying.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Very captivating with amazing character development.
Best friends share a deadly secret. Yet when their friendship is strained will the secret stay hidden? Especially when it brings other loved ones lives into danger? I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This one just didn't really grab me and hold on the way I was hoping it would. The inner life of Tansy took up more of the book than I'd like and the character development wasn't very strong. If the beginning was woven tighter and things didn't feel like they were dragging forth, I'd have been a lot more invested.

I usually don’t read a lot of thrillers but when I read the blur I knew I had to read this. This book had me so invested I read it anywhere I went, it invaded my every thought. I am a crime whore I love watching true crime documentaries and love crime shows, so this book was just perfect for me. I love tansy’s character she wasn’t a good person nor a bad like she wasn’t overly perfect and she did many mistakes but it made it so much better and her relationship with zack was so cute they are truly made for each other. I was legit on the edge of my seat so many times even if I predicted some of the plot twists it was still amazing.

This story is about a girl named Tansy who lives terror about something that happened 20 years ago. She has run away and refused to think about what happened that night. But she has no choice but to deal with the guilt and the pain when Serena her formal best friend comes back in her life demanding to pay back the favor of what she did to her that night 20 years ago.

Trust me you will not regret this book every character was so complex and so interesting to read about. It was a bit slow for my taste at the beginning and I almost DNF it but I am glad I didn’t. I am 100% buying this book when it comes out and shoving it down everyone’s throats.

I have such a strong appreciation for the writing style in The Summer We Buried. This started out as a slow burn but in the most positive way. Also, the pace does pick up about half way through. The anticipation leading up to the major twist had me on the edge of my seat the entire book.

The character development was on point, the plot was intriguing and unique. I instantly had my attention grabbed and was unable to put this book down. Jody Gehrman, created a fan out of me!

The main character, Tansy, is a college guidance counselor. When her best friend reaches out for help with her daughter and her daughters abusive boyfriend, Tansy has her reservations. When Tansy meets Jupiter she feels an immediate connection and she is instantly drawn into the chaos.

The flashbacks between past and present definitely help narrate and set the scene. I enjoyed this book from start to finish and I would highly recommend this to other thrill lovers!

Thank you Netgalley, for allowing me the opportunity to read and review The Summer We Buried, prior to its release date on March 8, 2022!!!!

My thanks to Jody Gehrman, Crooked Lane books and Netgalley.
I finally quit this book at 50%
The characters were asinine. What? They act like they're still in high school or college. Grow up!

About 20 years ago Tansy & Selene were best friends. They worked together, had fun and shared everything… until that one dreadful evening.
Tansy can’t cope with what happened and severs all ties. But the Selene shows up at Tansy’s work demanding a favor. She want her to find out what’s going on with her daughter, Jupiter & her boyfriend. Tansy doesn’t want to, but she owes Selene for what happened back in the day…
A thrilling story about family, lies and protecting the people you love.
Enjoyed reading this ARC and definitely recommend! Do suggest to check TW.

Reviews posted: Goodreads, TikTok and Instagram

An engaging read with dark, lovable, and complex characters. Gehrman weaves a story that begs the questions, “how far would you go to protect the ones you love?”. This is a slow burn that is driven more by the relationships between characters, rather than the crisis they are all trying to solve. Well written and a great book to curl up with on a rainy day. I would classify it as more popular fiction/ suspense, rather than a psychological thriller. There are no major shocking reveals or twists, but the narrative is strong enough to stand on its own without such gimmicks.

Tansy is leading a quiet life as an academic counsellor at a local university (college for American readers) when her former best friend (Selene) shows up demanding a favour. Will Tansy get sucked into the maddening orbit of the toxic friend she escaped 20 years ago? Will she help protect Selene’s 20 year old daughter, Jupiter? Exactly what happened all those years ago that bound the two women together? Readers will spend the first half of the book untangling the answers to these questions, and the latter half navigating a new crisis that inevitably has Tansy smack dab in the middle of Selene’s chaos.

Above all else, this is a story about female friendship and the inexplicable shared connection that women have to one another. Gehrman explores complex issues, complex scenarios, and complex relationships while mixing in a dose of drama and suspense. I look forward to reading more of her books!

Trigger warning: Domestic violence and sexual assault.

Thanks to the author, Crooked Lane Books, and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

The Summer We Buried, is an elegantly written novel. Tansy a musician turned college counselor is forced to face her past when an old friend shows up at her office. Wild, alluring and potentially dangerous Selene reappears after nearly two decades asking a favor. Selene's pull is as strong as ever, luring Tansy into her orbit and involving her in her conflicted family. A past crime is remembered as a new one occurs. Jody Gehrman captures the nature of female friendships with both their beauty and heartbreak. Gerhman is a rare talent with beautiful prose and fully developed characters.

"The Summer We Buried" focuses on Tansy, a college guidance counselor who gets tangled up with her former best friend, Selene, after 20 years. Selene is back and wants Tansy to intervene in her daughters relationship with her abusive boyfriend. The pair share a secret that shattered their friendship and they've never been the same since. It all comes to a boiling point 20 years later.

I've never read books by Jody German so I was going in blind because I had no idea what to expect. It's safe to say I was pleasantly surprised by the plot, writing, and characters. It did take me time to fully enjoy the story as it was a bit of a slow burn but once the author introduced flashbacks and better development, I was hooked. All the characters were intriguing especially the friendship between Selene and Tansy. This book did an excellent job of portraying abusive relationships in all forms.

I would definitely recommend this to other readers!

This book was a slow burn (maybe too slow) in the beginning but picked up pace during the 2nd half. It centers on Tansy, who is a college guidance counselor with a small circle of friends when her best friend from 20 years ago reaches out to her to help get her daughter away from an abusive boyfriend. Selene and Tansy share a secret that ripped apart their friendship all those years ago, and Selene isn't afraid to throw that back in Tansy's face to get what she needs from her. Tansy doesn't want to get involved, but when she meets Selene's daughter, Jupiter, they form an immediate bond and she finds herself drawn into the web Selene created.

It was a little tough to get a read on these characters in the beginning, but through the flashbacks and Tansy's evolving relationships with Selene's family, the picture is formed, and by the end of the book I could fully empathize with Tansy and her difficult relationship with Selene. I thought I saw the ending coming, but the author threw me for a loop when it all came together, and I thought the culmination of the story was haunting.

There was a sex scene I could do without-- but the romance piece of the book was a small part overall (although any is too much for me :)).

All in all, this was a good book and I enjoyed it once I got passed the first 3rd or so. It's a unique read and I'm glad I kept going after the slow start. I'd give it 3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A tangled web of suspense & surprise with a blend of psychological, twisted, mind-bending schemes.
The Summer We Buried will be a constant reminder and looking behind for the main character, Tansy. When Tansy's coverup with a frenemy twenty years ago comes to surface, you realize a serious crime was committed as the title suggests. Her partner in crime was Selene. Leaving her sins behind, she packed up and moved away from her.

When life begins to feel normal, Tansy's career as guidance counselor at the local university takes a turn, and the needle is threaded when Selena finds her. The web is spun with Selena and her vindictive ways resurfacing. When they were younger, Tansy was fascinated by her evil ways and fell into her web, but after the summer of the "sin" was buried, she wanted no part of her.

Selena's request comes with a coercive threat, help her daughter, Jupiter, a student at the university, get away from her abusive and controlling boyfriend or she will go to the police and report a murder that she was involved in and bring herself down in the process. She has filed an Order of protection against her mom to keep her out of her life.

As Jupiter begins to open up about her abusive relationship, she goes in and out of the honeymoon phase diverting her sense of fear and pervading all elements of her life. Selena's brother, Zach, tries to help Tansy with the situation leading to a complicated relationship, but a supportive one.

This book has a lot of intriguing twists and lies that go unpunished, but well worth the read. There is a lot of coercive, tormenting relationships that society tries to normalize and a true picture of how some may not see the invisible chains.

My only drawback was the slow burn at the beginning and just when I thought it was going nowhere...the web begins and ends with some intricate ways to keep you going.

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.