The people who live in White Fir Lake are not as they seem but because the place is so idyllic we are lulled into a false sense of security as. far beneath the surface. carefully hidden secrets are buried. When an unexpected stranger arrives in their midst there is the possibly that everything they had so carefully hidden away over the years is about to be revealed.

The author has created a great sense of a community at White Fir Lake and I enjoyed getting to know those who call the place home, especially Verity and Frankie, close friends who share their secrets, and worries, over copious bottles of wine. The story moves along at a good pace and it's interesting to see the perspective from the point of view of Verity and Frankie and also getting to know Alice, a relative newcomer to the group and who, it would seem, has an agenda all of her own.

I enjoyed watching how the story unfolded and the complicated twists and turns in the plot helped to focus the energy on what was to be revealed in the final denouement on the night of the traditional New Year's Eve party which is always hosted by Verity and her artist husband Max. There's such a lot of activity going on which I can't reveal but going back into the past with these characters reveals some ghastly secrets and the story definitely kept me turning the pages to find out more.

I found The New Year's Eve Party to be an intriguing domestic thriller and a great way to spend an afternoon at this time in the festive calendar.

I was expecting a little bit more drama if I’m honest, the potential was there. Characters that aren’t likeable are sometimes part of the genre but they were unrelatable, maybe on purpose but not clear.

I read it through but I was disappointed on this occasion.

A great festive and seasonal read. Meet Verity and Frankie; two life-long friends living in an enviable neighbourhood. Verity and Max live at No 1 White Fir Lake, with Frankie her husband, Red and three children, Maisie, Bella, and Harry living nearby, just across the lake. Newcomer Alice and her unusual daughter, Luna move into White Fir Lake and of course, all the women have secrets to hide. Max is a well-known artist and he and Verity, who is also a talented artist, own an art studio. Verity has a yearning to have children, but things haven't worked out for them so far. Frankie’s husband keeps warning her to spend less and why does he find that Alice looks familiar? Verity hosts an extravagant New Year’s Eve party every year. Might someone's resolutions come true?

I found this to be a quick, enjoyable, very tense read. The ending was neat and twisty. I certainly didn't regret this thrilling tale. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from One More Chapter via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

The New Year’s Eve Party by Hannah Emery was a good read. This book was a gripping domestic thriller set in The Cotswolds and perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Adele Parks!

The title says it all.........The New Year's Eve Party!!! But what does it hold?

These chapters are told three main characters by Frankie, Verity and Alice's and they tell them from their points of view. You will find this book fast pace with lots of twists and turns! But who is telling the truth?

It had me gripped!!! till the end. I hope my New Year's eve party isn't like this one!!!!! I will be on my guard! lol

Big Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A great rainy day book, fast-paced with unlikeable, but interesting characters. Recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book held my interest to begin with and had great potential. The writing flowed nicely however I struggled to connect with the characters, some were a bit samey and I found it hard to get to know them and questioned who was who a lot of the time. I liked the idea with the storyline and the twists were clever but something was missing for me.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


A fast-paced thriller.

This is the perfect set up for a good drama during a New Years Eve Party and I really enjoyed it. The multiple POVs and multiple timelines kept it really intriguing. Zooming in on the big event. Some good character built kept me interested and I was flying through the chapters. I did not see the big twist coming and I really loved it. I didn’t however like the ending, as I felt there could have been more to it. Overal a really enjoyable story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Short Chapters
Multiple POVs
Drama at New Years Eve Party

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮…
𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘦, 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘥𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘰𝘵𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱…

𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙜!
𝘕𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳’𝘴 𝘌𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘢𝘨𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 … 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴.

I so enjoy reading “seasonal” books, and The New Year’s Eve Party did not disappoint! The perfect festive read for December. We meet Verity and Frankie; two life-long friends living in the most enviable neighborhood in their area. They soon meet newcomer Alice and her unusual daughter, Luna. Of course, all the women have secrets to hide. Verity believes she has been driven nearly mad by her desire to have children, and her husband’s fame and unsettling “fan mail” isn’t helping. Frankie’s husband keeps warning her to spend less, and she wonders why. You have to spend a certain amount to fit in, after all. And where exactly did Alice come from? Why does Frankie’s husband think she looks familiar? Of course, all is revealed at Verity’s famous, extravagant New Year’s Eve party. Will some resolutions come true? Will the past intersect with the present and the future in one night of opulence?

I found this to be a quick, enjoyable read. Parts were a bit fantastical, but a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required for many thrillers. The ending was tidy and satisfactory. This would be the perfect read for the exhausting, time-hazed week between Christmas and New Year’s. You won’t regret this fun, thrilling tale!

A good quick and twisty thriller which has a catchy title and a stand out cover that made me look at this initially.

The fast paced book starts at the end of the story and although we don’t know the exact details we find out that a tragedy has occurred, that someone is dead and another is fighting for their life following the New Years Eve party.

The plot follows 3 women and the story is told mainly from their points of view. Frankie and Verity who have long been friends and newcomer Alice. We see how they met, how their family dynamics work and ultimately how the price is paid by them.

There is little to like about the characters, although I enjoyed reading about them, however I found the party and the twist at the end unexpected and well written; just drawn out enough to keep good tension. I finished it quickly, enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to others who like a psychological domestic thrillers.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Frankie and Verity have been friends for many years. Now, they live across the lake from one another in an upscale neighborhood.

Frankie is married to Red and they are parents to Maisie, Bella, and Harry. Frankie is a busy mother and homemaker. While Red makes good money, Frankie needs to realize that they need to economize more.

Verity is married to Max who is a few years old than she is. He is a well-known artist and she is a talented artist herself. They are very wealthy and also own an art studio. Sadly, Verity has never been able to carry a pregnancy all the way through and this breaks her heart. But she enjoys being with Frankie and enjoying her children. Verity drinks more than she should and Frankie tends to join her.

Verity wants some trees cut down around the lake so people can better enjoy the view. On her own, she has this done and it remains to be seen if the neighbors will object.

A new person, Alice, enters their friendship. She has a teenage daughter, Luna, who loves art so Verity offers the girl a job working at the studio.

Verity and Max have a New Year’s Eve party every year for all of the neighborhood. What starts out as a fun evening quickly spirals into disaster.

This book is tense and so many people are hiding secrets. I did enjoy the story and especially the great friendship between Frankie and Verity. I did not like Alice, period. No redeeming qualities to her. All in all, it is a good book and I think readers will love it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is an interesting story revolving around three women - Frankie and Verity who have been friends for years, and newcomer Alice. The story is told from their three perspectives and makes for a book well worth reading.
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC

Set in an idyllic and upmarket Cotswold village with a bit of the “keeping up with the Jones’” running through it with all the envy and jealousy you would expect.

This book has 3 principal characters, Frankie and Verity, 2 close friends from their school days and a newcomer to the group, single mother Alice who moves in just before Christmas with her daughter Luna. There are tangible differences in the lifestyles of the friends and there are a number of twists and turns culminating in a final event at a new year’s eve party that although you know early on that something happened at the party I was surprised by the event and I really like to be surprised.

Verity is married to a wealthy and older artist called Max and Frankie is married to “Red” not so wealthy but aspirational. All 4 met when they were on a summer holiday when they were teenagers and despite differences in lifestyles remain close if unlikely friends.
The author succeeds in telling this story from the 3 women’s point of view both in the present and in their respective pasts a type of book I tend to enjoy.

This is not an author I have heard of and believe she may be new and if that is the case then this is a good start to her writing career as I would certainly look for other books by this author and recommend this book

Thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an arc copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and Hannah Emery for the ARC of The New Year's Eve Party

Frankie, mom of 3, married to Red, best friends with Verity who is married to Max. They have been friends since their teens, live in White Fir Lake, live quite luxurious lifestyles.  Frankie and Verity are planning the holiday season, Christmas around the corner and then the famous New year's eve party at Verity's house. The woman enjoy their champagne, they are sitting in Frankie's kitchen enjoying some of Frankie's baking creations when there is a knock at the door. Alice has hit the fence outside Frankie's house...
This novel is written from 3 perspectives, the author has done a fabulous job with introducing and describing the characters, that there is no confusion when reading. I love how the story unfolds, new twists and turns and shocking discoveries. I would love to read more novels by this author. Very well written, full of suspense, I would recommend

I read a lot of Christmas themed books, but decided to give a New Year's themed book a try. It's definitely thrilling leading us to the New Year's party. Enjoyable read, particularly great for this time of year, but can be read at any time. Thrilling page turner.
Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The New Year's Eve Party is a sharp and pacey thriller. Very engrossing, the characters are really engaging and well-drawn. The plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, I did not see the ending coming. this is the first I've read from the author and I will read more, I really enjoyed her writing.

This was another of those stories about people who have seemingly perfect lives (insert eye roll) but things happen and there is someone else who seems to think they deserve some of this good fortune and plans to get some of the good life for themselves. The story is told from various POVs and there are flashbacks to the past to explain some of the present. It all comes to a head, unsurprisingly, at a New Year’s Eve party.

Verity and Max host a bang up NYE party every year. They are the power couple of White Fir Lake, a rather exclusive enclave. Max is an established artist of some renown and Verity runs a gallery and drinks too much. She is desperate for a child but this has so far eluded her. She comes across as a bit manic actually. Her best friend, Frankie, and husband Red, have recently moved into the hallowed area. Frankie is a stay at home mum with three children whom Verity adores. Red is a construction developer. Money is a little tight for them.

The applecart is upset with the arrival of Alice who literally crashes into their lives when she hits a garden wall at Frankie’s place on a tight corner. The friends are quick to adopt Alice and her 17 year old daughter Luna into their group, and of course they are invited to the party. In the days leading up to the party there are mysterious notes notes pushed under Verity’s door and things of a personal nature go missing.

None of this is particularly exciting or interesting. The drama, that could have lifted this story, was dialled way down. The plot was a bit stale and very predictable. The characters, apart from the children who were quite sweet, were all fairly unlikeable and I couldn’t really relate to any of them. I don’t like ostentatious displays of wealth and I’m not into envying what other people have so it was all a bit ho hum for me. There wasn’t even any humour to lighten the dreary story. Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Billed as a ‘domestic suspense’ and with a title and cover screaming ‘Read Me’ I was set for a great read, what I got was an intriguing one…
The plot is nothing that new and the interloper to the others perfect lives quickly spotted by even the most casual of reader, the arrival of who is almost cringey it is so guessable, and at times nothing much seems to happen but what sold it for me was the writing, the descriptive writing and feeling given to the most mundane of things and the emotions displayed and frustrations explained were really stunning to read, and that made, for me, all the difference in the book
I notice when looking at other reviews there are 1 star right through to 5 star and am beginning to realise that this can now actually predict an interesting book and that certainly sums up this read for me, a kinda updated Dallasey/Falcon Crest/Riders set in the affluent Cotswolds with a set of pious yet somehow vaguely likeable characters whose past and present hits them full on via a chain of events, will be good to see reader friends reviews and thoughts on this one

7/10
3.5 Stars ( rounded to a 4 on Amazon etc )

I must admit that I struggled with this book. I don't normally read thrillers, but the synopsis interested me so I took the opportunity of reading an advance copy. The story is told through multiple viewpoints and flashbacks, which is slightly confusing, but it works as the story develops gradually revealing the back story. The characters don't necessarily come across as likeable, with the exception of Frankie, but as you read on some of the reasons for their actions become clear.
Overall not a warm, cosy story, so maybe not for those who prefer these, but it doesn't set out to be one. It is instead a series of events that gradually come together to reveal the overall story leaving you in suspense whilst this happens.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

A not entirely original plot but good characters. These three women in an upscale Cotswold neighborhood all have secrets but someone (who?) is dead. How? Why? No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a fast paced and entertaining read.