Lucas O’Rourke and Posy Edwins are Head Boy and Head Girl at Arundel College. They are in their last year of school and the headmaster wants to hear how they plan to encourage their classmates to prepare for their futures. Lucas’s parents both work at the school and he is there on a scholarship. His plan is to encourage students to learn more computer programming to give them an edge when searching for jobs. Posy’s father is very wealthy and her ideas are flighty compared to his. The headmaster has encouraged them to work together which won’t happen because they despise one another. The man says that long ago it was decreed if the Head Boy and Head Girl end up getting married, the school will pay for the wedding and the honeymoon.

Posy is now in her late 20’s and lives with her parents where she lives a life of parties and drinking. Her father is losing his patience with her and decides to cut off her allowance. Lucas and his friend own and run their own wealth management company, but are finding they need more clients to keep them going.

Then, it is time for the reunion at Arundel College and both Lucas and Posy realize they have to show up. Posy and Lucas chat and she tells him how much she enjoys photography and that there is a photography festival coming up in Hawaii to which she has been invited. She just needs airfare to get there. Wanting to help her, they remember what their headmaster said about Arundel paying for a wedding and honeymoon and they plot to have a pretend marriage with a honeymoon in Hawaii. It’s a perfect plan. What could possibly go wrong?

This is a funny romantic comedy with a lot of cute things happening. I loved all of the characters and found that the author created them very well. They are all so funny. Lucas is a wonderful man who sincerely cares for people. While Posy starts off as a bit of a twit, she finally shows a bit of maturing that makes this book totally delightful. I enjoyed it and hope others will too.

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

Oh my god this book had me gripped from the first word. Actually I tell a lie. The 1st chapter was a bit of getting into but from then I couldn't put it down. I was so engrossed in posy and lucas' story and what made it even better was it is set not far from where I live. It made it feel so much more relatable. The story is fantastic and although with the genre of the book you know they will finally admit their feelings, I was so happy when they did admit them and the way they admitted them. The epilogue made me so happy about it all. I love a book that gives me an actual close instead of leaving me wondering what happens next. I love that we get to find out what happens with their relationship. I can not recommend this book enough. Definitely more than 5 stars for me!

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 the both of them went to their school in 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 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 !!

This romance is slow-burn between the love interests. Candidly, they don't event get together until halfway through the novel. Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope but this novel didn't work for me. The characters were challenging to like, let alone believe they could fall in love.

Thank you HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, One More Chapter for the advance reader copy.

You had me at slow burn, enemies to lovers, marriage of convince.

I really enjoyed this book, I liked watching Lucas and Posy navigate the details of the wedding and how their feelings fit together as they grew as a couple.

I felt all the emotions while reading this book and I'm so glad I got all the warm and fuzzies at the end.

Being a slow burn it all happened towards the end, I would have loved to have had more of Posy and Lucas after the "main event" but
I'm so glad we got the epilogue.

I do think that "the help" towards the end was a little overused. Mainly from Seb, I felt he was more grown up as he was running the business ect I felt it made him look childish.

Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review

P.s no fat jokes in the copy I received.

I liked this debut, I did. But there were also parts that I just wasn’t a fan of.

Let’s start with what I did like, I liked Lucas and how he had always had a life plan, I liked how when he was with Posy he wasn’t stuck following a spreadsheet, and he was a little spontaneous even. I liked Posy’s character development, and I really liked her friend Tara.

Now, what I didn’t like, Posy’s family, other than her stepmother treated her like a joke, never took her career aspirations seriously, and her father said some very hurtful things to her. Dee and Honor, Posy’s friends from high school seemed like they, and this is a direct quote, peaked in high school. The way everyone still used Lucas’ high school nickname and treated him as less than. Henry. Henry was awful.

That being said, this was a slow burn that I did enjoy, it reminded me a little of Sophie Kinsella, and this was a lovely debut. I am excited to read more from Elizabeth Drummond in the future.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and to Elizabeth Drummond for an advanced digital copy via NetGalley in exchange for review.

I was so excited to dive into this book, as the prospect of fake dating + enemies-to-lovers screamed my name. Sadly, it didn’t work out for me. I couldn’t stand Posy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
The premise was cute, and the story itself was fun if a bit silly. But the characters largely lacked depth, the story lacked consistent development and pacing, and most importantly the writing needed vast editing and improvement. I found it hard to keep going at time due to the extreme overuse of exclamation marks, which made it hard to take anything seriously. While I did finish the book, it was a challenge to do so. It had a lot of potential, but needed so much work to be truly enjoyable.

📚release date: 06/1/22📚
Posy is used to a carefree life in which she always gets whatever she wants, but when her father’s finally had enough of her irresponsible and lackadaisical behavior, he cuts her off financially, throwing a wrench in her plans. When she runs into former classmate Lucas and an opportunity presents itself in her mind to help her reach her goals, she selfishly jumps on it. It’s just a fake wedding that will benefit them both. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there? Will they be able to pull the whole thing off before anyone exposes their scheme?
Thank you Netgalley, Elizabeth Drummond, and HarperCollins UK/ One More Chapter for the opportunity to read and review this book. I was a little leery when I saw the mixed reviews about this book, and while I have to say, it did take me a couple chapters to get into the book, I ended up really enjoying it. Posy rubbed me the wrong way with her selfish personality, but as I delved deeper, I was able to see past that first initial impression. Overall this was a good book and would be a good beach read. If you enjoy rom-coms then definitely give this one a shot! I’m rating this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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.

What a fantastic debut novel.

Former head girl of her prestigious college Posy is cut off from her allowance after years of not committing to anything or anyone. Her millionaire Dad is finally trying to teach her a lesson. Meanwhile her fellow alumni and head boy has just had his engagement broken off and his own company he started with his best friend has landed in a difficult spot. Posy thinks she can solve both their problems!

This book has so many relatable and lovely characters with lots of interesting sub plots running throughout. There is also a lot of well meaning relatives adamant to “help” when in fact they are doing the opposite.

I love the relationships in this book not only Lucas and Posy but also the family relationships.

A great debut novel I can’t wait for the next!

dual pov, enemies to lovers, slowburn and marriage of convenience.. the premise was good but the book was boring and it was a pain to finish. too bad because it had a lot of potential

This book was a little tough for me to get through, it started a bit slow for me and didn't grab my attention right away, but it was enjoyable once it picked up. I enjoyed the chemistry between Posy and Lucas and thought they had a good back and forth. While is started out slow for me, it definitely picked up and it was a fun, easy read. Would recommend.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of The Reunion by Elizabeth Drummond. This was a fun one! I love enemies-to-lovers trope. This one did not disappoint. Two people from totally different backgrounds come together in this book. This books comes out 6-10-22.

Fat jokes aren't funny.
Was hoping this enemies to lovers marriage of convince story would be a fun read, but instead it just made me annoyed and angry.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. The opinions are my own.

Who doesn't love a romcom! The Reunion is a great book about enemies that become friends. Posy and Lucas had me wanting more and not wanting to put the book down. It was good for a bit of light relief & escapism. Recommended read.

A well-loved trope with a unique twist.

The Reunion is Elizabeth Drummond’s debut novel and it has made me excited for more from this new author. This was such a fun book. I loved that it was a combination of two well-loved tropes (fake relationship and enemies-to-lovers) with a unique twist.

This book draws you in immediately. The characters are complex and hateable and loveable at the same time. I did struggle to relate to Posy at the beginning but as the book continued you start to understand her and love her more. Tara would definitely be my favourite character and Dee is a character I’d love to slap.

I will warn you that this book does include some explicit language and is a fade-to-black/closed-door romance. It is a little more steamy than my normal reads, but does not include detailed, explicit intimacy.

I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more from Elizabeth Drummond.

I was excited for this enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience story when I saw it on NetGalley.

Posy and Lucas couldn't be more different or from opposite backgrounds. Posy is rich, privileged and obnoxious. Lucas is from a working class family, and received a scholarship to the prestigious school that he and Posy attended. He's sensible, and driven, while she is a party girl. As head girl and boy, they clashed repeatedly.

Over a decade later, and nothing has really changed. Lucas is still measured, methodical and studious. And, at the age of 29, Posy is still living at home, sponging off her father with nothing to show for her life. But wait! She's a talented photographer, and just needs £2k to get to Hawaii for a life changing competition.
So, of course she asks Lucas to pretend to marry her (having only had a brief conversation with him at their school reunion). Yeah... She could ask any one of her rich friends for what would be a small loan to them, but no. She tells her nemesis that she's terrible with money and has been cut off by her father. Her hair-brained scheme is to take advantage of the ancient school bylaw that if the head boy and girl get married, it will be paid for by the school.

As marriage of convenience stories go, this might be the flimsiest excuse for a fake wedding that I've ever read. We're supposed to believe that Posy has literally no-one else to ask for help than the person she hated at school. Or that - even with the offer of clients if he agrees - that straight-laced Lucas would agree to something so unethical and criminal as fraud (remember, this isn't just a fake wedding. It's getting a school to pay for a fake wedding, and a fake honeymoon in Hawaii!)

Unfortunately, the characters were two dimensional and for the most part, obnoxious. Lucas is just about likable, but it's a low bar as he's ultimately taken in by Posy, who is a walking, talking rich girl caricature.

The romance is so superficial that it made me cringe. There's literally zero chemistry, and the switch from hate to love is enough to give the reader whiplash. It doesn't feel earned. There's no build up, no slow burn, no indication that Posy is even remotely attracted to Lucas for most of the book. I try to look for positives in the books I review, particularly from a debut author, but the plot throughout is so predictable it might as well be signposted (I'm looking at you, Henry, in particular). I found the pacing to be off as well. There's a lot of waffle that doesn't move the story along in any way. Not for me.

Overall Rating: ❤️
Heat Rating:
Emotional Rating: 😡🤦🏻‍♀️🤨🤷🏻‍♀️🙄

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review* I will upload the same review to Amazon UK on publication day.

Note to author (and editor): Relying on fat jokes in 2022 is lazy and unacceptable

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for sending me this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

What I liked:
-Character development: Posy and Lucas both came a long way throughout the book in terms of coming into themselves and growing both independently and together
-Side characters: I thought the close friends of both main characters were enjoyable
-Humor: There was definitely a hint of romcom here

What I didn’t like:
-The story was a bit more drawn out than it needed to be
-I would have liked to see more flirting and getting along between the two main characters before they got together. They really did NOT like each other much for a lot of the book and the banter didn’t carry it enough for me
-I wasn’t overly invested in these characters getting together as I didn’t think they had enough built up chemistry

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?

Two high school rivals. Ten years later. A vow not to fall in love.
What if your father cuts you off financially, just as you need the money to go on a trip to Hawaii that could make your carrier? This is what happens to Posy. During a high school reunion she comes across her biggest enemy, Lucas. But when it turns out she isn’t the only one having trouble, she comes up with a plan. The only thing she needs to do is fake a marriage with Lucas, and get the school to pay for their marriage and honeymoon because of an old school bylaw, so she can get the finance for her trip to Hawaii. But how do you ask your enemy to fake a marriage? What if the school finds out what her real intentions are?

What I found a bit dissapointing is that the book slogan suggests there is a vow made not to fall in love with each other. But it never really came through in the book itself. Posy and Lucas were enemies and were not really in speaking terms. In addition not much of their high school time is worked out, making that the vow didn’t really come to light. However, Elizabeth Drummond made it clear that they were enemies and they did not like each other at all during high school, which makes that this book still is has an enemies-to-lovers trope.

Elizabeth Drummond has a nice writing style, but the pace of the story isn’t really high. You will get to know both Lucas and Posy due to the multiple point of views, and in addition you will get to know what problems they have to deal with. Lucas has worked his way up since high school, but business isn’t going great at all. On the other hand you will get to know Posy, who has never done anything for her money at all, but when she suddenly must take care of herself she finds it hard to manage her own life. Therefore this book has some depth to it as well.

This book isn’t one that really blew me away, but I can see potential in this author for sure. The reunion is a good enemies-to-lovers romance that I would certainly recommend reading. All in all, I enjoyed this debut, but I just missed the little extra in the story itself. Therefore I give a 3,5 star rating.