Book Review: The Reunion, by Kit Frick

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

ADDISON

It’s not until I’ve changed into my pajamas and settled in bed with the remote that it occurs to me to wonder how the frog got all the way beneath the sheets, which had been so carefully spread up by room service. I’m not scared of frogs; I think they’re cute. But there was definitely a momentary freak-out, before I realized what was moving. Was someone trying to scare me?

If so, it had to be one of my cousins. No one else has a key to this room. 

Then again, anyone could have slipped a key card out of one of our beach bags and used it for a few minutes. The room’s been empty since Mia went next door and Natalia went down to the hot tub, and before that, it was probably unoccupied for most of the afternoon.

My eyes travel to my phone, still facedown on the nightstand, then to the closet door, envisioning the laundry bag at the back, the wooden cigar box tucked inside. Has someone on this trip figured out that I’m hiding something? Is someone intentionally messing with me?

Everyone at the Mayweather’s reunion/engagement party has secrets that are vital to them, but most of them are so busy protecting their own interests that they’re misjudging the rest of their family.

Official synopsis:

Eleven Mayweathers went on vacation. Ten came home.

It’s been years since the fragmented Mayweather clan was all in one place, but the engagement of Addison and Mason’s mom to the dad of their future stepbrother, Theo, brings the whole family to sunny Cancún, Mexico, for winter break. Add cousin Natalia to the mix, and it doesn’t take long for tempers to fray and tensions to rise. A week of forced family “fun” reveals that everyone has something to hide, and as secrets bubble to the surface, no one is safe from the fallout. By the end of the week, one member of the reunion party will be dead—and everyone’s a suspect:

The peacekeeper: Addison needs a better hiding place.

The outsider: Theo just wants to mend fences.

The romantic: Natalia doesn’t want to talk about the past.

The hothead: Mason needs to keep his temper under control.

It started as a week in paradise meant to bring them together. But the Mayweathers are about to learn the hard way that family bonding can be deadly.

Addison and Mason (the twins) have a secret with Natalia which permanently fractured the trio they thought could withstand anything until three years ago. Natalia’s little sister Mia just wants everyone to have a good time! Besides being a reunion trip, they’re also supposed to be welcoming Austin and Theo to the family. Austin is marrying Addison and Mason’s mother, and Theo is the same age as Addison, Mason, and Natalia.

The formatting of the story was interesting, with some chapters told as flashbacks from different characters, interspersed with news announcements and interviews from after the mysterious death that essentially ends the book (except for the epilogue).

Some of the revelations at the end were a little too succinct, and some parts gave more questions than answers. Overall the book earned 3 out of 5 stars and would definitely be recommended to those who like a tangled thriller, family drama, and somewhat unpredictable characters.

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Becki Bayley is a reader and a writer. She enjoys making plans, spending time with her family and friends, and making progress on big projects. See what they’re up to on her Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.