[ARC Review] The Reunion by Meghan Quinn
Going home to Marina Island for their parents' anniversary party, all three Chance siblings - Ford, Cooper, and Palmer - have quite an adventure ahead of them. None of them really have their act together, despite the image they all show the world, and it's going to take some love and TLC from those closest to them to completely tear them down before building them back up.
Starting with the oldest sibling, Ford is all business with a savior complex when it comes to the family's business. His fear of failure, and how that would reflect on his parents, has led him to practically cut both of his siblings out of both planning and daily operations of the family store even though they both want to help. Cue Larkin, his personal assistant who might just be the only person who can break through his serious exterior and remind Ford what (and who) he loves most in life.
Cooper and Nora's story started in Quinn's prequel novella, The One Night. Cooper and Nora didn't exactly leave off on amicable footing so watching them deal with that fall out a year later was delicious in the best way possible. Cooper, as the middle child, definitely spent some time trying to find his place, but with Nora back in his life he was in a much better place both mentally and within his family dynamic.
And finally we have Palmer, the baby of the family. Palmer has recently lost her way; her influencer status is slowly slipping away and moving back home with mom and dad is looking like the only way to keep a roof over her head. But coming back for their anniversary party turns into a series of shocks and surprises for Palmer, including childhood crush-turned-doctor Beau. As Beau fixes Palmer's injuries, she realizes he's healing her heart and soul as well.
There were so many things to love about The Reunion. Quinn infused her whole cast of characters with her usual humor; even as they all continuously messed up, the Chance siblings still gave readers something to smile about. I particularly loved that each couple had widely different tropes, so no two siblings seemed like a rehashing of the other's story. With Ford and Larkin, we have a boss/employee romance; Cooper and Nora give us a second-chance romance; and finally, Palmer and Beau come through with the childhood crush romance. All three romances were fiery and sweet in their own ways, and I honestly can't pick which couple I liked the most. An plot element I'm particularly fond of in this story is Quinn's delicate handing of the experiences and expectations of foster kids. Both Ford and Cooper spent time in the foster system, and many of their adult decisions - including their commitment to the family business - stemmed from that feeling of temporariness they felt as foster kids. All three siblings also faced a moment of parental disappointment, and who hasn't feared or faced those kind of feelings as an adult?
Six different points of view is a lot for one book, but I do think Quinn pulled them off nicely. I was never confused about who was speaking, never lost as the perspectives changed. These three couples could have easily been written as three separate novellas, but there is so much interwoven between the three siblings that too much would have been lost if their stories weren't told in one volume.
I loved the wit, humor, and baggage each Chance sibling brought to this story. This was a fun read that also brought up some heavier topics and included just enough steam. I definitely recommend this one to fans of Meghan Quinn, fans of rom-coms, and fans who enjoy seeing stubborn siblings finally get what (and who) they deserve.
A huge thank you to Montlake for providing a review copy of The Reunion.
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Release date: 2/22/22
Format: eARC
eARC provided by: Montlake via Netgalley
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