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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
The Safe Place is a psychological thriller, leaving a breadcrumb trail of clues along the way. In a book like this, striking the right balance of clues without drawing the story out is essential to keep me interested, and The Safe Place pulls it off. While the start is a bit slow, it ramps up once Emily arrives at Querencia and you can just tell something is... off.
I also enjoy when a thriller doesn’t wait until the last two pages for things to start coming together, and instead we get to also be included in that part of the story in this book. I received an arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I also enjoy when a thriller doesn’t wait until the last two pages for things to start coming together, and instead we get to also be included in that part of the story in this book. I received an arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Perfectly average book. I was intrigued and curious through much of the middle, but the reveal was fairly predictable and the conclusion basic. Was just whelmed.
Emily is down on her luck. After being fired (yet again), she also receives notice that she’s being evicted and her acting agent is moving and she’s being dropped. To make things go from awful to worse, when she calls for a bail out from her adoptive mom, she interrupts her birthday dinner without realizing the date and her parents are ready to write her off as well. So when her old boss, Scott Denny, is in the right place at the right time and rescues her from an oncoming bus, Emily is ready to let him be her white knight. Indeed, Scott decides Emily’s bad luck is exactly what he and his family needs as they’re looking for someone without any ties or commitments to uproot their lives and move to France to help with a renovation and anything else his wife might need.
When Emily arrives at Querencia, everything is almost too good to be true. Though the property is certainly in disrepair, Emily learns that her sweat and labor are worth the payoff. Scott, living in London, leaves Emily and his wife to it and Emily and Nina begin to develop a bond. Of particular curiosity is Aurelia, the Denny’s daughter. As a baby, she fell ill and has never fully recovered, now suffering from a variety of ailments including allergies to the sun and muteness. Nina’s helicopter tendencies feel excessive, on top of the extreme security and isolation of the grounds, but Emily quickly accepts what a doting and adoring parent Nina is. As the relationship between the Denny’s and Emily grows, Emily distances herself more and more from the life she left behind. After years of feeling lost and alone, has she finally found her footing and her chosen family?
Much of the novel is a family drama and I wondered where and when the eery atmosphere would come into play. Not exactly an edge of the seat thriller and not unpredictable by any means, but the book was still a total page turner that had me completely absorbed. I loved the depth of the characters, the building of suspense, and the writing overall was superb. I absolutely recommend this one for anyone ready for an engrossing and entertaining read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
When Emily arrives at Querencia, everything is almost too good to be true. Though the property is certainly in disrepair, Emily learns that her sweat and labor are worth the payoff. Scott, living in London, leaves Emily and his wife to it and Emily and Nina begin to develop a bond. Of particular curiosity is Aurelia, the Denny’s daughter. As a baby, she fell ill and has never fully recovered, now suffering from a variety of ailments including allergies to the sun and muteness. Nina’s helicopter tendencies feel excessive, on top of the extreme security and isolation of the grounds, but Emily quickly accepts what a doting and adoring parent Nina is. As the relationship between the Denny’s and Emily grows, Emily distances herself more and more from the life she left behind. After years of feeling lost and alone, has she finally found her footing and her chosen family?
Much of the novel is a family drama and I wondered where and when the eery atmosphere would come into play. Not exactly an edge of the seat thriller and not unpredictable by any means, but the book was still a total page turner that had me completely absorbed. I loved the depth of the characters, the building of suspense, and the writing overall was superb. I absolutely recommend this one for anyone ready for an engrossing and entertaining read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
NetGalley ARC | If you are looking for a psychological thriller, don’t miss The Safe Place by Anna Downes. I don't love giving star-ratings, but I'd say this one is 3.5 stars,
I loved the suspense and international setting. The storyline is well-written and quickly paced. Find seduction and a light read about a family living in deceit.
You can see my complete review on The Uncorked Librarian: https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/july-2020-book-releases/
Thank you to the author and publisher for a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I loved the suspense and international setting. The storyline is well-written and quickly paced. Find seduction and a light read about a family living in deceit.
You can see my complete review on The Uncorked Librarian: https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/july-2020-book-releases/
Thank you to the author and publisher for a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This one was actually a really good read. I am unsure of why people said it was predictable. The author kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat. I literally kept thinking, “What the hell is going on with this family?” Because I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Everything I guessed was wrong.
This book was so crazy and outlandish, I don't even know where to start. I felt like it was all over the place. The story was disjointed and predictable. The chapters had alternating points of view with the main character Emily and her boss Scott. Then every once in a while there was a different part from the point of view of Scott's wife Nina, but they weren't separate chapters, just italicized additions to someone else's chapter. I felt as though it would have flowed more if they had just been their own chapters as well. The ending went pretty much where I was expecting, but I still was left wanting more. I could tell this was a debut novel and I'm certain the author will have great success in future books. This one, however, fell short for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Affirm Press, and Anna Downes for my digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, Affirm Press, and Anna Downes for my digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Great story line but took too long to get the good stuff. I skipped pages 200-300 and was not confused at all from where I picked up. It is a slow moving book that was hard to read.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
[Disclaimer: e-ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
3.5 stars
This was a really interesting thriller with good atmosphere.
It was a quick, easy, if somewhat predictable read.
I'm not sure if the snippets regarding Emily's abusive past and her strange 'rememberings' were necessary as it was never really addressed or wrapped up within the story.
I really liked that in the end Emily ended up reporting the kidnapping.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Self harm and child abuse
Check out my BookTube Channel for more bookish content.
3.5 stars
This was a really interesting thriller with good atmosphere.
It was a quick, easy, if somewhat predictable read.
Spoiler
I'm not sure if the snippets regarding Emily's abusive past and her strange 'rememberings' were necessary as it was never really addressed or wrapped up within the story.
I really liked that in the end Emily ended up reporting the kidnapping.
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Self harm and child abuse
Check out my BookTube Channel for more bookish content.