You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
This book was a slow burn for me... I got hooked about half way through and enjoyed the following thrill ride to the end.
Summary: Emily Proudman’s life is a mess. She wants to be an actress, but struggles to get jobs. She’s klutzy. Her roommate is a slob. She fights with her adoptive parents. She suddenly gets fired from her temp job as a receptionist and gets an eviction notice from her landlord. As if all that weren’t bad enough, her agent informs her that she’s moving and Emily will no longer have any contacts for acting jobs.
While wandering in a daze trying to figure out what she’s going to do with her horrible life, she doesn’t see the bus that almost hits her. In shock, she realizes that the man who pushed her out of danger is the CEO of her former place of employment, Scott Denny.
Scott Denny is handsome, rich and very successful. When he offers her an unusual lifeline, Emily jumps at the chance. The job details are rather vague, something about assisting Scott’s wife and small daughter, but the job includes a salary, car and relocation to a villa in France. It sounds ideal. Daydreaming about Scott is also a perk for Emily.
Little does Emily know that Scott is trying to find a solution to a huge problem of his own. As she spends time with Scott’s family and works doing odd jobs at the estate, she realizes that there is something very peculiar going on. When she figures out the mystery, she tries to run for her life.
Comments: I figured out the mystery long before clueless Emily did, but I found The Safe Place to be captivating anyway. There was just the right amount of weirdness without resorting to too many cheap plot twists. The characters were overdrawn and overly anguished, but had quirks that made them interesting. Overall, this was a fun read and I found I didn’t want to put the book down.
Recommended for readers of Psychological Suspense. This would also make a great beach or travel book!
While wandering in a daze trying to figure out what she’s going to do with her horrible life, she doesn’t see the bus that almost hits her. In shock, she realizes that the man who pushed her out of danger is the CEO of her former place of employment, Scott Denny.
Scott Denny is handsome, rich and very successful. When he offers her an unusual lifeline, Emily jumps at the chance. The job details are rather vague, something about assisting Scott’s wife and small daughter, but the job includes a salary, car and relocation to a villa in France. It sounds ideal. Daydreaming about Scott is also a perk for Emily.
Little does Emily know that Scott is trying to find a solution to a huge problem of his own. As she spends time with Scott’s family and works doing odd jobs at the estate, she realizes that there is something very peculiar going on. When she figures out the mystery, she tries to run for her life.
Comments: I figured out the mystery long before clueless Emily did, but I found The Safe Place to be captivating anyway. There was just the right amount of weirdness without resorting to too many cheap plot twists. The characters were overdrawn and overly anguished, but had quirks that made them interesting. Overall, this was a fun read and I found I didn’t want to put the book down.
Recommended for readers of Psychological Suspense. This would also make a great beach or travel book!
mysterious
tense
Excellent characterization and settings. The story was surprising, but the climax depends on the protagonist being an unbelievable dolt.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was so absolutely insane! The story was constantly setting you up for one thing or another. I honestly never knew what to expect next.
Throughout the book you get 3 different perspectives. Emily, Scott, and an unnamed person from the past. It doesn't take long to guess who the unnamed person is, but their insight into the story adds another level of thrill.
There's also this level of loose captivity. Kind of like how you're in a beautiful place and don't realize that underneath it all you're locked away from the rest of the world.
Definitely a thrilling read! I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a good thriller!
Also, side note: I did not realize this was Anna Downes debut novel until I had almost finished the book. She did such an amazing job! I can't wait to read even more books by her!
Throughout the book you get 3 different perspectives. Emily, Scott, and an unnamed person from the past. It doesn't take long to guess who the unnamed person is, but their insight into the story adds another level of thrill.
There's also this level of loose captivity. Kind of like how you're in a beautiful place and don't realize that underneath it all you're locked away from the rest of the world.
Definitely a thrilling read! I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a good thriller!
Also, side note: I did not realize this was Anna Downes debut novel until I had almost finished the book. She did such an amazing job! I can't wait to read even more books by her!
I received an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.
I felt that while this book was well written and an enjoyable read, it seems under-developed. For me personally, the book moved very slowly for at least the first half, maybe longer. Some of the more interesting points of the book, didn't seem to pan out into the ending. I was left feeling unfulfilled and waiting to know more, as if there may be a sequel coming to discuss Emily's prior trauma and what happens to Aurelia.
I love reading suspense and thrillers, but I didn't feel that this was necessarily a book I "couldn't put down". I did in fact, put it and down and left it down for days at a time. I wish there would have been more description of the characters, in a way that made me truly feel like I was on the French countryside, sipping wine and enjoying the breeze.
I appreciate the opportunity to review this book!
I felt that while this book was well written and an enjoyable read, it seems under-developed. For me personally, the book moved very slowly for at least the first half, maybe longer. Some of the more interesting points of the book, didn't seem to pan out into the ending. I was left feeling unfulfilled and waiting to know more, as if there may be a sequel coming to discuss Emily's prior trauma and what happens to Aurelia.
I love reading suspense and thrillers, but I didn't feel that this was necessarily a book I "couldn't put down". I did in fact, put it and down and left it down for days at a time. I wish there would have been more description of the characters, in a way that made me truly feel like I was on the French countryside, sipping wine and enjoying the breeze.
I appreciate the opportunity to review this book!
Very entertaining, kind of a perfect "beach read." Emily Proudman is a mess, but likeable and relatable. She's in her mid to late 20s and failing at work, launching a career and at launching herself in general, when she is offered a dream job as a housekeeper on a beautiful, remote French estate. What could go wrong? Well, a lot, unfortunately.
Characters were shallow and plot was far fetched without any hook to get me to buy in.
This slow-burning thriller will have you on the edge of your seat from the first page. Emily is a mess. In fact, Emily is a hot mess. She's lost her job, she's lost her agent, she's lost her apartment and just about everything that seems to matter for her. Taking a job as a live-in worker for an extremely wealthy family at their picturesque home on the stunning coast of France, Emily thinks her life is turning around. Quickly, but while keeping the reader engaged in every page, the facade starts to slip away and Emily discovers more than she ever wanted to know about this family. What Emily knows could put her life in danger and the reader holding their breath.