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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Thanks so much to netgalley and Hachette Australia for an ebook arc of The Safe Place. I binged this book in just a couple of days. It was completely addictive and I couldn’t help but keep turning the pages to find out what the mystery was and ended up staying up till midnight last night to finish it. I’m honestly not usually a big thriller person but I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for more books by Downes in the future!
When Emily is offered a job as a housekeeper as a picturesque mansion on the coast of France, things seem too good to be true but she quickly agrees and boards the private plane to her new home. Settling in with her new employers wife, Nina Denny and daughter Aurelia, she slips into her new life in paradise perfectly. However, as the months go by Emily can’t help but notice strange things about the wealthy family. Why is she still not allowed in their home? What is this mystery illness Aurelia suffers from? Why is Nina’s husband never around? Emily slowly begins suspects that the Denny’s are hiding a a dark secret and uncovering it could be deadly...
TW: Self harm.
When Emily is offered a job as a housekeeper as a picturesque mansion on the coast of France, things seem too good to be true but she quickly agrees and boards the private plane to her new home. Settling in with her new employers wife, Nina Denny and daughter Aurelia, she slips into her new life in paradise perfectly. However, as the months go by Emily can’t help but notice strange things about the wealthy family. Why is she still not allowed in their home? What is this mystery illness Aurelia suffers from? Why is Nina’s husband never around? Emily slowly begins suspects that the Denny’s are hiding a a dark secret and uncovering it could be deadly...
TW: Self harm.
Safe Place was a slow burn for me, but look at this gorgeous cover.
Emily’s life is a mess. She wants to be an actress but can’t seem to remember her lines, so she works as an assistant for a finance company. She gets fired by her manager but the boss of the company hires her to become his housekeeper/nanny at his second home in France.
Emily has an attraction to her boss Scott. When in France, she becomes very close with his wife and their daughter, only to find they all, including Emily suffer different mental health issues and some strange things are happening at the dream home in France.
As we slowly unravel the truth, the story picks up and becomes more interesting, but then it ends with a few unknowns that you’re left to decipher for yourself.
3.5⭐️ Thank you @minotaurbooks for a copy for my honest review.
#bookstagram #books #thriller #bookcommunity #bookishgirlgang
Emily’s life is a mess. She wants to be an actress but can’t seem to remember her lines, so she works as an assistant for a finance company. She gets fired by her manager but the boss of the company hires her to become his housekeeper/nanny at his second home in France.
Emily has an attraction to her boss Scott. When in France, she becomes very close with his wife and their daughter, only to find they all, including Emily suffer different mental health issues and some strange things are happening at the dream home in France.
As we slowly unravel the truth, the story picks up and becomes more interesting, but then it ends with a few unknowns that you’re left to decipher for yourself.
3.5⭐️ Thank you @minotaurbooks for a copy for my honest review.
#bookstagram #books #thriller #bookcommunity #bookishgirlgang
“From somewhere behind her came the tinkle of cutlery and the rattle of plates. An overlap of voices spilled out of an open window, followed by a burst of laughter. The happy sound of safe, cozy homes.”
This story’s premise really hooked me. Emily’s job in acting is going in the toilet, and she feels her life is a mess - that is, until a wealthy, philanthropic CEO asks her to be the housekeeper at his secluded estate on the coast of France. But when she gets there she notices strange things. For one, there are cameras everywhere, and she’s not allowed to get inside the main home, only the guest house. Scott’s wife Nina and their daughter Aurelia, are also strange. Nina seems to overly care for her daughter, who often has fits. Soon Emily realized something is amiss when she sneaks into the main house discovers a hidden room that is packed full of old kid and baby clothes. Basically, Emily discovers that Aurelia is not who her parents says she is, and that after losing her own baby, Nina kidnaps a child and keeps her hidden away at the house so no one will find her. Emily, who was adopted herself, is confronted with the choice to go to authorities or not. In the end she does, which I felt tied nicely into the story. I recently watched a documentary about the case of Madeleine McCann, who went missing from her room while her family was on vacation in Portugal. That really reminded me of this story. I enjoyed the plot, but there were times in the middle of the story where it dragged a bit, and I wished there was more suspense and less pining or Emily over there CEO. But overall, I really like exploring stories where characters are confined to a setting and something eerie is going on, and this book was good for that.
This story’s premise really hooked me. Emily’s job in acting is going in the toilet, and she feels her life is a mess - that is, until a wealthy, philanthropic CEO asks her to be the housekeeper at his secluded estate on the coast of France. But when she gets there she notices strange things. For one, there are cameras everywhere, and she’s not allowed to get inside the main home, only the guest house. Scott’s wife Nina and their daughter Aurelia, are also strange. Nina seems to overly care for her daughter, who often has fits. Soon Emily realized something is amiss when she sneaks into the main house discovers a hidden room that is packed full of old kid and baby clothes. Basically, Emily discovers that Aurelia is not who her parents says she is, and that after losing her own baby, Nina kidnaps a child and keeps her hidden away at the house so no one will find her. Emily, who was adopted herself, is confronted with the choice to go to authorities or not. In the end she does, which I felt tied nicely into the story. I recently watched a documentary about the case of Madeleine McCann, who went missing from her room while her family was on vacation in Portugal. That really reminded me of this story. I enjoyed the plot, but there were times in the middle of the story where it dragged a bit, and I wished there was more suspense and less pining or Emily over there CEO. But overall, I really like exploring stories where characters are confined to a setting and something eerie is going on, and this book was good for that.
The Safe Place tells the events that happen when Emily Proudman accepts a job from her former boss, Scott Denny. The job sounds perfect: stay at Scott’s French estate and act as a housekeeper in the guest home. And, she not alone either- Scott’s wife, Nina, and their daughter, Aurelia, both live there as well. But she is soon to discover that there are some secrets lurking between the surface…and this perfect little family isn’t seeming so perfect anymore.
The synopsis for this book instantly drew me in, and I really enjoyed reading it! I wasn’t quite sure where the story was leading, so when twists were revealed, they definitely weren’t what I was expecting. While the story wasn’t always fast paced, it still kept me hooked with its ominous vibes and secrets waiting to be discovered. I definitely recommend, and look forward to future novels by Anna Downes.
The synopsis for this book instantly drew me in, and I really enjoyed reading it! I wasn’t quite sure where the story was leading, so when twists were revealed, they definitely weren’t what I was expecting. While the story wasn’t always fast paced, it still kept me hooked with its ominous vibes and secrets waiting to be discovered. I definitely recommend, and look forward to future novels by Anna Downes.
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Kidnapping
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Car accident
Minor: Vomit
This was a great summer thriller that kept me guessing for a long time! The settling makes this a perfect read for someone who wants a poolside thriller that isn’t too dark but has plenty of mystery. Thank you netgalley for the chance to preview this book.
This was really predictable and not suspenseful. The end was a pleasant surprise, but not shocking. This wasn't a waste of my time, but I'm not sure that it was worth my time either. Not a lot of payoff.
I'm not even sure why I picked this one up. I think it may have been that gorgeous cover.
I'm not even sure why I picked this one up. I think it may have been that gorgeous cover.
Thank you for my ARC from netgalley. This book kept my interest from page one, which doesn't happen too often lately. I kept changing my mind as to how the plot line would evolve. I did appreciate the twists in the story. Overall this was a good book to get lost in.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Emily is plucked from her deadens life by Scott. He offers her an amazing life in France as a live in companion for his wife and daughter. As she settles in at the vast estate, she begins to wonder if everything is as perfect as it seems.
I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns Ms Downes created throughout this book. I found out when Emily did the secrets of Scott and his family and couldn’t peer around the corners to see what was next. Great story!
*I was given an ARC by the publisher but the review is all my own.
I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns Ms Downes created throughout this book. I found out when Emily did the secrets of Scott and his family and couldn’t peer around the corners to see what was next. Great story!
*I was given an ARC by the publisher but the review is all my own.