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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
3,5 ⭐️
It is safe to say that “The safe place” is a pretty good effort for a debut novel. It could have been great but for a series of issues that in my opinion were a bit of a letdown.
The premise was quite intriguing and those first chapters when we get to know Emily and about Scott’s schemes to bring her into his employment kept me quite engrossed as I could not figure out why all that interest in her and why she was the perfect choice for the job. The problem is that we never really find out the answers to those questions, leaving all that part of the story quite open and with a sense of incompleteness. Why hint about Emily’s past several times if you’re not gonna tell us about it?
Once Emily gets to Querencia, the author manages to create a quite creepy atmosphere, thanks in part to Aurelia’s weird behaviour, but once a certain episode happens (I won’t mention it so this review is spoilers free) it becomes quite clear where the story is going and how it’s gonna end, so the ending lacked some impact.
In spite of all this, I really liked the writing and it kept me engaged for the most part, so I will definetely keep an eye out for the author’s next work.
On a different note and not related to the story itself, I found very interesting the author’s note, where she explains how she became a writer and what inspired this story. I would love to read more authors’ note like this one.
It is safe to say that “The safe place” is a pretty good effort for a debut novel. It could have been great but for a series of issues that in my opinion were a bit of a letdown.
The premise was quite intriguing and those first chapters when we get to know Emily and about Scott’s schemes to bring her into his employment kept me quite engrossed as I could not figure out why all that interest in her and why she was the perfect choice for the job. The problem is that we never really find out the answers to those questions, leaving all that part of the story quite open and with a sense of incompleteness. Why hint about Emily’s past several times if you’re not gonna tell us about it?
Once Emily gets to Querencia, the author manages to create a quite creepy atmosphere, thanks in part to Aurelia’s weird behaviour, but once a certain episode happens (I won’t mention it so this review is spoilers free) it becomes quite clear where the story is going and how it’s gonna end, so the ending lacked some impact.
In spite of all this, I really liked the writing and it kept me engaged for the most part, so I will definetely keep an eye out for the author’s next work.
On a different note and not related to the story itself, I found very interesting the author’s note, where she explains how she became a writer and what inspired this story. I would love to read more authors’ note like this one.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The last 60 pages the book finally picks up. Slow start, good ending
This was a quick and fun read. I couldn’t help myself from reading half of the book in one sitting. This book also gave me some vibes of Ruth Ware. Anna Downes did a wonderful job on her debut novel and I can’t wait to see what other thriller ideas she will come up with next.
My only gripe with this book was that it was a little predictable after you found out the major plot twist. The ending had much potential but it wasn’t enough. I was a little disappointed but not enough to ruin the entire book.
Thank you to Goodreads giveaways and Minotaur Books / St. Martin Press for my advance reader copy of this book for a honest review.
My only gripe with this book was that it was a little predictable after you found out the major plot twist. The ending had much potential but it wasn’t enough. I was a little disappointed but not enough to ruin the entire book.
Thank you to Goodreads giveaways and Minotaur Books / St. Martin Press for my advance reader copy of this book for a honest review.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
This book started so pretty and light - cinderella is mentioned on pg 1 — and then that ending is so dark. The setting is beautiful. The characters and their relationships were interesting. Still really intrigued/confused by scott & nina’s relationship. I also spent a lot of time wanting Emily to be stronger & more assertive, so I found the ending really satisfying in that regard.
I don’t know where to start with this one. The ending was very lacklustre and could have been so much better! With a very predictable plot I guess it makes sense to wrap it up quickly with no extra information. Emily, the main character frustrated me right from the beginning with how naive she was. Throughout the book there were so many situations she did not pick up on and it just got ridiculous.
It was a quick read and I did like the story being told from both characters view with insights into Nina’s mind/past from her voice inserts in various chapters.
It was a quick read and I did like the story being told from both characters view with insights into Nina’s mind/past from her voice inserts in various chapters.
Thank you NetGalley and Affirm Press for the eARC of The Safe Place, by Anna Downes in exchange of my honest review.
Imagine if you're whole life was falling apart and suddenly you got THE live-in job opportunity to a wealthy family that was so perfect it was just too good to be true?
That's exactly what happened to Emily. An aspiring actress who just lost her job as a receptionist, got dropped by her agent and was notified by her landlord that, after all the delays on paying the rent, she's going to be evicted. That's when the CEO of her former company, Scott, knight in shining armour, arrives to offer her the job of a lifetime.
A live-in job as a personal assistant/housekeeper in his family's estate at the coast of France. He needed her because the couple's daughter, Aurelia, had a lot of health issues and Nina (the mom) couldn't look after her and take care of the estate all by herself. A summer getaway from her crazy life in London without having to worry about money for the first time since graduating seemed like everything Emily could ever want and more, plus the old-now-new-boss wasn't too bad to look at, so into a private jet she went. But the picture perfect family wasn't perhaps that perfect after all.
As soon as I started reading this book I was pulled right in. This is the perfect mystery to read by the pool or the ocean. We get both Scott and Emily's perspectives in this, which I LOVED, as well as some of Nina's perspectives from the past. This made the story much more interesting and thrilling and made me even more curious to piece everything together. I was hooked to this book from the start and my heart was pounding at the end.
Although I did manage to guess the big twist (not to its fullest extent) this did not diminish my enjoyment of the book in the slightest and I still had no idea how this was going to end. I adored Anna Downes writing and, seen as this is her debut, I can only imagine what's she's gonna come up with next. Will definitely keep my eyes peeled to whatever that is because her writing is flawless.
Overall this book is incredibly gripping, the characters are really realistic and the mystery is very well developed. I did wish we got a bit more on Emily's background but I loved the open note it left at the ending, like we didn't need to know every single thing. I love when authors do that well.
I gave this book 4/5 ⭐️. Very immersive and engrossing read, I highly recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries with a bit more of a psychological focus. Loved it and cannot wait to read more of Anna Downes' books.
Imagine if you're whole life was falling apart and suddenly you got THE live-in job opportunity to a wealthy family that was so perfect it was just too good to be true?
That's exactly what happened to Emily. An aspiring actress who just lost her job as a receptionist, got dropped by her agent and was notified by her landlord that, after all the delays on paying the rent, she's going to be evicted. That's when the CEO of her former company, Scott, knight in shining armour, arrives to offer her the job of a lifetime.
A live-in job as a personal assistant/housekeeper in his family's estate at the coast of France. He needed her because the couple's daughter, Aurelia, had a lot of health issues and Nina (the mom) couldn't look after her and take care of the estate all by herself. A summer getaway from her crazy life in London without having to worry about money for the first time since graduating seemed like everything Emily could ever want and more, plus the old-now-new-boss wasn't too bad to look at, so into a private jet she went. But the picture perfect family wasn't perhaps that perfect after all.
As soon as I started reading this book I was pulled right in. This is the perfect mystery to read by the pool or the ocean. We get both Scott and Emily's perspectives in this, which I LOVED, as well as some of Nina's perspectives from the past. This made the story much more interesting and thrilling and made me even more curious to piece everything together. I was hooked to this book from the start and my heart was pounding at the end.
Although I did manage to guess the big twist (not to its fullest extent) this did not diminish my enjoyment of the book in the slightest and I still had no idea how this was going to end. I adored Anna Downes writing and, seen as this is her debut, I can only imagine what's she's gonna come up with next. Will definitely keep my eyes peeled to whatever that is because her writing is flawless.
Overall this book is incredibly gripping, the characters are really realistic and the mystery is very well developed. I did wish we got a bit more on Emily's background but I loved the open note it left at the ending, like we didn't need to know every single thing. I love when authors do that well.
I gave this book 4/5 ⭐️. Very immersive and engrossing read, I highly recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries with a bit more of a psychological focus. Loved it and cannot wait to read more of Anna Downes' books.
adventurous
dark
medium-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
A fairly predictable thriller that had it's moments that had me trying to figure out where the author would go next. For a debut novel, it's solid and am excited to see what Anna Downes writes next.