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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Minor: Child abuse, Child death
In the spirit of total honesty, I read less than my typical standard of "read this many pages before deciding to DNF something." Does this mean that this book is terrible/worthless/people shouldn't read it?
Nope. It just means that this wasn't a book for me--I did flip a little through the back and even read some spoiler-y things online and still nothing piqued my interested. This does make me feel a little guilty about giving a 1-star rating, but at the same time a) that's my truth and b) I'm leaving this little blurb to give some explanation, so I feel like that counts for something...
Life's just too short and I've got other adventures awaiting.
Nope. It just means that this wasn't a book for me--I did flip a little through the back and even read some spoiler-y things online and still nothing piqued my interested. This does make me feel a little guilty about giving a 1-star rating, but at the same time a) that's my truth and b) I'm leaving this little blurb to give some explanation, so I feel like that counts for something...
Life's just too short and I've got other adventures awaiting.
I enjoyed this thriller that was a quick read for me. I felt like it was a little too much like a couple other books I read recently. 3.5 stars
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an eARC in exchange for a review.
The Safe Place would be a perfect suspense/thriller to pick up in the summer if you're looking for a French locale getaway without leaving your couch. I'd highly recommend picking it up when you're on the beach, lake, or the pool if you're looking for a book that will draw you in and keep you here with its fast pace.
I did find it a bit predictable, but that could be expected when the the characters are all in one setting for the majority of the novel in a forced proximity scenario. The short chapters and the three POVs really kept me looking forward to picking the book back up.
The Safe Place would be a perfect suspense/thriller to pick up in the summer if you're looking for a French locale getaway without leaving your couch. I'd highly recommend picking it up when you're on the beach, lake, or the pool if you're looking for a book that will draw you in and keep you here with its fast pace.
I did find it a bit predictable, but that could be expected when the the characters are all in one setting for the majority of the novel in a forced proximity scenario. The short chapters and the three POVs really kept me looking forward to picking the book back up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Kidnapping
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
No
When you hit the bottom, how can you say no to an offer like this?
You don't. That's all there is to it. Fired from her job, without money to survive, and now facing eviction, Emily has hit bottom. But Scott, her ex-boss, offers her the job of a lifetime - assist his wife at their grand French estate. Access to a car, housing, and all the cash in the world. Where's the catch, right?
From the very beginning, the author relays that something is off about the entire thing. Her writing is easy to read and enjoyable, written from the POV of Emily and of Scott, with snippits from the wife thrown in once in awhile. The story, however, wasn't nearly as thrilling or exciting as I was looking for. It left much to be desired in the way of a good thriller.
If you're someone who isn't into sick and twisted books, but enjoys a little thrill once in a while, then this is perfect for you!
Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur books for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.
You don't. That's all there is to it. Fired from her job, without money to survive, and now facing eviction, Emily has hit bottom. But Scott, her ex-boss, offers her the job of a lifetime - assist his wife at their grand French estate. Access to a car, housing, and all the cash in the world. Where's the catch, right?
From the very beginning, the author relays that something is off about the entire thing. Her writing is easy to read and enjoyable, written from the POV of Emily and of Scott, with snippits from the wife thrown in once in awhile. The story, however, wasn't nearly as thrilling or exciting as I was looking for. It left much to be desired in the way of a good thriller.
If you're someone who isn't into sick and twisted books, but enjoys a little thrill once in a while, then this is perfect for you!
Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur books for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.
When Emily is offered a job working for her ex-boss's wife and daughter out in the middle of nowhere, Emily immediately agreed. Though confused and nervous, her life was beginning to fall apart, and she felt that this could be an escape for her. The French estate she moves to is absolutely stunning, and she immediately falls into routine there. However, there is something weird about the place, and as Emily gets closer to the family, she finds out a secret that they have been keeping. A secret that could cost Emily her life.
I was absolutely shocked and impressed by this book. It had so many twists and turns that once I got into it, I could barely put it down. A beautifully crafted thriller, Anna Downes' story was gripping and exciting. I am feeling ALL of the emotions right now. The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful, and it was what originally drew me in to reading it!
Emily was a great protagonist who knew to do the right thing, even when it was hard. Extremely hard. She wasn't perfect by any means, but she had a good head on her shoulders, and I appreciated her character.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an exciting thriller!
I was absolutely shocked and impressed by this book. It had so many twists and turns that once I got into it, I could barely put it down. A beautifully crafted thriller, Anna Downes' story was gripping and exciting. I am feeling ALL of the emotions right now. The cover of this book is absolutely beautiful, and it was what originally drew me in to reading it!
Emily was a great protagonist who knew to do the right thing, even when it was hard. Extremely hard. She wasn't perfect by any means, but she had a good head on her shoulders, and I appreciated her character.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an exciting thriller!
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Safe Place follows Emily who has lost her job, apartment and acting career in a short time frame. In comes her ex-boss, Scott, who has been eyeing her, with the proposal of a new job where she gets to live in France, have her own car, house and the salary is huge!
The story is told from three perspectives, Emily, Scott and Nine (Scott's wife). This proved most effective to ensure the story was observed from all sides or perspectives.
Personally, the first half of the book was a bit meh because there wasn't much of a plot. They went about their daily routines but we never knew what was really the thriller until later on. However, when the secret was out, things did go uphill from there. I wanted to eat it all in. I could not put it down until I turned the last page as the need for me to know what would happen next was eating me inside out.
The story is told from three perspectives, Emily, Scott and Nine (Scott's wife). This proved most effective to ensure the story was observed from all sides or perspectives.
Personally, the first half of the book was a bit meh because there wasn't much of a plot. They went about their daily routines but we never knew what was really the thriller until later on. However, when the secret was out, things did go uphill from there. I wanted to eat it all in. I could not put it down until I turned the last page as the need for me to know what would happen next was eating me inside out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief