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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
If I could use only one word to describe this book it would be sinister. Everything looks nice on the outside but there are so many moments sprinkled throughout the story that leave you with a hair raising feeling of unease. Downes uses such vivid imagery that this book really came to life in my mind. Which was unsettling when it came to the insidious moments. I did figure out the twist before it happened but as usual, it didn't hamper my enjoyability of the story at all. I found this book, particularly the beginning, to be an exploration on manipulation and it was intriguing seeing it all unfold. This book is also told through flashbacks of our main characters and they were a great addition because they added a lot of depth, understanding and suspense to the book. The ending was fabulously done and I really appreciate the way Downes wrapped it all up.
*Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
*Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Bummed that I couldn't get sucked into this one. Such an interesting premise but didn't work for me. I wasn't drawn to any of the characters but dang if that house doesn't sound amazing. I think I need to be looking at books more relevant to what's happening right now and unfortunately this is too escapist right now. No fault of the authors but bad timing on my part. I feel I cannot adequately rate it so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
3.5!
I honestly LOVED this one, which I know makes my 3.5 stars look odd but keep reading to find out why. It was SO suspenseful and while I feel like it may have been predictable for a lot of people, I didn't find out the twist until Emily herself was figuring it out. I had an idea the entire time but didn't *know* until she did.
This book was weird. Like, from the get-go, I got major creepy vibes from Scott and Yves and then semi-creepy vibes from Nina and then Aurelia was just plain weird, but I felt bad for her. I knew the entire time obviously something wasn't right with her and her situation, but I couldn't put my finger on what exactly it was.
I loved how close Nina and Emily got, and how you saw that relationship change as Emily began to figure more and more out, and as Aurelia started opening up more and more to her. I wish we would have found out more about the secret room and seen what happened to Aurelia at the end, as I was rooting for some normalcy for that little girl. I also wish there'd been a little more
I did find the ending a little strange and it didn't quite sit right with me. Without giving spoilers, it almost felt like Emily thought money could solve everything. I also found Scott's reactions to everything very strange. I wanted a little more closure that I feel like wasn't given.
Overall, definitely a good thriller that keeps you on your toes!
Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I honestly LOVED this one, which I know makes my 3.5 stars look odd but keep reading to find out why. It was SO suspenseful and while I feel like it may have been predictable for a lot of people, I didn't find out the twist until Emily herself was figuring it out. I had an idea the entire time but didn't *know* until she did.
This book was weird. Like, from the get-go, I got major creepy vibes from Scott and Yves and then semi-creepy vibes from Nina and then Aurelia was just plain weird, but I felt bad for her. I knew the entire time obviously something wasn't right with her and her situation, but I couldn't put my finger on what exactly it was.
I loved how close Nina and Emily got, and how you saw that relationship change as Emily began to figure more and more out, and as Aurelia started opening up more and more to her. I wish we would have found out more about the secret room and seen what happened to Aurelia at the end, as I was rooting for some normalcy for that little girl. I also wish there'd been a little more
I did find the ending a little strange and it didn't quite sit right with me. Without giving spoilers, it almost felt like Emily thought money could solve everything. I also found Scott's reactions to everything very strange. I wanted a little more closure that I feel like wasn't given.
Overall, definitely a good thriller that keeps you on your toes!
Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All honest opinions are my own. I didn't have many expectations when I picked up this book. The author was new to me, I believe this is her first novel. The synopsis of the book was very intriguing and I was excited to dive in! What I found was a relatively predictable, but fast paced book. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I found it kind of weird how quickly the main character jumped into this new job, especially knowing very little about the whole situation. It kept me engaged to the end! I'd definitely read another book by Anna Downes if she writes more!
Okay so this was nothing like what I expected it to be when I first started it. I was intrigued but it also was annoying me that someone would go live in a remote part of a different country with basic strangers. After I got over that I zoomed through it.
I had an idea of what the twist would be, but I didn’t guess it entirely. The use of different perspectives I thought was done well, and I was surprised by how eerie the world created was. I found myself genuinely anxious at times because of the writing and the suspense (I may be a scaredy-cat). Overall I liked this one, it had a bit of a different feel to most thrillers I’ve read in recent times and I appreciate that. I think the ending was a bit rushed and I would’ve liked more of Emily’s backstory but overall I enjoyed this one
Emily has lost her job, her acting agent, and is getting evicted from her apartment. She is a mess. Until Scott makes an offer she cant refuse. A summer at his French estate, helping his wife and daughter fix the place up. At first, everything is wonderful. It’s a beautiful home and her friendship with Nina his blossoming. Something doesn’t seem right though…will Emily be able to put her finger on it?
This book was excellent. It was a quick read that kept my interest which is definitely what I need these days. I knew there was something off about Nina and her daughter, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. I really enjoyed the story and where it went. I obviously knew Scott was up to something shady, and I liked the throw backs throughout the book of when Aurelia was born, but still couldn’t figure out why Emily was so perfect for what he needed. If you want a good quick thriller, I highly recommend this one!
This book was excellent. It was a quick read that kept my interest which is definitely what I need these days. I knew there was something off about Nina and her daughter, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. I really enjoyed the story and where it went. I obviously knew Scott was up to something shady, and I liked the throw backs throughout the book of when Aurelia was born, but still couldn’t figure out why Emily was so perfect for what he needed. If you want a good quick thriller, I highly recommend this one!
Emily is a mess - her acting career is going nowhere, she’s at odds with her parents and she’s just been fired - when her ex-boss offers her a too good to be true job. Without much thought, Emily accepts. What could go wrong?
First time author Anna Downes does a great job setting the stage for what should be a page-turner but unfortunately for me, I was left wanting more. I am usually good with flawed characters, even when they’re unlikable, but the 3 MCs in this one just didn’t get me excited. I’ve seen mixed reviews for SAFE PLACE so don’t let my review discourage you from picking it up, especially if you’re looking for a light thriller.
First time author Anna Downes does a great job setting the stage for what should be a page-turner but unfortunately for me, I was left wanting more. I am usually good with flawed characters, even when they’re unlikable, but the 3 MCs in this one just didn’t get me excited. I’ve seen mixed reviews for SAFE PLACE so don’t let my review discourage you from picking it up, especially if you’re looking for a light thriller.
I *love* a thriller set in an idyllic location - this one at a beautiful estate in France - especially right now, when most of us are confined to our homes. This book is a good slow burn mystery where you just know something is wrong but can’t quite put your finger on it…until the last 30% is when secrets emerge and everything starts to click into place. Perfect summer read!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this arc in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I had seen this book all over instagram and tried not to read too much into the hype.
Emily has reached rock bottom. She's lost her job, her acting career is down the drain, she has little money in her account and she just got an eviction notice. She's made all the wrong choices in all aspects of her life. That is until Scott, her old boss, shows up in the knick of time to offer her the opportunity of a lifetime. Is anything ever as perfect as it seems?
I truthfully had no idea where this book was going until about 60-70% of the way through. I couldn't figure out what Scott was up to when he seemed like such a genuine guy, but had such a strange habit. Nina rubbed me the wrong way immediately, but I couldn't connect the dots. While I didn't love Emily's character, I found myself feeling sorry for her and wishing she could catch a break. I was very intrigued as to why Scott thought Emily was the perfect match for this 'job position'. I couldn't figure out the dynamic between Scott and Nina.
Overall, this book was a great guessing game, but not a wild goose chase thriller. It had it's moments, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat the whole book. The writing was good, the characters were very well written and the story seemed fairly original. My main, and only, hangup was the ending. It felt incredibly rushed and I felt like the whole thing deserved more. I wanted more from the outcomes and I wanted to understand why it happened. I'd definitely recommend it for a fast-paced quick read!
Emily has reached rock bottom. She's lost her job, her acting career is down the drain, she has little money in her account and she just got an eviction notice. She's made all the wrong choices in all aspects of her life. That is until Scott, her old boss, shows up in the knick of time to offer her the opportunity of a lifetime. Is anything ever as perfect as it seems?
I truthfully had no idea where this book was going until about 60-70% of the way through. I couldn't figure out what Scott was up to when he seemed like such a genuine guy, but had such a strange habit. Nina rubbed me the wrong way immediately, but I couldn't connect the dots. While I didn't love Emily's character, I found myself feeling sorry for her and wishing she could catch a break. I was very intrigued as to why Scott thought Emily was the perfect match for this 'job position'. I couldn't figure out the dynamic between Scott and Nina.
Overall, this book was a great guessing game, but not a wild goose chase thriller. It had it's moments, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat the whole book. The writing was good, the characters were very well written and the story seemed fairly original. My main, and only, hangup was the ending. It felt incredibly rushed and I felt like the whole thing deserved more. I wanted more from the outcomes and I wanted to understand why it happened. I'd definitely recommend it for a fast-paced quick read!
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would.
The story has a very gothic fiction atmosphere which I wish was more encapsulated by the cover because I probably would not have picked this up based just on the cover and description if not for the review I saw from a Youtuber I follow that did the book more justice.
Going into the book, I thought one of the major obstacles for my immersion in the story was going to be buying into the idea that Emily would accept a job offer that sounded entirely too good to be true. I think the author did a really good job of setting up the personalities of the characters and their situations, however. I thought Scott's perspective really helped give an idea of what was happening behind the scenes that helps make some choices make sense for the other characters without really giving away any of the reveals.
The book has a surprising amount of nuance when it comes to the portrayal of the characters and the story's exploration of trauma. I really enjoyed the theme throughout the story of the messages we get about ourselves when we're young, maybe before we can even remember, and how they shape us for the rest of our lives. The feelings of brokenness that all of the main characters experience is really what ties them together and makes the narrative work. The ways in which the characters, in those feelings of brokenness, harm themselves and their loved ones are deftly explored. Additionally, how a person's position in life can influence how that harm manifests, the scope of the harm, and how long the harm is allowed to go on.
I found the last half of the book particularly compelling and fast paced. I ended up reading the last half of the book in one day because I just couldn't stop until I knew what happened which is unusual for me.
Great read!
The story has a very gothic fiction atmosphere which I wish was more encapsulated by the cover because I probably would not have picked this up based just on the cover and description if not for the review I saw from a Youtuber I follow that did the book more justice.
Going into the book, I thought one of the major obstacles for my immersion in the story was going to be buying into the idea that Emily would accept a job offer that sounded entirely too good to be true. I think the author did a really good job of setting up the personalities of the characters and their situations, however. I thought Scott's perspective really helped give an idea of what was happening behind the scenes that helps make some choices make sense for the other characters without really giving away any of the reveals.
The book has a surprising amount of nuance when it comes to the portrayal of the characters and the story's exploration of trauma. I really enjoyed the theme throughout the story of the messages we get about ourselves when we're young, maybe before we can even remember, and how they shape us for the rest of our lives. The feelings of brokenness that all of the main characters experience is really what ties them together and makes the narrative work. The ways in which the characters, in those feelings of brokenness, harm themselves and their loved ones are deftly explored. Additionally, how a person's position in life can influence how that harm manifests, the scope of the harm, and how long the harm is allowed to go on.
I found the last half of the book particularly compelling and fast paced. I ended up reading the last half of the book in one day because I just couldn't stop until I knew what happened which is unusual for me.
Great read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence
Minor: Animal cruelty