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jenniferbowman's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Infertility, Grief, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Death of parent, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Body horror, Miscarriage, Death, Car accident, Blood, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Addiction, Murder, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Confinement, Cursing, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Child death, Gore, Chronic illness, and Alcoholism
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I felt the author left too much not wrapped up at the end. What was the charm? Did the Windermere make people more successful? What was up with Rosie's dad's church? All these doors were opened but the book never fully explored them. She went into a bunch of other stuff that felt less important, lots of sex and more descriptive sex than most thrillers, which I don't mind if the author fills out the story.
And the ending was absolutely no surprise. I need to stop reading her subpar books, I just keep hoping she'll improve as a writer.
Narrator Rating: 4.25 stars
The narrator did an excellent job, but her tone for the sister was whiny and annoying.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Suicide, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Child death, Drug use, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
Minor: Car accident, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Stalking, and Terminal illness
enchantedfiction's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The New Couple in 5B was my first Lisa Unger book. It was a mystery/thriller with some paranormal horror sprinkled in, which isn't normally my preference when it comes to mystery/thrillers, but I felt like it wasn't over the top in the paranormal and it worked with the rest of the story. I did find myself wanting to know what happened, though some things I did figure out through the story, and I always like to be surprised. I also felt like the ending was kind of an afterthought and either should have been part of the original climactic scene or left off.
I didn't really feel all that invested in the characters, though I have found that to be true for me personally in many mystery/thrillers. Rosie's blind eye to her husband, Chad, got a little irritating after a while when it was clear to the reader that he was hiding things from her. I wish that there had been a bit more tension between them, I feel like it may have made the last scene feel worth it. I also felt like the middle was kind of slow, but I feel like maybe that was necessary to kind of pull the reader into a false sense of security. And let me just say without really spoiling anything, I called the revelation about Abi (sp? I listened to it, so I'm not sure). And I was always skeptical of the neighbors.
Overall, I had a good time with this story, but I don't see it really sticking with me or ever really going back to it. I would recommend if you're looking for a suspenseful story with some paranormal elements, and where you will be second guessing everyone's motives.
Minor: Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Death, Suicide, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Car accident
bearybooky's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death, Child death, Cursing, Suicide, Terminal illness, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Car accident, Alcohol, and Infertility