Reviews

Behind a Closed Door by J.D. Barker

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cassiecat's review

dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? No

3.0

I went for this book purely after loving the 4MK series without reading the blurb, which proved to be my undoing. I loved his dark psychological thrillers.

A couple with the help of a therapist turn to an app to spice up their sex life which has become stale. So you might think it’s going to be a dark romance, but no, it’s a sex/ action thriller fusion.

The actual concept of getting drawn into a dark and dangerous app that can harvest so much information about the user is a scary reality and a dangerous prospect. The scenarios quickly spiral out of control becoming very dark.

I didn’t gel with the characters, they seemed too shallow. I hated Romeo and Juliet, they were very irritating.

The second half of the book is much faster paced and action orientated.

Not sure about one aspect of the ending, the book certainly triggered my natural paranoia.

It’s certainly very different, I applaud the authors imagination. If you want something very different give it a try, but it’s no 4MK so don’t expect that. It didn’t really manage to grab me. I think it’s very much a marmite book, which in themselves cause intrigue, add in a bit of controversy and you’ve probably got a best seller.

stellyshadows's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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? N/A

5.0

Thanks to NetGalley for this arc. First of all, wow! That was a wild ride from start to finish and ohhh boy! I loved it! I can’t recommend this book enough. This married couple go to couples therapy and boom! They spice up their life in more ways than one let’s just say and the people around them all get sucked into an app that controls you. This was fantastic and probably one of the fastest times I’ve read in my life.

kdowli01's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This was a really exciting popcorn thriller - fast, multiple POVs, high-stakes, and I flew through it despite it being nearly 500 pages.

The premise is great -- essentially Brendan and Abby are at a rough spot in their marriage, when their therapist suggests an app to spice things up. Basically truth or dare that earns you points. The stakes get higher and higher with each step, and they find themselves in a life-or-death situation.

The execution wasn't perfect -- this requires a LOT of suspension of disbelief, and the "What Would Emily Do" theme got really annoying. But it was still a fun read, and makes you think about how far you'd be willing to go to save a relationship.

yvo_about_books's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

Finished reading: April 17th 2024

"It hadn't been real. It had been some kind of dream, vision, hallucination. Anything but real, because the things that happened in the past hour, those things didn't happen to real people. Those things only happened in the movies. Streaming shows. Books."

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Hampton Creek Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I confess that I've been dreading having to pick up Behind A Closed Door ever since I read the blurb. It has become a bad habit to add any new book by one of my favorite authors without reading what it's about first, and this newest story by J.D. Barker sure has taught me a valuable lesson. Those who follow my blog know that I'm not a fan of sexy scenes in my stories AT ALL, so having that Fifty Shades Of Grey reference right there front and center scared the crap out of me. This is probably the main reason it took me this long to actually pick up my copy of Behind A Closed Door, because I'm usually unable to resist his writing for long... Fortunately for me, even though this is without doubt my least favorite of his books so far, things weren't quite as bad as I thought they would be.

Don't get me wrong, the sexy scenes were A LOT. I've never read Fifty Shades Of Grey (and never will), but from what I've heard that's probably an accurate reference for especially the beginning of this book and anything related to the app. The many explicit references in especially the first quarter had me doubting my decision to keep reading, because it was really way too much for me. BUT. It was the murdery bits and bookish angle that got me through to the part where it really got interesting. The sexy part was still there, but it started being overshadowed by so many crazy and over the top events and danger that they were soon pushed towards a more tolerable background.

I don't want to give away too much and spoil the plot, but I mean it when I say that Behind A Closed Door takes over the top to the next level. Then again, J.D. Barker usually creates stories where you have to suspend your disbelief and just go with the flow, so it really shouldn't come as a surprise when this newest story takes the same direction. I personally didn't mind, both because it distracted from the element I didn't like and because the whole conspiracy/danger angle sent the entertainment level through the roof.

I can't say that I liked any of the main characters, and some are quite stereotype and lack more development. I did like the fact that Abby is an author, and how the book she is writing plays part of the plot... And there will be a lot of characters you will love to hate. The main focus of Behind A Closed Door is on the plot though, and you will be too busy racing through the pages to properly stand still by the characters themselves for long. The writing itself is also part of the reason I kept reading, which is just as engaging as I've become used to. Especially the second half was impossible to put down! The way everything was wrapped up was intense and highly entertaining, although don't expect it to be credible in any way.

If you are looking for an action-packed, high octane and racy thriller and don't mind a lack of credibility and an over the top plot, Behind A Closed Door will be a great choice for you. It's without doubt a true rollercoaster ride!

Content Warnings

rhack05's review against another edition

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2.0

I requested the ARC of this book based off the synopsis and the cover looks intriguing but didn't realize the author was problematic and not someone I would have supported had I realized. That being said, I did read the book and I will give my honest review.

I think the premise is great and I did enjoy the first half of the book. The book definitely draws you in and I was interested to see what would happen next. At about the 50-60% point in the book I just found it all to be so unbelievable that I was constantly rolling my eyes and begging for the book to end.

I may be an outlier here and I can tell that others will love this book but it's a no for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hampton Creek Press | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

calistaandrechek's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-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? No

4.25

Thank you to NetGalley, J.D. Barker and Hampton Creek Press for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a surprisingly chunky, but quick and easy read. I was addicted right from the beginning and I needed to know how this was all going to come together. It all ties together with a ton of action and a beautiful bow.

robertjackson's review

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3.0

Well I am a bit lost for words! This book has everything - excitement - relationships. - topical complex plot. I really loved a few of the threads - like the way an app could take over people and their lives. A prediction of our future? I liked the haunting degree of suspense throughout. Encouraged page turning!

Unfortunately it also had more than a little silliness and nonsense! The antics of the character Romeo was often verging on being totally silly! So disappointing!

I reckon this book is not my cup of tea and would probably rate it as a two. However I feel that would be very unfair to the creative and inventive author. So the book gets a three rating from me. Many people will love the book, I am sure - views expressed are just my honest opinion.

#Adult #mystery #relationships #thriller #netgalley# crime

chrissypops's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

Thank you Netgalley, JD Barker and Hampton Creek Press | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for the eArc of Behind A Closed Door.

This had me gripped from start to finish and probably a bit close to home in our technological world. Abby and Brendon are having a few issues within their relationship and after agreeing to go and see a therapist, they were recommended an app called Sugar And Spice. A truth or dare app that will spice up your love life, bring you closer as a couple, dares you to do things that are risqué and of course, a bit of healthy competition of earning points. At first, it's all new and exciting but then, things take a darker, more sinister route.

The whole narrative had me pinned to my seat reading, it has good pacing and the characters are well defined and different. As the threads of Abby and Brandon's life comes together with the underlaying story, you are in a rabbit hole of possible outcomes. The twists and turns are well executed and the finale/ final twist. I didn't see coming at all. A delight to read as a light spice/erotic and heavy on the thriller. Great combination!

4 stars

kbrauhn's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

a_bookish_adventure's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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