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rebekahclare's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Suicide, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual assault
thereadingparamedic's review against another edition
4.0
A brilliantly told story of a relationship between a professor & one of his students. What could possibly go wrong?!
Stephen & Ellie are heading away for a weekend, their first holiday together. A chance to enjoy one another, away from those who pry into the appropriateness of their relationship.
But Stephen is not who he says he is. So what starts as a romantic few days in a secluded cabin turns into a fraught & frightening time where Ellie is unable to get help. I’m keeping this review short as I’m being careful not to include any spoilers, so shall we just say - don’t judge the end from what you’ve read so far!
Laure has written a tense, on the edge of your seat, thriller which may very well keep you awake if you read it in bed at night. Great stuff!
Stephen & Ellie are heading away for a weekend, their first holiday together. A chance to enjoy one another, away from those who pry into the appropriateness of their relationship.
But Stephen is not who he says he is. So what starts as a romantic few days in a secluded cabin turns into a fraught & frightening time where Ellie is unable to get help. I’m keeping this review short as I’m being careful not to include any spoilers, so shall we just say - don’t judge the end from what you’ve read so far!
Laure has written a tense, on the edge of your seat, thriller which may very well keep you awake if you read it in bed at night. Great stuff!
kba76's review against another edition
5.0
Nobody But Us is being touted as a must-read of 2022, and I can completely see why. Topical, cleverly constructed and a book that was very hard to put down.
The book starts at our end point, and I’m always a sucker for stories where we’re working our way up to the event and trying to piece together what has happened and why. This does something very common, but so well…and I can see this appealing on so many levels.
A horrific crime scene. We know nothing more, but the detective called out to investigate is shocked. This tells us it’s bad. Then we get a perplexing jump, focusing on Ellie and Steven heading to a remote cabin for a romantic get-away. Steven is a professor with a chip on his shoulder about his father, and Ellie is a student who seems besotted with her lover. Be warned…sometimes things are not as they seem.
While I found the initial shift in focus confusing, it is very necessary to make sense of the revelations that come out during the course of the book. I was expecting to be manipulated, but the reality of the deception showed the depths of the damage caused by such events.
The focus throughout is on the couple and the things each is hiding. We slowly piece together the grim facts, and it’s at this point that I have to stop. Going into this not knowing more than we’re told is vital. I’m eager to see how this is received, but I’ll be recommending it widely.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication in exchange for my thoughts.
The book starts at our end point, and I’m always a sucker for stories where we’re working our way up to the event and trying to piece together what has happened and why. This does something very common, but so well…and I can see this appealing on so many levels.
A horrific crime scene. We know nothing more, but the detective called out to investigate is shocked. This tells us it’s bad. Then we get a perplexing jump, focusing on Ellie and Steven heading to a remote cabin for a romantic get-away. Steven is a professor with a chip on his shoulder about his father, and Ellie is a student who seems besotted with her lover. Be warned…sometimes things are not as they seem.
While I found the initial shift in focus confusing, it is very necessary to make sense of the revelations that come out during the course of the book. I was expecting to be manipulated, but the reality of the deception showed the depths of the damage caused by such events.
The focus throughout is on the couple and the things each is hiding. We slowly piece together the grim facts, and it’s at this point that I have to stop. Going into this not knowing more than we’re told is vital. I’m eager to see how this is received, but I’ll be recommending it widely.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication in exchange for my thoughts.
travelsalongmybookshelf's review
5.0
Nobody But Us - Laure Van Rensburg
‘All around, the house unfolds like a scene in a penny dreadful.’
Steven and Ellie are on an anniversary break, time alone with each other, to explore each other, a perfect romantic trip away. But all is not as it seems, neither of them are who they say they are…
‘The flames animate her hair with an orange glow. He sees Medusa.’
Oh my word, this was just edge of your seat stuff from the start! With chapters alternating between the characters we are given little glimpses of their lives and it really spun me out. It is so clever how little breadcrumbs are dropped for us through the book.
I didn’t trust either of them, I automatically was rooting for Ellie, it’s the woman in me but what was she up to?
I found myself racing through this one, desperate to know what was going to happen and read it in one sitting!
‘He’s not that guy, with her or with any of them.’
Inspired by the MeToo movement, there are triggers here for some. Articulating what so many women feel, there is grooming, lack of male understanding, arrogance, gaslighting and abuse. So be aware this could be a difficult read for some people.
‘The delusion he can’t be held responsible is so embedded in him.’
I found it dark, brooding, sharp and utterly gripping. It had such creepy Hitchcockian vibes and would make an amazing ‘hide -behind -the -cushion’ film!
The tension is wound so tightly and it really played with my emotions lurching from suspicion to horror to revulsion to pity to exultation and back again. I had no idea who to trust or what would happen.
‘Women are not playthings.’
This is about control, revenge, obsession and consent, it is frightening, in your face and utterly compelling. An absolute must read for 2022!
✩✩✩✩✩
Thanks so much to MichaelJBooks, Laure Van Rensburg and the amazing Squadpod ladies for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
‘All around, the house unfolds like a scene in a penny dreadful.’
Steven and Ellie are on an anniversary break, time alone with each other, to explore each other, a perfect romantic trip away. But all is not as it seems, neither of them are who they say they are…
‘The flames animate her hair with an orange glow. He sees Medusa.’
Oh my word, this was just edge of your seat stuff from the start! With chapters alternating between the characters we are given little glimpses of their lives and it really spun me out. It is so clever how little breadcrumbs are dropped for us through the book.
I didn’t trust either of them, I automatically was rooting for Ellie, it’s the woman in me but what was she up to?
I found myself racing through this one, desperate to know what was going to happen and read it in one sitting!
‘He’s not that guy, with her or with any of them.’
Inspired by the MeToo movement, there are triggers here for some. Articulating what so many women feel, there is grooming, lack of male understanding, arrogance, gaslighting and abuse. So be aware this could be a difficult read for some people.
‘The delusion he can’t be held responsible is so embedded in him.’
I found it dark, brooding, sharp and utterly gripping. It had such creepy Hitchcockian vibes and would make an amazing ‘hide -behind -the -cushion’ film!
The tension is wound so tightly and it really played with my emotions lurching from suspicion to horror to revulsion to pity to exultation and back again. I had no idea who to trust or what would happen.
‘Women are not playthings.’
This is about control, revenge, obsession and consent, it is frightening, in your face and utterly compelling. An absolute must read for 2022!
✩✩✩✩✩
Thanks so much to MichaelJBooks, Laure Van Rensburg and the amazing Squadpod ladies for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
sydneydib's review
4.0
If you feel like tucking into bed with an atmospheric thriller on a cold winter’s night - this one is for you.
Nobody But Us kept me guessing through the first half of the book, and it went down a path I definitely wasn’t expecting. Uncovering Steven’s past felt a bit slimy - but I guess that’s the point, right
Nobody But Us kept me guessing through the first half of the book, and it went down a path I definitely wasn’t expecting. Uncovering Steven’s past felt a bit slimy - but I guess that’s the point, right
dawnesap2525's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
riimiton's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
whimsicalyme's review
4.0
This book is atmospheric, the plot line was good and I appreciated the author taking on tough topics like sexual assault with clarity and realism. The opening scenes are intense, we start with the crime scene and work our way back through the trip. I went in expecting a locked room mystery but I got a strong revenge story. Since there are only 2 characters on the weekend getaway, I knew what was happening and saw the plot twist coming.
I didn’t like these characters and it made me struggle with the book and my review. At times I felt the transitions to past and present were too fast or without preamble. I usually finish a book in a day if it’s under 400 pages but this took 2 days because I kept having to go back and check the timeline and POV.
Don’t go into this book expecting a happy ending for anyone. The entire situation was tough and there are no winners here but it’s still an important book that takes on extremely tough subjects. I rated this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I didn’t like these characters and it made me struggle with the book and my review. At times I felt the transitions to past and present were too fast or without preamble. I usually finish a book in a day if it’s under 400 pages but this took 2 days because I kept having to go back and check the timeline and POV.
Don’t go into this book expecting a happy ending for anyone. The entire situation was tough and there are no winners here but it’s still an important book that takes on extremely tough subjects. I rated this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️
amothersmusings1's review
5.0
“Nobody but Us” by Laure Van Rensburg
“STEVEN HARDING IS A HANDSOME, WELL-RESPECTED PROFESSOR.
ELLIE MASTERSON IS A WIDE-EYED YOUNG COLLEGE STUDENT.
Together, they are driving south from New York, for their first holiday together: three days in an isolated cabin, far from the city.
Ahead of them, the promise of long, dark nights - and the chance to explore one another's bodies, away from prying eyes.
It should be a perfect, romantic trip for two.
EXCEPT THAT HE'S NOT WHO HE SAYS HE IS.
BUT THEN AGAIN, NEITHER IS SHE . . .”
#Review -
Considering only two people are in this story and is told alternatively from both of their perspectives, the ambience is dark, menacing and at times quite distressing. The #MeToo theme is drawn from the authors real life experience and she has been very brave in broaching the subject, which obviously caused her upset for many years. Justifying doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, when the power dynamic is shifted, it was interesting to see the stereotypical relationship reversed. Sadly, it’s an all too familiar issue but I liked how the author portrayed it in such a tense psychological thriller without losing any of its potency. Set in an isolated cabin, which itself gives the reader the heebie jeebies, there’s also the sinister sensation they may not be alone. If this was a movie, which I hope one day it is, you’d be watching it from behind the sofa, anticipating the next terrifying move.
The prologue starts the story with the ending, allowing the reader to see that something very bad has happened but not what, with whom and why. With flashbacks to both characters pasts, this allows the pieces of the mystery to be placed correctly in the puzzle and make sense of the sinister situation. When the denouement occurs, it is still a sudden shock though. I didn’t particularly like either Steven or Ellie but I think this was the intent, as between them they make the most totally *messed* up couple I’ve ever read about!
Laure van Rensburg uses every rule of English language grammar, to create a sharp, suspenseful story that certainly hits the spot, creates tension and occupies a horror style atmosphere, where the next five minutes could change in an instant! A truly exhilarating debut ride that highlights #MeToo and the effects left on the women and young girls involved - kudos Ms Rensburg 👏
#NobodyButUs - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Sriya at Michael Joseph Books for inviting me on this tour and for my copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.
cozypagesss's review
3.0
Thank you so much @grandcentralpub for sending me this copy in exchange for a review. ♥️