Book Hangover! Wow! What a refreshing new story and did it ever pack a whammy at the end. Genius plot! Loved it!! And that last page really finished it with a bang. So original and so thought provoking. One you really had to digest while trying not to flip the pages so fast. Loved it!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Man, the British sure do love a domestic thriller, don’t they? Interesting twist on this one - it’s not a murder that’s in question, but the theft of an entire house!

The characters were well-developed, although rather unlikeable in the whole. Great writing and good atmosphere throughout, and the idea of a crime podcast playing into it is pretty interesting.

Not outstanding, but worth the read for suspense fans.

Our House had so many twists and turns. The book had a lot of drama and mystery. It was a real page turner. I never wanted to step away from the book. It ended on a note that makes me want more. I need a sequel to this book, for sure. I can't wait to see more books from this author with her unique writing style.

Fi Lawson came home to find her belongings gone, and someone else moving into her beautiful home! What a shock. Our House by Louise Candlish was suspenseful dark, and intriguing. I loved the way the story unfolded from the varying perspectives of her missing husband, as well as herself while dealing with the horror of losing her home, being deceived by multiple people along the way ... a whole sloosh of secrets and surprises come out as the story unfolds.

There was so much suspense as the "crooks" played with the husband to bend him to their will. I felt like I was on a roller coaster toward the end when everything began coming out and falling into place. I was given this book free for review purposes, all opinions are my own.

Going into this book I was expecting more of a suspensful thriller. But the reader knows from the beginning what crime has been committed: Fiona's dream house has been sold out from under her and her family, and she has no idea what it going on. The main action occurs over the course of the day that Fiona returns to her home after a trip to find strangers moving in. A great deal of the "backstory" is told through clever methods like Bram (Fiona's husband) writing a world document and Fiona telling her account of events in a podcast, complete with online readers and their comments. What makes this an interesting and compelling tale is finding out the why, who, and how of the events. Why was the Lawson home sold? Who is ultimately responsible? And how did those people make it happen? And in the final chapters, even when the reader thinks the mystery has been resolved, the author manages to throw in some surprises.
When Fiona Lawson comes home on a Friday afternoon she sees strangers moving their furniture into her home. She cannot believe what she is seeing as she looks at her dream home, the center of her universe, devoid of all her possessions and trappings of her family's life there. Where is her husband? Where are her things? Are her children safe? Who does the house actually belong to?
As Fiona attempts to find answers to these questions throughout the rest of the day and evening, the past is revealed through what appears to be a confession written by Fiona's husband Bram, as well as
Fiona's appearance on a podcast for victims of crimes. We discover that the Lawsons were living with a "Bird's Nest" arrangement, in which the separated couple shared custody of their children by taking turns living in the family's house. We learn the circumstances that led to the couple's split and the events that caused the fraudulent "selling" of Fiona's beloved Trinity Avenue home.
The author creates an engrossing tale of a family cracking at the seems; the wife who devotes herself to taking part in the community of their posh neighborhood while the husband chafes under the expectations of that life. One definitely feels for Fiona as she almost loses herself in her role of mother and wife while still working and participating in her sons' school and sports activities and keeping up with her neighbors. Bram struggles to find fulfillment with his job and home life while his wife seems completely occupied with her own life.
There are plenty of twists and turns, but as I was reading I kept thinking, "Is there something else?" I just felt like another big shoe was supposed to drop, but it never came. Even as I got to the end of the book and things built to a climax I still felt as though something was missing. As I came to the final chapter I was thinking, "This was a good book. I enjoyed it. Yeah, it was nice." And then I read the last three sentences. Then I said, "He did what?!!" That was a great twist.
So I would definitely recommend this book. It's a compelling story that builds to a great twist without relying on too much suspense. I loved it.

When Bram and Fiona Lawson separated, they decided it was in the best interests of their children to do what is known as "bird's nest custody"—each parent would take turns living in the family home with the kids, while the other parent stayed in a nearby apartment they shared as part of the custody arrangement. Everything is going well until the day Fiona returns to find Bram and the children gone, and another family moving into her house, claiming the Lawsons recently sold it to them... but Fiona has no idea what they're talking about. She's able to track down her children, but only Bram can explain why he would sell their home behind her back... and he he disappeared without a trace.

What I Liked

I loved the concept of this story! It's safe to say that no possession means as much to you as your home, so a book about an estranged husband selling the family home without his wife's knowledge (much less consent) appealed to me immediately. I couldn't wait to find out the reason for his treachery, and hoped his motive would be as shocking as the sale of the house proved to be... and believe me, it was!

Anyone who follows my reviews is aware that I love books with multiple points-of-view, and also enjoy events being disclosed via multiple timelines. As such, I was pleased to discover that was the case with Our House. One timeline deals with Fiona's discovery of strangers moving into her home. The other timeline is set a couple of months in the future, and is told from Fiona's perspective via a podcast she takes part in called The Victim, and from Bram's perspective via his written confession. Each section is clearly labeled, so there is no confusion about when things are happening. This serves to drag out the suspense (in a good way!) on why Bram did what he did, and what happened as a result.

There were several events along the way that took me by surprise, but NOTHING shocked me more than the final chapter. What an ending! You could have knocked me over with a feather—that is how stunned I felt!

What I Didn't Like

I don't like that it took me so long to read a book written by Louise Candlish! How is it that I've only read one book out of the thirteen books this author has written?!

Final Thoughts

With a twisty plot, impeccable writing, and vivid characters that will evoke strong emotions within the reader, Our House is an enthralling read. This is a book you definitely don't want to miss, so be sure to add it to your TBR!

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Berkley via Edelweiss.

What can I say? The story opens with Fiona, known as Fi, coming home to find people moving into her house. It goes on with her husband Abraham, known as Bram, writing his version. We follow two first person narrations and the story also being told in the third person.
Fi goes on a program called “The Victim” to tell her story; saying she wants to prevent what happened to her from happening to anyone else. Interspersed with her voice are comments from listeners, both pro and con. I can understand her pain, for herself and her children; how could anyone do this to another person? She’s not 100% truthful, leaving out a very important event that happens.
Bram, on the other hand, we watch his downward spiral. That’s all I can say about him, other than I really felt sorry for the poor guy by the end.
Kind of like watching a train wreck, thinking “there but for the grace of God…”, I couldn’t put it down.

This is such a unique and interesting story line! And a scary one when you consider just how easy it is for people to commit crimes now thanks to technology. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and alternate points of view. And I was very satisfied with the conclusion although I feared it may not end well for all the characters!

Sometimes the biggest threat doesn't come from the boogeyman in the closet but the person lying next to you in bed. Such is the case in Our House by Louise Candlish. Set in a upscale London suburb filled with over achieving kids, frazzled parents and a treasure trove of secrets, the homeowners on Trinity Avenue have lots to talk about-but their favorite topic is the escalating home values that have made many in the neighborhood millionaires (at least on paper). But few homes ever go on the market is this coveted suburban oasis so Fiona Lawson is surprised to see a moving van on her street. As she gets closer to her house Fiona's surprise turns to shock as she sees her furniture coming out of the house and a stranger's belongings going in. Fiona is estranged from her husband Bram, but they have a "bird's nest" arrangement where their two young sons remain in the house while Bram and Fiona alternate days living there, and neither has suggested selling their beloved home. Fiona's first thought is Bram has sold the house without her knowledge so he can obscound with the hefty profits the sale will bring without having to split it with her. But as the story unfolds what has happened is far more sinister. Among the many things Bram is hiding from his wife is he lost his driving license after multiple speeding tickets and other infractions. But it's hard to make a living as a salesman without a car, so Bram continues to drive despite the suspension. Like a snowball gaining size and strength rolling down a hill, this one decision leads to even more lies and deception as Bram must hide his driving ban not only from his family but his employer. When his continued erratic driving leads to catastrophe Bram finds himself backed into a corner desperate to keep his duplicity from being exposed. Our House utilizes a dual narrative and a "then/now" time frame to turn a family drama into a powerhouse thriller. It's hard to feel sorry for Fiona or Bram-despite the mounting evidence that a devastating crime (or several) has been committed, both cling to the idea that everything will turn out fine. Their delusion is almost as despicable as what they have done. Much of Our House is predictable-after all the police usually do get their man-but the ending!! Oh that ending-it will keep your mind churning with "if only" and "what if" for days. There's so many lessons in Our House it would take a textbook to fill them all-but the most important is this-the devil you know may not be better than the one you don't-in fact he may be much, much worse.

What a spectacular opening!! Fiona comes home from a short holiday to find out that she is no longer the owner of her beautiful home and that a new family has moved in. This must be a mistake!!! In a panic, she tries to reach her estranged husband to sort this out, but Bram is nowhere to be found and no one knows where he is. Fiona will soon discover that Bram has lied to her and is not innocent of this outrageous crime, but she also has her secrets.

The book is written in Fi's perspective in a form of a podcast called "The Victim" and Bram's perspective in a form of a Word document. Both deliver their view and details of the events. The end of the book is equally as spectacular as the beginning. It really makes you think that as hard you plan to hide your crime... someone will find out eventually. This is one of my favourite books this year.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this outstanding ARC of Our House by Louise Candlish. This book will be available at your favourite bookstore on August 7, 2018.

A very well crafted, unique storyline that will grab you from the get go as Fiona walks up to her home while a new family is moving in. Fiona tells her story through a blog of sorts explaining how she was conned by her ex husband. Her ex Bram, writes from the perspective of a suicide note/confession to his storyline. It was a huge domino effect of one decision setting off an awful avalanche of lies, which made it very thought provoking, and a hard to put down book. It was very hard to see how Bram could justify putting his family through what he did, but the author rightly showed his character as weak and easily manipulated. There were several little twists and turns along the way as you are rooting for Fi to have her life put back together neatly, but I was not prepared for the shocking ending that left me speechless. Great author, great thought provoking fast paced mystery! This is definitely a new, refreshing plot that to my knowledge hasn't been done before.

Unexpected twists keep you reading into the night. Just when you think you know what’s happened and what’s going to happen, this book takes you on a wild ride. Loved it!

London-set thriller with an unusual narrative format, that serves to tighten the tension of the tale. It opens narration by Fiona, wife and mother of two, who has come home early by chance to discover that her beloved house has been sold from right under her nose. Quickly, it is revealed that her estranged husband, Bram, executed the sale of their jointly-owned marital home, not by himself alone, but with the aid of an unknown woman, passing her off as his wife. The story progresses alternately through the transcript of a podcast featuring Fiona and a suicide note, written by the missing Bram. The podcast in which Fiona tells the story of the devolvement of her marriage and the duplicitous sale of their house by her cheating husband, is aptly named "Victim". The unaddressed suicide note is in effect a confession by Bram, told in fits and starts that reveal the depth of Bram's unraveling, both morally and emotionally. Both stories are helped along by incremental, intermittent, 'real-time' prose, allowing the reader to have a bird's eye view of the entire picture. Or does it? Just as history is written by the victor, so it seems are troubled marriages retold by unreliable, yet sometimes sympathetic, narrators. The unfolding of the wife's and the husband's stories, replete with slowly revealed details and seeming red herrings, was a compelling device which has left me unsure which of the parties was the true victim.

Brilliant. Not my normal cup of tea - I tend to avoid those books that force me to guess what's really going on, as I resist reading between the lines. With this one, you just can't help but guess, and anticipate, and even give the occasional cheer! Changed my anticipation frequently, and still missed on almost every count. Keeps you going till the very last page.

Those who struggle with flipping perspectives and changing time lines will want to pay attention.

Fiona's life is falling apart, she has separated from her husband Bram but they are taking turns staying in the house with the children. When returns early from a weekend away she discovers that all of their things have been moved out and strangers are claiming to have bought the house. What is going on? And where is Bram? A story of what happens when bad decisions get out of control and when you trust the wrong person.

It's funny how an incident can be seen so differently depending on the point of view. They say that there are three sides to every story: her side, his side and what really happened. This can be applied to Fiona and Bram Lawson. The beginning of the end of their marriage for her is his second infidelity. For him, it's something much worse. Both tell their story simultaneously: Fi, as a web series that follows the victim of a crime; Bram in a Word document that seems to be his suicide letter. The truth we get as third person chapters that describe how Fi finds perfect strangers moving into her house. Small details in one telling may become hugely important in the others and once we get the whole story... wow! The ending, especially, is such a gut punch that it made me gasp. Fi is not completely likable, even if you still root for her, as she refuses to be a victim. Bram... well, there is no way to root for him at all, being selfish, unfaithful and outright criminal. Yet, I still wanted to know what was going to happen, which is a hallmark of a good book.

This tense story made me squirm. At times I couldn't read any more without a break.
Bram and Fi are a married couple who separate after she catches him having a fling in their boys' playhouse. Unbeknownst to Fi, Bram gets in a car accident and seriously injures a mother and daughter but flees the scene because he's already lost his license and shouldn't have been driving anyway. A con man who witnesses it blackmails Bram into selling his house behind Fi's back and giving the con man the money.
The story is told alternately by Fi and by Bram in flashbacks from the one night stand to the house sale and also from Fi's discovery of the house sale and Bram's fleeing the country. The tension rises as Bram's life spirals out of control and Fi is devastated to find her house sold out from under her and all her possessions missing. The horror keeps piling up with more details I won't reveal until even the very end of the story left me saying, "Oh,no!"
I enjoyed the story for its cleverness of plotting and the style of narration used. I disliked the feeling I had as I read thinking this is something that could happen to me , or anyone.
I really liked this book.
I received an advance review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars


Fiona Lawson has found her husband, Bram, cheating ... again. With two small children in the home who idolize their Daddy, she and Bram come up with a way to separate without upsetting the kids. The kids will stay in their beautiful home ... Fiona will live there during the week and Bram will live there on the weekends.

She goes to the house to take over the care of the kids and as she draws nearer, she sees a large moving van. Oh, she thinks, the house next door has been sold. But .. No ... the moving van is in HER driveway. Someone is moving into HER house ... and she hasn't sold it.

Where is Bram? Where are the kids? Where are all their furniture, clothes? And who are these people? And how did these people take over her home?

As events spiral well beyond her control, Fiona will discover just how many lies her husband was weaving and how little they truly knew each other. But Bram's not the only one with things to hide, and some secrets are best kept to oneself.

This is a story of how human disaster works. It begins by trying to conceal a mistake and ends up being the perpetrator of a hundred further mistakes.

The story is told in a unique way. Fiona and Bram each tell their story. She delivers her side by podcast.... with tweets by listeners expressing their opinions. Bram tells his story via an emailed Word Document. The tale switches from today to the events that led up to today.

This is brilliantly written with twists and turns that will stun your senses. The main characters are finely drawn ... it's easy to see how their marriage died. Secrets are never a good thing between a married couple. There is also a surprise here and there that I didn't see coming.

The only drawback was the ending ... it was rather abrupt and it didn't seem finished. Other than that, a very good read.

Many thanks to the author / Berkley Publishing Group / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this Domestic Suspense. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This was a well-written, twisty, suspenseful book with a lot of surprises. The ending was basically perfect—after I finished it, I knew no other ending would have been right. But that doesn't mean it didn't make me excruciatingly angry! The whole book is the story of a selfish, narcissistic man ruining dozens of lives through lazy self-indulgence, and I think the book may have actually wanted me to feel <em>bad</em> for him?!

Thank you Net Galley for the book! Given the story plot line, I think the author did a great job of keeping me intrigued and interested in it. I think the premise is a little boring (basically about a house), but I think the writing made this book an easy and a good read. I loved the twist in the last sentence and the last few chapters were unpredictable and enjoyable.