Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar

They say that it is wrong to judge a book by its cover, but sometimes you need a good cover to catch your attention and read the summary of the book, that happened to me with Our House. The summary of the book was so intriguing that I had to know what happened to Fiona and her family.

It’s hard to talk about Our House without spoiling the story, but I will try. Everything changes for Fi when she arrives earlier than expected from her trip and finds a couple moving into her house. Her first thought is that her husband Bram, Abraham, has invited friends of his to stay for some time without telling her, but she notices that the moving crew are pulling furniture that is too big for a small stay. Once entering the house Fi finds that all of her things and her family is gone, the rooms are clean, and the new furniture is being arranged.

Fi learns that the new couple, The Vaughan’s, bought the house and are moving in. At first Fi doesn’t believe them and remembers a news about information scam and homeowner’s fraud, she believes that is the case with her house and family, but the question is, where is Bram and the kids?

For the last year, her marriage with Bram had started to end, they were in the process of getting a divorce, but decided to stay living in the same house for their kids. Their counselor suggested the bird nest approach, for half of the week one of them couldn’t live in the house while the other was there. Everything had been going well the kids had started to get use to the new system and both her and Bram were getting along better.

But after arriving from her trip, everything shattered. It seems that Bram had secrets that she didn’t knew about and some of her decisions were not the bests.

I liked this book, it was an interest topic to expand into a story. I liked the idea of coming home to find everything that is yours and your family gone, and new people are starting to move in. Author Louise Candlish made a great job plotting the mystery for the reader, letting the reader follow the clues until the end to make it more interesting to keep reading.

The story moves from past to present as both Fi and Bram tell their side of the story leading to the first pages of the book. The timeline can get a little fussy at sometimes, but it still easy to follow. We learn that most of the mystery centers around Bram and a problem he got into that scaled too fast. Still, after reading the story I don’t think all the fault falls on Bram, Fi played a big part in the after match of their fight by in her life. A lot of their problems could have been solved if they had talked to each other without judging, a real talk and listening to each other’s problems.

The only thing that I didn’t like or bothered me was the aftermath of all characters learning why things happened. The ending was not what I expected, it felt anticlimactic and not at par with the rest of the story. The way the story ends gives me the idea that the author might continue the story, but I’m not sure how the storyline will continue.

At the end I liked the story of Our House.

If you like a good mystery story, then I recommend you Our House by Louise Candlish. This story centers around a family that hasn’t been complete for a couple of months, and when the mom, Fiona, arrives home to see strange people moving into her house, it’s the best time to reevaluate everything in her life and the secrets her family has.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you for the ARC copy. This book had an interesting story but was hard to follow- going back and forth between Fi and Bram would have been OK but then it was present, past, social media, podcast, word document- making it too much. It seemed rather repetitive at times as well.

Our House by Louise Candlish is lively, fast moving entertainment jam packed with unusual methods of delivering its many bizarre plot twists.

Readers get an inside look at the past and present lives of wife Fi via pod cast and husband Bram via the alleged suicide note he is leaving for his family as Candlish weaves together the story of their lives.

This is one of those cautionary tales where no one is who they seem to be and the lies and deceptions are many.

Our House is an absorbing book that will grab you from page one and hold you enthralled until the final scene.
4 1/2 stars

This book was like nothing I have ever read before. Fiona and her husband Bram are separated and have a custody arrangement of their sons where they each live in the family homes with the boys a couple of days a week. Fiona is heading down her street when she sees a moving van in front of her house! Her house that she didn’t sell. At first she thinks it must be a friend of her husband’s, but the woman informs her that they are moving in. Fiona discovers all of her own things are no longer in the house. Neither are her husband and two young sons. She can’t find her husband and boys!

The book is told in alternating narration of Fiona and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Bram. Fiona starts doing a podcast called The Victim and we get to read the transcripts of her podcasts. This is a riveting, compelling story. I wouldn’t say it was a thriller, but it had me turning pages and wanting to know what would happen next!

Well wasn’t this one a wild ride! I was caught up in the web of drama from the first page. I admit to being very stressed over the house and what goes on within it’s walls. But it was good stress and I loved every minute of it.
I recommend this one to lovers of family drama and very twisty unexpected moments.
I received an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What a twisty, deceitful read! I wasn't too sure at first but i quickly got sucked in. Really enjoyed this book.

After it was highly recommended by a friend, I flew through this book in a weekend. This would be a great book to read at the beach or on a plane. Wow!

When Fiona Lawson comes home to find strangers moving into her house, she's sure there's been a mistake. She and her estranged husband, Bram, have a modern coparenting arrangement: bird's nest custody. But the system built to protect their family ends up putting them in terrible jeopardy. In a domino effect of crimes and misdemeanors, the nest comes tumbling down. 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. The first half of this book was a bit slow, riddled with details, but once more started happening and the plot thickened I was hooked! While a lot of the plot was a bit far-fetched I really liked the book, along with the unreliable narrators! I never was sure what may have *actually* happened!

So this story I found boring and I could not relate to the characters or even like them. You go back and forth between the husband and wife and get both sides of the story of what happened leading up to January 13. The most interesting part of the story is what happens after January 13 but it takes you most of the book to get to that part. It is hard to describe this book without giving away anything so I won't. I did finish this book but it was just okay to read nothing special.


*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

Very interesting premise. The main character was likable enough that you felt sympathy for her situation. I couldn't figure out the ending, which is always a nice surprise and the storyline moved quickly. Quite an enjoyable read.

This book had a lot of potential. It had fraud, and a whodunit to it, trading off between the husband and the wife. However this story dragged on way to often, and I find myself losing interest many times while reading.

The ending was a shock and totally messed up, in a good way, but getting to that point was a struggle.

What would you think if you came home from a weekend getaway to find someone new moving into your home?

That's what happened to Fiona did in this selection when she returned home to the “birds nest” to find it occupied by a new family. You see, Fiona and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Bram split after he just couldn’t keep it in his pants – despite being given a second chance. In an effort to not scar their children any more than necessary, the two chose to maintain ownership of their (dream) home where the children would remain permanently and lease a small flat where the non-custodial parent at the time would reside until it was their day with the kids once again. So how the hell did it fall under new ownership? You’ll have to read Our House to find out.

This was a solid 4 – maybe even 4.5 Stars – for me. I enjoyed the slow rolling delivery immensely, thought the pace was perfect, LOVED the storytelling of both his and her perspective . . . . until that ending . . . . .

Seriously. Why does everything but the kitchen sink need to be thrown in to a perfectly good book? All that extra mumbo jumbo at the end was completely unnecessary and knocked down the rating of potentially one of the best domestic thrillers I’ve read. Buuuuuuuut I'm rounding up instead of down. Mainly because of that cover.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

A fiendishly clever tale of deception! I found this story to be very suspenseful and addictive. Highly recommend!

I thought I had the psychological/domestic thriller genre down. Nothing could surprise me since reading Peter Swanson’s “The Kind Worth Killing” and Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl.” At least that is what I thought until I picked up “Our House” by Louise Candlish.
It begins with Fi, referred to as “Fe Fi Fo Fum” by her husband, behind her back, walking up the street to her lovely home in her lovely neighborhood and sees a moving truck ahead. As she gets closer, she releases that someone in moving their belonging into her house. How can this even be happening?
This only scratches the surface of a story with more layers than an onion! There are so many twists, turns, and surprises along the way. The story is told by Fi, via podcast transcripts, complete with follower comments, and by her husband, through a Word document he is writing. Both give their perspectives of how this housing event transpired months ago, and connected together with descriptions of the present day along the way. I have to say the use of the podcast description was very clever and creative.
What I thought would be an easy “beach read” turned out to be a page-turning, attention-grabbing, jaw-dropping thriller that I would recommend wholeheartedly.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: An addictive domestic thriller complete with secrets, distorted perspectives, and a terrifyingly believable crime.

In OUR HOUSE, we meet a couple trying to share a home after their separation for the sake of their kids. Fiona and Bram's backstories are interesting enough. However, it is only when their house is "mysteriously" sold from under Fiona's nose things start getting good...at least for the reader.

What I was so impressed with was Candlish's ability to elegantly weave together a dual perspective narrative while maintaining the pace of the novel as well as the suspense. The honesty and rawness of the characters coupled with how easily the crime at the center of the book could be real made OUR HOUSE impactful and entertaining.

In the beginning, I was constantly trying to figure out what would happen next, but soon found myself giving up this quest. I surrendered to the story and took the ride down a twisted path of deceit and emotional upheaval. Simply stated, this book is gripping, deliciously warped, and wonderfully written. A must read.

Thank you Berkley for the advanced copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

While I have seen mixed reviews, I thoroughly enjoyed Our House - the completely unique way the story is presented (through a podcast style narration, letter, and flashbacks to the events) was so, so, so refreshing to me! I thought it was the most clever way to reveal the story and twists, without being to complicated to follow.

Synopsis: Fiona comes home to find strangers moving into her house and she’s sure there has been a mistake - except her estranged husband is missing, and now so are her kids. It doesn’t take long for Fiona to realize the extent of her husbands lies - maybe she never knew him at all.

The story unwinds moving between the present day, when Fiona realizes there is a new family living in her house, to a podcast narration of her telling the story on a Victims Story station, and through a letter from Bram explaining his version of the events. I really felt that all the voices were different enough for the movement between them to be simple to follow - not to mention, incredibly interesting when it came to seeing multiple perspectives on the same event.

I also loved the completely horrible characters in this story. I just wanted to smack Bram every time a new “mistake” of his came to light - it was like watching a crash unfold before your eyes - things are going downhill fast but you can’t stop it, right to the very last twist.

I personally think this is a perfect summer read, especially if you are like me, and enjoy something unique to refresh your reading palate.

When Fiona (Fi) Lawson and her husband Bram decide to separate, Fi comes up with a "bird's nest" co-parenting idea for the benefit of her 2 young sons. It seems to be working out well, they take turns living in their beautiful home in a desireable area of London. Bram seems to have some secrets, that even Fi has no idea of. His latest secret is a big one. Unfortunately, someone from the wrong side of the tracks witnesses it.

One morning after Christmas, Fi returns early from a trip and sees a new family moving into her house. There is no sign of Fi ever living there, and also missing is her ex, Bram, who is supposed to be caring for their boys, who are also not where they are supposed to be. As the story unfolds, you will see how the mind of a criminal spins. It's frightening how this could happen.

This is one twisted story! The characters are so deceiving, to each other, to their friends, so many surprises! I wouldn't consider this a thriller, but definitely a psychological hot mess! With each chapter, you will find another little nugget of shock. The ending is so unexpected, right up until the last sentence! I hope there is a book #2 in the works!

I would definitely recommend this book. It will keep you enticed, just waiting to find out "what next". I really enjoyed it. A solid 4.5 stars!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon and Shuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The last thought I had was wow she's fucked, but throughout the novel I thought what an idiot he's fucked. Oh how the tables have turned. This novel was great it had me hating character choices and had me on my toes. I knew nothing good would come if people's actions. The constant information that was suddenly given to the reader while other things came later in the novel once the podcast was over was just... OMG. Basically this is a good novel that will keep you hooked and while make you want to learn more, or make you want to counsel multiple characters. The children are clueless of course, which wierdly is good I was expecting to see something happen to them to get them involved, but it's bad enough that in the end they'll be alone because of their stupid parents.

"O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!"

Fiona, aka Fi, returns from a short holiday to find moving vans in front of her much beloved home. When Fi is unable to locate her philandering husband, Bram, it quickly becomes clear that he is not the man she thought he was. Bram plays both a protagonist and an antagonist in this story, weaving a web of lies unlike anything I've read in a long time. I mean this dude craps and falls back into it over and over until he's suffocating in it. I really felt sorry for him at times, poor bastard. This dude destroys everyone in the path of his dominoes of deceit, leaving no one left unscathed by his lies, especially Bram himself.

From the utterly unique plot to the clever layout and ultimately the delicious ending, Our House by Louise Candlish was a joy to read.


I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once you start this heart pounding book there is no way that you are going to put this book down. Louise Candlish has written one heck of a winner with this book from the strong plot to the three dimensional characters. You will feverishly turn pages as you read to find out exactly what happened. It's a must pick up and clear the decks so you have plenty of time to devote to this amazing book. Happy reading!