4 1/2 ⭐️‘S

Oh my, what a read! Cleverly crafted with a unique storyline, this book was mesmerizing. Told in two different voices (Bram and Fi) and in two different mediums (Podcast and Word Doc), made for a story so compelling that this reader stayed up way too late to finish it and what a fabulous finish it was!

Abraham and Fiona Lawson tell the story of their house, their marriage, and their poor choices in Louise Candilish's Our House. The author's storytelling is amazing; she cleverly crafted the story layout with Fiona's side is primarily told through her video podcast of The Victim (a reality crime program of sorts) and Bram's story is told via his suicide note/confession.

I did find the story bogged down a bit, but it wasn't so much the pace as it was the set up of an acrimonious and failing marriage. A relationship filled with deceit and complaining tends to suck the life out of you (and the characters). However, Our House is not your usual failing marriage drama. It is filled with blackmail, complex, scams and retribution. I enjoyed how Ms. Candlish brought together Fiona and Bram's tales at the book's zenith. However, the best part is the denouement where a good intention will eventually set off a karmic conclusion. I didn't see that coming, and I have to say, it left me pondering whether or not I like the probable outcome. Our House is a delectable thriller that you shouldn't miss!

4.5 stars

Our House grabbed me from the opening paragraph and held on tight - up until around the 30% mark. From there, it started losing me and try as I might, I just couldn't get back into it. Light domestic suspense, yes, but I failed to find anything that I would consider a thriller, psychological or otherwise. This one is a whole lot of talk, talk, talking and a lot of it was repetitive as we get both sides of the story. There are a couple of twists thrown in, but when you've reached the point of skimming to find something to keep the story moving, they don't have much impact. I do prefer a faster pace in the genre, so maybe my disappointment can be chalked up to me expecting one thing and getting another, but this one clearly was not for me.

All I can say about Our House is Wow!! Simply Wow! I loved it!

Fiona (Fi), trying to deal with her husband infidelity, is swept into a fraud of epic proportions. Unknown to her and for reasons she cannot fathom, the house she occupies with her two sons and her estranged husband, has been sold to another couple. The story unfolds by using several different methods, including multiple points of view, backstories and even comments from people who have listened to or read a transcript from a podcast about the fraud that has occurred.

I enjoyed every angle of the story. The storytelling itself is unique and the characters could be anyone. At first, my reaction was that the story was a little too fantastical. But, as the plot unfolded I decided that, in this day and age of emails and electronic records, it could most certainly happen.

It is suspenseful tale that unfolds layer by layer. I found it was very hard to put down – a perfect book for a long afternoon (or even into the night). I loved the twists that came unexpectedly and the ending is brilliant.

Ms Candlish has done a masterful job of weaving a story of regret, deceit, innocence and redemption. So far Our House is one of my favorite books of 2018!

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

“”” Merle asked them outright what I hadn’t yet thought to ask; “how much did you pay for it?” And even though my marriage, my family, my life had been annihilated, I still paused my sobbing to listen to the answer: “two million” Lucy Vaughn said in a broken whisper. And I thought, it was worth more......We were worth more.”””

Beginning of the book?? I was hooked on the premise. A little farther in I thought omg how will this end. A third of the way thru the book??? MINDBLOWN 😱 plot twist, didn’t see some of the side stories coming. End of the book lost me, but I know many people like the left hanging factor so they can finish the story in their minds the way they think it should have ended. That being said...I really really really wanted to love this book.

Thank you to Berkley Pub #Partner for gifting me this copy and inviting me onto the blog tour, in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I think this book will be perfect for readers who enjoy a slow burning suspense novel. The format was an interesting aspect of this book. I did appreciate that. The book had a very promising start, like most thrillers I couldn't wait to find out what happened to her house. Did she have amnesia? Was she mentally unstable and just thought she owned this house? Was there some trauma? Kind of like the typical thriller. For me, this book slowly just lost me. It may have something to do with the fact it's not at all what I expected, it also is not a thriller, it's more mystery, with a dash of domestic suspense, and a pinch of chick lit.

This is a very hard review for me to write, because while I didn't enjoy it, I know that many people will, so I don't want to discourage future readers. I think if you go into it, not thinking it's a thriller you will enjoy it much more. I will say that Candlish's writing is very detailed and atmospheric. She wrote a lot of dialogue in this book, so you are reading a lot of conversations, and both Bram and Fi's side of the story. I'm not sure if that accurately describes it, but there is a lot of talking. The cover is gorgeous, and the prose was intriguing, this was just a book that didn't do it for me.

Told in two different formats that were unique and interesting. One was the transcript of sorts of a podcast that Fiona Lawson made about this incident that happened to her and the other was a word document that Abraham Lawson left behind. Sprinkled amongst these two formats were narration to help give a little context and help move the story along.

Fiona Lawson approaches her house where she is "bird nesting" with her soon to be ex husband and finds all of her belongings gone and a new family moving in. She must quickly get to the bottom of this without the aid of this soon to be ex husband who has disappeared. What an interesting mystery!

I loved the story. I loved the characters. I loved the concept. I just loved this one. It was easy for a summer weekend to dip in and out of and pick up and put down for a weekend. At the same time it was so interesting that I wanted to keep reading and reading to find out how it would all unfold.

BUT the ending. Without spoiling too much, I have to say that I hated the ending. I wanted so much more from it and I wasn't happy with the conclusion. Would I read it with knowing about the ending, YES! The story is so different and fascinating that it is worth a little bit of frustration at the end.

Again, I love reading an author and finding out that they have a backlist. Have you read any of Louise's backlist? If I loved this one where should I go next?

This is a good domestic noir novel. It is broken down into 3 different pieces that seem to alternate. Fiona Lawson comes home to find strangers moving into her home which is taking place in the present, the story of whose house it still is, where the money is, who sold it etc. Then there is the story of how we got there told by Fiona on a podcast called Victims. Interspersed with Fiona's account of what happened we get to read a word document written by Bram and learn how this all came to be from his perspective.

Many other reviews have mentioned a twist toward the end that they didn't see coming but I didn't find it all that mind blowing. Overall I thought it was a well written book but I felt it was a bit too long. Especially as the book headed toward its conclusion. There were revelations I saw coming, some outcomes I didn't but wasn't surprised by but in the end I felt that this was a well written book about a naive woman who slowly starts to see the darker side of life.

Wow! This thriller has it all, the suspense, the mystery, the wow factor twist and the book hangover!

There wasn’t enough to grab me at the beginning to keep reading the rest of the book. The different perspectives were too choppy and confusing because Of the weak beginning.

Imagine having the house of your dreams. The house you have always wanted. It's perfect for you in every way. You hope to live there forever. You plan to give this home to your children one day, keep it in the family as they say. Then imagine walking home one day to see a moving truck parked out front. Furniture is being moved in, and you did not arrange any of this. This must be a mistake. It must be!

But you quickly meet the new owner. What!?! You didn't sell this home. True, you are sharing the home with your soon to be ex-husband, but certainly there has been some mistake, hasn't there? That is what happens to Fiona "Fi" as she returns one day. Frantic, she phones her soon to be ex-husband, Bram, but can't get through to him. She has no idea where Bram is, and the new owner(s) have proof of a sale.

Our House is told both Fi and Bram's point of view but in different formats. Fi's point of view is told through a podcast called "The Victim". She tells her side of the story and the reader quickly learns why the couple are getting divorced and the events occurring from Fi's POV. It is obvious that Fi has not been told the truth about so many things that will eventually have an impact on her life. The reader is given Bram's POV through a word document. He has not been honest with Fi and is not a very like-able character. As both share their stories, the reader is privy to more information than Fi. What starts as one incident begins a chain reaction leading to downfall.


This book started out strong for me but then slowed down drastically in the middle but then picked up the pace again when it gets to the home stretch. There are a few twists and turns to move the story along but again - the middle - it lagged. Overall, an enjoyable story even if it wasn't an edge of your seat page turner. Interesting premise and a unique way of telling the story which will work for some and not others. I think this would be a good book for books club as there are some interesting things to discuss - birds nest parenting/divorce/home-sharing, deceit, lies, the old "what would you do if this happened in your life" or "what would you do differently" questions, the ending, the twists, etc.



Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Can you imagine coming home and finding strangers moving into your home? That is what happens to Fiona Lawson one day. She knows she has not sold the house, she along with her husband do the co-parenting thing, meaning that even though they are separated, they maintain the house for their kids and they switch off living in the house while keeping a separate flat for them to live in when they are not at the house. This arrangement works for a while until Fiona comes home on that fateful day. Not only does she come home to strangers moving into her home, her estranged husband, Bram and her children seem to be missing.

The story is told in a unique point of view, in each Fiona's and Bram's voice via a website called The Victim, an acclaimed crime podcast where each episode tells the true story of a crime that happens to the victim. Each episode continues the story of what happened to get the couple to where they are. Because of something Bram did, Fiona's life is escalating into a devasting secret that could cost her more than just her home.

I love a good psychological thriller and this is one of the best I have read in a while! A story that kept me wanting more even after the last page! I highly recommend it!

Our House took off like a shot from the very beginning and did not let me go until the very end! From a previous betrayal to one of the most unscrupulous incidents, this book grabbed hold and kept me intrigued until the shocking conclusion, which left me with my mouth hanging open. I loved this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, and Louise Candlish for the ARC to review. This book was "awesome" right to the very end. I loved the format of the story, hearing the Bram and Fiona's version of the story, through blog and word processor. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. Fiona come home one day and strange people are moving into her home, and her husband Bram is nowhere to be found. The story had lots of twists and turns. My overall feeling was how could Bram put his family in this situation. Man up, and see where the chips fall. I really thought toward the end that Bram would have found a way to help his family financially after the loss to their home. However, I never expected it to end as it did. After everything was said and done, Bram thought he was helping his family, and his last act of good will was going to be there demise. I don't want to give it away. A must read.

I LOVED this book! I loved the storyline. I loved the method of story-telling. The plot actually unfolded in 3 different voices: Fi’s perspective as events occurred and her perspective in retrospect, with Bram’s pov filling in gaps. I don’t want to say more about the methods used because they were a unique surprise. There were enough twists and/or “I didn’t see that coming” moments to make it interesting without convoluting the plot. The author did an excellent job with keeping the action moving, and I was very disappointed when I finished, because it was such a great story. In fact, the only negative I have to say is that after all of the excitement of the climax (and the resolution) the story seemed to actually end abruptly. I understand why the author ended it where she did, I just wish there had been a little bit more of an epilogue to tie up a couple of points. All in all, however, I very much enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a while to get into this book but once I got into it I was hooked. How far will you go to protect yourself and your secrets? Bram appears to be a good man however his wife knows some of his ways but not all. He operates behind her back and she is just so blind that this story will take you on a ride. The plot of this book is intriguing but there were times when the story fell flat. Don’t let this stop you from pushing forward because it gets better.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a refreshing change from the typical psychological thriller and dips into the domestic thriller genre. The plot is original; I’ve never read anything like it which is hard to imagine!

While the book does seem a bit drawn out, I do like the podcast angle; this was different and made it read quicker. I also liked the short “tweets” at the end of each podcast—very clever!

I received an advance copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

3.5 Stars

Where to start? I guess it would have to be at the beginning.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this story, but even though it held my interest, it was becoming aggravating. It was the whining of sorts getting on my nerves. It was as if neither character could have a sane and rational thought, especially Bram. Fi seemed to have her head stuck in the sand and her actions created a good bit of the problems they were facing.

I didn’t like the way it ended. There should have been a final reveal. It just leaves you with an “Oh Crap” and wanting to know/see the final outcome.

Give it a shot, it will hold your interest because you’ll be wondering what else is going to happen. You may even like the way it ended.

This book had so much potential. Unfortunately the writing style for this book made it almost unbearable for me. I tried to read it a few times, but I just couldn't get into it.

Can a soon-to-be ex-husband sell Our House without warning?

Bram and Fi are a typical London family with two young sons and most of their money tied up in their house. When Fi throws Bram out for adultery in their kids’ playhouse, Bram moves in with his mother until their finances are divided equally between them. When Fi pushes to keep the house “for the boys’ sake”, Fi and Bram decide to alternately stay in the house with their sons and in a separate small London flat. Fi comes home early from a business trip to find strangers moving into her house. Bram has sold the house to them and absconded with the 2 million selling price. Using alternating chapters with a podcast for Fi and Word documents for Bram, the real reason for the sale and the marriage dissolution is slowly revealed.

Despite having absolutely no empathy for either main character, I enjoyed this twisty tale of their lives. Stripping off the clothes of propriety shows some amazingly ugly truths. There are crimes both committed by and done to both Fi and Bram up to and including murder. Though the book drags a bit in the middle, the finale is well worth sticking with it. This book is highly recommended for readers who like a multitude of unexpected twists and turns in plot. As long as character likeability and a uniformly fast pace is not a requirement, Our House is worth 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher, Berkeley, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.