Great book, love this author and how they can keep my attention to the end! The plot is well developed, characters are believable and they obviously paid attention to detail to make the story worth your time to read.

*This book was provided to me by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This book blew me away. It was well-written with plenty of suspense, and it kept me hooked until the very last page! The characters were well-developed, and the ending was fantastic! I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the suspense/thriller genre.

Joanna is blow drying her hair when she notices the motion sensor light going off outside her window but she’s not expecting company. She continues with her routine but slowly begins to feel uneasy but as she’s thinking of preparing some tea to soothe her nerves, she’s hears a noise from inside the house.

She goes downstairs, still hearing some sounds coming through but arms herself with courage and a paperweight when all of a sudden she sees a man in her house. She begs him not to hurt her and at the same time she’s confused as to why this well dressed man would be in her home. She tells him she won’t call the police and it’s only when he says her name that she realizes he must know her but she doesn’t recognize him. Finally, she sees he’s starting to react to her words but instead of asking for money, valuables or something else, he’s asking her to reason with him because he’s her fiancé and they live together.

Erik is just as confused as Joanna. He’s trying to make her understand that they are a couple but when he calms her down and thinks of ways to show her they live together, he realizes something is seriously wrong. It’s like there is no trace of him at their apartment.

As time passes and both stand by their stories, they come to the uneasy realization that something big is going on and they are caught up in grander scheme but who do they need protection from and who can help them?

Told in alternating chapters between Joanna and Erik’s viewpoint I thought the authors did a good job of showing the confusion both characters are experiencing. The best part of the book for me was the middle when I felt like I was racing through with them to figure out what is going on all leading to a conclusion that was a bit over the top but fun nonetheless.

Imagine being home alone when a stranger walks into the house. He isn't aggressive, but you're scared. You don't know him. Then he asks why you're scared of your own fiance.

Such is the beginning of "Strangers," a tense tale of two people fighting for their lives in unknown, yet familiar circumstances. Joanna and Erik, a couple once looking forward to a future together, are torn apart by Joanna's sudden loss of memory. As Erik seeks to persuade and console, she turns into his worst nightmare.

Told in alternating chapters and voices, the couple's fight to survive and reunite plays out in a world of secrets, near misses and murder.

While the story is unrealistic in many ways, it's frighteningly real in today's world of technology, sabotage and greed. The author brings all those elements together as her characters try to outrun that which seeks to dominate their existence.

A twisty, turny psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from the first page.

This book was a lot. Starting with Joanne finding a strange man in her house claiming to be her finance she cannot remember.
Quickly the story develops in a thriller where both Joanna and Erik are running for their lives. Some of the chapters are really exciting but overall the book was to much. Characters being under constant stress. No moment there to recuperate. I was getting tired for them. There are a lot of things mentioned in the story that never return. Like Joanne and her doctors visit or Erik and his work stuff. Though there is a clear path in the story all these details and sidesteps make the story messy.

Strangers starts off strong, and I was intrigued with the idea of a young woman finding a strange man in her house who claims to be her fiance'. Except...Joanna doesn't recognize him. Eric tells the frightened Joanna that they live together, but then realizes that nothing of his remains in the house.

From description: "A shocking thriller that explores what happens when mysterious foul play causes a woman not to recognize or remember her fiancé, but forces the couple to trust each other and fight the odds.
Trust or die."

Although I was initially engaged and curious, I found the developing plot a bit too fantastic and had trouble identifying with the characters. The novel moves quickly with short chapters that kept me reading, but my interest didn't keep pace.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Mystery/Thriller. January, 2018. Print length: 320 pages.

Joanna is home alone when a man shows up in her house. She panics since she doesn't know him. He tells her he is her fiancé, Erik, and lives there with her, except there are no signs that he lives there. No clothes. No toiletries. Nothing. As they try to figure out what is going on, they discover they are both in great danger.

The story is told from both Joanna and Erik's points of view. I liked the alternating chapters of different viewpoints. It helped fill in blanks as to what was happening.

A fast-paced domestic thriller. I was intrigued as to what the reality was, what was their history, and what happened to cause the situation.

I loved the premise for this story, and the writing style immediately sucked me in. The setup is eerie in its realism. I wanted to know who these people were, and which one was either lying or crazy.

The story is told via short chapters that alternate narrators between Joanna and Erik, both written in first person. Initially this intrigued me, as we get to see things from both characters' perspectives. But soon the content becomes repetitive, with too much detail being rehashed from the other person's point of view. This slows the story down considerably, so that not much really happens, aside from a lot of tension, for the first half of the book.

The strained relationship with Joanna and her father is a major factor in the story, yet it's never explored in any sort of depth. We never find out why her father feels so strongly about a particular matter, despite the fact that the issue has a major impact on events.

As the story progresses, the characters' choices and actions border on ridiculous. The situation continually spirals out of control, when really there were far more logical actions for them both to take at just about every step of the way.

And, finally, the explanation for Joanna's memory loss, which was the basis for the entire convoluted plot, was too much of a stretch for me to buy into.

An epilogue clearly leaves us dangling for a sequel, but, for the most part, there is closure for the characters.

This novel didn’t turn out the way I was expecting. I loved the idea for the story and I enjoyed the first half of the book but the story ended up being kind of repetitive and I had trouble getting through the last half of the book.

Books listed as thrillers always conjure up thoughts for me of being delightfully immersed in a page turner for a day or more and spending all my free time thinking about what has already occurred. I’ve also found that I like when the POV goes back and forth between two characters. It’s always interesting to find out what each one thinks. This book started out as one of those totally immersive experiences; although there is cursing, and I really, really dislike when authors bring God and Jesus into their foul language—like this author does. I never find it adds anything at all to the story and lately, it’s been in just about every book I have read except for those bestselling authors who know there are other ways to show a character is upset.

I did find the book to be a page turner; although, some of the scenes were really over the top.

Caution: sex as well as the cursing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The transition between points of view felt seamless and developed the two main characters well. The pace was balanced and allowed me to enjoy the story with an anticipation that was not overwhelming. Mystery and intrigue was sustainable and believable with how the story was presented. I found myself invested enough that the epilogue still has me thinking/feeling. I would highly recommend this to any thriller fan.

I reviewed this for the January edition of RT Magazine

I LOVED this book!!!📚💖😄 It had me hooked from the first few pages! I read this psychological thriller in one or two sittings and wanted more! This story was told from a dual perspective of Joanna and Erik and was well written. I enjoyed the characterisation in this book and felt sympathy for both of the main characters! I was at the edge of my seat and kept on guessing throughout the story what was going on!!? This would make a fantastic film! Highly recommended!

A big thanks to Minotaur Books for the copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first book by Ursula Archer and I absolutely loved it! 2018 is the year to branch out into more authors and genres - this is a German thriller and it was definitely different than the Scandinavian crime thrillers we're all used to. This he said/she said thriller had a great and original vibe to it!

What would you do if a man you do not recognize tells you that he's your fiance? Do you believe him? This is Joanna's reality. Erik claims to be her fiance, but why does her home suggest that she lives alone? Why can't she remember him? Joanna is filled with the overwhelming urge to run or to attack - but who can she trust?

This is one of those novels where it's best to go into it without knowing more than you need to. This is a quintessential he said/she said suspense novel - with two unreliable narrators you are in for a suspenseful and page-turning read. In the classic domestic drama/thriller style, we bounce back and for between Joanna and Erik. I don't know how Archer and Strobel managed to do it, but I found myself fearing for Joanna and then feeling bad for Erik in the next chapter.

The pacing was great - there was a portion that felt like a lull but nothing that threw off the overall tempo of the book. I know that the ending will probably have people torn and won't be what everyone will like, but I thought it was a great twist!

Overall, if you love a great he said/she said thriller with unreliable narrators, then you should pick u THE STRANGERS! If you want a suspense novel that will keep you guessing until the end, then make sure to add this one to your TBR.

I give this 4.5/5 stars! (rounded up for rating)

Joanna is fresh out of her shower and taking solace in the fact that she's going to curl up on the couch with a good book and a glass or two of wine for a relaxing evening. Sounds perfect! Except from her bathroom window she notices her sensor light outside has gone on and someone has entered her house. She panics. She has to figure out what to do. She decides to investigate. Maybe this was all her imagination but it's not because there is a stranger in her home. A man she's never seen before. She screams and asks him to leave only to find out it's her fiance. How could this be? She lives alone and there is no sign that a man even lives in her house. He is just as confused as she is. Where are all his belongings?

The blurb for this sounded so interesting and it is for about 1/2 of the book but then it all gets so repetitive. It seems like you keep reading the same chapter over and over again which led me to do some skimming. For a book as fast paced as this I was surprised by how bored and distracted I was becoming as I read it. The end of the book was just meh for me.

Sadly, this is now my third 2 star book of 2018! Bummer! :(

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Set in Germany, Joanna Berrigan confronts a stranger in her home who alleges to be her fiancé. There is only one problem with that--she doesn't know him, and though he is adamant that he lives with her in the house, has nothing of his in the home to support that claim. Erik Thieben maintains he belongs there and, terrified, she begins the journey to either escape, prove him wrong, or together sort through what has happened.

The point here, I guess, is to stick with it, though the hook that drew you in quickly goes stale and what happened becomes obvious. Two things: (First) Each chapter takes on a kind of Rashomon style tale where first we get the fish-eye view from Erik, then the same view from Joanna, including some over-lapping dialogue. (And second) After you've decided Erik must be some kind of masochistic saint for sticking around, the twists and misdirections begin. Background characters are brought to the fore. So is this whole scenario his fault or hers? AH, that's where this tale goes wonky and things get a little out of hand (and might I say--ahem! far-fetched?). So many holes in this one! Erik is not well fleshed, and I wondered if he was dumb as a box of rocks, how did he attain that position in the energy company? And to be fair, he wasn't the only one making vacuous decisions.

As the pace of the book begins to rush to climax, a LOT is happening and the plot heats up. I was dismayed to realize I was right about the bad guys. But...really? I downloaded this book from the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Refreshing to read from international authors and European setting. Recommended to all who enjoy an international thriller, crime, and suspense novel.

This was a great thriller that kept me on my toes! The concept was so interesting - fiancé comes home and his partner doesn’t recognize him, thinks he’s a burglar or attacker. He desperately tries to convince her he lives there....until he notices all his stuff is gone from the house, like he doesn’t exist. It becomes a trust game from that point on, she is terrified (of him and of herself), but so is he, and yet all they have is each other as they try to figure out what happened. This was well written, and such an interesting plot. I enjoyed the game of who do we believe up until the very end, when it resolved itself nicely. The authors switch back and forth between Jo and Erik, so you get each of their perspectives, which makes it easy to relate to them both (and harder to know who’s telling the truth). Highly recommend this one if you like fast paced thrillers that keep you guessing. Thanks to NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this book. Scheduled pub date is Jan 9, so you don’t have to wait long!

3.5 Stars

Joanna is terrified to find a strange man in her house and is prepared to defend herself against the burglar. The man, however, claims to be her fiancé. Joanna has absolutely no recognition of the man and none of his belongings are in her house even though he claims that he lives with her.

Both Joanna and Erik are confused and scared because neither knows why their lives have been turned upside down. They are, however, beginning to realize that they are in grave danger. But is the danger from one another or an outside party? They must decide if working together is worth the risk in hopes to save their lives.

The suspense in this book was fantastic. It was hard to put down because the mystery was so intriguing. Unfortunately, the ending fell short for me. I was quite disappointed. Overall, this was a good read and I do recommend it. My dissatisfaction with the ending stems more from my dislike of the subject area rather than the fault of the writer.

I received this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to St. Martins Press, and to Ursula Archer.

Not interesting enough for me. Although I tried my best to make it work, it's just not to my liking at all.