The story was interesting, but the pace was too slow for me. But for my first time reading this author it was a pretty decent read

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. Anna Downes did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

What a bizarre read! I tried to figure out what was going to happen and I kind of did and kind of didn’t. Trigger warning of self harm - that took me a little by surprise.

The Safe Place is one of those books that is impossible to put down, with plenty of well-crafted characters, plot twists, and drama! The novel follows a young actress, Emily, who is manipulated by a wealthy and successful businessman. She is given an opportunity to work in France, and at first everything is ideal. As she begins to uncover some truths about the family who has welcomed her into the fold, she is forced to make some hard decisions. Overall, a great read!

The story unfolds through the alternating perspectives of Emily, a down-on-her-luck actress hired as a housekeeper, and Scott, a wealthy businessman. Emily also serves as a companion of sorts for Scott’s wife, Nina, and their daughter. Told in dual POVs may allow the reader to question both narrators and keep them guessing about whom to trust.
A good mystery thriller is a potent cocktail of suspense, intrigue, and unexpected twists. The narrative in The Safe Place is a slow burn, which can be effective in building tension. Still, the unraveling exposition is too gradual here, leaving a feeling of meandering, resulting in disengagement. Things do pick up in the third act, but the story soon falls back into a plodding pace. Emily tries hard, but her attempts to sort out her life and the entanglement with Nina fall flat. The real champion of the novel is the seaside setting and the Denny estate.
The ending is generally satisfying, but it leaves some lingering questions about certain characters and plot points, which might leave some readers unsatisfied.

Absolutely loved this read! Loved the premise and how everyone one of the adults were a little crazy which weaved this perfect web of chaos! I was not expecting so many of the plot twists and then there were others that were a little predictable. But I couldn’t out this books down. Loved the setting as well! It was beautiful, it was mysterious, it was claustrophobic. Perfection!

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

This book is more of a creepy, atmospheric suspense story than a thriller, because of that the pacing can be a bit on the slow side, but the story is still interesting. The whole time it feels like the plot rings a bell, like it's taken from a headline, but not directly, perhaps in another European country. This sensation that you've heard this story in real life, makes it believable enough to be creepy, even though Emily makes some choices that seem very naive and that seem to obviously lead down a treacherous path, but she goes there anyway, like some people do in real life.

Emily is an aspiring actress who pays her bills with temp work. However, when she fails at her auditions, she misses her job, or is consistently late.

One day, she is approached with a seemingly perfect job. Working as a house manager of sorts to a family at their mansion on the coast of France. She even arrives by private jet.

She quickly falls into a comfortable place with the family and disconnects from the world.

Then everything changes.

This was a slow burn at times, but definitely entertaining!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Great read. Couldn’t put it down. I only wish there was a follow up to the ending because I had a few unanswered questions. But it was a quick read that definitely kept me interested.

This was an interesting book. It was different from other thrillers which was definitely nice. I know most reviews said it was predictable; however, I didn't predict it. I knew something was up but I didn't think what it was.

I do feel like there were some unanswered questions left floating around. Like what was the smell?! Maybe I missed that part I don't know.

But overall, it kept me engaged and interested throughout.

I think if it is already on your radar then you should definitely read it.

Main character, Emily, loses her job, her agent and her home all in the same day. She gets offered a job as a housekeeper/Nanny for a family living in France. Sounds perfect doesn’t it? But when the secrets start piling up, Emily isn’t so sure about this new job.
Psychological thriller that is a fast paced read. Definitely read this if you like domestic thrillers.

Ooh time goes by and if i don't write the review right away...sigh. I'm trying to be better. The best i can do right now is give a star count...

An Interesting cast of characters and very bizarre setup. A receptionist plucked by the CEO to live in France with his wife and daughter. Too good to be true. Emily is also a strange protagonist, who is estranged from her family. There is definitely a twist with the daughter Aurelia. I thought the pacing could have been a bit better. Emily finally figured out the underlying evil that had taken place. It would have been interesting to know Aurelia's fate.

Absolutely loved this book. It sucked me in from the getgo and had me guessing all the way to the end. Did not want it to end at all.

I really enjoyed this book.I recommend reading it .I love beach or water type of psychological thrillers. 4 stars.Thanks for the ARC I received from the author Sarah Downes

This was an interesting book. It was different from other thrillers which was definitely nice. I know most reviews said it was predictable; however, it was not predictable to me. I do feel like there were some unanswered questions left floating around, but it kept me engaged and interested throughout. I can't wait to read more by Anna Downes!

What a ride this was! Not only was the story set on the beach, it was also full of twists and turns that I was unable to guess. The author was very good at slowly building the tension with each page. I struggled to put this one down and flew through it. A great summer thriller!

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is one of my favorite kinds of Thrillers. The one where you know something is up, and you maybe have a few guesses but overall, you're thinking what the heck is going on here?

I had about 5 different theories and one of them was kinda close but I still didn't guess until just before the reveal. Yes! That's what I like.

I wish it had a creepier vibe, that probably would have been a 4.5/5 rating but it was still a really good Thriller that I definitely recommend.

The Safe Place by Anna Downes is a great poolside or beach thriller. I love the "rich person/couple opens their doors to someone else" trope. It never fails to be entertaining, and it was certainly entertaining in this book. The setting will draw you in, and the plot is definitely suspenseful. If you are a seasoned thriller reader, you may have predicted what happens, but this didn't necessarily take away for me. Overall, this was an impressive debut novel.