This one drew me in from the moment I saw the cover and then read what it was about. It did not disappoint for me. I liked the story line and truly enjoyed reading this one. I think all of the characters were well written and interesting in their own way despite not always being likeable or making the best decisions. I will definitely be recommending this one to people. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this.

I had high hopes for The Safe Place. The storyline sounded so promising despite the possibilities for predictability. In the end, it was predictable, but that isn't what bothered me. My problem was that this whole thing relied heavily on Emily being completely gullible or not very bright. Maybe both? Had she at least known Scott, I could've maybe seen her accepting the job, but it just doesn't ring true. Plus, I struggled with Emily anyway. I tried, but I couldn't find it in myself to like her. I won't go into any other details so I don't give any spoilers, but it's safe to say that this one didn't work for me. This is a debut, which surprised me based on the writing style. The story does have good flow, it's a bit slower paced than I care for, but I didn't find any serious lags, so that's a plus. What it comes down to is yes, I would read something else by Anna Downes. She does show talent, and I'll be interested to see how her writing takes shape. This one just didn't happen to be the one for me.

3.75 out of 5 stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and St.Martin's press for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love finding authors that are new to me and Netgalley has introduced me to many of my favorite authors, Anna Downes will be added to that list.

Emily's life is a disaster. She makes terrible life choices, is estranged from her parents and just lost her job. When Emily's former boss offers her a new job that seems way too good to be true she accepts it. I mean who wouldn't want to jump at that chance? Okay, you wouldn't? I wouldn't either but Emily is extremely naive so she takes it.

I liked the feel of this novel. It had a kind of Gothic feel to it and it really held my interest. It was a bit predictable but was still a good mystery.

I like Anna Downes voice and look forward to reading more by her.

I enjoyed reading this book and couldn't wait to get to the end. When I did however, I was left wanting more. What happened to Emily as a child? What happened to Aurelia, was she reunited with her family? So many open, unanswered questions. It's a very quick read.

What a thrilling read! Multiple narrators made the story even more captivating. There were many harrowing moments which had me on the edge of my seat. I would definitely read more books by this author!

Maybe it was just me, but this book started off predictably: Emily loses her job, Scott enlists her to work for him at his VERY remote resort. Sounds like heaven? WRONG - It never is.

I was super interested in this because it is a new author and I always love discovering new ones. But to me, it just continued to be predictable. I don't know if it's because thrillers are so numerous and popular right now that it's hard to have unsuspecting twists. But I kept waiting for the shock and it really never came.

What I will say is that the characters were interesting and the writing style is easy. It's what I like in a thriller. If you are not as jaded as I am, this is probably a good one for you to read. I personally would love to read more by this author regardless of my feelings for this story.

Emily dreams of being an actress. She lives in London, working temp jobs and going for auditions that never seem to pan out. After being late to work one time too many, she finds herself fired. Being a nice person, she decides to finish out the day. When Scott, the head of the firm, sees her enthusiasm helping to entertain a small child, he has a plan for her.

Scott has an estate in France called Querencia. His wife, Nina, and young daughter, Aurelia, live there. Scott offers Emily the job of housekeeper at the estate which consists of two homes. The only other person there is Yves, the handyman. Emily readily accepts and is whisked to France on a private jet.

Nina welcomes her and Emily is taken with Aurelia. She is very fair and must avoid the sun so she wears a large hat and clothes that cover her body. She is a pretty child but she doesn’t speak and doesn’t like to be touched.

Emily pitches in to help renovate one of the buildings as it is full of mold and rot. She becomes quite skilled at taking care of a number of things, including caring for the animals. She loves the beauty of the place and the lovely sunshine. She and Nina enjoys lovely dinners, wine, and the gorgeous French summer sunshine. But soon, Emily realizes that this may not be the perfect family that it first appears to be. Something is not right and when she starts investigating, she is sure her hunch is right. Now, can she get safely home to share her findings?

I loved the descriptions of the area. Having lived in France for a number of years, I can attest that the summer sunshine can be deliciously warm, the flowers glorious, and the food outstanding. I think the author captured the setting perfectly and her descriptions of the characters was like seeing it in real motion. Well done.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Amazingly good story by this debut author. Can't wait to read her next one. Full of suspense. A little creepy. Lots of twists and turns. Solid writing and vivid writing. Don't pass up this winner of a book. Happy reading!

While trying to establish a career in acting, Emily works as a temp but then loses that job. How humiliating I am sure. Then her ex boss calls her offering her a position to work for him directly. Him and his wife are in need of a nanny, personal assistant, whatever they need basically. The catch??? It's in France on his estate!

At first Emily believes its all too good to be true but weird things are slowly revealed. She eventually realizes her ex boss, Scott, and his wife , Nina, are crazy and she's stuck in the middle of this tornado with no way out. Emily has to make a decision on what to do in order to make her new employers happy.

I really enjoyed this read. Not as suspenseful as I had hoped but I would still recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read an ARC of The Safe Place.

Emily is desperate for work as she just got fired. She then gets a job offer as a housekeeper for the CEO of the company that just fired her. She will be living on site with his wife and daughter. While there she discovers that the family has secrets, dark secrets that they are hiding within the confines of their property. If she doesn't keep their secrets quiet then she may end up dead.

I felt the excitement of the thrill all the way until the end. There is a large build up to the reveal but it moved quickly. At one point I thought I had it figured out but that idea was quickly shot down. This is a must read if you are looked for a great thriller.

I thought this book was an okay read. It started out slow and then picked up in the middle but I found the ending to be lacking and disappointing. The end was just missing something. It just left me hanging.

This was a fun, twisty summer thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed DESPITE calling the major twist in the near beginning. I am sorry, I had to,

Emily is kind of a hot mess. She wants to be an actress but she struggles with staying organized and making it to her day job on time. In one terrible day she loses just about everything she can claim as her own; her agent, her job, and her apartment. Luckily, Scott Denny, the CEO of the company that she just lost her temp job at has taken notice of her and thinks she would be perfect for a new job. This job is a little bit more "under the table" as Emily will be moving to his family's private estate tucked away in France and helping his wife Nina with their daughter, Aurelia, and renovations to the French estate.

Upon arrival to this lush and gorgeous estate Emily can sense that something isn't quite right. So much so that she almost abandons the job to head home. But then Emily and Nina begin to develop a friendship while something else has already started to brew under the surface between Emily and Scott. Aurelia has some medical issues and stranger danger but Emily isn't too worried about winning her over eventually.

Pretty soon this scene for the perfect reset button to her life begins to feel more like a fortress that she can't really escape.

This is a great psychological thriller full of mystery and suspense. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. It’s very intriguing. The storyline is well developed. Very entertaining. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review

Emily, a twenties-something woman living in London, has a problematic relationship with her adoptive parents and is canned from her job, placing her in the position of barely getting by. Little does she know there is more at play. Her former employer (Scott) offers her a position as a nanny/housekeeper/companion to his wife and daughter at a secluded French estate. The perks include pay, board, meals, a luxury SUV, a credit card, etc. In Emily’s eyes, this is the perfect solution and opportunity... but is it?

What I Liked: I loved the setting and atmosphere of this book so much! A secluded estate with two huge houses where the mother and daughter never leave, visitors aren’t allowed, cell service doesn’t work - you know something is going on. The atmosphere is creepy without being too in-your-face sinister. The book had a really good flow.

What I Didn’t Quite Like: I wanted Emily to wise up and realize that something wasn’t normal with her employer’s family and the entire situation sooner than she did. The ending didn’t feel finished enough. I also didn’t get the feelings Emily and Scott felt for one another; they seemed out of the blue and with no basis.

Recommended If: Despite my criticisms, I still had a good time reading this and found it to move really quickly. Definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having just finished Anna Downe’s debut novel, The Safe Place, I am asking myself, “Is this all there is?” I had high hopes at the beginning. The main character, Emily, is an aspiring actress, who seems to clutch at her auditions, She is a temp receptionist for a firm and is constantly late. She has bills to pay and has problems with her adoptive parents. After she is fired by the Human Resources Director, the owner of the company Scott “accidentally” runs into her. Scott Offeṛṣ her an exciting job as a personal assistant for his wife Nina in a secluded estate in France,

The author offers beautiful descriptions of the estate and Emily and Nina get along brilliantly. However all is not “paradise.” Nina and Scott’s little girl Aurelia has many health problems and Nina is a very over-protective mom. The reader slowly learns why as Emily starts figuring out what is really going on in paradise.

For me, I found parts of this debut novel exciting but other parts dragged. The story is told from Emily’s point of view and occasionally Scott’s. I found the climax Nd the epilogue wanting. I do think the author has promise and would give her another chance. Thank you BookishFirst, NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Right from the start, Downes created a thrilling scenario that prevented me from putting the book down until the big reveal. What a great ride!

When is something just too good to be true? When our protagonist loses her job and is then offered the absolute perfect summer job with a dream location, what could go wrong? Ha! This is a twisty, well-paced novel that keeps you reading long after it’s time to turn the lights off.
Definitely recommend.
Thank you for the eARC to review.
#TheSafeSpace #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #Minotaur

This Review is posting to all platforms (including Edelweiss) in my bio 7/13 and will be submitted for Amazon's approval 7/14

It is fully formatted on Novellives..Com. Thank you to Minotaur for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to note up front that this is Anna Downes' debut and I can't wait to see what she does next. The potential shown in The Safe Place is phenomenal.

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The Safe Place By Anna Downes
I'm going to kick this baby off with what I know about Anna Downes' debut, The Safe Place. Trust me. Once I start dissecting the multitude of opinions and viewpoints that my brain has been marinating in since Saturday- literally, Saturday. Well, I'm not sure that we will make it out of that rabbit hole alive. I apologize, Ms. Downes, for this review of The Safe Place is a day late. My brain needed further time to marinate and cook.

Wait.

OK. I walked right into that one. But shut-up and leave me and my brain being undercooked, alone.
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For The Love Of It

One thing I know. The Safe Place is a fantastic debut from Anna Downes. Whatever Downes has planned for her next book (I can only hope it is an Adult Psychological Thriller), I am definitely here for it.

Anyone who has watched the Marvel Cinematic Universe long enough knows that Mark Ruffalo enjoyed playing Bruce Banner/the Hulk more than any other actor.

We know that because it came through in the acting. It was apparent how much fun he was having.

When someone loves what they are doing authentically, it fills you up. You love the experience of consuming art, even more. Anyone who listens to Supergrass understands what I'm saying.

Anna Downes loves piecing together every part of a thriller. It radiates off every page of The Safe Place. There isn't anything that I can use as "exhibit A" to prove what I'm saying is true. It isn't a tangible part of the craft.

Nor am I saying that all writers don't love what they do. Downes just has an intangible je ne sais quoi that connects her to her stories and her stories to the readers—understanding that bringing a book into the world is a gift to the reader, which then makes it theirs. Finding joy in knowing they will then make of it, what they will, by bringing in their life experiences, lens, and viewpoints, is fantastic, indeed.
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Character Driven Books

Another thing I know. In writing a character-driven novel, you must, of course, have strong characters. Downes devised the four main characters: Emily, Scott, Nina, and Aureilia unapologetically, intensely, brutally, and with fierce intent.

You can love them or hate them (I'll get to that in a bit because I don't even know), but they will evoke strong emotions one way or another. One thing none of the characters are is, meh.

A small but essential bit of side characters are utilized to provide emotional context, depth to the suspense, or cause chaos. And it works. The Safe Place's strongest suit and I suspect Downes' strongest attribute as a writer, lays with her characters.

Throughout their arc, each character is relatable, even when you really would rather not relate to them.
She can make characters sympathetic when you hate them, loathsome when you should root for them, and oh, but how you want to protect them from themselves, let alone the world. That is some tight rope act to walk.

It isn't a matter of the characters being morally grey but having life experiences that make you bleed for them, relate to them. Downes writes them so realistically that you can't help but think, but would I? Can I judge this person so cruelly, so harshly?
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That is brave writing because it is much easier to make a character cut and dry hateful so that you don't have to argue your moral position on their actions. It is easy to judge someone if you easily hate them. And it is easy to root for the protagonist if they are instantly likable, but the world doesn't spin so smoothly on that axis.

There are brave choices that Downes makes in the thoughts and dialogue that characters have at the most desperate times of their life.

At first, it easy to have a common knee jerk reaction. But when your brain marinates. You realize that if you are honest with yourself, OK, you couldn't say/think/do X, but can you judge THAT person, either?

Maybe not so quickly and not so harshly. That is damn good character development.
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Summary And Commentary On The Safe Place

Here is a quick summary of The Safe Place. Emily loses everything in the first; I don't know, forty pages of the book. Well, everything she had, which isn't much. She has no support system to speak of and is pretty much fucked.

Scott is the CEO of a vast corporation, self-made billionaire, and as is the case with life, not at all what he seems.

Beyond the pretty face, fast car, a house in France where his wife and daughter live, there are; well, there's a there, there. There are so many monkeys in that circus that you might as well send in the clowns.
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Both are sinking like the titanic, for different reasons. When the two sinking ships hit the same iceberg, they share a proverbial dingy.

Both think they've been saved. Apparently, Emily has never read a fantasy book because I could have told her that if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck? It is a duck. Unless it is a shapeshifter.

And Scott is a damn duck. But we will get to that in a minute. In the meantime, if you want to know if Scott found the solution to his secrets? Or, if the dingy Scott provides Emily from her titanic-like life, is the opportunity of a lifetime?
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OK, OK... we know where that is going. AND yes, some of the Safe Place is a bit on the predictable side. That doesn't take anything away from the suspense or enjoyment of it. From the synopsis, you know the set-up of the plot. You'll see some of it coming.

However, and I can't stress this enough. The characters are so riveting that they kept me completely freaked out. Even when I knew what was coming, I feared the characters' reactions.

Thus, the plot suspense was almost secondary to the characters. My focus wasn't there. It was on the characters' interactions and responses to the plot.

Additionally, the pacing and structure fit perfectly. So, again while there is a level of predictability, the pacing and structure help negate it. The former is break-neck, and the latter ratchets up your lungs, squeezing your ability to breathe.

Combined, they deepen the mysteries you aren't sure about and leaves you reeling between emotional upheaval and creepy, vague flashbacks.

Outside of the characters? Those flashbacks were the best driving force of the novel. Some will say that The Safe Place is told by Scott and Emily's point of view, and it is, "officially."

However, through the flashbacks, I would argue it is also told through Nina's. This accomplishes a myriad of essentials without bogging down the plot in infodumps or slowing down the pace to a crawl.

1. Provided emotional complexity to Nina as an individual and her relationship with Scott.
2. Context as to how in the devil in the blue dress they go to the current situation and what even IS the current damn situation
3. Puts the reader in a really uncomfortable place, as far as - wait- how am I supposed to feel about these people again?
And again, it does all of these things in two (on average) page snippets that are at once creepy, painful, personal, distressing, and perfectly in line with Nina, and her arc.

Lastly, pieces (not all) of the ending are ambiguous. But I think that is a matter of reader preference. Objectively, the execution is there, which is what matters to me, personally.

It worked in last year's best-seller Wilder Girls by Rory Power, as well as He Started It (which comes out at the end of the month- review shortly) by Samantha Downing. If that is a structure that you enjoy, then you will eat it up.
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In Which I Become John Snow

Here's the thing. And again, though. THESE CHARACTERS. I can let my brain struggle with this right through when Downes puts out her next novel, and I'm still going to come up with a mess of conflict. Logically, as an adult, I know what I'm supposed to feel that is looking at character archetypes.

I'm not going to spoil anything and say what those things are. I know that Emily is the protagonist, Scott and Nina are the antagonists, and they have a daughter Aureilia. That cues my brain on who is "good" and who is "bad."

Except. It isn't that easy. Nothing in the real world, but some characters have done really awful things, and some think and respond in ways I never would have expected. They think and say things you would not expect the protagonist to react. I will give you an example and keep it very general and something pretty evident because it has to happen.

As Emily realizes things are not the answer to her prayers that she thought they were; there is a confrontation of everyone knows all the there's that are there. I assume the protagonist's response is something along the lines of, "YOU ARE EVIL! I'M GOING TO TELL! etc..." But what if it is more along the lines of... "I trusted you. Why didn't you trust me?"
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Now before, again, you go screaming spoiler, it isn't because whether or not she sticks with that point of view? Maybe. Maybe not. Do they get away with all the things?

My point is that my gut reaction was a shrieking scream of CHRIST ON A CROTON, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND.

But then I cooked my brain a bit. And if I'm in her shoes, and as the synopsis says, I'm damn desperate, alone and have no one (which I can relate to), and I get charmed and taken in by this family that seems terrific. That I desperately NEED to be real and to love me and trust me?

Maybe that is my reaction. Maybe at that moment, I am so desperate to hang onto this life that I'm willing to give everything. Perhaps I'm so down on myself that all I can see is, I told them everything, and they couldn't trust me with the truth of themselves? It is a real emotional quagmire pulling that apart.

And then there is Scott and Nina. You know. They are meant to be hated, of course. You should hate them. But the more you learn about them. Especially Nina. Damn. The harder it is. If Nina were a poorly written victim, then you would get sick of her very quickly. If they were written as the typical wealthy couple that just did horrible things, it would be cut and dry. But nope. Downes isn't letting the readers off that easily.

Nina especially is explored as a traumatized woman throughout her past that doesn't just make her a victim. It makes it hard not to wish better for her, ache for her.
Did I agree with her actions? No. Absolutely not. But I had a sense of empathy and understanding that I don't think I've had before in this level of wrongdoing. I was shocked by my reaction to her. I didn't like that I felt compassion for her, but I did.
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Emily

I didn't know whether to scratch my watch or wind my ass because there were times, I want to defend her till the ends of the earth, and times I wanted to throw her to the wolves. There were so many red damn flags, and she ignored them all. I wanted to beat her over the head and kidnap her rather than let her go to France. God didn't just send her a sign; he sent her a bus that nearly hit her and a massive anxiety attack (no. seriously).

BUT, on the other hand, I get it. I've been that desperate. I ignored all the signs for THREE years. I listened to a narcissistic ass who said he was coming to get me, move me, and then almost left me homeless. AND THEN DID IT AGAIN. and again. for three years.

And believe me, there were so many obvious signs that you would have hit me with a brick. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Three years and that is on me, myself, and I. So. conflict.

Then there is her ability to reason and rationalize to a fault. It is one thing to be grounded and logical. It is quite another to utilize that to avoid actual facts that are right the fuck in front of you. I was screaming- EMILY, you are going to rationalize yourself into an early grave. Because, why yes, yes, that is NORMALLY the case, but quite obviously, normally isn't happening RIGHT NOW, so deal with it.

BUT here's the thing. When I learned to drive, I had this problem. Well, the world had a problem, but that is beside the point—a basic rule of the road. If you are driving and the cars stop in front of you, you break. Fine. If I was at a red light or stop sign and the cars stopped, I stopped. No problem. However, if there was no good reason for cars to stop in front of me suddenly? If I was just driving along, and suddenly cars just slowly came to a halt. Instead of my brain instinctively hitting the brake pedal, first logic came into play.

I would think- but why are the cars stopped? They shouldn't be stopped. I don't see anything. So, I don't see any reason for me to stop.

I didn't get into an accident. I don't know why, I probably should have. But someone- either my mom or brother was in the car when I did this at some point because I just remember someone yelling loudly- WHY AREN'T YOU STOPPING THE CAR? This made me slam on the breaks and look at them quite befuddled, explaining what I thought was completely logical. Whoever it was explained to me that it didn't matter why JUST STOP THE CAR, THEN you can think about it all you want, but not until after the car was stopped. That solved that.

See. Emily has the same problem. I'll just make something up as not to spoil anything. Let's say Emily was here with me and Pavel attacked me with a knife, Liam was about to attack me with a knife (you all know it would be Liam, don't even pretend).
Instead of running to my aid, she would stand there watching with this running through her mind.

Cat's can't carry a knife. This can't be happening. I've known Liam for a long time, and he would never pull a knife on Susan, so this can't possibly be happening. Right. I'm right. I'm imagining this. I know I'm right. Yes. That must be it because he would never do that, and this is not happening.

Meanwhile, IT ABSOLUTELY IS HAPPENING, AND I'M GETTING STABBED TO DEATH BY MY CAT. For clarification. No one ever grabs a knife or attacks anyone with a knife in The Safe Place. So that is a completely made-up scenario. It is nowhere close to anything in the book. But that is how she acts. And I was screaming at her until I remembered my driving quirk.
Do you see what I mean here?

These are some amazingly written characters because on the surface; you think you know. BUT when you think about it? You know nothing, John Snow.
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Summary/Wrap-Up

Good lord, this is 150 words short of Nevernight, but since my last two reviews were under 1,000 words (break out the shocked faces), I guess it was due.

Anna Downes' debut places her firmly as a new player on the Psychological Thriller playing field! I can't wait to see what she does next.

With her strength for characters, structure, and pacing, I am definitely all in on it! I can only imagine her joy for her next creation is already thrilling her as much as it will us.

Aspiring actress Emily Proudman is having a rough week. She is fired from her temp job at an investment firm, dumped by her agent, and is about to be evicted from her apartment. Scott Denny is the founder of the investment firm and sees something in Emily that he likes. He hires her to be the personal assistant for his wife Nina who lives on a remote estate in France with their young daughter who has severe health problems. Emily is thrilled for this opportunity, but soon begins to wonder if the whole situation is too good to be true.

“The Safe Place” is a quick, entertaining read. The story is told from three different points of view - Emily, Scott, and a woman who is unknown at first but quickly becomes easy for the reader to identify. It’s plain to see that both Scott and Nina have issues, but details slowly come out as the story progresses. I enjoy seeing the character growth of Emily. She starts out gullible, disorganized, and irresponsible, but her time working with Nina gives her confidence and ultimately the courage to do what she thinks is right no matter what the consequences may be.

The book kept me intrigued over what would happen next and learning more about the secrets being kept. The information about Emily’s background had me thinking the author was going in a different direction so at first I was confused with how her past related to the present. I enjoyed the ending, but it could have been so much better. Some of the things are wrapped up in an ambiguous way and I would have appreciated much more details about how things turn out for each of the characters, especially after the drama that occurs near the very end. Overall, however, I really enjoyed the book and look forward to more by Anna Downes who really knows how to weave an imaginative tale.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Minotaur Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Told in three perspectives, this book unfolds a bit slowly at first. Emily, a struggling actor, in rapid-fire succession loses her temp job, her agent and her flat. But she receives an unexpected lifeline from Scott, the handsome owner of the company where she recently lost her job. In short order, she is whisked away to help Scott's wife with their paradise-like property in the midcoast of France. Nina, and young daughter, Aurelia, are quite isolated here - and soon, Emily is equally cut off from the world.

Building slowly, Emily begins to realize that everything isn't quite as picture-perfect as it seems. The ending moves quickly, though, compensating for some of the slowness of the build-up. In some ways, I think that the mounting uncertainty and fear would have been stronger were the book only from Emily's perspective. I think that it would have allowed for deeper character growth, too. But, the other voices certainly fill in gaps that I am not sure how they could have otherwise been included. I think that a more detailed background would have balanced them a b it more... I guess a more consistent pace and a more even footing for the three voices would have made this a stronger book, but as it stands, it's an engaging read - and one that would be a great vacation read!