This book was so crazy and outlandish, I don't even know where to start. I felt like it was all over the place. The story was disjointed and predictable. The chapters had alternation points of view with the main character Emily and her boss Scott. Then every once in a while there was a different part from the point of view of Scott's wife Nina, but they weren't separate chapters, just italicized additions to someone else's chapter. I felt as though it would have flowed more if they had just been their own chapters as well. The ending went pretty much where I was expecting, but I still was left wanting more. I could tell this was a debut novel and I'm certain the author will have great success in future books. This one, however, fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Affirm Press, and Anna Downes for my digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @netgalley and @affirmpress for the advanced digital copy in exchange of an honest review!

I can easily say this is a very interesting plot since I read this in less than 24 hours...🤣

I love this book cover design! I think it’s a perfect fit for this story. However, the plot is a bit predictable. The book is told in multiple perspectives, which is a wise choice by the author as it incorporates important details of both Scott and Emily. Downes develops the scenery and characters so well that it’s easy to put yourself there. There is something missing from the story that I can’t quite put my finger on, but it feels like it needed just a little more. I’m glad I was able to read this as I’ve been eyeing it from other reviews and I like it!!

Overall, a great read if you are looking for something quick! This isn’t too heavy and I would recommend taking this on a mini vaca.

3.5/5⭐️

Emily is a struggling actress working temp jobs and is about to be kicked out of her small apartment when her boss, Scott, proposes an amazing job offer to her....or so it seems. Emily is asked to become a live in nanny/housekeeper/friend to Scott's odd wife Nina and their daughter Aurelia and will receive free accommodations, a car, and a credit card to use. But, Nina and Aurelia live separately from Scott at a gorgeous villa in France and Emily knows nothing about them. Feeling desperate and overwhelmed by this amazing opportunity, Emily accepts the job and moves into Querencia. Everything seems to be going well until Emily notices something is very odd about this whole situation. Is she really safe at this beautiful estate??

I absolutely loved the way Anna Downes set the scene for this novel. Querencia sounds like the perfect vacation spot filled with a beautiful pool, lush gardens, horses, animals and lots of wine and good food! As I kept reading I found myself wanting to be there and see it for myself. I loved the mystery Emily was trying to uncover and I did not see the twist coming til closer to the end of the book. I found myself feeling really proud of Emily for her growth throughout the story. I definitely recommend this one!

Thanks @netgalley for the e-arc! The Safe Place will be available on 6/30/20.

I will be posting this review in an Instagram post on 6/29/20

Delightful read. Great premise that didn’t disappoint. Definitely keen to read this author again. Full review to follow on release.

The London life of a young actor can be one of flopped auditions, money scrounging, crummy rentals and the occasional spot of couch surfing. Emily Proudman has just lost her day job as well as her agent, so at this point is absolutely open to all opportunities that could save her from yet another begging phone call to her parents. The Safe Place is a reminder that when an offer appears too good to be true, it requires closer scrutiny.

Bang in the nick of time Emily receives an enticing proposition from her former boss, the gorgeous multi-millionaire Scott Denny, that may just solve her immediate problems. The prospect of living at the Denny’s beachside French estate is extremely appealing to the impoverished Emily, even if she is expected to clean and look after a pampered child whilst doing so. Scott and Claire Denny make a beautiful couple, and it is not long before Emily falls for both of them. It is a little more difficult to get close to their six year old daughter Aurelia, but Emily is confident she will be soon be successful in making the prickly little girl comfortable in her company.

The challenges of being out of cell and internet range fade away as the idyllic summer rolls on with the long days of working on the rundown estate tempered by the pleasure of frequent wine tastings and creative meals served by the talented Claire. Not being allowed inside the private home of the Denny’s is a little odd, but of course Emily is more than happy to live in the lovely guest house across the way on her own. It’s a little strange too how little time how Scott actually spends at home, but Emily supposes running such a thriving business requires a lot of his time. Aurelia is determinedly mute, and Emily never has it fully explained to her what the little girl is suffering from. Surely if Scott and Claire were a perfect couple also, Scott wouldn’t be making a pass at the help?

About a third of the way into The Safe Place, intent is still difficult to ascertain. The novel is a somewhat amiable drama read up to this point. Nothing to see here, just a British girl having some continental adventures before she knuckles down and makes some inroads into adult life, falling into a job that will be enough to support her until firm decisions can be made as to what comes next. Some saucy possibilities perhaps with her very attractive employers to add some sparkle into the ultimate summer job.

But no, The Safe Place was just softening us up for something more serious. The delicious cover art is but a lure.

The author makes mention in her afterword of the real life case which inspired parts of The Safe Place so it is not a spoiler to say that as the novel progresses, it becomes evident which particular high profile kidnapping the author had in mind. Larger statements could have been made about the perils of young Londonites who travel to take au pair/home help positions, or perhaps more about troubled children, but these mentions are just smoke as to what is really going on in what at first appears to be paradise.

The undertow of The Safe Place is subtly manipulated, with the inner narrative of Emily pulling and pushing against what she wants to believe in order to keep the peace, and the slow dawning horror as to what it is she is witnessing play out in front of her. The Safe Place is a curiously constructed mystery that at first appears to have no villain to throw our suspicions over, and goes into a little introspective wool gathering in the wrap up. A soporific read of love and lies, masked best intentions and the need to belong, The Safe Place is a engaging mystery that treads lightly as it entertains.

The blurb had me at “remote, beautiful French estate”. Not to speak of the enticing cover! Who doesn’t jump at the opportunity to do some armchair travel, especially in times of lockdown?

If you are looking for an easy, quick and entertaining escapist read, then THE SAFE PLACE may be the right book for you. I think I must be reading too many mysteries, because unfortunately this one was all a bit too predictable for me to stand out. That said, there were aspects of it that kept me turning the pages, especially the claustrophobic setting when Emily realises that there is something sinister afoot in the idyllic remote French mansion. I felt though that the author had all the makings of a real terrifying read – some scenes and the underlying sense of menace and danger came close to giving me goosebumps – but in the end always she seemed to hold back from letting them unleash their true force and they only created small waves, like a storm in a teacup. I also found some of the character’s motives and actions questionable, and everyone knows how terrible I am at suspending disbelief!

I think that THE SAFE PLACE will be a better fit for readers who enjoy slow burning mysteries that aren’t too confronting or terrifying but offer a nice escapist setting and enough open questions to keep you turning the pages. Lovers of tense, suspenseful and goosebump-raising reads, or those looking for more in-depth character development may not find it as satisfying.

Safe Place was a slow burn for me, but look at this gorgeous cover. ⁣
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Emily’s life is a mess. She wants to be an actress but can’t seem to remember her lines, so she works as an assistant for a finance company. She gets fired by her manager but the boss of the company hires her to become his housekeeper/nanny at his second home in France.⁣
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Emily has an attraction to her boss Scott. When in France, she becomes very close with his wife and their daughter, only to find they all, including Emily suffer different mental health issues and some strange things are happening at the dream home in France.⁣
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As we slowly unravel the truth, the story picks up and becomes more interesting, but then it ends with a few unknowns that you’re left to decipher for yourself.⁣
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3.5⭐️ Thank you @minotaurbooks for a copy for my honest review. ⁣
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#bookstagram #books #thriller #bookcommunity #bookishgirlgang

This was definitely an interesting thriller type. More of a psychological suspense and it kept me guessing. I had such a strong desire to keep reading to figure out what was really going on with Scott, Nina, and Aurelia. This story is told through the perspectives of Emily and Scott. There are also flashbacks thrown in from Nina. Emily goes to live with Nina and Aurelia as a housekeeper and caretaker for their huge estate. This was full of angst and drama. The whole time I was actually quite terrified of Aurelia the most. Not what I expected in this thriller, but i would recommend. At points the flashbacks could be a little confusing to the plot and I felt like Scott and Nina’s relationship felt forced and fake. However that became part of the storyline. I wish there had been more with Yves as it seemed to kind of suggest. There wasn’t enough of the backstory either to deal with the smells of the house. Overall lots of details, plenty of interactions between all characters. A good edge of your seat read.

I really liked the idea of this book, but the novel just didn't hit the nail for me. It was slow in parts, confusing in some, and missing some ideas that would have made the premise a little creepier. This is supposed to be a thriller, but there was no real thrill for me, just confusion. There were parts of the book that probably didn't need to be included to tell the overall story; there were parts that could have been embellished more to help connect us to the characters. The ending answers some of my questions, but felt like it was rushed within the last two or so chapters, as many books seem to do. It is a solid Beach Read for me, but not one that leads to discussion.

Received a copy of this book through NetGalley,thank you.
Found the book a bit slow going at first and not much sign of a thriller till well into 2/3 of the book.
Did not like the character of Emily in the book,expecting everyone to do things for her or the way she treated her adopted parents only got in contact with them for money,a lot of her prediciment she brought on herself,chasing the dream to be an actress when she did not have much talent.
Background was good set in beautiful surroundings in France,personally would not classify this as a thriller.

I largely enjoyed this book. I was intrigued from the first chapter and enjoyed Downes’ writing style and how she introduced the characters and settings of the book. While a thriller, the majority of the book is spent building up the suspense and asking yourself why things and people are the way they are, before the “action” really comes to a head during the last 20% of the book. I was a bit disappointed by this ending of the book, hoping the reveal would be more surprising and unpredictable. All in all, I did enjoy this and found myself tearing through the pages. 4 ⭐️ stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

After seeing that gorgeous cover and reading some rave reviews I was really looking forward to getting into this book.

Emily is described as being a mess, and well, it’s an apt description. She’s lost her job, is being evicted from her flat, and has burnt almost every bridge she has. So when a too good to be true job opportunity comes up, she jumps at the chance.

Stupid, naive, Emily.

There’s a lot to enjoy in this book, the French countryside, and budding friendship between Emily and Nina, Nina (and Aurelia’s) idiosyncrasies. Unlocking the mystery of the strange caretaker and why Emily can’t go into the main house. All great parts of the book. However, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed in the end.
The chapters were a little choppy with the back and forth time shifts, and while the plot was largely predictable, the ending left me feeling a little empty.

All in all, this was an excellent debut, and I look forward to seeing more from this author.

Thank you to Anna Downes, Affirm Press, Hachette Australia, and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Captivating read that draws you right in. Emily’s day quickly goes from bad to worse. When she is offered a job by her former boss, Scott, it sounds to good to be true. She soon finds herself in France helping Scott ‘s wife wife their child and taking care of the property. Emily finds that things aren’t always as they appear.

#NetGalley #TheSafePlace

Emily’s life is not going well. She’s an out of work actress and she’s just been fired from her temp job the same day an eviction notice arrives. But her life seemly changes when she accepts a housekeeper/companion position in France.
Little did she know the family is hiding some dangerous secrets.
I really enjoyed this debut novel from a new Australian Author. Emily took awhile to warm to but eventually I did. I didn’t feel there was a lot of suspense but definitely a feel of something just not being right, which is the thing I really enjoy, rather than being on constant tender hooks. I didn’t guess the thread of the story until it was obvious, which was fairly late in the novel, so this did have me thinking all the way through.
An entertaining read and I’d certainly look forward to another by the author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

Great book .....had some intense moments , I liked Emily and was scared for her because things just send to get creepy.....

Initially set in London we meet the main character, Emily, whose insecurities make her immediately appear vulnerable. Right from the start I felt uneasy with Emily meeting up with her ex-Boss, Scott, after she had lost her job, lost her acting agent and a potential acting job and then accepting a position as live-in housekeeper in France. Emily settles into what appears to be a very relaxed and enjoyable time with Scott’s wife, Nina and daughter Aurelia, in an idyllic isolated coastal property. With hints of ‘everything is not quite what it seems’ the story moves on to a more sinister level. So that uneasy feeling does take hold and so the story moves into a more rapid and dramatic mode.

The characters were well developed and believable; though the child Aurelia was quite strangely depicted.

While I found parts of the story to be a bit slow, the pace certainly picked up and then escalated. While the ending in some ways was unexpected it was understandable.

Issues of child abuse, adoption and mental illness emerged as themes in the story.

I would recommend this book. It’s not a high level thriller but certainly has quite a few scary moments.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Affirm Press for a copy to read and review.

Book blurb...
Even paradise has a dark side.
For struggling actress Emily Proudman, life in London is not working out as planned - in fact, it's falling apart. So when she is offered a live-in job working for a wealthy family on their luxurious coastal property in France, she jumps at the opportunity to start over.
The estate is picture-perfect, and its owners exude charisma and sophistication. But as Emily gets to know the family, their masks begin to slip, and what at first appears to be a dream come true turns out to be a prison from which none of them will ever escape - unless Emily can find a way to set them all free.

My thoughts...

PLOT
This is a very plausible plot and well written. With quite a bit of backstory, the placement is such that the flow remains unaffected; the pace increasing with the tension.

LANDSCAPE
Set in France, descriptive elements of the story not overdone, but enough to get a good feel for the house and surrounding landscape.

CHARACTERS
Characters are well-formed. Their goals, motivations and conflicts playing out clearly on the page and justifying decisions made. Not so the child, who I found to be a bit abstract.

OVERALL FEELINGS ABOUT THE STORY
I really enjoyed the story and found myself drawn in and even anxious as the drama ramped up towards the end. I did anticipate the ending and Emily’s decisions.
NB: In reflection, I found the child’s lack of voice and the issues to be a little unbelievable. In saying that, it did not detract from my overall enjoyment.

The story hooked me from start to end. I felt that there was so many possibilities that the author could have gone with and I had so many theories. I was gripped and struggled to put it down!

I love that the story is told from multiple perspectives. I didn’t expect the story to go the way it did, but somehow it managed to be both surprising and also a disappointment. I don’t know what I wanted the outcome to be, but it wasn’t that. Once the ‘big thing’ is revealed it is a bit down hill - nothing really happens and I was slightly disappointed, however this was only the latter part of the book.

Even though I think this book could have had such a great potential, it was a good, easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book blew me away! I read it in 3 hours and could not set it down! I was so enthralled in Emily’s story and honestly did not see the twist coming. The books characters were wonderfully developed, though I would have loved more of Nina’s backstory, and every step the took, while FANTASTICAL, was completely believable. The events of this book unfolded so naturally, and the many nuances could have led this story down multiple different avenues, and I LOVED IT!

This was the perfect beach read. The Safe Place was a slow burn that teased the reader from beginning to the end.