Oliver is a young man from Indiana who is recovering from addiction. His partner, Nathan, is a respected trauma surgeon. They built a beautiful, stable life together in Washington DC, but their relationship is far more complicated than anyone realizes. When Nathan is out of town, Oliver cheats. Everything goes wrong and he barely escapes the encounter with his life. Things quickly spiral out of control as Oliver tries to both hide his infidelity and find his attacker.

I’ve been craving a good thriller and this one did not disappoint. It was fast-paced, twisty and dark. The main characters kept making bad decision after bad decision. No one was entirely likable and I didn’t know who I could trust, which kept me on my toes the entire time. I also loved the alternating timelines. The flashbacks gave the perfect amount of insight into the characters’ pasts. Also, just like Oliver, I’m from Indiana and I live in DC — so I personally enjoyed that little nugget too.

Bath Haus has been the rage all over Bookstagram so I knew I wanted to read it. I had no clue where this was going and was left guessing until the very end. Really enjoyed it.

A fresh new voice in thriller, it was refreshing to see a m/m romance! This one was dark, sexy and compelling as all get out. I look forward to seeing whatever Vernon has in store for us.

A wild ride! Great pacing & emotionally powerful. Plenty of surprises and strong, clean writing - Vernon gets the point across without overdoing it. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. This book is a thriller like no other! There were several times during the story when I was convinced I had all the twists figured out, only to, again, be shocked. The love story entwined was only sweet for a while and once it was soured, it went bad quickly. The amount of characters and character development was exactly on point. The reader gets to know them all just enough to be suspicious of all of them and their behaviors. Vernon’s twist on the married couple and their secrets plot, was refreshing 5 stars!

Wow. What a crazy ride!! I was not expecting this at all!!

For me the beginning took me a bit to get into. I was just a bit confused but once it got going, it seriously ramped up and i just felt like 😰🤯😳😱 so much craziness. It just kept blowing my mind!! I feel like i had a clue at who was behind everything early on but it still was a great thriller. Still spun my mind around and got just completely insane. Completely held me on the edge of my seat. Like damn…. This was just a fun ride. Loved it

Whoa! What a suspense filled drama. The storyline - Sexy, LGQTB, and FIERCE!
Thank you NetGalley for this 2021 masterpiece!

Bath Haus, by P.J. Vernon, is important, sexy, and dangerous. As readers are put through the paces via different perspectives, Vernon weaves a tale of danger that explores relationships and life itself. As a thriller/suspense book, of course there are twists; these are done well and will keep even the most seasoned thriller reader on their toes.

It is immediately evident that not everything is perfect in the relationship between Oliver and Nathan; it’s even mentioned in the synopsis of the book. Oliver’s decision to visit Haus isn’t the beginning of these issues, rather it is the culmination of a lot of other decisions. Vernon’s starts in medias res in terms of this relationship. It is refreshing to hear not only from Oliver how this happens, but from Nathan as well. The author does this well and the reader is able to seamlessly follow jumps in narrator and in time.

Bath Haus deals with more than just a relationship struggling to hold on. Vernon deftly explores issues of homophobia, drug addiction, sexual assault, and more. It is organic and readers will see it unfold organically; almost too realistic at times. Often, these themes can feel forced or as if they are tacked on and that just isn’t the case in Bath Haus. Oliver is a person that doesn’t make the best choices, who hasn’t had the perfect life. He is not a perfect person and the book is more real and rich for it.

Beyond the expert style of storytelling and the excavation of difficult topics, Vernon also brings the heat when it comes to physical relationships. Much like before, this is also perfectly woven into the story. Sometimes a celebration, sometimes dangerous, the author explores a wide range of sexual relationships and the pleasure or danger (and sometimes a mixture of the two) that can come from the most intimate of moments.

Bath Haus uses imperfect people (to be quite frank, there will be at least two characters readers will utterly despise) to bring to life an excellent book about love and sex, identity and perseverance. Vernon has truly created an addicting novel and a perfect summer (or anytime) read.

An excellent LGBTQ novel that is thrilling and exciting. I loved the character development and where the story went. It was fast and furious and the characters were interesting and intense. A great summer thriller.

Hot Damn..... When I seen Bath Haus sitting on my NetGalley shelf I screamed! Seriously I did!
So I can't thank NetGalley, Doubleday Publisher and P. J. Vernon for giving me the amazing chance to read and review Bath Haus!

This was an intense read from beginning to end. I was sucked in from the very beginning and can't wait to see what's next from Vernon. It lives up to its description: Gone Girl with gay men.
I seriously can't believe we don't have more thrillers focused around gay couples!
It shouldn’t be as rare as it is! But then here come Bath Haus blowing everything outta the damn water! BOOM! And honestly we need more of them.... Because I know I'm not the only one who freaking devoured this book!

Its sexy, smart, gritty, shocking, dark and scary as all get out!
This riveting, gripping thriller is about how fast someone's life can spiral out of control with one bad decision.

And the ending is both shocking and revealing. I am so excited to read more of Vernon's work.

I can't wait to see what's next from Vernon. It lives up to its description: Gone Girl with gay men.

Because this electrifying, addictive, and terrifying thriller is going to be the talk of the talk!

Thank you again for the chance to read Bath Haus!

😱 WHAT. A. RIDE.

For those of you thriller fans who are tired of the redundant tropes and looking for something new THIS book is fresh and unique and totally breaks that tired wheel.

Bath Haus is about a gay couple, who find themselves in a scary predicament after an incident at a bathhouse occurs and one of the men becomes involved in a cat and mouse game with a killer.

There’s infidelity, unlikable characters, secrets and shame, lots of alcohol, a Mom who needs to chill, a detective who also needs to chill but like not so much she doesn’t do her job, and a chokehold favoring psychopath lingering around.

This book is mostly fast paced, excitingly unpredictable, and completely addicting. The writing is very explicit, so if lots of sexy time scenes and blunt language makes you uncomfortable it may not be your cup of tea, but I was hooked.

It felt good to read something so original and new in a genre that is becoming repetitive. I also enjoyed Vernon’s writing style and am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Buckle up for the wild ride that is Bath Haus! This book is full of twists, turns, and bad decisions that will keep you reading late into the night. Meet Oliver with his dicey past, an impulsive bad decision, and a secret to die for. Meet Nathan, born rich, a high profile doctor, and suspicious of everything. Together they work to figure out if they can or even should save their failing relationship….and oh yeah there’s murder!

Oliver lives with his doting but overbearing partner Nathan in their perfect dollhouse. However, Oliver can't help but feel resentful of Nathan's long hours working in the OR, so on whim, he decides to visit a gay bathhouse called Bath Haus. There he meets a striking Scandinavian man who invites him back into a private room. However, instead of having a good time, the man attempts to strangle Oliver to death. Oliver barely escapes with his own life, but now he must weave a web of lies to try and cover up his infidelity as his own past and trauma comes back to haunt him.

Pitched as Grindr meets Gone Girl, Bath Haus by P. J. Vernon is a viseral, gripping, and seductive domestic thriller that kept me on the edge of me seat from start to finish. It's a highly bingeable read, and honestly, I don't think I've been this engrossed in a thriller in a long time.

I love domestic thrillers and this one was a fun cat and mouse game.

Oliver is a former addict from the Midwest who has found happiness with his older boyfriend Nathan, a surgeon. But Nathan can be controlling at times and holds all the financial power in the relationship. One night, he's out of town and Oliver decides he wants something just for himself -- an anonymous night with a stranger. So he heads to a gay bathhouse and goes to a private room with a guy ... who tries to strangle him. Oliver is lucky to escape with his life, but now he has to explain to Nathan why he has horrible bruises all over his neck.

This begins a twisty cat and mouse game. Oliver has to try to cover up what he did. We also get Nathan's point of view, and he's definitely suspicious. Then the attempted murder starts contacting Oliver.

This was a fun, fast-paced thriller. (If you're worried, nothing bad happens to the dog.)

It felt so so good to give this book five stars. A wild, gay thriller that checked off all the boxes I have for dark, psychological thrillers. It's sexy, there's scandal, and shocking twists come when you least expect them.

Unlike some readers, I did not binge this. I started with the intent to finish in one go, but Bath Haus is a slow, twisted thriller. P.J. Vernon writes in such a way that your stress levels peak alongside Oliver Park's as the aftermath of Haus plays out. I had to let the words sit with me, to understand Oliver's background, his relationship, and the position Nathan has in his life. Oliver is such a likeable character, even when he isn't doing good things. Vernon fleshes him out, he feels real, and you do find yourself desiring his safety, as well as desiring the truth. Nathan, on the other hand, is both likeable and too controlling all at once. How Vernon managed to write such distinctive characters with unique voices I do not know, but they are perfect. I loved both their chapters, I liked getting to the meat of who they each really were and how they work together.

Bath Haus really is built around shame and while I'd love to give more detail, I truly believe this book is best when read blindly. It, at first, feels like a domestic drama novel, there's affairs, lies, and secretive snooping. There's talk of control, the traditional pieces that make a marital drama so good, but then it is somehow also so provocative. It's erotic and naughty, but with that eroticism comes the true thrill. Things go from suburban street gossip to edge of your seat panic, and yet somehow shame still sits at the center. A novel about choices, consequences, and how both play out over the course of one's life.

I cannot recommend Bath Haus enough, it is somehow both relatable and wholly terrifying in such a way that I can't imagine ever living it. It's twisted, it's fresh, it's incredibly well written, and it's gay. If you are a thriller fan, don't skip this one. Grab that gorgeous cover and settle in for dark ride.

Having loved Vernon's debut, I was so excited to get my hands on Bath Haus - and it certainly did not disappoint. In a rare feat, I came up with a theory early on in this one and it actually panned out (this never happens to me - I am the worst at predicting endings), but this certainly did not keep me from rapidly turning the pages to figure out what would happen next! This book was juicy, thrilling & a must read for summer 2021.

Ahhhhmazing book! Seriously - this was the queer thriller I didn’t know I needed in my life. So much deception, misdirection and overall manipulation. Love love love!

What a great book! I love a good thriller and the fact that this book featured queer characters was a big draw for me. Once I started reading this book, I found it impossible to set aside. The story was intense and I had no idea who was responsible for everything that was happening. The book took a lot of twists and turns and I loved the fact that I was surprised several times before turning that final page.

Oliver is in a serious relationship with Nathan, a doctor. They refer to each other as husbands but they haven’t actually legally married each other as of yet. Nathan is a bit older than Oliver and they both claim to be happy. When Nathan goes out of town, Oliver decides to visit Haus, a gay bathhouse, where things go terribly wrong. Oliver escapes the situation at Haus with his life but he has to figure out how to explain his injuries to Nathan without telling him what he was actually doing. One bad decision leads to a lie and things spiral out of control before you know it.

This was a great mystery. Things got more and more complex as the story progressed and I couldn’t wait to see how everything would play out. I loved that there were a lot of unexpected developments worked into the story. I thought that the pacing of the story was very well done. The characters were very well done and I really hoped that Oliver and Nathan would be able to get past everything happening within these pages. The secondary characters added a lot to the book as well.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I had a great time with this thriller filled with tons of twists and turns. This was the first time that I had the opportunity to read P.J. Vernon’s work and I was very impressed. I will definitely be picking up more of his books in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Doubleday Books via NetGalley.

PUB DAY REVIEW! | BATH HAUS by P.J. Vernon 🔥

Thank you to @doubledaybooks, @pjvernonbooks, & @netgalley for the eARC!

“The intimacy of sex mirrors the intimacy of murder. At least murder that requires one to use one’s hands. To breathe into his ear. The French call orgasm “the little death.” / Is this what they had in mind?”

This was WILD. And HOT 🔥. STEAMY. THRILLING. NAIL BITING.

Oliver Park. Recovering addict. Has a steady job. Has been in a committed relationship with Dr. Nathan Klein. The much older and successful surgeon. Owner of a gorgeous house in an upscale DC neighborhood where he and Oliver live together. The dog. The Range Rover. The friends, the money, the status.

But Oliver is bored. And one night while Nathan is out of town, Oliver decides to hit up Haus, a gay bathhouse were strangers meet for some NST hook ups. A stranger sits next to him. A hand on a thigh, a whisper in the ear. They go to a private room. And then shit hits the fan and Oliver makes it out barely alive. How will he explain this? Nathan can’t find out. So he lies.

And this lie will set off a chain of events that will have you biting your nails, questioning your sanity, and racing to finish to make all of the puzzle pieces fit neatly together.

Vernon has done an incredible job with this twisty, dark, and sexy af domestic thriller. Power dynamics, secrets, lies, infidelity, the dark side of hookup culture. It’s all weaved in seamlessly to create a truly tense and fulfilling read.

BATH HAUS is out NOW and I suggest you drop everything and pick up a copy! You do not want to miss out on this one.

This novel I think will do to the thriller genre what Gone Girl did when it came out. This is a deeply twisty novel with characters with so much meat on their bones. To describe them any further would spoil the ride. It is extremely rare, you might say pot of gold at the end of the rainbow rare, to find a thriller in which the main characters, plot and motivation is centered on adult gay men. This book is just so perfect in capturing the voices of the gay experience. With each page turn I was enthralled and my heart genuinely became attached to these characters. PJ Vernon I think will go down as the novelist who broke out of the closet to publish a groundbreaking gay thriller.
I received a copy from the publisher and chose to write an honest review of it.