This was a great fast paced thriller told from 6 different characters perspectives. I read it in one sitting. I could not put it down. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unlikeable characters, told from many points of view, but it still works. It is a thriller! Held my interest to the end. This author really knows how to tell a story!

I didn't particularly like this book. I do enjoy stories told in multiple perspectives but this was too many. I found myself struggling with was narrating the chapters because their voices all sounded the same in my head. The story took a long time to get going for me.

I think the book blurb seriously undersells the story. Sure it is the story of Julie trying to leave her egotistical, philandering, controlling husband and start over with their daughter Jess. Sure it is the story of Tom who doesn't want to leave his childhood home and has some deep seated hatred of his father, among other issues. Actually, I think I just told you more about the book than the blurb did. Anyway, there is so much more in this book! Maybe too much because the point of view flips frequently and at no point does the reader get a break from unlikeable characters. I spent most of the book trying to decide which character I disliked the least. I can only assume the author set them all up to be horrible people we would dislike immensely so that we could be okay with whatever ended up happening in the end. Which, ultimately, makes me question why the author tried to recast some of the characters as better people at the end. So, lots of action, lots of characters, not a lot of depth (from the story or the characters), but a fast paced read that makes you wonder what else could possibly go wrong.

Julie Jones has finally decided it’s time to leave her marriage. With her teenage daughter, Jess, she’s starting over in a new house in Oceanside. It comes with a bit of the unexpected. The previous owners, a pastor and his wife, have left something - or rather someone - behind. Tom Dean has a bitter hatred for the father who considers him a lost cause and for the woman who moved into their family’s house. It’s the only home he’s ever known and he is never going to leave. Julie thinks he’ll be gone in three days, but Tom has the perfect plan. What Julie thought was the beginning of a fresh start is looking more like the beginning of a nightmare.

SOMEBODY’S HOME unravels the story of two families colliding through alternating narratives from various family members. The story builds slowly as we get to know each character, what makes them tick, and their feelings on their current situations. I struggled a lot with this book in the beginning because of how overly unlikeable the male characters are. I know that they’re supposed to be this way, but there were times I contemplated DNFing this book because of them. I’m glad I stuck it out because I thought the second half of the book was much more interesting with all the drama building to a breaking point. The plot is definitely interesting, but a bit over the top at many points. Despite this book not working perfectly for me, I do think other readers will enjoy it more.

@kairarouda is an auto buy author for me so I was really excited to hear about her newest one Somebody’s Home available January 18.

Synopsis: A quiet neighborhood. A lovely home. A promising new beginning. In a heart beat everything can change.

Review: I thought @kairarouda did a great job at displaying her range as a writer. I loved the different character points of view, and how the story was told from their viewpoints. There was a lot of family dynamics and drama in this one. Mother/Daughter. Husband/Wife. Father/Son. I flew through this one. This one reminded me of a Lisa Jewell novel if you are a fans of hers or @kairarouda definitely check this one out, I’m sure you will enjoy!


Thanks to @getredpr @kairarouda @amazonpublishing for my copy!

The first chapter of this book grabbed me instantly, however as the book progressed I found that it wasn't for me. There were many unlikeable characters and I found myself unable to relate to the story.

This will not deter me from reading other books by this author as I have heard great things about her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an eARC of this book to read and review.

This book started off really strong for me. Rouda’s writing hooked me and had me intrigued almost immediately—it’s engaging and has this direct bluntness to it that I really appreciate. Her writing, when paired with short chapters, makes for really easy and quick reading. Rouda’s cast of characters are all unlikeable and have very few, if any, redeeming qualities, which is fine because I don’t need to be able to relate to or like characters in order to enjoy a book (I actually really like unlikeable characters). The book’s content and subject matter (revealed around the 25-30% mark), however, is where things begin to shift for me. There are major themes in this book that are not present whatsoever in the synopsis—religion (Christianity and Judaism), Neo-Nazism, extreme hatred, as well as male misogyny and chauvinism. I just wish there had been some type of warning.

If you’re looking for a quick, engaging and easy read, this is definitely a contender, but just be mindful of the content because it comes as quite the surprise when reading.

Somebody’s Home by Kaira Rouda is the story of two families who have one house in common. Julie has left her wealthy and negligent husband and moves to a suburb, which causes major problems with her teenage daughter. The previous owners of Julie’s new home are a pastor and his family. As part of the sale contract, the pastor’s adult son Tom will remain in the small cottage in the home’s backyard for a few extra days. Tom does not wish to leave his family home to strangers and refuses to move. And there the trouble begins and the tension will progressively build until the very end. The novel’s storyline is original and well-developed. The characters are troubled, flawed and interesting, making this a worthwhile read. This is my first book written by Kaira Rouda but I would not hesitate to read more. I highly recommend Somebody’s Home. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fast moving read with several characters who are all unlikable. I have read other books from this author and loved them all so I knew in advance this one would not disappoint. The harrowing things that happened to these people could easily happen in our everyday life. Lots going on in this one that will definitely keep your attention. I highly recommend.
Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this arc for my honest review.

Julie has left her controlling husband, Roger, and moved “across the tracks” of Oceanside. She took their seventeen-year-old daughter, Jess, with her. They moved into Pastor Doug and Sandi’s house, who had to move as Pastor Doug was no longer welcome at his current congregation. Behind their house sits a carriage house where Doug’s 23-year-old son, Tom, has been staying. He has until Sunday to move out. He has issues with his father and has plans to kill him.

There is so much going on in this book and then not so much. I can’t even describe it. Six different points of view. All of have their issues. Only one character is remotely likable-Sandi. Way too much internal dialogue. Not enough real dialogue. I had to take breaks in reading this as I needed more dialogue and action.

Obviously, my short paragraph above does not go into detail of this book. There are a lot of over the top and unbelievable happenings from Jess’ drunk Nazi party scandal, Roger’s prostitution scandal to Tom’s plans for Doug. Plus, it felt like every male character in this book had a hatred for women and felt like they were superior to women.

I loved “Best Day Ever” by this author and enjoyed “The Favorite Daughter”, so I will continue to read her work.

Thank you to Get Red PR and Thomas and Mercer for an advance readers copy and a final copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow I just finished this book and OMG is it great!!!!! The best thriller I have read in a long time and I read alot of thrillers. I highly recommend this book.

Kaira Rouda is the queen of the love-to-hate character! I wrote the saddest little review for The Favorite Daughter back when I first started my book blog, but what I remember most is how fun it was to despise Jane in that book. The characters in Somebody’s Home are similar. Individually, I despised them all. Except maybe for Sandi, but sometimes I wanted to slap a backbone into her. Together, though, their terrible personalities merged into a perfectly thrilling story. I was so eager for all of them to get their comeuppance.

The chapters are short, so this book flies by. I couldn’t figure out what the opening scene had to do with the rest of the book until the plot caught up to it, and it was fun to see everything finally click into place.

Somebody’s Home won’t be for everyone, but if you enjoyed Rouda’s previous novels, you are sure to enjoy this one as well.

I received a complimentary copy of SOMEBODY’S HOME by Kaira Rouda as part of a scheduled Let’s Talk Books tour. Thank you to Amazon Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read and review!

Rating: 3.5 / 5

SOMEBODY’S HOME is a multi-POV thriller following different storylines which all center on a single home. Julie is a newly single mom, having recently left her husband and bought a new home across town. Her teenage daughter Jess is less than thrilled, but Julie is excited for this new start.

Tom is the son of the house’s former occupants and he’s got until the end of the weekend to move out. Problem is, he’s got no plans to actually go. His family made a rather abrupt departure, moving to a new job for his pastor father with his step mother and their two sons in tow. He’s carrying a lot of bitterness about being left behind.

This author really knows how to write a character you will love to hate! This may not be the book for you if you need a character to love. If you like to see characters behaving badly, this book will deliver. While there were characters who did have ‘good guy’ status, even they are complicated and not without their faults. The entire community around them is full of hypocrisy and back stabbing. There is quite a lot that can blow up in this book and blow up it does!

I really enjoyed how the multi-POV format worked for this story. Each of the characters gives us very different perspectives on some things. It really shows how much beauty and value varies from person to person. The way in which one’s background throws off perspective is very interesting!

I am glad that I had the chance to read this one and I thought it all came to a satisfying ending.

Goodness, let’s just say I will never allow someone I don’t know to live in a house I purchase on any conditions. Many of the scenarios and storylines throughout this book are absolutely terrible but completely realistic and likely to happen in the world. The female characters were strong willed & interesting with all the men being absolutely trash. Rouda is able to make unlikeable characters interesting. The multiple POVs come together well at the end.

But ultimately I don’t think I really enjoyed this book. There was too much going on - abusive husbands, incels, Neo-Nazis, anti-semitism. It just wasn’t my favorite.

An interesting premise, but I feel like the execution could have been done better.
The writing is way too repetitive, characters mention the same part of their backstory in almost every chapter in a way that implies that the reader doesn't know this information yet. Or the characters have a very dramatic reaction to something that they've noticed before/knew before. The book could have been about 50 - 100 pages shorter if all of these repetitions were cut out.
Furthermore, I believe that this story would habe been better if it was simply literary fiction and nothing more. It trying to be a thriller prevented the story to really built the plot. The whole idea of "watch the lives of this family completely fall apart in a matter of days" would have been very interesting on it's own without the "mystery".
Overall, this was a good idea but not my favorite execution.

First impressions

So the beginning was harsh since it was a little slow in a way and really the situations where like totally avoidable in a way, but we humans love complicated.

It was interesting since usually books tend to go the happy till the end of times. but this one was as dark as it gets, real business here.

She is very compelling in her writing, I mean I kept reading even when a lot of things were so wrong for me in this one.

And even when I thought like this is not going that way or that, she went right through and it was like omg really.

Characters

I hated them all, I think Julie and Sandi semi redeem themselves and just barely really.

identified more with Sandi since my dad's a priest, but thank god he wasn't that strict and let me take my decisions in life.

But omg they were all so mostly brainwashed in this book I swear I was having headaches like how can they think like that so badly of themselves and other people and sadly I realized it's just how normal brains operates and made sad.

Final Thoughts

In all it was curious how I went to go ahead and just keep coming back and keep reading since it was so cringing for me, but i have to say you're in for a very interesting read with this one.

This one I read with my Friend Honolulubelle and she hated it as much, it came to an interesting debate about how life it's built in this things and how people its so super destructive and how to try and avoid it.

Julie is looking for a fresh start as she leaves her gorgeous, ocean home for a new/old home.
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She bought the house from a pastor and his wife but they seem to have forgotten something, or rather someone behind.
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Fast paced with quick chapters I needed to get to the ending.

Thank you Thomas Mercer for an advanced copy

Thanks to #netgalley and #thomasmercer for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Whilst I have a few books from this author patiently waiting in my TBR stack, I was excited to jump into this one. The first chapter had me hooked....a newly single mother and her daughter moving into a new home...someone is watching them and doesn't want them moving into 'his home'....this got me ready for a suspense filled thriller and I continued reading hoping it would be one. Sadly, after the first chapter it was all kind of downhill from there...It was too light on suspense for my tastes...It wasn't a DN F for me but it was one of those books I forget as soon as I read the last page ...which isn't what I want in a thriller. That being said, I have seen some rave reviews for this book, so it might just be that a more subtle suspense read isn't that impressionable on me. ⭐#kairarouda #somebodyshome #netgalley #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #litsy #thestorygraph #amazonkindle #bookqueen #bookstagram

This is my first book by this author. I liked the writing style from all the different points of view of each character. All the characters except Sandi were unlikable and self centered.
A very slow burn for me.