Favorite Quotes:

Fate is funny that way. You find what you think is your dream, and eventually it becomes your nightmare.

It’s so satisfying, hanging up on someone. In the olden days, back when we had big thick phones, you could slam those into the cradle and— pow!— make an impact. Now I stab at tiny buttons with my thick fingers, but still, he got the point.

I never want my face on TV. I like being powerful, but behind the curtain. Like a real Wizard of Oz.

My Review:

This was my first-time buddy reading and I had an excellent partner in which to experience this when my blogger gal-pal Joselyn, of rincondejoss.com, suggested we collaborate. Joselyn is far more adventurous in her reading genres than I am so I most likely cramped her style with my choice for our buddy read. After perusing the first chapter, I feared her potential wrath with my selection as the book soon had me more than a bit nettled.

I deeply despised this entire cast of obnoxious characters, as they were horrid and ghastly people, types I would never willingly share air with. While they were all individually detestable and loathsome, the minister was the worst of all – he was abhorrent and oddly enough, the most familiar. Yet as vile as they were and as impatient as I was with their floundering and shallow self-absorbed thinking, I found myself prickling with curiosity and invested in their twitchy story. The little pea in my brain was simmering.

Kaira Rouda is a sly and crafty trickster! She sucked me into this itchy tale that annoyed and captivated me in equal measure. I bow to her adept pacing and exceptional word voodoo that kept me grinding my teeth yet unable to put my Kindle down, even when I wanted to throw it at the back of her characters’ heads to knock some sense loose. This is only my second time perusing Ms. Rouda’s vexing mastery, a slight I plan to rectify ASAP. The gal has skills!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kaira Rouda and Thomas & Mercer for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I was a bit disappointed in this one because it really didn't work for me. I found there was too much hatefulness and despicable characters to really be able to enjoy the whole thing. I really enjoyed the ending and this was short enough to binge read. I can see lots of people enjoying this one nonetheless.

Kaira Rouda is a bloody genius! I’m addicted. Please don’t send help.

This one revolves around a bad marriage, some family dysfunction, a revenge plot, and a house. Sounds simple, right? It isn’t.

As a means of escape from an overbearing husband, Julie buys a house and sneaks away with her teen daughter. Boy is her husband ticked!!! We haven’t seen the last of him. The house becomes even more problematic because of Tom. See, Tom’s father sells the house to Julie, practically leaving Tom homeless, so Tom refuses to leave the house, which seriously complicates life for Julie. Eventually, we learn just how angry Tom is at his father.

The story begins interestingly enough, but through multiple perspectives, we learn just how tangled these webs really are, and that’s when we really start to appreciate Rouda’s skill at crafting domestic suspense tales. With spectacular pacing and masterful characterization, the pressure builds until the book’s explosive finale.

Don’t miss out on this one.

Let me say I have enjoyed and looked forward to books by Kaira Rouda, including Somebody's Home. I loved the beginning, a young man sitting in a car talking himself into a plan, I was eager to follow him. It didn't go that way and was a bit scattered, for me. I will continue to follow Kaira Rouda. Thank you for opportunity, #NetGalley#ThomasMercer#SomebodysHome

One of my favorite authors, Kaira Rouda, the "queen" of narcissist sociopaths, evil men, dysfunctional relationships, and families, returns with her latest powerful psychological suspense thriller —SOMEBODY'S HOME.

YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LOOK AWAY.

There are a number of mixed reviews, so wanted to take the time to write a more detailed review with my personal takeaway. An ideal pick for book clubs and further discussion.

Kaira has brilliantly showcased and explored the underbelly of domestic society, no matter the social class or gender, evil is hidden in families of the churchgoers, the privileged, educated, the rich, the poor, both young and old. The title of the book has many meanings and is quite thought-provoking.

This time around, there is not one monster, but three! Two different (families) husbands/fathers and an evil offspring son. They are hidden among regular neighborhoods in disguise. Often the darkness and monsters are right in front of us.

Highly creative, intricately woven with strong character development with more plot twists than you can imagine. Highly-charged topics are explored in this family drama of obsession and revenge. Good vs. Evil and dark side of humanity.

Get ready for the wildest ride of your life! What is so scary and haunting about this story, it could be ripped from today's headlines and real-life American families.

GRIPPING, HAUNTING, COMPELLING, UNSETTLING.

What happens behind closed doors and the "sins of the father" come to the surface in this gripping, sinister, and dark thriller.

As Kirkus Reviews quotes and I concur: "Whatever the opposite of family values is, Rouda seems intent on perfecting a genre that enshrines it."

No one can spin a darkly twisted tale like Kaira Rouda! Two families collide for a heart-pounding final explosion.

Rev. Doug Dean, the megachurch leader that is a scum bag and likes to get cozy with and minister to the good-looking vulnerable divorced women for more than Godly advice, if you know what I mean.

He has been kicked out of the megachurch (finally, due to his misdeeds), and now he and his second wife (former Sunday School teacher) Sandi, who tries to look the other way, being the devout Christian she is, move to the boonies and a small church with their younger twin sons to start over.

Rev Doug's older son, Tom (by the first wife), is a nightmare. He had moved to their guest house. The son is more like the dad than you know and is a monster. He has not been invited to move with them.

Poor Sandi finally wises up toward the end and sees her husband is not so godly, nor has he changed. She must figure out how to save herself and her young twin sons from this abusive dominating cheater and his older son.

Their move involves the sale of the main house and guest house. However, the father did not want the 20 something loser creepy son, Tom, to come along. Leaving him in the guest house for the new owner to contend with. The son is a walking time bomb. He is filled with hatred for his dad. He is supposed to move out per contract with new owners. But does he?

Meet the new homeowner and protagonist, Julie, and her daughter, Jess. Julie came from a poor childhood and always wanted to be better. An aesthetician and office manager who has had every cosmetic surgery imaginable before, she was snagged by the big-time real estate developer and verbally abusive Roger Jones. She is also trying to escape and start over. But not as simple as she planned.

Julie realizes that her fake life with jewels, money, clothes, cosmetic surgeries, fake appearances, and friends and money is not the life she wants for her daughter. She is leaving and moving to the wrong side of Oceanside and has purchased a home with a guest house.

Yes, the house needs work, but she wants to get back to being a mother to her daughter before she goes off to college and to create a different more healthy environment.

The teen daughter, Jess is not so wild or onboard with the new change. She wants to be back on the right side of the track with her friends.

Of course, it comes time for the deadbeat troubled son, Tom to get out, but he will not leave. His dad is doing nothing to help, and the three ladies are on their own.

Mix in a crazy deadly game involving Jess that goes viral, social media craze, and the out of control Tom (son) in their guest house, and some dark web dangerous freak friends and white supremacist group . . . you have one heck of a nightmare disaster!

It all comes down to a dramatic, high-stakes, tension-filled showdown when Julie finds Somebody's Home! Who will be left standing alive, and what lessons will they learn?

Rouda knows how to create conflict and keep it coming! I enjoy her writing because she is not afraid to tackle bold topics. She is a class act!

Jodi Picoult meets Karin Slaughter = Kaira Rouda #SomebodysHome (with her own winning signature style).

Trust me, Rouda can hang with any TV show, and her latest would make for an excellent movie or series. This time around, it is not southern, like the megachurch TV shows (referenced below) but Suburban west coast Orange County, CA wives, husbands, families.

It is difficult to describe this one but think:

FILTHY RICH: A Southern Gothic family drama in which wealth, power, and religion collide — with outrageously soapy results (starring Sex and the City's Kim Cattrall). A mega-rich Southern family, famous for creating a successful Christian TV network with dirty secrets.

Combine with GREENLEAF megachurch- where their lives are tainted with greed, adultery, and other sins as well.

Blend with: THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY (obsessed with plastic surgery and everything fake).

Throw-in: A wealthy real estate tycoon and vile misogynist (among other things) like Donald Trump, plus rich spoiled teens (antisocial personality disorder often called sociopathy) playing dangerous games.

Add in: Hate online groups displaying neo-Nazi, anti-Semitic, and white supremacist symbols and violent actions similar to the raid on the US Capitol—MEETS "SOMEBODY'S HOME."

My book friends: A LOT OF ACTION in one book with good versus evil. More so on the evil side. Even though this is a fictional account, a critical realistic look at what American families face today. In our homes and neighborhoods behind closed doors.

Sandi was a little naïve at first (could be Young Shelton's mom), but in the end, she was the true heroine. I think readers will like her and Julie more by the end of the book.

While this novel did not have as much dark, witty humor as some of her previous books (based on the specific storyline), a Top-Notch psychological thriller by the "queen" of suspense.

Fans of Kimberly Belle, B. A. Paris, and Robyn Harding will devour. If you like Diane Chamberlain's The Last House on the Street (Jan 11, 2022) you should read this one.

Highly recommend all her books. Always highly entertaining! Get this on your TBR list for 2022. I would love to know the inspiration behind this book.

Blog Review:
@JudithDCollins
#JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/of 5 Stars
Top Books of 2022
Pub Date: Jan 18, 2022

Reading experience: I loved SOMEBODY'S HOME! I started it Sunday afternoon and was planning on reading a few chapters and then back to work. However, I did not put it down until I finished it in one day! I should know better when you pick up a Kaira Rouda book, it is unputdownable.

A special thank you to #ThomasandMercer and #NetGalley for an advanced reading copy. Also pre-ordered the print copy.

A quiet neighborhood. A lovely home. A promising new beginning. In a heartbeat everything can change in this propulsive novel of suspense by USA Today bestselling author Kaira Rouda.

Julie Jones has left her suffocating marriage. With her teenage daughter, Jess, she’s starting over. Their new house in Oceanside is the first step toward a new life. Even if it does come with 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’s moved into their family’s house. The only home he’s ever known. He’s never going to leave. She thinks he’ll be gone in three days, but Tom has the perfect plan.

For a newly single mother and her daughter, a fresh start is the beginning of a nightmare. Before the weekend is over, somebody is going to get exactly what they deserve.

An intricately woven story of family and revenge. If you love domestic thrillers, this book is for you! This book may have started off as a slow burn, but it turns into a heart pounding, fast paced thriller! I pretty much read it in one sitting because I was so eager to see what would happen next. For awhile, I wasn’t sure where the book was headed, but then everything comes together in a disturbing, twisted way! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

This is my second Rouda novel and I must say -I really enjoy her style. She is always a bit bold in her storyline and sometimes you have to sustain belief a bit but, they are always twisty, well written and a wild ride!

This one was no exception. The suspense builds and builds through the entire novel. All storylines come hurdling forward and eventually collide making it super intense. All of the characters are despicable and you can’t help but dislike them all. I mean the things they do, the choices they make and the over privileged lifestyle is sickening. It really just added to everything and made it that much juicer. The chapters are really short so you literally fly through it which I love. Also it is set in California and close to where I live which I always enjoy. This was pure entertainment.

Thank you Netgalley for my advance copy in exchange for my review!

This was a disappointing read. A hodge-podge of plot points and felt desperate to shock and thrill us - it did neither for me. This book almost felt like it wasn't written by the author who has brought us her other works. Ooof I am glad I stuck with it until the end because there was some movement at the end but it doesn't make up for the abysmal reading experience.

3.5 Stars

Julie Jones has the life…or so she thought. Appearances matter in her toney community, and Julie has had her share of plastic surgery. Now at a crossroads, she leaves her rich husband and buys a house on the other side of town, and takes her entitled daughter with her. She buys this home from a ‘Preacher’ who has his own issues, only one being his disturbed son…who is allowed to stay in the “guest house” for another weekend after settlement.

While it was good story, there were many storylines going on and I found all the characters totally unlikeable. Yes, some had redeeming characteristics that came out much too late and not all that convincing. So many holes in the story, but fairly fast moving. Predictable ending. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if some of the characters were more relatable, and showed better growth.

Thanks to Ms. Rouda, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Synopsis:
After quite a long time, Julie has decided to finally get away from her rich but unloving husband. She wants to start a new life with her daughter, Jess, in a new home. But the previous owners' oldest son is still living on the property, too. And he seems to be up to no good. Soon, more and more things go wrong, and the two women need to protect themselves from so much more than they ever thought they would.

My thoughts:
Oh how the mighty fall! Kaira Rouda really is the master of unlikable characters that absolutely make the story. Want to read about the downfall of superficial, overly rich, and stinking arrogant people, you can't go wrong with her books. I think the characters could have had a bit more depth, but it was okay. I loved the love-hate relationships between the protagonists as well as the focus on what you would do to protect those you love, even if they have wronged you.

This was my second book by Kaira Rouda, and my favorite is The Next Wife.

Parts of this book reminded me of:
- Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
- Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle

DNF'd at 35%

This is an open letter to all authors,

STOP USING CANCER TO EXPLAIN AWAY DEATHS. Especially when it is trivial and unimportant to the story or character development. The only thing you do is trigger cancer survivors and make me want to burn your book.

anyways, I DNFd this book because it was full of terrible, unlikable characters and tons of religious propaganda. The daughter is a huge brat. The male MC is creepy, racist, and disgusting (as well as his father). The mother of said male character is brain washed and not mentally sound. There's lot of unspoken abuse and this book was just a big NO from me for many reasons.

There is something about this book that kept me reading and I couldn’t be happier. This book has several subplots that intertwine. It covers mistakes posted on social media and the impacts, getting away from a bad marriage, feeling left out of a family, and a few others. I absolutely loved how the author developed the characters and gave them chances to redeem themselves if they wanted it. A great read!!!!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 18, 2022
Julie Jones wants to start a new life. After saving up for months, she and her teenaged daughter, Jess, are able to move into Julie’s dream home, leaving Julie’s husband, Roger, behind. The former owners promised that the guesthouse on the property would be empty by the weekend but Tom, the tenant and son of the former owners, refuses to leave. Tom, in fact, has a very dark plan to enact and he will not leave until the plan has come to fruition. Julie begins to fear for her daughter, and for herself, and when her husband and her daughter become embroiled in two very different, and very serious, media disasters, Julie must decide if her new life is worth the cost.
Kaira Rouda’s new novel, “Somebody’s Home”, is a dark and gripping tale of starting over, and what happens when your dream turns into a nightmare. Unfamiliar with Rouda’s work, the premise alone hooked me, and I was addicted from the first page.
None of the men in this novel are likable in any fashion. Roger, Tom and Tom’s father are the most narcissistic, patronizing, abusing men on the planet, and it is unfortunate (for the women especially!) that they all landed in the same town. Like a fairy tale in reverse, Oceanside, California should come with a warning: all men are abusive jerks. DO NOT MARRY THEM! Men aside, I really enjoyed the female characters, as they all planned to sever the ties that bind them to their (soon-to-be) ex-husbands.
Rouda touches on deeper concepts alongside abuse; from White Supremacy and Incel Patriarchy, to anti-Semitism and sex solicitation, this is not a book that is light-hearted. With self-esteem and mother-daughter relationships at the forefront, it will leave an indelible mark on every reader. Rouda is able to discuss these very real topics in a serious way, while still making the novel enjoyable and entertaining.
The novel is narrated mostly by Julie, although we do hear from Jess, Roger, Tom and Sandi (Tom’s stepmother) as well. Each character is so brilliantly well-developed, and the suspense only grows with the turning of each page. The ending packs one heck of a punch, too, and it had the right amount of unexpected surprise.
Rouda created a novel of female protagonists, full of female-power, and it was easy to relate to any one of the top women in “Somebody’s Home”. The creativity of the plot, the flow, and the well-developed characters made this novel page-turning and un-put-down-able. “Somebody’s Home” is my first novel by Rouda, but it won’t be my last.

2.5⭐️‘S
Julie Jones is starting over, leaving her privileged, wealthy lifestyle, she’s taken her daughter Jess and left her husband. Roger is a workaholic and gives them every monetary desire, but none of his time. Jess wants nothing to do with their new home on the other side of the tracks. When a group of entitled teens play a game at a party things spiral out of control and Jess is about to lose everything she’s spent her life working for. That same night her father is arrested in connection with a prostitution ring. After meeting a young man in the carriage house behind their new home, Jess plans to escape with him, until she finds out he has his own terrifying agenda. Doug is a pastor that has been demoted for impropriety from his mega church to a much smaller church in the suburbs. Sandie (Doug’s wife) is trying to settle into a new way of life with their two young sons, but something is very wrong with her marriage. When all the storylines collide those that turn out to be the heroes in the story just might surprise you, but with a cast of unlikable characters and a rather far fetched plot, this book just never resonated with me.

I have been a fan of Kaira Rouda since I first read The Favorite Daughter. Her latest book, Somebody’s Home did not disappoint! This is one of those domestic suspense novels that you will want to read in one sitting because you have to know how it ends!

Julie decides to leave her wealthy, controlling husband with her 17-year-old daughter purchasing a house on the “other side of the tracks”. The home was purchased from a fallen pastor who committed adultery, and his obedient wife, Sandi. They have two children of their own, and Sandi has raised her husband’s son, Tom, from a first marriage since he was 6 years old. The pastor has decided his older son will not be relocating with them to their new city and church. Julie has allowed Tom to live in the carriage house until the end of the weekend. Tom, however, does not want to leave. What follows is a crazy, thrilling, and explosive conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

The first chapter was great. A mysterious narrator is outside a house and there's someone in the house that shouldn't be. The book then goes back two days before and we spend time in a few POVs. There's Roger who is a rich real estate businessman. His wife Julie recently left him and bought a house in a new neighborhood. They have a daughter, Jess, who moved in with Julie. One condition of the sale was that the adult son, Tom, who lives in the shed behind the house would move over the weekend. He wasn’t prepared to leave and needed more time to pack. His stepmother Sandie is also a narrator. The main issue is that Tom doesn’t want to leave the house!

It was a little obvious where the story was headed but I was still curious to continue and see what was going to happen. The book also dealt with some other issues/triggers which are not obvious from the description of the book: Nazis, domestic violence, child abuse, social media scandals, corrupt church leaders and a decent amount of religion (Christian and Jewish).

Kaira Rouda is usually SUCH a win for me, but this wasn't it. Too many perspectives, too much going on. I liked the concept, but the execution wasn't for me. However, don't mistake me; this doesn't mean I think it was a bad book. Readers who enjoy multiple perspectives, unlikeable characters, and lots of info to dissect will surely adore this. I will check out Rouda's next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the gifted eARC of Somebody’s Home by Kaira Rouda.

I was excited for this first-person narrative, even more so when I learned there were multiple POVs. But there were so many characters, all introduced quickly, and overall too many narratives. It was hard to get into and just felt a bit disjointed. Unfortunately it wasn’t really for me.

Julie wants to escape her overbearing and controlling husband, so she saves a up enough money to buy a house for herself and her teenage daughter, Jess. She is able to secure a quick sale and move-in date, but she must allow the owner’s older son, Tom, to stay the weekend in the carriage house. However, Tom has plans of his own. He won’t leave the house because he has a plan. Watch out, because he will get revenge on the family who abandoned him and won’t let anything stand in his way.

I was a huge fan of Rouda’s The Best Day Ever and The Favorite Daughter, so I was thrilled to receive the ARC of her latest thriller. The plot synopsis is intentionally vague, so I was extremely surprised and taken aback by subject matter. This book pits Christianity against Judaism, explores Nazi rhetoric, and portrays all male characters as evil and demeaning to women. The women fall prey to these evil men due to their passive compliance. It was not an easy book to read, as these stereotypes lacked believability and ultimately formed a ridiculous plot. The writing was overly repetitive with trite phrases like “Truth be told.” You won’t find any twists in this one, just one long convoluted plot.

However, this book did start out with an easy readability that hooked me. I was intrigued as to where this was headed for the first 25%, so kudos for the bait.

2.5/5 stars rounded down

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for the ARC of Somebody’s Home in exchange for an honest review.