What a page turner Somebody's Home is!!! Author Kaira Rouda takes a place we all feel safe - our home - and make it anything but! Julie takes her daughter Jess and leaves her very rich husband behind. But when she tries to start over everything goes wrong! You will not be able to put this book down!

I’ll start off by saying that I enjoy Kaira Rouda’s books and was excited to get my hands on this one. This is one of those books that didn’t work for me. The characters were all unlikeable and the plot was a bit over the top in my opinion. I didn’t find myself relating to anyone or anything and it took me a lot longer to get through this book than it should have. I’ll still read more books by this author but this one was not one of my favorites.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

I love a thriller that keeps me on the edge of my seat - and Somebody's Home by Kaira Rouda kept me going until I closed the book!

The story takes place over an intense weekend and is triggered by Julie Jones leaving a debilitating and loveless marriage with their teenage daughter Jess. They move into a house that appears safe, in a bucolic setting - the former owners were a pastor and his wife – how bad could it be? But the pastor’s adult son is still living in the small shed out back. And he doesn't want to leave - and he's bad news.

Told from all of the main character’s POV’s, we share the weekend where years of deep-seated anger, hatred and even love are shared. All we can do is sit back as the snowball actions of everyone combine and speed up to a conclusion that leaves you breathless and wiped out!

If you like a book told by different POVs and do not mind a slow start – you will like this. It took awhile for me to get into the story – but you have to stick with it. Good writing and a conclusion that really knocks you out makes this a great thriller read.

Thank you @kairarouda @getredprbooks @amazonpublishing and @letstalkbookspromo for including me on this book tour!

I absolutely loved The Favourite Daughter by Kaira Rouda so I was really excited to read this new one. However, I was a little disappointed that I didn’t find it anywhere near as good.
I did enjoy it, it was a quick read, it held my interest and I wanted to find out what was going to happen but I didn’t really connect with any of the characters and I found it quite slow in parts.
I’ll still be reading more by this author, she’s written some great books that I’ll continue to recommend to others.

A dark, disturbing thriller not for the faint of heart. After years in a loveless but wealthy marriage, Julie finally decides to leave her husband taking her teenage daughter with her. She buys a new house, but the previous owners requested that she let her son have a couple extra days after the closing to pack his things and vacate the carriage house. Julie's soon to be ex-husband, Roger, is not happy when he finds out she has left. Tom, the son who still lives on the property appears dark and dangerous. Tom's father and previous owner of Julie's new home was the local preacher run out of town by an ugly scandal. Showcasing toxic masculinity on every page, and highlighting the power money can buy, this book was an okay read for me.
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I love how the author seamlessly connected all the perspectives in this story, as each chapter is told from several characters on rotation. The ending was sudden and devastating in more ways than one. I would recommend this book despite it not being one of my favorites I've recently read.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This story was just okay for me. It did keep my attention, but there were very few twists or turns along the way and the ending was predictable to me. This is the first book I've read by Kaira Rouda - I will try another one. She has some other books that sound very good.

This book will grab you right away! It goes back and forth between a family that moves out of their Oceanside, California home to the mother and daughter that moved into their home. So many twists and turns in this book that kept me on the edge of my seat! I can't wait to read more of her books! This is a must read!!

Somebody's Home by Kaira Rouda is an exploration of many things. I feel at times it was a little heavy handed about what it was trying to say and I didn't really care about any of the characters. For me it was just an average read.

I have read five of Kaira Rouda’s books and this is one of my favourites. This thriller was packed with suspense and it starts in the first chapter and slowly ramps up. The male characters are all unlikeable so luckily the female characters are more relatable. Kaira always has devious and manipulative characters and this book was no exception although I felt we were given more insight into those characters in this book. If you like psychological thrillers check this one out!

While I’ve loved Rouda’s other books (BEST DAY EVER and THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER), her newest book SOMEBODY’S HOME didn’t really work for me overall. I love her writing and the level of suspense she can create but there was just something about this book that didn’t connect. While I did enjoy the different POVs from the characters things started to feel a little on the repetitive side at times. There was a lot going on and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. Can’t win with all books by an author but I have seen some stellar reviews for this one, so I definitely am in the minority here! A little on the slow side for a thriller but falls more into a slower building suspense.

Somebody's Home by Kaira Rouda was my 6th book of the year. It's a book full of unlikable characters. Most of which didn't seem to have any redeeming qualities. Usually that would be a turn off for me but this one kept me flipping the pages to see where the story took me.

We find ourselves in Oceanside CA where Julie Jones is leaving her very rich, but neglectful husband, Roger. She is leaving with her spoiled daughter, Jess, to try to reconnect and start over before she leaves for college. She is moving into a house recently vacated by disgraced minister, his wife Sandi and their kids. Besides the house the families are connected by a person left behind in the move. Tom is the grown son of the pastor and Sandi's stepson. He is not on board with the fact that the house has sold and he needs to vacate the carriage house out back. Julie allowed for him to stay through the weekend but did she know just what she was agreeing to?

This books has multiple POV. Every named character in my description above is one of the voices we hear from over the course of the book. The rotating points of view I think was part of why the unlikable characters worked for me. Just when one character was driving me batty another came in and took their place.

The ending was not my absolute favorite and was why I rounded down and not upon this one. I did still enjoy the read and will be going back and reading more from this author.

Great fast paced read about two different families each loaded with drama.
This story is written where each family member tells their point of view per chapter. The two families intersect in a thrilling way.
My second read from this Author and won't be my last.
Extra bonus for the tiny Wizard of Oz mention.
Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas and Mercer and the Author Kaira Rouda for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kaira Rouda is a new-to-me-author. This is a story of spoiled, troubled children, the luxury of wealth and what it can do for you, a pastor who thinks he’s better than anyone else, anger, hate, resentment, lies, deceit, less-than-stellar fathers, the downfall of two families, and more. There is a lot going on throughout the story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
This is the first book I have read by this author, I will definitely be reading more.
This is the story of two families and the common bond they share is the house.
Julie has left her rich powerful husband, Rodger and moved herself and her teenage daughter to a less desirable neighbourhood, she loves her new home, and wants to make it her own, she intends to build a new and closer relationship with her daughter in their new home. The only drawback is, the previous owners, Sandi and Doug’s grown up son Tom is still in the carriage house. He has until the Sunday to move out, however, Julie is concerned there are no signs of him packing and moving on, she feels a nervous tension building.
All the main characters in the book, Julie, Rodger, their daughter Jess, Sandi and Doug have their own issues and combined this makes a rollercoaster read, which I enjoyed and highly recommend for those who enjoy a psychological thriller.

Sometimes a book just doesn't work for the reader and unfortunately that is the case with SOMEBODY'S HOME. The men in this book, and I mean EVER SINGLE ONE OF THEM, are terrible and non-redeeming in any capacity. The women aren't much better but at least they're trying. Attempted divorce + incel + hoity toity rich people + plastic surgery = NOPE. I think this was probably done on purpose - that the characteristics were so over exaggerated to really exemplify their dynamics. However, it just made it a bit hard to read and I found it mainly cringey. A fresh start is always nice but make sure everyone who lived their prior are completely moved out before you move in - regardless if it's at the main house or the carriage house. And certainly don't let your teenage daughter do whatever the hell she wants.

Now, the short chapters made it easy to sprint through this novel and I was intrigued to see where it was all going to take me. I typically find the incel storyline quite interesting but they all seem to run along the same lines... and quite frankly, it's creepy for sure. (YAY) I dunno y'all. I just wasn't into this one. It felt a bit repetitive and while the storylines could be fun, the exaggeration of the characters just worked against what I might have needed at this particular moment. This is simply a book/reader mismatch. I do love this author though and would definitely recommend The Favorite Daughter.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
I love Kaira Rouda! 5 Stars!
Loved this book. It's a mystery that keeps you on your toes with multiple storylines.
Fast-paced, intense, and creepy.
I enjoyed this book.

I’ve been finished with this book for a while but had a hard time writing this review. I loved every book I’ve read by the author, so I had high expectations. It started great, but I lost interest in the characters quickly. Still adore the author’s writing, so this won’t stop me from reading her next book!

This thriller is filled with deceitful characters that deserve to be killed off! Sandi and Julie are the only two I didn’t want to strangle myself (who doesn’t love a Julie 😌).

Doug and Sandi are married with three sons. Doug is a charismatic and sanctimonious preacher. Not sure how Sandi puts up with him without hitting the bottle! Their son, Tom, has major issues, but who can blame him with a father like Doug? Doug’s hypocritical lifestyle caused the family to sell their home and move to another church. Tom, who is legally an adult, is left behind and vows to get the house back.

Julie is the wife of a rich entrepreneur that is possessive. Roger is used to getting his way and uses money to control his trophy wife and teenage daughter. Jess has grown up thinking it’s normal to drive a BMW and have a Platinum American Express, that Daddy pays for. So when her mother moves her out of their fabulous house to start a new life, she thinks it’s a major crisis. Before meeting her husband, Julie worked for a plastic surgeon who used her as a before-and-after model. She’s fake from head to toe, but has finally opened her eyes and wants out of the privileged life she once craved.

Jess—an obnoxious, self-absorbed teenager—is hard to like.

QUOTE:
“Jess is used to plastic, to paying for whatever she wants, whenever she wants it. Instantly, no matter the cost.”

Thank you to the publisher for providing this book through NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion.

Kaira Rouda is an auto-read author for me, and I was excited to read this when I learned it was coming out in January. She mixes a lot of themes into one novel that all builds into a crazy suspenseful ending, and it was well worth the ride to get there. We have a marriage that’s fallen apart, and when Julie moves into a house with her teenage daughter Jess, little does she know she is starting her new life in a place that comes with its own issues, namely someone the previous owners (a pastor and his wife) left behind and doesn’t want to leave.

It is worth noting that there are a lot of characters to keep up with (none are really likable) along with the story being told from several POVs, and when you combine that with several heavy topics being covered it might be too much for some. The pace is a slower build in the beginning as the stage is being set, but it all came together with a very satisfying ending, and I enjoyed this one very much.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the digital copy to review.

I read this so quickly. Short chapters. Changing POV. Each character is distinct enough that it doesn't get confusing. The action picks up in the second half of the story. The events that kick off the second half of the book feel abrupt, but I was invested in the story. I couldn't put it down after that.

This was my first time reading a Kaira Rouda book and I thought Somebody’s Home was really good. It’s a suspense type thriller with a storyline nothing like I had imagined it was going to be when I first started. There were characters that I really liked and some that I didn’t. It shows that you really shouldn’t judge a person by who you think they are or should be. There was Doug, who was a husband, father and minister of the local church. You would assume being a minister that he would be a good upstanding person, he was not! Then there was Roger, a wealthy businessman who was married to Julie and had a daughter Jess. Throughout the story I disliked him yet in the end, he seemed loving, caring and acted heroic. This story that centered around 2 families was both enjoyable and entertaining but it also made me think about things. First, people aren’t always what they seem or appear to be. And also,sometimes it’s really easy to mess up and make mistakes that you later regret even if you didn’t do it intentionally. I’m wondering if perhaps I might of got more out of reading this story than the author intended. Regardless, I really liked it and would recommend it to others. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc that I obtained off the Read Now section to read, review and enjoy. I’m giving this a 4 star rating and look forward to reading more by Kaira Rouda in the future.