This was a really well-written, engaging book but I listened on audio and I struggled with the narrator. The narrator sounds like a warm, grandmotherly older woman who is telling you a story over a cuppa tea, which is a wonderful quality for a voice actor but it just didn’t really work for me with the suspense of this particular novel. I felt like a lot of the plotting was overdramatized by the narrator so it was hard to tell when an actually suspenseful or scary moment was coming. Based on the other fabulous reviews I think I probably would have enjoyed this much more as a physical book to read, and my feelings about the audio narrator may just be personal taste. I’d try another book by this author.

Such a awesome audiobook!!! Had me gripped from the beginning!!!! The ultimate twist was OMG!! I thought how the book will end but the actual ending was something different. Will definitely check out the other books of the author and even the narrator did a great job.

This is great.
Steph is trying to find her independence after separating from her husband but she starts to feel unsafe in her home, now she’s on her own.
Initially she thinks it could be her ex damaging her property but with the Police involved, things still keep happening.
Steph makes some decisions that her daughter and ex husband are not happy with, but Steph wants to stand on her own two feet.
Soon events take a frightening turn and Steph’s life is in danger.
I really felt for Steph as she was trying to make things work and stay in her home but someone has other ideas.
This is a gripping psychological thriller that will have you racing through the pages.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley.

Three and a half stars rounded up to four.

Steph is going through a marriage breakdown and is forced to live alone for the first time in her life. With two grown up children, Max is estranged and Bea is married and loaded, she is standing on her own two feet although finding life lonely.

Struggling to come to terms with her husband leaving she believes someone has been entering her home without permission. Breaking in and causing damage. There's a few initial suspects for the reader to gather, before one, a homeless guy, moves in, which Steph hopes will make her more secure. He is then the obvious suspect, or so we are led to believe.

However events seem to escalate and Steph doesn't know who to trust. I enjoyed the story but I found the culprit was obvious by the time I was a third of the way in. Therefore I grew frustrated Steph didn't see what was obviously in front of her face.

My thanks to the author and Bookouture for the copy to review via Netgalley.

This was a delicious slow burn of a book with a creeping sense of menace as the story progressed. It centres around Steph, a middle aged woman struggling following the break down of her marriage. Her son is estranged and her daughter has flew the nest. She is feeling lonely and insecure with low self confidence and weird things keep happening in the house making her frightened of staying there on her own . She is also being pushed to sell the marital home which she doesn't want to do despite her unease at living there so she is forced to consider raising extra money which is when she arranges to take on a lodger and that is when the incidents really start to escalate. I felt so sorry for Steph and really empathised with her predicament. She is such a caring good natured soul willing to see the best in everyone. I could feel her fear and desperation with her situation and her frustration at who could be doing these things to scare her and most of all, why?? There's a few red herrings throughout the book and I was genuinely surprised on how it ended. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this novel which I listened to on Audio and the narrator was excellent, particularly at portraying Steph.

Steph’s husband walks out after thirty-one years of marriage. She decides to stay in the home, but quickly starts hearing and seeing things. She also smells smoke when she knows she does not smoke and no one else is around. Her on disappeared years ago, is it possible he has come home? Her daughter Bea thinks Steph is imagining things.
Steph hires a man named Noah to help her fix up her home and offers him a room in her home. This way she can have a renter to help with expenses, and keep her company. When Steph’s ex-husband and Be find out she took in a renter they are rather upset. They think her renter might not be whom he says he is.
Strange things continue even after Noah moves in. Clearly someone is messing with her. Could it be someone in her family, Noah or someone else? Twisty! The narrator was excellent and I love that it took me awhile to figure out what was happening.

What a fast paced book, awesome writing – kept making me want to go back for more!
Steph’s husband has walked out on her after being married for 30 years, suspecting that she is having an affair – and he has pictures as proof, but how did he get them? Is he having someone keep an eye on her? Then there are really horrific incidents happening in her house, someone is trying to scare Steph every chance they are getting – but why? Does someone want her out of that house so that they can get their hands on the house? Is it a prospective buyer or is it Steph’s husband who is adamant that the house should be sold!
Steph meets Noah, a homeless person and offers lodging option at her home – this way she can make some rent as well as feel safe with one more person inside the house, but before long even more weird things start to happen and Steph must make sure she is safe always!
The ending was a solid one! Thank you Bookouture Audio for the DRC copy – the narration by Emma Gregory was out of the world!

Steph has two grown up children, Max and Bea, and is living alone for the first time in her adult life. After thirty years of marriage, her husband Andy has moved out and she is still reeling and coming to terms with the massive shock and sudden change to her life. Strange things begin to happen, mostly in or around her home – it seems someone has been breaking in! At the same time, her husband is trying to put pressure on her to sell their marital home – so he seems like suspect numero un!! There are a few suspects do choose from but I did guess correctly just over half way through.

I wavered throughout this book between kind of enjoying / being intrigued and almost DNF-ing! Ultimately, I did like the premise and the twist at the end which kind of gave me Stephen King’s Misery vibes. But mostly I think the book was a bit too heavy on domestic and not heavy enough on thriller. I did like how the book played out towards the end though and the final few lines did make ms laugh. I listened to the audiobook and this is one of the rare times that I think it would have been better to physically read the book instead – maybe?

My thanks to the author and Bookouture Audio for the gifted copy to review via Netgalley.

Three and a half stars

📚release date: 1/31/22📚
Stephanie is going through a bit of a rough patch in life. After 30 years and two kids, her husband has moved out and looking for a divorce. Her daughter is grown and married, and she hasn't seen her estranged son in 10 years. Having been so dependent on her soon to be ex husband for much of her life, she's determined to make it on her own. Though after some unexplained random acts of vandalism on her house, she's wondering if someone has it out for her. When a young homeless gentleman Noah that's around her sons age shows up for some housing assistance where she works but there are no rooms available, she sees this as a perfect opportunity to help not only this young man, but herself as well. She can help the young man get back on his feet and in turn she won't be living alone and will even have some assistance financially with her household bills. It's a win win situation. However, things start to get even more intense leaving her to question both her sanity and her judge of character. Is her husband just persistent in trying to drive her out of the house they once shared so they can sell and go their separate ways or is there truly someone who's out to get her?
Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio, and Rona Halsall for the opportunity to read and review this book. This was an audiobook version narrated by Emma Gregory. She did a pretty decent job portraying the characters, though I kind of felt like Bea's voice was a bit whiney, it seemed to fit her character. I couldn't get through this book fast enough. It had me right from the start. I had so much empathy for Stephanie and really loved her character. I almost felt blind sided by the big twist. I definitely didn't see that coming. It was a very gripping psychological thriller. I highly recommend this book. I rate this ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Another fantastic book by Rona Halsall!

Steph is an empty-nester recently seperated from her husband. There are strange things happening in her life and in her home. She brings in a boarder for a little extra money, as well as for a sense of security. The question is...is her new boarder the cause of her problems, or is something else going on?

I loved this book and highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC audiobook for my honest review.

Steph was married with two kids. Next thing her son has left home and she doesn’t know where he is. Then her husband walks out on her after 30 years. Her daughter Bea is married and has her own life miles away. Steph is all alone.
She is determined to keep her home but she needs more more to ge able to pay off her husband. Then strange things start happening around the house. She needs someone with her to make her feel safe.
Her path then crosses with Noah a homeless young man. She needs company and he need accommodation. Maybe they can help each other.
Strange things continue to happen. Is it Noah that is the cause and if so why? Is she safe in her own home.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an arc

Oh my word this book wasn’t just good it was absolutely brilliant. A domestic suspense thriller that I couldn’t put down. Once I finished a chapter I just had to carry on reading. I thought I’d everything worked out one minute and next thing I changed my mind and suspected someone else. My theories were always wrong. There isn’t one single thing I didn’t enjoy about this book. A massive 5⭐️ read for me.

Very creepy, very surprising and absolutely - I don't even know the words for it - well, brilliant!

One of the best thriller plots I have come across in a while... (and that is saying something ;-) )

I would recommend this to all, who have a thing for goosebumbs and don't mind being totally creeped out throughout the book.

I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook version, which had just the spooky effect, you would want for a story like this.

You think you’re safe in your home. You’re wrong.



Steph used to think her life was perfect. A happy marriage, two wonderful kids, and a home she felt safe in and called her own. But now her husband has walked out after thirty years, her daughter Bea is married and lives miles away, and Steph’s estranged son hasn’t made contact in years. Home doesn’t feel like the safe haven it once did.



When she begins to hear noises in the night, at first she thinks she’s imagining things. But then she finds open windows she knows she left closed, and a strange smell in the kitchen – and she knows none of it feels right.



Then her front window is smashed, and a young man named Noah helps her fix it. He’s fallen on hard times and Steph impulsively offers him a place to stay. He reminds her of her missing son, and as a mother she finds herself wanting to help him. Also, if he is there, she won’t be home alone.



Before long Noah is living in Bea’s old bedroom, paying rent, and getting his life back on track. Steph’s ex-husband and Bea are furious. But Steph feels secure at last, and that’s what matters.



Until the strange things start happening once more.



And Steph realises that someone is out to scare her…



Someone who will stop at nothing to make her never, ever feel safe again.
The narration has good pace and flow,and the narrators voices seemed right for the characters they were portraying. I listened to this as an audio book and felt the narrators really helped bring the story to life. The narrator narrated the book beautifully, and I loved the depictions of the different characters.

The Guest Room by Rona Halsall

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Ever since Steph’s husband walked out after a thirty-year marriage, home hasn’t felt like a safe haven. Her daughter Bea thinks she’s imagining things. But Steph knows that the noises in the night, the open windows she knows she left closed, the strange smell in the kitchen – none of it feels right.

Then her house is broken into, and a young man named Noah helps her fix the front window. He’s fallen on hard times and Steph impulsively offers him a place to stay. At least if he is there, she won’t be home alone.

This book had me hooked. Every time I thought I had worked out if Noah could be trusted, something happened to change my mind. I spent most of the book enjoying the plot but not really sure what was going to happen. A fun, unputdownable book.

Rating 4/5

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Rona's books are always hit or miss for me. I usually really enjoy every other book. however, this makes two in a row now that I just couldn't get into. There were some good parts and twists, but overall the narrator just grated on me and I moved way to the back to see how it ended.

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

Narrator 5 stars
Great voice, did a great job with the characters

Story 2 stars
All of these characters are quite unlikeable for most of the book so it was hard to attach to anyone.
This book moved very slowly which also couldn't hd my interest. Over all I didn't love it.

Well this has been quite a page turner despite some off points...

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The story flowed well and the suspense factor was well built and gradual without making me lose interest. However, I had a hard time connecting with the main character and overall there was a lack of character development in this book.
The plot itself is a common one; nothing twisty in it but was still well-built. The element of psychology behind the "villain" character was accurate and the book ending was realistic and well built.

I finished this book in 2 days and couldn't put it down, which is why I'm giving it 3 stars. However, I expected more of the writing and plotting, which is the downside of someone reading too many psychological thrillers and working in the psychology field. Yet still, I recommend this book if you're looking for a light psychological thriller to read while on a trip.

I also listened to the audiobook version which was perfect with a great narrator. I do highly recommend the audio version.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book.

I received an advanced audiobook review copy in exchange for an honest review

The plot sounded so interesting but the mystery was flat at times, would eventually pick up and crackle for a bit until the next dip. It definitely helped that the narrator sounds exactly how these women talk. Definitely a beach read- an entertaining guilty pleasure. 3.5 rounded up.

I listened to this book in a day which is always a sign of a good book otherwise I’ll go back and forth between books.

This is my first book by the author but I definitely plan to read or listen to more. Narrator was perfect for the character of Steph. Character development was flawless. You really became invested in the lives of Steph and Noah. Great twist at the end although I figured it was probably one of two people and I was right, as the story progressed, hints were dropped that led me to know for sure. I’d elaborate but not wanting to give away spoilers.