King's writing is evocative and atmospheric, immersing readers in the beauty and charm of Blue Haven while also delving into the darker corners of its residents' lives. Through Sarah's journey of self-discovery, the author skillfully explores themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the healing power of second chances.

At its heart, "Blue Haven" is a story about the ties that bind us together and the resilience of the human spirit. As Sarah navigates the complexities of her relationships with her estranged family members and grapples with long-buried secrets, she learns valuable lessons about the importance of love, forgiveness, and finding peace with the past. With its richly drawn characters, poignant storytelling, and breathtaking setting, "Blue Haven" is a captivating and heartfelt read that will linger in readers' minds long after they've turned the final page.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I really liked the first 60% of it when Aloe is in Blue Haven and strange things are happening. On the other, I didn't like the explanation that comes in the later part of the book. 

The first part in Blue Haven is very well written and slowly revs up the creep factor as the book progresses. We are never truly sure if strange things are happening, or if Aloe is having a mental breakdown. And that uncertainty adds to the general unease that slowly creeps on the reader. Yes, Aloe is clearly mentally unstable, but she is also right - something is wrong with Blue Haven. Because we all know that if something is too good to be true, it probably isn't real.

The big reveal that comes once Aloe, or should I say Eloise, is pulled out of Blue Haven is expected and welcome, at first. Until you start thinking about it. That's where this whole experiment starts to unravel. So we are using a neural net and augmented reality to make mentally ill patients happy. Interesting idea, but I don't understand this one size fits all approach. Are you telling me that you are treating a clinically depressed person the same way as you treat a man with severe PTSD and physical disability, and the same way as a couple in the late stages of dementia? I'm not psychologist, but even to me the science of this doesn't add up.

Also, when you are creating a utopia, you have to make it believable. No phones, TV or internet I can agree on, but what about other types of entertainment? What about concerts, movies, books, live performances? Are you telling me that the only things these people can do for fun is lounge on the beach and eat at fancy restaurants? Oh, and talk to each other? What about those who would rather accept the emotional support of a pet animal, like a cat or a dog, than try to socialize with other human beings?  I'm not sure about you, but I would be climbing up the proverbial wall after a week of this.

This one size fits all approach doesn't work, because happiness doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. Some people would be perfectly content to spend their life laying on the beach. Others will need a lot more intellectual simulation to be truly happy. Also, the big reveal that this doesn't work and only makes people worse isn't really that shocking, because you can see early on that they had no protocol for how to pull people back out and integrate them back into society.

How long do they stay in Blue Haven before they care considered cured? How do you reintegrate their real memories afterwards? Imagine the shock when you discover that instead of being a retired opera singer, you discover that you are an Applebee's manager and your wife and daughters are still dead. Or that you get the memories back from your time in Iraq and the horrors that lead to your injury. No matter how I look at it, I don't think there is a good solution to integrate these people back into society and keep them happy and cured. The only solution is to keep them in Blue Haven forever. And if that's the case, this is not a treatment at all, even without the harmful effects of the neural net on the brain...

I honestly don't know who they received the funding to even start this experiment to begin with. Any serious backers would have asked the same questions I asked above, and wouldn't have liked the answers.

So all in all, this was an exciting story for at least half of it length, but the explanation behind the scenes were rather lacking. Hence only 3 stars.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a twisty thriller with a really cool concept. I was immediately pulled in by the writing and the intrigue. I love it when a thriller book really makes me feel uneasy, and Blue Haven definitely accomplished that. Not to spoil anything, but I thought the ending was really well done. Highly recommend this for all sci-fi and thriller lovers.

Have you ever wanted to live your life in a perfect world? Could you live on a climate controlled tropical paradise in a plush condo with wait staff at your beck and call, five-star restaurants with celebrity chefs, and you only have to share this world with four other residents? That’s where former waitress Aloe Malone finds herself after winning the lottery. She had to pay millions of dollars, but she is now living the perfect life away from the rest of the world…until she finds a journal written by a former tenant named Eloise. Suddenly, this world is not so perfect anymore.

Blue Haven by Lisa King is a science fiction, mystery and intrigue novel that will have you reading on the edge of your set. You won’t be able to put this book down. The world building in this novel is fabulous. The characters are well-developed and realistic even in this rather unrealistic world. The story itself will keep you enthralled with all the twists and turns embedded in the plot. There is also a psychological aspect to this narrative that adds to the seriousness and darkness of the story.

You can’t go wrong choosing to read this novel. Just make sure you give yourself enough time. Otherwise, you will be losing a lot of sleep since you won’t be able to put it down.

I received an ARC for an honest review.

Wow! I feel like this book isn't talked about enough. It was so good. I was memorized by the description of Blue Haven and sucked into the suspense of the story. That last twist was amazing! Loved it so much.

This book deserves an award! Or 5! It’s no secret that I adore Lisa King’s writing, and this book has been so easy to love. If you were given the opportunity for a fresh start, to travel to paradise, cut off from the outside world, would you take it? Once you read this, the mysteries of Blue Haven will be difficult to erase from your mind.

It’s bursting at the seams with suspense, it’s surprisingly deep, and it completely took over my brain space for a good few weeks! I loved the balance of the joyful elements and the hidden darkness underneath it all. It’s incredibly thought provoking, especially the exploration of mental health and its damaging effects, and the scary yet fascinating things technology COULD achieve one day is written so so well. I can’t fault a single part of it!

Although I don’t generally read science fiction, I enjoyed this unique, propulsive read. As the saying goes, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is, and that certainly applies here. Don’t be fooled by the grandeur or the promise of a perfect life. There are secrets here, and they are about to be discovered.
ARC provided by Netgalley and Librarything in return for an honest review.

A solid strong read (3.5 stars) that kept me up many late nights trying to figure of whats going on. Just when I thought I had things figured out, Ms. King hit me with a direction, with twists and turns I didn't see coming. Overall, this story was a psychological mind meld. It definitely put me in the mindset of a BLACK MIRROR episode .... I won't say which one as to possible spoilers.

I was attracted to the story thinking it was science fiction, and while the overall story stayed in that genre, it ventured off into other other groups.

I have to be honest, somewhere around the halfway mark, I started to dislike where the story was going, some decisions made and scenarios experienced wasn't making sense compared to the beginning. However, I'm happy to say that Ms. King was able to turn everything around, leaving me with an ending I was expecting.

Book Review: Soooo good! Not the twist you were expecting.


Blue Haven
By Lisa King

Meet Aloe Malone, a 25-year-old recent lottery winner and former waitress. She’s now living in exclusive Blue Haven. A luxury condo destination in a secret location. There are only 5 residents with staff at their beck and call, all for the $200 million price tag. It’s privacy and exclusivity at its heavenly best. Pristine beaches with temperature controlled oceans just perfect for taking anytime swims. A luxury tower complete with exquisite restaurants with celebrity chefs, boutiques with exclusive designer apparel and spa treatments to die-for.

That’s exactly what Aloe is afraid of.

Author Lisa King has done an exceptional job of keeping the reader turning pages to see how this story ends. Chapter by chapter she keeps the mystery going and the stakes high, where you find yourself reading until the morning light. It’s that good! You don’t want to put it down until you’re at the last page.

It is a science-fiction thriller and lives up to that description. The story is captivating with enough clues to keep the reader fascinated and more importantly, turning pages. A little more than half-way through the science fiction is revealed and the heartbreaking reasons are exposed. Around every turn is a new twist with more Intrigue and more suspense. Culminating in more than a satisfactory ending where the reader is given hope for the characters in Blue Haven.

Lisa King should be proud for creating this story and all of its twists, truly a really good read!

A wonderfully crafted story that blends a little of sci-fi, thriller, and mystery. Aloe enters a paradise world where everything is catered to and happiness is easily attainable. However, paradise is threatened when a journal is found and Aloe must figure out who is telling the truth, who are the people around her, and who is the mysterious man following her. A great way to spend your afternoon and wonder if living in an artificial paradise is actually wonderful or one filled with dangers to one's mental health.

*Trigger Warnings*
Suicide, Depression, Addiction, Cancer, Death of a child, gore, sexual assault, trauma.

Fantastic combination of thriller and science fiction with an intriguing premise and plot twists that I really wasn't expecting. A definite page-turner and beautifully written scenes drew you in even when you desperately wanted them not to. The experience of the main character is fascinating and despite initially not knowing much about her I found myself intrigued from the outset. The characters are all very interesting and are all fully fleshed out and not just supporting the main character. The book touched on many topics including psychology and what makes a person themselves. The ending was also not what I was expecting and I loved the cliffhanger nature of it. Overall this was a great thriller and I can't wait to read more by Lisa King

This was so interesting, completely different from what I expected. I was thinking it was the typical luxury resort/trip gone wrong story (which don't get me wrong, I love), but there was so much more going on here. I don't want to give anything away, but this is not your usual psychological thriller. Engrossing and entertaining!

This books was wonderfully paced and the line between fantasy and reality was razor thin at times. A good read.

What if you could leave behind a terrible loss or a miserable life - a life without a bright future? What if you could leave it behind and start a new one in paradise?
This is the main question that came up when reading Lisa Kings Blue Haven. Five strangers are led into paradise after paying an enormous amount of money. What starts of as a thriller when the main character Aloe starts seeing a mysterious man and finds the journal of a former resident in Blue Haven, turns into a whole different genre, switching pace, while ending on another plot twist. I really enjoyed reading the novel since it touched upon so many different questions about humanity, psychology or future life.
Another highlight for me was the combination of many different genres that made reading that much more entertaining. I liked the characters that King created, they seemed thoughtfully crafted and fit well into the story.
I would definitely recommend the book to anyone enjoying thriller type books!

Who wouldn’t want to live a life of luxury with no outside distractions???
Aloe Mallone finds herself the fifth person in such an exclusive community. Over a few days, she realizes not everything is what it seems to be.

I don't usually read Sci-fi, but the premise appealed to me so I thought I'd give it a go and I'm glad I did. The writing is excellent and I'd definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys thrillers for a different read, as well as Sci-fi fans.

Heaven or hell? What kind of paradise is Blue Haven?
This novel makes you wonder for the first half where this will go. Is it a crime thriller? Is it sci-fi? Conspiracy? When things clear up a bit you just can't stop reading and the psychological side is pulling at your heart and you know that you really don't live in this kind of paradise.

When I read that this was a thriller-sci-fi I had no idea what to expect, but I'm pleased to say that this book was so good!

The thriller elements of this book are perfectly done in my opinion, I had no idea where the plot was going but couldn't wait for the mystery to unwrap. Each little clue we got was so interesting and I could not stop reading. There were some genuinely scary horror moments too which I thought King wrote really well, they were very effective and freaky.

Once the sci-fi elements come into play, I was even more intrigued and I loved everything that came next. Obviously I am being very vague because I don't want to spoil anything but I will just say that this book is captivating, well written and a fun ride. Any questions I had at the start were answered in a satisfying way and I really liked the ending.