This was a slow burn for me, and took me a little bit to get into. However, once the story picked up it was still hard to follow. Kelly was an irritating narrator to follow and her emotionally driven actions would really get under my skin at times. I loved her first book, but this one was not my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz

Thank you to @netgalley, @ballantinebooks, and the author,
@andibartz for the opportunity to read this #eARC in exchange for my #honestbookreview! The Spare Room is now available for purchase.

Kelly needs an escape. She’s reeling from her fiancé putting their wedding on hold but not ending their relationship as well as his possible indiscretion, and it’s the beginning of lockdown to boot. Enter her high school friend and now author best know for writing sensational smut, Sabrina and her DOD husband with a top-secret job, Nathan. The pair invites Kelly to come visit for as long as she’d like. Things take an interesting and complicated twist when Kelly begins falling for both hosts and they invite her into their relationship. Kelly is swept up in the romance (and the sex) of it all until she discovers that the last woman they invited into their marriage turned up missing. Will

This book was incredible. The first book I read by Bartz was “We Were Never Here” and the whole time I had this nervous energy because (small spoiler) at least one of the characters is completely unhinged, unpredictable, and feels untrustworthy. This book also delivers that same frenetic energy that can only be tamed by a well laid out plot wrap up. I loved the way Bartz captured both the mysticism of lockdown - “anything is possible, this isn’t real life” that some experienced after finally achieving some introspection, alongside the mass hysteria that the lockdown evoked in others. This was well done! I highly recommend.

TW: che@ting, animal @buse, gaslighting, manipulation, theft, stalking

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ - 4.75/5

THE SPARE ROOM 🕯️ hit shelves last week, this thriller will bring you back to the peak pandemic when people were in “pods” and wore masks to walk outside. Kelly moves in with her old friend Sabrina and her husband Nathan after a bad breakup.
But, she soon develops a relationship with them both AND learns the fate of their last live-in house guest was not so happily-ever-after 👀

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - really fun thriller, could not put it down!!

Andrea Bartz grabs me from page 1 and doesn't let me go!

Kelly’s life in Philly is a mess. Her perfect plan of a husband, 2.5 kids, and a white picket fence might be over. Her relationship with Mike is at a standstill and in the middle of COVID times, what can she do?

Enter Sabrina and Nathan. The opposite of Kelly (happy marriage / imploding relationship) (bestselling author / jobless) they give her the ultimate proposition: come stay with them. Offering her the spare room of their beautiful yet secluded Virginia mansion, Kelly books a ticket, stat.

The couple introduces Kelly to a daringrisqué new world. While at first, this may seem like a wonderful arrangement, the more she learns about them, the wearier she is. When she finds that their last house guest is missing she starts to wonder what's behind their beautiful, yet private facade.

Will Kelly stay or go? Can she escape the spare room? An erotic thriller- this one definitely had me turning the pages!

As far as domestic thrillers go, this one was pretty interesting. A woman gets involved with a couple during an issue with her own partner, and finds out that a former roommate of the couple is missing.

A pandemic domestic suspense.

I first read We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz last summer and loved it. I was so glad to receive a galley of her newest release.

During the early days of the pandemic, Kelly loses her job and her fiance. She decides to move to DC/Northern VA to live with an old friend and her husband. She quickly realizes she is in for more than she bargained for, as her relationship with her new roommates turns sexual. She learns that the last woman they entertained is missing.

I appreciated that this story was a bit unconventional. I enjoyed that this book was set during the Pandemic. It makes for an interesting background element to the story. Lots of twists and turns. A light, easy reading, thriller.

This had enough thriller elements to keep a reader reading to the end. This book will not be for everyone with the twisted thrupple relationship.

The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz will blow your mind. You'll try your hardest to figure it out and you'll fail miserably! What a fantastic book! I barely moved today as I had to finish this book. Kelly has moved away from her friends and family to follow her fiancé to Philadelphia for his job. Little did she know that not long after arriving in Philly her fiancé would want to put a hold on things and delay the wedding.

Kelly has reconnected with a high school friend through Instagram and they chat with each other often. Sabrina is a successful romance novelist, is married, and has a huge home in Virginia. Sabrina's husband, Nathan, works for the government and his work his top secret. They both work from home as this book takes place during the pandemic. Once Kelly tells Sabrina about her fiancé wanting to put a hold on the wedding, she invites Kelly to stay with her and Nathan. They've got a huge mansion, a pool, a hot tub, a spare room for Kelly, and it would give Kelly some space away from her sad situation in Philly. Kelly decides to take Sabrina up on her offer and books a flight to Virginia.

Once Kelly arrives, she settles right in, and is very happy with her accommodations and both of her hosts. Kelly ends up falling for both Sabrina and Nathan and the feeling is reciprocated. There's a lot of attraction, kissing, hugging, touching until they all agree to try sleeping together. Things get steamy and Kelly can't imagine ever wanting to leave as she's the happiest she's ever been. Kelly finds out that Sabrina and Nathan used to have another woman living with them that shared their house and their bed. The weird thing is that woman is missing. No one knows what happened to her. When Kelly finds polaroids of a woman in the bottom of her dresser drawer she thinks it must be of her. Kelly needs to know what happened to her, but Sabrina and Nathan say they don't know.

Is Kelly in danger in her new situation? Will Kelly find out what happened to the last woman that shared their house and bed? Why do the neighbors hate Sabrina and Nathan? They have no trouble coming up to Kelly when she's out for a walk telling her to be careful that the couple is dangerous! Is it true? Kelly starts thinking that someone is watching them from the woods beyond the yard. She's seen movement out there? Who is watching? Why are they watching? The tension builds and builds until you won't be able to put The Spare Room down. Andrea Bartz does it again with a steamy thriller that will have you skipping plans to finish the book! I rate The Spare Room 5 stars and give it my highest recommendation. You don't want to miss this book, trust me! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of The Spare Room in exchange for a fair review! #TheSpareRoom #NetGalley

I was very excited to get an egalley of this book, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I normally love thrillers! I had heard this one was a bit spicy, so obviously I thought it was a recipe for success! I even heard a lot of gossip about “THAT” scene. I think it occurs in the first half of the book, but…let’s just say that since I can’t even tell you when THAT scene happens, it definitely didn’t even register on my spice radar.

On top of it, the main character, Kelly, was over the top whiny and trusting. She gave Sabrina and Nathan so many chances. They put up with so much snooping and nosiness for Kelly. It was irritating rather than endearing - and I was rooting for their relationship!!! But with every misstep I began to like every character less and less. I think the true fault of this book was that the only likeable character was Virgo, the cat.

I was really excited for a sexy summer thriller, but this fell flat. 2.5 stars rounded up.

This book was okay. It was a little cringey at times, and a bit predictable. I think the epilogue was unnecessary and didn’t add anything to the book. I think it would’ve been better to leave some mystery to whether Beth was a con artist or a victim. I also think it’s crazy how her fiancé admitted to trying to kill her & she was just cool w it and didn’t tell anyone.

This book took me a REALLY long time to get into, and honestly multiple times within the first 50% I considered DNF’ing it. I think the type of romantic thriller it is will turn off a lot of thriller readers, because there’s a lot of steaminess without much suspense for most of the book (not open-door, but a lot of instances of sex happening between the three main characters that fade to black). By the end I was surprisingly invested and for the most part enjoyed the twists and reveals. After reading the authors note, I also appreciate the representation of LGBTQ+ relationships and polyamory within the thriller genre and respect that this book did something different than other cookie-cutter thrillers. It all evens out to a 3-star rating for me but I think I’ll continue picking up books by this author in the future!

When COVID lockdown hit, Kelly finds herself in a new city, jobless, and trapped with a fiancée who has just called off their wedding. She seeks solace in her high school friend, who has so graciously offered her a room in her house in Virginia. Not long after arriving, Kelly finds herself wrapped up in their attention and they end up in bed together. While she loves this new relationship, she can’t help but feel something is off. When she learns that the last woman they were involved with is missing, she begins to get nervous that she might be next. Is this all too good to be true?

I was so excited to get approved for a copy of this one on Netgalley! I really enjoyed We Were Never Here so I had high hopes for this one. After reading it, I will say that it was a decent thriller but more of a slow burn suspense book. I am not upset by this, I just want to make sure people are prepared. This book also takes placing during the COVID lockdowns and while only briefly mentioned it was present. It was fun to have one of the main characters write smut and get called out by the neighbor – who’s an avid reader of the books. Oh, the irony. Most of this book is spent building up to the reveal, and it is a well written journey. I do appreciate the way that Ms. Bartz writes and I will continue to read her books.

If you are looking for a fun suspense novel set during the COVID lockdowns, then grab yourself a copy of this one out June 20th.

Thank you so much to the publisher – Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, and Netgalley, @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A digital copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley, Random House Group - Ballantine and Ballantine Books. The opinions are my own and freely given.

Cast of Characters:

Kelly - the girl who moves into the spare room
Mike - her fiancé
Sabrinia - author and Kelly's acquaintance from high school
Nathan - Sabrina's husband, works for the DOD

Set during the pandemic, Kelly and Mike's relationship seem to be coming to an end. Kelly reaches out to Sabrina on Instagram and is invited to move to their Virginia mansion to escape. One thing leads to another and Kelly, Sabrina and Nathan fall into a relationship. Nathan doesn't want Kelly to tell anyone because of his position with the Department of Defense. I did not like this book. There was way too much of the three of them in bed together. Nothing really happened until 72% through when a dead body turns up in the house. After the police were involved and when we really figure out what happened it just kind of fizzled. This one was just not for me.

The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz

Published: June 20, 2023
Ballantine Books
Pages: 341
Genre: Women’s Psychological Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Andrea Bartz is a Brooklyn-based journalist and the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese's Book Club pick WE WERE NEVER HERE. Her second thriller, THE HERD, was named a best book of 2020 by Real Simple, Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, CrimeReads, and other outlets. Her LA-Times bestselling debut, THE LOST NIGHT, was optioned for TV development by Mila Kunis. It was named a best book of the year by Real Simple, Glamour, Marie Claire, Library Journal, Crime Reads, Popsugar, She Reads, and other publications. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, Elle, and many other outlets, and she's held editorial positions at Glamour, Psychology Today, and Self, among other titles.

“Secrets are easy to keep when the world is on lockdown.”

Kelly is heartbroken when her fiancé tells her he wants to pump the breaks on their relationship. But luckily, she has rekindled a friendship with someone from high school. Sabrina has offered to have Kelly stay with her and her husband, Nathan, in their secluded and safe mansion. Kelly can’t believe it. Then the secrets start to be revealed.

This was intense. What started innocently enough quickly turned into something else. The build-up was well done. It was a bit odd reading about a period that was in the heaviest portion of the pandemic.

The characters were well done. I didn’t care for the main character, Kelly, much. She was needy, prone to crying over everything, and too pliable. Sabrina seemed great, but she was pushy and a tad manipulative. Nathan gave off creepy vibes.

The twists in the book will take readers by surprise. The way things escalate and then crescendo into chaos is unexpected and wild. The ultimate twist was so well choreographed and played out seamlessly.

I don't normally write book reviews but after reading this book I felt like I had to. In my opinion this was pretty bad. I thought Kelly was really narcissistic and only really cared about what she wanted and didn't care about other people. There wasn't anything in this book worth getting excited over for, but after reading this book I am glad that I didn't buy this book because then I would've felt like I was wasting money. I'm sure that this author has better books than this one but stay clear of this book unless you want to waste your time.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I really didn’t like this story. I was bored to tears with it.

I love Andrea Bartz, so I was excited to receive The Spare Room. It is a sexy, suspenseful, and twisty novel that will keep you guessing until the very end. The story follows Kelly, a young woman who is invited to stay with her old friend Sabrina and her husband Nathan in their luxurious D.C. home. Kelly soon discovers that Sabrina and Nathan are into an open relationship, and she is drawn into their world of sex, drugs, and danger.

The Spare Room is a well-written and fast-paced novel that is full of surprises. The characters are complex and well-developed, and the plot is full of twists and turns. The novel also deals with some dark themes, such as addiction, murder, and betrayal. However, it is ultimately a story about hope and redemption.

If you are looking for a sexy, suspenseful, and twisty novel that will keep you hooked until the very end, then I highly recommend The Spare Room. It is a well-written and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

Here are some of the things that make The Spare Room a glowing novel:

The characters are complex and well-developed.
The plot is full of twists and turns.
The novel deals with some dark themes in a sensitive and thoughtful way.
The writing is sexy, suspenseful, and evocative.
Overall, I think The Spare Room is a glowing novel that is sure to entertain and keep you guessing until the very end. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a sexy, suspenseful, and thought-provoking read.

“That’s a tough thing for people to realize: Just because something feels different doesn’t mean it’s bad or wrong.”
To paraphrase: just because this book wasn’t what I expected it to be doesn’t mean it was bad or wrong. I did not know what I was in for when I started this thriller. It has a lot more dark romance than I expected, as a recently single woman travels from Philly to outside DC to quarantine in a spare room with her childhood friend and her husband in May 2020. The house is amazing, and I can imagine it would have been a much better spot to be stuck than the apartment she shared with her ex. Not only does Kelly move to Virginia for an unspecified amount of time, she brings her cat Virgo, too. I love a great cat character, and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed that Kelly referred to Virgo as “monkey” like I refer to my cat - it is just a fitting nickname. Kelly joins the couple’s open marriage, establishing new connections with each of them and also within herself. But the couple’s former partner is missing… and the more Kelly finds out about her disappearance, the more worried she gets.
Thanks to Random House Ballantine Books for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I probably should have read this blurb before requesting an advanced copy but I think it was a unique thriller so kudos to the author for that!

I have seen a lot of 5 star reviews for this one but it was not for me. It tells the story of a woman who moves in with a high school acquaintance during the pandemic. Threesomes and murder follow. The main character made ludicrous decisions and I felt like everything about this book moved slow. Thank you for the ARC.

In "The Spare Room," we meet Kelly, who's jobless, lonely, and going through a tough time with her fiancé. The one bright spot in her life is reconnecting with her friend Sabrina. Sabrina generously offers Kelly a place to crash with her and her husband for a while. Kelly ends up falling for both of them and things initially seem great in this new relationship. But then she starts noticing some weird stuff going on. Turns out, the last woman who was involved with Sabrina and her husband went missing. Now Kelly's freaking out, worried she might meet the same fate.

The plot twist at the end was okay, but I gotta say, I wasn't happy with how Kelly handled the whole shocking revelation. Overall though, the story's got an intriguing setup, a steamy love triangle without being too explicit, and a dramatic resolution. I'd definitely give more books by this author a shot. It's a solid thriller, if you ask me.