This was fun, if a little meandering. It follows Kelly, a 30 something woman who takes off to the Virginia suburbs to stay with a highschool friend Sabrina, and her husband Nathan, after her own fiance, Mike postpones their wedding. Midpandemic, the trio form a tightknit pod, and soon Sabrina and Nathan are including Kelly in their romantic endeavors. But questions arise when Kelly discovers this isn't the first time Sabrina and Nathan included a third in their relationship, and that woman is now missing.

Things I liked: the pandemic setting, the modern gothic mansion, the closed door mystery.
Things I didn't like: there were a lot of plot lines that felt like they didn't feel fully fleshed out or resolved, or like they were introduced and then forgotten about. It led to the whole story feeling just a little disorganized and unresolved.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a top rate thriller with a steamy side. The mix of genres worked really well and made putting this book down, impossible.

I have to admit the enticing cover made me request this book. This is my first book by Andrea Bartz and it had its moments but overall this book just wasn’t for me, The interesting twists were my favorite parts of the book but the almost constant mentioning of masks, pods, quarantine protocols, distancing, etc over 3 years later was too much. I would not have requested had I known it would be mentioned throughout the entire book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reading copy. All opinions are my own.

The Spare Room is Andrea Bartz' pandemic thriller. Kelly is in the throes of relationship woe, so when her glamorous childhood friend offers her an escape to stay in her and her husband's spare room she jumps at the chance. What ensues is a toxic threesome, but what Kelly doesn't know is what happened to the last woman they invited into their marriage. Could she be in danger too?

This book was slow. It was a very slow build, with a lot of sexual tension between Kelly, Sabrina and Nathan. Being in Kelly's head is an acutely uncomfortable experience. There is not a single likeable character in the story. While it is definitely a twisty and very original tale, I could not get into this. It was too slow and uncomfortable.

That being said the author did such a good job at describing how psychologically messed up Kelly was, you truly were uncomfortable with her thoughts. If you can get past truly unlikable characters and a super slow burn of a book, then you will probably love this thriller. It is twisty and deranged.

Overall, I just could not get into this book. I ended up dreading reading it because all the characters were so awful and it was so slow. Nothing really happened until the last ~25% of the book. The toxic relationships were just super over the top and it was not an enjoyable read.

The spare room is a “lock-down” era thriller that captures the zeitgeist of the early pandemic days. Kelly and her fiancé Mike are on the final days of their relationship when kelly decides to move to stay with an acquaintance from high school she reconnected with on social media (who also happens to be a famous romance author) and her husband. Thinking it will be the perfect escape, kelly takes Sabrina up on her offer to visit and stay with them for a week or two. Enthralled by the secluded mansion, kelly thinks it will be a good distraction to clear her head and get a chance of scenery, kelly is instantly attracted to the couple and before long they invite her to join them in bed. Everything seems great at first, but kelly soon senses there is a darkness lurking underneath. The last woman they shared their bed with disappeared and kelly senses they all have something to hide..

The first half of the book is a slow burn and mainly focuses on the sexual nature of the relationships while there is a humming in the background that something isn’t right about the setup. The second half of the book picks up the pace and becomes a locked-room mystery. The second half worked better for me better than the first half of the book. The characters weren’t particularly likable (on purpose) and the dialogue at times doesn’t seem authentic and seems wooden. However, the setting and atmosphere work well and the second half of the book moves at lightening pace with some truly shocking twists.

Thanks to the publisher for providing this arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A twisty thriller that had me until the very end. I've noticed that pandemic themes are popping up everywhere but I like how this book doesn't make it a huge deal rather it is just life as it was, though it is a plot point that allows some of the story to unfold. I will say that NONE of the characters are likable in the least and I wasn't rooting for them , but this did not take from my enjoyment of the book. This is a well-done thriller that got me for sure as I did not guess at all where it was going.

I kept seeing everyone post this one and i knew i had the ARC so i said let me finish this one and i finished it in 2 days i wont lie it picked up a little slow but after 40% in it started getting good.. I did take a star off because of the reveal i was a little disappointed but i am picky with thrillers because ive read alot of them and sometimes i just feel as they are very much the same. In the beginning of this novel i was getting Verity vibes idk if anyone of yall got those same vibes as well. This book follows kelly who during the pandemic is on the rocks with her fiance so she gets offered to stay with a highschool friend and when she moves in she gets herself in a MESS.. I was at times thinking WTF is she doing omg she was a good main character tho. This novel had so much lying and alot going on and i didnt know who to believe and it kept me reading... Secrets, Murder, Betrayal, Scandal, Smut this novel had alot of everything. Kelly starts going through the house and starts finding little things that makes her question her whole situation and the people shes living with and it also didnt help that the neighbors didnt trust her and was also giving her warnings. Overall this was a good thriller and if you like thrillers i think ull enjoy this one.

The Spare Room is romantic suspense set in the peak of the pandemic. The loneliness and uncertainty of lockdown set the tone for this book. Kelly’s life in Philly is turned upside down when her fiancé calls off their wedding. When her extremely wealthy friend from high school and her husband offer to take her into their bubble, Kelly jumps at the chance to escape her tiny apartment. As she gets to know Sabrina and Nathan, the creepy suspense begins looming and then things get WILD when they propose a threesome. It was a little slow to start but really picks up around 65% and then it is twist after twist until the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this ARC!

My Ratings:
✿ Plot ★★★
✿ Reading Experience ★★★★
✿ Characters ★★★
✿ Writing Style ★★★★★

Overall ★★★.75

This is definitely on the slower-side for thrillers, possibly because I really don’t think the thriller part was the main purpose of this book. It was more of a story about a woman in her 30s coming into her own and exploring her sexuality. And I actually found that part of the book really interesting! I kind of wish more of that was shown because, while the feelings/emotional aspects of that journey are documented in great detail, the sex parts were very sanitized. I read that Bartz had to tone it down for publication for some reason, which seemed a weird choice to me. I didn’t necessarily want it to be graphic, but there is a weird dichotomy between how much sex is discussed and how much is actually shown on the page, and it felt jarring when it cut off.

As I said above, it really didn’t feel like the mystery part of this book was the focus. A lot of threads went nowhere or were barely discussed/dropped at the end, and I wished some more of that had been fleshed out. That being said, one of the twists in this book genuinely shocked me, so that alone made it worth the read for me. I just felt like this book didn’t know what it wanted to be, and it suffered a bit from seemingly being two disparate books shoved under the same umbrella. I think I would have enjoyed either a lot more if there was a clear focus.

Overall, I found this book slow, but ultimately enjoyable, even though it felt like two separate stories. I’d be very interested in seeing what others thought because, as you can probably tell, I’m very conflicted.

3.5/5

The tension, the secrets, the chemistry, the something being not quite right, but you can’t put your finger on it. That niggling feeling of unease that keeps you propulsively turning the pages until you uncover the truth, unveil the skeletons in the closet. This one kept me reading late into the night. It also has a lot of slow burn polyamory energy.
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Kelly is hating life in Philadelphia, cramped in her tiny apartment with her fiancé, Mike, during lockdown. Then, Mike calls off their wedding. Kelly reconnects with Sabrina, a childhood friend turned NYT bestselling romance author. Sabrina invites Kelly to lock down with her and her husband in their Virginian mansion. But her home isn’t the only thing Sabrina opens. Kelly learns that the last woman who stayed with the couple disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Is she next? Or are her hosts really as glorious as they appear?
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I started out loving this one and powering through it, but wasn’t a big fan of the resolution. I felt like there were too many big coincidences. Also, the indecisiveness, the nonstop questioning, the wishy-washy back and forthness, the gaslighting, the self gaslighting. It was a lot.
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I ultimately did enjoy this thriller, and it did keep me frantically turning pages to uncover all the secrets.
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Thank you to @netgalley and Ballantine Books for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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The Spare Room - Andrea Bartz
4/5⭐️
Pub Date: 6/20/23

The Spare Room was suspenseful with a dash of rated R. The novel is set during the Covid-19 pandemic and that setting provides the background for our character's isolation as they are at home and minimizing contact with the outside world. There are quite a few twists and this definitely won't be a mainstream send it to all your book club friends type of thriller. It's a bit risque so, not your mother's summer thriller read either.

That said, I binged it quickly and found it a fun yet weird yet intriguing story.

Thank you to Ballantine books and Netgalley for the electronic advanced copy.

This book is set during the pandemic. Kelly and her fiance Mike are going through a rough patch, so Kelly jumps at the opportunity to spend some time with her friend Sabrina and her husband Nathan at their mansion in Virginia. There, Kelly secretly finds herself falling for both her enchanting hosts—until one night, a wild and unexpected threesome leads the couple to open their marriage for her. Then Kelly finds out she's not the first woman Sabrina and Nathan have done this with and the last woman is now missing.

This book was not really my cup of tea. Kelly was one of the most clueless characters I have ever met and I hated her. She just had no common sense, no personality and really grated on me. I wasn't opposed to the threesome concept, but once it started to play out it really wasn't working for me.

The first two-thirds of the book were so boring that I ended up skimming a lot. I just wanted to see what the big thriller aspect was otherwise I would have DNF. The last third does have some excitement and I liked some of the twists and turns, but all that couldn't redeem the book as a whole for me.

The book was a big nope for me, but I think other people might love it. I do like Bartz's style so I'm excited to see what she writes next!

Wow, the Bartz sisters are really Doing The Most this year, aren't they? After Julia's over-the-top debut The Writing Retreat earlier this year, here comes Andrea with her latest offering, a provocative novel of romantic suspense featuring polyamory and murder. The summary had me giving the side-eye, but I've read and enjoyed all of Andrea Bartz's previous novels, so I figured I'd jump right in, much like Kelly did into the Lamonts' bed.

After Kelly's life in Philadelphia implodes, she welcomes the opportunity to escape the apartment she shares with her fiancé, who has decided to cancel their upcoming nuptials, and not just because it's the middle of a pandemic. Sabrina Lamont, a childhood friend Kelly has recently reconnected with, offers Kelly the chance to stay in the spare room of the Virginia mansion she shares with her husband Nathan. At first Kelly tries to fight the growing attraction she feels to both of her hosts, but after one wild night she realizes that the attraction is mutual, and they become a throuple. But Kelly is not the first woman the Lamonts have opened their marriage for -- and the last woman they were involved with disappeared.

The Spare Room is an edgy, compulsively-readable novel that kept me engaged all the way through, even when it had me rolling my eyes. The first half of the book is largely focused on Kelly's sexual relationship with the Lamonts; it isn't until two-thirds of the way through that things start to veer in a more suspenseful direction. It's part erotic suspense, part domestic suspense, but not quite equally balanced. It's going to appeal to readers who like their books with a significant spice factor, but it may not be as successful with those who are expecting a more straightforward thriller.

Bartz's writing is, as always, stellar; she knows how to craft an atmospheric setting, layer in the tension, and move the plot forward in a propulsive way. I'm so intrigued by authors' various takes on the pandemic, and Bartz really captures the claustrophobia and uncertainty of that time in her latest offering. She creates interesting characters, and although her main character this time drove me absolutely bonkers with her inconsistency and hysterics, it's clear that Bartz had love for her all the way through. I did like the theme of self-discovery that is present throughout the novel, even though Kelly's journey had me shaking my head at times.

Overall, The Spare Room is an entertaining-if-imperfect book that boldly dares to be different, and I appreciated it for that. You haven't read a mainstream thriller quite like this one, that's for sure! Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.

I enjoyed Andrea Bartz’s #WeWereNeverHere thriller, so I just knew I’d probably enjoy this one too. And I did!
Her newest book, #TheSpareRoom , is a sexy, yet shockingly uncomfortable threesome. There is a lot of mystery behind the disappearance of the previous throuple’s partner and while Kelly has questions, the other two don’t want to discuss it. Oh, and did I mention this is set in the early days of COVID? Everything and everyone is under lockdown. How easy would it be to get away with a crime if no one even notices you are gone in the first place? There are no more social functions. No going into the office for work.
There is a bit of spice in this. Wow! I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a prude, but man was I clutching those pearls!
I also really liked how Kelly, a straight woman, navigates this unknown part of herself that perhaps she likes women, too.

Quarantine in a mansion, endless amounts of prosecco, and a throuple-what could possibly go wrong?

Kelly and her fiancé decide to take a break from their relationship and wedding planning during the pandemic and she travels to stay with her high school friend, Sabrina, and her husband in the spare room of their remote Victorian Mansion. The couple easily and quickly become close with Kelly, but Kelly soon learns about a missing woman who was last seen with them. Could they have something to do with her disappearance? The more Kelly uncovers, the more complicated the story becomes, with lots of twists near the end!

This book shows the reader how the pandemic can put a strain on relationships. I found myself yelling at Kelly to get out of there girl, while you still can! Andrea Bartz has the type of storytelling and prose where you just don't want to stop reading. I really enjoyed this erotic thriller and can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Andrea Bartz for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Andrea Bartz for the advanced copy of The Spare Room in exchange for my honest review!

HAPPY • PUB • DAY! 💜

It’s a thriller… but make it ✨sexy✨

I really enjoyed this book! I truly did not see any of the twists coming and I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish.

I don’t want to give too much away, but if a steamy thriller sounds like your thing, pick this one up today!!

NYT bestselling author Andrea Bartz returns following We Were Never Here with her latest edgy, seductive, and creepy romantic suspense, THE SPARE ROOM. Things turn heated and deadly when a young woman stays with a friend and her husband in their isolated alluring mansion.

Kelly Doyle's life (age 34) is not going so well. During the lockdown in Philly, she is trapped in her apartment with Mike, the man who just called off their wedding.

Fortunately, she has found her childhood friend, Sabrina Lamont (introvert) —who is now a glamorous NYT bestselling romance author with a handsome, high-powered husband, Nathan (extrovert), with a high-ranking government job—a power couple.

They have a spare room in their Virginia mansion and offered for her to stay with them temporarily. She did not have Sabrina's number three weeks earlier, and they followed one another on IG.

Located an hour outside DC, Tanglewood Estates with tall gates surrounding each mansion, blocking out the outside world and a lush pool. AT 327 Tanglewood Drive is a stately mansion with tall windows overlooking a cemetery next door.

Kelly arrives with her cat Virgo. Soon Kelly secretly finds herself falling for both of her dazzling hosts—until one night, a wild and unexpected threesome leads the couple to open their marriage for her. Something forbidden and wild. She may never go back.

UNTIL she discovers their prior partner is missing. Someone left a mysterious note on the gate: LEAVE.

This Gothic-vibe locked room is creepy, atmospheric, and dangerous. There are videos. An ex that is now missing. The woman in the Polaroids.

Deadly, dangerous, a nightmare, a toxic friendship. Can this couple be trusted? What is their end game? Kelly ignores the red flags, the power plays, gaslighting, and the betrayals.

THE SPARE ROOM is challenging to describe. A strange erotic romantic suspense (not my thing) crosses a Gothic whodunit murder mystery rolled into a domestic suspense popcorn semi-thriller for entertainment, with a ton of disbelief.

Thanks to #RandomHouse for a gifted ARC via #NetGalley for review purposes. I have no doubt Brittany Pressley will take this one to another level for the audiobook.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3 Stars
June 2023 Must-Read Books

This was a solid thriller that was suspenseful and SOOO different from any thriller I have ever read (there is also some steam). There are wild elements throughout the book and you truly feel like you have lost your mind. I saw so many different ways the ending could have gone and NEVER guessed the true ending. This kept me on my toes and I did not want to put it down. I loved that this thriller is stands on its own as it is so unique and intriguing. There are themes in the book that I feel could either rub you the wrong way or make you a little hot (LOL), so I am excited to see how others feel about this one! Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

I loved We Were Never Here and had so much anticipation for this one with it’s promising premise and beautiful cover but this story never grabbed me and pulled me into it’s world.

Kelly and Mike are “pumping the brakes” on their wedding plans due to the pandemic quarantine. After being together for 4 years they decide to spend some time apart to reevaluate their relationship. Kelly heads to Virginia to spend time with an old high school friend, Sabrina, a successful romance author, and her husband, Nathan, an important government official. Their estate is gated and sprawling, a great place to quarantine! But soon after arriving, the three adults become a “throuple”, a new term for me. I don’t want to spoil this for other readers but will say there are a few good twists, however, I found the ending to be a little lackluster and kind of weird how it all wrapped up. Admittedly, I skimmed over the uncomfortable portions because spice is just not my jam. But if you do enjoy spice and a bit of slow burn mystery then give this one a go because Andrea Bartz is a skilled storyteller who can grab a reader by the hand and take them on a journey through her imagination quite skillfully.

I look forward to her next book and I appreciate her diverting to writing something unique and different but really hope it’s more like her original style of a slow burn character based thriller. Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase June 20, 2023.

I am really struggling to write a review for this book. I guess I was just not the right audience for it. From the description this book sounded interesting but once I started reading it I just couldn’t connect with the character and the story.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Ballantine and the author for ARC in exchange for my honest review.