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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫(Rounded to 4) The Spare Room - Andrea Bartz

I enjoyed this one, especially from the beginning to the middle of the book which was kind of unexpected & thrilling. The last 1/4 of the book turned into a thriller but that part was actually my least favorite. I did like how they tied in that it was around the covid pandemic which fits the theme of isolation and distancing and can be a more believable setting. The part that fell short for me was too many twists at the end - without giving too much away, I dont understand how the murderer could really get away with it. 🤯


This book will be released 6/20/23!


*Thank you to @netgalley and Random House Publishing for the arc!!


#bookreviews #justread #thespareroom #netgalley #bookstack #booklovers #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookreview #instareads #goodreads #bookworm #bookaddict #readersofig #bookreviewer #bookaddict #bookstagram

I ended up DNF’ing this at 42%. I couldn’t connect with the characters or the story and once the threesome entered into the story I lost even more interest. This just wasn’t quite what I was expecting,.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars.

Fun fact: I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Andrea and Julia Bartz (The Writing Retreat) are sisters.

I honestly think a lot of people will enjoy this book, but I’m definitely not the target audience. And that’s okay!

The mystery to romance ratio was just off for me. There was a lot of intrigue, tension, and mysterious happenings, but too much romance to make it a winner in my book.

On top of that, I sadly didn’t care for the twist at the end; I felt it came too far out of left field.

With that said, this was my first Andrea Bartz book and I for sure enjoyed her writing from start to finish. I’d be open to reading more from her in the future.

I went into this book blind, having read books by the author before and knowing I’d want to read it. It was a solid, entertaining read full of red herrings and characters that were difficult to trust.

During the beginning of the COVID lockdown, Kelly’s fiancée tells her he would like to put their wedding plans on hold after an ugly incident between the two. Kelly moves in with a girl from high school who she has reconnected with via Instagram. Sabrina and her husband Nathan appear to have it all- money, a huge house, and each other. They begin to casually flirt with Kelly and eventually form a throuple with her. Their secrets begin to come out, like the fact that they were previously together with another woman who looked very similar to Kelly and who has now gone missing. Things begin to spiral from there as Kelly can’t decide who to trust.

The pacing in the book is fantastic, keeping the reader intrigued. I couldn’t decide who to trust myself, so I can see why Kelly became so paranoid! Sabrina and Nathan change their stories several times, saying they didn’t want to hurt Kelly or the pain of missing their former girlfriend was too great to discuss. I truly had no clue who committed the crimes that occur in the book, and the final twist was very surprising!

Kelly could annoy me horribly at times with how wishy washy she was, bursting into tears at a moment’s notice. She would go from insecure to overconfident in the span of 5 minutes, and was definitely an unreliable narrator.

Setting this book during the early days of the pandemic added to that unknown vibe, where people didn’t feel safe around others and only felt free at home in their pod, maskless. The atmosphere has dark undertones throughout the whole story and added so much to the overall tone of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Although I think this would technically be a domestic thriller, it read more like a romance in some places and thriller in others. The transition between the two wasn’t exactly seamless and that was my major turnoff with this book.

I did not expect the ending and fell right into the default assumptions. I do think the author did a perfect job of lining up the clues with the resolution. Overall, I think it was a decent thriller/romance and would still recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC

I was curious about this one and seeing it making its way over Booksta and all its rave reviews. This book was sexy! I enjoyed the added touches of sex, and the way Kelly came into her own, discovering herself and things she did not know she felt. She grew so much within the novel, and I enjoyed being able to watch that. The sex scenes were steamy, and I won’t lie-they were hot! It worked perfect to also mess with your head so that you were unsure who the villain was.

The twists were twisty! I did not see the ending coming at all and the big reveal. This one felt fresh, unique, and different then your average “Domestic Thriller”. Bartz did a great job of making you feel tense and claustrophobic using the worlds situation of Covid and the novel only truly taking place within the house. This was perfect for a hot summer night when you are looking for a fresh take on a thriller!

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz is a domestic/psychological thriller about love and relationships during the pandemic. Kelly, feeling like her boyfriend needs a break from her, leaves their Philadelphia home a goes to stay with an old high school acquaintance and her husband to give her boyfriend some space. She quickly learns that Sabrina and her husband, Nathan, are much different than she expected and are holding on to secrets that worry her.

Bullet Point Review:

What I loved most about this story was the ending. Not that it ended, but I found the conclusion jaw-droppingly shocking. I didn't see it coming at all.

I also loved the relatively unreliable narrator that the story has in Kelly. She not only keeps secrets from other characters in the book but also from the reader – just giving tantalizing little thoughts that let you know you're not getting the whole story. I always enjoy the extra challenge an unreliable narrator provides.

My biggest issue with this story is that it was very wordy when it didn't need to be. I prefer a thriller that stays tightly focused and moves quickly; this story didn't do that. It happened over a relatively short period but meandered to the point where it didn't feel short in time. I wonder if it was to distract the reader, but if it was, I don't care for that technique.

The story goes to some weird and freaky places; I'm unsure how I feel about that. Basically, I have mixed thoughts about it. Of course, I can't mention specifics because, well, spoilers!

The story is timewise during the pandemic, and I thought that was handled in some intriguing ways. Ways that added to the creepy atmosphere that winds its way through the story.

The characters could be more well-developed, as they stay one-dimensional from beginning to end.
They are also not relatable or even likable at all – which is not a bad thing in thrillers. Still, it is nice to have that one character you can hang on to as you are reading.

The pace could be more consistent rather than rotating between slow and medium-paced until the end. I didn't care for the pace, as I enjoy a consistently faster pace.

The story is set outside of Washington, DC. I can't say that the setting had any relevance to the story or was utilized well, which is a shame because there are lots you can do with DC as a setting since it is our nation's capital and home to many politicians and national/international law enforcement, etc.

Read if you're in the mood for:
* A mysterious, ark, and tense thriller
* A medium-paced story that is a mix of plot and character-driven
* A thriller with highly flawed and unrelatable characters

I absolutely loved We Were Never Here so I was excited to see this arc. I liked this one pretty well but for me, it was no where near We Were Never Here status. The characters are interesting but I didn’t love it.

Who doesn’t love a suspense thriller, locked room mystery? They’re my favorites, especially when set in a glamorous big mansion, perhaps adjacent to a cemetery, where an incredibly successful and mysterious couple live. Sold, I need to read more! I enjoyed the constant twists, the major gotcha moments, however, those big spectacular surprises quickly fizzled, and we were onto the next one that didn’t quite produce the longevity that I wished. For a story centered around a newly created throuple, the intimate scenes were soft. I wanted more. The MC was going through some life changes and completely upends her life to assimilate into life with this couple, by shutting out everyone in her past. She would grow a backbone, only for it to quickly curve.