ating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Category: Romantic Mystery Thriller

Overall: Riveting, unique, domestic suspense

Pros: This book was chaotic, suspenseful and intriguing that takes place during the pandemic quarantine days. The first half starts off slow and takes a weird and surprisingly sexual turn that I was not expecting. Once you get past that, the tension builds into a riveting thriller where you’re trying to figure out who the culprit is while they’re all trapped inside the mansion. The relationships between all the characters were extremely complex and intricate, and could be psychoanalyzed in multiple directions. The story felt very unique and unpredictable, which is rare in mystery-thriller books. There were a few unexpected turns and I have to confess, I did not see the ending coming; I never would’ve guessed the plot-twist.

Cons: Overall, this was an entertaining read but I enjoyed Andrea Bartz’s earlier book, We Were Never Here, better. I had mixed feelings about the conclusion and felt like the plot was too drawn-out. I also was not expecting the sexual first half and didn’t particularly enjoy it. I think it could’ve been more accurately described as a romantic thriller/mystery to elude to that.

Interesting premise, interesting plot, interesting ending....
I have loved all of this author's books and while this wasn't my favorite, I did still enjoy it!

Kelly is heartbroken. Her long time boyfriend has postponed the wedding and Kelly feels she has nobody to turn to. Then an invitation from an author she has been following online, to come and relax in her beautiful home. Kelly readily accepts and immediately loves her new surroundings and Sabrina and her husband Nathan. Things take an unexpected turn and Kelly's life will never be the same again.
I did enjoy this book and it did have a twist at the end.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book! It is full of spiciness, gaslighting, mystery, and drama. It had a "whodunit" premise that lead you to think any one of the main characters was guilty. I definitely didn't see the twist coming. This was a 5-star read for me!

I recently read The Writing Retreat by this author’s sister and commented that, although I did not enjoy that selection, I had liked We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz. When I saw this early copy on NetGalley I didn’t hesitate to request it. I mean, look at the cover alone . . . .

The premise here is that Kelly (hey, girl, hey!) has been told by her fiancé that he would like to “pump the breaks” on their upcoming nuptials . . . . and it’s not because they’re in the middle of the pandemic. Kelly shares her story with Sabrina - a former high school friend turned influencer/bestselling romance novelist she has reconnected with over social media – and Sabrina offers Kelly a spare room with she and her husband Nathan in their Virginia mansion. And then they become a throuple????

Yeah. I’m pretty clear that romance in general tends to hinder my enjoyment when it comes to stabby good times, but this was some serious Lifetime Movie of the Week stuff. I’ll go with 2 Stars because it is coming up on pool season so I could see people losing themselves in this bit of nonsense.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well this one had some turns!

I absolutely loved We Were Never Here but, The Spare Room wasn't for me. Kelly was hands down one of the most annoying and frustrating characters I have ever read. I would actually say 50% of this book was about threesomes and 20% was about her cat [TBH, the best part] and the other 30% was the thriller.

Maybe it just wasn't for me but, I didn't find this to be very thrilling until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A wild ride of a novel!

This book was nothing what I expected & I could not put it down. It was sexy, suspenseful & had me guessing till the very end.

“The Spare Room” is the latest thriller by Andrea Bartz.

Kelly Doyle, newly single, moves in with her friend, Sabrina and husband, Nathan Lamont during the pandemic. She starts up an affair with the couple, but learns that not only wasn’t she the first, but the previous love interest disappeared.

I loved Bartz’s previous book, “We Were Never Here,” but admit I could not get into this story. I did not mind the sexual content but had a hard time relating to Kelly who came across as very frustrating. This book has plenty of surprises but it’s less thriller but more about Kelly’s relationship with the Lamonts. I am also a bit burned out on pandemic fiction. Perhaps, this book is not for me, but it might be enjoyable someone else.

Two and a half stars.,

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy.

The Spare Room is a sexy domestic thriller about Kelly--a woman in her mid-thirties--moving in with a gorgeous, rich married couple during the pandemic in 2020. She has recently separated from her fiance and desperately wants to be back with him. Despite this, she finds herself enamored with her new hosts, Sabrina and Nathan. It was a fun, breezy read, but Kelly's character seemed a little flat to me. She's not the brightest bulb and since we're seeing things from her perspective, it was a little repetitive. It takes a little while to really pick up steam. The reveals were a little unexpected. I was expecting more, but overall it was a fun escapist read and perfect for the summer.

Thank you Random House / Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Hoooooo boy. Where do I start? Nothing....mysterious happens until the last third of the book. The most thrilling things that happens in the book is sex. Lots and Lots of sex. Which is fine. But I also did not sign up for a knock-off Fifty Shades when I picked up a book promising me a thriller-mystery.

I loved Bartz's We Were Never Here. It's one of my all-time favorite thrillers. So I was super excited to get the chance to read The Spare Room. I have to, though, The Spare Room was completely different from We Were Never Here. I didn't love this one. I found it not to be super thrilling and I didn't find it particularly suspenseful. I found the plot rather plot; I didn't like any of the characters; and, the ending didn't land for me. It was a fast-read though, and I can see why so many people will love this book.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC! This novel is highly intriguing and downright addicting for the first 70%, with so many twists and turns and questions, it’s nearly impossible to stop reading. In the final fourth of the novel it begins to trudge onward and a sense of “What is left to say?” looms, however while there is resolution some things weren’t entirely satisfying. 3.5/5 stars!

This book was so fun and chaotic-I couldn’t stop reading because I had to find out what came next. I loved this authors previous book which drew me to this one and it had the same twisty vibes with much more sultry vibes. I was guessing right up to the end and read it in 24 hours. I highly recommend this one!

Desperate to get away from her boyfriend, maybe ex, for a bit, Kelly accepts an offer from a high acquaintance to live in her spare room. Sabrina and her husband, Nathan, live in a remote part of Virginia, but it is the escape Kelly needs. Soon, she finds herself drawn into a relationship with them. However, she discovers she is not the first woman invited into their relationship. Moreover, the previous woman disappeared under mysterious circumstances. As Kelly navigates this new world for herself, she has to try to figure out if she can trust her new partners.

This book had ups and downs for me. Pre-relationship, I was super in. Then I was more tepid on the middle third. The last third ramped it back up again. I’d say if romantic suspense isn’t your jam, probably avoid this. It gave me Verity vibes more than a classic thriller.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my, I don't even know where to start. I went into this not knowing much about it, which I highly recommend. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Let me start out by saying I didn't find any of the characters likable at all, which normally is very off putting for me, but it worked in this case. I think it actually made me enjoy the book more. With that said though, I found Kelly, the main character, rather annoying and I could have done with less of her internal dialogue but it didn't distract too much from the plot.

Just a heads up, it is more romance with a little bit of suspense for the first 85% of the book, then it turns more into a thriller. I wasn't expecting that, but I honestly enjoyed it. If I would have known that prior, I might not have read it, but I am glad I did! Definitely not your typical thriller, it was different which was a nice change. Most definitely a unique plot! I thought the pandemic plot was done well, which I feel like most aren't.

Overall, a gripping, quick read with lots of twists. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. Definitely kept me guessing which I love!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved all of Bartz books and this one did not disappoint! I normally steer away from books that have the pandemic as part of this plot but I'm glad I made an exception for this one. Highly recommend if you are a fan of Bartz's other books or thrillers.

Another banger from Andrea Bartz! She really excels at putting her characters into settings where all their emotional issues will crop up, with frightening and tense consequences! I really liked how the pandemic was used in this book to create unease from the very beginning of the book, and the setting outside of DC was perfect to capture that early pandemic lockdown vibe. I'm a big fan, and I liked this one just as much as We Were Never Here!

Wow! What a whirlwind of a book . A thriller that kept me wanting more and trying to figure out what truly happened in the plot!
Highly recommend !

This was an interesting book. I wouldn’t call it a thriller but more of a romance. Kelly begins talking to an old high school friend. When Kelly and her fiancée decide to take a break. Kelly goes to stay at her high school friends house. She is married ,rich, and successful. I thought the main character was somewhat flat. I found the book hard to get into and keep my interest. Definitely more romance than a thriller

This book centers around Kelly, whose life is in turmoil. She is living with Mike, her fiancé, who decides they should put their wedding on hold. She is shocked and doesn’t know what to do. She reaches out to an old high school acquaintance, Sabrina, who is a successful author. The two message back and forth and talk and soon Sabrina invites Kelly to come stay with her and her husband, Nathan for a while. Kelly does just that and rather quickly, gets into a romantic relationship with both Sabrina and Nathan. Kelly is swept up in this passionate new relationship and comes to learn that Sabrina and Nathan had a previous thrupple partner who went missing. The story is engaging and well written. The main character is interesting and I really wanted to like her but her actions were just a bit rash and ill-advised for an adult in her 30’s. Maybe this was symbolic of life in the beginning of the pandemic and people didn’t cope well. Anyway, I found her a bit annoying. I still enjoyed the book and it was a quick, fun read. I would give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It is due for publication in June, 2023.