This was pretty crazy. Some scenes were a little graphic but it kept you guessing. Twisted characters and one naive girl with no confidence.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a different read for me. I tried to like it, but the twists seemed forced. I didn’t actually believe the whodunnit would actually do that. I also didn’t care for the epilogue. I didn’t think it was necessary.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read this book.

The Spare Room
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Andrea Bartz

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Random House Publishing and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Kelly’s new life in Philadelphia has turned into a nightmare: She’s friendless and jobless, and the lockdown has her trapped in a tiny apartment with the man she gave up everything for, who’s just called off their wedding. The only bright spot is her newly rekindled friendship with her childhood friend Sabrina—now a glamorous bestselling author with a handsome, high-powered husband.

When Sabrina and Nathan offer Kelly an escape hatch, volunteering the spare room of their remote Virginia mansion, she jumps at the chance to run away from her old life. 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.

At first, Kelly loves being part of this risqué new world. But when she discovers that the last woman they invited into their marriage is missing, she starts to wonder if they could be dangerous . . . and if she might be next.

My Thoughts: This is a slow burn claustrophobic psychological thriller with a whodunit aspect, and a slight romantic touch. The first half is building the characters and plot, while the second half is an intense, page turning read. Kelly finds herself with her life spinning out of control. She needs to step away from it to reevaluate her life, so she goes to stay with an old school friend Sabrina, and her husband Nathan, in their luxurious estate. The story is also told in the pandemic time when lockdowns were just starting to lift. As Kelly is trying to get her bearings, she is enticed into a threesome with Sabrina and Nathan. As Kelly is navigate this new normal and what it means for her relationship that she fled from, she discovers that the couple had a former woman that they shared intimate moments with, who is also missing.

The story is narrated by Kelly, in her perspective. Kelly is unsure of her life, but resilient. Kelly’s character will not be liked by all readers, she makes questionable choices, is unreliable, not predictable, and is very insecure, but that is what makes the character work at the same time. The characters were developed well, with banter, mystery, and intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, twisty, and engaging. The author does a good job with the pace and flow and builds the plots in twisty layers, even when you think you have it figured out, boom, there is twist.

While I have some reservations about some of the character moments and the conclusion, the epilogue was nicely down. This gripping and compelling psychological thriller will have you on the edge of your seat. I was approved for the digital ARC, however, I got a little behind in my reviews so I listened to the audiobook and Brittany Pressley is an amazing narrator, I would listen to anything she narrates, she is one of my favorite audiobook narrators. I highly recommend picking up this book!

Sometimes when it feels like you've hit rock bottom, just about anything sounds appealing. Sometimes, you'll even do something you never thought you would. Kelly, finding herself at the bottom, jumps at the glamorous opportunity before her. I felt something off about Sabrina and Nathan from the beginning, but I understood how Kelly was able to overlook the red flags that seemed so obvious.

I did feel that this book painted a not-so-pleasant look on polyamory, which is still an unfamiliar relationship type for many people.

In terms of the thrill factor, I believe the house itself paints the perfect background for mystery.

This was my second book by Andrea Bartz and it has fully convinced me that I am just not in her target demographic. I do not connect with her characters for the most part and am absolutely not interested or engaged with the polyamory relationships not just at the center of the book, but literally preached at the reader about the benefits and healthiness of throughout.

I thought the book would be a mystery. A good mystery with the polyamory as just part of the story would have been fine, but this book felt like the author was trying to convince me to embrace it....and the mystery I thought I was reading just didn't really even exist. The author's opening note about the book stating that it was her most personal novel yet, and the one she is most proud of tells me that she is happy with the direction her writing is taking, and I am happy for her if that is the case. My hope is that every author who puts some of themselves into thier stories feels fulfilled by what he/she is writing. Unfortunately, since I gave the first book I read of hers 3 stars and this one 2 stars, I think the new direction is not one I will be traveling with her.

Regrettably Underwhelming with Peculiar Choices

I recently picked up "The Spare Room" by Andrea Bartz with hopeful expectations, but unfortunately, it left me feeling quite underwhelmed. While I commend the author's attempt to craft a suspenseful narrative, the execution fell flat in many aspects.

The plot, while intriguing in theory, struggled to find its momentum. I found myself waiting for a spark that never truly ignited, resulting in a lack of engagement throughout the story. The characters, while not entirely one-dimensional, still lacked the depth required to fully invest in their journeys. This made it difficult to connect with their experiences or motivations.

Andrea Bartz's writing style has moments of clarity and descriptive prowess, yet it often veered into being overly verbose, disrupting the flow of the narrative. The dialogue occasionally felt stilted and unnatural, preventing the characters from truly coming to life.

Now, let's address the peculiar aspect of the book—the explicit content. While I understand the desire to explore different themes and emotions, the handling of certain scenes, particularly the threesome, felt out of place and gratuitous. The raunchiness detracted from the overall tone of the book and left me questioning its necessity in the context of the story.

Despite these shortcomings, the ending did offer a semblance of closure, which I appreciated. However, it also left me wondering if the buildup was worth the lackluster journey.

In conclusion, "The Spare Room" had potential but ultimately failed to deliver on its promises. While I found elements to appreciate, the overall experience was marked by missed opportunities and a lack of cohesion. If you're looking for a more balanced blend of suspense and character development, you might want to explore other options.

In the thick of the pandemic, Kelly’s life has fallen apart. Her fiancé has called off the wedding, she’s lost her job, and she’s not sure where to turn. When her childhood friend, Sabrina, invites her to shelter in place with her and her husband, Kelly takes the opportunity to embrace a change of scenery. The house she enters is full of secrets, twists, and a romantic relationship between the three individuals. Who can be trusted when no one can be trusted?

This book had great twists, but it’s still too soon for me to enjoy books with a COVID plot. If you’re able to relive lockdown days, this is a great thriller full of love affairs distrust.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

A different kind of psychological thriller - this held interest, was hard to put down, and would absolutely be a great squeezing-in-the-last-days-of-summer beach or poolside read! I will definitely watch for more from this author!

Andrea Bartz's "The Spare Room" takes readers on a thrilling and suspenseful journey into the complexities of friendship and deception. Through her compelling storytelling, Bartz skillfully navigates the thin line between trust and betrayal, keeping you on the edge of your seat with every twist and turn. The vividly drawn characters and the dark atmosphere of the novel create an immersive experience that's hard to put down. As secrets unravel and tensions rise, "The Spare Room" becomes an addictive exploration of the lengths people will go to protect their own interests. Bartz's gripping narrative makes this psychological thriller an enthralling read that will leave you questioning the motives of those around you long after the final page.

Trying not to be a prude here, but this book is about a woman who moves in with a couple and a threesome happens. Lots of drama between the throuple because they don’t really have any rules. Lots of sexy times, so if mind that, don’t read this book. I did enjoy the ending but probably going to give this one 2 1/2 stars

This is probably 3.5 stars for me, rounded up. This is the kind of guilty pleasure read that is right up my alley! The plot itself is steamy, but I actuallly expected it to be a little more of an open door romance than it actually was. But the plot and twist were actually really good! I expected a spicy book with a predictable plot, and I was wrong on both counts! (Okay it's a little spicy, but it leaves a lot to the imagination.) This is definitely a book I'd encourage you to pop your popcorn and enjoy the ride.

I will give kudos to the author for writing a main character I would normally dislike in a really realistic and well-done way. She is niave and maybe a little immature, but I didn't find it grating or unbelievable. She was trying to better herself in a few different ways, and I think she suceeded! But bravo for making me like a character I would normally dislike.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book kept me interested and kept me wanting to read more. I finished it quickly. The one thing that threw me off was the setting being during the pandemic. Not something I particularly want to read about but I did enjoy the story. The ending did confuse me but.

A bit of a departure from her previous mystery and thrillers this one does keep you on the edge of your seat for what happens next.

This book was about 50% longer than it needed to be. Kelly was an insufferable character who seemed to need constant validation and was unreliable at best. Once the book got to around 70% it finally became the thriller we were promised but up until that point we were left floundering about as hard as the romance was.

Fabulous salacious read by Bartz. Kelly has left her fiancé during the pandemic for some space after her paranoid searching of his office gives her pause. She goes to stay with an acquaintance from high school and her husband. They have a non-traditional marriage and their third in their thruple is missing.

Kelly moves into HER room and into her space.

Twists, turns, paranoia…..goes many ways that are unexpected.

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Bartz's newest thriller. Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me since I couldn't get into it :(

I went into The Spare Room really optimistic I would really like it. I loved We Were Never Here, and while I haven't read The Herd, I do have it waiting for me on my Kindle. Unfortunately, The Spare Room was not at all what I was expecting). The book grabbed me early on with Kelly leaving her life behind during the pandemic and heading to a DC suburb to stay with an old friend and husband. She leaves behind her fiance after he put the brakes on their wedding.

At first, it feels like this is going to be more of a drama, with the exception of the opening pages which is really the only place that even mentions a murder. As it goes on, it's more of a story of sexual exploration and polyamory. Needless to say, the story was more about the relationship and less mystery pretty much until the 60-65% mark.

The thriller aspect picks up for the last 25-30% of the book, and at times then it's still not necessarily an "edge-of-your-seat" thriller.

In the end, I'd say it was a solid 3 for me. The writing was good, the story fell flat and I just didn't love it. I'll still absolutely read more from Andrea Bartz though!

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

This book was very strange, but also I couldn’t put it down. I went in blind, but I wish I had known it was set in 2020 because I’m honestly not ready for pandemic books. The pandemic aspect was just used to start the story line and isolate the characters. The characters were all unreliable and it left me needing answers. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to mystery/suspense readers.

I was so excited to read this steamy thriller. While it was interesting, it didn't have enough "steam" for my liking!

This book was so unexpected. It quickly grabbed my attention and this was not an easy book to put down. And while I thought I knew how it would end, I was totally wrong. Definitely a great read.