Member Reviews

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it definitely won’t be the last.
I was sucked in from page 1, and couldn’t put it down.
I was quickly drawn into the characters, and kept being surprised by the twists throughout.
This is a great thriller, and one that I’d definitely recommend.

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This story follows the lives of 3 woman. It was easy to follow but the twists and turns kept it very interesting. I will be looking for more books by this author.

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Hang on tight with this one. I gasped out loud on three different occasions. The twists are sharp, unpredictable and satisfying in their conclusions. The characters are multi layered and written in such compelling detail that you may not always like them, but you won't be able to look away until the final jaw drop. Outstanding. Wish I had ten stars to give.. Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this

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4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This is my second book by Shari J. Ryan and if I’m being honest I didn’t love it as much as the first one I read (Last One Home). Let me also add they are completely different types of books. Last One Home was historical fiction and this one is a psychological thriller. While this one kept my interest from beginning to end and I really enjoy the author’s writing style, I found the storyline to be too predictable. I figured early on what was going to happen. With that said, I still enjoyed reading the whole book.

As far as characters go, I think the author did a great job with creating each one. I enjoyed how the book alternated from past to present. I did feel at times that it was dragging just a bit, but that also could be because I was fairly certain I had the conclusion figured out so early on.

Overall, I do recommend this one if you enjoy a good psychological thriller and don’t mind being able to predict the outcome. I look forward to reading more books by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Holy Crap!!!

I was sucked into this crazy story, the setting, the neighbors and everything in between. There are tons of twists and turns with Jenna and Oliver.

I have to say this is Shari's genre! I love the psychological thriller from her!!!

I want more from her.

5 stars from me.

*Recv'd an ARC in exchange from an honest review.
*Netgalley copy

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This was my first thriller from Shari J. Ryan and I really enjoyed it. I thought the pacing was excellent and the tension steadily built throughout the book which helped make the reveal even more dramatic. She left many breadcrumbs so you could start to figure out the twist on your own which I enjoyed. I did get a bit confused with the jumping between POVs because Peyton and Jenna's voices weren't always distinct. I would have liked a bit more development of Peyton's character from her POV instead of the others POVs as well because I found her wickedly fascinating. I really enjoyed Ginger's role in the story as well. The ending was perfect in my opinion. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This was a very good read, that I couldn’t put down. It has plenty of twists and turns, with a great ending. The characters were interesting, the story itself was suspenseful and the style of writing was perfect. This is the first book that I have read by this author, I’ll be keeping my eye out for more in the future.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading this genre.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

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Holy cow! There’s a lot going on in this book without it seeming that way. A domestic thriller at its best. There are multiple narrators and multiple timelines and for a while I had absolutely no idea where this was going and didn’t mind. For the first bit of the book it almost seemed more like a neighborhood drama book, but of course it was the layered psychological suspense story promised in the synopsis. We know so much yet also know so little. A deceased baby, a history of bad things in the neighborhood and neighbors that don’t like each other. But until it all slowly unravels, you don’t know any details about any of that. The author does a fantastic job of staging everyone to seem a little unreliable, so I didn’t know who or even when we could trust the narrative. This is aided with not everyone being a POV character so that you rely on others to tell some character’s story.

I am not sure I particularly liked any of the characters, but I wanted to know what was happening on that street. The story moved along at a measured pace, making sure I didn’t grow bored, but had to wait for the layers of the neighborhood to peel back and reveal what ultimately happened over the last year. I was all in.

I both read and listened to this one and liked both equally well. Stephanie Cannon narrated the audiobook and did what a narrator should, conveyed the book and let it shine, I was able to tell who the POV character was by her different voices and had to double check and see there weren’t two female narrators that’s a good job

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I pull back the blanket to take another peek at my beautiful baby boy. My heart flatlines. He isn’t there. “Where is he?” I cry, my whole body trembling. But my husband just shakes his head. “Darling… we don’t have a baby.”

Shari knows how to captivate her readers with every story she writes. With The Homemaker you will need to clear your schedule when you start reading it because once you start, you won't be able to stop and you'll want to read it in one setting. The story is intriguing and captivating and will have you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. A thrilling read you'll be glad you added to your summer reading list.

I received an advance copy of this book to leave a review.;

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Thrillers aren’t usually my literary cup of tea, but Shari Ryan is a favorite author, so I wanted to try this one and am so glad I did.

The Homemaker is told from multiple points of view in alternating timelines, so you have to be paying attention or you will miss certain clues. I have to admit that I figured out one of the “bad guys” fairly quickly, but I would have never imagined the full depth of the deception woven into this well-written story.

I won’t go into much more detail because I don’t want to potentially spoil anything. I will say that this book kept me on my toes, twisted me up, broke my heart, and put it back together. An excellent read!

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This book has so much buzz around it that I just had to read it.‘I’m so glad that I did! This was a fast, thrilling, and gripping thriller. It hooked me right from the start. And there are twists galore!!

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Jenna and her husband Oliver have moved to the perfect house within the neighborhood of their dreams but, Sapphire Street in the picturesque Lakespur is no ordinary street. The houses hold secrets and the neighbours aren't always who they appear to be. The idyllic life Jenna and Oliver crave may not be so dreamy after all.

Who can be trusted?

Who's secrets are about to be spilled?

Can you trust your neighbours?

Can you really trust your husband?

Shari normally writes historical fiction novels and I'm a huge fan of her books and also, very lucky to be part of her arc team so when she told us she was writing a new book with a twist I was so excited and here it is her first venture into the psychological thriller world and she smashed it!

Multi POV. Then / Now timeline this one gave me Desperate Housewives meets The Hand That Rocks The Cradle vibes. I really enjoyed this one it was a solid standalone thriller with a great story and the perfect amount of twists and turns!

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The Homemaker by Shari J. Ryan Narrated by Stephanie Cannon was a unputdownable psychological thriller packed with heart-pounding twists and turns throughout. This book was so good I am glad I had the audiobook to listen to; Stephanie Cannon was excellent and made this book come to life in my ears, especially whilst I was crocheting a baby blanket etc.

I loved it and looking forward to read or listen to more books by Shari J Ryan in the future. I can't recommend this book enough. A great Holiday read. Overall 5 star audiobook/book.

Big thank you to Netgalley and especially Bookouture Audio and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this audiobook/book in exchange for an honest review.

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I have been reading Shari J Ryan since I discovered her in 2017. This is her first psychological thriller. And she blew it out of the water! I was in a book slump when I picked this book up and it definitely helped me get out of that slump.

Jenna and her husband Oliver have bought the house of their dreams and are getting ready to welcome their baby boy River. Jenna wakes up one morning to do her normal routine and goes to get River and he is missing! Her husband insists that River was a stillborn baby but how does Jenna remember him so well and how to take care of him? Her neighbors the elderly woman Ginger and the young couple across the street Payton and Lincoln. And they seem to all have secrets. How can Jenna prove her memories of River are real?

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I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I thought this book was amazing. The book blurb made me so interested in requesting for an advanced copy and the book didn't disappoint me.

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Really intriguing blurb that gives you an even more intriguing read. Gripped me in the first few chapters and told from the point of view of Jenna and Ginger a moves between past and present timelines. This one is full of mystery an so cleverly written that the mystery surrounds every character. It moves at a steady pace and leads you down many twisty, dark avenues that keep you wanting more. Definitely recommend and it’s a must read…

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read #TheHomemaker

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Oh my days.
This book! It takes you down some windy, twisty roads that's for sure! And they're pretty dark and sinister too.
The first few chapters hooked me straight away and I was desperate to find out what was going on with Jenna and her missing newborn.
The second perspective of Ginger that soon gets introduced had me a little side-stepped wondering what the connection was to Jenna's story, but I loved going between both characters as I tried to join the dots.
There are several characters and time frames to keep track of, but if you can, it's worth it!

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I enjoyed reading The Homemaker. Even though I figured out the main plot twist early on, it was interesting to see how it all unfolded at the end. I look forward to Shari J. Ryan's next psychological thriller.

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I thought I was going to be confused by The Homemaker, a new psych thriller from Shari J. Ryan.
Many books in this genre have a prologue that fits into the story at some point. But this one has both a preface and a prologue. And it is impossible to tell if they’re from the same point of view or even in the same time period.
The story that follows unfolds from multiple points of view in multiple time frames. We have Jenna or Ginger now and Jenna or Ginger last year – and there’s no pattern to which one is carrying the story. It’s not an equal back and forth.
In spite of that, the action is very clear, and I actually was NOT confused at any point. The author does a masterful job of keeping all of the balls in the air and the plot flowing in a way that holds the reader’s interest.
Jenna and her husband Oliver move into a house across the street from Ginger and her neighbor Peyton. Is there history between the characters? Is it just neighborhood drama? Or is there something deeper and darker going on?
I’m not going to say, but again – the plotting is just perfect.
One thing that stood out is Jenna’s early chapters. The descriptions and details are harrowing and allow the reader to fully understand Jenna’s mindset, especially when contrasted to the year before. Ginger is a little bit harder to get a grasp of, but there’s a reason for that.
And then there’s Peyton. It’s interesting to note that as central as she is, she doesn’t get a say in the story. Again, adds to the mystery. But she is important.
I liked how everything built to the climax, and the reader got to experience it simultaneously with Jenna and Ginger, not really knowing more than they did. And what a climax it is. There are a few jaw-dropping twists at the end, too.
The Homemaker is a solid psych thriller, and I look forward to the next book from Shari J. Ryan.

**For more reviews like this, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks**

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I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I thought this book was amazing. I have never read anything by this author but I will definitely be looking for more. It is told in parts by a few characters both in the past and in the present.it was really easy to follow anda really good storyline with many twists. Definitely recommend!

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