Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4

This felt like so many books that have come before it: Rosemary’s Baby, Lock Every Door, The Paris Apartment. Thus, I wasn’t surprised by much and felt like everything was pretty predictable.… the reoccurring appearance of the evil eye, the seemingly “aging-in-reverse” tenants who should look 80-90 but appear to be 60. So many things in the book screamed “evil cult with ties to the paranormal.”

Despite how predictable everything was, I always love Lisa Unger’s writing style. I binged this VERY quickly, and I think so many people would enjoy it.

Side note: I’m sorry, but If I can wake up from a Fentanyl-induced stupor, and run up 10 flights of stairs I’m sure as HELL kicking an 80-year old’s ass. So I feel like that was a plot hole 🤣 along with the unanswered question of whether something in the building was preventing aging in Ella and Charles 🤔

Did I take this on vacation? Did I get yelled at numerous times to put my book down to come enjoy said vacation? The answer to both is yes. Did I listen? Ehhhhh. I had to finish The New Couple in 5b and I just couldn’t concentrate until I did! This was a completely immersive reading experience for me. The eeriness of the building was its own character. It was overwhelmingly suffocating at times and created the perfect spooky vibe. Rosie was strong in her convictions and had empathy and Chad was ambiguous enough in his morals that at times, I marveled at how they worked as the perfect foils for each other. I have enjoyed every one of Lisa Unger’s books but The New Couple in 5B has stolen the top spot from Confessions on the 7:45. If you have read Nestlings by Nat Cassidy, this one has the same vibes, IMO. Enjoy!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is the second book of Lisa's that I have read and by far my favorite of the two! The story of a young struggling couple who luck out with a new apartment after the uncles death is the start of a lot of mysterious things. What happened at the Windermere, how have all these people died, where's the connections to the other tenants and what about the doorman?! Not only is there mystery in their new home but even with Rosie's husband! The story kept me interested from start to finish and was very well written!

3.5 stars rounded up. Even though I had an idea of who the "bad guy(s)" were, I was still very interested in reading through to the end. I thought there were times when the story went off track and I found myself wondering if it was necessary for the plot, but it wasn't enough to make me not want to read it. I'll definitely be reading more of Lisa Unger's books.

Review: Lisa Unger is a must read for me! I was so excited to dive into her new one. Right off the bat, it gave me Rosemary’s Baby vibes, which to me is one of the spookiest movies. It had an eerie undertone.

It’s a story about a couple that moves into a luxurious New York apartment that they inherited and all these strange things start happening. The couple next door befriends Rosie, but she gets a very eerie feeling from everyone around her. I thought it was so intriguing how everything had a connection to the apartment. I was getting anxious for Rosie.

There is a dual timeline with Rosie’s present story, and a flashback to Willa’s. I loved seeing how these would connect. While the story was well paced and included twists, I wasn’t as connected to the characters as I usually am in a Lisa Unger book. It was just missing for me.

Like I mentioned, the couple next door gave me Rosemary’s Baby vibes, and Lisa mentioned that in the acknowledgements. Neighbors you aren’t sure to trust and do strange things. A creepy bellman. If you enjoy a mystery with an old New York luxury vibe, you will love this!

This book comes out March 5th! Thanks to @netgalley and @parkrowbooks for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Park Row Books for an advanced copy of The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger.

I always enjoy Lisa Unger's books and they are always so fun with unexpected twists.

When struggling writer Rosie and actor Chad inherit a luxury apartment in a historic building in Murray Hill in NYC they are excited! The Windermere has a dark history and once they move in Rosie starts to suspect there is more going on. When murders start to happen it makes Rosie even more suspicious.

I wasn't expecting the paranormal/occult vibes but it was done in a way that someone who isn't a paranormal fan enjoyed it. The Windermere is the perfect atmosphere for the book and I loved that you didn't know who to trust.

This was very slow burn but I couldn't stop reading!

This book was very slow moving. I despised the characters and didn’t really like the plot, but I did enjoy the supernatural elements.

I wish the summary of this book had mentioned paranormal and occult themes because I wouldn’t have read it. There was a large cast of characters but none of them were likable. I finished in order to review the ARC but I was skimming and waiting for it to be over. Others may like it, but this was NOT the book for me.

I am sorry but this is a DNF. I tried with this one because I really wanted to like it and loved the synopsis to it. But I made it 30% in and it was just slow and not keeping me engaged to continue. Not to mention her seeing things in the basement (the child) and everyone making her think she was crazy just didn't sit well with me. I'm not really into things that have a paranormal aspect to them and I was getting that vibe with this book.

Rosie and Chad, a couple who is down on their luck inherit a luxury historic apartment in New York City. Rosie is a true crime writer who finds the dark past of The Windermere the perfect subject for her next book. As she researches the mysterious happenings at The Windermere, she realizes they are not as firmly in the past as she thought.

My favorite part of The Couple in 5B in the setting!! The Windermere with its creepy doorman, suffocating elevator, crackling intercoms, and haunted (?!) basement. It was soooo atmospheric. I love when the setting feels like another character. I don't always reach for thrillers with supernatural elements, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Thank you very much NetGalley and Park Row book from the opportunity to read this ARC!

Rosie and Chad inherit an apartment in the Windermere from uncle Ivan. Rosie sees people that are dead in the Windermere and she doesn’t know if it’s real or an illusion. She is writing a book about all the death that has occurred there. Murder, suicide and accidents. Nobody is as innocent as they seem living in the Windermere.

“The New Couple in 5B” by Lisa Unger is a gripping thriller set in New York City. When Rosie and Chad Lowan inherit a luxury apartment at the historic Windermere, they discover dark secrets lurking behind its elegant facade. As Rosie investigates, she uncovers a web of mysteries. Unger’s masterful storytelling keeps readers on the edge of their seats, questioning shadows and unraveling secrets. If you love suspense, this novel is a must-read! 📚🔍

First, thank you to @netgalley for an early review copy in exchange for an honest review. This book drops March 5.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting, and I can’t decide whose fault that was. Unger typically writes thrillers, and even though her last few haven’t been my speed, I still keep seeking her out because I have loved some of her books tremendously. That said, this isn’t a thriller. It’s horror, a ghost story, and a mystery. There are thriller elements, but I’d argue the crux of the book is occult/horror. And that’s not my jam.

So, the writing was good and the story moved quickly. It felt very much like a take on Rosemary’s Baby and maybe a few other horror books and films woven up together. For fans of light horror or that overall genre, I’d bet you will really enjoy this.

Also, I didn’t love the ending or how long it took to wrap the story up (after an overall fast-paced book).

The cover is gorgeous and the writing was good, but this will not be a book I’ll remember.

Although a surprise inheritance sounds like good luck, it turns out to be anything but in a tense, twisty thriller. There was so many twists and turns it kept me wanting more. Definitely a must read!

I’m a big Lisa Unger fan and I really enjoyed this book. I loved the premise and I wanted to stay up to finish it which for me is the mark of a good mystery.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to review The New Couple in 5B. It is hard not to give spoilers, so here I go, not giving it away. I am the best reader and the worst reader. Having read most of my life, I can usually predict plot answers. This story had me wrong for most of the book! I liked the antagonist! It pulled me along to figure out how it was going to end. It kept me guessing the whole time! It's a great and dark read that could be a movie! Thank you. Lisa!

The Couple In 5B by Lisa Unger was everything I needed in a book! I absolutely love all her work and this one was no different. Definitely one of my top 10 books of 2024 and it’s only February.

I literally finished the book in one sitting - I could not put in down! I don’t want to give too much away but I absolutely did not see some of the twists coming!

We meet Rosie and Chad Lowan, newlyweds who are both creatives and trying to make ends meet. Desperate for a book advance, they find out they inherit a very expensive apartment from Chad’s uncle. The building that the apartment is in is wrought with a creepy history & perfect subject for her next book. You can imagine how things go once they move in….. Do not miss this book!

Thank you so much to Lisa Unger and NetGalley for sending me an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Unger has done it again. An unsettling thriller with sprinkles of supernatural that leave you questioning what is real. Clear vibes of Rosemary's Baby. I think my favorite element of this novel is the character development of Rosie. She knows she struggles with her mental health and has trauma from her past. She never denies it and reaches out to get help. I'm glad she stays confident in her truth, even though she questions herself from time to time. This makes her an endearing, human, relatable female character.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book—as someone who has only set foot in Manhattan once in her 35 years—and discovered a new author whose other work I now want to read. 👌

The story is about a newlywed couple, Sophie and Chad, both creatives, who inherit an iconic Manhattan apartment situated on Park Avenue, with its very own doorman who seems to never leave his post, and eccentric neighbours who get together for astrology night. And before you know it, the warm and cozy welcoming is replaced by supernatural elements and suspicious deaths, wherein Sophie finds herself questioning reality.

It was an absolute slow burn, and though I cannot truthfully say that I didn’t expect the ending to be what it was, there were still some small surprises. I appreciate how all the loose ends were tied in the end.

I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting a suspense novel with a good ghost story about a haunted house. There was little to no gore or any TWs that some readers may find off putting. But, it is a slow burner that takes some dedication plowing through, at times.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the right kind of thriller for me. I didn’t want to put it down and was always excited when I could sneak a few pages in during the day.

Right from the beginning things seemed off and it only went from there. And even when I thought I had some things figured out there was always something else. Something just around the corner. Which I love in a thriller! I want to not know what’s going on and how things will end. Also, this is why you can’t trust anyone.

Read if you enjoyed: The Paris Apartment, The Last Houseguest or Something in the Water