Wow! Got my attention right at the beginning and kept it! I was so connected with everyone at The Scyamores. 4 ⭐️s! Excellent character development! Make sure you put this on your TBR list!

Thank you to Net Galkey and Graydon House for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

"When Anna Hartley's husband, Henry, calls her with a terrible, guilty confession, she can't believe what she hears. It has to be a bad joke - the mild, predictable artist she married would never hurt a fly, let alone commit murder. But her confusion turns to horror when police find his body washed up on the banks of the Rio Grande.

Desperate for answers to the millions of questions his untimely death has raised, Anna checks in to The Sycamores, the run-down motel turned apartment Henry rented as an art studio. As she absorbs every bit of gossip the eclectic mix of residents are willing to share about her husband and each other, she begins to piece together a picture of a very different man than the one she married, and the life he led behind her back. The more she learns, and the less sense things seem to make, she finds herself wondering: Did she ever really know Henry at all?

But Henry's secrets aren't the only ones; as Anna's search for clues expands, Cass, the mysterious, jaded motel manager, seems more and more determined to keep Anna in the dark. And when threatening letters start appearing at her door, Anna has to decide what's more important - the truth, or her own safety."

Oh, you know Anna will choose the truth. They all do.

This book gives the pov of Anna, a newly widow who just received a voicemail saying her now dead husband killed someone and his death may not have be a suicide, and Cass, a manager and handy mam, of the sycamore motel. It starts out with Cass’s pov as she is going through her own problems after her fiancé has kicked her out for another younger woman. This book will keep you on your toes and you never know what’s gonna happen on the next page.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Graydon House for the free ARC and for allowing me to give my honest opinion.

Seraphina Nova Glass wrote one of my favorite reads of 2023 (On a Quiet Street), and so far, The Vacancy in Room 10 has been one of my favorite reads of 2024! An expert at executing the twist, Glass keeps you pinned to the edge of your seat throughout this entire story full of betrayal, heartbreak, friendship, love, and lust. Told in dual POV (a favorite of mine!), we hear from two women, Anna and Cass. Each is experiencing a midlife crisis of sorts that leads them to end up at the Sycamores - a place where the people are all a little off the wall and cleanliness is hard to come by. Cass, the handy-ma'am and manager of the Sycamores, is there slowly trying to put her life back together after her ex left her with nothing but sour feelings, when the unthinkable happens. She becomes wrapped up in a very deadly predicament that will either be her undoing or her salvation. Anna, a recent widow whose husband was loved by everyone, makes her way to his work studio at the Sycamores in an effort to put together the pieces of his untimely death. Little do either of them know what is about to take place within the old, run-down apartment complex. The Sycamores has plenty of secrets, and the characters with their hidden agendas give the already creepy surroundings an even more unsettling feel. You never know who you can trust when sh*t hits the fan, but they will definitely soon find out!
To say I was surprised is an understatement. The way this story all came together in the end is a testament to Glass's talent as a thriller/mystery writer. This will undoubtedly be one of the best thrillers of the year!

5 STARS!! This book was so hard to put down. I loved every character as well as the plot! Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this author's previous book THE VANISHING HOURS which I gave 5⭐. I couldn't wait to read this one and it did not disappoint! Anna's husband has a rented room at a run down motel that he's used as his art studio. One day he confesses to her that he has committed a crime and she cannot even fathom that her husband has done this. Then he commits suicide. She moves into his room to do some investigating of her own. She starts to find out secrets her husband kept, and someone is threatening her. Cass is now a live-in manager there and just scraping by. She needs money and is known to blackmail people. You get the POV of these two characters. When these two characters' stories collide, It gets pretty twisty. I enjoyed it alot!

Out April 9.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes.

"The Vacancy in Room 10" had me up late wanting to finish, yet excited to return to the next day. I love that it took awhile to get to know the layers of the characters involved, which made the final twists all the more satisfying. The atmosphere of the worn-down apartment complex and pool, and the characters who lived there (Uncle Fester and Sinatra) caused me to love it even more. Great thriller as well as story of true friendship and found family. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. #TheVacancyinRoom10 #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings: domestic abuse, suicide, cheating, murder,

Told in a dual-POV, Anna and Cass are both staying at the Sycamores, a shabby motel turned into apartments. Anna’s husband, Henry, an artist who rented a studio at the Sycamores, recently committed suicide after admitting he had killed someone. When Anna moves in, we meet Cass, the “handy ma’am” for the Sycamores who is involved in shady dealings for some extra cash. As the women’s lives intertwine, we learn that Henry’s death might be more sinister than she realizes, and she will do anything she can to find answers, despite the mildly threatening warnings she has had at her door since moving in.

Such an intriguing read! When I went into this book, I was not expecting the found family to be SO heartwarming. If I’m being completely honest, for the first 1/3, I was getting tired of hearing about the hotel residents because I didn’t understand their significance, but I’m so glad it all came together. Anna was a little bit too nosy for my liking, but I understand that was necessary for the plot. Very solid 4 star read!

I really enjoyed this twisty thriller. This has been my favorite by far from this author. She did a great job writing these characters and allowing us to get to know them just enough to feel connected. The ending flies by so fast with all of the crazy twists that happened!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC of The Vacancy in Room 10 by Seraphina Nova Glass in exchange for a honest review.

This novel had so many positive reviews and was a “must read” for 2024 but I was so disappointed in this book. The storyline was all over the place. It’s almost like the author wanted to write 3 books and couldn’t choose so she wrote them all together.

Cass is dropped by her rich real estate boyfriend so he can date a young cocktail waitress half his age. She’s forced to manage a low rent efficiency hotel with your run of the mill “white trash” residents that range from abusing drug lord to standard food stamp mom. Throw in an artist who commits suicide and a wife that want answers, an attractive upstanding grieving widower, Cass being a vigilante of women everywhere (but also former trash), and a murder cover up or two followed by rough justice and finding yourself and you’ve got yourself the gist of this novel. It wasn’t terrible and it wasn’t great. If this review has left confused and with a partial outlook on the book then I’ve gotten my point across.

Pub Date: April 9, 2024
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Anna's husband, Henry, calls her one night and confesses to killing someone. The next day he kills himself. All of this is extremely out of character for Henry, so Anna goes to the Sycamores, a rundown apartment complex where Henry had an art studio, to try and figure out what happened at the end of his life. At the Sycamores we meet Cass, the superintendent, and a large cast of unlikable residents.
I have read (and thoroughly enjoyed) Seraphina Nova Glass's other books but this one fell a little flat. The plot had plenty of twists and turns but I found myself struggling to like or identify with any of the (multiple) characters. Overall it's a quick read but I would recommend the author's other books over this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I loved the characters in this book. The story is told from the POV of Anna and Cass - both of them are strong, determined, independent women. Anna has just found out her husband Henry died, and she goes to clean out his apartment in a complex managed by Cass, a woman moving on after a devastating break up with her boyfriend Reid. Anna is determined to find out more about Henry's life at the Sycamores. Cass wants to keep to herself and wallow in her own despair. However, all the other residents of the Sycamores keep pulling these women into their circle. While there is murder, secrets, and mysteries throughout the novel, it is also alive with every character.

There were times it moved a little slowly, but overall, it is a thriller that will pull you in and keep you reading. A highly entertaining, character-driven thriller.

I usually love Seraphina Nova Glass books, but this one fell a little flat for me.

It was extremely difficult to keep track of all the characters and side characters and the storylines going on. I felt like you didn't get a chance to bond with each character because of the sheer number of them.

I did love the hotel setting, and Glass did an amazing job of making it feel real.

This book, for me, was a 2.5 stars rounded up - but I am still going to auto-buy Seraphina Nova Glass because she is one of my favorites!

OUTLIER REVIEW!

After reading all of the many 5 star reviews for this book, it became one of my most anticipated reads for 2024, but I struggled to stay engaged from the start. I know that I had really enjoyed “On a Quiet Street” by this author but didn’t have as much luck with “Someone’s Listening”. Out of curiosity, I revisited my review for the latter, and here were my opening thoughts….

“Well, that took me twice as long as it usually takes me to read a book! I was curious enough to want to finish, and learn the answers, but the pace was SLOW and the writing just wasn’t keeping me engaged. I was easily distracted by anything and everything else going on around me. PING! Better check that email! 👩🏻‍💻
Barking dog-better see what is going on out there? 🐶”

And, I copied and pasted them here because I felt EXACTLY the same way about this book.

THE SYCAMORES is where the broken people live.

It’s a run down, U Shaped motel that has been converted into low rent apartments. Crappy and Creepy.

Cass is the live-in manager who gets free rent for clean up and for fixing what’s broken-and since she is barely scraping by, she also has a side hustle of blackmail. She seems to know everything that is going on.

Anna’s husband Henry rented a unit as his Art Studio. After Anna receives a call from him confessing to Murder, shortly before his dead body is found-a presumed suicide, she decides to move into unit 10 to investigate. Neither makes sense or sounds like the man she knew.

And, someone immediately lets her know that she isn’t wanted there, by leaving her threatening notes and gifts.

The story is told from the alternating POV’s of both women.

Kudos to the author for creating a repugnant setting that I could completely envision. I felt like I needed a shower when I put this book down!

And, points for originality which was hard to come by in last year’s crop of thrillers.

BUT-this story was too OTT for my personal taste-much of it hard to buy into!

My favorite character was little Frank Sinatra…and I can’t wait for you to meet him!

AVAILABLE April 9, 2024

Thank You to Harlequin/Graydon House for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review.

Anna gets a call from her husband, who apologizes for making an epic mistake. The next day, his dead body washes up on shore. In search of answers, Anna checks into The Sycamores, a motel turned apartment complex. Cass, the manager of The Sycamores, is also dealing with a tangled mess. Her ex-husband has left her with nothing, while he lives in their home with his new, much younger, girlfriend. Told in alternating POVs between these two women, their searches for answers and closure become entangled and lead to further messiness.

The beginning of this book was a bit slow for me, and I found myself waiting to see how these two women’s journeys would intersect. I enjoyed the cast of characters and could easily picture The Sycamores as a setting; however, there was something that held me back from fully embracing this story. I was able to binge it, but I think I prefer On a Quiet Street over this one.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the EArc!

This is my favorite Seraphina Nova Glass book.

I kind of want to live at The Sycamores. Except for, you know, the deaths. But the friendships that they have and the way they are written as being there for each other is beautiful! The suspense that this book had was amazing. I found myself saying: wait what is happening, multiple times.
I read the whole book in one sitting and it was great.

Anna’s husband Henry calls her one evening and confesses that he killed someone. He can no longer live with the guilt and has decided to end his life. Anna thinks it must be a joke but a few days later his body washes ashore.
Anna moves in to the Sycamores, where Henry rents an apartment so he can paint, to get more answers.
She meets the rest of the tenants and learns things about her husband. Cass is the apartment manager who seems to want to make Anna leave the Sycamores.
When Anna starts getting threatening letters under her door she has to decide if finding answers is more important than her safety.
4 out of 5 stars. Incredible book. A must read.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing/Graydon House, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review *

As you know by now, I love mystery and thriller books, especially the ones that keep you on the edge of your seat. This time, as I was browsing Netgalley, the title caught my eye—and how could it not? You’ll be gripped from the start by The Vacancy in Room 10 . I read for a couple of hours last night to finish it. I was curious about what would happen if Henry's death had been caused by something other than suicide. I knew that Henry was hiding something from Anna on the night of his death, and I, like Anna wanted to know the truth. On the other hand, I was afraid of the truth. The Vacancy In Room 10 is a difficult story to put down once you start reading it. When I started reading it, I had no idea what to expect, and it surprised me in so many ways.

The book captivated you from the first page, and it was that page that intrigued my curiosity and kept me turning pages. I kept wondering how Henry got to that point. I thought the book was slow when the characters were first introduced. I liked Anna and Cass. However, I preferred Anna to Cass because of her actions. I understood Cass's need for the money, but what she was doing to get it had me worried that one of these days, she'd get into trouble. I felt she'd come across someone who wasn't as forgiving. Cass's story, like Anna's, kept me on the edge of my seat, which was one of the reasons I struggled to put the book down.

When I wasn't reading the book, I thought about reading it. I saw them all in the story's descriptions and transformed alongside Anna and Cass. There was so much suspense and unexpected turns that I didn't see coming. I couldn't stop reading this book, and a part of me wished it would never end. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read this book. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers.

I just really like this author. All her books are on Hoopla. Psychological thrillers. I loved this one because there are so many shady characters it keeps you guessing until the end. I like the hotel turned into run down apartments setting. And I love when women win. Good writing and character building. An easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book. Release date: 4-9-2024 #thevacancyinroom10

4.25 stars

Thank you so much for the advanced copy of what I believe will be one of the top 10 thriller releases of the year!

This book had it all- mystery, murder, and and a strong female protagonist.

What happens in room 10?you’ll have to read to find out!

A run down old motel turned apartments becomes Cassidy’s home after a break up with her long time boyfriend. Used to a very nice lifestyle, Cass slowly gets used to being the handyman of the complex and getting to know the strange mix of tenants.

Anna moves into the complex after losing her husband to suicide. Her plan is to go through her husband’s art studio there and try to get a sense of why he took his life.

It seems like all of the tenants have secrets they’re hiding and as each of the women try to get on with their own lives, things start getting complicated.

Very faced paced read, the characters are very well written and seem like real people. Lots of twists and turns you don’t see coming. This is my third book by this author and I will continue to read every one of her books I can!