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
🌟🌟

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!

The Vacancy in Room 10, by Seraphina Nova Glass is a fast-paced thriller, with short chapters.

It's the first book I read by this author and I'm pleasantly surprised! I went into it completely blind and I'm not disappointed I did.

The setting is really well written and I could picture the Sycamores perfectly. It's as if you were really there. The crappy, run-down motel apartments, the occupants... It's just perfection.

Both Anna and Cass were strong female characters, in their own way.
The characters, as many as they are, are ALL well developed and even if there are a lot, they all add non-negotiable layers to the plot. I loved that every single one of them were complex and three dimensional, even if they didn't appear much.

The plot was gripping right from the start. You get blackmail, lies, secrets, murder, whodunit, whydunnit, the whole shebang! You want to know what happens at the end of every chapter and the last 50% of the book? Unputdownable! A real page turner. I guessed a couple twists but overall they were well delivered! I thought a couple things were far-fetched but I'll let it slide, just because of how it was written.

Now mark your calendars because on April 9th, you'll want to add that book to your shelves!

Thank you so much @netgalley, @seraphinanovaglass and @graydonhousebooks for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very good, compelling story, told from two points of view by Cass and Anna. They are unlikely neighbors at The Sycamores apartments, a converted roadside motel. There is a very colorful cast of characters, and lots of twists and turns.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I will definitely be reading more! Recommended for a good read!

Thank you for this adcmvanced readers copy! Holy moly, this book was so good. I thought the story telling was excellent and the author kept my interest most of the time.
There were a few grammatical errors and a couple missed punctuation marks that made me double look, but it didn't take away from the story at all.
I thought there was good character development and it helped propel the story along. I did feel like some of the dialouge was a bit cringy and unrealistic. There were times a character would say something and I thought nobody in real life talks like this. And there were a couple times that I thought the book dragged on a bit. I still loved it though and would recommend reading when it comes out.

I don’t feel like this one will be memorable but I didn’t hate it. It kept me guessing and I like the two POV’s. There were some twists I didn’t see coming: I think this will be a hit for many.

Thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for my e arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publish Date: April 9, 2024

1️⃣0️⃣ ARC EBOOK REVIEW 1️⃣0️⃣

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thoughts ⬇️

Wowza! Just wowza! I just put this book down and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m speechless.

What would you do if someone you loved told you they did something unforgivable. That they killed someone?

How do you move on when someone close to you is taken from you and they’re never coming back?

Multiple points of view. High adrenaline. Intense. Betrayal after betrayal. Who can you trust?

👉🏼 A jaw dropping, suspenseful, page turner.

•Best thriller of 2024?•

This was an entertaining read and kept me guessing! Got me out of the thriller slump I’ve been in recently

I’ve read all of the published novels by Seraphina Nova Glass, and I did find this one to be slower paced than her previous books. With only two main characters, I kept getting them mixed up. It may have been because there were just so many side characters living in the apartment building that I kind of gave up trying to figure out who was who. On a Quiet Street is my favorite by this author. Unfortunately, I was not wowed by this one.

Thanks to @harlequinbooks and @netgalley for this ARC copy!

Title: The Vacancy in Room 10
Author: Seraphina Nova Glass
Format: E-book
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Pub date: April 9th 2024

Here is my review ⬇️

I have never read a book by this author before but I heard good things about her. I was excited to read my first book by Seraphina Nova Glass.

I really liked the pacing of the book. It was fast paced and it kept me interested throughout the book.

On a negative note, when the POV changed, I had a hard time remembering the story. Where is Cass? What is happening to Anna right now? But when I started reading, it all came back to me!

I gave this one a 4.75 ⭐ And, I will certainly read more books by this author.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat! What a great thriller! I absolutely could not put this one down, and was constantly changing my mind on who the bad guy was! So great and one that I have already been recommending to my friends! I should mention there are some triggers-drug use, suicide, and infedelity. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this great book in exchange for my honest review!