Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the digital ARC copy. Oh my goodness what this book put me through. I felt bad for the FMC in the beginning with her financial struggles. When the grifter came into the picture, I was rooting for the FMC to save herself. I am glad in the end they both got the ending they deserved. I am forever a fan of Rebecca Hanover books.

Published: Feb 2025

10/10 no notes. Okay one note. I did not like the potential cancer diagnosis plotline. It just felt a little off. But other than that I ADORED this book. I just got it yesterday and I finished it in less than 24 hours. And I have two kids. Joe, you know that I was listening to this with my earbuds on getting them ready for everything. I honestly thought that it was so well written and the plot twist was, *chef's kiss*.

I didn't see the plot twist coming, but I know that how I read is that I'm not looking for those types of things. But it was great when it happened. The FMC was relatable and well written. At one point I just kept on saying, "oh girl
...nooo." But it was because she was at such a low point in her life that it was so understandable that she was making these dumb choices and decisions. I get it, and I got her.

When you started to read the chapters that it involved the side FC you really started to understand and feel a little bit sorry for her too. Which I didn't want to do. I wanted to 100 % hate her because she was the worst. But you can get her thought process and you get her. I really started to enjoy those chapters to get a little bit more insight into her character.

When you are down on your luck and no other options are available the choices you make are not always logical. That's why I really enjoyed this book. The main character was down on her luck and she made some bad choices that could have ended terrible. And they did end terribly for some of the other characters. What I also liked is that it was so relatable in the way that you hear these types of stories happening. It just really hooked me!

I look forward to reading more from this author.

This had that psychological thriller element that I was looking for and enjoyed the way the characters were used in this story. The plot worked well overall and that it uses the genre perfectly. I was engaged with the characters and how they were written, it was what I wanted and glad I read this. Rebecca Hanover does this genre proud and glad I was able to read this.

I won't like: I struggled with this book. Mainly because of the author's writing. A while ago I tried to read a book by Rebecca Hanover and it didn't work for me, and now the same thing happens again. :(
I may consider giving this book another try in the future, but for now it's a 'miss'.
I'm sorry to the author and to the publisher.
Thanks for the ARC, though.

An excellent psychological thriller, this was a very speedy read for me as I had to keep reading to find out where it went next. The author does a nice job of creating a sense of dread, and the tension is kept on a pretty high level throughout, ramping up towards a dramatic twist - note that this required a mild suspension of disbelief on my part, but nothing dealbreaking. I did empathize with Emily as she finds her sanity and home compromised by a highly devious mother-daughter duo and must call on untapped reserves of ingenuity to gain the upper hand. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for allowing me to enjoy an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a slow burn this was one. Sometimes I vastly enjoy the slow burn because you think you know what’s up and then you realize you had absolutely no idea what was really happening.

There are times that Emily’s behavior is beyond annoying. You may find yourself listening to your own eyes rolling in your head because she’s just so….

Then again, that’s what makes this slow burn so good. You get a nice look into Emily’s insecurities and it does makes her character more real, even if there aren times you’d like to throttle her.

I was not expecting the twist at all. It works and makes the aggravation over some of Emily’s unwise decisions worth sticking around.

this was a good psychological thriller that had lots of twists and turns. it was very well written because I kept feeling anxious and nervous while reading it. I think the premise was great and it kept me entertained and wanting to read on until the ending to see the outcome of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I found this book tricky to read - not because it was badly written but because the whole storyline made me feel anxious and claustrophobic. I felt on the verge of a panic attack the entire time I was reading it.

The book and storyline are well written, the characters feel real and the plot was well paced. I read it quickly and I couldn’t put it down as I needed to know how it ended. The book is good and the writing is great - it just pushed some buttons in my psyche and made me feel so uncomfortable…but maybe that’s what the author intended?

I really enjoyed Rebecca Hanover's previous book, 'the last applicant' and this was even better!
The story of Emily's financial struggles leading her to look for a roommate, is very believable and something that most people could relate to.
The fact that she then deals with insane squatters is all the more terrifying as this could also happen to anyone! That made this book hard to read for me, sometimes, but also meant I couldn't put the book down!
Really clever story, great characters and a twist I didn't see coming!

This was totally different. I felt for Emily a lot but I also felt for Pip since she had a child. Then you throw in the neighbor being murdered.... There was a lot of tension between the women. This was really the perfect psychological thriller and trust me nothing is perfect in this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book truly took me by surprise! I’m not typically a psychological thriller girly just because I don’t do too well with tension, so I didn’t know what to expect, but it exceeded any expectations I didn’t know I had.

The story begins with Emily, who’s deep in a shit ton of debt and posts a listing for a roommate on Craigslist out of desperation. Enter Pip, who responds to the listing, but when moving day comes, Pip arrives with her teenage daughter, Sofie, much to Emily's surprise. And things just go to shit from here.

The first couple of chapters, as things started to unravel, were infuriating, I had to pause several times to breathe because I I just couldn’t believe that someone would let themselves get constantly stepped on like Emily did. So when she finally found her backbone, I felt suuuuuch a sense of relief! It was also frustrating that she didn’t rely on others; I think a big chunk of what happened could have been avoided if she had talked to her friend or even her ex.

No matter — the storyline developed super well. Although short, I loved having an in into Pip’s and even Sofie’s heads, and I appreciated the uncomplicated, trustworthy ending.

10/10 would definitely recommend🤞🏼