A group of six people, tied together by love and family, are invited to a weekend retreat in a secluded cabin. Throughout the book, we follow several characters and timelines, some of which are definitely more interesting than others. This book had a lot going on, and a lot of information thrown at the reader. In the end, I didn't think it was an amazing thriller and the twist was just ok. This is my third Lisa Unger book, and I enjoyed the others. This one just didn't have an impactful plot or any sort of message that stayed with me.

The narrator was fine, and the voice acting was intentional and emotional. I enjoyed the tone used for delivery of lines and dramatic pauses during emotional moments.

This was my first thriller by Lisa Unger, and it certainly won't be the last! I love secluded cabin mysteries...there's something about the forced proximity and "claustrophobic" feeling that lends itself so well to a thriller, and Unger definitely knows how to manipulate this trope to her advantage. I especially loved the audiobook -- the narrator had a great tone and pace to match the story!

This was a great twisty suspenseful murder mystery, but to my surprise, the reveal came sooner than I expected. That worked in the story's favor because just when you think you have it figured out, there is a plot twist that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I liked the narrator, and the clever look at DNA testing and family secrets that we might not want to know.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of Lucy Foley or Riley Sagar. Great thriller with a good twist at the end.

A two star read is one that is just okay to me, and that unfortunately is what Lisa Unger's new thriller, Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, is ... just okay. This dramatic suspense novel caught my attention in the first chapter where we are introduced to Hannah and her peculiar family dynamics over the holidays, but then failed to captivate me throughout the rest of the book.

This story about a group of family and friends who rent an isolated luxury cabin in the woods only to have their relationship put to the test amid a raging storm, spooky things happening around the property, and their lack of trust in themselves and each other, is a tale with many moving parts, all grinding against each other disjointedly to create a novel that just doesn't work.

I immensely disliked the amount of characters and points of view in this book. Just as we are settling into Hannah's family and getting to know them better, we are abruptly thrust into the lives of several seemingly random characters (although you know they must be connected somehow because why else would they have entire chapters devoted to their lives) whose backstories we also have to learn. Not to mention that the writing here feels shallow, unevenly paced, and entirely trope-ish. This is a book that tries to do too much while doing too little.

The audiobook itself was good, narrated by Vivienne Leheny, but the story is just not compelling, believable, or engaging.

This book had a lot of potential. A locked room setting with six couples all who clearly have secrets. The set up was done very well and I was hooked. The audio was excellent. However, as the story played out there was just too many different elements going on to really be cohesive. There were so many POVs including the host of the cabin which seemed very unnecessary to me. Braken's story line was forced and although I believe the purpose was to put him in the creepy suspect list but it just didn't really add anything to the plot. The approach with the genetic testing was intriguing especially how popular that is now. But the purpose of seeking out all the half siblings just didnt seem very flushed out. Just too many elements thrown into one "plot". Everyone had a secret and it became a bit monotonous. I still enjoyed listening to this book. But it was like 100 pages too long.

This is a propulsion page turner. The characters were suspicious at one time or another, making me continually change my mind on who was responsible for things. My theories were all wrong and it continued to keep me guessing.

I have been drawn into the locked-in thrillers lately. This one was brilliant once I was able to sort out the characters - there are a bunch. Great read!

Loved it! Lisa Unger does it again with this one. If you don't have dysfunctional family and friends then what do you have? This book has endless twists and turns. Don't miss it!! The audio was great and I loved the narration!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley! Loved how it was multiple views even though it was hard to keep track of. Some storylines aren’t resolved but loved the setting and creepiness!

I listened to this on audio and I really don't recommend it. It would have been 10000 times better on paper / e-book because there were SO MANY PEOPLE to keep track of. I struggle with multiple POV's normally but this one also jumped around a lot on top of that and turned my brain into mush. Especially following it all on audio. I tended to really lose the thread of the story mainly because I was just trying to figure out who the person was.

All that aside, this book was packed with a ton of moral quandaries like doing what's right vs doing what's best for those that you love and the difference between the family you are born into and the family you chose. Overall, once I got everything straight I enjoyed it, but I don't know that I enjoyed it enough to recommend it to anyone to read. It felt like a story I could have lived without.

A big thank you to Legend Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

There were a lot of different points of view to keep track of and sometimes that was hard to do while listening to this audiobook. Once I had the POVs figured out, the story moved quickly and kept me entertained and engaged.

Vivienne Leheny did a great job narrating this novel and giving a different voice to the characters. I will look for more books narrated by Vivienne in the future.

I really like the premise of this book. It's a bit of a locked room mystery set in a secluded cabin in the woods. The narrator was great and really brought the story to life. There were aspects of the book I struggled with though. There were storylines that felt very unnecessary and extraneous. The conclusion just also felt unbelievable. Overall it was an enjoyable listen though.

This book was just not good. This was my first read by Unger and might just be my last...

- Weak female characters
- Stereotyped husband/wife role
- Objectifying women
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd personPOVs
- 2nd person POV (it deserves its own point I hate it so much)
- Past and present tense writing
- Convoluted plot
- Basic, choppy writing
- Blaming hereditary circumstances for actions

I didn't guess the ending because the whole thing was such a confusing mess. When the reader in the dark for most of the book, it's pretty hard to predict what will happen.

Convoluted, Trite, and Unexciting, there are better thrillers out there in my humble opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ALC in exchange for a [very] honest review.

A group of friends and family go to a luxury private cabin for a getaway weekend. Hannah's brother, Mako, rents the large cabin for her birthday, however. someone has followed them up to make people pay for past wrongs. Although they were all looking forward to a weekend away, how well do any of them really know their loved ones? How far is one willing to go to protect someone from their past wrong doings? A thrilling read with great twist and suspense.

SYNOPSIS: 3 couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a getaway to DIE for in this chilling locked-room thriller.

🏚REVIEW: I’m gonna keep this short and sweet: this thriller was just okay. I really enjoy locked-room mysteries, so I was definitely in my wheelhouse. The concept of the three couples stranded in a remote cabin with no help made for a good outline and I really enjoyed the creepiness factor there. However, when it came to the ultimate execution and ending, everything was a little bonkers. It just was too preposterous and unbelievable to end up the way that it did.

I enjoyed the ride; not so much the end.

🏚VERDICT: 3.5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Thank you Legend Press and @netgalley for my copy!

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

I seem to be in the minority for this one unfortunately because I didn’t love it. It was interesting and “fun” but it didn’t WOW me like I was hoping.

This is my first by Unger and I was a little underwhelmed and it’s hard to pinpoint why.

I hated the characters and I felt like they were very one-dimensional and shallow. There was also SO many things going on with each of them. It was hard to keep track of who was who, who was sleeping with who, who hated who, who was related, etc etc you get the picture. There were too many different POVs in my opinion. It felt a little disorganized and choppy.

I think it also took too long for it all to come together, and when it did, I was too farfetched for me personally. I think if you like locked-room mysteries and flawed characters, give this one a try! It did keep me engaged and I was really trying to put it all together!

Again, I seem to be in the minority as most reviews I’ve seen, readers have really enjoyed it. I will note that I did about 50% of it on audio and I wouldn’t recommend it — seems like one you may need to pick up the physical for just because of all the characters and storylines.

Thank you so much to @scaredstraightreads for this copy and I can’t wait to chat about this one tomorrow for #scaredstraightreads book club!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUPER SHORT SYNOPSIS: Three couples head to a remote area for a relaxing weekend away from the turmoil of everyday life. The cabin is luxurious but the Wi-Fi connection is sketchy. Suddenly, a powerful storm hits, and the electricity goes out as a tree blocks the way out. Then the couples discover that one of their number is missing!

MY THOUGHTS: The couples are linked through family members or work, and the behind the scenes drama is thick! There are secrets, lies, old jealousies, hidden cameras, a voyeur, and even a genetic test tie-in. The drama unfolds through multiple points of view and dual timelines. However, it is set in such a way that the action is easy to follow. Mixed in with the three couples and their differing perspectives, are the viewpoints of a couple of characters that do not seem to be connected to the others; and for awhile, the reader is not sure how their stories will tie in to the others. But they do, and the story ends up with a dramatic conclusion. I really enjoyed this one!

I love to listen to audiobooks because they allow me to multitask, and I often combine reading and listening with the same book. In the audio version, Vivienne Leheney does an excellent job with the narration as she portrays the different characters and intense emotions.

Read this if you enjoy locked room mysteries, secrets, and lots of drama!

Thank you @harperaudio and @netgalley for my audio copy. My thoughts are my own.

This one had almost too much going on too many stories and characters I had to make a list of who was who and sometimes it was easy to get confused as to which story this was.

The narrator Vivienne Leheny did a good job with so many characters.
This was still a pretty good thriller just know there are a lot of characters and if you do a list it will help!
3 stars

I received this book from Harper Audio, Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for a fair and honest review

I really enjoyed the writing, multiple POVs, and the characters. There were a few loose ends I would’ve liked tied up, but that didn’t deter me from overall enjoying this one. The drama and twists were very entertaining and bonus points for the Florida setting close to where I live!

"I'm the big bad wolf, come to blow your house down."

What a thriller!

I am captivated by Lisa Unger's thrillers (especially with Vivienne Leheny narrating). There is always a delicious twist and a slow burn to get to the conclusion. Her latest book features a large cast of characters as well as dual timelines, and as always, wonderful character-building so that I was completely invested in their fates.

A DNA test is given as a Christmas gift to family members but no one claimed responsibility. Some take the test and others disregard the test and trash it. The results when they arrive are unexpected and puzzling. How does this relate to the main characters and their current predicament?

Off for a vacation together are Hannah and Mako, siblings who both bring their spouses along. Hannah is conflicted about leaving her baby at home and feels guilty about taking time alone with her husband. Already for me the anxiety level was high! Mako's wife Liza is a seemingly perfect and beautiful yoga instructor. Hannah's best friend (and Mako's ex!) is also along for the trip, along with her new boyfriend Joshua. There are many unresolved relationships here as the group begins their getaway in the Georgia woods.

Added to the mix is the very suspicious and creepy cabin owner who is actually continuously spying on the group. When a storm comes though and knocks out the power, you know you are in for a wild ride.

Liza is endangered but the group cannot leave because a tree has fallen and blocked the road. It was hard to know who to trust but that was part of the fun of this book. I don't want to give too many details because even a hint would give away the plot. Meanwhile, the DNA test kit mentioned at the beginning will end up playing a significant role in this story and raised many interesting questions for me.

As always, this was a top-notch thriller with a dose of crime thrown in for good measure. Highly recommend the audiobook!

(Thanks to the publisher for providing an audiobook listening copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.)