Rating: 3
Author: Lisa Unger
Available: 11/8/22

I listened to the audiobook and must say the narrator did a good job. They added emotion and would change their voice depending on the situation. They weren’t too breathy which is something I hate when listening to audiobooks. The narration was a little slow but that can easily be fixed by turning the speed up. I had the speed at 2.5 the whole time and had no issues with understanding, the narrator was still clear.

The book itself was good/okay but could have been better. I found myself extremely confused at multiple points throughout the story. I’m not sure if it’s because of only having one narrator for all of the different POVs? Or just the fact that this story covers so many characters who are similar but different. Either way, I constantly had to think about whose POV I was listening to and what was actually being said or happening. I didn’t have time to constantly rewind so I just kept listening and tried to figure it out as I went. Luckily, I don’t think I missed anything major and if I did, it didn’t take away from me figuring out what was happening.

This book definitely was a little unsettling at times but I think the author tried to do too much with it. Each character has their own issues, the house has issues, and every side characters had their own issues/drama that added to the story. There were so many characters that were meant to be ‘unknown’ to us until later in the story which added a mystery element to the story. But unfortunately, it just added to the confusion and just felt so unnecessary to the overall story. I think if the author tried to focus on one or two main points and less characters then the overall story would have been executed better. With that being said, I still would recommend this one. It was a good listen while driving or while cooking dinner.

Thank you so much @harpercollins for the gifted copy on #Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hannah’s brother, Miko, invites her on a weekend vacation with some friends. Despite her hesitance to leave her daughter Gigi, she is looking forward to reconnecting with her husband Bruce and her best friend Cricket. The cabin is secluded in the woods but beautiful, with breathtaking views, a personal chef and hot tub. The owner, Brackett, is a little too involved, the chef fills the crew in on a local ghost story, and a dangerous storm is brewing. And unbeknownst to Hannah, there are secrets lurking beneath the surface. The perfect retreat is about to become the perfect nightmare.

I was lucky to have an audio copy of this, because I could NOT stop listening to it! From the first few chapters - a mysterious genetics test showing up under the Christmas tree - I was drawn into this story! The characters, though many, were all complex and multifaceted. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next and how it related to each person. Also, I love “locked room” type thrillers, and what better setting than deep in the woods at night. Though it was a fantastic thriller with twists I didn’t see coming, the theme of “family” was at the core - the generics that makes us up vs the family we choose. This was the second book I’ve read by Lisa Unger but it has made her an auto-buy author for me!

“Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six” is out October 4th! Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Audio and Lisa Unger for the ALC! This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly 🙂

Some twists and turns kept the book going in the second half, but I almost gave up after the first half. The plot was bogged down with character descriptions and flashbacks, and it was sometimes hard to keep track of whose story I was listening to. I got a little bored with their angsty backstories and I really didn't like any of them.. Henry's storyline is what kept me going.

Three couples head to a secluded cabin for a weekend getaway. Hannah and Bruce are leaving their baby behind for the first time. Mako, Hannah's brother and host, and his wife Liza have invited their nearest and dearest. That includes Cricket, a life long friend, and her new boyfriend, Joshua. Everyone has a secret; some more dangerous than other. Meanwhile, readers also follow the life of Henry, introduced to us as an orphaned teen. I did enjoy his storyline. I also enjoyed the theme of family and biology, nature vs nurture.
What didn't work for me: I feel like the story was trying to be too much at once. I was also disappointed in the treatment of a rape-a storyline that spanned the entire book that wrapped up conveniently at the end.

So surprised that I didn't like this book! I usually enjoy this author but this one was hard to stay interested in. There were too many characters and timeliness to keep track of. Not a good read for me.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook.

This book way over explained everything. I felt like some parts had huge gaps and others they did not give the reader the
Benefit of a doubt to understand.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader audio copy of this book. I’m going to admit, I lost interest at about 30%, through no fault of the narrator. She does a great job. The story, while trying hard not to be, is ultimately the same old creepy owner of rental property and guests trapped with many secrets and dark storylines coming out while there. The secrets are a bit different and the genetics component and Henry’s storyline kept me plugging along. There are a few good twists. 3 stars.

This was quite the wild ride. The six people you meet who intend on getting away for a weekend all revolve around Hannah. Hannah's very generous and wealthy brother books this amazing cabin for Hannah and her husband, he and his wife, and even tells Hannah she can bring her best friend and the guy she's currently dating. It all sounds amazing, Hannah's in-laws will watch their 16 month old for the weekend and everyone is blown away by the beautiful cabin away from reality and a little off the grid for a weekend getaway. But someone has other plans and suddenly, being in a secluded cabin off the grid is awfully foreboding. As secrets are revealed and the desperation to leave is thwarted by a storm that downs trees that block the roads and something's wrong with the generator and the owner of the house is really creepy, and well, this one's a page turner! Enjoy the ride!

The premise of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six will feel familiar to many readers of the mystery genre. A secluded cabin, a set number of characters, and murder is afoot--whodunnit and who will be next? A "locked-room" style mystery told in multiple POVs, it was sometimes easy to lose track of the characters in the audiobook--partly due to the fact that one POV plods along--but the ending makes up for it. While it's not my favorite mystery ever, it is one that mystery lovers can escape into and (mostly) enjoy the ride.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest review.

Families, companies and a secluded place with no outside contact, what more could I ask for. A great story and the characters were fascinating.

The audio started out a little slow but I ended up loving this one! Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is a good character-driven mystery (one of my favorite types!). The isolated cabin setting was probably my favorite part about this book. Great twists too!

This book had potential. I wanted to like this, but the book was really slow for me and the end was just an exposition dump.

This book didn't work for me. There are a lot of pov's and at times I could not keep track of who was who. None of the characters grabbed my attention. I was hanging on waiting for something to happen but by the end I was bored.

I think this is going to be a very popular book at my library. It’s a good locked room mystery with a well defined setting and a wide cast of characters that each have their own backstories and secrets. A decent amount of red herrings to keep you guessing. Maybe too many at times, but at least it wasn’t predictable.

However, I don’t think I made a wise decision listening to this as an audiobook, so it makes the review a bit difficult for me.

I did not think this works that well as an audio book. There are a LOT of POVs to keep track of, and I found myself struggling at moments to remember whose chapter I was currently listening to since there is only one narrator for the audiobook. The narration wasn’t bad by any means, but it just made it difficult to remember details, situations, and distinguish the characters when it was all one voice. This could also just be a “me” thing because I don’t often listen to audiobooks, so take it with a grain of salt. I know the appeal of audiobooks is that you can read and listen while doing other things, but it really wasn’t a storyline I could easily keep track of while also being distracted.

So 3-4 stars for the book itself, but I just don’t think the plot lands well on audiobook. And since it’s a thriller/mystery, a lot of the suspense and tension will be lost if I do a reread when the physical book releases, but I might still give it another shot.

Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Review posted to Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/148559190?ref=nav_profile_l

This was a twisty, dual timeline, multiple POV thriller that gave me tons of Find you first and Rock, paper, scissors vibes! A serial killer/rapist fathers a number of children through donated sperm and someone is trying to track them all down and eradicate his bloodline. Cue lots of potential killers and a great atmospheric cliff-hanger when a group of couples are trapped in a secluded rental. Great on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you like Lifetime movies, this is the book for you. As for me, I do not particularly enjoy this genre and I certainly do not appreciate Lifetime movies. However, I do have to give this novel props for being entertaining overall with many twists and turns in the plot to keep readers hooked. Even so, it is all fairly predictable as there are so many books like this on the market. The characters are all equally unlikable and I didn’t give hoot who lived or died. The book could have been half as long if all of the filler was eliminated. The narrator was okay, but a little bit on the annoying side especially when attempting to do a masculine character’s voice. I would say this audiobook is worth a listen if you are a fan of this genre, otherwise feel free to give it skip.

Six people, secluded in a luxurious cabin in the woods. The weekend promises fabulous meals prepared by a chef, hikes in the beautiful forest surrounding them, and evenings spent relaxing, perhaps in the hot tub.

The group soon learns of a horrible murder scene that took place on the grounds about 10 years earlier and that the grounds are said to be haunted. It doesn’t take long for some of the guest to suspect they aren’t alone on the property. Is it the ghosts or someone far more threatening?

My thoughts:

This story was well crafted, told from multiple POV with past and present timelines verging together to a climax where all is revealed. But it isn’t just a thriller. It’s also a family drama begging the question; what makes a family? Is it our tie through blood or the choices we make? How well do we really know the people we are related to? I thought Unger did a wonderful job of showing what is in each character’s mind; their fears, secrets and motivations. She told captivating stories with the two timelines, keeping you interested in each and wondering how they would come together. It is well written from start to finish.

Really enjoyed this twisty locked-room thriller! I loved how the author weaved multiple seemingly unrelated storylines and characters and wove them all into a pretty shocking conclusion. I loved where she ended up taking this story and it definitely stands on it's own as a unique premise compared to most mystery thrillers. There were a few parts where the story line felt a little slow, but overall really enjoyed this one.

I personally enjoyed this one even more than Lisa Unger's previous books, although I did enjoy both of those as well, so I recommend picking this one up if you enjoyed her previous work. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for providing me with a review copy!

Locked room thrillers are a go-to for me and I was really excited by the title and description of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. Unfortunately this one was a miss for me. The book starts out at a family dinner where the older brother, Mako, is pushing this fancy vacation in the mountains for him, his wife, his sister and her husband, and his ex and her boyfriend. From then on, the book is told from the point of view of most of the family, plus another four characters.

It was difficult for me to get into because each chapter was either a different person or a different time. Even after finishing the book I'm not sure why some of these characters even needed to be included in the book at all. I read the first portion of the book quickly because I wanted to get to the ominous cabin trip. Once there, I lost most interest. It was pretty clear what was happening and I didn't really care about any of the characters since there were too many to get enough character development. Fans of a slower paced suspense novel might like this one, but it's definitely not the kind of twisty book that I'd stay up all night to finish.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, by Lisa Unger (Audiobook Review)

Lisa Unger's audiobook Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is atmospheric and creepy in the right way. I love secluded cabin stories and Lisa Unger checks off all the boxes in this chilling whodunit! The audiobook is narrated by the talented Vivienne Leheny. The narrators voices take you into the story and add an extra element of suspense to the listening experience.

Synopsis:
Three couples spend the weekend together in an elegant cabin tucked away in the woods. All six people have secrets, but one wants revenge. Who is behind the horrifying danger that is about to unfold?

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six would make a fantastic movie. The plot is filled with lies and unexpected turns. Add in the mysterious caretaker of the cabins and you are set for a wild ride. The book pushes realism to its limits, but that is what scary audiobooks are known for.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six audiobook by Lisa Unger is available on November 8th.
4.25 ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Audio, for this terrific audiobook! Your kindness is appreciated!