OMG! This book was so twisted and so is Paul. Well done, Kaira Rouda! I was on the edge of my seat with this thriller of a book.

READ THIS BOOK-- once I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down! The narrator, well you know there's something up with him, but just can't put your finger on it; he just makes these little comments once in a while that kind of make you stop reading for a second and think "hmm…. that's a little creepy". Finished this book in under two days, and only because I had to eventually put it down to go to sleep!! Cannot wait for this to arrive in stores to start recommending to my customers!

Slow plot, unlikable characters, no real closure in the storyline.

A totally different idea than mine of a BEST DAY EVER. Paul was a totally vile individual but very well portrayed. Getting inside his head, made me realize just how twisted some people can be. Interesting read.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Wonderful, easy to read, entertaining and just what I needed to keep me on my treadmill. Loved this easy to read book.

The most disturbing protagonist I've ever read (in a good way!). This chilling story had me riveted (as you can see, I read it in less than a day). This is one of those great, creepy thrillers that starts out with a seemingly normal situation, but quickly gives the reader an unsettling sense that something is off. This was one of the most accurate depictions of narcissism and psychopathy. I loved this book! [ Redacted the rest of my review to avoid public spoilers]

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! Best Day Ever is told from the first person point of view of Paul, over the period of 24 hrs. The title made me think the book might be silly, so I put off reading it. Boy, was I wrong! When I finally picked it up, I couldn't put it down and dragged into work sleep-deprived the next day. I absolutely love getting into the mind of a character completely, and once you get to know Paul, you understand the simplicity of the title. Paul surprises his wife, Mia, with an overnight trip to their cottage, just the two of them, while their two small children stay behind. As the day unfolds, and layers come off to reveal more layers, Rouda amps up the suspense. At first I was not sure the ending was satisfying. The more I really thought about it, the more I realized it was perfect! Really glad I discovered Kaira Rouda.

I just started Kaira Rouda’s new novel, Best Day Ever and a few pages in, I’m hooked. I honestly don’t want to know too much about it because I don’t want to ruin any surprises but already the hair on the back of my neck is standing up a little, something is brewing and it’s creepy and I LOVE IT.

Here’s what you need to know:

Paul Strom has a perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That’s why he’s planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he’s promised today will be the best day ever.

But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really?

This is one of those stories where you have to pay attention to the details because I think some tiny little character trait will reveal itself to be much more than a simple gesture or look or tone.

Paul planned the "best day ever" - a getaway for himself and his wife at their summer cottage. Paul is a self-proclaimed success - perfect wife, kids and job. As the cracks start to show, we get to peek at the real Paul beneath the veneer of his perfect life. This story will make you wonder if anyone ever really knows the people they live with. This glimpse into the mind of a narcissistic sociopath illustrates how those we love and live with are often strangers to us.

This book was just delicious to consume. The mental issues this guy had and sitting inside his head and his thought processes were fascinating. Read this book in practically one sitting. Couldn't put it down.

This novel, told by a very unlikable unreliable narrator, held very little suspense. While the truth came out little by little in each new chapter, it was a fairly predictable storyline. The novel gives us an up close look into the mind of a narcissistic jerk and it wasn't very pretty. With more suspense, this would have been a much better read.

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When reading a book, the narrator is often the one who formulates your opinion of everyone else in the book. He or she sets the tone and whether or not the point of view of the narrator is correct, the reader is led to believe that it is. This is why reading this book was so frightening for me. The narrator, Paul Strom, is a complete psychopath, womanizer, and narcissist. The author describes him at the end as an “unreliable” narrator. Reading the book from his point of view made me nauseous through to the end. Never once did I think he was a “good” guy. The story takes place in Ohio. Paul and his wife, Mia, set out to have the best day ever by going to their vacation cottage. Along the way, we meet Paul’s true personality. He only cares about himself and thinks that by doing so, he is caring for his wife and family. He gets what he wants and tells the reader this over and over again in the duration of the story. He is a cheater and has a skewed definition of love. Mia, on the other hand, knows how far she can push him. She apologizes when she steps over the line but you can tell from the dialogue that she knows exactly what she’s doing. I didn’t feel like she was a weak character at all despite Paul’s sick and disgusting description of her throughout the book.

I had very mixed feelings about this book. It was like a train wreck I couldn’t stop watching, or rather, reading about. Like I said, Paul made me sick. It was the other characters I was waiting for to take some kind of action against the asshole. Did it happen? You’ll just have to read it for yourself.

Thank you to Kaira Rouda, Harlequin Books, and NetGalley for my copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ok so this book got pretty twisted and sinister the farther along it got. Not as much as I was expecting it to but it had it’s moments.

The book is told from the main character’s Point of View, Paul, who is trying to have the Best Day Ever with his wife Mia. It is told from first person pov, so you are totally inside this guys head from the beginning, and soon you discover that this guy is the biggest asshole that ever lived in Ohio. Comments like “If you aren’t a thin woman you should wear a dress. A loose-fitting dress that will cover all your excess, that will hide your sins,” earned him this title today.

At the beginning they leave their house, kids with a babysitter and begin the drive to their house on Lake Erie where they will be spending a romantic night together. It seems like any other drive with a married couple, there is some tension between them at first. During the drive you are truly bombarded with back and fourth dialog, both his inner and with his wife for a good 20% of the book. This was a little confusing and hard to keep track of where you are in actual time within the story. He would be in the middle of ordering pizza but launch into a three page memory of something that happened at his office ten years ago. Now….If you stick with the story through the first quarter of the book you will see that the author is trying to put you in the mindset of this crazy man. It is worth the read and gets better as you go. Secrets unfold and things get twisted and by the end you can see that Paul and Mia’s definition of Best Day Ever is no where near close to the same.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK

So I haven’t read many books that are written from first person POV, because it is hard. But this was really good. You can see how this guy thinks, feel how he feels. The author does a great job being inside the mind of a complete jerk-off. I mean this guy thinks so highly of himself that he doesn’t even remember things correctly, just the way that he wants to remember them. He is so well written (that’s actually on both my good and bad lists.)

Even with the tedious back and fourth with the pompous wanker, it really did keep the pages turning, because you knew that this guy was totally up to something, and I just had to see what it was. Turns out he was up to no good.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THIS BOOK

Like I said this guys back and fourth was really killing me in the beginning. I kept thinking OMG is this going to go on forever!? In the end I saw why it was necessary for it to go like that, but it didn’t make reading it any easier.

Ugh the guy Paul is like sooo bad. Written so well as such a douche nugget that you just detest him. Some might be so turned off by his horrible attitude and inner monologue that they don’t want to finish and I wouldn’t blame him. He is insufferable at best.

ACCKKKK the ending was a little less than satisifying for all the build up through the book. It kept me going and while it was a little predictable I enjoyed the little twists along the way.

I was given this book for free by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen. Great suspense and twists in the story. Great read!

Wow this book was just full of surprises. I really enjoyed it. Paul and Mia's idea of what the best day ever will be is very different as you will find out. Very cleverly written to keep you in suspense as to what is really going on. We think these two have the perfect life until we start to find out it is anything but. The story being written mainly in Paul's point of view definitely added to the continued curiosity factor and also helps you see that he is definitely not what he is making himself out to be at first which is a loving and good husband and father. His real character comes out as the story unfolds. This was my first Kaira Rouda book and it won't be my last.
I will definitely post a review on Goodreads and Amazon and also on B&N and iBooks if possible.

WOW! Is this a new author? No she's not but what a drastic change from her pervious works. This book was fantastic! Wicked smart, with a sassy, self absorbed narrator! I was cheering for Mia by the end of the book! This is a MUST read!

On the surface Paul Strom and his wife Mia seem like the perfect couple. Paul, he’s such a romantic – he arranges for their sons to be watched over by a babysitter so he and Mia can have the “best day ever” at their lakeside vacation home. Taking place over the span of one day, and narrated by Paul, this is a creepy look inside the mind of a psychopath. it doesn’t take readers long to discover something about Paul isn’t right, and that the best day he has planned is anything but. My heart rate shot way up while I was reading this – not great for right before bedtime!