4.5 stars.

This book started off a bit rough. I was initially so turned off by the tone and style of the writing, I nearly quit about 2 chapters in. This would've been a huge mistake. Eventually, Rouda's writing choices become perfectly clear and make the work even more suspenseful and chilling.
I could have done without the epilogue, which would have made the story even more powerful; however, this was one of the better slow-burn thrillers I've read in a while.

Paul was a despicable person, a very hateful character. Kudos to the author for keeping me hooked to see what happened next!!

Kaira Rouda has become a great addition to the books that I have fallen hard for! She wrote such a compelling story and I couldn't get enough of! I cannot wait to see what else she has in store!

I am sorry this book was not for me. At all. I could not get into the story ,and I pretty much forced myself to read it. i am sorry

This was a crazy story and you aren't sure what to believe. Paul is a piece of work and made me UGH many times especially when you realize what he thinks of himself and the things hes been doing. Mia is the perfect wife to the perfect man...or is she...or are they?

This book had an interesting premise and was well written I will definitely read this author again!

Don't want to give too much away but this was a good one! If you like Behind Closed Doors give this one a go!

Also the narration by Graham Halstead & Amy McFadden was really well done Graham brought Paul's smugness out so well and his other traits! Amy deftly handles all the emotions Mia goes through with ease. Highly recommend the audio!

4 Stars

I LOVED this book! COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. It is a great read for summer, as it takes places on an idyllic lake, with less than idyllic situations. Very creepy!

“As I opened the door and stepped into the humid night, her scream followed me out. But I knew there was still love for me in her heart….
“I’m unforgettable.”

Paul Strom has the 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 perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really? How much do they trust each other? Is Paul the person he seems to be? And what are his secret plans for their weekend at the cottage?
Forcing us to ask ourselves just how well we know those who are closest to us, Best Day Ever crackles with dark energy, spinning ever tighter toward its shocking conclusion. In the best-selling vein of The Couple Next Door and The Dinner, Kaira Rouda weaves a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…or a life.

Hang on to your seats… this is a fast paced read that will have you turning pages until you get to the end! It took us about 3.5 hours (of pretty much straight uninterrupted reading and ignoring everyone around you).
Right from page one be prepared to feel engaged and hooked. What starts out with an introduction to Paula and Mia, a “normal” everyday, seemingly loving couple on their way to spend some relaxing time away from their hectic life in their lakeside cottage, ends a very very very different way than you may think!
Paul, a self proclaimed businessman with a beautiful house, vacation cottage, two boys, and a beautiful wife just wants to spend some time away with his lovely bride at their lakeside cottage before the prime season rush of vacationers. They pack their car and head out for a relaxing drive. Along the way, as Paul tells his story, many small character developments arise giving you a true picture of who Paul really is and what his intentions really are!
No spoilers!!! What we will say is that if you like a fast paced really solid mystery/thriller, this is your book! What’s also nice about this book is that there aren’t 100 characters and tons of plot twists BUT Kaira Rouda still has you guessing and the story ends with a great twist that makes this book another 5⭐ for us!

This book is more like 3.5 stars and I think that’s because it took me a while to really get into it. The last 100 or so pages were really good and I didn’t want to put it down.

The Best Day Ever is what a Paul has coined the weekend away with his wife to their lakeside cottage in Ohio. What starts off as a romantic weekend away quickly makes a turn for the worst as Paul begins to uncover things about Mia.

Told from Paul’s point of view, I thought that it was interesting how the book was broken into chapters by time of the day. I also enjoyed getting to read from Paul’s point of view and how you slowly uncovered more and more about him the longer you read. It was a pretty good thriller just not my favorite that I’ve read.

Best Day Ever... more like WORST Day Ever! I liked this much more than expected! There are some bad reviews so I wasn't expecting much but as one reviewer stated, you need to not take this book seriously. The narrator is a repulsive human being and an unreliable narrator at best. I was shocked to discover this book was written by a woman. Paul, the main character, is so misogynistic!! This is a cruel and satisfying story.

Thank you NetGalley for my free copy in return for an unbiased review.

Usually I like books like this but I had a really hard time with this one. I just couldn’t believe that she would ever have fallen for him.

Very good read as you delve into the lives of two well to do suburbanites who seems to have all. Once again we learn differently though as the pages unfold. This books kept my appetite for a good thriller at bay although somewhat strung out at certain junctures.

Ohhhh man. Paul Strom is one creepy dude. Control issues doesn't even begin to describe it.

Paul is a middle aged man married to a younger, beautiful wife. They live in the suburbs with two boys and he works for a huge advertising company. Paul is taking his wife Mia away for the weekend to their cottage on Lake Erie, and he has promised both her and himself that this will be the BEST DAY EVER.

I will never be able to hear those words again without an ominous tone behind them.

I truly cannot give the specifics in this review that I want to, because the delicious details that unfold in this book are what kept me turning the pages until my eyes were drooping. The story starts off with Paul and Mia on a road trip on their way to their cottage. Alone time for the couple is at a premium because they have two young boys and Mia is a stay at home mother, but Paul has planned every single detail and he is not a man that likes it when things don't go his way. As the day passes, we learn more about the truth behind this seemingly perfect couple and just what exactly Paul is willing to do to keep his life just the way he wants it.

I can't stress this enough--from the beginning of the book, I knew there was something off with Paul. The story is told from his point of view, and you quickly get the sense of what kind of man he is. He has pictured his life a certain way, and does everything in his power to get it. Mia, for her part, is a good wife and mother to her two boys. She was young when she fell for Paul's charms and soon married him, but the past ten years with him have slowly opened her eyes to the truth.

I read this book SO FAST because I knew something was coming, but I didn't know what. The author is not so subtle with the foreshadowing, but it works to help set the sinister tone of the day for Paul and Mia.

The only thing I had some issue with was the ending, as it seemed a bit anticlimactic, but the more I think about what occurred, the more it seems realistic. The uncertainly is certainly relatable for a lot of women, and chilling.

Best Day Ever is recommended for any reader who likes a story where they're not quite sure where they will end up, but they know the ride to get there will be exhilarating.

A bit too trendy, like Gone Girl but with a lead make psychopath. Enjoyable lazy day read but nothing exceptional. As an Ohio resident, the best aspect was the local setting and details that went into the locations.

Thank you GH and NetGalley for the ARC. The build up was slow but at the same time it held my interest. The book was broken up into 24 hours. This was a great psychological thriller that I will be recommending to friends and family.

An intriguing premise and well drawn characterisation, I liked this book. I found that with a pinch of salt, the moustache-twirling antics of the narrator could be quite comedic, nice to see a thriller from the other perspective for once!

I received the ARC of this book, courtesy of the publisher via Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.

The story is narrated by Paul, a husband, father, and successful advertising campaign executive. Paul happily describes his life and his good fortune in the middle American city of Columbus, Ohio. As his story continues, something is off. Though difficult to pinpoint, increasingly the reader has a growing sense of uneasiness, that Paul may not be as he seems. As I read, I was drawn deeper into the story, the suspense increased and I was unable to put down the book until reaching its somewhat surprising conclusion. Recommended for those who love feeling creeped out.

Non-stop action and suspense in this riveting psychological thriller about a couple who seems to have it all. Paul and Mia Strom's perfect life is about to be shattering by a mind-bending event. Paul plans a country getaway for the two of them and no one could have predicted the shocking outcome. To say more would spoil the suspense. This is an amazing novel! Highly recommend

So what happens if your life isn’t everything you project it to be to everyone else? This narrator-based novel is an exploration of deception and betrayal in the search for perfection – the perfect career, the perfect marriage, the perfect family. When Peter Strom plans to take his beautiful wife Mia to their lake house for a romantic weekend, he’s planning for the best day ever.

As they trek out to the country and the lake, tension arises and the suspense quickly escalates as Peter and Mia still try to have the best day ever on their romantic getaway.

This suspense-filled, fast-moving tale will keep you turning the pages, trying to figure out who is doing what to whom. What makes a career, a relationship, a family perfect…or is the narrator’s dream impossible?

Best Day Ever is a great suspense thriller read. Put up your feet, enjoy the read, but keep the lights on!

I tried really hard to get into Best Day Ever. I kept opening it back up just hoping something would happen that would make me click with this book. Unfortunately we just didn't click.

I think it mostly had to do with the pace of this book because I couldn't figure out why I was one of the only ones just not fascinated by everything.

Slow.

That's all I kept thinking about is how slowwww everything was happening. I know it was supposed to be within a 24 hour period of everything happening but I just loved a fast-paced super thrilling exciting, what's going to happen next novel when I read thriller types. Especially domestic thriller's.

Overall though, I did think the narration was good. I thought the writing was good and the story line was eye-catching. I just couldn't get into it as much as I would have liked but I know so many of my other thriller readers really loved it.

I would defiantly give Kaira Rouda another read though!

This book about a sociopathic murdering husband slowly drew me into his sick life. Lots of mind games, and tense moments galore. Highly recommend if you want a “hold your breath” story.