When a male character describes his relationship as traditional and there's no problem with that, I stop reading and move on.

I'm a complete sucker for psychological thrillers and found myself getting really invested with these characters. I was so curious as to where the author was going to lead us and the type of turn this trip was going to take our characters. I find settings like these where the main characters are in a remote environment, like a lake, have such an eerie and ominous tone to them. Best Day Ever completely met all my expectations!

BEST DAY EVER BY KAIRA ROUDA BOOK REVIEW
I love impending doom in a thriller. I mean, that’s the whole point, right? You know that “all is not what it seems”, but you dive in any way. Best Day Ever is full of the feeling that something dark & awful is right around the corner.

First off, I don’t trust a guy with ultra-romantic intentions. I watch too much 48 Hours & listened to the Dirty John Podcast. Call me a cynic, but I’m speaking my truth!

PAUL STROM
We meet Paul & he’s got this romantic, perfect, wonderful holiday planned for his wife & I’m not buying it. I knew he was trouble, but my Lord – Paul Strom is a villain.

Kaira tells the story through Paul, so we really get to know him. Smooth, successful, cunning & harboring the worst of secrets. Slowly, Kaira builds the mounting tension between Paul & his wife, Mia & I am here for it. I love trying to figure out a character’s next steps & being SO wrong.

THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! If you’re looking for a thriller that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, then look no further. This ending was intense & I’m looking forward to Kara’s next book! Read the Acknowledgements too! Kara writes more about Paul. I’m telling you, this guy is a very memorable character. Also, the cover of Best Day Ever is stunning!

What thrillers are you Really Into?

Special thanks to Kaira Rouda, Harlequin/Graydon House Books & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Nice and creepy and suspenseful with good pacing and plot!

If you liked Caroline Kepnes' "You" then odds are you'll enjoy Best Day Ever. I wasn't sure where the story was going, and that kept me reading.

This book is strange in that the entire novel is the reveal, as almost all the events and discoveries happened before the start. This is not my preference, because I felt left out and bored. Add one very unlikable narrator (with nothing to make you fond of him like Joe of You) and it was an unpleasant, albeit quick, read.

I wasn't sure how I would feel about this one but it was great.. The main male character, Paul, was just so creepy and so unaware of it! Horror and suspense!

Paul Storm is an a**hole. Literally. This man is going to get under your skin before you even finish the first chapter.

Best Day Ever follows Paul and his wife, as he takes her on a romantic getaway. Little things keep happening throughout the trip to make Paul's faith in it being the best day waver, but he doesn't once deviate from the overall plan.

A carefully crafted story that has you wanting to read into the late hours of the night. Twists and turns that you won't see coming and the life of a man unraveling one thread at a time.

his is dark thriller that takes place over the course of twenty-four hours.

Paul and Mia seem to have the perfect marriage and all the goodies that come with society's perception of perfect. The big homes, well paying job, money, children, etc but inside all of that beauty lies darkness.

Paul is an unreliable narrator and a narcissist (I would also suspect he is also a sociopath). Paul is arrogant, a liar, a womanizer and puts on an Alpha male mentality. He plans the "best day" ever for him and his wife but as the day unravels hour by hour and Mia takes a stand for herself (which narc's hate!) he starts to lose his "power" and "control". His best day ever is falling apart and when a narc loses control and can no longer dominate he starts to fall apart. This is Paul's unraveling.

This is an excellent physiological thriller but dear reader it takes some time to really get into the grit of things. I had to read quite a ways in before I found myself invested in the characters but once I got involved, I was difficult to put down. I encourage you to push through and get to the good stuff.

Rounda captures the personality of someone who has to be in control perfectly. The arrogance and dominating personality fly off the pages, as does the manipulation and charisma. You will be drawn into Paul and Mia's world and left wondering, "Who the hell does this guy think he is?" He is an unlikable character yet intriguing.

This story stays with you longer after you've put it away. If you have ever been a victim of emotional abuse from a partner you will find yourself nodding along and maybe even shedding a few tears.
I had to put the book down a few times to collect myself emotionally before continuing on, that is how strong of a writer, Rouda is. She makes you feel strong emotions. I will be picking up more of her books along the way.

This is one thrill you will want to read or make part of you book club to discuss.

Most people should understand by now that the more disturbed a character is in a novel, the more I am drawn to the book. I like the twisted and mentally unstable. I like dark and disturbing. I like seeing how a person with those characteristics interacts with "normal" people. Novels with these types of characters are among my very favorite types to read. Best Day Ever definitely fits on all counts.

Even if you were to start the story completely blind, without having read even the synopsis of the novel, it does not take long to realize that Paul and Mia's relationship is not quite what it might appear to be to outsiders. There is a tension that exists between the two as they set off on their perfect weekend getaway that you can feel right from the very beginning. Yet, the clues build slowly, so slowly at first that you question whether you are interpreting them correctly and projecting tension between the two where none exists. For once, you are not questioning the narrator's reliability but your own ability to read and understand what you are reading.

It would be easy to describe Best Day Ever as another twisty shocker with an unreliable narrator, except that is not correct. Paul never hides who he is or what his agenda is for this best day ever. He is the antithesis of unreliable. If anything, he shares too much, and we learn just what type of person he is, but this only provides a fascinating viewpoint from which to observe the story.

As one can imagine, Paul and Mia's Best Day Ever is not what it seems to be. Finding out the reasons for this and how they got to this point what makes the story so much fun. There are no twists meant to shock but rather a methodical unveiling of the truth that is entertaining in the same manner as disaster movies. Sometimes, there is nothing better than a good psychological thriller to while away the afternoon. Best Day Ever is a great choice for doing just that.

"Best Day Ever" made my day a best day ever. This book was an absolutely perfect suspenseful read. The entire story took place in one day.. I was hooked from page one and proceeded to love the read all the way to the riveting conclusion. I highly recommend it.

This is an amazing book! So excited to read more by this author!! A definite must read and a suggestion to all of your friends!!

3.5 stars
Very intriguing twisty book. The epitome of an unreliable narrator, yet you don't exactly know *how* or *why* he is unreliable until things are revealed. Just reading the back cover summary, you don't get much of a clue as to why this is a psychological suspense novel, but as you continue to read, the author creates a sense of foreboding--what exactly is going on here? What is the true story? Who is good and who is bad, or is everyone good/bad?
Rouda creates a spiraling atmosphere which continues to get more and more chaotic as the web tangles/entangles/unravels around the characters.

Paul Strom is planning the "Best Day Ever" for his wife, Mia. They are leaving their young sons with a trusted babysitter and heading to their lake house on Lake Erie. Paul Strom appears to have it all. An incredibly successful career, a stunning wife who is devoted to both him and their children, a home that is the envy of all their friends. Mia has been sick lately for reasons unknown to the doctors and Paul thinks that a "Best Day Ever" with Mia will be just what the doctors order. Or will it be the day that destroys everything?

Best Day Ever is a book to devour in one sitting. The book is told entirely from Paul's perspective. He is very much the kind of guy that wants everybody to see the grandness of his life. The gorgeous wife, perfect job, the perfect life. As a narrator, his tone of voice is very much "look at my life." I have been alive long enough to know that things are not always what they seem. He makes comments that cause my radar to go off, but I am not convinced of anything yet. -CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS -

There isn't a lot that I can say that won't give away some key parts of the book, but I can say that the ending was pretty kick-ass. Hearing exclusively from Paul's point of view really causes the reader to evaluate the information he gives you. You need to decide if he is telling you the whole story and if he is, what are the parts you should be paying special attention to?

Bottom Line - Best Day Ever was a roller coaster of a read. It was very fast paced and the end was upon you before you knew it. But, wow, what an ending!

Details:
Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda
On Facebook
Pages: 352
Publisher: Graydon House Books
Publication Date: 9/19/2017
Buy it Here!!

Best Day Ever
by Kaira Rouda
I received this book free of charge for the purpose of providing an honest review. I was so excited about the book once I started it that zipped through it quickly. I loved to hear the psychotic husband ramble on and on so full of himself. Sadly the nut has a lot of characteristics of men (or women) you might know in real life. I always find it interesting how people manipulate others and twist reality to suit their own needs.

I lived the suspense and build up. There were a few twists which I throughly enjoyed. Good guilty pleasure read.

Best Day Ever is gripping from cover to cover. If you've been looking for the next truly hit psychological thriller, this is it. Best Day Ever features very well-developed characters in a husband and wife who appear to be the perfect couple. Paul is treating Mia to a weekend at their lakehouse for the "best day ever." Paul's perspective enlightens us to his true personality as we see how creepy and unnerving he can be. One thing is for sure: you will remain on the edge of your seat as you wait to see what Paul has in store. I cannot recommend Best Day Ever enough. Be sure to check this one out today!

Paul Strom is the perfect husband with the perfect life. He has a beautiful wife, two healthy boys, a dream career as an advertising executive, a big home and a vacation cottage. He brings home the money, he protects his family, he provides for them. Paul even planned a romantic getaway vacation to their Lakeside Cottage so he and his wife, who has recently been in poor health, can have the best day ever.

Paul has everything planned.

This book was a fast pace thrilling ride. Being in Paul’s head was hard, pulling me out of my comfort zone, made me cringe, but kept me on the edge of my seat.

Paul is a big narcissist who loves being in control and things always have to go his way.

This book was a fast pace thrilling ride. Being in Paul’s head was hard, pulling me out of my comfort zone, made me cringe, but kept me on the edge of my seat.

Paul is a big narcissist who loves being in control and things always have to go his way. As long as Paul stayed in control it was almost scary the way his thought process worked and how calmly he handled the entire day and what he had planned. To me it felt like the most chilling part of the book.

When Paul and his wife Mia hit the road, the tension starts to rise. I couldn’t seem to put this book down, the voice in the story kept me glued to the pages and devouring the book. It was fast paced, it was creepy, it was disturbing, but at the same time I needed to know how all of this was going to unfold.

It almost makes you feel a little dirty at times.

I do wish that things in the end wrapped up differently. I wasn’t a complete fan of the ending because of the way things played out. I thought Paul deserved a lot more than what he got, especially after everything that he did.

I had also wished we kind of got alternative chapter between Mia and Paul to give us some sort of a break from being inside of his head, but it wasn’t terribly needed. I think part of what made this book so interesting and uncomfortable was the fact that we got to witness how Paul’s thought process worked, the calmness until he wasn’t in control anymore, the calculative moves and motives, the ease he did everything with and holding no repercussions for his actions.

It was a page turner, and a plot well done. If you enjoy domestic thrillers, I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A tense thriller that will give you an unlikeable narrator with no redeeming qualities what so ever.

BEST DAY EVER has is one of those books that pulled me in with the unrepentant and despicable actions of the narrator. For a brief period of time, I thought that maybe there would be a twist within Paul’s character, but…nope…he is just a creepy and horrible human being. I can say this without spoiling any of the story for you because after the first several chapters, you will want to smack Paul just as I did.

The part of the book that I really enjoyed was the slow unveiling of just how disturbed Paul actually was. I feel that even though there were moments I wanted more backstory or more of a twist in a particular situation, the author did a good job of being true to her characters. It is these characters’ thoughts and interactions, mainly Paul and Mia, which drive the tension and the suspense within the book. This is not a high action thriller or a twist around every corner suspense. It is a slow trickle of angst and devilish actions that oozes from words within this book. I liked it and was a nice departure from some of the other stories that I have been reading.

And I don’t know…but I have a feeling that Paul may show up again in another book. I am not saying that I know this for sure, but you never know with #CreepyPaul.

I flew through this page turner. While it was clear from the beginning that Mia's husband Paul was up to know good and the suspense wasn't really physical, there was good mental suspense as the reader tries to puzzle out what is going to happen on this "best day ever." Lots of good character study here.

I can think of a lot of people who would really enjoy this book but it just wasn't the book for me or it wasn't the right time for me to read it.