A sinister, slow boil,, unputdownable page turner. Great for fans of Carolyn Kepnes' "You." Great characters, loved the back stories. Highly recommended.

Paul Strom appears to be a hard working man, who loves his wife and kids, and is trying hard to make his wife happy as he weaves the "best day ever," for her. His continued use of that phrase, "best day ever," is foreshadowing. With the best of intentions, "the best day ever," never quite works out the way we hope it will... and it doesn't take long until you may question everyone's intentions. What is really going on here... you will find out as the book shifts from the here and now to the past and back again, until you reach the unanticipated end.... a good story that keeps you guessing throughout.

Paul and Mia Strom are determined to have the Best Day Ever. Despite Paul’s lurid past, and even shadier current dealings. Despite Mia’s slowly failing health. Despite the dishonesty (on both their parts) that is like a loose thread, about to unravel them both if either of them picks at it.

A seemingly enviable upper-middle class family struggles with a madman at the helm, manipulating and controlling everyone and everything around him to meet his self-serving agenda.

How far has Paul gone in his pursuit of the perfect life, and can Mia face all this head-on?

Best Day Ever is in the vein of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl in its exploration of perfect-on-the-surface-marriage, and is creepy in a style similar to Caroline Kepnes You. The story is largely told from Paul’s perspective (until the Prologue), and he is not a likable guy. He’s entirely interesting, but a disgusting chauvinist pig. A certifiable narcissist. You know something bad is going to happen. But what? And to whom? And man, did I keep my fingers crossed for someone to toss this guy off a bridge.

The writing is impactful. The characters, particularly Paul, well fleshed out. I hadn’t meant to get so completely wrapped up in this book, but as soon as a few chapters in, I had to know what happens. I’m not entirely satisfied with the ending, but a perfect ending is rare. Everyone will have some feeling about what should have happened, and even if I didn’t get what I was after, the fact that Best Day Ever is well-written enough for me to have a feeling one way or another says everything about how good a story it is.

*Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing an advance reader copy (ARC).

This was the type of novel that you never have enough time to read. Once i started reading I wanted to continue reading and life got in the way. BEST DAY EVER has so many twists and turns that the reader will guess And reconsider numerous times before making the conclusion.

Told from the perspective of Paul- a man from Ohio who on the surface appears to be perfect and who is just trying to romance his wife Mia- readers will be charmed and repulsed by the same man.

This novel is realistic and fast paced. Each chapter is a different time of day which works to life the novel forward.

I am a reader of books in the physical form as well as on my kindle and phone. This novel's cover is super soft and vibrant. But the kindle format also loves you forward.

On a side note I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Ms Rouda at the BEA. Just as her novel is filled with misconceptions; to meet Kaira you would never think she could write a novel this dark and twisted. She radiates light from her looks to her glowing personality.

This novel will release in September. Thank you to: Kaira Rouda, GET RED PR, netgalley and the BEA for an early read. This novel will be the must read novel of fall of 2017 and will be one of the most heart pounding psychological thrillers.

Joe Goldberg, of the massively disturbing YOU, has some stiff competition for creepiest book protagonist of all time with the incarnation of Best Day Ever's main character, Paul Strom.

I went into this book cold, and I believe that is the way to go here. The less you know the better. Just know that the author delivers with getting into the mind of what I believe to be one of 2017's most sinister character's minds in fiction.

I devoured this book in less than two days, it will definitely keep you on your toes.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review goes live on the blog on Sept 15 at 00.00 am gmt+2 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Twisted and fun
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: The Columbus and Lakeside settings were nice. I enjoyed the idyllic Lakeside more.
Characters: Paul was a very interesting main character,though very unlikable. In the beginning he came off as smug, full of himself, cocky for sure – a manipulative and controlling narcissistic bastard. I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of him, but he did give me the creeps. As the story progressed, his psychopathic nature became clearer and clearer, and I had a sinking suspicion I knew what the “Best Day Ever” would be about.
Plot: The story was interesting, though it took a while to kick in, shall we say. The pace progressed, going from slow to super-fast, and the tension progressed from suspected to clear to physically manifested.
Writing: First person, present tense narrative, Paul’s POV except the Epilogue. His voice was strange yet interesting to follow, as his perspective on things was skewed to say the least. He started out as unreliable narrator but became more and more honest as the story evolved.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb – impulsive buy material for my psychological thriller moods.

I recommend Best Day Ever to fans of unreliable narrators, psychopaths as MCs, and twisted stories. It feels a bit slow in the beginning, because Kaira Rouda establishes something like a baseline for Paul, so the reader can pick up on the clues about his nature. But it’s an interesting and fun ride.

This was a "quick read" - I enjoyed the suspense. It goes behind the scenes of the perfect couple, but nothing is as it seems

I loved this book, I could not put it down. Just when I thought i had things figured out, plot twist! This book took me from feeling empathtic towards Paul to confused and then shocked. I think he even had me fooled! I loved every part of this book, I did think the ending lacked the fireworks it deserved...but perhaps this isn't the last we have seen of Paul!

Paul and his lovely wife, Mia are headed to their lake house for their best day ever. They have left their children in the hands of a young girl and are going to rekindle their marriage or are they? Paul loves his wife and has planned this weekend to show her how devoted he is or is it that Paul wants others to think he is the devoted husband and he really can't tolerate anyone who goes against his every desire. As the book progresses we begin to wonder if their relationship is all as it seems. Will this truly be their best day ever or is it the start of a nightmare they will never forget. Paul is the perfect unreliable narrator and you want to hate him but you will feel compelled to keep reading.
"Best book ever" My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I couldn't put this book down. It's title is well used, and I had it finished in a little over 24 hours. The narrator is so unreliable, I flipped back and forth between diagnosing him as a psychopath or a sociopath...is it possible to be both? I thought, several times, that I had this book figured out. I was wrong each time. Kaira Rouda writes the male narrator so well that I almost assumed she was a male author. It's hard, as a female, to write from the male perspective, but she did this so well. This book shows how two married people can live in the same house and lead completely separate lives. It's almost scary how well this book was written.

I read this book in less than 24 hours. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I don't want to say a lot because I am afraid to give away the plot. I will be recommending this book to everyone.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of Best Day Ever from Netgalley, a thriller told from the point of view of an unreliable narrator, one who only mentions what he wants you to know. Paul is taking his wife, Mia, for a weekend getaway at their lake cottage. They’ve hired a babysitter for their two young boys and just set off on the road trip when the story begins. At first it seems like a lovely gesture on Paul’s part. Mia hasn’t been feeling too well and he thinks she needs this time to recuperate.

If the story continues in this vain, it wouldn’t be a thriller, would it? So, that’s all I’m giving away. I want you to have the pleasure of reading this intense, revealing human drama like I did. The tension gradually increases throughout the pages until it explodes with terror. Don’t miss this one. Rouda is definitely an author to watch.

Wow! This was one scary story!! Paul is simply terrifying and the story is gripping, dark and disturbing and I absolutely loved it! Paul is a narcissist, probably a psychopath, has no conscience, needs power and control, lies constantly and has no shame! He and his wife, Mia, are out for what he planned as the "best day ever". But, best day for whom? And why? I will certainly be reading more of this author!

An entertaining thriller about a seemingly normal couple who are anything but. Paul and Mia Strom seem to be the perfect couple with two homes, two young sons and everything to look forward to. The novel starts with Paul and Mia going off for a romantic weekend to their summer home. As the pages turn, layers of Paul's personality and duplicity are revealed. I was glued to the screen, wondering if Mia would survive, and if so, how she would extricate herself from his clutches.
Well done!

Thank you, netgalley, for the e-review edition of this novel

Very suspenseful with various tiny revelations doled out throughout the story. You may figure out what is going on long before the end but that doesn't mean you won't continue to race through the pages to discover the final solution. Very reminiscent of Caroline Kepnes' YOU, and it wouldn't surprise me if a sequel were in the works.

Thanks to the publisher for the prettiest galley I've handled in a while - Best ARC Ever.

Be prepared to read this book in one sitting!
It's a comparatively short book, but perfectly so, packing a lot of tension into a thrillingly concise package.
I don't want to say too much about the book because I feel like it's all too easy to spoil something, and this is a book best enjoyed going in blind.
From the first few pages you may wonder if you want to stick with a narrator who is clearly a jerk, but I promise you it will be so worth it if you keep reading.

The Best Day Ever takes the reader into the world of a twisted man and a most unreliable narrator.
The story unfolds in twists and turns and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. It's hard to read
a domestic suspense thriller story when one of the characters is so blind to the sociopath right in front of them. The ending was satisfying and a bit predictable but I enjoyed it just the same. The setting and area in Ohio was a bonus as it is one that I am familiar with. Highly recommend
for those who enjoy well written suspense.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book had me flipping pages and yelling at the narrator. I knew what was happening and I hated Paul and his narcissistic attitude, but I couldn't stop reading. I was in, hook, line and sinker until the end. The surprises in the book out weighed the stuff I was easily able to figure out. It was suspenseful, thrillerly, a tad bit scary and overall a good read. It read fast and kept me on the edge! Well done Ms. Rouda.

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!