So many twists and turns! In the story, "The Dream House" we get a present day narrative from Stella and a narrative from Kay (about 40 years prior) in the past. Besides the obvious common element (Westhill House), it was hard to figure out how the two women's stories would intertwine. There were some predictable scenarios along the way but still enough surprises to keep me interested and guessing. I would recommend "The Dream House" if you're looking for a good, twisty thriller.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was pretty good.

The premise is an interesting concept, old defunct refuge house for battered women bought and being renovated. When a woman does turn up seeking shelter she is met with both enthusiasm (Stella) and weariness (Jack) in equal measures. 

I enjoyed the alternating timelines, how they built the story and eventually connected. There are some twists and red herrings. Some things were easy to figure out but not all, at least for me.  It was pretty clever and a bit unbelievable but certainly entertaining! 

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture for a copy in exchange for a review.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the advance copy of this book which is the first I have read by this author.
This is a good psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns that kept you guessing until the end. There are two stories, Stella and Kay and it takes time to figure out how they are connected. Some things are predictable but there are certainly surprises along the way, although some are predictable.  
Definitely worth a read, would be a good holiday  book.

Stella grew up surrounded by the children her parents fostered. When her parents dies in a tragic accident & she inherits a sizable amount of money e tries to live her life the way her parents would have wanted.

When she sees the huge old house by thesea she believes this will be the perfect family home & in spite of extensive modernisation required & the misgivings of Jack, her partner who will have to commute back to London for work, she buys it.

One night  there is a knock at the door & a woman who has been badly beaten asks if this is the women's refuge. She is clearly terrified so Stella takes her in & allows her to staythe night in spite of Jack's protests & misgiving. He is insistant that Lori, their 'guest' leaves as soon as possible. Lori believes her husband will find her & this makes Stella determined to help her.

For the first half of this book I wasconstantly struggling to believein Stella- could she really be thispig headed? However as the story went on, things changed. Who was the other person narrating the story & how did it connect up? I soon couldn't put it down until I found out!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

An enjoyable enough read, but I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief enough for this one. Stella just kept doing things that made no sense at all, and the constant referring to the big secret from her past started to do my head in after a while. The big climax was also a bit of an odd one - didn't see it coming, but also didn't find it that thrilling. Sadly, not the book for me.

The Dream House – Jess Ryder

This is the fourth novel by Ms Ryder and I personally am expecting big things from her, she’s definitely one to look out for, improving with every new novel.  My mistake with this one was starting it at the wrong time, I had a day where I just had to adult there was no escape from it but as soon as I was home I kicked my shoes off, switched off my phone and got stuck in, it certainly had me gripped.  Initially I was confused by the title change from The Guest to The Dream House but having devoured the novel the newer title suits it much better.

We have two plotlines in this novel, the main one involving Stella and Jack with their crumbling derelict ‘Dream House’; the other is regarding Kay and her violent husband ‘Foxy’.  Oh and I mustn’t forget the secretive battered wife Lori who having left her husband throws herself on the mercy of Stella.  It was almost as if Stella felt that she had an obligation to take her in because of her parents past, they were foster parents during her childhood, cue resentment and parental issues.  

It appears as if the Westhill House with its starring role has a history all of its own which is unknown to Stella and Jack but it seems as if the house is uneasy carrying the weight of its own secrets.  Purchased using an inheritance from her parents has left her unable to afford a reputable builder so does something you’d do if you were looking for a second hand washing machine; she looks in a shop window.  Needless to say she got what she paid for, a cowboy builder.

Manipulation seemed to be the order of the day for most of the characters Lori though was in a league of her own, she was also armed with lots of intimate details about the house slowly drip feeding them, spooking Stella and making her afraid in her own home.  Not to mention the bad feeling and problems she caused Stella between the couple by continuing to stay there.  Domestic Violence is also discussed within these pages and in the way its been written about it is obvious that the author has taken the time to research the topic.  I feel that it has been written with honesty and truthfulness without the use gratuitous violence that pleases me immensely.  

The characters flaws are there to see as if there was a torch shining on them but they all seem oblivious to them in themselves and each other.  Stella is needy and a complete pushover, Jack was like a sullen teenager full of moans about Lori, Lori was secretive and sly.  In effect none of them were that likeable which was quite sad really I usually always connect with at least one character but then I didn’t think we were meant to like them.

This is definitely worth a read, I would happily and have recommended it to all my reader family and friends.


Read for an honest review.  Thank you to Jess Ryder, Netgalley and Bookouture Publishers.

The Dream House written by Jess Ryder was published by the lovely people at Bookouture on 06/21/19.  I was granted a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

When Stella sees Westhill House, a former refuge for battered women, she jumps at the chance to purchase it and make her dreams work...even though her boyfriend is less than thrilled about moving from London.

Then one night Lori shows up at the house beaten and bloody.  Stella immediately lets her in and listens to the story about her abusive husband.

Life will never be the same once she starts to uncover the house's secrets.  Lori seems to know more than she lets on about the house.  What is going to happen to Stella if she goes down this rabbit hole?

This story was so gripping.  I had a really hard time putting this book down, and ended up finishing it in about 2 days.  It would have been a 5 star read for me, but the abuse parts were hard to get through.  As an abuse survivor I know I'm more sensitive to this than others, but I found myself wincing several times.  One of my criteria for giving 5 stars is being able to recommend it to as many people as possible.  I instantly knew given the abuse scenarios present that this would not be possible.

Still, this was a great book.  If you can get past the abuse details, it really is worth a read.  The ending will blow you away.

One of the best books I've read by this author.  I really enjoyed it, especially the twists.
Recommended.

Stella’s parents were killed in a hit and run car accident and she uses their inheritance to buy Westhill House with her partner Jack. She has fallen in love with this house by the sea but it is need of renovation.  One night a young woman Lori turns up on their doorstep, she is battered and bruised. She tells them that she has escaped from her husband and that their house used to be a refuge for abused women.  Stella decides to let her stay against Jack’s wishes.  Stella’s parents were foster careers and so she feels that she should help Lori as much as she can.  She starts lying to Jack as Lori outstays her welcome.  We then realise that Stella has been hiding a secret from her past that fills her with guilt. There is also a second story being told from forty years ago about Kay, a single Mum who marries a man who starts to abuse her and she manages to flee to the women's refuge.  When the two stories start to collide, the tension builds and so do all the twists and turns.  A highly enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Excellent read. Hard to put the book down. Right from the start you were sucked in and new this was going to be a good one. The storyline was wicked. Not quite knowing where it was going next. There was lots of twists and turns in the road.

Great psychological thriller!  Lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. The dual narrative of Stella and Kay was well done and kept me trying to figure out how the two stories were connected. While some elements were predictable,  there were surprises to keep me on my toes. Well done and worth a read!

Compulsive reading, this is an addictive suspenseful psychological thriller like no other.

The plot is unpredictable with lots of twists and turns along with solid engaging characters.
There is also a sense of dread as the story deals with the deep and dark corners of the human psych.

I very much enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone!

Stella has used her inheritance money to buy a rundown house on the coast, with dreams of restoring it and making it her and Jack’s forever home. But with a knock on the door during the night, everything changes.
This is the first book I’ve read of this author and interestingly, I thought I had  it all worked out by 1/3 of the way in....how wrong I was!

The chapters cover two time lines Stella (now) and Kay (then). Kay’s story had a theme of domestic violence and I found it quite hard to read. Partly because I wasn’t in the mood to read a heavy theme like that but also I think I realised that it was in the days where this type of behaviour was swept under the carpet.....it was accepted as long as it was behind closed doors. 
These chapters were not confusing and very early on there was knowledge that the link is Stella’s home, Westhill House. As the story unfolded I found myself questioning my assumptions more and more.
I’m glad it kept me on my toes and it turned out to be a fast read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

An engaging psychological thriller. 
This book was full of twists and turns. It was impossible  to predict what was going to happen 
I loved this book.

I have added a few different books from this author to my reading pile, but this is the first one I actually read.  The plot lines really drew me in and the writing truly kept me engaged.  I enjoyed the way the story unfolded with hints of the past dropped in between most of the present day chapters.  However, the narrator was kind of annoying to me at times.  Mostly how naïve she was while trying to help this perfect stranger.  I don't know if it was really that unbelievable, but I certainly found it frustrating.  This definitely made me feel less invested in how things turn out for her.   However, I did truly start to care about the well being of Kay from the past as well as Lori, the guest, in the present.  I enjoyed some of the twists in their story and overall quite enjoyed this book that I was a little unsure of in the beginning.  I would definitely pick up another book by this author though, very well written.

Beginning with a prologue where a girl escapes to an isolated place to give birth, the story switches back and forth between the present-day/first-person perspective of Stella - and the past/third-person limited perspective of Kay. 

A year ago Stella’s parents were killed in a hit and run, and still grieving, Stella has bought a huge neglected house with the inheritance her parents have left her.  As foster carers, her parents worked tirelessly to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds, but it is clear Stella is hiding a secret from her past that has left her dredged in guilt. When a stranger (Lori) turns up on the doorstep covered in bruises and claiming to be a victim of domestic abuse, Stella sees this as an opportunity to redeem herself from whatever it is she has done, but with Stella’s boyfriend, Jack, believing Lori has a hidden agenda, Stella soon starts telling white lies to keep Lori hidden from him. True to the psychological thriller genre, these small lies soon escalate and before we know it there is a whole cast of unreliable characters. Jack might not trust Lori, but Lori doesn’t trust him either, and with Stella’s first-person narrative putting the reader right in her shoes, it is difficult to know exactly who she can trust. And then there’s the builder: a great bloke, salt of the earth, so why does he go missing as soon as the police start sniffing around?

The past timeline tells the story of Kay who got pregnant when she was fifteen. At first I thought this related to the prologue but we soon learn that fifteen-year-old Kay has supportive parents (well sort of) so it can’t be. Kay goes on to marry an abusive ‘man’ who everybody thinks is wonderful, unaware of what goes on behind closed doors. This part of the story deals with some dark and gritty issues and with such a slow build up, where Kay’s husband goes from being somebody who is over-attentive to somebody who is controlling and violent, this makes you consider relationships in the present timeline. Is Jack’s behaviour because he is genuinely concerned for Stella or because he is controlling? It also links to the present timeline theme of things not being as they appear to the outside world.

Ping-ponging between past and present, The Dream House made for one hell of a read. I’m usually pretty good at second guessing what happens but this was full of surprisingly clever plot twists. For most of the story, Lori’s identity is kept secret but once it is revealed, everything (including the prologue) all makes sense. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it for anybody who likes Lisa Jewell, Louise Jensen, or Jo Ullah.

The Dream House my second Jess Ryder book and I found it to be a good read. Its fast-paced and has some good twists. While I wasn't blown away as expected, the characters are what kept me hooked to this one.

 When Stella first set eyes on Westhill House with its breath-taking views of the sea she feels a connection with the building. She convinces her partner Jack to move into Westhill House with her. But soon the never-ending renovations and constant take-outs take their toll on the relationship and Jack starts spending more time at work. But when Lori shows up at Westhill house in the dead of the night everything changes. Stella cannot turn away Lori who is desperately in need of some shelter. While helping Stella renovate the house, in exchange for her boarding Lori discovers children’s drawings under the wallpaper in the back bedroom, hidden papers underneath the floorboards in the turret room. Soon Stella realizes Lori knows more than she is letting on. But will she ever discover Lori's secret and her connection to Westhill House?

Although I said that the characters are what kept me going in this book, does not mean I like them. In fact, I found Stella to be highly frustrating, immature and naive, bordering on stupid. But that's just my point of view. I really feel for Jack. Stella seems to carry this chip on her shoulder and there's this huge mystery on why she feels so guilty for her parent's death, but in the end, the reason why doesn't make sense to me. The rest of the characters, however, are portrayed well. The story is told from two POV's Stella's and Kay's. I enjoyed the Kay storyline better -there was more happening and more juice in that storyline.
I liked The Ex-Wife by Jess Ryder so maybe I went in expecting too much. But don't let that put you off. This book might just work for you. It has a good number of twists and the last few chapters are really great.

Thank You, NetGalley, Bookouture and Jess Ryder for an arc!

Ryder does a wonderful job in this domestic thriller about Stella, who finds her dream house and is fixing it up only to have her whole life unravel in the process.
 
The story is told from Stella's point of view (in the present), and Kay's (in the past). The house that Stella buys was once a woman's refuge and it's history becomes a part of the story, almost like it is another character.
 
When Lori appears on her doorstep one night, an obviously abused woman who believes the house is still a refuge, Stella takes her in, wanting to do the right thing. But we soon learn that something is not quite right as the story of the house past and present unfold in a chilling way.
 
This was a real page-turner and I was anxious to find out Stella's, Lori's, and Kay's stories. There are secrets and lies, great twists, and anxious moments in this well written psychological thriller.
 
One of the major themes of the book is domestic violence and Ryder is very respectful and does a great job in her portrayal. She even explains at the end how she was careful not to put in anything gratuitous and even includes references for women needing support themselves.
 
 
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.

Jess Ryder’s new novel is aptly called, ‘The Dream House’, and I say that because I felt like I was in a dream when I was reading it!

Stella has, in her eyes, found her dream house. The house where she envisions growing old in with a husband and children. However, Stella’s boyfriend isn’t as taken with the house as she is, and when a random person turns up on their doorstop late at night covered in blood, Jack seems to dislike the house even more.

Stella is a very trusting person – would you honestly let a stranger into your home late at night, seeing them beaten and bloodied and not call the police? I could see where Jack was coming from there. Just because Stella had been brought up by parents who took in people who needed help, it didn’t mean that Stella do the exact same. And anyway, fostering children and taking a bloodied woman into your home late at night are two completely different things.

I thought the storyline contained well incorporated suspense, and I felt that the intrigue behind the characters lifestyles were very well thought out. I will say that I wasn’t too taken with the story in it’s entirety though, as I felt that things were verging on unbelievable at times. I loved Stella’s warm personality, but i found that her naivety riled me up more often than not.

‘The Dream House’ is a very interesting and dark read, especially if you like books which extend the boundaries a lot. One thing is for certain though, Jess Ryder certainly knows how to make her readers think!!

Jess Ryder is an attractive new author for me in my favoured genre. 
Enjoyed the dual storyline and found the characters truly believable. Domestic violence is a powerful subject and I think it was portrayed sympathetically. 
However I wasn't overly keen to keep reading as I felt it just lacked that edge of the seat feeling and I did struggle to finish. 
I will keep an open mind and try another of Jess's books though as it certainly shows promise.