I loved The Safe Place by Anna Downes!
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and it did not disappoint!

The story centers on Emily, a failed actress, who is struggling to meet ends meet, and has just been given the amazing opportunity of a housekeeper/nanny at a beautiful and remote French estate.

Anna Downes did an amazing job of grabbing my attention in the beginning and maintaining tension and unease through out. This was a book that while reading, I wasn’t always sure what was going on or what was going to happen next, but I was loving my time spent with this book. I received this on a Monday and every day I would just be counting down my work time until I could pick up the book again.

This was a fun thriller and will make a perfect summer read or a perfect read for someone looking for an escape.

Please do yourself a favor and pick up this awesome book! Available on July 14, 2020.

Huge thanks to Anna Downes and MacMillan / Minotaur Books, for allowing me the opportunity to read and share my thoughts on this one. I have to say, it wasn’t one of my most favorite reads, however it was a wonderful escape from reality and the day to day topics that we are inundated with during our current state of affairs.

Emily is in need of a change, a job, someone who “gets” her. While I can’t fully understand anyone simply moving away to an isolated area, to live with people they do not know, folks that is what we call a “story”. It doesn’t have to be plausible. It doesn’t have to be something YOU would never find yourself doing. You read a book, or at least I do, in order to escape. Heck, if you find yourself saying things like “unbelievable” or “I wouldn’t ever”, then maybe you should think about writing your own book or only read non-fiction. Point being, while we read along, following Scott and Emily and Nina down this dark road, shaking our heads, sighing out loud, this story kept me reading and it took me away. Qualifies as a decent read to me.

Would I recommend it, most likely not as it really had no meat to it. I felt like I was simply being told a story by a long winded friend, and didn’t want to interrupt as I just knew the end was near or that perhaps he would finally get to the point. That is what happened with this book. I continued reading, hopeful that at least the little girl in the story would be a vampire or the basement of the family home would hold dead bodies and maybe be a torture chamber, but overall it was fast paced, ended well and I didn’t bail mid-way thru.

Wow, what a perfect book for summer! Emily’s life is falling apart quickly and not what she expected for herself when her old boss offers her a job at his French home. It seems like the perfect solution to her current troubles.

Sit back and enjoy the ride.

4.5 stars

Minotaur is one of my favorite publishers, and The Safe Place, with its alluring blue cover and interesting summary, caught my attention immediately. There's something inherently ominous about a thriller with the word "safe" in the title, isn't there?

Emily is struggling: with her job, her goals, with her life in general. Adopted at a young age, she feels like an outsider in her family and has no clear grasp on what her place in the world is going to be. She's broke, she's fired from her temp job, her acting agent drops her from her client list, and she has two weeks to vacate her apartment. With no other options, it seems too good to be true when her old boss reaches out with an amazing opportunity. If Emily is willing, she can take a new job within the company, move to a remote mansion in France to be a jack-of-all-trades with his wife, Nina, and daughter Aurelia. Things are idyllic, until they're not. Emily beings to suspect that there's something off about this family, and she's determined to find out what it is--no matter the consequence.

I have to say, going into this, I had no idea where this would end up, and, like Emily's time at Querencia, the twists were subtle, until they weren't. When we first meet her boss, Scott seems like he's going to be a Christian Gray figure. Charismatic, charming, dangerously handsome, and with a secret desire for pain, when I first read his offer (complete with NDA), I thought, oh, yeah. Definitely a weird sex dungeon in France. To save from revealing any spoilers, I'll just say that I was pleasantly surprised at how his character arc played out, even if it was miles from where I expected it to go.

Emily, too, is not your typical suspense MC. She's in a strange situation, she has no purpose or goals, and she has no clear idea of what she wants for herself. She's ambivalent about being a caregiver for Aurelia, but eventually comes to adore the child. She's not pitted against Nina, but instead enjoys her company and develops a sort of friendship with her that fills a hole in her heart from her own traumatic childhood. With this, the series of events is quiet and jarring. We never really know what's happening at Querencia until the final section of the book.

In a good way, though. There's no shortage of oddities and implied danger. Right off the bat, Nina makes the main house a no-go zone. You know it's only a matter of time until Emily's going to break that rule, but what happens when she does is the real intrigue.

While this might not be a heart-in-you-throat suspense, it is certainly a slow-burn with a satisfying conclusion, and I appreciated Anna Downes' handling of the character arcs and conflicts. If you like your suspense novels with exposition and buildup, characters with off-putting energy or questionable morals, this is the book for you. Overall, The Safe Place will leave you feeling anything but safe.

The Safe Place by Anna Downes is her debut novel! I was fortunate enough to receive a advanced copy from Netgalley.
Emily is a young, 20 something girl who’s down on her luck. A wanna be actress, who can’t get a break and has now recently lost her job at a temp agency. Her roommate kicked her out because she can’t make the rent, has no money to her name, and the last people she can turn to are her own parents.
Emily’s former boss offers her a job working at his family home in France where his wife and daughter live. Here she would be doing all kinds of odd jobs. What could be better than a job in paradise? She quickly accepts the job and is whisked away to their very secluded home.
Emily quickly learns that Nina and her daughter are not picture perfect. Odd things start happening and Emily just can’t piece together exactly what is going on here. Why isn’t she allowed in the main house? Nina says her daughter has some serious medical problems, but does she? Why isn’t there any WiFi or cell phone reception for miles?
Overall, this was an exciting book that certainly kept me guessing. I did, however, think the writing was a little choppy. It often switched from past to present and also between character points of view without much warning. It would often take me a few sentences or even a paragraph to figure out what was happening.
This book releases on July 14!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I struggled to finish this book. It seemed to drag on with nothing really happening. The. Story was boring too. It just fell flat for me.

The Safe Place by Anna Downes was a fun page turner that had the added bonus of being set in the south of France. Emily is a young girl whose life is falling apart, she lost her job and she can´t get any acting roles. Just at the right moment, her old boss of hers gives her the opportunity to be a housekeeper at his house in the south of France. This is a fun, fast read.

Wow ! I could not put this down I just had to know what was going to happen next ! Scott and Nina were hiding something and their daughter ? Something was off the entire time but when the truth was finally revealed I was shocked. a tiny detail in the beginning of the novel would tie this entire book together. Moments throughout I was confused but once I saw the entire picture it all made sense. Honestly one of the best books I’ve read in a long time !

Interesting

This didn't have quite as many twists as I expected, but it was a solid read. I thought it started a little slow and with lots of cliches, but I quickly warmed up to it and read it in two sittings. There were some big holes (why did they stay in France?), but I found it enjoyable and am still thinking about it a few days after finishing.

It was gripping, entertaining, weird, predictable but great choice to spend your time without thinking apocalyptic and horrifying news and getting rid of your daily paranoia by focusing on something crazier.
The story’s told by Emily, her boss Scott and his boss’ dear wife Nina.

Let’s talk about Emily, in mid-twenties, gullible, naïve, talkative, confused, friendly, suffering from her wrong life choices, having problematic relationship with her parents (finally when she decides to call her mother to get a loan she finds out that was her mother’s birthday and her mother dearest normally expected her to call to congratulate her after a long time! Yes Emily, you suck!)

Now she’s sacked from receptionist job and lost her acting agent, her rent check is bounced and she has no income, is so close to get evicted and suffering from starvation. But she has no idea, somebody orchestrated everything about her financial failure and watches her every move like a hunter coming out for his prey. We’re talking about wealthy charismatic CEO Scott, Emily’s ex-boss who decided her termination, coincidentally saved her from crushed by a boss when he was passing by the very same street she walked. He acts like he has no idea about her termination and he wants to compensate his fault by offering her a new job: she’s going to be housekeeper (landscaper, lawnmower, nanny, painter, cook etc.) of his mansion in France. Emily hesitates at first but later she decides she has nothing to lose so she takes the deal.

Scott acts like he’s working on crazy scheme which made me think he may be a cult leader and he sent Emily to be sacrificed at his mansion (It could be more interesting plot but unfortunately the conclusion of the story was easy to predict!)

We get snippets from Scott and Nina’s marriage, having children and we understand that Nina suffers from mental illness and she is over protective mother.

When Emily takes her first step to the grandiose but also eerie mansion, she meets with perfect and ghostly wife Nina, building a friendship with her even though she is a little jealous because she might have a crush of her boss. But she gets a little startled after meeting Aurelia, shy, introvert little girl, suffering from skin disease, keeping her silence all the time, showing awkward reactions when Emily accidentally touches her. Something seems fishy and suspicious about the girl’s condition but Emily didn’t want to dig around more because she adapts in her new life and she gets used to the antics of mother and daughter.

But when Scott decides to visit trio, Emily’s suspicions grow faster and when she visits Nina’s part of the house even though she’s forbidden to go there, the things she finds out confuses the hell of her. And let’s not forget her attraction to her boss makes things more complicated.

Overall: It’s foreseeable but fast, enjoyable reading with weird relationship dynamics between characters. So I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to 4! Without expecting too much, questioning the characters’ motives deeply, you may entertain your time with its moving and fast pacing.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press for sharing this intriguing ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

Excellent debut novel. Great pacing and world-building—atmospheric. One of my friends would say that her goal wasn't to write the "Great American Novel", it was to write the "Great American Beach Read". I feel like novels like this do their job perfectly, they entertain us and hold our attention with solid writing and well-developed characters. A solid selection for anyone looking for escape and entertainment, without having to sacrifice quality.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I was captivated by the story and I had a hard time putting it down. It was very atmospheric and I literally lost track of time reading it. The characters were well developed and they kept me engaged. I am thrilled that I got a chance to read the advanced copy through NetGalley.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my ARC in exchange for my review. I had this on my "to read" list for a little while so naturally I was very excited that I was offered an ARC. The cover is what initially caught my eye and interested me. Boy, Anna Downes did not disappoint!

Emily is a vulnerable girl who has trouble supporting herself and figuring out her life. She is offered what seems to be, the ideal dream job from the CEO of her temp job. Of course, she takes it and while it's everything she could have imagined, things suddenly take a turn. You never really know someone, do you? Life away in a different country, living in a complete dream home all while having everything you need without having to set foot off of the property. As they say, if it seems too good to be true... it must be.

If you're looking for a book you don't want to put down and one that you will get lost in, pick this one! My only complaint is that I felt the ending could have taken a different path. Overall, still a great read!

Loved this book! Fast paced and enjoyable characters. This read had me hooked from the start. The Safe Place is the perfect escape from what is happening today and will be an amazing read for summer 2020. This is a dark read with salacious family secrets that will keep you guessing until the end. A quick page turner put this on your to be read list you won’t regret it!

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This book is one WILD ride! I could not put the book down since there were surprises around every corner. I am obsessed with these kind of suspenseful books, and I love how the twists and turns caught me by surprise! Anna Downes has a way to make you as a reader feel like a fly on the wall in the room with all of these dynamic characters. I cannot wait to recommend to my book club, followers, and friends! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Out 7.14.20 | Free from Netgalley/ Minotaur Books | This was one of those books that had me wondering at about 15% or so if I should keep going. There was a lot to like about it and the flaws were ones I could get past, so I’m glad I stick with it. A young girl is trying to make it as an actress in London and just when she hits rock bottom, her incredibly wealthy boss intervenes and recruits her to become a housekeeper at the remote French estate where his wife and kid live. Once the scene was set, I thought there was fantastic tension and buildup. Some points were unbelievable- how is he so rich? - but if you buy into it it's very enjoyable. This reminded me a bit of Verity mixed with The Girl Before. Very good debut- I will be interested in more from this author! 4 stars.

3.5 Stars
What I liked about this one was that it had that eeriness factor that I love in books and it was a quick read. I love a good thriller that involves a creepy house and an unsuspecting nanny. Although Emily isn’t really a nanny. She is really there to watch over Scott’s wife, Nina, but all Emily knows is that Nina is unwell. The setting is described beautifully. It is a stunning place in France, but Emily finds many things unsettling. However, instead of investigating further, she is blinded by the beauty of the estate and by the beauty of the couple, Scott and Nina. Something I did not like was Emily’s lack of caring about these odd happenings. She has suspicions about why she is not allowed in the main house, why Nina’s daughter takes all these pills, why there is no service/wifi, why Nina acts out sometimes... but she doesn’t really do much about it. I also did not like the odd relationship between Scott and Emily. The twist was good, but I was hoping for more. I enjoyed reading the book, but it was a very slow burn.
Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was the kind of thriller you put everything else down for, until you can get to the end. It was enjoyable, but it was definitely a mindfuck to read, especially as a mother. Did not see any of that coming. Five awe-struck stars. I know I won't sleep well tonight.

I wanted to read this book because I had read so many good reviews. If I didn’t have high expectations I might not have been so disappointed. This book was just an average read. I found it very predictable. Many times the writing style was annoying with goofy sayings thrown in.

Emily's character seemed to change from the beginning of the story to the end. I didn't her change in morals and behavior was supported by the storyline. In addition to Emily's character change, the way her parents treated her changed.

I think the story could have been improved with more supporting details. There were several times I thought the relationship between Scott and Emily would develop and the author would end the chapter and pick up on something else.

This was a fast easy read. If you don't have a lot on your "To Read" shelf this might be a good beach read.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

If it weren’t for bad luck, poor Emily Proudman would have no luck at all. She’s lost her temporary job, she didn’t get the acting gig she auditioned for, she’s been dropped by her agent, her parents won’t lend her any more money, and, because the rent check bounced [again], she’s evicted from her apartment.

But her former boss, Scott Denny, thinks she’s perfect to help his wife, Nina, on their French estate. Emily cannot believe her good fortune, especially when she sees the lovely estate and learns she will have the entire guest house to herself. As the days pass, she comes to consider herself part of the family, and she believes Nina and Scott feel that way, too.

But it isn’t long before Emily begins to suspect Nina is hiding something terrible, and she begins to have second thoughts about remaining at the isolated estate. Will Emily discover the secret of Querencia or will the secret claim her as its victim?

There’s a strong sense of place anchoring this suspenseful, atmospheric tale. Querencia is so well-crafted it becomes a character; Emily, Nina, Scott, and Aurelia are well-developed and nuanced; there’s an ever-building sense of tension that captures the reader and keeps the pages turning as rapidly as possible. Astute readers will guess the closely-guarded secret long before its reveal, but this does not detract from the percipient telling of this dark tale.

Almost two-thirds of the story is told from Emily’s point of view; the remainder from Scott’s viewpoint. Interspersed are pieces of backstory [memories?] that slowly reveal the closely-held secret shared by the husband and wife. There are times readers will find Emily exasperating, but as events unfold, she begins to put things together, discovering that she must be true to herself and be mature enough to face her problems.

Readers may find that more backstory would have helped them understand some of the characters' actions, particularly Juliet and Peter and the dynamics of their family. Why are they so estranged from their daughter?
Unfortunately, the much-mentioned plot point concerning Emily’s early life remains a mystery as the narrative concludes; with so much made of this within the story, disappointed readers are certain to find this lack of clarification particularly frustrating.
In addition, the unnecessary use of an offensive expletive is likely to be off-putting for many readers.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#TheSafePlace #NetGalley