Just finished the Apartment, I had an electric version on my phone, was nice to read before bed but found myself going back the next day to re-read. Great book, held my interest to the end.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

That was a lot of information, just information. I kept waiting for the plot twist, something exciting, it never delivered. The main character, she was dumb...just plain dumb. I mean, c'mon. The "Dr." comes into the coffee shop, gives you the apartment you've been dreaming about for an extreme fraction of the cost? Everyone has told you it was a bad idea, too much of a coincidence, you didn't even feel comfortable there, yet you stay? Way to go.

Not my fav...

I was quite excited to check out The Apartment by K.L. Slater. The synopsis seemed quite exciting and like something that would keep me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The first 1/3 of the book was incredibly slow and I just felt really disconnected from the characters. On the bright side, around 80% in the book REALLY picked up and I couldn't put it down. I stayed up super late just to find out what happened. I literally had a knot in my stomach waiting to see what would happen next. I don't think I've ever been that emotionally affected by a book before! If the first 80% were as gripping as the last 20% it would have been amazing. Still, I'm glad I checked it out and do plan to look for more books by this author. Thank you to K.L Slater, NetGalley, and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Adder House. A gorgeous apartment in an upscale part of town. Rent is based on what you can afford. Moving fees are covered. It sounds exchange good to be true. But is it? After just a few days you begin to feel like things are off. But are they?

Honestly, this book felt like a horror movie where I am screaming at the TV "Don't go in there!" But she goes anyway.

This book was well written. Had some surprises in it I wasn't expecting. But wasn't my favorite.

Thank you #netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I hate to write these reviews but this book was just not good for me. I've really been enjoying thrillers lately so I was very excited to be approved for this one on NetGalley but The Apartment falls trap to my least favorite thriller trope - a dumb woman. I unfortunately had to give this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Apartment for me was an interesting insight into the world of human conditioning and the effects it can have on adults and young children.

The way the residents of Adder House are written made me feel uneasy and intrigued from the start. The seemingly close knit yet standoffish atmosphere within the house made it clear to me that something dark was happening behind the closed doors of each apartment.

For me this was an easy read and I particularity enjoyed reading the secret on goings of the books mystery villain. I was questioning which character was going to turn out to be the instigator of all the creepy events that happened in ” flat 6 ” and was surprised when the truth was revealed.

The plot twist at the end of this book was well written and the small intricate details that were carefully woven into the big reveal were well thought out and added another layer of creepy to the story.

My only criticism about this book is that the weird events that happened seemed to be fairly small and in my opinion were not as dark as I was anticipating. For me this book was more of a mystery than a psychological thriller.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by the manner in which I received this book


This review will be posted on my blog ( thetwoquills@wordpress.com ), instagram an my goodreads account on 08/05/2020

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for letting me read and review this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

Freya has lost her husband and now needs to find a new home quickly for her and her daughter Skye. A chance meeting with Dr Marsden brings Freya the luck she has been needing. He offers her a place to live, in a luxurious setting for a small amount of monthly rent. Moving into Adder house could be the new start she has desperately wanted for her and Skye. This is until strange things begin to happen, Freya never feels truly alone and the resident are not all that they appear to be. Adder house doesn’t bring peace for Freya, it brings danger.

Review:

It was the big yellow door that caught my attention but then after reading the description I just knew I needed to read and review this book, it instantly had me hooked in. After reading the other reviews I could see they were very mixed and I hoped The Apartment wasn’t too good to be true, it wasn’t!

I was both intrigued and creeped out when reading the prologue and meeting Dr Marsden, he seemed very weird and I instantly questioned if he had a hidden agenda because his actions surely couldn’t be just about niceness. I was glad to see my suspicious were correct.

I connected well with both Freya and her daughter Skye. I wanted nothing but happiness for them as it seemed it was what they both deserved. Freya was a strong female lead who carried on despite the obstacles thrown at her and her love towards her daughter was very heart warming.

However, as for the other characters, they were all strange and quite over bearing at times. They made me feel very uncomfortable and wary. They were very over the top and it made me question who actually was genuine out of these and who could be trusted.

As for the story itself, this too made me feel very uncomfortable at times and it seemed to get weirder as it went along. I found some parts were quite difficult to read, especially the flash backs where little Dougie was a part of phycological experiment and what was more shocking for me is that this was based on real events that did happen, an experiment called Little Albert. I didn’t realise this at first but after I was left feeling quite taken a back and it made the story seem all that much creepier.

I found there was a few plot holes and I really hoped they would come together, which most of them did at the end. I also found the flash backs were quite confusing at first and they could have been much clearer which through me off at first but I managed to get my head around these, but I was left wanted answers. I feel the plot holes and the flash backs were the main reason as to why I didn’t give this read the full five stars.

There were many twists and turns which made me wonder if there was a symbolism to Adder House due to the Adder being a snake. Some of these twists and turns were unexpected which I liked as I like to be caught off guard. I also liked the fact that the big revelation did shock me as it is sometimes rare. The build-up was quite big but the ending seemed to be rushed, it was explosive but I just wanted more, such as being told what the after effects were for little Douglas. I would have also liked to have known more about the residents too.

The Apartment was a phycological thriller that did its job, it was very suspenseful and I struggled to put it back down once I had picked it. I really enjoyed the authors writing style.

A good, edge of your seat read! Freya Miller has lost her husband and is about to lose her home. With no idea where she and her five-year-old daughter, Skye, will live, she thinks it a miracle when the mysterious Doctor Marsden approaches her in a coffee shop, looking for a new tenant for a flat in an unaffordably posh area of London. To her shock and delight, the rent will be adjusted for her because he feels that she and Skye will fit into life at Adder house perfectly. (Cue the sinister music!)

Certainly there were parts where I had to suspend logic, i.e. the offer, itself, along with Doctor Marsden's statement that having the right occupant was more important than collecting anything near the normal rent. Still, Freya and Skye were likable characters that I rooted for. The pacing was very good, continually pulling you forward into the world of Adder house (which could be seen as another character) as the pervasive feeling of danger built tension. I was reminded of Rosemary's Baby, where you wondered who in that house was as they seemed.

There were two places where I think the book fell short. I really wanted to know more about Freya's husband's death, considering that was an integral part of her story. And I must say that I was disappointed that the ending did not hold up to the rest of the book for me.

All in all, I'm a big fan of thrillers and enjoyed this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Starts a tiny bit slow but gathers momentum as you read further. Kept me interested and turning pages well past when I should have been sleeping!

The Apartment had me hooked from the first page. Freya was such a sympathetic character. I appreciated that she did not just accept strange circumstances without questioning and researching. The other tenants in the apartment were very quirky and seemed simply eccentric at first. The psychological twists in this story were pretty disturbing and all I kept thinking was I hope this never really happens to someone! I whole heartedly recommend this book- just don’t start at bedtime.

This was an excellent book! It was a quick, fast-paced read, and I enjoyed all the twists and turns. I will look for more by this author, and would recommend this book!

I’m sad to review this book because I usually enjoy K L Slater’s books and was really looking forward to this one. However I was disappointed as the main character was unbelievable. We were told she had had a hard foster care childhood, making her self reliant and tough but the character we met in the book was weak minded, unable to stand up for herself and far too easy to manipulate. I ask you, who would accept a flat, at way under the market rate, from a stranger who thought she and her daughter would be at perfect fit’. Really? I became increasingly irritated by the narrative and felt this book was definitely not up to the author’s usual high standard. Hopefully the next one will be better.

A totally immersive, psychological thriller that will keep you turning pages deep into the night.

I loved this book! Beautifully written with suspenseful, short chapters. This is my kind of quick read. I must admit I was slightly hesitant as to whether I would fully enjoy this book as I found ‘Little Whispers’ (my first K L Slater novel) a little bit too repetitive for my liking. But this, wow, i was completely absorbed and couldn’t bring myself to stop reading it.

The book travels in a very linear fashion, increasingly subtly in pace towards its climatic end. Peppered throughout the plot are observations from our supposed ‘bad guy’, written passages from an old journal and resulted findings following an experiment. All of which, coupled with the main plot give the story a very vivid texture.

I loved how, in this book, Slater deftly creates a building sense of claustrophobia and fear of the ‘unseen’. As the reader you are presented in first tense everything that the main character, Freya, encounters which comes together for a tense and exhilarating read. Whilst the ending wasn’t the ‘omg!’ experience I was holding out for I was left truly satisfied with my read and swiftly checking through Amazon for more books by K L Slater.

I wish to express my huge thanks to NetGalley for being selected to read this advance copy and best regards to K L Slater and her future publication release - I think this one will be a popular read!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper-Collins Publishing for this ARC. It was quick easy read. I enjoyed this psychological thriller about Freya and her daughter, Skye.

Thank you Net Galley & the publisher for the ARC of The Apartment .

I have read several books of K.L.Slater & have always enjoyed them. I was excited to read this one but it wasn’t like her other books in my opinion. I felt like it was a strange arrangement to accept a very expensive house to live in for a small amount of rent. I fell like red flags would have gone up for the mother to take gifts & have her daughter accept expensive gifts. She had other options of staying with friends.:That just didn’t work for me. There were twists in this book but took awhile for me to get into it. It was a physiological thriller but not as good as her other books. That being said I would still read more of her books. She is a good author but I felt she has written much better books in my opinion.

If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers, or even just psychology, then this book will satisfy you. With a twist I didn’t see coming the book had a satisfying story and ending that leaves me wanting to know more from the characters. You get a true feeling of unease as you go through the grieving and moving process of Freya and makes yourself wonder are things too good to be true.

What would you do if you were desperate to move, short of funds, had a child to support and no job as you are recently divorced and widowed? If a man approached you at the coffee shop with a flyer of the perfect apartment at a price that was so affordable you are in shock, would you go with him to see the place? If you fell in love with the splendor of it and your child loved it, would you move before you even have a chance to tell your friends?
Once you do move in and strange things start happening like hearing voices where there is only a wall,, furniture moved, other apartment dwellers appearing very strange, a "security" camera installed inside your apartment and other happenings that make you question yourself. Would you stay or go?
Over the top drama for me. I prefer books that make my mind question and try to figure situations out rather than exist on fear. There is enough fear in the world now that it was not enjoyable to add more to my life.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest view.

KL Slater never disappoints with her books. I read this fabulous read over 2 nights and I was so cross when I couldn't stay awake any longer to finish it. This tells the story of Freya and her little girl Skye. They are struggling a little - Skyes daddy has died and they need to move out of the house they love. Upon a chance meeting they meet Dr Marsden - he is putting up leaflets advertising a room to rent in a gorgeous house - Freya decides to take a look at it - and quickly moves in. This place is beautiful, however the residents are all a little strange - except the lovely Lily who appears to be an outcast in the house.
From here onwards things turn a little weird in the house - to find out you will need to read.
Its highly addictive reading and fast paced. 5* from me!

The apartment by K.L. Slater had a vibe I really enjoyed on the whole, however this books missed the mark for me. The premise was great- creepy house, random things happening, finding out that there is a tie to a famous psychological study that was trying to be recreated on the down low so that ethics boards were not involved- sound like amazing potential.
The two biggest issues I had with this book were that there was major pacing issues- lots of build up, minor random things happening, and then full speed ahead for the last 75 pages of the book to sum everything up and reveal the reveal. The other issue that I had was the main character making dumb choices even though she is written to have "gut" feelings and knows that something isn't right.
Overall- under whelming but I will continue to read from this author.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK for an advanced readers copy via NetGalley in exchange for and honest review.

This is the first K L Slater book I have read and overall I enjoyed it.
It was a quick read and an interesting premise although I think the book did suffer from being a bit too short which led to a rushed conclusion and some characters and plot lines not fully explored.

I will definitely read more K L Slater books which I understand are a little longer and may be more rewarding.
Overall I did enjoy this book and similar in style to Mark Edwards.

Thanks for NetGallery for a copy of this book.