Such a fun story that I absolutely loved. The idea of it was super interesting and the author is very talented at keeping up the momentum.

As I was reading this book, I was so unsettled that I had to remind myself it was only a book. I don’t know what it was – but I just had this overwhelming sense of dread as each page passed. Though, it’s not that that is a bad thing.

Regi is a woman who you can tell has been through great trauma, although we don’t find out what that is until the very end. Her peculiar behaviors garner her sympathy from some, and some disdain from others.

I am not going to lie, I totally thought that something else entirely was the plot of this book, and I was completely wrong.

Regi has become obsessed with #cleanstagrammers, and the chaotic twist at the end changes the lives of many people.

I really enjoyed getting to know Regi and learning about her story. Her past is one full of pain, but she comes to realize that she is allowed to be happy too. Her development throughout is nice to see.

I started and stopped started and stopped with this book. 
I couldn't engage with it enough to get hooked and didn't see it through.
Sorry on this occasion "The House Mate" just wasn't for me.

Thanks for the advanced copy.

I ahd great hopes if living this book as it dealt with realistic issues of OCD set in suspenseful tones.

Regi had OCD. She lived with 3 other young girls as their house mate. A cloud of dark past surrounded her which kept me curious in the entire book. There were 3 cores in the book. A now with Regi, a then, and an Instagram influencer by the name Mrs Clean.

The main character was quite detached, living with her own problems. I liked how the author infused her life with scenes which gave an air of danger. The past was filled with pain and it was wrenching. The influencer had her own set of trolls and Regi was obsessed with her posts and stories.

The story perhaps tried too hard to keep the suspense going. I got disinterested in the mid half as the scenes felt repetitive. Not liking any of the characters added to the disenchantment.

This story would be a difficult one to format for any author, getting it transformed from ideas to words was commendable. But the pieces of jigsaw puzzle didn’t fit well when the final reveal came to be. There was an uneven feel to the book at the end.

I listened/read the book and the narrator was good. Overall, an okay story.

This book started so slowly for me, but then picked up about halfway through. Interesting twist with the OCD approach, definitely learned alot!

I struggled with this one for a few reasons. One, I feel like psychological thrillers doesn't quite suite it. Although there is a bit of a mystery to be had, there isn't that edge-of-your-seat charm that most psychological thrillers have. I was able to figure out the slight twist pretty early on. I also had trouble with the way the then and now chapters transitioned. It was sometimes hard to follow. 

I did really love the way a character with OCD was portrayed. It was well-researched and very realistic, which was a breath of fresh air. 

I think this one just didn't quite hit the mark for me, perhaps because I've read so many amazing thrillers lately. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My least favorite by this author to date. It was very slow and a bit confusing. 

I will always be happy to pick up and try anything this author writes. I like her style and the characters she creates. The capturing of how encompassing and alienating OCD is was done so well. The alternating from past present was handled with great finesse. 

The pacing though was slow though and I wasn’t rushing to grab this if I had a second to sit. Once the action did start it was a bit odd. All of the characters we have read about seem to no longer matter. And that ending? Didn’t see that coming, who would have?? Maybe some people will love that about this book but I felt a bit shortchanged by it. 

Definitely try this as different strokes, different folks and all but check out her others too!! Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Boldwood Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

The House Mate by Nina Manning is a great psychological read that ticked all of the boxes for me. An uneasy feeling made its presence early and did not release me until the unexpected denouement.

This story follows Regi, a woman who suffers from OCD, thus is consumed by repetitive, compulsive behaviours and deviating from her routine causes her tremendous anxiety. She has recently moved into a house she shares with three other women. The story is told in parts pertaining to different timescales - then and now - with additional posts from an Instagram influencer called Mrs. Clean.

The novel was well put together and and being something of a psychological thriller fan, I was extremely impressed. I was drawn right into this compulsive story of misperceptions. With a good, even pace I was glued to The House Mate whilst I tried to work out exactly where the tale was taking me. As it toyed with my preconceptions, I was blown away by the surprising ending.

This was an incredibly compelling read that I would not hesitate to recommend. I look forward to reading more from this fabulous author, Nina Manning.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my own request from Boldwood Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Another one ticked off the pile with this book. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. I enjoyed reading it, it wasn’t in any way a challenge as it was written very well that it flowed easy enough. I’m just not sure on the storyline. I’ve been in a bit of a book slump so that definitely didn’t help me but towards the end I just felt confused and unsure what was happening. Have said that I would read other books by this author as I like the way it was written.

This book is one of those that I had a very hard time finishing.  Not because it slowed down mid way through, but because it was so slow in the beginning, I continually laid it down to read something else.  Overall, after I got through the beginning I enjoyed it a bit, but it didn’t blow me away or anything.  I think the slowness of the beginning, may have made it to where I can give much of a neutral review, since I think I was reading but not really absorbing what I read.  I think this is one I would  have  a hard time recommending to not fellow thrill seekers.

A bit of a slow start with this book but once I got into it I thought it was really good. 

Interesting to learn more about the horrible hold OCD has over people.

Very well written, with a relly interesting ending.

I will now seek out more of Nina Manning's books.

An enjoyable read. Quite basic when it comes to thrillers, none of the twists were too unpredictable. It felt like there were some random plot points that weren't needed at times, and until nearer the end it felt like the book didn't know where it was going.

I enjoyed this book but not as much as I thought I would. It felt like it was trying to be too clever with a twist that actually just made the book a bit tangled and confusing.

The then and now chapters were very confusing and I'm still not sure about the ending , so I can only describe it as an OK  read

First off... I'm a massive Nina Manning fan and hate the fact that this didn't do it for me 😣

One word I could use to describe this book is confusing!

I'm not 100% sure how to rate this one so here goes... I found this book quite 'out there'. 

I was really excited to recieve this book, I love a psychological thriller bit somehow this one fell short.

The main character has a major OCD for cleanliness (which was brilliantly researched and executed)and becomes obsessed with a celebrity on Instagram and their cleaning tips/advice (think Mrs Hinch). She basically turns into a stalker. 

Basically a slow burner that seemed to take for it to actually get anywhere in a personal sense.  

In all honesty I didn't particularly like it. Its confusing, bizarre and weirdly unsettling. I think the fact I'm left with more questions than answers has just rattled me a bit!

Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

This psychological thriller really takes you on a journey that is so unique that it will stay with you long after you have finished reading the book and may even require you to start it all over again. 

Nina includes so many important  issues as part of this story including mental health, abuse, living with OCD, trauma, relationships and most relevant to this platform our use of social media, the rise of cleanstagrammers and the issue of trolling.

Regi because slightly obsessed with situations around her like her neighbours and a cleaning account on Instagram that seem to help her to focus her mind away from her own issues but because of her own past could lead her into even more chaos.

Just when you think you have a grasp on the story and feel in control like Regi tries to be with her compulsions you realise nothing is what it seems. 
.

I enjoyed this book. I found it quite disjointed, but the reason for that becomes clear at the end of the book! I’m rarely surprised by a twist, but this was a good one.
The writing is a bit clunky in places and the characters weren’t always as fleshed out as they could have been but ok the whole, this is a good story and well worth a read!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Well this was a great easy to fly through read, with a unique ending - i found myself hooked from the very first page. We meet Regi, she is a mature student just about to start a new path after escaping she wants to forget about and creating a new identity would do just that. She manages to distract herself from her past with innocent instagram scrolling giving her the comfort she is seeking, but when she starts to notice a few trolls and not all is at seems - we soon learn alot more about how achieving perfection is not as simple as it seems.

I really really enjoyed this, it was told in a way that was easy to read but with enough depth and tension to keep me turning the pages. I found that it was realistic such as the way the instagram posts were written, its totally something you see in day to day life. The characters were strong with their own quirks and again so relevant to the world we live in at present. Told over then and now, we soon learn how it all fits together and let me tell you - i didnt see it coming and well, it was a surprise. This was a great read and i really invested in it. Below ive attached a sneak peak for you!

Thank you NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own. 

The House Mate
By: Nina Manning 


REVIEW ☆☆☆

Well, The House Mate was....honestly, I don't know what it was. Confusing? Yes. Way out of left field? Yes. The main character is a woman with serious OCD issues, and for reasons unknown, she moves into a house with some other women to start her life anew. She becomes obsessed with an Instagram personality known as Mrs. Clean, because OCD.

The chapters are divided as Then, Now and Instagram posts. We get some information about the past trauma that led to all of this. Eventually, things progress, and she has an obsession/stalker situation with Mrs. Clean.  This character behaves in such odd ways that are far from normal, and I didn't care for it much. The end is bizarre and unsettling and ????? I think a huge suspension of disbelief is necessary to read this book. It wasn't for me.

This was a great read, you can never believe how a person will portray their life as in  been so perfect, is real or is it a lie??