A thriller that has a lot below the surface and implores the reader to take a deep dive into creepiness, no matter how disturbing, BATH HAUS hooked me from the start. Oliver is a former small town addict who has found security and comfort with a high profile, and highly controlling, surgeon named Nathan. When Oliver impulsively decides to go to a bath house while Nathan is out of town for a hookup, he is assaulted and left with bruises on his neck. What could have been a single layered thriller about a man drowning in his lies while being stalked by a madman, adds on other layers of creep with the possibility that Nathan isn't exactly what he seems. We get the story from both Oliver's and Nathan's POVs (as well as some flashbacks to Oliver's past as an addict in another unhealthy relationship), and as the chapters go on the more convoluted and suspenseful it gets. There are elements of psychological suspense as well as erotic thriller, and enough twists and turns that kept me guessing between well placed red herrings and people brimming with motive. It's a very dark brew, but it's very, very engaging.

BATH HAUS gets under the skin. I imagine that it will be a popular vacation read this summer, as I had a very hard time putting it down.

🛁 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 🛁
Bath Haus by P.J. Vernon
“When do you call time of death on a marriage?”

Synopsis: Nathan and Oliver are a couple with secrets. Nathan is a well off surgeon, while Oliver works the front desk at one of Nathan’s colleagues practices. Oliver decides that one night he is going to visit Haus, a bath house in DC, for the first time, where the first man he meets attempts to murder him. Who was this man, and what could he possibly want?

I was so excited when I reached out to P.J. Vernon and was able to receive an advance copy of Bath Haus! I love a thriller with some steam and damn did this provide that!

I loved reading a domestic thriller with a gay couple. The author did a great job at conveying the struggles each man faced separate from the fact that they were a same sex couple. He also did a fantastic job at making you think just when you have it figured out, you don’t. I couldn’t believe the ending when I got there, it was one of those moments where I had to lay the book on my chest and let it process for a moment.

The steamy scenes in this book were perfectly written and there was just enough of them to spice up the story. I am so glad that I got to read this one early! Don’t forget to pre-order Bath Haus today ahead of its release on June 15th, 2021. I give Bath Haus a 9/10 bubble baths!🛁📚

WOW, what a wild ride this one was! I’m very selective of my 5 ⭐️ ratings and I’ve been on the search for a while and this one truly deserves every single star! I absolutely devoured this dark and twisted read!

It started off with a bang and the momentum and suspense just continued to build and kept me on the tip of my toes until the very last page!

This book explores everyone’s worst nightmares come true and the haunting consequences of just one bad decision and lapse of judgement.

I found it to be so riveting, compulsive and utterly brilliant! I cannot wait to see what P.J does next!!

This one comes out June 15th! Do yourselves a favour and pre-order it right away!

What a fun, fast-paced read! It grabs you quickly and doesn't let up. I finished this in two sittings. It very much felt like I was experiencing a 90s domestic thriller movie, but in book form...and those were the best movies! Kudos, Mr. Vernon...you have yourself a bonafide hit on your hands!

WOW! A thriller full of TENSION from start to finish! A cat and mouse story + secrets + lies on lies on lies! I will preface that this is not a love story. We meet Oliver Park, a young recovering addict, and his partner, Nathan, a DC trauma surgeon. Part of the intrigue of this book is finding out more about this couple - how they met and ended up together, why they are still together and ultimately, can we even trust these characters? At the start of the novel, Oliver visits Haus, a gay bathhouse. He meets a man there who leaves a traumatizing mark on Oliver - both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, Oliver has no way of hiding the mark this man has left on him so Oliver lies about his whereabouts, how he was assaulted, and it escalates from there. He's not the smartest character and you'll probably shake your head at some of his decision making but hang in there! I really enjoyed reading this book in both Oliver and Nathan's POV so it wasn't all one sided. The book comes together in a satisfying way and leaves you wanting more from P.J. Vernon. Thanks to NetGalley for this digital copy - I've never read anything like this before!

Very mysterious and full of queer life and references. I really fell in love with the story and the characters and overall noir feel of the writing.

Thank you for the e-arc!

OMG! After pestering the publisher and the author, I finally got an e-ARC of this thriller I had seen all over Bookstagram, and it was worth every bit of begging I had to do to get it!

BATH HAUS is the story of Oliver and Nathan, a not-quite-married couple. Oliver is younger, a recovering addict, and is growing increasingly restless in his relationship with Nathan, a surgeon from a prominent family. While Nathan represents everything Oliver once longed for, he waits until Nathan is on a business trip to visit Haus, a gay bath house in the area. He surrenders his ID at the front desk and soon follows a man into a private room. What happens inside that room almost costs Oliver his life, but above all, Nathan can never know. He covers up the physical signs of the violent attack and composes a perfect cover story. Everything is fine, until his attacked seeks him out on a meet-up app, addressing him by name. How this stranger knew his identity quickly becomes a game of cat and mouse, and I could NOT swipe the pages fast enough!

I had my suspicions about where the story was headed and had the briefest moment of satisfaction thinking I was correct when another twist hit me. BATH HAUS is sure to be one of the top five summer reads of the year! Don't miss this one

Some twists I was definitely not expecting and secrets on all sides. A thoroughly engaging read. Will definitely be looking for whatever the author writes next.

Recovering addict Oliver has found happiness in his sobriety thanks to help from his partner Nathan, a prominent surgeon in DC. Though their pasts and age difference make them an unlikely couple, they’ve created a life together.
Unfortunately, they have fallen into a rut. Oliver knows he could lose everything in an instant but he cannot resist a trip to Haus, a gay bathhouse, while Nathan is attending an out of town conference. He’ll allow himself to give into temptation with an anonymous man and then return to his life with Nathan.
What starts as a seductive meeting between strangers both seeking the same thing ends in a shocking act of violence in which Oliver narrowly escapes with his life.

Terrified Oliver creates a story to explain his injuries to Nathan but little does he know his attacker is ready to play a game of cat and mouse that could destroy his life …or end it completely.

Whoa, this story was bananas! Man seeks man for a one-night stand and instead escapes a stalker intent on destroying him. Suddenly Oliver has to create lies on top of lies in order to maintain the life he has created …but soon readers realize his relationship with Nathan isn’t as perfect as he thinks… and maybe Nathan has some secrets of his own.
To add even more drama, Oliver’s former boyfriend Hector shows up out of the blue (and there is a sordid history there!), Nathan’s mother is intent on getting Oliver out of her family’s life, annnnd there’s the fact that he filed two separate and conflicting police reports which makes the detective who could help him pretty skeptical.

Every character is morally questionable and generally unlikeable with ulterior motives and shocking secrets. I appreciate flawed and genuine characters but most of the characters here felt over the top for the sake of shock factor.

I had to set the book down several times to shake my head at the ridiculous decisions Oliver made at every turn. I even yelled at him several times: “Whyyyy are you doing this? … LEAVE him already, he is toxic and he doesn’t love you! … Do not get in that elevator! — Are you for real… why— WHY ARE YOU GETTING IN THE ELEVATOR???”

I clearly understand the whole point of a runaway-train narrative; the ripple effect, the events set in motion as the MC digs themselves deeper into a hole. This one just didn’t entirely hit the mark for me; Oliver’s decisions were too frustrating and the twist became obvious pretty quickly. Still, the juicy drama kept me reading and evoked strong emotion, even if it was exasperation.

Thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Bath Haus is scheduled for release on June 15, 2021.

This book was amazing, but you already knew that. Very fast paced and dramatic. I was genuinely worried about the dog and didn't see the twist coming.

Thank you PJ Vernon himself for my advanced copy of this exceptional book. I normally don’t post reviews this far in advance of a release (and this will be a short one until closer to pub when I’ll post my full review) but I had to say that this book was brilliant. It was just what a thriller should be. Full of secrets, lies and much more you will be turning pages faster than you thought imaginable.
A truly fresh take in a genre that is plentiful, I think the premise and it’s execution, hit the spot for me as a reader.
If you love a good tension building thriller that gives you hear palpitations, then pick this one up ASAP.


Full review will be posted to my blog closer to pub.

Bath Haus, P.J. Vernon's upcoming book, is a taut and twisty thriller about truth, trust, and the cost of secrets.

Oliver and Nathan have been together a while now. They have a solid, stable relationship, even though there is a difference in their ages and their income. Nathan is a successful surgeon from a wealthy family, while Oliver's upbringing in rural Indiana was quite the opposite.

One night while Nathan is out of town on business, Oliver decides to go to Haus, a gay bathhouse. He knows he shouldn’t do what he’s gone to do, he knows there’s a significant risk Nathan will find out, but he gives in to his urges. He goes with a handsome man into a private room, where things go completely awry, and Oliver has to fight for his life.

He is able to escape and runs out of Haus, afraid, shaken, with angry bruises already forming around his neck. He gets home and realizes he’s in a quandary—how can he explain this to Nathan? So he does the only thing he can think of: he lies.

“When it comes to lying, there’s a golden rule: tell as much truth as you can. The truth is, after all, the easiest to remember. It’s the most consistent with inarguable fact.”

What Oliver doesn’t realize is what a ripple effect his lies will have. More and more, he finds himself enmeshed in a game of cat and mouse, fearing for his life and his relationship and his future, but he doesn’t know whom to trust or what to expect next.

We’ve seen this scenario before but almost never with a gay couple, so that brought an added dimension to this terrific, tense thriller. There’s a lot at play here—issues of trust, communication, addiction, secrets, lies, infidelity—and it all makes this story so compelling.

I’ve seen a lot of people on Bookstagram rave about this, so I felt a little like the last gay in the village to get my hands on an ARC, but it definitely lived up to the hype. Congrats to Vernon on creating such a fantastic thriller, one I’ll definitely think about for a while!

NetGalley and Doubleday Books provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!

Bath Haus publishes 6/15.

WOW, what a wild ride. I have many friends that read this and all of their reviews blew me away, as did this book. I wasn't familiar with PJ Vernon's work before, but now he is definitely on my radar. It's not often that you see queer representation in thrillers, so automatically the book piqued my interest.

Oliver Park is a 26-year old recovering addict that's in a long-term "marriage" with a successful trauma surgeon called Nathan (who's 10 years his senior) in Washington, DC. When Nathan is out of town for a medical conference one week, Oliver decides to visit Haus, a gay bathhouse. His first time there, he catches the attention of a Alexander Skarsgaard look-alike. He follows him into a private room but the moment they begin to hookup, things go terribly wrong. The man tries to strangle him and Oliver is able to escape, barely skirting death.

Oliver, not wanting to ruin his perfect, idyllic life with Nathan, lies to Nathan and tells him that he was mugged while jogging. Nathan is suspicious but goes along with it. Oliver then keeps seeing the man and knows that the man is still after him to finish the job from Haus. Oliver is fearing for his life but hatches a plan using a queer meetup app to get to the man first.

This book has all of the elements I love to see in a thriller, and then some! It's sexy, psychological, fast-paced, has edge-of-the-seat thrills and some unpredictable twists! (I have a really bad habit of predicting twists / endings, but this one had me guessing until the very end!) Oh, and did I mention all of the steam?! Oh, all of the steam! I loved it! Shout out to Vernon for setting the book in DC. As a long-time Washingtonian, I absolutely loved this aspect of the book.

This is unarguably one of the best thrillers I've read this year and is a must read! Now, brb, while I go pre-order the book!

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (rounded up to 5).

A huge thanks to NetGalley, Doubleday Books, and especially to PJ Vernon for getting me an eARC of the book when I was originally declined. All opinions are my own.

BOOM 🤯 PJ Vernon’s new thriller is a wild ride! I’ve spent the last week reading about Oliver who uses a popular hook up app. He takes a chance while his long term partner’s out of town at a conference. Enter Kristian, and all hell breaks loose. This reads like a cautionary tale, a queer version of Fatal Attraction—just as scary, just as twisty. Vernon’s new book drops June 15th—pre-order Bath Haus: A Thriller now! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

First, thank you to this incredible author, P.J. Vernon, for offering me a netgalley copy of this book after I was originally denied. Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday books.

SYNOPSIS - Oliver is a recovering addict who risks his relationship and so much more by visiting a gay bathhouse when his partner, the prominent surgeon Nathan, is out of town.

REVIEW: I’m going to warn you the following will be a little ❌ rated, so don’t read if you’re not comfortable or if you plan on judging me. 😇🥰

Do you like sex? Do you like penises? Do you like thrills? Do you like to be shocked 😱?

Well, I’m in for all four, so Bath Haus was the thriller for me. This truly took me for a RIDE. I had no clue where this book was going to end up (couldn’t even fathom a guess) which is EXACTLY what I want from a thriller. I ADORED sweet Oliver, but I was constantly yelling at him, “WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING DUDE?!?!?!!!!!! WHYYYYYY” but in the meantime I was also here for the sex, so 🤷🏻‍♀️ this was twisty, turny, and hard to review without revealing spoilers, so I’ll just tell you to GO READ IT.

Two things I really appreciated about the book that were totally unrelated to the horror aspect were: 1. The accurate description of gay culture. I had a good talk with @philsbookcorner about this and I feel I learned so much! I’ve been out of the dating game 8 years now, so apps are unfamiliar to me (call me an unsexy, not with the times 👵), and there was so much that this book contained. But the best part about books is the opportunity to learn, right?

2. The descriptions of Oliver’s addiction and recovery journey. Y’all probably know by now I worked with addicts in my former occupation so I have a soft spot for this. I loved how Vernon stayed true to the journey of a real addict in recovery (HE EVEN MENTIONED DRUG COURT YALL 💕) and the resilience sobriety requires.

Also, MeetLockr? Is this an actual dating app? If not, Vernon you’re onto something, I am LOVING this name 🤣

🛁 VERDICT: 4.5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This completely surpassed my expectations, gave me everything I could have ever wanted from a gay domestic thriller & more! Buckle up everyone, this is one is wild!

"Bath Haus" is fast-paced, scandalous, sexy, & utterly thrilling. I'd highly suggest going into this one semi-blind (I'll keep the review vague) - just know an assault at a bathhouse leads to some crazy shenanigans. Part of the thrill was I truly had no idea where this would go, this is full of OMG! moments the entire way through. The characters, pacing, writing, all of it was just fantastic. I loved seeing both a gay couple and gay culture, in general, at the forefront of a domestic thriller - I really hope this opens a door for more books like this to be published in the future. This felt fresh in every way & I can't wait to see what P.J. does next!

This was a huge win for me, another early contender for my favorite read of the year - everyone, you need to have this on your TBR lists! Thank you so much to P.J. Vernon, NetGalley, & Doubleday for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Huge thanks to PJ Vernon for a copy of his new book. Bath Haus is AMAZING! This book left me breathless. It begins with a bang. The twists keep coming at you so fast you have don’t have to think which is a good thing! You are in for so many surprises.

You grow to love the characters even though you don’t know who really is telling the truth and who is lying. That is what made it so much fun! Trying to figure out who did it!

This whole book was explosive, steamy, extremely well written, and exciting. It releases on June 15 so put it your list to buy it! You won’t regret it.

I’m so happy my book club told me about it. We all read it together and we all LOVED it. :)

Is it too much if I say this book grabbed me by the throat? BECAUSE IT DID. I was hooked from the very first scene, tangled up in Oliver's and Nathan's complicated web of deceit. The plot is terrifying and tension-packed, but the thing that really made me swoon is PJ Vernon's writing. He has such a way with words — vivid descriptions that are fresh and unique. I can't wait for this book to come out so that I can discuss it with everyone!

As a reluctant reader of this genre, Bath Haus is like that workout I 100% don’t want to do, but know it’s good for me and I’m glad I did it. From the first few pages, I was riveted. Beautiful prose, unstable characters, and all the twists and turns you’d expect from a psychological thriller.

I...holy shit. That’s literally all I can say is just holy shit. I blew through this in like 4.5hrs and I was completely unsettled and thrilled by the story and the way it’s told. I think I’ve found my new favorite author.