Thank you to the publisher for allowing me advance access to this title. I really enjoyed reading this story and look forward to reading more from this author. As a reader, I am really motivated by character driven stories and I found myself quickly becoming immersed in these characters’ lives. Full review to come.

This book had a good atmosphere and creepy elements. It did feel like just the run of the mill haunted house story. Not fantastic but not terrible. I’ll add it to my shelf🤣

So sadly this book was not what I expected it to be and therefore was not exactly my cup of tea.

The first 50% wS so promising - eerie, haunting. But the house becoming some weird greasy entity? Nope, too weird even for me.

1 stars ⭐

Special thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is my fourth Sarah Gailey book and so far they're a 50/50 split on whether I've like them or not and unfortunately this one is a didn't like all that much. The premise was promising and interesting but I just wasn't able to engage with the story or the characters that much, even though Gailey's writing style is still very engaging. This feels like a short story that was stretched to novel length and gave it the impression that the storyline dragged a bit as the author tried to fill up a word count. Thanks to NetGalley & McMillan/Tor for the free e-book.

"Just Like Home" is an exceptional blend of psychological thriller and family drama, showcasing Sarah Gailey's prowess as a storyteller. It delves deep into the darkest corners of the human psyche while offering glimmers of hope and redemption. This gripping and atmospheric novel will leave readers breathless and contemplating the lasting impact of secrets and the lengths we go to protect the ones we love.

From the moment Vera steps foot in her childhood home, there is an undeniable sense of unease that permeates every page. Gailey skillfully crafts an eerie atmosphere, making the house itself feel like a character with its own haunting presence. The anticipation and dread build steadily, keeping readers guessing and engrossed in the unfolding mystery.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I thought it would have more thriller/mystery aspects but it really ended up being a haunted house story without much else to keep me interested.

Creepy haunted house and old family secrets. Was her dad really as awful as everyone made him out to be? This book was interesting and had you questioning everything you’d been told.

Thank you to Sarah, Tor Books, and Netgalley for an advance copy of Just Like Home.

After a long period of estrangement Vera has returned home at her mother’s request. Vera has tried to avoid the house and the past that it gave her - a serial killer for a father. On top of her past haunting her, there’s a new tenant in her house giving Vera all the wrong vibes. She’s convinced that he is messing with her by leaving notes in her father’s handwriting despite his claims of innocence. Vera is forced to confront her past and determine if it is the tenant or something more sinister at work in her house.

What a beautiful cover. Even if I wasn’t a fan of horror I think I would’ve picked this up based on that cover. I also was a huge fan of The Echo Wife so I knew I wanted to read the next Sarah Gailey release. It just didn’t work for me. I wanted to love this. I thought I would. But I’m stuck at 2 stars and can’t go any higher.

It was boring. It was so slow, there were pages of wasted breath, and it felt like maximum work with minimal output in the end.

A couple of positives - it was gruesome and it was creepy. There was an unsettling feeling throughout, which is a testament to a slower paced book…if only the pacing wasn’t SO off for me this could’ve been something much more. The questioning of my own sanity while reading - is it supernatural or is it the work of an evil human being? I like when books tow that line and make readers wonder if the end result will be paranormal or not.

Despite this one missing the mark for me, I will definitely read another Sarah Gailey book, because seriously The Echo Wife blew me away and I’ll continue chasing that high, but maybe sci-fi is more her realm than horror. So to end on a positive note: whether or not Just Like Home was the book for you, if you haven’t read The Echo Wife be sure to check that out ASAP.

Really enjoyed this. Found it very creepy and atmospheric. Loved the plot twist and the writing style

This was not my cup of tea. While it had its creepy moments, the story felt disjointed and confusing at times, making it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the plot. The characters were also underdeveloped and lacked depth, which made it hard for me to connect with them or care about their fate. While the author had some interesting ideas, the execution fell short of my expectations. Overall, I found this book to be underwhelming and it did not live up to the hype surrounding it in my opinion.

I really wanted to like this book but feel that it fell flat for me. I couldn't figure out if the main character hated her house or loved it, or vice versa. Not something that I would read again.

I don't even know where to start with this book. I loved The Echo Wife and had such high hopes for Just Like Home. I wrangled my Cocktail Hour co-hosts into reading it and, while I'm sure our discussion on 4/1/23 will be lively, I wish I hadn't.

While the Cocktail Hour will be FILLED with spoilers, this review won't be. So let me try to sort of some of the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in a vague way that won't give anything away.

The Good
For the most part, the language and writing voice was enjoyable. There was a visceral feel to much of the descriptions that placed me right there and I appreciated that a lot.

Vera's childhood parts were the best bits of the book. Her love for her father, their interactions, her discovering things about herself, all great.

The concept of her Best Friend. I can't really say anything else about this but it was a great idea and parts of the execution worked well and I loved those.

The Bad
Also the language. Lots of repetitive descriptions (what exactly is clean sweat and why is it used SO MUCH) and so many metaphors and similes. SO MANY!

The Ugly
The entire set up and Vera's responses and actions surrounding James. This made no sense to me at all. None. Not even a little bit. She has no reason to speak to, let alone spend time with, this guy. But she does. Repeatedly. Why? I don't get it. It actually made me angry several times that I couldn't quit reading this book.

A lot of what was going on seemed ridiculous and unbelievable as far as what Vera was doing and why. I couldn't buy into it and that ruined the book for me.

I think that part of the reason even thinking about this book makes me mad is that there was SO MUCH potential here. The overall idea of the story is great. I was engaged with the relationship between Vera and Francis. Daphne was a bit over the top when Vera was a kid but that was okay. Vera's friend was unique and interesting and sort of awesome but wasn't strong enough to overpower my disappointment and frustration in the current-day events and actions.

I don't think I can recommend this one.

Oh, I listened to most of the book but read the last several chapters. The narrator was okay but eyeball reading made for a better experience for me.

I got the ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was absolutely amazing. Gailey has a touch about their writing that no one else has ever managed.

Another hit for Sarah Gailey -- they know how to frighten me and leave me thinking long after I've finished their books. I'm such a homebody that the thought of home being a frightening place is scary enough for me, but the sense of dread in their books is impressive and unsettling. Loved it.

What a fantastically weird little book, Sarah Gailey has done it again! It definitely won't be for everyone but it was almost perfect for me.

I was so excited to read this book but unfortunately I didn’t connect with it when I picked it up. I may give it another try in the future as I’ve heard such amazing things about it.

I loved this clever thriller! It has something more to offer than the typical suspense book, and I really enjoyed the characters & storyline.

I love a good haunting and also anything involving serial killers so I was so ready going into it. But it didn't scratch that itch for me at all. The story never grabbed me enough to feel one way or another about the characters.

How sweet home, but not all childhood homes are welcoming or have warm memories attached. Just like home examines the way a physical location can keep memories we want to hide and how even touch, smell and taste play into memories. The plot was a little slow moving for most of the book but did pick up near the end. I would have liked a more faster movement, the slower pace made some areas feel stagnant. But overall this was a creepy tail of childhood and the connection between a parent.

Sarah Gailey is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Their premises always make me feel like I’m in for something comedic, but then end up being wildly thought-provoking and traumatic. Like The Echo Wife, the characters in Just Like Home are supremely unreliable narrators and resist easy categorization. There is no moral superiority in these pages, only messy circumstances and even messier reactions.

The beginning of the book is fairly slow, but ramps up in the second half, and the twist in the third act actually dropped my jaw. Fantastic!