My first book by Sarah Gailey so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect but I was itching for a good horror read and boy did this scratch. There’s something so eerie and claustrophobic about a haunted house story that always draws me in and pushes me to keep the lights on (grew up in a haunted house so it hits too close to home!). Just Like Home blends two timelines: Vera in present day and Vera when she was 12. The flashback scenes were where the story really shined and I loved the timely reveals about the Crowder family. It was a slow burn but there were subtle hints at where the story was going that definitely give this reread value if you’re like me and fancy yourself a Sherlock Holmes. The last 10% had me on the edge of my seat! It’s really hard to spook me but there was parts of this book that truly did. Gailey did a great job vividly describing the horror scenes. It’s hard to say much more without spoiling anything but if you’re a fan of horror, do not skip this book! I can’t say it was a perfect read, but it definitely captured and kept my attention.

Also, how fantastic is this cover?

Haha, oh my god this book was wild. It started slow, and I did not enjoy the abusive mom/adult's return home to family trauma (which was the intention, obviously), but once things got going this book MOVED. It's super creepy and the end...was definitely a surprise, I'll say. I slightly hated it, but I also loved it?! I'm not sure how Gailey managed it, but I'll definitely be thinking about this one for awhile.

Thank you, MacMillan-Tor/Forge, for allowing me to read Just Like Home early.

Aw, harrowing and creepy and I loved every page. This is how a thriller should be written. Unexpected plot twists and great characterization. I highly recommend this story.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

You won’t want to put this one down. It’s surprising interesting, enjoyable, entertaining and delightfully dark.

Vera’s mother asks her to come home after a long period of estrangement. Vera decides to follow her mother’s wishes even though the home she will return to is plagued with memories of her serial killer father. To make matters worse her mother has allowed an artist to move into the guest house in the back. When hand written notes (in Vera’s fathers handwriting) start showing up around the house, the artists swears that he is not behind that. What is going on in this tainted home?

The creepy factor is very high in the latest book by Sarah Gailey! If you like haunted house stories, then JUST LIKE HOME could be a big hit for you. I really enjoyed it. Told in present and past timelines and with so many twists along the way, it has it all. I would consider this slightly slow burn, but in the best way. Enjoy!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

I loved, loved, loved this book. It wasn't what I was expecting and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I could not put the book down! As I read I could feel my eyes widen during each twist and it made me want to read more and more. I cannot wait to read more of Gailey's books!

Sarah Gailey is becoming a favorite of mine.
I really enjoyed The Echo Wife last year.
Just Like Home was 10 times better!
An exhilarating, interesting and heart-pounding read that will keep you guessing until the end.
Vera and her family are such interesting, intriguing characters you just feel like you have to keep reading to peel.back the layers that's going on in this house!
Its truly remarkable.
Her writing is something special for sure!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Tor Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

4/5 Stars
This review is spoiler free!

First off - I LOVED this book. It was weird and creepy and uncomfortable at times and twisted in every sense of the word. Sarah Gailey took this story in so many directions and it ended up in such a cool space I wasn't expecting. Their writing style is so well done and atmospheric. This was a one sitting read for me and I just cannot recommend it enough!

Just Like Home begins with Vera Crowder going back to the home she had left as a teenager to help care for her dying mother and settle her affairs. Vera's adult life had been spent trying to escape the Crowder house, as well as the legacy her serial killer father left behind. However, she is forced to reckon with the darkness of her past as she returns.

Told both in the present, and in snippets of Vera's youth, this book is absolutely riveting and terrifying. Pacing is always something I look at closely in horror, and can make or break a book for me. While this book is definitely a "slow burn," in terms of plot, unraveling the mystery, etc. Sarah Gailey's pacing throughout is very engaging, making this book easy to devour in a single session.

*I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views in this review are my own.

Great thriller. Never heard of the author but gave the story a try and really enjoyed it, the plot, characters, all of it. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Well that was harrowing! Excellently done if you have a stomach for horror, but definitely not for the faint of heart. Sarah Gailey is a force to be reckoned with in this arena! I’m almost scared to see what they’ll come up with next.

I recieved an eARC of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

When Vera's mom calls from her deathbed and asks her to come back home, she isn't sure she will even go. Ultimately she decides to go back to the house that her father, the serial killer, had built to set her mother's affairs in order.

I loved this book. There were several times where my heart was pounding out of my chest. Sarah Gailey has a talent for creating a very visceral tension with her words. I never had any idea which direction this story was going to take, and it was a super fun ride. I rated this a 4 out of 5 stars because I felt like the ending was a little rushed and it left me with some questions. Overall this book was a great, creepy, sometimes gory, fun time. Bravo!

Imagine going home to a serial killer’s house. Imagine he was your father. I went into this book only knowing a couple of things about it and not really understanding with the story would end up being. A quickly became a character study and a bit of a thriller in one. It was fast paced but a good story.

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

sarah gailey's latest, sinisterly pink book is easily my favorite of theirs, alongside MAGIC FOR LIARS. all of their work is born of fascinating concepts and gorgeous prose, but JUST LIKE HOME is their darkest and most visceral work yet, reading like the lovechild of shirley jackson and edgar allan poe.

vera crowder, daughter of the infamous serial killer francis crowder, is called home by her mother, daphne, to help her in what will certainly be her last days alive—but it's not just daphne's declining health that vera comes home to. she comes home to her complicated mother, to the strange artist taking up residence in the backyard shed, to the people of her childhood who regard her with a still-burning hatred, and she comes home to the crowder house itself, which is all too glad to have her once again sleeping in its walls. JUST LIKE HOME is a harrowing, emotional journey into what it's like to be the child of a serial killer, to love him, to lose him, and then to confront all that was left behind.

if you're a fan of true crime, haunted houses, and/or suspenseful thrillers, run to pre-order this one. snap four times for safety and go into the house of it. you don't want to miss this one, i promise you.

Okay! Challenge accepted! It’s so hard to write a review about ultra haunting and extremely dark, thrilling book that make you scream “what the actual heck!” at least hundred times during your read without giving much away! If I accidentally write a wrong word, I may ruin your reading experience!

I can honestly say this is more BIZARRE, BLEAK, INTENSE, CLAUSTROPHOBIC and EERIE than I expected!
Quick recap of plot:

Vera reluctantly returns back to her haunted childhood house after her terrible mother( she’s terribly ill and she’s also terrible person) who is dying, calls her to say goodbyes. She swore not to put a foot into it, when she left.

Now her mother is unrecognizable, rooting alive and there’s a disturbing tenant: parasitic artist living in their guest house: probably playing mind games with Vera by leaving notes in her room. The notes seem like written by her dead father or their tenant has a talent to imitate his handwriting!

They’re so unexplainable things keep happening at this place as the monster under her bed keeps threatening Vera!

Did I attract your attention? Wait for till you read the last third: that big twist will truly rock your world!

I have to say this book truly disturbed me! It was smart, awkward, haunting! The ominous call of the story kept me attention intact. I couldn’t put it down!

It reminds me you of my favorite Stephen King quote: “ monsters are real and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.”

Who is going to win in this story? You get to read for finding out!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/ Forge for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.