I asked some friends for "bad mom" book recommendations to ~deal with my own trauma via fiction~ (lol), and among the titles given to me was this one. I'd read Sarah Gailey's UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED earlier this year and really enjoyed it, despite the fact that it's not at all in my typical genre wheelhouse, so I was really excited to check this horror-y title out - horror definitely <i>is</i> my typical genre, & THE BOOK IS PINK!!

I went into this knowing nothing beyond that the mom "sort of sucked", and I think that's the best way to do it honestly. The lack of knowledge kept me on the edge of my seat, unable to gain solid footing, flipping the pages trying to fully flesh out a story being delivered to me in deliciously -and agonizingly - slow little bits.

The atmosphere here feels very southern gothic - dark and spooky for sure, but with a cloyingly sweetness not unlike lemonade on a humid summer day. I loved the way the house was described, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the relationship between Vera and her father - however unorthodox it or he may have been.

The full ending reveal GOT ME! I won't say too much about it because I don't want to spoil it, but I really loved how wild and intense things got, and how the story developed. It was weird and gross and fun and I just loved it, so good.

This has definitely solidified the author as a must-buy from me moving forward -- I don't even care what the genre is, because they've shown that they're able to handle whatever they do perfectly. I already have THE ECHO WIFE on my shelf, waiting to be read soon!

Just Like Home is eerie from beginning to end. There's a sense of suspense and tension immediately to try to figure out what her dad did. Not only that, but the chapters which are these past flashbacks have a sense of memories and childlike naivety. The ways in which we believe the best of our parents, believe what they tell us about how the world works. But as readers who see these memories for the rose tinted visions they are, can sense the sinister, the off putting, the tension.

And that's my main impression of Just Like Home. It's about the things that can happen and we wouldn't know the things we don't want to see. The lies we accept. All combined with this feeling of knowing that someone isn't who we thought. If there's one thing you take away from this book review, just know you could cut the suspense in Just Like Home with a knife. It feels tangible like something that rips itself off the pages and sits in a room with you, looming.

Thank you so much for my ARC! I was so intrigued by the premise of this book! It was a true slow burn, and the details were amazing, especially about the character of the house! There was a lot of development and dialogue to create this horrific book. There was a lot of symbolism throughout the book and I enjoyed the dynamic between the daughter and parents. Overall, a good read!

This feels like the author was trying to mix the Haunting of Hill House, a true crime podcast and the 2006 kids movie Monster House.

The atmosphere was appropriately creepy, as is Vera's back story in general. But some of the current day things and twist didn't work as well.

Gailey is a talented author, bringing to life... a house. Only in horror can you read this and be like "doesn't fully make sense, but I'm into it."
Anyway, Just Like Home follows Vera going back to the house her father built, and the house that she's stayed away from, for years, until her sick mother calls her back.

I loved the little tidbits of information we're fed throughout the book to eventually give us the big picture of what happened in Vera's past. We're given lots of spine chills, suspense, a bit of gore, and questioning the sanity of those in the book. Horror perfection!

A very creepy horror story that has an excellent twist. This book really made my skin crawl and I got to a point where I would only read it during the day.

The perfect thriller with an ending that left me absolutely mind blown. If you’re looking for a book with a happy ending, then I don’t think this is the book for you!

I really enjoyed this!
We’re following a serial killer’s daughter as she returns to her childhood home, after many years away, to help her ailing mother. Once back, she begins experiencing weird things and in her search for answers, old secrets come to light.
The writing style was definitely a favorite aspect of this story, I found it very atmospheric and foreboding.
Also, I appreciated this different take on the ‘serial killer’s daughter’ troupe, it explored how at odds her perspective of her father was in comparison to what he was found guilty of.
I believe the main twist is something readers could find polarizing, either they’ll really love it or really hate it.
I had a great time reading Just Like Home and I am very excited to see what Sarah Gailey does next!

4 stars...
What a wonderful deeply creepy book, I loved the atmospheric writing within this one and the way the house almost took you and didn't give you back.
The two main characters where intriguing and the story throughout of her father and what he did to the town just added another layer of darkness.
Really enjoyed this

Thank you for approving me for my first ARC! I was honored to have this book as my first official ARC back in May. I would probably rate this book about 3.5 stars even though below I marked it as 3. I liked the creepy vibes of the Crowder house and I bet this would be a great read for Halloween/spooky season. I was sufficiently creeped out by the Crowder house and this story! However, the first half or so of the book was pretty slow for me and I often have a hard time getting into books that are slow paced. That being said, the last half of the book I did enjoy more and felt much more invested in the characters and the plot line. Overall, it was a good book but I’m rating it 3 stars instead of 4 for the slower beginning that I had a hard time getting in to. I definitely still would like to read more from this author, as I read The Echo Wife last year and loved it!

Thank you so much to the publisher for approving me of an eARC of Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey! This story was deeply dark and very haunting. There is nothing better than a Haunted House story that creeps into your bones while you read it. I could only read this one during the day and when my housemates were home! The house in this story truly felt alive and as if it had an ancient soul.

I personally enjoy a slow paced horror story because it builds up the tension and the horror just in time for everything to snap and come together in the end. The main character Vera was also a character I loved to read about and watch her thought process through the story. The story was slow but it never felt TOO slow. The pacing was very thought out and achieved exactly what it needed to!

Unfortunately, I have been locked out of my netgalley account for a few months and was not able to see which books I had on my list, in order to properly read and review. I do apologize and am doing a 3 for neutral. Will update once I’m able to obtain a copy and read!

I started this book and it may have been too dark and creepy for me. I will try again in the winter perhaps! I felt very uneasy about the dad and decided I wasn't in the mood for that at the moment!

I really liked this book, until the ending. It was easy to read and I was getting through it really quickly. It was enjoyable and I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. Just when I thought I’d worked out what was going on, something else happened that completely changed my way of thinking. I didn’t guess what was going to happen at the end, but I was a bit disappointed by the last few chapters. I’ve seen so many positive reviews for this book, and I can see why so many people enjoy it. However the ending just wasn’t for me. I’d like to read more from this author and will definitely read any future books they release.

Ummmmmm this just didn’t work for me in so many ways which is a bummer because I wanted to vibe with this.

Super creepy horror story! I wanted to stop several times but needed to know what happened in the story. Not for the faint at heart or HSPs.

Vera is returning to her childhood home--the Crowder House--to clear out the belongings as her mother lay dying. She comes home to find her mother is nearly unrecognizable, the illness eating away at her, and a new tenant living in the guest house out back who may or may not be leaving notes in her father's handwriting for Vera to find. Oh, and did I mention Vera's father was a confessed serial killer?

This book absolutely had creepy vibes and all the factors that make up an atmospheric horror novel. I listened to the audiobook and it read like a horror movie for sure--do NOT read alone in the dark (unless you're into that type of thing--then by all means, go for it!). However, some other parts really lulled and weren't fully cohesive to me so for that reason I'm giving it a solid rating of 3.

Vera gets a call from her mother to come home as she is dying. Vera returns to her childhood home where multiple murders occurred in the basement.

Okay I’m going to try my best to review this without being too harsh.

I did not enjoy this.

I skimmed through 90% of it. The chapters were boring and filled with a lot of unnecessary filler.

I didn’t mind the chapters that were written when Vera was a child - I thought her interactions with her dad were the most interesting.

I really thought the beginning of the story could have been written in a much more engaging way. I didn’t read the synopsis before starting the book so I didn’t know that murders had happened in the house. The beginning of the story doesn’t explain what happened for a long time - just that she has bad memories of the house.

This book has a supernatural aspect. I’m telling you now. If you dislike that, skip it. I sometimes don’t mind a supernatural aspect - but I really didn’t like it in this book. It was really silly and seemed like a replacement for a good story line.

This had potential - but it fell really flat for me.

I personally wouldn’t recommend it. I would have DNF’d it if I wasn’t writing a review for NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much for the early read of JUST LIKE HOME. I ended up buying a hardback and absolutely loved it! I didn't think it was possible for Gailey to outdo herself after THE ECHO WIFE, but boy was I wrong! A chilling thrill ride, perfect for Spooky Season!

Oh wow. This book absolutely knocked me for six, and had gripped me in the palm of its hand. So bloody good and dramatic. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough