This book was okay. It was a little cringey at times, and a bit predictable. I think the epilogue was unnecessary and didn’t add anything to the book. I think it would’ve been better to leave some mystery to whether Beth was a con artist or a victim. I also think it’s crazy how her fiancé admitted to trying to kill her & she was just cool w it and didn’t tell anyone.

This book took me a REALLY long time to get into, and honestly multiple times within the first 50% I considered DNF’ing it. I think the type of romantic thriller it is will turn off a lot of thriller readers, because there’s a lot of steaminess without much suspense for most of the book (not open-door, but a lot of instances of sex happening between the three main characters that fade to black). By the end I was surprisingly invested and for the most part enjoyed the twists and reveals. After reading the authors note, I also appreciate the representation of LGBTQ+ relationships and polyamory within the thriller genre and respect that this book did something different than other cookie-cutter thrillers. It all evens out to a 3-star rating for me but I think I’ll continue picking up books by this author in the future!

When COVID lockdown hit, Kelly finds herself in a new city, jobless, and trapped with a fiancée who has just called off their wedding. She seeks solace in her high school friend, who has so graciously offered her a room in her house in Virginia. Not long after arriving, Kelly finds herself wrapped up in their attention and they end up in bed together. While she loves this new relationship, she can’t help but feel something is off. When she learns that the last woman they were involved with is missing, she begins to get nervous that she might be next. Is this all too good to be true?

I was so excited to get approved for a copy of this one on Netgalley! I really enjoyed We Were Never Here so I had high hopes for this one. After reading it, I will say that it was a decent thriller but more of a slow burn suspense book. I am not upset by this, I just want to make sure people are prepared. This book also takes placing during the COVID lockdowns and while only briefly mentioned it was present. It was fun to have one of the main characters write smut and get called out by the neighbor – who’s an avid reader of the books. Oh, the irony. Most of this book is spent building up to the reveal, and it is a well written journey. I do appreciate the way that Ms. Bartz writes and I will continue to read her books.

If you are looking for a fun suspense novel set during the COVID lockdowns, then grab yourself a copy of this one out June 20th.

Thank you so much to the publisher – Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, and Netgalley, @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A digital copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley, Random House Group - Ballantine and Ballantine Books. The opinions are my own and freely given.

Cast of Characters:

Kelly - the girl who moves into the spare room
Mike - her fiancé
Sabrinia - author and Kelly's acquaintance from high school
Nathan - Sabrina's husband, works for the DOD

Set during the pandemic, Kelly and Mike's relationship seem to be coming to an end. Kelly reaches out to Sabrina on Instagram and is invited to move to their Virginia mansion to escape. One thing leads to another and Kelly, Sabrina and Nathan fall into a relationship. Nathan doesn't want Kelly to tell anyone because of his position with the Department of Defense. I did not like this book. There was way too much of the three of them in bed together. Nothing really happened until 72% through when a dead body turns up in the house. After the police were involved and when we really figure out what happened it just kind of fizzled. This one was just not for me.

The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz

Published: June 20, 2023
Ballantine Books
Pages: 341
Genre: Women’s Psychological Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Andrea Bartz is a Brooklyn-based journalist and the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese's Book Club pick WE WERE NEVER HERE. Her second thriller, THE HERD, was named a best book of 2020 by Real Simple, Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, CrimeReads, and other outlets. Her LA-Times bestselling debut, THE LOST NIGHT, was optioned for TV development by Mila Kunis. It was named a best book of the year by Real Simple, Glamour, Marie Claire, Library Journal, Crime Reads, Popsugar, She Reads, and other publications. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, Elle, and many other outlets, and she's held editorial positions at Glamour, Psychology Today, and Self, among other titles.

“Secrets are easy to keep when the world is on lockdown.”

Kelly is heartbroken when her fiancé tells her he wants to pump the breaks on their relationship. But luckily, she has rekindled a friendship with someone from high school. Sabrina has offered to have Kelly stay with her and her husband, Nathan, in their secluded and safe mansion. Kelly can’t believe it. Then the secrets start to be revealed.

This was intense. What started innocently enough quickly turned into something else. The build-up was well done. It was a bit odd reading about a period that was in the heaviest portion of the pandemic.

The characters were well done. I didn’t care for the main character, Kelly, much. She was needy, prone to crying over everything, and too pliable. Sabrina seemed great, but she was pushy and a tad manipulative. Nathan gave off creepy vibes.

The twists in the book will take readers by surprise. The way things escalate and then crescendo into chaos is unexpected and wild. The ultimate twist was so well choreographed and played out seamlessly.

I don't normally write book reviews but after reading this book I felt like I had to. In my opinion this was pretty bad. I thought Kelly was really narcissistic and only really cared about what she wanted and didn't care about other people. There wasn't anything in this book worth getting excited over for, but after reading this book I am glad that I didn't buy this book because then I would've felt like I was wasting money. I'm sure that this author has better books than this one but stay clear of this book unless you want to waste your time.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I really didn’t like this story. I was bored to tears with it.

I love Andrea Bartz, so I was excited to receive The Spare Room. It is a sexy, suspenseful, and twisty novel that will keep you guessing until the very end. The story follows Kelly, a young woman who is invited to stay with her old friend Sabrina and her husband Nathan in their luxurious D.C. home. Kelly soon discovers that Sabrina and Nathan are into an open relationship, and she is drawn into their world of sex, drugs, and danger.

The Spare Room is a well-written and fast-paced novel that is full of surprises. The characters are complex and well-developed, and the plot is full of twists and turns. The novel also deals with some dark themes, such as addiction, murder, and betrayal. However, it is ultimately a story about hope and redemption.

If you are looking for a sexy, suspenseful, and twisty novel that will keep you hooked until the very end, then I highly recommend The Spare Room. It is a well-written and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

Here are some of the things that make The Spare Room a glowing novel:

The characters are complex and well-developed.
The plot is full of twists and turns.
The novel deals with some dark themes in a sensitive and thoughtful way.
The writing is sexy, suspenseful, and evocative.
Overall, I think The Spare Room is a glowing novel that is sure to entertain and keep you guessing until the very end. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a sexy, suspenseful, and thought-provoking read.

“That’s a tough thing for people to realize: Just because something feels different doesn’t mean it’s bad or wrong.”
To paraphrase: just because this book wasn’t what I expected it to be doesn’t mean it was bad or wrong. I did not know what I was in for when I started this thriller. It has a lot more dark romance than I expected, as a recently single woman travels from Philly to outside DC to quarantine in a spare room with her childhood friend and her husband in May 2020. The house is amazing, and I can imagine it would have been a much better spot to be stuck than the apartment she shared with her ex. Not only does Kelly move to Virginia for an unspecified amount of time, she brings her cat Virgo, too. I love a great cat character, and this one did not disappoint. I enjoyed that Kelly referred to Virgo as “monkey” like I refer to my cat - it is just a fitting nickname. Kelly joins the couple’s open marriage, establishing new connections with each of them and also within herself. But the couple’s former partner is missing… and the more Kelly finds out about her disappearance, the more worried she gets.
Thanks to Random House Ballantine Books for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I probably should have read this blurb before requesting an advanced copy but I think it was a unique thriller so kudos to the author for that!

I have seen a lot of 5 star reviews for this one but it was not for me. It tells the story of a woman who moves in with a high school acquaintance during the pandemic. Threesomes and murder follow. The main character made ludicrous decisions and I felt like everything about this book moved slow. Thank you for the ARC.

In "The Spare Room," we meet Kelly, who's jobless, lonely, and going through a tough time with her fiancé. The one bright spot in her life is reconnecting with her friend Sabrina. Sabrina generously offers Kelly a place to crash with her and her husband for a while. Kelly ends up falling for both of them and things initially seem great in this new relationship. But then she starts noticing some weird stuff going on. Turns out, the last woman who was involved with Sabrina and her husband went missing. Now Kelly's freaking out, worried she might meet the same fate.

The plot twist at the end was okay, but I gotta say, I wasn't happy with how Kelly handled the whole shocking revelation. Overall though, the story's got an intriguing setup, a steamy love triangle without being too explicit, and a dramatic resolution. I'd definitely give more books by this author a shot. It's a solid thriller, if you ask me.

I had to DNF this at 19%, the entire premise of this book is Covid focused and there was no indication in the description that’s what it would be about!

Whooo this book is spicy. I should have been more aware due to to the subject matter but because I had read things from this author before, I wanted to again. Honestly, it was hard for me to read.

I tore through this book so I could find out what happened. However, I did not enjoy the characters and the unreliable narrator. Maybe that was intentional. I still think it’s worth reading if you’re looking for a compulsive read.

Thank you to Andrea Bartz, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for this ARC!

I was entertained at times reading this book, but I lacked a connection to the characters. It got a little wild and crazy which I don't mind, but overall the story and pacing was just off. It was also heavy on the pandemic which can work out just fine, but didn't for me in this case.

The Spare Room was a pandemic suspense story. Are you saying, "what?" Don't worry; the pandemic is just a backdrop to some steamy goings-on.

After Kelly's fiancé breaks their engagement, and old friend invites her to move in to her spare room. This friend has an attractive husband. In this situation, three is company, not a crowd. "What?" Yes, if you are looking for thrillers with steamy thrills, definitely check this one out.

My only criticism is that the characters and their motivations could have been better developed, as some things just weren't super-plausible. Blame it on pandemic insanity!

Loved this twisty sexy thriller! The lockdown setting seemed a little too soon at first but Andrea did an amazing job capturing the right essence to make it fit the plot! Inviting a somewhat stranger into your home during and already questionable time made for a riveting story. I also loved the exploration of the main character and her self growth. I was surprised but the twist and the way things came together. It almost seemed to drag at the end with no real answers then bam it gets crazy again.

booksoldenburg Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with an eARC for this book that was out just vesterday!
I read this book but it just wasn't for me! I saw @bookaddictonw s snack food comparison yesterday and since it made me chuckle I'll try to put it in those terms - this wasn't a fun popcorn thriller IMHO (entertainment / watching from the sidelines/ snacking on popcorn to calm your nerves) and it wasn't a Chips thriller either ... Flamin' Hot Cheetos ... maybe - it was spicy but the main character had cotton candy for brains and that combination didn't do it for me ... since I am a completist I did finish but now I need to read something else.

Well this was disappointing…..not really a thriller until the very end. Kelly the main character will have you wondering if she even has a brain in her head, leaves her husband after she has a mini mental breakdown on him that is somehow his fault to go stay with Sabrina and her husband, a friend from high school that she hasn’t seen in 15 years and has only been talking to again for the past 3 weeks. 🙄 Then it somehow turns into a threesome sex party, skimmed a ton of that. Then to add even more weirdness there’s an ex to the married couple who has went missing. The last chapter…..best in the whole book.

Thanks to Netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Well, this was a little spicier than I expected. The story is built around a young woman trying to eascape a life that has collapsed around here during the pandemic. She gave up her life and moved with the man she expected to spend the rest of her life with, only to have the romance splutter out. At this point, she moves inro THE SPARE ROOM of a couple she has met that offers her an out of her misery. When the couple invite her into their bedroom too, the story takes on a completely different kind of thrill. But she finds herself in a situation where she doesn't feel safe and has to wonder if she rushed into something that she can not get out of. Did she? Guess you'll have to read the book to find out!