They say that the better your life looks on social media, the higher the likelihood that your life is an actual dumpster fire. It's something that Kelly should probably have thought about before she left the world she knew during lockdown and traveled to Virginia to be reunited with an acquaintance from high school who is now a successful social media influencer.

When she arrives at the secluded mansion, it doesn't disappoint. It's just as gorgeous as she could imagine and Sabrina and her hot husband Nathan are super welcoming. Immediately I thought, they must be swingers. But oh, if only it stopped there. We all had the fantasy of living someone amazing during lockdown, and that dream comes true for Kelly. Or does it?

The Spare Room is a page-turner and an intriguing read. I highly recommend it to Bartz fans and fans of domestic thrillers. This one is out June 20.

The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Format: ebook

This book started off so strong for me. The main character is part of a sexy threesome during lockdown with a mysterious couple - one is a writer and the other has a top secret government job? Sign me up!

However, as the book continued, the decisions of Kelly, our main character, gradually annoyed me more and more. From quickly falling “in love” to rashly breaking off things with her fiancé to ignoring signs that something is off? No thanks. Because I found her so unlikable, I didn’t really care what happened in the book. I don’t mind unlikable characters, but when I don’t feel connected to them or like they’re relatable in some way, I find it a bit hard to stick with them throughout the story. In addition to this, the twists and suspense didn’t really have the pay off that I look for in a thriller.

Overall, the premise is intriguing but in reality it didn’t have that un-put-downable and jaw-dropping quality I look for in a thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book entertaining if not a bit far fetched. The main character was too naive or oblivious for me. I did enjoy reading it though.

Mike and Kelly are living together and planning a wedding when Kelly does something serious to cause Mike to decide to put the brakes on the wedding plans. I did not find out until 20% what happened when it is finally mentioned. Kelly decides to go visit Sabrina, a girl she went to school with, who is famous on Instagram, an author and lives in a mansion. I thought the book started out really well but then it fell flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballentine, for the ARC of this book.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did, but by the 35% mark I was ready to DNF. Everything was poorly done, from the characters to the scenarios they found themselves in to the "twists" of the plot. I finished it feeling like I'd just read a Wattpad story based on a horny teen's sexual fantasies. Rating this one star because I can't go any lower.

3.5 stars, rounded down.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz. This story was fine. That’s it. Nothing too stellar, but also nothing so terrible I felt like I couldn’t finish. I did feel like it was a super slow burn, and took kind of a long time for some action to begin. The twist seemed far-fetched and a little out of left field, and I felt like the epilogue was unnecessary. Ultimately, like I said, it was fine. I liked We Were Never Here, Bartz’s last book better.

I was so excited to read this book after the authors' other book, 'we were never here', but this was a bit of a disappointment. We first meet Kelly as she's navigating life in Philadelphia. It's the height of Covid, and her boyfriend decides to 'pump the brakes' on their wedding plans. She decides they need some time apart and accepts an invitation from a high school friend that she has only recently reconnected with on social media. Sabrina is now a bestselling romance author living with her husband Nathan in a sumptuous mansion in suburban Virginia. The description of the grounds and the home of Sabrina and Nathan immediately puts you into a state of relaxation. What better way to wait out the pandemic in your own 'pod' of luxury? Soon the threesome settles into a routine of work, cooking, and lounging by the pool. One night, the couple let's Kelly know that they are open to 'expanding' their marriage, and various sexcapades begin. Kelly feels happy, desired, and glad she took the opportunity to leave her boyfriend Mike, and join Sabrina and Nathan in their home. Until she finds pictures of a bound, bruised woman that has disappeared from their home. Then a body turns up, then another. Kelly makes a lot of naive, stupid decisions as she struggles with who to trust and believe. There are so many things that happen that would make anyone else run from the house in fear, but Kelly keeps on keeping on. Sabrina would never do that, Nathan would never do that. Even though there is clear evidence that one of them did!! When things seem to have straightened themselves out, a big reveal happens, which was totally implausible, and surprising. It's yet another tale of a weak, gullible woman getting trapped into events beyond her control and not taking charge to change what is happening. Not my favorite from this author, but a solid effort.

This was the first book I've read from this author and it was just okay. It was hard for me to get into and the characters didn't keep my attention.

I devoured Andrea’s last thriller, “We Were Never Here”, so when I saw that she had a new “locked room” style domestic thriller coming up, I hopefully put in a request on @netgalley and was gratefully granted access thanks to @randomhousebooks !

This is one of those thrillers that you try to put down to do work, clean the house, make dinner, go out for the night…but can’t help but thinking about and itching to get back to. This was the first time I have encountered a STEAMY thriller and also…the first book written about a setting during the pandemic that has felt authentic and believable but also incredibly twisty. I don’t really even want to tell you anything about the plot- it’s not worth spoiling any aspect of the book. Just know if you enjoy twists, spice and intrigue…you’ll enjoy it.

One aspect I loved of this book especially was its open, free exploration of sexuality in a very organic way. I was grateful to access the bonus materials for the book Andrea just released this week, and was thrilled to find that Kelly’s journey was, in parts, inspired by elements of Andrea’s own experiences. She also included some of the text exchanges between Kelly and Sabrina as well as some other goodies in the bonus materials!

“The Spare Room” is out June 20 wherever books are sold! If you follow the link in Andi’s bio, you can submit your proof of preorder to access the aforementioned bonus materials, which I highly recc! Hope everyone’s having a sunny and fulfilling week!

While the synopsis sounded like something that would be my type of book, I was underwhelmed. I was expecting more of a psychological thriller in the likes of Shari Lapena, Freida McFadden type of book, but this one was not. If you want to read something very spicy, well this may be for you, but I prefer something with a little more depth. The characters Kelley and Mike nor Nathan or Sabrina held my interest. While the premise of the book was good, I just could not connect with this story. I'm always on the hunt for unique stories, especially when they are psychological thrillers but this one was more of a romantic mystery.
Overall I found the book to be a mediocre read. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! #TheSpareRoom #NetGalley

The pace of the book was good. Enough characters introduced to keep track of and keep interesting but the end was a let down. The idea of shifting to Elizabeth’s perspective should have been used earlier in the book. Sabrina being guilty would have been more plausible than Mike.

Unfortunately this was a total disappointment, & for so many different reasons.

First and foremost, this did not read like a thriller. The first 3 quarters of the book felt a lot more like a steamy contemporary. No doubt there will be a lot of people who aren’t into the adding a third into a marriage dynamic, I know that doesn’t float a lot of boats, but it doesn’t bother me & it’s actually something I find especially relatable, but even so it just wasn’t particularly interesting or complex. Rather than have things be creepy, fatal attractiony, jealousy, stabby, etc etc etc it was like cheesy weird throupleness. Think Lifetime Movie if they were progressive. Just wasn’t my cup of tea.

The final stretch had a lil bit of a mysterious element but barely, there were no reveals or shocking surprises, I saw everything coming from a mile away, I figured out where things were going very early in and felt bored for the duration.

The MC was just completely unlikable. And not in the cute or quirky or funny kind of way. She was just completely obnoxious, & she truly came off as a legitimate dummy often too. There’s nothing that annoys me more than characters that are dumb as doorknobs, which is basically what we got here.

I really liked Bartz’s last release, so I was really excited to read this & maybe I had too high of expectations. I was expecting another clever, fast paced thriller NOT a romance, which is what The Spare Room felt like. I enjoyed the setting, but the premise was not what I was expecting and I wound up being left with a predominantly disappointed sentiment.

The writing was decent and it wasn’t COMPLETELY slow or boring, the writing got me thru the book, but sadly I can’t give this more than 3 stars, it was a 2.5 stars for me rounded up.

Ok you guys. The first 30% of this book. I wanted to DNF. It was a slowwww burn for sure. But O.M.G. When I tell you I never saw these twists coming. I am not kidding. This was the perfect mix of romance, mystery, thrill and some heartbreak. At times I truly wanted to fight the main character, but in the end I loved her and felt Andrea truly answered every question I could’ve had. She tied up every loose end and in the wildest way. Couldn’t put the thing down once the wheels started moving!!! This one comes out June 20! And I truly do recommend it!!

This shouldn't be marketed as thriller. Barely suspense. This is all sex and no stabs. The "thriller" happens in the last 20%??? *sigh*

I went into this not really knowing how I felt about pandemic fiction - this was the first book I've read that described life *during* the pandemic, and it was a unique experience. The author created an interesting, weird, potentially realistic scenario around the pandemic - and it worked. That said, I genuinely have no idea what to think of the complete left turn into twistville with the actual plot. Did not see "forming a thruple with your pandemic pod" on my reading bingo card, but here we are. This was twisted, strange, unpredictable, and a fairly easy read. I enjoyed it, but I am also somehow... unsatisfied by the ending. Definitely worth the read, just... different.

I had read “We Were Never Here” and devoured that book! I was excited by this book, and seeing the cover had to request it. I had read the description, but I think I was expecting it to be more thriller. Unfortunately, this one did not fit the bill. Probably a good book, but not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!

Wow, uhm… I think I’m still processing what I read?! 🤯

After enjoying We Were Never Here, I jumped on the chance to request an early copy of Andrea Bartz latest and maybe forgot to read what it was about?? The open marriage, the throuple situation, it’s all right there in the synopsis and yet I was totally not expecting it. What a wild ride! The story was just so captivating and I couldn’t put it down. Jam packed with twists I never saw coming. Very much recommend picking this up next month!

❗️Maybe hold off if you’re not yet ready to read books that take place during the pandemic. It’s not super heavy on that topic but does make small references from time to time.

2 things I washed that interested in reading about, the pandemic and throuples, but it worked! I could have done without some of the details of the Covid timeline. I'm just not ready to read about it, since we all recently lived it. The man in character made some questionable decisions, but don't they all. Ha! The twists were great and you never really knew who was good/bad until the very end.

Thank you bet galley for the ARC! Solid read!

After enjoying "We Were Never Here" by Andera Bartz I was excited to read her newest "The Spare Room". I liked the idea of a domestic thriller set during the pandemic because it gives a sense of isolation we can all relate with. However the romance and drama drawn out through the first 3/4 of the book was not what I was looking for. The story got a bit ridiculous and I felt like it took forever for anything of interest to actually happen. I didn't dislike this book it just wasn't what I was expecting after reading her other book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

I wanted to read this because I read and loved “We Were Never Here” and Andrea did not disappoint!!
This book instantly pulled me in. I love a book with such an “active” start. I feel like I’ve read so many books lately that don’t really start until 25-30% in.
This felt like a thriller through and through and I could not put it down.