The Spare Room is the latest dark and twisty suspense novel from Andrea Bartz. I’ve enjoyed every one of this author’s books and this one was no exception.
This thriller is the definition of a page-turner!
An impossible to put down, fast paced suspense.
Bartz has created phenomenal depth, intriguing characters, tense suspense, compelling mystery, a fun whodunit.
A slow burn story with a satisfying ending.
This one kept me up long past my bedtime!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Random House & Ballantine Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for providing me an early copy to read and review.

If you loved We Were Never Here like I did, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this. It’s definitely a unique read, kind of a wild and bananas plot, but such an interesting mystery that started off as more of a slow-burn drama.

The characters were difficult to connect with, but this was such an escape and I just had to keep reading to see how it would all wrap up.

Oh. My. Goodness. If I could give this book 6 stars, I would! This book was a hard one to put down. Every time I thought I had something figured out, I was wrong. I was in complete shock towards the end of the book, I would have never guessed who actually did it. I have never read Andrea Bartz before, but she is now on the top of my list. I have downloaded 2 more of her books already! This book should be moved to the top of your TBR!

I started this book by thinking, “oh great, a story line set during the pandemic, I don’t really need to relive the experience.” However, the plot line really only works when you take the cultural clime of a lockdown into mind. I went back and forth between thinking Kelly was being a little crazy and reading way too much into things to thinking her suspicions were absolutely justified. I couldn’t track who was trustworthy and who wasn’t throughout the story and I didn’t really see the twist coming. Overall I enjoyed this book.

Basic premise: Set during the pandemic, Kelly takes up communication with an old friend, Sabrina. Kelly takes a break from her fiancee, Mike. She moves to VA to quarantine with Sabrina and her husband, Nathan. Romances, distrust, and deception. Predictable plot twists throughout the story.

I wasn't "wowed" with this book. It didn't feel like a thriller until the last 1/4 of the book. It just wasn't for me.

I did not love this one and I struggled to finish it. I thought the premise of the book was a bit confusing, and I did not care for Kelly at all. This book is more of a romance than a thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Near the beginning of the pandemic, after her relationship falls apart, Kelly goes to live with her old friend Sabrina and Sabrina's husband Nathan in their gorgeous home. Things take a turn for the steamy, but when Kelly learns that their previous partner is missing, she fears she might be next. With more twists than a bag of pretzels, expect to see this one in a lot of beach bags; it's a perfect poolside read.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC that I received in exchange for an honest review (and to the author for including a note at the beginning that nothing bad happens to the cat!).

This is one wild roller coaster ride! Hang on until the end and enjoy!!!! Kelly’s fiancé has just (kind of) broken up with her. So she goes to stay with an old friend she reconnects with online. Sabrina is now a popular author married to Nathan who works for the DOD. Quarantine with these three is anything but boring! Lots of mystery, sexiness, and lies - perfect combo for a mystery.

Unfortunately this wasn’t it for me. Nothing happened in the first 50% and it just drug on. I’d still try other books by this author though!

I was excited to read this after reading "We Were Never Here." I was also really intrigued by the cover and synopsis but I only go to 20% before I gave up on it. I was expecting more of a thriller but it was just too slow and the main character was insufferable and whiny. I just couldn't get into it.

The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz was pretty lackluster overall. It was a fine read, but nothing really stuck out (in a good way). There were too many chapters of indecision and paranoia, which made the book drag as a whole. The throuple concept was forced and added unnecessary "spice" to the book. 2.5 stars rounded up.

ating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Category: Romantic Mystery Thriller

Overall: Riveting, unique, domestic suspense

Pros: This book was chaotic, suspenseful and intriguing that takes place during the pandemic quarantine days. The first half starts off slow and takes a weird and surprisingly sexual turn that I was not expecting. Once you get past that, the tension builds into a riveting thriller where you’re trying to figure out who the culprit is while they’re all trapped inside the mansion. The relationships between all the characters were extremely complex and intricate, and could be psychoanalyzed in multiple directions. The story felt very unique and unpredictable, which is rare in mystery-thriller books. There were a few unexpected turns and I have to confess, I did not see the ending coming; I never would’ve guessed the plot-twist.

Cons: Overall, this was an entertaining read but I enjoyed Andrea Bartz’s earlier book, We Were Never Here, better. I had mixed feelings about the conclusion and felt like the plot was too drawn-out. I also was not expecting the sexual first half and didn’t particularly enjoy it. I think it could’ve been more accurately described as a romantic thriller/mystery to elude to that.

Interesting premise, interesting plot, interesting ending....
I have loved all of this author's books and while this wasn't my favorite, I did still enjoy it!

Kelly is heartbroken. Her long time boyfriend has postponed the wedding and Kelly feels she has nobody to turn to. Then an invitation from an author she has been following online, to come and relax in her beautiful home. Kelly readily accepts and immediately loves her new surroundings and Sabrina and her husband Nathan. Things take an unexpected turn and Kelly's life will never be the same again.
I did enjoy this book and it did have a twist at the end.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book! It is full of spiciness, gaslighting, mystery, and drama. It had a "whodunit" premise that lead you to think any one of the main characters was guilty. I definitely didn't see the twist coming. This was a 5-star read for me!

I recently read The Writing Retreat by this author’s sister and commented that, although I did not enjoy that selection, I had liked We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz. When I saw this early copy on NetGalley I didn’t hesitate to request it. I mean, look at the cover alone . . . .

The premise here is that Kelly (hey, girl, hey!) has been told by her fiancé that he would like to “pump the breaks” on their upcoming nuptials . . . . and it’s not because they’re in the middle of the pandemic. Kelly shares her story with Sabrina - a former high school friend turned influencer/bestselling romance novelist she has reconnected with over social media – and Sabrina offers Kelly a spare room with she and her husband Nathan in their Virginia mansion. And then they become a throuple????

Yeah. I’m pretty clear that romance in general tends to hinder my enjoyment when it comes to stabby good times, but this was some serious Lifetime Movie of the Week stuff. I’ll go with 2 Stars because it is coming up on pool season so I could see people losing themselves in this bit of nonsense.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well this one had some turns!

I absolutely loved We Were Never Here but, The Spare Room wasn't for me. Kelly was hands down one of the most annoying and frustrating characters I have ever read. I would actually say 50% of this book was about threesomes and 20% was about her cat [TBH, the best part] and the other 30% was the thriller.

Maybe it just wasn't for me but, I didn't find this to be very thrilling until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A wild ride of a novel!

This book was nothing what I expected & I could not put it down. It was sexy, suspenseful & had me guessing till the very end.

“The Spare Room” is the latest thriller by Andrea Bartz.

Kelly Doyle, newly single, moves in with her friend, Sabrina and husband, Nathan Lamont during the pandemic. She starts up an affair with the couple, but learns that not only wasn’t she the first, but the previous love interest disappeared.

I loved Bartz’s previous book, “We Were Never Here,” but admit I could not get into this story. I did not mind the sexual content but had a hard time relating to Kelly who came across as very frustrating. This book has plenty of surprises but it’s less thriller but more about Kelly’s relationship with the Lamonts. I am also a bit burned out on pandemic fiction. Perhaps, this book is not for me, but it might be enjoyable someone else.

Two and a half stars.,

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy.

The Spare Room is a sexy domestic thriller about Kelly--a woman in her mid-thirties--moving in with a gorgeous, rich married couple during the pandemic in 2020. She has recently separated from her fiance and desperately wants to be back with him. Despite this, she finds herself enamored with her new hosts, Sabrina and Nathan. It was a fun, breezy read, but Kelly's character seemed a little flat to me. She's not the brightest bulb and since we're seeing things from her perspective, it was a little repetitive. It takes a little while to really pick up steam. The reveals were a little unexpected. I was expecting more, but overall it was a fun escapist read and perfect for the summer.

Thank you Random House / Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.