Andrea Bartz is a new author to me, one I found on Netgalley. Oddly enough, I chose her book and her sister's book at the same time. They also have heavy, deep lesbian tones, which is totally find, but surprised me given they were released relatively close to one another. Andrea focuses on the break-up of a couple that sends the almost-married female half to stay with two friends (okay, they knew each other nearly two decades ago) during the pandemic. She finds subtle hints of them wanting a threesome, then she learns their formal thrupple partner has gone missing. Girl, get out now... what is wrong with you for staying? That said... I enjoyed the book but definitely felt there was too many moments of disbelief. I get that our heroine was upset about her break-up and kinda had a hidden attraction to women but she received too many warning to ignore. Nonetheless, the ending brings everything together, with a shocker, of course. I was around 4 stars but felt the whole thing was too contrived with not enough explanations and history to really grip a reader... so I ended up with 3 stars. Will read more from the author, and I think it's a good thriller - just not necessarily well-rounded enough for me to recommend to others yet. I see the possibility of her getting bigger tho!

I admit, sometimes I request books on NetGalley that I shouldn't. I rated the author's previous book, We Were Never Here 2 stars, so why I requested this galley is a mystery, but perhaps I wanted to give the author another try. That said, this one is honestly only a smidge better for me.

In The Spare Room, we are told it will be a locked room mystery, but the mystery is a back seat to a domestic drama. Kelly is 34 and on a break with her fiancé of 4 years, during the first summer of the covid pandemic in 2020. Looking to give space to the relationship, Kelly takes her friend Sabrina up on her invitation to come isolate with her and her husband, Nathan, in the suburbs of DC, in their gated mansion. From the beginning, Kelly is irritating and obnoxious, and I was honestly left wondering when the "mystery" would begin.

Overall, yes I finished this book, the writing itself was well done, and flowed well, but the plot of the book was just so odd. At some points I was left feeling like the author was perhaps trying to emulate Coleen Hoover and her oh so obnoxiously popular books (I read one and hated it), but I could be wrong. In the interest of fairness, I decided to bump my rating of this book up to 3 stars, simply because I do not think this book was the book for me. Perhaps those who enjoy this type of book will enjoy this story. :shrug:

Thank you to Random House Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

This may be one of the most unique thrillers I've read in a while. As soon as I read the summary for this book, I knew it would be right up my alley. Queer characters toeing the line on societal norms, with a bunch of plot twists and mysteries along the way? Yes, please. I even stayed up until 1 am last night because I couldn't put this down. I ended up devouring it all in 24 hours tops.

I saw a few other reviewers online saying this was more of a romance than a thriller, but what I loved was that it had elements of both – but only the best parts. I'm not a huge romance reader, but the passion and romance that blossoms was beautiful to read about.

The growth we see along the way from our protagonist made me a bit emotional. I found her weak in the beginning and it frustrated me from time to time, so when we start to see that growth, it's truly moving and had me rooting for her until the very last page.

The plot twists were perfectly sprinkled throughout, with a few jaw-dropping ones at the end. While there were a handful of twists that had me actually shocked, I also have to give credit to the overall mysterious vibe of the story as well because you really find yourself questioning who you can trust from start to finish.

Overall, this was an incredible read and I will be recommending this one to all my fellow bookstagram readers and followers!

"The Spare Room" by Andrea Bartz is my second book by her and I enjoyed "We were never here" so I was pretty excited to receive this advance copy to review.

The synopsis definitely raises the intrigue level..... We have Kelly who has just been been dropped by her fiancé during covid. Distraught she ends up being roommates with her roommate Sabrina and her husband in their mansion and soon those three start engaging in some "not so safe for work" escapades. But it soon takes a dangerous turn when something sinister may hay have happened to Sabrina and her husband's last roommate. Just how safe is Kelly living there??

Nope, this book doesn't really do it for me. For one, it's suppose to be a thriller and it's absolutely not. I would go so far as to call it pretty boring actually. The "thriller" part doesn't even happen until late and I was fairly checked out by then. And even if wasn't I can't get past the prose. Especially the dialogue! Every other sentence ends in a exclamation mark! Why are they yelling all the time?!?. lol. And the dialogue itself is really dumb. Like these characters aren't making any sense or making rational decisions. I love my new roommates! But I miss my finance... Oh, you want a three way, let's do it! But I miss my fiancé.

So not sure what this book is but if you like corny dialogue and badly written sex scenes then go for it. This book actually would make a decent beach read if you want to turn off your brain.

I really appreciate Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for giving me advance review copy for my honest review and this one has a publication date of June 20, 2023

I didn't enjoy this book, but I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to have read the arc. Thank you, NetGalley!

This book started out captivating, but it focused too much on the relationships between the characters and not enough on the thriller. I wasn't sure when the "thriller" element would kick in and it didn't until the very end of the book. I didn't like the ultimate resolution and really did not enjoy the focus on relationships.

I read steamy and stabby books, and this was technically both.. but it wasn't enough of either to keep my interest.

My biggest issue with this book was Kelly as the FMC. With many thrillers, we get women narrators who lack confidence and latch on to other people. That normally plays into the storyline at some point and you never really love a FMC in a thriller. Kelly fit that bill. But since this was also part romance, it really irked me that such a weak woman was put in some of the situations that she was. It made the romance part of the book more uncomfortable than anything else.

I struggled through the first 30% of this book but continued to make my way through it hoping that it would get better. I began to enjoy it a bit more as time went on as I began to get more curious about what was going to happen.

Kelly was an annoying character to read from and her back and forth was a lot to deal with. I also have a hard time dealing with cheaters especially when you are meant to be more sympathetic towards the character. It was also randomly smutty and went from zero to a hundred rather quickly. It felt unrealistic in a world that was just affected by COVID and the couple begin to randomly touch Kelly.

Her friend, Sabrina, invites her to move into her house with her husband, Nathan, when Kelly begins to struggle with her fiancé. It begins to build up a sexual tension and eventually the three end up in a relationship with one another. Kelly tries to go about a relationship with the married couple and wants to be equal and she starts to notice that there are a lot of secrets being kept from her.

I enjoyed that this novel added a lot of information to the missing ex-partner of her new friends and sex-mates. Sabrina and Nathan begin to act strange, and Kelly can’t put her finger on why they aren’t telling the truth about their ex-partner and why she is missing. A lot of secrets are playing a role in their relationship and Kelly must decide on what she wants. When she returns after a night escape everything starts to fall apart and she needs to decide on what she is going to do.

The twists of the novel were interesting because there was so much information provided and as the reader you must break it apart yourself and decide on who you think is the guilty party.

This book kept me guessing! I did not see any of the many twists coming. The MC was a little exhausting with how often she changed her mind about things, but overall, I enjoyed this book!

Trigger warning: Lots of Smut and sexual information for those who might be sensitive to it. Andrea Bartz thrilled me with her book Wish You Were Here and so when I saw this book I thought finally another book! I couldn't wait to read it.

Kelly has a new life in Philly but it has gotten ugly and a living nightmare. She unfortunately loses her job and in the midst of lockdown she has a tiny apartment with a man who just called their wedding off. She ends up reconnecting with her friend from childhood Sabrina. Sabrina lives in a beautiful home with an even more beautiful husband. Sabrina offers her an escape from her life and to come stay with them. Initially she gets settled and things seem okay until they arent. She gets pulled into many different weird situations and then into the relationship. She thinks she likes it but then she has started to question if they might be dangerous. Do they really care about her?

Personally I did not enjoy this like I thought I would. When reading about this book I didnt see a whole lot about the smut or sexual things in the book and thought it was just another purely domestic type thriller. But I was wrong. It had tons of smut and lots of sexual tension. I dont read books with these items because they make me uncomfortable due to some personal history. The thrill part of the novel was very well done but by about halfway it became a little too much for me. Again this is purely a personal reason but the novel was very well written. I can respect the author for a well thought out and thrilling plot.

The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz
⭐⭐⭐/5

This book was very different from what I expected jumping in - first off , Id expected more thrills - instead it didn't get thrilling until about 70% . And I'll admit. I ended up skimming ALOT . Instead the book focused on the sexual relationship of the trio and their character building. Which ; in itself isn't an issue .

Secondly- slow burn 🔥. Yes there was lots of graphic sexul encounters between 20% and and 70% but I feel like when I'm hankering for a thrilling read - spice just isn't what does it for me in that moment . Which is a shame because I love me a spicy novel ! .
However - I felt that by the time the story picked up, I was already so disconnected from the story that I no longer cared.

Thirdly . . . Why is the main character Kelly , so absolutely, frustratingly annoying . Like her naivety frustrated me through out the whole book and I just couldn't get behind the thought process behind her emotional driven decisions . .

I wanted to like this book so much . Judging by the synopsis. Maybe I'll have to come back and re- review once my mind has forgotten some things. But knowing its more of a romantic suspense may make me feel differently about this book in the future

Thanks @netgalley & @randomhouse for the early copy of this one . I will definitely ear mark it for a secondary read in the near future!

This was so chaotic and fun. I had a great time reading this popcorn thriller. It was fast paced and kept my attention the whole time. Locked rooms can get a little predictable but I didn’t see some of these twists coming!

I didn’t actually read the full synopsis on this book before requesting it from NetGalley, I just saw the author’s name & knew that I owned other thrillers from her (that I still need to read!). I was a little surprised about how steamy this book ended up being - not my usual read, but a fun addition to the typical thriller elements. This is also only my second book referencing the pandemic, & the way that it played a role in this novel was integral to the plot.

Kelly is still reeling from her fiance saying he wanted to hit pause on wedding plans, so when an old childhood friend invites her to take a break with her & her husband in their mansion, Kelly decides to take her cat, Virgo, & board a train from Philadelphia to Virginia. She’s greeted by her friend Sabrina’s husband, Nathan, & they form a COVID lockdown pod together. Eventually the lines between houseguest & hosts get blurry & Kelly finds herself in a throuple’s paradise - until she realizes that the last woman this couple opened their marriage to is missing.

This novel had a lot of wild romantic plotlines & violent twists & turns, honing in on the isolation, fear, & paranoia that became a daily reality for many people during the pandemic. I did really appreciate the author’s note at the beginning telling me that the cat would always be fine! And the personal growth that Kelly exhibits as she becomes more in tune with herself is an important message. This was a fast-paced, shocking story & I look forward to reading more of Andrea Bartz’s work.

Thank you to NetGalley & Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Spare Room is a tale set during the pandemic. A young woman, Kelly, fresh from a separation from her fiancé is invited to occupy the spare room in a high school friends mansion. Kelly is a bit of a problem for me as a reader. Her reasoning and decision making defy logic. Things that she discovers would have had me running for the nearest exit, but she rationalizes the suspicion away. The married couple are shady in certain ways and she enters into a three way intimate relationship with them. A missing ex-partner of theirs, her abusive ex, and hostile neighbors create a tale that is complicated. I rated this at 3 stars because while it was interesting enough that I finished the book, it’s not one that I would revisit. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the title. My review is my opinion only and is given freely in the hope it is helpful to other readers.

I received an ARC of this book from Random House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I am not really sure how to categorize or rate this - definite mixed feelings. I thought it was going to be a psychological thriller, but the action described in the synopsis really doesn't occur until close to the end. Until then, it is a pandemic romance I suppose?

My absolute favorite part was the note at the beginning that Virgo is always OK. Made no sense till I started reading, but we then learn Virgo is Kelly's cat. I can't handle books with cruelty to animals so I loved this detail!

It did keep my interest - the author did a good job with building suspense and characterization, though in my opinion, all 3 main characters are very unlikable! Kelly is so wishy-washy and desperate for attention. Sabrina seems fake and suspicious, and Nathan is a bit creepy.

Considering this book is about a "throuple," it's not super explicit. I actually really liked how the author handled the sex parts, leaving most everything to the imagination.

The conclusion definitely came as a surprise which I appreciated. But I did not understand the epilogue! Someone help!

3.5 stars rounded down but I would still read more of Ms. Bartz' work.

This one took me way too long to get through. It wasn't bad, but it didn't hold my attention long enough. After struggling through the mid section I started skim reading so I could sprint to the end and I was just not into the ending. It was just ok.

#TheSpareRoom #NetGalley
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz. It is well worth reading and I would defiantly recommend to my customers.

The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz gave me some complicated feelings.

Kelly’s life has started to fall apart. After moving with her fiancée to Philadelphia, he wants to pump the brakes on their wedding. Her only reprieve is reconnecting with Sabrina, an old friend from high school. Sabrina offers up a space for Kelly to stay, and Kelly can’t resist. She finds herself falling door both Sabrina and her husband Nathan, and one night, they make the decision to open up their marriage. Soon though, Kelly learns though that she’s not the first person they’ve opened their marriage up to…and that person is missing.

I think the concept for this story was very intriguing! The pacing is great and definitely had me racing to the end of the book. The plot twist did have me questioning the story I’d just read and the epilogue had me questioning it again! The author did a great job in setting the scene I can see why Kelly would be drawn in.

I’m not sure I would call this book a true thriller as most of the action doesn’t surface until later into the third act of the book. While I liked the supporting players, I was annoyed by Kelly. Her choices were frustrating and she felt a bit too naive. It killed a bit of the momentum for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of the book there’s a satisfying build up until around the time Kelly asks to go to a hotel. The momentum is lost and it takes some time to build back up. Around that time there seems to be a lot of wasted time or busy work but the climax (pun intended) is so quick.

I appreciate Bartz’s commentary on nonmonogamy at the end. It’s important to me that readers don’t make this form of relationship ugly. Polyamory was not the crime. There were and are elements of beauty and emotional intelligence in polyamory. The salacious nature of the book will draw you in but the moral of the story is trust, consent, honesty, and it’s really a commentary on any relationship.

Kelly has a sort of devil on her shoulder who she refers to as a gremlin, which I think could be better named. Especially when it isn’t always encouraging her to be bad, but to see the truth and piece things together.

Overall, a slow burn with a fast flame-out, similarly to Andrea Bartz’s other novel, We Were Never Here. Although Bartz’s novels are usually tied up nicely, she always leaves one element of the story missing until the very end. I found myself speed reading the last 10% or so just to get through it and discover the last plot twist.

This is my 3rd read by this author and I think I had the same feelings about all three. Amazing plotline, but the execution lacked for me. I would have liked to read more about the main character, Kelly's, back story and what led her to need a break from her current situation to go live with basically strangers during a pandemic. Or more of how her online connection with the Serena came to fruition. Maybe it would have been more believable if we understood what was driving her to take such a huge leap. A large portion of the story moved so slow, but around 65-70% it picked up and was hard to put down. Definitely didn't anticipate the ending, which is always fun for me.

During the pandemic Kelly’s fiancé tells her they need a break, so she flees to Virginia to stay with a friend from high school who she recently reconnected with. Sabrina and Nate are a beautiful, successful married couple living in an equally beautiful home in an exclusive gated community. Kelly is immediately enamored with them, so much so that she begins to find herself becoming attracted to them. When she finds out they feel the same, they all enter into a relationship together. They tell Kelly they’ve only done this once before, with another woman but that relationship ended amicably. Oh and by the way, that woman just happens to have gone missing.

•

Sexy, twisty and full of suspense. I tore through this in 2 sittings. MC Kelly is insanely flawed and so desperate for Sabrina and Nathan’s love to the point where it’s slightly pathetic and cringey. Luckily, this helps with the development of the throuple storyline, but she still irked me. Sabrina and Nathan’s interest in Kelly seemed shady to me from the jump, so I always thought they had an ulterior motive. The last 20% of the book gets hella wild, I did not expect the twist at the end which makes for a good read for me.

A woman is left by her husband, leaving her without a job or place to live. An old school friend offers her a room in an old house - very creepy.
The friend and her husband initiate a three-way sexual relationship. However, it seems that the last woman who filled this role disappeared and now it seems that the third wheel may be in danger.

steamy.