Great read! This was the first book that I have read that revolved around being quarantined during the pandemic. Great story with likable characters-story was fast moving and a quick read. Definitely enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley, Andrea Bartz and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the opportunity to read this ARC. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I spent most of this really disliking old Kell-Bell, and just about every consistent character. The characters are all written rather shallowly - as in there's no real depth to them - the sole of what I got from Kelly was that she wasn't happy not being with her fiancee/boyfriend. She wasn't happy with him, but that didn't seem to matter. And then once she entered into her friends' marriage she focused on that relationship, to the point of cutting out her friends, etc. This is a character with zero defining characteristics - she seems solely to exist only when she’s with someone.

Poorly plotted, the more I read, the less sense this made; wildly unrealistic.


Also, who goes to urgent care for a broken toe??

If you’re looking for a well-plotted, comprehensive domestic thriller/mystery, keep looking. This isn’t it.



Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the DRC!

Where to start?
1. Full of despicable characters
2. Pandemic paranoia
3.self serving agendas
4. Spicy relationships
5.one hell of a writer:)
Thanks to and the publisher for the Advance copy of The Spare Room.

So enjoy this author’s writing style. That said, the plot was only ok not my favorite of hers..

With great thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for this e-ARC!

This is the second novel by Andrea Bartz to cross my path and I'm grateful for it. The book is beautifully written and the plot holds your attention, giving just enough information to keep you reading well into the night, dying to know what happens next. While I did yell a few times, "just get the hell out of there," I'm glad the protagonist stayed. It was a fun and tense ride at times. BIG thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

This book just wasn’t for me. What I thought looked like an interesting mystery/thriller turned out to be 85% Fifty Shades of Grayish and 15% mystery/thriller.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63222106

The Spare Room starts out as an opportunity to reconnect with a childhood friend, and takes you on a roller coaster ride. After her engagement to Mike hits a rough patch, Kelly takes Sabrina up on her offer to spend some time away at her remote mansion in Virginia. While Kelly gets to know Sabrina and her husband Nathan better, she begins to question a lot about herself, her relationships, and that nagging instinct we all feel. I found this book to be gripping in the sense that I couldn't put it down, frustrating because the characters are often wildly unpredictable, and intriguing because I often did not see certain aspects of the storyline coming. I enjoyed the ride Andrea Bartz took me on as a reader and would gladly read more from her. Thank you to Net Galley, and Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

This was a very twisty thriller! It was compulsively readable and I found myself drawn into the story and reading it as fast as I possibly could. Andrea Bartz's writing style is so easy to read and stays present with Kelly's emotions and thoughts. It was easy to get swept into the world.

The book felt relevant. A woman is invited to isolate with her friend and her friend's husband. She soon forms a relationship, a triad with the married couple, becoming their "third."

The Spare Room explores the topic of toxic/unhealthy relationships of all kinds: heteronormative, queer, and polyamorous, making the distinction between what true attraction and love is versus new relationship energy, those early butterflies that may make a person ignore their instincts. The book did a good job of exploring the nuance in this while also being an entertaining page-turner. I admire Bartz's bold voice and her ability to explore topics, which some may find taboo.

This started paced reasonably fast and picked up even more at the halfway point, not letting the pedal off the gas until the last page. Do go into this one with an open mind, and know that—as with many thrillers—a little bit of suspension of disbelief will allow you to enjoy the reading experience even more.

If you like fast-paced, super twisty, action-packed thrillers...read this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House / Ballantine Books for my advance reader copy!

My eyes rolled so much, I had to switch to an audio book to give them a rest! 🙄

The premise sounded promising and I enjoyed this author's 2021 novel, We Were Never Here. I love a "inviting a stranger into the home" trope, so was hoping for a thrilling story.

If I had known about the sexual leaning scenerio, I never would have picked it up. This wasn't even a thriller until the last 25% (which seemed like an afterthought).

Kelly was insufferable and deserves an award for the most frustrating character. She also wasn't the brightest crayon in the box.

If you enjoy this type of "wild romance", maybe it will work. The writing did keep me interested until I figured out where it was going. I had to skim quite a bit to get through some scenes. I dislike writing a negative review, but there wasn't much I enjoyed.

I'm just not the right audience and came close to dnfing it several times.

Andrea Bartz weaves an intricate tale of passion and deceit in this love/hate triangle tale of a woman that forms an unusual friendship with a couple that welcome her into their home. But this is no casual relationship, for she might lose her life if she is not careful. Loved it!

Dude! (Or dudette😆), rarely a book completely pulls the rug out from under me but I this book is super surprising. Also, the best use of pandemic-backdrop I’ve yet encountered. It’s a great read! Though I’m heterosexual & monogamous, reading of others’ behavior, of a different lifestyle, is interesting. It’s a fictional thriller & very entertaining!! 4 high stars!!

I adore Bartz's books and this one grabbed me by the throat and shook me around until the end! Protagonist Kelly leaves her boyfriend, Mike when they have a fight and he postpones the wedding. Moving in with high school friend, Sabrina and husband Nathan, she is delighted at first when they are so welcoming and quickly they become a threesome which is unusual for Kelly but she's intrigued and loves it. Is it too good to be true? So many things happen at break-neck speed that my head was spinning like a scene from The Exorcist! And we don't know the real villain until the bitter end! No adulting here...just carve out a big chunk of time because you won't want to put it down!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Wow! Another great read by Andrea Bartz! This took creepy to a whole new level. And yes I was banging my head at the main character. This gave me lots to think about. Tense and twisty
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

What a wild ride! I thought they handled the pandemic well, although I did find it odd they were going out to eat in June 2020. I liked all of the characters, I would have liked to have seen a little more character development of the couple, We know the wife had been mousy and forgettable in school when they met, what prompted that change? The main character was a little immature and prone to a lot of bad similies. Mentions were made twice to darkness falling like a stage curtain. That was odd.

The final twist was perhaps unneeded but did tie up all of the loose ends.

I swear the glittering electricity that pulsated my body when I was asked to read The Spare Room as an early reader was real...

Andrea Bartz has taken the internet by storm since her debut novel, The Lost Night. Having said this, The Lost Night captivated my soul and had been in the number one spot for thrillers since 2019. That is, until The Spare Room, fell into my lap.

Bartz is a natural born story teller. Her writing style will grab your attention early on and suck you in without release until the very last word in the book.

Every time a twist reveals itself you will feel as though you were gut punched! Catch your breath quickly, the next twist will be in your face within seconds.

As always, Andrea Bartz delivers. The Spare Room is sure to be a hit amongst readers.

Five Stars

Teaser :

Kelly Doyle’s new life in Philadelphia has turned into a nightmare: She’s friendless and jobless, and the lockdown has her trapped in a tiny apartment with the man she gave up everything for, who’s just called off their wedding. The only bright spot in her life is her newly rekindled friendship with her childhood friend, Sabrina—now a glamorous bestselling author with a handsome, high-powered husband.

When they offer Kelly an escape hatch, volunteering the spare room of their remote Virginia mansion, she jumps at the chance to run away from her old life. There, she finds she loves living with them . . . and, much to her surprise, that she’s falling for both her enchanting hosts. Even more shocking: They say they share Kelly’s feelings and want to open up their marriage for her.

At first, the arrangement is blissful. But as their relationship deepens, Kelly begins to notice the cracks. The stories about their romantic past keep changing, and the more details she uncovers, the more things don’t add up. It’s only a matter of time before Kelly discovers the terrifying truth: They’ve done all this before . . . and the last woman is missing.

Cut off from the world and in way over her head, Kelly must risk everything to uncover the couple’s secrets—before she becomes their next guest to disappear.

Due out June 20, 2023, I strongly recommend every thrill seeker to pre-order this stunner.

This was a unique and interesting read, with some good surprises. The story centers on Kelly, who reconnects with a woman she barely knew from grade school who invites her to come stay in her mansion in VA after Kelly falls out with her fiancé. Kelly is desperate and lonely and decides to take the risk. Once in VA, she becomes enamored with her new host and her husband and they with her, but it’s clear they are hiding something and she isn’t sure if everything is adding up.

This story was interesting because it seemed really predictable and I was prepared for it to not be that memorable but it turns out things aren’t as they seem at all. I love a story with unreliable characters where the author deliberately leads you to thinking you figured things out before switching it up on you. I did think that Kelly herself was a rather annoying character and that the book spent too long on her internal dialogue, but I still liked the story overall. There is a romance aspect to this book, which I generally go out of my way to avoid, but I actually thought the threesome angle was fascinating and found that I ended up enjoying it.

Overall, I thought the story was unique and I loved the twists towards the end that had me rethinking what I initially thought were forgone conclusions. I’d recommend to those who enjoy domestic suspense books. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for a preview of this book. This book held my interest and was quite captivating but In the end I may have been the wrong audience for this Throuple angle. It was a lot to process. However the characters were well developed and it did have some good twists, just overall wasn't my favorite storyline personally.

Phenomenal!! I loved this domestic thriller and It's one of Andrea Bartz best books yet! Unreliable characters, a mansion, a writer, a houseguest and creepy shenanigans! Count me in for unputdownable goodness and a ending that leaves you with a perfect book hangover! Bravo!

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. Will recommend it to everyone I know!

Big Thanks to Netgally and Random House Publishing Group for a free E-book Copy of The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz.


Well for starters you had me at throuple, this book was Spicy, mysterious, and thrilling!
Kelly is engaged to be married she’s dealing with a bit of trust issue with her finance so they both agree to a small break apart, this is all happening amidst the pandemic. She’s invited to stay with an old school mate(Sabrina) and her husband(Nathan). Little does she know these two are hungry for a 3rd lover, and this is not there first time opening up their marriage.

This hooked me, Kelly’s suspicions and Paranoia rub off on me, she had valid hunches and sometimes I wanted to shake and slap her lol but this was an enjoyable read.
Howeverrrrrrr the ending could’ve been better imo, but Imma leave it at that.


3.5 ✨ rounded up