I absolutely loved The Vacancy in Room 10. It was such a delightful mix of murder and suspense as well as comedy and real characters and relationships. It was such a quick and inviting read, as suspense built switching between our two female characters. The motel setting and repertoire of background characters really add to the flavor of this book. Some really memorable and laugh out loud scenes. Great thriller!

Different. I feel that is an accolade is the congested world of thrillers. Two female protagonists with chapters going between the two. Both with sordid histories with their husbands and now both living in a trashy apartment complex. The complex has a cast of characters including “the pool girls” and a woman who is called uncle fester. There are multiple layers of who dunnit and the ends wraps everything up nicely. Quick read.

This book felt chaotic to me, as if I was getting catapulted around between characters without plot payoff. It started off strong and promising but as time went on, characters continued to interact or events would happen, but nothing gripped me and I found myself having trouble focusing because there were so many vanilla, B grade characters.
The premise of the book definitely got me initially invested but it was not executed up to par (IMO).
Reviews on this are mixed! People seem to either love or hate it. How I felt reading this was how I felt when I read The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. Like I was trapped in a game of Clue that I didn't want to play!!

I’ve enjoyed other books by this author, and maybe I’m just in a bad mood, but I found the characters so irritating I couldn’t care about the story. I’ll read other books and may even reread this later as it could be a moody thing.

Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

I loved this story so much, and I absolutely adore how Seraphina writes.
Her descriptions are done so well that you are fully immersed in the scene as the details play out.

I really enjoyed finding out Anna and Cass’ secrets and how their lives intertwined.
The pool gals were a breath of fresh air with their humour and side stories. How the women banded together throughout and especially in the end was 👩‍🍳💋

I was so excited that Anna in the end got her Ibiza trip and was also very happy with Cass’ ending.

I’m sad to leave these characters behind.

Will be posted on 4/25/24

📖 Review: The Vacancy in Room 10 by Seraphina Nova Glass
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I ate this one up, it kept me hooked the whole way through! I could not guess the twist at all. I loved this, worth the read for thriller fans!

☠️🚪🛠️🏚️

This story follows the POV of Cass the handy ma’am and Anna the recent widow. Anna gets a phone call from her husband Henry with an awful confession right before his death. When police rule it a homicide with foul play Anna has questions. She needs to decide if the truth is worth her safety while uncovering dangerous secrets.

Pub Date: April 9th, 2024.
I was so excited to read this one. Thank you @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for this eARC!

#thrilledbythrillers #thrillersbooks #thrillers #readmorethrillers #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #booklover #booknerd #arcreader

In "The Vacancy in Room 10" by Seraphina Nova Glass, Anna Hartley's world shatters when she learns of her husband Henry's shocking demise. As she delves into the murky waters of his past, secrets unravel, revealing a man she never truly knew.

Glass weaves a web of intrigue, drawing readers into a world where trust is fragile and betrayal lurks around every corner. The rundown motel, The Sycamores, serves as a fitting backdrop for the unfolding drama, its eccentric residents adding layers of complexity to the narrative.
While the twist caught me off guard, and the plot held my interest, I found one of the main characters to be frustratingly weak, detracting from my overall enjoyment of the story. Additionally, the portrayal of love and betrayal felt somewhat formulaic, limiting the depth of emotional resonance.

Despite these drawbacks, "The Vacancy in Room 10" is a solid domestic thriller for fans of unexpected twists and turns. Glass keeps readers guessing until the final pages, and while the resolution may not satisfy everyone, the journey is undeniably gripping.

Thank you NetGalley and Seraphina Nova Glass for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While reading this book, I found myself initially captivated by its promising beginning. The author skillfully drew me into the story with a compelling introduction, sparking my interest and igniting my imagination. However, as I delved deeper into the narrative, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment creeping in.

Despite the strong start, the plot quickly became predictable, following clichéd tropes and failing to offer any surprises or twists to keep me engaged. I found myself anticipating each development long before it unfolded, robbing the story of its potential excitement and intrigue.

As I turned the pages, hoping for a deviation from the expected, I longed for something different, something that would challenge my assumptions and evoke a sense of wonder. Unfortunately, my expectations were not met, leaving me feeling unfulfilled and yearning for more from the narrative.

While the book may not have resonated with me personally, I recognize that others may find enjoyment in its familiar storyline and comforting predictability. It's important to remember that reading preferences are subjective, and what didn't quite hit the mark for me may still hold appeal for others seeking a familiar and comforting read.

Very clever indeed! Kudos to Ms. Glass for a well-developed plot with twisty suspense. This is the first book I've read by this author but now I'm excited to check out her backlist. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I’m a confused by all the incredible reviews. I really disliked the writing and the characters. Painful to get through it, and the ending was completely unsatisfying.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere built up in this book.

The book takes place at an old motel that was converted into apartments called the Sycamores. There is a ragtag cast of characters who live there that you grow to love. Everyone has their own secrets. Anna moves into the Sycamores after the untimely death of her husband. She has suspicions and is determined to get to the bottom of it. Cass moved into the hotel after her fiancé cheated on her and kicked her out. Both women are being threatened by an anonymous source over secrets they keep.

When one of the tenants goes missing, alliances shift and despite having to work together, no one knows who to trust.

This book was a little bit slower than what I am used to but filled with suspense. The plot twist at the end was good, although it was revealed a bit early, and then we had to wait for it to play out.

I loved Cass's character development throughout the book. At the beginning, she was broken, reeling from her breakup. As time went on, she really became her own person and found a new family.

Overall, I liked it.

I really enjoyed this book it kept me on my toes the entire time and the twist at the end had me mind blown definitely recommend!

The Vacancy in Room 10 🏨
Seraphina Nova Glass
🌟🌟🌟🌟 💫

I loved this one! Slow burn drama set in a motel gritty atmosphere and a dead body turns up leading to high stake suspense! As Cassie and Anna’s story intertwine, the reader is compelled to know what happens next at the end of each chapter! The characters of the Sycamores really add to this mystery and although there’s quite a few of them, the author does it without confusion and allows them to add levity and darkness to this twisty thriller! Thank you @netgalley for this E reader copy! (Pub 4/9)

I usually love mystery thrillers, but this one just didn't do it for me. Based on all the high-rating reviews on GoodReads, I was excited to read this and thought the premise sounded great. I ended up DNF'ing around 65% because it was just soooooo slow and I did not care one bit. I also was missing on the dual-POV narrators of two women (was this a pitball of listening to some of it on audiobook and some reading on kindle, or was this the author's mistake?) and really thought it was all coming from one POV/voice. This just wasn't exciting in the least and I was proud that I even pushed through to 65%. I'm not sure what excited these 5-star readers so much...

This story follows Cass recently dumped by her long time love who has now parading around his young 20s fiancée at all the fancy dinner parties and get together. All her friends have taken “his side.” Self proclaimed handy ma’am she is working at the Sycamores as the super in exchange to live there. She fixes things from the electricity to pulling hair out of the drain - a far fall from
The glamour she’s used to. Enter Anna.. she receives an odd emotional confession from her husband, Henry, and then the line goes dead. What’s thought to be Henry’s suicide becomes an investigation into a situation much darker - he had his art studio at the sycamores but what really happened to me! Several suspects and several other secrets later this whirlwind story keeps you guessing and guessing.

This novel was fabulous! I found it grabbed my interest immediately and kept it throughout the book. There were several sub-stories happening and they were well integrated. The book flowed smoothly and was easy to follow plot lines. The characters were likeable and relatable. I will bring recommending to my book club and friends/family.

3.5⭐️

The Vacancy in Room 10 is an outlandish but entertaining murder mystery thriller. It’s filled with a wide variety of characters ranging from kooky to sinister to mysterious, however I wouldn’t call them terribly well fleshed-out. But if you can suspend your disbelief, this makes for a fun and suspenseful beach read.

Thank you Seraphina Nova Glass, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was gifted by Netgalley & the publisher for my honest review.

This was my second book from the author and I can now confirm that she is a consistent author for me. Her plot is engaging and the mystery is intriguing enough to keep my interest.

I will say that I can usually guess the reveals before the end of the book, which is probably due to the amount of these types of books that I read. However, I did have a good time and would widely recommend to people!

The Vacancy in Room 10
★★★★ 4/5 stars

» quick synopsis
In a rundown motel that’s been turned into low-budget apartments called the Sycamores, tensions run high when one of the tenants is found dead.

» read if you like
-atmospheric reads
-Blackmail
-nosey neighbors
-murder mysteries
-morally grey characters
-strong, independent ladies!
-found family
-books that are great on audio

» my thoughts
I absolutely loved On a Quiet Street, so of course I was excited for this new mystery. I highly recommend going in blind & just enjoying the ride!

This author proves yet again that she is a master of writing an intricately crafted plot with twists galore & large casts of characters without any confusion.

It was so atmospheric, I felt like I was there! I could picture life in this rundown motel-turned-apartment building in the sweltering summer heat. What starts off slow burn drama quickly turns into high stakes suspense - This popcorn thriller definitely deserves a spot on your summer TBR!

Thank you @netgalley, @htpbooks, @htp_hive, & @graydonhousebooks for this ARC ◡̈

The Vacancy in Room 10, is this cluster crap, 6 degrees of separation, crazy mystery about a women trying to come to grips with and understand her husband's death. In this deep dive she ends up in the "land of misfit toys" apartment complex. This story had me almost panicked the whole time. I was staring deep into the shadows, peering around every corner, just on edge as these characters go through this "pin point" destination in their lives.

I really enjoyed this book. Unfortunately the reason that this is not a 5 star book is the over repetition that is not needed, the editing thus far and the ending. It just did not help the story mesh for me and left a sour taste in my mouth for the story. I was really into it. This is a great anxious mystery, and I would recommend people read. 3.5 stars.