Member Reviews

The Astrology House ~ Carinn Jade
A group of wealthy Manhattanites escapes to an astrology-themed retreat, where resentments and long-held secrets lead to a shocking death.
I had very high hopes going into this book because of the astrology aspect. Though I think the author has a very concise grasp of tarot and astrology, the story just fell flat with me. I didn't find any of the characters very likeable, and that might have actually been the purpose. The mechanics of the writing was fine, I just didn't find the dialog very satisfying. This is probably entirely on me and I can definitely see where this book will find an audience that will enjoy it.
Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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i went into this one thinking that it was going to be very promising as i love astrology and am really into trying thrillers out at the moment but this one didnt fully connect with me unfortunately! over all it felt a little to chaotic and had too many characters to fully get invested in every single one of them.

i think i might give this one another try at a later date as i didnt hate it by any means, maybe i just wasn’t fully in the mood for it this go around.

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Formal review and thoughts to be paired on Instagram/Goodreads. Gave Lucy Foley vibes with the wealthy dysfunctional couples on a weekend away.

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Genre: Mystery Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Special thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Carinn Jade for an ARC of this book!

A group of family & friends book a weekend at Stars Harbor for an astrology themed retreat. This getaway promises much relaxation, beautiful views, individual and group astrological readings, and drama. Lots of drama. Not only do all of the guests have some kind of secret, but the host is holding the biggest one of all.

As someone who enjoys astrology, this concept really intrigued me! I loved the idea of the astrological retreat with ulterior motives. This book kept me intrigued enough to see what was going to happen. I did feel like there were too many characters at times and it was hard to keep track of who was who/ how they fit into the group. Not to mention, the entire group was MESSY. There was so much drama intertwined between these characters. The reveal was only halfway gasp inducing for me, but overall enjoyed this read!

👍🏻:
-Astrology retreat
-The astrological breakdown of each character at the beginning of their first chapter
-Overall storyline

👎🏻:
-Literally no happy/healthy marriages
-Chaotic sub-plots
-Too many characters. Found them and their intertwining relationships hard to keep track of sometimes
-Some things felt unresolved at the end

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Four intertwined couples with secrets...and the astrologer who brings them all together for a spiritual retreat where all - and much more than they bargained for - will be revealed.

I enjoy the "people thrown together in an isolated place TURN TO MURDER" genre, and this is a fun new addition. Rini is an astrologer who sees her clients' fates in the stars, but is pulling a few strings of her own as well. She's gathered a small group of friends, spouses, siblings for a weekend retreat in Stars Harbor. Tension between siblings, spouses, and would-be lovers boils over, and someone doesn't make it out alive.

Add this one to your thriller TBR pile!

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Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this copy of "The Astrology House."

The premise sounded so good and I thought I was going to love it, but here's why I struggled:

There were too many people and couples and I took notes but still had trouble keeping track of all the relationships, histories, talents, and careers.

I really wanted to know more about Rini the astrologist and I think her back story could have been a book all by itself.

I may give it another try at a different time but wanted to give feedback.

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This is a great debut by a talented new author to the thriller scene!

A group of Manhattanites travel to The Astrology House for a getaway on Long Island. The house is run by Rini, who seems to have a master plan beyond giving a few readings. We slowly come to learn the secrets of the guests, who are each bold, complex and flawed characters in their own right.

Told from multiple POVs, this is a locked room-type read with a lot of shocks, twists and turns.

This is a great read for anyone who likes psychological thrillers in the style of Lucy Foley or in the vein of Desperate Housewives.

Thank you Atria Books for the ARC!

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If you liked Nine Perfect Strangers by Lianne Moriarty you will like this book.

I don't know much about astrology but this book really lets you know the accurate references for astrology the author definitely did their work. I didn't feel like there was alot of thrills or mystery. I felt that it dragged and just not something that keeps you wanting to know more.

I feel like it definitely is a slow burn, loved the rich people problems always there for that theme and there are multiple POV which i like in a book.

I will try this author again for the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read and review.

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In The Astrology House, four connected couples go to Stars Harbor, a retreat that focuses on astrology. Margot is looking to reconnect with her brother and gain some insight into her struggles with getting pregnant. Rini, their host, has an ulterior motive with this group and secrets of her own. There is also a storm on the way, adding to the eerie setting.

The story is told from multiple POVs and at first, the characters are a little difficult to keep track of but the beginning of each chapter lists the character narrating the chapter and how they are related to several others. Most of the characters aren't likeable which makes it hard for me to get into a story. It's also quite slow paced in the beginning. Near the end; however, it picks up tremendously and becomes much more captivating. When the storm and the story line pick up, I wasn't able to put the book down and had to know how it ended.

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I really appreciated the accurate astrology references, down to the detailed charts at the beginning of each chapter. However, I felt like The Astrology House was missing the thrills and suspense that I was looking for. The story started to drag, and it felt more like a contemporary fiction/drama than a thriller.

I would definitely recommend this to people who liked Nine Perfect Strangers by Lianne Moriarty.

This is Carinn Jade's debut, so I would still be curious to see what she writes next.

🌜Astrology-themed retreat
🌜Rich people problems
🌜Multiple POVs
🌜Slow Burn
🌜Soapy

Rating: ⭐⭐💫

Thank you Netgalley, Carinn Jade, and Atria Books for the eARC.

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If you like astrology then you should pick up this book. The plot had promise to me, but it wasn't what I thought. There were way too many characters for me to care and invest myself in understanding them. It was more of an astrology textbook than anything else in my opinion and it seemed to drag on with that.

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For all the astrology babes out there, this book blends the zodiac and a thrilling mystery, so it was right up my alley. Smart and quick!

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I thought this one was just ok . It didn’t hold my interest and felt it was like a lot of books already out there with similar tropes.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me

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This one did not work for me. I liked the idea of a group of people going to a retreat. Unfortunately there were so many people that I couldn't really care about any of them.

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I was so excited to get the chance to read this book. I was lucky enough to be gifted a copy from Net Galley and Atria Books, so a huge thanks to them.

I enjoyed this book for several reasons. The first is that I found it refreshing to have a newer take on the plot. I don't usually see a lot of full-on astrology in books and it was a new way to add in a lot of tension and push emotions over the edge. It was used creatively in the story and I appreciated that.

This story is told from the guests' and Rini's viewpoints. I normally don't care for books in this style, but this one worked for me. I think part of this is that the reader sees things from Rini's perspective, and from the synopsis, we know that she has an agenda for her guests. So when we see snippets from each guest's perspective, it ties into the overall story.

Another clever aspect I liked was that Rini has these little guest cheat sheets. It was a nice tie-in to the story, but as a reader, it also helped me get a reminder of the characters in the beginning. I usually do not enjoy stories with many characters introduced all at once since I sometimes forget who is who. These cheat sheets furthered the story and brought the characters back to the front of my mind.

The ending of this story was a bit of a letdown for me. It felt a bit too chaotic and I think had some secrets been revealed a little earlier, it would have helped the end feel more cohesive.

Regardless, I enjoyed this story a lot. I recommend this if you're into astrology, slow-burns, and domestic thrillers. This debut from Carinn Jade was well-executed and I'm excited to read her future works.

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This was a good one but not great!
A lot of characters and POV’s to keep up with,
And the storylines were a bit confusing.
I feel like the “reveals” weren’t actually reveals, as most of them were very predictable. I did like the setting and the use of zodiac/astrology/“fate”. Very cool to see the character’s zodiac signs and star charts listed in the book.
Overall a quick, enjoyable 3 star read.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria/Simon Books for the advanced copy!

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Anytime a book mentions a group of wealthy women, I know it's bound to be juicy. They seem to have more drama hidden behind a flashy outer shield than any other group. This group is no different!

I think this retreat sounds interesting and I'd definitely take friends and go on a retreat like this, but hopefully with a better outcome. You'll have to read it to know what I mean! It's worth it!

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Entertaining suspense thriller.

The 4 couples and friends just wanted a fun weekend away and Stars Harbor Astrological Retreat sounds like a lovely place for them to hang out. Farrah and Joe, Aimee and Adam, Eden and Rick, and Margot and Ted are not that big into astrology but are quite surprised by some of the revelations they experience when Rini starts doing their readings. Lots of the usual secrets and lies that are just lurking and ready to bust out.

Sounds like many of these people have things they don’t want to come out and, what a surprise, Rini has her own agenda. And then, the hurricane.

This was fun and fast and quite predictable with all the couples at the retreat. The narrative alternates points of view so the reader knows what each is thinking and feeling. I liked some of the characters more than others and the conclusion was not really unexpected as I had anticipated that turn of events. I guess you can never really know anyone as well as you think or hope.

I don’t know much about astrology other than basic zodiac signs so that part was quite interesting and made me actually want to look up my own chart. Alas, no Rini here to interpret for me!

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I liked that the production had a large cast so as to make the voices and personalities distinct. I definitely liked some of the voices more than others. But, as always, the dual approach made me enjoy the novel that much more.

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A juicy drama reminiscent of Lucy Foley with multiple POVs and an astrology undertone, The Astrology House was a really fun listen with a tremendous narrator!

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This book honestly caught me off-guard. I didn’t think I would like as much I did, But it ended up leaving me utterly speechless. The writing is phenomenal, the multiple POVs constantly kept me on edge, and the character development was exceptional. I HIGHLY recommend this one.

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