Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
The Astrology House tells the story of four couples that vacation together for the weekend at a house that offers astrology weekends. You get your own astrology reading and a compatibility reading with your spouse, as well as other New-Age thingies that sounded boring to me. But the food sounded great.
Anywho...the beginning is an exploration into each character and his/her issues. This was told from different view points and it became confusing trying to remember who was "talking" and who each of the characters were married to. Or maybe I'm just old. The early parts seemed to go slowly for me and I wasn't really invested in any of the characters (except maybe Farrah). None of them were very likable. The twist took me by surprise and I did find myself enjoying it at that point. But it was too late in the game to really make up for the earlier chapters. Overall, meh. Nothing super but it's not terrible.

this one reminded me of Lucy Foley’s work and the pregnancy darkness of Verity by Colleen Hoover. Page turning! I wish there was more astrology wrapped in at the end. There is one storyline I wanted wrapped up and it was not. I really enjoyed reading it!

I was hooked from the beginning, and absolutely devoured this book.

To start, I love the idea of a retreat near home that’s filled with both luxury and astrology readings. While I don’t always believe my horoscope, I’m intrigued by astrology.

Second, the writing was sharp. I wanted to keep reading. I was invested in the story and the characters. Did I like any of them? None except Margot. Did I want to know everything about them? Yes. Was I surprised that they were all terrible people? No. And were they well-written enough that I loved reading about them? 100%.

While this wasn’t a true thriller (I’d put it in the domestic suspense category), I was engaged for the duration. It didn’t drag, there was always something happening, and Rini—being the host that she was—kept the weekend moving forward with her schedule.

"Secrets are the driving engine of a good story... we need to know our hero has a secret, and we turn the pages to find out what it is..."

I enjoyed this! There were five characters at the retreat who took turns with 1st person narration chapters, and they were mostly easy to keep track of (I actually confused Aimee and Margot a few times, I felt they were the most similar). I enjoyed the astrology element and that it was mostly in the background. This book has some twists and I saw a few coming (if you look at the chapter titles, you may know what to expect) but there was one that really surprised me at the end. I also appreciate that in books like this, most characters aren't super likeable - someone has to die, so there's an element of nastiness over all the events - but these characters were very grey and getting snippets into their past was important to understand the ending.

Dialogue can be hard to write, but Jade has a good ear for it. I felt it was natural and realistic. I also like that social media is so present here!

This might be a good TV mini series!

This book was INCREDIBLE. The characters, despite there being several, were well developed and I was truly invested in each of their stories!

Did I predict the big reveal? Not quite. But I DID successfully predict the true villain. That didn't make me enjoy this any less. To say I devoured this book is an understatement! I will DEFINITELY read more from this author.

Also in a fun twist of fate, the publication date is my birthday! Which really drove home all the fun cosmic twists for me!

Carinn Jade’s debut novel, “The Astrology’s House,” certainly took a hair-pin turn halfway through that I didn’t expect and certainly wish hadn’t because what began as a fun, intriguing, fast-paced, and rather humorous dialogue-driven story, soon transitioned into a slog-fest due to its determination in changing themes.

A hint of mystery and intrigue is always fun; however, a complete 180-degree turn into unpredictable lunacy isn’t. That’s why overall, this psychological thriller drama wannabe did not work for me.

Juxtaposing thematically first from a light-hearted story about star-charting personal compatibilities to one of multiple twisted murders for revenge to ultimately metaphysical life-after-death and rebirth experiences is just pushing the limits too far in one fictional universe.

All of these, all at once, just bogged down what began as a well-paced enjoyable story, and turned it into a tale that I had to force myself to finish because I was no longer interested.

Furthermore, this was such a ‘nepotistic’ storyline of interactive characters that it was frustrating and mind boggling trying to keep track of who was whom, and which ones were related, married and/or cheating on who with whom—ugh!

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Carrin Jade, and Publisher Atria Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster: Celebrating 100 Years of Publishing in 2024, for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

This was such a fun, thrilling ride from start to finish. As someone deep into astrology and tarot, this book was right up my alley. The story was captivating and I kept waiting for every new chapter and POV. Never once lost my interest. Great book.

This review has been posted on my Goodreads account...

Do humans act according to fate or free will?

Brief Summary-
Margot and her group of friends all need a getaway vacation. So Margot books a weekend away at Stars Harbor Astrological Retreat, that promises rest and relaxation with some added astrology fun. Including readings, etc. Hanging out in a house full of your friends sounds like a great idea right? Well with everyone having a secret to hide, being in close proximity can lead to some drama and even a murder.

What To Expect-
🌖Astrology Themed Retreat
🌖Multiple POVS
🌖Rich People Behaving Badly
🌖A Shocking Twist At The End

Content Warnings-
🌖Pregancy Struggles
🌖Forced Abortion

“Your future will not be free until you right the past”

My Thoughts-
I loved this book. It’s such a unique story. The added astrology trope to the mystery/thriller was such an interesting spin. I was engaged throughout the story. I was never bored. I devoured this book in one day. I just couldn’t put it down. There was so many intricate layers to the story, so many secrets. I just needed to know where the plot was going to lead. The big reveal had my jaw on the floor. Actually my jaw was pretty much unhinged the last 20% of the book. I just couldn’t not believe it.

The writing and pacing were excellent. This book had me hooked from the first chapter.

There is a lot of characters and dynamics but the author did a wonderful job distinguishing each individual. When I think of the the friends group I can describe them as whole.. delulu, selfish, neurotic, aloof, desperate. I did like a few of the characters. Some of them did not stand out to me. I liked reading about each persons signs and hearing about their birth charts. Before the author introduces the characters POV in the beginning you get to read sun, moon and rising sign on an astrology card along with some other personality traits. Which I found very fun and helpful. There is a lot of information in the beginning which some may find confusing. But it all click’s at one point.

♓️Margot married to Ted.
♑️Occupation: Lawyer
♒️Sister to Adam

♋️Aimee married to Adam.
♎️Occupation: Social Media Influencer
♍️Best friends with Farah

♍️Farah married to Joe.
♎️Occupation: Doctor, Obgyn
♌️Best friends with Aimee

♒️Ted married to Margot.
♑️Occupation: Investment Banker
♊️Best Friends with Rick

♏️Adam married to Aimee.
♏️ Occupation: Writer
♈️Brother to Margot

♌️Rick married to Eden
♈️ Occupation: Investment Banker
♊️Best Friends with Ted

♈️Eden married to Rick
♏️Occupation: Jewelry Designer
♊️Frieds with the group because she is married to Rick

With a friends group like that, you can expect some drama.

Overall-
I think this is an awesome debut book. I can’t wait to check out the Authors future work. There were some connections and twist and turns I didn’t see coming , that made this novel very hard to put down. All my astrology friends who enjoy reading Mystery/Thrillers add this book to your TBR expeditiously.

Playlist-
✨Gypsy- Fleetwood Mac
✨Crystal- Stevie Nicks
✨Young & Beautiful- Lana Del Rey
✨Witchy Woman- Eagles
✨Dream- Fleetwood Mac
✨All The Good Girls Go To Hell- Billie Eliish
✨Third Eye- Florence The Machine
✨Aint No Rest For The Wicked- Cage The Elephant
✨Rhiannon- Fleetwood Mac
✨Stargirl Interlude- The Weekend
✨Triggered - Jhene Aiko
✨In My Feelings- Lana Del Rey
✨Mr. Brightside- The Killers
✨Dont Hurt Yourself- Beyonce
✨Watermelon Sugar- Harry Styles
✨Sweet Caroline- Neil Diamond
✨Energy- Tyla Jane
✨Season Of The Witch- Lana Del Rey

🌛Thanks to NetGalley, Carinn Jade, and Atria Books Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review🌜

This was a great read that had me flipping pages til the very end. It’s a unique, fresh take on the suspense mystery and I was hooked from page one. Really good writing, great plot and good character development with twists and turns that kept me guessing til the end. If you’re into mysteries and astrology…pick this one up! Plus…astrology and tarot-need I say more?!

This book drew me in by the cover, but then kept my interest with its plot. The Astrology components are new to me, but it made for a unique plot point in a twisty thriller. The plot twist truly showed how complex lives can be amongst groups of adults. The character depth in the writing was so well thought. This was an excellent thriller, fantastic read!

This book was so much fun! I didn't have many expectations going in besides the astrology aspect. At times, I felt that there wasn't much going on, but once the book picked up, it PICKED UP! The last hundred pages were so interesting, and I wish we had more time to experience the creepiness of Stars Harbor. Even though the premise is about an astrological retreat, it's not a major theme of the book. I think this book would still be enjoyable to all thriller lovers even if you don't believe in astrology, as it wasn't an overwhelming amount. It just added some more fun, but I would have enjoyed this book without astrology as well!

Potential spoiler: One thing that I wish was mentioned was the synastry between the sun and moon of certain characters. There was a slight hint towards it, but nothing really concrete.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was very intrigued by the concept of this book and, while some of the astrology aspects were a little confusing and unknown, I don't feel that that detracted from the overall premise of the book. However, about 75% of the way through, the plot lines started to feel disjointed to me. I enjoyed the twist, even if it did seem outlandish. All in all, I did enjoy this book. I just wish that I could have felt like I was rooting for more of the characters and that there was a tiny bit more cohesion across character plot lines.

Did not feel like the writing was very strong. The descriptions were poor. There is one one scene where the sneakers are have loose laces all over the place but then they said the laces are knotted? That didn’t make any sense. The people all sounded alike. I really liked the idea but it just didn’t really gel for me. Maybe someone with more experience if this is her first book, do a better job or a better job in the future. Texted you about it

I was super optimistic and excited about this story. A thriller with aspects of astrology with hidden agendas and secrets galore is totally up my alley. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations for a few reasons. This is not to say that I don’t enjoy any aspects of the book, but the negatives outweighed the positives for me in this one. I’m also keeping in mind that this is a debut, which is a great feat and should be appreciated for that alone.
But let’s get into what didn’t work for me. First, the dialogue. The way the characters spoke was extremely formal, but was juxtaposed by the use of modern slang such as “vibes” and “pick me girl”. Their strange way of speaking took me out of the story to some extent, along with multiple unrelated tangents that took up multiple chapters. I think the ending left a lot to be desired. The final twist was definitely unexpected, but the fallout from the twist felt unrealistic and unsatisfactory.
Here’s the things I did like!
The astrology cards to introduce the characters was a great addition and we got to know them in a different way that was related to the theme of the book. It was also so clear that the author put so much research into the astrology readings for each character. The majority of the characters were fleshed out really well with in depth backgrounds. There were some really complex and interesting dynamics within the relationships, and the secrets each character was hiding made the twists even more surprising.
All in all, I did want to find out what would happen when secrets and hidden agendas were revealed, but the execution didn’t live up to what I was hoping.

What drew me to the book: THE COVER and TITLE…

What pulled me into the book: the really intricate dynamics between the characters. Wow! There is so much going on in the lives of the people in this book. There are so many things going on behind the scenes and it was such a great aspect of the story.

A group of couples and friends book a trip to this gorgeous Astrology House. They all have their various reasons for their stay, all quite different… though nit all of them take stock in astrology at all.

These people are MESSY, folks! And I loved it! Between influencers who carefully curate their entire lives according to their feed, to infertility, to infidelity, to possible murder…? This book has it ALL.

The big reveal wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, which was the only reason this wasn’t a five star. Even with the way the end plays out, it was still incredibly enjoyable as a whole!

I was so excited to read The Astrology House, especially after seeing so many glowing reviews. It grabbed my attention at the start, but around the 30% mark, it started to lag. I can't put my finger on exactly what didn't work for me, but I think it was that we spent so much time inside the characters' heads versus seeing the plot unfold. I expected something more fast-paced, but this feels like more of a slow burn.

However, the author does a great job of distinguishing a lot of different perspectives and delivering a lot of detail, which could easily get lost. Other readers — especially those who are into astrology — will probably enjoy this book more than me.

This book was just what I needed while I’ve been home sick with a cold. This closed door mystery focuses on the Astrology House, a weekend retreat designed for wealthy attendees to getaway and learn more about their signs, The details within the book were perfect and I could easily picture the house and characters in my mind. Rini, the owner, creates a weekend full of wine tasting, astrology reading, and other weekend activities. If this were a real place, I might sign up! This weekend’s guest all have their own secrets and by the end of the long weekend someone may not live to tell about it. This had a great twist, fantastic characters, and was completely original. I highly recommend the Astrology House.

This was fantastic. So twisty! I couldn’t put it down because I was so invested. I loved every second of this ride. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Sadly not a fan. It just didnt do it for me. I'm sure this book is for someone but just not for me. Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

First things first, I LOVED this book! The Astrology House helped me get out of my current reading slump. This was a fresh take on a vacation thriller that immediately had me hooked. I went in blind reading this and I think that’s best. I could go into a more detailed synopsis. But I don’t want to give too much away! This book gave me The Guest List vibes but more twists and a fun new take.

What I enjoyed:
- the astrology aspects were super interesting! I liked reading about each persons signs and hearing about their birth charts. I thought this added a fresh take on the thriller genre!
- Different POVs from a few of the guests and our host
- The writing and pacing were excellent. This book had me hooked from the first chapter. I also loved the setting of the victorian house and it’s hidden gems
- The twists! I didn’t see one of them coming

Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel from this author. I cannot wait to read more of their future works. 4 stars out of 5! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!