I have a weakness for thrillers that take place in a big house with mysterious hosts and friend/ family drama, and this book this that perfectly. It’s a bunch of friends that half hate each other and have their secrets, all getting their charts read while feeling to keep their heads on.

I found this debut novel to be rather boring and it took forever for anything to happen. I did like her writing so I will be checking out any new work, but this one just didn't work for me.

ARC Review: Available July 16th!


The Astrology House by Caring Jade. Thank you to @netgalley and Atria Books for my #GIFTED copy. All options are my own and voluntary.

Margot, her husband and 3 other couples visit Stars Harbor Astrological Retreat to rest, balance and get some answers. The retreat promises an enlightening experience for Margot and her fellow guests. Margot has come for some divine intervention with fertility. She’s desperate to be a mother and to reconnect with her brother whom is married to Amie.

Adam, a successful romance author has been busy writing his novels while, Amie, successful social media influencer with a following of mothers like her, has neglected Adam for far too long. She’s hoping to reignite their spark during this trip. But Adam is not having any of it. You see, Adam is hiding huge secrets from Aimee, secrets that are about to come to light.

Rini, host of Stars Harbor is also hiding a secret, a secret that will lead someone to their grave.

My thoughts:
Fast paced, interesting and full of plot twists! This was an exciting read that I enjoyed all the way through! Fans of Daniel Hurst will love this one!

Astrology + frenemies on a weekend retreat? Yes, please! I loved the addition of the Astro cheet sheets - they helped me to remember how the group was connected and gave insight into their personalities. The audiobook has a full cast of narrators which helped differentiate the characters.

The astrology aspect of this novel was so fun! I loved reading about everyone's sun, moon, and rising signs and how that impacted their experiences and behaviors. The story ticks all of the boxes you want a thriller to have: secret identities, revenge, affairs, too much money, a beautiful locale, and even a hidden passage.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. And the premises of it was amazing and really drew my attention but at 30% I did unfortunately add this to my dnf pile. It just didn’t hold my attention like I had hoped

Margot Flynn is an attorney who is looking forward to some time off with her husband, brother, and other friends at the Stars Harbor Astrology Retreat on Long Island. Here, with their hostess's guidance, Margot and the others will ponder how much of life is fate and how much is free-will. Everyone has a different reason for being there. Margot specifically wants to know if motherhood is finally going to be in her future. By the end of the book, the reader learns some of the characters have unexpected connections.

The setting is unique and readers get to see each character's horoscope as compiled by Rini, who seems to have an agenda in addition to giving readings to her guests. The atmosphere of the book is foreboding, and the multiple-points-of-view keep the book moving at a fast pace. Everyone in the book has secrets and while some of the characters are harder to get to know that others, I grew to like almost all of them by the end of the story. One person is behind redemption and it's hard reading about what that character did. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to thriller fans looking for something different, but I was disappointed that the dramatic ending left some important loose ends open.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

I really loved the premise of this book. I liked the mystery but I really did not enjoy most of the characters which made the book a little difficult to get through. It was a decent read overall.

Not yet 40, and Margot has achieved her dream of making partner in her firm. But while her future should feel bright and secure, Margot is struggling with the complex emotions that accompany infertility. On top of her fears that she may not be able to build her family, she is also distressed by the recent distant demeanor of her brother -- her only living relative. With so much upheaval in her life, Margot decides that a couples retreat to a vacation destination she keeps seeing ads for on social media will be just the thing she needs.

Stars Harbor Astrology House isn't just a luxury retreat center -- guests also can participate in private star chart readings, couples compatibility sessions, and group activities. But as four couples descend upon the rental for a weekend that promises answers and clarity from the stars, a storm and a swirl of secrets threatens to sow chaos instead -- with deadly consequences.

I really appreciated how the author dealt with some sensitive topics, namely infertility and wondering whether one's child needs developmental support. These are very real things that families deal with every day, and I thought that the author handled the treatment with the respect the topics deserve.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. Many of them were downright unlikeable, whereas others were prickly and intentionally keepings others (and the reader) at arms' length. Coupled with this were plot revelations that I was able to guess beforehand, meaning that twists didn't land with the shock the author hoped to deliver.

Readers who enjoyed the premise of Nine Perfect Strangers, with its luxury retreat and a hostess with ulterior motives, will likewise find this debut novel intriguing and a great pick for a vacation read. However, mystery/thriller fans will likely be able to deduce many of the story's outcomes before they are revealed.

This review will be posted to Goodreads and Instagram on July 23, 2024.

Very entertaining and full of drama! I had a little bit of hard time keeping up with the characters and who was married to whom but over all really liked the book and learning how everyone was connected.

4/5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning and middle of this book. I felt like the mystery was intriguing enough to keep me going, while also getting enough information to still move the plot along. However, the end felt a little rushed and unresolved for some characters. I wish the ending had been a little longer and detailed for it to feel a little more clean. Overall I still enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it to others who enjoy thrillers/mysteries.

Yes! I loved this book! Think Nine Perfect strangers but if they all had a connection to each other! And the drama… just when you thought you figured it out it made you do a 180. Dark and twisty and I love it! So surprised to find out this was her first novel! Very well done and will be looking forward to reading more from Carinn Jade!! 🖤
Thank you net galley for the read! 🤍

This was a rollercoaster! I was 99.9% sure I figured it out and then BAM! I love an unexpected turn of events. I loved the different POVs and the atmospheric location. This book is completely bingeable and such a page turner. There were quite a few characters in this story, so it did take me a bit to keep up with who was who, but other than that it was a wonderful debut!

This is a wonderful book if you love reading about rich people and their problems. I was not feeling rich people this weekend but I still enjoyed this book.

An atmospheric book full of people hiding secrets, affairs, a death (murder?) , and astrology? This book was right up my alley. I was honestly surprised that it was a debut written by a new author, as she seems to have mostly hit her stride. The pacing and character development was on point for this story, even though I didn't necessarily like all the characters. (Because they were doing sucky things- not anything the actual author did or didn't do!) There were times that certain things were a little left of center, but they always seemed to right themselves one way or another. I think Carinn Jade has a lot of talent, and I'm super excited to see what she writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley, as well as the publisher, for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of The Astrology House in return for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own; any books I recommend at my job are because I've personally read-and enjoyed- them.

The Astrology House first captured my interest by its name alone: I’ve loved astrology for many years and always enjoy seeing it used in novels. It’s a theme in some new romance releases this summer, but this is my first time seeing it used in a thriller. Here, we follow a group of friends (four married couples) who go on a vacation together each year; this time, they’ve booked a weekend at an astrology-themed retreat. Each will get their own astrology reading, a couple compatibility reading, and other fun, zodiac-related activities. But the planets are at work to bring out long-buried secrets, put new actions in motion, and change the course of their lives.

I love the premise of The Astrology House and how it weaves in astrological themes, especially early on. Each character is introduced with a page outlining their three major signs (Sun, Moon, and Rising), their relationships with the other guests, and pertinent information about their upcoming transformation, from an astrologer’s perspective. With my 20 years of astrological knowledge, I enjoyed seeing these snapshots of the characters’ zodiac-based personalities.

For most of the novel, we move between several POV characters: Margot, her brother Adam, his wife Aimee, Aimee’s best friend Farrah, and the Astrology House’s hostess, Rini. They’re easy to keep track of, each with their own personalities and motives. Bit by bit, the characters reveal not only where they’re at, mentally, during this weekend retreat, but also layers of their own pasts. Secrets they’ve kept, regrets they have, worries for their future…

In contrast to many thrillers I’ve read, The Astrology House doesn’t raise the stakes early on. There are no flash forward scenes teasing murder and mayhem. There isn’t a drastically increasing sense of dread and danger throughout. Rather, it unravels slowly, like a domestic drama with themes of motherhood and fertility, infidelity, and family trauma. It’s more psychological, but still has some exciting twists and action towards the end. Who here is bad? Who’s even worse?

The Astrology House is an intricate and dramatic psychological thriller, built more on domestic suspense than heart-racing action. I would have liked to see astrology play a bigger role in the ending sequence, but nonetheless, I enjoyed the whole book. – Reviewer: Amanda: Gemini Sun, Cancer Moon, Taurus Rising

Eight wealthy Manhattanites, each dealing with their problems and harboring secrets, hope to unwind, disconnect, reconnect and find some peace of mind with the help of Rini, resident astrologist and owner of Stars Harbor Astrological Retreat in Long Island, over a weekend. The four couples are known to one another, but little did they expect that the idyllic weekend would not only expose the dysfunctional relationships and secrets between spouses, siblings and trusted friends but also lead to revelations that could potentially fracture these relationships beyond repair. Was the weekend deliberately designed to wreak havoc in their lives? What is Rini’s agenda? Are they being manipulated or is someone among them responsible for the strange events? Chaos ensues as the group is trapped due to inclement weather.

I was intrigued by the premise of The Astrology House by Carinn Jade, I found the concept of an astrology-guided retreat really interesting and loved how the author incorporated the astrology aspect into the narrative. I also enjoyed the suspenseful, claustrophobic vibe, the setting and the description of the old Victorian house and the rooms. The novel features a large cast of characters but is skillfully structured such that it is not difficult to follow who is who and how they are connected. The narrative, which flows well, is shared from multiple first-person POVs, which gives us a well-rounded picture of the events that gradually unfold. Though the pacing is a tad uneven, the author injects enough twists and surprises to keep you engaged. The climax is truly shocking.

Barring Rini, I didn’t find any of the characters particularly interesting, though each of the characters was well-fleshed out, complex and flawed, which definitely contributed to the drama. However, the drama did get a tad too soapy for my liking, and I thought the author piled on more than was required in this aspect, especially for a novel in the mystery/thriller genre.

However, overall, I did find this to be a promising debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this promising new author in the future.

Many thanks to Atria Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Eight friends decide take a retreat to the Astrology House-a unique resort run by Rini and a place which promises relaxation and insight into their lives using (you guessed it) astrology. What starts as a normal retreat soon turns dark as a storm rolls in and we find that this particular group visiting this resort is not here just by chance as the past comes back to haunt them it is clear there is something far more ominous is in the works. So, this book reminded me quite a bit of Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. I really like the astrology angle of it all.. There are many characters to keep track of here and this was something that did trip me up a bit. I think it was good for a debut and if you a thriller fan you'll like it. Just be aware there are several characters that have zero redeeming qualities and a few that are frustratingly lacking in backbone as well. The big reveal for why they were all drawn to Astrology House was something I did not figure out before the end so bonus points for that.

A group of wealthy friends book a vacation trip to the Astrology House. They will relax and get their charts read. They each have secrets, of course, but Rini the astrologist, has hers as well. These characters were very hard to like and have any feeling for what happens to them. I was just waiting for the inevitable crashing climax and boy, that part did not disappoint. It made the slow trek to get there almost worth it all.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for a copy for review.

When Margot books a weekend stay at an astrology-themed BnB with her friends, she wants more than a glimpse into the future--she wants to reconnect with her distant brother, Adam. However, proprietor and resident astrologer Rini has an agenda of her own which sets the weekend hurtling toward its deadly conclusion.

Thrillers aren't usually my thing, but I enjoyed this one, though I wouldn't have picked it up if not for the astrology elements. Parts of it were quite predictable, but I thought the twist at the end still had a nice payoff. I know some people didn't enjoy the multiple POV take and I agree that there could have been fewer POV characters, but I truly enjoyed the way the author seeded information that took on different meanings depending upon which character was interpreting it. Nearly every interpersonal relationship could have used more development, and I'm bummed there wasn't much resolution to Aimee and Farah's story line. These few critiques aside, it was a fun read.

Many thanks to Atria for the ARC!