I hadn’t read anything but romance lately and when this landed in my inbox I knew I had to jump on it. I was so confused and never saw that ending coming. Throughout this entire book I was back and forth with who was evil, who was the real victim and who did it. I can honestly say until the end I had no clue and that’s the best kind of mystery, suspense and psychological thriller you find! The book is set at a remote hotel on the off season which gave major creepy vibes the entire time. If you’re a fan of reading Canadian Authors like me and enjoy a Lucy Foley book you’ll enjoy this one!

A chilling, atmospheric thriller set in a resort hotel in the unforgiving Fraser Valley in the British Columbian wilderness. The dangerous setting was as much of a vivid character as the protagonist Jane Duvall and her new husband Dom and stepdaughter Sienna. With something in her past Jane isn't proud of, she hesitates to pry into the mysterious death of her new husband's first wife. But when they arrive at the Venatura Hotel and she learns of a missing caretaker, the true crime documentarian can't help but wonder what dark secrets the property is hiding. This book is so twisted and tense. I absolutely loved it!

First of all I would like to thank Simon and Schuster CA for sending me an Ebook advance copy of The Off Season by Amber Cowie in exchange for my honest review. This thriller will be available for purchase or at your local library on May 14 2024.
This review will be featured on my blog: adustibookshelf.ca on May 7 as well as my instagram www.instagram,com/@a_dusti_bookshelf also on May 7 2024.

The description of this book said it was for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. Say no more, I am totally in.

We meet our main character, Jane, who in the midst of a pretty massive misstep, is running away from her career and trying to repair her identity and fight back against the haters. She has met Dom, an older man who sweeps her off her feet. When the opportunity to spend the off peak season renovating a very remote hotel with Dom and his daughter comes up, Jane sees it as a good way to clear her head and get ready to go back to her job refreshed. But, as her best friend and business partner mentions - why would you want to cosplay "The Shining"?

There are SO many secrets, and everyone is hiding something. We are lied to, things are hidden and omissions that create even more drama ensue as our little thrown together family faces the ramifications of a wild weather system causing the Fraser River to flood. (This actually did happen in 2021, the Coquihalla hiway was washed out in several places, due to damage from an atmospheric river, and people and animals were airlifted to safety. It was impossible for my parents to get to us, so this being in the story added a sense of danger and tension as I remember that being a scary time)

I really enjoyed this book, even though some of the twists seemed a bit over-done. The evil stepmom trope was a little played up but still a good addition to the secrets and lies. There's a lot of derogatory words thrown around in the last bit so just a trigger warning for that.

All in all, a great mystery and a good reminder why we don't marry someone we've only known a handful of weeks who's throwing red flags like confetti ;)

This book would be a great movie! I loved how it was written. The descriptive passages of the Venatura Hotel and the intrigue, that kept building from the very start, kept me flipping the pages. The possibility of who was responsible for the things that had happened and were happening kept me on edge.. I’’m looking forward to investigating other titles by Amber Cowie.
Thank You to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Amber Cowie for the opportunity to read and thoroughly enjoy this ARC.

A destination thriller, “The Off Season” by Amber Cowie is a gripping novel about a woman who accompanies her new husband to a remote hotel during the off season to do renovations and uncovers deadly secrets behind every door.

Readers go on a chilling journey to the Venatura Hotel, which is a place where secrets lurk in the shadows, and danger lies behind every door.

Meet Jane Duvall: a documentary filmmaker recovering from a professional setback, who joins her new husband and his daughter at the Venatura Hotel during the off season. Nestled amidst an immense forest and overlooking the mighty Fraser River, the hotel seems like the perfect place for Jane to bond with her new family. But as she settles in, she senses an unsettling presence from the cold and quiet hotel owner who oversees her husband’s renovations.

Jane's curiosity gets the better of her when she discovers a series of strange disappearances at the hotel during previous seasons. As she delves deeper, she realizes that her husband has a murky history with the place, involving his former wife's tragic death. When a rainstorm threatens to flood the riverbanks and isolate the hotel, Jane must unravel the mysteries surrounding the Venatura Hotel if she hopes to survive the off season.

Cowie masterfully paints the eerie atmosphere of the hotel. It’s a place where creaking floorboards, whispering winds, and hidden secrets create an unsettling backdrop. The remote location intensifies the tension, making every revelation more spine-chilling.

Jane's determination to uncover the truth clashes with Dom's evasiveness, and Sienna's belligerence adds to the family dynamics. The strained relationships heighten the suspense, leaving readers guessing about each character's true intentions.

"The Off Season" keeps readers on their toes with unexpected twists and revelations. Just when you think you've figured it out, Cowie throws another curveball, leaving you breathless and eager for more.

The novel explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the darkness that can hide within the people we love. Cowie skillfully weaves these themes into the fabric of the story, making it more than just a thriller: it's a psychological exploration of human nature. Cowie's writing is sharp, her pacing relentless, and her ability to create suspense unparalleled.

"The Off Season" is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers who crave a chilling, atmospheric experience. Prepare to lose yourself in the haunting corridors of the Venatura Hotel, where secrets lie buried and danger waits around every corner.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Off Season has newlyweds Jane and Dom heading to a remote hotel on the edge of a forest. Dom has suddenly taken on a new job to be its caretaker, in lieu of their honeymoon. Joining them are Dom’s teenage daughter Sienna, who is less than thrilled about this new marriage.

Amber Cowie builds tension in an amazing way as the weather turns, and the hotel’s isolation changes from charming to menacing.

Dom and Jane both bring a lot of secrets with them into their very new marriage, and questions about Dom’s past keep piling up until Jane can no longer ignore what’s right in front of her. At the same time, Jane carries a large secret of her own.

I really enjoyed how the story unfolded and the many mysteries that followed the characters. The writing was atmospheric and did a great job of pulling me in. A definite page turner.

*Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.*

When documentary filmmaker Jane Duvall finds herself embroiled in a career-threatening incident, she decides to take a break and escape to the mysterious and remote Venatura Hotel with her new husband (Dom), who’s signed up to be the hotel’s caretaker for the off season. Interesting, so far. And yes, The Shining vibes weren’t lost on me. There are Shining references peppered throughout the book and that might be the one (and possibly only?) element I completely enjoyed in the book.

The story started off fine. I was suspicious of everyone. I was scared for Jane. I was eager to know more about what tragedy ruined her previous film (when they finally revealed this, I found it very underwhelming!). I wanted to learn about Dom’s past.

Halfway through the book, I stopped feeling for Jane (or anyone else). Everyone was annoying. And acting in the most unreasonable ways. The dialogues felt so contrived. The twists weren’t twisting enough. By the end, I was glad it was over.

I liked the premise. I liked the BC setting (Vancouver gets featured as well). I liked the nod to The Shining. But that’s about it, sadly.

2.5/5

Thank you to Simon & Schuster CA and NetGalley for the eARC.

The Off Season grabbed me from the first page, but unfortunately lost me around the 40% mark. I was confused by all of the characters and their relationships and their dialogues felt bizarre to me. The plot had sooooo much going on. The FMC was unhinged; every interaction she had with her step daughter made me uncomfortable. I was especially uncomfortable with how the eating disorder was handled in this book it felt completely inappropriate and insensitive. Especially the padlock thing. Wth? I will say I didn’t figure out any of the plot twists.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

The stage was set for this to be a wild thriller... a huge lodge in the remote BC wilderness, during the storm season. A woman, her new husband, and a stepdaughter. Secrets. So many secrets.

I liked the set up of this one, and once the pace picked up a little bit, I was intrigued.

Unfortunately the main character was just too insufferable, she acted more similar to the stepdaugher than to her husband. Although he was terrifying, I was rolling my eyes at some of Jane's actions.

In the end this one had potential to be The Shining, but just fell flat for me.

A chilling thriller that is captivating, keeping you on edge.
I was so invested in solving the mysterys of The Off Season, i couldnt put it down!
Jane marrys Dom after trying to hide on vacation from a problematic documentary she made. Doms daughter, sienna, is suffer from the loss of her mother and is not overly nice to jane. Dom is offered a seasonal maitence job at the Venatura Hotel and they agree to live there for the rest of the off season. Creepy noises and mysterys start to appear everywhere as jane spirals, wondering if her marriage to dom was a mistake.
Fun of pop culture reference for millennials, and alot of Shining comparisons, The Off Season is definitely a reccomndation for any VC Andrews and Stephan King fan!

I really liked the premise and was drawn by the cover (I’m a sucker for a good cover!) but this was a miss for me. I found there were too many moving parts of the story that didn’t help to hold my interest. If it does captivate you - great! I think it will be a great book to those who can enjoy it.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for this eARC!

I was immediately drawn in by this cover—I love how bold it is, super eye catching. I didn’t know the author, but was down to buddy read this with my some of my faves @readingwiththechoob and @roshlite.

Unfortunately this was a big miss for me. Jane Duvall jumps into a marriage with a man she barely knows after suffering a massive career set back and public cancelling (for what we don’t find out for ages) and moves to rural BC for the winter to live in a deserted hotel while her husband does Renos on it and she gets bullied by his mean teenage daughter. There, she uncovers a mystery of missing people and suspicious deaths.

This was giving some fun tension and The Shining vibes for awhile but the writing was a bit confusing and messy; the characters felt shallow and I questioned their motivations; the dialogue was so so rough they just didn’t talk realistically it was more just there for info dumping and plot-revealing. And the twists were super antic-climactic. About half way through this it became a hate-read for me just to finish it.

As for the others—I don’t know if @readingwiththechoob plans to finish it I think she might DNF and @roshlite ended up feeling the same as I did with 2.5 stars.

I liked the premise of this thriller it just did not follow through and I probably won’t be picking up another of her books anytime soon. 😕

Thanks to @netgalley and @simonschusterca for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

THE OFF SEASON By Amber Cowie

An upcoming thriller for those who love:

✔️ whirlwind romances that lead to quick marriages
✔️ dead ex-wives and unhinged step-daughters
✔️ vacation resorts off the beaten path
✔️ secrets. Lots and lots of secrets
✔️ a dash of paranoia and unreliable characters thanks to all those secrets!
✔️ true crime documentaries (the MC is a filmmaker)
✔️ 🇨🇦 authors and West Coast settings

Jane and Dom met and fell in love while vacationing in Barcelona. Less than six months later they are newly married and off to be care takers of the Venatura Hotel during its off season in a remote area of British Columbia. Jane, trying to recover from a professional setback as a documentary filmmaker, is quickly drawn toward the secrets of the resort, and of her new husband. The more time they spend together, the more they realize that they really don't know one another. As a rainstorm arrives, cutting off the Venatura from the mainland, their safety is threatened and Jane is determined to solve these mysteries as a means of survival.

The Off Season is out in stores May 14th, just in time for any Long weekend or holiday reading.

Thank you @simonschusterca, @ambercowie and @netgalley for the ARC!

#thrillerbooks #Canadianauthor #ARC #theoffseason #summerreading #vacationreads #2024reads #bookstagram

This one was fine, I had a hard time connecting to the characters and rooting for their relationship when they hadn’t known each other for very long. There’s a lot going on but I found that I was just not enjoying myself for most of the book. I think the best thing about this one was the cat

There is something about remote locations that feel cut off from the rest of the world that just feel creepy. Jane married Dom, after barely knowing him, and goes with him and his daughter to a remote location where does renovations on a hotel. There she discovers that his first wife died, and there are local disappearances that are suspicious and she decides to investigate. Jane also has secrets of her own of course.

I was stressed a lot while reading, I was paranoid about everyone, I really just wanted everything to be revealed and I had so many questions. I found it long at times, but all my questions were answered by the end. The ending felt a little abrupt but the last few chapters were full of reveals and some twists and I saw none of it coming. It was a good read.

3.5 stars

The Off Season by Amber Cooke was a thrilling, insidious ride that had me uncertain who could be trusted.

Having just married someone who she had only met 6 months previously, Jane is left wondering what she really knows about her new husband as she goes off with him and his daughter to a remote location where he will be doing renovations on a hotel. Soon they are isolated and Jane finds herself investigating both a disappearance and a death, all while finding things out about her husband that she doesn’t know how to take. Dom is a man with many secrets and she’s left trying to figure out just how deadly those secrets might be for herself.

The author did a great job making very distinct and real characters. Dom is both loving and secretive, leaving it hard to interpret for the reader whether he is all he seems to be, a devoted husband, or if there is something scarier lurking beneath the surface with all of the secrets he is keeping from Jane. From his dead first wife, to the disappearance of a boy named Elijah who he knew, and the fact that he won’t tell anything about either event to Jane. Then there’s Jane herself who is tenacious, relentlessly digging up these secrets and unwilling to let them go when he tries to dismiss or distract her from her questions. I loved that she was decidedly her own person and refused to be put into a domestic little box despite his attempts, and refused to give up on her passion of finding answers to true crimes and creating documentaries about them.

I was so paranoid about the other characters. The uncertainty that the author created about the motives of characters and the secrecy of past events had me properly hooked. I wanted desperately to know what had really happened and what caused them to be so unwilling to discuss it. I will so the storyline did drag a bit at times and I just wanted it to hurry along and provide answers because it felt like an endless search for clues to the past with not enough actual forward momentum. So at times I grew a bit restless while reading but the moments of payoff kept me coming back.

I did enjoy the read and the ending satisfied in providing all of the answers to questions raised throughout. The final couple of chapters did end a bit abruptly in my opinion, without a fully fledged feeling wrap up, it was more of a “answers have been given and boom it’s over” with an epilogue-like chapter that raised more questions than answered, but as far as thrillers go it’s a well written story that’s worth the read.

Thank you Netgalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and author Amber Cowie for the ARC.

Amber has done it again—THE OFF SEASON is a haunting novel. At time it felt almost claustrophobic , in a good way. It was very twisty and kept me guessing.
3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

Fans of gothic locked room thrillers will appreciate The Off Season. This creepy, highly atmospheric novel is an homage to Rebecca with a modern take having an independent fierce female protagonist Jane. After a whirlwind romance, disgraced documentary filmmaker Jane hastily marries Dom. She begins her new life by joining her husband and troubled stepdaughter Sienna in the remote luxury hotel the Ventura deep in the Fraser valley. It is off season, the hotel is empty with the exception of Jane’s new family. Dom is put to the task of completing many needed renovations by his long time friend and Ventura owner Peter.. While navigating life as a newlywed Jane is often faced with danger and stormy conditions not unlike the treacherous weather outside.

Read this if you like:
-atmospheric gothic suspense
-locked room settings
-isolated forested grand hotels
-nods to Hitchcock, Suspicion, The Shining, and Rebecca
-highly flawed and well crafted characters
-questionable motives and people hiding secrets and lies
-gaslighting
-twists and turns with a satisfying ending
-the toxic effects of social media as well as cancel culture
-dysfunctional families
-missing person mysteries

My rating: 4 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this eARC that will be published May 14 2024.

Jane is a newlywed & now she’s spending her honeymoon caretaking a hotel with her husband & stepdaughter ala The Shining for the season. What comes after is a series of increasingly stressful situations as Jane uncovers what her husband & the hotel are hiding. It’s the kind of story that makes you want to shake the heroine & stop her from putting up with so much crap! In a good way, I felt invested in the outcome.

It’s apt that the author mentions the Hitchcock film Suspicion, because that is definitely something that came to mind during my reading. The novel screams of old gothic novels but mixes it so well with a modern, self reliant woman as the lead. Think Jane Eyre or Rebecca but for current times. I loved it.

Read if you like:

* Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
* The Heiress by Rachael Hawkins
* The Cliff House by Chris Brookmyre

Arc generously provided by NetGalley.

With a whirlwind romance turning into marriage, Jane and Dom return home to start a renovation job at the Venatura Hotel during their off season for their friend. Jane finds a tragedy linking her new husband to this hotel, as well as many unrelated disappearances. Being a documentary filmmaker, she decided to dig deeper but is being shut down by everyone. Who did she marry? And why is he being elusive?
4 stars