This was a quick read and was fine, but it wasn't the "gripping psychological thriller" that was promised. It was predictable. It was still a good read, but it wasn't very gripping, psychological, or much of a thriller!

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

This requested this copy because it sounds like the movie, The Holiday, but with a thriller twist. I loved the events that happened with these 2 families. The great multiple perspectives kept me engaged. Thank you for this ARC.

I found this book full of suspense. I found myself reading into the wee hours of the night. I anxiously await to read more of this authors books in the future

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 12/4
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When the Browns and the Lesters agree to a house swap, both families think they are getting the vacation of a lifetime. But when weird things start happening, the vacation goes from a dream to a nightmare.
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I was hooked to this story right from the start. I was super sketched out by certain events that happened pretty early on and from there things just spiraled. There were characters that I liked and others that made me a bit weary. but I feel like this flow of the characters was pivotal in making this such a great story.
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This is told in multiple POVs between members of the Lester family and also from the Brown family. The story starts off a little bit on the slower side and gradually picks up the pace as the story moves forward with a really awesome bomb drop and some serious suspense at the end.
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I love that we get a look into what happened to both of the families after everything is revealed. It really brought the story full circle in the end.
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Overall this was a fantastic read. I love a good psychological thriller and this one checked all the boxes. I highly recommend it! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Miranda Rijks and Inkubator Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

When the browns and the letsters decide to swap houses it should be the perfect holiday.

However the strange things start to happen it becomes apparent things are not as they seem.
A very fast paced book which I couldn’t put down

4 stars

Thanks to net galley and the publisher for this arc

This was a fantastic thrilllwr. Great characters base in the uk and France for an unconventional house swop. One family and a husband and wife who seem to be more connected than they think. Great twists within loved it

Intriguing settings, interesting plot, mystery and deception. This book has it all, and is a very good read!
When two couples, one in London, the other in Provence, France, decide to swap houses for a vacation, both end up shocked at the accommodations. The London home is first class, and luxurious. The “ chateau” in Provence is run down, and under renovation construction. In addition, the chateau has some mysterious history.
As the book progresses, we discover that both couples have loads of secrets, that tie
this story together!
Thank you NetGalley and
Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read and review this book. My opinions are unbiased!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this book.

This book is about two families swapping houses. Who wouldn’t want to experience living in London in a townhouse or in France in a chateau? Both families experience issues, and these issues lead to secrets coming out.

The Brown’s, while at the France chateau, learn that a woman who lived there disappeared and was never seen again and there is a mysterious break-in. The Lester’s while at the London Townhouse, 17-year-old Rafael, disappears.

Secretive and mysterious events kept happening throughout this book and kept me wanting more. I went to bed and was excited to open the book back up, to see what will happen next.

This book was balanced very well with character and plot development. It was a very gripping thriller and I highly recommend this book!

Rijks does write a good thriller, so I jumped at the chance to tour with her latest offering, The House Swap.

It's a pacey read that is narrated from multiple POV and spans several locations. A twisty, engaging story of deception and betrayal that will have you theorising and making wild assumptions until the truth is revealed.

Fantastic characters that could easily be real. A plot to die for and an enjoyable read to boot.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of this fun thriller in exchange for an honest review. This book kept my interest from beginning to end and had a great twist to wrap it up in the end. I will definitely be reading more from this author and very much enjoyed this book. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley, Miranda Rijks, and Inkubator Books for providing the ebook. This slow-burn thriller was an engaging read! I really enjoyed the concept of a house swap vacation, but this one took some wild and unexpected twists.

Talk about a horrible swap! This story plunges the reader into a pit of deception and lies! I wasn’t sure where we were heading, but when everything came to light, I was shocked! Fans of psychological thrillers are sure to enjoy this one!

Two couples. Two houses. What could go wrong? 😳

Elodie and Lewis want a relaxing getaway. Susan and Piers want to visit London with their son. When the opportunity to house swap comes up, both couples jump at the chance; it’s a perfect, inexpensive arrangement. But, things start going wrong for both families pretty quickly leading up to explosive plot twists that I promise you will never see coming.

My only complaint about “The House Swap” is that it made me lose sleep - I could not put this book down! If you are a mystery and psychological thriller reader, you must grab this one!

Thanks for the opportunity to read!

WoW......The House Swap by Miranda Rijks was another excellent book from start to finish and one of her best books she has written. This was a book that is full of brilliant twists and turns throughout that will have you gripped.

When two families organise a house swap........it seems like the perfect holiday arrangement.

What could ever go wrong?

Now, the Browns are exchanging their beautiful London townhouse for a stunning chateau in the south of France, This will be the perfect place to relax and rekindle their flagging marriage. It just sounds wonderful.

And the Lesters are looking forward to showing their only son, Rafael, around their old haunts in the British capital London.

Now, this all sounds wonderful and a dream. Except for one thing - both families are hiding dark secrets, and we all know that secrets have a way of coming out. . . . . . . . . . .and these are bubbling to the surface quickly!

France is so beautiful but whilst the Browns are there, there’s a mysterious break-in at the chateau. Then the Browns discover that a woman who lived there disappeared and was never seen again. Instead of feeling rested and relaxed, they now feel isolated and vulnerable.

In London, everything around the Lester family is busy and so busy.........and then, 17-year-old Rafael vanishes without a trace.

Where is he? Is he safe?

WoW . . . . . . This book was excellent and I could not turn these pages quick enough to find out what happens next?

I highly recommend this book. Well all of this authors books. They have always been a 5 star read and this one was no different!

I really enjoyed this! It's got a unique storyline and I wasn't able to predict the ending. The ending is good and I had a hard time putting this down. If you enjoy thrillers I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Miranda Rijks, Inkubator Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Miranda Rijks’ The House Swap dives into the seemingly benign concept of a house exchange and transforms it into a chilling and suspenseful tale, a stark reminder of how unsettling the idea can be. For anyone hesitant about entrusting strangers with their home, this book taps into that innate discomfort and magnifies it into a psychological thriller brimming with tension.

The story is masterfully constructed, with a gradual buildup that keeps readers hooked. As the plot unfolds, the initial premise of a straightforward house swap gives way to layers of secrets and deceit. Each reveal feels calculated and deliberate, drawing the reader deeper into the mystery. Rijks skillfully heightens the suspense by presenting clues and twists at just the right moments, ensuring that the pacing never falters.

The characters are well-developed, and their motivations, fears, and hidden agendas add depth to the narrative. The author’s ability to create a sense of unease and mistrust makes the story not only gripping but also eerily relatable for anyone who has ever contemplated the idea of opening their personal space to a stranger.

With its blend of intrigue, unexpected twists, and psychological tension, The House Swap is a must-read for fans of thrillers. It’s a testament to Rijks’ storytelling prowess, making it an excellent recommendation for anyone seeking a suspenseful and thought-provoking read.

Two perfect families. Two beautiful homes. A one-way trip to hell...

So who's fancied a house swap at some point or another? I mean, we've all secretly wished we could literally swap houses...but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with strangers staying in my space. And I'm not entirely sure I'd be all that comfortable in theirs either. But never fear, this book will put that idea to bed quick smart!

Elodie and husband Lewis live in the very affluent area of Knightsbridge in London and their house is simply to die for. While Lewis runs a string of semi-successful (but not really) gyms, Elodie is in the prestigious real estate business with her best friend Niall. Together they own and run Hutchinson Brown, marketing prestigious properties both in the UK and Europe to affluent clients. As part of the business, the pair decide to branch out in a new venture of house swapping. And Elodie and Lewis guinea pig the trial with similarly aged couple Piers and Susan Lester who own a crumbling villa in Provence, with the sole intention of renovating it.

From the first moment, it is obvious that the Lesters have landed firmly on their feet as they take in the stunning home they are to inhabit for the next two weeks with their 17 year old son Raf, who would much rather have holidayed at the seaside. While Elodie and Lewis have drawn the short straw in this house swap. And from that first moment, Elodie wonders if this really was a good idea after all. Especially when she begins to see photos of her home plastered all over Susan's social media.

The first morning in France, Elodie and Lewis are woken by construction workers who have been employed by the Lesters to work on the renovations. It's obvious as soon as you set foot inside the villa that it is tired, old, run-down and in serious need of some renovating. But this is meant to be a holiday. While the Lesters are living it up in their luxurious home back in England, they have been sold a lie and have to deal with constant noise and discomfort. This isn't quite the holiday they had hoped for.

Meanwhile, Susan and Piers are enjoying the luxury of the Brown's stunning home. Only Raf is a fish out of water here. Though he was born in London, he has spent most of his life in France and England is foreign to him. And while Piers thought this would be the holiday that would bring the family together, Susan is out every day till all hours shopping up a storm. That is when she's not quietly trying on Elodie's designer gowns and stunning clothes. Piers tries his best to make his wife happy but there's something not quite right. And then his visit to Harley Street brings news that shakes his world and everything he thought he knew to the core. When Raf suddenly goes missing, Piers and Susan are out of their minds with worry...but things are about to get a whole lot worse.

Back in France, the quiet solitude Elodie had been hoping for is but a pipe dream. Strange things start happening - someone keeps trying to break into the house, there's a strange smell that seems to emanate from somewhere and Lewis is constantly going out for bike rides leaving Elodie by herself. And then she discovers something shocking and begins to question everything.

The story unfolds through Elodie and Piers' respective narratives with the odd chapter through Raf's POV peppered throughout. It was fast paced for the most part though it did take a while to get going. There's a whole lot of drama and plenty of baggage that these families are carrying around. But in the end, the tale was relatively entertaining, a little OTT, filled with secrets, lies and deception. I guessed the two major lot twists quite easily though to be fair they weren't immediately easy to spot. They were just random guesses on my part.

Overall, an entertaining tale though I'm still not a huge fan of continent-based tales and prefer them to be in miserable old blighty. lol

I would like to thank #MirandaRijks, #Netgalley and #InkubatorBooks for an ARC of #TheHouseSwap in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for an early copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. I had to know what was going to happen!! I couldn't believe some of the twists! I would definitely recommend this book.

I’m a big fan of Rijks. And The House Swap by Miranda Rijks is another phenomenal thriller.
A fast paced thrill ride that kept me engaged from start to finish, devouring it in one day. A quick fast paced read that won't disappoint psychological thriller fans.

"As the tension mounts to an unbearable pitch, both couples are forced to face their darkest demons. Someone won’t be coming home…"

The concept of house swaps I think though not entirely uncommon but is rarely ever practiced or a welcomed idea as most people love their privacy and property and no one in their right mind would want strangers even someone they know well enough to just agree with house swapping unless if you're given a grand prize money then you are most likely to reconsider. I mean...
But I digress. This book explores what happens if two families swap houses or homes and the perils that unfold as to what is just supposedly a short vacation suddenly turned deadly. It'd an edge of your seat thriller and can't read it fast enough.