Ellie Levenson, Room 706, Zando | SJP Lit, January 2026.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

This is Kate’s story – her childhood and young adulthood, and the impact of marriage and motherhood are seen through Kate’s recall as she waits in room 706 in a London hotel. She is not alone. James, her older married lover has emerged from the bathroom when Kate sees the news on the television: their hotel is under terrorist attack. Their flag hangs outside leaving the media and security forces under no illusion that they are a group known to show no mercy to their hostages. That a past bombing of a building under siege was ineffectual does not reduce the menace Kate and James experience in room 706; nor is Vic, Kate’s husband to whom she texts early in her plight, unaware of the danger. He remains vigilant in helping her overcome her fears through the hours of incarceration.

Kate’s stories are personal, her childhood with a mother who dies too soon, her friendships with two engaging women, her romance with Vic, their marriage, and becoming parents. However, the way in which Kate experiences marriage and parenthood takes the novel into a realm that covers more than what these huge events mean to Kate, they are women’s experiences. While Kate dissects what her relationship with James means, she also provides clues for what her role as a married woman with children and paid work means. Her texts to Vic are a poignant blend of love for him and their children, and her need to support the way in which the family manages.

Ellie Levenson has written a novel that resonates with the dilemmas it poses, the alternatives it explores and the opportunity to judge the characters who are a splendid amalgam of flaws and heroic attributes. Kate is a marvellous character with her limitations, her attributes, and her capacity to see herself with all her weaknesses and, less robustly, her strengths. Room 706 will not be the answer for every woman who so often holds up more than half the sky, but Kate’s narrative makes the burden of doing so vividly apparent. Her changing attitude towards James, and realisation that both may have given too little, while seeing that as the only justification for their relationship, is a gentle reminder that Kate’s solution has its burdens too.

I look forward to reading more of Ellie Levenson’s work. Room 706 has been a powerful beginning.

What a truly excellent premise for a book. What if there's a terrorist attack in the hotel while you're cheating on your spouse? Both trying to hide it from your family and also spending a lot more time with your lover than you ever did are awkward situations. How will this change the course of your life? How did you even end up here?

This beautiful book tells the story of this wife. It goes back and forth between the present and the past, leading you slowly to this very moment and helping you develop empathy for all the characters involved along the way.

It's a really well written story and do not forget to read the author's note at the end. Excellent, excellent read.

with gratitude to netgalley and SJP Lit for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️

LOVED. The way this book invoked every single emotion on he spectrum was insane. I absolutely have a love / hate relationship with the ending (as i'm sure a lot of people can say). I love that it was left unsaid and unexplained and there's multiple different scenarios that could occur and as a reader, it's our own imagination/interpretation as to which route the characters end up on. I hate it because dammit i need to know what happened !!!

Absolutely villainous at the way this book was written because what do you mean Vic and Kate's relationship was flawless??? Their relationship was textbook definition of everything right on paper...but i guess that's not always enough? A lot of emotion reading Kate's inner monologue and how she got to where she was feeling - i think the author did this brilliantly.

Vic was one of the sweetest characters i've read about in a very, very, VERY long time. I mean this quote - "Kate, i will love you forever, or until the world ends. Whichever comes first." I mean wowowowow!!! His pure love and adoration for her (albeit, i guess unrequited to a point?) was so amazing to read about that i had a stupid smile on my face for a lot of his dialogue.

I did feel a sense and tones of feminine rage as this book covered what it means to be a working wife in a relationship with children. It explored the different standards to which women are held compared to their male counterparts. This was extremely interesting (and infuriating) to read about - especially the parallel scenes that described what a night home when Kate got home from work looked like v. what a night home from work looked like for Vic. Powerful commentary.

Overall, an incredibly fast paced read which genuinely had me on the edge of my seat at points. Much more deep than i was expecting and a lot of heavy under tones and truth about marriages and society.

3.5 stars rounded down!

The FMC infuriated me and the constant battle she had between herself. While I can’t relate to the two main characters and their choice to have an affair, the dialogue throughout this story with supporting characters was very realistic/relatable.

The overall story itself when faced with the possibility of death was very thought provoking — did we tell the ones we love that we loved them enough? Did we live full lives? Etc. I imagine many people think about these things when faced with an unwanted, untimely tragedy. It really makes you realize what is taken for granted.

The writing was fantastic and that’s why it deserves 3.5 stars! The two lovers betraying good partners was so upsetting to me that’s why I had to round down.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kate, a happily married mother of two, meets her lover for a tryst in a hotel room. The hotel is taken hostage by terrorists. Her communication via text with her husband and her conflicted thoughts are mesmerizing. Consequences.

The premise of this book is rather exciting. A married woman with children and a thriving career meets a man through a casual business lunch. He is different from her husband and somehow seems intriguing. He calls again for lunch and this time there is no mistake that there is an attraction, even though she loves her husband and children deeply.

Over the course of their time together, these two, Kate and James, meet up to have afternoon sex. But on one random day, everything changes and what seemed benign all of a sudden takes on a whole new meaning.

I don't want to give the whole story away so I will not say more. The chapters go forward and back in Kate’s life. How she met her husband Vic, had her kids, and back to her present situation. The structure adds to the anxiety as we go back and forth in a repetitive fashion.

For me the story gets thin, as I get the point but some of the narrative is said over and over that I started to count how many times I read something before.

I am not judging the character’s choices, but I just think that some of her thinking in her most tense moment just didn’t ring true. The ‘what if’s’ are what makes the story interesting, but not super satisfying.

I received a copy for review. All opinions are my own. I could not put this book down! I loved the flashback timeline which helped explain the history of the characters and develop them even more. I felt my heart racing for the main character as everything unfolded. Many emotions hit me as I read. What a great read and one I will surely read again and again.

I loved the set up of this book from the premise to the flashbacks in timeline to understand how Kate ended up in the hotel room. It moved at a good pace and I'd definitely recommend to others!

A truly excellent example of a locked-room thriller. A woman meets her lover in a hotel room in London, only to be trapped there—where she’s not supposed to be—as the hotel is taken over by terrorists.

With no escape, the sex appeal gone, and no opportunity for room service, the characters are well and truly stuck. This is a challenge for any novel, so the author takes readers into alternate timelines. First, developing the relationship between Kate and Vic, her husband, as they met in Italy and grew closer together.

But the juicy dramatic question is why she ends up cheating on Vic with James, who is also married. They’ve never spent much time talking about their personal lives, and despite knowing better, they can’t stay away from one another, either.

For me, some of the Kate/Vic sections dragged. We know they’re still together and more happy than not, though there are cracks in their relationship. While the author does a good job of allowing readers to fall in love with Vic as well, it’s obviously not enough for Kate, though that part of their relationship isn’t really examined.

She keeps Vic at arm’s length, but readers as well, as she’s not able to be truly open with James, either. As such, the genesis of her marriage, about ten years of backstory, isn’t as relevant to the present action.

Spoiler:

The book also ends on a complete cliffhanger, similar to The Guest by Emma Cline. If you’re anything like me, you spent the entire novel wondering what would happen once Alex got back to Simon’s house. The second she does—boom. The book ends. Here, we’re obviously left wondering what might happen as either the terrorists or police go and knock on every room in the hotel. Kate and James have been able to lie low for the duration of the hostage situation, but then there’s a knock on the door.

Part of me thinks this is a practical choice on the author’s part. What’s going to happen? Either they’re rescued, say a sweaty goodbye, and go home. They might vow to never see one another again, but they’ll probably break down at some point, as they’re now trauma-bonded. Or it’s the terrorists and they’re tortured or killed. Either way, the sweaty logistics of writing either ending might take away from the mystique of this particular story, which is seeing the characters squirm under the pressure of the set-up.

I’m not sure they’re people a reader would naturally root for, but that’s what makes it more interesting to put ourselves in their shoes in this extraordinary situation. That said, the content of the actual novel does express the premise, but I’m not sure what the bulk of it adds once the hell-of-a-hook has gotten us in the door.

Summary:

Well-written, a strong/flawed protagonist, multiple timelines, and one hell of a hook. But once we get into the story itself, the extreme locked-room nature of the premise becomes suffocating, so playing this one out to its full conclusion was likely a challenge, and the idea itself pretty much means there’s no satisfying resolution that can live up to the opening.

My word - what a cracker of read!
This is a reflective and complex novel, written in the voice of a very happily married woman, and mother of two, as she contemplates her life and the choices that have led her to hotel room 706, with the lover that she meets several times a year just for sex, and where she is now trapped as the hotel is the subject of a major terrorist attack.
Using just Kate's perspective (her lover, James, is there but not the focus) and in a confined space, Levenson deftly guides us through her past history, her whirlwind romance with her (older) husband. her marriage and the decisions she has taken. All the layers of Kate's life - her grief, friendships, parenting, domestic load, love, desires - unspools within her head, silently and profoundly introspectively as she examines each aspect in the light of what may well be her last hours alive.
This is a compelling, thought-provoking read that I simply couldn't put down and which made me examine my judgements of her choices on every page.
Highly recommended.

What a situation to be in, which is exacerbated by the
fact that no one else knows you’re there and why, most especially your husband. I truly felt like I was there with Kate, physically, emotionally, mentally, all of it. The conversations she had with herself, the rambling thoughts, the emotional turmoil, it was all so visceral and real. The way the story alternates between the past and present is done so seamlessly that it just built on itself so well. It’s sad and heartbreaking, compelling and thought-provoking. I, however, wanted more from the ending. What is one left to do when faced with a possible end?

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for the eARC!

A deeply reflective, thought- provoking read. Thoroughly enjoyable and read in one - sitting. Room 706 justifies all the pre-release hype. Simply impossible to put down !

Inside Hotel Room 706 is a tense, intimate, and deeply introspective novel that delves into the complexity of love, morality, and the fragility of life. At its heart is Kate — a married woman, mother of two, and someone who seemingly has it all — who finds herself in a precarious and morally ambiguous situation. She is not at home with her family, but in a hotel room with her longtime lover, James, when terrorists besiege the hotel, trapping them in room 706.

What unfolds is not just a suspenseful account of a hostage situation, but a psychological exploration of a woman forced to confront the choices that led her here. With death possibly imminent, Kate is left alone with her thoughts — revisiting her past, questioning her present, and imagining a future that may never come. Her inner monologue is raw, unsettling, and deeply human.

The author masterfully blurs the lines between right and wrong, inviting readers to grapple with their own judgments. Should we condemn Kate for her infidelity, or empathize with her vulnerability and the emotional void she sought to fill? Is she a victim of circumstance or a woman finally facing the consequences of long-avoided truths?

This is a thought-provoking novel that challenges readers to look beyond black-and-white morality. It doesn't offer easy answers — instead, it compels you to ask: What would I do in this situation? Would I feel guilt, regret… or relief?

Inside Hotel Room 706 is as much about the unpredictability of life as it is about the quiet, often unspoken desperation that lives within us. A compelling read for anyone drawn to moral dilemmas, emotional complexity, and the profound human need for connection — even when it comes at a cost.

The premise is really compelling: married, unfulfilled, middle-aged mother Kate gets trapped in a London hotel room with her lover when terrorists take the hotel hostage. Stuck in the room with nothing to do but think and fear for her life, she is forced to turn within and examine her life, her choices, and her feelings about it.

This is not a plot-driven thriller. It’s an emotionally tense story driven by Kate’s reflections and memories. As she finds herself in an impossible situation, with no one she can really talk to about it, she is forced to turn within and examine her life, her choices, and her feelings about it. There is literally nothing she can do but try and care for her family from afar and sit in silence and think. The tension created by the heartbreaking and raw emotions that her memories surface alongside the terror of her situation is excruciating. I felt anxious as I was reading and the feeling remained even after I had put it down.

The book is multi layered - grief, youth, parenting, marriage, love, the mental load of motherhood. Ultimately it’s about what it means to be human. It pulls us deep inside Kate’s head as she bounces around from fear to memories to emotions to tasks she needs to complete for her family to guilt and love and back to fear. Taut, tense, emotionally charged - I highly recommend it.

This novel is a taut psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of infidelity, identity, and the choices that define our lives. Set against the backdrop of a hotel siege, the story follows Kate, a mother of two, who finds herself trapped in a hotel room with her lover, James, just as terrorists take control of the building. As they are forced into hiding, Kate reflects on her life, her marriage to Vic, and the secrets she has kept hidden.

The book intertwines suspense with emotional depth, creating a narrative that is both gripping and introspective. The confined setting amplifies the tension, while Kate's internal monologue offers a poignant exploration of regret, desire, and the human condition. The book also poses the question about the consequences of our actions and the paths we choose, making it a thought- provoking read.

Emotional, Thrilling, and, Whirlwind Suspense! 3 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 1/15/26.

Ever checked into a hotel room hoping for a bit of escapism... Sounds nice right, get away from the kids, the vanilla husband.... but actually and ended up with a full-blown existential crisis oh and your lover is there with you too! Welcome to Room 706.

Our Kate is juggling an affair, a what she perceives as a stale marriage... Lemme point out that Vic is perfect, Kate is wrong and needs to give her head a wobble! If she doesn't want him, I'll absolutely have him! and a few too many what-ifs. Things get very real when the hotel goes into lockdown, forcing her to think about her choices and the man or should we say men, she’s made them with. Its a teeny bit spicy, but nothing that made me cringe because I am absolutely a prude, this was a Korma!

So we follow Kate through her crisis, jumping back and forth to he past with Vic and to the present, stuck with Loverboy in the siege hotel.
We learn that Vic is perfect in every way, they met in such a cute way, he's been the perfect bf and husband, all the feels are there at Nonna's house and it makes you want to run to Italy to bag you a real man.... Where's my passport?
Buuuut.... You kinda get why Kate gets with James, is charmed by him, she literally has no one else in her Life, her mother and bestie have passed away so it's the only way she feels like Kate Kate and not Mammy Kate, Wifey Kate, work Kate. She's a relatable hot mess
The story held my internet form the first page, I genuinely liked all the characters, even the adulteress yes. There's some tension, some sexy tension, a lot of soul searching and a looooad of drama... Kinda expected when you're stuck in a hotel.

This is a glass of wine and chill by yourself kinda book, sooo bloody good. I Binged this in days. It's funny and shitty and so so relatable.

So the premise of the book is that Kate is in a hotel with her lover when terrorists take hold of the hotel. Trapped in a hotel room she has time to think about her marriage and life choices.

First Impressions

The premise is a clever one. No one wants to be stuck in a hotel under siege, but with your lover and you don't want your husband and family to find out definitely adds another layer. The book jumps back and forth between the hotel room and Kate's life, showing how she met her husband and the life they built. We also see how the relationship with Kate's lover came to be. The reality of how an affair can develop with a whimper rather than a bang probably makes this far more believable.

Kate as the main character

What makes this novel is the internal monologue of Kate. Being trapped in a hotel room she has time to evaluate her life with her family. Does she love her husband? If she had time again would she pick him? All these questions are things that all women can relate to. We all know how being a mother can mean that you feel like you have lost yourself in the process.

The pacing of the book is good with easy to understand jumps between Kate's current situation and her life. They're points in which understandably you can see Kate panicking about the standard questions of what if? Considering she is in a hostage situation that totally makes sense and makes her life far more believable as a character. No one ever knows how they would react in one of these situations but some of the things that Kate considers including the mundane part of everyday life make her far more realistic and relatable.

My overall thoughts

Overall I liked this book. All adults, mums and definitely women at some point will have an existential crisis or two and this book narrates one under extreme circumstances in a relatable, easy to read way that makes this book both enjoyable and sometime thought provoking. There were times that it did make me think as the reader what sort of messages would I be trying to send to my partner if I was in a terrorist hostage situation?

It was a great plot and good character development. I just got frustrated with the constant flashbacks interrupting the present story. Also, I wanted to know James more. There was very little written about him, and why he wanted this affair.
For a new author, I’d recommend this book.

This book left me speechless, conflicted, and deeply introspective — and I love that. It’s one I’ll be mulling over for a long time.

An honest and raw portrayal of marriage, love, and identity, told through the haunting lens of a woman whose final moments may be near.

By the end, I couldn’t decide whether I judged Kate or not. I chose to accept her - not as a hero or a villain, but simply as a human being. For my own peace of mind.

This book doesn’t hand you tidy answers. It simply asks you to bear witness.

Its humanness will linger with me. I’ll be talking about this one for a while.

Wow this book so great and I will for sure be telling everyone to read this. I liked that it was told only in one day but then brought in memories from the past with husband and her lover. Kate was such a complex character. She loves her family but is having an affair. She gets trapped in a hotel room with the man she is having the affair with when there is a siege. This was an intense and emotional book. Very thought provoking.