This one took me by surprise—I didn’t realize it was a horror story going in. A mix of supernatural elements and emotional depth, the story follows Emily and Freddie, who have moved into a country house after Emily's accident. From the start, Emily feels something is wrong with the house, but Freddie—who’s hiding secrets of his own—assumes it’s just trauma from what she’s been through.

Not one for horror I was surprised at how much I enjoyed This story! It had the right balance of emotional and supernatural. The character development was strong, and I loved the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We Live Here Now is the first book I've read by Sarah Pinborough and I will definitely be checking out her other books. This thriller is full of surprises and is a new take on haunted houses.

“𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁.”

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 5/20/25

*Thank you @NetGalley and @MacMillan.Audio for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: After a tragic accident that nearly leaves her dead, Emily and her husband buy a dream home and move to a rural town. Soon after, strange things start happening in the home, Emily thinks it may be haunted but her husband Eddie, thinks she is suffering from the trauma of her accident. Who is actually right?

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
🐦‍⬛ Dual POV/Narrators
🚪 Short chapters
🐦‍⬛ Unreliable narrator
🚪 Houses built on burial grounds

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
My first Pinborough book did not disappoint. Sure it has the cliché “house on a burial ground and creepy things happen” trope, but the outcome I didn’t expect. The short chapters kept me engaged from the start. Given that I was granted a ALC and not the finished audiobook, my critique of the narrators is minimal and would probably be fixed in the final version. The female narrator was decent, engaging. The male narrator was perfect for the character. I was seriously creeped out at certain parts of this story, and enjoyed the ending. It was very poetic.

#WeLiveHereNow

I've read a few others by Sarah Pinborough and felt mixed about them, but I really enjoyed her last book, Insomnia, so wanted to give this one a shot. I really enjoyed it - it was very fast paced and I was really curious what was going on.

I listened to this one and the narrators were excellent - I would definitely listen to more books by them!

I loved the fast pace of this one and the switching between characters -- kept it moving quickly. Neither of the main characters are particularly likable, especially Freddie, but that didn't detract from the story for me.

There were some parts of the ending that I might take issue with, but they really worked for me within this book -- all in a really engaging and unique spin on a domestic thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

We Live Here Now (audio) 5⭐️
Ooh, I enjoy a good haunted house story! This had a slow burn to start, but man, the last 40% really made the whole book for me with the unique twists. This book had wonderful layers: the haunted house, MC’s relationship, the parallel story of the ravens. The story begins with Emily returning to a new home after months in the hospital following an accident. Emily and Freddy have a growing, but outwardly ignored, tension burning between them, making them question the trust and loyalty within their relationship. I’ll be thinking about the background/concept of the haunting for years to come. I really enjoyed that angle and the last chapter had me cackling!

Narration was lovely!

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ALC.

I was very entertained. Creeped out, fascinated, frustrated and honestly a little bit of every emotion too.

Gave me September House, and American Horror Story vibes - so if you’re a fan of those read this!

Will be reviewing this on the podcast soon too!

If domestic suspense and psychological weirdness had a fever dream during a wine-fueled HOA meeting, We Live Here Now would be the uninvited guest whispering, “I see everything.”

Sarah Pinborough, queen of the wait-what-the-hell twist, is back—this time bringing us into a glossy gated community where secrets fester behind perfectly trimmed hedges, and neighborly small talk is just a cover for deep-seated dread. You know the vibe: yoga pants, passive-aggressive smiles, and a slowly simmering descent into madness.

The pacing? Think slow burn, but like… slow burn while stuck in a cul-de-sac of existential dread. The vibes are immaculate if you enjoy asking yourself, “Is she unstable, haunted, or just British?” And as always, Pinborough doesn’t just blur the line between reality and paranoia—she kicks it into a hedge and pours rosé over it.

Let’s talk characters: deeply messy, questionably likable, and delightfully unhinged. You will not trust anyone, and frankly, they don’t deserve your trust. But you’ll keep reading because you, too, are messy and unhinged. Solidarity.

I’m giving We Live Here Now a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Here’s why:
• Pros: Atmospheric as hell, delightfully eerie, and Sarah Pinborough still knows how to make you side-eye your own reflection. The psychological tension is on point, and the creeping sense of dread is like a second skin by chapter three.
• Cons: The pacing is a bit of a slog in places—like watching paint dry while waiting for it to gaslight you. Some character motivations feel murky or undercooked, and by the end, you might be asking, “Was all of that necessary or just emotionally manipulative foreplay?” There’s also that classic Pinborough twist energy—either you’ll live for it, or you’ll throw the book across the room with a muttered “Really?”

So yes, it’s clever. It’s creepy. But it’s also a little too clever for its own good in places. The vibes carried it farther than the plot did.

Trigger warnings: suicide ideation, domestic abuse, gaslighting, infidelity, emotional manipulation, and that ever-present feeling that something is very, very off but no one will say it out loud.

Verdict: A stylish psychological slow-burn that’s entertaining, but not quite the five-star home run. Great for fans of ominous suburbia and deeply flawed women spiraling in beautifully written prose. Just maybe skip it if you’re low on patience or already hate your neighbors.

Would I recommend it?
Only if you enjoy your thrillers laced with dread, drama, and a dash of “I may need therapy after this.” So yes. Yes, I would.

I need to accept that gothic novels just aren’t for me. The spooky vibes were all atmosphere, no substance, and the unreliable narrator trope—again—left me more irritated than intrigued. Half the book passed with very little actually happening. The “Raven” chapters? I started skipping them out of sheer annoyance.

There were glimmers of interest—I liked some of the themes and the setting had potential—but the story kept circling instead of moving forward. The ending didn’t fully land for me either, and I wish the house, which is basically a main character, had been given more backstory.

Narration was solid, no complaints there. Just not my kind of haunted.

I REALLY enjoyed this. I love a good haunted house story, unreliable narrators, and multi POVs and this book checks a lot of my favorite trope boxes.

I enjoyed the dynamics of all the people in the book. There are a LOT of complicated relationships. All the way up until the bitter end. I liked that we had questions about Emily and Freddie and their relationship and honesty almost from the beginning. It definitely kept me engaged.

I have read one other book by Pinborough that also had a hint of the paranormal and in it (Behind Her Eyes) and I enjoyed this paranormal aspect so much more. It felt more natural (I know that doesn't really make sense unless you've read both books).

The raw intensity of this book clawed its way under my skin. It’s a masterclass in dysfunctional relationships—tangled, messy, and yet rendered with razor-sharp prose that makes every fracture feel painfully authentic. There’s no sugarcoating here; the emotional turmoil is laid bare with brutal honesty, making the characters’ struggles impossible to ignore.

The dialogue between the main characters is electric. Their banter crackles with wit and venom, a perfect storm of verbal sparring that bruises as much as it fascinates. It’s this interplay that breathes life into their complicated connection, revealing layers of pain, defiance, and unexpected tenderness beneath the surface.

The gothic setting is more than just a backdrop—it’s a living, breathing force that wraps itself around the story like a chilling, beautiful shadow. The atmosphere seeps into every scene, amplifying the tension and underscoring the characters’ inner darkness. It’s haunting, immersive, and utterly unforgettable.

And then the ending. It hit me like a gut punch—so raw and shocking I had to reach out to friends just to see if anyone else felt the same overwhelming impact. This book is a beautifully chaotic, emotionally brutal journey that lingers long after the final page, refusing to let go.

Sarah Pinborough has done it again! We Live Here Now is one of those books you can’t stop listening to and when it’s over, you want to talk about it with everyone you know. This story needs to be a movie.! The narration was spot-on, drawing you right into the eerie house/world she’s created.

It’s kinda creepy, but not in a horror-movie way more like that unsettling feeling that something is off. What really shines is how laugh-out-loud accurate her observations are about couples, marriages, and the quiet frustrations of domestic life. Some moments made me pause the audiobook just to laugh and say, “That is so true!”

And the crows! I absolutely loved the crows in this book. They’re weird and symbolic and funny all at once, adding that extra layer of mystery and atmosphere that Pinborough is so good at.

If you like your thrillers with a twist of dark humor, a smidge of vengeance and sharp insight into relationships, you’ll love this. Highly recommend the audiobook version great pacing, great voice, and just the right amount of weird.

After a bad fall and a rough hospital stay, Emily and her husband Freddie move into a new house. But soon, strange and creepy things start to happen, and Emily begins digging into the house’s history.

For a haunted house story, I was hoping for more chills, more scares, and a few real “boo!” moments in the dark. This one felt pretty mild.

While the story lacked the punch I was hoping for, I really enjoyed the flow and Sarah’s writing style—it’s smooth and easy to get into.

Not a bad read, just wished for a little more scare factor.

Hapless couple Emily and Freddie move into a creepy house full of inexplicable secrets. Emily immediately notices strange occurrences around the house, but she is concurrently recovering from sepsis and prone to hallucinations, so nobody takes her concerns seriously.

Initially, I found it difficult to sympathize with either main character, but as more is revealed, their challenging personalities start to make sense in the context of the broader story. In the end, these personality traits, the good and the bad, fit well with the conclusion.

This book has been categorized as horror, but the majority of the reading experience is more of a dark, slow burn mystery. Slow enough in fact, that this may have worked better for me as a novella. The writing is engaging, so I had no trouble maintaining attention, but there are plot points that felt repetitive or superfluous. That said, the last quarter of the book makes the waiting worthwhile -- the grand reveal and ending were chilling, unsettling, and unexpected. If you don't mind the "slow burn" aspect of the storytelling, you will find this worth your while.

Like I mentioned, this had the vibe of a dark mystery book, but there are still some impressive low key horror elements, particularly toward the end. Perhaps I have Edgar Allan Poe on the brain with all the literary nods to him sprinkled throughout the novel, but I found myself drawing a comparison to Poe's Telltale Heart or Cask of Amontillado. If you are interested in reading a modern novel with a similar vibe to those stories, this is one to check out. There is another modern horror book that this reminds me of, but I would be giving away the ending by drawing a comparison, so I will leave the comparisons with Poe.

I was sent an audiobook to review, and the narrators did a commendable job of telling this story. Both voices were clear and without any distracting affectations. So, I would certainly recommend the audio format to anyone interested in this title. That said, I noticed that Barnes and Noble has a gorgeous hardcover version of this book with sprayed edges, so I wouldn't blame you for opting for the print version for that reason alone.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Pinborough, and Macmillan Audio for sending me this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

CREEP-TASTIC. It's unusual that I give a horror/thriller 5 stars but I'm doing it here. I loved everything about this book. Gothic, haunted house vibe? Check. Unlikeable characters? Check. Mysterious haunting? Check. Banger of an ending? Check. Check. Loved it!!!

3.5 stars (book content)

Overall, there were elements of the story that I really enjoyed but so many that also just fell flat and didn't work very well for me. This was my first book by Sarah so I'm unsure if her style just isn't for me or if the book just wasn't as great as some of her other works.

I enjoyed the setting - I liked the grey English moor vibe, very atmospheric and spooky feeling right away. I liked the background on the house and the feeling of foreboding that so many had while inside.

Things that didn't really work for me:
- Emily and Freddie both felt pretty one dimensional. I also felt like the raven was somehow both over and under utilized. The entire time all of the characters have the exact same thing on their minds and have zero growth or changes to themselves.
- It was definitely overwritten. The buildup took so long and the payoff wasn't exactly "wow" worthy and by the time I got there I was just ready to be done, it was a slow burn but in a bad way.
- So much unnecessary information. I don't know if it was the author trying to give you red herrings but a lot of things were just introduced and never expanded on.
- Info dumping at the end really turned me off. It was like the author realized the ending was coming but there were a bunch of unanswered questions and she needed to throw it all in before the big "reveal"
- the supernatural elements were ambiguous and not expanded upon nearly enough. I know with some psychological media you have to just accept things but the house was basically a whole character in this book and we barely learn anything about why it is the way it is.
- the constant modern references to Edgar Allen Poe and other "spooky" things just made it seem gimmicky and not unique

I felt like the book had been marketed as a thriller/horror but it felt much more like a paranormal mystery than anything. There were a couple spooky elements but not nearly enough to justify calling it horror.

Audio review (4 stars):

I had a hard time with the narrator's voices for some characters. They didn't sound different enough for me to necessarily be able to just listen and know who was speaking. Her ability to make sounds was very good however. The "scratch, scritch" type noises were great and creepy sounding.

The male narrator did a pretty good job with Freddie and I felt his anger as he was speaking which was nice in terms of story immersion.


Overall:
I felt like this was just okay. I think some people will definitely love it, but it just didn't speak to me at all. The ending wasn't terrible which was honestly the only reason the book got the rating that it did from me.

An absolutely chilling, atmospheric thriller that expertly blurs the line between psychological suspense and supernatural horror. The isolated setting, the slow unraveling of a relationship, and the eerie undercurrent of something not-quite-right all combine to create a gripping sense of suspense.

Public review:

Listened to the ALC via NetGalley))

⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 stars

A Wuthering Heights inspired thriller? Yes, please! I enjoyed the theme of ravens and poetry. The author definitely captured the eeriness of the house.

Character development breaks or makes books for me. The two main characters flopped for me. Freddy, especially, seemed to more of a character than a real human. I was intrigued by the story but I did not care what happened to the characters.

Overall, this was a quick and intriguing read!

Behind Her Eyes is one of my favorite books and Netflix did a stellar job on its adaptation. So I was extremely excited to check this one out thanks to @macmillan.audio ARC

I think my true rating is a 3.75 rounded up to 4 stars. The husband and wife main characters are all unlikable to the point where it drags the story out.

It’s a lot of repetition and hearing about their mutual transgressions page after page got very old very quick. The supporting characters and side stories were nothing more than filler outside of Sally and Joe.

The last 20% of the book was classic Pinborough where she masterfully weaves the story and twists all together into a satisfying ending. This one was an easy binge and would make for great summer reading.

Absolutely loved this audiobook! Was full of suspense and enjoyed the different POVs. Would definitely recommend this read to others!

We Live Here Now is a deliciously eerie, slow-burn psychological horror that had me questioning reality, marriage, and whether my house is judging me. Emily and Freddie move into a remote old house (because what could go wrong?), and things spiral very quickly. The tension builds gradually, and I loved the way the atmosphere crept in it’s not a scream-in-your-face kind of horror, but more of a “wait… did the shadows just move?” kind of unsettling.

The ending absolutely delivered. I love a good ambiguous finish that makes you stare into the void for a minute.

I listened to the audiobook version, and it was excellent. Helen Baxendale and Jamie Glover did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life, and having Sarah Pinborough herself narrate part of it was such a treat. It added an extra layer of depth to the story and made the listening experience even more immersive.

Would I move into this haunted house? No.
Would I read this book again just to catch the things I missed the first time? Absolutely.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!