I found this book unique in terms of plot, location, and the atmosphere it creates. Set in Spain, the reader can visualize the beauty of the place along with the dark story. Many twists and surprises keep the reader engaged and guessing who the villain is. Highly recommend!

A couple leave their life in NYC and move to Spain for a fresh start in order to rescue their marriage after the husband admitted to an affair. Though they live in a lovely villa, they are quite isolated and have no friends nearby. When an Australian couple knock on their door, they end up staying a few weeks as the wife enjoys their company. But it soon becomes apparent that their visit was not accidental and that they might have an ulterior motive. An enjoyable suspenseful thriller.

The moment Curtis confessed his affair, I felt Sydney's world shatter along with mine. I've been through a partner's betrayal, and that desperate scramble to fix things, to run away somewhere and start fresh - it brought back memories I thought I'd buried. The Spain solution felt both romantic and doomed from the start.
That isolated hilltop house above the Mediterranean sounds gorgeous in theory, but the author made it feel like a beautiful prison. No neighbors, no easy escape route, just you and the person who broke your trust. I kept thinking about my own relationship recovery attempts and how isolation sometimes makes things worse, not better.
When the Australian couple showed up, my anxiety spiked immediately. I'm someone who hates unexpected guests even in normal circumstances, but when you're trying to rebuild a marriage? The way Sydney and Curtis invited them to stay made me want to scream at the page. Loneliness makes us do stupid things though - I understood their desperation for distraction from their own problems.
The dynamic between the four of them was excruciating to watch unfold. Every meal, every conversation felt loaded with subtext. The attractive young couple becoming a mirror for what Sydney and Curtis used to be, or could have been - it was psychological torture. I found myself studying my own reactions, wondering who I was more suspicious of.
What really got under my skin was how the author played with trust. Curtis already betrayed Sydney once, so every interaction he had with the female visitor made me paranoid on Sydney's behalf. But then Sydney's own behavior became questionable, and I realized I'd been manipulated into taking sides when everyone was hiding something.
The way those dark secrets emerged was perfectly paced. Each revelation recontextualized everything that came before. By the time things turned violent, I realized I'd been completely wrong about who the real threat was. That isolation that seemed romantic at first became absolutely terrifying.
I finished this with my heart racing and immediately called my best friend to debrief. It made me think about how we never really know anyone completely, even (or especially) the people we marry.

A few weeks ago at my library job, my ‘learn something new’ for the day was discovering that Robyn Harding is Canadian. I had not had the chance to read or promote this author, as I tend to do with Canadian work. Having worked over three years in my public services position, I was certainly aware of her popularity among patrons. A group of ladies created their own book club among their friend circle and it took us awhile to secure enough copies of The Drowning Woman for their group to read due to the popularity of this novel. I made a mental note to add that book to my TBR. However, since I work a second job during the summer months, my reading time is limited. Between April and August, most of the books I read are audiobooks, that I listen to while I drive back and forth between my library job and my lake job.

I’ve also tried to become an active ARC reader for NetGalley, after learning on Goodreads that this librarian could potentially have the power to promote upcoming books to my patrons, before the books even hit the shelves! So not long after I proudly taped Canadian flag stickers to the spines of all the Robyn Harding novels in my library, I was thrilled to see that Strangers in the Villa was available to read on NetGalley! I was so thankful when they granted my request to read this one!

So, many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of an ARC as well as my intro into Robyn Harding’s work! This one has ‘turn me into a tv movie vibes’!!!

This book appealed to me as my world travelling son has recently booked his next adventure. It just so happens to be a three week vacation in Spain. I loved how I immediately had a great visual in my mind of the beautiful area that Sydney and Curtis had sold everything and left their life in New York for. When my son comes home from his holiday in November, I can’t wait to see his photos to see if what I was imagining from reading this book was similar to what he will see!

I was drawn in to the plot and the characters of this novel right from page one. I didn’t necessarily love or relate to any of them. But that’s what makes a good novel! The fact that I couldn’t imagine myself as Syd of Bianca but yet fully immerse myself into the story means the writer has done a fabulous job! This book certainly allows the reader to see what great lengths a person will go to, to avenge a loved one’s death, to hide secrets from their spouse, to support their partner, even if what they plan to do is criminal or morally wrong. To the average person reading the book, moving to another country to save a marriage just isn’t realistic. Travelling to another country to avenge a death when you don’t have the funds to do so doesn’t seem like a good idea either but in this novel, it happens!

I kept watching the page count while reading, hoping that this very twisty plot would be resolved before I ran out of pages. While I did not expect the book to end the way it did, I feel the ending almost leaves room for a sequel, should the author choose to do so!

After finishing this novel, it’s now time for me to explore the world of Robyn Harding to see how her other novels compare to this one! I know I will be promoting the release of Strangers in the Villa with my thriller loving patrons at the library!

Fellow Canadians, were you just as unaware of this author as I was? If you enjoy the works of Shari Lapena, Samatha Bailey, and Chevy Stevens, you’d better give Robyn Harding a read!

"Strangers in the Villa" delivers an engaging and at times suspenseful narrative. The story follows Sydney and Curtis as they leave New York City to relocate to a villa in Spain, aiming to mend their marriage following Curtis's infidelity. The villa, in need of repairs, becomes the backdrop for their attempts to reconstruct their relationship. Their plans take an unexpected turn with the arrival of Bianca and Damian, an Australian couple whose van breaks down and requires several days for repairs. Sydney extends an invitation for the strangers to stay with her and Curtis, but it soon becomes evident that everyone harbors secrets. These are secrets that could prove perilous. The final quarter of the book had me eagerly turning pages to uncover the outcome, which was definitely different from my initial expectations. I would rate this a solid four stars!

Sydney and Curtis are working on their relationship in a secluded villa in Italy after Curtis admits to a meaningless affair. Previously, they were both living in New York, with Sydney in a high-powered job.
The move is sudden but necessary, and Sydney finds herself settling into her new Italian routine and enjoying the quiet and trying to reconnect with Curtis (who spends all his time cooking and fawning over his wife to get her back).
One day, a lost Australian couple breaks down outside their villa. Curtis and Sydney decide to host them until they are able to fix the camper they live in.

It all starts off well-enough but gets weird soon enough, culminating in a shocking ending that includes a murder.

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing was slow at first but built up the tension between the characters as the story progressed. I did not expect the ending.

✨ This is a suspenseful character-driven thriller that opens with a crumbling marriage, a hopeful new start in picturesque seaside Spain and a pair of strangers who show up unannounced. I love the way the author peels back the layers of deception to reveal secret after shocking secret. It’s all a house of cards – and I could not turn the pages fast enough to see it all come crashing down.

✨I especially loved the secluded setting of the villa which lent an atmospheric and often claustrophobic tone. It really served to build suspense and intensify the tension from the shifting loyalties of our characters.

✨There’s a reason Robyn Harding is an auto-buy author for me. This is another page-turner I think thriller and suspense fans will love.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Damaged relationship narratives
✨Secrets and lies
✨Mediterranean settings
✨Isolated locations
✨Vacation thrillers
✨Shocking turns

My thanks to @grandcentralpub and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

I love Robyn Harding novels, and Strangers in the Villa didn’t let me down! Was an easy read and kept me interested. I wouldn’t say the end “blew my mind”, but I wasn’t sure where the storyline was heading the majority of the time and I really enjoyed the read. 4 solid stars from me!

Strangers In The Villa-Robyn Harding

The Lowe’s, Curtis and Sydney relocate to Spain after her husband (Curtis) admits to having an affair.

With a fresh start, new home and trying to rebuild their marriage- Here comes trouble.

A young couple knocks on the their door. The Lowe’s think nothing of their new guests and are elated to have company.

Unfortunately, the couple landing on their doorstep is not by chance. They’re not leaving until their demands are met.

This new book by Ms. Harding had me from the very first page. I was dying to know how this story full of distrust, manipulation and lies would come together.

I gave this one a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2. My opinion is mine alone and I encourage others to read it for themselves.

This is a very dramatic thriller set in picturesque Spain!

After Sydney's husband, Curtis, cheats on her, the two decide to leave their life in New York City behind and buy a Spanish villa. They hope a new house and location will allow them to start fresh and focus on their marriage. But then a young couple shows up and destroys their peace--Bianca and Damian, two Aussies, are traveling in their camper van when it breaks down outside the villa. At first, the group gets along well (with the exception of Curtis, who resents the intrusion), but soon, cracks begin to form.

This is an interesting book--the tension builds slowly, and it feels like a locked room mystery at time, with both couples mainly trapped in the villa. As such, Harding does an excellent job creating a claustrophobic feel. There's a strange forced sexual tension between the group, which made me feel awkward. Lies and secrets abound, with information gradually revealed across various perspectives, and ratcheting up the mystery and suspense.

Be prepared for a tale that takes some dark turns and centers on often quite selfish and unhappy people. It's a good quick read though, and one which will keep you guessing.

Harding's latest is jam packed with twists and turns that will have you flying through the pages. In her latest, it seems that everyone is holding dark secrets close to their chests. Dark, twisty, and propulsive, "Strangers in the Villa" is guaranteed to make you a LOT more cautious about befriending people that you meet on vacation. A husband and wife who are trying to rebuild their marriage after an infidelity decide to get a fresh start by moving to Spain. When a young couple appear at their doorstep having had car trouble, they allow them to stay for a few days. But both couples are hiding dark secrets. Was really fun up until a very dark twist I did not see coming. Who doesn't love a good ending!

It's because of books like this that Robyn Harding is a "must read" author for me. Everything about this book was well done- the setting; pacing; characters/backstories; the ending. Speaking of ending, there were parts I was able to forsee, but parts I definitely didn't see coming. Sydney's ending was perfect- I was really rooting for her to come into herself, and she certainly did by the end of the story. The theme of what people do in order to get justice- or what they perceive to be justice- ran strong through this one. Everyone had something to hide, almost everyone was a liar or a gaslighter, but who has the most dangerous secrets?
This is a book for all readers of mysteries/thrillers. It felt short, or perhaps I just did not take many breaks while reading it.... a book I'll absolutely be recommending when it is released!

Coming off the emotional wreckage of The Drowning Woman, I wasn’t sure how Robyn Harding could possibly top herself. So I went into Strangers in the Villa blind on purpose. No overthinking, no expectations, just that quiet hum of dread and excitement that only a Harding thriller gives me.

And then she wrecked me. Again.

This isn’t just a story about a couple patching together a broken marriage; it’s about betrayal that lingers under the skin, the way resentment creeps into every conversation, and how “starting over” never erases what’s already been done. Sydney and Curtis’ retreat to a sun soaked villa should feel like paradise, but instead it pulses with unease. You can almost hear the cracks forming between them, and Harding is merciless in the way she pries them open.

And then, the knock on the door. Enter “the Aussies” .

From that moment, the villa stops being a refuge and becomes a trap. Every exchange is layered with suspicion, every kindness has an edge. I felt myself holding my breath, scanning for clues, waiting for the inevitable implosion.

Harding has this way of making even a simple meal around the table feel like a battle of wills, and by the halfway mark I didn’t trust anyone, not the Lowes, not the Australians, not even myself for getting sucked so deep into their chaos.

The suspense is relentless, yes, but what hit me hardest was the emotional grit. The ugliness of forgiveness. The fragility of trust. The cost of needing someone who’s already broken you. That’s what Harding nails, her thrillers are never just about survival; they’re about how people destroy each other long before the blood is shed.

By the end, I sat there stunned, heart pounding, muttering “of course, of course” and yet still gutted by what I’d just read.

Robyn Harding doesn’t just twist plots, she twists the knife.

Bottom line: Strangers in the Villa is intoxicating, devastating, and a masterclass in slow burn dread. Read it if you dare.

Well plotted and highly entertaining. I didn't necessarily need the therapy extracts, but i'm not, strictly speaking, mad about it.

Wow! Robyn Harding's books just keep getting better and better. "Strangers in the Villa" is her latest, and as usual, I was hooked from the very first page. Sydney and Curtis Lowe have escaped to Spain to build a new life, in the hopes of repairing their marriage after Curtis' shocking betrayal. Soon after their arrival, surprise guests arrive at the door. Damian and Bianca are visiting from Australia when their van breaks down right outside of the Lowes' home. With their good looks and outgoing personalities, the two couples soon hit it off. Sydney and Curtis offer up their home while Damian and Bianca wait for their van to be fixed.

The foursome spend their days drinking, laughing, and soaking up the brilliant Spanish sunshine. However, what starts as a spontaneous friendship soon begins to have ominous undertones. Are Damian and Bianca really who they seem to be? Or are they holding dangerous secrets close to their chest.....secrets that have the potential to upend the new life that Curtis and Sydney have so painstakingly rebuilt?

Harding's latest is jam packed with twists and turns that will have you flying through the pages. In her latest, it seems that everyone is holding dark secrets close to their chests. Dark, twisty, and propulsive, "Strangers in the Villa" is guaranteed to make you a LOT more cautious about befriending people that you meet on vacation.

Deceit and betrayal propel this twisty psychological thriller from best-selling author Robyn Harding. After infidelity ruptures their marriage, New Yorkers Sydney and Curtis move to an idyllic villa in the north of Spain to rebuild their relationship. Sydney, struggling with loneliness and depression, opens the door to vagabonds Damian and Bianca and life changes for all four parties. Unexpected turns of events and changing motivations keep this story exciting. Great for fans of Lucy Foley and Shari Lapena.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I have read books that have the same central concept of Strangers in the Villa along with the same plot driving events, but I’ve not read them done close to as well as experienced in this book. Kudos to Robyn Harding for writing an extremely well done mystery that just kept getting better and better as she masterfully switched perspectives and unveiled the mystery.

On the surface the story focuses on couple Curtis and Sydney who have bought a house in Spain and left their careers and homes in NYC following an affair that nearly broke them, and still may. They’re well and truly isolated when couple Damian and Bianca ask for some help after their van breaks down, leading to Sydney inviting them into their home and a whole series of crud hitting the fan as a result. To say more would be to spoil - but trust me, if you’re a fan of the thriller genre you can’t go wrong her. Extra points for the absolutely vile event that set this off, it definitely challenges the reader as to who you’re rooting for.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A husband and wife who are trying to rebuild their marriage after an infidelity decide to get a fresh start by moving to Spain. When a young couple appear at their doorstep having had car trouble, they allow them to stay for a few days. But both couples are hiding dark secrets. Was really fun up until a very dark twist I did not see coming.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Harding writes another winner! What a book!
Curtis and Sidney are struggling after he revealed to her he had an affair but unknown to her it is worse than that.
They take a home in Spain to work on their relationship. Days later a van pulls in with a man and a woman complaining car trouble but really?
As time goes on things begin to get strange. There is more to this couple than they are telling! And are they safe?

Strangers in the Villa is a tense domestic thriller. A successful couple moves to Spain after her husbands indiscretion. They are living in a remote and beautiful area when two young Australians show up because their van broke down. The wife offers to let them stay till their car is fixed… but is that a good idea? Turns out everyone is hiding secrets and the situation turns deadly.