This is a Safe Space may be short, but it packs a punch. The pacing is tight, the tension relentless, and the characters—particularly Jenna—are morally complex and impossible to look away from. The full-cast audiobook with incorporated sounds was phenomenal, elevating the story even further into something cinematic; I devoured it in one sitting.

While I wished for a little more depth for one or two secondary characters and found the ending a touch rushed, those are small critiques in an otherwise stellar novel. This is classic Lucinda berry: immersive, sharp, and unforgettable. Easily a top-three favorite of hers for me, and I'll be recommending this widely when it publishes.

After Saving Noah, 😭 I was ready for something gripping, and this hit the mark.

Perfect little thriller to break up the work week. Always fascinating to see how clinicians are portrayed—Berry knows her stuff.

Sharing this one with my colleagues! 👏

📚 ARC REVIEW 📚

This is a Safe Space⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Jenna is a successful private therapist, who has issues of her own. One of those is trust and she just can’t help but looking at her husband phone when he doesn’t know. But one night she discovers a secret that her husband and his cousin, Bodie, have and she just can’t shake it. Especially when that secret is about one of her cilents. Now Jenna must figure out what’s really going on and who she can fully trust.


What a good, fast-paced, domestic suspense, thriller! This one had me hooked from the beginning. I didn’t see that twist coming at the end and was shocked by it. I loved the narration! The audio production was great and added to the suspense and made the story more fun to listen to. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and it was so easy to binge.

This book will publish on October 21, 2025 thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio | Simon & Schuster Audio Originals for my advanced audiobook copy. This is my honest and voluntary opinion.

Lucinda does it again! This quick thriller will keep you on your toes in true Lucinda fashion! I haven’t read anything by her I haven’t enjoyed!

Wow! This is a wonderful production! Loved it!

This was the perfect story to binge in an afternoon. The narration is fantastic as part of the whole production of this story (there are audio aspects other than the reading which adds great layers to the story's production).

The main character is a hot mess with the need (while she KNOWS it's wrong) to snoop in her husband's phone. BUT what she finds is more than she bargained for. This story took many turns and they each added great layers to the story. I thought this was perfectly plotted. The story grabs the reader and doesn't let go for the 3-ish hours duration. The thrill comes at the end when the characters clash in a final showdown situation. The twists keep coming through the very last pages!

This Is a Safe Space started off a little slow but once the story picked up I was hooked. Lucinda Berry pulled me in the way she always does. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I didn’t. The plot twist hit and I did not see it coming. All the tension and then dropping that reveal that kept me in a chokehold until the very last page.

**Thanks NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for this ALC**

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to this audio book.
It was a good story but at times I felt bored. The readers were good and I liked the set up. I didn't see the ending coming but it didn't shock me too much. All in all I am glad I listened to it.

Lucinda Berry has done it again. This is a Safe Space is a gripping psychological thriller that dives deep into trauma, identity, and the darker corners of therapy culture. From the first chapter, I was completely hooked—not only by the twisting narrative but by the emotional intensity that builds with every reveal.

The audiobook narration was top-tier. The voice acting added another layer of immersion, perfectly capturing the characters’ vulnerability, confusion, and fear. Each narrator brought authenticity and depth, making the story feel even more real—and haunting.

Berry’s background in psychology clearly informs her writing, giving the story a chilling authenticity that hits hard. It’s unsettling in the best way—forcing you to question what’s real, what’s remembered, and what’s buried too deep to surface.

If you're into psychological suspense that lingers long after it ends, This is a Safe Space is a must-listen. I couldn’t stop thinking about it—and honestly, I don’t think I want to.

Lucinda Berry is the queen of psychological thrillers. Her books are nuts! I love every second of them. i was granted an ARC of the audio of This is a Safe Space.. Not all books translate into audios well. This one did! It was incredible. Super easy to listen to and highly entertaining. If you are a Lucinda Berry fan, you will love this book! I just wish her books were longer!

While the ending was predictable, this was a fantastic audio production. Even for its brevity, this was a satisfying listen. Narration was very well done. I loved the dialogue between Bodi and Colton. The formatting and direction were spot on. Loved it!

Well, this little audio novella made my work day fly by!!

Who doesn’t like a little family drama, especially when it’s because your two worlds have just collided‽‽ This was pretty twisty, despite being only about 3 hours long, made even better by a full cast of narrators.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This Is a Safe Space by Lucinda Berry is a fast-paced, twisty listen that kept me engaged, but ultimately left me with mixed feelings. The premise is intriguing—a therapist caught between her professional ethics, her own marriage, and a dangerous secret—but at times it felt like the story leaned too heavily on melodrama rather than fully developing the characters.

The audio production was dynamic and definitely added to the suspense, making it an easy book to binge. I appreciated the unique setup with Jenna’s dual roles as both therapist and wife at risk of being pulled into a scandal. However, some of the plot turns felt rushed or a little far-fetched, and I found myself wishing for deeper exploration of the characters’ motivations.

Overall, it’s an entertaining thriller with plenty of tension and shocking reveals, but it didn’t quite deliver the emotional depth or believability I was hoping for. A solid read if you enjoy domestic suspense, just not my favorite from Lucinda Berry.

#ThisIsASafeSpace
By #LucindaBerry

A BIG thank you to #NetGalley and the author for letting me listen to this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

About the book: Jenna is a successful private therapist but she has issues of her own, and she really struggles with trust. Especially when it comes to trusting her husband, Colton. After some past marriage counseling, she makes a promise to her husband that she will stop snooping on his phone. But sometimes she just can’t help herself.
One night she discovers a troubling text message exchange between Colton and his best friend and cousin Bodie. A dancer from a bachelorette party they had recently attended has been threatening Bodie, claiming he crossed the line sexually, and she will expose the truth if he doesn’t give her what he wants. They dont much about her or how far she’ll go, but Jenna might know her very well.
Lexus Chardonnay is the stage name of the dancer, and one you wouldn’t easily forget, and Jenna has heard the name many times from one of her clients.
Kaitlyn is a medical student that dances on the weekends to help get herself through school. Jenna has been her therapist for a few years, except she hasn’t seen her for a few months. Kaitlyn just stopped showing up for therapy without any reason.
Jenna begins to listen back to past therapy sessions, a more complicated picture arises. She must decide who to trust and her family and career are threatened.

What I thought: I thought this was a pretty entertaining audiobook. It was shorter and kept my attention. I enjoyed that it was an all star cast, so it felt like I was watching a movie. Overall I’d give this audiobook 3.5 stars.

Narrator’s: Danielle Savre; Alicia Crowder; Dan Bittner; Matt Godfrey; Janina Edwards all did a phenomenal job!

This audiobook will release October 20, 2025

Another knockout from Lucinda Berry! I was hooked from the start. She keeps the tension high and the plot dramatic without forgetting to develop her characters.

This is a short and engaging listen, perfect for long commutes or road trips. I’d recommend it to fans of Freida McFadden and Kiersten Modglin.

I'm a little sad that this audio only and can't live on my shelf.

I'm used to Dr. Lucinda Berry traumatizing me (Saving Noah), this one is not like that. But if you have had a stalker you may want to skip this one. (I've had one and was fine but protect your mental health friends).

A therapist realizes that one of her clients is connected to a situation with a family member. Can she keep things professional?

A very quick audio with a full cast. Add it to your list!

This was the perfect novella. The audio was fantastic and a quick listen. I was sucked in from the very beginning. I don't even know if this could have been better if it was a full length novel. This is also my first Lucinda Berry novel and I'm looking forward to read her other novels!

Jenna runs a private therapy practice and has a therapist of her own. She has a lot of trust issues and has a very bad habit of going through her husband, Colton's phone. She made a promise that she would quit until she comes across some texts between her husband and his cousin, Bodie. Bodie's bachelor party might have ended up being more than they bargained for when one of the strippers starts threatening Bodie claiming that he sexually assaulted her and is going to tell his new wife.

The dancer stirring up problems is Lexus Chardonnay and Jenna’s heard it before—from one of her clients, Kaitlyn a medical student working her way through college. Jenna has been her therapist for a few years but haven't heard from her in the last few months. Jenna is now trying to piece together the past to figure out who she can trust.

Lucinda Berry has crafted a gripping and emotional story that is both thought-provoking and heartfelt. This Is a Safe Space pulls you in quickly with its raw honesty and unforgettable characters, tackling difficult themes with compassion and depth. It’s a powerful, moving read that lingers with you long after the final page.

I love this authors books so much but this one wasn’t my fave from her. It felt forced at some parts and the story didn’t connect together the best. I still loved her writing and enjoyed the story but “saving Noah” and “one of our own” are my favorites from her and this doesn’t compare to those at all. I’d def recommend this author but probably skip this one. 😬 🪑

First of all, thanks for this ARC.

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed...it started interesting but then it was obvious that Bodie and Colten had something to do with her stalker...the ending felt a forced, all of them had a connection and then even her sister shows up...just too much.