The Spare Room
A Novel
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3.6 • 100 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Staying with a friend and her husband is sexier—and deadlier—than anyone could have imagined, in this “delightfully salacious” (Shondaland) domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick We Were Never Here.
“A fresh and sexy ride, perfect for reading poolside.”—People (Best New Book)
“Sexy, atmospheric, deliciously creepy, and ingeniously plotted: the best kind of up-all-night page-turner.”—Lucy Foley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Apartment and The Guest List
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Elle, PopSugar, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, CrimeReads
Kelly’s new life in Philadelphia has turned into a nightmare: She’s friendless and jobless, and the lockdown has her trapped in a tiny apartment with the man she gave up everything for, who’s just called off their wedding. The only bright spot is her newly rekindled friendship with her childhood friend Sabrina—now a glamorous bestselling author with a handsome, high-powered husband.
When Sabrina and Nathan offer Kelly an escape hatch, volunteering the spare room of their remote Virginia mansion, she jumps at the chance to run away from her old life. There, Kelly secretly finds herself falling for both her enchanting hosts—until one night, a wild and unexpected threesome leads the couple to open their marriage for her.
At first, Kelly loves being part of this risqué new world. But when she discovers that the last woman they invited into their marriage is missing, she starts to wonder if they could be dangerous . . . and if she might be next.
Packed with Andrea Bartz’s signature tension, twists, and toxic relationships, The Spare Room marks an edgy, boundary-pushing new direction from the “master of the ‘feminist thriller’” (Los Angeles Times).
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bartz (We Were Never Here) delivers a cleverly plotted page-turner that doesn't quite stick the landing. After unemployed marketer Kelly Doyle gets dumped by her fiancé, she leaps at an invitation from Sabrina Lamont, her high school pal turned successful romance novelist, to wait out the pandemic lockdown with her and her husband, Nathan, a high-level Department of Defense analyst, in the couple's secluded Virginia mansion. As soon as Kelly passes through the luxurious property's gates, not even the adjacent cemetery can keep her from feeling like she's stepped into one of Sabrina's steamy novels. That sensation only intensifies as Kelly finds herself unexpectedly attracted to both of her hosts and swept into a throuple. Kelly feels desired, daring, and empowered—until she discovers she isn't the pair's first lover and that her predecessor has vanished. As an increasingly anxious Kelly attempts to learn more about the last woman's disappearance without jeopardizing her relationship with the Lamonts, Bartz expertly whips up a dizzying kaleidoscope of suspicion (including two truly game-changing twists) before serving up a regrettably far-fetched denouement. The only misstep comes at the end, and it's one that will unfortunately leave readers disappointed.
Customer Reviews
It was a good story
I gave it four stars instead of five because I really didn’t find any of the characters likable.
Couldn’t wait to get back to the book
Great thriller, twisting plot — another awesome novel from her!
Great vacation read
Very fun vacation read! The twists at the end were a bit of a stretch but I enjoyed it over all!