The Spare Room is a racy thriller by Andrea Bartz. Released 20th June 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is a "beach read" with lots of scandalously racy scenes and an over-the-top plot. The author has a good grasp of description and setting, and there's a palpable tension throughout which is unsettling and impressive. The book falls a bit flat with stilted characterization and uneven dialogue. Many of the sex scenes felt tacked on gratuitously and the pacing in the first 50(ish)% was distinctly different than the latter parts. That being said, fans of Gone Girl and Pretty Things will find a lot to like here.
Definitely an adult read, much of it NSFW. Three stars due to the uneven pacing and weirdly convoluted denouement and epilogue.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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