I have previously reviewed this book via my blog / Goodreads. Due to changing accounts that review was lost, only the rating was transferred. I thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book

I started this with high hopes and it started so well, lives that gripped and characters that you couldn't help to be intrigues by but somehow I felt it lost the plot and suddenly went all over the place. The second half of this book was not as enjoyable read but still glad I made it.

With the upcoming tv show I felt it was the best time to get stuck into this book. It was quite confusing with so many characters introduced simultaneously but I got there.
Unfortunately it wasn’t an engaging read and I found myself drifting but it was a decent read which I am sure will appeal to many.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Nine Perfect Strangers is the tale of nine strangers who meet at a spa retreat in a secluded part of Australia and how their lives have changed or could change over the next ten days.

I am in charge of the senior library and work with a group of Reading Ambassadors from 16-18 to ensure that our boarding school library is modernised and meets the need of both our senior students and staff. It has been great to have the chance to talk about these books with our seniors and discuss what they want and need on their shelves. I was drawn to his book because I thought it would be something different from the usual school library fare and draw the students in with a tempting storyline and lots to discuss.
This book was a really enjoyable read with strong characters and a real sense of time and place. I enjoyed the ways that it maintained a cracking pace that kept me turning its pages and ensured that I had much to discuss with them after finishing. It was not only a lively and enjoyable novel but had lots of contemporary themes for our book group to pick up and spend hours discussing too.
I think it's important to choose books that interest as well as challenge our students and I can see this book being very popular with students and staff alike; this will be an excellent purchase as it has everything that we look for in a great read - a tempting premise, fantastic characters and a plot that keeps you gripped until you close its final page.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Liane Moriarty does it again! I loved the 9 strangers in this book, a total range of people (brilliantly written) in a very odd situation, and the tension builds and builds until the final pages, with a great twist in the middle. It was a great read, and I raced through it, desperate to get to the conclusion. Definitely worth the hype.

Those who like contemporary with a thrust, friendships, fun but also with serious issues
Review I love this authors books so I knew I’d love this. Her style of writing, characters and writing flair appeals to me as a reader.

As in most health resorts you are limited in what you can and cannot have. So this makes full discussions.

Each character has never met before. Obviously health issues. The way the author brings these very different people together was superb.

I listened on audio to this one and the time flew by

Nine perfect strangers is a novel outside of my comfort zone and my usual genres but I had read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and enjoyed the show previously so I wanted to give this a go.

I'm very glad that I did as it kept me intrigued until the end, all of the characters were vastly different and had different issues going on in their lives that I didn't have one character I was dreading reading about.

I knew something was off but did not see the ending coming and felt myself being wrapped up in the drama and suspense through it all.

I always devour a Liane novel and this was just as I expected; a highly entertaining novel with a stellar cast, rollercoaster plot and the perfect setting. You will never be disappointed with her books.

I read this book on holiday-in fact I noticed a few people had this in their hands by the pool! And I can see why, it was thoroughly entertaining. It was a bit of a slow burner but I didn't mind that. I liked the cast of characters and the element of intrigue.

A good read if you are a fan of Big Little Lies, though this novel may leave readers wanting in some areas. The characters were vibrant, sharp and well-drawn, with some excellent interactions; however, the plot was not as satisfying as I would have liked (or indeed the author’s other work). Still worth a read.

I was a huge fan of Big Little Lies, but didn't love this one as much. Characters were classic Liane Moriarty - really sharp and brilliantly realised, with great dialogue - but the plot didn't play out in a satisfying way in my opinion. Would still read more of her work though.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher (Michael Joseph UK) for providing me an ARC copy of this novel that I freely chose to review.
I’ve read and reviewed two novels by Moriarty, Little Big Lies and Truly, Madly, Deadly, quite different but enjoyable. The first one is funnier, sharper, wittier, and flashier than the other, which is more intense, focuses around a single event and its consequences (although that is a structure the author comes back time and again), the characters are less extreme, glamorous, bubbly, and more evidently damaged and vulnerable. Secrets and lies are a common occurrence, and the difference between appearances and reality and the games people play are present in both. There are similarities in some of the themes and subjects in both novels, and these are also evident in Nine Perfect Strangers, which, in my opinion, sits somewhere in between with regards to the tone and the subject matter. The high quality of the writing is also a constant in the three books.
We have a fairly large cast of characters, seemingly unrelated and contrasting in their beliefs and attitudes to life (although not particularly diverse), composed by the guests (or clients) at an Australian wellness retreat, and the staff members. The guests are: a family of three (Napoleon, Heather, and Zoe, their daughter, whose 21st birthday is due during their stay at Tranquillum House, all still struggling with a big loss in their lives); a young couple, Jessica and Ben, who won the lottery and now are rich beyond their wildest dreams but not necessarily happier; a romance writer who hasn’t moved with the times (Frances); Tony, and ex-footballer (Australian football) who used to be known as Smiley but seems to find it difficult to find his place in the world now, Lars, a divorce lawyer living happily (?) with a long-term male partner but afraid to commit too much (no children); and Carmel, a divorced mother obsessed by her weight and lacking in self-confidence. The staff members are Masha, Yao, and Delilah. Masha, who used to hold a high-powered corporate position, has rediscovered herself as a wellness guru. Delilah used to be her PA in her previous incarnation and has come along for the ride, and Yao, formerly a paramedic, met Masha in interesting circumstances and is convinced by her programme and devoted to her. At first, this mishmash of characters seem straight out of a joke book, and they appear as caricatures, but through their “therapy” we get to know them as fully fledged individuals and get to empathise with them. There are parallels between them, perhaps inevitably. All of them are struggling with changes in their lives, due to age, to personal tragedies, to external events, and have difficulty coming to terms with those and moving on. Some of the characters are better drawn than others although none of them are true evil, they all (or most) have their moments of clarity and stardom, and I think most readers are likely to find somebody to connect with.
The story is told in the third person from most of the characters’ points of views, although some get more space than others (Frances, Masha, Yao, for example have a great deal to say), but this varies as the story evolves, and this technique helps readers get into the thick of things. There is a fairly dramatic prologue, which takes place ten years before the rest of the action and at first appears unrelated, but is not. After the main action of the novel ends (this somewhat “false” ending is cathartic but not quite as dramatic as the reveals in the two other novels), we have a number of chapters that follow the characters (some of them) for a period afterwards, providing a protracted ending that I really enjoyed and thought suited the story well. (One of the problem with therapies is that sometimes we don’t get a long-enough follow-up to see how effective they are long-term. This is not the case here).
I won’t go into detail about the actual therapy the guests engage in, as I want to avoid spoilers. Let’s say some of the elements will be familiar to people who have ever undertaken (or even read about) a retreat, but there are some pretty big surprises, and things turn pretty dark too, although people who prefer their novels free from major violence and blood are on safe ground here. That does not mean that there are no serious subjects at the heart of the novel (loss and suicide feature heavily, as does drug use, growing older… and there are major questions asked, such as: what defines who we are, how much value we place in those around us and our relationships with them, our role in society versus our own interests…), but there are moments of mirth and hilarity (many down to Frances, who made me think of the heroin of a chick-lit novel growing older disgracefully, as should be), and despite the difficult moments all the characters go through, this is not a challenging reading experience, and there are no great insights or revelations bound to make any readers feel enlightened or keep them thinking for ages once they finish the novel. It’s true that all the characters learn something by the end, but, if there is a serious message in this novel is that there are no quick-fixes or shortcuts to solving one’s problems, and we have to keep working at it day after day. But you might come to a different conclusion if you read it.
A few quotes from the book:
So I called reception and asked for a lower, cloudier, more comfortable sky. (Frances, describing how she felt contemplating the sky that day).
Sol was a real man who didn’t like adjectives or throw cushions.
She sucked in her stomach, ready to take it like a man, or at least like a romance novelist capable of reading her own royalty statements. (This is dedicated to all fellow authors).
In sum, I enjoyed the novel, although it is not my favourite work by the Moriarty. It has light touches and funny moments, some serious ones, pretty memorable characters, some ominous and dark undertones, it is easy to read, well-written engaging and entertaining. Another Australian author whose books I eagerly await.

Nine people (not all strangers) check into a health resort with a view to change their lives. Their reasons are valid in today's world. They have no idea what is really in store for them. The book moved at a good pace and with a feeling of suspense, however you do have to just 'go with it' towards the end of the story which is improbable.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

NIne Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Frances Weltby remembers when she was a best-selling romantic novelist (who hasn’t read Nathaniel’s Kiss?) but her latest novel has just been rejected by her publisher and she’s also received a damning review that hurts. And then she fell victim to a scam artist, putting her heart at risk of breaking. She needs to recharge her batteries, to ready herself for the next phase of her life, and so she drives for several hours away from Sydney, Australia, to Tranquillum House, a remote health resort run by a charismatic born-again fitness guru.

Frances is joined there by eight other men and women, all of whom are hoping to reemerge as new people at the end of their ten-day treatment. It won’t be easy. They will be taken way outside their comfort zone (no wine or coffee or screens, for starters). But it is all fascinating for Frances, who feels inspired by her companions, each of whom has secrets, sadnesses and quirky foibles. They are like onions, ready to reveal their layers to this hungry observer of life.

And so begins a stay that will transform these nine lives. They’re quite a bunch – a retired sportsman, a bereaved family, a young ridiculously rich couple with a marriage on the verge of tatters, a woman who wants nothing more than to be so thin she’d be invisible, a handsome glitzy divorce lawyer. They each need help. The problem is, it’s not so sure that they’re going to get it and what they do get might not be exactly what anyone would want. It’s certainly going to be memorable…

As soon as I heard about Nine Perfect Strangers, I knew I wanted to read it and I read it as soon as I got my hands on it. The idea of a group of strangers on some kind of retreat or cut off from the outside world in some other way is a popular theme at the moment, especially in psychological thrillers, and I really like it. The idea of a controversial health resort in the middle of nowhere in Australia is also appealing. I can’t say that I fancy this sort of thing myself and having read this novel I can see that I’m right.

What happens in Tranquillum House is for you to discover but the main charm of this novel isn’t the plot (which is sort of a psychological thriller) but the author’s fine observation of her characters and the witty prose. This is a very funny novel in places. Frances, the woman that we’re supposed to identify with the most, gets most of the best lines and she’s a joy to spend time with, although, as with most of the characters, there is also something tragic about her. This is emotional stuff. One minute you’ll be chuckling, and the next you could find yourself crying. Some of these characters have a lot to cry about, whereas others are just so sad. One in particular speaks little. She barely exists. The narrative moves between the ‘patients’ and so we get to know a little about them all but, inevitably, some more than others. There were some I didn’t care much about but there are a few that I cared deeply for.

I did have some issues with the novel and most of those begin at the halfway point. Without giving anything away, the story takes a turn into preposterous and ridiculous country and I don’t think it recovers from this. It really does get daft and one or two people take on almost pantomime characteristics. Nevertheless, Nine Perfect Strangers is such a light and fast read (despite the length) that I stuck with it to the end, wanting to know the fate of the characters I did care about. I liked the mingling of humour and great sadness. I enjoyed the wit and lightness of the writing. If you’re after a fun holiday read, then this might well fit the bill.

Liane Moriaty's suspenseful thriller was a real page turner. I couldn't put it down!

It's a simple enough premise, nine strangers trapped in isolation with only each other to rely on. However Moriaty mixes things up a little bit by having the strangers isolate themselves in the form of a health retreat. It's a timely choice given how often we read about celebrities disappearing for cleanses, bootcamps and retreats. However Tranquillum House is a retreat with a difference, which soon becomes apparent as a veil of secrecy and eerie not-quite-right feelings descend on both the inhabitants and the reader.

I love the tongue-in-cheek nature of Moriaty's writing however it never steered too far away for its main purpose - to unsettle and entertain. The strength of this book lies in the creeping feelings of discomfort and the main characters. Some are likeable, some are unlovable but they're all magnetic with their own faults and flaws that drew them to the retreat and that keep the reader hooked.

I really enjoyed this, the first of Moriaty's books I have read. It certainly won't be the last.

Found this a little hard going so gave up
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Loved it! Another great novel from Liane Moriarty.

Great drama and characters, amazing storyline, in some ways far fetched but also something you really can imagine could happen, in today's society with more people considering retreats etc.

I really do hope that Drew Barrymore has bought the rights to this one too, I understand she has acquired another since Big Little Lies. This would make another great film/tv serialisation.

Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy for a review - apologies that it had already been published before I managed to do so.

9 people (some of them are strangers) go to a Health Retreat in a remote part of Australia and all are hoping for a life-changing experience. This is the first book I have read by Liane Moriarty. An unusual book that got more interesting as it progressed and then had a satisfying ending. I look forward to reading more books by Liane Moriarty and thank #netgalley for the opportunity to read #NinePerfectStrangers and give this honest review.