I really enjoyed this read; health and well-being retreats, body image, social media and the need for a 'perfect' life are all packed between the pages of a book with its tongue poked firmly in cheek. Ms Moriarty really does have a keen eye for observing the mundane and everyday, and then a true skill at creating a witty, at times emotional and always intriguing story.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I've never read anything by Liane Moriarty before, but was intrigued by this book after the massive success of Big Little Lies.

The basic premise is that, for a variety of different reasons, 9 people (some related, some not) turn up at a very strange health resort and are under the control of Masha, the owner, and her unusual methods. As the story develops, various secrets are revealed and we find out more about the back stories of the clientele.

I really, really struggled with this book - more so that I have done for a very long time. It seemed like a chore. The characters are introduced in pretty much subsequent chapters, which makes it difficult to remember each group. The only character which is really fleshed out from the start is Frances; everyone else seems like an extra.

I celebrated getting to halfway through (nothing had really happened by this point either) and was completely relieved by the time I reached the end. I don't know whether Liane Moriarty books are an acquired taste or not, but why do they have to be so flipping long?! Pages and pages were going by and the characters were still 'settling in' to the resort.

Reader, I hated it.

For me, a slightly confusing start where I struggled to remember who was who. A good read, but unbelievable and far fetched. A slightly toned down version would make a great film or tv series.

I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you!

Liane Moriarty's latest is a gripping novel about a group of nine people who attend a ten-day-long treatment at a health & relaxation facility. The facility's manager has just come up with a new and improved programme whose consequences for her clients should be truly life-altering. 

While I had some issues with the book's pacing (it's a slow starter), once things got going, I couldn't put the book down.  Moriarty's strength lies in her empathy and the way she writes her characters. They are all unique, each troubled in their own way, from mundane problems to more complicated ones. Is Tranquilium House the way to solve those problems? 

It's a funny, engaging book, occasionally turning into a thriller. There is an amusing subplot concerning a novelist whose career is flagging -- and Moriarty uses this subplot to poke fun at herself and expectations the readers might have of her writing, as well as various genre conventions. 

So this is a recommended read for an autumny evening with a cup of tea and a candle at your side. And now I'm already wondering what Moriarty's next book will bring...

I really wasn't sure what to expect, I haven't seen or read any of Liane Moriarty other stuff, but a friend raved about this, so I went for it.
It's a great country house suspense that manages to be tongue in cheek about itself the whole time.
There's a motley crew of characters, a plot that bounds along (narrated primarily by the wonderful Frances) and enough twists, turns and suspense to keep you from guessing what's next.
Worryingly, it really made me want to go away for a spa break - not sure what that says about me.

I received an early copy of this book for my independent honest review.
Nine people make the decision to book themselves into a residential retreat for some rest and recouperation. Each having their own reasons and reaching a time in their lives when they feel it would benefit their wellbeing. It soon becomes apparent that they have signed up for more than they realised!
I quickly became engrossed in the plot and didn't want to put this book down.
The characters are so well introduced that it is easy to believe you know them all personally. This adds to the growing tension of the plot which becomes more psychological as it progresses as it becomes apparent the owner of the retreat is not what she seems.
Each person has to work on their fears and inner strength to cope with the increasing stressful situations thrown at them. This made this book so much more interesting for me.
The reason why I didn't rate this a full 5* is due to my disappointment with the wrap up at the end. All these people had been through a nightmare and trauma and the end didn't fulfil behaviour that felt in keeping with this for me.
A must read for its drama. Once started it has you hooked.

I received a free ebook version of this from Netgalley. Thankyou to both Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this! My review is still honest.

I'm so pleased with this! After a fantastic experience with Big Little Lies and an average experience with Truly Madly Guilty from this author, I wasn't sure what to expect-but this was a really good one.
This book follows 9 people who all go to a health resort with some rather...extreme methods. These people all have their own stories and issues that they need to work through, from suicide and feelings of guilt to failed careers and body issues. It combines complex, emotional life stories with sinister thriller and mystery, and does it very, very well.
I really enjoyed reading about these characters and I was genuinely invested in all of their lives. While some had more difficult issues than the others, they were all worth reading about and sympathising with. I really appreciated that we got nicely tied up endings for all of them, and they all seemed to end up in good places for them. It was an edge of your seat plot where I never knew what to expect, and a health resort can be surprisingly creepy.
I do have a small issue, and that is that the ending was a little confusing. It talks about a couple of events and I'm not all too sure what it's meant to hint at. I think a little more could have been done with that, but overall it was very satisfying.

Nine Perfect Strangers
Just finished reading this book which I thoroughly enjoyed. The story started slowly, introducing a couple of characters and the start of their back story, and the reason for their ‘journey’. It gathers pace as it moves to the ‘spa’ Tranquillium House and the rest of the characters appear including the rather strange owner Masha. My interest was kept throughout as you are fed more snippets of information which intrigue you. The characters are portrayed very well and I found myself caring about them and their situations. Through a series of surprising events (no spoilers here!) you discover much more depth about each person and their journey here and their secrets.
A good easy book to read, the second half certainly picked up pace and kept me gripped. The ending wraps everything up neatly, maybe a bit too neatly? Not quite as good as some of her other books but definitely enjoyable.

Tranquillem House is an exclusive health resort situated away from the stresses of everyday life. It promises that ten days there can change your life.

Nine people arrive. All have different reasons for being there, some want to lose weight, some want to get fitter, some want to de-stress & some want to forget. None of them are prepared for the regime they have signed up for. At first the whole idea seems somewhat odd but everyone goes along with the healthy smoothies, the silence, the meditation. Then things take a turn for the weird- how are these days going to change lives?

I loved this book! The characters are interesting- I really loved Frances the romance author! OK it's pretty far fetched at times but that doesn't stop this being acracking enjoyable read that I devoured in a day.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read & review this book.

⭐️⭐️ 2 stars

Big Little Lies is one of my favourite books however every other book by the author that I have read since has been a disappointment. This one is no different, in fact if anything, it’s my least favourite by Lianne.

The characters are in the main, unlikeable, I had nothing invested in any of them so never really cared where the story was going. I kept waiting for something to happen but it ready is just a ploddy book about 9 strangers who go to stay in a retreat.

The last third got slightly more interesting hence the second star but overall so slow, disappointing and not recommended sorry.

I am such a fan of Liane Moriarty and I have read all her books and love them all. However if I were to make a list of best to least good this one would be low down. Her characterisation as always is brilliant but the substance in Nine Strangers just wasn’t there for me in the same way it is in almost all of her other work.
I love the reveals and connections in her books and they were few and far between in this one.
That said I did very much enjoy it and would heartily recommend it. Just not quite her usual five star rating from me.

This book has got to be one of the best books I've read this year. It follows nine people who go to a health retreat for enlightenment. The stories were easy to follow yet intriguing. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments adminst the theme exploring the pain of grief. Have recommended to family and friends. A real page turner. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

Is it just me?

Having read the blurb and knowing that Liane Moriarty is a popular author, I was looking forward to reading the book. Unfortunately, I found the whole storyline impossible to connect with.

I didn’t like any of the characters. Nor the reasons why they decided to go off for this “retreat”. In fact, the whole thing just went against the grain for me.

Judging by the number of five-star reviews, I’m in the minority here. A shame, as I was honestly looking forward to reading this book.

Bluebell

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I really enjoyed this book, thank you for much for my copy.

Nine Perfect Strangers would have quite a slow start. The introduction to the many characters and their subsequent introductions to each other...it takes up a huge chunk of the early book. However, Moriarty is such a skilled writer, each character reels you in, and she writes in a way that is insightful, emotional and humorous. There are laugh out loud moments.

What then transpires, once we know the characters, is a health resort that goes from strange to stranger. There are a lot of POV characters to keep up with, but their voices are so distinct, and their personalities so strong, that it's easy to keep up with them all.

I thought it was a brilliant read, and I enjoyed the ending too, which is hard for a book this intricate to pull off. Great book!

I just loved this book and its amazing set of characters from the endearing Frances to lonely Tony. I warmed to all of them in different ways. The author has the knack of digging deep into the human psyche with all its hang-ups, desires, self-delusion and self-obsession. In particular, she is not slow in condemning the pressure women put upon themselves in relation to what they see as the demands of society. She encourages the reader to have wry look at her or himself.

The nine perfect strangers are at a health resort/retreat run by the enigmatic Masha (for enigmatic, read daft as a box of frogs) who is convinced that she can save people from themselves. As the novel progresses we hear the backstories of all the characters which are mostly sad or tragic and explain how they have found themselves at the retreat. Having said that, there is plenty of sly humour and wit in this story of madness and mayhem at a health resort.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

I love Liane Moriarty and have been reading her books since before Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon got their hands on Big Little Lies and turned it into an award-winning TV series <smug icon> so couldn’t wait to read her newest book, Nine Perfect Strangers. This book tells the story of nine people who have taken themselves off to an incredible health and wellness retreat, Tranquillum House. They are there for a whole myriad of reasons and are overwhelmed by the services on offer and the personal service but soon discover that if something looks too good to be true it generally is.

As usual in a Liane Moriarty book there is a cast of characters who are hiding secrets from both themselves and others, some moments of darkness and some laugh out loud sentences. The title of the book is a little misleading as these nine people are not strictly speaking, strangers. There is family of three Heather, Napoleon and Zoe, young couple Jessica and Ben, divorce lawyer Lars, ex-sportsman Tony, romance writer Frances and single mother Carmel whose husband has traded her in for a younger model. They are given personalised diets, have to take a vow of silence, go on lengthy walks, have massages and undertake therapy to overhaul both their physical and mental wellbeing. The retreat is run by Masha with her assistants Yeo and Delilah and their approaches are, er, unconventional to say the least.

Written via a multi-person narrative we get to meet each of these people and learn their innermost secrets and desires. I have to admit that I really struggled with this, there was too much jumping about and I am usually a massive fan of reading different viewpoints in a book. I love this technique as it allows the plot to develop and that clues are dropped allowing us to try to put the pieces together and to see how things interlock. In Nine Perfect Strangers this does work well, it’s just that, there were so many people that it was confusing. Sometimes I had to stop and try and remember the back story for a character, particularly as a couple of characters chapters weren’t introduced until quite a way into the book and they therefore seemed unfamiliar to me. These moments took me out of the story and I kept confusing two of the female characters and having to backtrack and mentally recalibrate to make sure I was on track with the story.

As plots go on the surface this was very clever. I liked the thought of strangers meeting and there perhaps being a mystery to be unlocked but it didn’t quite work out like that. In other Liane Moriarty books there is often a huge secret and reveal which I feel blindsided by but this book was very different in tone. That is not necessarily a bad thing, I mean, there were secrets and reveals galore and the different viewpoints meant that I kept getting those frustratingly tantalising glimpses of something being hidden, but it felt a little flat. The different characters meant that there was a lot of issues being dealt with, grief, loss, divorce, menopause, relationship problems and health being just a few. That was just the people taking part in the retreat, throw in the staff and it is a different kettle of fish entirely.

What this book does have in spades is clever observations that had the highlight feature on my Kindle working overtime. I loved Frances the romance writer whose career is on the wane (nobody wants to read about people falling in love and everything tied up at the end with a neat bow apparently) who made me laugh out loud on many occasions. I also enjoyed her perceptiveness and kindness towards others. Liane Moriarty uses Frances as a tool to communicate some of the worries that women have, one of my favourites was when she was in a pool with Tony;

"Now she was stuck in the pool because she didn’t want to get out in front of him. She would have though that she was too old to worry about her body being observed and judged in a swimsuit, but apparently this neurosis began at twelve years old and never ended."

She, for me, was the centre of the novel and one of my favourite characters, Liane Moriarty writes people really well and her female characters in particular are strong in this novel.

There is much to like in Nine Perfect Strangers, it contains the wonderful wit and acute observations that make Liane Moriarty books stand out but for me it did fall a little short. There is nothing horrifically wrong with it, it is brilliantly written and traverses darkness and light well it just isn’t my favourite Liane Moriarty book I don’t think.

Nine Perfect Strangers is an intriguing book. It's not as fast paced or compulsive as I expected from Liane Moriarty. It had a bit of a slow start, but the characters were all well developed. Overall, I found it too long, and the ending a bit of a damp squib (this comparison will make more sense after you've finished!)

The last Liane Moriarty book I read was Truly Madly Guilty and I just didn’t love it as much as some of her other books, which I had picked up and devoured. With that in mind I was slightly apprehensive about Nine Perfect Strangers.

I felt it got off to a slow start but picked up the pace as the plot developed and the characters were established - each of which had interesting back stories. Frances was my favourite!

It’s not what you expect, not quite a thriller but not a comedy.

The “reveal” fell a bit flat for me but I enjoyed the endings for each of the characters.

Excited to see that Nicole Kidman has the film and tv rights - curious to see what she’ll do with it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Liane Moriarty and Penguin Michael Joseph for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is so different, interesting and absorbing; funny in parts and revealing poignant truths in others. The characters are all believable and sympathetic. The plot is quite preposterous really, but the way Moriarty writes is so compelling that it doesn't matter. I like the end chapters which follow the characters' lives in later years. I read this on a rainy Sunday from start to finish!

An interesting read where we meet a group of strangers all checking into a retreat for a varying range of reasons. This retreat is run by Masha who is supported by Yao. Both have left their former lives and careers behind to run this new and unusual centre.
It took a little while to hook me in but as we get to know the characters, they become more intriguing and they gradually reveal themselves to the reader and to one another. This book has some humour but also has some tension and intrigue to keep you reading.