Member Reviews

You know the saying keep your friends close and your enemies closer? The grass is always greener on the other side? Well bugger that! Appreciate what you’ve got and make the most of it, what you wish for isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be! Never mind the wrong move, think multiple wrong moves!!

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Now I did a lot of house shares when I was younger so this premise totally hooked me. Luckily my fellow housemates weren’t strange and were totally trustworthy. But making the protagonist an unreliable narrator were they strange or is it due to her alcohol consumption? Having just left a toxic relationship could it be the abusive ex tormenting her as things start to go wrong?

The author cleverly reveals the information slowly so you are never quite sure and it urges you to keep reading. I liked the multiple points of views but it did require some concentration and I will admit I did sometimes have to question who I was reading as it switched unexpectedly. But to me that just added to the reading experience and was more for me to try and work out.

I will also admit I didn’t like Jessie very much but hey that’s real life. You can’t like everyone and it doesn’t mean they aren’t interesting. But for me the real punch of this book is the ending and as a lover of ambiguous it totally worked.

This was a solid debut and I look forward to reading the authors next book.

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This book didn’t hit the spot for me. Loved the description of a thriller. However, found the book hard going at times and rushed in others. Thank you for the opportunity to read tho.

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With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. The Wrong Move was a novel that contains everything I like about fiction. A narrator that I was slightly unsure about, an escape from the past and a feeling that life wasn’t going to be as straight forward as hoped for. All combined with some thoroughly unlikeable housemates.

Jessie’s attempts to find somewhere decent to live were convincing. I can just imagine what some accommodation looks like with an exorbitant price tag. I could appreciate how happy she was to be made so welcome by her housemates, despite their differences. It’s not something I’ve ever experienced, and in honesty, I don’t feel I’ve missed out.

There were times when it was very sinister. The feelings Jessie had about being watched and suspecting that people had been in her room. But more so when you got to see what her housemates were thinking. There were two out of the three who I’d have been very reluctant to be over friendly with. The online searches that Jessie could do because of her job left me with a strange feeling. Knowing that it was underhand but fully understanding why she would choose to do it.

This is a book that made me very happy not to be looking for a house share.

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I found that this book was a really well- balanced Thriller. I really could not tell which way this book was going to go. There were several characters that you could suspect of being the weak link, the house mate that could turn but there were never really any real hints of it until the end. I really enjoyed that we were drip fed information throughout the book - it did not frustrate me it made me want to keep reading, made me want to find out more about the characters lives and their histories.

The characterisation was beautiful. I really enjoyed the characters in the book just as they were. Jessie's back story was believable and I understand why we were never really given much information about the housemates as otherwise the ending of the book would be spoilt.

The main thing that I did not really like about the book was the ending. I felt that I was invested in the story to see it through until the bitter end and then there wasn't really an ending - an ending where you have to fill in the gaps and guess what happened.

Overall though, a great Thriller - easy to read and brilliant to pass the time with and enjoy.

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Jessie moved to Brighton after her relationship break up. She gets a room in a flat share. She soon makes friends with Lauren and Sofie. But then strange things start to happen. Jessie thinks it's her ex-partner that's responsible. When she learns about the other tenants that lived in her room, she uncovers things that could put her life in danger.

The story is told mainly from Jessie's perspective but all the characters have a voice. There's also Marcus who hardly ever leaves his room and the letting officer Ian whom keeps popping in. The story is a it predictable in parts. The ending felt a it flat and a abrupt. There's twists, secrets and ,lies. A decent debut novel.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing and the author Jennifer Savin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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What drew me first to The Wrong Move was the cover rather than the synopsis, although that too sounds intriguing. I didn’t realise until I started reading that this domestic thriller is set in my hometown of Brighton. My seaside city seems to be a popular choice for writers when choosing a location for their novels (Peter James, Dorothy Koomson for starters) and I feel it’s an added bonus when you recognise street names and venues, a way of making you feel more connected to the storyline.
Indeed the premise for this thriller is intriguing; What could possibly go wrong sharing a house with complete strangers,having no idea if you’ll even like them that much let alone have any inkling of their backgrounds? It’s like taking a step into the unknown, a gamble that may or may not pay off; you could become great friends or be cohabitating with a serial killer!! Obviously it’s a risk many people take and this novel begs the question as to how well do we think we know the people we live with which I believe is a great basis for a twisty, gripping edge of your seat read. Jessie, the protagonist is about to find out that living with strangers should come with a warning to take care!
She is desperate to find accommodation that whilst not necessarily luxurious is at least habitable and her search finally leads her to 4 Maver Place , already home to Lauren, Sofie and Marcus. I expected to be easily drawn into this thriller on the basis that the prologue sounded promising. Instead I found Jessie, escaping from a less than harmonious relationship, to be a character without much backbone, clearly quite vulnerable and naive and desperate to get along with her housemates who appear strange from the start. She is simply annoying and as events unfold I wanted to shake her and scream at her to just move out given all the strange goings on.Luck doesn’t seem to be on her side that’s for sure and rather than deal with things rationally she chooses to find salvation in alcohol. I couldn’t really get a sense of what made any of her housemates tick since their characters are so sketchily drawn, with little or very vague descriptions of their backgrounds, leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions. I felt rather frustrated at the lack of depth to the characterisation, rendering them one dimensional. So much is alluded to with one or two line sentences so that the narrative didn’t flow easily, jumping hastily from one person to another.
Whilst the premise is thought provoking with the potential to really keep the reader engaged and entertained, in this instance I just don’t think it’s been well executed . Although I managed to read the whole book within two days, I’m not sure it’s because I had any real desire to discover why Jessie’s housemates are so odd and the importance of past tenants to the storyline which seem to be causing Jessie so much anxiety.Excluding the obvious caution to beware of who you choose to live with, the other main theme is the fragility of mental health and the obsessive nature that some relationships/friendships can take.
Although some reviews have hinted at a disappointing ending I was pleasantly surprised by the last few pages as I do enjoy endings where there is some ambiguity. Despite the fact that on this occasion this thriller didn’t quite live up to expectations, I thoroughly appreciate the opportunity to read courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley.

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This was an entertaining thriller. It's not so original or memorable, but still good and fun to read.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

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It took me a while to become hooked by this, but eventually I had to know what had happened in that flat! When Jessie first moves in to her house share in Brighton she’s vulnerable after an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Matthew. She chooses Brighton because she loved it as a student, her friend Priya lives nearby and Matthew is miles away. Maver Place is the best house she’s seen and her room has plenty of space, even if it does need a few decorative touches. I was suspicious of every flatmate at some point in the novel. Marcus keeps to himself, but does seem to have an odd connection to Lauren, doesn’t let anyone in his room and makes a lot of noise moving around at night. Sofi isn’t present very much, she’s usually somewhere with her boyfriend Henry, but when she starts dressing like Jessie and copies her hair, I thought it might be a ‘single white female’ type obsession. Lauren comes across as the most normal and friendly, but she too is very secretive and seems antagonistic towards previous tenants.
Despite these three being suspicious, there are also outside threats. Ian, the letting agent, has keys to the rooms in the house and on one occasion let’s himself to Jessie’s room and steals a pair of her knickers. The house also seems to repel people - Henry hates sleeping there, Jessie finds a stack of mail for previous tenants who have only stayed briefly, and when her date Rob stays overnight she never hears from him again. I even started to suspect Jessie herself, What if she wasn’t who she said she was? Frojm the point of Jess’s assault and a strange woman breaking in to eat in their kitchen, I was hooked and had to stay up late to finish it. I liked how the author showed us we can’t make judgements till we see the full picture. Jessie’s fear keeps her very separate from people and her ignorance of their lives leads her to suspect them. Marcus for example, could look creepy, especially when we learn he had pictures all over his wall of a woman who looks like Lauren. When we learn his recent history his behaviour all adds up and is perfectly innocent. I thought this was enjoyable and diverting. While I didn’t connect with the characters, I was still drawn in by the mystery.

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An interesting and gripping read which has kept me hooked.
This is a book which I have devoured in one sitting and found myself completely unable to put this one down.
This is definitely dark and twisty and I couldn't predict what was going to happen next at any point in this book.
I have enjoyed this book, it's my first by this author but definitely won't be the last. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

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This book didn’t quite grab my attention as much as I had hoped. The storyline was good but it just a felt a bit flat in places and was very predictable in places. It was an easy read nonetheless

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This psychological thriller ended up as a damp squib. The story centres around Jessie who seeks a new life in Brighton after escaping an abusive boyfriend. She manages to find a small flat share with three other characters who are all rather odd, and she finds difficulty in fully trusting them. Surely, one or two of them could have been more straightforward and likeable?

Dark, depressing book and I never identified with the Jessie who seemingly moaned all the time. Could she not be happy some of the time? More humour next time please Ms Savin.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House for the chance to read and review.

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The perfect flat and great housemates - surely there couldn’t be a catch?

Jessie has recently escaped a terrible relationship, she’s moved back to Brighton hoping to start a new life and just needs to find somewhere to live. When a room in a house share in Maver Place becomes available it seems perfect. Her flat mates seem nice and she is quickly befriended by Lauren. But as things start to go missing and she begins to hear strange noises in the night is everything as it really seems?

The Wrong Move is a thriller that will entice you in and it’s full of secrets and lies. A brilliant page-turner.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, Ebury Publishing and the author for the chance to review.

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Jessie escapes her old life with an abusive boyfriend by moving to a flat in Brighton and starting a new job. She quickly becomes good friends with the girls she is flat-sharing with, especially Lauren who is there for her through everything that goes wrong - and a lot starts to go wrong for Jessie! Has Jessie's ex-boyfriend tracked her down to get revenge? Or could flatmate Sofie, who seems to want to look just like Jessie, be behind it all? Or perhaps the only male flatmate, Marcus, who seems a bit odd, is doing these things? Even the letting agent Ian seems creepy and suspicious. When Jessie begins to find out things about previous tenants who lived in her room, she uncovers some truths and realises she may be in a lot of danger...

A fantastic, suspenseful story that keep you guessing, and teaches you to be very careful who you trust! A good ending though not quite as shocking as it could have been, however overall I really enjoyed the book and can't wait for Jennifer Savin to release more books. Recommended!

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I enjoyed reading ‘The wrong move’ and as such if I could award 4.5 stars I would.

The plot (without spoilers) centres around Jessie, a twenty-something admin worker moving to a flat share in Brighton to escape a toxic relationship. She develops intense and complex friendships in the flat, but also finds herself experiencing some unfortunate events. Has her ex found her? Letting agent, Ian also sounds a bit creepy and has a ‘thing’ for Jessie! Throw a bit of violence into the mix and things get interesting! Jessie develops an interest in the previous occupants of her room as she attempts to uncover some truths...

The story was narrated through all the characters, no matter how big or small their role, which made me wonder if a big twist was in store at the end. For me it just slightly lacked that jaw-dropping ending we often enjoy in this genre, but I enjoyed it nevertheless and looked forward to delving into it each day. In all, a satisfying easy to read psychological thriller that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Moving into a new shared house flat and finding yourself among creepy housemates – that sounds intriguing. I must admit that the story held my interest and I had no problem finishing it. But that does not mean that I think it is a good book.

For me all the characters felt flat. They are merely roughly sketched while Jessie is very self-centered and annoying. The story is quite far-fetched but the main problem is the writing. I did not like how the perspective changed within paragraphs often without any reason and without indicating in which head were are suddenly in. There are no real surprises in the story and you can indicate the villain very early on. At the end there is a lot of talking and showing but it still felt rushed. The poor characters and the standoffish writing made this book and an easy, predictable and forgettable read.

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I really enjoyed this book! A great story line that kept me hooked and excellent main characters. I would highly recommend this book.

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A good thriller, predictable in parts but enjoyable nethertheless! The plot flows well and the main character is interesting and relatable, even when making questionable choices throughout the book

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I like a good thriller, so I couldn't wait to read this book. It didn't disappoint, was a bit predictable, but still really enjoyable. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down.

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my 1st book buy this author I so enjoyed Jessie finds a flatshare she likes and makes friends with 2 of the women but is all as it seems very addictive twisty gripping a must read

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