Give this book a chance. I have to admit that at first I was not "taken" by this book ... at all. Nearing the end, this story finally started to come together.

Freya, a young mother, had just lost everything she knew in her life ... her marriage, her home ... everything. She was now alone with her daughter, Skye, when an opportunity for a place to live magically seemed to appear. Of course she jumped at the opportunity, only wanting to do what was best for Skye. Strange things started to happen at their new apartment. Were they real? Was she imagining things or was she just overly stressed because of all the newness in her life? The "bad guy" in this story is someone you will not expect ... at all. Talk about a mind bender.

There is nothing I find more annoying in a mystery than an unbelievably dumb main character and that is exactly what you find with Freya in The Apartment. Freya "stumbles across" an opportunity when a strange older man offers her a beautiful under-priced apartment in a posh part of London. ***RED FLAGS*** Looking for a fresh start after selling the dream home she shared with her now dead cheating husband and ignoring her friends' warnings and a thousand other red flags, Freya moves herself and young daughter Skye into the building and immediately odd happenings begin and creepy neighbors emerge. Despite this, Freya stays and ultimately puts herself and her daughter in danger as the dark secrets of the residence slowly unfold. Unfortunately, I could not get behind Freya's gullibility and naivety, especially considering that Freya grew-up in the foster system trusting no one. One would think she would have better street smarts than this. In addition, the plot wasn't believable and there was lots of time wasted on erroneous backstory tangents and red herrings. I kept hoping there would be a crazy twist at then end, but it too was far-fetched and felt rushed and undeveloped. Overall, this was a total flop in my opinion.

Would you take an opportunity that sounded too good to be true? That is the question Freya finds herself considering after a chance encounter leads to her being offered a new apartment. Her world has fallen apart following the death of her ex-husband Lewis. After viewing the apartment, which is being offered to her and her daughter Skye, she sees it as a chance to make a fresh start somewhere beautiful and to her astonishment, affordable.

But things may not be as good as they seem. Strange noises, the prickly sense of being watched, and furniture being moved is all starting to make Freya feel like she is losing her mind.

And who is watching Skye while she plays outside at school? Who is Beatrice and what does she have to do with Freya and Skye?

The inspiration for this story is a psychological experiment carried out by Professor Watson, known as the Little Albert Experiment. An experiment that involved a young child, that was carried out to determine whether fear could be conditioned into an otherwise healthy child. It turns out that the chance encounter Freya had was anything but, and she comes to realise that nothing is as it seems. Is it too late for Freya to escape the apartment and the experiment that she has inadvertently become a part of?

An interesting and unpredictable narrative that kept me guessing all the way.

A quick and easy read. The storyline was ok, twist was ok, but ending felt rushed. To be honest, it was a pretty forgettable read.

This psychological thriller was fun. I liked the tie in to the “little Albert” experiments highlighting a low point of modern psychology. This book was quickly devoured. There were some plot holes And the twists were predictable but in general it was entertaining. The characters were well developed. Freya’s husband has just died and she’s forced to sell their home. Unsure where she and her young daughter will go she bumps into a doctor with an apartment to rent that seems too good to be true. Slowly their new home appears flawed and strange things begin to occur. Will freya figure it out in time?

This started off well but just became to unbelievable for me. The ending seemed so rushed and perfect and wrapped up so quickly. Not for me. Sorry.

This book stayed with me for days after reading it. K. L. Slater never disappoints! At first I was put off thinking that the main character, Freya, while a strong and smart woman, was so naive about the goings on of the new apartment she and her daughter Skye move into. First - she gets the apartment for a song! That should have been her first clue. But then there are the odd tenants, the noises, the landlords strange rules. But then I realized, I'm reading a suspense novel, of course I know something sinister is about to happen. I loved the atmospheric descriptions of Adder House and its occupants. It was also interesting that the story was based around the true story of Little Albert. And of course, there was a great surprise ending!

The publisher provided me with the opportunity to read this in exchange for providing feedback. (via NetGalley)

Actual review closer to 3.5 stars. Easy enough read and the author writes well. I didn't expect how it played out but it kind of seemed a bit too far fetched for me in some respects. (She HAD to know that apartment was too good to be true!)

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was easy to get straight in to from the start. The story was told from just one perspective, so reading was easy and free flowing. It was gripping throughout, and in places quite creepy. There were several short interjections during the story, giving the reader some background information, and an insight into what was happening.

I guessed who the perpetrator was towards the end, but not in the full entirety. I found the ending unnecessarily convoluted and quite messy, which spoiled it for me a little bit.

The epilogue, although probably not a surprise, was a welcome ending.

If it seems too good to be true it usually is and that is the case in The Apartment by K.L. Slater. A young mother, Freya and her young daughter. Skye. must move after her husband's unexpected death. Out of nowhere she is presented with this offer of a great little apartment in an older home. And the price is "just right". However, her neighbors seem to be a little off. Her daughter, Skye, is unhappy in school. And strange things are happening at their home. She is unsure of who to trust and wonders if she can move before things get worse. If psychological thrillers are on your reading lists this one is for you.

I really enjoyed The Apartment and it was over before I knew it. I got into it really quickly and I couldn’t stop reading to find out what was going to happen. I did get frustrated with the main character, Freya, at times and the story does require you to suspend disbelief at times, but that didn’t bother me at all.

Not a lot particularly happens in the book, but the suspense really builds up and it is very creepy and I changed my mind a couple of times about what I thought was going to happen. The characters and the background to the plot were interesting and I’ll definitely read more by this author.

This wanted to be The Turn of the Key or Lock Every Door so badly, but it did not do what it set out to do in my opinion. I do think the premise behind it was quite clever. I remember taking a psychology class in college and we learned about 'little Albert' and the experiments done on him, so it was a really creative idea to kind of give a back story to that whole experiment. But that is the only thing it had going for it, the execution of this was not good.
The entire first half of the book absolutely nothing happened. It was horribly boring, the characters were stale. The entire plot fell apart in the end when I realized there was no actual reason for anything and also no reason for it to be stopped. First of all Lily had what reason to continue the experimentation?? None. It felt like a really cheesy villain trope where they have no real merit for anything they are doing. Nothing was done to her, she had no trauma, it was just because she felt like the experimentation needed to continue on even though probably 99% of society could see how unethical the historical experimentations were. It was ridiculous. Also the fact that she was holding NOTHING over anyone so why couldn't Audrey, Matthew, Dr. Marsden, or Susan have done anything to stop her?? She was an OLD woman for crying out loud....obviously mentally unstable, there was absolutely no reason they couldn't have stopped her. What were they afraid she was going to do? There were no threats to their lives or any kind of repercussion to them stopping her. And in the end all Freya did was push her down he stairs and magically everything ended?? Like the whole family was like, 'oh she's finally dead, we can stop the charade now'. what?!?!?! It all made no sense. There was literally no point to any of this. And frankly, Freya was kind of an idiot...everything that happened was happening too perfectly. She obviously knew something was going on and she stayed anyway. I feel like there were a lot of lose ends and they never got tied up. This book did nothing.

2020
I received a copy of “ The Apartment” from Net Galley to read and review.
Freya is a thirty-ish young woman, recently divorced, recently widowed. She and her five year old daughter are facing a fearful future. Freya has had to sell their house because she could not afford the house payments on what little insurance her ex left her ( he forgot to change the beneficiary), to her delight.
As the book opens, Freya is in a neighborhood coffee shop checking out the notice board, hoping to see if someone has posted an ad of an affordable flat to let. A middle- aged, well- dressed man comes up next to her, and they chat a bit about her need to find an apartment, when he holds out a neatly typed sheet of paper he was about to post showing the words “ Apartment to Let.” It looks beautiful, but too expensive , Freya says, but the man tells her the apartment is small, and the building’s other, mostly older tenants would enjoy having a young family as friends., and that he is very willing to reduce the rent to an manageable rate. After visiting the new place Freya says yes.
What Freya does not know, but we do, thanks to a prologue wherein Mr. Marsden, the landlord, has been watching Freya for weeks, waiting for the moment to meet her and entice her with his smile and gently worded invitation . So while Freya steps guiltlessly into the web, we wonder just what is in store .
By now you might have figured out that the reader is required to suspend credulity while reading. No one can be as naive as Freya. Yes, she is in a jam, yes she is in an emotional down time, and yes, she wants to provide a good home for her daughter, but suspension of suspicion at such amazing good fortune , such a coincidence boggles one’s mind. Freya and Skye move in , happy
at their great find. So happy, so comfortable, so much in danger.

MS. Slater manages her plot well, slowly twisting up the tension. She gives us the landlord Mr. Marsten, and his silver haired, grey eyed , fashionably sleek companion,Audrey. The other tenants are nulls, except for Lily, a kind, grey haired woman who takes a shine to Freya and Skye. Strange things begin to disturb the quiet of the apartment. Noises, missing toys and books, sounds of activity in the vacant apartment next door. With everyone is so kind and helpful , Freya tries to surpass her sense of wrongness.
The author gives teasing glances into what is really happening by interspersing notes from a diary which recount a past psychological experiment. Are Freya, or Skye unwitting, unwilling lab rats.?We know but they do not.
“ The Apartment” is a short, fast and captivating novel. It was certainly entertaining , somewhat like a Lifetime movie of single woman alone and in danger. So once the reader stops wondering how Freya could be so dumb , it is a good thriller. The book is set in London, so expect some local terms. There are also a few, clumsy sentences where one is left to read again for clarity, but since the reader is anxious to see if there is a happy climax to all the tension, that does not matter.
So, three stars for it having a heroine who might have been a bit less naive. Nonetheless, a recommended read , especially on theses long lockdown days. You will enjoy being on the edge of your Lazy Boy easy chair.

What I Loved:
This book was crazy! I really enjoyed the twists that were carefully woven into the story to provide lots of heart-racing moments! I especially enjoyed that we get to read the POV of the antagonist as well as the protagonist. It created an interesting perspective for me as I was reading, and I loved it!

My Synopsis:
Freya Miller is trying to get her life in order after the death of her husband. Without a job, she’s quickly running out of money. She has sold her home and is prepared to temporarily move into a friend’s place when the opportunity of a lifetime falls into her lap.

Dr. Marsden is looking for a new tenant and a coffee shop accidental meeting leads him to believe Freya is just what he is looking for. Freya quickly agrees to this upscale, beautiful apartment for such a ridiculously low rent, she can’t believe her luck.

Freya is soon moved in but doesn’t even get a chance to be happy. Everything seems a little off. Dr. Marsden and Mrs. Marsden seem extremely controlling. They want to install a video camera in her apartment entrance, and they don’t like visitors. The list goes on and on.

The apartment building, Adder House, seems to have a dark history that people won’t tell Freya about. She begins hearing sounds and voices, and things are moved around in their apartment. Freya is starting to think this was too good to be true.

How I Felt:
The plot for The Apartment was so good! I felt like all the pieces fit together perfectly to provide an exciting thriller for the reader. I did guess what was going on but didn’t have all the details figured out. I don’t mind guessing at a thriller, I like to see if I’m right. So, it doesn’t bother me as long as it’s still a good story.

And this was a good story! It was a quick read because of the low page count, but I made it even quicker because I couldn’t put it down! It moved quickly from one scene to the next with so many exciting situations, and I was hooked!

The setting was in Adder House, and it offered a not quite spooky, but a weird living space with odd characters and dark history. I thought the author did a great job describing this location, which was so important because it was such a central part of the story.

I know that the main character, Freya, seems so gullible. She seems blind to the things that seem to obvious to the reader, I’ve seen a lot of reviews that comment on their frustration over her delay to take action, and even her easy agreement in taking the apartment in the first place. The reader, however, gets insight that Freya doesn’t have. Part of the POV for this book is from the “bad guy” in the story. We don’t know who it is for sure, but it is clear that something is wrong. The opening scene makes it clear that Dr. Marsden knew who she was and set up their encounter. So, when you read this, keep in mind all the additional information you have as the reader before you get frustrated with Freya.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the characters and the plot. I really enjoyed the location of the story as well. This was a fast-paced story that created some excellent suspense.

Content Warnings:
Mental health, suicide, stalking, psychological experiments.

To Read or Not To Read:
I would recommend The Apartment for readers that enjoy a psychological thriller!

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Freya has been put through the mill. A young woman whose married life is disrupted by her husband leaving for a woman who was her friend. His later death means that Freya must sell the marital home, up rooting her 5 year old daughter and moving to a different area.

I have read KLSlater before and thoroughly enjoyed the book and was so grateful to #netgalley and Amazon publishing to receive a copy of #theapartment. I will continue to the next book written by KLSlater.
It's a mild psychological thriller but the psychology is so late on in the story.I was bored half way through as I felt the story had a weak character and no real story line However, I continued on and was not surprised by how the story played out......And they all lived happily ever after.

Freya, recently divorced, has sold her house and urgently needs to find a new place to rent. But money is tight and she is becoming increasingly desperate. So when a brilliant opportunity presents itself at a bargain price she can't quite believe her luck. Within a week she and her 5 year old daughter Skye have re-located an apartment in Adder House, Kensington. The old adage "too good to be true" proves to be accurate as things start to unwind. Neither the fragile old lady in the flat below or the elegant landlord on the ground floor are what they seem and soon Freya is facing confrontation, mystery and inexplicable happenings. Adder House is certainly not where Freya will find peace to start a new life. The question is ,will she survive?

Thank you so much to K. L. Slater, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Slater is an excellent writer and she definitely did not disappoint with The Apartment. There were definitely some parts, including the ending, that had me unable to willingly suspend my disbelief. For example, Freya has had an extremely difficult life and I found it hard to believe she would so willingly accept an apartment from a random stranger when most people would see this as a red flag, especially when she has her young daughter to think of. In spite of this, I still found the story as a whole well-written and thrilling. Slater's writing is very immersive and I felt as if I myself was along for this wild, psychological ride.

I have to say I will be looking for more by this author. This story kept me interested and reading until the very end. I was intrigued by the blurb and it didn’t disappoint. You will want to check this out for yourself so make sure it’s on your tbr list.

This was a fun and creepy read. The premise sounded interesting, if not totally original, but I was willing to give it a try. The book grabbed me from the start. This was a definite page-turner, and I was happy that the chapters were short enough to allow me to read one more chapter (or two, or three) before turning in for the night.

The story had me guessing until the end. I wasn't sure how it would end, or who exactly the bad guys were. I think it would have been more interesting to move the story in a more sinister direction at the point where Freya sees who Brenna has gotten a call from, but over this was a fun story. I was happy with the ending too. Will be checking out other titles from this author.

Really loved this book. It was one of those books that you dont want to put down. The storyline was fantastic. Would thoroughly recommend and will be keeping an eye out for future books by K.L Slater