I simply couldn't put this book down. What a great story that kept me guessing until the end.
We follow Amber, a mum of two, dealing with a divorce, selling the family home, a new relationship - and a mother-in-law!. The book had me gripped from the start with so much action and twists and turns that kept me guessing up until the end - and jumping at things that went bump in the night.

This book would be brilliant for a book club as I feel it would appeal to different readers and lead to some great discussions.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A true page turner a book I picked and was immediately drawn into.Very well written characters that come alive.zTense and chilling highly recommend.#netgalley #avonbooksuj

You know when you’re watching a scary movie and you are yelling at a character not to go in there? That’s how I felt while reading this book.

I kept wanting to yell ‘wtf are you doing’ at the protagonist. Everyone Amber encounters seems shady. I felt the book started out strong, but the ending was a bit lacking. I could see this book sparking a lot of interesting conversation in a book club, picking apart the different characters.

The synopsis is what drew me into requesting an ARC of The Open House by Sam Carrington and once I started reading it, I was in it and couldn’t wait to read what was next to come. Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🌟BOOK REVIEW 🌟

First and formost, I want to give a shout out to @avon_books and @harpercollinsuk for gifting me this copy of The Open House by @samcarringtonauthor set to release December 10, 2020. I feel very blessed to get to review it.

WOW!! I cannot stress how much I loved this book. Quite frankly, I read it in a matter of hours and was sucked in from chapter one. I just couldn’t put it down.

As a mother, Carrington played on every single fear I have when I am on my own with the kids. And in such a good way. I was on the edge of my seat every time Amber was and had the same “nagging feeling” that something wasn’t quite right.

And just when I didn’t think I like Barb, Carrington pulled at my heartstrings for her. I may have even cried when I thought about the position she was in.

And finally, she delivers an ending that I didn’t expect worthy of an Agatha Christie novel. If you are looking for excitement, thrills, suspense and scandal, it delivers!

Carrington has developed characters that I’ve connected to and it will be days before I recover.

This was a book with a lot of potential that turned into a bit of a meh. The tension around whether or not there was a stranger in the house with Amber and the kids was something, but it went on a really long time and I got a little fatigued by the whole thing.

Amber and Nick are in the process of getting a divorce and she and the kids are living in Nick's childhood home while it is on the market. During an open house, Amber watched from a neighbor's house while 13 people follow the realtor into the house...but at the end, only 12 people leave. Or maybe she didn't /really/ see 13 people? And then the creepy feeling that someone is hiding - where? - for days...I don't know. Get the police or something. Oh, That's right, Nick is a cop or maybe he's retired. And he'll look; but he says everything is fine. Honestly, I was wondering why Amber didn't take the kids and go stay with friends.

And then there's the mother-in-law who sold the house to Nick and Amber and never wants them to sell it and move away. She's a busybody of the highest order, but that goes for a few of the characters. There is the nosy neighbor and her never-seen husband. The teacher at school and the other mums, too. There are a lot of people throwing a lot of gossip around.

My thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was all aboard the struggle train for this book. I found the writing choppy, the “creepy” factors lame and I kept ignoring reading to do other things. But I pushed myself because I hate skipping ARCS.

And that was a total mistake. I HATED the ending. Totally ridiculous and unsatisfying.

Two stars, but I really wish I would have DNF this one!

Thank you to Sam Carrington, NetGalley, and Avon Books UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it ... I can't remember reading any of Sam Carrington books before but this was great. Suspicion, twists, turns, plots, great characters, psychological right to the end. Great book and would recommend.

I love thrillers and the description and cover drove me to request this book right away.

The beginning is good. The protagonist, Amber, and her husband, Nick, are divorcing. They agree to sell their house and split the money between them. Their (very dicey) agent recommends them to hold an open house for the prospective buyers.
Then suddenly, things start going downhill.

The premise is good. The story is narrated by Amber and her mother-in-law, Barb.

Some of the twists were good. I didn't see them coming and I was surprised. Some were gut-wrenching, all right.

But the last one-third of the book was where I got lost. It seemed too rushed and some of the decisions that Amber made looked outright silly. The ending was a total anticlimax.

Mixed feelings for this book, though I will look forward to reading more from the author.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC.

One crazy crazy family.

One crazier ending.

Nick and Amber are divorcing and selling their house. 13 go in, 12 come out of the open house.

Then the games begin.

Amber has a huge list of suspects

Lots of twists, halfway through my head was spinning with the twists.

Thought I had it figured out but no.

So crazy it was unbelievable with bad choices on Amber's part.

What is wrong with that. Made for a great read .

Wont be holding an Open House anytime soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for a fun read.

When Amber is trying to sell her house after separating from her husband, things go from bad to worse when 13 people visit her open house, and only 12 people leave. It doesn’t take long for us to learn that some people are invested in the house, but for suspicious reasons.
This read like a classic psychological thriller. You’re left on edge, everything is stacked against the protagonist and you’re completely left in the dark. I was so invested in Amber, she was a very likeable yet flawed character and I love the relationship she had with her children. The dialogue was great. Saying that, there were some things I definitely saw coming, which left the ending feeling a little flat for me.
Overall, would recommend! Was very ominous, I was hooked, and it was an original storyline.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for sending me an ARC in exchange for honest feedback.

Amber and her husband, Nick, are preparing for a divorce and they are trying to sell their house quickly so they can move on with their lives. Amber has already found a new relationship and she's looking forward to staying with her new man once the house is sold. Amber's mother-in-law, Barb, isn't pleased with all the arrangements and thinks Amber is a mistake in Nick's life. Needless to say, Amber and Barb couldn't get along although they try to act civilly to each other.

As much as Amber's real estate agent's efforts in putting Amber's house up for viewing and so forth, there isn't any potential buyers so he's suggested an open house to try and attract more interest. Amber grudgingly agrees seeing there isn't any choice and although she's not comfortable overseeing some strangers walking about her house, she could at least know how many of these potential buyers are going into her house through her doorbell camera app. Amber has counted thirteen people entering her house, but then only twelve leave. Thinking she must have counted or seen wrongly, she dismiss the thought until her two young sons told her they've seen a man in their house. Could it be real or did her anxiety has rubbed off onto them, thus planting this seed of doubt into their young minds?

The Open House immediately grabbed the reader's attention with the suspense of the missing thirteenth person and whether if we should doubt Amber's belief that there's indeed an intruder in her house. The reader is also introduced to a few unreliable characters surrounding Amber's life; each of them either has an agenda or a secret to hide. There are also subplots and red herrings which are linked to the main mystery but unfortunately the ending fell flat and it was a disappointment as I thought the storyline was grabbing until each twist seems more like a shock value than a plausible outcome. Overall I liked the idea and the suspense of this story but the ending was a bit too much for me to take.

Meet Amber. She is having a chat with her mother-in-law Barb. Barb is telling Amber that she is making a mistake - since announcing 10 months ago that she wants a divorce from Nick, Barb's son. The house is unable to sell due to lack of interest, so an open house is held.

An interesting novel that will have you guessing and flipping through the pages to see just what exactly is going on. With several characters you will read about, you will be entertained and hooked as you flip through the chapters, right to the very end.

Sam is getting divorced and lives in a nice house in a nice neighborhood with her two sons. The house is on the market, but despite being in a very desirable part of the country, it is not getting any interest. The agent suggests an open house and reluctantly Amber agrees. She decides to watch on her app on her phone and counts the people as they go in to look at her home. But one less person comes out.
Her mother-in-law does not want Amber to sell and now Amber is scared that someone is still in there.
I really enjoyed this book until the ending, which I found to be complicated and really spoiled it for me.
I do thank the publisher and author for my ARC through Netgalley.

This was a very enjoyable and addictive read.

Amber and Nick’s marriage has been in trouble for a while. Amber meets a new man, Richard, on the internet and eventually they meet and then decide they want to live together. This means Amber selling her and Nick’s house and moving miles away with her two young sons to be with him.

She is not getting any interest in her house so the estate agent suggests an open house. She is not keen at first but decides to give it a try.

On the day of the open house she watches the viewers go in through her doorbell cam. 13 potential buyers. She watches them come out again. 12 come out. Who is the 13th person and is he/she still in the house?

Barb, the mother in law, does not want her family to move from the house she once owned and lived in with her husband and sons, Nick and Tim.

What is the real reason Barb does not want the house to be sold? What secrets is the house keeping?

Without giving away spoilers that’s about the most I can say! There are many twists and turns throughout the book and a whole lot revelations at the end!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon books for a review copy of this book.

The Open House has an intriguing premise that will make you want to check under your bed for intruders before you turn the lights out, and enough suspense that you’ll devour it in one sitting.

Told from the point of view of three characters – Amber, her ex mother in law, and a mystery guest – the characters and relationships are well-established and the premise is executed effectively. I wasn’t particularly blown away by it, but there certainly wasn’t anything I disliked about it, either. It’s easy to read, quick to get through, and effortless to enjoy in its simplicity.

Because it is such a quick read, the story works. If the book were longer or the pace slower, I would have been eager for more to happen as the narrative itself is quite repetitive. Although it is set over a week or so, it feels like it happens in a single day so you can forgive it for being quite stunted in its developments. As it goes over the same points of Amber’s worries and her questioning over who to trust, you read at the pace of her unravelling thoughts and therefore get dragged into her narrowed mindset.

I did predict one of the twists and think that it felt quite basic in places, but I also enjoyed how the final revelations felt so genuine and driven by human emotions. However, it does go one step too far. The final event is shrugged off as if it were an acceptable reaction for these characters who seemed to give it no second thought, so this particular scene didn’t have the same believability to it as the rest of the twists. But had it stopped one step shorter, I would have come away quite satisfied.

The Open House may not have had me gasping in shock, but Sam Carrington knows how to instil a sense of fear in very real situations, and I’ll be sure to check out more of her writing after reading this one.

Meh. I got bored pretty quick with this one. It was very repetitive...only 12 came out...I must get the key...I have to move...I don't trust them...but it was just there. I was really disappointed because the blurb and the plot seemed right up my alley.

There wasn't much suspense for my liking, there were way too many characters to keep track of and no one to root for as I hated everyone! The pacing was really slow...again repetitive...and the twist/reveal wasn't surprising at all and way too over the top. I was really disappointed as I LOVED I dare You by the same author...The writing was okay and worth two stars.

This one just didn’t do it for me.waaay Too many characters and plot lines to the point where it was SUPER confusing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.



2.5/5

Amber and Nick Miller are divorcing and trying to sell their house. Amber has found someone new and is anxious to move on.
Nanna Barb, Nick’s mom does not want her grandson to live so far from her so is not happy with the situation
The house is located in a nice area but so far no one has viewed it.
The Realtor suggests ~ yes …an Open House.
While the “Open House” is taking place, Amber is at her friend’s house watching the prospective buyers via doorbell camera. Amber watches the people come and go. She saw thirteen people visit but is sure she saw only twelve leave!
Hmmmm
It appears there is more to an “Open House” than a Relator’s Viewing!!

Story is told from the POV of Amber, Nanna Barb, and?
I love psychological thrillers so “Everyone” is on my list of suspects; Richard, his ex-wife whom we never heard a word! And what’s with the mysterious Wayne. Hmm am I close? You have to read to find out!!

When into this story knowing nothing and was soon into Wow “Reader’s Zone!
The ending went fast ~ I had reread the last part to make sure I “got it”. This is my first [author: Sam Carrington] I liked that she kept me guessing and I will read another.

Want to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this early release granted in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 10, 2020.

The Open House by Sam Carrington teases a compelling premise but, for me, it fell short of delivering a truly memorable read. I have previously enjoyed the writing of this author but, sadly, this one fell a little short.

Amber Miller and her ex-husband Nick have decided to sell the marital home. When the house fails to attract the anticipated interest of buyers, Amber is persuaded that an open house will help to generate more interest. But when thirteen potential buyers enter the house, and only twelve leave, it is anyone's guess as to the whereabouts of the missing party.

I did enjoy the element of suspense that is well established throughout the storyline. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. It has a solid premise, but I thought all the twists were a bit over the top. I did keep reading until the end though. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.