I got this book on the Netgalley "audible" app and unfortunately everytime you stop listening and then go back you have to find youe ace again as it doesn't save it. I'm only a little way through the book but I'm finding this so irritating I probably won't finish it, though the book seems promising.

As someone who is personally diagnosed with OCD I did find that part interesting and mostly handled well, but I find it so frustrating that everyone assumes (including this Author) that OCD is related to and mostly about cleaning, IT'S NOT! For some yes but it is not the whole issue.

The jumping from one time to another without any explanation was a little confusing too.

Okay, so this book had everything a psychological thriller requires, a good story line, a traumatised wife and mother but whilst we think we know who it is, that's not quite how the author has planned it to be.

Regi is our main character, a traumatised mother with A LOT of darkness and trauma in her life, the background on this is really vague but the more you read on the more you feel as though you are investigating in her life, she frequently talks about then and how she can't go back etc and for her to keep hinting about 'starting a fresh' implies that she's not who she has made out she is, she has secrets, and probably told a lot of lies to get where she was, a thirty something, living with three young girls and investing in her education returning to university.

As the book jumps around between the past and present, it's really difficult to get a grip on what's going on, I had to keep picking it up and down, and taking the time to process it, whilst it was a good read, it wasn't exceptional as it could been.

I found that the storyline about OCD was very much well written, the author either drew from experience or did exceptional research and I loved that in either outcome as it really outlined the realness of this book and highlighted to me an author who isn't afraid to tackle complex issues and place them within her characters, it made them seem very real.

Of course, there was a lot of meat to this book as a lonely Regi who becomes invested in the child next door, throws herself into the world of instagram, [one of my favourite platforms] and is of course, very soon invested in and borderline obsessed, she becomes even more obsessed with Mrs Clean and LucyBest65 and it is these obsessions which bring about another story within and whilst I loved that, I found it really difficult to get into.

I found the great reveal really, really, really confusing, I ended up skipping back chapters to see what I had missed, I knew the book had a then and now but honestly, I didn't see that for a long time, and with Regi and her child loss issues, I thought she had been in a domestic abuse relationship with how she found her OCD and constantly being in panic attack etc but I did find that the reveal could have been a little less dramatic and confusing, that said, I still enjoyed this book and would read more of Nina Manning's work. I just could have done with a few loose ends tying up the book for me, especially the title, I thought it implied that something more sinister was going on within the house Regi was in.

Thanks to Netgalley, author and the publishers for this free ARC in exchange for a honest review, all opinions are my own.

How amazing was this! I ended up finishing it after 2 days.
How it was portrayed was amazing, I honestly didn't see the ending coming it was brilliant. Also I thought the narrator was brill too, I think that also has quite an impact on the book. I enjoyed from both parts.

I enjoyed this #NetGalley audiobook but it was hard to get into to start. The book main character was someone whom I didnt identify with, and her self consciousness and absorption was irritating to me, but after continuing with it, i did find it entertaining eventually.

I had great hopes of loving this book as it dealt with realistic issues of OCD set in suspenseful tones.

Regi had OCD. She lived with 3 other young girls as their house mate. A cloud of dark past surrounded her which kept me curious in the entire book. There were 3 cores in the book. A now with Regi, a then, and an Instagram influencer by the name Mrs Clean.

The main character was quite detached, living with her own problems. I liked how the author infused her life with scenes which gave an air of danger. The past was filled with pain and it was wrenching. The influencer had her own set of trolls and Regi was obsessed with her posts and stories.

The story perhaps tried too hard to keep the suspense going. I got disinterested in the mid half as the scenes felt repetitive. Not liking any of the characters added to the disenchantment.

This story would be a difficult one to format for any author, getting it transformed from ideas to words was commendable. But the pieces of jigsaw puzzle didn’t fit well when the final reveal came to be. There was an uneven feel to the book at the end.

I listened/read the book and the narrator was good. Overall, an okay story.

It was not being the book of my life but was entertaining enough, and the narrator helped a lot. She is really good. But the end... come on! I was like: really? I don't understand a thing! Then I got it... and... again, come on! Trying to fit too many twists and surprises at the end that weren't necessary to make a good book, IMHO. Dissapointed

Hi guys, welcome to day seven of Nina Manning’s book tour of The House Mate, kindly provided to me by Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley. This is the first time that I’ve ever been involved in the mass review of a book. Due to NetGalley bringing audio books within their purview, this may be the first of many.

As the plotline involves an Instagram influencer, this is somewhat ironic, given what I’m doing now, as an influencer myself and I can empathise with Mrs Clean and the main protagonist, Regi, too. As before I became an influencer, I looked on authors the same way she does Mrs Clean. The way that this book is told, you feel sorry for Regi and her OCD and wonder why someone in their mid thirties has decided to share a house with three girls at least a decade younger than what she is.

As the plot line is revealed and the tension mounts, Regi’s OCD is exacerbated in line with the tension. I don’t think that I would have gone as far as Regi in her reliance upon Mrs Clean and this is the only bit in the book which I think is a slightly far fetched element. However, when you’ve been emotionally broken, anything can happen, I suppose. Without the other three housemates in the book that provide an intriguing backstory, the Regi story wouldn’t have had such a big impact, as a guy in his mid thirties, I can see a difficulty in relating to people younger than she is.

At times there are a number of violent scenes in the book that until I got to the end I couldn’t see why they were entirely necessary, but as the book concludes, I could see why this was done and was impressed, despite a slight bit of disappointment and I do agree with other bloggers on the tour that the ending was abrupt and that the reasoning behind the plot was a bit too quickly explained.

I hope that fans of my blog and fans of searching through blog posts will find this examination of what I do just as intriguing as I did.

If the grading had allowed, I'd have given this 3.5 stars.

About the book (I listened to this on audio): Regi (not her real name) has a tragic past, has OCD and is obsessed with a cleanstagrammer. She is in her mid thirties and is living with three younger housemates and has gone back to university to study textiles. She is always looking over her shoulder for a figure in a black baseball cap and for a past that may catch up with her.

My Thoughts: First of all, I have now learned there is a ..stagram for everything. This book has our main character, Regi, obsessed with a cleanstagrammer, Ms. Clean and for me who is a bookstagrammer I found this aspect of the thriller my very favorite part. I loved the way the thriller part was a slow burn and that the timelines were called “Then” and “Now”.
The whole reason Regi experiences her OCD is because she felt she made a irrevocable mistake once and tragedy struck so she needs that feeling of ritual and control and I enjoyed that part of the story as well.
The ending was crazy good and I would not have guessed who the man is the baseball cap really was and what really happened in Regi’s past.
Great thriller!

yikes! Spending 8 1/2 hours in the mind of Reggie was quite interesting. she truly was the ultimate unreliable narrator. The story starts with 30 something Nina living with 3 20 somethings in a shared house. Reggie has a severe case of OCD, suffers from social anxiety and is seriously frightened buy things in her past. The story bounces back-and-forth between now and then. we see Reggie living in an abusive relationship when she is young. we see Reggie fretting about the safety of the child next-door, becoming obsessed with a cleaning lady on Instagram, and trying to get her life together in the present. there really was a lot going on in this book - tons of misdirection, Miss information, and misunderstanding. I had absolutely no idea where the story was going and I have to admit I was completely caught off guard by the ending. reggie was a sympathetic and intriguing character. however, I have no idea if I liked the girl or not? There was just something about her that was a little off-putting, kept me at arms distance. I thought the dynamics between her and her housemates were interesting, I often wondered how I would react if Reggie was my roommate? Helen Keeley narrated the audiobook and I have to say I love her accent. She did a really good job with all the voices in the story and definitely added to my overall enjoyment of the book. A unique twist on the thriller!

this book in emojis 🏡 🚪 🧹 🧽 📱 🧵

*** Big thank you to Boldwood for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This story demonstrates the claustrophobic and immersive qualities of psychological suspense so well. It begins with a traumatic incident in Regi's life. The reader knows this is important but not why. Regi's painful past and mental health issues define her and make everyday life difficult. Her housemates are younger but supportive. The story believably depicts Regis' OCD, but its repetitive nature is emotionally draining on the reader and slows the pace.

The narrator produces an excellent interpretation of the story and its nuances.

Regi is a complex character, an unreliable protagonist with secrets. The suspense building is good, there are menacing undertones, and some clever changes in plot direction that keep the listener guessing. The focus on social media gives this story an immediacy and relevance.

I received a copy of this audiobook from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The House Mate was an interesting story and one that I thought started out so well. I had many questions throughout my time listening to this book. It’s safe to say the author did an amazing job of keeping me hooked and wondering what was actually happening! I did enjoy The House Mate although if I’m honest there were certain parts of the story that did fall a little flat at times. The big reveal was kind of surprising but I do think that it didn’t necessarily work for me. However I did enjoy the way the ending came together.

I have to mention that the narrator was perfect for this story. Providing an edge at times and then a more softer approach for other moments.

Even though The House Mate may not have been everything I was expecting I definitely enjoyed the way Nina Manning crafted her story. So will be happy to pick up her books in the future.

This book was really interesting and I enjoyed the premise of it. I really enjoyed being able to empathise with the main character through her ocd habits, they were written really well. Sometimes, they made my heart sink and I just wanted her to not experience them. In terms of the story line, I don’t think it was executed as well as it could have been. The ending felt quite rushed and unrealistic.

I am not going to lie but the cover and book title totally sold it to me when I was asked to listen to this on audio. Like I have said before audio books are the way forward for me at the moment. They give me the chance to enjoy my hobby and get jobs done, not forgetting that it makes a long car journey to work more enjoyable.

For me the key to an enjoyable audio is the narrator. Helen Keeley has done a brilliant job not only have I found a new audio narrator. I have also found a new author to read, or in this case to listen to.

This is one of those books that starts off slower than my normal kinda read. The author drip feeds you information has the story alternates between now and then. Where we meet Regi who starts a new life with a house share. But nothing is quite what it seems with Regi who suffers from OCD. The story does focus around metal health issues. When we get inside the mind of Regi. Who’s obsession quickly became my obsession, with me wanting to know what was going to happen next. Making this a very addictive audio, has I tired to piece the puzzle together.

The massive difference between reading and listening to a story is that you imagine the characters voice in your head. Helen has done a brilliant job of making this story so real. Not only do you feel the emotions but you can hear them in her voice. Which made me feel like she was sharing her story with me.

The House Mate is a brilliant audio which I highly recommend

Thank you to Rachel Gilby and Boldwood books for the chance to listen to it and for the Blog Tour invite.

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author of "The House Mate" for this audiobook.

There is one key line of criticism I want to address right away: the fact that this book is marketed as a psychological thriller. At no point was I gripping the edge of my seat in suspense, dying to hear what happens next or rather in this case, what happened before.
That is not to say that I didn't enjoy listening to this audiobook. It is a solid exploration of a woman's emotional scars and her healing process and truthfully at times a slow burn.
The imposition of this novel into a specific genre impairs the listening/reading experience as one now suspects danger around every corner (in particular the story line with the neighbour). Possibly this is a desired effect to empathise with the protagonists psychological trauma but the reader's paranoia remains largely unsatisfied especially considering the final "twist". (I call it a twist in the loosest of terms, because while the reader's expectations are being subverted it happens in a vastly different sense than is usually the case.)
I liked the character development and especially the growing obsession with the Instagram accounts.
There were a few odd choices in vocabulary that stood out ("mews" comes to mind) as well as the naming of British household brands (e.g. Marigolds), which surprised me - simply because I (falsely) assumed product placement to be such an American thing- and at times I had to pause the book to look them up.
All in all, an enjoyable read but I probably would have gotten more out of it hadn't I assumed this to be a "thriller".

This was a great psychological listen with a pace that just kept me listening and listening beyond where I intended to stop, as I really wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Following a woman called Regi (who has OCD) as she embarks on a university course as a mature student, her anxiety and compulsions could almost be felt because of the repetative, descriptive language. Despite trying to guess what happened next or what the ending could be, I was surprised by how things turned out. Filled with many twists, this is the perfect read for thriller fans.

This was a compelling listen that I would recommend. I look forward to reading more from Nina Manning.

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books publishing and the author for my advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book was completely unique. It's an amazing psychological thriller about Regi, who suffers from OCD, she wants a new start to life after an unpleasant past. She moves in with her new housemates and gets ready to become an older student.
Before her course starts she is anointed by her fellow housemates to clean out and renovate the summer house in their back garden. During her summer house project she discovers the world of cleanstagram, a community of people on instagram who like to share cleaning tips and transformations. She becomes obsessed with a cleanstagrammer, @mrsclean and a troll who targets @mrsclean, called @Lucy_best.
During the first part of the book, we do not learn too much about Regi's past life, we do learn that she has lost one baby and she had a very disturbing relationship.
Regi thinks she has control and is in a happier place but in reality she cannot control her compulsions, where will they lead her????
I do not want to spoil the book for other readers but some advice from me would be to pay extra attention to details in this book, especially after the 50% mark.

The House Mate manages to keep you in the dark right up to the end. The story told from the perspective of a woman with obsessive-compulsive disorder, you are transported into the extremely challenging world that many people find themselves living in, day after day. Despite the challenges Regi faces the story reveals how she develops not only an obsession with social media but also new friends and bonds.

The book is broken down in “then” and “now” chapters, all told from Regi’s perspective. At times I found myself a little confused as Instagram posts pop up all the time and I was not always sure if they were part of then or now. At the end of the book, the piece all fell together though and I think the author intended to include a little confusion. A lot is happening in this book and you are kept on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

I quite enjoyed the story, It was a bit confusing and you think you have a handle on what is happening but it changes. I found it intriguing and it kept my interest - the narrator was good and the story was easy to follow.

Great tension builder throughout with extra threads to the story dropped until they all tie together. Loved the way the multiple themes tied together.

Getting a brief of this fascinating read is all you need. I would love to read the full title but from the brief snapshot this is going to be a good one.