I really enjoyed this book. Wow, what a read, gripping from the start until the very end, kept me guessing throughout, would definitely recommend!

This book was everything I hoped it would be! The story of an esteemed professor and a supposedly innocent student on their way to a romantic getaway started never prepared my for the twists ahead! A marvelous and beguiling read.

How to catch a predator ★★☆☆☆

When student Ellie books a steamy weekend away with her professor boyfriend we quickly learn nothing is as it seems.

What begins as a confrontation about infidelities quickly turns into something more sinister and unsavoury. How old are the other girls? Who is the shared ghost of Ellie and Steven’s past?

In a shockingly violent and sexual game of cat and mouse both of their true identities begin to come to light. Will either of them survive the weekend in the remote snowbound cabin?

The graphic sexuality and unclear diary entries give way to a brutal vigilante quest for revenge for the voiceless.

The diary writer’s identity remains a mystery for most of the novel: which one of Steven’s conquests is she? Perhaps that is exactly the point: she could be so many young girls.

A disturbing thriller which questions the nature of consent and exposes the true predators lurking in the daylight, drawing on the author’s own experience.

Handsome college professor Steven Harding and naïve young student Ellie Masterson drive from New York to a remote cabin for their first holiday together. Expectations are high for a romantic weekend, but what unfolds over those few days will totally blow your mind. Neither of them are who they say they are, and the dark truths underlying their twisted relationship are gradually exposed.

I literally could not put this book down, and found myself holding my breath at certain moments. Ellie and Steven were both compelling characters and one of the things I loved most about Nobody But Us was the way in which I got to understand how they had come to this dark place and what motivated their actions. It was such a compelling read. And the atmosphere and sense of danger was ratcheted up by the setting – an ostensibly beautiful cabin in the remote wilderness, surrounded by trees, in the deepest of snowy winters – it totally heightened the almost-cinematic sense of jeopardy throughout.

Timely, thought-provoking, deeply atmospheric, full of suspense – this has got to be one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read for a very long time indeed.

What a debut!! This hasn’t been released yet and I’m already on count down for the authors next book.

The authors atmospheric writing and the setting of the cabin really brought the book together. I could really visualise, not only the cabin but snow surrounding it.

I loved reading the quotes at the beginning of the chapters and the different POV’s.

Both of the main characters were interesting, I really wasn’t expecting the way this book would turn out, definitely a one setting book (read during the day, I had to stop for sleep, but I had to literally force myself to put my kindle down).

This book needs to go on your pre-order list immediately!

Thank you to @michaeljbooks and @netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Incredibly well written but I felt that the author had basically re-written the film Hard Candy and once I had that thought it was all I could think of.

Ellie and Rick head off for a romantic weekend away to celebrate their 6 month anniversary. But everything is not as it seems, both harbour lies and secrets that start to be revealed. This psychological thriller I found to be a bit of a slow burn, but after the first big twist I couldn’t put it down! It kept me on the edge of my seat with each secret being revealed.

A HUGE thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book to read in exchange for an honest review!

Steven - a handsome and well respected college professor - and Ellie - a beautiful and impressionable young student - are headed to a remove cabin in the snowy countryside to celebrate their six month anniversary. But neither Steven nor Ellie have been entirely truthful about who they are, and the weekend will soon devolve into one last, murderous power play. But who will come out on top?

I loved the dark and twisty nature of this book, and both characters were well drawn with their gradually-revealed backstories fully and gorgeously realised. It's difficult to say much about this book without revealing anything but I liked that it went to unexpected (and often very dark!) places, with both Steven and Ellie proving to be surprising characters in their own way.

I really enjoyed this book and am very much looking forward to reading more from this author. An accomplished and beautifully written novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for granting me an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolutely wickedly brilliant debut! Reading this book, only one word comes to my mind: tension. It’s a wind-up toy of events, with a 40-year old college professor and his 23-year girlfriend who go to an isolated cabin for a steamy weekend, until that twist 😱😱 Then you have no idea which way things will turn. I was hooked!!!!! I gulped the rest of the book, feeling constant dread.
I have no other words. I don’t want to say too much about the plot, cause the less you know the better. This book is f***ing brilliant. Twisted in the best sense. If you loved My Dark Vanessa + a thriller vibe, you’ll love this. Can’t recommend this book enough.

Nobody But Us is an absolutely fantastic thriller and one that I think everybody is going to be talking about!

Nobody But Us centres on Ellie and Stephen as they take a romantic break away for their sixth month anniversary. Ellie is a wide eyed, clumsy and eager to please 23 year old college student, whilst Stephen is a 40 year old, handsome and confident professor. Their destination is a remote house, outside of New York, buried deep in the forest but also near the sea. The snow is falling hard and the scene is set for a perfect romantic weekend, away from work, distractions and any interruptions. Everything should be perfect, right? But there is a darker side to Stephen, but then Ellie isn’t quite who she says she is either…

It’s difficult to say much more about the plot of this book that wouldn’t give too much away. What I will say is that when the protagonist’s motivations become clear, it raises some really significant issues, issues that are so important to discuss but may be triggering for some. I think it’s also really important to read the author’s note once you’ve finished the book (not before!) as it reveals the personal connection to this story and the significance of the continuing conversation that needs to remain around these issues.

This is a slow build thriller, until the point at which things turn and then trust me you are not going to want to put this book down. Van Rensburg is masterful in building tension and creating suspense. I loved her world building and the way in which the house and surrounding area add so much to the atmospheric tension. Equally the way she used the weather to further build this tension was very special.

Although from the first chapter you know that this story is going to end in a bang, I was guessing all the way to the end who would come out alive, such is the skill of Van Rensburg’s writing. I might add as well that the quotes she chose to start each section with are perfection and that the initial one, from Sylvia Plath, takes on a whole extra layer of significance by the time you’ve finished the book - ‘I desire the things that will destroy me in the end.’

I cannot wait for this book to come out so that I can talk to people about it.To round up, here is my quick fire guide to Nobody But Us:

1. It’s available to pre order now - do it, get it ordered!
2. Do not read anything beyond the blurb of this book before reading it. This is a book where you need to just read it and allow it to reveal itself to you.
3. Make sure before you start to set aside time to read it - you will not want to put it down
4. Finally make sure you get your friends ti read it too, you are going to want to discuss it after!

Steven Harding is a sucessful, handsome professor. Methodical, Precise, and the complete total opposite of Ellie Masterson.

Ellie is a fiery, messy college student seventeen years his junior but this weekend they're finally going away to celebrate their six month anniversary together. They're planning a weekend far away from the city, far away from prying eyes with the promise of nothing but seclusion, silence and sex to fill their days. But as they arrive in their snow-covered home for the weekend, it's not just the weather causing a chill.

It seems like the perfect trip to get to know each other even better - but they don't know each other at all. They're both pretending to be someone they're not, and the consequences will be disasterous.

"The truth will set you free, they say. They're wrong."

Right from the beginning, the suspense crept up on the reader and doesn't let up. Immediately we get an uncomfortable power dynamic between our couple - from the way they speak to the way they act around each other it seems fairly obvious who's in charge and who's doing as they're told. Each character was so expertly crafted to be the polar opposite of each other yet similar in so many ways. The world building was immaculate - the setting was exceptional, I could feel a chill in the air and ice biting my skin as our couple took a romantic walk through the frozen countryside.

Starting off slow and building up to an explosion of a climax, this book kept me guessing - there were definite hints from earlier on in the story that suddenly seem obvious as it jumps from curiously suspicious to terrifyingly sinister within pages. As we see the couples history both together and apart, we're left to wait and see what exactly it is they're both hiding from each other and how it all fits together in this violent and shocking puzzle.

Nobody But Us deals with serious and relevant issues - from underage relationships to loss, and highlights some of the darker sides and the fallout that is hidden from the world.

A twisty tale about obsession, lust and revenge, this is an addictive read that left me head spinning - you can and should pre-order it now!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. I was intrigued by the premise of this novel. It’s described as My Dark Vanessa meets Gone Girl.
This is topical book that touches on #Metoo issues.
The less you know about the plot the better, as there’s a twist 25% through the book, and it’s better to go in knowing as little as possible. In a nutshell a 40-year old professor and his 23-year old girlfriend drive to an isolated cabin in February for a 3-day romantic weekend away. But both are hiding secrets from each other.
The start was slow for my tastes, but once that twist kicks in I was propelled to keep turning the pages and couldn’t put this down. I thought the prose was brilliant and the characterisations are superbly done. It’s amazing how both the characters justify their actions and the narrative they tell themselves to put their questionable actions in a self-edited context. My only problem was that after the twist I wanted more surprises and for me personally, as someone who reads and watches a lot of thriller, I was reminded of the two movies, Hard Candy and Promising Young Woman. If anything has seen these, you will find the second half predictable like I had, and that was unsatisfying. Nonetheless this was a brilliant read. A well-written and a dark thriller that touches on topical issues.

A romantic weekend away between Ellie and Steven takes a dark sick twisted turn.

What a debut novel this was, I didn't particularly warm to or like either of the characters but I think that is what makes this utterly brilliant.

I really enjoyed this book and have read it in a day, wow what a thriller book, I won't ruin it with giving any spoilers away but wow it blew me away.

Many thanks netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for this review

Don't read this one in the dark!! I love a book featuring a creepy, secluded house where no one can hear you scream... and boy does Laure Van Rensburg deliver with this excellent literary suspense, set deep in the woods on the Chesapeake Bay. Their are images from NOBODY BUT US that will be burned into my brain forever. The story follows two twisted characters, seemingly in love, as their romantic weekend away desceneds into a feverish cat and mouse game. I couldn't put it down, and can't wait to see what this author writes next.

Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for my copy of this incredible ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Well, what starts out as something none other than an incredible romantic story with what seems like the perfect couple, the beginning of this book will make you jealous wishing you had the relationship of the budding couple Ellie and Steven. However, they do say not to judge a book by its cover… and I guess the same goes for people.

The story follows Ellie and Steven on a romantic trip for there anniversary in a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere, or that’s what you are made to believe.

You can not trust anyone in this book, the characters are sneaky, conniving and will have you wondering who you can trust. They will take you on a roundabout of emotions of feeling sorry for them and hating them all at once.

Each of the main characters have their own story to tell … do I think either of them is right? No. Do I condone what either of them has done? No.

For the first time after reading a book, I don’t have a favourite character, I’m really not even sure if I have found a likeable character.

BUT what I can confirm is that I have found one hell of an amazing novel that will keep you on your toes, always second guessing and wondering how the story will end.

YOU need to PREORDER this book!! I can see this rising the charts in 2022 and you do not want to miss it.

Coming in 2022, Nobody But Us is an absolutely brilliant psychological thriller featuring two incredibly intriguing and powerful characters, an edge of the seat plot and a hugely emotional narrative.

The author has taken an important and relevant social issue and turned it into a story that is both extraordinarily addictive and psychologically complex. It is wildly entertaining but equally massively thought provoking- it is one of those books that sits with you afterwards and you'll turn over in your head finding your reaction to it in cycles.

I thought it was terrific and will happily highly recommend you get it onto your must read lists

Wholly cow what did I just read?

The first chapter was utterly haunting.

This was an ongoing theme throughout the rest of the book.

Utterly terrifying at times, the author did an amazing job of setting up a completely thrilling and unexpected read.

Something that stood out for me is the way the author used the house, it was as if it was one of the characters, helping to set the scene, to build tension.

It added an extra depth to an already gruesome tale.

I honestly didn't know how this book would end, despite what I read as the story opened up..

I know you'll hate me when I say it, but I don't want to give too much away. What Laure has written is something incredibly unique and I wouldn't want to take away from it.

You need to feel it all first hand, the claustrophobic atmosphere and the fear surrounding it all.

All I can say is that you NEED to read this book!!!

Ellie and Steven, a who are not who they appear to be and are harbouring secrets.
A weekend away in a isolated but stunning two story house that is situated near the coast and surrounded by trees. Three days with no distractions, time to share cozy dinners, explore the coast and enjoy each others company and bodies. But the weekend swiftly turns into a living nightmare from which they have no escape due to the blizzard that is raging outside.

The story opens with the house where the couple had been staying being searched by the emergency services and it soon becomes apparent that the building is now a crime scene and that something horrific had happened there. Then the story slips back in time to the start of the weekend and we follow Ellie and Steven's journey to the house. During this part of the story we are given a possible insight into Steven's character. Ellie came across as a bit timid and seemed to have feelings of anxiety about their relationship. The couple were a pair of realistic individuals and the author had added dimension to their characters by giving them both background stories and having the couple take the reader back in time and take you through events from their pasts. Events that were highly relevant to what was happening in the present day.

Once Ellie and Steven had arrived at the isolated house, the story turned dark and atmospheric and there was often times when the reader was hardly given a chance to draw in a breath due to the intensity of a lot of the scenes. The settings for this story were characters in their own right, the author's descriptions of the stunning house, eerie and sinister sounding trees and the power, rage and beauty of mother nature being so vivid that you could close your eyes and picture the scene in your head.

Omg, wow...just wow, this book is absolutely bloody incredible, it's a intricately plotted,character driven, gripping, intense, thought provoking, addictive read that had me hooked in from the first page. I was so captivated by this debut story that I didn't want to put my kindle down and read the whole book in one sitting. The truth was gradually revealed like the colours of the unfurling leaves on the trees as the author pulled all the threads of her story together. I would love to watch a film or tv adaptation of this brilliant book and look forward to reading many more of this author's books in the future. If I could, I would give this book far more than five stars. Very very highly recommended and definitely going to be one of my favourite reads of this year.

#NobodyButUs #NetGalley
World's no.1 psychological thriller.
Ellie and her boyfriend Steven take their first trip together, what starts as an idyllic weekend soon takes a darker turn, as it quickly becomes apparent that each of them harbors secrets-and that one of those secrets is deadly.
Ellie is an NYU grad student, timid but fiercely intelligent, and eager for the perfect weekend away with her boyfriend. Steven is a wealthy and privileged teacher at an elite Manhattan school. His and Ellie's relationship has stirred up envy among the teachers in his academic circle.
When they head out for their romantic break, they're both excited to get to know each other better away from prying eyes. But when a snowstorm strands them in the house, they begin to realize that neither of them is quite who they say they are and that one of them won't escape the weekend alive.
Characters, dialogues, plot, narration and execution of the story is brilliant. What are you waiting for? Read this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for giving me an advance copy.