This is the first book I've read by this author, and I have mixed feelings about it. The book jumps around a lot between the present day and the past, with each chapter being from the POV of different characters. I don't think the "twists" were all that surprising in this one, I think it was pretty obvious where it was going for most of the book. I will say, that it was a quick read, and I liked the setting of the secluded cabin. I also appreciated that it wasn't just a standard, locked room mystery, and that there was definitely more to the story than just that.

Thank you to Netgalley and Legend Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the ARC. I desperately wanted to read this one. This was so good and so creepy. I loved the information on genealogy, Henry's fight against eugenics, and the creepy, uber creepy, host.
This was even better than I expected. I found it relatable too. How much of who we are is genetics and how much is a choice? Also how much comes from your environment?
I have a dozen "bad guys" in my family. I have opted to cut off all contact for life. But I wonder often if some of this is genetic and it terrifies me.
Anyway, I won't ever go to a cabin the middle of nowhere and be cut off like that. No thanks.

This was a great book and it gave me a lot to think about.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six
Thursday night at midnight I finished “Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six,” by author Lisa Unger who I was delighted that I was able to do a Q&A with this past summer which you can read here https://booknotions.com/qa-with-lisa-unger/ . “Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six,” is about three couples who spend a long weekend at a luxury cabin not realizing that someone is watching them from the woods, someone who has an ax to grind. The novel comes out on November 8th. If you haven’t requested a copy from Netgalley like I did, preorder the novel now or put it on hold at the library.

Pros
I like the setting of the cabin in the woods in Georgia. The story reminded me almost of “And Then There Were None,” since many people had secrets and they were trapped somewhere only this time it was a cabin. Whether the cabin is luxury or not it gives the sense of it being haunted. I also liked reading points of views of the many characters. While some books don’t always do a good job of so many characters and how their stories intertwine, Lisa Unger did a good job of that without it being overwhelming. You don’t know how the characters stories would intertwine but of course towards the end the light bulb in your head will tell you, “Oh! I see how the stories connect now!”


Cons
I did feel like everything was tied up too neatly. I also felt the character of Bracken was out of place for this story, I liked him but he felt out of place. I caught an error of when Spongebob first was on tv. A chapter from Henry’s point of view in 1997 had him watching Spongebob. Spongebob came out in 1999. I remember because I was 7 years old in 1999.


Overall
Overall my first time reading a novel from Lisa Unger was wonderful. I can’t wait to read more from her especially “Confessions On The 7:45”, which will be a Netflix movie starring Jessica Alba. Thank you Netgalley for the early copy of this novel, and thank you Lisa Unger for writing it preorder the novel so you can get it on November 8th or put it on hold at your library.

Release Date: Feb. 16, 2023

*Thank you to @netgalley & Legend Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review*

"Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for."

👍 What Worked For Me:
- Locked room
- Twisty
- Multiple viewpoints
- Satisfying ending

👎 What Didn't Work For Me:
- Way too many storylines going on.
- Too many names. I couldn't keep up.
- I had no sense of how old anyone was, other than they were adults. So when Henry's timeline was happening, I was like .... okay but.... how old is everyone else??? 🤨 Because that would matter to some of the twist guesses. Which, I guess, is a strategy in keeping me guessing.
- I felt like one whole storyline was unnecessary. But could have also been used to throw me off? I dunno, man, I was stressed trying to understand how things were lining up.

It was a good locked room read. I loved the setting, kind of disliked all the characters, but also that works in the subject of the stories.

*sigh* This isn't a glowing review, I realize. I liked it... it just was so much happening. It needed to be reigned in a bit... that's my final answer here. 🤣

1 star. I didn’t enjoy this book at all and parts of it made me angry. Not the fun, popcorn thriller I was expecting to read. Very unpleasant.

I hated how the thematic content was incorporated into the story and repeated over and over again. Family, parents and children, pregnancies, rape and victim blaming. None of these were well handled and I was surprised that this was even what the book was about! The blurb gave the impression of a story about three couples and their friendships. This is not that book. A strange importance was put upon blood relations and children being a vital part of a complete and happy life. I didn’t enjoy that at all. And everyone had either tragically lost their parents or couldn’t connect with them. Everyone.

I also hated all of the characters and disliked spending time with them. They were all miserable. The gender dynamics weren’t great either, with all the men obsessed with work and all the women only caring about family and children. And those are the only character traits they possess.

A large part of the book deals with the results of DNA testing kits. Which isn’t even hinted at in the description. Not a word about ancestry research, even though it is a topic that’s brought up in the very first chapter!

On top of all of that, it takes forever for anything to happen once they’ve reached the cabin. Some characters are off on their own for large sections of the book and because they don’t have a POV, they disappear until they are needed again for the story to progress. While other characters, whose POVs we are reading from, are completely inconsequential to the story. It’s incredibly clunky and the book overall is very boring for a thriller. And so repetitive!

This is the second book by the author that I have read (“Confessions on the 7:45” being the other and 4 stars) and both have a strange subtext of disliking social media and technology without reason. It’s very odd.

I had been looking forward to reading this book a lot, but was sadly very disappointed.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six explores family and the lengths they will go to to protect them, but also what it means to be family. Siblings Mako and Hannah take a weekend away together along with their spouses as well as Hannah’s best friend (and Mako’s ex) and her new love interest. In the secluded cabin, dark secrets are revealed, a member of the group goes missing, and subterfuge is afoot.

Good storytelling and plot. Characters weren’t particularly lovable but I don’t think they’re meant to be. They were developed well enough to have an opinion about them and care about the outcome. I had an idea where the story was going just after halfway through, and while I wasn’t completely right, I was close. I still enjoyed the way the author wove her story. I have one complaint and it’s in the spoiler below.
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***spoiler***I really didn’t understand the need for Bracken and his little side story. It didn’t add anything to the story and he wasn’t really relevant. The whole spying thing was initially portrayed as creepy but suddenly at the end we are supposed to have sympathy for him because he doesn’t know how to have human interaction? Also it wasn’t pertinent to the story.

This book makes the mistake of starting with a very simple premise, six people with interlocking relationships at a cabin together during a storm, and then throws every possible convoluted plot line at the wall to see what sticks. Honestly, the choices made here are kind of baffling to say the least, and the book is exceptionally difficult to keep track of with the amount of characters and storylines that are being followed at any given moment.

The most baffling choice is the inclusion of the Bracken character at all, to delve into all of the why's would be a spoiler but suffice to say that at no point did I feel any sort of sympathy or empathy for the character and his entire arc is superfluous.

The book could do with a lot more editing to cut down on so many of the unnecessary details and also to sharpen the mystery which isn't very mysterious from the get go. The set up of DNA testing from moment one means that the reader is primed for DNA testing to be the lynchpin of the book so when it is, it's not really a twist. It doesn't help that none of the characters are really ones that you would want to stick with and the amount of perspectives and timeline jumps really just adds more and more to the pot until it overflows and is just confusing.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A big thanks for the ARC and the chance to read this book ahead of its release.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six was very atmospheric right from the start. The setting itself was such an essential part to the story because it immediately set the tone of the novel and somehow managed to be so creepy even though it was supposedly such a beautiful location. The combination of the lack of outside communication because it was in the middle of nowhere with spotty connection, and obviously even just the fact that they were so isolated because it was away from other people and places. Then there were the chapters thrown in from POV characters who were watching the renters from afar just made things even more chilling amidst the chapters for the main characters themselves.

I was really excited about this book because it was advertised as a locked room mystery, which is a genre I’ve been wanting to try for a while. I really did end up enjoying it, it was very horror/thriller movie-like in the sense of a group of people vacationing together with sinister characters lurking in the shadows that they are unaware of, watching, but in book form. I will say, at times it felt like there were far too many different POV characters, which got confusing at times for me when I had walked away from this book for a bit and would come back and not remember who the side story characters were (this was mostly the characters with questionable motives watching the group of friends, plus a past storyline that in the beginning was not clear on how it connected to the greater storyline). But I still enjoyed it despite any initial confusion.

Without getting into spoiler territory, I will say the chapters that took place in the past started getting VERY interesting to me in Part Two of this book. After the first chapter I wanted to race ahead to see where it lead I was so intrigued by what it revealed. This was the point of no return for me because I could not put the book down once I hit Part Two. I had one of those rough waking up the next morning because I stayed up too late reading kind of moments.

The ending wrapped things up nicely, and had all of the different POVs come together so they made sense in the end. This was a very good read in my opinion and I would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy creepy thrillers.

This is my 3rd book of Unger's and I'm starting to see a pattern. They have all been painfully long and filled with too many unnecessary (unwanted) descriptions. The length could have been cut down by 75 - 100 pages and nothing would have changed plot wise. I really wish I could give a better rating on this one, but it was quite boring at times and the mystery aspect was mediocre at best. Honestly, I couldn't wait for it to end. The story bounced around between many different characters, so I never really established a likeness for any of them. I appreciate the creativity the author portrayed in her storytelling. I just can't say that I am a fan. I didn't hate it, but I definitely didn't love it. I'm hoping that others will enjoy this book more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley, Legend Press and the author for allowing me digital access in exchange for my honest opinion!

I recently found Lisa Ungar, and this is the third book I’ve read by her. She’s quickly becoming a favorite. I really enjoyed this book. It was so different to anything I’ve read before. I really enjoyed the DNA/science aspect especially. The characters for the most part were likable, and it really had me guessing up until the end. I can’t wait to read more by the author soon.

Talk about a fast-paced thriller. I picked up this book last night and couldn't set it down until I finished. I was expecting a story along the lines of The Hunting Party by Foley, but Unger crafted something truly unique. The novel is told in multiple viewpoints, with three viewpoints stemming from unknown characters. I thought that would make it easy to predict a plot twist, but I was wrong. The characters were very well-developed and likable. Hannah made for a perfect MC, despite her flaws. The opening chapters grabbed my attention and kept me turning pages. There was never a point where I felt bored. I'll mention that the ending was a bit lacking given the buildup, but not so much that I would consider lowering my 5 star rating.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six
Lisa Unger
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six
Lisa Unger
Hannah’s brother gave her what appeared to be an extravagant birthday gift. He found the cabin listed online. A weekend away in The Overlook a luxurious cabin, forced rest and relaxation sounds wonderful. A personal chef, a hot tub, breathtaking views, and a lot of privacy. The cabin had excellent reviews; it sounded like the perfect gift.
The three couples are close friends but they each have secrets. The house is as magnificent as they expect. However, the weekend does not go the way they planned. The chef reveals the frightening history of the cabin, every move the couples make is being watched because there are cameras hidden throughout the cabin, a wicked storm is headed their way and someone outside is watching. Hannah doesn’t know who she can trust. Everything goes wrong, someone is determined to destroy twrong;ples’ weekend. Who and why?
The plot of this tale is interesting and different. Author Lisa Unger presents readers with a unique slant; she has incorporated DNA testing into the plot. In the beginning of this tale Mako gives his family a DNA testing as Christmas gifts. This seemed unimportant at the time. The setting is well built and complements the plot. The plot has great possibilities; the thought of a luxurious cabin in the woods, someone watching, hidden cameras, a gruesome past and secrets, these are all great elements, frightening elements. But there are some flaws. There are too many characters to keep up with and each one has their own point of view. The main character is Hannah, a stay-at-home mom. The secondary characters are Hannah’s husband Bruce a computer nerd, Hannah’s brother Mako a powerful businessman in the tech world and his wife Lisa, Hannah’s best friend Cricket and her strange new boyfriend Joshua. It is unfortune that none of the characters are likable. I realize some of the storylines are used to lead the reader in the wrong direction, but they should be wrapped up and not left hanging. The narratives should be connected to the main story in some way.

Oh boy was this a good one. I read A LOT of thrillers and often I see the twists coming from a mile away but not this time. I was excited to see how everything was going to come together and Unger did a great job. I was worried this would be your typical “everyone in a hotel cut off from the world starts to die” trope but it was not. The backstory was beautifully woven and came together seamlessly. I was very impressed with all the ins and outs. I was worried there would be too much going on with all the POVs but it worked. Overall my only gripe was lack of character development because of all the POVs but it didn’t really matter in the end. This is a plot driven thriller that is really really good.

I saw everyone on Bookstagram reading SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX… so I read SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX.

Six people in a cabin in the woods, completely cut off from society. Sure they’re family, best friends, lovers. But how well do they really know each other?

There was something about this book that I literally couldn’t stop reading. I read 60% in one go (stayed up way past my bedtime) then binged the final 40% the next evening. The pace is racing, there’s all of these different points of view and flashbacks and you’re sure you’re just about to put it all together if you only read a little more.

I liked the isolation of the cabin, and the false leads about who to suspect were convincing. I did feel that the real perpetrator could’ve been introduced more sneakily, sort of woven into the other characters’ backstories as a lurking presence. However, that didn’t stop me from being invested in the absolutely bonkers storyline - and it gets a little wild towards the second half.

Unger manages to keep all of her storylines and half truths straight, pulling the strings taught at the last moment so it all comes crashing together.

This had an interesting premise and I liked how DNA factored in. Some of the POV's felt unnecessary and I felt like one could have been written out completely.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley, for an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVE a locked door mystery. It is one of my absolute favorite thriller tropes and this one did not disappoint.
We are following two storylines: one with a group of 6 adults on a weekend getaway . They are staying in the Georgia mountains, in a remote cabin, that is absolutely beautiful, but also quite creepy, not unlike their host. They are told there is a huge storm coming, but the storm isn’t just happening outside.

The second storyline follows Henry on his journey to finding out who he really is. They two storylines weave their way together in a way this author really excels in. This book was a twisty and fantastic read. I will automatically pick up anything Lisa writes!

I was so excited for this one and was ecstatic when I got approved to read it on netgalley! Secluded cabin psychological thrillers are a fav of mine when done well.

Three couples escape to a secluded cabin for a nice weekend unwinding and relaxing. They’re mostly off the grid where they are, but they do have wi-fi and a backup generator should something go wrong. Unfortunately, a huge storm comes through and leave them without power and the generator has been cut. The couples have had spooky feelings since they heard the ghost story associated with the house and they start noticing strange things happening. Is someone else out there with them? And what’s with the creepy groundskeeper/property owner? Something about this just doesn’t seem right but there is a huge tree across the road and the road is out. As the minutes tick by, the group starts to wonder if they are going to make it out of this alive.

This was not necessarily your traditional stuck in the woods story, okay so it was but it had a unique vein that I rather enjoyed. I did feel the character depth was lacking despite this book being 400 pages. There were so many points of view, and the book shifted often, it was hard to get connected with any one character. I really wish we got to know a few of them more as their characters were better developed. Overall, I felt this book needed to draw out some of the characters and suppress some that didn’t really add anything to the story. I felt this book was a wild messy ride and while I wanted to enjoy it just left me like a frustrated lover.

I’d really like to extend my thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @legend_times for allowing me access to this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review. Look forward to reading more of yours in the future!

I loved this book, especially after all the marketing. The cover just drew me in! However, I will warn, it does move slowly. While slow, it engages you with confusion. Vague references to the past kept me hooked and wanting "Just one more chapter"

Book review!
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger
Publishing date: November 8, 2022

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.

First off, I have to mention how much I loved that the story is primarily told through the voices of women. The one male voice is an ally. The bad men do not get a voice. Given the story deals with gaslighting, manipulation, and rape - hearing the story told primarily by women was refreshing.

Along those same lines, I also found it disgusting and, unfortunately, relatable how characters could both love and hate the bad men. It was mentioned several times how charismatic Mako is and we have heard that about awful people who have done awful things in history- Ted Bundy, Bill Cosby, OJ Simpson. These were funny, charming, energetic men surrounded by people who enabled them every step of the way. This book made me stop and think about the balance of good and evil in everyone. For example, No one in the book is an overly likable character. Many are a mix of good characteristics and cringeworthy flaws. It’s all about which side they lean into that makes the person who they are. The same could be said about each and every one of us. Do you lean into your good qualities? Or do you let the darkness of the bad take over?

Overall an intriguing read. I was engaged from the start and could not put all the pieces of the puzzle together until the end so the big reveals at the conclusion were extremely satisfying.

WOW!! I had been waiting to read this book as soon as I saw its description and it certainly lived up to my expectations. There are various plot lines and time changes that kept me guessing almost to the end. I loved that it started broad and ended as an almost locked door type situation. The slowly unfurling story kept me riveted to my kindle and although I do not want to give any spoilers, there were characters I was rooting for to come out on top. What seems like an idyllic trip to a cabin in the woods devolves into a dangerous game of cat and mouse in a terrible storm.