This is the first book I have read by C.M Ewan . I enjoyed the writing style and would like to read another book by this author, but I found this book personally to be a little confusing to follow in parts.

The book is told in two narratives of the main characters. One being Lucy, who has anxiety and a fear of being watched for which she is being treated for. The other being Lucy’s boyfriend Sam whom is a therapist who specialises in phobias but doesn’t seem to believe Lucy’s fear is genuine. Lucy and Sam live together in a house that used to belong to Sam’s grandparents. In Lucy’s perspective is her experience is showing someone around their house, and in Sam’s he is as part of his research for phobias hosting for his clients.

They are selling the house and the estate agency calls and asks Lucy to show a potential buyer around the house last min. Although she is reluctant to do so Lucy agrees. The client Donovan is an odd character, who quickly makes Lucy feel uncomfortable around him and with his behaviour so asks him to leave. It turns out Donovan is NOT who he claims to be!!

The story line is good, with lots of suspense, The only reason I am scoring 3 and not 4 is that I found it hard to follow at times and confusing.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review*

I think I’d class this as a psychological thriller. It’s a bit difficult to write a review and not give away any spoilers so I’ll keep this short and sweet. It’s very well written, I felt on edge reading it and I’m not an anxious person! I was hooked from the start and just had to find out what was going on. I definitely recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley

As I currently have my house on the market this was a very apt read.
At the beginning I struggled to see how a dodgy person viewing your house could stretch out to a whole book but as it was interspersed with what was happening with the boyfriend at work it all flowed well. Characters were flawed but believable. I was doing OK until one point in the book where I suddenly became very confused about who was who.
A good book, an exciting read.

3.5⭐️ rounded down . Thank you SO much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this.

Took me weeks to get through this and I don’t know why? But I have discovered that I’m not so drawn to books by men

The House Hunt by C. M. Ewan

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Your estate agent calls.

She’s running late and needs you to show a man around your home.

You let him in and begin the tour.

But something about him feels wrong.

You ask him to leave and he refuses.

Then he tells you something about you – something inconceivable.

Why? And how far would you go to find the truth?

My Opinion

This was one of those books that I had heard about and knew that I had to give it a read to find out what happens. This is the first book I have read by C. M. Ewan but I am certain it will not be my last as this was a delight to read. With short chapters this book was quick to read, and with the way that the chapters end it was so easy to just keep reading on. This has been written in such a way you can feel the tension. A great, highly recommended read.

Rating 4/5

Fantastic! Read this on holiday so was able to read it all at a very fast pace. Loved the storyline and the plot twists were so good! I was sad to finish it.

A whole lot of possibility, but the book doesn't quite deliver in the end. The middle part, when Lucy is showing the stranger around dragged quite a bit, and then the plot went a little too crazy. All I can say is that Lucy's anxiety was superbly done, and very plausible.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

Another super twister thriller from C W Ewan. I can see this as a TV drama. A couple have inherited a property and cannot afford to finish the renovations so they put it up for sale. Lucysuffers with anxiety from a past anxiety and a her husband Sam is a Psychologist. Sam is busy managing a group of people and their phobias when Lucy is at home waiting for the estate agent and viewer. The estate rings and will be late so here the anxiety levels raise. The eery prospective buyer arrives to view the house and Lucy is extremely anxious and......I'm not giving the story away.
However it's extremely interesting to find out that there's a client with a phobia connected to the viewer.
This is a fast paced book and has a real twist that you dont see coming. I loved this book! I can't wait to read the next one!
My thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advanced copy in return for honest review .

I had to remind myself to breathe whilst reading this book. From the very first page I was on the edge of my seat trying to anticipate what was going to happen next. The author does a brilliant job of introducing tension throughout with characters who are believable and relatable.

The book is set around a house viewing, but that’s all I can really divulge without spoiling the plot. There are surprising twists and the author keeps up the suspense throughout. This is the first book I have read by this author but I will be on the lookout for more novels by C.M. Ewan.

Recommended for anyone who loves a real page turner with drama in a domestic setting.

Wow what a rollercoaster this book has taken me on. I can safely say I’d happily jump back on and go through this all over again. This is a masterpiece.

I have been excited about this book since I first saw it revealed and I can hand on heart say, Ewan has delivered on every level. This is by his best book to date.

Lucy is a very nervous, timid character and she is horrified when she finds she has to do a viewing of the house alone. This is where this really starts to unravel. Donovan asks a lot of questions, Lucy answers each as best she can. However, the viewing definitely doesn’t go how it’s planned.

I have loved this. I’ve become more and more engrossed as I’ve delved further between the covers of this one. This has made my pulse race and I’ve definitely felt the tension.

The House Hunt has been a book that has completely captivated me from the beginning. I have devoured this book in just one sitting. I found myself trying to unsuccessfully predict where this might go and how it may play out.

John has been a character I’ve just wanted to give a big cwtch to. A completely innocent and gentle man who stole my heart. I might’ve had to shout if his path had gone a different way.

The plot has been perfectly paced. Ewan has made me feel as though I’ve been watching the events play out. This is definitely a screen worthy book! I’d watch it over and over again.

This book has completely exceeded my expectations. I knew I was going to love it, but I underestimated how much I would love it. This is brilliant from beginning to end.

I have no hesitation in recommending this to other readers. It’s a must for the TBR.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Lucy and Sam are a couple who are selling their recently renovated house. When the estate agent rings to book a viewing, Lucy is asked to show the prospective buyer around as the estate agent is running late, but despite her crippling anxiety, she agrees to do it. When the would-be purchaser arrives, something in Lucy’s gut feels wrong and when she asks him to leave, he simply refuses. This is where the real story begins…

This is a psychological thriller which will fill you with anxiety (sometimes in a good way, and in other places not so!) I must admit I absolutely loved the first half of the book, but when the story was being explained to us, and it was revealing what had happened I felt it was flawed and there were too many holes for me personally, but I am sure that other people will absolutely love this book as it is gripping and will have you on the edge of your seat (especially if your house is up for sale!)

Superb back if the neck tingler. I loved it. Was such a twisty read. Would recommend to all my friends and family. Just brilliant!

The House Hunt is my first book by this author, and I was not disappointed, in fact I now need the back catalogue. This book is tense and is impossible to put down the short gripping chapters make you want to continue long into the night.
From the offset I was gripped and felt I connected with Lucy and Sam. Lucy suffers with claustrophobia and has phobias and Sam her partner is a psychologist and her biggest support. This is a slow-burn book that has many twists and turns that keeps you on your toes the majority of which I didn't see coming.
A huge thank you to Netgalley for a digital copy of this book. All opinions are based on my own views.

OMG and WOW
This is a fast paced thriller like no other
You will feel you have stepped onto a rollercoaster
So much is going off it definitely keeps you guessing and certainly packs a punch

Thank you netgalley, MacMillan and C M Ewan

This has a brilliant twist and then another, and then another! It all takes place in one afternoon and would be easily read in one sitting, as it's utterly gripping.

Lucy has to show a prospective buyer around her house, as the estate agent is running late. She's not happy doing it, but takes a deep breath and plunges in. Everything is going well until the guy starts to get a bit creepy. Everything really goes south once the estate agent arrives. Lucy is not known for her ability to cope with everyday life, how will she navigate when everything falls apart around her?!

The dual timeline is brilliantly narrated by two narrators.

A really fast, well paced psychological thriller with some very clever, totally unexpected twists. I enjoyed the novel and read it non stop. Having said that, it does seem a little bit far fetched at times, but if you ignore that, then it's a brilliant read..

Started off strong but then eased off towards two thirds of the book. I prefer much more of a thriller vibe in this kind of book.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this title. Amazing storyline with a modern twist! Very engaging reading that keeps the reader hooked.

The House Hunt is a difficult book to review because I have such mixed feelings about it.

PROS
Boy is it a page turner! It grips like superglue. For a couple of nights I got way too little sleep: first, I couldn't put the book down and then, once I finally did, in the early hours, I was haunted by it and unable to sleep. And then I had nightmares. I put all this in the PROS because it takes skill to create such strong feelings in the reader.

It's well written, and very visual; you feel like you are in that house, right in the middle of the action. You can feel the claustrophobia, the menace, the tension. I really was totally hyped while reading and had to force myself to take deep breaths to calm my heart. Wow!

CONS
I didn't particularly like it, didn't like any of the characters and found the plot stretched the bounds of believability to snapping point. In fact, much as I couldn't put the book down, so I couldn't wait for the whole unpleasant experience to be over.

So I'll give it a 4 for the skill and the author's success in creating a tense, claustrophobic thriller. And a very personal 2 stars for the unpleasantness (and plot weaknesses). Overall then, a 3-start read for me. Judge for yourself if this is your cup of tea!

A really fast, well paced psychological thriller with some very clever, totally unexpected twists. I really enjoyed the novel and read it almost non stop. Having said that, it does seem a little bit far fetched at times, but if you ignore that, then it's a brilliant read. Would recommend to my book club groups.