“FABULOUS.” —B.A. Paris, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors and The BreakdownTHE PERFECT MARRIAGE IS THE PERFECT ILLUSION.Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That’s why he’s planned a romantic … beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That’s why he’s planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he’s promised today will be the best day ever.
But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really?
Forcing us to ask ourselves just how well we know those who are closest to us, Best Day Ever crackles with dark energy, spinning ever tighter toward its shocking conclusion. In the vein of The Couple Next Door, Kaira Rouda weaves a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…or a life.
Praise for Best Day Ever
“Highly entertaining and truly surprising!” —Kate Moretti, New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Year
“Best Day Ever is a creepy, spine-tingling and utterly addictive tale of domestic suspense.” —Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, bestselling authors of The Good Widow
more
I immediately got hooked into this 24 hour period narrated by the husband as he and his wife drive to their lakeside cabin for a romantic weekend, which becomes clear very soon will be anything but. I loved the way his character and personality were revealed as the trip progressed and as he reminisced to himself about his past relationships. As his plans became clearer I had to keep reading to see how far things would go.
One crazy dude
Excellent telling of a psychopath and how they live among us. I don’t know how the author did it, but she hit every note realistically. Very satisfying ending.
Superb story with lots of psychological mystery elements.
I found it difficult to continue reading on and on about such a despicable person. I was anxious for it to end.
Thanks to HarperCollins publishers for an ARC of Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda.
Let me start by saying that I LOVED this book.
Paul and Mia Strom seem to be the couple who have it all. They are wealthy, have two beautiful children, plenty of friends, and a lovely lakeside second home. When Paul plans to give Mia the best day ever, what could possibly go awry?
Told in time increments over an approximate 24 hour span, Rouda gradually builds up enough tension to make this book impossible to put down. As Paul narrates his story directly to the reader, it becomes abundantly clear he is an unreliable narrator. He presents himself as accomplished, distinguished and God’s gift to women. He goes to extensive lengths to make sure that he adequaltely paints a clear picture of how great he is to the reader. He’s also sure to explain what gets under his skin, be it his parents saying no when he asked them to babysit or women who have the audacity to wear sweatpants and look like a fatty. It’s not a problem; Paul has learned to quell his anger and maintain control of all situations. As long as no-one challenges Paul, things should go smoothly. Otherwise, Paul will need to exact his revenge in some form or fashion. Not to worry though, he loves Mia. He’s just a bit bothered by this new Mia that seems to be presenting herself on the best day ever. He’ll straighten it all out though. Even though he hasn’t always been the best husband, he knows his actions are justified and he will gladly give everyone a detailed rationale to explain why he’s not in the wrong.
With each passing minute you know something sinister lurks. You can feel Paul’s tension and frustration growing. The question then becomes who is Mia really?
Well done Kaira Rouda! I can’t wait to see what you give us next.
PS. Paul’s list of songs for the “Best Day Ever” was simply the best!
The narrator was not at all likable which made this a difficult read. It was obvious what would happen, the only question being when. I was disappointed.
Can we ever really know our spouse? Little matters more to Paul Strom than winning. Winning looks like the appearance of success at work, having the perfect wife and kids, owning a second home and apparently, driving a Ford Flex. : ) But what if there are huge secrets?
Best Day Ever is a delicious, addictive read that I gobbled up in a day. The perfect way to spend an unexpected day at home!
Get ready for a fast ride in this gripping thriller by Kaira Rouda! Paul Strom is determined that he and his wife Mia are going to have the best day ever! And as they travel to their second home, Paul has taken care of every detail to make it special. But of course things are not always as they seem and this day is not going as Paul plans. Edge of your seat suspense!
The more I read, the more I had to read! I couldn’t put this one down.
A haunting main character that kept me turning the pages.
I have never despised a character in a book so intensely as I did Paul Strom.
I am definitely going to read this author’s other books now. I read this one so fast, it was that attention-grabbing! It was an interesting view being talked to by the narrative, and I loved how the sections of the book were split and even the author’s thoughts afterward.
Great read. Looking for more from this author!
I don’t usually like books with this kind of timeline, but this book was riveting!
Good book, had trouble putting it down!
It was a fun read
I couldn’t stop reading – stayed up all night to finish!
Too long and too boring.
”In Best Day Ever, Paul is trying to impress us with his intelligence, his love for his wife and kids, and his unparalleled business success. But of course, we can read between the lines. Sometimes it’s more about what a character doesn’t say than what he admits to doing.”
Kaira Rouda does an absolutely amazing job at writing from an unreliable narrator’s point of view. It’s not like you get all at once, it’s not like all at once you trust Paul and then you don’t. It’s a slow trickle, like slowly you learn things about him and the more chapters you read the more suspicious you get about the stories he’s telling you. What’s fascinating is that your distrust for Paul doesn’t even start when you begin to learn about his actions, it starts with merely his thoughts. You begin to think, “wow this dude isn’t very nice”, you start to get clues about his anger, and it just builds the intensity of the novel. I couldn’t put it down; I had to know who was telling the real story, who Paul really was, what the relationships between the characters actually were.
An absolutely captivating book from start to finish, I couldn’t read it fast enough. Would highly recommend.
This book was awesomely messed up!