“The perfect book for thriller readers and true-crime podcast addicts…a stunning literary thriller that artfully twists and turns until the very end.”–BustleOne of The Washington Post’s 10 Best Thrillers and Mysteries of the YearOne of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of the YearOne of Real Simple’s Best Books of the YearOn a bright morning in the suburbs, a family moves into the house they’ve … Simple’s Best Books of the Year
On a bright morning in the suburbs, a family moves into the house they’ve just bought on Trinity Avenue. Nothing strange about that. Except it’s your house. And you didn’t sell it.
When Fiona Lawson arrives home to find strangers moving into her house, she is plunged into terror and confusion. She and her husband, Bram, have owned their home on Trinity Avenue for years; how can another family possibly think the house is theirs? And why has Bram disappeared–along with their two young children–when she needs him most?
As the nightmare takes hold, Fiona begins to untangle the lies that led to a devastating crime–and a betrayal so shocking it will teach her to keep her own secrets behind locked doors….
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This was an absolutely mesmerizing novel that caught my attention from the beginning and kept me enthralled all the way to the surprising and satisfying ending. The premise is that Bram sells their house while Fiona is on a weekend getaway with her girlfriends and all of their children. Bram and Fiona have decided to separate amicably and share the house, for the sake of the children. The story is told in alternating points of view, which was off-putting at first, but once I got used to it, I actually enjoyed it. Fiona was weak and gullible. Bram was selfish and opens himself to being manipulated because of his bad behavior. The novel was a quick-paced read with twists thrown in at the least expected times. I really enjoyed the interactions between Fiona and the new owners of her house. The most enjoyable part of the book was looking into the lives of Bram and Fiona, in their own words, so it was easy to see the problems that each was facing and how they were dealing with them. The reader cannot help but ask, “What would I do in this situation?” I think that is why fiction readers will be drawn to this book that has a different and engaging premise.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Penguin Random House. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions that I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Our House grabbed me from the opening paragraph and held on tight – up until around the 30% mark. From there, it started losing me and try as I might, I just couldn’t get back into it. Light domestic suspense, yes, but I failed to find anything that I would consider a thriller, psychological or otherwise. This one is a whole lot of talk, talk, talking and a lot of it was repetitive as we get both sides of the story. There are a couple of twists thrown in, but when you’ve reached the point of skimming to find something to keep the story moving, they don’t have much impact. I do prefer a faster pace in the genre, so maybe my disappointment can be chalked up to me expecting one thing and getting another, but this one clearly was not for me.
Wow! This thriller has it all, the suspense, the mystery, the wow factor twist and the book hangover!
My first book by this author, what can I say it was a really good book just not one that I would normally buy for myself. It certainly was original and not like any book I have read in the past. One of my biggest dislikes is when any book jumps back and forward the whole way thru between the characters in the book, this book does that so for me that is a huge distraction. Yet I know many readers enjoy this type of book, I rated it this high because it was a great storyline, just not my type of book, I’m sure many more will enjoy this book, than dislike it.
Imagine coming home after being away for a few days, only to find out that a new family is moving into your house, the one you shared with your ex-husband, because he sold it without your knowledge and disappeared with the money. What an interesting premise! I was very excited to have the chance to read Our House early.
This book is a well-written and expertly crafted thriller that I found hard to put down and was engrossed in the story from beginning to end. I loved the premise and found main characters really fascinating. Some of the twists I guessed but it did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. Our House was a five star read until I reached the ending. The ending let me down because it was open to interpretation, there was no satisfying conclusion and I was left wondering about main characters’ fates. Regardless, I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy domestic suspense.
Wowza what a thrilling ride! This book kept me on the edge of my seat until the end, and then the ending? I need a sequel! It is told by the point of view of Fiona and her estranged husband Bram. The characters are flawed but real and you find yourself completely immersed in their issues. There are so many twists and turns and just as soon as you think you have things figured out, you realize you are wrong! I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Berkley. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed Our House. It is a suspense novel with twists and scams that I have not experienced before. I thought that the story being told from two points of view really added to the suspense. The last few chapters of the book really left me reeling – it cane from nowhere. The characters are well written and well developed. The only reason this is not five stars is because I feel that it moved a bit slowly.
Thanks to the publisher for the advanced reader copy of Our House. All opinions are my own.
My head is spinning after reading this book – there were so many lies and lots of deception. I didn’t find either of the two main characters to be very likeable. Bram was constantly lying, cheating, or drinking and Fi (even as the victim) seemed like she was fairly shallow and more concerned with appearances. I thought the author did a great job with the plot development – there were many times throughout the book where I thought “wow, I did not see THAT coming!” I would not consider this to be an action-packed book and there were parts of the book where I felt like the story was a bit slow, but overall I enjoyed both the book and the plot twists.
This wasn’t as suspenseful as I hoped it would be – or as the opening suggested. It’s a GREAT concept, just this side of plausible and eerie for that. But both halves of the Lawson marriage are pretty unappealing in their own ways, and when both the protagonist AND antagonist are difficult to like, it makes the reading a little rough at times… Add in a story that (to me) over-describes a lot of the events and gives a lot of (to me) unnecessary detail on minor bits while glossing over more major ones, and you have a story that didn’t quite deliver on my expectations. I did enjoy the twist near the end – that helped suck me back into the story enough to enjoy seeing how things wound up, but there was a rather long bit in the middle that felt like it dragged and could have used a tighter edit to keep things a little more edge-of-the-seat. Still, it was a pleasant enough read on the whole – particularly (I suspect) if you go in without paying too much attention to the hype and just read it…
Thanks to Penguin First to Read for my review copy.
My house? Your house? Whose house is it?
Seeing someone moving in is no big deal in this neighborhood, but someone moving into YOUR house IS a big deal.
Fi had no idea that the morning she came back from a business trip there would be a moving van in the driveway and all of her belongings would be gone.
Where did everything go and what was going on? Another puzzling fact is that she was not able to get in touch with her husband.
We go back and forth in time and find out the circumstances leading up to the unknown sale. Bram had a shady past and secrets, but how could this have happened?
The situation was very tense, and hopefully can’t happen. Having your house sold right under your nose without signing anything or knowing anything about is frightening.
Both the house situation and what the characters were doing was truly unbelievable and hopefully not something that could be done.
Each chapter leads us to more and more about what was going on with the situation and the characters. I didn’t find one character that was likable in this book, but that didn’t take away from the excellent story line.
OUR HOUSE is one of the most creative suspense books I have read.
If you like to wonder what makes people do what they do, and you like to keep guessing at it, OUR HOUSE is a must read this summer.
OUR HOUSE is bizarre, nerve wracking, and unbelievable, but oh so good. That last line is WOW!!
Enjoy if you read this book. 5/5
This book was given to me as an ARC by NETGALLEY and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
I had so many mixed feelings about this book and they changed as the book went on. Here’s how I felt:
I loved the premise, coming home to find someone else already moved into your house! Not very believable but I was good with it. Speaking with the people who are moving in and then eventually realizing it wasn’t just a mix up. No spoilers here.
This is at least the second book that I’ve read where parts were written as though they are on a podcast, the other being “Are You Sleeping” by Kathleen Barber and did end up enjoying that book. I think by adding a second “social media” situation with the emails was a little annoying. Add to that the fact that you are going back and forth in time. I got irritated with the book at times.
The main characters Fi and Bram Lawson are quite unlikable. Fi seems to have a very superior, selfish attitude about most things and Bram is just a loser and a cheater. I didn’t feel much emotion for either of them. Fi’s love interest seem too good to be true and their relationship is so insulated, no one even saw them together, or did they? I didn’t find that either parent had their kids best interests at heart, even though they verbally said that they did. Their actions didn’t display that love and concern.
There is another very sad, very important story going on at the same time. A mother and her young daughter are in an auto accident, they were blindsided and slammed into a tree. Throughout most of the book we don’t know how this will all turn out, one of our main characters is involved, but which one?
What I liked about the book —– the up and down, in and out, twisty, turning nature of the plot. It was so well thought out and the reader is so “set up” that I had no idea that the novel would end the way that it did. That bumped the book up to a solid 4, just the last 25 pages were pretty amazing.
All together I would recommend this book, this is a very intelligent read with lots to try and figure out. Many of you may be younger, or just enjoy reading a book with a more up to date vibe to it and this might be just perfect for you!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.