A beautiful cover. A strange but gripping story! Definetely will read more books by the author! Loved the writing style and the atmosthere of the story.

Many thanks to Von Reenan, Red Door, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.I failed to see the point of this novel. Yes, I read it and I highlighted all over it. But I just don't understand why? So the text ends with,"there is truth and there is lies, there is fact and there is fiction, there is life and there is death. And then there is are the spaces in between." So my assumption is speaking about the shades of grey as opposed to all of the areas of black and white in society and how to turn one into the other???? I have no idea. The book was confusing. And strange. The plot just seemed like a really weird off kilter way of expressing that sentiment. I didn't like it. It was not my favorite. I think there have been other authors who have tackled this same topic more successfully.

Such a fascinating and terrifying story! I have never read anything like this, it was so good! Nicholas' story starts of normal enough, but after landing a job as an English tutor, his life takes a drastic, horrifying turn, and he ends up in a downward spiral into a nightmarish reality. This is one of those books where the less you know, the more enjoyable it is.

A weird story. It implies that this story is true and that it is about the author. It is very sad and a bit confusing. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

'The Spaces In Between' has one of the most interesting stories I have ever read. It has everything - the biggest mystery, love story, some Russian history and cultural features, a little bit of Paris, psychological thriller, a bit of drama and lots, lots, lots of secrets.

The ending of the book can be disappointing for some readers, but I just liked it the way it was. Was it all fiction or not? Was it just a game of imagination? Was it a very vicious plan? And why...

Without giving anything away, I just say that I liked absolutely everything about this book. It kept my attention so much that I couldn't wait to get on the bus on the way home or to work to start reading again chapter after chapter. The story is truly captivating. The possible truths are very interesting as well. And in my opinion, quite possible.

The cover designed by Patrick Knowles is an absolute masterpiece itself and illustrates the book so well.

I am so sorry I hate to DNF a book, but I just couldn't get into this book at all. It was just such a strange book, and i was really lost after a couple of chapters. I am sure this book while I was confused and bored, other readers would really love it. And of course that's just fine, because all readers don't have to love the same books, or reading wouldn't be so fun, because it's fun to see what some people love and other people hate about the book.
Thanks so much all parties in charge with letting me try and read this book, even though I personally couldn't finish it.

What a strange and unusual story this is. The fact that it is true is mind boggling.

Poor Nicholas is in his early twenties and a bit down on his luck. Then low and behold a friend tells him of an English tutor position that is available and that also includes room and board. Finally he feels like things in his life are starting to look up.

So many warning signs he ignores. A bronze placard at the door which translates to "Let idle talk be silenced. Let laughter be banished. Here is the place where Death delights to succour Life." And so our tale begins and what a hallucinatory experience it is. I won't get into the details but this is one of the most disturbing stories I've read. Not gruesome, mind you. Just manipulative mind tricks that have Nicholas, and us the readers, questioning everything that is happening.

This is something I think you'll just have to read for yourself. To explain it would spoil everything.
It's well written and had me absolutely riveted to the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was just not for me. Liked the writing style and story telling but the story itself was not good enough for me.

What is truth? What is fiction? What is real?

Nicholas is a penniless man in Paris is the late 1960s. He's homeless, he's without necessary papers and he's desperate. He finds a job to be an English tutor at a mysterious house outside of Paris. From the moment Nicholas walks into the house.....he's trust into a mysterious world of strong tea, supernatural being and terror.

The Spaces In Between is an interesting book. There's story, is told, AFTER everything has happened and to a therapist. It's weird, but weird in the right way.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The cover drew me in to begin with! So much mystery and that follows on when you get inside the book! It is one of those books that you never quite put your finger on as to what is happening - is it supernatural? Is it horror? Is it drama?! Well, it's all 3! I found it to be a really fascinating mix of mystery and intrigue and it kept me engrossed throughout.
We start with the viewpoint of the Doctor of Psychiatry who is talking about one of her patients whose case has her baffled. She then makes him write his story out and that is what we then read and get to know Nicholas and what had been happening to him that had left him in such a state! He was running out of money fast and had nowhere to go, when a mysterious job opportunity opened up to teach English to a young woman in an aristocratic household. And this is where the fun/madness begins!
It isn't your normal household!! If you like your characters weird and disturbed then you're in luck! The household have to live in Victorian conditions - no electricity, no tv or radio - just oil lamps, candles and coal fires - to appease the Grand Duchess. His pupil is the Princess Nataliya who is 17 and has an illness that leaves her unable to leave the home. There is also a very dark side to her mental condition and Nicholas soon gets to witness this first hand.

This book does a great job of leaving you guessing as to whether you are reading fact or fiction. Could a household live like this and all the strange goings on, did they really happen? There was always a really unsettling feeling about what was happening, and what would happen next! I did find the first half of the book much more enthralling as I found the story did run out of steam a little towards the end, but it still made for such a fascinating read

thank you to the publishers for the advanced readers copy in return for a fair and honest review

Didn’t get a chance to read this due to family emergency

I don’t even. I thank Netgalley for providing me with this book to review but it was just so strange. I couldn’t get through it. It made me feel a bit uncomfortable and like I was thrown into a weird narrative. I couldn’t finish it. I could barely start it. I’m sure that this will be someone’s cup of tea, just not mine.

The Spaces in Between is a story about a young man, named Nicholas and his tale of horror he experienced while tutoring a young girl in a mysteriously gothic manor. We first meet Nicholas while being treated by a psychiatrist for insomnia and clinical depression. It is here that we learn why he is having so many issues. His time in the manor… The doctor treating him, Dr. Groller comes up with an idea for him to write everything down, each and every detail of time there, so she can know how to help him. And this is where the real story begins.

In 1968, Nicholas has found himself with no money and no where to go, so when an opportunity for wages and board comes open, he takes it. He’s young, smart, why wouldn’t he take a position tutoring a young lady. Who happens to be the Imperial Highness Natalya, the Grand Duchess’ niece of Russia. Natalya suffers from a hereditary “illness” and expects things a certain way. The manor has no electricity, only oil lamps. All staff dresses like those who live in the Victorian era and all live within the grounds, and no ones leaves the grounds. All in all, this is a strange place.

With so many staff living in the manor, we don’t get to know all of them, most of it is passing through here and there. I don’t think even Nicholas knows all that much about them. The whole house and those in are mysterious and guarded. Madame Amelie, Natalya’s spiritual adviser was one frightening woman though. She held a lot of control over pretty much everything. With so many strange happenings, and no one wanting to talk about them, Nicholas is trapped there, he’s basically a prisoner. Escaping is his only hope though. Only after some awful things that transpired, he does make it out. I want to tell so you about so many things that happened, but I do not want to give anything away either. Ugh..

This is a dark and strange world that Nicholas found himself in, and we’re left with was it all real? I will say, Reehan did a fantastic job keeping it all right on the line between reality and imagined. I even questioned some of what took place and I do like when a book can do that. So, I really enjoyed this one!

First I’d like to start by saying that I absolutely love the cover for this book, I know you should never judge a book by its cover as the saying goes but this is one of those cover’s that if I saw it in a book shop I’d instantly pick it up and buy it.
The Spaces In Between tells the story of Nicholas and is told from his point of view as he finds himself taking a job as English tutor in a grand house in Paris. This is a job that will help Nicholas save enough money to renew his work papers and save him from being deported back to England.
It’s instantly clear that there is more to the house than meets the eye and before even entering, Nicholas has a weird feeling and nearly about turns, thank goodness he doesn’t though or there wouldn’t be a story to tell and what a story it is. It’s an eccentric house hold, everyone lives in the past. They do have electricity but it’s not used, instead of lights they use oil burners but Nicholas is happy to go along with things, after all he’s getting a free room and board while being able to save for the future.
I have to say I found this quite a busy book, it’s full of interesting characters, unique in every sense and each page you turn makes you more and more intrigued. I sat reading this into the early hours of the morning which wasn’t a good idea as I will admit it had me a little bit spooked. It’s a story where it will really make you question what you are reading.
The author really sets the scene and the story is told incredibly well, it has your mind constantly wondering whether it’s fact or fiction and I loved that about this book. It’s difficult to say much about The Spaces In Between with fear of giving anything away, this is a story that will have the reader totally intrigued and the less they know before hand the better.
Often after finishing a story you feel quite satisfied but with The Spaces In Between it really felt like it had gotten under my skin and I couldn’t help thinking about it after I’d finished. It’s a unique and unsettling story with a gothic feel to it that I will definitely be recommending and I’m looking forward to seeing what will be the next offering from Collin Van Reenan.

Wow. I loved this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Collin Van Reenan for allowing me to read and review a copy. 5/5

This is one of those really strange books which stayed with me for days after I had finished it. There are several ways to look at the events in this book and once finished was left with questions - not because the book was incomplete but because there were parts of it open to interpretation.

Nicholas is an impoverished student in 1968 Paris. There are student riots, his visa is out of date, the university is closed due to the riots and he can't get a job. He is doing the 1968 version of sofa surfing. However a friend spots a job in the paper which could be ideal - working as a tutor. All expenses paid and a live in position. Ideal for three months until he gets himself back on his feet. However, he finds himself in a very strange house with a very strange student. Nothing is as it seems and Nicholas really doesn't understand what he has got drawn into.

I liked this book very much. I enjoy well written books which are a bit out of the ordinary which nicely sums up this one. Nicholas is a fairly standard student with some not terribly nice traits - a fact which he admits to. He is so relieved to find a way out of his predicament that he really doesn't take the time to assess the people or the situation in the house. He allows things to happen that he really shouldn't.

The characters in this book are quite complex and no one is who they seem to be. Anya the administrator who seems to be Nicholas' friend but then again perhaps not - is she drugging him? Madame Lilli the strange psychic who Nicholas finds intimidating. Then there is Natalya, his student, who seems like a child one minute and a very sensual adult the next. Who is the mysterious Grand Duchess who never appears? Who is Tatania who does appear at Nicholas vulnerable moments? Each of the characters has well written and intricate personalities.

I won't explain the plot. Each reader needs it to unfold in front of them. Keep your wits about you & see if you can work out what is really happening to Nicholas........

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

This book will take you on a journey down a rabbit hole and it will leave you questioning everything you know. I found the characters to be complex and the more I read the more my opinions changed on this crazy cast of characters. They were haunting in so many ways and I could never quite figure them out. I was completely and thoroughly engrossed in this extremely original story and I will be thinking of this story for a long time to come.

I would like to thank NetGalley, RedDoor Publishing and Collin Van Renan for the ARC of The Spaces In Between in return for my honest and unbiased review.

As soon as this author produces his next novel I will be reading it. This was an intriguing, well thought through plot with a macabre feel from start to finish. Frozen in time with an eccentric household Nicholas becomes trapped, not really understanding what is going and close to losing his sanity.

There were points in the story where it was difficult to distinguish reality from lies making for addictive reading. Really enjoyed this.

Recommended.

"There is truth and there are lies. There is fact and there is fiction. There is life and there is death. And then there are the spaces in between." This is the premise behind this macabre and ghostly story. Nicholas's psychologist publishes his history in pursuance of the truth and to achieve closure for him. Nicholas takes a job as private English tutor to a young lady in a strange, backward looking house in which he is enclosed for the duration of his contract. What is real? Is it all a hallucination? Creepy, intriguing, and a quick read. I enjoyed it a lot.

There's just so much going on in this book that I have no idea where to start. I think I'll have to begin with the cover. Its absolutely GORGEOUS! The Spaces in Between focuses on Nicholas and is narrated from his point of view as he finds himself trapped in a household with, lets just say "eccentric" people. From the very beginning, the reader can sense that something is wrong but what makes the mystery fun is that there is no way to know how it ends! It could be supernatural, realistic or a psychological thriller! I was just as in the dark about what was going on as Nicholas! The book begins with a fictional "foreword" from Nicholas' psychologist, which somehow enhanced that mysterious feeling of the story. The plot of the book was beautifully executed and the writing style was wonderful.