Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. I would recommend this book. It's a fast page turner. However, it does involve domestic abuse which may be hard for some. Overall, I enjoyed it and found it very suspenseful.

TRIGGER WARNING: this book deals with domestic violence and abuse
Stella and Jack have moved to the coast and bought a huge house that used to be a women’s refuge. One night Lori arrives battered and bruised seeking sanctuary at Westhill House. Jack wants to call the police but Lori refuses. Stella allows her to stay and her relationship with Jack begins to crumble.
Meanwhile, other parts of the book are set in the 1970s and we see Kay, a wife abused by her husband: will she find the strength to leave him and protect both herself and her daughter?
This is a very powerful book and the abuse is graphically described and heartbreakingly vivid.
There are some major twists along the way. I was really unsure whether to distrust Lori or Jack as they both seemed to take advantage of Stella’s good nature and desire to help others. I could easily understand why Jack doesn’t want a stranger in the house but the human instinct to care for others often surpasses concern for our own safety so Stella’s reaction was realistic too.
The links between the 1970s and present day narratives are cleverly revealed by author Jess Ryder over the course of the book. The situations faced by the characters are realistic and thought provoking as we as readers are encouraged to explore how WE might react under similar circumstances.
The title of The Dream House has meaning for Stella and Kay. It is a fresh start for both of them, capturing their dreams for the future. But just like dreams, there is no certainty or tangible definition so they often evade us. Westhill House has offered hope for women for decades but for dreams to be come reality the women need to concentrate on their own needs.

A fast paced thriller that kept me turning the pages! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy.

5 Stars*

ARC kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really good read, and had interesting characters. Highlights how domestic violence is something which is happening way too often. I liked the ending. Would recommend.

This was the first book I have read by Jess Ryder and what a wonderful and gripping read this was. The Dream House was such a fantastic psychological thriller The way in which the author switches from 1970 to the present day doesn't leave the reader confused. It makes the story more interesting. I couldnt put this down, every page left me wanting to know more so in a way I was kind of disappointed when it came to an end.

This is a great psychological thriller! I was hooked right from the beginning. Ryder sets the scene incredibly well. The story was very well thought out and constructed. I found every character in the novel to be entertaining.
4.5 starts

So many twists and turns! In the story, "The Dream House" we get a present day narrative from Stella and a narrative from Kay (about 40 years prior) in the past. Besides the obvious common element (Westhill House), it was hard to figure out how the two women's stories would intertwine. There were some predictable scenarios along the way but still enough surprises to keep me interested and guessing. I would recommend "The Dream House" if you're looking for a good, twisty thriller.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was pretty good.

The premise is an interesting concept, old defunct refuge house for battered women bought and being renovated. When a woman does turn up seeking shelter she is met with both enthusiasm (Stella) and weariness (Jack) in equal measures.

I enjoyed the alternating timelines, how they built the story and eventually connected. There are some twists and red herrings. Some things were easy to figure out but not all, at least for me. It was pretty clever and a bit unbelievable but certainly entertaining!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture for a copy in exchange for a review.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the advance copy of this book which is the first I have read by this author.
This is a good psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns that kept you guessing until the end. There are two stories, Stella and Kay and it takes time to figure out how they are connected. Some things are predictable but there are certainly surprises along the way, although some are predictable.
Definitely worth a read, would be a good holiday book.

Stella grew up surrounded by the children her parents fostered. When her parents dies in a tragic accident & she inherits a sizable amount of money e tries to live her life the way her parents would have wanted.

When she sees the huge old house by thesea she believes this will be the perfect family home & in spite of extensive modernisation required & the misgivings of Jack, her partner who will have to commute back to London for work, she buys it.

One night there is a knock at the door & a woman who has been badly beaten asks if this is the women's refuge. She is clearly terrified so Stella takes her in & allows her to staythe night in spite of Jack's protests & misgiving. He is insistant that Lori, their 'guest' leaves as soon as possible. Lori believes her husband will find her & this makes Stella determined to help her.

For the first half of this book I wasconstantly struggling to believein Stella- could she really be thispig headed? However as the story went on, things changed. Who was the other person narrating the story & how did it connect up? I soon couldn't put it down until I found out!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

An enjoyable enough read, but I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief enough for this one. Stella just kept doing things that made no sense at all, and the constant referring to the big secret from her past started to do my head in after a while. The big climax was also a bit of an odd one - didn't see it coming, but also didn't find it that thrilling. Sadly, not the book for me.

The Dream House – Jess Ryder

This is the fourth novel by Ms Ryder and I personally am expecting big things from her, she’s definitely one to look out for, improving with every new novel. My mistake with this one was starting it at the wrong time, I had a day where I just had to adult there was no escape from it but as soon as I was home I kicked my shoes off, switched off my phone and got stuck in, it certainly had me gripped. Initially I was confused by the title change from The Guest to The Dream House but having devoured the novel the newer title suits it much better.

We have two plotlines in this novel, the main one involving Stella and Jack with their crumbling derelict ‘Dream House’; the other is regarding Kay and her violent husband ‘Foxy’. Oh and I mustn’t forget the secretive battered wife Lori who having left her husband throws herself on the mercy of Stella. It was almost as if Stella felt that she had an obligation to take her in because of her parents past, they were foster parents during her childhood, cue resentment and parental issues.

It appears as if the Westhill House with its starring role has a history all of its own which is unknown to Stella and Jack but it seems as if the house is uneasy carrying the weight of its own secrets. Purchased using an inheritance from her parents has left her unable to afford a reputable builder so does something you’d do if you were looking for a second hand washing machine; she looks in a shop window. Needless to say she got what she paid for, a cowboy builder.

Manipulation seemed to be the order of the day for most of the characters Lori though was in a league of her own, she was also armed with lots of intimate details about the house slowly drip feeding them, spooking Stella and making her afraid in her own home. Not to mention the bad feeling and problems she caused Stella between the couple by continuing to stay there. Domestic Violence is also discussed within these pages and in the way its been written about it is obvious that the author has taken the time to research the topic. I feel that it has been written with honesty and truthfulness without the use gratuitous violence that pleases me immensely.

The characters flaws are there to see as if there was a torch shining on them but they all seem oblivious to them in themselves and each other. Stella is needy and a complete pushover, Jack was like a sullen teenager full of moans about Lori, Lori was secretive and sly. In effect none of them were that likeable which was quite sad really I usually always connect with at least one character but then I didn’t think we were meant to like them.

This is definitely worth a read, I would happily and have recommended it to all my reader family and friends.


Read for an honest review. Thank you to Jess Ryder, Netgalley and Bookouture Publishers.

The Dream House written by Jess Ryder was published by the lovely people at Bookouture on 06/21/19. I was granted a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

When Stella sees Westhill House, a former refuge for battered women, she jumps at the chance to purchase it and make her dreams work...even though her boyfriend is less than thrilled about moving from London.

Then one night Lori shows up at the house beaten and bloody. Stella immediately lets her in and listens to the story about her abusive husband.

Life will never be the same once she starts to uncover the house's secrets. Lori seems to know more than she lets on about the house. What is going to happen to Stella if she goes down this rabbit hole?

This story was so gripping. I had a really hard time putting this book down, and ended up finishing it in about 2 days. It would have been a 5 star read for me, but the abuse parts were hard to get through. As an abuse survivor I know I'm more sensitive to this than others, but I found myself wincing several times. One of my criteria for giving 5 stars is being able to recommend it to as many people as possible. I instantly knew given the abuse scenarios present that this would not be possible.

Still, this was a great book. If you can get past the abuse details, it really is worth a read. The ending will blow you away.

One of the best books I've read by this author. I really enjoyed it, especially the twists.
Recommended.

Stella’s parents were killed in a hit and run car accident and she uses their inheritance to buy Westhill House with her partner Jack. She has fallen in love with this house by the sea but it is need of renovation. One night a young woman Lori turns up on their doorstep, she is battered and bruised. She tells them that she has escaped from her husband and that their house used to be a refuge for abused women. Stella decides to let her stay against Jack’s wishes. Stella’s parents were foster careers and so she feels that she should help Lori as much as she can. She starts lying to Jack as Lori outstays her welcome. We then realise that Stella has been hiding a secret from her past that fills her with guilt. There is also a second story being told from forty years ago about Kay, a single Mum who marries a man who starts to abuse her and she manages to flee to the women's refuge. When the two stories start to collide, the tension builds and so do all the twists and turns. A highly enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Excellent read. Hard to put the book down. Right from the start you were sucked in and new this was going to be a good one. The storyline was wicked. Not quite knowing where it was going next. There was lots of twists and turns in the road.

Great psychological thriller! Lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. The dual narrative of Stella and Kay was well done and kept me trying to figure out how the two stories were connected. While some elements were predictable, there were surprises to keep me on my toes. Well done and worth a read!

Compulsive reading, this is an addictive suspenseful psychological thriller like no other.

The plot is unpredictable with lots of twists and turns along with solid engaging characters.
There is also a sense of dread as the story deals with the deep and dark corners of the human psych.

I very much enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone!

Stella has used her inheritance money to buy a rundown house on the coast, with dreams of restoring it and making it her and Jack’s forever home. But with a knock on the door during the night, everything changes.
This is the first book I’ve read of this author and interestingly, I thought I had it all worked out by 1/3 of the way in....how wrong I was!

The chapters cover two time lines Stella (now) and Kay (then). Kay’s story had a theme of domestic violence and I found it quite hard to read. Partly because I wasn’t in the mood to read a heavy theme like that but also I think I realised that it was in the days where this type of behaviour was swept under the carpet.....it was accepted as long as it was behind closed doors.
These chapters were not confusing and very early on there was knowledge that the link is Stella’s home, Westhill House. As the story unfolded I found myself questioning my assumptions more and more.
I’m glad it kept me on my toes and it turned out to be a fast read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

An engaging psychological thriller.
This book was full of twists and turns. It was impossible to predict what was going to happen
I loved this book.