Sorry, but I really just couldn't tolerate the poor writing. It felt like an 8 year old had written it. I have read other books by this author and have loved them and did not have an issue with the writing so I am not sure what is up with this book. The premise of the book was good but just so poorly executed. There was limited character development. Additional plot lines didn't feel like they fit or were just poorly written. The bit with the party and when the sister stayed over - I mean it was so full of holes and jarring and just made little sense.

I struggled through to the 20% mark which saddened me as I love the Gina Harte series. This book felt like it was written by an entirely different person.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Houseshare’ by Carla Kovach.

Over the past few years I have been enjoying Carla Kovach’s DI Gina Harte series of police procedurals. On occasion she writes standalone thrillers and this latest is a reworking of her 2014 second novel, ‘The Let’. However, I have not read this earlier version, so cannot comment on any differences between them.

Set in Birmingham the story focuses on Libby Worthington, who has recently left a toxic relationship and moved into Canal House, a large property that has been divided into flats. Her landlord, Tim, lives in one of these and is welcoming. While she’s not ready to date, he appears interested in her and may be a future prospect.

Yet not all is well. Her ex, Gary, is hounding her with phone calls and texts trying to win her back. On the professional front, she is a recruiter for an agency supplying workers to various jobs. One of the welders on their books becomes belligerent after a wages issue and begins to verbally threaten her. Could he be stalking her? Libby is jumpy due to little disturbing incidents. Add to this Mr. Bull, her mysterious downstairs neighbour, is very noisy and Libby suspects that he has been feeding her cat, Einstein, seeking to lure him away. She certainly is concerned about the changes in his behaviour since they moved.

Poor Libby! Problems on all sides though she has female friends and a much loved older sister. Then an Italian gentleman shows up looking for his daughter, Bettina, who had been the previous occupant of Libby’s flat. She begins looking into Bettina’s life and starts to uncover troubling information. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I did feel that the plot was a bit melodramatic and over the top in places though I didn’t mind as it is par for the course in the sub genre. I did have ongoing concerns about Einstein and I am fairly certain that the author is well aware of the effect on her readers of introducing a pet into a thriller’s storyline.

Overall, ‘The Houseshare’ was the kind of novel that once started proved almost impossible to put down, which is what I look for in a psychological thriller. In fact, I read this book in a single day.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The Houseshare by Carla Kovach will keep you turning the pages well into the night. I read this book in 2 days because I couldn't put it down .thank you Netgalley and much appreciation to the author

A darkly atmospheric thriller, this book borders on the creepy side at times. I had genuinely no idea who was tormenting Lydia and even if they were male or female which meant there wasn't a chance of me putting the book down before the last page. I was glad, though, that I wasn't in the house alone because I was jumping at every sound. With this book I think Carla Kovach has proved that as well as writing a great police procedural, she can come up with an awesome psychological thriller.

Libby is a victim in more ways than one. Thankfully, however, she has escaped a bad situation with her now ex-boyfriend, Gary. Glad that she has been able to find a new home, sharing a house with several other tenants, Libby is thankful to have a nice landlord, and has started to get to know at least a couple of the neighbors. However, it does not take long for her life to begin a downward spiral.

Things do not go smoothly for Libby. For starters, not only does she occasionally hear some of her neighbors argue, it seems that Gary has no inclination of letting her go. Then, after learning that the previous tenant had disappeared without a trace, her sense of danger grows exponentially.

While Libby strives to become comfortable, there is one neighbor that she has not met, the
mysterious Mr. Bull. A mystery begins to be formed as it seems that there a secret to be had in this new life that Libby has undertaken. This is most certainly something that she definitely is not happy about. One of the oddities that Libby is forced to deal with is her cat Einstein has started to take on strange behaviors. An indoor/outdoor cat, his disappearances do not worry her at first, but as strange is her new life has suddenly become, his actions become very concerning.

Feeling that she is being watched, readers of this engaging read might wonder if she’s actually being gaslighted. With incredible tension, surprising twists and turns, nefarious characters, as well as very even pacing, The Houseshare proved thrilling from beginning to end.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/L2swDdkVoZE

This stand alone book by Carla is a great read. You will not know what is going to happen from one minute to the next and when your halfway through the book and it looks like it is wrapping up for the ending early, wow it all turns upside down and you have to start the guessing game all over again! excellent novel!

I've read several of Kovach's books now and I've really enjoyed them. I read this one in an afternoon as I couldn't put it down, the story was so compelling and I had to know what happened next.

I found myself accusing literally everyone in the book of what was going on, and as always I still didn't work it out!

It has a terrific cast of three dimensional characters, all credible and complex.

The House Share is a nail bitingly good psychological thriller, full of twists and turns that I would definitely recommend .

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Houseshare started off as a bit of a slow burner but once it got going it was a complete page turner. It had plenty of twists and turns that I did not see coming and it kept me guessing. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Libby moves from into a self contained flat within a house after splitting up her boyfriend,she quickly. meets the residents and her landlord Tim apart from the mysterious Mr Bull downstairs,with her big sister Olly looking out for her life is good,but it soon turns a nightmare when strange things start to happen to her at work and at home with Trevor been the main culprit at work.or so she thinks at home as well,is a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre with plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing,but I guessed the culprit early on.But that said it was a great five star read.

Libby is trying to move on from a toxic relationship, she hopes that moving into a new place will be a fresh start for her but that's when the real trouble begins.
This was a slow burner to start with and then finally started to unfold about halfway through. I felt a little disappointed as the red herrings felt really obvious so from that it was easy to figure out who the antagonist was. It did have a little twist at the end which I hadn't worked out. The story felt a little muddled and could of been explained better I think as it just felt like it was missing something. Overall it was a fast read but the story just didn't feel complete for me.
Thanks to #Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5 stars

The Houseshare by Carla Kovach is a psychological thriller (and apparently a re-work of “To Let” – which I have not read).

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Libby and her sister Olly had a rough life growing up, and they are really close.

Libby works as a recruitment agent for a company that doesn't seem to care that she is being harassed by Trevor, one of their workers (who also has a drinking problem).  Chrissie, another employee at the firm, tries to help her.

Libby is also trying to escape her abusive boyfriend Gary.

She has found a new flat, but it looks like both Gary and Trevor have found her, and neither one of them is leaving her alone.  She is making new friends though.  Her new landlord Tim seems to be interested in her, but she isn't ready for a new relationship.  Two other residents of the building, Kirsty and Micky both seem nice, and she hasn't yet met her downstairs neighbour, the elusive Mr. Bull.  

When she discovers the last tenant of her room has disappeared, things start going a little wonky.  Libby finds a note in the closet that makes it look like the last girl was afraid, and felt like she was being watched.  Libby has started feeling that same way.

As she tries to delve deeper into the mystery, she realizes someone has been entering her apartment.


My Opinions:
This book had a fairly strong start, but dragged a bit in the middle.  

I liked the relationship between the two sisters.  It felt honest.  Actually, all the characters were interesting.  The abusive relationship and harassment from Gary and Trevor was really well done, but Libby's initial quiet acceptance of it really pissed me off.  On the other hand, I think she always had Olly to protect her, so she didn't really ever have to stand up for herself.  That changed.

The plot, however, was definitely too predictable.  It was easy to determine the perpetrator right from the start, and there were no real surprises.  However, I did like the eventual action.

So, overall, I still liked the book.  It wasn't great, but it was quite good.

Author, Carla Kovach, is one of my favorites. Her Gina Harte series is divine, and I have reviewed several of her books on my blog.
It wasn't aware this was a rewriting of a book she had previously self-published under a different title a few years ago until I had finished the book and read the letter from the author. I think that made me feel better about it, as I was a bit disappointed with this novel.

The first half of this started out strong and I really got sucked in from the start. The variety of characters felt authentic and there was a flow to how the story was told. Some tension here and little suspense thrown in there. Kovach has a way of telling a story and dangling mystery in at the perfect time to keep the reader interested.

The second half was a letdown though. It seemed like a cd that was scratched and just kept skipping and repeating. The same things kept happening over and over and it was easy to see that who we were expected to thing the antagonist was, was in fact not the antagonist.

I will say there was a plot twist that came at the end that I was NOT expecting at all! It really threw me for a loop, and I did have to go back a re-read it because it was that surprising! However, I feel the ending was very rushed and a bit unsatisfying.

"The Houseshare" is available today! It was a 3 star read for me! You can download the e-book from your favorite digital retailor or order a physical copy today for a quick beach or weekend read!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me an advanced digital copy to read and give my honest review.

Happy Reading!

The houseshare by Carla Kovach.
Behind closed doors is a secret someone is willing to kill for.
Really enjoyable read. Loved the mention of bacardi breezers. I liked Libby. Didn't trust Tim. Twisty. Didn't see that coming. 5*.

Once in awhile along comes a character that I just do not click with. This makes it a little tougher to get engaged with the story. Libby was that character for me. I didn't hate her, I just constantly felt like she needed a solid shaking and stiff lecture. The things she did (or didn't do) and assumptions she jumped to frequently left me baffled. But, I did enjoy the set up and wish I had been wrong about the twist. I'm not even sure it could be considered a twist. Maybe it was just the resolution because it felt incredibly obvious for a majority of the book. That being said, this story could have gone in a lot of different directions. The author gives us a lot of potential options. and had it gone another way, I would have been saying that I never saw it coming!

Always love a Carla Kovach thriller! In this one we find a troubled 31-year-old woman who finally escapes her abusive boyfriend and starts life anew in an apartment of her very own. There are strange noises and happenings all around her. Is she being stalked? Read on to find out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Libby moves into a new flat but it's not long before she starts experiencing strange happenings there; odd noises, peculiar phone calls and the like. Libby moved as she was fleeing from an abusive partner. She has a feeling that someone is watching her, or is her imagination running riot?

This tale certainly raised my blood pressure on a few occasions with the tension, chills and levels of creepiness. An all-around solid intriguing and compelling read with comfortable pacing and highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

The houseshare is a fast paced story which I read in one day.
The story revolves around Libby who has fled an abusive relationship.
A new start, a new dream flat what could go wrong!? If you think you've worked out what's going on , think again
Thank you to the author and Bookoture for my advance copy.

★★★ 3.5 stars

A new beginning...a new nightmare...

After leaving her controlling and abusive boyfriend, Libby is ready for a fresh start by fleeing in the night and renting a flat in Canal House near the centre of Birmingham that her sister Olly has found for her. It is affordable and she can easily walk to work. She soon meets her landlord and neighbours who are all friendly and welcoming. Even her cat Einstein is happy with the move and the landlord has bought some furniture, given she has arrived with nothing, to which she adds her own personal touches to make it more like a home.

But she has barely settled when the threatening texts from her ex, Gary, begin to arrive in a flurry going from demanding and abusive to remorseful and pleading. Libby is well versed in the familiar cycle and has no intention of backing down or returning to him and as per her sister's advice, she deletes every text as they arrive. He tries calling but she ignores him. And then she starts to feel as if someone is watching her, especially when she sees shadows of movement in the backyard and hears strange noises coming from the downstairs flat. And then things begin to go missing while others appear out of nowhere. And where has Einstein gotten to? Then when she learns that the girl who lived in the flat before her suddenly disappeared, she starts wondering just how safe is her new home...her fresh start.

The story initially opens twenty years previous with the heartbreaking scenes of someone being bullied and my heart just went out to them. The scene took me back to my own school days and reminded me just why I hated those times that were supposed to be the best years of my life. Kids can be so cruel. But more to the point, the teachers knew what was happening and did nothing.
As the story unfolds, the mystery of the murder of a teenage girl is entwined with the strange goings on that Libby faces in her new home. She confides in her landlord as to what happened back in the place where she grew up and he shows a level of compassion that she never knew with Gary, and she soon finds herself attracted to Tim. Even her fellow tenants, Michaela and Kirsty tease her about it. But Libby isn't ready for another relationship and is adamant that Tim is just a friend.

But poor Libby can't seem to catch a break. If it's not Gary with his incessant hot-and-cold texts, it's a client from work who has become abusive when he misses out on a work placement, believing Libby to have held out on him. He vows to make her pay.

So who is it that's stalking her? Gary, who won't accept that their relationship is over? Or Trevor, who feels she has wronged him?

And then Libby receives news so devastating it shakes the very foundations of her world. And she wonders...is she even safe anymore?

I was suspicious of just about everyone and their motives however the villain was fairly easy to figure out as they all but had a neon sign announcing their involvement throughout. But that never interferes with my enjoyment of a good thriller. There are always other aspects that I consider and if it holds my attention, it's generally a winner. But if it's slow or veers off somewhere, then my attention has wandered with it.

THE HOUSESHARE is a fairly entertaining read that I did enjoy, though not as much as some of the author's other offerings. For those who are fans of the Gina Harte series, don't expect this to be anything like those because it is entirely different as are all her standalone thrillers. It has a more claustrophobic feel to it and is incredibly tense at times but I do feel it is lacking something. What that is, I'm not sure. All I know is that it didn't quite have the bite or intensity and I came away feeling there had been something missing. It was a bit a slow burn initially but it still held my interest and I was quite enjoying things...until the end. And the end came about 15% before the actual end of the book. That is to say, there was the reveal and then the whole ending became dragged out a bit too long I felt. And that bogged down the whole story I think, because until I arrived at that point, I was enjoying it immensely.

However...there is one factor that totally blindsided me just before the end...and for that I give an extra half star because I never saw it coming. But then that kind of dwindled away that it ended up losing its shock value.

THE HOUSESHARE is an intriguing psychological thriller and perfect for newbie fans but those who frequent this genre might find it a bit lacklustre. I didn't hate it and it is a good read but not a great one.

This title was previously published as "To Let".

I would like to thank #CarlaKovach, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheHouseshare in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This is one of these books that is written in such a way that drags you in and at the start (hope it’s not just me!), you’re like ‘ooh don’t trust him’, ‘ooh, why are they doing that?’, ‘come on, why aren’t you questioning this?!’.

The protagonist has just left an abusive relationship and this sets up a perfect storm for the events that transpire.

Set up in the house is unusual and leads to a great psychological thriller.

The Houseshare
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 8/16/22
Author: Carla Kovach
Publisher: Bookouture
Pages: 291
Goodreads Rating: 3.88

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Bookouture and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Her perfect new start just became her biggest nightmare… Libby cannot believe she can afford such a beautiful space. Days later, Libby is woken by the sound of her neighbours arguing through the wall. As she listens to their angry words, she swears she hears her name mentioned. Why would they be talking about her? As the weeks pass, Libby can’t help but feel that someone is watching her and when she hears that the last girl who rented her apartment before her vanished without trace, she starts to double lock her door every night. Then she finds a handwritten message in her apartment telling her she’s in danger, and her new home no longer feels like the safe haven it once was. Did someone from Libby’s past follow her here? And just how safe is she behind closed doors?

My Thoughts: This is a rewrite of a previous novel, To Let, by the same author. The book opens with a creepy bang followed by a strong first half. While the second half was good, it was not as strong as the first half. It did have a surprising twist at the end that tied everything together, which I enjoyed. While the story was somewhat predictable, it was still a good read. The characters were well developed with depth, mystery, and creatively written, I especially loved the tone set, made me feel like I was right there. I could relate to Libby, even if some of choices were not the best, she was highly likable. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, twisty, addictive, and kept me engaged from cover to cover. The characters were built by building their backstories, the plot had multifaceted twists, and the ending was brilliant. If you like Gone Girl, you will love this highly nail-biting psychological thriller that releases on Tuesday.