Room 21 by Jessica Huntley is a  psychological thriller about a maid who is offered a new job in a rather strange hotel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Joffe Books,, and 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)
Kimberley is the 25 year old senior housekeeper at one of London's best hotels.  She is accompanied everywhere with her safety dog, Muffin.  Kimberley has epilepsy, and seizures are a possibility at any time.

When Jennifer Clifton checks in to the penthouse, she offers Kimberley a job that's hard to refuse.  Jennifer has her own hotel in the Scottish Highlands, and the job of housekeeper and "extra" duties will require Kimberley to sign an NDA. Guests at the hotel are "unique", and privacy is paramount.  NDA or not, the money is good, she gets to live in the hotel,  she gets a day off every week, Muffin is accepted,  and medical expenses are included. It's hard to refuse.  The only thing that's truly odd, is that she cannot open the door to Room 21.  She can do this!

But Kimberley gets a strange vibe from the moment she enters the lobby and sees the blood red chandelier reflecting off the red walls.  Definitely strange.  The guests and their unique requests are more than strange.  And Room 21 beckons.

 

My Opinions:
I must admit that I was taken aback when I realized that here is another maid with a disability.  I thought, oh no, here we go again.  I was so wrong.  Kimberley and this book are NOT like Molly.  This is a whole different genre.  No cozy mystery here.  This is a hotel filled with rather dark-themed rooms, and guest personalities to match.

I absolutely loved this book.  Kimberley and Muffin were wonderful characters.  I mean who wouldn't want a border collie as their safety dog!  Kimberley has had a rough life.  Between growing up in foster care, having asthma and epilepsy....she's had it rough.  But she's also grown to be a strong, independent woman.  There were a couple of strong women show-cased in this book.

The plot was great.  It was filled with suspense, and mystery, and a little weirdness.  There were a lot of twists, a couple of which blew my mind.  Definitely did not see those coming.

I can't say enough about this book....and I will be watching for more from this author!  This was a wild and fun ride.  It's a really fast read....but that could have been cause I didn't want to put it down.

Not sure why my copy had a "Glossary of English Usage for US Readers".  I'm Canadian and by now we all know the "British" words.  What was more confusing was the fact that most off those words were not even contained in the actual story???  If they are just something that the publisher adds to all books....don't.  It's annoying.

 Anyway, until next time.... 

For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, my own synopsis of the book, and its author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

A dark thriller with many twists. Unfortunately the writing style was not to my liking and I could not absorb myself into the narrative.

OHMYGOSH this book here – I’m speechless. It might be one of the hottest horror/thriller books I have read in a long time.
The book’s description says “This addictive thriller packed with chilling secrets is perfect for fans of Alice Feeney, Sue Watson, John Marrs, Jane E. James, Shalini Boland and Valerie Keogh.” And I think from this lineup I’m picking out John Marrs as the closest book relative. If you love John’s books, you will love this one also.
And, yes, the book most definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. Please keep that in mind.

I don't even know what to say about this book. It absolutely wasn't what I was expecting. It was neither horror nor thriller. It was just plain weird. There were disgusting parts, creepy parts and some ridiculously implausible parts.

Did I enjoy the overall story? No. It turned my stomach and not in a good way.
Did I connect with any of the characters? Nope. Unlikable and generally irritating.
Did I enjoy the writing style? No. The bouncing back and forth between characters meant things were often repeated.

But... I'm still giving this three stars because I could not stop reading this book. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I really had no idea where it was going chapter to chapter. And the only thing I will remember is the fact that thousands of manuscripts are rejected every day but this one got through.

Content warnings - pretty much all of them but they're mostly mentioned off page or behind closed doors. Relatively tame but my imagination for what I thought was coming was worse.

I received a review copy from Joffe Books via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

What a dark, twisty, and addictive thriller! The story follows Kimberly, a housekeeper with epilepsy (and an adorable service dog, Muffin), who’s hired at a luxury hotel with eerie conditions: never enter Room 21, never leave, and never speak of anything or anyone at the hotel. As tension builds and secrets unfold, the suspense becomes almost unbearable.

The writing draws you in so completely that I found myself looking over my shoulder at times. The pacing is fast, and the twists are sharp and unexpected, keeping me on edge until the very end. Kimberly’s bond with Muffin adds a layer of heart to the story. The ending? Jaw-dropping. I never saw it coming, and I’m still thinking about it days later. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you up at night and make you question everything, this is it. Highly recommend! Just be sure to check trigger warnings.

A suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat read!

This is the second book I read by this author. Since I liked The Murder Maze so well, I had to sign up for this one.

This story follows Kimberly, a housekeeper who loves what she does and takes pride in her work. Kimberly has epilepsy and has a support dog, Muffin. When she was offered a housekeeping position at an exclusive hotel with a substantial increase in pay. Only stipulations are: Not to go in Room 21 and Not to ever leave.

This story was suspenseful, frightening at times and full of twists that will have you gripping the pages. The writing style brilliantly weaves the storyline so that the reader feels as though they are a part of it. A couple times I even had to look over my shoulder and would have the eerie prickling sensation. And the ending I didn’t see coming, mind blown! This book is one worth talking about and will definitely recommend!

Room 21 is a dark, twisty and addictive thriller. It is absolutely impossible to put down even if the subject matter is very dark. Do check trigger warnings as some might be triggered by the subject at hand. The pacing was super fast, constantly upping the suspense and keeping me on my toes. I kept wondering all the way through what was happening. Is it a little crazy and OTT, yes, but was it highly entertaining, also yes. Huntley always has a way with her stories that hook and grab me.

The plot unfolded nicely, once the twists started coming, they didn't stop. It was shocking twist after twist. How everyone and everything connected 🤯 Jessica did a great job with that ! That final twist.. completely shocked me and I never could've guessed that.

Overall, this was a highly addictive and fast paced thriller that kept me guessing all the way through. Multiple twists and turns and a storyline that was highly engaging!

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @joffebooks & @jessicahuntley for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the writing and the overall plot. There were trigger warnings but it could probably have done with a few more being added in there lol. For me it went a bit too far with the gore and sadism and I didn't really see why or what it added to the plot. I get that were talking about the most depraved and twisted side to society but in some parts it felt like more for shock value than because it really benefitted the story? That's just me though, if you like dark, twisted stories then you'll love this! I also went into it expecting a thriller and this was more...... I don't even know how I'd categorise it lol. Saw in book form?

This is one of those great books that keeps you guessing until the end as you can't believe what's going on! Kimberly was a foster child and has epilepsy so her dog, Muffin stays by her side to alert her before a seizure happens so she can medicate. Now she works in a posh hotel until beautiful and posh star, Jennifer Clifton stays there and Kimberly is entranced by her elegance and charm. Offered a new position in Jennifer's own hotel, she gladly accepts until she's told to "never go in Room 21!" What??? This is one convoluted tale that had my head spinning as I couldn't race through it fast enough!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you for the ARC. This was my first book by this author even though I’ve heard good things about her. When I saw this pop up on netgallery, I was excited to be granted access and try out this author. She sure didn’t disappoint. That prologue got my attention immediately. This book kept me intriguing and wanting to keep reading past my bedtime. The only two things for me was that she is a UK author so some terms I didn’t know like the weight of a stone. Also, I personally would’ve loved more explanation of some of the gore and horror at the hotel but still a great read. So many twists! I look forward to reading more by this author.

This book immediately gripped me just from the first page. I got sucked in straight away and didn’t want to put it down.

I absolutely LOVE psychological thrillers and this one was incredible. The descriptions are vivid and well detailed and the author really knows how to build an atmosphere and world amazingly.

There were multiple twists that I never saw coming that left my jaw dropped. I love how unpredictable this book was! It was also full of suspense and dark themes so make sure you look up trigger warnings before reading.

I loved Kimberley and her dog Muffin, from a young age Kimberley already suffered through a lot of trauma and throughout the whole book I was rooting for her and Muffin.

Overall, this was an incredible book! I absolutely loved it. I highly recommend if you like psychological thrillers with a tiny bit of gore.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this ARC.

Kimberley, 25, excels in her job as a senior housekeeper at a posh London hotel. She has severe epilepsy and dog Muffin who is an epilepsy alert dog accompanies her everywhere. She grew up in care and has no idea who her parents are.

One day, posh Jennifer Clifton arrives at her luxury hotel, a rich VIP guest residing in the largest suite with her little Pomeranian Frankie. She sends for the senior housekeeper to deal with some outlandish demands and is impressed by Kimberly, so much so that she offers her a job in her own exclusive hotel called Clifton Hotel in the Scottish Highlands, to help with arranging the highly anticipated party of the year in two weeks' time.

However, the hotel is on no map and Kimberly will have to sign an NDA if she wants to work there as the guests are both hand selected and challenging, to say it politely. There are a lot of rules but one she is only told once she gets there: "Do not look into Room 21 ever."

In a second timeline, Emily has been raped and kidnapped at eight months pregnant by the evil father of her baby, influential Damien Clifton who wants to keep the baby for his lineage. However, once the baby is born, it disappears without trace, but Emily swears to leave no stone unturned to find her. How far will she go for her child and what links her story to the hotel?

This disturbing plot in four parts is told in first person POVs by Kimberly, Jennifer and Emily. It starts slowly, introducing all the characters and their back stories, then a series of twists gives you whiplash. I was engrossed from the first page and could not stop reading until deep into the night. The very short chapters cleverly invite you to read "just one more chapter", until you've suddenly finished.

The setting is isolated, unnerving and claustrophobic and most of the characters uniquely horrifying, plus uncovering the hidden family ties will leave you reeling. Kimberley must decide who she can trust and find out who wants her harm. There is always a sense of dread and danger in this tense story of how far people will go for what they want.

I don't know how one comes up with such a plot - it's dark, tense, creepy and full of the most horrendous people mankind has ever produced. The author gives three trigger warnings at the beginning, but there are so many she never mentions! You need kind of a strong stomach, not just for unpleasant and depraved deeds which are hinted at but also for the casual psychological and even medical manipulation and gaslighting some of the characters excel in.

I really felt for Kimberly who at so young had had to experience such trauma already. I rooted for her, cheered her on and was immensely happy about the ending. No dogs or other animals are harmed in this book although I can't say the same for people. But then, they might deserve it. Highly recommended as a nail biting psychological thriller. This author consistently produces quality suspense and I loved it as much as "The Good Parents".

This was a fast-paced, exciting and shocking thriller, and as well as it being very dark, it had a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. The main character, Kimberley, was very interesting and her dog, Muffin, just sounded adorable. This story does touch on some dark and difficult subjects, such as rape, murder and is quite gory in places also. The main character has epilepsy, which makes her have several fits which are also touched upon in this novel. The story follows Kimberley, a young woman, who doesn’t have any family or friends, but loves her job at the hotel as a housekeeper. She gets invited to take a new job at a different hotel, but she must up and leave straight away, must leave her home and live at her new hotel, but what follows gets even stranger. She must not leave the hotel without permission and must sign a non-disclosure agreement. Also, what is behind Room 21? A horrifyingly, frightening story, which makes you wonder what would you do in this situation?

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

This was my first book by Jessica Huntley and it won't be my last. What a ride! Room 21 had me hooked from the very beginning. Kimberley and Muffins bond was very believable and.was rooting for them until the end. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't read it fast enough. I look forward to more books from this author.. Thank you to Netgalley and Joffe Books for the ARC.

Room 21 was very different than what I was expecting, and I mean that in a good way. I was expecting more of a thriller and this went somewhere darker than I expected. I do think the less said about the plot going in, the better, but be sure to check trigger warnings as there are sensitive topics in here. I didn’t really connect with the writing or the characters, and that’s why I can’t give this a higher rating. But it was a quick read and kept me entertained throughout.

Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the eARC! All opinions are my own.

wow this one will have you feeling fully worn out. but in the best way of a thriller. Jessica Huntley is not shy in the subjects and plots of her thrillers and her bravery is well rewarded by the books she gives us. they are delightful in all the best thriller ways. but hold on to your seats because she doesnt hold back.
this book was just as good as any of her other i have read. just as dark and eeekish. this book gives us Kimberley. shes quiet hard working and is a housekeeper and proud of it. she also suffers from seizures so has a helper dog Muffin. and let me just say what i didnt realize what how much more anxious i would feel when a thriller book has an adorable dog in it! because no one of the focus's is on if this dog will be ok. because as we all know the dog needs to be ok!
Kimberley is giving the chance to start a new life in the Scottish Highlands with a better salary in a new housekeeping role. the place is lavish and a wish come true or so she thinks. but things start to get dark quick. creepy quick. and whats going on behind these doors and with these people are not ok, are chilling.
Kimberley will question everything an herself. she will definitely be questioning those shes come to work for.
i wont spoil it by revealing too much a si want you to have you own books gasping moments. because they are the best fresh and new. and you will, you will have them.
this is a corker of a book. a darker thriller with "omg" under vibes all the way through,

I like this book it had sus pence and drama l Liked the dog who helped Kimberly and a bit of fear what room 21 was all about

I would like more on what room 21 was

At first this book seemed really intriguing… but a few chapters in it got quite dark and disturbing. While a live a good thriller…this one was a bit too much for me. Unfortunately for me, it was a DNF

Ok I loved this! Thank you for the opportunity on reading an early copy.
This was suspenseful. It kept me entertained and not wanting to put this book down. I binged it in under a day

Stayed up late to Read this in a night, I really enjoyed this book. I would read more books by this author