This book was suspenseful, riveting, fast-paced, and pulse-pounding. The combination of an entertaining story line and lots of intrigue makes this an intoxicating novel. I am looking forward to reading the next book.

This was so good! I’ve been in a thriller slump but this definitely got me out of it.

It was creepy, fast paced, and suspenseful

I really enjoyed the writing style and jow the author built suspense throughout the entire book

If you’re looking for a nail biting suspenseful thriller, definitely check this one out

Thank you to Netgalley & Inkubator Books for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an advance copy of The Motel by Nancy Savage.

The Motel is an atmospheric and dark thriller with tons of suspense and a shocking twist at the end. Really enjoyed this author's writing style, and surprisingly enjoyed the 1st person narration. I'm going to read the author's debut thriller next :)

Overall rating: 4 🌟

This one’s a creepy, slow-burn thriller with serious “don’t go in there” energy. Room 52 is supposed to be empty, but she keeps seeing movement, hearing voices, and falling deeper into a mystery no one else seems to notice.

There’s something about late-night reads that hit different—especially when the story itself is set in the dead of night, in a run-down motel with secrets stitched into every creaky floorboard. I picked up this eerie tale on a whim, and let me tell you, I wasn’t ready for the emotional rollercoaster it took me on.

Pearl Fuller is one of those characters who feels like someone you might know—or maybe even a version of yourself during a rough patch. She’s heartbroken, broke, and bunking on her ex’s couch (we’ve all had our couch-surfing moments, right?). Her only escape is her night shift at The Driftwood Motel, a place that’s seen better days and harbors a chilling past—the infamous Berkman murder in room 52.

Now, I’m not usually one to get spooked easily, but the way this story builds tension had me glancing at my own hallway more than once. Pearl starts seeing movement in the supposedly empty room 52 and hears voices no one else seems to notice. It’s that kind of creeping dread that slowly wraps around you like a cold blanket.

The only light in Pearl’s life is Noah, a charming stranger who seems too good to be true. And of course, he is. As things unravel, Pearl finds herself accused of theft, haunted by family secrets, and tangled in a mystery that’s far deeper than she ever imagined. The twists come fast, and just when you think you’ve got it figured out—bam—another layer peels back.

If you’re in the mood for a thriller with a touch of the supernatural and a whole lot of emotional depth, this one’s worth checking into. Just maybe keep the lights on.

Great little lake read. Fast paced and quite the page turner!

Pearl, Pearl, Pearl...she almost lives a tragic life! If a "Series of Unfortunate Events" could encompass a character, it would be Pearl. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Now Pearl is having to live in a motel. However, dark secrets and sinister things begin to happen. Is Pearl in danger? You will just have to read this one to find out.

Thank you, Netgalley and Inkubator Books for this eARC!

I absolutely loved The Motel. It's one of the best thrillers I've read this year. The writing was intense and left me on the edge of my seat. I was so impressed with how the author built the suspense throughout the book.

The fast-paced book had twists and turns around every corner, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. I had a hard time putting the book down because I couldn't wait to see what would happen next with Pearl. Between having a boss who dislikes her at the motel, going through a breakup with her ex, looking for a place to sleep, to not having much money in the bank or taking on a second job to afford a place of her own, her life was a roller coaster ride.

The suspense of who was behind all the mysterious happenings at her second job (a house/pet sitter for a couple leaving town for a week) was tense. What began as a great opportunity for her to make some extra money and have a place to sleep for the week quickly turned into a nightmare situation for her.

Pearl's character transformed from being dependent and uncertain to a confident and self-sufficient woman. It was refreshing to see her evolve. Her experiences changed her for the better.

The book contained several plot twists from the beginning. It started with piquing my curiosity about who "the watcher" was and how they were related to Pearl. Then I quickly became engrossed in discovering who was behind all the mysterious happenings that occurred while she was house-sitting and why they were terrorizing her.

The book was intense and thrilling. It's the perfect book for anyone who loves thrillers and appreciates all the loose ends tied up at the end. The author did a beautiful job of making my jaw drop!

In The Motel, Pearl Fuller struggles with emotional and financial challenges while working the night shift at the mysterious Driftwood Motel. The motel is infamous for an unsolved murder and the eerie Room 52, said to be haunted. As Pearl encounters strange events and grows close to an enigmatic man named Noah, she begins to question what is real and what is imagined. This psychological thriller explores trauma, isolation, and the thin line between reality and illusion.

Hands down, I’ve never read an ARC faster than I read The Motel. I started this book last night at 8 PM, got 75% in by 10 PM, and finished it this morning before work—I WAS INVESTED in Pearl’s story. Pearl was actually very likeable and incredibly relatable; although she was going through a really rough time and was on the verge of homelessness, there are moments where, despite her hardship, she is kind, honest, and quietly resilient.

I loved the eerie aspect of Room 52, and especially loved the motel setting—it gave the story a dark, atmospheric vibe that perfectly matched Pearl’s circumstances. The plot is quick, fast paced read, and the end literally made my jaw drop and gave me that smirk on my face that clearly says "I did NOT see that coming but damn that is GOOD". This is a 5 star read and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a thriller with a little razzle dazzle of spooky.

This book had me wondering: if I had nowhere else to go, would I stay in a haunted motel room with a dark history?

The Motel publishes September 7, 2025 and for legal purposes…I received an advanced copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily

Not going to lie read some parts with the light on haha

🌸 BOOK REVIEW 🌸

Pearl works at this hotel in a small town and she just has the most awful luck, with relationship issues, homelessness, living dollar to dollar. She has been experiencing some strange things happen “The Watcher” pops in and out of the book being freaking creepy 🤣 she responds to an ad for a house sitter job which will pay her a good chunk of money and she can finally get her own place. Of course it’s to good to be true. I don’t want to give to much spoilers but the most psychological suspense really kicks up mid book and the end just had my mouth wide open!

This book had such great suspenseful moments I was literally glued to this book trying to figure out what the hell is happening. Moments where I may have been a big baby and flicked my bedroom light on to make sure no ghosts were hiding in my room about to touch me 🤣🤣 overall an amazing book, an amazing read!! Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy for my honest review.

First, thank you Netgalley & Inkubator Books for this ARC!

Motels - or hotels - with haunted rooms are surely no new thing in fiction, but I can't deny it is a trope I do really enjoy. Easy to say, though, seeing I do usually not stay in motels/hotels myself. Like, I can count on one hand how often it has happened in my life.

anyway, back to the book. Our MC, Pearl, does work nightshifts at The Driftwood Motel, which, years ago, was the scene of a murder, and the room it has happened in stayed empty ever since. Only Pearl, when being all alone on her shift, is hearing sounds coming from there. She feels watched, and convinced someone might be hiding in there for reasons she really does not want to think about....

I did really enjoy the dark and eerie story and do very much recommend it! 5 stars from me!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it. Fast-paced and good character development. I look forward to reading more of this authors books.

This thriller completely swept me up and left me feeling for Pearl long after I finished. From the very first pages, it’s clear that life has not been kind to her. Whether it’s one bad decision or just pure bad luck, she seems stuck in a cycle of disappointment and hardship. She’s working the lonely night shift at a rundown, stuck-in-the-past motel where her boss can’t stand her, her relationship has fallen apart, her finances are in shambles, and her relationship with her mom is more painful than supportive. Pearl is the kind of character you want to reach through the page and comfort, because her struggles feel so raw and real.

What I loved most is how the author layered in the uncertainty of what’s really going on. Is Pearl just unlucky, or is something darker at play? The eerie possibility of a ghost haunting the motel adds an extra shiver to her already fragile state. Every time I thought things couldn’t get worse for her, they somehow did, and I felt my heart tighten right alongside hers. That “can it get any worse?” tension kept me hooked, because I genuinely cared about whether Pearl would find a way out of the storm that seemed determined to crush her.

The shocks, the suspense, and the revelations caught me completely off guard in the best possible way. I went into this story expecting a tense, twisty read, but I didn’t expect to be so emotionally invested in Pearl’s fight to keep her head above water. This isn’t just a thriller with scares—it’s a story about resilience, survival, and how much a person can endure when life refuses to let up.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves thrillers that not only deliver on suspense, but also leave you thinking about the characters long after you’ve closed the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and the chance to share my honest thoughts.

I enjoyed this.

It's a little silly at times, and I did want our MC to have a little more self esteem, but I was definitely along for the ride.

Expect a fast paced and very suspenseful read!

I was definitely surprised by the who and why of everything and I felt so bad for our MC. She seemed to live a life where everything that could go wrong definitely did go wrong!

This is an easy little beach read. I'd read the author again.

* ARC via Publisher

This is a fast paced easy to read thriller that keeps you hooked and guessing throughout. I really enjoyed this thriller. This is the first book I have read from this author, and quite frankly. I would love to read more books by this author. I will keep an eye out for more books by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

I'm sorry to say that the writing style didn't work for me here. It never pulled me in and hold my attention. On the contrary, it threw me off constantly and I only wished to be over.
The plot appeals to me. I do tend to enjoy a mystery or thriller or horror novel set in buildings, such as a hotel or motel.
And I didn't mind the characters or the twists, but the writing didn't clique with me, so I never truly felt invested in the story. It's probably a 'me' thing, other readers might enjoy this book much more than I did.
And I do recommend it for readers who are into mystery or thrillers set in hotels/motels.

Pearl is having a hard time and that is a understatement as her life is literally spinning apart. Too make matters worse someone is watching. I had the chills and shaking with this book. It completely creeped me out but I couldn't stop reading because I had to find out who it was that was watching.

I really enjoyed this thriller. It follows Pearl who seems to be plagued with unfortunate circumstance after unfortunate circumstance. Whether it’s bad life choices or just a twist of fate, our girl, Pearl is decoy out on her luck. She works the night shift at a local “stuck back in time” motel. Her boss seems to hate her, she, her mom isn’t the nicest, and she and her boyfriend are broken up and financially she can’t seem to get her head above water. And could there be a ghost at the motel messing with her? Things just aren’t going her way. Could it get any worse? Well, you know the old adage about asking that question.
I enjoyed this story immensely with its shocks, suspense and revelations that I quite frankly wasn’t expecting. 100% RECOMMEND
I would like to thank NetGalley for the ARC and the ability to give my honest review.

A motel worker has a problem, her boyfriend broke up with her, she has no where to live, her boss hates her and now she’s getting into all these weird mysterious situations

Kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who the watcher is! First by this author but definitely not my last!

Really enjoyed this book so many twists and turns keeps you guessing right till the end of the book. This book is well worth a read .

Dark, eerie, and addictive—this one had me on edge the whole time. The motel setting added such an unsettling vibe, and the twists kept me second-guessing right up until the end. Definitely a chilling read that sticks with you.