A thriller or a love story? This is definitely both. It starts with a tension-fuelled set-up that is carefully drip-fed throughout the novel, while the main character, Kate, reflects on what brought her to be in this situation. I loved the dynamic between Kate and Vic, and her love for her family, and also her clever justification for finding herself in the throes of an affair. The ticking clock siege situation is a clever frame for an emotional portrait of a woman who is just trying to do her best. There were a few loose ends that I had hoped would be tied up but actually the fact that they weren’t left me thinking about this book more. In short, an emotionally wrought slow-burn suspense novel that I absolutely could not put down.

I had heard amazing things about Room 706 before I read it and I was not disappointed. As Kate sits and waits with her lover, in a London hotel that’s under siege we hear the story of her marriage to her husband Vic and their life with their two children. The author takes us back to when Kate and Vic meet in Italy and as Kate waits she reflects on their relationship. This is a beautiful love story, told with such warmth and honesty and I loved the characters of Kate and Vic. Kate wonders what she will tell Vic if she escapes, or what Vic will think if she doesn’t. She writes letters to Vic and her children and emails reminders of daily chores. This is all set against the tension of being in a hotel that is under siege by gunmen, with no updates apart from what’s available on social media and the author captures Kate’s fear and the realisation that she knows so little about the man she is with.
Without doubt this is the best book I’ve read so far this year, I was completely immersed in both Kate’s present and past and loved how the author so cleverly combines a thriller with a beautiful love story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It was a very good read, it certainly makes you think and the ending although not what I was expecting was actually the correct ending.

From the very first paragraph, this book had me utterly hooked. The premise is as tense as it is intriguing – a woman trapped in a hotel under siege, with a man she doesn’t love, and a life outside that she’s desperate to protect. The layers of mystery are woven so cleverly that every chapter leaves you needing to know more.

The writing is sharp, atmospheric, and full of emotional depth. I found myself completely immersed in Kate’s inner turmoil, torn between fear, guilt, and survival. The shifting timelines and tantalising glimpses of her past kept me racing through the pages, needing answers.

It’s rare to find a story that delivers suspense, emotional complexity, and such a gripping moral dilemma all in one – but this novel manages it effortlessly. If you’re looking for a read that will keep you awake into the small hours, heart pounding and mind whirring, this is it.

A brilliantly original debut. I couldn’t put it down.

Wow! I have just finished Room 706 and I feel like I need a little lie down. What a roller coaster. I want to talk about that ending RIGHT NOW! (Reading an early copy before my book club can get their hands on it is definitely a disadvantage here.)
I feel like I know Kate and despite the excellent drama of the book, getting to know her and understand her was the best part of the book for me. My heart broke for her - with so many losses. I will think about her and Vic (her lovely husband) for a very long time.
I 100% recommend this as a book club read and I think it will be a big hit. I want to go back to the start and read it all over again.