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All I Want
The New York Times bestselling author of A Simple Favor brings her “sly, satirical, subversive” (L.S. Hilton, author of Ultima) prose to a pitch-perfect psychological suspense novel about a young couple whose disintegrating marriage and remote new home in rural, upstate New York make for a terrifying descent into the darker side of human nature.
When Emma’s husband, Ben, falls in love with a large Victorian mansion for sale in upstate New York, he swears to her the fixer-upper will be worth the risk. With a baby on the way, Emma would like to live in a charming, safe community, after all—and in a space larger than a one-bedroom New York City apartment. On impulse, she agrees to Ben’s plan and they put in an offer on the house.
Sure, the mansion has a somewhat creepy backstory and is a bit dilapidated, but Emma and Ben are in this together, aren’t they? When strange things start happening, Emma begins to experience a little buyer’s remorse. What’s the real history of this house? Is its dark history repeating itself? Why does her husband suddenly seem so distant? Is she in danger? Is her baby?
Combining the domestic anxiety of Liane Moriarty and the haunting twists and turns of Shirley Jackson, All I Want is an intensely absorbing novel that will change the way you look at your neighbors.
When Emma’s husband, Ben, falls in love with a large Victorian mansion for sale in upstate New York, he swears to her the fixer-upper will be worth the risk. With a baby on the way, Emma would like to live in a charming, safe community, after all—and in a space larger than a one-bedroom New York City apartment. On impulse, she agrees to Ben’s plan and they put in an offer on the house.
Sure, the mansion has a somewhat creepy backstory and is a bit dilapidated, but Emma and Ben are in this together, aren’t they? When strange things start happening, Emma begins to experience a little buyer’s remorse. What’s the real history of this house? Is its dark history repeating itself? Why does her husband suddenly seem so distant? Is she in danger? Is her baby?
Combining the domestic anxiety of Liane Moriarty and the haunting twists and turns of Shirley Jackson, All I Want is an intensely absorbing novel that will change the way you look at your neighbors.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 11, 2022
126 people are currently reading
5502 people want to read
About the author
Darcey Bell
10 books922 followersDarcey Bell was born in 1981 and raised on a dairy farm in western Iowa. She is a preschool teacher in Chicago. A Simple Favor is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 664 reviews
July 20, 2023
Was hovering at a 2.5 rounding up to a 3 for quite a long time. Then the last chapter occurred and down my rating went.
I'm not particularly fond of gaslighting stories, and all throughout this book I just wanted to shake the main character Emma and tell her to just get a clue. It's pretty obvious that something is going on, that her husband is doing something shady. So I was hovering around a 2.5 because it was a bit drawn out and tedious. Then when the extent of everything is revealed, I was pleasantly surprised and had increased my rating in my head because all of the subterfuge was clever and interesting in the way it played out.
Then comes the last chapter. Just when you think everything is sorted and you can shut the book, the author has to throw in "one last twist" and it wrecks the ENTIRE THING. Why? It was a perfectly good ending, if a bit unbelievable and out there, it still made sense.
Just in case you don't want to read it and want to know:
Could have been a halfway decent book, but the author went too far. Boo.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I'm not particularly fond of gaslighting stories, and all throughout this book I just wanted to shake the main character Emma and tell her to just get a clue. It's pretty obvious that something is going on, that her husband is doing something shady. So I was hovering around a 2.5 because it was a bit drawn out and tedious. Then when the extent of everything is revealed, I was pleasantly surprised and had increased my rating in my head because all of the subterfuge was clever and interesting in the way it played out.
Then comes the last chapter. Just when you think everything is sorted and you can shut the book, the author has to throw in "one last twist" and it wrecks the ENTIRE THING. Why? It was a perfectly good ending, if a bit unbelievable and out there, it still made sense.
Just in case you don't want to read it and want to know:
Could have been a halfway decent book, but the author went too far. Boo.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
December 19, 2021
Welcome to the Hideaway Home. It's got a Hotel California kind of vibe and you know what they say about that place. . . This could have been a 4-star read for me -- then I read the last chapter. Argh! Honestly I would also like to remove the Prologue. I felt some great thrills and chills with this book. Emma's perspective does a great job in drawing us into her doubts about the strange people and occurrences in her new home. The big oak tree that seems to move at will adds some goosebumps. Seeing the months of Emma's pregnancy from the made me just plain angry. There are some evil shenanigans going on. So, a 3.25 for me with regrets. I had high hopes after reading Darcey Bell's last book: Something She's Not Telling Us. Plus the fact that Bell is a fellow Iowa girl made me really want to love this book. I just can't get over that last chapter.
Thank you to Atria and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Atria and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2022
I’m afraid this is a very tedious and drawn out story of gaslighting.
It becomes openly obvious that her husband is shady.
I found it a struggle to keep my attention to it.
I listened to it on audio and what got on my nerves was
“He said”
“She said”
“He said”
“She said”
Oh gee, couldn’t it be worded differently sometimes?
It was one line after another.
I don’t like writing negative reviews but….oh boy.
Nice cover, like the pink!
And……DON’T get me started on the ending!
It becomes openly obvious that her husband is shady.
I found it a struggle to keep my attention to it.
I listened to it on audio and what got on my nerves was
“He said”
“She said”
“He said”
“She said”
Oh gee, couldn’t it be worded differently sometimes?
It was one line after another.
I don’t like writing negative reviews but….oh boy.
Nice cover, like the pink!
And……DON’T get me started on the ending!
January 12, 2022
There was nothing that I enjoyed about this book at all. The plot, the characters, the extra lame plot twist at the end. I loved this author’s previous book but this one was tedious to get through and didn’t interest me in the slightest.
Emma and Ben take a chance on buying a huge Victorian home that they fell in love with in upstate New York. Even though the house is isolated, the nearest neighbor is miles away, they agree that they can use the extra space because Emma is pregnant. The house has a creepy history and is in complete shambles, however they decide they cannot pass up the opportunity.
After the purchase the home, weird things begin to occur in the house. Why is Ben acting so different? Emma begins to wonder if they made a big mistake.
Emma and Ben take a chance on buying a huge Victorian home that they fell in love with in upstate New York. Even though the house is isolated, the nearest neighbor is miles away, they agree that they can use the extra space because Emma is pregnant. The house has a creepy history and is in complete shambles, however they decide they cannot pass up the opportunity.
After the purchase the home, weird things begin to occur in the house. Why is Ben acting so different? Emma begins to wonder if they made a big mistake.
January 23, 2022
Umm... What?!?
So we have Ben, a Broadway producer, who convinces his pregnant wife Emma to buy a creepy fixer-upper mansion in upstate New York. They already know some of the house's disturbing history, but as they dive deeper into renovations, further creepy discoveries are made.
For most of the book, I was hooked. I loved the ominous atmosphere, and the house itself was a compelling character. At about 90% things started getting really wacky, but I was willing to accept it — until the very last chapter, and now I don't know what to think. Granted, some of the wacky stuff made sense after reading the ending, but still...😩
ALL I WANT was a promising spooky read, but that ending was a mess. I'm just going to pretend the last chapter didn't happen and leave this one with 3 stars.
So we have Ben, a Broadway producer, who convinces his pregnant wife Emma to buy a creepy fixer-upper mansion in upstate New York. They already know some of the house's disturbing history, but as they dive deeper into renovations, further creepy discoveries are made.
For most of the book, I was hooked. I loved the ominous atmosphere, and the house itself was a compelling character. At about 90% things started getting really wacky, but I was willing to accept it — until the very last chapter, and now I don't know what to think. Granted, some of the wacky stuff made sense after reading the ending, but still...😩
ALL I WANT was a promising spooky read, but that ending was a mess. I'm just going to pretend the last chapter didn't happen and leave this one with 3 stars.
December 6, 2022
Mmmmmm, I love the smell of a little gaslighting in the morning.
I read this sucker back in February and failed to ever write a review because that’s my brand. I just took a sneaky peaky at the Goodreads’ ratings and boy this puppy has been pummeled! 2.88??? Ouch. I’m sad to report I’m falling pretty much in line, though, with a 3 Star myself. But again, on brand. It takes a lot to make me pony up a 4 nowadays and if you ever see a 5 you might as well kiss your ass goodbye because the rapture will most likely be soon to follow. I wanted to give this author another chance after completely raw dogging A Simple Favor because I really think I read that one wrong and didn’t get that it was supposed to be dark humor (or at least the film version was – maybe the book was still a flaming dumpster fire).
So the story here is about Emma and Ben. She’s preggo and once he hit it big as a Broadway playwright he developed a hobby reminiscent of one of my favorite SNL skits . . .
Zillow truly goes wild when the couple are able to purchase an eleven thousand square foot mansion called “Hideaway Home” that was a former show-biz rehab clinic – COMPLETE WITH AN ACTUAL THEATER! Once the two take residence, let the gaslighting commence (and if you think that’s a spoiler, well, you probably haven’t read a lot of domestic thrillers).
While Darcey Bell will never win a Pulitzer, this one kept my attention just fine until the final “extra twist” in the last chapter. Blergh.
I read this sucker back in February and failed to ever write a review because that’s my brand. I just took a sneaky peaky at the Goodreads’ ratings and boy this puppy has been pummeled! 2.88??? Ouch. I’m sad to report I’m falling pretty much in line, though, with a 3 Star myself. But again, on brand. It takes a lot to make me pony up a 4 nowadays and if you ever see a 5 you might as well kiss your ass goodbye because the rapture will most likely be soon to follow. I wanted to give this author another chance after completely raw dogging A Simple Favor because I really think I read that one wrong and didn’t get that it was supposed to be dark humor (or at least the film version was – maybe the book was still a flaming dumpster fire).
So the story here is about Emma and Ben. She’s preggo and once he hit it big as a Broadway playwright he developed a hobby reminiscent of one of my favorite SNL skits . . .
Zillow truly goes wild when the couple are able to purchase an eleven thousand square foot mansion called “Hideaway Home” that was a former show-biz rehab clinic – COMPLETE WITH AN ACTUAL THEATER! Once the two take residence, let the gaslighting commence (and if you think that’s a spoiler, well, you probably haven’t read a lot of domestic thrillers).
While Darcey Bell will never win a Pulitzer, this one kept my attention just fine until the final “extra twist” in the last chapter. Blergh.
October 11, 2021
Just... no. On so many levels. Characters, ending, plot: big no from me.
March 2, 2023
2.5 stars.
I really wanted to love this book. The plot grabbed me , the cover grabbed me but unfortunately it wasnt the book for me.
I liked
* creepy mansion setting
* the plot.
* the cover.
I didnt like .
* the characters they were flat and unlikeable.
* the ending was what the heck just happened? Why?
I really wanted to love this book. The plot grabbed me , the cover grabbed me but unfortunately it wasnt the book for me.
I liked
* creepy mansion setting
* the plot.
* the cover.
I didnt like .
* the characters they were flat and unlikeable.
* the ending was what the heck just happened? Why?
January 15, 2022
Just leaving it with the 3 stars.
January 16, 2022
What the fork did I just read
January 12, 2022
WHY Darcey Bell WHY!!! After the strange prologue, I was really loving All I Want which not only has a gorgeous cover but excellent spooky vibes as well. But then that last chapter hit and made me question everything including my sanity. Based on other reviews I have read the end made this book a fail for quite a few readers, and I am going to be like another person I saw and pretend the last chapter never happened because it really killed my hopes and dreams for this book. I loved the haunted mansion with the creepy backstory, and I thought Bell did a really wonderful job with that aspect of the story. I also really liked Emma’s character and was fine with her being both the main and largest viewpoint of the book. It turned especially twisty once we get further in, and I loved the tension and suspense that leads to the shocking conclusion.
All I Want is great if you want to read it, but I also really enjoyed the audiobook which is narrated by Emily Tremaine, Kevin R. Free & Madeleine Maby. It is pretty short at just over 9 hours and I was literally glued to it and practically refused to put it down. I could have easily read this in one sitting and despite being a little on the slower side, I actually loved that about it. The descriptions of the house and the strange things that were happening while Emma was in it really drew me in and made the slower pacing feel extra creepy. I also loved all the secrets that end up being brought to the surface throughout the story, and I would probably categorize this as a psychological drama as opposed to a thriller. All in all, this was a great read and I would have loved it if it weren't for that last chapter. This in no way is going to keep me from reading this author though, and hopefully, Bell won’t go as extreme in her next novel! I do still recommend this book to thriller and psychological drama lovers though, and there are plenty of readers who will love the big twist, unfortunately, I just wasn’t one of them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
All I Want is great if you want to read it, but I also really enjoyed the audiobook which is narrated by Emily Tremaine, Kevin R. Free & Madeleine Maby. It is pretty short at just over 9 hours and I was literally glued to it and practically refused to put it down. I could have easily read this in one sitting and despite being a little on the slower side, I actually loved that about it. The descriptions of the house and the strange things that were happening while Emma was in it really drew me in and made the slower pacing feel extra creepy. I also loved all the secrets that end up being brought to the surface throughout the story, and I would probably categorize this as a psychological drama as opposed to a thriller. All in all, this was a great read and I would have loved it if it weren't for that last chapter. This in no way is going to keep me from reading this author though, and hopefully, Bell won’t go as extreme in her next novel! I do still recommend this book to thriller and psychological drama lovers though, and there are plenty of readers who will love the big twist, unfortunately, I just wasn’t one of them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
January 25, 2022
Oh Darcey Bell....... what a reading experience.
All I Want starts out really good with the creepy and spooky atmosphere. The plot surrounds the theme of gas lighting. I have a hard time with plots that portray women as "crazy" with their mental health or the gas lighting stories.
Emma... oh Emma... girl you drove me absolutely bonkers. At one point, I thought I wanted to throw the book across the room due to frustration with our main character. But, I feel like this was the author's intention.
I pretty much had the twists figured out early on, but wanted to see if I was right and keep turning those pages.
BUT, MY GOODNESS Bell that last chapter?! Are you kidding me? This had potential, but that last chapter just went too far.
2.5/5 stars
Thank you so much to Atria for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 1/11/22
Posted to GR: 1/25/22
All I Want starts out really good with the creepy and spooky atmosphere. The plot surrounds the theme of gas lighting. I have a hard time with plots that portray women as "crazy" with their mental health or the gas lighting stories.
Emma... oh Emma... girl you drove me absolutely bonkers. At one point, I thought I wanted to throw the book across the room due to frustration with our main character. But, I feel like this was the author's intention.
I pretty much had the twists figured out early on, but wanted to see if I was right and keep turning those pages.
BUT, MY GOODNESS Bell that last chapter?! Are you kidding me? This had potential, but that last chapter just went too far.
2.5/5 stars
Thank you so much to Atria for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 1/11/22
Posted to GR: 1/25/22
January 1, 2022
2.5/5
This was bananas y’all. I’m not even sure what to say here honestly. It started out ok, (besides that bizarre prologue) and by 25 percent or so I was decently invested. I liked the creepy atmosphere and I liked Emma for the most part even though I felt like she was naive as to what was going on, but I was still interested. And then around 75 percent I was totally reeled back in again so basically lots of up and downs here. Parts were oddly compelling and parts were totally boring. By the time I got to the second to last chapter I was like ok this may be a 3.5-4 and then there was a totally unnecessary final chapter with a terrible twist that annoyed me SO bad and made me really dislike the book. Super disappointing and made me mad I even read it because it did have potential and a unique aspect that worked but there was just too much up and down for me to let it go.
This was bananas y’all. I’m not even sure what to say here honestly. It started out ok, (besides that bizarre prologue) and by 25 percent or so I was decently invested. I liked the creepy atmosphere and I liked Emma for the most part even though I felt like she was naive as to what was going on, but I was still interested. And then around 75 percent I was totally reeled back in again so basically lots of up and downs here. Parts were oddly compelling and parts were totally boring. By the time I got to the second to last chapter I was like ok this may be a 3.5-4 and then there was a totally unnecessary final chapter with a terrible twist that annoyed me SO bad and made me really dislike the book. Super disappointing and made me mad I even read it because it did have potential and a unique aspect that worked but there was just too much up and down for me to let it go.
January 5, 2022
Emma and Ben are having a baby and they want to move to a bigger place and out of their New York City apartment. They both fall in love with a historic Victorian mansion in a rural part of New York. The house needs a lot of work and has a dark history. That doesn't seem to bother them too much, that is until strange things start to happen to Emma! Is all of this real or is she imagining everything that is happening to her?
This story started out really strong I was hooked to the creep factor and I LOVE old historic houses and the history behind them. About the half way mark, the story slowed down a bit and was not that engaging. The ending, however, took me by surprise and I was shocked. So I applaud the author for that, she really took me by surprise! Even though this was not my favorite book from Darcey Bell, it was still an enjoyable read and I look forward to her future works.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
This story started out really strong I was hooked to the creep factor and I LOVE old historic houses and the history behind them. About the half way mark, the story slowed down a bit and was not that engaging. The ending, however, took me by surprise and I was shocked. So I applaud the author for that, she really took me by surprise! Even though this was not my favorite book from Darcey Bell, it was still an enjoyable read and I look forward to her future works.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
January 8, 2022
All I Want was so good until the final chapter.
All I Want follows Emma and Ben as they fall in love with a fixer-upper Victorian mansion in upstate New York. The novel follows primarily a pregnant Emma as she takes on the bulk of the work renovating the house as Ben stays in the city to work.
The house has a shady past so it’s no surprise when Emma starts to experience weird and unexplainable things. Bell excelled at creating a spooky and unsettling atmosphere for the entirety of the novel. Coupled with Emma’s characterization, All I Want had me questioning not only what was happening to Emma but Emma herself.
Novels like these are all about perspective. Like I mentioned previously, All I Want is told primarily from Emma’s perspective. Emma is strong and intelligent despite how she sometimes describes herself. Her narration pulled me into the story immediately as she’s a character easily identified with.
I did not see the twist coming and it was delightful. I love every second of the lengthy explanation and change of perspective. It’s one of those novels I’d like to reread to see the real story happening. Unfortunately, I will NOT be rereading All I Want.
Despite my very positive review, I rated All I Want three stars. I rated it this way because of the final chapter. Those final few pages of the book undermined the entire story. Those final few pages are what brought my four star rating down to three. Honestly, the final chapter ruined the book. However, I didn’t want to rate it less than three stars since the story leading up to that point was executed well and I enjoyed it.
Overall, All I Want is an atmospheric novel with gaslighting as a central theme. Though the final chapter ruins the book, I am choosing to ignore it entirely and focus on the skillfully written mystery before that final chapter.
*** I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
All I Want follows Emma and Ben as they fall in love with a fixer-upper Victorian mansion in upstate New York. The novel follows primarily a pregnant Emma as she takes on the bulk of the work renovating the house as Ben stays in the city to work.
The house has a shady past so it’s no surprise when Emma starts to experience weird and unexplainable things. Bell excelled at creating a spooky and unsettling atmosphere for the entirety of the novel. Coupled with Emma’s characterization, All I Want had me questioning not only what was happening to Emma but Emma herself.
Novels like these are all about perspective. Like I mentioned previously, All I Want is told primarily from Emma’s perspective. Emma is strong and intelligent despite how she sometimes describes herself. Her narration pulled me into the story immediately as she’s a character easily identified with.
I did not see the twist coming and it was delightful. I love every second of the lengthy explanation and change of perspective. It’s one of those novels I’d like to reread to see the real story happening. Unfortunately, I will NOT be rereading All I Want.
Despite my very positive review, I rated All I Want three stars. I rated it this way because of the final chapter. Those final few pages of the book undermined the entire story. Those final few pages are what brought my four star rating down to three. Honestly, the final chapter ruined the book. However, I didn’t want to rate it less than three stars since the story leading up to that point was executed well and I enjoyed it.
Overall, All I Want is an atmospheric novel with gaslighting as a central theme. Though the final chapter ruins the book, I am choosing to ignore it entirely and focus on the skillfully written mystery before that final chapter.
*** I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2023
The narrative style of this book is extraordinary and took a bit of getting used to. However, I had a good time with it once I got into it.
I enjoyed the Diary/script in the notebook the best. That was the greatest writing in the entire novel. I really wanted this to be a possession novel.
Ben was a tool from the beginning of the book. Emma was kind of hard to like, but she grew on me.
The book should have ended a chapter earlier. All of the loose ends were good. A lot of crazy stuff happened and I was good. But bam, the final chapter kind of made the rest of the book a waste of time. It really destroyed the story for me. It made me want to throw the book and messed up my enjoyment of the novel. One of the all-time worst book endings for me.
3 stars for me.
I enjoyed the Diary/script in the notebook the best. That was the greatest writing in the entire novel. I really wanted this to be a possession novel.
Ben was a tool from the beginning of the book. Emma was kind of hard to like, but she grew on me.
The book should have ended a chapter earlier. All of the loose ends were good. A lot of crazy stuff happened and I was good. But bam, the final chapter kind of made the rest of the book a waste of time. It really destroyed the story for me. It made me want to throw the book and messed up my enjoyment of the novel. One of the all-time worst book endings for me.
3 stars for me.
August 3, 2022
Yikes. Where to begin? The wife is a whiny, paranoid baby and the husband is the king of gaslighting. Very boring and cliche. Very weird considering this author wrote A Simple Favor, which is very good.
April 16, 2022
I thought “A Simple Favor” was bad until I read this.
I won’t be giving this author a third chance 😬
Full review to come.
1 ⭐️
I won’t be giving this author a third chance 😬
Full review to come.
1 ⭐️
November 9, 2024
2/5
What did I just read???? This book reminded me a lot of Never Lie by Freida McFadden. The story started out pretty slow; however as it progressed, it got better. The twists and suspense were very good (or so I thought). EVERYTHING CHANGED IN THE LAST CHAPTER - What was revealed in that last chapter of the book dropped my overall rating of this book to 2 stars.
What did I just read???? This book reminded me a lot of Never Lie by Freida McFadden. The story started out pretty slow; however as it progressed, it got better. The twists and suspense were very good (or so I thought). EVERYTHING CHANGED IN THE LAST CHAPTER - What was revealed in that last chapter of the book dropped my overall rating of this book to 2 stars.
August 4, 2022
I’ll pretend not to read the last three pages
End’s like first version
End’s like first version
March 14, 2022
Ummm what just happened?!
September 23, 2021
*I received a free eARC of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
Oh my god. Literally I just finished the book and those are the only words playing over and over in my head. All I Want was the kind of book that you’re sucked into from the beginning and trying to figure out if it’s something supernatural or if Emma is starting to lose her mind a little and you need to know exactly what’s happening. I was invested from the start and the way that Darcey Bell writes leaves you with so many questions as you read but it’s in the best way. You aren’t confused and questioning things you’re coming up with your own scenarios for what’s going on and hoping that the coming pages will prove them right only to have more information come that changes everything. Honestly it’s the best kind of suspense. But the best part of all was the fucking twist at the end. Oh my god. You think the book is all wrapped up with a bow. But it's not! Seriously no spoilers you just need to read this book... like now.
Oh my god. Literally I just finished the book and those are the only words playing over and over in my head. All I Want was the kind of book that you’re sucked into from the beginning and trying to figure out if it’s something supernatural or if Emma is starting to lose her mind a little and you need to know exactly what’s happening. I was invested from the start and the way that Darcey Bell writes leaves you with so many questions as you read but it’s in the best way. You aren’t confused and questioning things you’re coming up with your own scenarios for what’s going on and hoping that the coming pages will prove them right only to have more information come that changes everything. Honestly it’s the best kind of suspense. But the best part of all was the fucking twist at the end. Oh my god. You think the book is all wrapped up with a bow. But it's not! Seriously no spoilers you just need to read this book... like now.
December 21, 2021
This read like a house afire, then the ending... Huh??
Update:
Thanks to the publisher for the advance digital galley.
Update:
Thanks to the publisher for the advance digital galley.
January 9, 2022
I am so torn on this rating! I was frustrated with Emma, and how she was so complacent with her situation (I don’t want to give anything away).
Towards the end I would have given this 3 stars because of the twists, but then the final twist I can’t give this more than 2 stars. It was unnecessary and I feel it ruined the story
Towards the end I would have given this 3 stars because of the twists, but then the final twist I can’t give this more than 2 stars. It was unnecessary and I feel it ruined the story
January 3, 2022
I will come back for a better review, but this was bad. And then the ending happened and it was worse than bad.
January 13, 2022
That last chapter ruined it all????
February 5, 2022
This book messed me up at the end.
December 30, 2023
This was super twisty, but not in a good way. This book had a weird feel to it. It’s like a lot the twists were forced and didn’t really gel together too great in the end. The premise was okay, but it was like the book didn’t know what it wanted to be. Horror? Mystery? Thriller? I dunno. It was weird.
The ending just threw in a supernatural theme out of nowhere and just sent the whole thing off the rails for me. The last chapter was super weird as well and after I put it down I just went “huh!?!?”
For a short novel, this felt terribly long.
The ending just threw in a supernatural theme out of nowhere and just sent the whole thing off the rails for me. The last chapter was super weird as well and after I put it down I just went “huh!?!?”
For a short novel, this felt terribly long.
January 19, 2022
2.5 stars.
Emma and Ben are a wealthy young couple getting ready to welcome their first child. Ben, a Broadway producer with a successful show under his belt, wants to leave the city and move to a country home upstate. When he finds a listing for a Victorian fixer-upper with a dark history, it doesn't take long for him to convince his sweet, naive wife to relocate -- and to oversee a massive renovation project, while pregnant, while he returns to the city for work. All is not idyllic for Emma in their isolated new home. It isn't long before strange things start happening, and the vibe of the locals just seems off. When Emma discovers an old journal in the attic, she realizes the house's dark past may be seeping into its present.
After a somewhat shaky start with a weird and unnecessary prologue, I was really enjoying this book at first. I loved the tone, the pacing, and the structure -- which reminded me a lot of Peter Swanson's books -- and the "haunted mansion" vibe was fun and unexpected. I liked Emma's character; she was sweetly naive and neurotic without verging into the annoying protagonist territory. I think Darcey Bell did a good job keeping the reader off-balance throughout the book, and while the first big narrative twist was definitely outlandish and unrealistic, it still kept me turning the pages and was well-executed and entertaining enough.
But unfortunately, Bell just didn't know when to stop. This is a case where the second twist -- which comes in the last chapter -- was completely unnecessary and ruined the entire reading experience for me. When I finished the book, I was basically Adam Sandler in Billy Madison when he yells, "YOU BLEW IT!"
Ugh, such potential here, ruined by a writer's irresistible urge to go for that last twist. All I Want...is for the last chapter of this book to not exist. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Emma and Ben are a wealthy young couple getting ready to welcome their first child. Ben, a Broadway producer with a successful show under his belt, wants to leave the city and move to a country home upstate. When he finds a listing for a Victorian fixer-upper with a dark history, it doesn't take long for him to convince his sweet, naive wife to relocate -- and to oversee a massive renovation project, while pregnant, while he returns to the city for work. All is not idyllic for Emma in their isolated new home. It isn't long before strange things start happening, and the vibe of the locals just seems off. When Emma discovers an old journal in the attic, she realizes the house's dark past may be seeping into its present.
After a somewhat shaky start with a weird and unnecessary prologue, I was really enjoying this book at first. I loved the tone, the pacing, and the structure -- which reminded me a lot of Peter Swanson's books -- and the "haunted mansion" vibe was fun and unexpected. I liked Emma's character; she was sweetly naive and neurotic without verging into the annoying protagonist territory. I think Darcey Bell did a good job keeping the reader off-balance throughout the book, and while the first big narrative twist was definitely outlandish and unrealistic, it still kept me turning the pages and was well-executed and entertaining enough.
But unfortunately, Bell just didn't know when to stop. This is a case where the second twist -- which comes in the last chapter -- was completely unnecessary and ruined the entire reading experience for me. When I finished the book, I was basically Adam Sandler in Billy Madison when he yells, "YOU BLEW IT!"
Ugh, such potential here, ruined by a writer's irresistible urge to go for that last twist. All I Want...is for the last chapter of this book to not exist. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 21, 2021
3.75 stars
What in the actual heck did I Just read?? I have 0 clue but I loved it.
When Emma's husband, Ben, falls in love with a huge Victorian house in upstate New York, he convinces Emma that it is worth the risk. It's a quick fix. Emma, who is pregnant, wants to live somewhere quiet and safe for the baby, so she agrees and so begins the fix. But the house is not what Emma thought it would be. There's a woman standing with a baby in front of their house. There is a diary of a woman who used to live in the house along with its dark history. Is Emma losing her mind? Is there something sinister about this house? Fans of Shirley Jackson and The Yellow Wallpaper will adore this story.
After reading A Simple Favor, Bell became an insta-buy author for me and so I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of this book! The majority of it is told in Emma's perspective, but then we switch to a couple of others near the end. The writing is very eerie, there's something about it that is just so odd. I can't quite put my finger around it. Chapter by chapter, we dive deep into the lives of Emma and Ben and their relationship.
It's complex, strained, and there are definitely secrets hiding beneath the surface. I think Bell does a really solid effort at combining the gothic and domestic genres together into a well written thriller. There's so much that is still so confusing to me about this novel, but it hooks you in right from the start. It's the ambiguity of it that keeps you reading until the very final twist.
That twist?? What in the world?? Darcey Bell, please explain! It's wicked, but I liked it? I still don't understand!
Overall, this was a smart domestic/gothic thriller and if you've read this or you do end up reading it, please message me so we can talk about that final twist!
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
What in the actual heck did I Just read?? I have 0 clue but I loved it.
When Emma's husband, Ben, falls in love with a huge Victorian house in upstate New York, he convinces Emma that it is worth the risk. It's a quick fix. Emma, who is pregnant, wants to live somewhere quiet and safe for the baby, so she agrees and so begins the fix. But the house is not what Emma thought it would be. There's a woman standing with a baby in front of their house. There is a diary of a woman who used to live in the house along with its dark history. Is Emma losing her mind? Is there something sinister about this house? Fans of Shirley Jackson and The Yellow Wallpaper will adore this story.
After reading A Simple Favor, Bell became an insta-buy author for me and so I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of this book! The majority of it is told in Emma's perspective, but then we switch to a couple of others near the end. The writing is very eerie, there's something about it that is just so odd. I can't quite put my finger around it. Chapter by chapter, we dive deep into the lives of Emma and Ben and their relationship.
It's complex, strained, and there are definitely secrets hiding beneath the surface. I think Bell does a really solid effort at combining the gothic and domestic genres together into a well written thriller. There's so much that is still so confusing to me about this novel, but it hooks you in right from the start. It's the ambiguity of it that keeps you reading until the very final twist.
That twist?? What in the world?? Darcey Bell, please explain! It's wicked, but I liked it? I still don't understand!
Overall, this was a smart domestic/gothic thriller and if you've read this or you do end up reading it, please message me so we can talk about that final twist!
Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
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