Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“You invited her in. That was your first mistake.”

Why the hell haven’t I read this sooner?! 🤯 Books like THIS are the reason why psychological thrillers are my absolute favourite, and this one has effortlessly slipped its way into my top reads of the year. Not only is this book a masterclass in tension building and characterisation, but my god is it addictive, with a super satisfying ending. It’s a real bloody page-turner and you just have to read it! So thrilled to be sharing my review for Home Sweet Home!

About the book

Jules and Scott are a young couple living on the outskirts of London. When the charming and charismatic Orla sweeps into their lives, inviting her to house-share seems like the answer to all their problems: she needs a home, they could do with the money.

But once Orla moves in, Jules starts to feel uncomfortable. Whatever the occasion, Orla has to be centre-stage. Every social occasion, every outing, every get-together is dominated by her and her daily dramas. But on closer inspection, Orla’s stories just don’t add up. And Jules starts to suspect that their dream housemate might be about to turn their lives into a nightmare.

The beginning

Yes, yes and YES. Straight away I was in love with this book and I absolutely devoured it! Oh god, where do I even start? The opening chapters took no effort to fall into; Jules and Scott are living on the outskirts of London in an impressive house they inherited. But they could really use the extra cash after taking out a loan. Jules isn’t quite sold on the idea of a lodger; she wasn’t sure opening their home to a stranger was the best or safest idea, but yes – they did need the cash. As if by magic, the enchanting Orla drops directly into their lives at the exact right moment. Oh god, Orla. I just knew she was bad news from the start, but there was something about her… She’s friendly, she has this charming, loveable aura that just radiates from her. She is lovely, quite frankly. She seemed genuine on the surface. And the more Jules and Scott spend time in her company, get to know her more, they’re certain they’ve made the right choice, chosen the right person to rent out their space. They effortlessly melt into a routine and it seemed as though all was perfect. Until it wasn’t.

“Something small and tight inside told me that although we were looking at the same person, we were each seeing someone different.”

Jules begins to notice the small things at first. Orla’s ability to captivate a room of people. How her presence, her confidence, her humour, her kindness makes everyone love her. How she gets on ridiculously well with her friends and her husband. How, on Jules’ birthday, Orla gets a phonecall with good news and takes over the entire celebration. And opens Jules’ birthday prosecco to toast her own win… Yeah. There was something off. I could feel it. There seemed to be a need for her to be centre of attention, to be dramatic and overenthusiastic about everything. But was that the actress in her? A personality flaw? But in the same breath, I couldn’t help but think she was still nice. Because she was. Oh god, Ruth!! How have you created a character like Orla?! I loved her just as much as I feared her. How far would she go? Short chapters from Orla’s perspective worked perfectly and I was trying so hard to read between the lines, to work out what she was really up to. But I just couldn’t predict any of it. I was so engrossed in this story, flicking between the physical book and the audio like there was no tomorrow. Gimme more of it!!

The middle

Just as Jules get some incredibly exciting, life-changing news, Orla gets some incredibly soul-shattering news. The timing, eh? Almost like it was planned… I was starting to find it hard to believe anything Orla said, but it did seem as though what she was going through was all genuine. And if it wasn’t… then BOY was she a piece of work. I was so invested in this book. As in, it was taking over my life, my every waking thought. I was so obsessed with everything Orla said and did, analysing every little part of her in an attempt to see through any lies. When Jules decides to do a bit of a background check on Orla, she uncovers things we never expected, and part of me saw Orla in a different light. I felt some sympathy and sadness which really did tug at my heart. But then, hearing from Orla’s POV again, I was back to feeling like something was off. The pacing in this book was perfect, and the author is so good as making you hang onto every word, keeping curiosity at its peak. Orla was certainly hiding something. Covering something up. But what was it?!

“It was almost as if life, as it stood, was not enough for her. Things needed to be accentuated or emphasised or shaken up. She seemed overwhelmingly driven by a narcissistic need for attention. A need to put on a show.“

I knew things would escalate, they just had to. And there was a certain scene here that will forever be etched in my mind. Again, while Jules is celebrating the positives, and finally having their home back after Orla announces she’s moving on, Orla strikes again with the drama. But this time, Jules is expecting it. She laughs while everyone else is distraught and oh my god, the chills. I cannot tell you how much I loved this scene. It was pure perfection, and really shows the impact of everything that’s happened up to this point. I was well and truly in Jules’ corner. Orla began causing a rift in Jules and Scott’s relationship… was this her aim? To tear them apart? As Jules continues her research and has conversations with people from Orla’s past, the truth eventually starts to emerge. It was everything I wanted from this book, and more! With each new snippet of shocking information, the more the picture of the real version of Orla began to emerge, and so much began to make sense. I wasn’t sure how much worse things would get, but I was ready for it!

The end

I couldn’t quite believe the depth in Orla’s character by this point, and it was honestly so masterfully written. Just when you think we can’t learn any more about her, the author stuns over and over again with such attention to detail, the gossip and the drama making it impossible to look away. It was so incredibly thorough and I didn’t want any of it to end. As Jules discovers pretty disturbing things, things that prove Orla’s stories didn’t add up, she decides to present her findings to Scott. There was no way he couldn’t not believe her after this, surely. I wanted to shake him when he doesn’t see what she’s telling him, like he’d been completely brainwashed by her. I needed him to see sense, just as much as Jules did. I still had an awful feeling, a feeling that I couldn’t shake. Something was going to happen, I just knew it. But THEN. Oh my god, THEN. The confrontation! The moment I’d wanted for so long, and it was glorious. Jules did GOOD. I felt like cheering after she finally says everything she’s wanted to say to Orla. But what came next shook me up even more.

“I was trapped because my husband, the person I trusted the most in the world, was completely beguiled by this woman whom we could not get rid of.”

I loved how intense and satisfying those final chapters were. Everything so neatly and effortlessly slotted together, the lies, secrets and truths uncovered, another little twist to make that ending oh so sweeter. What a triumph of a finale! I just loved that very ending chapter, where it seems as though history would repeat itself again and again, but maybe, just maybe, one small act would change things… After reading this, I just had to sit for a while and let it all soak in. Not just the intense plot and incredibly real characters, but just how Ruth writes, how she gets under your skin, makes you feel love, hate, fear, anger, sadness, sympathy, disgust. It was so brilliantly written from start to finish, so addictive and intense. And reading the physical as well as listening to the audio was such an amazing experience! The narrator, Emer Heatley, was perfection, and I would love to listen to more of the books she’s narrated too. If you love domestic thrillers as much as I do, this one is a must read. One of my biggest recommendations of the year without a doubt!

Overall thoughts

Home Sweet Home completely took over my life! It seemed to occupy my every waking thought and is the exact definition of my favourite kind of book. When Jules and Scott take in a lodger to help make a little extra cash, it seemed finding Orla was meant to be. She fitted effortlessly into their lives and their routine, and it seemed she was perfect… until she wasn’t. Dramatic, charismatic and always craving attention, Orla slowly dominates their lives, their space, their friendships, and Jules learns Orla’s stories don’t add up… Oh my god, Orla is genuinely one of my all-time favourite characters, her development so fantastic, her scenes always so unsettling and unpredictable. A character you will love to hate. This book has unease and tension laced through a plot you’ll become utterly obsessed with. Chilling, definitely unhinged and impossible to put down!

You can grab your own copy of Home Sweet Home right now on Amazon or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following Ruth on Instagram and X for more updates!

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