The Apartment

<b>So many plot holes, so many questions, so much stupidity!<br /><br />I can deal with a ridiculous plot (kind of), but I cannot tolerate reading about a heroine who is portrayed as being dumber than dumb. </b><br /><br />Freya grew up in the foster system, has trust issues, but is willing to trust an old man who approaches her in a coffee shop and happens to offer her an apartment way out of her means, but at a price, she can afford because she and her daughter are “the right kind of people.” This didn’t set off any alarms? The fact that something sinister is going on in her apartment is literally thrown in her face over and over again and she can’t figure out something is not right? EYE ROLLS, Please! <br /><br /><b>I was hoping maybe Freya was extremely intelligent and playing the reader, but unfortunately, her character never found her way out of stupid. </b><br /><br />I have no idea where I downloaded this book from or why I even read it, but I wish I could take back the whole experience.

This is another devouring with few bites, finishing at one sit, quick, fast pacing and exciting page-turner!<br /><br />The formulation is basic: A character suffering from tragic lost feels hopeless as she finds a solution to her problems which is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! There are too many neon lights flashing through her walk warning her “RUN AWAY WITHOUT LOOKING BACK!” but here we go: She is trapped, she is gaslighted and now she worries about her own mental health! Is she turning into a paranoid?<br /><br />Yes. I’m talking about dear Freya, after losing her husband, taking care of her five years of daughter by her own cannot afford a proper apartment till charming Dr. Marsden makes an offer she cannot refuse (I know Godfather’s theme start to ring in your ears! Another alarm bell warns Freya to wear her running shoes ASAP!) But her judgment is already by her despair. She cannot think it clearly. If she refuses to rent Adder house with this very low price, she will live at streets but her daughter and her security always comes first. So she says “yes!”<br /><br />But let me say that Dr. and Mrs. Marsden likes to involve their tenants’ lives way too much than they expected. And Freya is tougher and braver than I think because she is determined to go as far as she can to find out the truth hiding behind Adder House. <br /><br />Overall: One of my fastest reads. I was expecting something more soul crushing at the end of the book but it was still pleasing and satisfying. This is not definitely one of my Switzerland-let’s meet in the middle readings but it was not also “wow! It shook me to the cores” kind of book so let’s give 3.5 stars and round them up to 4 stars!<br /><br />Special thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for sharing this entertaining ARC in exchange my honest review.<br /><br /><a href="https://niluferozmekik.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">blog</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/nilylovestoread/" rel="nofollow noopener">instagram</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/nilufer.ozmekik" rel="nofollow noopener">facebook</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/NiluferOzmekik" rel="nofollow noopener">twitter</a>

<br /> I enjoyed this psychological thriller and the setting of the creepy, atmospheric Adder House Apartments.<br /><br />The wonderful narrator added tension and drama with some descriptions of strange things happening at the apartment. Some of the residents had a touch of " Adams Family" creepiness to them... <br /><br />snap,snap<br /><br />The ending didn't completely work for me, but was entertaining and kept me guessing. Recommend for fans of lighter psychological thrillers and fans of this author.<br /><br />I purchased this one through Audible.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

He knew who Freya was when he targeted her at Starbucks and offered her an apartment at Adder House.<br /><br />He knew that her husband had recently passed away, and that she had a five year old daughter, named Skye. <br /><br />He knew her “whole sorry tale” and that as a single Mum with limited means, that she would be easy prey. <br /><br />But WHY does he want them to be the next residents to live on the top floor? <br /><br /><br />This book was very reminiscent of Riley Sager’s “Lock Every Door” to me...substituting the lovely Adder House for the Bartholomew and its gargoyles. <br /><br />Both had quirky residents who had to be “approved” prior to move-in, carefully selected for a sinister reason. <br /><br />I enjoyed the relationship between Freya and her daughter, and was engaged with the story the entire time, as I tried to determine where this tale was going. <br /><br />But, when it was all said and done, the ending left me wanting...<br /><br />I didn’t quite buy it. <br /><br />And, too many other subplots were left with unanswered questions. <br /><br />2.5 rounded up<br /><br />Thank You to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer and Kim Slater for the digital ARC, I received in exchange for a candid review! <br /><br />This book will be released on April 28, 2020 and can be pre-ordered now!

If it appears to be too good to be true - it's not. <br /><br />Freya Miller is scrambling at the beginning of the book. Her husband, who left her for another woman, passed away. Freya has sold her home and paid off their combined debt. Now she must find a place for her and her five-year-old daughter, Skye to live. As luck would have it, she is approached by a man, Dr. Marsden in a coffee shop who just happens to have a small apartment for rent. Even better, rent is based on the individual's ability to pay.<br /><br />Soon Freya and Skye have moved into Adder house and are welcomed by the other residents. But soon, things begin to feel strange. Freya begins to feel as if someone has been in her home, things have been moved, and her landlords make her uneasy.<br /><br />Although I enjoyed the book, the ending was less than satisfying for me. Plus, this book had me wanting to know more about how Freya's husband died, etc. There were some things that were not resolved- for me that was one of them. <br /><br />Freya and her daughter Skye are both likable characters and I felt for their plight. There is a rising amount of tension in the book as things begin to become creepier and more sinister. For me, this was a fast, absorbing read until I got to the end. Then I felt a letdown. Something was just missing in this for me. <br /><br />Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.<br />

EXCERPT: 'You said you're living on Palace Gate. Is the building called Adder House?'<br /><br />'That's right.' I swallow hard. 'I live in a small top floor apartment with my daughter, Skye.'<br /><br />'Oh God.' Linda's hand flies to her mouth and she squeezes her eyes shut as if she can't bear the pictures that are flooding in. 'This is important, Freya. How did you find out about it, the apartment? How did you know it was up for rent'<br /><br />'It was totally by chance. I was in -'<br /><br />'A coffee shop? And Marsden happened to sit at your table by chance? Showed you his rental fliers? Asked if you wanted to view the apartment, despite it being something you could never afford to rent in a million years?'<br /><br />'Something like that, yes.' I swallow again, wiping my damp palms on my jeans. <br /><br />'That's exactly what happened to Sophie, and I can assure you that chance had nothing to do with it. Every single word he uttered to you was planned.'<br /><br />ABOUT THIS BOOK: Freya Miller needs a miracle. In the fallout of her husband’s betrayal, she’s about to lose her family home, and with it the security she craves for her five-year-old daughter, Skye. Adrift and alone, she’s on the verge of despair until a chance meeting with the charismatic Dr Marsden changes everything. He’s seeking a new tenant for a shockingly affordable flat in a fashionable area of London.<br /><br />Adder House sounds too good to be true… But Freya really can’t afford to be cynical, and Dr Marsden is adamant she and Skye will be a perfect fit with the other residents.<br /><br />But Adder House has secrets. Even behind a locked front door, Freya feels as if she’s being watched: objects moving, unfamiliar smells, the blinking light of a concealed camera… and it’s not long before she begins to suspect that her dream home is hiding a nightmarish reality. Was it really chance that led her here—or something unthinkably dark?<br /><br />As the truth about Adder House starts to unravel, can Freya and Skye get out—or will they be locked in forever?<br /><br />MY THOUGHTS: We all know that saying about not looking the gift horse in the mouth, but it seems that sometimes we should. But when you're desperate...<br /><br />Even the name, Adder House, gives me the creeps. Although the apartment house sounds absolutely beautiful, who would want to live in a building named for a snake?<br /><br />But beautiful as it is, sumptuous, luxurious, it has a past, one that the enigmatic pair of Doctor and Audrey Marsden are unwilling to reveal. Instead they smooth away all obstacles and shower Freya and Skye with generous gifts. What is that other saying, the one about beware of Romans bearing gifts? But when you're desperate...<br /><br />Only four of the six apartments are currently occupied. Professor and Susan Woodward are tenants of one. He seems nervous, she frail and depressed after a series of miscarriages. The only person who appears remotely normal in the building is the elderly Lily Brockley who takes Freya and Skye under her wing, warning her to 'be careful' of the other tenants without quite explaining why. <br /><br />I read this book in one sitting. Yes, there are some holes in the plot, and I have not entirely bought into the ending, but Slater kept me entertained and guessing the whole way through. And that, to me, is worth 4 stars. <br /><br />What next Ms Slater?<br /><br />????<br /><br />'I do like to surround myself with beautiful things. There's so much ugliness in the world . . . so much distrust and focus on negative events, rather than on making peaceful progress so that the world is a better, more informed place for our future generations.'<br /><br />#TheApartment #NetGalley <br /><br />The Apartment is due for publication 28 April 2020.<br /><br />THE AUTHOR: For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected an impressive stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.<br /><br />Before graduating in 2012, she gained literary agent representation and a book deal. As Kim says, ‘it was a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’<br /><br />Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottinghamshire with her husband.<br /><br />DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Apartment by K.L. Slater for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. <br /><br />For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com <br /><br />This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/2020/04/29/the-apartment-by-k-l-slater/">https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...</a>

<b>If you're looking for another <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/41837243.Lock_Every_Door" title="Lock Every Door by Riley Sager" rel="noopener">Lock Every Door</a> by <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/15263414.Riley_Sager" title="Riley Sager" rel="noopener">Riley Sager</a>...look no further. You've found it.</b><br /><br />Well, a much less interesting version, that is. <br /><br />I struggled and lurched through this story, waiting for something, <i>anything</i>, to happen. At about the 95% mark, we got a little action, but it was so silly, I was forced to bring out my infamous eye-roll. <br /><br />I suggest reading some of the positive reviews to see if this sounds like a book you may enjoy. For me, it simply didn't work. <br /><br /><b>Available in the U.S. on April 28th.</b> <br /><br /><i>Many appreciative thanks to the publisher for my review copy.</i>

<b>THE APARTMENT</b> by K. L. Slater is the first book that I have read by this author. While various reviews are mixed, this psychological thriller worked for me. Freya Miller’s husband left her for another woman and then died before they divorced. With a five-year-old daughter, Skye, to take care of and no job, she has to sell their small house and find a place to rent. When she runs into an older gentleman at a coffee shop with flyers for an apartment to rent, it seems too good to be true. Adder House has six apartments and the small one on the third floor becomes Freya and Skye’s new home. But is it too good to be true? When little things start happening, is Freya imagining it, or is there more going on in the house?<br /><br />The prose is nicely descriptive and flows well. I was drawn into Freya’s plight immediately. This is not a hard-core psychological thriller, but it captured my interest and kept it throughout the book. I rooted for Freya and Skye to survive and find happiness. While some of the plot twists were expected, there were others that caught me by surprise.<br /><br />Overall, this was a suspenseful, well-paced, tense and compulsively readable novel. I look forward to reading more books by this author. I recommend this to those that like psychological thrillers that aren’t on the extreme end of the genre.<br /><br /><i>Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and K. L. Slater for a complimentary ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.</i>

THE APARTMENT is a creepy psychological thriller by bestselling author K.L. Slater, author of twelve psychological crime thrillers. <br /><br />Freya Miller and her five-year old daughter, Skye are in a bad situation. Struck by tragedy, losing her husband and forced to sell the family home for financial reasons, she is on a very tight budget with many worries. So where are they going to live?<br /><br />A chance meeting in a coffee shop with the alluring Dr. Marsden changes all that. He offers the young mother the most amazing opportunity; an apartment at one of London's most exclusive addresses for a fraction of the going rent. It's an offer Freya simply can't refuse. Within a couple of weeks, Freya and Skye are moving into Adder House and meeting the other welcoming residents. They very quickly feel part of the family.<br /><br />But is it too good to be true? Freya then starts to notice strange things happening to both of them in their new apartment…Strange sounds, furniture moving around, her daughter hearing voices, and Freya starts to feel uneasy and unsure about her decision to move here.<br /><br />It always feels as if someone is watching them and they are not alone! <br /><br />For behind the doors of Adder House, everything is most definitely not as it seems.<br /><br />Old secrets refuse to stay buried.<br /><br />I love reading Kim Slater’s novels as I know I am always in for a treat. Again, I was not disappointed. A creepy thriller that will appeal to a wide audience, lots of suspense, with well-developed characters and an engaging plot.<br /><br />Many thanks to the author, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for my digital copy.<br /><br />THE APARTMENT published April 28, 2020 <br />

Freya’s life is one hot and complicated mess!<br /><br />K.L. Slater has an engaging writing style and I became an instant fan after reading “Closer”, which was amazing. I wish I could say that I was as impressed with this one. I’m not sure why, but this one just didn’t do it for me.<br /><br />I’ve read so many good books lately, maybe my expectations were too high.<br /><br /><b>My Rating:</b> 3 ⭐️’s<br /><b>Published:</b> April 28th 2020 by Amazon Publishing UK <br /><b>Pages:</b> 270<br /><br />Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and K.L. Slater for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion!<br /><br />#MysteryThriller #TheApartment #NetGalley