Reviews

The Hotel by Emily Shiner

abercrombie1986's review

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 

What a cat and mouse game that for most of the book, I didn’t know who was the cat, who was the mouse and what the game was.  There were multiple POVs all set in the present, and everyone had a secret that I did not know what the secrets were.  Of course the book is set in a snowstorm in the mountains of Maine, where one couple desperately needs some money to keep their B&B afloat and the other has rented out the entire B&B to try and work on things.

It started out so nice, with a couple and their infant son that were likable.  Then things just progressed into an action packed adrenaline filled frenzy fraught with danger.  I suspected a few of the twists and had no idea what had happened with a few more.  And the twists started about a a quarter of the way from the end and just kept twisting and turning.

Emily Shiner writes books that remind me of Frieda McFadden and Daniel Hurst.  The popcorn thriller you can see playing out in your head that keeps you on your toes.  This one definitely fit that bill.  It was an easy quick read that had me waiting to see what would happen next.  Another great read for fall. 

louise_b_1984's review

tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I wasn’t a huge fan of this and expected more after really enjoying The Wife in The Photo. Some of the plot didn’t quite make sense to me - I wasn’t convinced about Abby and Tim waiting for so many years to take their revenge on their respective spouses. I did figure out a few of the twists but again the circumstances that brought all of these people together just didn’t ring quite true and I struggled to believe the plot. I really didn’t warm to any of the characters and found Abby to be lacking in many areas. 

I will absolutely read more from this author - this one just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. 

thatbookishvixen's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘:

•• Psychological Thrillers 
•• Multiple POV 
•• Family Secrets
•• Plot Twists
•• Unpredictable Endings

𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦: 

𝗪𝗢𝗪! I couldn’t put this novel down! It was just gripping from the get go! There was something happening on every single page and I 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗧!! 

I loved how cleverly written the characters were, you adore them and fall for who you 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞 they are and 𝗕𝗔𝗠! Tables are turned and spins you like a rollercoaster! No one is who they say they are! You’re fooled by their innocent charm. 

Secrets also unravel themselves - well what you think are secrets anyway! Then you realise that the whole thing is about to go 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗠! 

Revenge is on the menu but they all seem to want it! But for what reason exactly?! 

The twists and turns throughout the story were 𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗭𝗜𝗡𝗚! You just don’t see them coming and oh my - there are 𝗦𝗢
𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗬 of them, it’s never ending!! 

Such a great read! Can’t wait to read more by Emily!! 

shauntelle_reads's review against another edition

5.0

Not only was this a wonderful thriller, but there were creepy elements included as well. I read this book in the evenings, and the vivid descriptions of the hotel has me hearing noises over my shoulder. 😂

Emily is a master at twists and turns that aren’t over the top, yet they fit in extremely well with the developing plot. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Abby initially but I grew to love her throughout this book. 

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Emily Shiner for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.
 

ktcarden21's review

medium-paced

3.0

meganrae047's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Infertility, Infidelity, and Murder

jen08108's review

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Abby and Mark own a bed and breakfast (not a hotel!?) in secluded Oyster, Maine.  Business has been slow so Abby comes up with an idea for a promotion to draw past visitors back. A family of three books the entire b&b for three weeks during a severe snowstorm. As they all end up stranded indoors it turns out everyone has their own secrets and intentions. 

I enjoyed this book, especially how atmospheric it was. However, I found most of the reveals to be pretty obvious. In the beginning of the book I found Abby & Mark to be fairly likable but by the end there was not one likable character aside from their baby. And maybe that’s okay for this type of thriller, it allows for more tension between everyone. The one thing i didn’t like was that there were not enough explanations for certain aspects of each of the characters. Overall though, it was an entertaining read & I would definitely read more by this author. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. 

eviesreading's review

The story idea had promise, was just poorly written both plot and character wise.

ristretto's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

An isolated hotel overlooking a cliff cut off from from the world during a snowstorm. When the hosts and guests are trapped together and secrets threaten to come to light tensions rise and dangers escalate. 

This should have been right up my alley but unfortunately it was a miss for me. There was definitely potential though and I do think there is an audience for it. My biggest issue was with the characters. They were all incredibly unlikeable and unhinged in an odd over dramatic way.

One moment that really stuck out to me in early on in the novel was when the guests are driving up to the B&B and the mother starts panicking to herself about how the balconies are icy and someone could easily fall and how she should have warned her daughter about it. But, the whole family is still in the car.. She could say something right then and there, it’s not something to freak out about. (Also the icy balconies never even come into play.) That’s just one example of the baffling melodramatic behavior these characters exhibit throughout the novel. I wondered if there was a dark humor we were supposed to read into (maybe it was supposed to be satire??) but that wasn’t the impression I got.

About a quarter in, I decided to overlook the characters and just follow what was happening in the story. The actual plot and twists and turns were pretty fun. Was there some conflicting elements through the character povs and some plots holes? Yes there was. Putting everything aside, it had it’s entertaining moments.

I think I would recommend this to someone who is looking for something quick to read while traveling, who enjoys some melodrama and who likes a fast paced suspense mystery that can be read in one sitting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

bcw2429's review

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0