The House Mate

By: Nina Manning

Narrated by: Helen Keeley

Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

The perfect life? Or the perfect lie? 

When Regi moves into her new house share, she's ready for a clean slate. A new home. A new routine. A new identity....

Desperate to escape the shadow of her past that follows her everywhere she goes, Regi finds the ideal distraction in the perfect lives of others on social media. 

But as innocent scrolling turns into an unhealthy obsession, Regi will soon learn that seeking perfection comes at a price.... 

A gripping psychological suspense from the international best-selling author of The Daughter in Law. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, K L Slater and Jackie Kabler.

©2020 Nina Manning (P)2020 Boldwood Books

Wait. What?!

I’m still not exactly sure WTF I just listened to…because I don’t know about half the story. I am sure glad this was free. The ending made no sense. NONE.

Had me hooked!

I loved the story I was hooked! I sat in my car unable to pause it! The only thing I didn’t like so much was how quickly it ended. It was pretty abrupt compared to the rest of the book but definitely recommend and will be listening again

Great until the end

I loved this book and the story being told up until the last 5 chapters. I am still so confused on what the ending was supposed to mean which makes me question the entire book. At the end, I am feeling like I don’t know which part of the story belonged to which character. I really loved it until that point.

Not great

There were good parts, good narrator, but the story just did not come together. Hated the ending.

what a twist!

I wasn't sure I would like this book, but it was a good one! Glad to have stuck with it.
Recommend.

The House Mate

I am 3njoying this new author, loved this one. It kept you guessing and wondering how it was all going to unravel. The narration was very good .

Completely ridiculous

The best ok started off good but shifted to something that would never happen anywhere to anyone. It’s so over the top, unbelievable story that it makes it hard to enjoy, even as fiction. The ending was the deal breaker for me. It completely ruins what could have been salvaged by a strong ending. My advice is not to put too much stock into the reviewed that claim it’s an “amazing twist”. The “twist only made me angry I listened to the whole book. Glad it was free or I would be returning it.

Weird. Wouldn't recommend.

First of all, the book is UK, just FYI. Secondly, this book was a tough read and a really weird, bizarre ending. Not much redeeming about it other than an accurate description of someone who is OCD. Don't recommend.

What did I miss?

I listened to the whole thing and I can’t figure out what I missed because it made no sense.

Tried it three times

I really wanted to love it...So much so I tried three times...the story line just did not do it for me.

Terrible ending

Until the end I would have given the story 3 or 4 stars, but the big final twist was very confusing and when I had worked out what it meant I found I had been misled throughout the whole of the rest of the book into thinking what the story was about. So I was left feeling as if it was a complete waste of time as I would need to listen to the whole book again for it to make sense.

I’m confused

I don’t know if I’m just not smart enough to understand this book, but I’m scratching my head at the end.
Is it a metaphor?
Did she dream it?
Is she a fantasist?
Did it all happen like she said then and the police guy was a second husband?
The book was quite good aswell until I had zero clue what was going on at the end!

Are there chapters missing?

Quite enjoyed this until it got to the end and nothing made sense! Who/why/when was baby boy taken, how was the red shoe in the photo and in the past, who the heck was Fabrice, oh and Olga, just … what?

Ridiculous plot twist!

This was ok to listen to for the first three quarters, although very laboured - the protagonist told us how desperate she felt every other page and it became a bit wearing. It felt like all atmosphere, no plot.
Then it came to the pretty rushed conclusion and it was just ludicrous beyond belief. I won't put in any plot spoilers in case you decide to martyr two days of your life to listen to this tripe, but the idea that criminal gangs are raking in piles of cash from social media freebies made me weep with laughter, knowing how much I make from my paltry insta account.
The plotline between Regi/Megan/who cares and her husband/boyfriend/copper/mafia boss/Lee/Dee/Dan/Ben/Len was so vague I wasn't sure what was fact or fiction and by that point I no longer cared.
Highlight: the narrator giving the character Minnie a voice like Minnie mouse.

most boring, unimaginative read- checked 6 times!

constantly repeating x6!!- so very dull.
depressing.
No enthusiasm or positive outlook or suspense. primary school read.

enjoyable

I enjoyed this as the book flips from present day to "then". I wanted to know the secret the protagonist was keeping. I also enjoyed her issues with OCD. There were 2 mini plots within this and a really great twist at the end.

Mysterious

I could tell by the synopsis and how the story was unfolding that it would have a twist to explain everything. I was right but it felt a little lacklustre to me in the end. This book is definitely worth listening to because there's no doubt that it's good but it just dug such a deep hole of mystery that the final explanation wasn't enthralling enough, in my opinion, to dig itself back out again.
Nevertheless, the story is deep, sad, touching and ends on a good note.

Not worth wasting time on

What a tedious, long drawn out and annoying read/listen. It really didn’t go anywhere and the only semi interesting bit was the twist at the end, but nowhere near good enough to make it worth going near. I’ll never get those hours back. Plus - I wish the author would learn that “I was SAT” is bad grammar and use “I was SITTING” instead. She does this all the time in this and other books.

Confused

Literally couldn't get the twist until the last 90 seconds. It's a great twist but it's not greatly executed, it's confusing and convoluted. The connection between both elements of the twist is unbelievable and hard to get. It's a decent read. So much potential, but bizarre ending.

A bit unlikely I think

How likely is it that a criminal gang sets up a human trafficking ring using modern slaves to work as social influencers on Instagram? Not very, I guess. How likely that a woman interprets the random not very ‘troll like’ online comments of a ‘troll’ as a cry for help? Not very. Otherwise, a very believable story? Not really. It’s a triumph of the writer’s craft. Where do they come up with these ideas? Narration is ok.