Review: The Housekeeper by Suellen Dainty
The Housekeeper by Suellen DaintyMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Atria
Publishes 2/28/17
Thanks to Atria for this advanced copy in return for my honest review. Contemporary lovers, come get this book!
Anne is a chef, happy in her job and in her relationship with the restaurant's owner, Anton. When Anton admits to an affair, her world crumbles around her. She loses her boyfriend and her job in one short night and doesn't know what she is going to do. Following the blog of Emma Helmsley (England's Martha Stewart), she finds they need a housekeeper. Feeling as if she needs to stay away from the restaurant business for a while as to avoid any awkwardness, she applies and is hired immediately. As she pours her heart and soul into the family and their house, she feels herself becoming a part of the family and not just someone who works for them. But the closer she gets to them, the more secrets she learns and in return the more she lets them learn about her. Eventually the past comes to the surface, secrets come out and she has to make a decision.
This book states on the back that it is a "nail-biting psychological thriller". I didn't find it to be either. It read completely as a contemporary novel to me instead. I enjoyed Anne as a character and understood her need for organization and being a part of something that made her feel useful. The family nuances were intriguing and realistic. The relationship between Anne and the Helmsley's was well built and you could understand Anne's point of views in wanting to protect them over time. However, the pace was a bit slow for me. I didn't feel like anything really happened until about half way through and even then I found myself losing interest and my mind wandering.
I was told by other readers that this wasn't really a thriller so I went in not expecting the suspenseful psychological thriller that it appeared to be in its blurb. However, I still felt a bit slighted that it wasn't. Please note that as a contemporary novel that builds on the slow build of complicated relationships that happen through the wants of both parties but for different reasons, it is well written. While this didn't quite hit my book love button, for those who do cater more to contemporary fiction novels, this would be a good read for you. I just happen to prefer my books a bit more fast paced and with a bigger punch.
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