For all those readers who have recently enjoyed Verity and are looking for another novel about a dysfunctional relationship with a catastrophic ending… this may be your next great read!
Ellie and her boyfriend, Steven, head out for a romantic break away from the hustle and bustle of the city. They are in love and looking forward to spending some time alone. Ellie is an NYU grad student. Steven is a wealthy, privileged teacher at an elite Manhattan school. They appear to be the perfect couple on the verge of spending the rest of their lives together.
At least, that’s what one of them thinks is going on. It turns out that both Ellie and Steven are not quite who the world thinks they are, and as a snow storm leaves them stranded in their holiday home, the weekend takes a dark twist and their secrets are slowly revealed.
Advertised as a novel featuring ‘this year’s most f*cked up couple’, I’d say that it delivers on its promise. The book’s opening chapters are rather disorientating and it took me until at least a third of the way through to work out what on earth was going on. Stick with it though as all will become clear in the end.
Not one for the faint-hearted, or anyone who’s looking for a lovely romance about a weekend in the countryside. I struggled to connect with either of the characters – I hated Steven by the end of this, and I’m not sure that I liked Ellie any more. Was I supposed to though?
This is a psychological thriller with twists and turns coming at you from all directions. The descriptions of place are claustrophobic and the unpredictability of the characters will keep you gripped until the novel’s climax.
Nobody But Us will be published on 12th April 2022.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Michael Joseph UK and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Wordy Witterings 