The Dream House (aka The Guest) by Jess Ryder
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 13th June 2019
Purchase: Amazon
(release date: 21st June 2019)
★★★ 3.5 stars
THE DREAM HOUSE (also titled as THE GUEST) is the second book by Jess Ryder I've read. The first one I was a little disappointed in and though this one rated better, I still found it somewhat lacklustre. I'm not sure how or why, but something is missing to pack it with that punch. It was still enjoyable...just not fantabulous.
Told from two perspectives in dual timelines, THE DREAM HOUSE begins with Stella in the present day, with Kay's story from 1978 interwoven throughout.
Having bought a completely run down fixer-upper in the seaside town of Nevansey away from the hustle and bustle of London, Stella is looking forward to putting down roots and building a life together with her boyfriend Jack. The sprawling house is massive and the task of renovating it is even bigger, but with the inheritance money from her parents' estate Stella feels that she could do something to make them proud of her. That, and the fact that it may help assuage her guilt for a terrible secret from her past.
Late one night they hear the frantic knocking on their front door and wondered who would be doing so this late? Their builder, Alan, has his own key to come and go as needed, but he wouldn't turn up this late, surely! When they open the door, a beaten and battered woman is standing there looking scared and begging for help. Is this Westhill House, she asks, insisting the helpline told her they'd take her in, no questions asked. Wanting to help protect Lori from her abusive husband Stella doesn't hesitate to offer her refuge and ushers her in quickly, but Jack isn't so sure. Something about Lori doesn't add up and he believes she isn't being truthful, citing Stella as being too naive for her own good. But Stella is adamant. Her parents were foster carers to numerous children when she was growing up, and this act of kindness is something she believes would make them proud of her...something for which she craves. When it is revealed that Westhill House was a refuge for battered women for forty years, Stella finds a new purpose in fulfilling the house's past objective in helping Lori with determination.
But the longer Lori occupies the attic bedroom, the more suspicious Jack becomes. He believes Lori is hiding something...more than an abusive husband. And one night, after Stella has gone to sleep, he follows her and sees her climbing into a car. Who was she meeting, Jack wonders. But when he poses the question to Stella, she refuses to believe him. Lori needs their help, not their suspicions.
Dismayed that Jack doesn't share her concerns, Stella feels torn between wanting to help Lori and her love for Jack. She wants to respect his wishes but doesn't know how to do so and help Lori at the same time. Then she comes up with an idea to please both...but the plan backfires and she is left wondering who she can trust.
Then when a second woman appears at the door, Stella wonders just what is going on and what has she let herself in for? Was Jack right? Is Lori hiding something and not all that she appears?
In the alternating narrative, we meet Kay who became pregnant at 15 much to her parents' disgust. To them she was soiled goods, useless to anyone. But then she meets the handsome and charming Alan Foxton - "Foxy" to his friends - and her parents think the world of him, telling her to make sure she hangs on to him because not everyone would take on another man's child. Despite the fact Foxy never acknowledged little Abigail's existence or even spoke to her, Kay was forced to push that aside and think of this as a new beginning for her and her daughter. But all dreams must come to an end, and Kay's certainly did as soon as the wedding was over. First came the accusations and the taunts quickly followed by the fists. Kay knew it was her fault. She provoked him by talking back or not having the house clean or his shirts ironed or speaking to other men. Her latest transgression was to fall pregnant.
One night, Abigail was at the other end of his tirade as Kay locked herself in the bathroom. From behind the locked door, she heard her daughter screams as Foxy yelled at her to do as she was told. Then she heard her husband cry out and she opened the door to find Abigail tearing down the stairs and out the door. Foxy didn't care that she could be run over. All he was concerned about was that "the little bitch bit me"! Then all at once there were blue lights strobing in through their windows. The police? Kay was suddenly scared her daughter had been in an accident, but Foxy gripped her tightly whispering "Say anything against me and your daughter's dead!" The police informed them a 999 call had come in from their daughter claiming "Foxy's killing my mummy!" But whilst he was all sweetness and light to the police, declaring they had been having trouble with Abigail who had taken to answering back and not doing as she was told, he continued to hold a tight grip on Kay almost daring her to contradict him. Foxy's story appeased the police and they left them with Abigail who had sought refuge with a neighbour. That night, as Kay lay in bed, she knew it would never get any better. She and Abigail had to leave.
The next morning after Foxy had left for work, Kay hurriedly packed a suitcase for her and Abigail and fled to the refuge Abigail's teacher had told her about in Nevansey. Westhill House. She had told her they will take you in, no questions asked, and keep you safe. Westhill House was more like a squat with many women and children to each room, but it didn't matter. At Westhill House Kay knew she was safe and after just a few weeks of being there, she had never felt happier.
All the way through, we know both stories will collide but the how or why, or even when, eludes us. And as the tension builds we just know it will be with a deadly force. Then comes the twist, the revelations and as Stella finds herself hanging on by a thread, she wonders where she is and how she got here.
While the both stories are well told, complete with tension and intrigue, the book as a whole still didn't fill me with excitement. I don't know what it was, or wasn't, I just felt it was lacking somewhere...though Ryder has told both stories well and woven them together with such ease. I want to like it more, but I really don't know why I can't. I guess maybe it wasn't as gritty or as shocking. While THE DREAM HOUSE did have me puzzling and pondering, it didn't surprise me...or shock me, for that matter.
I applaud Ryder's note at the end with reference to the domestic abuse, giving numbers in the UK for those that seek help and are unsure how. Having explained she tried not to go into graphic detail as far as the abuse was concerned, although it was necessary for parts of the story, anyone who has suffered at the hands of such abuse would find even the remotest reference to it triggering. I know I did. But I applaud her for being sensitive and respectful, despite this.
As well as domestic abuse, the story also touches on mental illness and, although not highlighted, is completely understandable.
Stella, Jack, Lori and Kay are the main characters across both stories. I found the former three in the present day to be unlikable in many ways and it was Kay I connected with the most, probably due to my own experience in the past. Stella made some really stupid choices and to be honest, I would have listened to Jack. After all, she knew him and not Lori - so why trust her and not him? And Lori? Well, like Jack I knew she was hiding something. She couldn't be in a story like this without having secrets, could she? I just wasn't sure what her story really was or how she was being untruthful.
With everything handled expertly and tied up at the end, THE DREAM HOUSE is an enthralling read that will keep you guessing and turning the pages. I give it 3 stars because while I did like, I didn't LOVE it. But it is still a great read.
I would like to thank #JessRyder, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheDreamHouse also known as #TheGuest in exchange for an honest review.
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