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cmitchell's review
dark
tense
medium-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
3.5
beccaatx's review against another edition
3.0
A clear unraveling of a story without many twists, but I actually kinda dig it
pam2375's review against another edition
4.0
OMG! This book was so twisted and so is Paul. Well done, Kaira Rouda! I was on the edge of my seat with this thriller of a book.
celjla212's review against another edition
4.0
Ohhhh man. Paul Strom is one creepy dude. Control issues doesn't even begin to describe it.
Paul is a middle aged man married to a younger, beautiful wife. They live in the suburbs with two boys and he works for a huge advertising company. Paul is taking his wife Mia away for the weekend to their cottage on Lake Erie, and he has promised both her and himself that this will be the BEST DAY EVER.
I will never be able to hear those words again without an ominous tone behind them.
I truly cannot give the specifics in this review that I want to, because the delicious details that unfold in this book are what kept me turning the pages until my eyes were drooping. The story starts off with Paul and Mia on a road trip on their way to their cottage. Alone time for the couple is at a premium because they have two young boys and Mia is a stay at home mother, but Paul has planned every single detail and he is not a man that likes it when things don't go his way. As the day passes, we learn more about the truth behind this seemingly perfect couple and just what exactly Paul is willing to do to keep his life just the way he wants it.
I can't stress this enough--from the beginning of the book, I knew there was something off with Paul. The story is told from his point of view, and you quickly get the sense of what kind of man he is. He has pictured his life a certain way, and does everything in his power to get it. Mia, for her part, is a good wife and mother to her two boys. She was young when she fell for Paul's charms and soon married him, but the past ten years with him have slowly opened her eyes to the truth.
I read this book SO FAST because I knew something was coming, but I didn't know what. The author is not so subtle with the foreshadowing, but it works to help set the sinister tone of the day for Paul and Mia.
The only thing I had some issue with was the ending, as it seemed a bit anticlimactic, but the more I think about what occurred, the more it seems realistic. The uncertainly is certainly relatable for a lot of women, and chilling.
Best Day Ever is recommended for any reader who likes a story where they're not quite sure where they will end up, but they know the ride to get there will be exhilarating.
Paul is a middle aged man married to a younger, beautiful wife. They live in the suburbs with two boys and he works for a huge advertising company. Paul is taking his wife Mia away for the weekend to their cottage on Lake Erie, and he has promised both her and himself that this will be the BEST DAY EVER.
I will never be able to hear those words again without an ominous tone behind them.
I truly cannot give the specifics in this review that I want to, because the delicious details that unfold in this book are what kept me turning the pages until my eyes were drooping. The story starts off with Paul and Mia on a road trip on their way to their cottage. Alone time for the couple is at a premium because they have two young boys and Mia is a stay at home mother, but Paul has planned every single detail and he is not a man that likes it when things don't go his way. As the day passes, we learn more about the truth behind this seemingly perfect couple and just what exactly Paul is willing to do to keep his life just the way he wants it.
I can't stress this enough--from the beginning of the book, I knew there was something off with Paul. The story is told from his point of view, and you quickly get the sense of what kind of man he is. He has pictured his life a certain way, and does everything in his power to get it. Mia, for her part, is a good wife and mother to her two boys. She was young when she fell for Paul's charms and soon married him, but the past ten years with him have slowly opened her eyes to the truth.
I read this book SO FAST because I knew something was coming, but I didn't know what. The author is not so subtle with the foreshadowing, but it works to help set the sinister tone of the day for Paul and Mia.
The only thing I had some issue with was the ending, as it seemed a bit anticlimactic, but the more I think about what occurred, the more it seems realistic. The uncertainly is certainly relatable for a lot of women, and chilling.
Best Day Ever is recommended for any reader who likes a story where they're not quite sure where they will end up, but they know the ride to get there will be exhilarating.
magyklyxdelish's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of the better slow burn thrillers I’ve read. I find myself attracted to books with unreliable narrators.
This book has a lot of twists and you come to realize pretty quickly the type of person Paul is.
This was a quick read and it had me hooked from the beginning even if I did see a lot of the “twists” coming.
4/5 ⭐️
This book has a lot of twists and you come to realize pretty quickly the type of person Paul is.
This was a quick read and it had me hooked from the beginning even if I did see a lot of the “twists” coming.
4/5 ⭐️
coreyw's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
3.0
sarahkheeter's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I was definitely interested and engaged, but it actually felt kind of anti climactic. Interesting direction to choose to narrate from the narcissist perspective and somewhat cathartic ending.
novelvisits's review against another edition
4.0
Originally on Novel Visits: https://novelvisits.com/best-day-ever-kaira-rouda-review/
{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
A Creepy Narrator Speaking Directly to the Reader – Paul Strom proved to be one of the creepiest, most narcissistic narrators ever! From the very first page, you sense that something about Paul is off, very off. You’re just not sure why or how, but as the pages go on the hairs on the back of your neck will start to rise and you’ll know he definitely cannot be trusted. You’ve got to love an unreliable narrator and the fact that Paul is speaking directly to the reader, shaping a story in which he won’t look quite so bad makes him both pitiable and scary. You won’t want to be friends with Paul; you won’t want to ride in a car with him; you won’t really want to hear his slanted take on his life with Mia, but you won’t be able to stop listening.
“I wonder if she is asking me for something, for some understanding. Some type of compassion or empathy. I’m not good at those emotions, or, if we’re being honest, any emotions except anger. Rage lurks deep inside me, ready to lash out whenever it’s needed.”
One of Those Tense Car Rides – Let’s be honest. We’ve all had them. You and your significant other are going somewhere, but right before you leave something happens. It could be one person is running late, or that one had to do ALL the packing, or maybe both of you just had bad days, but as the car doors close, the tension between the two of you is so thick you could cut it with a knife. You know what I’m talking about, right? Well that was the car ride Mia and Paul shared on their drive to the lake. They were both on edge. Paul wanted things to be perfect and little was. Mia didn’t really want to be going, but was irritated when Paul made them late. Throughout the journey, they’d snipe, rally and be nice, and then snipe again. I loved that Rouda used the confines of a car to build so much tension. Brilliant!
Foreshadowing to the Max – In Best Day Ever, Kiara Rouda proved herself to be masterful with foreshadowing. Right from the start you knew things weren’t going to end well for someone, but the puzzle of what had happened still needed to be solved. She layered on the mystery of who Paul was and how he got that way, giving the reader hints along the way. She left Mia’s story largely untold, making her even more of a mystery. I found myself jotting down notes as to where I thought her story was headed. Sometimes I was right, but other times wrong. I liked that Rouda gave just enough to keep me engaged and wanting more.
What Didn’t
Slow Middle – I really liked most everything about Best Day Ever, but did find it a little slow in the middle. After the car ride, I would have liked to see the pace pick up a bit.
{The Final Assessment}
I read Best Day Ever in a single day, which I almost never do. That alone says a lot about Rouda’s book. It had that can’t-put-down quality to it that was a breath of fresh air in my reading life. As a psychological thriller it wasn’t “edge-of-you-seat” tense, but instead more of an edgy jigsaw puzzle. A puzzle that I wanted to finish, so I could know what this creep was up to and why!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.
{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
A Creepy Narrator Speaking Directly to the Reader – Paul Strom proved to be one of the creepiest, most narcissistic narrators ever! From the very first page, you sense that something about Paul is off, very off. You’re just not sure why or how, but as the pages go on the hairs on the back of your neck will start to rise and you’ll know he definitely cannot be trusted. You’ve got to love an unreliable narrator and the fact that Paul is speaking directly to the reader, shaping a story in which he won’t look quite so bad makes him both pitiable and scary. You won’t want to be friends with Paul; you won’t want to ride in a car with him; you won’t really want to hear his slanted take on his life with Mia, but you won’t be able to stop listening.
“I wonder if she is asking me for something, for some understanding. Some type of compassion or empathy. I’m not good at those emotions, or, if we’re being honest, any emotions except anger. Rage lurks deep inside me, ready to lash out whenever it’s needed.”
One of Those Tense Car Rides – Let’s be honest. We’ve all had them. You and your significant other are going somewhere, but right before you leave something happens. It could be one person is running late, or that one had to do ALL the packing, or maybe both of you just had bad days, but as the car doors close, the tension between the two of you is so thick you could cut it with a knife. You know what I’m talking about, right? Well that was the car ride Mia and Paul shared on their drive to the lake. They were both on edge. Paul wanted things to be perfect and little was. Mia didn’t really want to be going, but was irritated when Paul made them late. Throughout the journey, they’d snipe, rally and be nice, and then snipe again. I loved that Rouda used the confines of a car to build so much tension. Brilliant!
Foreshadowing to the Max – In Best Day Ever, Kiara Rouda proved herself to be masterful with foreshadowing. Right from the start you knew things weren’t going to end well for someone, but the puzzle of what had happened still needed to be solved. She layered on the mystery of who Paul was and how he got that way, giving the reader hints along the way. She left Mia’s story largely untold, making her even more of a mystery. I found myself jotting down notes as to where I thought her story was headed. Sometimes I was right, but other times wrong. I liked that Rouda gave just enough to keep me engaged and wanting more.
What Didn’t
Slow Middle – I really liked most everything about Best Day Ever, but did find it a little slow in the middle. After the car ride, I would have liked to see the pace pick up a bit.
{The Final Assessment}
I read Best Day Ever in a single day, which I almost never do. That alone says a lot about Rouda’s book. It had that can’t-put-down quality to it that was a breath of fresh air in my reading life. As a psychological thriller it wasn’t “edge-of-you-seat” tense, but instead more of an edgy jigsaw puzzle. A puzzle that I wanted to finish, so I could know what this creep was up to and why!
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.
kayrenee521's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Infidelity, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness