Room 706

by Ellie Levenson

A married woman is trapped with her lover in a hotel under If she knew it would end this way, would it ever have begun?

Kate’s children and her husband are her whole world. Since marrying young, she’s dedicated her life to making her little family grow. But in the last few years, she’s carved out something just for hours stolen away with another man. After one midday tryst with her lover, Kate’s double life is thrown into chaos when she turns on the TV to find their hotel has been overtaken by an unnamed, dangerous group. As Kate’s life hangs in the balance, she is faced with “a gripping exploration of the murky grey areas of marriage, relationships, and womanhood” (Hazel Hayes).

Room 706 is a “tense exploration of desire” (Alina Grabowski). Raw, unsettling, and deeply human, it compels you to Would I feel guilt, regret...or relief?

“Poignant, immersive, and utterly human, I adored this brilliant novel.”
—Sarah Jessica Parker, SJP Lit

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Literary Fiction, Audiobook, Romance

Audible Audio

First published February 10, 2026

Reviews

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

SELF REFLECTION

The story opens with a typical harried domestic scene, with what appears to be a loving husband (Vic) and his wife (Kate) juggling the demands of breakfast and two young children who need to get to school.

But, soon after it’s 1 PM, and Kate is in Room 706 with her lover, James. A terrorist group has just taken over the upscale hotel in the heart of London-the perfect place for this act of violence as it will impact visitors from across the globe and attract the attention of many major cities because of that fact.

All of a sudden the reality of what she has been doing-for years-becomes crystal clear for the first time-as Kate wonders whether or not she will leave the hotel alive.

What should she say to Vic to explain her whereabouts? Should she spare him the truth and compound her actions with more lies?

As the hours go by, Kate reflects on both of these relationships over the years, while she and James must remain silent and locked in their room, hoping to remain undiscovered and survive physically unscathed.

The terrorist situation rings true and I could easily imagine being in that room along with Kate and James, but unfortunately the pace of the middle of the book dragged with TOO MUCH self reflection and not enough of the hostage situation to balance things out.

The ending is AMBIGUOUS allowing YOU to decide how this story ends-which won’t work for everyone-but I LOVED IT-and it gave me CHILLS!

As a self proclaimed goody two shoes-I enjoy reading about morally ambiguous characters. Kate wasn’t a bad person even though she was definitely doing something unacceptable and it can be interesting to explore how people justify their behavior.

3.5 stars ⭐️ rounding down because of the pace.

AVAILABLE NOW

Thank You to Review Publishing for providing a gifted ARC through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

[TheConnieFox · Rating 3 out of 5]

✦ My Review & Rating ✦

This novel was an emotional one, that came with a great premise. It gave me mysterious, dark and thriller vibes. It made me feel sad and had a lot of psychological suspense. This book is more character driven than plot driven, as it focuses on the flaws of the characters as the main focus. The female protagonist named Kate in this story was extremely unlikable. I could not connect with her or any of the characters in this story. One character that I did like was Kate’s Husband, named Vic. Out of all the characters in the book, James was the least likable. This book involves infidelity, which is what ultimately made it lose stars. This book came with dual timelines, a first person point of view and a terrorist attack. The ending was unfortunately not satisfying, as it ended abruptly.

What I did enjoy about the book was the suspense, how the power of choices leads to consequences and the emotional depth that this book came with. I also enjoyed the slow pacing, as this goes back and forth between the present and flashbacks of the past. It did feel like the characters were realistic, even though I could not connect with them. I did find the themes in this book thought provoking. It also encourages people to discuss human ethics and the emotional contemplation surrounding them. Overall, I give this book 2.5 (rounding up to 3 stars) out of 5. Be sure to read the content warnings and who I think would love reading this book below! Even though this book was really not for me, there are a lot of people that would absolutely love this book!

✦ Content Warnings & Who I think would Enjoy This Book ✦

Content warnings are subjective and include infidelity, grief, a terrorist attack, violence and death of a parent. I think readers of “The People Next Door” by Kate Braithwaite and the movie “Unfaithful” would really enjoy this book!

✦ Genre ✦

This book “Room 706” is in the Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller and Women's Fiction genres!

✦ Thank You ✦

Thank you to NetGalley, author Ellie Levenson and Zando | SJP Lit for this digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

✦ Publication Date ✦

This book is expected to be published on January 20, 2026! (publishing dates can change at any time.)

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

❥ ୨⎯ Connie ⎯୧ ❥

ツ౨ৎ

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars 🌟

This wasn’t the book that I expected it to be. I would class this more as women’s fiction than thriller. Yes the idea of the overall story is thrilling, but the guts of the story is of a reflection on a life lived when faced with dying. It is a slow burn that I felt dragged a bit in the middle. I enjoyed it, but was hoping for more thrills, more on the terrorists and their plans.

Kate finds herself caught up in the biggest terror attack to happen in London, all because she met her lover in a hotel that day. They can’t leave the room. They have to stay quiet and hope that they are not discovered.the guilt of why she is there hits Kate, who loves her husband and kids, but needs her times with James for her sanity. She spends her time locked in room 706 thinking about her life and what has brought her be there in this situation.

It is an emotional story, with Kate remembering the people she has loved and lost. I really could not find anything about her to like. She claimed to be a good person, a good mother, and yet she was in a hotel room with another man. James was awful, I really didn’t see the attraction there either.

There was not much really about the terror attack that they were in the middle of. Discussions on who they might be, but no chapters from their perspective or interactions. It was all about Kate and what she was thinking, what she had done.that might be enough for some readers, but for me I just wanted more. The ending was ambiguous and leaves it to the reader to decide what happened.. it will be a talking point. I can see this being a good choice for a book club, plenty to discuss.

Thanks to Hachette Australia for sending me this book for my honest thoughts. Published on January 13th.

[Joanna Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even start with this amazing debut?!
This book is about *so many things* but the utterly brilliant premise is Kate and James, a married couple (married to other people that is), have met for one of their occasional hook-ups in a hotel ... except Kate switches on the TV afterwards, only to see on the news that gunmen have taken over the hotel they are currently in and it's now under siege. No one knows they're there. No one knows why they're there. Now all they can do is hide out in their room, and wait to discover their fate.
This story is told from Kate's viewpoint, and it switches between the hotel room, how she met (and married) her husband Vic, and how (and why) she began a relationship with James. These three timelines are woven together so beautifully, which is no mean feat for any writer - let alone a debut - and the pacing of this novel is *immaculate*.
Is it a thriller? It's most definitely thrilling, it's heart-mouth writing, and there were times when I actually covered the next page with my hand because I was so swept up in the story I didn't trust myself not to glance ahead!
It is, however, so poignant, so heartbreaking and (I agree with Sarah Jessica Parker) utterly human. It explores what makes us who we are, why we make the choices we do, and what might have happened if we didn't. You see that shoutline on the front cover? You will receive the very best answer to that question ... and the ending is PERFECT.
I am in awe of Ellie Levenson's beautiful writing (and her beautiful heart). I would also, incidentally, marry Vic in the blink of an eye if he's available lol.
This book is out in January and I strongly advise a preorder. Preorders help writers (and bookshops, and especially debut authors) so much and you are planning a future gift for yourself, so it's genuinely a win-win.
A massive thank you to Louise Swannell and Headline for sending this advance copy to me. It truly is nothing short of a masterpiece and I loved every second of it.

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, Room 706, by Ellie Levenson, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I did not care for this book or its characters at all. The ending sucked too. Im sick of books with people with no morals at all.

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good gimmick... and absolutely nothing else. Kate is cheating on her husband when the hotel she's in is the target of a terrorist attack. This is the thing that's good, and it's already on the jacket summary. I'm not sure the book is really worth reading after that!

This isn't a thriller. Despite the gimmick, the terrorist attack itself is there only to loom over its characters, it almost never becomes something involving actual action. And looming is, well, dull. The only thing I liked about this book was the way Kate became obsessed with minor administrative tasks when confronted with death, which is a very modern wife and mother thing to do. But while that may be one of those truths that makes you take notice, it gets boring quite fast because none of us actually care about the passwords to the home alarm system or the phone number of the babysitter.

Instead what this book mostly is is flashbacks. Kate and her husband. Kate and her lover. I am not sure what the point of all these flashbacks are. Kate loves her husband. They seem decently matched and happy enough. Kate has chemistry with her lover and there isn't much more to it. The question of why people cheat or take this kind of risk is also not all that interesting, and the book doesn't really seem to try to answer it. Kate is a rather dull character, she's defined almost entirely by what she's lost.

If we had some full characters here, if there was some kind of story moving things forward, if anything actually happened, if there seemed to be a real understanding of the potential fallout, maybe this book would be worthwhile. But none of those things exist, sadly.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.75 stars)
Thank you to Zando/SJP Lit and PRH Audio for the chance to read and listen to a review copy of Room 706 by Ellie Levenson.

First of all, in spite of the setup, this is NOT a thriller, so don’t go into it expecting one. What we have is two morally gray characters, conducting a secret affair, and finding themselves stuck in a hotel room together because their hotel has been taken over by terrorists. But the horrible situation unfolding outside their hotel room is barely touched upon, other than frequently checking media reports, etc. Kate has been meeting James now and again for several years, for midday trysts. They met through a work connection and eventually it became a sexual relationship for each of them, without any emotional connection. Kate absolutely loves her husband but she meets James for sex anyway. I had a hard time understanding this, but if you accept the premise, it’s an interesting and compelling read. Kate examines her life and her decisions over the course of the hotel siege. James doesn’t seem to be doing the same thing; he seems to be doing work on his computer between checking for news updates.

There was one heart-wrenching event outside their hotel room door, where most is left to your imagination. But mostly the takeover of the hotel is in the background.

I felt terribly sad for Vic, Kate’s husband. There were a lot of flashbacks so you learn how Kate and Vic met and fell in love, how Kate met James, and so forth. Kate starts to think of the practical things she needs to do and/or convey to Vic in case she doesn’t make it out alive (shopping lists!). All the time, you want to know what is going to happen at the hotel! The ending was a complete let-down, although I understand why the author ended it like that.

I mostly listened to the audiobook version, which was beautifully narrated by Hattie Morahan, a new-to-me narrator.

[anovelaccount (Kayla) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up? Maybe?

I have really mixed and conflicting thoughts on this one. For a good deal of it, I was just really bored. But other parts were pure genius. I really related to certain parts as a mother, BUT I really didn’t like the ending.

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Infidelity is messy. A terrorist siege is messy. Combine them and you would think we are getting the emotional equivalent of a Bravo reunion episode hosted by the Grim Reaper. Instead, Room 706 is less explosions and more existential spiral, which is both its greatest strength and the reason I finished it staring at my wall like I had just unpacked someone else’s marriage and now needed a juice box and a minute.

Kate is a devoted wife and mother who loves her husband Vic. Truly. Deeply. The man sounds like he was handcrafted in a workshop labeled Emotionally Available King. They met young, fell in love in Italy, built a warm, joke-filled life, had two children, and settled into that sweet domestic rhythm of grocery lists and in jokes and school runs. And then, because apparently sometimes “content” is not the same as “complete,” Kate begins a years long affair with James, an older businessman who functions less as a soulmate and more as a quarterly spa treatment with better lighting.

And then. The hotel they are in for one of their scheduled midday escapades is taken over by terrorists.

I cannot stress enough how diabolically good this premise is. You are cheating on your husband and suddenly the hotel is under siege. The news is everywhere. Your husband is texting. You are trapped in Room 706 with the man who is absolutely not your husband. It is giving Unfaithful meets Die Hard, except instead of Bruce Willis crawling through vents, we have Kate spiraling about passwords for the online grocery order. Which, honestly, is the most mother thing I have ever read.

The book unfolds in three timelines. Present day in the hotel room, the early days of Kate and Vic falling in love, and the origin story of Kate and James. The tension outside the door simmers. There are gunshots heard from the hallway, news updates, police instructions to stay silent. But the real action is internal. Kate is inventorying her life. Her marriage. Her grief over her mother. The thousand tiny ways she has both loved and betrayed the life she built.

Here is where my complicated feelings kick in. The writing is sharp and observant about motherhood and the mental load. Kate worrying about school pickups and grocery deliveries while possibly facing death felt painfully real. There is something almost darkly funny about her brain going, “We might die” and immediately following it with “Does Vic know the WiFi password?” That felt human in a way that made me wince.

But the middle does lean hard into introspection. If you came here for a high octane hostage thriller, this is not that girl. The siege is the frame. The marriage is the painting. And sometimes I wanted the frame to rattle a little more. I wanted more immediacy, more danger pressing at the door. Instead, we sit in Kate’s thoughts for long stretches, unpacking her choices like emotional carry on luggage.

James, bless him, never quite transcends “vaguely entitled affair man.” He is there. He exists. He types on his laptop while the world burns. Meanwhile Vic, sweet Vic, is at home being loving and supportive and unaware that his wife is in a hotel room with another man during a national crisis. The emotional imbalance of that had me clutching my metaphorical pearls.

And yet. I could not fully hate Kate. That is the trick of this book. She is flawed, selfish, loving, grieving, tired. She is both devoted and reckless. The novel is not interested in punishing her so much as dissecting her. It asks uncomfortable questions about identity after marriage and children. About whether wanting something “just for you” can curdle into something destructive. About how we justify the stories we tell ourselves.

The ending is ambiguous. Very ambiguous. The kind of ending that will either give you chills or make you want to throw the book across the room and demand a group chat debrief. I landed somewhere in the middle. I admire the boldness. I also wanted five more pages and a therapist.

Ultimately, Room 706 is thoughtful, tense in a quiet way, and emotionally perceptive. It just was not quite the thriller my adrenaline was hoping for. Three stars feels right. Respectful. Slightly frustrated. Deeply contemplative.

Whodunity Award: For Making Me Google “How To Survive A Siege” While Also Side Eyeing Every Business Trip Ever

And a huge thank you to Zando and NetGalley for the ARC. Nothing like reading about a hostage crisis while safe on my couch, dramatically gasping and whispering “Kate, no” at 11 p.m. Absolute chaos.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if, fresh from an encounter with your lover, the hotel you are in is taken over by terrorists? How do you survive? How do you keep the secret from your husband when the event is everywhere?

I loved the idea for this novel and I quickly became engrossed in it. The narration was crisp and effective and really helped me to be drawn into the book. I loved the tension of the chapters set in present as well as the informative chapters set in the past. Then, towards the end of the novel, it became a little repetitive. There is a brief moment of in room tension which I wish had been expanded on for increased thrills for the reader. Then the ending was SO frustrating. I felt like I had been in the siege with the main character for hours, only for her to yell “just kidding!” and shove me out the door. I needed an epilogue so badly.

Up until 75% through, this was a 5 star read for me. The ending didn’t work for me at all, so I am going to rate it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

If you like your thrillers a little different, which lots of character development and a cliff hanger than will keep you pondering for weeks, this is the book for you.

[Silvie Klokgieter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Om haar geestelijke gezondheid te behouden naast haar drukke leven als moeder en echtgenoot, neemt Kate in Kamer 706 eens in de paar maanden een aantal uren om naar bed te gaan met een andere man. Zo leidt ze een gelukkig leven.

Totdat Kate tijdens een van die rendez-vous de televisie aanzet en ontdekt dat het hotel in Londen waar ze op dat moment verblijven, wordt overvallen. Ze beseft dat niets ooit nog hetzelfde zal zijn. Ze zou nu thuis moeten zijn, bij haar man Vic en hun kinderen, alsof er niets gebeurd is.

Maar ze zit vast op de verkeerde plek, met de verkeerde man. Alles wat ze wilde verbergen, dreigt onthuld te worden. Wat als ze niet levend thuiskomt? Eén ontrouwe keuze kan alles vernietigen: haar huwelijk, haar familie en haar toekomst.

'Kamer 706' begint behoorlijk spannend. Kate zit namelijk met haar minnaar in een hotelkamer en alles lijkt gezellig te verlopen. Maar dan ziet ze op de televisie dat het hotel, waarin zij verblijven, op het nieuws is en het blijkt dat er terroristen het overgenomen hebben...

Dit begin vond ik echt heel goed en het is ook behoorlijk realistisch en ontzettend eng! Hierdoor wilde ik dus heel graag verder lezen.

Je maakt vanaf dan regelmatig sprongen naar het verleden en hierin lees je hoe Kate haar man heeft leren kennen, maar ook haar minnaar. Op zich was dit natuurlijk een interessante toevoeging, maar het haalde de spanning van het huidige moment in de hotelkamer steeds weg.

Je bent uiteindelijk meer over het liefdesleven van Kate aan het lezen, de dingen die in het verleden zijn gebeurd en de keuzes die ze heeft gemaakt. In het heden voel je dan wel een bepaalde spanning, maar dit was voor mij net wat onvoldoende. Ik had namelijk niet verwacht dat de nadruk zo enorm op het verleden lag.

Het is op zich wel interessant, want eerlijk... het verhaal leest wel enorm vlot. Maar ik had dus gehoopt op een heleboel spanning in kamer 706 (en dat viel een klein beetje tegen).

Uiteindelijk heb ik dus wat gemengde gevoelens over deze thriller: het is niet onaardig, maar ik had een andere richting verwacht.

Ik wil @lsuitgeverij/@lsthrillers natuurlijk enorm bedanken voor dit recensie-exemplaar!

Beoordeling: 3,0 ⭐️

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unpopular opinion coming here... I thought the premise of the book was interesting, the idea that an event beyond your control, such as a terrorist attack, might mean something you've been keeping a secret suddenly risks discovery. However, apart from one dramatic event they witness, I never really got a sense of Kate and James being in imminent jeopardy. James didn't feel like a fully fleshed out character. I thought him rather a cold fish who probably lied about Kate being the only woman with whom he was carrying on an affair. I couldn't really care much what happened to him. I felt sorry for the losses Kate had suffered in her life but I couldn't understand why she would want to betray Vic. Sure, if you want to get away from the kids and domestic routine for a day, book a room in a hotel, binge watch TV and order whatever you fancy from room service. But to carry on an affair for years when you have what sounds like the perfect, supportive husband, I just couldn't get it. It coloured all my feelings about Kate's predicament. I found her needy and self-indulgent. Plus I'm not sure my first reaction to finding out I was in a hotel under siege would be to run around naked shouting the f-word. Put your knickers on first, love. My overriding thought at the end of the book was poor Vic. Oh, and I hope that online grocery shop turned up OK.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty-eight-year-old married mother, Kate continues to meet her lover, James (51) in the same hotel every week. They'd met in Italy 16 years earlier and although both are married, they cant stay away from each other. But this day, unknown gunmen take over the hotel and no one is sure what the motive is or whether anyone will survive. Lots of introspection on both their parts and it tossed my emotions all over the place!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A married woman having an affair with a CEO is having a tryst in an upscale hotel, when she learns it's been taken over by terrorists. The authorities, as usual, are useless. The two spend time in the hotel room waiting for something to happen, and her life flashes before her eyes.

It's like a disaster movie, only there we get at least three or four character studies, broken up occasionally. This is just one that goes on and on.

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a thriller.

It looks like one. It wears the skin of one. A hotel under siege. A woman trapped in a room with the man she should not be with. A city holding its breath. But Room 706 is not interested in explosions. It is interested in implosions. The quiet, internal kind. The ones that happen when you finally have nothing left to distract you from your own life.

I picked this up because it was a Goldsboro Premier choice and went in with no real expectations. What I found was something far more intimate than I anticipated. A book about motherhood and marriage. About the lives we build and the small, private rebellions we make against them. About love in its many forms, and the uncomfortable truth that wanting more does not always mean wanting differently.

Kate is in a hotel room with James. Both of them are married to other people. They have been meeting like this for years. Then the hotel goes into lockdown. The outside world turns violent and unknowable, and the room becomes a capsule of memory, confession, and reckoning. There is tension in the siege, yes, but the real pressure is interior. The slow, unaplogetic examination of how a woman arrives at this precise point in her life.

“this. Affairs involved emotions, falling”

This book lives in Kate’s head. In her doubts. Her justifications. Her tenderness for her children. Her love for her husband. Her need for something that belongs only to her. There is so much internal monologue here, and it works because it is honest about how contradictory people are. How we can be devoted and selfish in the same breath. How we can love deeply and still step sideways from our own lives.

The sections of Kate’s marriage to Vic are especially beautiful. The ordinariness of it. The shared jokes, the rituals, the gentle gravity of a long partnership. It made the affair feel less titillating and more devastating, not because of scandal, but because of what is quietly at stake.

“But they had posed the question and none of the interviewees had seemed to mind. She remembered the most poignant of the answers: ‘There will always be unread books.’”

This novel is full of small, aching thoughts like that. About time. About the life you get versus the life you imagined. About the things you will never have space to read, or be, or become. It is contemplative, tender, and unafraid to sit in emotional ambiguity. I can absolutely see this being a Women’s Prize longlist contender. It has that quiet, searching intelligence to it.

Marketed as a thriller, this will wrong-foot some readers. It is far closer to women’s fiction, or literary domestic drama, with a high-stakes frame. But for me, that misdirection worked. The tension of the siege simply creates the conditions for the real story to unfold.

This is a book about roads taken. And roads not taken. About how a single room can become a confessional. About how love does not always simplify your life, and motherhood does not silence your questions. It is thoughtful, humane, and emotionally generous.

4.25 out of 5.

For readers who like their suspense quiet, their prose reflective, and their emotional truths complicated.

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A completely original novel to look forward to in 2026.i loved the premise, and it had me conjuring up all sorts of situations that must be uncovered during horrific times.

The dual timeline didn’t quite work well enough for me to round up any higher, I enjoyed Vic’s early chapters and could so easily see why he was husband material for Kate. James’ chapters I didn’t enjoy, but equally I didn’t like anything about James so perhaps that’s actually excellent writing. I felt for Kate but I was also really frustrated by her actions……..In the current chapters Kate and James are holed up in room 706 together as it’s the location of their monthly sex session. It’s also in a hotel that is currently under siege by terrorists, making it world wide news. Where the book excels is entirely within Kate’s mind during the hours of the siege.

The ending is open, sometimes this works for me, it didn’t for this title I needed to know the outcome.

Great narration.

Huge thanks to Headline Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is a taut psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of infidelity, identity, and the choices that define our lives. Set against the backdrop of a hotel siege, the story follows Kate, a mother of two, who finds herself trapped in a hotel room with her lover, James, just as terrorists take control of the building. As they are forced into hiding, Kate reflects on her life, her marriage to Vic, and the secrets she has kept hidden.

The book intertwines suspense with emotional depth, creating a narrative that is both gripping and introspective. The confined setting amplifies the tension, while Kate's internal monologue offers a poignant exploration of regret, desire, and the human condition. The book also poses the question about the consequences of our actions and the paths we choose, making it a thought- provoking read.

Emotional, Thrilling, and, Whirlwind Suspense! 3 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 1/15/26

[Jo_Scho_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Kate is happily married to Vic with two gorgeous kids. That hasn’t stopped her having an affair with James for several years. Today they’re both in Room 706 in a London hotel. As James showers to remove all traces of their illicit tryst, Kate idly switches on the tv. And learns, to her horror, that the hotel they are currently in, is under siege.

As Kate and James learn more, they realise they’re in serious danger. They need to stay quiet and be patient. And as the hours pass, Kate reflects on her life and her actions. And wonders, if she survives this, will her marriage survive too?

I’d been warned that this wasn’t a thriller, but more of a contemplative and reflective look at life and marriage. So I was prepared for this and I have to say I fell in love with the story straight from the start. There certainly is tension; the hotel scenes regularly had me on edge and I found the whole concept realistic and ultimately terrifying. But in contrast to this I loved discovering how Kate and Vic’s relationship began and grew, and hearing about the gentle mundanity of their life felt like such a juxtaposition to kate’s current situation. How did two fractured souls who found one another, and healed one another, ever get to this point?

Room 706 is incredibly well written and raises such interesting and thought provoking questions about life journeys, roads travelled and decisions made. The ending won’t be for everyone, but I thought it was perfect.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate has a loving marriage, two kids, and a career. Yet she has a secret. She is having a long-term affair, which she justifies but saying it's like a spa day or a haircut. Me time. No love, just sex. So, one day, she meets her lover at a London hotel, and it is taken over by terrorists. Time for introspection, Kate.

[Chelsey (a_novel_idea11) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Levenson is an impressive debut author and Room 706 had me utterly gripped. I nearly read the entire novel in one sitting as I just could not put it down. I was completely invested in Kate, her current predicament, the love story between Kate and Vic, and the mundanity of life that led Kate to James.

Room 706 is part locked-room thriller, part love story, and part life. Kate is married to Vic - a wonderful but flawed man - and they have two children together. Their life is beautiful, Kate loves her family and her husband and her career, but she's also unfulfilled. When James - an older, successful businessman - shows an interest and fate keeps putting them together, Kate is unable to resist. Now, years later, they are meeting for their quarterly rendezvous when the unthinkable happens. The hotel where they are spending the elicit afternoon is under siege.

I'm typically not a fan of locked-room thrillers. I find them tedious and formulaic. Room 706 is neither of these things. It was poetic how Levenson wove the past with the present and I was enthralled with Kate's entire story. She was so human and relatable even though her choices would not be my own. Levenson's descriptions of marriage, motherhood, and the mental load were spot on and I suspect countless women will relate to some (if not all) aspects of Kate's day-to-day grind and fantasies of alone time.

I was also utterly gripped by how mundane even our final "moments" could be. Trapped in the hotel room for hours upon hours with nothing to do but plan for our own end would leave most women thinking about the grocery list, upcoming appointments, and passwords for household applications. Because beyond the sheer terror that must have been utterly gripping, Kate knew she was still a mother and a wife and there were things that lived in her brain that her family would need. Levenson truly conveyed this all perfectly and while unimaginable, it was also entirely believable.

This novel had me totally absorbed and I couldn't flip the pages fast enough. The intermingling of the past and present were flawlessly executed and the ending left me breathless. Without giving anything away, I can see the ending being a pain point for many readers, but for me, it was exactly what I needed.

Levenson is a powerful new voice and I look forward to reading her next novel! Thank you to SJP Lit for the copy. You don't want to miss this one!

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a puzzling read. I admired the premise, being stuck in a hotel room during a terrorist attack, with the man that you've been having a years-long affair with. And there were moments throughout that were well-written, high-concept ideas, including the content of a lot of Kate's internal monologues and some dialogues between Kate and Vic. Flashes of humor that didn't feel forced. And it was a page-turner, for sure.

However, there were also some major problems. When Kate's infidelity to Vic was the least of my concerns with the main character, there's an issue. She was crying, all the time. In long-ago flashbacks, crying, in recent flashbacks, crying, while trapped in a hotel room, crying (ok, that one I'll forgive). But the waterworks came on far too often. As did the need for a cuddle. Oh, there were so many cuddles. Cuddle cuddle cuddle. And kisses. She and Vic kissed all the time, in the oddest places, at the oddest times. Kate was just generally not a very likeable character, so whatever Vic and James each saw in her needed to be better described. What I really wanted to know was more about Vic, about his relationship with his brother, and their weird parents. They were far more compelling than Kate.

There's also the matter of the terrorist attack. Why did it go on as long as it did? How many people were involved that they could have had control of a large hotel and its occupants for that long? The media coverage seemed considerable, and their online connection to the outside world was available for most of the novel, yet Kate and James were left largely unaware of anything that was going on. That felt like a plot device rather than what could have been a far more interesting aspect of the book. And James and Kate should have talked even more about the logistics of what was happening; that they were so "separated" during the entire 12+ hours they were stuck felt unrealistic and left too much unrealized.

Also problematic: Vic was a saint, Nonna was a saint, Eve was a saint, Kate's mom was a saint, even the kids were.

Two and a half stars, rounded up generously to three because of some strong writing scattered among a lot of treacle.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

*audio

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨(4.5/5)

TW: Cheating / Adultery

“She liked having sex with James. She liked having a secret.”

“You’re only as good as your last f@&k aren’t you, when you have an affair? Otherwise what’s the point!?”

“It’s just sex.”

Thanks to @prhaudio for my #giftedcopy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The audio narrator was a perfect fit for this one. It’s about 2 married cheaters Kate & James, who have been sleeping together for 4-6ish years. One loves their partner (Vic, The Husband) and just “needs” an escape from the monotony of their life. The other, James, just does it because he wants to.

It was a bit all over the place at times and very slow going, things that I usually hate but somehow it worked for this one. There are a lot of time jumps and going back and forth between Kate’s relationships with Vic and James.

Kate feels that she “loves” Vic, yet she won’t stop sleeping with James. It’s something she wants, so she indulges. She likens sex with James to getting her hair done. No feelings, just something she does for herself, her idea of self care.

I think cheating is THE WORST but the author somehow made me wishing the FMC the best throughout the story.

I was surprised not AT the ending persay but at the author’s decision on HOW to end it. These things are not the same. I think as much as I enjoy things tied up nice & neat, the author did the story justice by ending it the way she did.

Overall, I enjoyed this slow burn suspense novel with a love story tied in…I sort of feel like calling it a love story is generous but truly, in its own way it is.

[Alice Brennan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm actually pissed off lol

[Kim Coenen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wat als één geheime keuze je hele leven op het spel zet?
In Kamer 706 van Ellie Levenson lijkt Kate een perfect leven te leiden: een liefdevol huwelijk, kinderen, en een zorgvuldig gebalanceerde routine. Maar af en toe neemt ze tijd voor zichzelf… op een manier die haar veilige bestaan bedreigt.
Tijdens een van deze geheime ontmoetingen in een hotelkamer, zet ze de televisie aan en ontdekt dat het hotel in Londen waar ze verblijft wordt overvallen. Plotseling staat Kate oog in oog met gevaar en keuzes die haar leven voorgoed kunnen veranderen.
Vast in Kamer 706, met de verkeerde man, wordt alles wat ze wilde verbergen bedreigd: haar huwelijk, haar familie en haar toekomst. Eén verkeerde stap kan haar alles kosten.

Mijn ervaring:
Wat een onwijs tof en pakkend thrillerdebuut dat klassieke thriller-elementen combineert met psychologische diepgang. Een verrassende en verfrissende combinatie. Het boek begint direct sterk: een vrouw gevangen in een hotelkamer tijdens een terroristische aanval. Ellie Levenson hanteert een verfijnde maar directe schrijfstijl en zet vanaf het begin een hoog tempo neer, waardoor het verhaal enorm verslavend werkt. Als lezer word je er volledig in meegezogen. Het verhaal is opgebouwd uit korte, heldere hoofdstukken die soepel wisselen tussen het heden in Kamer 706 en de herinneringen aan Kats verleden.

Kat is een gelaagd en complex personage: een toegewijde moeder en echtgenote, maar ook iemand met een verborgen leven. Ze maakt foutieve keuzes en koestert verlangens die ze liever geheimhoudt. Wat Ellie Levenson bijzonder sterk doet, is het verwoorden van Kats tegenstrijdige emoties en gedachten, zonder daar een oordeel aan te hangen. Haar gedachten zijn pijnlijk eerlijk; spijt en hoop zijn voortdurend voelbaar. Dat maakt haar psychologisch rijk en realistisch, en zorgt ervoor dat je als lezer met haar meeleeft in deze benauwende situatie. De relatie met Vic, haar echtgenoot, voelt warm, echt en tastbaar, terwijl de dynamiek met James, haar kamergenoot, juist ongemakkelijk en geladen is. Dit versterkt de innerlijke en emotionele strijd waarin Kat verzeild is geraakt.

Het verhaal heeft een heldere en goed doordachte opbouw. De opening grijpt je meteen, maar het zijn vooral de momenten van introspectie; de herinneringen en overpeinzingen over liefde, trouw en identiteit, die deze thriller naar een hoger niveau tillen. Thema’s als trouw, identiteit, liefde, de last van geheimen en de psychologische tol van keuzes zijn mooi verweven in het verhaal. De terroristische dreiging fungeert als katalysator voor Kats innerlijke reflecties: wat heb je te verliezen? Wat betekent geluk echt? De leeservaring is intens en verhelderend. De combinatie van dreiging, het tikkende tijdsgevoel en de psychologische diepte maakt het verhaal zowel spannend als emotioneel geladen. En dan het einde… verpletterend, overrompelend en compleet onverwacht. Ik ga niets verklappen...dit boek moet je zelf ervaren.

Kamer 706 is een pakkende, originele en verrassende pageturner die je vanaf de eerste pagina grijpt en niet meer loslaat. De mix van spanning, psychologische diepgang, introspectie en een complex maar realistisch hoofdpersonage, gecombineerd met een verfijnde en directe schrijfstijl, mondt uit in een verpletterend en verrassend einde. Een thriller die je móét lezen.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

All my reviews can be found at damppebbles.com

Kate is a wife and mother. She’s happily married, adores her kids and has a successful career. What more could she want? Something for just her. So, every few months, for six years, she’s been meeting James for no-strings sex in hotel rooms. Afterwards, she gets dressed and heads out to collect the children from school. Her family, her friends, none the wiser. On one such afternoon, to bide some time, she turns on the TV to see a news bulletin. Terrorists have taken control of a hotel in London. The hotel she and James are currently in. With no idea what is happening around them, Kate begins to reflect on the choices that brought her to this point. She examines her life, her marriage and her affair. She makes realisations that perhaps she wouldn’t have otherwise. And she worries about how her family will cope if she doesn’t make it home. More importantly, what happens next if she does…?

Room 706 is a tense, perilous, emotional and engaging literary novel. Something a little different for me but oh boy, a strong reminder that sometimes, it’s worth looking outside your normal reading preferences. As I mentioned, there is a thriller aspect to this book but it’s a plot device more than anything. The terrorists strike fear into the hostages’ hearts. After a quick call to the police, Kate and James are advised to stay in their room. Lock and bar the door, don’t make a sound, don’t run any water or flush the toilet, keep the blinds closed. There’s a scene that happens out of sight of Kate and James where gunshots are fired. It’s the not knowing exactly what happened on the other side of that door that increases your heart rate. You know it can’t be good, you know danger is only a few feet away, and you know the only thing that stands between Kate and that gun is a flimsy hotel door and a couple of pieces of furniture she’s hoping will slow the terrorists down. The terror is palpable. The expectation is high and I loved how on edge the situation felt. But there’s not a lot for Kate and James to do whilst they wait for news (or death!). So Kate thinks about her family. The big stuff that tends to cross your mind when you’re facing impending doom with a man you don’t love. And the unimportant now feels the most important thing in the world. Such as the password for the online grocery order, amongst other things. Alongside Kate’s current situation, the reader also gets to see Kate’s relationship with her husband, Vic, from its infancy. The day they first met in an almost empty cinema in Italy, how they gradually fell in love, through to getting married and having their two children.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Room 706 is a beautifully written novel, tender and engaging throughout, but with an edge. How will Vic respond when he realises that Kate was in the hotel with another man? Throughout the ordeal, Kate does message her husband. She spins a lie, a reason for being there based upon the lie she told him earlier. It’s never questioned by Vic. Does he know the truth? Does it even matter? Kate fully delves into her past, remembering fondly the people she’s lost along the way, including her beloved mother. The grief she still feels comes fiercely across to the reader. It’s a big part of who this woman is today and I found her fascinating. So many levels, so wonderfully flawed but so perfectly written. Just gorgeous. I loved this book. I hope that comes across in this review. I always waffle on about the reading experience. This was an experience and a half! Gosh, unforgettable. One final thing before I sign off and please don’t read anything into this regarding the ending. I’m not telling you how it ends. But I burst into tears when I read the final words. Not because of what happened in the story (maybe a little bit because of what happened in the story, it’s an emotional one) but because it was over. I felt bereft and I don’t say that very often. All in all, exquisitely written, heartfelt and irresistible. Thought-provoking, nuanced and impossible to put down. Highly recommended.

[Lianne Hare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting out we find out immediately that Kate is having an affair, cheating on her very loving husband Vic with a man she isn't in love with, but simply wants to spend time for herself. Personally I like to hike for peace and quiet away from my daily life, but that's not for Kate it seems. So this romance quickly becomes a thriller when the hotel she's booked a day rate room in is taken over and they become hostages in an active terrorist plot. Trapped in the room together, Kate is pushed to be faced with a lifetime of memories and fear this might be how her life ends. We quickly start to flick between Kates current situation and taking a journey through her life, from growing up to meeting Vic and falling for him.

It's hard having a FMC i don't feel fiercly bonded with, because the moral dilemma of why she's in this situation in the first place keeps pulling me back to "you shouldn't have been there in the first place" but maybe this really is the social commentary of how married women who become the default parent and glue that holds life together becomes a womans first or only identity. Going from a woman who has a full life of hobbies, ambition and drive, to then being responsible for their offspring first and a human woman with her own interests and time needed always falls second. This isn't to say her husband is useless, far from it, as I kept searching for a reason he might have deserved this treatment as if he had been personally cruel in their relationship to warrant such a betrayal, alas, unless I missed something glaringly obvious, I fear there wasn't actions from him other than maybe taking what she does for granted a little too much.

This was a really well paced story, to the point when it came to an end I turned the last page and went "no surely not, I need more", so although its a tough subject matter to see an affair in such a clear and unashamed way, I still wanted more from my morally grey FMC

[Claire - TheBookendReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story opens with what feels like a normal, slightly chaotic family morning — Kate and her husband Vic juggling breakfast, school bags, and two kids who need to get out the door. But by 1pm, Kate is in Room 706 of a London hotel with her lover, James… and everything changes. A terrorist group storms the building, taking over the hotel and trapping guests inside. Suddenly, Kate’s years of secrecy and deception collide with the very real possibility that she may not make it out alive.

Told entirely from Kate’s perspective, the story weaves together three timelines — her marriage to Vic, her affair with James, and the terrifying hours inside the hotel room — and the structure works beautifully. It’s a tense, emotional, and at times claustrophobic read, with so much heart running underneath the fear.

The hostage situation feels scarily believable; I could almost feel myself trapped in that room with them. But I will say the middle section dragged a little for me — a touch too much introspection and not quite enough tension to balance it.

Still, the ending completely made up for it. It’s ambiguous (which I know won’t be everyone’s cup of tea), but I loved it — it gave me absolute chills.

This is a debut that feels anything but — beautifully written, deeply human, and packed with emotion. It’s part thriller, part relationship drama, and all heart. Preorder it. You’ll thank yourself later.

[Trina Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate is happily married to Vic with 2 beloved young children, despite this picture of marriage bliss, she still meets lover James 4 times a year in a hotel room for no strings attached sex.
As they prepare to leave the room after one such session, they discover that Terrorists have stormed the hotel and everyone inside is taken hostage.
During the hours that follow, Kate has plenty of opportunity to contemplate on her life. She reflects back to her meeting with Vic, their courtship and subsequent marriage. She also reminisces about her affair with James
Despite the book being set only in a hotel room, I found this a thrilling tense read, my nerves were with Kate as reports were coming in about the Terrorists, would she make it out alive and have chance to hug Vic and her children again.
I loved her anecdotes with Vic, their age game was lovely.
This is such a powerful book it's hard to believe it's a debut novel. It deserves all the praise and would make a great movie

[Dr. Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about relationships and love within a hostage plot. Overall I enjoyed this. Less of a thriller and more of a literary story. thank you Zando for sending this to me 3.5/5.

[Wynnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not I what I expected. Being listed as a Thriller, that's how I went into it. But it's not really that. It's part Thriller, but mostly a regular novel with Kate being stuck in Room 706 of her London hotel with a man that is not her husband. The hotel is under siege by terrorists. During that time, Kate reflects on her past how she met husband Vic, and she thinks about her two children - her past in general, really. It has a philosophical vibe with a touch of psychology along with what could go through a person's mind in that situation.

It is a good read going in with that mindset. However, my mistake was thinking it would be Thriller