BOOK REVIEW: Bath Haus

Lies beget Lies in this twisty, psychological thriller from P.J. Vernon. Oliver has finally found stability. He loves his older, wealthy (doctor!) boyfriend, Nathan, and he's finally gotten sober. He even has a steady job, thanks to Nathan. But something is wrong, even if Oliver can't put his finger on it.

Oliver doesn't know why he goes to the bathhouse. Or why he follows a beautiful, mysterious man into a back room. He just wants a night of freedom, away from Nathan's suffocating gaze.

But fantasy turns to terror when the man tries to kill Oliver, leaving a hand-shaped bruise on his neck that Oliver can't hide from Nathan. Oliver knows he's on the razor's edge of losing everything if Nathan finds out.

Unfortunately, Oliver's attacker isn't giving up. With the promise of violence closing in and Nathan growing more suspicious, Oliver must ask: has he ever really been safe?

Whew, this one had some disturbing scenes! Oliver's attacker is genuinely terrifying, and the claustrophobia of Oliver's stalking is palpable. The book switches between Nathan and Oliver, which creates an interesting juxtaposition. It was clear from the start that the communication between these men was *not great*. Nathan's internal dialogue versus what Oliver perceived of him was one of my favorite parts of the book. The prose is engaging, and I felt so much hope and empathy for Oliver, even after he continually made terrible choices. And I do mean terrible choices while on a rampant path of self-destruction. P.J. Vernon's depiction of the insidious nature of emotional abuse was excellent, as was his examination of the inherent power dynamic between Oliver and Nathan.

As great as the tension was, the book lasted just a bit too long. The cyclical nature of Nathan and Oliver lying to each other, making things worse, and then lying more in reaction to the consequences grew repetitive. As a reader, I grew impatient, despite enjoying the story.

Book or Audio?

Once again, I listened! I loved the readers, especially Daniel Henning's voicing of Nathan. Michael Crouch, who voiced Oliver, is one of my favorite readers (look out for my upcoming review of How to Survive a Summer, also voiced by Crouch!). Bath Haus is definitely a page-turner, so you can't go wrong with either audio or hardcopy.

Overall: Gay: quite

Trauma scale, ranging from Schitt's Creek (1) to A Little Life (10): 8/10- Oliver goes through some shit.

My rating: 7/10