Liane Moriarty knows how to create characters who leap off the pages and sit in your lounge long after you've read the last chapter. They are all non-cookie-cutter, and yet totally believable. I couldn't wait to discover all their secrets and to see how their future unfolded. I loved the light, heat and scent of Australia that enveloped me while reading this book. This was a fast, beautiful read, with "issues" to get your teeth into and think about - my favourite kind of book.So why only 4 stars? I found the story line a bit disappointing. Things happened and characters changed, but it wasn't as profound as I had expected.Still, a thoroughly enjoyable book. Don't miss out on it just because it's not "Big Little Lies".

Frances Welty, popular romance writer who'd just felt her first rejection, had thought her career and future were assured at fifty-five years of age. The impulsive booking at Tranquillum House, a health and wellness resort (which was expensive), had her questioning her own decisions on the long and tiring drive from Sydney. Her arrival showed her a beautiful old home built in the 1800s, renovated to within an inch of its life, with a staircase reminiscent of the Titanic (in the film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet; which made Frances smile) – perhaps she might enjoy it after all.Meeting the other eight guests – Carmel, Tony, Lars, Napolean and his wife Heather and daughter Zoe, Jessica and her husband Ben – felt strange. But even stranger was the fact the course started with five days of silence. Not a word to be spoken; no eye contact – five days! Frances knew that would be difficult. Within that period, there were meditation classes, walking, massage therapy, smoothies and meals, plus free time to swim in the luxurious pool. All to be done in silence.But each and every guest had a secret – and who were the people in charge of the resort? Were the guests comfortable with all that was happening to them? Some were – some most definitely weren’t…Nine Perfect Strangers is the latest by Aussie author Liane Moriarty and wow! How different, how intriguing, how bizarre – how fabulous! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and even with it being almost 500 pages, I flew through it. I can see this one being made into a movie – it would be fantastic on the big screen. I have no hesitation in recommending Nine Perfect Strangers highly.

I absolutely LOVED this book!!! Nine people head out to a retreat house with the hopes of peace, destress, lost weight , built relationships ...and so much more!!! Each person has their own individual story about their past and the life that has led them to this retreat house! The owner and her 2 employees have incredible stories as well throughout the book! Secret after secret unravels as all nine strangers quickly must lean and depend on one another. The characters were all very interesting, with relatable issues. Nine Perfect Strangers is filled with shame, grief, addiction, identity, resentment, love...you name it!!!My only drawback to this book is the length. It was nearly pages and it really dragged out at the end. In my opinion, it could have been wrapped up a whole lot quicker!I would definitely recommend this book! It really was a great one!!!

NINE PERFECT STRANGERS might be the most amusing book of Liane Moriarty’s. Not to say that the entire book is funny, but certainly some of the characters are pretty quirky. Nine people, known of whom know each other, set out to go on a ten-day retreat at a health spa, each with their own various reasons of what they hope to attain. There is a sense of mystery about the spa that they have chosen. It is in an odd location, nobody has been there before, and they are not sure what to expect. What they find when they get there is not what they anticipated. At all. The story has all the makings of a reality TV show – who is the weakest link, who is the darling, will the couple be able to sort out their differences, who will be the first couple to lock lips, you get the picture.

This is the story of Nine Perfect Strangers who get a little more than they bargained for at a wellness retreat. Each person comes for different reasons and they leave with new understandings and even some new connections. Once again, Moriarty’s story and characters take you to places you weren’t quite expecting...