NINE PERFECT STRANGERS is two books in one: the first, filled with eccentric characters, wry humor and promise for intrigue; the second, utter tedium. What a grand idea for a plot, I thought, as I was introduced to nine people about to embark on inside-and-out makeovers at a stunningly beautiful house in Australia. Frances, the washed up romance novelist; Jessica and Ben, in their new Lamborghini; Lars, the drop dead gorgeous divorce lawyer; Tony, the retired Aussie footballer; Carmel, the weight-obsessed mother; and the Marconis, a seemingly ordinary family of three: all, for reasons of their own, signed up for a ten day stay at Tranquillum House.Sheer heaven, the strangers anticipate, until they learn the strict rules they must obey during their stay. No electronics; no talking; no alcohol and almost no food, Masha, the owner, makes clear. Is this a health spa or psychological warfare, the guests wonder, as they are stripped of all contraband.As the strangers interact during their first couple days, Lianne Moriarty has me smirking. She confirms my pathological fear of whole-body wellness spas. Why anyone would pay a small fortune for ten days of misery has always intrigued me, and I discover that many of the Tranquillum House guests are asking the same questions. Their stories emerge, often through internal dialogue, and it is no surprise to me that each character is in crisis of some degree.And then things get weird, as the saying goes; I could hardly wait to find out what happens next (and next). The tension continues to build, and - boom - the suspense drops like a heavy weight in what I call Book Two. I quickly became bored by the characters and the outlandish plot. Frances in particular gets on my last nerve as she whines with each retelling of her past. I DON’T CARE became my internal dialogue. Determined to reach the denouement, I used my ancient Evelyn Wood speed reading expertise to skim through 200 pages.This book has such great potential for an entertaining read. Until Book Two, I loved the characters and their siege-like situation. The dark humor had me laughing, and my fear and loathing of wellness centers was vindicated. Lianne Moriarty seemed to have lost her way somewhere in the middle of her story. At certain points, I thought there were too many characters; in others, I wanted new ones to stimulate my interest. Lianne Moriarty can do much better.

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!!!

I have enjoyed reading all of her books but Nine Perfect Strangers is a challenge. Terribly boring & unrealistic. I was not able to finish the book.

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...

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.