The Astrology House

• Author: Carinn Jade
• Genre: Mystery/Thriller
• Publication Date: July 16, 2024
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Thank you to libro.fm for providing me with a ALC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A group of wealthy Manhattanites escapes to an astrology-themed retreat, where simmering resentments and long-held secrets lead to a shocking death.

Margot needs a minute. She’s been working eighty-hour weeks as a newly minted partner at her law firm. She’s disconnected from her brother, the only family she has left. And she’s still not pregnant after years of trying.

Stars Harbor Astrological Retreat promises rest, relaxation, and wisdom for Margot and her friends. With Instagram-worthy views and nightly astrology readings in an impeccably restored waterfront Victorian house, this getaway should be nothing but idyllic fun. For Margot’s brother, Adam, it’s the perfect opportunity to rekindle the romance that fuels his writing, but his wife, Aimee, hides the darkness of her past with a beautiful social media feed. Their friend, Farah, is a successful doctor who cannot admit she’s losing control. But no one holds a greater secret than their astrologer host, Rini. She has a plan for all her guests, and one won’t be leaving Stars Harbor alive.

It’s no secret that I love an audiobook narrated by a full cast, so this one seemed right up my alley with the focus on astrology built into the story. I’m always curious about a debut author, so decided to give this one a try. It doesn’t hurt that it is set on Long Island, so I probably have a good understanding of the types of people you find in the type of retreat found in this story. As it turns out, I sort of did.

A group of wealthy Manhattanites heading to a resort on the east end of Long Island is guaranteed to involve some type of drama, and that’s exactly what we got in this book. Four couples have their share of secrets and resentments, and it feels like a season of The Real World. That’s further reinforced by the fact that the audiobook is narrated by a full cast, so we get to hear from the first person perspective of the majority of the characters. The narrators did a wonderful job with this audiobook, and it felt like listening to an episode on television.

I really loved how the chapters began with astrology snippets, like astrology cheat sheets for each of the characters. The astrology aspect seemed extremely well-researched, as far as I could tell, and it was woven through the story. Characters are offered couple readings and individual readings, and I really liked how this was done. I wasn’t always a believer in astrology until I actually started looking into it, and was shocked at how accurate it is. The characters were well-rendered, fully fleshed out, even if most of them were unlikable. That didn’t make me enjoy the book any less, since they weren’t necessarily designed to be likable. For the most part, the characters aren’t really good people, hence the secrets and resentments. 

I struggled with the pace on this one. It’s relatively slow for a lot of the story, and then the end came across as super rushed to me, and not all of the characters storylines felt like they were wrapped up fully. There are a lot of characters involved in the cast, but I did feel like I got to know most of them. A few don’t play a major part in the story, and are just there for filler, so we don’t hear from them or get to know them much. But the major players all have narrative chapters. The twist at the end is a bit over the top, but I liked it anyway—somehow it just felt like it fit.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of this book. I read this whole story in a day, and couldn’t put it down. There was something so addictive about it that kept me coming back to read instead of doing anything else. While there were some aspects of the story that didn’t work well for me, there were plenty of positives to the story that worked beautifully for me. The writing itself is gorgeous, and the choice to have the audiobook narrated by a full cast was perfect. This story is fantastic, the astrology is fascinating, and the fact that the characters are at a retreat lends a sense of claustrophobia to the book. However, it doesn’t follow a typical mystery/thriller format, and comes across more like women’s literature (or as I like to call it, general fiction) until the very end of the book, when the mystery part of the story gets played up and things happen very quickly. Aside from these things, this was a great debut, and I will be eagerly keeping an eye out for more from this author. Ideal for people who have an interest in astrology, stories about secrets and resentments, or aren’t ready to commit to an entire book devoted to mystery. 

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