“Nobody knows she’s checked into Room 706.

Caught in the wrong place at precisely the worst time, Kate must face the most confronting situation of her life – and discover what matters most – in this deeply suspenseful and thought-provoking novel.

If she knew it would end this way, would it ever have begun?

Kate stretches her legs and turns on the TV while James washes away the traces of their morning. She watches in horror at the unfolding news: the hotel they are staying in has been taken under siege.

She should be making her way home, working on appearing normal, getting ready to re-enter family life with her loving husband Vic and their two adored children. Instead, she is trapped somewhere she shouldn’t be, with a man she definitely doesn’t love.

How will she begin to tell Vic what she is doing here? If her body is found, will it give up the secret of what she’s been up to? She’s been so careful hiding the evidence of her affair: write nothing down, leave no trace. Will he begin to understand why?

For now, Kate can only hide, take a deep breath, and reflect on the series of choices she’s made that have brought her to this moment.

What will her marriage and her life look like, if she makes it out?”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Room 706 by Ellie Levenson. Room 706 was published by Headline Review on 15th January 2026 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free ARC of Room 706 but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to Louise at Headline Review for sending me a finished copy.

Despite having a thriller element to it of sorts, Room 706 probably isn’t a book I would ordinarily select for myself. No shade meant by that at all. Regular visitors to the blog will know that I’m a blood, guts and gore kinda gal. The darker the book, the more despicable the characters, the better! And nothing turns me off a book faster than romance (saying that, I recently wrote a Top Ten Tuesday list where I listed books I wanted to read outside of my comfort zone — most of them had a romance element). And this isn’t a romance novel either. But it’s about love. I may not have selected it for myself, but I’m bloody glad I read it!

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.

I chose to read and review a free ARC of Room 706. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Room 706 by Ellie Levenson was published in the UK by Headline Review on 15th January 2026 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Ellie Levenson has worked as a journalist, writer and lecturer for many years.

Her freelance work as a feature writer and columnist saw articles published across national newspapers, consumer magazines and specialist publications, with a special focus on writing accessibly about politics, language and social issues.

Ellie has extensive experience as a lecturer in journalism at Goldsmiths College, University of London, and has been a guest lecturer at many other institutions. She has also worked as an Adjunct Professor at the London programmes of Boston University and Syracuse University. She is completing a PGCHE and is interested to hear about any guest lecturing opportunities in journalism, ideas generation and creative writing.

Before becoming a novelist, Ellie wrote non-fiction books for adults and non-fiction and picture books for children. These include Politics in 100 words (Quarto, 2020), Creativity and Feature Writing: How to get hundreds of new ideas every day (Routledge, 2015), The Election (Fisherton Press, 2015) and The Noughtie Girl’s Guide to Feminism (Oneworld, 2009).

Ellie lives with her husband and children in East London.