Published 15th January 2026 by Headline.
From the cover of the book:
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?
***********
After a morning of passionate love-making in an upmarket London hotel, Kate relaxes before facing the rest of her day as a busy wife and working mum of two. Switching on the TV while James takes a shower, she is horrified to discover that the hotel has been taken over by terrorists, and is now under siege.
Trapped in Room 706, Kate begins to ponder the choices that brought her to this moment, because the man she is with is not the one she is supposedly happily married to. If she makes it out alive, how will she explain her presence here to her husband, Vic, and what will it mean for her marriage?
This cracking debut unfurls in three beautifully wrought threads that delve into the history of Kate's relationship with her husband, and her lover, whilst the tension of a hostage scenario plays out in the present.
Beginning with the moment she meets Vic in Italy, while consumed by the devastating loss of her beloved mother, we follow Kate through the ups and downs of a love story that has become complicated by the every-day stresses and strains of marriage, motherhood, and career. With no-one she can confide in about her doubts and longing for time away from her family, despite caring deeply for her husband and children, Kate embarks on an affair with, James, a married man she feels an instant connection with. Kate wants nothing more from James than the kind of no-strings, uninhibited sex she does not have with Vic, justifying the affair as 'me time' like any other self-care ritual. But when circumstances mean she is forced to look closely at her life, she realises what kind of future she really wants - just when it might be snatched away from her.
A lovely atmosphere of knife-edge tension builds in the present, as Kate and James risk detection at any moment, and the story is made more unsettling by the fact that they are never sure about what is happening outside the door of 706. Rather than making this a story about in-your-face action, what dominates is the incredibly insightful way Levenson explores Kate's reflections on all the twists and turns that have led her here - trapped with a man who was supposed to be her guilt-free escape from a predictable reality.
As the threads draw together, Levenson takes you on a coming-of-age journey through Kate's life, delving into the emotional nitty-gritty behind her decisions, the experiences that find her caught between what these two men mean to her, and the clarity danger brings. There is a lot to unpack about what a healthy marriage and being a good parent looks like. I thoroughly enjoyed how Levenson examines everything that comes with Kate's mental load, and her need to ensure her husband and children can go on without her - all those elements of legacy, love, protection, and the myriad, hidden facets of domesticity are so relatable.
This is an impressive debut, marking Ellie Levenson out as a talent to watch. I adored how it leaves you with lingering feelings of sondering, and will be thinking about this book for a long time to come.
Room 706 is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Headline for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
About the author:
Ellie Levenson is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared across many national newspapers and magazines. She lives in London with her family.
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