Room 706 by Ellie Levenson

When mother of two Kate goes to meet her lover James in a hotel room, she watches in horror when she switches on the TV and realises their hotel has been taken under terrorist siege. Told to stay silent and hidden, Kate is trapped in a room with a man she’s been having an affair with for years – her escape hatch, her release valve – but who she doesn’t really know at all.

In one room, with the possibility of death looming, Kate is left to contemplate what has led her here. She reflects on the grief and heartbreak of her young life, the complexities of her relationship with her husband, Vic, and the pure, unadulterated love she feels for her children. Intricately weaving Kate’s past in with her present, Room 706 follows one woman taking stock of her life, and considering what life might hold in store – if she makes it home.

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One hotel room. Two lovers. And one siege that blows their lives apart.

Pre-Reading Thoughts:
A hotel affair interrupted by a hostage situation? Sounds like a moral mess wrapped in a thriller - exactly my kind of disaster.

Post-Reading
As I thought... The tension is exquisite. The story moves through three timelines - when she meets her husband, when she meets her lover, and the agonising “now” in the hotel room - and it somehow never loses momentum. Even with the jumps, it flows like a confession.
It surprised me by... how understated it all is. The affair isn’t romanticised or even particularly sexy; it’s clinical, rationalised, almost like she’s performing self-care with consequences attached. I found myself understanding her logic while still shaking my head at every decision she made.

⚠️ Spoiler zone (highlight to read):
I wanted Room 706 to give me one more breath — police bursting in, chaos, and Vic’s silent, knowing hug. The moment she has to stand in what she’s done, but isn’t abandoned. That’s the closure this story earned, even if it didn’t deliver it.

MUSIC PAIRING
🎵 Featured Song: “You Know I’m No Good” — Amy Winehouse
🎶 Vibe Album: Blue — Joni Mitchell (for that ache of self-awareness)
🎧 Artist Recommendation: Daughter — all that soft melancholy fits perfectly here

VIBE CHECK
🎨 Colour Palette: hotel beige, rumpled white sheets, flashing blue lights
🎬 Soundtrack: muffled news reports and heartbeat percussion
🌸 Season: late summer, when everything feels a bit too close
🪞 Mood: guilty introspection
🔥 Scent: smoke, coffee, and cold air through a broken window

TAROT PULL: Judgement — the moment between guilt and grace, where all choices come home to roost.

For fans of: Apple Tree Yard and The Affair (TV series)