Book Blurb
Eighteen months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, DC suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian — and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track — Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand).
A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged—but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing. The most unsettling part? You’ll root for her, even as you gasp in disbelief.
An insanely competitive housing market. A desperate buyer on the edge. In Marisa Kashino’s darkly hilarious debut novel, Best Offer Wins, the white picket fence becomes the ultimate symbol of success—and obsession. How far would you go for the house of your dreams?
Dark, biting, and laugh-out-loud funny, Best Offer Wins is a propulsive debut and a razor-sharp exploration of class, ambition, and the modern housing crisis.”
About the Author
Marisa Kashino is a longtime journalist whose work has appeared in numerous publications covering everything from politics to real estate to culture. She has spent years writing about the quirks, chaos, and characters of the Washington, DC area, which probably explains how she channeled the emotional mayhem of house hunting so perfectly. Best Offer Wins is her debut novel, where she blends sharp humor, social commentary, and a suspenseful edge that pulls readers straight into the spiral of obsession.
My Review
I fell into this story so quickly that it felt like mental whiplash in the best possible way. The setup alone hooked me—because who hasn’t at least thought about losing their grip a tiny bit after too many failed offers in a cutthroat housing market? Margo’s journey is gripping, messy, and darkly funny, and I loved every twist and turn the story threw at me… well, almost every twist. The first major one asked me to leap a gap a little too wide. I could see where we were headed, but the connection didn’t quite land for me.
Luckily, everything after that? Smooth sailing straight into spiraling chaos. The later twists deepen and sharpen without that same wobble, and their complexity kept the tension high in a way that felt addictive rather than confusing.
What really stood out, though, was how relatable this entire story is. The longing for space. The need for stability. The way one “dream home” can morph into a borderline obsession before you even realize you’ve crossed a line. Margo isn’t always someone you should root for, but somehow you do anyway. Kashino handles that balance brilliantly.
And that ending? Absolutely chilling. Subtle, eerie, and the kind of unsettling that lingers after you’ve closed the book.
Dark, smart, sharply funny, and surprisingly heartfelt, Best Offer Wins is a compulsively readable debut that delivers far more than just real-estate drama. Even with that early twist hiccup, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨
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