I did NOT see that ending coming! Wow! I will have to go back and read the author's other books. I think this would be a great readalike to suggest to people who enjoyed Lisa Unger's Last Girl Ghosted.

Auckland, New Zealand is the setting for this creepy thriller where we meet Lina and Caine, they are a newlywed couple with secrets. Lina is an overworked paramedic and Cain, a former SAS officer who was stationed in Afghanistan has dark past. Lina has inherited a vacation home that had been in her family and since they don't get a chance to use it very often, Cain gets Lina to agree to rent it out on weekends for extra income. The rental process used is similar to AirbNb and, it turns out their rental becomes quite popular. So what seemed like a good idea turns into a nightmare when it's clear hidden spy cameras are in place and someone is interested in watching someone.

An extremely creepy page turner with a terrific setting as well. This turned out to be one of those books that was hard to put down despite some implausible moments and a bit too much going on at times, I found creepy thriller totally engrossing.
http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2021/11/3-brief-book-reviews-invisible-husband.html

Review posted to blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

I’m not sure I have the words.

I wanted to like this one. Really I did, and at first, I was intrigued. Hidden cameras installed in Airbnbs to spy on guests. Consider me creeped out!

I guess it’s a good thing I haven’t traveled in over 2 years.

So let’s dive in to see where it went off the deep end: Lina and her husband Cain are our main characters. Lina is a naughty little girl. She’s not just naughty, she’s very naughty. Of course, it comes back to bite her in the worst of ways. Shocker!

Owners of property on Lake Tarawera, Lina and Cain decide to rent it out on weekends for extra income. That of course turns out to be a big mistake. HUGE.

I wish I could say I felt sorry for them.

A deadly game of cat and mouse. A pulse-pounding mystery/suspense that had me from the get-go and lost me fairly quickly.

Perhaps it was because I didn’t quite care about the characters or because I felt that the plot was completely far-fetched and was simply unable to suspend my disbelief. In the end, unfortunately, The Last Guest just wasn’t for me. I am however, one of a few reviewers who didn’t quite love this, all other reviewers were thrilled by this, including my book buddy Kaceey, who liked this one much more than I did.

Thank you to Mulholland Books via NetGalley for the arc.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.

I’ve consistently been a huge fan of J.P. Pomare. I’m always guaranteed a clever, super-twisty thriller. Once again, this latest release was no exception.

Lina and Cain are barely getting by financially. They decide to use Lina’s lakeside vacation home as an Airbnb for some much-needed extra income. While Cain is all in, Lina has more than just a few moments of hesitation. Deep concern to be more precise. But come on, what could go wrong?! What could go wrong indeed! If you’re familiar with the author (as I am) buckle up everyone! He will twist this premise into knots in ways you could never imagine.

You may very well think twice before booking your next Airbnb vacation!😎

Lina and Cain are both highly-developed characters that are flawed, and yes, hiding plenty of secrets! Is the past about to catch up to both of them?

I had suspicions about where the storyline was headed…but of course, no answers. And I was gleefully kept in the dark right to the end. Just the way I like it!

A buddy read with Susanne!

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books

I really enjoyed In The Clearing by J.P. Pomare and in my review of that book I said "this is one of the most disturbing stories I’ve ever read" and this is more of the same, and I LOVED it. Mr. Pomare always manages to write stories that are unusual and surprisingly different.

Newlyweds Lina and Cain decide to rent out her vacation property in the style of an Airbnb. But both Lina and Cain have been keeping secrets and as the story unfolds we, the reader, learn all about their nasty little habits. This one takes a bit to get going but once it does it will have your heart palpitating.

I am not going to get into the plot or what happens. Letting you know much more will ruin the book for you. I will say that this book was thrilling, had a lot of action, kept me on the edge of my seat, was very suspenseful and I read it in one sitting...it really surprised me too, just when I thought I had it all figured out...I was wrong.

I loved the descriptions of New Zealand, especially the lakes just outside Auckland. It sounds like an impressively beautiful place to visit.

I love everything that the talented Mr Pomare but I must admit, this was my leasr favorite by him. Chapter one was gripping but it kind of began to get slower after that and it failed to keep me engaged. Still a good read. I hope others enjoy it more than I did.

THIS. WAS. ONE. FREAKY. BOOK.

Warning: do not read if you are alone in a house at night!

Cain, an army vet, is able to convince his wife, Lina, a paramedic, to put the house on Lake Tarawera she inherited from her grandparents on an Airbnb side called WeStay. In their 20s, Cain and Lina are having difficulty balancing careers, finances, trauma, a social life and future dreams. On top of these stresses, the newlyweds are keeping secrets from each other. Renting out the lakehouse on the weekends seems like a great way to solve cashflow problems. Unfortunately, what seems like a great idea becomes a nightmare.

Right from the first page I was pulled onto a rollercoaster ride I didn’t think I wanted to go on! It was disturbing, yet compelling. I couldn’t stop reading. Who was installing miniature cameras? What’s going on here? It definitely incited chills and left me wondering about every single hotel room I’ve ever stayed in!!! The voyeuristic overtones were creepy, but the peephole chapters were downright freaky! J.P. Pomare has played into our fear of someone watching us and created an edgy thriller that readers just can’t tear themselves away from reading. The shady, untrustworthy, and aloof characters added to the uneasy feeling. It’s sharp, fast paced storytelling that will tie a cold knot in the pit of your stomach and give you that claustrophobic sense that some thing is going to happen … and it will probably freak you out.

Pomare highlights privacy issues, the effects of poor choices, the treatment of war vets and our obsession with technology. He crafts an edgy thriller that leaves readers with an uneasy feeling.

If you like a voyeuristic thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, this one’s for you!

Publishes August 31, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by JP Pomare, Mulholland Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is literally the first time a novel has left me speechless!!! HOLY MOLY, was this a wild ride!!!!

First and foremost , a big THANK YOU to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review The Last Guests, prior to its release date. JP Pomare, bravo! This was one hell of a novel!

I am critical to give out 5 stars, however, anything less than a 5 star rating would never do this book justice. I was completely and totally absorbed in this story from start to finish.

I would like to say that we all like to see the best in everyone, however, some people are capable of doing some very very bad things. This is a story that narrates just that. This is a very dark book filled with twist turns and secrets that will leave you shocked and begging for more. The writing style is perfect.

You will not predict this ending, it is one that will leave you with a major book hangover.

The Last Guests NEEDS to be read by anyone who loves a psychological thriller! Congrats to JP Pomare on this exceptional novel!