I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All these opinions are my own and are not biased in any way.

Release Date: September 13th 2022
Rating: 2.5/5

Plot: This book follows Jamie and Victoria- a couple who lost a baby. Or at least that's what they tell people. When Victoria gave birth, they were at a guest house. Little did they know that the couple running the guest house was not the innocent pair they thought they were. Honestly, that wasn't even the plot twist. The REAL plot twist comes after. Near to the end. I suspected it, but wasn't "set" on the idea really.

Characters: Well there's not many main characters and I can't say my thoughts on too many of the characters without spoiling the book. Let's just say MOST (not all) of the characters are... pretty messed up.

Elements/genres: This is an Adult Thriller (but can be read at I'd say 14+) that is in alternating timelines, between now and the past (so basically what happened in the guest house).

Likes: The plot twist at the end. That's basically it. Oh, and maybe some of the flashbacks.

Pace: The beginning was slow paced for me. Only after the first few chapters did things actually begin to happen. Sure, there were important details but they weren't very interesting. The flashbacks were very confusing at first. Both were boring, but after the first few slow chapters I started enjoying both past and present flashbacks.

This was an okay read. There are definitely better thrillers out there in my opinion. Eh. This was an eARC and when it comes out I don't think I will buy a physical copy.

The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley deserves a spot on your To-Read list. This book is full of suspense, twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night, or the early morning hours.

I love nothing better than an engrossing book that makes me want to forget everything else!

Jamie and Victoria are off for a last quick vacation before the arrival of their first baby. The remote country guesthouse Victoria chose seems like the perfect retreat—miles away from the distractions of work and their regular life. And the older couple that run the establishment, Barry and Fiona, are more than accommodating.

But when Jamie and Victoria awake on their first morning, they find the house deserted. Barry and Fiona are nowhere to be seen. All the doors are locked. And their cell phones and car keys have disappeared.

Even though it’s a few weeks before the baby’s due date, Victoria feels the contractions starting. The baby is coming… and there’s no way out.

I’m not the only one who found this novel to be super entertaining- it’s getting four and five stars over on Goodreads!

Out on September 13

What would you do if you go on a 'babymoon' to a bed and breakfast to find that your phone and keys are gone! This is one story that pulls you in and is multiple twists! Highly recommened!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! Okay! Well, that was something else. I was drawn in by the pretty cover and when I first started, I wasn’t really sure about it. I kept going and it got cracky!

Victoria and Jamie are expecting their first child. They’ve gone through rounds of IVF and luckily they accidentally conceived on their own after many failed attempts.

Like a bunch of idiots, they decide to go on a babymoon. It’s like a honeymoon but before a baby instead. It isn’t called this in the book but that’s what it is and I can’t think of anything dumber to do that late in your pregnancy. Come on! You need to be packing and doing your final nesting or whatever.

Regardless, they went. It’s different than advertised. Not a cute rustic guesthouse with restaurants nearby and luxurious amenities. It’s meemaw and peepaw running some ratchet guest room situation. This is why I only stay at verified hotels. I don’t want to end up eating some old lady’s leftover chili for dinner on vacation.

Things go downhill quickly when Victoria goes into labor. They’re locked in, they can’t find their keys or phones. What is happening?!?! Whatever you’re thinking it is, it’s not that, it’s way whackier and I had a great time with it. Stick with it through the first few chapters while you figure out what’s going on and it’s solid.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the chance to read and review!

This domestic thriller gets off to a frightening start and then keeps escalating from there. A romantic weekend get away before their first baby is born turns into a nightmare for Victoria and Jamie. The plot opens just as things begin to go wrong, but you won't find out what actually happened until much later in the book. Plenty of hints kept me turning the pages to find out. Chapters alternate between the couple's experience in the guest house and a few weeks later as they try to hide what happened. I had to keep checking the dates on the chapter headers and to do some math to figure out how much time had passed. I absolutely loved this one.

This was a fast paced spooky thriller that grabs you right away. The action starts with a bang, and the reader follows a trail, knowing some of the information, and trying to figure out what really is happening in this story! If you like British thrillers, I bet you will enjoy this one.A young couple, on a weekend trip to a remote cabin, find themselves in a terrible situation. The young wife goes into labor, but they cannot figure out to get out of the locked house and their car keys are missing. Will she lose her baby? Who is keeping them locked in? The story goes back and forth between the action in the cabin and present day--but the reader does not know exactly what happened. It sure keeps you guessing until the end!

4.5 stars (Rounded to 5 stars)

Jamie and Victoria head off for a weekend break in a small countryside guesthouse before the baby is due in a few weeks. The next morning, they awake to an emptied house where their phone and car keys disappear, and the owners are nowhere to be seen. Also, the doors has been locked, and the baby is coming. There’s no way to call for help, and there is no way out!

This book really surprised me! There was so much suspense from the start that really keeps you reading! Also, I loved how this author used the time change between when the couple was in the guest house and the future. It really made the the story come full circle. The character development and the author’s descriptions were great! It really made me feel like I was there with the characters. There is a lot of twist in this book, and I thought the big reveal at the end was great as well!

This book is worth the read, and I really enjoyed it!

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my eARC copy!

Thanks to Net Galley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
A fast paced psychological thriller, a fantastic gripping read, twisty, cleverly written, and few shocks!
Difficult to write a short review for such a gripping read.
Jamie and Victoria are at last having a long awaited, much wanted baby, they are almost at term and are heading off for a few days break before the baby arrives.
It’s like a horror story, Victoria is having contractions and they find themselves alone and locked in the guest house.
The story goes back and forth between the past and present, it’s a roller coaster ride, heart breaking in places, I could feel their trauma.
Great characters, with Jamie standing out, he is full of courage and continues to believe in Victoria, despite everything.
I highly recommend this book for those who love an edge of the seat psychological thriller.

I felt that the characters in this novel were very flat, and the plot was rather unbelievable. However, the premise was good.

I was gifted this advance copy by Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley and was not required to write a review.
Wow, just wow. I literally finished this book in two days.
It would have been even sooner but I had to actually stop and take care of my family, which is ironic considering the book. Such a unique premise and very unique twists that will keep you up long after you finish reading this.
The characters were all wonderfully flawed, and most unlikable but in a good way. I love Jamie and how his disability were handled. It was realistic yet added so much to the story. I was shocked and emotionally drained after this book.
I really love hearing the story through different points of view throughout the book. It was an interesting way to see what they were all thinking and what went unsaid. Please add this to you to be read pile if you love thriller mysteries with great twists! Available September 13th where books are sold.

I have chills. This book freaked me (but was also entertaining). It puts the "thrill" in thriller. I loved the premise, and just when I thought it couldn't get creepier. It did! Thanks for the advance review copy. I will read anything this author releases.

The Guest House is a locked room mystery.
A couple on the verge of parenthood take a break to this guest house for some time alone before the baby comes. It isn't due for several weeks so this seems like a great idea.
When they wake up and their keys and wallets are gone - as are the owners.
The contractions start and the baby is on it's way.

Nail biting suspense.

What a wild ride! This is a great spin on the usual locked-room mystery! The author tapped into one of my biggest fears - losing control. I had to read this one in little chunks and had to keep telling myself I could quit reading at any moment. BUT the plot was so damn compelling that I had to keep picking it up again.

Although it irritated me at first, I grew to love the different points of view because it allowed me to shift allegiance to Jamie or Victoria and see things from each perspective. I continually jumped the empathy ship. All it took was a change of perspective and my empathy waned. That’s skillful writing.

I appreciated the inclusion of a character with a disability because I had a chance to step in his shoes and see, not only the frustration at how others treated him, but also the inner frustration at his own limitations. I’ve noticed a huge increase in books with diverse characters recently, and, yes, many of those shatter stereotypes. However, we still have a long way to go regarding diversity in literature and in treating each other without pity or disrespect.

The atmosphere, tension, and suspense were expertly revealed and the twists kept coming and catching me unaware. The characters were refreshingly different - no cookie cutter characters in this story! You’ll grow to love the time hops and the building fear.

What really happened in that guest house? You need to be in the know. Don’t bypass this one. It needs to top your TBR list.

I was gifted this advance copy by Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

When I learned that the male character, Jamie has cerebral palsy like myself, I became more intrigued about the story. Characters who share the same diagnosis as I are rare, which is why I am very happy every time I come across books like this one. This was almost a five star read if not only for that revelation about his wife Victoria. She had cheated on him with his best friend resulting in pregnancy, and out desperate measure to hide her infidelity, Victoria had asked the owners of the guesthouse who are actually related to her to kidnap the baby.

I would still recommend it particularly to people with cerebral palsy who yearn to see a fictional version of themselves, who is portrayed as the hero of the story.


Thank you, Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. (

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The book follows a couple -Jamie and Victoria who decide to go to a remote guest house before their baby comes. But we all know that secluded houses always hold something sinister . The worst happens when they are locked in , they can't find their car keys and she goes into labor. The story is told in alternating points of view, principally by Jamie and Victoria and it's a nail biting thriller you don't want to miss.

The story is about a couple going to a remote part and spending some time alone before they welcome their baby, essentially “baby moon”. However when they get there it looks a little shady, the owners Barry and Fiona seem welcoming and nice so to me as a reader Jamie and Victoria (the couple welcoming baby) change their mind. When they wake up they notice doors shut, windows shut, belongings gone and no sight of the owners and the worst happens! Victoria is in labor!! Do they make it to hospital in time? Fast forward to the future and it looks like the couples marriage is in shambles. My overall review of the book is 4/5. It’s really good. The story line and plot is great. I just couldn’t put the book down. I had to know what was going on! I finished this book in about a day and a half. Highly recommend it, if you like suspense/thrillers/mystery or if you are a newbie and trying to get into this genre. It’s a light read.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of the Guest House.
Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first child. They have struggled with infertility and decide to stay at a guest house for a weekend away before the baby comes. However, on the first night of their trip Victoria goes into labor. They then discover that their keys and phone are missing and they are locked into the house. The story alternates between the past (that weekend) and present day and is told from the perspectives of Jamie and Victoria. The chapters are short and the story moves along nicely, making for a quick read.
As a parent, the first 2/3 of this book was very difficult to read because it made me extremely anxious. So much so that I almost stopped reading altogether, but I guess that is part of what the author was intending. I kept reading because I needed to see how everything was resolved, and I am not disappointed that I finished but this book fell flat for me.
The first part of the story was definitely riveting. The author did a great job of creating tension and dread. There was a twist that I did not see coming right before the ending, but then the ending seemed ridiculous and completely unrealistic. I am sure stranger things have happened in real life but it just seemed like the characters were in these completely bizarre situations, and then making even more bizarre decisions to try and find their way out. I really despised most of the characters, even Jamie, and was disappointed that they seemed to get off easily at the end.
Overall I think this book had an interesting premise and the author did a great job of creating a true nightmare for parents, I just couldn't get past some of the more unrealistic plot points.

| About |

How far would you go to protect the ones you love?
Jamie and Victoria are off for a last quick vacation before the arrival of their first baby. The remote country guesthouse Victoria chose seems like the perfect retreat―miles away from the distractions of work and their regular life. And the older couple that run the establishment, Barry and Fiona, are more than accommodating.
But when Jamie and Victoria awake on their first morning, they find the house deserted. Barry and Fiona are nowhere to be seen. All the doors are locked. And their cell phones and car keys have disappeared.
They have no way out and no way to call for help and the contractions are getting stronger.


| My thoughts |

I don’t always love dual timelines nor switching narrators, this story handled it well. It allowed the overall deeper connection of both characters with the reader. I found Jaimie rather whiny. Victoria seemed disconnected, but when you finish it you’ll understand; so forgiven. I found the overall story one that I couldn’t put down and wanted to finish. The topic was frightening, tense and plausible. The twists I’ll admit I didn’t see coming that’s what made me give this book a four star rating normally you can guess at the outcome. You can try but I doubt you’ll be right. I wasn’t.

Thank you to NetGalley, Robin Morgan-Bentley and poisoned pen press for the gifted e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley is a solid addition to the overcrowded psychological suspense/thriller genre.

The book opens with Jamie and Victoria staying at a secluded guest house miles away from the nearest hospital, which is a questionable decision when your baby is due in three weeks, but is necessary for the plot. Victoria is going into labor and the doors are locked - from the inside - and their phones are keys are missing. And where have their hosts gone? This premise hooked me, since I love thrillers and I'm fascinated by birth stories. As the plot picked up speed I felt that it was going off the rails, but some twists that came along pulled it all together in the end.

Jamie was a likable character, though not always wise, which is common in thrillers. His character has cerebral palsy, and I found it interesting to learn how that can impact parenting. I haven't seen many main characters in thrillers with disabilities, so this was a welcome addition. Victoria was less likable, but I appreciated how her character developed by the end of the book.

The pacing was quick but even and clever. Many of the short chapters ended in cliffhangers or bombshells, which made the story compelling.

I will recommend this to readers who enjoy domestic thrillers/psychological suspense.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Liked the book. Was hooked from the very first line. Highly recommended.