Action pact!
Then and Now dual POV
This book is causing me to question everyone in what the truth is and why is the husband being so sketchyyyyyy…. the blurb of this book will keep you hooked and let’s just say that this got me hooked as well

A fast paced thriller about a couple on vacation before the arrival of their baby whom they have struggled to conceive.
Jamie, the husband, is uncomfortable and secretive in front of Barry - the owner of the home they're renting - and his pregnant wife, Victoria is questioning of why. I liked the writing style; the flashes between Then and Now seemed appropriate and worked well and kept me guessing what was going to occur next. This story kept me on my toes down to the suspenseful final twist!

OMG!!!. So as you know from the blurb, Victoria and Jaime go to this guest house a few weeks early then the baby is scheduled to be born. The blurb really gives you no insight what is really going on here. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but when you get to the reveal, my mind truly had a hard time absorbing this reveal. Victoria is truly out to lunch and the owner’s of the guest house are truly out to lunch, Fiona and Barry. They, Fiona and Barry come back and Fiona is a midwife. She delivers the baby, a healthy boy named Danny. Then things really get crazy but no spoilers here. At about 3/4 into the book, the big reveal is exposed. My heart is still pumping from this book. Poor Jamie, he is so clueless till the reveal. My heart goes out to him. I will include in my review that Fiona and Barry had a little boy named Harrison who they adored but at about seven months old she claims that someone left the gate open and believes this to be true. Harrison falls down the stairs and dies. There is so much more going on here. This is considered a domestic thriller but it truly is a psychological domestic thriller that will leave you aghast. This book is not for the"feint of heart" so do not say I did not warn you. I received this book from net galley and the publisher. I do want to share one more thing. Even in the epilogue a letter is written that goes on and on and in letter she writes she was one who left the gate open and it is signed from Fiona. I received this book as an ARC from net galley and the publisher for an honest review. It all sounds confusing but I did not want to give any spoilers. I just want to say once you get to the reveal, "fasten your seatbelts".I am avid reader but this book was truly over the top. If you like books like this one, I highly recommend this book.




,

A husband and pregnant wife (who is a few weeks away from her due date), in a move that makes sense to no one, travel to a remote guest house an hour away from civilization.
I had a lot of problems with this book. In particular I found the premise, plot, and character actions to be completely unbelievable. Not just once or twice but over and over in every turn throughout this book.
The motivations of many of the characters in this story were extremely hard to reason with, and even once twists were revealed I still struggled to believe that anyone would ever act in this way.
As an aside as one of the main characters is pregnant in this book— I found the way that labour and delivery was portrayed to be unrealistic enough so that it took me out of the story entirely.
Without needing to look there was no doubt in my mind while reading this story that this was written by a male author. I think the way that women were portrayed in this book made that very clear, as nearly every female character (even side characters) in this story were portrayed with negative personality attributes and in a male-gaze-y kind of way. All the women in this book acted in ways that no women would ever act or react in real life. Adding to the nonsensical nature of this book.
Unbelievable infuriating characters and rife with plot holes. This wasn’t for me.

I've kept picking up, reading some chapters and just finding myself bored unfortunately. This has turned into a DNF.

First off, thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

When I first read the synopsis of this book I was intrigued. It has a good plot but for me personally I found it poorly executed. The first half of the book I found to be slow and kept wondering what the traumatic event was that the two characters went through at the guest house. We are given very little details about the event itself and the characters. I found myself unattached to them and not really caring to finish out the book. Parts of the story I found to be far fetched as well. Overall this "thriller" left me feeling underwhelmed. It's a miss for me sadly.

You cannot possibly throw a brick without hitting suspense in this book. It oozes with it. Set mostly in the remote Penines and told in alternating perspectives, The Guest House is awash in atmosphere with a varied cast of characters, some likeable, others despicable. All have secrets they are desperate to keep.

Victoria and Jamie are giddily expecting their first child. Weeks before the due date they spontaneously decide to travel from London to an isolated guest house for a few nights but their dream of solitude turns into a nightmare. The first morning they realize their unusual hosts Fiona and Barry have left them in a serious conundrum. Things go from bad to worse after the hosts return. Life as everyone knows it is over. The maddening twists are both tantalizing and infuriating and at the end of each chapter I was itching to discover more. Anticipation for the end kept me on tenterhooks yet I did not want it to be over. And what an ending it was!

Suspense of this magnitude leaves my mind reeling and causes me to wonder how the author's ideas are translated from inception to paper. The tension and multitudinous layers of mystery are astounding.

Those who enjoy slow burn with taut suspense and surprise after surprise ought to gravitate to this one. Sure, a few elements are not believable (why on earth would a pregnant woman travel in her last week of pregnancy?) but for pure enjoyment, this is a stunning and memorable story.

My sincere thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this tongue-gnawing book.

This book gripped me right away, I was so wrapped up in the suspense I didn't even realize I was holding my breath in anticipation while reading it. The narrative is addictive and I was anxious to see what would happen next. The story is told in alternating chapters, which I liked very much. It is a dual timeline story that takes place about a month apart.

You do have to suspend belief a little bit here and I don't usually go for that type of thriller as I like it to be realistic BUT this was so utterly entertaining with clever plot twists that I am able to overlook it. It is definitely what I would call an edge-of-your-seat type of book with a dark and sinister feel. I liked the creepy epilogue too!

If you enjoy locked room type of thrillers, that are very fast-paced, where the pages practically turn themselves I highly recommend you pick this one up, it was a wild adrenalin-fueled ride and I loved every minute of it.

What a ride!!! PHEW..... I am speechless....
The story line is so plausible it makes it even more frightening!!! What would you do if you were about to give birth and you were locked at a guest house far from everywhere???? I would have died I tell you. I gave birth to 2 10lbs babies and without help I would not have survived it so this really kept me on edge!!!
I also enjoyed the insight into cerebral palsy which I knew nothing about. My father had a cerebral infirmity from an accident so I was even more invested in the book and Jamie's character.
I advise for you to ensure you have a couple of days free ahead of you before you start to read this book as you will be unapproachable whilst reading it.
Enjoy the ride and be prepared, you have been warned!!! :)

Wow! This is a truly one creepy and dark thriller that will keep you gripped and awake till the small hours of the morning.
The story goes back and forth between the present time and that fateful trip.
A definite must read!
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this gripping psychological thriller ARC,

Robin Morgan-Bentley ramps up the tension ten-fold in this highly atmospheric, chilling psychological thriller with an unexpected flip/twist, THE GUEST HOUSE —when one couple's weekend getaway turns into a deadly locked-room nightmare.

The author cleverly leads readers down a dark, twisty path brimming with secrets, lies, betrayal, and MURDER. Be prepared for your JAW TO DROP.

Driving from London to the North Pennies, a seven-hour drive to Choristers' Lodge, Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first child and decide to take a last-minute babymoon getaway trip before their baby is due.

It is supposed to be relaxing in a remote countryside location at a quaint guest house run by an older couple, Barry (retired police chief superintendent) and Fiona (retired midwife).

There are more than several strange things about this house and its owners. CREEPY.

The following morning, they realize the couple has locked up the entire house, windows, and doors, and there is no way out! Their phones and car keys are gone. They are in the middle of nowhere.

Not a great thing since this is a B&B Inn. Where's breakfast?

And . . . The worst possible timing. Victoria is going into LABOR!

They have no way out and no way to call for help, and the contractions are getting stronger. The landline is dead! Then they see the chilling note from the owners.

Frantic, Jamie is beyond panicked, he must break windows and travel on foot, do anything to get help for his wife and unborn child. He must get her to a hospital.

Disturbing and unsettling, the unthinkable happens! The sinister factor is off the charts.

From the POVs of Jamie/Victoria, the shocking backstory is slowly unraveled. The past deceit, lies, betrayal, and more about best friends Andy, Lauren, and Victoria/Jamie.

Who is the mastermind behind the crimes of conspiracy, kidnapping, manipulation, and manslaughter?

The first book I have read by the author and was highly impressed. TERRIFYING AND CHILLING!

The creepy vivid setting, the sinister/atmospheric/claustrophobic mood, the complex characters, and the unexpected twists make this one an unputdownable locked-room psychological suspense thriller.

The epilogue and letters were heartbreaking (did not like Victoria's character); however, I loved Jamie's character! He has cerebral palsy and enjoyed the author's note about drawing from his own experience and disability. My first thriller with a disability, and hope we will meet more protagonists with disabilities in the future.

For fans of authors Mary Kubica and Wendy Walker.

INTERVIEW: Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevarorSeries Interview with Robyn on pub day (9/13), where we will go behind the scenes of the books and this talented author.

Thank you #PoisonedPenPress and #NetGalley for an ARC to read, review, and enjoy.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars ✨✨✨✨✨
Pub Date: Sept 13, 2022
Sep 2022 Must-Read Books

Ultimately enjoyed this book! I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to finish this at first. Not because the story wasn’t good! Only because of the premise of the book. Really glad I finished and enjoyed the ending! Totally different than what I’ve read prior.

This book was very interestingly thought out. A thriller, clearly, the premise of the book becomes obvious early on, and there are various insane twists. I really enjoyed this book because it was unlike others I had previously read and the ending was not what anyone would expect in any situation. The story revolves around a couple who are about to give birth and decide to go on a last trip before the baby is born. They struggled to originally become pregnant but now that they are, they are getting a last few days of relaxation in before the baby comes and go to a nice remote place. However, things are not what they seem, and neither are the people in the book or those they encounter. The writing was excellent, and the book was compelling so that I was unable to put it down for any length of time without picking it back up and sneaking in a few pages here and there. I would recommend it if you love something with a wonderfully creepy vibe that doesn't give you any sense of what will occur next.

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has an interesting storyline - one that I can't divulge too much without giving away the twist. We follow Jamie and Victoria (in alternating timelines) as they battle with a couple, who has kidnapped their newborn son in an attempt to replace the son they lost. Truthfully, Victoria is a pretty awful person and I couldn't get onboard with her as a character, whereas Jamie tries so very hard to please Victoria and goes above & beyond to try and get back their son. I felt for Jamie because he succumbed to "love is blind" . There are some cringey scenes (which add to the storyline & character development) as well as sensitive scenes (with child death, infertility and child birth). Overall I gave this book 3 stars. I've read more compelling thrillers but yet I did enjoy the book - the plot twist was a bit of a redeeming moment for me.

Thank you NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
My anxiety was through the roof for almost all of this book.
I was initially a bit creeped out by the story, but it sucked me in and I wanted to keep reading to see what happened. I loved all the twists as well which I didn’t see coming.
Written from dual time lines and dual narrators you get to see husband &wife perspectives.
Jamie and Victoria have gone on a baby moon but come home empty handed. Fighting to keep secrets and their marriage together, Victoria and Jamie stop at nothing to save their family.
Jaime was my favorite character & I liked the ending.

This book came out of no where. The twist got me.

Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first child and decide to take an impromptu trip before the baby is due. They go to a remote, countryside guest house run by an older couple to spend a relaxing weekend. However, it soon turns into a nightmare. Not only does the baby decide to come early, but they realize the older couple isn't going to allow them to leave or get help. Can they live with what happened during that nightmare trip?

I really thought I knew what was happening. This triggered a primal rage and fear in me and it took me a minute to really get into. I found myself so angry with most of the characters. Maybe that anger is what blinded me from the crazy twist. In hindsight I feel like I should have saw it coming, but instead I thought I was being too hard on one of the main characters.

This is told in two timelines and two perspectives which deepens the mystery. It's done very artfully and kept me reading each page because I just needed to know how it ends. I'd like to not say too much more as this book is best to go in blind, but highly recommend for those who like a good thriller. I also recommend reading TW's if you're sensitive to subjects of motherhood and relationships (however, may spoil for some which is why I'm not including any specifics in this review).

Dark thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Lots of twists and turns to keep you interested. Loved this book

The plot line focuses on Jamie and Victoria who spend the weekend in a remote country guesthouse when Victoria is pregnant. When Victoria goes into labor much earlier than expected, the plot begins to thicken as they find that they might not be able to leave the guesthouse. Told in alternative points of view between Jamie and Victoria, most chapters also end with somewhat of a cliffhanger, and twists and turns abound. Although I have read reviews which disparage the ending as “out there” and “wholly unbelievable,” I did not think that at all. This is an entertaining and well-written domestic/psychological thriller that is definitely a page-turner and a quick, great summer read.

I did not care much for this book. Perhaps because I had just read one right before it with a similar theme...child loss. Jaime and Victoria take a mini-vacation at a sec;uded guesthouse a few weeks before she is due to give birth. Of course, things go wrong almost from the start. I don't want to give away any spoilers. I just have to say that the whole thing was just a bit unbelievable to me. And that, as the story goes on, it is hard to accept that Victoria could do the things she did. What kind of parent would go to the extremes that she did to keep her secrets? I also got pretty tired of Jaimie's whining about all the things that he could not manage. due to his disablities. He acted like he was ashamed of himself throughout the whole book. Accept yourself for who and what you are and move on!

I enjoyed reading this book, although it did take me some time to get into the story. I found the characters a bit unlikeable and a little annoying. Jamie and Victoria often made choices that did not make sense to me that left me wondering why. The plot was quite different and suspenseful. Some unexpected twists left me surprised. I recommend reading The Guest House if you enjoy reading a fast-paced mystery.