Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 on here)

Jamie and Victoria have gone on a baby moon. They wanted one last vacation of the two of them before the baby came so Victoria found a perfect retreat in the countryside in a guesthouse. Barry and Fiona are the couple that run the guesthouse and they appear to be more than nice and accommodating.

However, after the first night Jamie and Victoria awoke to an empty and locked house, and Victoria’s contractions have started coming on strong. Even though the baby isn’t due for another couple of weeks.
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Wow. Where to even begin with this book. I absolutely devoured it. I didn’t want to put it down because I just needed to know what was going to happen. The story goes back and forth between the present time and the events that occurred when they were in the house. The twists were amazing and were so unexpected.

I also loved how the author included a MC with a disability because I feel like that is not something that is included in a lot of books. Overall, I would highly recommend this one if you are looking for an anxiety provoking and suspenseful book!
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This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first baby. They go to a small guest house located in a small village and befriends an elderly couple who runs the guest house, Barry and Fiona. But on the night, Victoria gets contractions and as Jamie is trying to take Victoria to the hospital, they find that the guest house is locked. Barry and Fiona are nowhere to be found and all their car keys and phones are nowhere in sight. Now the baby is coming and there's no way out.

This was actually a gripping psychological thriller. The first part of the book was OK and the story divides between the past when the events inside the guest house is taking place to the present where Jamie and Victoria are trying to get on with their lives with Jamie trying to find ways to get back his son. There were some couple of twists and turns along the way many of them were unexpected and there were different POV's--mostly Jamie's and Victoria's perspectives. The ending was a complete unexpected ending and overall in this book, I felt like I was watching an interesting thriller book that is going to put me on the edge of my seat. There were some parts, particularly the first few chapters were slightly boring but it got more interesting towards the middle of the book.

If you like a dark thriller with a little family drama in it, then this one is for you--worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Thank you to @netgalley & @poisonedpenpress for this eARC!

★ ★ ★ ★ ⭑ / 5

Woah. First of all, my anxiety was through the ROOF for almost all of this book.

All of the characters were developed so well and I felt like I could feel the intensity of situations as they were experiencing them. I thought this was a terrifying concept that definitely did not play out the way I thought it would!

Something I really appreciated about this book is the way Morgan-Bentley seamlessly incorporated Jamie’s cerebral palsy into the story. I felt I was able to gain a very basic understanding of the disorder & loved the representation that is so often lacking in novels.

My only knock against this book is that I felt some of the situations that involved Danny were very intense and disturbing. Just be warned if things involving children trigger you.

Bottom line: this is a great psychological thriller and I would definitely recommend it!

4.5 ⭐️

WOW

What a wild read this was!

A couple that go on a “babymoon” come home empty handed. Fighting to keep secrets and their marriage together, Victoria and Jamie stop at nothing to save their family.

Written from dual time lines and dual narrators you get to see husband and wife perspectives.

The twists and turn of events… I didn’t see coming… and that’s all I can say!

Incredible fast paced read!

It's every couple's worst nightmare, playing out for our main characters in this book, Jamie and Victoria: the London couple has booked a getaway to a remote guest cottage, run. by a charming, if slightly offbeat couple. But the morning after check-in, their hosts are nowhere to be found - along with. Jamie and Victoria's car keys and cell phones. Oh, and did I forget to mention Victoria is heavily pregnant and the baby chooses that moment to start pushing its way into the world? Yeah. Talk about the trip from hell.

The book takes place in two timelines: One from that fateful trip, which would forever change the couple's lives, and the present day, when they are dealing with the aftermath.

I have to say I absolutely ran through this book because I jus had to know how it was going to end! There was so much suspense and the author does a great job of just ramping up the anxiety and pressure with each passing chapter that I was just completely caught up in each of the storylines (past and present) as they continued that I absolutely needed to read JUSTONEMORECHAPTER!

The ending was a little out of left field, with a couple twists, some that were believable, some that were a little less than believable. But overall, I really enjoyed it. I did not see things coming, I can certainly say that, to the book's credit! And I was invested in the storyline, right up to the last page, which I recommend you read until, hint hint! You won't want to miss a single detail of this one, because it doesn't slow up, even for a minute.

This was a fast-paced thriller, right from the first pages to the last, so if that's the kind of edge-of-your seat oil you're looking for, this is the one! I for one greatly enjoyed it, devouring it in about a day-and-a-half!

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

A couple goes to a remote getaway weeks before their baby is due. But after the weekend, they come without their baby and having other secrets.

This was a bit slow for me. Part of it was I didn’t find the characters relatable. However, there were some good twists toward the end that I legitimately didn’t see coming!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Robin Morgan Bentley's The Guest House has many unexpected twists. It is a quick read with some jaw-dropping scenes.

Synopsis:
Jamie and Victoria are expecting a baby soon. The couple takes a trip to a bed and breakfast to spend time together before the baby is born. All appears well until Victoria goes into labor. As Jamie rushes to take Victoria to the hospital, he discovers they are locked inside the guest house. The keys to their car and phones are missing. There is no way out. What will happen next?

To fully enjoy The Guest House readers must suspend belief and follow along with the story. At times the book tests the boundaries of realism, but there are some very clever plot twists that make it fascinating. There are wonderful creepy elements that kept me flipping pages.

The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley is available on September 13th.

Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for sharing this unique domestic thriller with me. I appreciate your kindness. I look forward to reading more from Robin Morgan-Bentley.

I struggled with this book from the very start. For the first half of the book, we're given very little information about the two main characters except the fact they've been through some unknown traumatic event. This made it incredibly hard for me to care about either of them, or what had happened to them.

As the event is laid out for us, I found myself disconnecting more and more, becoming frustrated with how unrealistic the story was and just not enjoying the read at all.

If you do like slow-burn mysteries, this one could be a good read for you. I've read many positive reviews about the book so others were able to see something I couldn't, but it just wasn't one for me, unfortunately.

Loved the cerebral palsy representation in this storyline. A quick insightful read with lots of twists and turns that I didn’t expect at all. The things we do to protect the ones we love, indeed.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

With a few weeks to go until their first baby is due, Jamie and Victoria head off for a weekend break in a small countryside guesthouse.

The next morning, Jamie and Victoria awake to find the guesthouse has been emptied. Both their mobile phones and their car keys have disappeared, the owners are nowhere to be seen, and all the doors are locked. Even though it's a few weeks early, Victoria knows the contractions are starting. And there's no way out...

Unfortunately this one did not do it for me. The premise sounds so good and even as I was copying the synopsis to include it in this review I got so excited about it. But then I remembered what I read and sadly I did not vibe with this book. Looking at goodreads though I saw there's many readers who highly enjoyed it so whatever doesn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you!

I was initially a little creeped out by the story at the beginning, but it sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to keep reading to see what happened. I loved all the twists as well that I didn’t see coming.

This book grows on you slowly and steadily and YOU WILL NOT SEE THE END COMING! The second half of the book redeems for the slightly slow first half and constantly keeps you guessing, right until the big reveal! The characters are great and It is unique that the main protagonist is specially abled - heartening to see people with diverse life experiences find a place in our books. Kudos to the author!

“Since being locked up here, I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t matter who did what and what and when. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that things always work out as they are meant to. Yes, tragic though all that was, it’s what led me to you, and for that I’ll be eternally grateful.”

Synopsis: 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.

Personal Review: 4 stars

For fans of Mary Kubica and Gillian Flynn, this book was full of jaw dropping suspense and unpredictable plot twists! Written using a dual timeline between Jamie and Victoria, the main characters - Morgan-Bentley brought this novel to life using clever and vivid writing. As the plot twist set it, I slowly connected the pieces and thought “what the actual heck?!” The main character Virginia was east to connect to, her struggle to motherhood, and the decisions she made along the way. Jamie was irresistibly lovable, and their relationship was wholesome, then intriguing. I keep thinking of how well the plot twist was incorporated from the very beginning.

Thank you @netgalley and @poisonedpenpress for the advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinions

Jaime and Victoria head off for a weekend break at a small countryside guesthouse before their first baby is due.
THey wake up the next morning to find the guesthouse emptied. Their mobile phones and thier car keys have disppeared and the owners are nowhere to be found. Such a thrilling ride of story.
Thanks to netgalley, poisoned penn press, and the author in exchange for a review.
Publishing date Sept 13, 2022.

3.5 stars. This book started so suspenseful. Jamie and Victoria are seemingly recovering from a traumatizing experience in which their son was kidnapped while on vacation. Each chapter alternates from present and past as the story of the kidnapping unfolds. I loved each chapter covering the stay in the guesthouse and there were many instances I could not put the book down. However, I didn’t love the ending. It was a little far fetched and hard to believe. I also felt like the murder addition didn’t make sense with the ending. Overall a great, fast read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Press for and eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book. It definitely has a lot of ups and downs in terms of emotional rollercoaster. At the end of the book I hate a lot of the characters and wish there was one part that was better explained.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5


Imagine being locked inside of a guest house…while pregnant…and you’re in labour.

That’s what happened to Victoria. Victoria and her husband, Jamie, needed a little getaway. Since their previous cottage they rented wasn’t available, Victoria decided on this place based on the intriguing history.

I was hooked right from the first two chapters. Something terrible has happened. You don’t know to who exactly or what has happened, but you want to find out immediately.

This book took me for a ride! So many plot twists that I wasn’t expecting at all!


Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Guest House publishes September 13.

As long as you have a good imagination this is a pretty good read.
One of the best endings this year.
Thanks to net galley for advance copy

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Robin Morgan-Bentley for the advanced copy of The Guest House in exchange for my honest review.

I won't lie. When I got about halfway through this book I was beyond frustrated that the synopsis in *no way* matched the book I was reading.

Then I got to the BIG (and I mean big) reveal, and suddenly I didn't care anymore. I knew putting more details in the synopsis would've spoiled the book, and I'm really glad they didn't include anything more than they did. So, if, like me, you find yourself reading this and frustrated that it's not what you signed up for: soldier on!!

Because this really was an excellent roller coaster. Once the twists started they didn't seem to stop! Highly recommend to thriller lovers everywhere.

The Guest House will be on bookshelves in the US September 13!