This is my first read from this author. Overall I enjoyed it, even though it has some slow parts. I would definitely read something else by Robin Morgan-Bentley

This was a great read. I loved the disability representation which we need more of. I didn’t see the twist coming and was up late finishing the book, turning the pages. Thanks for the opportunity to review The Guest House.

Victoria y Jamie están a punto de convertirse en padres primerizos, tras múltiples dificultades, y para celebrarlo deciden hacer una escapada a una casa de campo. Allí se encuentran con Fiona y Barry, los propietarios. Una pareja ya mayor que hace años perdió a su hijo de un año en un accidente doméstico.
Victoria se pone de parto antes de lo previsto, y lo que debería ser un momento inolvidable se convierte en una pesadilla....
Novela muy bien construida (y eso que en algún momento pensé en que se le iba de las manos al autor) y con una trama perfectamente elaborada y desarrollada.

I didn't like this suspense at all. It was certainly a pageturner but when all was revealed at the end I was disgusted more than surprised. Jamie and Victoria go away for the weekend; Victoria is very, very! preganant and things progress while situations become very creepy, confusing and quite dire. The outcome was ridiculous. Truly. I didn't like this one at all.

A great read with an unexpected twist. This is a physiological thriller that you can’t put down once you pick it up.

Jamie and Victoria embark on one last mini-break before their baby arrives. They stay at a quaint country B&B that is off the grid. As soon as you meet the owners of the property, Barry and Fiona, something feels off. Victoria goes into labour sooner than expected and the couple finds that they are locked inside the guest house and their car keys and cell phones are missing.

The story is told from alternating points of view and jumps from current day back to the previous month and the events that unfolded in the guest house.

This book builds suspense and will keep you glued to the pages.

Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first baby and couldn't be happier. They decide to have a weekend getaway at a remote little cabin before the baby comes. They are greeted by the owners of the cabin, Barry and Fiona, who also live in the cabin. All is well, or so it seems.

When Jamie and Victoria wake up the next morning, Barry and Fiona are not in the cabin. Victoria is starting to have contractions, even though its not quite time for the baby to arrive. When they decide to head to the hospital, Jamie is unable to find his car keys. soon they discover that their cell phones are gone and they are locked in the cabin....

What follows is a wild and crazy ride! If you are on the fence about this book, just go for it! Definitely did not see the ending coming!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thought and opinions are my own.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles. I really not the opportunity!

I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

Robin Morgan-Bentley is a new favorite thriller author. His story kept me reading until the end! This is book I could not put down!

I liked this book and it has a lot of potential. The author does a really good at making the reader angry at most of the characters because they’re so unlikable and terrible people; you just wish the worst for them. This is a positive thing and keeps your heart pumping because you aren’t supposed to like these characters. I really liked and appreciated the inclusion of Jamie having cerebral palsy, but I thought he was a bit pathetic and passive. Though it is nice to see him become his own person in the end.

The plot summary is that Victoria and Jamie are expecting. They stay at a guest house and then are trapped when Victoria is in labour; the owners of the guest house nowhere to be found.

The beginning of the story was really boring to me and took too long to pique my interest. It took me like 3 days to get through the first quarter of the book and I'm not a slow reader. I think part of that is not understanding why the couple felt so trapped. This story is told in a dual timelines and (dual) perspectives, which is fine but I thought the whole contractions sections were just repetitive and did the opposite of upping the tension. However the ending and unravelling of everything was the best part of this book. The ending utilizes letters and I’m a complete sucker for them because well-done letters allow the reader to understand a character’s voice and thought process. I was hooked and cared about the consequences for the main characters. It is disturbing and reminiscent of true crime documentaries so the believability is there for me.

Overall, I do not regret reading this book and the book left me a lot to think about, which is important to me. I’d give this book a 3.5 stars and I would recommend it for the most part, but it’s not my favourite read of the year. I feel like other people would enjoy this book more than me.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3/5 Stars
Publishing: September 13, 2022
Pages: 320

“The Guest House” is a first time read by Robin Morgan-Bentley, new author to this reader. I do love on occasion taking a step back from the romance genre and diving into a good thriller sometimes. With that being said, I was delighted to have the opportunity to read this book. The story seemed more psychological than mystery/thriller.

The story is about Jamie and Victoria who are expecting their first child after having a hard time conceiving. They planned to travel before the baby’s birth to a guest house in a rural country of England that was arranged by Victoria. Upon arrival, all does not seem amiss as the couple that runs the facility takes care of their needs, as well as get to know them while they a guest at the house. Unfortunately, Victoria goes into labor well before her time and the story goes downhill.

I am not a big fan of dual timelines because they can become quite confusing when reading stories. In this case, the present telling of the story was a giveaway for the past. That made the plot not so much a mystery or thriller. Having almost DNF, I continued reading and noted that some parts of the story became unrealistic and repetitive. There was no connection to the characters and their plight…the only exception was Jamie. There were twists, turns and an unexpected ending that I wasn’t anticipating, however the slow burn to get to that ending was way too long.

I couldn’t wrap my head around Victoria’s need to travel to destination far from civilization knowing she is weeks away from having her first child. I thought her a bit selfish and snooty. Did not understand Jamie agreeing to going along with the weekend trip, however chalked it up to his kindhearted nature…much the opposite of Victoria. And, his character development due his disability was nicely written in the story…I guess that was one love I had. Other than that, this wasn’t a homerun. If not for the dual storylines, this would have been an enjoyable read. My rating is in part to the author’s writing, Jamie’s character, and his disability inclusion.

Thank you to Netgalley, and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.
What a brilliant thriller, this had me gripped from the first page. Jaimie and Victoria go away just before Victoria's due date. On the first day Victoria suddenly goes into labour three weeks early, and they suddenly realise that they are alone, with no one to help them.
This book leans heavily into the psyche of a new mother and the anxiety and fear of bringing a baby into the world. It also shows the lengths people will go to repair past actions that could lead to serious consequence.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the main character Jaimie to have a disability specially cerebral palsy. Robin mentions in the acknowledgements the lack of disability representation within thriller's and I could not agree more, that there is a distinct lack within the thriller genre. Though Jaimie is shown to have his struggles with his disability and the discrimination he has faced, he is still seen as an independent character that is in a loving relationship, and is a business owner.

I was very intrigued by the premise of the book. It felt like an unique story with lots of promise, but while reading it I felt a bit disappointed. The twists were far fetched and I found all the characters extremely unappealing. I couldn’t find myself invested in the story after a bit, and when the ending came around I just felt disappointed. The story felt hastened and a bit forced in trying to be unique.

Creepy and weird, this is a psychological thriller that definitely gets under your skin! As the characters develop and storyline plays out, you easily connect with majority of characters, feeling all the emotions! Plus, THE ENDING!! Don't get too many details, just read this book!!

thanks netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review

Victoria and Jamie are expecting their first child and decide to go on a trip before the baby comes. They arrive at a small guesthouse in a rural area that Victoria has picked out. The couple running the guesthouse seems nice enough and feeds them dinner as they get to know each other a bit more. When Victoria wakes up, she knows it’s time, she’s in labor. Jamie and Victoria come to a troubling conclusion after their keys and phones are missing, and all of the doors are locked.
Where did the couple that runs the guesthouse go? Why are all of the doors locked? What do they want from them?

I cannot believe what I just read! That was so good! It alternates from the night at the guesthouse to after, and it kept my eyes stuck on the pages. It was extremely addicting and I never saw that ending coming! Absolutely loved this book!

Jamie and his wife Victoria decide to make a last minute trip before the birth of their son. Their idea place to stay in the country had no availability so they booked a room in a remote area. They were staying with a husband and wife who began as charming host although a little to friendly as they would have liked a bit of privacy. Victoria winds up going into labor and all hell breaks loose. The host had a different agenda for renting out their home. The book goes back and forth form there and now and you will be on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what the hell happened!!!!!

Thank you to Negalley and Poisoned Pen Press, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc for the online ARC.
Ay Dios Mio what did I just read........this book had me hooked I needed to figure out what happened the author did not give anything away and kept everything close to the vest. I loved it

It was actually pretty difficult for me to keep up with the different timelines as I felt it jumped back and forth. I usually are not a huge fan of books that does that and it sadly didn't work this time either. You get a hint just from the start what happens and it ruined the reading experience I'm sad to say.
The rating reflect that it wasn't the right one for me.

Excellent! How far would you go to protect the ones you love?

A tense, domestic thriller with some great twists that you will race through!

I loved this book. From the start it had me hooked as to what just happened at the Guest House and man, did it deliver. It was a very tightly plotted and written story that kept me guessing and trying to figure it out. Very well written characters. I found myself flying through the chapters to just see what was going to happen. I will definitely be looking for the authors previous book and look for new ones. New fan. If you like your thrillers well written, expertly paced and full of chills and thrills then stop and pick this one up. You won’t regret it. I got an advance copy via NetGalley.

Advance review copy received with thanks from the publisher and NetGalley.
Reading taste is subjective. So, while this one wasn't for me, many readers will enjoy.
Trigger warnings: violence towards children and foetuses.