The Guest House is about a couple who take a “babymoon” to a quiet bed and breakfast, only to wake up on their first day there having been locked in the house with no keys or connection to the outside world. To top it off, the pregnant wife goes into labor weeks early. What ensues after this point is incredibly predictable once you start reading.

I typically love a dual timeline but, in this case, the future storyline basically told you what to expect in the past storyline, which made this thriller a lot less thrilling. When the author wasn’t spelling the plot out for you, the clues as to what would come were anything but subtle, given that the characters’ occupations and histories aligned with the exact expectations of the role they would play in the novel. Those expectations were rarely—perhaps, never—subverted by the author.

On the plus side, there was a small twist that moved this story from a 2-star to 2.5-star for me. I also appreciated that there was a representation of disability in this book that I’ve rarely, if ever, seen in literature. Unfortunately, the ending felt so unrealistic that even a 2.5-star rating feels generous to this novel.

While I love the mystery/thriller genre, I’m not a fan of domestic thrillers in particular; so, maybe I’m just not the ideal audience for this story. I probably would have DNF’d this book at 100 pages if I hadn’t received it as an arc. (For this reason, I rounded my 2.5-star rating to a 2-star on the whole-star scale.)

Victoria and Jamie have been trying to conceive for a long time. Despite several rounds of IVF, they have not been successful. It seems that they will never be parents, so when Victoria becomes pregnant it’s like a miracle, and Jamie is very excited.

This book started really well, with the story switching between two timelines, a month apart. Each chapter was told from the perspective of either Victoria or Jamie. It was good to see a protagonist with a disability, and it did explain the actions taken and the struggles involved.

Sadly, the storyline soon became too far fetched, unlikely and repetitive. The holiday taken by the couple would not have happened, a husband would not have let his eight months pregnant wife travel so far from home, even if she thought it a good idea! The scenario outside the night club was odd, what was the point of that plot line? The threats to kill were also unpleasant, and far too frequent. No spoilers but other readers will know which threats I refer to.

The characters were all bland, no depth there. Set in England, with English characters, so why the Americanisms? Very jarring.

A readable but not riveting book.

Thank you NetGalley.

At first I found the whole premise a bit unbelievable...but I hung in there through this twisty suspense story. Definite points for creativity by the author.

The Guest House is the story of Jamie and Victoria, a young couple who are expecting a baby. I can't remember where they live, but it's a large city in England or maybe Scotland. Anyway, they decide to take a trip near the end of Victoria's pregnancy, and choose a remote guest house. Already, the premise is silly. Why would any woman who is used to living in civilization decide to go away to a very remote location for a weekend when she is weeks away from her due date? With the closest hospital an hour away? And I should add this is her first baby that they struggled to conceive. That's not a woman who would willingly go away to the middle of nowhere at the end of her pregnancy.

Naturally, she goes into labor. Jamie finds that their keys and phones are missing and they are locked in the guest house. From there, they have to negotiate with Barry and Fiona, the owners of the guest house, who have very strange ulterior motives. The story takes some crazy leaps.

I didn't like either Victoria or Jamie, so it was hard to root for them. Jamie has cerebral palsy, and I do very much appreciate the addition of a character with a physical difference. I didn't feel that his disabilities due to cerebral palsy were used in a gratuitous way, nor is he given a disability just to check a diversity box. It's relevant to the story, and makes his character more interesting. This part was well done.

The story is crazy. It definitely delivers with nutty twists. It's just that none of it is believable - not always an issue for me, but in this case just ended up feeling really cheesy. If you like Lifetime movies, give it a go. If not, I'd skip it.

A special thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC of The Guest House.

Every time I read a mystery/thriller I crave the next one! The cover of the Guest House was super intriguing as well as the description. Victoria and Jamie, a young couple on the verge of welcoming their first child, check into a guest house for a pre-baby vacation and some peace & quiet. Victoria goes into labor the very next day and as they. try to leave the guest house stye realize they are trap, without phones and access to help. This book is full of twists and turns and really good read

Wow! From the very beginning with the differing narrators and timeframes I was hooked. This is definitely a finish-in-one-sitting book. I really enjoyed that the resolution didn’t take up too much time so that there was more action and more character building. Would 100 percent read this author again. Highly, highly recommend.

The Guest House by Robin Morgan Bentley is a suspenseful, twisty novel that questions the lengths a couple will go to save and protect the ones you love. Upon first impressions Victoria and Jamie seem to have an ideal relationship and are happily awaiting the birth of their first child after years of hardship, tears and frustration. Victoria is weeks away from giving birth, so they decide to go on one last mini getaway before the baby arrives, to a remote guesthouse away from the hectic hustle of everyday city life. Jamie and Victoria find themselves in dangerous circumstances when they awake in the morning and their hosts, a seemingly harmless retired couple Fiona and Barry, lock them inside the guesthouse with no way out. What ensues is a terrifying, tension-filled journey that brings up the ethical questions about how far one is willing to go to protect their family and the repercussions they face by their actions.

What I liked:
-creepy atmosphere of the remote guesthouse
-tension filled story…at times I was scared for Victoria and Jamie with the perils they faced
-twist and turns that I didn’t see coming
-rich character development and how the story is told from dual perspectives in a nonlinear way
-I loved, loved, loved how Jamie had a disability and was portrayed in an inclusive and believable way, that despite his shortcomings was a brave,successful, and thriving person…I loved this representation and would love to see more protagonists with differences

What I didn’t like:
-I would have liked to see even more description and background with the guest house, to add even more suspense
-even more backstory on Jamie’s life experiences, especially his childhood and living with a disability
-Victoria, I found her selfish and entitled, but I do not fault the author because that adds to the character development and adds to the story

My rating: 4 out of 5

I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy a fast paced light thriller. An easy read for fans of Lucy Foley.

Trigger warnings
This may be extremely upsetting for couples who have struggled with fertility issues and getting pregnant.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC.

You follow Jamie and Victoria on their last short trip before the baby comes. They happen to go to a B&B miles away from everything. Then, the baby is coming and they are locked in with no way out. From there on the story evolves rapidly.

Right from the start the story grabbed me and I was hooked. It is written in such a way that you need to keep on reading because you really want to find out what will happen next. Switching between what happened earlier and then a few months later made sure that the tension and excitement stayed and made you continue reading. To alternate between the characters to give the reader different viewpoints also brought an extra layer to this story.

WOW! What in the heck did I just read?? I was expecting a decent psychological suspense, but I got way more than that and then some! Terrific writing & really interesting (if not shady) characters that kept me glued the whole way through! Twists and turns when you least expect and an ending you won't believe! Read this book!!

Firstly thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
I finished this book in a day, it's highly addictive and very easy to read. A young couple, Jamie and Victoria find themselves trapped in a remote house, the doors and windows locked and their possessions taken from them. Victoria is a few weeks away from her due date when she goes into labour. The owners of the house come back & what happens next is truly bizarre really. It's so crazy and I had a real hatred for this couple, Barry and Fiona, especially as they are meant to be such respected people, him high up in the police and her a retired midwife.

The story goes back & forth in time, today they are telling people that their baby son died at birth, but clearly he didn't. There were a few odd things about the story and one major discrepancy for me that had me suspicious about a certain person. Which in turn meant that I guessed the twist beforehand.
It's even more crazy when you find out the truth, the extreme lengths some people go to!

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. A little slow and unbelievable at some points. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Robin Morgan-Bentley for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Guest House.

It took a little bit of time to get into the story. I wasn’t paying enough attention to the dates, so I didn’t know it was jumping back and forth in time.

I enjoyed Jamie and Victoria in the beginning. It was easy to think they were getting away for a baby-moon. I thought the tone was eerie in the beginning. Barry and Fiona definitely acted strange and I was wondering why they were locking them in and why Fiona had all the right equipment for the baby’s birth. Then when they said they were keeping the baby, I was rooting for Jamie and Victoria to get away and escape with the baby. It was kind of like no, you absolutely have no right to take the baby.

I loved the first twist of Victoria being in on the plan for Barry and Fiona to take her baby. But then when I found out the reasoning, I was less excited. I’m really not a fan of adultery in books. I understand it happens, but I don’t like to read about it. After that, I didn’t want to root for Victoria. If I had known it would have adultery, I probably wouldn’t have read it. I know it’s weird. Murder mysteries, psychological thrillers—love it! Adultery and cheating—dislike it!

It was also a little hard to understand Victoria’s motive behind killing Barry if she was in on it.

Overall, I loved the beginning and middle, but the last few chapters weren’t my favorite. It kind of ruined things for me. I was just glad Jamie got Danny in the end and that Danny was safe. The other people were too crazy for me. I don’t think this book was for me.

I would be interested in reading something else from this author in the future though.

The storyline did not appeal to me at all! The writing was pretty good and there was a twist at the end that I did not see coming. I would not reccommend based on the storyline.

Read my blog review here: https://librarianlair.wordpress.com/2022/05/21/review-the-guest-house-by-robin-morgan-bentley/

This novel was truly what you’d call a thriller—scant of the overdrawn and irrelevant exposition innate to the less perfected works that comprise its genre, featuring a compelling cast tethered to a thrillingly tense conflict; nothing could’ve possibly demoted this from a 7-star rating at the minimum.

At its foundation, the plot of The Guest House was rather simple; a couple boarded at an middle-aged couple’s lodge, and faced dire consequences for having undertaken that seemingly innocuous decision. Most of the novel’s mystique derived from its nonchronological structure—it followed a unique storytelling technique known as the nonlinear narrative, in which documented events are not presented in the order that they occur. Of course, anyone who reaches the later points of the novel is quick to discover that there are other packed elements that induce the suspense this story so greatly emanated—the disordered timeline was simply the most eminent of them, and could potentially pose a fun puzzle to prospective readers who hope to decode the events of the novel early on (I personally tried to mentally arrange all of the dates when I’d first begun the novel, but quickly lost momentum as they began to accumulate and when it became evident the story could easily be followed without applying the IQ-1000+ theory goggles I have never been known to possess). I will say that the final chapters gave too far of a time skip for me to fully absorb the logistics behind the closing character thoughts and relationships, and I somewhat attribute this to a flaw I’ve come to notice in all thrillers that aren’t bad but aren’t great (which all seem to ironically fall under the 7-star umbrella); plot convolution in the sacrifice of attempted suspense saturation.

To be more precise, it was very obvious what Robin Morgan-Bentley (for the sake of laziness fluidity, I’m going to refer to him by the abbreviation RMB henceforth) wished to achieve when he wrote this novel; create a fast-paced experience in which readers were definite to encounter at least one “I severely question everything that has transpired in the story up until this part” moment (for me that was page 90 out of 111 on my online PDF, don’t know what the page equivalent would be for future published editions), and portray a character representative of the personal challenges he faced living with a disability known as cerebral palsy. The latter was actually a very meaningful act on the part of the author, and very well incorporated given many thriller authors (alright, more truthfully, authors in general) struggle to incorporate less ‘normative’ aspects of characters’ identities in a natural and insightful manner. It’s difficult to maintain the suspense of a thriller whilst simultaneously tackling the exposition necessary to elucidate a character’s inhibiting condition, though the solution to this conundrum was crystallized by RMB’s brilliant method of focusing on the how an individual with an unusual trait would maneuver in a dramatic fictional premise. Perhaps because of Robin Morgan-Bentley’s own experience with the disability, coupled with amazingly refined writing skills, the mention of Jamie’s disability didn’t come across as one of those stilted ‘progressive representations’ by which authors (typically insincerely) brandish diverse perspectives in their works only to investigate the meaning of being different to a shallow depth. Robin did truly follow the nuances of being an adult with cerebral palsy every step of the way, and it was so well-integrated that the occasional exposition that directly spoke on Jamie’s feelings surrounding the condition never impeded the flow of the story; for the most part, everything felt cohesive.

What didn’t feel all that congruous however was the lore behind the chaos that ensued at the secluded lodge—particularly the backstories and characterisations of those involved (both as a victim and a perpetrator). I must refrain from delving too deep into my criticism so as to not betray spoilers; to keep the scrutiny vague, what I will say is that the actions a certain character took at the lodge contradicted the revelations on their backstory in the novel’s denouement. More irksomely, forgiveness was lent too sparingly to a character that had done nothing to deserve it. We’d observed no character arc on their behalf (owing partially to the absurd time skips, but predominantly to the abhorrent acts they committed without logical basis—SEMI-SPOILERS: to reiterate what I said earlier, their excuse didn’t corroborate the crime they premeditated at the lodge despite seemingly being a willing conspirator in the scheme) that exemplified moral development, or any sort of personality growth; we were purely expected to accept that the primary victims had moved forward and as a consequence we should not resent the perpetrator either (and it was just too severely pushed in the narrative, which had been hitherto impartial to all of the character’s plights and sympathies). Nope. The book had succeeded thus far in showing rather than telling, so I found no reason to capitulate to the disharmoniously poor storytelling that emerged towards the conclusion.

The book also tried to address a topic I earnestly do not believe the author had the expertise or connection to adequately integrate. I am a firm believer authors should be granted he freedom to highlight identities outside of their own and that no one should be denigrated for failing in the process of tasking themselves with something as complex as looking through the lens of a disparate background; nevertheless, when it comes to writing marginalised groups those outside of them should be conscious in their approach so as to avoid actively harming certain people’s perception in society. The author did no service to women with how he went about writing his female cast, and although it must’ve been difficult for him to flesh out Jamie neutrally with how much his character resonated with his personal story (male, adult, cerebral palsy) there was no reason to make him opaquely benevolent while every other female character was a blabbering hindrance. Seriously, there was a heavy presence of women in this book yet I couldn’t recall one that didn’t have detestable qualities—there was even one stomach-churning scene where the author let his obviously-a-male-writer qualities surface by writing Victoria to comment on how all the teenage boys at Lauren’s school must leer at her attractive physique (unlike men, I can name no women in my personal circle who speak of men bellow college age ever, in fact even teenaged women—I am about the age of that demographic, so this is not just ‘bitter old woman’ hearsay—-recognise their male counterparts are generally in the phase of poor hygiene and delayed mental development that piles onto the worst of tenacious male ‘values’—you heard me, those wonderful qualities don’t magically disappear at adulthood!), with an even weirder observation of how Lauren doesn’t ‘need’ makeup! Just observe the cringe:

"She’s got one of those faces that doesn’t need makeup—almost completely symmetrical, her forehead totally free from wrinkles, her eyes big, round, and emerald, her cheekbones defined but softened with a mist of light freckles. The rest of us look best when we’re enhanced. She looks at her best with her hair back, face out, exposed.

I’ve found it hard, over the years, not to feel competitive with her, not to feel desperately unattractive in her shadow. She works at an all-boys’ secondary school, teaching geography, and I can only imagine the whispers that go on in the changing rooms about her. The quiet, secret fumblings of teenage boys under the covers at night while dreaming about their older, married geography teacher with her curves and her lips and her perfume that lingers long after she’s moved through the corridor."

-Page 43 of 111, The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley PDF

Maybe this pertains to what the women in RMB’s personal circle have voiced, I wouldn’t know and can’t possible voice the sentiments and insecurities of all women, but I do think it is disingenuous and harmful to have this type of behaviour be the primary representation by choice in a book wherein characterisations are developed on your account. It made it all the more uncomfortable how the horror element of the pregnancy battle was handled, which at many times felt as if the author was exploiting women’s pain with how graphic and horrific the scenes were told. The book was suspenseful enough to deter me from abandoning it for moments of mental recuperation, but the content was dismaying enough that I couldn’t imagine myself not skipping over a lot of parts if I were to revisit it (and I am definitely not one of those people who need to see outlined triggers prior to starting a book, which only goes to show how discomforting its concept was executed).

And to return to the issue of plot convolution, the bulk of the chapters that were individually told (this book was not written from a third perspective, but rather the characters of focus) were a blatant lie when analysed retrospectively with the revelations we’d come to discover. Which would make sense had their events come from a separate point of view, or if it were recounts intended to deceive some reader or listening observer; instead, it remained that the events we had read were simply the events that transpired in nonchronological order or in certain aspects depleted of crucial context, meaning the events were disarranged and occasionally bereft of clarifying exposition but nonetheless truthful to what the characters felt as the story unfolded. Why would the narrator lie to themselves if they were the only ones in their own head (assuming there was no ''Alien' 'subplot I lost notice of)? Having their perspective even included foiled the feasibility of the novel’s later explanations; while the sudden twists and escalations initially seemed grand and riveting, the glaring fallacies resultantly fostered made them quickly dwindle in allure. I was left grasping for some fitting explanation to salvage this book’s integrity—I truly wished for it to be great but the plethoric plot holes diminished its potential. The book did try to insert the always-unwelcome mentally-unwell trope to likely somewhat obscure the inconsistencies in its narrative, but it was brought up so passively it didn’t sufficiently tie together the loose ends of the overarching narrative. Hopefully, a future revision will approach the discrepancy between early and later coverages of the novel’s events in a way that is direct and sensible.

Is It Worth Reading?
When this book inevitably does release, I hope it’s polished in the weaker areas that I’d identified because I do believe quite a few of its failings will prevent it from getting the near-perfect approval rating that it deserves. I can portend this being one of the higher rated thrillers on Goodreads if all goes well in the revision process—if nothing else, the author has shown enough promise in this novel to exemplify potential for improvement in his future compositions. Definitely have some wherewithal set aside for this autumn because The Guest House is coming out September 13, 2022 and I can see it being a hit within the thriller community, possibly even a contender for the annual Goodreads categorical awards—we’ll just have to see!

P.S. I heeded that an earlier title of this book was ‘The Other Parents‘—I can say with confidence that The Guest House has a far better appeal that played a huge component in my decision to request an ARC!

Loved this! A really well written psychologist thriller with some unexpected twists that I didn’t see coming. Victoria and Jamie go on a small get away before their new baby arrives. While there Victoria goes into labor early but all the doors and windows are locked and the owners of the home are nowhere to be found. The book then goes back and forth between what happens during and after Victoria’s labor and after they leave the guest house. While it wasn’t super fast paced to me it definitely held my interest until the very end. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!

what a banger of a read

Starts with a young couple Jamie and Victoria heading off on a short break before they baby is due but what should of been a calm relaxing trip takes on a full on crazy turn.

Victoria goes into early Labour at the Guest house where they are staying but when they try to get help no one is around and that is when it all starts to go wrong.

The people who own the guest house are not what they seem to be and when things go from bad to worse for all Jamie and Victoria no choose but to follow what is told to do.

But all aint as it seems for all and the story rolls out some shocking twists.

4 stars a very enjoyalbe read with could have a other book follow if the author wanted plus it would make one hell of a movie

IWhen you leave to go on what most people would call a “baby-moon” you expect to find relaxation, fun, and time together. What Jamie and Victoria find on their vacation to a guest house is nothing short of disaster. What was meant to be their last moment together as a pare quickly turns into a nightmare they wish they could wake up from!

I loved the Guest House!!! It drew me in within the first few chapters. The book bounces between the events at the guest house and what has happened 1 month later. I was not ready for some the secrets that this book held and I do not want to give any of them away! It was a wild ride all the way through!

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this incredible ARC! 4.5/5 Stars!

This book was unlike any I've read. The story line is very original and written with the chapters alternating between 2 different months. As the story unfolds you can't guess the twists that are coming.

The very definition of a fast-paced thriller, and super super creepy!

Victoria and Jamie head to a remote guest house a few weeks before their baby is due. Now, we all know nothing good ever happens in remote guest houses, don’t we? I mean, what were they thinking?

Of course, nothing good does happen. In fact, some really bad things go down.

And that’s just the start ….

I received a free review copy from the publisher, via Netgalley - thank you!