In "The Guest House" by Robin Morgan-Bentley, readers are plunged into a gripping and suspenseful tale that explores the depths one would go to protect their loved ones. Jamie and Victoria embark on a final getaway before the imminent arrival of their first child, choosing a remote country guesthouse for its tranquillity. However, their idyllic retreat takes a sinister turn when they wake up to find the guesthouse deserted, the proprietors missing, and all exits locked. As Victoria goes into labour with no means of escape, the tension escalates, weaving an intense narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. "The Guest House" is a masterfully executed suspense novel that delves into the lengths people will go to ensure the safety of their loved ones, making it a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.

I have wanted to read this book for so long, but oh boy was it hard for me to read. A major plot point was a new mother being separated from her baby, and that is just hard for me personally to enjoy, no matter how good the writing, characters or overall story. The twist actually redeemed the book a little bit for me, but this is not a book I would necessarily recommend to new moms, or perhaps any mom. That said, it was a twisty, suspenseful thriller (or horror to some readers) that I can see many enjoying.

I am feeling torn about this one. I felt a lack of connection with every single character and I think that is why I struggled to care about what was happening. I feel like this story had great potential, but some of that was lost in the lack of character building unfortunately.

This one was great! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I did not see that ending coming at all. A great story

This is the first book I read from this author and it was a pleasant surprise. I’ve really enjoyed the plot, characters and in my opinion it was a real page turner, full of unexpected twists. I just couldn’t put it down. I will definitely look for more books from this author.

Twists and suspense. Jamie and Victoria are on their Babymoon before the arrival of their first baby. The guesthouse in the country seems great and quiet, the perfect place. And far away from the distractions of life. Barry and Fiona manage the accommodations. But when Jamie and Victoria wake on their first day they find the house is empty. All the doors are locked and Barry and Fiona gone. Their cell phones and car keys have disappeared and Victoria starts to feel contractions starting although the baby is supposed to be a few weeks away. But the baby is coming and they have no way to escape. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

This was such an unexpected surprise. I didn't know what to expect when I started this thriller. Immediately there was a strong sense of intensity and foreboding. My interest was peaked, trying to figure out where the story was going. Even though the initial twist was slightly predictable, the events that followed were shocking and heart-wrenching. Although some occurrences were a bit over the top, my interest and enjoyment never waned. The final twist shook me to the core. I was riveted by every minute of this entertaining, twisted story of loss, betrayal, and deception. Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my copy. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a decent book. I loved the twists and it was fast paced and easy to read. Thank you netgalley for making this book available to read.

Told in dual timelines, one during a tense chunk of time and the other in the (sort of )aftermath of that tense time, The Guest House is the story of a couple who takes a babymoon to a remote house in the English countryside. But with only weeks from her due date, our mom-to-be goes into labor. As if this wasn't stressful enough, the people renting the vacation destination aren't exactly what they seem to be.

This book is a tense and gripping read, but because the characters aren't acting in the way I would expect them to act I was suspicious pretty early on that things were more convoluted than they seemed to be. Admittedly, I didn't guess each and every reveal, but the major twist seemed to leap off the page pretty early. As I said, the tension was very well done, but as a mom, it was just too unreal to me. I would never have made the choices this new mother made, and I can't imagine anyone who would. So, this book was an ok read for me, but it isn't destined to be a favorite.

Jamie and Victoria decide to take a relaxing weekend getaway before their baby is born is a few weeks. They decide on a guesthouse in the quiet countryside. Jamie and Victoria spend the first night without any real issues. However, when they waken the next day, they find their cell phones and car keys are missing. They cannot find the house owners. And to make matters worse, Victoria begins to feel contractions. Victoria and Jamie are worried - how are they going to get Victoria to the hospital? Why are the homeowners seemingly trying to trap Victoria and Jamie in the guesthouse?

I loved this creepy psychological thriller! Right away, this book starts off with a bang. It is strange and weird, but in the best possible way. As the book progressed, it became more creepy and unbelievable. The twists and turns are exciting and kept me engrossed. I really enjoyed the final twist as well! The book is told from multiple POVs from the somewhat unstable characters. I really enjoyed this author's writing style.

Yes, the plot line may be a bit implausible. But is an exciting and juicy read. The plot is unique and makes for a wild and enjoyable ride. This book stayed with me for a while after reading it. Strongly recommend for any thriller fan.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Got to this one late after reading it!

I really couldn’t get into this book. I kept going though and it’s not what I expected.

A couple is expecting and staying at a guest house. Things start to take a wrong turn.

This was ok. It just wasn’t what I would recommend.

I was initially drawn to this book by the cover and the premise of the book. New parents to be are on a final vacation before their baby arrives. Of course the vacation doesn’t go as planned and Victoria begins to go into labor but they have no way to get to a hospital or call for help.

This psychological thriller alternates point of view between Jamie and Victoria which really shows how stressed each of them are. I was quickly drawn in and wanted to know what would happen to the couple and their new baby. The twists and turns throughout made for a quick read. The reveal at the ending had be shocked. Would definitely recommend this thrilling read to a friend!

This book started off strong. At first I liked the dual timelines but by midway I felt that the story would have been better told from only one timeline. Overall, this story had a lot of twists that kept me interested but I needed to suspend belief that any of it could ever happen.

This story gave me "Rosemary's Baby" vibes at first but through all of the twists and turns, it took on a much darker feel. You have to suspend belief for the final third of the book and a few moments are pretty extreme, but it made for an intriguing story. This is a good, creepy book for summer vacation.

Wowzer! So many twists and craziness going on there.

Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first child. They head away for the weekend to The Guest House when everything takes a sinister turn.

So many feelings and what would you do moments in the beginning. Then the ending is face paced and you can’t stop reading.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I am not going to lie and I hate to do this because authors take so much time on their books but I hated this book from page one and only made it to page five. This was awful.

As a mother, that was by far the scariest book I've read in my entire life.
I read it in 24 hours, pausing only to take care of my actual children.
I've read books that were more gory, I've read books with higher death counts, but I've never read a book this traumatizing.

I went into this book not really knowing what to expect. It was excellent, but make sure you read content warnings.

I don't have cerebral palsy, but I know and am related to people who do.
So as someone who is familiar with the disability but still understands that I'll never know what it's really like, the disability rep was A+.
It felt like a part of the character and while it affected the plot, it never felt like a tool to forward the plot.
(Once again, grain of salt, I don't have cerebral palsy.)

CW: Childbirth, child endangerment, child death, kidnapping, infidelity, murder.

I did it.

I have achieved what I set forth to do.

I wanted to read a book that would have me:

1. chew my fingernails down to the beds
2. hold my breath in angst
3. fear what lurks in the shadows.

I had to call my therapist after concluding The Guest House.

This is in no way shape or form a bad thing, the fact that this book had this much of an impact on me is still mind boggling BUT if anyone could do it, it was sure to be Robin Morgan-Bentley.

I read The Wreckage awhile back and right there I knew that RMB and I had formed a "book-ship" of sorts, that would eventually escalate and lead me down a path of unwavering obsession to her books both published, and yet to be published.

Does Robin have that effect on you too? Maybe we can start a support group.

All kidding aside, The Guest House has easily snuck on in to my number one slot of most favored books.... EVER.

Teaser :

One fatal crash. Two colliding worlds. Three wrecked lives.

School teacher Ben is driving on the motorway, on his usual commute to work.

A day like any other....

Except for one man who, in a final despairing act, jumps in front of Ben's car, turning the teacher's world upside down in a single horrifying instant....

Wracked with guilt and desperate to clear his conscience, he develops a friendship with Alice, the dead man's wife, and her seven-year-old son Max.

But as he tries to escape the trauma of the wreckage, could he go too far in trying to make amends?

How would you cope, knowing you'd caused someone's death?

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

First, I love that this book showcases a main character that has a disability and uses the knowledge of their own disability to show the struggles of what having that disability is like for them. This book had twists and turns and one I didn’t see coming. Overall, this was a great read and it was interesting to see where it would go. I would definitely recommend reading this book if you are looking for a thriller.

This book kept me guessing until the end. The twists were all really fun and the plot was unique!
I liked the characters, and how I was always a little unsure who to trust, it was a very exciting read.