Wow. Just wow. I didn't think I was going to like this book this much. I am so grateful to be able to read this ARC.

I've been reading a lot of thrillers lately and this one definitely satiated my cravings. It starts by jumping right into the action and keeps you interested page-after-page. I sometimes don't like how writers weave in and out of the past and present because I'm wanting to get back to the main plotline, but I found the quieter parts of the book just as fascinating as the high paced ones. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to devour a good story or get out of a reading slump!

An intense thriller about a pair of flawed but relatable parents trying to save their son. I enjoyed this story and was excited to see how they would resolve the situation they found themselves in.

What I liked:
- It takes the story a little while to start up but once it does, it doesn't stop. The plot could get really suspenseful and tense, especially right before the middle point
- The pacing is very slow in the beginning (with a bit too much filler dialogue) but picks up in the second half
- I like that the husband's job of stopping scams actually comes into play during the story
- I quite enjoyed the twist. It explained a lot of coincidences and questions I had.

What I didn't like:
- The dialogue can be repetitive and a tad awkward at times, particularly in the first half. However, it seems to level out halfway through when the plot actually gets moving
- The first quarter of the book was a very slow start
- [Warning: Spoilers ahead] The main reason the main characters don't report their son to the police is because all the evidence is stacked against them (and the threat of the child dying). However, this changes when the killer sends a text/letter outlining her threats and includes a picture of her threatening the baby. There's your evidence! The fact that the husband doesn't even think about this broke my immersion.
- I didn't love the main characters in the beginning. Their personality traits were largely negative (rude, judgemental, constantly getting offended) so it made it hard to like them at the start. This is generally evened out in the second half but made me annoyed in the first half.
- I don't think the epilogue was necessary.
- [Warning: Spoilers ahead] It was never explained why the wife killed her uncle, especially because she was in on it. I assume it's a plot hole because it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, unless I missed something.

Overall, while the pacing was slow at first, I really enjoyed this book. It feels rooted in reality and has a lot of tension. It could get frustrating at points to see the main characters struggle but their plight was relatable and had me on the edge of my seat. The twist also made everything feel planned out and interesting.

[This book was kindly provided as a free e-arc and I appreciate it.]

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4664514458

Publishing date: September 13,2022
😳😳😳😳.5/5
While reading The Guest House, I was put in charge of finding a vacation spot for my husband and I. After reading this book, I’m scared to go anywhere!!!! I was wanting to go to an air bnb with a cool host but no way, no how! This book gave me all the anxiety! I also fell in love with Victorias husband Jamie! Something about how he was towards his wife had me feeling all the feels

#theguesthouse #theguesthousebook #bookstagram #books #recentlyread #netgalley #netgalleyreads

Jeez, this book was nuts!! Not at all what I expected...tbh, I'm not even sure what I expected, but it wasn't that! The Guest House was nightmarishly gripping and wildly entertaining. I was hooked from the first paragraph and could not stop reading! Most of the time I was questioning the stupidity of the characters' thoughts and actions, but that did not stop me from devouring this in less than 24 hours! I highly recommend it!

This story centers around expectant parents, Jamie and Victoria, who after multiple failed attempts, are finally due to have their first baby in a few weeks' time. (Oh honey, let's go on a weekend getaway to a secluded guest house in bumblef..k!) Stupid decision #1!!! And it only gets worse from there. On their very first night, Victoria goes into labor. They find themselves locked inside the house, cannot seem to find their phones or car keys and the couple that runs the place is missing. Let's just say that it doesn't end well for any of them. Expectant parents beware! This book will become your worst nightmare.

Thank you to the author, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this eARC!

I wanted to like this book, and it was well-written, but I found it increasingly unbelievable and I disliked the characters.

Very fast past read. Kept my attention the whole time. I like the twists and turns thrown in there. Would recommend for reads who like suspense and thrillers

I got chills just by looking at the cover, and it appears like it would be a fascinating novel, with its sinister guesthouse in the middle of nowhere. The design makes me suspect that nothing good could happen there.

Robin Morgan-Bentley wrote the Guest House. The owners of this remote guesthouse are Barry and Fiona Johnson. It’s located seven hours away from London by automobile, towards the North Pennines, called Choristers Lodge. Barry is a retired Chief Superintendent of the Police, and his wife, Fiona, is a midwife. Twenty-seven years ago, Fiona gave birth to a baby boy named Harrison, who sadly passed away only a month before his first birthday.

Victoria and Jamie Rawlinson planned to get away from London for a few days. The couple traveled somewhere quiet and remote before the birth of the baby. They had been trying for a long time, and it was a miracle that they were finally pregnant. However, Jamie only walks with a limp, despite being disabled by cerebral palsy. He owns a business called KnowScam. Victoria is a relatively unknown pianist.

Arriving at Choristers Lodge in the dark that night, everything seems wrong from the start. Why did they go there in the first place? Why all the lies, and what happened to their newborn baby Danny?

I enjoyed this novel a great deal and appreciated how the story unraveled. It’s a fast-paced novel that’s almost impossible to put down. There was nothing negative I could say about this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the mystery and suspense genre. Congratulations on a well-written book, and I give it five out of five stars. Nice work.

Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first child in a couple of weeks when they go on a mini break to a remote region. Victoria goes into early labour and Jamie, who is handicapped, looks for the hosts of the Lodge they staying in, and the place is empty and locked up. He is unable to find their car keys and cell phones. He breaks out to look for assistance.
Things go from bad to worse, the hosts are truly evil and Jamie and Victoria return home without their longed for baby.

A very gripping read, I enjoyed this, and it had a good twist at the end. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, there is a lot to absorb. A great read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This is a rollercoaster of a tale. I couldn't put it down. It kept me guessing through the whole journey. And what a journey it was! Brilliantly told!

I really liked this book. It was a good mystery and I liked the use of both dueling points of view and flashbacks. It gave insights into all the characters and I really liked the twist at the end.

Thank you for the ARC, Poisoned Pen Press! As a big thriller lover, I can be hard to please when it comes to a thriller. I get tired of the same tropes with predictable endings. that being said, this book was NOT the case! What a breath of fresh air. A unique story with (awful) unique characters and multiple big twists that weren't expected. It kept me reading the whole time. I really enjoyed this one and recommend for other thriller-lovers. It will keep you guessing!

What is life but a series of decisions? But what if one decision in your life changes the course of everyone around you for decades to come.

In The Guest House, we are taken on a roller coaster of a ride as Jamie and Victoria become new parents while on their baby moon. But what should have been a quiet, relaxing weekend, turns into the worse night of their life.

From the first page, you are filled with dread as you realize that things are not going according to plan. As you flash backwards to that dreadful trip and to their current day activities, you are brought through a journey of new parents deciding how far they would go to protect their baby.

The author of this book was able to translate the raw emotions of each character throughout this book, whether you enjoyed the character or not. I couldn’t put the book down once I started it because I was so invested to each character and what was happening with them. I also didn’t know what was going to happen around each corner. Nothing was what it seemed.

Putting this book on your preorder list will not be something you regret. The only regret you will have is speeding through it so fast and not being able to experience reading it for the first time, again.

5 out of 5 for an amazing story, written by an incredible author.

The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley is a thriller that takes familial love and puts it through the wringer.
Jamie and Victoria have been wanting a family for a while and now it seems their dreams may be coming true...until they spend a week at the Guest House.
The writing in this book progresses the story along at a good clip and moves between varying viewpoints letting us experience the tale from both Jamie and Victoria's perspectives. I rather liked this as it allows us to see that while Jamie and Victoria experienced the same thing the effects of it on them were filtered through their own pasts and personalities.
And that ending--Wow.
Thank you to #Netgalley #Orion and #RobinMorgan-Bentley for the ARC copy of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

Wow, what a disturbing, sad story. There was honestly not one character that I liked in this book but I loved it at the same time. Being sick of so many of the same recycled plots in books, this was such a great breathe of fresh, original air that was also so unpredictable it left me gasping. I truly applaud this author for such an entertaining read.

You know those mysteries that once you’ve finished them compel you to go back to the beginning and reread parts to determine how you missed the clues? The Guest House is one of those.

This suspenseful tale alternates between the perspectives of the two main characters, a married couple who have experienced an unthinkable ordeal while vacationing in a remote guest house weeks before the birth of their first child. To reveal any more would be unfair to future readers of this well-executed tale.

Robin Morgan-Bentley so brilliantly unraveled the plot and so richly fleshed-out believable characters that the ending caught me by surprise in a way that, upon reflection, completely made sense.

One of the most satisfying mysteries/thrillers I’ve read in a while!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book. My review is voluntary and reflects my honest opinion.

Firstly, I am thankful for the opportunity to have received a free advanced copy of this Ebook through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This one totally gripped me and I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. Switching between a dual timeline each chapter leaving me longing to know what was going to happen next.

Jamie and Victoria, expecting their first child, having a last holiday before the baby arrives. What could possibly go wrong? And who’s keeping secrets?

I rate this Ebook 5 Stars and would recommend to those who enjoy their suspenseful/psychological thrillers.

#TheGuestHouse #NetGalley

**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own! **


This was a refreshing?! If I can say that- it’s not a refreshing story- but a refreshing book in the thriller genre. I was expecting more of a Rosemarys Baby vibe- but this was such a neat plot twist that does have me wondering about a certain characters mental health at that phase. I enjoyed it, the month difference in the timeline was a little odd since it’s not years later but just a month or so, but it was fairly easy to keep up with and I did like the general plot and the slight unease I felt. I could definitely see this play out as a series on a streaming service or something too, which is a compliment in my book. Well done to the author, I’ll be keeping my eyes out for more!

Wow! This was an edge of your seat thriller! This was not only impossible to put down but a jaw dropped with some huge twists! One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time!

The journey to parenthood has been a long one for Victoria and Jamie. Now, they are taking one last vacation before the birth of their first child, a boy to be named Danny. They’ve chosen a B and B in a remote and isolated area of Cumbria. After a pleasant evening spent with the cottage owners, Fiona and Barry, Victoria awakes in premature labor. Fiona and Barry have disappeared, the house is locked, their keys are gone. They are trapped. So far, so good with The Guest House. Now, while the plot moves swiftly through many surprises and twists, believability is lost. Not only are all the characters, except Jamie, disappointing and unlikeable, the situation itself, hard to describe without spoilers, just could not happen as described. Based on the publisher’s description, I wanted to like this thriller. It just wasn’t for me. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Robin Morgan-Bentley for this ARC.