For me the Guest House was not my favorite. To talk about the good things first, the author was good at creating suspense and doling out details in a way to keep you reading. However, none of the characters were likeable at all. Additionally, I think this should have a huge trigger warning for women who are pregnant, with young children, or who have miscarried. Additionally, I found the Jaime's disability to be a distraction throughout the book. Overall, I am unsure if I didn't like it because it dealt with a newborn or just because the characters were just dislikable.

Jamie and Victoria have been trying to have a baby for a long time. When they finally succeed they decide to go off for the last holiday with just them shortly before the baby is due. So of course they go someplace isolated off in the wilds of England which is what you do when you could go into labor any day now. When they wake up the next morning to find themselves locked in the house and their phones and car keys are gone, of course, Victoria goes into labor. Their helpless panic in the situation struck me poorly. Why not smash a window and hotwire the car.

Their strange hosts return with a ridiculous demand and an unexpected turn of events lead Jamie and Victoria into hot water. They lose their baby and Jamie is obsessed with fixing everything.

There is a lot of back and forth in time, a ploy to keep us in suspense because a chronological story would mean there was no mystery at all.



The Guest House is suspenseful but I occasionally found it tedious. Robin Morgan-Bentley really wants to tie up every loose end, some he should have let dangle. I know nothing about his writing process so this is reckless speculation, but the book feels as though it was written with the organizational help of one of those book-writing programs. A lot of authors use them and they are perfectly legitimate. They don’t come up with ideas or craft beautiful sentences and metaphors. They keep track of things you might forget in the midst of a few hundred pages. So we get the truth about an event long ago in Victoria’s past. Did we need that?

My big complaint though is that Jamie is too good a person. He is too forgiving and just not equipped with the normal human levels of spite, pettiness, and revenge. I just can’t be interested in a character who doesn’t feel real. Victoria, on the other hand, felt equally unreal, but for different reasons, but at least she is a complicated person.

I received a copy of The Guest House from the publisher through NetGalley

The Guest House at Poisoned Pen Press | Sourcebooks
Robin Morgan-Bentley

A fast paced thriller with all the twists and turns and it started off in an explosive manner. There was continuous urgency with each chapter when we find Jamie and Victoria are back home from their baby moon vacation but there is no baby. The ending twist was crazy and I definitely did not see it coming. Both the main characters were not that likeable but I felt satisfied with how it ended.

Trigger warning - infertility, IVF, miscarriage

3.5 Stars rounded up !

Wow was this book good. I had never heard of this author or even this book before taking a chance in requesting it here but I’m so glad I did it kept me entertained the whole time. The story went I a totally different direction than I originally thought and totally twisted in the last 10 percent. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC looking forward to reading more from this author

An excellent story full of unexpected bends and curves. I read this with my mind darting back and forth on what would I do if this was happening to me. There’s a major surprise that really ties the story lines together. It’s a great suspenseful read.

Solid thriller, more of a 3.5 but rounding down for review purposes because sometimes the first person narration seemed overly simple. Very quick, fast paced read, and the beginning ratcheted up my medical anxiety to an 11 on the dial. It definitely made me second guess staying in an Airbnb and I already had too much pregnancy anxiety to be down with the concept of a babymoon. Reading so many thrillers, I can usually see the twist coming miles away, but in this case the twist surprised me and if there was any foreshadowing, I missed it. The epilogue felt a little forced, trying to get one last bombshell in, but it fell flat for me. Overall a quick, enjoyable read.

This book freaked me out right from the start. It opens with a pregnant couple waking up in the countryside when the wife goes into labor. The couple can't find the keys to their car. But that doesn't matter because they're locked inside the house, and their hosts are gone.

I thought this was going to be some horror story where the house is controlled by some evil being, and this young couple is doomed to stay inside the house forever--or something like that. But the story is much more disturbing than what I had imagined, and I couldn't get it out of my mind. I'd go to bed thinking about the book, and I'd wake up thinking about the book. If you love creepy psychological thrillers set in the English countryside, this book is for you!

I can't remember the last time I finished a book as quickly as I finished this one. Robin Morgan-Bentley has become one of my new favorite authors.

Thank you #netgalley and Robin Morgan-Bentley for this digital ARC! I was all over the place with this one. Some very interesting twists and plot changes come at you throughout the book. I didn’t like any of the characters which made this one fall a little flat in parts for me. But wow did some of the twists really take you to crazy land! And The ending I did not totally see coming. Overall quick domestic suspense.

Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first baby.
With a few weeks to go, they head off for a final weekend break in a remote part of the North Pennines. The small and peaceful guesthouse is the ideal location to unwind together before becoming parents. Upon arrival, they are greeted by Barry and Fiona, the older couple who run the guesthouse. They cook them dinner and show them to their room before retreating to bed themselves.
The next morning, Jamie and Victoria wake to find the house deserted. Barry and Fiona are nowhere to be seen. All the doors are locked. Both their mobile phones and car keys have disappeared. Even though it's a few weeks early, Victoria knows the contractions are starting.
The baby is coming, and there's no way out.
Wow really enjoyable read totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press
I just reviewed The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley. #NetGalley

A super chilling book with a lot of secrets. The cover alone drew me in and the story kept me reading. It is told in a dual timeline, before Danny is born and after. The dual timelines give you information just with you need it. I won’t give anything away but you will want to read this book until the very end!

Wow - this is full on! The pace is fast, the content dark and the detail sometimes excruciating. I loved the use of different perspectives as the plot was revealed - really kept me guessing. I read this in a sitting - really good, strong thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press!

This was a fast paced, twisty thriller that I could not put down once I got into it. Also enjoyed the twist at the end!

Imagine going on a quick getaway with your husband before the birth of your child and waking up to find that you have been locked into the guest house, your phones and car keys missing. This book grabs you right at the start and then submerses you into a devious plan. Twists along the way will shock you in this page-turner, right up until the end.

I didn't think I could be triggered by a book until this book. As a mom it really hit home and I felt a sense of dread throughout the entire book, so much so that I had to read a romcom alongside this book just so I could ease off the edge of my seat. That's a first for me. While I did have this sinking pit in my stomach the entire ride, I think that's what made this a 5 star read for me. It's suspenseful and twisty in all the best ways. I love a good twist and the author did a great job shocking me.

The story follows Jamie and Victoria as they embark on one last relaxing vacation before their son is born. They book a guest house in a secluded area. When they awake the next morning, the owners are gone, things are missing and they're locked inside. Suddenly the baby is coming and there's no way to call for help or get out of the house. The book jumps back and forth in time throughout. During present day Jamie and Victoria are grieving, they keep receiving threats to keep quiet and their marriage is falling apart. What happened to them on that terrible trip to the guest house?

A special thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Holy cannoli. I finished this book in 2.5 hours. This is a psychological thriller with some interesting tension. It IS over the top but the entertainment value is high.

Jamie and Victoria go away for a weekend to a remote guest house right before their baby is due. Everything appears to be fine and their hosts, Barry and Fiona, are helpful. But when they wake the next morning, Jamie and Victoria are locked inside the house with their phones and keys missing. Victoria is starting to have contractions and there’s nowhere else to go.

Told in alternating POVs and dual timelines, the story is intense and pretty crazy. I didn’t love the aftermath of the major reveal but it needed to be wrapped up somehow. Still worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC.

This was my first book by this author and wow, what a great first impression! I flew through this book basically in one sitting (had I not had training for school, it would've been a true one-sit read.) but nonetheless I finished it in a day.

It was that addicting; a true page turner. I had to know the truth of Danny, and what happened in the guest house. This book was suspenseful, atmospheric, and unexpectedly dark! I loved that, the darker the better. At times the characters genuinely pissed me off, which I think is a good thing if you can write a character I hate, or two for that matter.

I felt for Jamie and Victoria throughout this book, and just how I said it was unexpectedly dark, it was also unexpectedly emotional and heart-wrenching. I didn't see a majority of the twists coming, and said "what the f*ck" a couple of times too, which is always a treat.

I thought the ending wrapped everything up nicely as well. I'm going to check out this authors other books!

Thanks to @Poisoned Pen Press and @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Expecting their first child, Jamie and Victoria couldn’t be happier, but before their bundle of joy arrives they decide to enjoy one last peaceful vacation at a remote cabin. What could go wrong, right? Well, quite a lot actually. When they wake the next morning they find that not only are their hosts game, but Victoria begins to have contractions…weeks too early. They need to call for help or get to a hospital…the only problem is their cell phones are missing, as are their car keys, and they are locked in the cabin! This is one heck of a wild thriller with plenty of twists that kept me hooked from start to finish. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Guest House.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1098M853OLTD/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Pub date: 9/13/22
Genre: thriller
One sentence summary: Jamie and Victoria are on vacation before the arrival of their baby - but when the baby comes early, they realize they've been trapped in their isolated guest house with no way out.

I love an isolated country thriller, and this one delivered! Author Morgan-Bentley did a great job showing Jamie and Victoria's terror and desperation - and wow were their hosts Barry and Fiona creepy! Even your worst vacation disaster is nothing compared to this nightmare. I had some guesses about the plot, but I didn't manage to predict the twists or the ending! I think this will be a great winter thriller when it's too cold to go outside. You can definitely read it in one sitting.

Trigger warning: As you can tell from the plot summary, the plot contains the premature delivery of a baby in a non-hospital setting. If you are currently pregnant or squeamish about birth/pregnancy, this may not be the book for you.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oof. Having just had a baby 6 months ago this was (at times) tough to get through.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I enjoyed their writing, although sometimes it felt like some of the descriptions were simply unnecessary. I didn’t need to read about Jamie’s curly hair as often as I did. I thought the mystery was good, the “twist” wasn’t quite what I expected, and while it was clearly written by someone who had never given birth, overall I would read something by this author again!

At the start of this I was intrigued while simultaneously being completely confused. I’ve seen some rave reviews for this one but it didn’t work as well for me.

What I liked:
-The obscure creepy setting of an old church in a snowy field far from anything. (A very similar to the setting Rock Paper Scissors.)
-The twist was unexpected and creative.
-The epilogue.

What didn’t work for me:
-There were no truly likable characters. This isn’t always a deal breaker but makes it harder for me to connect to a story.
-A lot of build up and backstory that didn’t quite keep my attention like I’d have hoped.
- Felt long even thoughts it’s only 320 pages

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.