I have always enjoyed books by this author, until the Guest House. I thought it was way too much drama, "oh my, what am I without my man" kind of drama, over and over. This is the whatever we brought back from X, but he left me and all I have are the memories. Seriously?

Then Alyssa, the drama queen, meets down and out Bree in a bar and brings her home to protect her from her boyfriend who keeps calling. Then the drama really begins. Is Alyssa's hubby really swindling charities? Why does the FBI want her to try to con the hubby? Why does Dez, who works for an attorney have so much free time and asks so many questions? Why is Alyssa so shallow?

Several times I put it down, but forced myself to finish to see if the ending redeemed it. It did not.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Hank Philippi Ryan has written another wonderful thriller and this one is her best. The House Guest is a suspenseful cat and mouse domestic thriller!! This is Alyssa and Bree’s story and they will rock your world!! Ms. Ryan will take take you on the ride of your life. She is a compelling storyteller and excellent with the pen. This is a fast paced addictive story that you won’t be able to put down. A twisted tale filled with lies, betrayal, greed, fraud, love and friendship. The characters are strong and yet deceiving. You will not know who to believe. Ms. Ryan writes a captivating story from the start, but will be slow to reveal any secrets until you get to that very unexpected ending. I highly recommend this book and author but hold on to your seat, because she will knock you off it with this one!

Thank you NetGalley, Forge Books and the talented Hank Philippi Ryan for another jaw dropping book! The opinions expressed are my own.
#netgalley #forgebooks. #thehouseguest #hankphillippiryan #arc #domesticthriller

Solid 4.5 stars! I am a huge fan of Hank Philippi Ryan and this book did not disappoint. I was sucked in right from the start and couldn’t stop reading. So many twists and turns and I loved them all. The only thing preventing me from giving 5 stars is the ending felt a little rushed. Other than that, a great read from a fantastic author.

Well, this is typical Hank. And by "typical Hank", I mean yet ANOTHER 5-star read! I found this one to be a little different than her usual stories, but not in a bad way. I did not think Alyssa was the sharpest tool in the shed. I mean come on! Who just lets some stranger basically move in with them? But then I have never been a woman dumped by her rich and powerful husband so I can't really judge. That aside, I liked Alyssa AND Bree and the story kept me quickly turning pages! Also, did not see that ending coming! SCORE all around! Hank, I am honored to be a part of your review circle! Keep 'em coming!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Hank Phillippi Ryan and MacMillan-Tor/Forge Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The House Guest is new domestic suspense from Hank Phillippi Ryan.

"Alyssa Macallan is dumped by her wealthy and powerful husband. She begins to suspect that he is playing mind games with her but she can't prove anything. At a bar one night she meets a new friend, Bree, and offers the use of her guest house. Bree tells the story of an abusive boyfriend and makes an offer. Maybe they can help solve each other's problems."

This is a slow burn from Ryan. For a character that's supposed to be smart, Alyssa seems to make some awful decisions. I kept yelling at the audio - "Make a phone call!" Some fictional characters are so naive. Ryan takes the reader on a journey one way and then there's a big pivot and then another. I like how the story works out, including the epilogue.

Fans of slow burn suspense will like this one.

This is the most frustrating novels I have read in a while. The female protagonist was so infuriating - she attended law school but was so inept and naive in life. She believed everything, took in strangers and just couldn't quite understand what Bill had done. UH????

This was a slow-read, dragging throughout the middle. Why did the lead character have to be written so brainless?

Rating 2.5 - Thank you Forge Books for the complimentary copy.

A pleasant tale that ends with many twists and turns. Who is telling the truth? Is anybody? A peek into the life of the rich. Not particularly a page turner, but I had to keep reading to finally understand what was happening. I did care about the protagonist, so that kept me engaged. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Alyssa is in the midst of getting a divorce and needs a friend. It is just her luck when Bree sits next to her at the bar one night. As the two talk, it becomes clear that Bree is on the run and needs a place to stay. Alyssa, wanting to keep her new friend close, offers her the use of her guest house. But can Bree be trusted? Is she who she really says she is? 

I do love a psychological thriller that keeps me on my toes. This one packed in so many twists that I kept thinking I knew what was going on....only to be surprised by the end. This was a solid read that kept me flipping through the pages, wanting to know what happened next. Highly recommend!

I gave my review of the audio. I enjoyed this book, and I am a big fan of the Ryan's. I will recommend it to my readers.

This one was definitely a different plot than I'm used to with this author, but the story did lag in some places. Overall, I enjoyed this story but felt that the middle of the story did drag a lot without any reveals to keep me interested. The last 50 pages of this one made up for the lull and I ultimately enjoyed it for the most part.

this author always manages to amaze me with her writing! This book captured me on the very first page and kept me reading into the night! the characters were complex and interesting. The story was intense and filled with lots of twists and turns. I could not predict what would happen next! There were surprises over and over again! I so loved this book, I might read it again! The cover is gorgeous! thank you Hank Phillippi Ryan for the wonderful pleasure of being on your Arc team! This is a real page turner and a must must read!

OH MY GOSH!!!! This book had my attention from page 1. I didn't know what was going to happen next or who to believe. My emotions were up and down throughout this story. And, then, when I thought I had everything figured out, oh, no, not in the least! I wasn't even close to guessing the ending! A must read! I would give this book 10 stars if I could!

Great mystery/thriller were no one dies! No blood - what a nice change.

Great plot - definitely did not see the ending coming! Good - likable (but really dumb) characters.

Loved the ending!

This was another truly fun domestic thriller from Hank Phillips Ryan. Everything from the messy post-divorce drama to the new house guest had me guessing at what was happening until the very end. Sometimes, nothings better than a thriller set in the aftermath of a marriage.

Holy Cow! I finally understand why everyone loves Hank Phillippi Ryan. I saw that she had an opening on her review team and I applied. I was totally shocked that I was accepted. It’s a good thing they didn’t ask me how many of her books I have read. The House Guest which is the newest book coming out was my first book by her. I LOVED IT!!!!!! I do own some of her other books but, I haven’t had the chance to read them. I feel so honored and blessed to be on her team. This book blew me away. I had the hardest time putting it down and going to sleep last night but, with furbabies who get me up to feed them, I had to get my beauty rest. lol

Hank wrote many little twists and turns into this book and then one really huge one at the end. She held me captive in my chair and it’s a darn good thing that I have a really comfy chair. This author wrote a book with characters that are so devious and slick. Wow! It is taking me a hot minute to put it all into place. You have FBI that are not truly FBI and then you have FBI that are posing as friends and criminals. It really just takes a minute to let it all gel in your mind. Those characters were belivable no matter what part they were playing and when.

The main character is Alyssa. Only because her husband who is rich thought her name Alice was too plain for any wife of his. His name is Bill and he raises money for charities. He is paid for his time and it seems like he is paid quite well. Of course, he has inheritances from family money as well. I did not like Bill but, Alyssa was always the loving and faithful wife. Bill hurts her when he walks out on her and ruins her reputation with their circle of friends. She is left alone to deal with him leaving and trying to pick up the pieces of her life.

I love a book that keeps me on my toes and guessing the whole way through. Hank Phillippi Ryan crafted a novel that did just that. If you are like me, you really need to pick up a copy and start reading! I have found another addition for my long list of favorite authors. She is killer! Until next time…Happy Reading!

Don’t forget to support the authors you read by leaving a review.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author, #MacMillanTor/Forge and #Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

hahahha okay I have thoughts ….

when I first started this book, I really was into it - you know I love a good woman scorned looking to better herself after a man dumps her

but listen, alyssa was dumb as a bag of rocks (where did that expression even come from, I ask) 😅

from inviting a complete stranger to stay in her guest house, when she was already concerned about break ins, to protecting her cheating husband from the police for … literally no reason, I was very annoyed at her thoughts and actions throughout this one

let alone, the amount of random people just skating through this book without proper identification was MIND BOGGLING! suspicion is healthy!!!!

the writing, per usual with hank’s books, was so captivating and easy to read - I binged this one in less than four hours!!

what bugged me the most, though, was how quickly the ending wrapped up. it went from such a slow pace mystery throughout the story and then the characters suddenly revealed their true selves and solved the mystery in less than three chapters. it really jarred me and felt off 🥴

I will still continue to read anything hank writes because the writing is just so intriguing!!

a huge thank you to netgalley and macmillan-forge for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: yarra yarra valley malbec

This book was a disappointment. I was thrilled to be receive the book mainly over the hype around the author and the many positive reviews on GR. However, by Page 100 I was beyond. Considering all the reviews on GR, I still soldiered on for another 60 pages or so, convinced there was a mystery, twist or suspense hidden somewhere in there. Instead there was more of Alyssa, Bree and Dez playing house. I had to even check if I had the right book. I couldn't make myself care beyond this point and sadly had to DNF

3.5 stars

Alyssa is down on her luck with an impending divorce and no friends of her own to rely on. She decides to have a few drinks at a hole in the wall bar when in walks Bree. The two strike up a conversation and soon Alyssa is inviting Bree to stay at her guest house. The two continue to spend time together and a friendship starts to bloom.

One day Alyssa gets an unexpected home visit from the FBI. Alyssa tries to make sense of the recent events in her life and can’t help but feel she’s being played with.

When I saw the synopsis for this book, I was so excited, I love a good cat and mouse thriller. Especially when, like this one, you can’t truly tell who’s the cat and who’s the mouse until the end.

However a lot of the amazing cat and mouse chase was bogged down by drawn out descriptions of unnecessary information. Which also made the slow burn feel way too slow.

The last 20% is where the action really hit and made this book for me. The twists came flying in and wrapped everything up, tying it together in a nice bow. I just really wish the twists and drama had been more sprinkled in the story instead of being crammed at the end.

Overall, a solid underlying story that got buried underneath drawn out details and a slow pace.

Decent plot. Unrealistic, thinly veiled characters. Over-the-top writing. All made up “The House Guest” by Hank Phillippi Ryan. If you’re a devoted reader of psychological thrillers & mysteries, this book will read almost like an SNL sketch.

This is a solid thriller with many twists and turns that kept my attention. The plot was a little over the top but still kept me interested. Many thrillers are unbelievable but still enjoyable and that’s what it’s all about.. It was a solid
3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. #TheHouseGuest #HankPhillippiRyan #NetGalley