I recently finished reading The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan, marking the fourth novel of hers that I have had the pleasure of reading. I appreciate her writing style and find it quite timeless. While this book had a slower pace than her usual works and repeated certain aspects more than necessary, I was still invested in the story and thoroughly enjoyed the unexpected twists that emerged in the final quarter of the book. The ending was satisfying, and I particularly appreciated experiencing events solely from Alyssa's perspective. Although I didn't feel particularly attached to any of the characters, I appreciated the author's ability to keep me guessing about the outcome of the story. The book ultimately ended up being more thrilling than I initially anticipated, and the conclusion was a complete shock to me!

Stephanie Willing's exceptional narration in the audiobook of The House Guest had me hooked. Her delivery was spot-on, and Alyssa's character was perfectly portrayed. I highly recommend the audio version to anyone who enjoys them. With a thrilling plot of deception and greed, it was hard to determine who the good guys were. Hank's books always leave me fulfilled, and I was thrilled to find a signed copy at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Arizona. If you're in the area, make sure to check them out. I'm already looking forward to the next book from this talented author.

I received an advanced listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

So your wealthy husband leaves you and you are feeling devastated and alone. You are also suspicious of your soon to be ex. Is he trying to scare you using 'gaslighting" tactics, or is it just an over active imagination. Feeling distraught and confused, you meet an intriguing stranger at a bar. This mysterious woman may also need rescuing. What do you do? Invite them to move into your life and take center stage, of course. Really?? The main character Alyssa, frustrated me with her impulsive choices. I understood that she was going through a lot, but many of her decisions were questionable. I did enjoy the relationship between Alyssa and the alluring Bree, even if it seemed rushed and reckless. The ending was satisfying and bumped my rating up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️. Overall this was an okay thriller. The narration of the audiobook was entertaining and added a layer of suspense. Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for my audiobook.

There were just enough clues, red herrings, and twists sprinkled throughout to keep me guessing and to leave me unsure as to whether or not i should root for them. it was a sickly fun story.

The House Guest was another great read by Hank Phillippi Ryan. Alyssa Macallan is dumped by her wealthy and powerful husband and finds herself terrified. She suspects that her manipulative soon to be ex is scheming to ruin her and leave her alone and penniless. The FBI shows up at her door and Alyssa knows that she really needs a new friend. Bree Lorrance is running from a dangerous relationship and Alyssa offers her the safety of her guest house. Bree makes a tempting offer that may lead to them solving each others' problems. I enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read more by the author.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free copy of The House Guest. The following opinions are strictly my own.

Mixed feelings about this one. I liked a lot of it and I'm still thinking about the events and the characters a week later, but there was also so much to roll my eyes about. The entire time, I was onto the twists, which isn't always bad, but I don't vibe when the main character makes questionable choice after questionable choice and then doesn't know how they got in their predicament. Ultimately I enjoyed where this story went, and it was unexpected, but the execution was mediocre. Still a fun read, but not stellar.

I enjoyed the overall concept of this book. It was a enjoyable read that helped me to pass time and escape from reality for a bit. Overall, it was a good book. The narrator made this book very enjoyable.

Very ominous starting out but ultimately a slow burn with a good few twists and turns. Was not my favorite novel by the author but do suggest checking it out nonetheless

From the very beginning of The House Guest, I was wary of Alyssa’s choices and wondered why she made such poor decisions. Not only had she impulsively married a man who had turned out to be toxic, but taking in a stranger as a house guest completely amps up the potential horror ahead for her.

The best thing about such a story: it does keep us turning the pages.

From one moment to the next, the story kept twisting and turning until the very end. Definitely a good read. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a bit of a slow burn but with some good twists. It did keep my attention and even had me second guessing myself! The narrator was good as well.

I was hoping for something different from this book - something new or exciting. But instead the plot and characters seemed more like things I've seen many times before.

I felt like this one lagged a bit and didn’t have much of a wow factor. I think I expected it to be more of a thriller/true mystery but it really wasn’t for me. A lot of people said it was cat mouse like and i didn’t feel like that at all. Maybe it was because i listened to it on audio

Hank Phillippi Ryan did it again! She has become one of my most favorite authors. The narrator did a perfect job as well. Very easy to keep track while listening. The drama and suspense was fabulous, and I didn't see the twist.

It is not the money that is bad; it is how people use it.
“The House Guest” introduces characters by dangling the past, reviewing the present, and hinting at things to come. Everything Alyssa thought would make her life wonderful and happy, well, it didn’t. Her life was like that of a lobster -- living in comfort and luxury, about to be boiled alive. She was comfortable and clueless. First her husband left, and then her life became just one disaster after another. That is, until a strange thing happened; she met someone one night in a bar.
The story unfolds in a conversation driven narrative. Chapters are labeled with the day to make following the progress easy. Readers know some of what people say to each other, and some of what they say to themselves, but not everything. There are plenty of secrets hidden from others and concealed from readers.
Details paint a vivid picture of the environment. The headboard is crafted from local driftwood, painted a bleached blue, and buffed like a stone tumbled by the waves. The phone’s green charging light and the moon’s May brightness give the room a pale glow.
Alissa encounters more than her share of unexpected connections and unanticipated influences. There are casual gatherings, intentional encounters, and meetings that turn out very differently than originally planned – or perhaps they were planned that way from the start. Alissa knows that in real life, no one gets away with killing anyone, especially husbands -- in real life, but eventually nothing seems real to her. Things are not what they seem on the surface, and perhaps there is an evil that runs deep.
“The House Guest” is an elaborate deception. Things should be one thing, but turn out to be something very different. The characters are complex; the action is non-stop, and the ending is unexpected. Readers think, “I am glad it is not me!”
I also listened to the audio version of “The House Guest” narrated by Stephanie Willing. Willing has a multi-dimensional voice. At times the tone is melodic and reassuring; at other times there is urgency in the narration with a tone of anticipation and dread of what is to come.
I received a review copy of “The House Guest” from Hank Phillippi Ryan, Stephanie Willing, Macmillan-Tor Publishing, and Macmillan Audio.

“The House Guest” is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent

Alyssa Macallan is newly divorced, it wasn’t a clean break.. and her ex is the king of playing mind games. They were wealthy, traveled, had a lot of friends and now Alyssa is alone. She needs a friend but how does an adult woman find a friend? One night she heads to an out of the way bar, in a hotel, to let out some steam. While there a young woman starts to speak with her. She has a lot of issues as well and they bind over their problems. Bree Lorrance, seems to have a stalker and she doesn’t have much money to stay in the hotel. Alyssa has a guest house and invites Bree to stay with her. Bree can save some money and figure her life out. At first things are going well and Alyssa loves the company. But Bree has issues Alyssa is now brought into. Plus the FBI, comes to her house to talk about her ex. After the FBI a leaves Alyssa starts looking into her husband and while she’s out she tries to piece together Bree and her story. Can Alyssa put all of it together? Is Bree a friend or an enemy hired by her ex? What will happen if her ex is guilty of what the FBI says? This was a quick read for me. The story moved at a good pace. Kind of predictable but there were a few surprises. I love a good mystery/thriller and this was a 4 star listen for me. Stephanie Willing did an excellent job narrating. I’m want to thank Netgalley and Hank Phillippi (the author) Macmillan Audio for my copy of The House Guest, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review.

If you like a twisty, turny thriller this is for you! This book kept me guessing throughout the whole book. Every time I thought I knew what was happening I was shocked again all the way to the VERY end.

I’d say this was a 15%er, meaning you had to get to the last 15% to make sense of anything going on. Usually I love a good mystery where I can’t call the ending, but this one was so far out in left field the ending left me questioning the entire rest of the book.

I chose 3 stars for a reason. Overall, I liked the empowerment aspects of this story (though they did take a little while to see). I didn’t mind the character development and envisioning the lavish lifestyle she led. Finally, I had to give a little credit to the fact I didn’t see the end coming, even if it was so twisty I had to read it twice to understand how it all fit!

The audiobook had a great narrator who was very easy to listen to. Still would not place this at the top of my recommendations list.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of The House Guest.

There were a number of predictable events, especially at the end in regards to Bill. I think the author tried to make Alyssa relatable, with her background, but, she came across as a rich housewife that just organized social events. I would have been very suspicious of these 2 new people that suddenly came into her life, but she didn't seem to question Bree's motives. The end of the novel was predictable, and I had been imagining that there was going to be a big plot twist.

The author was very successful in getting Bill to come across as a dirt-bag. I hated him at the beginning, middle, and end.

In summary, I think the characters and plot were unrealistic and there weren't any plot twists that really surprised me.

Just ridiculous. A pity party for a poor little rich girl. Thanks for the arc in exchange of an honest review, sorry that this one just did not work for me at all. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely a slow burn but a bit too slow for me. I usually love her books so i was disappointed with this one. I just didn’t find myself concerned for the characters. It wasn’t suspenseful to me. I just lost interest quickly

I think the narration was done well and the narrator was great.

This is a solid psychological thriller. With twists and turns that keep the reader guessing and wondering who to trust the story unfolds well. I will say that, at times the story felt like it moved a little slow and I did find some of the characters actions/choices quite unrelatable.. However, I would still recommend this book, especially to someone new to the thriller genre.

⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5)