Member Reviews
This was such a fun game of cat and mouse and I loved never knowing where this was going and who to trust! It had everything I tend to love in psychological thrillers with lots of drama, deceit and an entertaining revenge plot!
I found it to be pretty addictive and enjoyed the abundance of twists and turns and several red herrings. The short chapters worked perfectly in driving the suspense and the narrator was great as I rotated this one from my physical copy to the audio!
While this one was certainly juicy, it was still missing a little something for me too. It was a page turner though nonetheless so definitely worth checking out!
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for goodreads
Okay, this is fun, a little complicated but overall a quick psychological thriller that keeps you guessing and wondering if who you can actually trust. Perfect for a weekend binge read!
This had such potential, but I found it to be a little boring. I think there are definitely people who will love this, but it was not for me. Will definitely try others by this author in the future.
Unfortunately this was a tough one to get through. I was very uninterested by the half way point and I think it was a bit confusing.
Overall I just found myself not caring or wanting to find out why any of this was happening.
I finished this book and I would give the author another shot but this specific title wasnโt for me.
๐๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ, ๐ต๐ธ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐บ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ช๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ!
I loved this story, secrets, betrayal, great characters and a story that will keep you turning pages until the very end. Another juicy and fantastic book from this author!
Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours and Forge Books for this tour invite.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ by Hank Phillippi Ryan released February 7, 2023.
https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/
I just posted my review for the digital as I was able to read and listen. Great narration.
Another great twisty domestic suspense by Hank Phillipi Ryan.
I thought I had the book figured out multiple times. But this book kept me guessing until the very end! The middle was a little slow but was wrapped up nicely with many twist and turns in the last few chapters of the book. A perfect book of you donโt always get what you want but get what you need. Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced audio
, turns and edge of your seat moments. I loved the narration, by Stephanie Willing, and that the story wraps up nicely in the end.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ
๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง๐ค ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง
๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ: ๐
๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฌ
๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐: ๐.๐.๐๐๐๐
When Alyssa Macallenโs self-absorb husband leaves her, she should be relieved - he is toxic. But he controls the money and controlling he is. She may soon be without anything.
Now feeling low and at her witsโ end, a woman named Bree suddenly appears in Alyssaโs life. It turns out Bree is running from her own troubled situation.
It seems to Alyssa that Bree would make a great friend.
Alyssa even welcomes Bree to stay in her home. (When you're sad, and in a life crisis, itโs not a good time to make big decisions like this, Alyssa!)
When Bree starts making suggestions on how to solve each otherโs problems, you get the feeling things are not as they appear, but be prepared; the twist is not what it seems either. ๐๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ต!
Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours @forgereads and @hankpryan for a spot on tour and a gifted book.
Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the complimentary audiobook.
I was really excited to receive an advanced audio copy of this book. It would be my very first from this author and it might be my last. I truly disliked the female lead in this story of heartbreak, betrayal and feeling sorry for yourself.
Allyssa is facing a devastating divorce, which she didn't see coming, and the introduction of 2 new friends. All I kept thinking was "Girl you do not know these people why are you telling them all of your business." As each new twist or turn to this story emerged I disliked Allyssa more and more. In this time of my life I want a strong female not one who second guesses her decisions. and is portrayed as a door mat, Who word vomits her problems to people even when she is suspicious of them. It took me longer to finish this book then most only because I had to take a break from Allyssa. She just made me so mad.
I also struggled with her "new" friend Bree who just so happened to be at the right place at the right time to meet Allyssa. Her story for me wasn't believable from the beginning. Soon we learn Bree is coming into a lump sum of money and that brings another new friend into Allyssa's life, Dez. She suspects he is up to no good but instead of following her instincts she tells him everything about her life.
Id like to say the ending made up for the rest of it but unfortunately it was too little too late.
This book was fun. It didn't change my life or blow my mind but it delivered on what I expected: domestic drama, secrets, twists, and a relatable heroine who has been screwed over and appears to be in for more, With the tag line: "You canโt always get what you want. But sometimes you get what you deserve." this book delivers with a cat and mouse, who to believe, who can you trust dynamic that puts the reader and the protagonist in the same boat.
This book was quick and entertaining, with a very good narrator. I enjoyed this more than Hank Phillippi Ryan's HER PERFECT LIFE.
I will definitely read her work again.
I enjoyed this novel and getting to know the characters in the book. They were interesting characters. A novel that I would recommend.
The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan is another great book by this author. I enjoyed the storyline. The characters did things I am not sure I would, but that is how there are books like these out there. A twisty book that keeps the reader guessing. Enjoyable.
The audiobook is narrated by Stephanie Willing, and I really like her tone and cadence. It is easy to listen to and helps the reader feel a part of the action.
***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****
Thank you, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley, for being able to listen to this.
Iโve never read a book by Hank Phillippi Ryan before, and I wasnโt sure what to expect from this thriller. What a fantastic audiobook! There were times that I rewinded the book because I had to be sure I heard something correctly - not due to poor narration - due to the fact another twist was thrown at me.
It is an over-the-top thriller, no scratch that, suspense book that you need to set your reasonable mind away. If you go into the into expecting nothing but to be entertained, you 100% will be with a few possible eye rolls.
I think it was plotted out well because, at least to me, the twists wowed me, made sense, and entertained me.
Do I think I would have enjoyed reading it more? I donโt know. I really enjoyed the audiobook, and Stephanie Willing is the perfect narrator for this.
I would suggest the audio if you are going to pick it up.
House guestsโฆ happy to have or happier when the leave? I just adore Hank Phillippi Ryan and her books can be guests in my house anytime!โฃ
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She writes the ultimate twisty thrillers with all the cat and mouse vibes, and itโs always impossible to guess in which direction things will go.โฃ
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The House Guest was the ultimate who-done-it. And who-is-it. And why-did-it. Andโฆ well - just when you think you have it all figured out - bam! - think again. Ohโฆ so you guessed the motive? Nope! - guess again. Got these characters all figured out? Not so fast, my friend.โฃ
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Forget everything you think you know, or think is happening, and just let it ride. Nothing is ever as it appears to be.โฃ
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Alyssaโs sadness from her impending divorce has her doing something completely out of character. She meets Bree at a bar, also drowning her sorrows, and Alyssa decides to invite Bree to stay with her. Because two women bonding over the men who wronged them, is better than sulking alone, right? Add another houseguest to the mix, and strange occurrences and suspicions start to build. Toss in an FBI investigation and mysterious inheritance and the masterful plot-building takes you for a ride youโre going to have to buckle up twice to endure!โฃ
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Itโs a wild tale of twists, secrets, and manipulation that youโre going to want to hold on tight for - and it all builds up to the most fantastic ending - that will totally make up for all the times you were tricked along the way!
This book was an amazing and wild ride, and I am totally here for it! I loved this book and can't wait to read more by this author. I was immediately hooked into the book and couldn't put it down! I highly recommend this book! Now I'm off to add the author's backlog to my ever-growing TBR!!
A chance encounter of two very different women leads to an invitation to become her house guest. The plot unfolds and leaves the reader trying to discover which woman is to be believed and trusted. This book made me read faster to try to figure out the answers.
Thanks to #Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion and was it expertly narrated by Stephanie Willing.
#NetGalley #MacMillanAudio #Goodreads
4 stars for a twisty suspense novel!
The audiobook overall: This was PACKED with twists and turns! This was one of those books where anything that could go wrong definitely DOES... and it kept me guessing till the very end.
The narration: I really liked it. I thought it was engaging and a great performance overall.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an audiobook ARC for review!
From my blog: Always With a Book
I have been a fan of Hank Phillippi Ryan for quite some time and am always left stunned at her books and this one was no exception. She is at the top of her game with this book and I am so glad I finally had a chance to read it.
I love a good cat and mouse game and this one really kept me guessing all the way until the very end โ and the very best part is you really have no idea who is chasing who at times. I had no idea what direction is was going and I absolutely loved it! I had no idea who to trust and who was reliable and the further in I got, the more confused I got as to where the book might be heading. This one really has some fantastic twists that even I did not see coming!
A story about manipulation, I was hooked from the start. This gets into the dark side of marriage and friendship, and it is one wild ride. As with all Hankโs books, this one was completely addicting and binge-worthy and filled with deliciously fun characters โ and the less you know going in, the better which is why my review is on the vague side. Just trust me when I saw this is a good one! I definitely recommend picking this one up if you havenโt already โ you really canโt go wrong with a Hank Phillippi Ryan book!
Audio thoughts: This was such a fun book to listen to and the narrator, Stephanie Willing, did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. Her pacing was pitch perfect and she infused just the right amount of emotion and tension into her voice as needed.
This was twisty and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I kept trying to figure out what was actually happening before Hank Phillippi Ryan revealed the next twist and I was wrong every time. Looking forward to reading more of Hank Phillippi Ryan's books in the future.
Stephanie Willing did a great job narrating this novel and I will look for more novels narrated by her in the future.