𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵? 𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘵𝘴.

After Alyssa Macallan and her husband separate, she feels all alone. She meets Bree Lorrance at a bar, and is drawn to her. Bree is running from her abusive ex so lonely Alyssa offers her her guest house to stay in. When the FBI shows up investigating Alyssa’s husband, her and Bree form a plan to figure out what is going on.

This was a slow burn thriller with lots of twists and red herrings thrown in to keep the reader guessing. I enjoyed the build up in this book, and the slow burn helped to make the story suspenseful. I kept thinking I had it all figured, but then there would be a twist totally throwing me off.

I did think the ending was a tad unrealistic and then just kept getting more far fetched. It could have stopped at one point, and I would have been fine with that. I enjoyed the unreliable narrator in this story and trying to figure out who was lying and who wasn’t. HPR definitely kept me on my toes!

I listened along to the audiobook while reading this one. Stephanie Willing is a new to me narrator who I really enjoyed. I thought she did a great job narrating this book.

I had the pleasure of meeting HPR last summer at an author event, and I’m glad I finally got to read one of her books. I really like her writing style and look forward to reading her backlist.
Thank you Macmillan Audio, Forge Books, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

Very slow burn. At times I wanted to give up BUT I’m glad I didn’t because when it got going it really went. It did seem like it went for a little *too* much at times, however, because I did have to go back a few times to make sure I didn’t miss something. Twisty to the core.

Really enjoyed the audio by Stephanie Willing. This is the second audio I’ve listened to of hers this year and I’ll look forward to hearing more from her.

Thanks to NetGalley, Tor/Forge Publishing, and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies.

Out now!

I received an advanced listening copy of The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and, here it is!
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☆☆☆ ½ 
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Alyssa and her husband have just separated, it's out of nowhere and she's heartbroken. She's drowning her sorrows at a local spot where she meets a woman who is doing the same. They strike up a conversation and immediately click. Did you just find your new best friend? Or…?
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I loved that you couldn't trust anyone in this story, everyone had different motivations which kept everything very suspenseful. All of the secrets, lies, and gaslighting make for an interesting read. I didn't connect with any of the characters but I suppose that's hard to do in a mystery/thriller like this. Although I didn't guess the twists, I wasn't blown away by them either.
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Thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and author Hank Phillippi Ryan for this ALC to honestly review. This book is out now so go get it!!!

Hank Ryan has done it again. She was written a book that has so many twists and turns that until the very end you aren’t totally sure who is the bad guy is! I suspected every character at one point during the read. I also loved that I knew something bad was going to happen, but I never predicted what it was.

It’s better to just set aside the time to finish this in one sitting because otherwise you’ll be too distracted thinking about the book to be productive doing anything else.

Here is a quick about the book.
Alyssa is going through a divorce from her wealthy husband. She is in her big house all alone until she meets a woman named Bree at a bar.

Alyssa invites Bree to stay in her guest house because Bree says she is starting fresh after a difficult time.

Alyssa and Bree become fast friends.

Bree has an unexpected change in fortune while Alyssa gets some unexpected news about her soon to be ex-husband.

Not all is as it seems and no one can be trusted.

The House Guest
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook and Audiobook
Date Published: 2/7/23
Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan
Publisher: Macmillan
Narrator: Stephanie Willing
GR: 3.83

HAPPY PUB DAY!! I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Macmillan and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: The House Guest is a disturbing cat and mouse game thriller from Ryan. Alyssa is a newly separated wife, from a very powerful, wealthy man. Charles, the soon-to-be ex, gives a new meaning to gaslighting. She meets this timid young woman, Bree, in a bar, and truly wants to help her. They form an instant bond. The plot seems simple, however the simple plot is delivered into many complex subplots that really up the level of a thriller. I do not want to give too much away as to not spoil for other readers.

The story is narrated by Alyssa. Alyssa appears as an unreliable narrator, but is far from this. Bree appears to be a timid young lady hiding from her abusive ex. The characters were developed well, fleshed out, had depth, were mysterious, and brilliantly created. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, twisted, dark, intriguing, brilliant, and engaging. This story had me guessing to the bitter end. There are few thrillers that keep me guessing until the end, so when a book stumps me, to me that is a very well written book!

The narrator does such a fantastic job with the voice variations and the description details are so well done, it immerses you into story. For the last few thrillers I have read, only a few have really gripped me, this being one of the top ones. This was gripping, diabolical, dark, and kept me on the edge of the page. The last quarter delivers a punch and the ending was twist upon twist and brilliantly carved out. I devoured within a few days. I HIGHLY recommend picking this one up today. I know that I will be adding Ryan’s backlist to my TBR.

3/5 ⭐️
So this was okay. Not good but not bad. I did like it, but I found myself either bored or skimming parts till something more interesting happened.

I think I liked the cover and blurb more than the book. I had high expectations because of those two things and my expectations just weren't met. The story was alright just nothing great.

This is a lighter, escapist suspense book full of twists and I recommend listening to the audio book! The pacing is great and I enjoyed the narrator! This book is slightly predictable but still keeps you on your toes! This is full of lies, secrets, and manipulation. This is quite entertaining but you need to suspend reality at how quickly the friendship evolved and to the level it did.

Recommend if you like:
◻️ Lots of twists
◻️ Strong female friendships
◻️ Cat and mouse story
◻️ Red herrings and lots of breadcrumbs
◻️ Fast paced
◻️ Redemptive ending
◻️ A good comeuppance

Alyssa was living a charmed life. But then her wealthy, connected husband left her, taking her friends and her future from her. One day she befriends Bree, who needs help, to give some meaning to her life. But then she begins to discover that everything-and everyone -is not who and what they seem.

I enjoyed this story of strong female characters, caught in a web that they had to get out of. A fun read. The narration was spot on.

The entire time I was reading this book I was thinking – what the hell are you doing? Why are you bringing strangers back to your home, especially when you live alone??? Why is every choice that you make a bad one? These were only some of the thoughts that went through my head while reading. Alyssa meets Bree at a hotel bar and invites her to come stay at her guest house. Is Bree who she says she is? And then wait… they meet a guy, while on a personal investigation and invited him back to Alyssa’s home too? What is going on? I did not connect with any of the characters. There wasn’t much thrill, just merely speculation throughout. The end did have a couple of twists that I wasn’t expecting. For the most part, this book seemed unrealistic.

This was a bit of a slow start for me. There was a lot of suspension of disbelief and after about 80% things got really over the top. But that being said, this is definitely a great escapist and fun thriller, made so much better by the audio. I definitely found it to be an entertaining cat-and-mouse thriller! This was my first book from the author and I will be checking out the backlog!
Thank you Macmillan audio for the ALC of this one!

Following Alyssa, a woman separated from her husband, this book takes place over roughly two weeks while divorce negotiations are underway. Alyssa meets Bree at a bar one night, and Bree invades her life. Not in a sinister way, but in an omnipresent way. A disturbing way. A “I just met you, this is crazy, let me move into your guest house” way. Especially when Bree suddenly comes into good fortune and her financial advisor Dez also starts hanging around.

For the first half of this book, I couldn’t decide if it was a psychological thriller or contemporary fiction. I just knew that Alyssa is a completely ignorant main character. With regard to her personal life AND her marriage. But then things picked up and we were definitely in thriller land. The FBI got involved. Suspicious events started happening. Bree and Dez get weirdly close and involved in Alyssa’s life. Their advice on so many things? Pshhh I would hope nobody would take it 😅 And can they PLEASE stop drinking all of Alyssa’s good wine please!

Then we hit 80% and wow. Twists start revealing themselves. And they keep hitting until the very end. You think things are resolved? Nope. Try again. And again. What a great final resolution.

I’m so glad to have read this. Solid psychological thriller, and it’s set in Boston which is basically the best city ever 💁🏻‍♀️ It kept me guessing the entire time!

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and MacMillan Audio for a review copy!

While I thought Alyssa was an idiot, I was all in from the start of this one. I must’ve screamed at her more than once at what I thought were poor choices. Who invites someone to stay at their home when they’ve only known them for a few hours? Ah, but then I guess we don’t have a book without the invite. I spent the entire book trying to figure out who was trustworthy and who was scamming whom and for what reason. And while I had many correct guesses, I had even more incorrect ones, so not sure I can claim a win there.

I am quite the fan of cat and mouse games and this one is a doozy. I wasn’t exactly sure who I liked and if I didn’t why, including Alyssa. Page after page and twist after twist, I flipped and flopped over what was happening and who was on the up and up. The story and the characters were layered and every time I figured something out, another layer changed the narrative. While I waffled on trusting Alyssa, I did feel for and could relate to her angst with her current situation. Of course, instead of bringing home strangers, I brought home pets. They can be a little shady too.

There was a slight need to explain things at the end, which isn’t my favorite way for a book to end and the situation might be a little much for some to believe, but I did not want to put this one down and that outweighs everything else.

I went back and forth between the book and the audio and found both equally entertaining. Stephanie Willing did a great job with the voices to help me keep track of whose mind we were in and let me concentrate on the plot.

If you want to sit back and be swept away by the story, you should pick this one up.

I am so excited to write this review and share how much I loved this book! I can’t believe this is my first read from this author, but I’m immediately adding everything else she has written to my TBR!

“The House Guest,” is about a woman named Alyssa who is going through a divorce, when she meets Bree, who is also down on her luck, and they become friends. Bree, has boyfriend drama, and agrees to go to Alyssa’s house for the night for a mental break from living in a hotel. During her short stay with Alyssa, Bree’s life changes quickly. (Yes, I’m being vague on purpose!) Then, when the FBI come to Alyssa’s door, Alyssa’s life changes as well!

This book is the ultimate game of cat and mouse! I never knew who to trust, and was completely confused, yet captivated, by the story! I loved the ending and felt so satisfied. Out tomorrow, you have to check this one out! The narrator of the audio book was fabulous, and this gets 5 stars from me! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I started this on on audio, but it is a slow paced story so I ended up switching to the book - which is always faster for me as I can’t do audio on super speed like so many others . Overall the plot was interesting and the last 20-25% of the book was a lot more exciting - I do generally prefer faster paced stories though

I enjoyed the narrator overall , the story has a lot of repetitive conversations which came very apparent in the audio version for me

While I didn't find these to be very likable characters, I did enjoy the plot. When Alyssa learns her husband is leaving and she may not be rich for long she's also lost of of her "friends". In a random bar across town she meets Bree who seems like she has just as many problems of her own. As they quickly begin to rely on each other, the problems increase quickly when the FYI comes to Alyssa about her soon to be ex.
Is Bree going to be the person who helps save her or sink her?

Ugh, I was so disappointed by this one. It sounded amazing and I had such high hopes, but it felt very flat for me. I really disliked the main characters - they were unrealistic and they frankly bothered me. The decision making went against common sense to a fault. The story line was very slow and repetitive - I wanted something to actually happen, but instead the book went in circles. The book just never had the oomph that I was hoping for in a thriller. I seem to be in the minority though and I have enjoyed the authors books before - so maybe I just set my expectations too high?!
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Wonderful narration, smooth transition between characters. Keeps you guessing on who is involved with what!! Excellent story telling!!!!

This was an easy and fun quick weekend binge full of unexpected twists. On the brink of a divorce, Alyssa is feeling lonely and afraid of what her soon to be ex-husband is capable of taking from her. She makes an unexpected friend and is suddenly thrust in the middle of a complex web of twists and turns. While the writing felt a little flat and forced and the characters weren’t super likable, I enjoyed this listen, narrated bg Stephanie Willing.

If you’re looking for a thriller with a good mystery component, and crave the juxtaposition of rich and poor, this story is your you.

I really enjoyed The House Guest. My mind was constantly clicking through the possibilities of what could happen. I was content when I’d guessed what would happen, and was absolutely delighted with some twists, especially those saved for the end.

The characters were compelling, especially seen through the eyes of the main character who was wavering in her opinions based on each situation. The main character even questioned herself and whether she was being rational or paranoid, which was very relatable.

I listened to the Audiobook through the iPhone NetGalley app. The narrator does a fantastic job. I’ve listened to another audiobook performed by this narrator, and I’ve become fond of her. She’s an excellent actor. I listened at 1.75x speed, which is my most preferred audiobook speed.

Thank you Macmillan and NetGalley for this advanced audio copy.