Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. After reading Behind Closed Doors, I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy of The Guest.

I was intrigued in the beginning of this book, loving the character development and how the story was unfolding. But as the story went on, so did the repetition and I was getting bored. Until the end.....the end of this book is the best! Hang in there, read this book because you'll want all the thrills from the ending. 3.5 stars

Pub date: 02/20/2024

B.A. Paris always delivers a thrilling book that is impossible to put down! She has once again succeeded with The Guest! Full of twists, turns and a shocking ending, this book kept me up turning page after page. Highly recommend for a book that will hook you from the start.

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

3.5 STARS

Domestic Drama

I enjoyed this much more than her last, but it fell short in overall pacing. We spend a lot of time with the married couple Iris and Gabriel and their guest, Laure. She is having marriage trouble with her hubs, Pierre. Apparently, he has upset her by revealing a secret from his past.

There is a good mystery woven into the plot, but I grew tired of the characters discussions, worries and day to day lives that circled around a littIe too long. I also became annoyed with the guest Laure and wanted to kick her out myself! Gees! I wanted to scream, “I’ve had enough”! 😂

There is also another troubled family that lives nearby and they also have a "guest" that is a bit unreliable. There guest is certainly suspect.

I was invested and wanted to find out how all the loose ends would tie in!

All in all, it was a lighter read, slow paced with moments of intrigue , and quite a good ending twist that I enjoyed! 🥨

I love me some B.A. Paris, this book though was not for me though. I liked the ending how psychotic it all was but my gosh… the characters were soo whiny and repetitive.

This book ended up being a very pleasant surprise! When I first started reading this book, I will admit that I did have trouble keeping up with all the different names/characters. There aren’t that many characters, but there are three main couples that are dealt with. Two of the couples, Iris & Gabriel, and Laure & Pierre are our two main couples of focus. Then we have the new neighbors who moved into the village, Esme & Hugh (okay- got it?). Once I had everybody situated, this book was smooth sailing…

This story starts off with Laure being an uninvited houseguest at Iris and Gabriel’s home. Laure and her husband Pierre are taking some time away from each other, and Laure is very distraught and needy. What should have only been a three week stay turns into much longer (Umm- that’s when I would have put my foot down and told her to go, but whatever).

Also, during Laure’s stay with Iris and Gabriel, we find that Gabriel is going through some personal crisis of his own. There have been some deaths in his family and in the community, and he has had to take some time off to grieve.

I wasn’t sure where this story was going at first, and it sure did move in a bunch of directions! The Epilogue of this story also made my head spin as I did not see any of that coming!! This story played out very well. With that, I do recommend reading this as I think this has some nice twists that many readers will enjoy!
(3.5 stars rounded up)

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this book, which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own.
Publication date: February 20, 2024.

Such an enjoyable read! Paris kept me on the edge of my seat, constantly changing my prediction for how the book would end. There were a few parts that felt far-fetched but for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed this fresh thriller. Loved the twist at the end!

This is my third BA Paris book…I’m a fan! I love the intricate story of relationships and the twist at the end. Just when I thought I could figure out what would actually happen…I was completely wrong.

I really enjoyed the book- one untimely tragedy after another. Only drawback was how brief the epilogue was to wrap up the story and tie up all the loose ends (but this is how I feel with most mystery-type reads)

Married couple, Iris and Gabriel come home from a trip to find their good friend Laure in their home. After learning of Laure's husband Pierre's infidelity which resulted in a child she decides to stay on with Iris and Gabriel to sort things out. Enter gardener Joseph with a sketchy past, who starts an affair with Laure. Meanwhile Gabriel is dealing with the guilt of finding Charlie, an 18 yo neighbor at the bottom of the quarry and the secret Charlie told Gabriel before his death.

I loved her previous novel Behind Closed Doors, very disturbing and such a page turner. This was good, felt just more a story about this families life. The story only wrapped up at the very end and a little rushed. Not predictable at all, I certainly was shocked. Overall a quick easy read with a good ending.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin Press for this ARC

I have loved several of B.A. Paris's books in the past, so I was excited to read a new one. While The Guest kept my attention, the storyline fell flat for me. Iris and Gabriel's friend Laure shows up unexpectedly at their house. She says she is divorcing her husband Pierre. Gabriel is unable to make contact with Pierre to talk to him about it. Laure is acting strangely. What is the real story?

DROP THE MIC 🎤 BECAUSE B A PARIS HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

This book was absolutely incredible. It pulled me in on the very first page, and I was transported to a story much more exciting than my day to day life. The story centers around Gabriel and Iris, a married couple trying to navigate their way through a really traumatic loss. To add even more on their plate, Iris welcomes her best friend Laure to stay with them after finding out some scandalous information from her own partner. What Gabriel and Iris don’t anticipate, is Laure overstaying her welcome and bringing even more havoc to their lives.

I thought the pacing in this book was great, and that it was a solid plot. The characters were all unreliable for different reasons, but I think it played well in the story. I binged this in two sittings, and by the time I finished the epilogue, my jaw was on the ground.

I absolutely LOVED IT, and it’s definitely one of my favorite books of the year so far. I hope you guys check it out! Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This one did not disappoint!

An expertly woven domestic drama that follows Iris and Gabriel, who, upon returning from a much-needed vacation, arrive home to find their friend, Laure, in their house. Laure has left her husband after learning of a devastating affair and a secret child, and she opts to stay with Iris and Gabriel, quickly taking over their lives.

There are many secrets and various threads that all pull tightly together, with a subtle menace brewing in the background. The mystery is interesting, although at times the characters’ mundane lives take over, down to discussions of what to wear, what they sit down to eat, having a shower, etc, which makes the pacing quite slow.

This one is different to many of the author’s other books, although is reminiscent of The Dilemma, which also begins with one premise that slowly unwinds until it’s all explained abruptly in the final chapter.

I was intrigued how all the loose threads would tie together, and the ending twist delivers, with an explosive final chapter.

Wow! Didn’t see it coming. What a thrilling ride. B.A. Paris has done it again.

I so badly wanted to give this book 5 stars but the first half was quite slow and hard to get sucked in. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and feeling totally engaged with what was going on. I feel like some elements were focused on too much and others not enough. The synopsis mentions some of Laure’s actions but the reason wasn’t really answered, and therefore left me wondering why it was mentioned at all.
As I was approaching the half way mark, though, things began to get interesting and then I was totally invested and ended up loving it. I definitely was pleasantly surprised by the twist!

I would definitely recommend this book to any one who asks as long as a slow start is not a deal breaker.

A big thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC copy of The Guest

This was a wild ride and I honestly did not predict how so many of the storylines would weave themselves together. I think my mouth was hanging open for the entire epilogue. If you love domestic drama and murder-on-murder-on-murder, this is definitely the read for you 😜

I really struggled with the slow pace of this book. I miss the usual nail biting, edge of my seat feeling that I usually get from this author. It’s slow til around the 40% mark then it picks up the pace and becomes enjoyable.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for allowing me to read this book.B.A.Paris has done it again. Just when you think you have everything figured out.... you don't and here comes the twist.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of suspense and high drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this much anticipated book! I loved Behind Closed Doors so I was very excited about this one.

Iris and Gabriel (married 20 years) have an unexpected houseguest. Laure and Pierre
are their longtime friends whom they met on their honeymoon. After a falling out, Laure comes to stay with Iris and Gabriel, but will she ever go home??

This book has so much going on and is a true mystery. So many times, I was wondering how it would all add up. So many events seem unrelated but the epilogue is where it all comes together. When all the puzzle pieces lock into place, you will be stunned!

Gabrielle and Iris come home to find a guest Laure staying in their house. She is sleeping in their master bedroom, wearing Iris's clothes and leaving the house a mess. She is having trouble with her husband Pierre when he reveals he has a child from a one night stand so she leaves Paris and moves to their house. Laure is the most obnoxious house guest with over staying her welcome and rearranging the contents of the kitchen to suit her needs and just droning on and on. She made it hard to keep reading as she was just so annoying. I just really wanted to kick her to the curb after a few days and think no couple would have put up with this.

Meanwhile Gabrielle is fighting his own battles as Charlie dies and Gabrielle wasn't able to save him and has lied about his last words.

This was a slow burn.

When I tell you my jaw HIT THE FLOOR!!
If you want a book with a shocker of a twist, pick this one up.

At first, I couldn’t figure out how in the world the prologue fit with the rest of the book. However, as I went on it started making more sense.

After a two week holiday, Iris and Gabriel return to their home to find someone unexpected living there. It turns out to be one of their best friends, Laure, who is going through some marital problems. Iris and Gabriel agree to let her stay as long as she needs to get her marriage sorted. (They were thinking a few weeks at the most.) Miscommunications arise, and before they know it, Laure has been with them for two months. Trying to juggle their own marriage and bond with their new neighbors, Iris and Gabriel don’t know how to handle their houseguest.

This book has so many intertwining storylines and details that come back when you’re least expecting them. I was totally hooked and blown away!

Another domestic drama from B. A. Paris!!! I was so excited to get my hands on an ARC from NetGalley. I find that B.A. Paris is either mega hits or disastrous duds for me. Nothing in between. This novel was a…DUD. It was much too slow for my taste. I live for the drama, honeys!!! From the start, you can tell something is fishy and that these folks are lying their tails off. The questions are who and why?! It takes quite a bit of time to get to any of the “why’s”. It doesn’t make me want to turn the page. They drop a tiny teaser every 20 pages or so. If that. Not really making it a true suspense for me. If you know me, I hate superfluous details! This has too many boring, everyday life bits in it. Like I don’t give a hoot about your loud ass tea kettle?! The motives being silly and the slow pace killed it for me. Maybe next time, B.A.!

Ever since "Behind Closed Doors", I eagerly await all B.A. Paris releases - Paris is definitely a domestic thriller GOAT! The Guest, publishing in February 2024, is her newest thriller, and this time she's focusing on an all new relationship. When Iris and Gabriel return from a short trip away, they're very surprised to find a houseguest - their friend, Laure. Laure is a bit of a mess after a surprise revelation from her husband, and it seems that she's setting up residence in her friend's home...but where is her husband? Couple this with a new couple and their mysterious gardener moving in just up the road...what exactly is the guest involved in?

I appreciated this entirely new take on the domestic thriller, and the ending definitely threw me a surprise curveball! Of BA Paris' writings, I found this less atmospheric and chilling than some of her others, and I also think there were a bit too many plotlines/mysteries that made it a bit unbelievable. That being said, it was well worth the reading time, an exciting ride, and I couldn't put it down! This will make the perfect cozy winter read - you'll enjoy an escape with a fun, unique plot and plenty of intrigue to keep you occupied! BA Paris, I'm already looking forward to what you have up your sleeve next!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC; all opinions are my own.