Writing a thriller in first person POV, and then having the narrator withhold information/straight up lie via their internal monologue makes NO SENSE. Through dialogue with other characters, sure. But through their own thoughts?? It's just disingenuous and takes the fun out of it.

I really enjoyed this slow burn mystery by B.A. Paris who is on my must-read list of authors. Sometimes books that are slower paced leave me bored, but in this case I thought the pacing was perfect and made me curious to keep reading. I wasn't even sure where the mystery was going for a while, but it concluded with quite the satisfying ending that answered all my questions.

Iris and Gabriel return home and are shocked when they see their friend Laure there. Laure is making herself right at home which in return makes them uncomfortable. Laure left her husband after he confessed an affair and a love child. Soon a ton of secrets are unraveled.
I did enjoy the story however I kept getting bored with the book in the middle and set it down so many times. Of course there is murder and getting everyone’s story straight and figuring out what happened it just took really long for me to fully enjoy in a book.

I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris and Behind Closed Doors is one of my favorite thrillers of all time. I think I went into this book with high expectations that the writing style, plot, and characters would match in some way to the style of Behind Closed Doors, when in fact The Guest is extremely different all around.

The opening of The Guest had me hooked right away. The dynamic between the friends had the workings of an amazing psychological thriller and I kept waiting for the book to expand on that relationship but I do feel like it fell short. The book went a completely different direction than what I was thinking and I no longer felt captivated to read more. The twist at the end did surprise me but in my opinion it was just a little too late. I'm not a fan of books that reveal everything in an epilogue and I craved more anticipation, more intrigue, more suspense.

It took me a while to post this review because I do feel it is a bit biased having previously read Behind Closed Doors and coming in with different expectations. I would recommend this one to those who like slow-burn psychological thrillers with a twist that won't see coming.

Great book. A lot of suspense and wonderful plot twists. She never fails to deliver a wonderful story.

The Guest is full of unexpected twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing until the end!
Iris and her husband Gabriel arrive home one evening to find one of their friends, Laure, at their house. She’s upset with her husband, and planning to stay until they resolve things. Laure’s visit becomes longer and longer as her husband doesn’t respond, and they all soon suspect that he is having an affair. 
In addition to the suspected affair and lingering houseguest, tragedy seems to hang over Gabriel. Gabriel found a neighbor that fell in the quarry but was unable to save him, and is currently struggling with depression. Iris struggles to stay connected with Gabriel while he is recovering, and their marriage is floundering. 
New neighbors Esme, her husband, and their gardener interject some hope into Iris as she tries to cope with a depressed husband and overbearing new housemate for who knows how long. Although Esme is a light in the darkness for Iris, some of her behaviors leave Iris questioning her true motivations. 
Will Laure ever move back home? Will Gabriel recover from the tragic death of a neighbor? Are Esme’s actions pure? 
Although there is much darkness in BA Paris’ The Guest, the multitude of characters keep the reader early turning the pages and guessing at the connections and motivations. Brought there are many characters,  they are easy to differentiate and follow. Paris, in traditional style, has significant twists throughout the novel and an ending you won’t see coming. If you like thrillers, snag this one when it hits the shelves!

〰️Slow beginning, I was a little confused with the prologue and all the names since I hadn’t been introduced to the characters yet.

〰️ Loved the epilogue when we find out what really took place and happened! I wasn’t expecting it!

〰️BA Paris will always be one of my faves! The suspense was great in this novel!

This was one of my most anticipated books and it did not disappoint. In the beginning, I found it a little slow and hard to get in to. When I got about 20% in I really started to enjoy myself. I wasn’t a huge fan of “the guest”, but I feel like this was written that way intentionally.
I love a good domestic thriller, something this author does extremely well. The twist at the end was satisfying and I didn’t feel left wanting more.
Overall, highly recommend! 4 stars, rounded down to 3.75.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was a little disappointed by the quality of the writing by this author, consider how much I've enjoyed their previous novels. The characters felt bland and the writing generic. The "preview" at the beginning of the book didn't seem especially relevant to the story or make me want to dig in much more. It was a quick read and a decent distraction, but I hope for better from this author next time!

Some secrets never leave.

Now, this one had me hooked from the get-go, I'll give it that. But as the story unfolded, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was all going downhill. The concept? Intriguing. Friendships, secrets, and lies—classic ingredients for a gripping read. But somewhere along the way, things started to feel a bit disjointed. Towards the end, it was like the plot lost its way, leaving me scratching my head.

Here's the thing: BA Paris seems to have a knack for leading you down one path only to pull the rug out from under you in the epilogue. But for me, that formula just doesn't cut it anymore. It's starting to feel a bit tired, reminiscent of Alice Feeney's style.

Now, don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed Paris' earlier work—"Behind Closed Doors," "The Therapist," they had me on the edge of my seat. But more recent offerings like "The Prisoner" and now "The Guest" just leave me feeling... meh.

Overall, "The Guest" had promise, but it ultimately fell short for me. If you're a fan of Paris' earlier work, you might still find something to enjoy here. But if you're like me and looking for a fresh take on the thriller genre, you might want to give this one a pass.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy! Out 2/20/24.

Talk about being on the edge of the seat with this book. I was fully invested on what was going to happen. I loved the character development. I highly suggest adding this book to your tbr. Actually move it to the front!

Sometimes you read a great book and vow to read anything that author writes for the rest of their career. This book is the opposite of that. The Guest has to be one of the worst books I have ever read. And because of that, I have zero interest in reading any book by this author again.

The story itself seemed like it was my cup of tea. It has all the makings to be a great thriller book. But it truly felt like the author wanted to bore me to death with plots and details that had no relation to the story. It just felt like the author kept pulling plotlines out of a hat. So I couldn't follow along, I couldn't try to figure things out. It just made no sense. The entire book is filled with questions and it's only in the epilogue do we get answers. But by then I didn't care. Too much had happened and it felt so silly.

It is such a shame this book was so terrible as I enjoyed Behind These Closed Doors. But I can safely say, I won't pick up another B.A. Paris book.

BA Paris does it again with another psychological thriller with The Guest.

Iris and Gabriel return home from their vacation to learn that their friend Laure has been staying at their house. What seems at first Laure's need for space after learning about her husband's affair and secret child, soon becomes more.

Read for the ending you never saw coming.

The Guest is a clever psychological thriller by the prolific B.A. Paris. My favorite Paris novel is still "Behind Closed Doors," but this was a good one. "Some secrets never leave..." Iris and Gabriel just return from vacation, hoping to get that after a vacation rest, when they find their friend Laure is at their home after finding her husband cheating- AND fathering a child with said mistress! Iris wants to support her friend, but Laure is a difficult houseguest; wearing Iris's clothes, acting like she OWNS the place. There's also tension between Iris and Gabe, their marriage not recovered from Gabriel finding a body. The story only gets more and more complicated as you read. There's a massive twist halfway through and the shocks continue in true Paris form. It a slow burn that you may enjoy if you like DRAMA and I do. 3 stars. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

I thought this book was incredibly slow. To be fair, I didn't realize Pierre was Beth's father until the end. But the build-up of the story involving Charlie took away from the newer "problems" in the book. The only thing connecting the 2 was Joseph and it wasn't a very strong connection.

I am such a fan of B.A. Paris, Behind Closed Doors will always be a top 5 book for me. Unfortunately, The Guest fell short. It was obvious who the “other woman” was early on. How could her husband be in the dark??? I felt like it had a good start but I wouldn’t say it’s one of Paris’s best. But ofcourse I’ll keep reading all her books because I know this story just wasn’t for me.

I STRUGGLED to get through this book! I just don’t think BA Paris books are for me. I read this as a buddy read with a bunch of lovely bookstagrammers and just could not keep up with the reading since there was nothing that got me hooked on this book. Full disclosure if it wasn’t for the buddy read I likely would have DNF this book. Not much more that I can say about this book, as it put me into a major reading slump.

****Many thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for my #gifted copy in turn for an honest review.

This story had me from the jump.

In a peaceful rural setting, Iris and Gabriel's quiet life is about to get wildly disrupted. Imagine their surprise when they return home to find someone's practically moved in during their absence. Talk about unexpected guests!

Enter Laure, a close friend from their days in France, fleeing a broken marriage in search of refuge. Sounds simple enough—offer your friend a spot to crash in a time of need, right? But what starts as a temporary arrangement quickly spirals out of control. Laure's brief stay stretches out indefinitely, and it's clear she's not keen on leaving any time soon.

Truthfully, none of the characters really won my affection—they all have quirks and flaws that border on exasperating. However, this book gripped me, compelling me to snatch it up whenever I had a moment to spare.

And for those who live for a good plot twist, this book delivers a stunner that will catch you off guard. Absolutely did not see that coming!

The two couples were close. They met each other very early on in both their relationship are Pierre lived in Paris but Pierre traveled often for work so he'd call upon Iris and Gabriel often on his travels. Soon they were the best of friends. Fast forward to current. Iris and Gabriel were coming home from a vacation and when they get home they find Laure in their bedroom but no Pierre. Laure soon explains that Pierre has a child with someone he just found out. He needs some time to think.
Gabriel is also going through something as well and has been distancing himself from Iris. He was riding his bike and saw one of his young boys from sports years later hurt and almost dead. He is struggling to move on from this.
Laure ends up staying awhile and both Gabriel and Iris are at their wits end. They want her out of their house. Finally Pierre and Iris plan a time to meet.
I enjoyed this novel but I didn't love. I think her other novels were much better. This one was confusing, too long and anticlimactic. Overall the plot was a good one. I joined the twists when they came. The prose was easy to read and the story unfolded well.

This book was pretty good. Not as sensational as the author's previous work. Different tone - think more domestic drama than the psychological suspense we are used to. The pacing was fine, the ending was satisfying. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy.