Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

This book had me twisted up in knots. I literally could not stop reading it -- making it perfect for getting out of a reading slump.

I've not read B.A. Paris before but that's a name that's on my radar now. I really couldn't believe the way things came together in the book to present a conclusion but it worked.

This is a short and sweet review because I don't want to give too much away but highly recommend this book if you want something unputdownable.

‼️‼️‼️‼️ARC REVIEW‼️‼️‼️‼️

Thank you to NetGalley and the St. Martin Press Team for allowing me to review this advanced reader copy!

The Guest By B. A. Paris
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Release Date: February 20, 2024

I was blown away by this book. It is absolutely filled to the brim with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Iris and Gabriel return home and find an unexpected guest. Both unsure how to handle the situation, the welcome the guest with open arms. Gabriel has been going through a rough time having kept a tragic secret from everyone around him.

As the story unfolds more and more secrets are revealed and it kept me totally hooked. The epilogue of this book had my jaw ON THE FLOOR. This is an incredible thriller that I highly recommend to everyone who enjoys the genre!

I have read all of the novels by Paris and this one definitely ranks up there as a favorite. Iris and Gabriel return home from a trip to find their friend Laure has left her husband and moved in, showing no signs of leaving. Meanwhile, Gabriel is harboring a secret about a young man he found dying in a nearby quarry. A secret that is eating him up and causing a riff in his marriage. Enter Hugh and Esme and their gardener Joseph who move in down the street. Gabriel and Iris are happy to make friends with the new couple, but with the friendship come more secrets. This was a slow burn that really ramped up at the end! And what an end it was!!! I was completely blindsided! I did not see that twist coming at all! This was a great novel and I gave it a solid 4 stars!!!

Kept me guessing and kept me reading. Didn't figure out some of the twists but they didn't shock me when revealed. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow, a twist I did not see coming… followed by another and another! Something about the way B. A. Paris writes just draws me in.

Unwanted guests, old friends, new friends, murder and mystery. I recommend picking this book up!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC. Comes out in January 2024!

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Iris and Gabriel, return from a holiday in Scotland only to discover someone has been living in their home while they’ve been away. It turns out to be a friend, Laure, but the intrusion annoys Iris. She’d spent the two weeks of their vacation trying to get her husband to open up to her, but he’d been in a difficult place since discovering, during a morning run, Charlie Ingram lying at the bottom of the limestone quarry. Despite his medical training, Gabriel was unable to save Charlie; now he’s haunted both by his death and by the young man’s last words. Add this to the recent passing of his father and an oppressive workload and Gabriel now finds himself on compassionate leave.

Laure has brought her own problems with her: her husband, Pierre, has revealed that he has a child with another woman and he wants to connect with his child. But things become more and more complicated as those around Iris and Gabriel all have complicated secrets of their own. Slowly, hidden truths reveal themselves, relationships are strained, and things begin to unravel.

What will the secrets of their past do to their present?

=========

Although they are well-defined, the characters populating this suspense-filled tale are complex and, for the most part, particularly unlikable. Guilt and trauma play a large role in this unfolding narrative. Laure’s presence in Gabriel and Iris’s home adds an ever-growing undercurrent of tension to the telling of the tale.

In the riveting plot, filled with twists and turns, readers will find surprises popping up unexpectedly. But it’s in the unraveling of long-held secrets and labyrinthine relationships that the narrative shines. Readers should expect the unexpected from the denouement that neatly ties up all the loose ends.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#TheGuest #NetGalley

The Guest by B.A. Paris was a great read. It was a fast paced story that kept my attention.

The story begins with Gabriel and Iris returning home from holiday to find their friend of 20 years Laure at their house. She stays a long time coping with difficulty information her husband, Pierre, shared prior to her arrival. Gabriel is dealing with a recent tragedy and Iris is trying to support everyone. They meet Esme, Hugh and Joseph and many twists follow.

I tried to see how all of the story lines would come together but did not come close to the final twist.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced digital copy.

Until recently, Iris and Gabriel had an ideal life and relationship. They live in a lovely town in the British countryside, have wonderful friends, and a beloved daughter. When Gabriel discovers a young man who has had a fatal bike accident, help does not arrive in time and Gabriel is the messenger of his final and unexpected last words. Gabriel becomes sick with guilt which affects all aspects of his life, especially his relationship with Iris. Trying to cheer Gabriel up, Iris plans a couple’s getaway but upon arriving home, Iris is surprised to discover her friend, Laure, has been staying in their house while they were away. Laure has received some shocking news from her husband, Pierre, and asks if she can stay with Iris and Gabriel while she sorts her life out. As Laure makes herself at home, Iris and Gabriel become more uncomfortable with Laure’s intrusion in their home and their lives. When a new couple, Esme and Hugh, come to town, Iris makes fast friends and introduces Gabriel and Laure to the couple as well. They are also introduced to Esme’s gardener and friend, Joseph, who is struggling with addiction and is in need of a helping hand. As everyone begins to mix, tensions grow higher, and secrets begin to come to light. With betrayal around every corner, will anyone be able to make it out unscathed?

I really enjoyed this book! The author’s writing style is very compelling to me, and I found myself interested the entire time. The story is told in alternating perspectives of Iris and Gabriel which allows you to get to know each of them. I felt most for Iris in this book. I would have been driven crazy by some of the things that Laure did as well! That on top of Gabriel’s inner turmoil, I was not sure how she was holding it together most of the time. I definitely did not see the end coming and was pleasantly surprised that I had not guessed what was going to happen. I cannot wait to see what B. A. Paris comes up with next and I will continue to be a lifelong reader :)

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to reading this book as I’ve read all of B.A. Paris’ other books. While I enjoyed them, some I enjoyed more than others.

I will say, this one ranks high amongst the others. While I wasn’t completely sucked into the story, I was curious to see where is went and I finished it in a day. The storyline kept going places I didn’t expect. And I did not guess the final twist, though some clues were scattered in the story. The explanation of the twist clearly lays it all out, and it all makes sense, I just didn’t guess any of it!

At times I found some of the characters annoying , but it made sense based on circumstances, and it didn’t hinder my appreciation of the book. Though I wasn’t sad when the first person died - haha!

I still think back on some of the twists from Paris’ previous books. I find them really interesting, and they stick in my mind. Even though they may be highly improbable, the story is crafted so that it’s possible and there aren’t really any glaring plot holes. This is true for The Guest.

I rate this book 4.5, rounded up to 5, because I loved the twist so much!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of The Guest which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily

Enjoyed this book but not a fan of the ending. Not invested enough in the characters.
Found quite a few mistakes which is to be expected jn an advanced copy. Hard to follow story at some points. Loved the characters Esme and Hugh.! Great character development.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Guest. I thought The Dilemma was Paris’ best book but this new novel is definitely as good.
The novel centers on a married couple with a daughter that live a very comfortable life. Gabriel is a doctor, Iris is a designer and Beth is a student working abroad. Gabriel is on leave - he heard the last words of a dying young man. Gabriel has a secret and he is haunted by those dying word. And on top of their life is interrupted when Iris’s friend Laure comes to stay with them. Her husband Pierre tells her he has a. Child with a woman he met and he is struggling with it because Laure and he do not have children and never wanted them. Pierre wants to connect with this child. Laure has left him and is staying with Gabriel and Iris. Laure is staying and doesn’t look like she is leaving any time soon. And all she does is talk about her problems.
But it starts to get complicated as other people become friendly with Iris and Gabriel and the secrets and relationships begin to become open and soon everyone is suspect in this dramatic tale of love, life and of course Murder!
5 stars. Excellent!

The Guest follows Gabriel and Iris who come home from vacation to find their friend Laure living at their home. Laure explains her husband Pierre has confessed to possibly having a child, although him and Laure are child-free. We also meet Hugh and Esme who are Gabriel and Iris's neighbors, as well as their gardener Joseph. Each couple is woven amongst each other as tragedy ensues along the way

The book twists and turns until the very end where everything is laid out. I didn't guess the ending, however, there were a few points in the story I was able to guess. I felt like there were times in the book the story was lagging and I didn't really find much of the characters very likeable.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this book.

Oooooo this was good… better than “the prisoner”, “the breakdown”, and “the dilemma”. Pretty on par with “behind closed doors”.

The writing was good, there were enough little clues without it being obvious, this one kept me guessing and I was leaning towards another ending.

Great book

I enjoyed this book more than other books written by this author. I really did not see the ending coming at all! I did have some suspicions that ended up being true, but the plot twist that tied the entire book together was insane!
The narrator really sets the story up from their perspective, so I had mixed feelings on a lot of the characters. The book was slow paced, but there was enough information to keep attention throughout. I did finish this book the same day that I started it.
This book comes out in 2024, but definitely pick up other books by B.A. Paris before then!!

I support women’s wrongs 🫡. I was really surprised by this one! I really enjoyed “behind closed doors” by the same author but was a bit worried to read this one, because from what I have heard, BCD is the best book by BA Paris. The pacing was a bit slow, but the story was good and the reveal was definitely not something I would have guessed. Overall, this was a decent book, and definitely something I would recommend.

was pretty excited to receive this book from net galley before release as I have liked other BA Paris books before. It was a quick read, took less then a day and a half but it wasnt one of my favorites. For some reason this book didnt totally do it for me. Felt like it dragged on a bit and the big "wow factor" wasnt even explained till the epilogue, which was far longer than after of the chapters of the book. Too many moving parts that all weren't too crazy to me. Could kind of call some of them and in the end the Mom being the murderer wasnt the biggest surprise. Ive like other BA Paris books before this one but still happy to be able to read it early non the less!

How many tragedies can befall one family? B.A Paris’ new novel challenges her characters emotional well being and pushes them to their limits. As the reader I was kept guessing and and on my toes throughout this story.
I was routing for the main character, Iris, to gain back her life and for her friend Laure to find the peace she is searching for after her husband’s betrayal. Life in a small village is filled with friendships, secrets and YES MURDER!
A fast pace read that will leave your head spinning!

So I loved about 75% of this book. I was intrigued by the characters and trying to figure out the puzzle of the story and then the last 25% of the book just went insane, and not in a good way. I don’t love the unreliable narrator trope especially when I don’t even see it coming. All in all I did enjoy most of the book but was let down in the end.

"The Guest" by B.A. Paris is a masterfully woven suspense novel that skillfully explores the unraveling of seemingly idyllic lives. The story grips you from the very beginning and refuses to let go.
 
The author's ability to craft complex characters is on full display as Iris and Gabriel's world takes a tumultuous turn after an unexpected tragedy. Paris brilliantly captures the human psyche in the face of guilt and trauma, making Gabriel's internal struggle palpable to the reader. The ripple effects of the young man's accident serve as the catalyst for a series of events that will keep you guessing until the very end.
 
Laure's introduction into the household adds an intriguing layer of tension. Her peculiar behavior and probing questions inject a sense of unease that permeates the narrative. The contrast between the serenity of the countryside and the mounting psychological suspense is both unsettling and captivating.
 
While the pacing of the novel is generally well-maintained, there are moments when the narrative feels slightly sluggish. However, this minor drawback is easily overshadowed by the overall suspenseful atmosphere and the deeply intricate plot.
 
Confident I'd pieced together the ending in "The Guest," I followed clues, thinking I had it all figured out. Yet, just as I thought I was ahead of the story's twists, a surprising turn left me humbled. The author's skill in defying my expectations reminded me of the true essence of suspenseful storytelling. If you enjoy a tale of secrets, suspense, and the complexities of relationships, this book is an excellent choice.