4.5⭐️

I've heard so many great things about B.A. Paris and her writing style, so I was very excited when I was approved for "The Guest" as my first ever NetGalley arc in exchange for a very honest review. Happy to report- this was the first book I have ever read by this author, and I couldn't of asked for a better experience. I could see her books easily be turned into movies.

What I appreciate about this author is her ability to do dialogue so well, as well as her attention to detail when it comes to descriptions. I could really visualize the scenes in my head and felt like I was watching a drama unfold right before me. Even though there was a good amount of characters, I was able to distinguish them very well once I got into the story.

I usually don't lean towards domestic thrillers, so for me to enjoy this so much really says something. This was a nearly perfect book for me, despite a couple minor flaws that don't necessarily effect the storyline as long as you're willing to suspend disbelief.

The ending had so many fun twists that I never saw coming. Just when you think you've got it figured out, you're left only to be completely shocked again. This was jaw dropping, over the top dramatic, and such a fun time! I will definitely be picking up more books from this author in the future and checking out her backlist. I'll also be talking about this more in my august reading wrap up on YouTube (link in Goodreads bio.) If this is a book you're even slightly considering picking up when it releases in February, I highly recommend you add this to your wishlist! 💐🔥🏡🥂💞

First off, I devoured this book. I love a good mystery thriller. If I give you a full review of this book it will ruin it, and since I refuse to do that I’ll talk about other things.

I throughly enjoyed the authors writing style, and the world building. The plot, perfection. Did I see the twist coming? Nope. I was shocked by it, which is the best thing a mystery thriller can do to you. It takes a lot of skill and talent to be able to write a book where the reader thinks they have everything figured out only for them to be wrong in the end. Perfection.

Some of the sections of this book felt a little slow, but once I got to the end those parts abs details made so much more sense. Some of the characters weren’t very likeable, but for the story they worked extremely well. While the end was a shocking twist, it felt a little drawn out.

For anyone who enjoys having a shocking twist at the end of a book they might not see coming. Please pick this one up.

The Guest releases on February 20, 2024.

Thank you to Netgalley, St Martins Press, and B.A Paris for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

B.A. Paris quickly pulled me into the friendship between Iris, Gabriel, Laure, and Pierre and the odd circumstances surrounding this particular visi from Laure. With short chapters I didn't want to stop reading and devoured this book quickly. While the story seemed like it took awhile to get to anything happening it was worth every minute to get to know the wide variety of characters and how they play into the bigger picture. I will continue grabbing up books by B.A. Paris whenever I see them!

This was my first B.A. Paris read and 'The Guest' kept me guessing even as an avid psychological thriller reader.

The book begins present day, then takes you back six months when Iris and Gabriel return home from their vacation to their unannounced house guest and friend, Laure, who is distraught after learning her husband, Pierre, had over a decade-old secret.

When Iris meets Esme and Hugh (the new neighbors in town) and their landscape gardener Joseph, they come as a welcome distraction as Laure's extended stay quickly becomes unwelcome. However, these new acquaintances lead to unexpected connections and become entwined in the ultimately twisty ending.

*Thank you to the publisher for the ARC through NetGalley

Wow! I never saw that twist coming! This was a fast-paced novel that I read in a day. I couldn't figure out how the different parts were going to come together so it definitely kept me guessing all the way through. When everything is revealed in the epilogue, I was shocked. The only reason I'm not giving The Guest 5 stars is because I can't understand why Gabriel lied to his wife and pulled away from her the way that he did. That part never made sense to me and made him seem like a jerk, even though he seemed like a nice guy in general. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it! You won't want to miss this one when it comes out on February 20, 2024!

Thank you NetGalley and St. martin's Press for the ARC.

First book by this author and enjoyed it! Not a complete favourite but it was good! The characters threw me off a bit but the plot was fantastic

This book gave me really strong Liane Moriarty vibes —contemporary domestic fiction with some added suspense, but little plot progression until about half way through. Regardless of the slow plot progression, I was still very much invested in the story due to the rich character development, the relationship building between the characters and the concise chapters. The story takes shocking twists that made it impossible to put the book down. Layer by layer, the mystery peels away and readers are left with a jaw-dropping revelation.
What I didn’t like was that the story often seemed to jump forward, sometimes days and even weeks, without warning or any indication that time had moved forward, which would throw me slightly. I wish that the plot had been a little more streamlined in this sense.
Overall, this was a really great psychological suspense novel and I would recommend it if you are looking for a quick mystery that falls on the lighter side of violence and graphic content.

I have to say, B.A. Paris has done it again with, The Guest. This was a domestic thriller that I really didn't want to put down. You start of in the present, with a literally explosive start. Then rewind six (6) months and Iris and Gabriel arrive home from a holiday and find an old friend staying in their home. As if that wasn't enough, she drops a bombshell on them that starts a chain of events that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. The plot slowly builds and builds until you are desperate to turn the page and get more information because what you have isn't fully adding up.

The way that B.A Paris writes allows you to feel the energy of her characters. You feel the tension between Gabriel and Iris. You feel the annoyance with Laure, the uninvited and perpetual house guest. You feel confusion with Esme and Hugh and Joseph. There are a lot of different story lines that intertwine and come together for an even more explosive ending. I love not being able to guess the twist of a book, and let me say, I was way off with this one. You can tell that each character is dealing with their own struggles and their own demons and you can see the intensity throughout the book, while some secrets never leave, some are just waiting to be unraveled. The way that B. A. Paris allows you to be suspicious of each of the characters throughout the book is genius.

Rated up for 4.5 stars for The Guest, by B. A. Paris.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and B. A. Paris for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date for the The Guest, 20 February 2024. Do yourself a favor, and add this one to your TBR.

They should have called this book “when you realise you don’t even like your friends so you murder them all”
Didn’t really go anywhere for most of the book… it was a slow burn I guess.
Of course I was wayyy off on the twist! Love that for us, the readers. No likeable characters but I continued to read since I love the author!

this one was a little hard for me to start, get through and finish. i feel as there were too many characters introduced at once and it just made things a little confusing. b.a. paris usually has very quick and easy thriller reads but this one sadly missed the mark. wanted to note I did not see the twist coming so that is a plus for sure. the plot itself is the strongest point. the secrets, drama, lies, murder, etc. the characters themselves were not my favorite. so if you don't mind characters annoying you, I really suggest picking this up because like I said, the plot was stellar.

thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Right off the bat, lots of people were introduced in a very short amount of time, so that was confusing trying to keep up with who was who. Despite starting off with an explosion, this starts off kinda slow and gradually builds up. Starting in present time with the explosion, the story jumps back 6 months before everything happened.

After so long Laure was annoying with every conversation being about the fall out with Pierre. The secret with Gaberiel wasn't such a huge secret in retrospect. The way he carried on, it almost came off as he was responsible for some kind of wrong doing. Why did it seem like every woman had some kind of infatuation with Joseph? Esme and Hugh also seemed off to me, and other than bringing Joseph to the village didn't really contribute to this story. Iris put up with Laure's shenanigans longer that I would have, so hats off to her.

All in all, the story did eventually pick up and it was a good read despite some of the characters. The epilogue was great and explained everything wonderfully.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and B.A. Paris for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date for The Guest, February 20, 2024

Okay.... This one got me. If you, like me, loved B.A. Paris' "Behind Closed Doors" and "The Breakdown," you'll enjoy this one, I think.

I had a great time guessing what was going on, and still got bamboozled.

Immediately add this book to your 2024 reading list. As a B.A. Paris fan, I’ve been waiting anxiously for this book and jumped on the opportunity to provide an advance review. It did not disappoint. With an explosive beginning, the story maintains a steady burn until a very satisfying end. The plot deepens as the reader learns more about the characters, compelling people with likeability that varied, as they each justified their own decisions and actions in attempts to control the narrative. Events converge in unexpected ways, prompting several questions. Just how well can we truly know our partners and friends, and when, if ever, is dishonesty justified? Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and B.A. Paris for the opportunity to read this book.

I’m just going to say this immediately—I’m a huge B.A. Paris fan! Every book I’ve read has been awesome and part of the reason I love thrillers so much and especially domestic thrillers! The Guest was absolutely no different in terms of loving this author—great twists and turns and perfect for anyone who loves a good thriller. I absolutely loved that this one kept me guessing and when I thought I knew what was up, I didn’t. I loved this one and recommend B.A. Paris to anyone!

Usually a fan of BA Paris, this one sadly was off the mark for me . I’ve read a lot of thrillers and this one was just mediocre. The characters weren’t really likeable or overly believable. Thrillers often have a way of showcasing a lot of coincidences and things working out just so, but this one was a bit too far fetched to me. I found myself wanting to scream at the characters to just communicate!!! ..Instead they were mopey and annoying .. and sooo many interconnections! While it was a quick easy read, and it wasn’t awful, it just fell short for me! The entire wrap up of the story, and the “a-ha” moments, were in the epilogue.

Definitely still love BA Paris, just not one of my favourites! Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins press for the ARC!!

Thank you #NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Guest by B.A. Paris.

I love the author B. A. Paris so it was no surprise that I enjoyed this book. The story was slow at first and had me trying to figure what the twist would be. But oh what a twist it had! The end reveals all. If you like domestic thrillers this one is for you.

I started this book and couldn’t put it down. Loved all the twists. A great quick keep you intrigued read.

BA Paris never disappoints and The Guest is no exception. Completely unpredictable and extremely addicted. I love this so much and the ending blew me away.

Secrets, lies, and murder round out this propulsive psychological thriller. When Laure and Pierre hit a bumpy patch in their marriage Laure runs to the sanctuary of their longtime friends Iris and Gabriel. However Gabriel is dealing with his own demons after finding the body of a young man who fell to his death in a quarry. Only a Gabriel knows the young man’s dying declaration, Toss in a pair of new neighbors, a missing husband, and a soap opera of secrets this book will hold you hostage. The twists will leave you breathless. This might very well be her most staggeringly genius work yet. Five stars all around
The Guest ~ B. A. Paris

I loved this book and how it kept building and getting deeper and deeper into a web of intensity.
There were many points where I have no idea who the guilty parties were… Everyone was suspicious which kept me guessing. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and can’t wait for others to read it as well.