I went into this book extremely excited to read it. As a huge fan of B.A. Paris’s previous book “Behind Closed Doors”, I couldn’t wait to read another of her books. But comparing it to that book, I was a little let down. The story starts off kind of messy- there’s a couple different things going on at the same time that seemingly have nothing to do with each other. It took me a good chunk of the way in (maybe about half way), before it became a real page-turner for me. Things definitely weren’t panning out how I thought they might, so it encouraged me to keep reading to see what was really going on. I have to say, the last half of the book really made up for the first part, and I thought it ended really well. The first part of the book was bordering 3 stars for me, but the ending definitely pushed it up to 4 stars. I think if you’ve read the authors previous books and go in with high expectations, you might be a little disappointed. But if you’ve never read her before, then this is a great book to start with.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book!

The Guest by B.A.Paris is a very good novel that leaves the reader guessing until the very last page. The story revolves around a family of three that has a guest living with them. The guest, who is a family friend, is staying with the family because she has had a major disagreement with her husband. After many years of marriage the husband announces to the wife that he has a daughter. What happens to the guest and how are the hosting family affected by it leads the plot down interesting, and at times, dark pathways. Thank you to B.A. Paris, St. Martins Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Guest in exchange for a fair and honest review.

B.A. Paris has done it again. The Guest is a great thriller with lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing. The dread just kept expanding. The reveal was surprising and made me feel like B.A. Paris is back. I'm happy to have read this twisty ride. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars out of 5

The Guest started off pretty slow but eventually picked up steam towards the end. The characters were all pretty unlikable and I found I could not really relate to them, but they were interesting. The ending of the book was really twisted and I did not see that coming, wow!

Iris and Gabriel have just returned from a vacation and find their friend Laurie staying at their house. Laurie found out that her husband Pierre fathered a child and she needed a break so she fled to her friends house. Gabriel is also going through a rough patch after riding a boy that went off a hill at the quarry. Iris and Gabriel have also just made friends with another couple that just moved into their neighborhood, Esme and Hugh and their live in friend, Joseph, who is helping them with stuff around the house. There is a lot to unpack here and I found it a bit confusing at times. but the epilogue answers a lot of questions.

Overall, I am a huge B.A. Paris fan but this book is not her best work. It is still an interesting thriller but I prefer some of her other book as this one missed the mark for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press from this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Every time I see B.A. Paris has a new book out, I rush to get it and read it ASAP. I read this book in less than a day. The beginning was a little slow going for me but once I got into the story I was hooked. Lots of twists at the end of the book that I did not see coming. I recommend this book for sure if you enjoy thrillers.

Thank you Netgalley and St.Martin’s Press for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the copy of The Guest by B. A. Paris I loved the premise of this book and story more than I enjoyed the book. The characters got tiresome and I couldn’t relate to them. As usual, for books by Paris the characters are all unlikable! I’m not sure why her characters are never sympathetic or personable, but at least they’re interesting. I liked how there was a real ‘twist’ to the story, but really hated how it was more of a coda to the story instead of being woven into the narrative. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

B. A. Paris has written another psychological thriller full of secrets, lies, and disturbing entanglements.

Isis and Gabriel are a married couple with a daughter, Beth. They are friends with a couple from Paris and while working on saving their marriage the wife, Laure, comes to stay with them. Despite the friendship Laure overstays her welcome and the relationship grows tangled and fraught with secrets.

Gabriel witnessed the death of a young man in a quarry so he is going through his own trauma. Laure begins to ask questions that are uncomfortable. A new couple moves into the area and it is thought that they will prove a welcome diversion but they only increase the stress.

Isis must untangle the gnarly threads and solve the mystery before it is too late.

The Guest is the new thriller by B.A. Paris and it delivers! The beginning moves slowly but it ends with a twist. I read it in one day. Iris and Gabriel seem to live a quiet life in England, with their daughter currently in Greece. They are faced with two unusual events. Gabriel, a doctor, finds himself at the scene of a terrible bike accident (of a boy he knows) and hears the teen’s last words. This sets Gabriel spiraling down. Meanwhile, Iris and Gabriel return home from a brief time away and find their old friend Laure staying at their house. Her husband has admitted fathering a child with someone else and Laure is devastated. It was difficult for me to believe that Iris and Gabriel would allow Laure to sleep in their bedroom, use Iris’ clothes, rearrange the kitchen and stay for so many weeks. They also become close friends with another couple in town, with secrets of their own. And then there is the gardener… Although parts were unbelievable, the characters are well developed, the story is layered and the book works. With thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

Synopsis (From Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
*******************************************************

Some secrets never leave.

Iris and Gabriel seem to have it all: a beautiful home in the British countryside, a daughter happily working in Greece, and good friends Laure and Pierre from Paris, whom they often vacation with. But when a young man has a tragic accident in a nearby quarry, Gabriel is the one to find him and hear his final words, leaving Gabriel with a guilty burden.

As Iris tries to help ease her husband’s trauma, they acquire an unexpected house guest. Laure has seemingly moved in after her husband’s revelation that he has had a child with another woman. Iris and Gabriel insist Laure stay for as long as she needs. But Laure keeps wearing Iris’s clothes, following her every move, and asking her about the recent death of the young man.

Their only respite from the increasingly tense atmosphere in their own home comes from a couple new to town and expecting their first child. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past.

With fractured relationships and secrets piling up around them, can Iris and Gabriel’s marriage survive?
This book is really twisted – at times I wondered what the heck was going on and why Laure was acting as she did…she went beyond weird and obsessive. It is hard to write more about the book without giving the twists away but this book is WONDERFUL, and I will recommend it far and wide, as I do all of BA’s books.

Please pick it up, savour it and enjoy it --- it’s stellar! (and the ending? ooooooooooooooof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

#shortbutsweetreviews

The Guest starts out very slow, almost too slow and it was really difficult to get into. Stick with it because the second half of the book makes up for that and will keep you guessing until the very end.
I didn't particularly like any of the characters, they just weren't relatable to me.
I am a huge B.A Paris fan, but this one just didn't do it for me.

Unfortunately this book was a big miss for me. I was intrigued at the beginning, when Iris and Gabriel come home to find their broken-hearted friend staying in their home, wearing their clothes and sleeping in their bed. The story moves very slowly, and the epilogue dragged on for a while. There was a pretty decent twist but I didn't love how it was handled/the plot holes it left behind. I usually enjoy B.A. Paris' books but The Guest was underwhelming compared to Behind Closed Doors, The Therapist etc.

Thank you to St Martin's Press & Netgalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my favorite books so far this year. I was immediately hooked and wrapped up in the characters. I ended up finishing it in a day because I couldn’t put it down..I definitely have a book hangover and hope I can find another book as good as this one soon! It had a wonderful twist at the end! This one is definitely a must read!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a great book and had me hooked from the beginning. I can usually figure out the ending but I did not on this one. Highly recommend!

Thanks NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and B.A. Paris for a copy of this book for my honest review.

Unfortunately this was not one of my favorite books by this author. Briefly, Iris and Gabriel have a great life together until their friend Laure unexpectedly moves in with them after she learns her husband Pierre has had an affair and fathered another women's child. Gabriel has also been struggling after finding an 18 year old dying by the side of the road. Their lives are also upended by their new neighbors Esme, her husband Hugh and their live in help Joseph who become a part of their lives. There is a lot going on in this novel and at some points I felt confused. The best part of the novel was the Epilogue where all of the secrets are revealed. I thought this section really saved the book.

After finishing the book, I came to the conclusion I did like the plot of the story but for some reason did not connect to the characters. The first 25% of the book was really hard for me to get through. I struggled with the dialogue between characters. At some times, it seemed really choppy. I will continue to read books by this author as I usually love them.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was an excellent read that kept me hooked! The characters were so well done and believable. Highly recommend

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me. I'm not sure if it's because I have read such amazing past BA Paris books that my expectations were high. The pacing was off, the characters were too one dimensional for me to become invested in, and there was a lot of telling rather than showing. The initial mystery and plot didn’t pull me, but the twist definitely shocked me and I did not see it coming.

While this one wasn't my favorite, I still recommend fans of B.A. Paris to give it a try. Despite my experience/opinions, there's still a lot of high reviews for this one.

not my favorite by this author

This starts out well. A British couple come home and find their French friend has left her husband because he confessed that he fathered a daughter years ago. The visit is expected to be short-term, but it drags on.

The writing is good and I liked (or disliked) the characters, but it was just too slow. There was a chunk in the middle where I started to skim and then skip chapters just to speed it up. I missed the finding of some bodies, but I didn't care enough to go back and get the details.

The ending was unexpected and I liked the way it was handled.

The beginning and ending were 5 stars; the middle 3. Averaging to 4.

When they arrive home from vacation to a friend in their home, Iris and Gabriel are taken aback, but glad to welcome her in her time of need. Laure learned that her husband, Pierre has fathered a child out of wedlock but will not provide her any other details, other than he wants to be a part of his daughter's life.
Laure quickly begins overstepping around the home and when her time has come to return to her job and husband she drops the bomb that she plans on staying with them indefinitely.
As they try to enjoy time with some new neighbors to get away from Laure for a bit, they decide to employ their gardner but soon learn he has a very shady past.
As the rumors circle about Laure and Pierra, Iris and Gabriel are ready to be back to their lives but what will it cost them?
The twist at the end just about did me in!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel. I am a big fan of many of B.A. Paris’ books but haven’t totally LOVED her most recent releases (The Prisoner). I liked this storyline but thought I was about to be sorely disappointed at the end… until I read the epilogue. This is one heck of an epilogue and the sole redeeming factor for this book. 3.5 stars rounded up.

BA Paris is one of my favorites. The story does not disappoint and kept me going through the last page. Thanks for the opportunity to read now.