B. A. Paris can do no wrong and "The Guest" proves why she is at the top of the psychological thriller genre!

This is a hard one for me to review and rate. I always enjoy B.A Paris’ books, but this one just missed the mark a bit for me. I really did still enjoy the book, but the first half of it kind of dragged for me. I mean it needs character build up and all which I understand, but maybe I have just been reading too many faster paced thrillers lately. I’m not really sure. Also, I just didn’t like any of the characters and I personally think that can alter my views on the story too.

I will say about 40% in the story it picked up more for me, and I really enjoyed it! I kind of guessed part of the twist but I did not see all of them.

I do forsee many people loving this book. I’m not upset a bit that I read it and I’m grateful to have read it. I always enjoy her books.

I would most definitely recommend this book, but I would just warn if you are looking for a faster paced thriller from the get go don’t expect that until a bit later in this story.

Thank you NetGalley, B.A Paris, and St. Martens Press for my e-Arc! Publishing Date 02/20/24

First I would like to say thank you for letting me read this advanced copy.
The book was good full of potential so I know it's going to be a bestseller I love how the story builds up before it gets to the real juicy parts and I am a fan of her other work as well job well ✔️

I'm a long time fan of B.A. Paris and have read every single one of her books. This is a mid-book with an unsatisfying ending in my opinion. I can't elaborate anymore without giving it away but the majority of this book comes together in the last chapter (Epilogue) and I prefer it drawn out in multiple chapters and the epilogue giving final closure. There were also some side plots/ mysteries that I didn't particularly care for (ie the Charlie portions). I had a hunch early on as to who Pierre had fathered a child with and since that was one of the big mysterieis, it wasn't as satisfying. Overall, I think authors are getting a bit sloppy wtih the twists. I get there are only so many tropes to end with, but this one has been done many times before and wasn't executed well. This is definitely an outlier in B.A. Paris' work and so I will continue to read her, but this one wasn't for me. It was also hard to get into and I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable. Laure was by far the most annoying and while I understood Gabriel was doing with his own grief and trauma, I didn't appreciate how much he shut his wife Iris out.

I've read all of B.A. Paris books and loved them all including her new book The Guest. It grabbed my attention fast and was a quick read. The twist was really good and I did not see it coming! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

4⭐️

Sadly I had to DNF this title. With the style it’s written in I struggled to understand it and connect with the characters. I really wanted to enjoy this book and was really excited about receiving this ARC, I’mso bummed it was a DNF. I would like to thank NetGalley for this opportunity though!

I started this one this morning and couldn’t put it down all day! The characters had so much intrigue and I was so impressed by the twists and turns of the plot. Easy 5 stars for me!

5 Stars for The Guest by B.A Paris. What happens when the layers start to chip away so that you can see what you want to see underneath. Iris and Gabriel want you to think that they have it all the beautiful home in a British countryside, a daughter and good friends Pierre and Laure from Paris. When a tragic accident happens to a young man Gabriel finds him and hears his final words which then leave him with a guilty burden. Iris tries to help him but then they end up having an unexpected house guest Laure. Why is Laure their house guest? What is the deal with the new gardener and his checkered past? This book had me turning pages till the very end and will keep you guessing. The author wrote this book with great suspense and definitely accomplished an unputdownable book. Highly recommend this book! Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read The Guest by B. A. Paris. Her best yet!!

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.