Well, I never saw that ending coming! I did pick up on a hint in the last chapters before the epilogue revealed everything but I thought maybe I had missed something.

Iris & Gabriel's marriage has been troubled since the death of teen Charlie Ingram. Their world revolves around their daughter Beth who was a schoolmate of Charlie's. Their best friends Pierre & Laure have just learned that Pierre fathered a child he knew nothing about. Laure is beyond angry and moves in with Iris & Gabriel without any forewarning. New friends Esme & Hugh are celebrating the birth of their son, Hamish. How these characters interact is very well done. Juggling all of the events made this fast paced and filled with suspense.

Another hit from B A Paris

I’ve read B.A. Paris books before and have always enjoyed them, but I was very thrown by this story. The first 60% is just a very boring and average life of a British couple who are annoyed with their friends. Some drama happens after the 60% mark and then there’s an epilogue with so many surprise twists that had zero lead up or tension or much mystery around them. There is a story in there somewhere but it needs to be completely moved around, edited and the characters need to be brought to life. Everyone felt very one dimensional.

Finally, I found another page-turner! I knew I could count on B.A. Paris to write a book that doesn’t drag. I thought I knew who the culprit was who caused the deaths, but I was completely wrong. The timeline presented in the epilogue was a bit confusing, but that is my own fault. I didn’t realize I needed to pay such close attention to what a certain character was doing. I’m sorry if this review is a little disjointed, but I don’t want to give any spoilers! Needless to say, I enjoyed The Guest and look forward to reading the author’s next book!

I received an advanced readers copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have always been a huge B.A. Paris fan and I think this book is definitely one of my absolute favorites of hers. For half the book I was wondering WTF was actually going on and even though the first half wasn't fast paced or action packed, her writing is so good I could not put it down. Once the craziness started I flew through the second half of the book and was completely and entirely blindsided by the plot twist. Never in a million years saw it coming. What a great book, loved it!!

I have a love-hate relationship with this book. I hated that it felt like it moved so slow and the chapters in the book didn't contain the big twist I was hoping for. But I love that the characters developed so deeply and the fabulous twist is quickly revealed in the epilogue.

I'm not sure I can say I really enjoyed any of the characters because they all seemed so self absorbed in a way, but I loved that they genuinely cared for their friends. I loved the joint venture of fixing up the walled garden. Overall, I think I wished the author had mixed some of the twists into the core of the book to encourage me to keep reading and to make it feel a bit more fast paced.

Overall, solid thriller.

Fasten your seatbelts for The Guest! It’s a wild ride and you’ll never believe the twist at the end. B.A. Paris had me on this one. while I was reading The Guest, I had several scenarios in mind but none of them were correct. . I completely trusted Iris, the wife and mother but….you’ll have to read the book and see. I highly recommend The Guest to all who love a good thriller. Looking forward to B.A. Paris’s next novel.

Huge thanks to St. Martin’s Press, B.A. Paris and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Guest.

I liked this book but not my favorite BA Paris book. The plot was ok. Kind of all over the place and just a weird, random story. The characters were ok. The ending I didn’t see coming but it was kind of just randomly thrown in there to tie up loose ends but it didn’t really go well with the entire plot line. It was a fast read but not my favorite book.

When Gabriel and Iris return home from a vacation, they find their friend, Laure, staying in their house. Laure and her husband, Pierre, have always had an open invitation to use Gabriel's and Iris's home while they were away. But this time, it is only Laure staying. Laure asks if she could stay as a guest in their home while she and Pierre work out some problems they are having. Thinking this would be a short stay, Gabriel and Iris welcome Laure to stay indefinitely. Gabriel recently suffered a trauma and is currently not working. So the house feels very full with the three adults home all day.
While Iris is out for a run, she meets new neighbors, Esme and Hugh, as well as their gardener, Joseph. These new friends are a breath of fresh air. Gabriel has decided to tackle the ignored walled garden while he is off from work. When he realizes the amount of work he has undertaken, he asks if Joseph can assist him. Things get more and more complicated from here. There are deaths, affairs and you will be hooked.
Throughout the book, I thought I had it figured out and felt the story didn't hold the usual "wow" that you get from a B.A. Paris book. Well if you hold on, you get your WOW! There are multiple twists and turns by the very end of the book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC of this book.

Another doozy from BA Paris! This is one of my must read authors and this book did not disappoint. Great twists and turns throughout & I should have seen this coming, but did not.

Highly recommend this one when it comes out! Thanks NetGalley & BA Paris for allowing me to read this one!

This book kept me guessing till the end. Even when I thought I figured it all out (which always happens as an avid reader of thrillers), the last pages turned everything around. This is a book that could be reread to see all the clues and foreshadowing B.A. Paris left behind. I'm a fan of the author but they pulled out all the stops with this book. I will still buy this book when it comes out so I can have it in my library and give it out to my friends and coworkers. A fun read.

I would give this 3.5 out of 5 stars. I did like it but didn't live it like her other books. I found it predictable. Didn't care for any of the characters in the story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

Iris and Gabriel return home from holiday only to find they have a houseguest. A close friend, Laure, has come to visit after leaving her husband, Pierre, also their friend. Laure has discovered that Pierre, who had never wanted children, has a child with another woman. While Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive, Laure soon wears out her welcome with her self-centered ways and constant complaining. Mysterious disappearances, past secrets and sudden deaths round out the story.

Huge fan of B A Paris but found The Guest to be my least favorite of those novels I've read thus far; probably because I am horribly impatient. The story moves along, and I kept wondering when the big reveal would appear to make me gasp. I even had moments when I gave thought to not finishing but I have enjoyed Paris' novels so much decided to persevere. The ending is worth the wait - certainly not what I was expecting with a surprise twist.

This is not the first BA Paris book I have read and certainly won't be the last. The book is a well written domestic thriller which the story evolving around the lives of Iris and Gabriel. Gabriel recently was at the scene where a young man had a tragic accident and was with his when he passed away and is harboring guilt. Iris and Gabriel have a trip away and come home to find their best friend Laure at their home. Laure announces that she has left her husband and needs time to deal with it. Gabriel and Iris are happy to have her. Meanwhile a new coupon move into the neighborhood and Iris befriends Esme and Gabriel becomes friends with her husband Hugh. All the characters are likable and as I was reading and enjoying I was wondering where the "thriller" or the twist would play out. I was not disappointed in the ending, but then, wow the Epilogue was like a completely different story was let loose and bam everything I thought I thought I knew was nothing was I thought. Definitely grab this one - don't miss out on it!

I'm a huge fan of B.A. Paris, but The Guest was a miss for me. There were too many characters, relationships, names, and conflicts introduced all at once. For readers who stuck it out, it sounds like the ending was great. Unfortunately, I couldn't get through the beginning. However, I remain a fan of the author's and look forward to her next book.

When Iris and Gabriel return home from their vacation they find their dear friend Laures staying at their house. At first they have no problem supporting their friend while she deals with a huge secret her husband was keeping from her but quickly Laures had overstepped her stay. As the book continues the story unfolds the reader learns everyone is hiding something and as secrets are threatened to be exposed some characters will stop at nothing to prevent their secrets from coming out.
Paris yet again did a great job with building the story and gave the reader the twist ending that Paris is known for. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Iris and Gabriel come home early from their trip to find their friend, Laure, making herself comfortable in their home. Laure is taking time away from her husband, Pierre, after discovering that he may have fathered a child during their marriage. Iris and Gabriel reluctantly agree to let their friend stay as long as they need.

This wasn't my favourite by the author but I enjoyed the journey that this novel took me on. There were several side stories with side characters that kept confusing me as they were all quite similar. The confusion I felt may or may not have been on purpose on the author's creative part to keep me guessing about the "big reveal." The epilogue was probably the longest I've read for a domestic thriller like this novel.. it's where B.A. Paris reveals the "who dun it" and all the motivations behind the mystery. I enjoy it when it's sprinkled throughout the novel. I didn't expect the "big reveal" (I'm keeping it quite vague), so I'm giving this book 3.5 stars.

Looking forward to the next B.A. Paris novel

A couple is navigating through successive tragedies that challenge their emotional stability and their marital bond. It seems as though Iris and Gabriel are the most unlucky couple in that those around them disappear or die. Also, the presence of an uninvited guest/friend in their home keeps them from finding peace in their one safe harbor and each other. These unconnected events could break them if not for the friendship developing with a new neighbor. Even that presents challenges, though, as the new friend brings a gardener into their lives that presents an element of temptation and mistrust. There is a storm of calamity brewing, and the devastation will leave you shocked! This is an ending that I never saw coming!

Oh. My. WHOA!

I did NOT see that twist coming a mile away! The whole story made everything seem connected and concise. The last chapter completely threw me for a loop. That was the last thing that I possibly thought would happen. The author did a phenomenal job of making me think I had everything worked out in my head and then showed me how wrong I was.! I legitimately love that I was clueless until the very end. Wow. Just WOW!

I just finished my ARC and was blown away!
The Epilogue was great-did not see all of that coming. The twists and turns were great. I thought it was tied up a little too nicely-til the end! BA Paris has done it again!

I thought I knew what was happening in this book, but the last few pages turned all of that upside down. Wow, what a twist, what an ending!

Thanks to the author and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.