Member Reviews

I love this author, B.A Paris never fails to keep me hooked in all of their books. I absolutely enjoyed this book and read it in a day.

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Pleasantly surprised by this one after I loved the first two by the author and not so much the others. It was an excellent audio and a fun read.

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Another excellent domestic suspense thriller from B.A. Paris.

When Iris and Gabriel come home from a vacation they hope heals their relationship, they are shocked to find their friend Laure in their house. She's recently left her husband and has sought refuge. Having a visitor gets old fast, and they make new friends in town... which should be a good thing, but a series of secrets from the past quickly unravel, leading to danger at every turn.

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Can B.A. Paris do wrong? The Queen of psychological thrillers is back. This time with a story that slows to the top and lets it fall. Tad slow but builds steam. Another solid choice from this author.

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Ooh, this was SO good! I absolutely loved the twists and turns of this story…and that ending!! Amazing! I loved the setting of the English village, and the way every thread of the plot ended up weaving together in such a surprising way!

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I'm always a fan of B.A. Paris' writing. This book was very much a slow burn domestic suspense, and I was frustrated by how the epilogue was more engaging than any other part of the book. The twists and mysteries all paid off big time. It was a quick read, and I look forward to reading whatever B.A. Paris writes next. Thank you St Martins for the copy!

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Unlikable characters, shocking plot twist, unhinged but still entertaining story. Not my favorite BA Paris book but it’s hard to top Behind Closed Doors.

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I recently read "The Guest" written by B.A. Paris. I liked the flow of the story and the chapters went quick enough to really keep my interest and keep my attention. I was able to read this and finish it quite quickly as I was interested in the story. I thought I had the ending figured out but realized that I definitely did not. I found the ending to be a big twist. All in all, I enjoyed reading this book. Thank you NetGalley!

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Well, that took a completely unexpected turn! I can always count on B. A. Paris to throw in a twist I didn’t see coming and this one was a doozy. THE GUEST kept me engaged from the beginning, and there were enough clues that made me wonder, and every time I thought I was on the right track, something else would happen.
Iris and Gabriel are empty nesters that come home from a trip that Iris hoped would help Gabriel work through the traumas he’d had recently and get their marriage back on track. Unfortunately, they return home early to find they have a house guest that has made herself comfortable in their bed and Iris’s clothes. Laure is half of their best friend couple who fled her marriage to Pierre when he confessed to having a daughter he just found out about. In her devastation, Laure turns to the friends, planning to stay until they can work things out. At the same time, a new couple has moved to town with a friend who is a live-in gardener, and all their lives become intertwined. Everyone has secrets and puzzle everything out will keep you turning the pages. Laure does continue to overstep and overstay her welcome, I would sent her home well before the three weeks she planned.
Once you start this one, you will want to keep reading until the shocking end.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.

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Well this one was quite the ride! The Guest kept me on my toes and was full of twists and turns! There was major whodunnit vibes and loads of drama. The ending completely rocked me, THAT EPILOGUE! WOW! BA Paris does it again!

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This was a wild ride and I did not see some of those twists coming! I am not sure how I would deal with a friend that just let themselves into my house, used my stuff, and basically didn't leave for over a month! In addition to fucking up my business. I would definitely not have been nearly as calm and understanding as Iris! I also just knew that gardener was doing to turn out to be a bag of dicks...but Iris did what she needed to do to keep her daughter safe in the end!

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3.5 stars

B.A. Paris’ domestic suspense novels are like a comforting, familiar sweater you can reach for when craving an easy yet thrilling read. She weaves suspenseful stories that are effortless to delve into, providing entertainment without demanding too much from the reader. I prefer to listen to her books, finding that even when my mind wanders, I don't miss much, making it easy to stay engaged with the story. It's almost like having a suspenseful soundtrack accompanying my daily activities, ensuring I never miss a beat, even when my mind takes a detour.

The guest trope might have you thinking you've heard it all before, but Paris doesn't stop there. She throws in unexpected twists adding a fresh spin to the trope. The pacing has some ups and downs, much like a witch's broomstick ride with a few twists and turns, to make the ride thrilling.

The characters may not be the most likable bunch and lack depth in their motivation and actions. However, their web of secrets and lies was engaging enough to draw me into the narrative.

That final twist is unexpected in so many ways and I don't think anyone will see that coming. But to be honest I am not sure it was all that rewarding after all the suspense but I was entertained.

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This one is hard for me to review because I did enjoy the mystery and all the different ways the story unfolded, but it was very much a domestic story, and I am very much bored with that type of story. I would recommend it to people who do enjoy domestic dramas but if you're not a big fan of that type of story, just know this book is very much exploring a marital relationship and the issues they have.

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This book started out really great. I enjoyed the premise and was curious to find out more about what the mystery and plot was going to be. However, most of this book was very focused on unlikable characters, their daily lives and thoughts, and inability to communicate effectively with one another. I like a slow burn, but this was too slow. The plot never really thickened, and by the time I got to the absolutely ridiculous epilogue I was pretty annoyed that I had spent time reading this just to learn that nothing you knew was actually true. Felt like a lazy way to end a boring book to try and give it some interest. I did enjoy the writing and the quick chapters, and the town/house was very well developed so you got a nice sense of atmosphere.

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The Guest was a bingeable mystery that had me wondering how all of these loose ends were going to come together.
When Iris and Gabriel return home from a trip to find their friend, Laure, in their house after leaving her husband, a lot of questions and tension arise. The Guest slowly peels back the layers of secrets and mystery surrounding all of the characters in a way that was having me wondering how it was all going to come together by the end. When I reached the epilogue, I was happy to see how everything came together but also felt a bit that the tone change to first person and all explanations to be a jarring change of pace from the rest of the story. Overall, I found this to be entertaining and kept you on your toes until the very end.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

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I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. I didn’t care about the characters and the ending wasn’t good.

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I started to read this novel, but actually listened to an audio version of this ARC for the majority of the story! This was a very well written story, that had me guessing until the end. I often enjoy reading books from B.A. Paris, and “The Guest” was no exception. I look forward to the next book from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

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Happy Sunday book friends! It’s been so long since I’ve posted. Life and work has been insanely busy lately but I’ve still been reading - just not posting 🥹

BUT I couldn’t skip posting about BA Paris’ latest release The Guest. While I was traveling for work, I binged this on the plane. It was full of twists and I didn’t see all of them coming as usual with this author’s books.

Iris and Gabriel have a set of close friends who they house swap with when either couple is out of town. Laure and Pierre live in Paris but Iris and Gabriel find Laure at their house when they return early from vacation. Laure says Pierre has revealed he’s had an affair and has a child with someone else. Things get tense when Laure doesn’t seem to have any intentions of going back. Iris meets a new couple in town and they become fast friends. The new couple have a gardener who starts to help Gabriel with the yard and they realize he has a troubling past.

This for me was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read - it got a little wild but I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you to @netgalley , the author & @stmartinspress for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This title is out now. Also flip to the 2nd picture to see what was going on while I tried to take this picture 😅

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The Guest"s opening scenes bring the drama. When Iris and Gabriel return a day early from holiday, they surprise their friend Laure, who has made herself at home in their own bed during their absence. She tells them she has left her husband, Pierre, who also happens to be Gabriel's best friend, and wants to stay with them while she re-evaluates her marriage. Pierre has found out that he fathered a child in the past, and because of this, is reexamining his marriage.

Laure is just about the most obnoxious house guest ever, and it's hard to understand how rather emotionally cold Iris puts up with it. To add intrigue, with shades of Lady Chatterley's Lover vibes, the gardener in the village has all the women in this story in various stages of excitement.

There is a lot of intrigue and peeling back the layers to get to the truth in this story. The story kept me engaged, but I found all the characters extremely unlikable. I did guess the ending well before it came, but it was presented in a satisfying manner.

I would rate this a 3.5 read.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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B. A. Paris is an amazing author. The twists and turns in this thriller makes it quite the page turner. You will be hooked from the start.

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