This was a tough read for. me unfortunately. I did not find the story all that interesting and it didn't hold my attention.

B.A. Paris books always have a massive twist, which usually makes it so the reader can get lost in an enjoyable reading experience. This was not the case with The Guest. Everything about this book is glaringly obvious from the beginning, and the pacing is so plodding. The same conversations and actions over and over and over again make for an incredibly boring experience. Then the epilogue....the entire plot summed up in the longest epilogue ever. Two mentions of abortion were incredibly strange, not due to the mentions, but due to the weird personal lecture that was included. I would recommend other Paris books over The Guest.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read other books by B.A. Paris, which I enjoyed. However, I felt The Guest didn't know what it wanted to be. Is it a family drama? Is it a psycho-thriller? I didn't enjoy the characters, the plot was okay, and there wasn't really a resolution. I appreciate Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my opinions, but this one wasn't for me.

The Guest
B.A. Paris @baparisauthor
Genre:Thriller
Pace: Fast

Returning home from holiday Gabriel and Iris are greeted with an unsuspected guest that may just be the undoing of their happily ever after.

WHOAH! Paris does it again with another PHENOMINAL display of when everything looks great from the outside but what's actually going on inside will blow your mind. And I am so here for it

The story line immedietly pulls you in right from the very beginning with the mysterious falling out of this couples closest and dearest friends. And while their trying to help them piece back together their marriage their own Happily Ever After may be jeopardized with secrets of their past dying to resurface.

With character development that will have you connecting and sympathizing with these character while questioning everything they say and do all at the same time. No one can be trusted, making it super difficult to peg the real villain of the story. Paris defenitly keeps you on your toes until the very last page

And the FINAL REVEAL, there's no way you wont be so twisted up and questioning how you didn't see that coming. Turning back pages immedietly trying to connect the pieces all over again. I truly can't recommend it enough!!

Huge shout out to @stmartinspress @baparisauthor and @netgalley for the advanced readers copy!! 🖤

This was a slow burn, but what a build up! All the bits and pieces coming together, and that ending!? I didn’t see that coming! Mind blown! It’s not until all is revealed that I thought “why didn’t I catch that!?” I loved the short chapters. I felt that all of the characters had a secret and a reason to get rid of someone. Very well done!

This was a well plotted, twisty thriller. It started out a little slow, but once it picked up, I was invested in wanting to know what was going on, and more importantly, if Laure was ever going to leave! All of the characters seemed to be keeping secrets, so it was hard to know who to trust. The ending was quite surprising!

Thank you, @netgalley and @stmartinspress, for the #gifted e-arc!

3.5 stars rounded

although it’s a fast read propelled by short chapters, this is a very basic domestic thriller. Paris has been a very hit or miss author for me and sadly this was a big miss. the amount of mundane dialogue drove me crazy, and felt like it was just trying to meet a word count. this is not something that I’d expect from a seasoned author like her.

Maybe I wasn’t looking closely enough but this plot twist completely blew me away. Looking back, the clues were probably there, but I didn’t put them together until the very end. I will look forward to rereading someday. This B. A. Paris book is more of a slow burn compared to the more fast paced Behind Closed Doors and The Prisoner. It was more in line with The Breakdown, especially since it focused more on domestic drama rather than the wildly insane situations the characters have to deal with in some of her other books. I liked this one much more than The Prisoner, which I found a little too far fetched. The Guest has you guessing which characters are lying and keeping secrets, up until the end. Like I said, this one has a shocking twist that I enjoyed, but it took a little too long to get there. Some of the plot points and conversations between characters felt like they were getting repetitive and rehashed too many times, but other than that, I loved it.

From the first book I read of this author, Behind Closed Doors, I was hooked. So glad I found this author. Every book is more amazing than the last!

3.75/5⭐️

I found this book to be a well written, quick read with lots of suspicious characters and some interesting twists. I am a very avid thriller/mystery reader so unfortunately it takes a lot to stump me and I was able to figure out each twist before it was revealed.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, Child death, Blood, Alcoholism, Grief, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Car accident, and Death
Minor: Abortion, Body shaming, Bullying, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, and Suicide attempt

I enjoyed this one, and it kept me guessing till the end. The amount of secrets between these characters will keep you guessing as well. Who is telling the truth, and who is the liar? I loved following the relationship between a married couple and their friends. Recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. The story follows Iris and Gabriel who return from vacation to find an old friend Laure staying at their home. Over the next following weeks things get pretty weird. Laure is sleeping in their bed instead of the guest room and she rearranges the kitchen cabinets. The story was good just a little far fetched. Iris and Gabriel were just too nice to Laure when she is trying to take over their house.

This is my first book by B.A. Paris and it won’t be my last! There are 3 couples that this story follows. Once I got all their names down and knew who each of them were then it became more enjoyable.
I am a big fan of thriller books and I really enjoyed reading this with all the twists and turns. I did not see the ending coming at all!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book.

Been looking forward to this one as I loved The Silent Patient and it did not disappoint.
Loved the characters and multiple POV but it took a bit to get everyone figured out and to be able to keep track.
The twists and turns were epic and I'm already looking forward to the next!

If I were to sum up “The Guest” in one sentence, it would be Benjamin Franklin’s wise saying that “Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.” This latest novel by B.A. Paris features her trademark twists and turns, upending things just when the reader thinks they have figured out the puzzle. It is always a pleasure to read a thriller that does not have an easy, obvious solution, but rather relies on subtleties and revelations. Also, despite containing potentially disturbing topics, the story is primarily psychological and devoid of gore. Three couples form the primary characters in “The Guest,” each with secrets of their own. Iris and Gabriel are the main focus, and through them, especially, readers see the debilitating effects of holding onto secrets, contrasted with the fallout of bringing those secrets to light. As with lies, secrets pile up: “It seemed to Gabriel that roots, like lies, were insidious.” Just how insidious, and just how far some might be willing to go to keep their secrets, readers will have to find out for themselves.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley and was not required to post a favorable review.

B.A. Paris is one of my favorite suspense authors and this one did not disappoint. It's basically a story that revolves around two married couples and long-time friends--Iris and Gabriel live in the country and Laure and Pierre who lives in Paris. One day Laure shows up and asks to stay for a while - she and Pierre are having marital issues and she just wants to get away. And there's where the whirlwind starts as we see Laure vastly outstay her welcome and more and more intrigue and mystery come to light about what is really going on in this novel. Everyone is keeping secrets and it all culminates quite late in the pages in an explosive denouement I did not see coming. It's twisted and taut and great fun to follow. If you like unreliable characters, plots that go every which way, and fascinating character studies, I recommend you pick up The Guest.

"The Guest" by B.A. Paris is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Iris and Gabriel return from a holiday to find their home invaded by their friend, Laure, whose presence quickly turns their lives upside down. As tensions escalate and secrets begin to unravel, Iris and Gabriel find themselves caught in a web of deceit and danger.

Paris expertly weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue, keeping readers guessing with every twist and turn. The atmosphere is tense, the characters are compelling, and the pacing is relentless. As secrets from the past come to light, "The Guest" becomes a heart-pounding race to uncover the truth before it's too late.

With its gripping storyline and chilling suspense, "The Guest" is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. B.A. Paris once again proves herself to be a master of the genre, delivering a captivating and unforgettable read.

The Guest is the latest release from thriller writer B. A. Paris. This domestic drama centers around a married couple, Iris and Gabriel, and their unexpected house guest who shows up one day and refuses to leave. Laure is an old friend from their past, part of a couple they made friends with years ago, and after discovering that her husband has a child no one knew about, she flees to their mutual friend’s house, feeling betrayed. There is also a new couple who has moved in next door, whom Iris, Gabriel and Laure befriend, and who become intertwined in their drama. When Laure’s husband refuses to communicate with her, or respond to his good friend Gabriel (and we later find out why), the mystery begins.

The pacing of this story is slow, but kept me invested, out of sheer curiosity. It has an unreliable narrator, which usually intrigues me, but it’s also deeply imbedded with the lack of communication trope, and it was immensely frustrating how the characters refused to simply express their feelings and communicate with one another. Also, many of the character’s decisions and behaviors felt absolutely nonsensical, which made the plot as a whole feel unrealistic and a bit silly.

The Guest is more of a sordid, secretive drama than a pure thriller, and we spend a lot of time in the character’s heads and with their conversations. The twist at the end is entertaining and an enticing addition to the conclusion, though not entirely surprising. I enjoyed this story and it’s a quick read, I just wasn’t as enamored with it as I’d hoped to be.

I love a book with a thoughtful twist, and B.A. Paris achieved that again with The Guest. I absolutely loved this book. It kept my attention the entire time. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a quick read that sucks you in from the very first chapter.

This was my first B.A. Paris book but it won’t be my last! The beginning was a little slow but it picked up as the book went on. I did not see the end of this book coming! I couldn’t put it down because I needed to know how it ended! Great read!