The Guest is well-written, as I had anticipated from B.A. Paris. The short chapters made it a quick and compelling read. However, I didn’t feel particularly connected to any of the characters. This simply didn’t capture my interest in the way it might, had I felt more invested in what happened to any of them. It was more dramatic than suspenseful. It was fine overall, and the ending still left me feeling surprised. I always look forward to reading what this author writes next.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

Special thanks to Netgalley and St. martins press for the ARC!

First off, this is my first B.A Paris book..Girl, I will be back for more!

I loved the setting of the book! A good domestic thriller sucks me right in. We follow husband and wife Iris and Gabriel in their “mediocre” type life where it doesn’t seem excitement is normal for them. They come back from a trip and find that one of their best friends is actually in their home…and won’t leave… ummm, rude! And also a nightmare! With the writing style, the tension between the parties is palpable and building in intensity with every interaction. And it finally pops. And it does so in a spectacular way! When the twist hit, I literally said “Hah!” aloud. It was a glorious moment.
Highly recommend this read! And will be going back and adding all books by B.A. to my TBR!

I enjoyed this one, but it wasn't my favorite by this author.

Plot -
Gabriel and Iris return from vacation to find their friend Laure staying in their home. She had just walked out on her husband, Pierre, after he confessed to an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel try to be supportive, but Laure's behavior becomes more and more unhinged, and she has overstayed her welcome.

Thoughts -
This book was just okay in my opinion. I thought the whole thing dragged on for a long time with nothing happening. This author's books are usually more tense than this was. I wasn't entirely sure where the book was going. I don't want to give any spoilers because it does take a few wild turns, and then there is one massive plot twist at the end. I personally don't like the plot twists where everything is wrapped up, and then a character is like, "but here is what really happened." The best I can say is that it is a reliable thriller, but probably won't be memorable for me in either a good or a bad way.

Not my favorite BA book. While there is a lot going on in the story, I feel like I was always waiting for *something* to happen. There were a lot of little things that left the reader suspicious but in the end, there wasn’t a lot that came from those things and instead the twists came from nowhere. And I have no problem with a slow burn book, but having to wait to the very last chapter - the epilogue, no less! - to figure out what exactly happened was not satisfying to me.

This story started off a bit slow and I felt the middle dragged. Not much was happening but here an there I got an eerie feeling. I do feel there was some predictability but overall I did enjoy this book. All the secrets spilled out at the end and I would have preferred them to trickle. I would recommend this book for my thriller lovers wanting a simple low key beach book. The Breakdown is still my favorite book by this author and probably my all time favorite thriller. Hands down.

4 stars...

A slow burn, domestic suspense... with a very twisty, satisfying ending.

I've always been a big fan of B.A. Paris since reading Behind Closed Doors years ago (still an-all favorite thriller I will always recommend). Over the years, some of her books have been hits, others complete miss (The Dilemma), but I have always read every one and will always pick up any new books by this author.

The Guest was a quick, satisfying read that fans of her previous work will enjoy!

Thank you Netgalley & Publisher!

3.5 stars - this is my first read by this author so thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC version for my review.

Iris and her husband Gabriel arrive home from vacation to find an old friend, Laure, who needs a place to stay after discovering her husband’s infidelity. Iris and Gabriel, who are going through a rough patch due to some recent traumas, let her move in with them. What was supposed to be a couple weeks stretches into an indefinite stay.

Iris finds escape with new friends in the village, Hugh and Esme, who are expecting their first child. Hugh and Esme have their own houseguest in the form of Esme’s childhood friend-turned-gardener, Joseph. Their lives quickly become intertwined and several tragedies ensue.

My one complaint is I kept waiting for the twist but the big reveal didn’t come until the epilogue, and the amount of info that was thrown at the reader in the last few pages made it feel rushed. It was a slick way to wrap up the story, but didn’t fully overcome the slowness that the first 97% of the book entailed. I wish the author had woven more of that into the main story, to help crank up the tension.

The Guest will keep you guessing throughout the entire book with twists and turns in every chapter. Your best friend just left her husband after finding out he was unfaithful years ago and fathered a child. As she overstays her welcome with friends, her husband is no where to be found and you slowly find out the truth about their marriage. The story unfolds with so many twists and turns to keep you engaged along with short chapters that make you want to keep reading to figure out how it all fits together. This was definitely a could not put down from start to finish!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for a copy of The Guest by B.A. Paris. This comes out February 20th.

Psychological Thrillers are my favorite. The Guest was full of so many secrets and this had so many twists!

Everything BA Paris writes, I will read. Paris spun yet another amazing read with characters I cared so deeply about. And what a twist!!

3.5 stars

I always look forward to reading the latest book by B.A. Paris. She’s creative and her stories manage to be a little bit disturbing but entertaining at the same time. Bust out a bowl of popcorn and sit down and enjoy the show type reads.

While The Guest is not my favorite of her domestic thrillers it still is a solid read. My main issue was with the characters. With this genre I don’t mind unlikable characters but the problem is when they veer into annoying territory. It makes for a frustrating reading experience at times. Thankfully there are some surprises along the way that did keep me interested in the story and it does end on a strong note.

This was my third B.A. Paris novel.
Even though I liked some of her books, this one didn’t have much to it.
My biggest issue with this book is how repetitive this book was. They would talk about the same events 2-3 times.
Overall, it was solid and I didn’t expect the ending.

If you would have asked me 50% of the way in what I thought of this book, I might not have given it a rave review. Here is my advice: Stick with this slow burner because it gets better and better. The ending is phenomenal! B.A. Paris never disappoints!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars rounded up. Great twisty thriller alert! This book threw my suspicions in multiple directions and kept my attention throughout. I don’t want to give away anything more than that, but I will tell you this book is hard to put down. 😉 This is my favorite B.A. Paris book to date.

It's always a risk to try a new author. I've never read a book by B.A. Paris. I felt like the story flowed well enough. I enjoyed the story overall. My only complaint was that aspects of the book felt very predictable. When reading a book like this it's disappointing to have guessed the plot early on and to find out at the end that you knew how it would unfold all along. There were things that surprised me along the way. But the book really was quite average for me. I'm giving the book a score of 3 stars out of 5. It's books like this that I wish we could give half star ratings or even score out of 10 as this feels a bit too low. It's more of a 3½ our of 5 or a 7 out of 10. Thank you netgalley for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

The Guest by B. A. Paris was my first book by this author. I have heard nothing but good things about her books. This won’t be the last one I read of hers but, I was a tiny bit disappointed. Well, let's put it this way, I am more mad at myself than disappointed. I should have known who the murderer was all along. I’ve told you how bad I am about figuring these books out but, this one was a giveaway right in your face. When you read it, let me know if you figured it out before the epilogue.

I did enjoy The Guest. I spent a rainy day with my nose buried so deep in my tablet that I wasn’t very good company. I was engrossed due to a lot going on and several catastrophes. The author kept me turning those pages until well into the night.

The characters were all so interesting and their development was very satisfying. They seemed to have a lot of life changing things going on in their lives. The main characters, Iris and Gabriel come home to find one of their friends has taken over their home. Gabriel is on leave from his job due to burnout and now their friend Laure has separated temporarily from her husband Pierre and come to stay. She is the “guest”. There are others. Their daughter and neighbors down the road who all play a big part in the story.

I always wondered what an unreliable narrator was. This book is a prime example of that. I believed everything I was told only to find out that I got it all wrong. If you love a book that takes you on a ride and dumps you off scratching your head and wondering what the heck was I thinking, then this is a book for you to put in your tbr pile. I would! Until next time…Happy Reading!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and B.A. Paris for an ARC of this book!**

"Uninvited guests are often most welcome when they leave." - Aesop

Iris and Gabriel are ready to sink into that post-vacation relief you ONLY get after being away for a while, where you begin to understand what Dorothy meant when she said "There's no place like home." After all, time away can be refreshing, but there's something about the feeling you get walking back into a familiar place and the comfort you feel as soon as you get there. When they show up at their doorstep and realize they aren't alone, however, the feeling of relief is immediately replaced with mild annoyance...even though they KNOW this guest well. It's their friend Laure, and she's fled home after learning about her husband Pierre's indiscretion: an indiscretion that has led to the birth of a child, no less!

Iris wants to be supportive during this time, but Laure is beginning to grate on her nerves...and that's putting it mildly. Laure has no problem trouncing around the place like she owns it, wearing Iris' clothes, and doesn't seem to be in any sort of hurry to get back to Pierre. There's also tension bubbling between Iris and Gabriel themselves, in a close yet distant marriage, which has never been the same since Gabriel found a body and feels like he should have somehow been able to prevent a young boy's death. When a NEW couple comes to town with a handsome gardener named Joseph, things veer into even MORE complicated territory...especially when Joseph gets romantically entangled with one (or is it two?) of our leads...and who IS the mother of Pierre's baby, anyway? Will this house guest ever take the hint and head for the hills? Or are there secrets involving this WHOLE group that, if revealed, could shatter their friendships...forever?

B.A. Paris is nothing if not surprising when it comes to her particular brand of domestic suspense novel: you never know EXACTLY what Paris you're going to get. Despite this imbalance, all of her books feature some unlikable characters that STILL somehow have an air of authenticity. You won't ever quite know who to trust, and who is the victim rather than the 'perp' in her books. There's also ALWAYS a level of 'he said, she said' that goes on, and often some wacky twists to keep things moving. After the absolute train wreck that was The Prisoner, I was wary to say the least about picking up this one and once again giving Paris a shot.

But while this was a giant step up from the messy, confusing, and eye-roll worthy B Action movie plot that was her last book....Paris decided to go the Maury route with this one, replete with everything from neighborhood gossip to a cast FULL of unlikable characters that frankly had me feeling sorry that Pierre's baby and Gabriel and Iris' daughter had to call these folks 'adults.'

This book is on the slower side (at least it was for me) and to be honest, there almost felt like there were TOO many characters that weren't that important...to the point where even though it wasn't a huge cast, I still occasionally forgot who was who. This may in part be due to the fact that I never felt that INVESTED in the story, but even with a group of Unlikables, I still want to have distinct enough personalities to keep track of everyone without having to flip back or remind myself what's going on at any given time. The strange thing about this one is that it almost didn't feel linear in terms of time line even though it very much WAS, and I kept feeling like I was missing something all along the way...and that the 'red herrings' were so plentiful that I needed a fishing net to contain them all!

When we FINALLY arrive at the final act of the book, however, all of the seemingly random information starts to slide neatly into place. (Side note: remember those little plastic puzzles with pieces you could slide back and forth and up and down until they slid into the right spots and made a picture? THAT is the little mental picture I just got...and I also miss those puzzles!) This final twist is honestly almost a SERIES of twists that bundles into one tidy package, and although some of it seems like it should have been obvious after the reveals, it certainly seemed like Paris saved all her 'oomph' for the last 30% of the book. That being said, I still don't feel like even this clever ending was enough to make up for the meandering it took for this book to get there, which is why out of all of the Paris books I've been thus far, this one lands firmly in the middle of the pack.

And at the end of the day, this book was reminiscent of a used Libman mop: it was both soapy AND twisty.

But much like that same mop after a LONG session of kitchen floor cleaning...I think what it needed most was to be wrung out.

3.5 stars

I've started to think this author's books are not for me. I had a hard time getting into this one and found it dragged. I wasn't a fan of the characters and even the twist didn't save it for me. 2 stars

The Guest by B.A. Paris
Pub Day: February 20th, 2024
Thank you, NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC
4.5 ⭐️’s
Trigger ⚠️: divorce is mentioned throughout the whole book
We’re so I even begin with this grappling and thrilling psychological thriller that held my attention from the beginning and got me thinking about different scenarios that could come up as I was reading more! 🤯 There storyline had multiple different characters and aspects that left you thinking yet also wondering who is the victim and who is the suspect/culprit! 🤔🧐 As I continued reading I’m not sure there was a character I didn’t like or that I didn’t think was a suspect/culprit. Gotta love the teacher aspect praying on their students, NOT! Given the teacher praying in their students aspect was why I kind of ultimately effected the way I rated it as it could ultimately have been given a 5 stars rating if I just wasn’t reading it at the same time as The Teacher! I’m sure if I did a reread of this later in the year it would ultimately be a 5 star read! 😉