Thank you to @netgalley for the chance to review this in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had read @baparisauthor before with Behind Closed Doors and I didn’t much care for it but when I saw this one I wanted to give her another shot. I liked this one a little bit more. The story was slow and steady and kept me entertained. Not so much that I didn’t want to put it down but enough that I needed to know more! The one thing I hated about this, that had me rate it down, I cannot say. It will spoil it.
Iris and Gabriel are going thru it. Gabriel found a boy near death and got to spend his final moment with him. It haunted him and was effected their marriage. Then, their friends separated and Laure came to stay with them and very much so, overstayed her welcome. The twists and turns and lies and deceit that follow are not fully revealed until the final chapter. It was something I did not see coming. Had I known before, I think I would have rated higher but that’s just my personal preference. I think I’ll be in the majority with not loving the ending. This is a solid 3 1/2 stars. I do recommend.

BOOK REVIEW: The Guest by B.A. Paris
2024 Publication Date: February 20

⭐️⭐️⭐️

T.I.M.E. Most Anticipated Books Of 2024

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW:
Captivating and intriguing with a Hitchcockian vibe... ✨😎✨

Pages: 308
Genre: Thriller Books
Sub-Genre: Domestic Thriller Books
T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ Closed Door
Time Period: Contemporary
Location: Markham (Nottinghamshire) | England
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
Movie: Gone Girl ⭐️⭐️⭐️

PUBLISHER BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Bestselling author B. A. Paris captivated psychological thriller readers everywhere with Behind Closed Doors and The Prisoner. Now she invites you into another home full of heart-pounding secrets, in The Guest...

Some secrets never leave.

Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their closest friends, Laure, is in their house. The atmosphere quickly becomes tense as she oversteps again and again: sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris' clothes, even rearranging the furniture.

Laure has walked out on her husband—and their good friend—Pierre, over his confession of an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive of their friends, but as Laure's mood becomes increasingly unpredictable, her presence takes its toll.

Iris and Gabriel's only respite comes in the form of a couple new to town. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past.

Soon, secrets from all their pasts will unravel, some more dangerous than they could have known.

BOOK QUOTE:
"Regret is such a waste of emotion. No matter how much we want to, we can't change the past... " — The Guest by B.A. Paris

--------------------

All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

What a wild ride this was! Just when I thought I had it all figured out, another twist was waiting around the corner. It was a bit of a slow burn, but the second half really picked up speed. I became more invested in the story and couldn't wait to find out what happened next. The epilogue was mind-blowing, and I did not see those plot twists coming. This was my first B.A. Paris novel, and I will definitely be reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Guest is a fantastic slow burn psychological thriller, that keeps you guessing everything you think you know, right through the last explosive reveal.

While this, for me, wasn’t the strongest B.A. Paris book, it still delivers on a twisted mystery, messy characters keeping dark secrets, and a whodunnit feel as the story unfolds. I made a whole metric pile of incorrect guesses on the whole/what/where as things unraveled and never came close to being right, which i always enjoy as a reader.

This book did absolutely hit for me as very easy, relaxed reading entertainment that I could fly through pretty mindlessly, which is sometimes exactly what I want in a book - solid, straightforward entertainment, no strings attached.

Overall, one that can definitely hold its own on easy and twisted entertainment fun for domestic thriller lovers.

Many thanks to @stmartinspress for the copy!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads! Unfortunately, I have to say that this is my least favorite B.A. Paris book so far. It just seemed to have a much slower pace than I wanted in a thriller (it took me forever to get through it), and I’d say it was more of a family drama with a few twists. A couple of times it talked about past events without any context and then went back and explained the events, which I found to be a bit jarring. And the ending was very abrupt, with an epilogue designed to make everything make sense. I did enjoy all the unreliable narrators, and even though I suspected everyone, I didn’t figure out all the details.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read before pub day! THE GUEST is out now!

Oh my gosh! This book had so many twist and turns sometimes I didn't even know which road to take! It was so good, but then again pretty much all B.A. Paris books are. I'm definitely did not see the ending coming I don't want to ruin anything I love a review that doesn't tell you what's going to happen. But if you're looking for a book that keeps you Entertained and keeps you guessing this is it because literally everyone is a suspect.

I knew this one would be crazy when Iris and Gabriel come home to their friend Laure in their house. Not in “The Guest” room, but in their room, In their bed, and in their things. I thought that was quite strange. The beginning and middle seem to have so much going on with the different couples and added friends. I felt like I had whiplash for a minute; however, slightly after the mid-point things started to click for me and I needed to connect all the bodies! Along with that, all the dirty little secrets start to spill. I got the feeling that each and every character was flawed and unreliable! I kind of loved that! The finale was the icing on the cake. While it took a bit to get there, the ending and twists pulled it all together.

🎧I was gifted the audiobook for this one and while I read the e-book initially, when I received the audiobook I gave it a listen, too. I think the audiobook narration was a great addition to add to the story as well. Being a long time fan of B. A. Paris, she’s done it again.

Happy Pub Day!

The beginning of this new B.A. Paris is engrossing as Iris and Gabriel come home to Iris' best friend staying in their home uninvited. I found this intriguing enough to keep going to figure what why their "Guest" , Laure, was there and what she was hiding. The side stories were interesting and I wasn't sure how or if they would come together but was pleasantly surprised. I also did not see what we find out in the end coming. It was a decent thriller, but I think it was more of a drama and didn't quite grip me as her first two books. It was a solid three star read for me and I would recommend it to fans of B.A. Paris.

Mini Book Review📖
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Happy pub day, to one of my most anticipated reads this month! Thank you @macmillanusa and @netgalley for the advanced copy, this one is out today! BA Paris has always been an auto buy author for me, even pre bookstagram. However the last two books have just been underwhelming. This was a meh thriller with a fun twist but it also felt somehow too long ? Most of the action ended at 80% and then there was this odd attempt to shock the readers. For me, I had super high hopes for this one and found myself disappointing. I’m a big thriller reader so maybe it’s just me but this one was just sort of fine 🤷🏼‍♀️.
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QOTD- what was the last book you read that underwhelmed you? Or a book that you have high hopes for ?!
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#theguest #baparisauthor #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofig #booksofinsta #booklover #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #booknerd #bookworms #bookwormsunite #bookish

THE GUEST review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

🏠Happy pub day to THE GUEST!! Having read all 7 of B.A. Paris’s novels, this one is solidly in the middle. Not my absolute favorite but still a good, bingeable read!!

🏠Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Iris and Gabriel have a happy, quiet life as empty nesters living in the English suburbs. When their good friends Pierre and Laure are suffering a marital crisis, they open their home to Laure as they work through their issues. But Iris can’t shake the feeling that something about Laurie’s behavior is off and her story isn’t adding up. And when Gabriel tries to contact Pierre for his side of the story, there’s no response… What is actually going on with Pierre and Laure?? And can you truly ever know just what your friends are capable of??

🏠I truly had zero idea how this book would end. I like for thrillers/mystery books to have little crumbs pointing to the plot twist that I can look back on after finishing a book and think “wow I can’t believe I didn’t put all that together!!” This one had no clues as to how it would end at all. The plot twist seemed to come completely out of left field and I wasn’t really a fan? It took a while to get to the mystery/suspense part of the story and there were a looooot of characters to keep track of. I enjoyed this one overall and like the final ending. It makes you wonder if you can ever truly know what your friends/family are capable of. Overall I’d recommend this one if you want a family/domestic suspense!

🏠Thanks to @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my advanced copies! THE GUEST is available today!

Iris and her husband Gabriel have just returned from a holiday to find someone in their house. They realize it’s their friend Laure from France and find out she’s having issues with her husband, Pierre. They agree to let her stay, but soon days turn into weeks, and it seems there’s no end in sight to her being a guest in their home. She’s started to wear Iris’s clothes and rearrange the cupboards and seemingly take over her life. But when secrets come to light and other neighbors get involved, they won’t all make it out alive.

I really enjoyed this one! The secrets kept coming to the last page, so I really wasn’t sure how it all would end. I would definitely recommend this one for people who like a good mystery/thriller. Out today! Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced digital copy of this book.

4.5 stars

Happy publication day !!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I was thrilled to get my hands on the guest. This is my 4th by B.A Paris & I typically love their writing style.

The Guest was detailed as a domestic drama so I was anticipating fast paced layers of chaos but I actually found it hard to connect with the story. The short chapters felt choppy at first and it also seemed like a lot of characters to figure out. After a few chapters it all started to flow. I still however did not connect nor did I like the characters. But the one thing that saved the story for me was the ending. B.A Paris will always wrap it I with a “gotcha” kind of stunner.
3.5/5 stars ! Id recommend to anyone that needs a little slow burn drama in their lives

Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a holiday to find their good friend, Laure, in their house. She has left her husband, Pierre. He has had an affair and Laure has discovered he had a child from this affair.

“What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” is quote that comes to mind when I think about this book. Secrets, lies and more lies are rampant.

If your are familiar with this author, you know her books are slow burns. This one moves a bit slow, but y’all…I gasped at the ending. And I am going to have to be very careful and not give anything away. This is definitely worth the read…just for the ending! Just keep in mind…everything is not as it seems!

The narrator, Emily Joyce, is wonderful! She has been on my radar for a while and this book has moved her into the top 10 of my favorite narrators.

Need a good read with a surprising ending…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Happy Pub Day 🥳

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars

I’ve read all of Paris’s novels and this ranks up there with the best of the best! I loved the slow burn leading up to the explosive, twisty ending I’ve come to expect from Paris.

I always read the prologue (I’ve been in online groups who state they don’t?!) and then I go back at the end of the novel to reread it. It always hits differently when you know the true meaning behind it. Well I admit I was super confused by all the characters who were introduced in the prologue but it was sooo worth getting to the end then rereading it.

If you enjoy thrillers where parents, friends, lovers, and even strangers aren’t always who you think they are then you must check this out! If you’re a fan of Paris, this is a must read. And honestly, if you just need to snuggle in and lose yourself in a book that engages and occupies your mind, this is it!

I liked this book but for a while I was sad thinking I might not. It starts off with part of the ending then goes on to tell the backstory. That can be a bad thing but not here. It was exciting enough to get you interested and not too much where you guessed the big twist.

The beginning of the backstory was solid. They were doing a really good job of setting up the characters. But I found myself bored toward the middle. I almost considered DNFing but pushed through because I like this offer and they were nice enough to let me read an advanced copy. I'm really glad I didn't give up because that ending blew up everything you thought you knew.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is my first B.A. Paris book so I may need to get use to style of writing. With that said, I thought the book was slow and then about 60% in it got interesting. The ending I did not see coming.

I have enjoyed B.A. Paris’ novels and hers will be ones I will pick up if I’m not sure what to read!

The Guest is her newest novel, which is a slow burn that shows how secrets and lies can affect everything and everyone. I was engrossed in the story with the death and final words of one character given to another who decides to keep them secret from the mother. Once the body count started around the halfway point is when the story got moving for me. There was so much buildup, but it was needed!

The chapters are short, but then when the novel is over we have the epilogue which is where the ending of the novel comes together in an unexpected way.

Any future B.A. Paris books will be read!

I was so excited to be given an ARC of The Guest by B.A. Paris, so I could not wait to dive in. This mystery is a very slow burn until the last 6 pages of the book. The twists kept coming and everytime I thought I had it figured out I was wrong. The story line was a lot, with different spider webs within.

Iris and Gabriel are a seemingly normal middle-aged couple who unfortunately have seen better days, especially Gabriel. Throughout the entire book he is repeatedly kicked after already being down, so to speak. After having recently lost his father, beloved dog and a young acquaintance with whom he spent the last minutes of his life with, the punches just keep coming. While Gabriel struggles with everyone and everything going wrong in his life, he manages to save face and carry on the best that he can, all while still looking out for his wife and young adult daughter. Iris does her best to make sure that all of the relationships in her (and Gabriel's) life are maintained and is always looking out for what's best for those around her even if it means being let down and losing herself in the process. It's a price she knows she must pay to keep everyone in her life happy and.... in the dark.
This was the first book of B.A. Paris's that I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was an easy read that I couldn't put down because I had to get to the end and was not disappointed when I did. I'm never very good at predicting the twists in thrillers like these which is why I enjoy them so much - I never spoil them for myself! :D I did feel that the characters and overall plot were kind of all over the place at times, but it wasn't so much that it was a difficult or bad read.
I definitely plan to add more books by B.A. Paris to my never ending TBR list and will recommend this one to friends in the future.
Thank you to the author, St. Marin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Guest in exchange for my honest review.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Guest
Author: B.A. Paris
Thriller

This book was amazing! Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for this ARC! I have read several other books by Paris, so I have been really looking forward to this one. It starts off with alternating between our two main characters, husband and wife, Iris and Gabriel. There is so much going on right from the beginning. First, they come home from a trip to their friend Laurie in their house. She is going through some issues with her husband, their close friend Pierre and asks if she can stay with them for a while. At the same time, they have new neighbors move in. A man, and his pregnant wife, and the strange hot mysterious gardener. Also, Gabriel is healing from a traumatic experience. He found a boy dying in a gulch near their home who spoke his last words to him in confidence. This book is fast paced, captivating, and had me on the edge of my seat. The twist was unexpected but I felt betrayed. I didn’t see it coming, so if you read it let me know if it got you too. Add this to your TBR for sure.