⭐️⭐️
This one missed the mark for me. The pacing was slow, the characters were flat and not at all relatable and the first 50% of the book was filled with overly wordy descriptions of the characters mundane lives. I pushed through but ultimately I wasn’t invested enough to be surprised by the “big reveal”. I love B. A. Paris books but unfortunately this one isn’t for me.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin Press and B. A. Paris for an ARC of The Guest in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up.

The Gust by B.A. Paris was a great domestic thriller. The chapters were on the shorter side which made reading this fast. There was a lot of character development, sometimes I felt like too much. There was a lot of mundane daily life throughout the book. I was sucked in from the beginning and typical B.A. Paris style there are red herrings throughout. I didn't guess the plot twist which was a nice change from always figuring out the truth.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for an advanced copy of B.A. Paris for an honest review.

Another fast paced, addictive thriller by one of my favorite authors BA Paris. A house guest over stays her welcome and has a 'secret" but every character in this book has a "secret" of their own and they all collide. A killer twist caps off a surprise ending. You will not regret reading this thriller and trying to figure out the "mystery" for your self. I can't wait to hand sell and suggest to many of our customers as a great book club choice! Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC!

2.5 stars!
Iris and Gabriel return from their holiday to find their close friend, Laure, living in their home. Laure has fled Paris, after discovering that her long time partner, Pierre, (also good friends with Iris and Gabriel) had a secret child he had been hiding from her. Iris and Gabriel open their home to her, but become frustrated when she keeps extending her stay. Laure seems too comfortable, and no one can get a hold of Gabriel. How long are they supposed to let Laure stay, especially when she begins overstepping?

Thank you to @stmartispress, @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for my review copies. I normally love the twisty turny thrillers B.A. Paris writes, but in this case, I wasn’t a fan. There was almost no action, until the epilogue chapter. There was a twist in it, but it was literally at the very end. It took too long to get there, the build up was too slow! I did sympathize with Iris and Gabriel and how they were feeling about Laure, but it just wasn’t enough for me to feel super connected to the story.

I wasn't able to read this book because life has been extremely busy, so I will rate this 5 stars to compensate. The blurb looked very promising though, and I will read this when I get the chance and I will edit my review

Another twisty domestic drama from Paris, who has a way of keeping you reading even when you don't find the characters especially likable or the situation plausible! This time out, there are three couples (so you're keeping trek of six people) in the English countryside, marital issues, long held secrets and, of course, lies. I look forward to each offering from Paris because she's got a good storytelling style and let's face it- she's a guilty pleasure read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers.

This book was so close to being /there/ the whole way through, but ultimately ended up slightly missing the mark. I felt as though the pacing was slow and awkwardly staggered, with too much time spent on things that ultimately had no real bearing on the plot, like most of Gabriel’s storyline. But one thing in the pacing that I did appreciate was how Laure’s overstay was accompanied by the pacing feeling like it was just dragging on and on. As a reader, I felt as annoyed and inconvenienced by this as Iris and Gabriel felt towards their guest. So that was really cool, in retrospect. But the POV switch from third to first was extremely jarring and way too convenient. There needed to be more hints of the truth woven into the rest of the story for it to be believable, otherwise it could’ve been wrapped up in any which way. There needed to be a lot more suspense in the entire story, and in reality, the suspense was only felt a few times when it came to Esme and Joseph. Overall, I didn’t hate the book, but I think it could’ve been so much more.

Nail
Bitter !!
Never disappoints!
Fast paced & hooked from the start! B.A Paris is always a favorite and I always fly through his reads cover to cover! This one is just the same!

The Guest is a thriller about a couple that takes in their friend as their house guest following some relationship troubles. As time goes on, a series of tragedies surround the couple and their friends, leaving everyone with a lot of questions. I was entertained by The Guest--it kept me hooked while trying to figure out how the 3 sets of couple were intertwined throughout the book. I did think that the Epilogue could have been better incorporated into the ending of the book; I felt like it was a bit of a jarring twist and information overload. I was definitely invested in the book and it was a quick read so I'm not disappointed that I read it.

I really enjoyed this one! The descriptions made me feel like I was right there, the characters felt well developed, and every time I thought I figured it out, the story twisted in another direction. I’ve already recommended this to friends who love fast paced thrillers.

What a wild ride!
B.A. Paris really knows how to write where you think you know what's going on but you don't!
A friend comes to stay with them and ends up unraveling their lives..

This was another great book by B. A. Paris! It keeps you guessing and re-guessing throughout the entire book. Until the very end when the twist makes you go "oh, yep, I could see it now". Fantastic thriller author and her plots keep you up reading all night. Eagerly awaiting the next book!

"The Guest" by B.A. Paris introduces Iris and Gabriel, who find themselves unexpectedly hosting a mysterious guest, adding a layer of complexity to their lives already fraught with personal struggles. While the narrative's initial pace felt a bit slow for me and repeative and I struggled to connect with some of the characters and what was happening in plot, the midpoint of the story delivered a colossal revelation that transformed the entire reading experience.

About halfway through, the book underwent a narrative shift that made it feel like an entirely different novel. Despite this, the ending was fantastically crafted and took me by complete surprise, earning it extra points and bumping up my rating from 2 to 3 stars. Although the conclusion left me somewhat perplexed, the unexpected twist redeemed the overall reading experience.

As a devoted fan of B.A. Paris, I found that, for some reason, this particular book didn't resonate with me as strongly as others. Despite my mixed feelings, the ingenious ending remains a standout feature.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

I just don’t think that I connect to this authors books. I read behind closed doors and I loved it. However I feel like I just had a hard time getting through this book

I enjoyed the hint of suspense that keeps you reading through to the end and the conflict connecting the cast of characters in various ways. Overall, it is a well-plotted storyline with interesting twists. However, some of what's revealed toward the end would have been more impactful if more hints were sprinkled throughout.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by B.A. Paris, with the audio perfectly narrated by Emily Joyce - 4 stars!

Iris and Gabriel are trying to get their marriage and lives back on track after Gabriel experienced the death of a young man. When they return home from a short holiday, they discover that Laure, an old friend, has walked out on her husband, Pierre, and taken refugee at their house. Pierre is Gabriel's closest friend but they try to be supportive of both., but Pierre isn't answering Gabriel's calls and Laure's continued presence is taking a toll. The couple also meets a new neighbor, Hugo and Esme, and seem to click instantly but Laure seems to be taking over that relationship as well.

Oh my goodness - that ending! This is a must read just because that ending will throw you for a loop! This is a bit of a slow burn, with quite a few characters (mostly unlikeable!) to keep track of, but stick with it. It has short chapters, which I like, and I kept turning to the pages to see how it would all play out. And it sure did!

WOW that epilogue has me shook! I found the book to be gripping but slow in the middle. The epilogue saved the whole book for me. I love an unreliable narrator as she had me accusing everyone of being guilty the whole book. I didn't know who to trust this whole book and was shocked at the final twist as I did not see it coming at all. What a great read!

Another great psychological thriller from B. A Paris if you loved behind closed doors you will love this twist and turns that you don’t see coming

The Guest by B.A. Paris was a twisty, suspenseful novel with themes of friendship and betrayal. A fast read and a page-turner, this was a highly entertaining book. I definitely enjoyed the first half of the book over the second half. B.A. Paris did an amazing job creating tension and letting us know that something was wrong - that something BIG was going on - in the dynamic of friends, family, and neighbors. But in the first half, it was impossible to know exactly what, which kept me completely engaged. The second half of the book felt a little disjointed, however, and the slow build up amounted to several quick reveals that felt brushed over quickly. There was a lot going on and a lot of things happening it lost some of the suspense. I'm not a huge fan of epilogues that wrap up thrillers with a neat bow, and I feel like this epilogue did just that. Despite this, B.A. Paris will always be an auto-read author for me, and I really enjoyed her latest, The Guest.