I had a little trouble getting into the book at the beginning, but once I got the characters straight, I overall liked it. The pacing was a little off though. I feel like we spent a lot of time focusing on Laure staying with Iris and Gabrielle before a lot happened. I will say, I didn't see the ending coming (though after the big reveal, it made sense and should have been predicted), and felt satisfied with the ending and explanation.

Less of a true thriller and more of a domestic mystery, but I would definitely recommend this one! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The Guest is slow paced and I found myself losing interest every now and then. Things just got a little repetitive and the day to day lives of the characters were boring. None of the characters were relatable, but a few were definitely unlikeable. Especially Laure! As usual, BA. Paris gave us some good twists and a big shocker at the end that was completely unexpected. I didn’t like the epilogue. I felt it could have been a bit shorter. I’d say this is more of a domestic/mystery than it is a thriller. B.A Paris is one of my favorite authors, so I’m always excited to read anything she writes. The Guest ranks midway on my ranking of her books. 3.5 stars rounded up.

I have fallen in love with the writing of B.A. Paris because I appreciate a book that I can't predict and the twists always throw me for a loop. The Guest is no exception!

The Guest is about a family friend who comes to stay with a married couple during quite a bit of turmoil on both sides. Each character seems to be going through their own individual struggle and the series of events just adds to all of the mystery.

I would give this book 4.5 stars because it kept me attentive throughout AND because the twists, particularly at the end, left me audibly shocked as I was reading. I would absolutely recommend The Guest to any reader who enjoys suspense and wonder!

▶️ Format: Book & Audiobook ◀️
⭐️ Rating: 4 Stars ⭐️

I really enjoyed this one! The beginning felt only a tad confusing as they introduce an array of characters, but I caught on quickly. There were also times the book felt mundane and repetitive, describing day-to-day life of the characters. But overall, it was an exciting / emotional plot with a good amount of twists. THE 👏🏼 EPILOGUE 👏🏼 THOUGH👏🏼 OMG… I will admit, I did NOT see that coming. After reading many thrillers and understanding a lot of tropes, this twist surprisingly got me. I recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and B.A. Paris for an ARC of this book!

The Guest follows Iris and her husband as they go through a tough time. Her husband witnessed a tragic death and has not been the same since. In addition, their best friend comes to stay with them since she found out her husband has cheated and fathered a daughter with someone. Laure is really attached and driving Iris crazy. They also have new neighbors who they quickly make a friendship with. However, their gardener seems sketchy and things quickly unfold.

I want to start by saying that I thought this book was a mystery thriller. It seems to be marketed as such but I really don’t think it is. It is rather a contemporary fiction full of drama with a sprinkle of murder. I think feelings and relationships were talked about way too much and it really bogged down the story. It felt like watching a soap opera to me.

This was my first by the author and I was disappointed. I read this quickly but because i wanted it to be done not because I was really interested. All of the characters were lying about something and guilting someone else and it was all around just messy.

I feel like people who enjoy a lot of messy drama and feelings will like this book. I just went into this expecting one thing but getting something else. I will give this 2 stars because I feel like the writing was good and the ending did add a final twist. I didn’t like the ending because it just felt too late to have a twist like that.

While this book was not for me, i think there is a right audience out there for it. Thanks so much to netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a twisty and fun read! I always enjoy BA Paris' books and look forward to reading more from her in the future. She really knows how to keep the reader engaged!

The Guest by BA Paris

MY RATING: It was ok ⭐️⭐️

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-arc.

Back when I was getting back into reading, I love BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and BA Paris has been one of my short list of auto-read authors. Unfortunately, this book will fall to the bottom in a BA Paris favorites ranking.

Some of my thoughts:

This book starts with LOTS of characters, which was difficult to follow. We later get the same scene again and it makes much more sense then. Still think there'd be another way to open the book up.

Not much happens in the first half... I remember thinking "when will we get to it?" and then... nothing really happens. The Guest was a little misleading. I mean yes, their friend was a guest the whole story, but it felt more annoying than mysterious. I thought I'd figured out the ending, and I was slightly off, but I kind of didn't have any opinions about it.

This book was a quick read, but the last 2 hours felt like 10. I was really watching that kindle counter pretty intensely, meaning I couldn't have been that into the story. Then the last bit of the book felt a bit wild. Three deaths in the matter of a few months with a "normal" group of people? I like to hope the police would be more suspicious than a couple of coincidences. The epilogue bothered me too. Just felt like a lazy way to end it all.

The Guest by B.A. Paris

Rating: 3/5

Enjoyed this book overall but the twisty drop came far too late in the book and I wish it was integrated more in between. Felt very slow for me halfway through then finally got somewhat juicy. The twist in the epilouge was amazing but wished it was sooner!

Thank you @netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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1w

Thank you to NetGalley and B.A. Paris for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. This book was great! I definitely thought I had guessed who was guilty but the twist at the end got me! I love books that have twists and that keep you guessing. The characters were enjoyable, and there wasn't any sidetracking in the story that wasn't relevant to the plot. I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a thriller to read!

Didn’t see that one coming. Goes to show, you never truly know what someone may be hiding. I enjoyed the pace and which the strings were pulled and began to unravel. I didn’t feel as if it was rushed lined many books are. Definitely look forward to reading more by this author.

I've been a B.A. Paris fan since her first novel, "Behind Closed Doors" in 2016. Her books usually grab me in the first chapter and take off like a whirlwind. This one didn't. It was a much slower build and it seemed to meander along with the main characters struggling with their relationships and wallowing in their individual guilt. But it picked up in the second half and like most of her books I definitely did not see the twist coming. Strongly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy.

Sadly this was not my favourite of B.A.Paris releases. It felt very formulaic and predictable. Just didn't offer anything new or exciting.

Okay what the what? I’m glad I listened to this book at 2.5 speed instead of reading it because it feels like a total waste of my time. There have been a few of this authors books that I really enjoyed but at this point there have been too many duds, and I might just have to give up.

The first 70% of this book is so slow and so boring and then the last 30% is absolutely wild with way too many things happening all at once for me to even care because I was so bored for most of the book. None of the characters were likeable, which disconnected me from the story even more. Maybe I’m just too annoyed to write a nicer review, but this book was not for me and I won’t be suggesting it to anybody.

What a twisted story. The ending gave me whiplash. There was something so utterly enticing about The Guest. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it, wondering where it was heading. And let me tell you, I never guessed where it was heading. I was tricked, I was fooled, I was flabbergasted. I really loved this thriller from B. A. Paris. It was masterfully done.

The Guest by B.A. Paris follows Iris and Gabriel returning from a holiday to find their friend Laure at their home. Newly separated from her husband, Pierre, she overstays her welcome quickly. They learn Pierre has a secret love child. Iris and Gabriel want to support both friends, but Laure's behavior in their home is making that quite difficult. A very twisty story that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an advanced audiobook of The Guest in exchange for my honest review.

Have you ever read a B. A. Paris book? They are pretty thrilling typically. This one was a good story but didn't twist until the very end.

Iris and Gabriel are recovering from Gabriel finding Charlie Ingram dead in the quarry when they arrive home to their best friend Laure is at their house unexpectedly. They find out that Laure and her husband Pierre have fallen on hard times, and Laure felt like she needed time away to think things through.

Though they welcome her with open arms, there comes a point where they feel she has started to overstay her welcome. Gabriel is faced with meeting with Charlie's mother and the neighbor's gardener is an odd character in all of this.

At the end of the book, there are three bodies, no murdered (until the epilogue) and lots of questions about what's going on. I would give this one 4 stars because while the story was good and kept me guessing, it kept me guessing in a sort of bad way. Like get to the point, or when is the twist coming?

#TheGuest #NetGalley

I really liked this book! I couldn’t tell at all where the story was going to go or how the characters would all come together and normally I’m pretty good at figuring out the twist but I couldn’t figure it out here. Really great read!

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for an ALC of The Guest by B.A. Paris.

This book follows Iris and Gabriel, coming back from a holiday to find their friend Laure in their home. She overstays her welcome quickly, sleeping in their bed, wearing their clothes and rearranging their furniture. Laure's walked out on her husband, their good friend Pierre, and has nowhere to stay. He's confessed to having an affair and a secret child. How can they be supportive of both friends? Is there more to the story?

I really enjoyed this audiobook and found myself wanting to listen at any chance I got! The narrator can really make or break an audiobook and this one was a great selection. This one has lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the VERY end, but wasn't drawn out or a slow-burn. Juicy! As always, can't wait to see what B.A. Paris comes up with next.

This was a very slow burn, but I was still pulled in immediately- I loved getting to know all the characters and slowly uncovering more information piece by piece. The twist took longer to come than I thought, but I could not have predicted it!

This book kept me guessing! There was a lot of build up and quite a bit of head scratching on this one. I thought I had it figured out and some of it I did have correct but the rest went in a completely different direction than I had anticipated. I have read several books by this author and they are among my favorites, this one was no exception. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good thriller that keeps you guessing until the end!