If you want to read a very suspenseful thriller, then read The Guest by B.A. Paris which is released on February 20, 2024. This ARC I received from Netgalley kept me reading every spare minute day and night till I found out what happened between the main characters Gabriel and Iris Pelley, their family, friends, and neighbors. After arriving home from an extended trip to Scotland, the couple find a friend, Laure, staying in their house. When you find out why and all the drama involved, and especially the ending! OMG! I never guessed! Blew me away!

Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. I loved Behind Closed Doors, but really struggled to get into this one or care enough about the story to want to pick it up again. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the quick small chapters that made it so easy to just keep reading 'one more chapter'. Initially getting the characters all sorted out took me a second, but once I knew who everyone was and their role it all aligned from there. The character development is great! It was a slow burn thriller that took you for a ride.
The beginning was character build up and really getting to know who was in this story. In the middle there were so many twist and turns. One thing after another kept happening and everyone was trying to put the pieces together. The ending, 😳😳😳😳 blew my mind. My jaw DROPPED. I had to stop for a second and re-think about everything I had just read!
Loved this book. I recommend it to anyone who likes domestic thrillers, physiological thrillers, twists and turns, and shocking ending type reads.
I went back and forth on 4 or 5 stars, the ending is what pushed it up to a 5. I just did not see that coming! It really tied up the whole story in a nice little bow and everything made sense.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the chance to read the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a quick thriller with a lovely setting in England. It was full of twists and features some interesting characters.

A very twisty domestic thriller that reads beautifully. You don't know what's coming until it hits. There's a tidal wave of death smashing into the lives of Iris and Gabriel. Everyone around them is dropping (some quite literally) dead. A little repetitiveness, but the plot is solid and the story is twisty in surprising ways. A quality who-done-it in an English village. I loved the descriptions of their homes. I'd pretty convinced I want to live in the new neighbors' house and I know I'd love a walled secret garden.

I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review, which I'm happy to provide. Nicely done.

B.A. Paris has done it again.

This story is about two couples, fast friends, and crazy situations. Makes you wonder how you would react if a long time friend showed up on your doorstep needing a place to stay. How will you respond? How will your spouse/significant other respond?

It is hard to put it down because you want to see what is about to happen.

B. A. Paris stands out as one of my preferred authors, celebrated for her works in the realm of domestic thrillers. In the case of "The Guest," I'd categorize it more as a family drama with elements of mystery rather than a conventional thriller. The narrative of "The Guest" captivated me, holding my attention as I eagerly anticipated the unfolding events. The storyline keeps you guessing about what might happen next, and in true Paris fashion, it concludes with an unexpected twist. It's essential to note that while "The Guest" is a compelling read, it deviates from the style of "Behind Closed Doors." The narrative complexity in "The Guest" may leave you wondering about its direction, but rest assured, the destination is unpredictable and far from anything you might anticipate.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.........I really enjoyed this psychological thriller.......lots of surprises in the end...I really enjoy this author's works!

Rating 3.5

I normally love BA Paris books ! The other ones I’ve read so far have all been 5 stars for me , However this one fell short for me, maybe because I was expecting another fast paced, can’t put the book down like the others , and this one being a slow burn, and a little confusing at first with all the characters, and I wasn’t connecting to them. I found myself getting bored half way and at one point skimming just to get through it.

I didn’t want to give up though, I was invested enough to want to know how it was all going to unravel. I’m glad I stuck it out because the epilogue saved the book for me, and for that I do still recommend it, and I think the twist and mystery to it all, a lot of readers will enjoy! I’ve seen a lot of amazing 5 star reviews on this one. It just wasn’t my favourite.

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for the ARC in exchange for my honesty review!

Wow that plot twist! Through the whole book there was one person that I really could not stand, but who knew it wouldn’t be the bad guy?! I really enjoyed this book and read it as fast as I possibly could.

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
Brilliant suspense. Loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me an advance copy.

Is a marriage ever as good as it seems? Marriage is complicated to navigate, and throw in an unexpected guest it just complicates it even more. At first I found the house guest annoying and was wondering why they just didn't tell her she needed to go back to her husband and figure things out one way or another. The guest was not likable, she was shellfish and could not take a hint if her life depended on it. The new neighbors added an extra element that was much needed as they had secrets of their own to try and figure out. It was an intriguing story and you never really knew if you were getting the full story. Kept me reading to find out what was truly going on in everyone's lives.

2nd B.A. Paris for the win! The lies and secrets and twists and turns, whew Nelly. Didn't see the plot twist in this one - which I love since I'm always guessing as I read. The first 25% was a tad slow but informative. Overall - great read!

This book is full of twists and turns! The ending is so creative and unexpected. The Guest is a crazy good book!

Unfortunately this was a DNF at about 20%, which was unexpected as the last book by this author (The Prisoner) was one I couldn't put down even though I found parts of it a bit confusing at times. I thought this would be a fast-paced, domestic thriller but it dragged for me-I think I would have enjoyed it more if the characters had been more interesting. I wasn't curious about any of them--while I sympathized with Gabriel, I just didn't care enough about the rest to keep reading. I've heard the ending has a great twist, which I expect from Paris, but I just couldn't continue reading on to get to that point. I think others will enjoy this though--especially if you like domestic dramas.

This was more of a domestic drama than a thriller for me. While the premise was unique and kept me interested, the pacing is what I really struggled with and I found myself not caring much what was coming next. I also disliked so many characters, and while unlikeable characters are usually fun for me and I enjoy picking them apart and finding redeemable qualities so I can root for them... I couldn't do that with Lauren or any of the other characters in this novel.

I was eager to get to the end and see how B.A Paris tied everything up, but it still just fell at a three-star rating for me by the end. Not bad, not great. Just a fine and easy read.

SYNOPSIS: Iris and Gabriel have been through so much lately. They have just suffered the death of their beloved dog and Gabriel’s father. If that wasn’t enough, a young boy said his last words in Gabriel’s arms, he has become distant and depressed. Iris has been there for Gabriel, but his burden and guilt are causing tension in their marriage. They come home from a long trip meant to clear their minds, to find a best friend of theirs has let herself in. It turns out that the guest, Laure, has been having marital issues with her husband Pierre, who reveals that he has a child he hadn’t known about. Laure ends up long overstaying her welcome while figuring out her next steps. In the meantime they all befriend a new couple, Esme and Hugh, who just moved into their neighborhood with a “guest” of their own. Everyone has their secrets and everything unravels as time goes on.

MY THOUGHTS: I would give this a solid 3 stars. While it held my interest, there were elements that I do not particularly enjoy in mystery thrillers. There were many characters introduced in the first chapter that I had trouble keeping straight, but by the time I read a quarter of the book, I knew who everyone was. I did enjoy the mini suspenseful moments that felt like those scenes in horror movies meant to build up to the climax of the mystery and thrill. They added to the mystery of who the guest was and how everything was connected. The multiple points of view helped to understand what the main characters were feeling and move the plot along, but it did get quite repetitive. One chapter was literally repeated almost word-for-word. I feel as though this story could have been told without the timeline moving so slowly, but the short chapters that ended in cliffhangers made for quick reading. Although everything is explained in the end, it was done in one chapter. It is not a mystery that could be solved because you, as the reader, were not given even half the information by the narrators.

This turned out to be quite a wild ride!! For the first half or so of the book I wondered why this was marketed as a thriller. I found it to be more drama, domestic suspense, still very interesting, just not a thriller. But then things took a turn and I didn’t see any of it coming, and that made it even better. Really loved this one. Great characters, well-developed and well-written. Will definitely be checking out more from this author. Full review with link to come closer to pub date!

B.A Paris is back with another addictive domestic thriller.
Iris and Gabriel have an unexpected guest, Laure.
Laure is a friend of theirs who they had met on vacation years ago, Laure needs a place to stay she had some turmoil in her life.
Down the street, a new family has moved in who has a “guest” of their own who is to keep busy and stay out of their way.

i enjoyed this book and the ending was unexpected, however the pacing of the book was off. we spent a lot of time with Iris, Gabriel and Laure so it was hard to get to know some of the of other seemingly important characters.
some aspects felt forced and it was hard to pick the book up again, because it just felt like the story had stalled.
the story really picked up around the 60% mark. when it picked up, it was hard to put down because we were getting into the details of what truly happened.

overall, i would recommend this book, it’s suspenseful, and the ending was jaw dropping!

Not my favorite B.A Paris book but I did enjoy.It was a slow start at the beginning. I also was not able to predict the ending which I like in a thriller.