I found The Guest by B.A. Paris to be overall- fine. The book is slow to pick up, with many characters and subplots happening at once. It picks up at the 50% mark but the ending felt very annoying to me. It felt pretty out of left field and random.

If you want a good twisty, turny thriller, then this is the book for you!! Just when you think you have it figured out, se other wrench gets thrown in. A great twist at the end too.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Once again I’m confounded by B. A. Paris and her books. I’ll enjoy one and will be completely put off by the next. This one lands right in the middle.
The Guest centers on a couple, Iris and Gabriel. The come home from a weekend away to find a friend staying in their home. She has completely taken over their home, sleeping in their bed instead of the guest bedroom and wearing Iris’s clothes. The guest and her husband have had a major blow to their marriage and she ends up staying for months. The husband has disappeared and now the guest has died. Did she kill her husband? What is actually happening?
Intriguing? Yes. Incredibly slow slow burn? Also yes. Every time I picked up this book, I couldn’t put it down but I can’t exactly say why as nothing really happened.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well, I certainly did not see that ending coming. I was fully ready to give this one 3-3.5 stars up until the epilogue, which actually shocked me. This book is a classic domestic thriller with lots of suspicious characters and many twists and turns. However, up until the end I found the twists pretty predictable. Overall, I would recommend this book because it was a quick read with an enjoyable ending!

After devouring B. A. Paris’ debut novel, Behind Closed Doors, I have since read every book released by the author. Unfortunately, none of the books have compared to her first book, including the author’s newest release, The Guest.

The story centers around married couple Iris and Gabriel. When returning from vacation, the couple is greeted by their friend, Laure, who has been staying in the house. Laure and her husband, Pierre, had a bit of a disagreement and she needed some time away. In addition to Laure, we meet Iris and Gabriel’s new neighbors, Esme and Hugh and their houseguest, Joseph. Iris and Gabrie’s college-age daughter makes an appearance throughout the story. Oh and prior to the start of the book, Gabriel witnesses a tragic accident that resulted in the death of a teen.

Well, with all the different characters who are introduced, here’s the kicker . . . NOTHING really happens in the book until the epilogue!!

I’m not sure what to make of The Guest. It is a quick read and if you enjoy a slow burn, then this is definitely the book for you! Personally, I found myself rolling my eyes throughout the book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and B.A. Paris for the advanced copy of The Guest in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a fast and super entertaining read. I was constantly on my toes and when it came to the big reveal I 100% did not see it coming.

Admittedly this author can be hit or miss for me but this one was absolutely a hit and I think thriller fans everywhere will enjoy it!

The Guest will be on US bookshelves February 20!

Well, I read 25% of this book one night and the following day I read the remaining 75% in one sitting. I very rarely do that, so that tells you how engaging the story is!

It’s engaging. It starts with a very strange situation and the weirdness just keeps on coming. With short, very interesting chapters, it didn’t have one slow or boring part throughout.

The characters are rich and well-written. Some of them are despicable and have terrible morals and motives, but sometimes you just have to love to hate a character!

I, unfortunately, hated the (way too long) epilogue. Of course, it was necessary, but I thought it was just such a cop out to write it that way. Like an after-the-fact rehashing of everything that happened, but from a different perspective. Eh.

Overall, if you want to get caught up in some serious domestic drama, then this one is for you!

The Guest is B.A. Paris latest release coming out in Feb. and it is packed with domestic suspense. It is about 2 couples whom had been friends for about 20 years, Laure + Pierre and Gabriel + Iris. Gabriel + Iris comfort Laure as she comes to stay with them when her relationship crumbles based on the fact that she finds out Pierre had fathered a child at some point in their relationship, but does not know who, when or if it’s certain. And not only was he unfaithful, but they had decided they were not having children of their own to make matters worse.

A common thread I notice lately (not just this writer!) that communication is lacking in a lot of these “close” relationships. Iris felt Laure over stayed her welcome several times and it was putting strain on them. I know I would have no problem telling even my best friends to leave or even take a break from us, as I know they would me, if either of us were going through the same thing. It boggle’s my mind, but communication is also the most common issue in relationships it seems (friendships/romantic) so it makes sense. It still had me wanting to shout at times “just tell her it’s time to go!?” BUT especially with close relationships, there’s usually a level of respect where you just “know.”

I had a feeling about Pierre’s daughter about midway through but that doesn’t discount the lead up and all the roads it takes to get to the end of the book. I have only read one other book by this author- The Therapist- so I am looking forward to reading more.

Publication date for this book is Feb 20, 2024. I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to B.A. Paris, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley.

4/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc! Lots of characters to keep track of but I would say a quarter of the way through I had them sorted out. You have two married couples and an invited house guest that just won’t leave! Domestic thriller that I enjoyed!

Oh my goodness!!! The twists and turns in this book are crazy and I loved every single minute of this story!

I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris books and this one definitely did not disappoint. Iris and Gabriel are happy to let their friend Laure come and stay with them when her marriage begins falling apart. What follows is lies and deceit and the deadly obsession with keeping a secret safe.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the chance to read and review this amazing book!

3.75! It was my first book by B.A. Paris, but it won’t be my last.
It started slowly, but 15 percent of the way in I was fully invested in figuring out all the twists and turns and I couldn’t put it down. I read the whole book in a matter of a few hours.
I did figure out the big twist with Pierre early on, but there was so many other pieces to the puzzle that the epilogue was still satisfying!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this one was good!! I was a bit on the fence about it in the beginning as I had a hard time keeping the characters straight but once I did I was hooked. It kept me guessing the entire time and I can say I definitely did not expect that ending! 5/5

3.5 ⭐ This book was enticing from the prolonged, but then I easily got overwhelmed by the amount of characters, 3 couples plus then the gardener, a dead teen, his mom, and a child of one of the couples. This story was also a slow-burn and got boring hearing of some of the day to day happenings the couples.
Overall the story was entertaining and much better than the Prisoner. The ending was great and really raised my rating by tying a perfect bow on it. I am a reader easily drawn in by B.A. Paris so glad this one was better. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this eARC!!

The Guest brings you deep into the thoughts, dreams, and fears of its main characters: a married couple named Iris and Gabriel, who have an unexpected guest, an old friend named Laure who is staying with them when her marriage runs into problems.

As the stay extends indefinitely, and they have little success reaching Laure’s husband who is also a close friend, relationships start to fray and seeds of doubt are planted. Other relationships between the new couple in the village and their mysterious live in gardener both alleviate and complicate some of the relationship stressors the trio is having.

I found myself very intrigued as I wondered when something disturbing would be revealed and what it would be. The story moves along nicely with an interesting but normal description of the lives of Gabriel, Iris and their inner circle over a couple months, when suddenly the floor drops out from under everyone with a major tragedy uncovered. From there everything unravels quickly culminating in a rock solid and unexpected final reveal that answers all the lingering questions.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and #NetGalley for the ARC of The Guest by B.A. Paris

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! The Guest by B.A. Paris is a quick paced murder mystery. When Iris and Gabriel come home from a much needed vacation following a tragic event, they find their good friend Laure in their home. Having been friends for over two decades, they feel compelled to help her through a rough patch. Little do they know that it will lead them down a path that will forever change the course of their lives. The story had just enough intrigue to keep me turning the pages and guessing. However, I was blown away by the epilogue! It definitely was not what I was expecting. Overall a great story that I would recommend to others.

What an ending! This book has a lot going on and ties up everything together perfectly by the end. I couldn’t predict how the story concluded, which I always appreciate!

Iris and Gabriel's marriage has become rocky as Gabriel suffers through the trauma of finding a hit-and-run victim. They return home from vacation to find their close friend Laure staying in their home. Laure has left her husband, their other close friend Pierre, after finding out a secret from his past. Laure refuses to return to Paris and face her husband and begins to wear out her welcome. There is also a third couple, Esme and Hugh, that have recently moved into the neighborhood.
This one was slow moving almost until the end and I found myself irritated with all of the characters for one reason or another. There wasn't a lot of action other than Laure being insufferable and a bad houseguest. If you can push through to the end there is a major twist that comes out of nowhere and makes the slow build worthwhile.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

UPDATED REVIEW!!

The Guest by B.A. Paris, pub date Feb 20, 2024, was a slow burn, filled with many characters, but wrapping up with a shocking epilogue. It took me a while to get into the story and keep all the characters straight, but once I did, it was an enjoyable read.

Laure, has welcomed herself into Iris and Gabriel’s home after finding out that her husband, Pierre, has a daughter by another woman. Laure is the most inconsiderate house guest ever… wearing Iris’s clothes, intruding on her runs, constantly whining about the situation with Pierre, but rebuffing any and all advice. She is pretty much an energy suck and I could not stand her. Then, Iris meets Esme, who has moved into a home down the street with her husband Hugh. They have employed Joseph as their gardener as a favor to Esme’s parents who want to help him out after he lost his job due to drunk driving. There’s also Beth, Iris and Gabriel’s college aged daughter, and Marcus, Hugh’s son from a previous marriage. Like I said, lots of characters. But that also means lots of secrets, drama and twists!

Although I found the pacing slow at times, I enjoyed this book. The epilogue saved it. I’ve read all but one of B.A. Paris’ books. By now, she is an auto-read author for me. While this one was not my favorite (Behind Closed Doors), it was still good. I’m giving it 3.5 stars…If only Goodreads would actually let me give a half star! I look forward to reading more from B.A. Paris in the future.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC via NetGalley.

This one was slow going and didn't pick up until well past the middle. The author included a twist at the end but it felt a bit forced. Characters were unlikeable and I'm not sure if that was the author's intention.

I find B.A. Paris' books very readable. I think the shorter chapters and quick pace of the narrative keeps me picking the book up.

I enjoyed this one more than the last few I have read by them. I found myself unable to guess the outcome and figure out the twists until close to the very end. I liked the way a piece of the story was revealed in the prologue.

I didn't feel particularly connected to the characters and maybe this is why the final twist was good but not great. I think it would have packed a bigger punch if I had been more invested.

That being said if you're a sucker for a big twist in the epilogue, definitely pick this one up!