BA Paris is such a hit or miss author for me, and sadly this one definitely leaned more towards miss. With a plot that moved at a snail’s pace, I was hoping the end would provide some twists that would pay off, but I found it to be just a mess. All of the characters were frustrating, and no one communicated well. I did like the short chapters and was able to get through the book quickly, but I unfortunately will not be recommending this book.

3.5 ⭐️
The Guest" by BA Paris delivers a captivating narrative filled with suspense and mystery. Exploring an advance copy courtesy of Netgalley, the author, and the publisher heightened the anticipation.
Following ris and Gabriel's return home to an unexpected revelation - their friend Laure seeking refuge - the escalating tension, character secrets, and Laure's unpredictable behavior create an enthralling atmosphere.
While the engaging plot keeps you hooked, certain elements fell slightly short of expectations. The unraveling secrets, although intriguing, lacked a bit of depth, leaving certain aspects underexplored. The introduction of new characters added complexity, yet their impact felt somewhat diluted. Wish the author explored more with certain characters such as Esme and Josepth . But overall it was definitely worth the read.
Grateful for the opportunity to read "The Guest" in advance, I extend thanks to Netgalley, BA Paris, and the publisher. With a rating of 3.5 stars, this book is recommended for those seeking a compelling psychological thriller with moments of suspense, though it may leave readers desiring a bit more depth and complexity.

I really really disliked this book. I’ve never been so bored.
The amount of pregnancy talk, loss of pregnancy, and secret child made me cringe. Nothing happened in this book until the end. Which was not worth it in my opinion.

I’ve been trying to read this book for months taking it on and off my now reading. The characters in this book are so obnoxious and unlikeable. They’re so nosey and have to know everything about everyone. Talking behind everyone’s back. Keeping secrets they think will help people. It’s just a mess.

This was way too slow paced for me. I didn’t enjoy it. I almost didn’t finish it honestly. This book is not for me.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest opinion

B.A. Paris has always been an instant buy for me (and probably will continue to be) however, this book fell short for me. I found myself having a really hard time getting into this one and once I started reading I was tempted to DNF. The pacing of the book was just off and it never really recovered for me. Like I said, I will continue to by B.A's book's in the future, but this one was an unfortunate miss for me.

Interesting concept for a story, it really makes you think. Twists and turns to the story and it kept me guessing.

B.A. Paris novels are either hit or miss for me, but I had high hopes for her latest. The book opens with an intriguing plot, but plods on at a slow pace until it picks up again at the halfway mark. Unfortunately, I found myself wanting to put the book down and did not feel compelled to keep reading at several points in the novel.

If the plot twists are all centered around infidelity it’s not going to be a win for this reader. I also just read another recently released thriller that had a super similar plot twist that I won’t spell out so as not to spoil the book.

The Guest is more of a domestic drama for the majority of the book and then in the very last chapter the long awaited twist is delivered. Unfortunately, The Guest was not for me, but if you enjoy domestic suspense novels this could be the book for you.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication.

Tho book wasn’t good but I’m not writing a full review because Saint Martins Press refuses to denounce the r*cism of their employee.

3.5 stars
Laure and her husband, Pierre, are currently separated and she decides to show up at her friends house to stay for months on end with no end in sight. The friends, Iris and Gabriel are having problems of their own. When Gabriel finds a young boy dying in a quarry and is unable to save him, he is traumatized by the whole thing. He is taking some time off from work at the hospital and is working in the yard to restore their garden.

Meanwhile, Iris and Gabriel meet some new neighbors who also have a guest, Joseph. He works for the family doing odd jobs around the house and remodeling. It turns out EVERYONE has a secret, and murders abound. I didn't particularly like any of the characters and got annoyed by them...but also had to keep reading to see what happened. The short chapters will keep you engaged. I was surprised by the ending....although farfetched!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you to @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for copies of The Guest!

I am a HUGE sucker for a B.A. Paris novel, being an autobuy author for me! So imagine my excitement when I was approved for this one! And you all know how I've been enjoying going back and forth between both mediums.

The narrator was fantastic. She was easy to listen to and understand. I adored her accent and ability to give a voice to everyone.

The story was twisty and fast paced, until the end. I felt the epilogue went on entirely too long. But it was a twist I did NOT see coming. 👏👏👏

Also, a guest overstaying their welcome is my own personal nightmare. 🤣

All I can say is wow. The twists at the end of this book came completely out of left field. You won’t be able to put this one down. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

How far would you go to protect the ones you love? And is there any one you can really trust?

From the moment I first read "Behind Closed Doors", B.A. Paris has been my favorite author. If you love a thriller with a good mystery thrown in, this one's for you.

At first, I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of characters in the book. There are three main couples - Iris and Gabriel, Laure and Pierre, and Esme and Hugh. And in each couple, at least one person is holding a secret.

The first part of the book is a little slow paced, but about halfway through, it really started to pick up. I thought I had some things figured out - but I was wrong.! By the time I got to the epilogue, I was blown away.

All in all, it was such a fun read.

My heartfelt appreciation to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and to B.A.Paris for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Guest has a lot going on: main characters Iris and Gabriel arrive home early from Scotland, only to find their long-time friend Laure staying at their house (and strangely enough, sleeping in their bed and wearing Iris’s clothes). Laure and her husband Pierre are on the verge of separation after Pierre drops a bombshell about having a child with another woman after he and Laure decided early on in their marriage never to have kids. Meanwhile, new neighbors move into town, and they have a guest as well – Joseph, a landscape gardener with a troubled past. And as if that isn’t convoluted enough, Gabriel recently witnessed the death of an 18-year-old boy and is grappling with what to do with the Charlie’s last words to him.

There are multiple mysteries woven into the plot (who is Pierre’s child? And why won't he return any of Gabriel's calls? What is Joseph doing at Esme and Hugh’s? What were Charlie’s last words, and why does Gabriel feel so guilty about them?) I found it difficult at the beginning of the novel to remember who everyone is and how they are connected. There was also a LOT of dialogue in places (some of it became repetitive and slightly annoying even for the reader) which moved the plot along but made it difficult to truly understand the characters on any real or deep level. Most of the characters are extremely unlikeable so it was hard to get invested in what happened to most of them, but the mysteries did hold my attention and keep me guessing until the end.

I was able to fly through this book quickly over the course of about 24 hours. The final reveal during the epilogue was shocking and did redeem the book for me, but I would have liked to have felt that excitement throughout the book, and not just at the end.

I find B.A. Paris to be somewhat of an average domestic thriller author. Her debut was great but her subsequent books have failed to wow me in the same way. Although The Guest was an average read for me, I feel confident that others will enjoy it, especially if they enjoy more plot-driven mysteries. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I finished this book and audiobook last night and had to sit with for a bit… the story leading up to the end is kind of predictable but man oh man the end will have your head spinning 😵‍💫
Over all great book!

I wasn’t sure about this book in the beginning. It’s incredibly slow paced and there are a lot of things happening that don’t mesh together until the very ending. I did enjoy the book though as I continued reading and kept turning the pages quickly to see what was going to happen. I enjoyed the final twist at the end.

3 stars. I thought it drug on a bit and was hard to keep track of all the couples and who was married to who foe probably first 15% or so. But wlwas good enough to keep my interest. Not my favorite by the author but would still read future books by them.

"The Guest" is a riveting psychological thriller that showcases B.A. Paris's talent for crafting intricate plots and exploring the darker aspects of human nature. Fans of suspenseful storytelling and unexpected twists will find this novel to be a captivating addition to the genre.

Amazing book !! The plot was amazing well developed !! The characters are unique . You can’t stop reading 100 %. Recommend !! I loved it

The Guest
A Novel
by B.A. Paris

The queen of domestic suspense returns with another winning installment with THE GUEST.

I am not sure what else to add, but everyone who loves reading thrillers should make this a must ! It was chilling, mesmerizing, atmospheric, intense, and one heck of a read I highly recommend!

Iris & Gabriel, and Laure & Pierre met when on vacation and became fast friends. Years later when Iris & Gabriel came home from a get away, they found Laure in their house seeking refuge while she and Pierre work through some issues. But days turn into weeks and Laure has become an unwanted house guest, one that has overstayed her welcome. Another young couple had moved in close by, and soon they are all fast friends, all but Gabriel and their young gardener, Joseph. Gabriel is going through his own soul searching trauma and has distanced himself from Iris, something she’s rather distraught over. When tragedy befalls the three couples all do not live to tell about it, but are the survivors all innocent? This was a twisty good read and while I saw some of them coming, others I did not! This was a dual read/listen and was narrated perfectly by Emily Joyce. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

Despite an intriguing premise, I did not enjoy this. Incredibly repetitive and honestly a bit boring. The writing in general was not great- overly simple while including unnecessary details that were continually repeated. And the “twist” was entirely in the epilogue, giving an explanation that came out of nowhere. I’ve loved many of Paris’s books, but this was not my favorite.