You come home from holiday to find someone in your house. She is wearing your clothes, and sleeping in your bed instead of a perfectly suitable guest bed. Yes this guest is your friend, and yes you gave her a key to your house. You understand she is going through marital problems and you want to be a good friend and support her, but when is she going to leave? Why did she rearrange your kitchen cabinets/drawers? After weeks, why is she still wearing your clothes and why did she cut her hair to look like yours?
This novel felt like a drama until about half way through, then boom death, after death, after death. Could it be accidental or is it murder?
There are many characters in the beginning of the novel to get fimilar with. Iris & Gabriel are the owners of the house. They have a daughter named Beth who is away. Gabriel found a boy named Charlie as Charlie was dying. Laure is the guest and Peirre (her husband). Then a new couple in the neighborhood, Esme and Hugh. And then Joseph is the gardener. All these people play a roll.
Twists kept coming in the second half of the book and I enjoyed all. The epilogue was a longer chapter which I needed desperately to wrap things up and answer all my questions. The main answer in the epilogue I didn’t really care for, but it was the only one that made the most sense.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel. I love B.A Paris, her novels never disappoint.

I have read a few books by the same author and really enjoyed them. This one was good as anticipated! It was a page turner for sure!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and BA Paris for the ARC of The Guest.

I have loved every BA Paris book I have read, and this one is no different! The characters were so well developed, I felt like I knew them. Not every family is as perfect as they may seem from the outside. Don’t believe me, just read this book!

I was underwhelmed with this read. Not my favorite from this author. Thank you for the e-book and opportunity to review.

3.5/5

My ratings for this authors books are all over the place and this one falls somewhere right in the middle for me. She has a knack for writing short and fairly fast paced mysteries that hold my attention and while the pacing here had some issues, I was mostly invested. The central mystery was solid for me but things lost me a bit dealing with the characters everyday minutiae of their lives, I got a little bogged down with the details and didn’t feel like they were wholly necessary. But like I said, the main mystery was good and the twists were fun so definitely some enjoyable moments. If you like fluffy popcorn style thrillers this may be for you.

I have read all of B.A. Paris’s other work and was over the moon when I was granted an e-ARC of her latest novel, The Guest.

Like “The Dilemma” by the same author, this book is not a thriller - it’s more of a drama. So if you adjust your expectations accordingly, I think you’ll really love it. This story features three couples, Iris and Gabriel (the main characters), Laure and Pierre (their close friends of 20 years), and Esme and Hugh (a new couple who moved into the village).

Iris and Gabriel have been in a rut when the story begins, and they attempted to overcome this with a romantic trip to Scotland. Returning a day early, Iris and Gabriel arrive home to find their home is occupied by their close friend Laure who has recently separated from her husband after learning he cheated on her in the past and has a child with another woman.

Laure quickly overstays her welcome, staying for weeks and weeks, while constantly agonizing over her husband’s betrayal. She begins wearing Iris’s clothes, cozying up to Iris’s friends Esme and Hugh, and even copies Iris’s hairstyle. Worse, she doesn’t even seem to realize the strain she’s putting on Iris and Gabriel’s marriage by her constant presence. How with Gabriel and Iris convince her to move out? And what really happened with Pierre’s love child?

This was a great story and there were many unexpected twists and turns. I was happy to see how everything turned out. Everything was tied up in a neat bow in the epilogue which I love.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. I love B.A. Paris and will always come back for more!

Loved this exciting book!! I've read all of this Author's books and the suspense just gets better and better!! You will NOT want to miss this thriller!!

** spoiler alert ** Thank you to NetGalley and B.A. Paris for an ARC copy of The Guest. Below is my unbiased review WITH SPOILERS:

What a wild ride! Iris and Gabriel are a couple whom are experiencing difficulties in their 20+ year marriage. Gabriel went through an incredibly traumatic experience, and Iris is doing what she can to be the supportive wife that she knows herself to be, albeit her husband is making it difficult on her.

When they return from holiday in Scotland, they are shocked to find their friend Laure staying in their house. Despite the shock that she is there, they are also happy to host her. Laure and her husband, Pierre, have been friends with Iris and Gabriel since meeting on a holiday many years ago. However, Laure's disruption on their lives begin to leave them feeling restless, hoping and praying that the hardship between Laure and Pierre would soon be resolved so Laure could return to Paris.

However, only hardship follows them. Gabriel comes to terms with the traumatic experience he had but leaving Iris feeling her own traumatic experience after Laure is found deceased after going for a run and not returning. On top of this, Pierre is also found dead, leaving Gabriel devastated by all the death surrounding him as of late.

Eventually, all things come to a head and Iris admits that she has been hiding a secret of her own, and that she would do anything, ANYTHING, to keep that secret hidden just as it had been over the last 20+ years.

During the entire novel, I was questioning where B.A. Paris was going with this novel. I had previously read Behind Closed Doors and was completely enamored with the story, and have recommended it. But, the further I got into The Guest, I found myself questioning the storyline. It wasn't until I got through the epilogue, which by the way, is the longest chapter in the novel, that I began to change my 2-star review to the 4-star review that it is. I did not see the ending coming, and I think that is why I tend to love this author so much. You're left questioning everything until finally, it's all spelled out for you in the end.

Absolutely well done novel, and I hope others enjoy this as much as I did. Once again, thank you NetGalley and B.A. Paris for allowing me an ARC copy of this story in order to provide my honest review.

B.A. Paris is a good writer and always has a good story to tell, and I have read and enjoyed several of her books. Gabriel and Iris are a married couple with a young adult daughter, living in England. Their good friend, Laure, is temporarily staying with them when she is having difficulties in her marriage to Pierre. This is quite a suspenseful story, a slow burn, with just the right amount of complicated. No spoilers! Recommend this book and all of the author’s books.

Thanks to NetGalley I received this book. Requested because I have read other books by Paris and they never disappointed me. This one was AMAZING. It kept me turning pages and I could not put it down. I just didnt know who done it....and never would have guessed.

The book centers around Iris and Gabriel, their life, their daughter....but also includes friends like Laure and Pierre...While their lives get entangled, new neighbors enter and friendships are made. But all is not what it seems when people start dying.....and the who-done-it will throw you for a loop. This book gets released in February 2024....while you are waiting read some other books by Paris...you will be hooked!!!

Iris and Gabriel return early from a short vacation and find that their house is not empty. Their friend, Laur has left her husband and found herself wanting to seek comfort with Iris and Gabriel. The couple welcomes her into their home, hoping to be there for their friend in her tough time. Time passes and there is little to no word from Laur's ex and no end in sight to her stay. The couple finds that the strain of their long-term guest is only adding to the already tense atmosphere at home. Will Iris and Gabriel's relationship be able to survive?

I felt tense reading this one. I could feel myself in Iris and Gabriel's shoes of wanting to support their friend, but also wanying her to leave. It was clear that they needed her gone to try to repair their strained marriage. I dont think i could have put up with as much as they did and would have kicked her out pretty shortly after thr first couple nights.

The chapters are short which makes it easy to get some short reading sessions in, although I found myself wanting to keep reading. I didn't find too much of the book telegraphed and the conclusions didn't make me feel cheated.

Read this if you want a quick, tense, and fun book!

Couldn't put this books down! BA Paris did not disappoint! I love a good psychological thriller, and this one kept me guessing all the way through. Something was just "off" enough with each character that the reader isn't quite sure who to trust - in the end however, the reader will be shocked at the turn of events!
Thank you for the advanced copy - I can't wait to read the next book by this author!!!

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I wanted to.
It was super slow and because of this, I had trouble finishing.
I did enjoy the twists and turns which saved the book for me.

This book was a little too cookie cutter for me at first, and then wham— bring on the plot twist. This book was a little too cookie cutter for me at first, and then wham— bring on the plot twist.

I think I've only read one other book by him, but definitely going to have to put every book of his on my TBR pile.

This is the story of a husband and wife who come home to find their friend basically living in their house saying that she has left her husband because he has a child by another woman. They totally understand and let her stay there for a few days which turns into many weeks.

The twists and turns in this book are just crazy, ridiculous, awesome. Finding out what happened to poor 17-year-old Charlie, who gets murdered, who did it, a big explosion and Secret baby. All these things wrapped up at the very end of the book in a neat little bow. I wasn't satisfied with who was the actual murderer but it makes sense when it comes to obsession and saving one's own ass.

I wasn't truly I'm planning on reading this book in one day, I have already met my goal for the year and didn't want to go too crazy. But once I got a few chapters in, there was no way I was going to go to sleep before I finished this book

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

B.A. Paris never fails to deliver a bingeable, quick read! I was immediately sucked into this story, but goodness did this book have some irritating characters. I wanted to shake them all at one point or another! I felt like this book was on the cusp of being a really good book BUT I think the wrap up is going to tip it one way or the other for many readers. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for me. Not to be dramatic, but I kind of felt insulted with the closure we received and how we received it. Certainly not my favorite BA Paris, but not my least favorite either. I do think this ending will be quite divisive and I'm excited to discuss with others who read the book.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my ARC!

I will admit that this book kept me tethered. More out of curiosity, as to where it was headed, than that it was thrilling. The story line didn't really make too much sense………old friends, new friends, deaths, secrets and more secrets. Highly unlikeable characters, The epilogue is where it all comes together. Too much, too little, too late, to coin a well known song? Perhaps. At least there was closure. You decide. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. #NetGalley, #StMartin’sPress, #TheGuest.

This was domestic thriller with quite a few hateable characters. I was confused what the real point of this story. An annoying house guest? Okay. A husband recovering from seeing something tragic? Umm sure? Kind of a snooze fest. • Oh but then theres dead people. A few dead people. Gasp! Still struggling with the pace. And then BAM. A jaw dropping epilogue. Totally made up for the slow pacing.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 "The Guest" by B. A. Paris is a gripping psychological thriller that unfolds secrets in a suspenseful story. Iris and Gabriel return from a vacation to find their friend Laure taking over their lives, revealing tangled relationships and hidden pasts. The atmosphere is thick with suspense as the plot navigates through Laure’s unpredictable behavior and the impact it has on Iris and Gabriel’s lives. The book's strength lies in the tension Paris creates, exploring friendship, betrayal, and the consequences of buried truths. B. A. Paris once again proves her prowess in crafting gripping tales that keep readers on the edge of their seats. 📚🔍 #BookReview #TheGuest #PsychologicalThriller #SuspensefulReads

I was strangely addicted to this once I started, and it didn’t take me long to finish. It’s a quick read with secrets and lies that keep you coming back for more. It did get a bit slow burn in the middle, but there’s enough mystery going on to keep the reader invested. I wasn’t sure who to suspect in the end, but I was definitely surprised with how things turned out. It’s an epilogue you won’t forget. The ending packed a punch, which I always love. Paris continues to be a thriller author to remember.