BA Paris does it again. I don't even read the descriptions before picking up BA Paris books.

In The Guest, life quickly starts to unravel for a couple who gets a houseguest who quickly wears out their welcome. Lies. Deception. Murder. All the things.

There are twists and turns throughout the entire book.

I give The Guest 4/5 stars.

B.A.Paris never feels. She has written another tense chilling thriller.I sat down to read a few pages got so caught up in the story read late into the night. #st.martins.netgalley

Another psychological thriller by B.A. Paris with great suspense. While I have binge read B.A. Paris' books in the past, this one was not quite as good as others I have read in the past. This was not one of her books that I felt I couldn't set down. I found myself being pulled in different directions. The book did not flow as well as some of her other books. It is a quick read.

Unfortunately, I felt there were too many story lines and too much going on. The characters were difficult to relate to and the mystery was not compelling enough for me.

Two couples linked as friends, Iris and Gabriel, and Pierre and Laure, vacation together. When Pierre learns he has an 18-year-old daughter that he knew nothing about, Laure decides to visit Iris and Gabriel as a guest, but overstays her welcome. Laure and Iris are good friends, but when Laure starts rearranging her kitchen and talks incessantly about Pierre and his secret love child, Iris has had enough.

During this time Gabriel is struggling with his own demons as just before Laure comes to stay he found 18-year-old Charlie, who is tragically involved in a biking accident. Charlie shares with Gabriel his last words and the words haunt Gabriel after Charlie's death. He stops working as a medical doctor and takes some time for himself. While on his break, he decides to work in the garden to fix it up and a guest, Joseph, to new neighbors, Esme and Hugh, comes to help.

The mystery in who-dun-it does provide for an element of surprise.

I am assigning this book a three-star rating. I enjoy reading books by B.A. Paris, but this one seemed to disappoint in comparison to others I have read. Perhaps my expectations were too high for this book and perhaps I thought the story line would go in a different direction. For me, the mystery and relatability to the characters was lacking.

Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and provide a review.

I am a huge B.A. Paris fan and was so excited to read The Guest! This newest book is set to be released in February and I highly recommend adding it to your TBR pile for next year. This twisty turning thriller follows two couples; Iris and Gabriel, Laure and Pierre, as they support Laure through a surprise separation. Arriving home from vacation to find Laure camped out in their home, this old friend seems determined to wait it out. With no word from Pierre there is no reconciliation on the horizon. As Iris becomes progressively more stifled by constantly entertaining Laure, tensions rise and secrets can not stay hidden….. I really enjoyed this book, Thank you to the publisher for the ARC I was given, all opinions are my own.

Thank you so much NEtGalley and St Martin's Press.

I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris.

Iris and Gabriel return home from a trip to be surprised by their friend Laure in their house. There are suddenly lots of circumstances involving lots of people.

I wish I liked this more! I struggled with liking the characters, plus it starts slow. There were so many characters and I got confused. Still, it was good just not my favorite of the author.

Wow, just wow. Another great book by BA Paris. It was filled with twists and turns, literally, could not put it down. Great plot, great characters and a very surprising ending. A great domestic novel with a twist. Thank you for my advance copy

There are some mystery elements but it takes quite a while for them to happen. I did appreciate the big twist at the end but was hoping for more action throughout the story and less of Gabriel and his depression. Iris didn't have much personality either and I didn't like it that she admitted to not wanting to be close to her daughter.

I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another unputdownable roller coaster ride by B.A. Paris. The suspense was edge of your seat churning and kept you guessing to the very end. I highly recommend this entertaining read.

B.A. Paris never disappoints and The Guest is no different. Gabriel and Iris are an empty nest couple. When they return from a trip they find an old friend, Laure staying at their home. Laure has left her husband, Pierre and from there, the secrets begin - not just Laure's secrets, but Gabriel's and Iris' as well. This book has lots of plot twists that I never saw coming. I appreciate NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Guest by B.A. Paris.

This book got me out of my slump, it was enjoyable and intriguing. It wasn't perfect but it was enjoyable. There were some parts I found fell a little flat, and minor pacing issues, but overall very good!

Friends, Fools, Fixation, and Frenzy.

B.A. Paris creates a cluster of events surrounding relationships and half-kiltered actions. The Guest is a panoramic view of the games that people play. If you drop kick people into certain scenarios and situations, they will claw and scratch their way out. Survival may take no prisoners.

The Prologue introduces us to a group of individuals seated together as friends enjoying the aftermath of a baby's christening. All seem relaxed and enjoying each other's company.......until something occurs in the background that will change their lives completely that day. Keep them in mind. They are all crucial players.

Iris and Gabriel pull into their driveway after a long road trip. They've been visiting the Scottish Isles and are so grateful to be back home. Gabriel notices that there is not an abundance of mail on the other side of the shoot. He cautiously enters with Iris.

And there at the top of the stairs is their friend, Laure dressed in Iris' pajamas. She explains that she has left her husband, Pierre. Pierre is wrapped up in a scandal of having a child by another woman. Laure knew nothing about it. Pierre is Gabriel's best friend. A sticky situation since this couple is held in high regard by both Iris and Gabriel.

In the middle of it all, they support Laure and do everything possible to make her comfortable. Gabriel tries to contact Pierre and gets no response. Days turn into weeks and Laure is still a house guest wearing Iris' clothes and stepping into Iris' and Gabriel's routines and social life. She's even injected herself into a budding friendship with new neighbors, Esme and Hugh. Laure continues to weep and begins to grate on their nerves.

Add to this a side story of Gabriel being traumatized by finding a teenage boy who had fallen from a cliff. His last words to Gabriel will haunt him. You'll find out why.

The Guest is still a good read at 3 Stars. B.A. Paris is a go-to author for me time and time again. I just found this one to be a very slow burner with the emphasis on slow. Paris has us locked into daily repetitions and Laure's sob sister persona. We also grow weary of Gabriel who leans heavily on his emotional distress. He's a physician and should be able to deal with trauma professionally.

At the core is the elephant in the room: None, absolutely none of these characters are likeable. None. That's an excess load to balance while keeping the scenes moving. The triumph comes late in the Epilogue in which all the cards are laid out. It's in the aftermath with no lead-up or impactful exchange of dialogue. We're told. Twisty? Yes. But so late in the game. Regardless, I'm standing with arms wide open for the next one. B.A. Paris never totally strikes out.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to B.A. Paris for the opportunity.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one started out slow for me and I had some trouble following all the characters. The book felt a bit crowded with people. Once it started moving though, the story had a very surprising twist! Not my favorite from BA Paris but still a solid book. 3.5 🌟 from me!

This started off quite good and I was hooked almost immediately but there was just...too much going on. The twist was quite good though, if not a little overdone.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While the story started to become repetitive at about 75% in, once I got to the Epilogue, the whole story just took off, and I couldn't stop reading! Great ending!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Guest, the upcoming release by B.A.Paris. Iris and Gabriel return from vacation to find that their friend Laure has come to stay with them unexpectedly... and she does not intend to leave until things with her husband Pierre are resolved. Pierre recently admitted that he fathered a child during their marriage. Laure is devastated and Iris and Gabriel are shocked. Pierre becomes increasingly difficult to reach, and Gabriel continues to struggle with having been the person who discovered a teenager at the bottom of the quarry moments before his death in addition to his inability to help resolve the issues between Laure and Pierre. When Iris and Gabriel befriend a local couple and their mysterious, troubled landscaper agrees to help Gabriel restore their garden, tragedy and heartache befall the families at an alarming rate.

Let me start off by saying B.A. Paris can writing page turning thrillers and I will always read the author's newest book. I usually devour them in one sitting because the characters interest me and the plot is wild.

The Guest didn't have that page turning hype that I'm used to. I think it's because the mystery didn't feel like a mystery or a crazy one at that. Not to mention most of the characters drove me up the wall with their decisions. I still enjoyed reading it and definitely wanted to know what happened in the end, but it didn't hook me like the author's books usually do.

The description of the book lets you know the details but until you read it, you really don't know how many secrets there are! This book starts and ends with a bang. It does drag and become repetitive in the middle. There are several characters and plot points that are all tied up nicely at the end. The reason for my three star rating is the epilogue. Really can't say more without spoiling it, but I think if the elements described in the epilogue had actually happened/described during the story, I would have rated it higher. Still recommend reading.

3/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and B.A. Paris for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Domestic drama with some interesting twists and turns along the way, but it fell a bit flat for me. The last chapter (epilogue) was the best one of the book, for sure. The pacing through the rest of the book was rather slow and tough for me.

I’ve read books by this author and wouldn’t hesitate to read another one, but this book wasn’t my favorite and not one I’d pick up again. Worth reading once for the twists at the end.

The Guest by B.A. Paris was an amazing read. The story is full of secrets, murder, and interesting characters. The narrative basically goes back and forth between Iris and Gabriel, and they each have plenty of secrets. I did not see the twist coming. Laure, an old friend of the couple, comes to stay for a while when she has issues with her husband Pierre. Of course she overstays her welcome, but there is so much going on in the story other than this one issue, it simply pulls you in. You will be mesmerized by this novel. Highly recommend.