SYNOPSIS
- Iris & Gabriel get back from vacation, and their longtime friend, Laure, has been crashing at their place. Laure tells them her husband, Pierre, had a baby with another woman, and the details are all pretty unknown.
- Iris & Gabriel also befriend a new couple in the neighborhood, and they end up using their gardener, Joseph, who seems mysterious.

MY THOUGHTS
- Okay, this book commits my cardinal sin, and I cannot endorse it!
- Let me break it down further. Unreliable narrator + twists: It is very obvious the author doesn’t know what these are. The book is told from present day perspectives. In other words, the readers learn about character’s thoughts and interactions, as they are occurring. It isn’t a “twist” or a “big reveal” to represent a character’s thoughts and conversations as one way, then do a 180 in the last couple pages?? Such a cheap writing tactic, and makes for a terrible book. So, was the entire book just BS? It makes no sense? We are reading her active, present thoughts. Wtf????
- I won’t even dive into the extremely unlikable cast of characters.

TL;DR: ⭐️cardinal sin, and I must one star it

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now.

BA paris is a miss author for me but this was my favourite ive read so far of hers.... it had me interested, the twist i actually liked

This is not my first book from BA Paris, and so I kind of knew what I was getting myself into when I chose this. It was not my favorite. I am all for a domestic thriller, but this one just seemed to drag on and on for no real reason. I grew really tired of the explanations in the character dialogues and that just really put me off of this book.

It was a good enough story, I guess. If I was really craving a domestic thriller, this would not be one that I came back to re-read.

The Guest by B.A. Paris
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Iris and Gabriel have returned from a holiday to find their friend, Laure, in their home. Laure is having problems at home and asks to stay for awhile. Things grow tense as Laure begins to overstay her welcome.
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I wasn’t sure where this book was going to go as I listened to the first couple chapters, but let me just tell you that I could NOT have predicted what wound up happening!

This book was a slow build on the tension, full of secrets and mysteries. I especially love how the author could unspool this level of a suspense story with a limited amount of characters.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I listened to the audio for this book and it was excellent. I enjoyed the tension of the Guest more than I expected to.

I struggled with this one…

The Guest is a slooooow burn domestic drama. We are lead to believe a guest of Iris and Gabriel, Laure, is annoyingly over staying her welcome, but I’m not entirely sure that’s what the story ends up being about.

There are so many storylines going on, I had a hard time deciphering what was pertinent to the ACTUAL story. This would end up in me being confused and frustrated and stepping away from the book days at a time. Never a good sign.

I don’t even know what that ending was. Out of left field for me, although I don’t think anyone will see it coming.

This one was just okay for me, it gave me None of this Is True vibes but not as good. I couldn't connect with any of the characters which is a deal breaker for me and i found Laure extremely annoying. The middle dragged a bit and there were a few twists at the end i didn't see coming. Overall I rated it a 3/5, it was entertaining but nothing that hits my favourites shelf.

B.A, Paris is such a pro at writing a twisty thriller. I loved Behind Closed Doors and was so excited to read another title by the author.

This is the story of a couple named Iris and Gabriel and one of their best friends, Laure. Laure comes to stay with Iris and Gabriel after she discovers her husband's affair and secret child. At first trying to be supportive of their friend, they're very accommodating and compassionate to her despite her erratic behavior, however her presence becomes unbearable. Iris and Gabriel have their own individual troubles to deal with, and then a new couple moves to town with even more crises and interwoven secrets amongst all of the adults. This was hard to follow at times, because of all of the characters, but it had an amazing twist at the end that I definitely did not see coming.

This book was engaging, addicting and a quick read. A perfect recommendation for someone in need of a thriller "palate cleanser".

I also reviewed the audiobook, but this was fantastic! I loved Paris's Behind Closed Doors, but wasn't crazy about her subsequent work. This "redeemed" Paris in my mind, and I will continue to look for more in the future.

BA Paris never fails to impress me. While I found this book a little more predictable than some of her others, I still immensely enjoyed the story. Full of suspense, it keeps you engaged and rooting for the characters, even knowing they may not be what they seem...
Great ending !

This is the book where you’re wondering the whole time what the heck is going on and who could be the perp. I was seriously guessing the whole time and I suspected every single character and I still somehow got it completely wrong. The epilogue was *chefs kiss* but the ending otherwise kind of left me wishing for more, so that’s why I only rated the book 4 out of 5 stars. B. A. Paris has never done me wrong and is an auto buy author for me!

This book was very interesting. I love books that keep me guessing and this was one of them. I never saw the twist coming either! Wow! I will read anything by this author.

I feel like this book was 100 pages too long and was left with too many open coincidences. It felt weird to have almost everything be “solved” by the epilogue, but then other crucial relationships are just chalked up to coincidence? It felt sloppy. But I did like the character development. They felt well-fleshed out and real.

This book ended up being a very pleasant surprise! When I first started reading this book, I will admit that I did have trouble keeping up with all the different names/characters. There aren’t that many characters, but there are three main couples that are dealt with. It was hard to keep track at first, but once I got it, I was invested! Very suspenseful and I stayed up reading because I needed to know the ending!

This poor couple has a guest that just won’t leave. However, it made me wonder… why are they willing to put up with it? They were well over it 25% in yet they continue to allow it. I guess we wouldn’t have had this book without TheGuest, which is my whole point. The numerous amounts of twists were too much and unrealistic.
Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press, B.A. Paris, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and honestly review this book.

The Guest
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: B.A. Paris

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Some secrets never leave.

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 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.

My Thoughts: Paris is one of my favorite thriller authors and this latest novel is no exception. Paris’s ability to interweave twists throughout the story and even in the ending is masterful and few have this honor. Iris and Gabriel just return home from holiday when they find someone in their home, their dear friend Laure. The atmosphere is electric with tenseness when they find she has been sleeping in their bed, wearing her clothes, and even rearranging the house. Laure walked out on her husband, also their dear friend, Pierre, when she find out he had a secret affair with a woman that produced a child. Laure becomes unpredictable and her presence takes more than a toll on their already fractured relationship.

The story is narrated by Iris, in her POV. Our protagonist, Iris, is an unreliable narrator. Iris is dealing with her own set of challenges and then she gets this uninvited surprise guest that complicates the already fragile relationship between Iris and Gabriel. Even though Laure is a “friend,” she has become quite annoying and crossing the proverbial line that many friends do not cross. This unbalanced mystery leads to a dangerous cat and mouse game. The characters were well developed with depth, mystery, were captivating, and intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, compelling, suspenseful, twisty, and engaging.

The story starts out as a slow burn, building up the characters and their backstory. The plot is delivered in twisty layers. Then the ending in itself has a plot twist that was unpredictable.

This was gripping, compelling, electric, tense psychological thriller that captured my attention page by page, and I just had to know how it ended. I had the pleasure of having the digital and audio ARC. I leaned on preferring the audio, just because I can get through those faster. The only con would be I would like to have experienced more of Laure and Pierre’s issues, or maybe that is the point. I would recommend this to other readers, go pick up or borrow from your library today!

“The Guest”, by B.A Paris is a gripping domestic thriller where tension crackles through every page as secrets swirl and alliances shift. The main characters, Iris, Gabriel, Laure, and Joseph guard their dark truths with ferocity, willing to go to any lengths to keep them buried, even murder. You will find yourself irresistibly drawn to the intricately crafted characters. Each one is so finely drawn that you will form an unexpected bond with them. Their stories are woven with such depth that it's impossible not to become enamored with their individual tales.

With cunning twists and pulse-pounding suspense, prepare for a riveting journey filled with shocking revelations and unexpected betrayals. Be ready to have your assumptions challenged and your intellect tested. Just when you think you have it all figured out, the author has created a story takes a sharp turn, leaving you questioning every twist and turn. Truth and lies blur together in a mesmerizing dance that will keep you guessing until the very end. Dive headfirst into this enthralling journey and prepare to resurface only when you've reached the final page.

This is my first time reading B.A. Paris and look forward to reading other books by this author!

I'm very grateful to NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton and B.A Paris for the Advanced Reader Copy!

B. A. Paris is amazing! The Guest is my favorite yet. This book also made me second guess having people stay in my home!!

Anything written by B.A. Paris is going to be amazing. This book sucks you in and you won't want to stop reading or listening!

This one just wasn’t for me. I usually love her writing, but I couldn’t get into it to save my life. It was just a little too slow.

This was the first book I have read by B.A. Paris. This book really surprised me. I went into this blind and OMG was I taken on one heck of a ride! This book will have you thinking one thing and wondering another. There were a few slower moments but I feel like that's just a thriller book. I felt like the characters were well written. There were only a few characters which made it easy to follow along. The epilogue of this story also made my head spin as I did not see any of that coming!! I was blown AWAY!!! I would definitely recommend this book. I can't wait to read more from B.A. Paris.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.