Overall, an enjoyable read. The book moves between alternative voices of the mum and the daughter both of whom have different responses to the new arrival in the family home. There are definitely characters who lead to a more sympathetic response than others. As with a lot of these books you have to suspend reality at times but would reccommend to read.

This thriller definitely had its edge of your seat moments. Many times though it reminded me of a lifetime movie. It was very soapy and somewhat predictable. Some of the characters’ actions were frustrating. Parts were over the top and were more enjoyable if you left common sense out of it. All in all, it was entertaining and kept me interested until the clever conclusion. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy.

The Family Guest by Nelle Lamarr was an addictive and gripping psychological suspense thriller that is full of twists and turns throughout with a deadly twist, you won't see that coming!
I found Tanya the main character was excellent, she's like marmite You either love her or hate her.......
This was a book I found hard to put down once I started to read it and especially as Nelle is a new author to me.........Just excellent book

I highly recommend this latest book and 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

Big Thank you to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This thriller was fast-paced and had some great twists. The antagonist had me feeling infuriated throughout the book, which is a good thing. While the storyline was great, this read more like a YA thriller more than adult.

Nelle Lamarr's debut novel The Family Guest is a thriller-readers MUST READ for 2023! A look a like exchange student resembles their daughter who they lost. She isn't who she says she is. She is hiding a secret from everyone. This book was so bingeworthy I could not put it down! This reminds me of something similar to Freida McFadden!

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. This book read like a YA and not a psychological thriller. I could not finish it. The mom was so annoying. She would let her foreign exchange student drink wine and told her not to tell anyone. She had so much favoritism to this foreign exchange student who reminded her of her deceased daughter. Did not enjoy and would not recommend.

✨𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨

The Family Guest by Nelle Lamarr
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮:
-fast paced thriller
-dual POV
-family secrets
-frustrating foreign exchange student/house guest

This one took me a little while to get into but the twist at the end was 😳😮! I think the main reason I couldn’t get into it at first was that Tanya (the foreign exchange student) was so unlikeable and was making some questionable choices and the Merritt family was so naive and didn’t address the red flags at all. There were little twists throughout the book as well but having read thrillers before, I was able to quickly guess what was going to happen besides the twist at the end!

#bookreview #bookrecommendations #psychologicalthriller #fastpaced #familysecrets

This was an entertaining, if sometimes cliché-ridden domestic thriller that I enjoyed. The setting is the affluent Merritt family home in Beverley Hills. The Merritts have welcomed an apparently charming exchange student called Tonya into their home and host mum Natalie in particular warms to her very quickly. Natalie is still grieving the death of her first-born, Anabel, and it quickly becomes apparent that Tonya is adept at manipulating this outwardly capable but inwardly fragile Natalie. Her children Paige and Will set out to discover more about their new house guest and soon the family finds out how cruel and menacing Tonya actually is … with some predictable scenes and a heavy ladling of teenage-speak, this thriller was perhaps not quite as unique as others I have read recently, but it was a good read nevertheless. I would like to say thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for granting me the free ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest book review.

I just finished "The Family Guest," and it definitely kept me turning the pages! The entrance of Tanya, looking eerily like the family's late daughter Anabel, set the tone for a drama-packed story. Her dynamic with Paige was interesting, though I sometimes found myself wishing Paige was a tad more likable.

Natalie, the mom, was quite a character. Her decisions and revelations about Anabel's death were shocking. It did feel a little off at times, but in a story this intense, it added to the intrigue.

For me, the real star was Marjorie, Paige’s grandma. She added depth and realism to the story, and I found myself nodding in agreement with her insights.

The ski trip ending was suspenseful, and that cliffhanger? It's got me hoping there's a sequel in the works.

Overall, "The Family Guest" is a thrilling read with a few bumps along the way. If you're into gripping family dramas with a side of mystery, this one's worth your time!

I read this one twice! I didn't expect to love this one as much as I did, but the characters and perspectives as well as the story inside of the story is what really won me over.

The Merritt family is broken. Nothing has been able to repair it since the eldest daughter, Anabel, died. But Natalie thinks Tanya Blackstone—a foreign exchange student who bears a remarkable resemblance to Anabel—will be the glue that brings the family back together. But she couldn’t be more wrong.

Immediately, Tanya gets off on the wrong foot with Natalie’s other children, Paige and Will. And she seems to enjoy driving a wedge between Natalie and Paige especially. But Natalie is too content with having a substitute for Anabel to notice just how bad things are getting. Will she ever realize how far things have gone? And if she does, will it be too late to salvage what’s left of her family?
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This was a fantastic psych thriller. Very fast paced and full of petty, spiteful characters. The drama caused by Tanya was mindblogging and infuriating at times. I couldn’t wait to find out what her problem was and when I did, everything made a lot of sense. The final reveal was great, but I felt it didn’t really explain Tanya’s hatred for Paige. And I felt it didn’t do anything to redeem Natalie’s character at all.

To be honest, the fact that I hated Natalie so much and thought she deserved way harsher karma than she got is the reason I knocked off a star. It really bugs me when such irredeemable characters are put in a triumphant hero sort of light when they have no reason to be. Grandma was the real MVP and so was Bear. Paige and Will were also great. And the final ending was so unbelievable that I gotta admit I rolled my eyes. But I still recommend and would read more from this author.

WOW! That is really all I can say as I finish out the last few pages. I really thought I had this one figured out until the last few pages. WOW! I love how we get the point of view from the mom Natalie and the daughter Paige. You really can see what is going through both of their minds with this new guest in their house. The Foreign exchange student who is just not exactly adding up. BIG shout outs to the little brother will and the Grandma. They are the characters that you really just want to say thank you to. After the passing of Paige's sister the family decides to bring in an exchange student Tonya. Is Tonya trying to replace the daughter they lost, is she trying to take away mom and dad? Everyone has a secret whose will be revealed first? This is a fast read that will keep you wondering what is next each step of the way!

I am very much a psychological thriller fanatic and I was very excited to read this, as I hadn’t read anything by the author previously. I love a multiple POV and so the dual perspectives within this book kept me gripped from start to end.

To me, if you finish a book and strongly dislike a character, the author has done their job properly as a villain should be disliked and a loveable character adored! I felt this with Tanya and there were multiple times throughout the book I felt so angry because of her behaviour!

I did think some of the plot twists were predictable, however that being said I had no idea about the ending which I was shocked about! I loved the fact everyone seemed to have secrets which you had to figure out the reasoning behind them!

I would love to read more of this authors week and would recommend to others.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

WOW!

Great book, great twists and I wanted to keep reading all night!

Loved the multiple perspectives and whole plot

Can't wait for more from the author

WOW WOW WOW!!!! This has the qualities of being the book of the year. Absolutely amazing and well written. One of my new favorite books.

I sincerely enjoyed this story and its twists and turns. The first time I thought I had figured out some things, I was thrown a curve only a few pages later. The path of the story was thoughtful and it didn't seem like anything was thrown in just for effect. I wasn't shocked by the ending, but it was a satisfying way to end the drama.

First book by Nelle Lamarr and I am hooked. I need more. Such a great read with one twist after another!

What an interesting read. There were moments of this read that reminded me a little of the real housewives. This one got a little wild at times and maybe a little over the top, but I never wanted to stop reading as I had to know what would happen. It also gave me a little nostalgia as I had friends who housed foreign exchange students.

I did not like any of the characters, but that isn’t a requirement for me. Especially in a thriller. And at times it was like a car wreck that I could not look away. I never knew where it was going. Ever. And just went along for the ride. Everyone had a secret or ten and they trickled out slowly. And that ending. I won’t soon forget it.

This is one I both listened and read. I liked that there was dual narration by Cecily Bednar Schmidt and Lynn Norris for the mostly dual POVs. The voice of the mother was over the top and so spot on. It added a layer to the story.

If you are itching for a wild, at times, domestic thriller, this one should be on your list.

The Merritt family welcome foreign exchange student Tanya into their home and family. But while mum Natalie sees her as their lost daughter, Paige instantly dislikes her and disbelieves her story about her background. Who is Tanya really?
The Family Guest is a psychological thriller and family/domestic drama set in LA.
The Merritts lost their eldest daughter two years ago but now offer her room to an exchange student from the UK. Paige and Will are instantly suspicious of Tanya but their parents are completely enamoured by her. Tanya is throughly unpleasant to Paige and I was desperate for her to be unmasked: who is she and why is she there? I felt that Natalie uses the trauma of losing her daughter to excuse her terrible parenting of the younger two.
The book is written from the first person perspectives of mum Natalie and daughter Paige. Both women have experienced tragedy in the form of Anabel's death. Natalie has been keeping secrets for her entire marriage, even her age is a lie. Paige is experiencing typical teen angst about spots, first boyfriends and college applications. I liked the way that her viewpoint is written in a much younger voice which felt authentic.
I was immersed in this story and felt so sad for Paige as she deals with the usual teen issues but also the death of her sister and the arrival of the exceedingly bitchy Tanya. My sympathy for Natalie was counteracted by her abysmal parenting and I wanted to yell at her to put her kids first and stop being selfish! Tanya was a great character to love to hate whilst Will is delightful and steals every scene he's in. Secrets and lies are gradually revealed and I couldn't guess the twists.
The Family Guest is a tense thriller with two strong narrators, one you'll like and one you won't!

This book kept me hooked and turning the pages to see what was coming next! My only complaint is that there wasn’t an explanation regarding the exchange student program and how Tanya managed to place herself in the Merritt home. Aside from that, although I was able to see a few of the twists coming, there were plenty twists and turns I wasn’t expecting! I think the story was very well written and I enjoyed it!