First, I want to thank Nelle Lamarr, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.

OH SNAP!!! This is one Family Guest you will NOT want staying with you! Nelle Lamarr’s The Family Guest is totally fast paced, addicting, wickedly twisted, suspenseful, jaw dropping moments, etc.

The Family Guest to me felt like multiple books rolled into one. Each character had an interesting storyline that intertwined with the main story.

Ohh there were so many emotions that just poured out of me while reading this book! Feelings of empathy, sadness, anger, disgust, yelling multiple times at my Kindle, etc. The Family Guest will take you on a wickedly intense rollercoaster ride that will leave you dumbfounded!

I loved the foreign exchange student storyline as you don’t that scenario played out. I often wondered how the other children in the house felt when someone new came to live with you. This book explored that question and thensome.

The bond between Paige and her brother William was priceless! I loved how they worked so well together to find out the truth!

The character in the book that shocked me the most had to be Matt! Ohh I was yelling and screaming at my Kindle over the man he turned out to be!

Matt was not the only one who had secrets! Oh no there were tons of characters keeping deep dark secrets and when they came out oh boy!!

Nelle sure kept you on your toes and guessing how the story would play out or end. I was not ready for that climatic ending!

I will admit there was a storyline with Bear the dog that was extremely hard to read. My heart just broke in two.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the ARC of #TheFamilyGuest by #NelleLamarr. I really enjoyed this book with all of the nasty tricks played and the secrets buried. I got sucked into this book and didn’t put it down till I was done.

This book was really fascinating. I love a good book about mysterious characters and put the thriller element into it and it will be almost a guarantee hit in my eyes and this book was no exception. From the very beginning I was hooked even though there were multiple points of view which I'm not the biggest fan of I did like however how this gave the reader information they wouldn't normally get without . This book starts off with a family getting an exchange student Tanya. While the parents love everything about her their kids Paige and Will hate having her around to mess up the memory of their deceased sister Anabel. Told from the perspectives of Tanya, Natalie, the mother who embraces Tanya like a daughter and actual daughter Paige who is very suspicious of Tanya from the get go the book really gives the reader lots of information and back story without having strive far off the actual plot because you get to see everything happening from every angle. I agreed with the children right off the bat and was screaming at the parents to send Tanya home. How could a mother bond so quickly to a stranger? Why was she so connected to Tanya? And why does no one seem to be able to connect with Tanya's father? There was so much to know that I had to get to the bottom of things and couldn't wait to see the end. One of the things I loved most about this book was the plot
was one that you had to get to the bottom of and I couldn't bring myself to put down. What was interesting was the chapters were all very short so it gave the reader a chance to get all of the important information and not be overwhelmed with useless facts that don't matter. This is a fast paced book that once you start you have to get to the bottom of so clear your schedule because while you are reading this book nothing else in the world will matter. Really great book and I'm so glad that I was given the opportunity to check it out.

received an ARC of this book via NetGalley.
The premise is a mysterious foreign exchange student who joins a wealthy family that has recently suffered a loss. And starts to take over to the chagrin of the other two kids in this family.
This book is paced very well and the narrative moves along perfectly to keep you engaged right from the beginning. A lot happens very fast and things escalate quickly. At one point we were at the 30% mark and enough had happened to make me think we're past 50%.
My one big complaint is that the premise is not credible. How could an imposter show up at a family's home through an accredited foreign exchange program? It's never explained. How'd she get through the verification process? How did she enrol in high school without ID? And how stupid could this wealthy family possibly be to allow someone in their home without verifying their identity, talking to a minor's parents, or doing any due diligence at all?
There was one particular storyline involving the MC's former best friend which was a randomly thrown red herring.
Having said that, the twist at the end was perfection. I did not see that coming at all. And it tied up a lot of loose ends for me

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.. I really liked the dual POVS. The story and plot line is pretty obvious but I still enjoyed.

This gripped me from the first word. The story starts a doesn’t let up for the whole read. It’s told from several points of view so the storyline builds but from different perspectives. It moves at a steady pace that it keeps your interest and those pages turning. Really good storyline that had you looking at it from all sides but not quite sure where it’s going. I had a fair idea how it was going to play out but I love when I’m only half right and your thrown a twist from nowhere. I didn’t find the characters overly likeable except for Tanya and her little brother and their relationship with each other. How it all came to together and the outcome worked well and left me 😳. 


Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review #TheFamilyGuest

Well this book just kept me awake I had to keep reading until I got to the end and deliciously I didnt know the results as there were so many red herrings. Just loved the ending it suited the book to the T

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I've never read this premise before. An exchange student (Tanya) comes to stay, her presence threatens to ruin the family harmony.

Told from the perspectives of Natalie, the mother who generously lavishes love and shopping trips and Paige, the teenage daughter who has her suspicions about Tanya from the start.

It gets off a cracking pace and there's a lot of snappy humour, the first half set up reminded me something like Freida McFadden and Natalie Barelli, two of my favourite authors. It's big on personality, jittery and jumpy and I was loving it, convinced this was going to a five star read for me...

There are some big twists, reveals and shocks in quick succession. I'm sorry to say it was a bit too much, like KMod's The Arrangement, with such a rapid succession of twists, reveals, shocks and different angles that I stopped really caring about the characters or the plot.

It's fast and definitely entertaining, but the second half was just a bit too frantic for me.

I know there are people who love that frenzied, 'every possible twist' style, and I think it will be a popular hit.

The Family Guest is Nelle Lamarr's first thriller, writing as Nelle L'Amour she is an established contemporary romance author.

Thank to Netgalley and Bookouture

*I received an advanced copy of The Family Guest in exchange for my honest review*

It follows the Merritts- a wealthy, yet dysfunctional, family who welcomes an exchange student from England named Tanya into their home. They somewhat recently suffered from the loss of the oldest daughter of the family, and Tanya resembles her greatly. Natalie, the mother, immediately falls in love with Tanya and welcomes her with open arms. Matt, the father, does as well, but not quite to the extent of his wife. However, Paige - their 17 year old artistic daughter - and Will - their computer whiz 12 year old son - aren't so open to letting her join their family for the year. Paige never got along with her older sister and is suspicious of Tanya and her somewhat erratic behavior. Will doesn't like the fact that Tanya hates their gigantic teddy Bear of a dog. Is Tanya's behavior and seemingly nonexistent past something to worry about, or is she who she says she is?

I enjoyed this book and read it rather quickly, but I really disliked the majority of characters. My hatred for Tanya is self explanatory. Natalie is completely blind to SO many things and makes just the dumbest decisions. I also got a little sick of hearing her talk about her past in every chapter she narrated - yes, we get it that you did something horrible in the past, you don't need to end every single chapter stating that fact. I found myself saying "WHY would she say that? WHY would she do that? WHY would she let her do that???" multiple times throughout the book. Paige is so smart yet so foolish in some of her choices. Matt is just a douchebag for multiple reasons. Will and Bear were the best characters in this book by far.

The end of the book really brings it all together - the way it was all connected was fascinated and truly surprised me.

I do hope that Nelle writes more books in the future. I like her writing style and how everything flowed. It reminded me a lot of a Freida McFadden book. I'll definitely be adding her to my list of authors to follow. Thank you to NetGalley, Nelle Lamarr, and Bookouture for the ARC of this book.

This book was gripping from the beginning. A psychological thriller featuring an exchange student Tanya who is said to be from London, but is she really? Natalie, who is the mom for the Merritt family sought out this exchange student who she quickly fell in love with as she was mourning the death of her eldest daughter. Treating Tanya better than her biological daughter Paige, many issues and drama arise, including cheating scandals and theft. Very early on in the story you will find yourself wanting to send Tanya home! But it’s not that easy, it couldn’t be.

This was a fast read and well written, if you like Frieda McFadden and Daniel Hurst novels, this is a great one to get into!

The Family Guest by Nelle Lamarr

The story had a fast-paced starting, it kept me guessing the real identity of this family guest. Then it involved lots of teenager dramas, parenting problems and cheating issues. The story plot was predictable but the ending was still a surprise.

Tanya was an exchange student who was going to stay in the well-off Merritt family. When Natalie Merritt saw Tanya, she was shocked that Tanya looked like her dead daughter Annabel. Along with loads of spoilt behavior of Tanya, this pissed off Natalie’s another daughter, Paige.

Tanya and Natalie now had a strong relationship, because somehow Natalie treated Tanya as her daughter. But what about when there were secrets behind?

Tanya knew a secret which would shatter the Merritt family. Natalie had a secret and even her husband Matt was hiding secrets as well….

If you love twisty psychological thrillers, this one will be sure to keep you guessing. I am a sucker for these kind of books, but this is the first one I've read about a foreign exchange student. And will definitely make you think twice before bringing a stranger into your home.

Natalie lost one of her daughters to a terrible accident, it has taken them a while to be able to move past such a tragic loss. But when she sees a foreign exchange student who is almost the spitting image of her Anabel she believes it is quite possibly her second chance. Tonya is a beautiful girl, who quickly charms her way into Natalie and Matt's heart. But Paige and her brother aren't as easily swayed. She resembles their older sister in more ways than her looks, she is self-centered, manipulative and conniving. But Tonya isn't the only one in this house keeping secret's, and things are about to hit the fan.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was insane!
Okay so the family is a distant and extremely shallow mom, Natalie. she clearly has issues. She is also mourning the loss of her daughter. She hasn't touched her room since she died. However, she decides to move an exchange student directly into the room. The girl is even welcome to wear the dead sisters clothes. So that's weird.,
Then we have the younger daughter Paige. She is sweet and has to deal with her parents. She is doing normal teen stuff like being vegan.
Her brother is a sweet 12 year old. They are close.
And then we have Matt. He is a total pervert and he is kind of a jerk to his kids. His role is to pay the bills.
Then we have a dog who the exchange student hates. He is big like my dog is, 150 pounds.
They are rich people so they have a housekeeper and do a lot of shopping.
Then we have the exchange student Tanya. She is clearly faking her accent and background. For some reason the parents aren't noticing and they just keep falling for this girl.
And the girl keeps piling it on. Anyway, there is a ton going on! The end was a jolt in adrenaline.

Thank you to #netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Tanya is an “exchange student” who found a place to stay with the Merritts. Tanya seems to be the perfect guest however, the daughter, Paige, has a feeling that Tanya isn’t quite who she says she is. Why is she here? And why them?……

I loved the idea of this book and I did enjoy reading it. However, I felt that it was very drawn out and also a bit far fetched in certain areas. I will say, I was very invested in the beginning but the mid points lost me until the very end of the book.

I was excited to receive an ARC from Nelle Lamarr, an author I had never heard of. After reading The Family Guest, I am a big fan! I loved the complex characters, who were full of secrets, the way the author keeps the reader on their toes the entire time, and the ending that I didn't see coming. I will definitely be recommending this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this eBook to review

This was a bit of an odd read, you would think the warning bells would sound much sooner, but maybe the tragic death of their other daughter Anabel and their lives mean that wasn't the case

I liked how close Paige and her brother Will are and how they work together to oust Tanya, but many of the plot twists seem so outlandish it was hard to believe, affairs, boyfriend stealing, sex addiction, dog killing and many more along with many obvious questions being unanswered Why can no-one get in touch with Tanya's father? and where is her money?

Tanya was so annoying it was hard to get past this and enjoy the book

This was a great book! I loved the constant guessing of what would happen next, and the twists were fantastic. The ending was so, so good!

★★★ 3.5 stars

She's in your house...but do you know why...?

Ooooh, sometimes it's the characters who make your blood boil are the most memorable. I'm not sure if I will remember this one...I hope I don't because she's just, well, makes my blood boil. And to be honest, there are enough of those in fiction.

From the first moment we meet Tanya, we know she's up to no good. It's blindingly obvious that this cuckoo in the nest is going to create merry havoc with the Merritt family if they're not careful. And of course, they aren't. Nat and Matt (I know, I couldn't make up this stuff) are naturally blind to the gushing Tanya but sixteen year old Paige and her twelve year old brother Will are not. Normally, I am not a fan of teenagers, their moody broodiness and stroppy attitude have me reaching for a pack of valium, but these two cluey kids show more maturity than their parents and could see right through the fake foreign exchange student from the UK...in a town where fakeness makes a living!

Tanya is adept at manipulation and she had me tearing my hair out on more than one occasion. I even felt like DNFing because she annoyed me that much. But I ploughed on. But boy, what a bumpy journey we had along the way.

So Tanya arrives at LAX fresh off the plane from London for a year's exchange student program. The Merritts are hosting but didn't quite know what they were letting themselves in for. It didn't take Paige and Will long to see through her...and take steps to uncover the truth about their family guest. So many times Paige smugly threw a grenade at Tanya and relished watching her flounder whilst Tanya was oblivious. Driving on the other side of the road? How difficult it must be getting used to the opposite side? Blank stares. Any my favourite...

...I turned to Tanya, who looked bored and totally zoned out.
"Tanya, do you like Harrods?"

She jolted. "Huh? I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

I repeated my question.

She squirmed in her seat. "Um...yes."

"What's your favourite floor?"

"Papa and I like to stay in the penthouse whenever he's in town."

Both my mom and Trevor shot her a perplexed look. I wished my grandma could have heard that one. Every Brit in the world knew that Harrods was London's famous department store, not some five-star hotel...

Why no one didn't call her out on it then, I've no idea. And why Nat and Matt weren't immediately suspicious upon hearing that, I've even less idea. Those two were seemingly too wrapped up in their own lives to see anything else. Nat was still obviously grieving for her eldest daughter Anabel whom they lost tragically two year before. And why she then put Tanya into her favourite daughter's shrine of a bedroom...words failed me.

Honestly, Tanya was a rude, self-obsessed bitch. She had an agenda, that much was clear but what it was we were yet to find out. Stick around long enough and you'll piece it together too. The first half of the book was Tanya beguiling the Merritts and manipulating them to her will, not to mention the spoiled brat drama she induced. But then things ramped up a notch or three when she began to show her true colours. Just what secrets were they trying to hide?

By the end, things were neatly wrapped up...all except for one thing which I felt was a moot point if it wasn't going to go anywhere. And it didn't. So why mention it? All I will say is it was to do with a fling in London two decades before. It never grew legs so I didn't see the point of it even being in the story. I did figure out one of the major plot twists as it was fairly obvious to me.

THE FAMILY GUEST is a sinister tale that is twisted in so many ways. Be warned, there is the poisoning of the family dog but I am happy to report that he survives the ordeal. I have no qualms including that as part of my review because I for one want to know if anything happens to any pets in a story and will not read it if it includes an untimely death of one.

Not a bad read. Compelling and page-turning enough to keep you hooked, even with the eye-rolling amounts of drama taking place.

I would like to thank #NelleLamarr, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheFamilyGuest in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I really loved the main storyline of this. A foreign exchange student who may not be who she says she is. The mystery surrounding Natalie’s past and who Tanya really is kept me turning pages. Some parts of the story were boring and seemed unbelievable. Tanya’s true colors seemed to come out much too fast and Natalie was much too oblivious for the book to have a more realistic tone. I think most of Matt’s storyline was unnecessary and we could have used more on Tanya slowly becoming suspicious instead. Overall I did enjoy the storyline and the ending was exciting and twisty.

Suspenseful! This book hooks you from the beginning! Shorter chapters, multiple character point of views. Overall a good book! 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️