I love Margot Hunt, but this one fell a little flat for me. The twists were predictable and I didn’t particularly care for or feel invested in any of the characters. I will absolutely read what comes next from Hunt, but this one wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the eARC.

I really have found a love for thrillers that take place during a natural disaster. This one was no different. I really enjoyed the storytelling and found it to be an enjoyable read!

A category 5 Hurricane is about to hit and a family has some surprise visitors. This book is full of drama and action. You will not be able to put the book down. A really good read.

Imagine you are preparing your home and family for a massive storm, and strangers show up needing shelter - would you help? I love how this book started off so strong with this very scenario. Between the tension of the storm and the decision to open your home, I was hooked. However, I thought some of the scenes were unnecessary - it's hard to elaborate without giving spoilers. Basically, it felt like some of the characters were superficial and not needed to move the plot along, and their entrance and exit in the story felt more like an afterthought. That said, I did appreciate the dramatic twists that were revealed throughout the storm, and the ending was very climatic.

The reason I requested this one was for the synopsis and also I have wanted to read a thriller from this author for a while. It did not disappoint at all, it was well written - told from multiple POVs it was a rollercoaster from 12% into the book. It was fantastic

Would highly recommend

4 stars

The Guests was an engaging but very predictable story. The very wealthy Davies family in Florida is preparing their gorgeous house for a hurricane when three strangers pull up to their dock. Thus begins the threatening journey to survive both the hurricane and the uninvited guests. Almost everything that happens is very predictable. I found the daughter, June, to be the most interesting character while her mother, Marlowe’s actions, or lack thereof totally frustrated me.
Too much emphasis was placed on the have/have nots and I felt like that was detrimental to the author’s possible message to the reader. I enjoyed the passages about the paintings and the descriptive passages about the amazing house.
I thoroughly enjoyed Lovely Girls and Best Friends Forever but feel that this read was not Hunt’s best work.
Many thanks to Margot Hunt, Thomas &Mercer, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this recently published book.

This book was a quick read and very fast paced. Some of the plot twists were predictable, and some were pretty good. I felt like some of the puzzle pieces of the story were almost forced together at the end of the book instead of explained a little more. It was a fun weekend read, but not my favorite by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me the advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

It was a good read. The writing was tight and flowed well. The situation was a little over the top, but it wasn't too overwhelming the top. It told the story at a continuing pace. It was the characters that prevented me from rating the story higher. Unlikable characters is the norm when it comes to telling a story. Unfortunately, there was more unlikable ppl, then likable. The one person I had a connection with died earlier 8n rhe story. I didn't care with what happened to the remaining characters. I am a fan of the author and I look forward to reading more books by the author.

#Margothunt. #NETGALLEY. #theguests

The Guests takes place during a category 5 hurricane in Florida and I binge read this book during a blizzard in Iowa. The book was a fast, easy read and provided an atmospheric escape from the snowstorm outside my window. You could see what was going to happen from the moment the unknown boat docks, so I was pleased there were a couple twists that surprised me. None of the adult characters are particularly likeable, however the teenagers I definitely enjoyed. In particular I found June to be intelligent and brave. As far as locked room mysteries go, this one was pretty straightforward and did not involve a lot of drama.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

While I love 'locked room' stories and the fact that all the characters were locked in the house due to the hurricane added a layer of stress and intrigue to the plot, I just didn't find the payoff of this book to be all the worth it. I feel like all of the reveals weren't really built up all that well and instead were just given to us for the sake of being shocking; it was a pretty big example of telling rather than showing.

The story itself was interesting enough, but I didn't really understand the point of having all of the different points of views; sometimes it felt like they went through them too quickly or there were parts where I was like why is this part being shown from this character, it doesn't really make sense.

I also found the prose itself to be slightly repetitive; not necessarily the story, which kept me on my toes well enough, but a paragraph would have four sentences that would essentially say the same exact thing four different ways. It was a bit frustrating to read.

I felt like there was no character development at all and the dialogue was so unrealistic and a lot of the dialogue were just long info-dumpy speeches. Not really my style. The concept and overall story of this book was good, but I found that the actual execution fell a bit flat.

2.75 stars rounded up.

This book wasn’t horrrible but I wouldn’t be like omg you have to read it. It was entertaining but a little predictable

I like to read "locked room" stories and this one kept my attention even tho the ending wasn't that satisfying. I will look into Margot Hunt previous and future books because I believe that she had and will write great books.

Lee and Marlowe lead an idyllic life on the Florida Coast along with their teenage twins, June and Tom. When a category 5 hurricane is headed straight for them, more than just structural damage will be left in its wake. Inviting Tom’s friend Zach, Marlowe’s assistant, Isabel and their handy man, Mick to weather the storm with them, their house is fuller than usual, but, as always, Marlowe is prepared, that is until a boat suddenly shows up and docks with two young men and one young women aboard, people they couldn’t leave stranded in the storm. Soon an uneasy feeling shrouds those in the house and all will not make it out alive. As the tension mounts, secrets are revealed, but are any of them safe? A quick read, but a plot that’s been done before. Thankfully there were a few new twists, but nothing to write home about. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

As a Floridian, I've been waiting for someone to write a thriller set during a hurricane. The portrayal of the Florida setting and atmosphere was very accurate.

Its brisk pace and action-packed narrative distinguish "The Guests" from typical locked-room thrillers rather than opting for a slower build-up to create tension and distrust between characters like the Guest List or the Hunting Party. The energetic storytelling reminded me of authors like Tim Dorsey or Andrew Mayne. I see some criticism of this writing style in the reviews, but it felt very in line with other Florida thrillers/mysteries. The book was fast-paced, and I finished it in one sitting.

In summary, "The Guests" is a gripping hurricane thriller offering a fresh take on the locked-room genre. The fast-paced narrative and the authentic Florida setting deliver a compelling read that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. If you crave intense, action-packed stories with a distinct Florida flair, this novel is a must-read that delivers from beginning to end.

When a hurricane hits, the Davies family does the charitable thing and takes in three strangers who were caught out sailing in the storm. As the storm rolls on, things in the house escalate. Are the guests really strangers? And why do they know so much about the family?

I really wanted to love this one. It has all the makings of the kind of thriller I gravitate towards. As I read, I kept thinking the storyline sounded worn out, the twists were predictable and the situation itself just seemed so far-fetched. It could just be me though so don't let my review put you off. Would be keen to hear your thoughts if you end up reading this one.

A fast and fun thriller about a family and a trio of strangers thrown together while sheltering from a hurricane. Very enjoyable though I felt that the hurricane was treated more like a bad storm - the few scenes outside didn’t quite seem plausible. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review!

EXCERPT: The forty-four-foot saltwater fishing boat felt as insubstantial as a kayak in the hurricane as it struggled to remain upright. Waves like rolling walls slammed into the vessel over and over with a terrifying ferocity. Every time the boat tipped, another huge swell of salt water rolled over the side, drenching her, stinging her eyes so that she couldn't see, washing away everything that wasn't tied down. Fishing gear, supplies, even the heavy Yeti cooler had been hurled out of the boat, fated to sink to the bottom of the ocean.
It was a miracle she hadn't been flung off as well. She figured it was just a matter of time.
He was still here.
At first he had tried to steer the boat out onto the ocean. When it had quickly become clear that the boat was unnavigable, he's sat huddled by the wheel. She could see his back occasionally when lightning lit up the darkness around him. Once he looked back at her, his eyes wide and panicked, his face hollowed out. Just like her, he knew the inevitable was going to happen.
They were both going to die that night.

ABOUT 'THE GUESTS': When a Category 5 hurricane is poised to hit their coastal Florida town, the Davies family takes refuge in their waterfront manse. Marlowe, Lee, and their teenage twins invite their close friends to wait out the storm in comfort and style.

Uninvited are the three strangers who dock on the family’s shore right before the storm descends. Brothers Jason and Bo—and Bo’s girlfriend, Darcy—are a charming, helpful trio in need of a safe haven that the Davies are only too happy to provide.

But as the storm outside grows more threatening, so does the tension in the house.

Soon, the lines between family, friends, and strangers blur. Danger mounts with every pointed finger and broken confidence, and long-held secrets are revealed one after another until only one truth REMAINS - not everyone is going to make it out alive.

MY THOUGHTS: Fast paced and twisty.

I honestly don't believe that this is as good as other books I have read by Margot Hunt. Perhaps she is trying to expand her repertoire. The pace is fast, the machinations of the characters superb, but towards the end the plot disintegrates into a spiral of violence that didn't sit well with me. I would have preferred, and have come to expect, a cleverer solution from this author.

Marlowe is definitely the star character of this book. She is a caring person, but there are things in her past that she is unaware of that have helped to trigger this whole situation. These are no random strangers come to seek shelter from a storm. They have an agenda. And knowledge.

For the first 75% of the book I was hooked, rapidly turning pages, but then the author's predilection for simply killing off any inconvenient character began to wear thin. I was having to suspend a lot of belief. (view spoiler)

I have read nearly all Margot Hunt's books, and this didn't measure up to her usual standard, but The Guests would make a brilliant action thriller if it was made into a movie.

⭐⭐⭐.5

#TheGuests #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Margot Hunt is the pseudonym for chick lit and women’s fiction author Whitney Gaskell.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for providing a digital ARC of The Guests by Margot Hunt for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own

I always enjoy a fast paced thriller. Even if it is pretty unrealistic. 3.5 stars

The Davies family is preparing for a category 5 hurricane in the waterfront mansion in Florida when 3 strangers unexpectedly appear at their dock. They invite the strangers to ride the storm out with them and their friends. And it all goes downhill from there. Some unexpected twists and turns. Some more predictable. Overall, a good book and I will definitely read more by this author.

By the time Marlowe Davies and her husband Lee find out that Hurricane Celeste has been upgraded to a category 5 and is headed straight for their home on the Florida coast, it's too late to evacuate. Luckily their mansion has been built to survive and they hunker down with their two children. Just before the storm hits, a boat pulls up to their dock and they feel obligated to give these three strangers shelter. As the storm rages outside, tensions build inside and shocking truths are revealed.
This is a locked room thriller where the storm takes on a threatening character of its own. The story had plenty of twists and thrills to keep me flipping pages until the end, but I thought the ending was a bit anticlimactic. Overall though it was a great book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an intense and gripping thriller that actually made me feel at the edge of the seat!

Category 5 hurricane is poised to hit the coastal town in Florida and the Davies family are preparing for the hurricane. Their house is equipped to protect them from hurricane. However, three strangers dock by their house and invite themselves into the Davies house. They are Bo, Jason and Darcy. As hurricane start to hit, one by one are getting murdered and the Davies family as well as their friends are kept as hostages in their very own home by these three strangers.

If you have watched, the movie Funny Games, this book reminded me of the movie a bit. The story is told in the POVs of Marlowe, the mother, June and Tom, the teenage twins, Isabel who is Marlowe's assistant and Felix, who is June's friend. The story was engaging, intriguing and from start to finish, I was literally hooked into the story, wanting to know what is going to happen next. There were no twists and turn but the story as a whole was fast paced in my opinion. It was also slightly predictable as well. There were past moments in the story and I sometimes got a little confused with the present ones. Nonetheless, this was a great book that may keep you up all night. Worth 4 stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.