3.5 Stars
I've seen heaps of awesome reviews for Margot Hunt's other books, and I finally started with this one. The whole "locked room" mystery thing got me interested right off the bat.

At times, the story took a detour into the land of the unbelievable.I get it, it's fiction, and I'm totally down for suspending disbelief. Yet, it did get a tad melodramatic and silly,. The writing was pretty straightforward, and the twists I mostly saw coming. The dialogue was sometimes bad which takes me out of the story.

Premise there's this Category 5 hurricane ready to wreak havoc on the coastal town in Florida where the Davies family's home. They're prepping their waterfront mansion, hunkering down with their teenage twins and some friends. . Enter three strangers rolling up to the family shore just before the storm hits – two brothers and one's girlfriend. Or so they claim. And now, everyone's stuck together until the storm is over.

Despite the quirks in this one, I'm not giving up on Margot Hunt. Her other books get major thumbs up in the reviews, so I figure I'll give those a shot. Maybe the next one will be the game-changer. Fingers crossed!

Book Review: The Guests by Margot Hunt

⭐⭐⭐/5 Stars

Alright, let me tell you about this book I just finished reading called "The Guests" by Margot Hunt. If you're into lock room thrillers like I am, then this one is right up your alley!

Picture this: a Category 5 hurricane is about to hit this coastal Florida town, and the Davies family decides to hunker down in their fancy waterfront mansion. Smart move, right? They even invite their close friends and employees to join them and ride out the storm in style. Sounds cozy, doesn't it?

But here's where things get interesting – three total strangers show up on their doorstep just before the storm hits. Talk about bad timing! Bo, Jason, along with Bo's girlfriend Darcy, need shelter, and the Davies family, being the good Samaritans they are, welcome them in. Little did they know that these strangers would bring more drama than the hurricane itself.

As the storm rages outside, tensions start rising inside the house. It's like a pressure cooker. Family, friends, and strangers all start blurring together, and trust becomes a luxury nobody can afford. You know when people say "keep your friends close and your enemies closer"? Well, in this case, you won't even know who is who anymore.

"The Guests" is a fast-paced read that had me hooked from start to finish. Margot Hunt knows how to keep you on your toes. The writing is top-notch, and the plot twists just keep coming. Every time you think you've got it figured out, boom! Another secret is revealed, and you're left scratching your head.

What I loved about this book is how well the characters are developed. They feel real and relatable, which makes their interactions all the more intense. You'll find yourself suspecting everyone and questioning their motives. It's a psychological rollercoaster.

And let's talk about the atmosphere – it's so damn claustrophobic! The storm outside adds this extra layer of tension that keeps you on edge. You'll feel like you're right there with them, trapped in that house as the chaos unfolds.

In a nutshell, "The Guests" is a thrilling ride that will keep you glued to the pages. It's a perfect blend of suspense, mystery, and human nature under extreme circumstances. Trust me, once you start reading, you won't want to put it down. So buckle up and get ready for a wild adventure where nothing is as it seems and survival is the name of the game!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Another hit by Margot Hunt! I've come to really enjoy listening to Hunt's books on Audible. This was no different.

This time our mystery is set during a storm which is a favorite trope of mine recently.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!

I believe after reading For Better And Worst, I will always pick up Margot Hunt.

Although this wasn't my favorite, I did overall enjoy the storyline. I think the characters were complex but in the best way. I think the plot was enjoyable but I didn't overall see anything that stuck out to me compared to other stories I've read with a similar concept.

Still would recommend this to all my other thriller book readers and continue to pick up Margot Hunt's other work.

Hurricanes can be so unpredictable. As a family decides to wait out the storm that quickly changed from a category 2 to a category 5, uninvited guests arrive. Within a short amount of time it becomes apparent that things are not as they seem. It was an interesting story about betrayal and unknown dangers. I have to admit I didn't see some of the twists coming but a few were predictable. I thought the writing flowed well and I was definitely interested in seeing how the story ended.

So, when I started reading this, it reminded me of so many movies I've seen where a nice family is sitting at home and a stranger(s) knocks on their door and needs shelter for some reason. The nice family invites them in, and you know things aren't going to go well because that would make for a boring movie.

That's why I went into this book thinking it was going to be so predictable, but I was pleasantly surprised! I did guess one of the twists early on, but there were so many more that I didn't see coming! There was not a dull moment, and I had to keep reading because I needed to know how it was going to end. If you like locked room thrillers, be sure to check this one out!

Thank you, @netgalley and @amazonpublishing, for the #gifted e-arc of this book!

What a chilling and fast-paced read!
Twisty and creepy, set in the background of a hurricane. Nothing and no one is what it seems to be at first, and then it goes downhill from here, getting even weirder and creepier. Loved it!

The Guests is an unexpected read. I was not prepared to love Marlowe the way I did. The story twists and turns during a hurricane that is fitting in more ways than one. My emotions felt like they were battling a hurricane.


There are many surprises awaiting you in The Guests. I suggest going in blind and enjoying all this compelling story has to offer.

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.