Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this read. This is my 4th Margot Hunt and this was not as good as the others but it still gave a good punch to the stomache. It had some repetitive parts that I felt a bit like fillers but the book was crazy. Like nuts. I did enjoy it and I will read more of her work.

I was thrilled for a chance to review “The Guests” by Margot Hunt.

I have been a fan of Margot Hunt for a very long time, and a chance to review an advanced copy of her work is an early Christmas gift.

Lee and Marlowe live with their twins, Tom and June, in a gorgeous home off the Florida coast. A category 5 hurricane is headed their way and joining them is Tom’s best friend, Zack, and Marlowe’s assistant, Isabel. Just as the storm begins, the household ends up with three more guests.

Naturally, nothing is going to go wrong, right?

Hunt is a master as keeping the reader interested. Even if some of the plot comes across as predictable, the writing is powerful enough to keep you moving forward. While this is not my favorite of her books, I still enjoyed the story (though the characters not so much).

Three and a half out of five stars.

Thanks to Margot Hunt, the publisher, and NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.

The Guests is a thriller that takes place during a category 5 hurricane and follows Marlowe and her family. Deciding not to evacuate, Marlowe, her husband Lee, and her twin teenagers June and Tom are preparing their house for hurriance Celeste when a boat with three strangers docks at their pier. The strangers claim that they were caught in the storm and need a place to weather out the hurricane. While hesitant, Marlowe agrees to let them into her home. As the storm worsens, Marlowe soon realizes that the guests are definitely hiding something. Soon, surviving the storm is the least of Marlowe and her family's worries.

While the premise sounded interesting, I just don't think the book was well executed. The pacing is extremely slow, and the entire plot is just too unbelievable. None of the characters are likable, and I didn't really know who or what I was rooting for. Additionally, the "twists" were all quite predictable. As a whole, I did not find The Guests to be an enjoyable read.

The Guests was a solid read with a few twists that I found surprising. I really like Margot’s writing style and the characters she creates. This was a good one! I definitely recommend it to others. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

When a category 5 hurricane is moments away, three strangers are frantically trying to tie up their boat at Marlowe and Lee's family dock, after making it to shore just in time. Multiple family and friends are already inside prepared for the storm. Knowing they can't leave these strangers stranded outside, Marlowe invites them in to wait out the storm. It soon becomes clear someone in the house is keeping secrets, and the storm may not be the biggest threat against Marlowe's family.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. I liked the characters and the multiple secrets they kept, and that I didn't always know who to trust. I loved the tension that was added by the storm, and though I have never lived in a hurricane climate, I felt it was well written. The plot kept me guessing until the very end and it was a unique storyline. However, considering the plot, it wasn't as fast-paced as I expected. I have read several books by this author and would certainly read her next!

This was a riveting book that kept me on the edge of my seat. Once I started reading, I just couldn’t put it down. This was a full of twists and turns that was even more terrifying than the hurricane that was taking place during the book. I highly recommend reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Margot Hunt for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my review.

From USA Today bestselling author Margot Hunt comes the chilling tale of what happens when a family besieged by a storm must play host to uninvited guests.

Lots of tension and good plot twists. A solid mystery.

Gate Crashers.

When unexpected guests descend on Marlowe’s bayside home during a hurricane, more than a commotion ensues, it’s murder.

How rude. People just don’t know their place anymore.

Unfortunately, the chaos also includes the dialog, prose, character development, and plot. Although I liked Lovely Girls by this author, I wasn’t entertained by this. Not one bit, I’m sorry to say.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

2.5 stars rounded up!

With a Category 5 hurricane on track to hit their coastal Florida town, the Davies family is preparing their waterfront mansion for the storm, with a plan to shelter in place since they are not in a flood zone.

Joining Marlowe, Lee, and their teenage twins will be a few close friends that have been invited to stay with them.

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, who thought they could beat the storm, before quickly worsening conditions forced them to seek the closest dock-which happens to be the one on the Davies property.

At least, that’s the story they are telling.

It soon becomes apparent that this detour was planned, and with first responders unable to assist until after the storm-the Davies family is on their own to deal with their uninvited “guests”.

I have certainly read WORSE books this year, BUT this wasn’t up to the standards that I have come to expect from Margot Hunt!

I have rated ALL of her past books, 4 or 5 stars, but the writing in this one seems much more simplistic.

All but one twist was predictable, and the character development and dialogue were not as sharp as what we have come to expect from this talented author.

Maybe, locked room style mysteries are not her strong suit?

Or maybe, this was a book that she wrote before she perfected her craft, that was dusted off and is just being released now?

Though not her best, I AM a fan, and I will pick up her next, expecting that she will return to form!

AVAILABLE January 9, 2024.

Thank You to Thomas and Mercer for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Wowwwww! I am highly impressed with this! I did guess part of the plot twist very early on in the story, but it was still an absolute page turner. Margot Hunt paints such a vivid picture, it almost felt like watching a movie. This is my first book by this author but definitely not my last!

This is an action story more than a thriller. It was fast paced and fun! My main feedback would be that the motive for the antagonist was not at all hinted at or explored prior to declaring it and was anti climatic. The action however is edge of your seat!

This was a very fast paced novel. However, you have to suspend reality for a bit and believe that people would be this generous, that they would plot this much, and that a perfectly timed hurricane could make a heist happen. It was a fun novel if you like thrillers but it was predictable and drawn out. I found myself bored in the middle and pushing through quickly. I wish Isabelle had more foreshadowing. I found the daughter's boyfriend pretty pointless? He could have been a catalyst for help and truly wasn't.

The start was strong but in general fell flat.

Thank you Thomas&Mercer, and Margot Hunt for the advance readers copy of “The Guests”. My thoughts on this book are that it was very captivating. The character of Marlowe was super accommodating letting herself be quite obviously beaten down, only to come out a real superstar at the end. The bad guys out weighed, the good guys but good always prevails. All of the characters had their own special characteristics. The suspense also was high level and kept me in my chair all day. I am venturing to say this will be a top selling thriller, waiting anxiously for Margot’s next book to come out!

This is a fast-paced thriller that is certain to make readers feel the danger with what is about to come.

A Category 5 storm is headed to the east coast of Florida where Lee, Marlow and their 17-year-old twins, Tom and June, live on a river. When they heard about the storm a few days ago, the wind wasn’t as strong. Now Lee and Marlow have agreed that it’s too late to evacuate. They feel it’s better to hunker down in their $10 million dollar home than to be stuck in traffic trying to get to a safe place.

The weather channel reports that there may be storm swells of 10 to 12 feet causing some fatalities and property damage. Lee said that trees may come down but they should be safe as their home is well-constructed. Plus, they have two high-end generators. It’s all nice but we know that 150 mph winds are capable of wiping out anything in its path.

Marlow came into wealth and her parents collected art. She inherited some valuable pieces after they passed. She was concerned about the collection being safe. She hired Isabel, an art consultant, to help her categorize each piece and asked her to stay at the house to help her pack the art and stay with them. They were just about all set with three other family friends. Then at the last minute, there was a boat nearby in distress which was headed to their dock. Three strangers from the boat tied up on their property and that’s when the madness was about to begin.

The story had enough hints relatively early on to predict what was going to happen. Still, it was the ease of reading and curiosity that made this book an engaging adventure with lots of secrets and twists. For those of us living on the coast, this book is particularly familiar but at the same time frightening with the unknowns. Certainly, this is a good beach read.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected publication release date of January 9, 2024.

Another good book by Margot Hunt. As a family with a couple of their friends hunker down for a hurricane, three youngsters show up on a boat and need shelter. Obviously these group of people are bad news, but the ways they are connected are a shock. I felt it was too long in the middle but it had a good ending.

I have previously read the authors books! Unfortunately this book didn't hold my interest even though it's set in Florida where I live with a hurricane upon them!
You could quickly understand where this was going in general except for a few surprises!
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book!

I enjoyed this story, even with all of the people and their issues and their secrets, The theme of the book
is that everyone has secrets. Some should never be shared.
Another prominent theme is that no good deed goes without the potential for disaster..
This really is an entertaining story that will keep you waiting to see what is going to happen
next, and to whom.
I read almost straight through because I kept figuring things would slow down~leave a good place
to take a break. Not at all. You cannot walk away.
I recommend this book to people who enjoy well written mystery suspense books that clean
up all of the loose ends, and I felt this one did a great job of answering my final questions.
My mission now is to get caught up with the other titles by the Author.
My thanks Thomas Mercer via NetGalley for sharing this delightful title in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

A fast and easy read. This home invasion type of story is nothing new. I found myself skimming through because it was pretty predictable. Not suspenseful at all. Sorry, can't recommend this one.

I've read a few other books by Margot Hunt and really enjoyed them. You can imagine how excited I was to get to this one. Unfortunately, the story is contrived and completely unbelievable. It's melodramatic and corny. There is bad dialogue (which is a pet peeve of mine), and it's filled with dumb characters. Nothing shocking happened.

Overall, I was obviously disappointed. Hopefully this book is the exception of the author's work.

The Davies family has decided to ride out a Category 5 hurricane. Right before the storm hits three strangers show up and they have little choice but to invite them in. As the storm intensifies outside the family soon realizes these strangers have an agenda. The Guests kept me guessing to the very in and was a roller coaster of a ride.