To begin with I really wasn’t sure about this book at all. The first half was a slow burn and I wasn’t seeing where it was going to go, but boy does it pick up speed at the halfway mark. I was in shock, the story was just plodding along and all of a sudden twisty action. Brilliant!

The narrator Emily Joyce was fabulous. She had a very familiar voice but I just can’t place from where. I will certainly be looking out for her in the future. She did a great job with all the characters.

This is another of this books you don’t want to know too much about before going in. All I knew was that the author has not let me down yet. The slow beginning is completely worth it once you get to the real story.

Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the advanced audio copy to listen to. Releases on February 20th and well worth a listen.

The ending makes up for most of the book.

This one was right down the middle for me. Pretty slow paced but parts sprinkled in to really keep your attention. Would consider it more of a domestic drama with thriller elements.
Some thoughts:
*I don't know how Iris kept putting up with Laure for the duration of her stay at their home. Rearranging things, wearing Iris' clothes, etc. She is a better person than I for allowing her to stay for so long.
*The drama points between all the couples were on par and realistic.
*Very conversation heavy book. Which can work but a lot of it was pretty repetitive.
*The ending was a nice twist and made me like the book even more knowing that there was a lot hidden up until that point.
*The mysteries were solved in a tidy manner.

Overall I would recommend for someone looking for a cozy domestic drama with a bit of flare.

Many thanks to Netgalley, MacMillan Audio and B.A. Paris for a copy of the book. All opinions are of my own.

Another fantastic book by B.A. Paris! I felt like the beginning of the book was a little slow, but man, once it picked up, good luck putting this book down! Once complete, the slow burn at the beginning made total sense! Enjoy the rollercoaster that this book sends you on!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this ALC!

This book is a little bit of a slow burn. Iris and Gabriel are a married couple living in the UK. Gabriel stumbles upon an accident near the quarry close to his home. He finds Joshua before he passes away. Joshua sends Gabriel back with a message for his mother. Gabriel is having a hard time coping with the accident and death of Joshua. One day, Iris and Gabriel arrive home to find their friend Laure staying in their home. Laure tells Iris and Gabriel she is staying for a few nights since finding out a secret about her husband Pierre. After Laure seems to outstay her welcome, Iris attempts to find out the secrets swirling between Pierre and Laure. But who really holds all the secrets?!

This twisted ending was fantastic! Not my favorite book by BA Paris, but i think it’s worth the read!

Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for an ALC of The Guest by B.A. Paris.

This one follows Iris and Gabriel - arriving home from holiday to find their friend Laure in their house. Not only is she overstaying her welcome - She's sleeping in their bed, wearing their clothes and rearranging their furniture. Laure has walked out on her husband, Pierre, a good friend of Iris and Gabriel, after he confessed to an affair and secret child. Is Iris telling the full truth? Is everyone else?

The narration for this one was great. I found myself wanting to listen to this any time I had to put it back down. Not my favorite Paris book but definitely an interesting one with a WHOA ending!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I thought I would really like this book because it's B.A. Paris, but it didn't quite do it for me. It didn't ever feel very suspenseful to me. It mostly felt like it was about their annoying houseguest and not the mysterious murders.

I didn't care for any of the characters. They weren't necessarily badly written, they just wouldn't be people that I vibe with so I didn't care much about the murders or the drama that was happening.

If you like slow burn suspense novels, this may be a good one, but for me I'd like a little more suspense and foreshadowing sprinkled in so I can try to guess what the twist will be. The ending of this book was shocking, but that's mainly because nothing was pointing to that being the ending. It feels as though the ending was solely meant for the shock factor and not to make complete sense.

It was still an entertaining enough book. At no point did I find myself wanting to put it down and not pick it back up, but I may not be the right person for this one. I still look forward to the author's future works.

I usually enjoy Paris's stories, but The Guest felt all over the place to me. The chapters were hard to keep up with, feeling like there were more than there actually were. Maybe this would have not been a problem if I had read the book as opposed to listening to it on audio. I just seems to have a hard time figuring out who was who. Maybe it was that I really did not connect with any one in the story.

I felt the premises of the mystery was good but it did not capture my attention as much as I felt it could have.
This one just wasn't for me, however, I will be be awaiting Paris's next book, because I have found ones very enjoyable

The Guest
by B.A. Paris
3/5 ⭐

Iris and Gabriel are empty nesters adjusting to the quiet of their lovely home in the British countryside. Their daughter is happily working in Greece during her gap year. The quiet stops when Laure, a dear friend, shows up with martial trouble. Her husband, Pierre has been keeping a secret from her. He has a child with another woman! Iris and Gabriel are in shock over the secret because they have known Laure and Pierre since their honeymoon.

Laure is a good distraction from the distance that has been building between Iris and Gabriel. A few months back, Gabriel witnessed a young man’s tragic accident in the nearby quarry. Gabriel heard his final words and he is tormented with guilt that he could not save this boy. Iris and Gabriel insist Laure stay as long as she needs. But quickly Laure becomes needy and intrusive.

Iris seeks some space by befriending a neighborly couple who is expecting their first child. Something seems off with the wife of this couple but Iris cannot put her finger on it. The wife is a little too comfortable with their gardener who has a shady past.

The Guest is a suspenseful thriller and domestic drama. It caught my attention quickly with the numerous characters and directions. I will admit keeping all the different characters straight was challenging at first, especially because I was not liking any of them. With so many characters, the plot was driven by weaving their paths together. I did not see the ending coming and all my questions were answered (a must with a good thriller for me). Although I found the ending a little unbelievable.

Thank you to @Macmillan.Audio and @netgalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. All my opinions are my own.
Publication Date: February 20, 2024

I’ve read a few books by this author, but unfortunately I didn’t connect with this one. The only thing I could relate to was having a house guest and wanting them to leave. This story was a slow burn drama while I prefer to read more fast paced thrillers. The narrator did a good job, but there could have been a bit more distinguish of character voices while she was reading dialogue. I kept getting characters confused since there were a lot of them to keep track of. I found the epilogue was the best part, when it all came together I was shocked!

Thank you to B.A Paris, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin Publishing and NetGalley!

The Guest
By B.A. Paris
Pub date 20 Feb 2024

This was very slow and took forever for that plot twist at the very end. but it was still an enjoyable ride.

3.5 stars rounded up. I enjoyed this book and found myself excited to listen. I wasn't completely sucked in, so only 3.5 - the ending was awesome.

Iris and Gabriel are stunned when their friend Laure appears at their place, citing trouble with her husband Pierre. But what is really going on? Pierre seems elusive and hard to get a hold of. Laure seems happy overstaying her welcome at the house, even taking to wearing Iris' clothes. I won't give too much away about the plot but I will say that I thought I had it all figured out, only to find that once again BA Paris proved me wrong and stumped me! This was a twisty tale that impressed me immensely.

3.75 ⭐️
PUB Date: February 20, 2024

Thankful for the opportunity to read B. A. Paris’ book a little early from NetGalley and Macmillan!

I have read a few of her books in the past that have kept me interested and engaged throughout, this one was no different.

I felt as though the entire time I was uneasy and uncomfortable, but I couldn’t stop reading. I felt like there was something up with the characters, that one of them was deceitful, but the plot twist at the end was shocking.

I will 100% admit I did not see that coming. The writing was so good! And the characters were believable. It honestly shows just how easy someone who has a dark side hides it so well.

I would highly recommend this book!

I have come to expect a lot from B.A. Paris and unfortunately this did not deliver. This was very dull and just drug on and on. If this would have been a different author I would not have finished it. You don't really know what happened until the last half hour of the book. While this was not something I expected and was a good twist, I was so frustrated from the unnecessary information that I felt very underwhelmed. Also I just couldn't connect with the characters so not only was I bored, I was frustrated with them as well. Hopefully her next book will get back to what I love. 2.5 stars rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and B.A. Paris for allowing me to listen to an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This turned out to be quite a wild ride!! For the first half or so of the book I wondered why this was marketed as a thriller. I found it to be more drama, domestic suspense, still very interesting, just not a thriller. But then things took a turn and I didn’t see any of it coming, and that made it even better. Really loved this one. Great characters, well-developed and well-written. Will definitely be checking out more from this author. Also enjoyed the audio narrator! Full review with link to come closer to pub date!

I have read almost all of B.A. Paris' books. I started with Behind Closed Doors and honestly that was a psycho thriller roller coaster high that hasn't been replicated since. Every book after that hasn't been nearly as insane or riveting but maybe that's for the best. Because that book really is wild at times.

The narrator, Emily Joyce, has a very pretty voice. I like that she didn't go overboard when voicing male characters because often that just comes off cheesy.

At the beginning, I wasn't sure how this would turn out because the storyline seemed to mostly be about an annoying house guest. But things get dark!

There is a twist which I really enjoyed. I loved the placement of it because it came unexpectedly. While I guess other things early on, I didn't even think what was coming would happen. I like when books can surprise you.

Thank you to NetGalley, B.A. Paris and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to read this book. I have written this review voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for allowing me to listen to the audio version of the book. This was very good. The narrator had a pleaset voice that gave life to the story. The story itself was engaging and kept you guessing. Excellent!

Have you ever had a guest overstay their welcome? It honestly sounds like my worst nightmare. 😅

This is a slower paced domestic suspense that ends with a bang of an epilogue. This was my first time reading B.A. Paris, and I liked the writing style. It was very easy to follow. I also appreciated the breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout the story that tied to the ultimate reveal.

I really enjoyed the narration, which helped hold my interest during the slower bits of the story. Emily Joyce did a fantastic job! The ending was a perfect conclusion and worth the wait! Overall, I liked this one.
My rating: 3.5⭐️

Listen if you like:
🟦 domestic suspense
🟦 psychological thrillers
🟦 secrets, lies, and deceit
🟦 twists and unexpected endings

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the review copy.

✦ The Guest by B.A. Paris ✦
★★★ 3/5 stars
Pub Date : Feb 20

✦ Synopsis
Iris & Gabriel return home from vacation, they're surprised to find their old friend Laure staying in their home, sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris’ pajamas. She is distraught, confessing that she has left her husband Pierre.
Things begin to get a bit odd as Laure extends her stay, making herself completely at home, even rearranging their cabinets, with no end in sight. With a house guest overstaying her welcome, tensions are high - soon secrets, lies, & drama begin to surface.


✦ My Thoughts
My worst nightmare - a guest that just. won’t. leave. 🙈

I’m so glad I was able to read & listen to the audiobook, because the first half was super slow, but instead of building suspense it felt dull. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. It didn’t pick up until about halfway, then things FINALLY started to unravel with some action. I enjoyed the last few chapters, until the very dramatic & bizarre epilogue that really made me feel like 90% of the book was a lie. You definitely have to be willing to suspend belief for that ending. But it was neatly tied with every question answered even if it was a bit unbelievable.

The audiobook was read by Emily Joyce, I really enjoyed listening to her! She did a great job, even using different (and well done) accents!

✦ Read if you like :
•slow burn domestic drama
•whodunnit vibes
•unlikeable characters
•lots of lies & deceit
•unexpected twists
•neatly wrapped up endings

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins Press + Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review this ARC ◡̈

I am a huge BA Pairs fan and was excited to get my hands on this one, I love the way she tells a story! But this one fell a little flat for me, it felt like we got a whole book where not a lot happened, and even tho people kept on dying it still kinda felt like nothing was happening. Intill we got to the epilogue and we learn the truth, that was good but not good enough to make the book work for me. I just wasn’t invested in any of the characters really, and it felt like a lot of story lines going on it. I will read more of this author and do recommend you try this one out of your self and see how you feel about it! But for me it just missed the mark, i did listen to the audiobook and through the narrator did a good job telling the story and why I didn’t Iove the book as a whole I did enjoy listing to it and the narrator!