Iris and Gabriel have a perfect life from the outside, but inside, things are not as they seem. When a local boy suffered a tragic accident in a nearby quarry Gabriel is the one who found him, leaving him in a terrible depression. Iris is trying to support her husband the best she can, when they get a surprise houseguest in their longtime friend Laure. Laure and her husband Pierre are Iris and Gabriel’s long time friends from Paris. Laure is distraught because her husband recently revealed to her that he has a daughter with another woman that he just found out about. Laure seemingly moves in, wearing Iris’ clothes and asking strange questions about the boy from the quarry.The only reprieve Iris has is her new friend Esme, who is expecting her first child. Esme has a gardener named Joseph with a complicated past.

This book wasn’t bad but it overall just didn’t do it for me. The beginning was slower paced than I like, Laure was beyond annoying (but, I guess maybe that was the point of her being an overbearing house guest) and I found myself getting frustrated with the majority of the characters. The pacing definitely picked up in the second half of the book, and I found myself drawn into the story before the end. The epilogue was truly wild, where I kept thinking I should have been able to guess this twist but I didn't lol. I did enjoy that aspect of the book, but otherwise I don’t think this one was for me. I had the audiobook and loved the narrators’ voices though so that was a big help.

Thank you to MacMillan audio for the ALC! “The Guest” releases February 20, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.

Delicious domestic psychological thriller! I listened to the audiobook on 2.0x which I found a perfect pace. Engaged from the beginning, I enjoyed every step of the journey, and was disappointed when the book ended. I did not anticipate the twists- and although I did not see them coming, they were believable. I give 5 stars to the books that I really enjoyed and would reread one day, and this book definitely met that criteria!

For me, I think what it comes down to is a mismatch between reader and author. I had a hard time getting as interest in the story and staying focus on the words. The flow of the book was a little hard for me to follow because it contained different characters' points of view. The story was too slow for me to enjoy and it lacked the “thrills” of unraveling a mystery. When the climax of the story came to fruition, it definitely had the element of surprise but the whole journey getting there didn’t match my excitement of the “big reveal”

Though I enjoyed the narrator of this book, I do wish that each character had a distinct voice, or that there were multiple narrators' voices thing each of the characters. I do appreciate that she did use different accents for some of the characters, but it took a while in my mind to associate them with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC

This book kept me intrigued. I did not see the ending coming! The book is about 2 couples that are great friends. Their lives are more intertwined and complicated than some of them know. You think you know someone, but things are not always what they seem!

This book was such a wild ride! The beginning starts off with a bang, literally! As the craziness unfolds among a group of friends, I felt like it was nonstop drama (the good kind)! As the drama starts to unfold and wind down, it ramps right back up again. I definitely did not feel a lull at all! I will say, I wasn't sure how certain aspects (no spoilers) were going to come together, but it all came together at the end. Apologies that this is vague, but I feel I will spoil the drama if I start to discuss any of the plot. This was my first B.A. Paris book and I will absolutely be reading more!

This was a decent audiobook and I enjoyed the narrator. I thought this was an interesting storyline but the pacing was too slow. The first 70% of the book is intriguing but slow and then the last 30% it finally picked up. I have enjoyed other books from this author so I would recommend if the synopsis interests you.

A great and suspenseful story that starts at a slow burn, but reaches a fever pitch as the murders begin and the story begins to unravel.

This story is perfect for anyone who has ever had a houseguest who overstayed her welcome. Didn't you just want to kill them? Well.... maybe someone will, and there will be no shortage of suspects. I was so annoyed by the pesky houseguest Laure that I almost wanted to kill her myself.

This was a wickedly fun, well-narrated audiobook that highlighted many of the things BA Paris does best: suspense, characterizations, fast pacing, and surprise endings. As always I can't wait for the next book from this master of suspense!

I LOVED Behind Closed Doors, so I was very excited to try another by this author.

However, this was a pretty big disappointment for me. I did not feel thrilled at all. I was mostly really annoyed with the secret keeping between everyone. I don't like miscommunication tropes, or rather LACK of communication. The surprises, didn't really feel like surprises, as I wasn't attached to any of the characters.
The part I disliked the most though, was the epilogue. I really feel cheated by books when you listen / read an entire story and get no hints. The author just waits until the last chapter to hand feed the big reveal to you. I should've just read the first and last chapters. Thankfully it was a quick read.

So many lives affected by a lie. That lie caused so much damage and Gabriel and Iris find themselves at a place in their marriage where they are struggling to overcome some recent loses. I did suspect some of the twists but not all for sure.

I enjoyed this one on both audio and ereader, it was excellent! I was immediately drawn into the story. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, there’s a twist. And then the Epilogue throws everything upside down! Is it possible for something to be both a slow burn and a popcorn thriller? The story starts off a bit slow and builds but I was engaged and entertained the entire time. This was a quick read that I finished in about 2 days with short chapters that kept me going.

⚠️ Tropes may be considered spoilers, you’ve been warned.

🥰Read this if you enjoy: popcorn thrillers, domestic thrillers, shocking twists, epic epilogues, British countryside settings (and accents), lots of red herrings

❤️‍🩹What I didn’t love: I wish the pacing was a little better. This book had a slow start but once you get to the end reveal you understand all the setup.

📳Single Narration - Emily Joyce- may have the most perfect narration voice for this book. Her ability to take on the personalities of each character and give them each their own distinct voice was amazing.

Thanks to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the ARC and ALC in return for my honest review.

Having read all of B.A. Paris' other books and enjoying most of them I was really looking forward to her newest "The Guest". I was pretty sure I knew where this was going for the first 2/3 rd's of the book only to be thrown a major twist. Initially I had a really hard time getting into this, it is a slow starter but the last 1/3 of the book really picks up and pays off. If you have liked her other books you will definitely not be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to enjoy this book in advance of publication!

Wow! This is a fast paced, quick, well written must read. I can’t imagine an uninvited house guest staying in my home for weeks on end, never mind the never ending drama accompanying them. There are lots of ‘unique’ characters to keep track of but ohhhh so intriguing. I thought I’d figured the story’s secrets/mysteries out but apparently not!
The narration, done by Emily Joyce, is very well paced and very easy to follow/listen to. The characters’ voices are distinct and consistent. I had the good fortune to have received an ebook and audiobook ARC of The Guest. I started listening to the audiobook in the car, on a long drive, and was unfazed by the traffic delays because I was so invested in the story twists. Once arrived home, I alternated between listening and reading.
I’m embarrassed to admit how much I liked this twisted book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to thoroughly enjoy the audiobook version of this ARC.

What a strange story....that had me engaged right from the beginning! It was definitely one that I thought I had figured out...until I didn't. Definitely recommended.

Thank you to Netgally and St. Martin's Press for an advanced audio arc in exchange for an honest opinion.


Normally, I enjoy this author's work and was excited to read this new release. Unfortunately, I found it to fall slightly flat for me.
Overall, the story is good, but the plot pacing is excruciatingly slow! Way too much monologue before things start to get interesting.

Also, it was difficult to connect with the characters as none of them were likable.

The saving grace was the short chapters and having a good twist at the end.

This is purely my opinion as Goodreads has much higher/ better reviews .
🤷‍♀️

Thank you to Netgally and St Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

This one was a twisty domestic drama with a fairly quick pace. There are lots of secrets and lies to unravel along the way. I pretty much had the who figured out before the final reveal of the biggest plot twist, but I was still fuzzy on the why, so I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The narrator of the audio version did an excellent job of switching between accents, helping the listener differentiate between the many characters.

THE GUEST – Psychological Thriller – Story by B.A. Paris – Audiobook – Narrated by Emily Joyce

‘Some secrets never leave.’

I honestly didn’t expect that ending— Highly Recommend!!

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with an advance Audiobook of THE GUEST at the request of an honest review.

Release Date, Though Subject To Change: February 20, 2024

B.A. Paris does it again!!

I liked the book even though it started slow, it did get better the more you read! I will always want to read what the author writes!

Twists, turns and writing was good.

Thanks Netgalleyfor letting me listen and review.

The Guest - B.A. Paris

Thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for this ARC.

Pub date: Feb 20th 2024

I listened to this book on audio. Even if I'm new to listening to books rather than reading them, I followed the story very well.

Overall,this book was o.k. It wasn't super interesting for the first 50% of the book. I was confused by some of the characters but when it got to approximately 50-60%, it was more and more interesting. I didn't see the ending at all and never would have guessed the main twist that ends the book.

I gave this one a 3.75 ⭐

#theguest #baparis #baparisauthor #netgalley #arc #arccopy #macmillanaudio #booklover #books #bookstagrammer #bookstagram

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

When an unexpected houseguest arrives Iris and Gabriel are sent reeling. One half of their good friends, Laure, shocks the couple farther by confessing she has left her husband Pierre after discovering he has fathered a child, and will be staying with them for the foreseeable future. They were already dealing with a lot after a traumatic discovery forced Gabriel to take time off of work putting a strain on their relationship. Laure is very needy, over stepping and taking liberties with everything from Iris' wardrobe to their new neighborhood friendships. Will this guest destroy the last of Iris and Gabriel's relationship before they can get her out of their house?

The Guest is an intriguing domestic drama from and kept me invested. It is a slow burn and takes a while to get moving but did have some twists I did not see coming. It is told from the POV of both Iris and Gabriel and is mostly character driven. While I did not connect with any of the characters specifically and found them at times a bit melodramatic, the story held my attention. I am a fan of B. A. Paris and this is a solid drama with a satisfying ending. I had the audio version read by Emily Joyce who did a great job and held my focus. I would listen to more of her narrations.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for the ARC #TheGuest by #BAParis. I enjoyed this book of manipulations and murder and the big plot twist at the ending. I loved how the author put together the story and how it all blew up at the end. Highly recommend.