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.

<b>4 Solid Stars</b>
Another winner from B.A. Paris!

Imagine coming home to find your friend staying in your bedroom and making herself a guest while she deals with relationship issues. On top of that, your husband has been distant since finding a local boy dying from a tragic accident.

This domestic drama kept me intrigued the whole way through, though some parts did lag just a bit. The characters were hard to like, and I found myself not really liking anyone!

The charm, for me, was that I kept bouncing between who I thought was behind everything (no one was safe from suspicion). Even when the book ended, THERE WAS MORE!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the audio Arc of this book!

I had so much fun reading The Guest. Frustrating in the best ways, I found it to be completely addictive and one heck of a gripping roller coaster ride I really enjoyed this one and found the narrative to be compulsively readable. From the Prologue, Paris had absolutely hooked me. She definitely has a gift for drawing the Reader in.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of The Guest by B.A. Paris.

When Iris and Gabriel come home from a tense vacation, they are surprised to see that their home has an unexpected occupant. Receiving distressing news about her husband, Laure has come for some emotional respite. But over time, Iris finds herself overwhelmed with the needs and length of stay of her guest. But Iris could never bargain for how much chaos Laure is really about to bring into her life.

Gosh this was messy. That's honestly my biggest takeaway of this story, it was messy, hard to believe, and hard to invest. I had a hard time really liking any of the characters, or buying their super unboundaried relationships. I struggled to pluck the important details from a super scattered plot, the whole thing just wasn't for me.

Thank you netgalley for giving me an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange of an honest review. I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris books. This one had you questioning and guessing as things progressed and you don’t learned the truth behind it until you reach the epilogue. You have Iris coming back from vacation with a houseguest already there, Gabe neglecting his wife because he is filled with guilt over an incident. Lorre who is distraught over her husband having a secret child.. Joesph who is a barely recovered alcoholic and Esme and Hugh who are expecting their first child. At some point I had no idea where this book was going but that didn’t matter because I was too invested in the characters but it all neatly tied together. 100% worth the read.

3.5 stars. Thank you St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for my free ARC of The Guest by B.A. Paris — available Feb 20!

Read this if you:
🏡 find the idea of a 6+ week houseguest horrifying
🧑‍🌾 have ever thought about a fling with a hot gardener
🧬 love of a bit of a "you ARE the father" puzzle

Iris and Gabriel return home from a trip to quite a surprise — their friend Laure has been staying in their home, and she plans to stay with them indefinitely. They feel too guilty to make her leave, since she's in a feud with her husband over his confessed infidelity. In fact, he claims to have fathered a child with the other woman, which is devastating to Laure, who always wanted kids of her own. But when the new neighbor's gardener gets involved, things start to quickly spiral out of control.

I can always count on B.A. Paris for a pull-you-in plot and a fast pace, and The Guest did not disappoint here. There are several turns in the story that held my interest and kept me engaged, which is exactly what i want from my thrillers! I will admit that the ending wasn't my favorite — a little too neat for my tastes, with everything sort of happening off the page and impossible to guess at for the reader. Feels a bit too easy? Anyway, I enjoyed the ride nonetheless and definitely recommend this as a binge-able thriller.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I've continuously loved B.A. Paris and while this isn't my favorite (sorry, Behind Closed Doors is my JAM), I definitely will say that The Guest packed a punch I was not prepared for.

Overall, the book I felt was very tame and character-driven...I kept thinking 'what? What is going on?' because nothing really made sense throughout. It did take me a while to connect with any of the characters but then I started to get more into the plot as it carried on.

Narration again was great, I was immersed in the storyline however there were a few times where I wasn't entirely sure who was talking female-wise. I do not know if this would've been solved reading the digital copy in terms of editing, but after another pass of that scene I was able to figure it out.

I would recommend this to anyone- especially the audio copy as I feel it'll be one that shocks a lot of people!

Thanks to NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this book was so obvious from the very beginning. I still was enjoying the ride, however, I was completely wrong! I surprisingly didn't see most of it coming! The narrator was phenomenal and really added a lot to the story, I really enjoyed all of the characters and the web that was formed. I have read other books by B.A. Paris and will continue in the future! Read/listen to this for an enjoyable and fun journey!

The Guest began slow and was hard to keep up with at first. After a while, I got the hang of each character and began to connect with the characters. The narrator did a wonderful job bringing the characters and the story to life. The way the author tied everything together in the end and the narrator portrayed it made it all worth it. I would listen to more audiobooks from this narrator and recommend this book to anyone.

The queen of domestic suspense returns following The Prisoner with her latest smashing psychological thriller, THE GUEST. A guest arrives and never leaves, with a web of dark secrets in this chilling, mesmerizing, atmospheric, intense domestic suspense with unpredictable twists, connections, and MURDER.

I squeal with delight seeing a new novel by B. A. Paris. Every book is unique and guaranteed to keep you engrossed from the first page to the last with her winning signature style. I have read all her books, and each one is 5 STARS.

Iris and Gabriel Pelly arrive home from a holiday vacation to find one of their closest friends, Laure, in their home.

They met Laure and her husband Pierre (on their honeymoon) many years ago on their first anniversary holiday in the Bahamas twenty years earlier.

They have been friends since and often vacation together. Years ago, they exchanged keys to their homes when traveling.

Iris and Gabriel have a daughter, Beth (19), who is away in Greece, volunteering at a dog shelter for the summer before she goes to Bristol in the fall. Laura is Beth's godmother.

It appears that Laura and Pierre are having marriage problems as they agreed not to have children, but now he is a father (from an affair). She left to get away, and the couple had not had a sit down to discuss.

Iris and Gabriel feel caught in the middle, and Gabriel tries to reach out to Pierre with no success. Pierre struggles with depression after the tragic death of his father when he was eleven.

Gabriel has not been himself after the death of Charlie Ingram, a student that Gabriel found on a bike path in the nearby quarry as he was dying. Being a doctor, he was unable to save him.

He offered his last dying words to Gabriel, which has haunted him since. They were words to his mother but were not positive, and he has put off meeting with the mother. Gabriel had not been running since.

Gabriel is taking time off from work (a doctor) due to the trauma and has decided to restore the walled garden, a project he promised to work on when they moved to the house fifteen years earlier. He also lost his father four months previously. He wants to finish the project before Beth comes home for a visit.

As time passes, Laura interjects herself into their lives, even going as far as wearing Iris' clothes, sleeping in their bed, and rearranging the furniture and kitchen. She does not seem to be in a hurry to leave.

In the meantime, Iris meets their new enigmatic neighbors, Esme and her husband, Hugh. Esme is much younger than her husband (by twenty years) and pregnant. They also have a gardener, Joseph, with a dangerous past of alcoholism (and sexy, dark good looks). Hugh has an older son, Marcus, in London.

Gabriel and Iris become quick friends with the neighbors, and Laura also puts herself in the middle of the new friendship and their gardener.

Joseph also helps Gabriel with the garden, and something seems off about him.

Strange things occur. Laura is still there and makes no effort to leave their house. She is also acting strange. Then Pierre goes missing.

Numerous things are at play, such as mysterious trips, relationships between these three couples and the gardener, and the connection between Charlie and his mom. And how does Beth connect with these scenarios?

The guilty SECRETS are piling up as the past collides with the present in this gripping, masterfully crafted domestic suspense where nothing or no one is as they appear with a cast of unreliable narrators. From a web of lies, secrets, deception, betrayal, and MURDER. Who is the murderer?

How far will they go to protect their family? TRUST NO ONE.

THE GUEST is psychologically rich , multi-layered, and plot-driven with an ongoing mounting of suffocating, a sense of dread lurking ahead as you anxiously await how all the chilling events will come together.

Paris fans will delight in this intriguing, enigmatic murder mystery of domestic suspense, as well as fans of authors Mary Kubica, Robyn Harding, and Kimberly Belle.

I was glued to THE GUEST and frantically flipping the pages into the wee hours of the morning to try and solve this well-crafted mystery. You cannot even imagine how all the puzzle pieces fit together. All is unveiled in the Epilogue, which is explosive.

I also had the privilege of listening to the audiobook narrated by the fabulous Emily Joyce, who brought the story alive for an engaging listening experience!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital reviewer copy in advance and an audio listening copy for my honest feedback.

Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries QA Interview with B.A. Paris, where we go behind the book and this mega-talented author on pub day, Feb 20, 2024! #SMPInfluencers

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: Feb 20, 2024
Feb 2024 Must-Read Books
Feb 2024 #AuthorElevatorSeries QA

My B.A. Paris Reviews: All 5 Stars and Top Books list yearly.
2016: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
2017: THE BREAKDOWN
2018: BRING ME BACK
2019: THE DILEMMA
2021: THE THERAPIST
2022: THE PRISONER

B.A. Paris INTERVIEWS:
THE THERAPIST
THE DILEMMA

B.A. Paris is an expert on giving the best surprises and twists in books. This book was no exception. I had so many guesses along the way and none of them were right! It was a quick read that kept me guessing until the end.

Trust the process, because B.A. Paris has done it again. I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed reading The Breakdown.
I have to admit that I was a little disappointed at first with the dialog and characters that were being introduced, but The Guest’s slow start is meticulously planned and with a purpose. The character development and story will grab you and keep you guessing until the end. I highly recommend reading The Guest.