I finished this book and audiobook last night and had to sit with for a bit… the story leading up to the end is kind of predictable but man oh man the end will have your head spinning 😵‍💫
Over all great book!

I wasn’t sure about this book in the beginning. It’s incredibly slow paced and there are a lot of things happening that don’t mesh together until the very ending. I did enjoy the book though as I continued reading and kept turning the pages quickly to see what was going to happen. I enjoyed the final twist at the end. I was not a fan of the narration on the audio and continued reading via ebook.

I had the audiobook of this story -- this was my first book by this author— and the narrator did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life- this helped me to stay intrigued by aspects of the storyline and characters. -- where we follow the interconnecting / interwoven lives of — Iris and Gabriel / Laure and Pierre and Esme and Hugh — with side interplay with the gardener Joseph and the daughter of Iris and Gabriel. This book would be a psychological drama/mystery— There were lots of red herrings and misdirections in the story —but the person I suspected was, in the end, the killer!— so the format was a bit predictable for me unfortunately.
Overall, the writing was good — the author has you disliking many characters in this story—in addition to being unreliable narrators — the characters are painted in such a way that you become irritated or loathe the characters— so I think it is good writing when an author can make you dislike so many people.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC. This is my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

Imagine coming back from vacation and someone is in your house unexpected, uninvited, AND sleeping in your bedroom? WEIRD!

Gabriel & Iris, Laure & Pierre have been friends for 20 years after meeting on vacation. Regardless, I don’t think that makes it acceptable for Laure to be a guest in Gabriel and Iris’ house to escape from her martial problems.
Throughout the book, Laure makes numerous excuses to not make amends with her husband and is adamant on staying in Gabriel and Iris’ home indefinitely. She wears Iris’ clothing, makes comments that indicate she knows/understands Gabriel better than Iris, and lies about her bizarre behaviors. It’s as if Laure is trying to become Iris by inserting herself into every aspect of her life, including her job and friendships.

Gabriel encounters an unfortunate event with the death of Charlie and lies about his dying words. Gabriel is actively avoiding Charlie’s mom, Maggie, as he is working out the guilt and trauma from his death. But their eventual meeting brings a lot of new information to the surface.

The neighbors, Esme and Hugh who have a new baby on the way also have a house guest living with them; Joseph is a gardener and a recovering alcoholic. He is hired to help Gabriel in the garden and it’s suspected that he is in a relationship with Laure. What is the connection between Maggie and Joseph?

As soon as Laure goes missing, I guessed what was going to happen. Esme’s character is better understood at this point and Gabriel’s alibi is suspect. All of a sudden, the story takes another turn with double deaths.

Enter Beth: Gabriel and Iris’ daughter who decides to take a year off before going to college. She’s spending a lot of time at the neighbors house babysitting. Then comes another death.

Secrets here, suspicion there, chaos everywhere! I didn’t like Iris’ constant complaining about Laure and not doing anything about it. Laure’s character was becoming overbearing and very clingy. Also, why did we spend more than half the book trying to figure out where Pierre is and why he didn’t respond to Gabriel when he is all the way in France? Joseph is just having an affair with everyone. What was the point of Beth’s character? The ending is rushed with its own twist, but not satisfying as there were so many broken pieces throughout the story line. A quick read, but dragged out and hard to relate to the multiple characters.

Iris & Gabriel, and Laure & Pierre met when on vacation and became fast friends. Years later when Iris & Gabriel came home from a get away, they found Laure in their house seeking refuge while she and Pierre work through some issues. But days turn into weeks and Laure has become an unwanted house guest, one that has overstayed her welcome. Another young couple had moved in close by, and soon they are all fast friends, all but Gabriel and their young gardener, Joseph. Gabriel is going through his own soul searching trauma and has distanced himself from Iris, something she’s rather distraught over. When tragedy befalls the three couples all do not live to tell about it, but are the survivors all innocent? This was a twisty good read and while I saw some of them coming, others I did not! This was a dual read/listen and was narrated perfectly by Emily Joyce. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

I would give this one 3.5 stars. A solid ending, with a beginning that was a little tough to get through. It was obvious things weren't what they seemed, and Paris as usual did a good job leading the reader through the journey and throwing suspicion on different characters at different times. It was infuriating though that no one would talk to each other about things, so everyone was left guessing about people's feeling or motives at various points.
Without saying too much, I think if the ending had not been as strong I would have liked this book a good deal less. It wasn't groundbreaking, but the entertainment factor was definitely there.
Solid narration, good quick thriller, I would absolutely recommend this, especially as a beach read.

I feel like this book shows instances of The Breakdown (my favorite Paris book).

The narrator Emily Joyce was a brilliant choice to deliver this story.

The first half of this book is a bit tough. There is a lot of information with some easter eggs if you pay attention. The set up is for an epic ending keep that in mind.

The Guest by B. A. Paris

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC-audiobook

Narrator: Emily Joyce

The narration is well done.
I’ve never listened to Emily Joyce narrate a book and I enjoyed it.

This is another decent psychological thriller read by B. A. Paris.

Couples that are old friends and couples that are new friends. All have various secrets affecting their relationships. Throw in a few other people to stir the pot; some of them will die. Oh the tangled webs we weave.

I enjoyed the experience of the listening to this. I think it’s one of my favorite books by B. A. Paris. It’s a slow burn, but it worked for me. Friends, relationships, secrets, loyalty, death, lies and deceit will be touched upon.

3.5⭐
Genre ~ domestic drama
Setting ~ England
Publication date ~ February 20, 2024
Est page Count ~ 304 (p+ 67 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 14 minutes
Narrator ~ Emily Joyce
POV ~ dual 3rd
Featuring ~ secrets, unlikable characters

Iris and Gabriel are our narrators. They've just come home early from holiday to an unexpected guest. A guest that might very well outstay their welcome.

They met Laure & Pierre on holiday almost 20 years ago and have remained close since. They live in different countries, but have been known to stay in each others houses from time to time.

They meet Esme & Hugh, who live close by, and soon begin hanging out frequently.
Joseph lives on their property and does the gardening for both families.

I didn't really like any of the characters really, especially Laure. I'm not one for extended house guests, or any house guests really, so she for sure overstayed her welcome IMO.

It's pretty much a drama and not a thriller. I wasn't sure how they would, but the side plots all came together nicely with the main one. And while I must say the super long (54 minutes and 15 seconds) epilogue did take me by surprise the leading up to it felt like it took an age. Overall, I can see this one being a big hit mystery lovers.

I was lucky enough to have an ebook and an audio copy.

Narration notes:
Emily did an okay job. She was frantic when necessary, but I could have went for a male narrator, which is why I did prefer reading over listening. Her accent was a little difficult for me to understand sometimes as it always sounded like she was saying Law and not Laure. Maybe that's just my American ears.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
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B. A. Paris strikes again with another banger coming for you in 2024. I loved this story. I was sucked into this one right from the beginning and my head exploded by the end of it.
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This book is the definition of drama - drama between couples, drama between friends, between lovers between new acquaintances. It was like watching an episode of housewives. This was lit. There was so much tension in this that you could feel it radiating from the pages. Paris does a great job at creating such tension from having a friend become an unwanted guest which also led to some serious tension as things begin to unravel.
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What a domestic drama/thriller.. I loved how this one unfolded, it’s fast paced, it’s easy to read and it will have you thinking it’s going to go in one direction then boom, you are left shocked and unable to believe what just happened. And that epilogue though, man – that was mind blowing, I did not see that coming at all, but it is one hell of an ending.
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I listened to this one while reading alongside through my kindle. Emily Joyce was the narrator and I love what she did with this story. She did a great job making this one unputdownable.
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The Guest releases 2/20, be sure to check this one out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, B. A. Paris, St. Martins Press and MacMillan Audio for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a solid mystery/thriller to listen to on audio. The story was easy to follow, and the narrator was perfect for the roll. For a quick audiobook, I highly recommend this book.

This was a decent story, but I found myself quite bored throughout the majority of the story. Obviously the entirety of the book before the epilogue was set up for the end, but I feel like we meet so many characters and I was expecting something a lot different than what occurred. Although I was shocked by the epilogue, and definitely did not see the plot going there.

I also thought there would be something more to Esme and Hugh's story. It was strange to me that Esme was so friendly to a stranger and they became best friends immediately. I was slightly disappointed by their story line.

After devouring B. A. Paris’ debut novel, Behind Closed Doors, I have since read every book released by the author. Unfortunately, none of the books have compared to her first book, including the author’s newest release, The Guest.

The story centers around married couple Iris and Gabriel. When returning from vacation, the couple is greeted by their friend, Laure, who has been staying in the house. Laure and her husband, Pierre, had a bit of a disagreement and she needed some time away. In addition to Laure, we meet Iris and Gabriel’s new neighbors, Esme and Hugh and their houseguest, Joseph. Iris and Gabrie’s college-age daughter makes an appearance throughout the story. Oh and prior to the start of the book, Gabriel witnesses a tragic accident that resulted in the death of a teen.

Well, with all the different characters who are introduced, here’s the kicker . . . NOTHING really happens in the book until the epilogue!!

I’m not sure what to make of The Guest. It is a quick read and if you enjoy a slow burn, then this is definitely the book for you! Personally, I found myself rolling my eyes throughout the book.

On a positive note, the audiobook narration was excellent!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was another great story by B.A. Paris. While I guessed the "culprit" and motive pretty early on, I was intrigued with how the story would play out. Paris can definitely weave a tale, and the characters are always fully developed and not one-note. Nothing knock your socks off; but this was a worthy read.

Returning from vacation to an unexpected guest in their house, the events the spiral become more twisted than readers will ever imagine.

Two couples, alcohol, and death. B.A. Paris knows how to craft a tale of suspense and drama.

The Guest by B.A. Paris was a good enough thriller but it was a slow burn. The last few chapters were page turners and I enjoyed the twists and turns. The main characters were uninteresting and forgettable. They didn't come to life. You didn't route for anyone. They are just a bit "bleh". The narrator, Emily Joyce, was excellent. She had distinct voices for all of the characters and her male voices were believable.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of the audiobook. #netgalley #TheGuest #BAParis

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC audiobook for The Guest. From the first chapter, I felt really connected to our two main characters and I really felt like they were so relatable. B.A. Paris always writes books that feel short and easy to read in one sitting and this was no different. The plot moves quickly yet seemingly benign but you can't help but pick up the masterfully left feeling of dread in the undertones of this novel. By the time you hit the 70% mark you are left with one hit after the other. I never saw the twist coming and loved how the story ended.

As an audiobook, the narrator did a fantastic job of portraying characters and giving each character a voice in the subtle changes. Some narrators with an accent I am hesistant about but I felt like this narrator told the story in a clear yet compelling way. Overall, I do recommend this book.

ARC Review: One of my friends got me on the B.A. Paris train back in my first year of college and I haven’t gotten off yet.

The Guest by B.A. Paris is a character-based thriller primarily following a woman and her husband as they host a family friend who overstays her welcome and embeds herself into their lives. I didn’t really think this book necessarily gave thriller vibes; it was missing some of the suspense that I was hoping for and had a bit of a slower pace than what I generally associate with this genre. It honestly didn’t really feel like a thriller until the epilogue, which gave me a bit of whiplash just because it was so different from the rest of the book. Besides that, the writing was solid and the characters were well-developed. This book has an unreliable narrator and suspicious characters, and the author does a really good job of timing when information is revealed to the audience. While this was not the best book I’ve read by this author, I still enjoyed it; however, I would recommend starting with The Breakdown if you want to get into B.A. Paris’s works.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Emily Joyce who does a great job!

I have mixed thoughts about this story as I had a hard time becoming engrossed in and remaining interested in this book. Who does not like to read about friendships, lies and secrets? However, I found this to be a bit of a slow, rambling story with a bland cast of characters.

Iris and Gabriel return home from a troubling holiday only to find a surprise, unannounced houseguest. Yes, in the past, the couples has stayed at each other's homes while vacant but this time its different. Laure has separated from Pierre due to infidelity's, and has made herself quite at home in Iris and Gabriel's house. Suffering from marital issues themselves, the house guest is adding pressure to Iris and Gabriel's relationship while overstaying her welcome. It does not help that there is a new family in the neighborhood that befriends them and the group soon becomes enmeshed in a variety of unhealthy ways and the lies and bodies start to pile up.

The epilogue is definitely a hum dinger but up until that point, the story is too slow of a burn for me. I have enjoyed this author's earlier books and this is worth the read....just not as great as the earlier works.3.4 stars.

That epilogue though! This was my first B.A Paris novel and am I ever glad it found its way onto my shelf. This story unraveled slowly and I can't say that I became overly attached to any of the characters themselves. In most cases I find myself getting frustrated with novels that take so long to get to the point where the pieces come together, but I remained hooked from beginning to end; and omg that end. If you enjoy a good last second mind blowing revelation, I highly recommend this book. From what I have read about B.A Paris since finishing The Guest, her work will only excite me more from here.

Thank you B.A Paris and NetGalley for my ARC of The Guest.

Paris consistently leaves me on the edge of my seat, and The Guest didn’t change that. This book leaves you questioning everything you think you know until the very last page!