B.A. Paris' upcoming novel, "The Guest," offers readers a captivating domestic drama that delves into the lives of three separate couples. While not as fast-paced as some of Paris' previous works, this story gradually builds up tension and surprises readers with its unexpected ending.

One of the highlights of experiencing "The Guest" was listening to the audiobook version. The narrator's accent added an extra layer of authenticity to the characters and their interactions.

Initially centered around the lives of three separate couples, "The Guest" gradually evolves into a gripping murder mystery. As the story unfolds, secrets are revealed, tensions rise, and the characters find themselves entangled in a web of deceit and betrayal. Paris skillfully navigates the transition from domestic drama to murder mystery, keeping readers guessing and engaged throughout.

At first, it took me a moment to figure out the pairings of the three couples, but once I got that down, the everything began to make sense. Paris skillfully weaves their stories together, exploring their relationships, secrets, and the complexities of their lives.

While "The Guest" may not be a fast-paced thriller, it excels as a domestic drama. Paris expertly explores the dynamics between the couples. The author's ability to create relatable and flawed characters adds depth to the story, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their lives.

The ending of "The Guest" took me by surprise, adding an unexpected twist for me. Paris manages to tie up loose ends while leaving room for interpretation, leaving readers with a sense of satisfaction and curiosity.

Although "The Guest" may not surpass Paris' previous novel, "Behind Closed Doors," it still stands as a commendable addition to her repertoire. Fans of domestic dramas will find themselves engrossed in the lives of the characters and the intricate web of relationships that Paris has crafted.

"The Guest" is a well-written and engaging novel that offers a compelling domestic drama with a gradual build-up and a surprising ending. B.A. Paris continues to showcase her talent for creating complex characters and exploring the intricacies of human relationships .

Thank you to Macmillan audio and Netgalley for my advanced listening copy of this upcoming audiobook in exchange for my honest review. 4 stars

I don’t know about you but having an unexpected house guest gives me extreme anxiety. But when they decide to stay longer than originally thought is a million times worse! These characters were incredibly flawed and keeping secrets from each other. Laure is clearly overstaying her welcome and refusing to deal with what is happening at home. Gabriel is keeping something from his wife as his wife is keeping plenty from him.

This one was great to listen to on audio because it did start pretty slow. I didn’t know where the plot was going until about 50% in so listening it to while working made it easier to get into. The ending was not something I expected and goodness, so many people died lol. This was an interesting read once things really started to unravel!

First things first – I adored the narrator on this book. I loved her accent and the way it so seamlessly flowed into a french accent. I was enchanted and honestly – the narration is probably the biggest thing that kept me hooked on this book. Well done!

This was my first book by B.A. Paris and I was really excited to stray out of my normal genre and into something that was going to really mess with my head. That’s not…exactly what I got here. The story was interesting enough, if a little slow. But there was nothing really twisty or turny about it. Sure, there’s a twist at the end. But it was kind of dropped like an anvil on the reader and there were no other real twists that my mind would have imagined. It wasn’t like there were several suspects, or a lot of motives floating around. I didn’t see the twist coming, but I also didn’t guess wrong because I didn’t really guess at all.

The ending also left me feeling a certain amount of ick. Like, I just ended the book feeling flat and a little sad. This, of course, is not my favorite way to end a book. Maybe it’s because it’s outside of my normal genre, or maybe it’s because it really does sort of involve that flat, sad feeling – but, while I found it overall entertaining, it definitely won’t go down as a favorite for me.

I did not get very far into the audiobook before I knew this book was not for me. I had no interest in it at all unfortunately. Thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio & St Martin's Press for advance copies.

I'm a huge BA Paris fan but this one was a disappointment. I was very much enjoying it....until the end.
Narrator was great.
Thanks for the chance to listen and review.

This book was too good! It left me wanting to read more and more. The twists, the story, and everything in between.. so good!

I have read all of this author's books and they are all worth reading. This was good, but not great. The epilogue at the end that reveals everything was a bit over the top. I enjoyed the story for the most part but hoped for a better resolution. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

1 star
DNF. Talked about the same topic for the first 20% of the entire book and I was so bored that I had no interest in the characters or the storyline … will not be finishing unfortunately. loved work from this author, but not this book unfortunately

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the audiobook!
Synopsis: Iris and her husband Gabriel come home from a trip to find their longtime friend, Laure, unexpectedly at their house. Laure says she has had a family emergency and while she is initially invited into their home, a few weeks go by and she has made no plans to leave. With a house guest overstaying their welcome, tensions are high, and secrets, lies, and drama from the past and present begin to surface.
My thoughts: This was a fun little domestic thriller! I did feel the pacing of the book was really slow up until about the last quarter. The last bit packed a punch and made up for the slow start with tons of action and a good twist at the end. Overall, I don’t think this will be a super memorable one for me, it was missing something to really standout as a thriller. I’m still looking forward to trying this author’s other book, Behind Closed Doors because of the raving reviews!

A strain is weighing on Iris and Gabriel’s marriage. Since they do not feel they can be open with one another, it festers and seeps through more of their relationship. Just what they do not need right then arrives in the form of their friend, Laure. She left her husband because he admitted to being the father of a girl. The longer Laure stays, the more space emerges between Iris and Gabriel.

They meet a couple who have just moved to their town and their gardener. This gives the couple someone to confide in and a place to get away from Laure. Relationships will have their highs and lows. The characters are well-written and likable, except Laure. She is self-centered and oblivious to those around her. Even so each person is well developed, and you find yourself forgetting that this is a story.

I am a huge fan of BA Paris and this book stands up to the excellence in the other works.





I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press and Audiobook from MacMillan Audio. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

I am very thankful to B.A. Paris, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for granting me advanced access to this book and audiobook, but it just wasn't for me. I couldn't stay focused at all.

Read Completed 12/20/23 | 4 stars
I really enjoyed THE GUEST a lot more than I thought I would! I've read all of B.A. Paris' thrillers so far and some have been big flops, including the last few, so I just wasn't sure what to expect. Maybe because my expectations were low, I went into it not expecting much and I was happy when I ended up connecting with it.

The beginning of the book was slower, but enjoyable for me. If nothing else, the concept of a guest that's overstayed their welcome was dread enough for me to feel tension and anxiety while reading. I was okay with this pacing because I liked getting to know the characters really well and wondering where everything was going, but I can see how others might not have enjoyed that. I mean, normally I probably wouldn't have enjoyed that, but I just really ended up clicking with the characters, which doesn't always happen.

Things started to spiral out of control about halfway through and that's where things really got interesting. I didn't want to stop reading and was racing through to try and guess at all of these family secrets! Who was the most sinister? Were these circumstances suspicious or out of character? I really liked all the little surprises and twists.

This could have really ended on a bang but instead, we get a weak epilogue where someone basically tells all, and I really hate that. It's lazy and felt like we reached the conclusion of the book already and this was all an afterthought. It really cheapened everything and I wish that could have been used IN the conclusion because everything else just kind of died off and wasn't exciting.

This was a better B.A. Paris read for me but I'm really disappointed in how everything wrapped up. The answers to the questions were satisfying but I hate how we learned about them and after finding out all the answers, there were too many red herrings and barely-hanging-on parties.

After reading a previous book by B.A. Paris, I was so excited when NetGalley provided me with an audiobook of The Guest. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book and found it very difficult to finish. I really dislike leaving a poor review of a book. I found it challenging to keep track of all the characters and the story fell short for me. I did not find the overall story line very engaging and it seemed repetitive and slow.

On a positive note, I did enjoy that the chapters were short.

1/5 ⭐️

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this audio book from NetGalley and truly enjoyed the narrator. She had such a great range and her French accent was spot on.
The book itself was extremely thrilling and a quick page turner - if you’re reading the physical copy.
Iris and her husband return from a trip to find their longtime friend in their home after she had an argument with her husband, also their friend. This is a twisted drama full of secrets and I really had no idea what would happen next. Love B.A. Paris and will continue reading. 3.5 stars ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this audio book!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I enjoyed this book but it was a little scattered. The characters were hard to like and quite frustrating throughout the story

This one was okay…not totally as memorable as some of their other ones. Definitely a good palate cleanser in between more demanding books. It’s a typical domestic drama/thriller. Pretty predictable but enjoyable nonetheless. I kind of lost interest by the end. 2.5 rounded up.

What's the limit to a houseguest being a guest as opposed over staying their welcome?

Iris and her husband Gabriel return from vacation to find their friend, Laure staying in their house due to some marital issues. Laure's stay keeps getting extended and secrets, lies and actions from the past and present start to surface.

This book sucked me right in from the start. I definitely did not see the ending coming. B.A. Paris does it again. This book is a wild and twisty ride that you won't regret taking!

I have never not finished a book but I did think about it while reading The Guest. I'm glad I didn’t but overall this was a miss for me. The story moved extremely slowly and I never fully knew what we were building towards.

Iris and Gabriel are a married couple and they go on vacation. They come back home early and find their friend Laure in their home. Laure tells them she just found out that her husband Pierre has a kid with another woman. This is another example of a book that was filled with characters that I just did not like.

For the first half, I did not know what the point of the story was, then there was something that happened, and it's what the mystery then revolved around. I just didn’t find the mystery to be interesting.

By the end, I was expecting the twist to be exactly what it was. I didn’t find it shocking it was the predictable choice and it left me wanting so much more.

Thank you to B.A. Paris, Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris is one of my favorite books of this year, so I was beyond thrilled when I received this book! The narration of the audiobook was fantastic. The plot kept me interested and the epilogue was *chefs kiss*. B.A. Paris does it again! Releasing Feburary 2024, be sure to check this one out!

This book had some underlying triggers warnings that I should have paid attention to before leaping in. One line in particular that I can't get over it in my head which might be a really good sign for the authorship.