I was lucky enough to receive an ebook AND audio for this advanced copy. I loved having the option for both because I almost never had to set the story down.

I’m not sure how to go about this review without leaving little spoiler bread crumbs everywhere but I shall try! The blurb made this one seem like a complex and fast paced thriller. However, I found this to be a very easy to read slowwww burn. Luckily, I am coming off of back-to-back holiday romcoms so my “thrills” standards were set low. Speaking of romance, we’ve all become acquainted with the term “closed door” on here, yeah? Well this was a “closed door” thriller. Chapters would end and the next chapter would pick up during the aftermath of a huge plot point. It did keep me hooked for answers though! It’s not until the epilogue that the “door” is kicked opened and you get all the details.

I love domestic dramas. The way this unfolded was so clever and the way you slowly root for different characters is fun. A quick and enjoyable read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The Guest really had a hard time holding my attention. Typically I love a good B.A. Paris book, but this just didn’t do it for me. I felt it was slow with multiple random characters and had no idea how why they were all there or how they all connected. Until the epilogue.
Having to get to the veey end of the book for any of it to make sense to me just doesn’t do i justice. It would have been better if more insight was thrown in throughout and it may have held my attention better.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for this advance recording in return for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date: 20 FEB 2024

Thank you Netgalley, B A. Paris, and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately this book did not hold my attention. I found it to be a bit slow and I had a really hard time connecting with the novel.

This wasn't psychological or suspenseful for me.

It is more of a slow-to-medium burn domestic drama. Paris does try to throw a surprise reveal/twist at the end but it didn't wow me or surprise me. Mostly it made me further tired of this on-going trend of trying to turn the table upside down in the last chapter or epilogue. I also didn't buy what the confessional was selling and there were other parts of the story I couldn't buy either (e.g. a teenager dying taking their life after finding out their parent had an affair).

So, I just finished this book and, overall, it was a pretty good ride. Picture this: a couple has a house guest who ends up overstaying their welcome, and suddenly, all these secrets start bubbling up to the surface. Classic domestic drama, right?

The story had its fair share of twists and turns that kept me hooked, although I'll be honest, there were moments when it felt like things were moving a little slow. But hang on, because the epilogue totally turned things around for me—it had a big surprise that I didn't see coming.

Now, at the beginning, I struggled a bit to keep track of all the characters. It was like, "Wait, who's who again?" But no worries, it all clicked into place as I kept going. I got the audiobook version, and the narration was spot-on! I really enjoyed listening to it—added a whole new layer to the experience. Shoutout to Net Galley for hooking me up with an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the twist of the ending of this book, that was very similar to other B.A. Paris books I've read. But in comparison to other books I've read by this author this was quiet slow paced. I found myself looking at the length of time and wondering when the thriller/mystery portion of the story line was going to happen. A large portion of this book felt just like daily life and like a dairy. I also deeply hated the name Laure for a character. I found it very annoying to listen to the audiobook narrator pronounce. Overall, I would give this book a 3/5 stars. It still had an enjoyable ending, but I would of liked more mystery throughout the story, rather then just at the end.

B.A. Paris is one of my must read authors! The Guest is another fantastic psychological thriller in this author’s collection of books.

In The Guest, a couple welcomes a good friend into their home since she is going through a rough patch in her marriage. Unfortunately, their guest oversteps conventional boundaries and her presence begins to take its toll on their hospitality. The twists and turns were what I have come to expect from this author- shocking. The Epilogue was a complete surprise!

If you love psychological thrillers that deal with domestic relationships, then I highly recommend listening to this audiobook!

Thank you @macmillan.audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

B.A Paris always seems to deliver with some crazy thriller and The Guest did not disappoint either! The narration is great, as always. I thought the premise was not very interesting but the book itself ended up pretty good! I did not guess a few of the twists and it's always a great thing. I kept on suspecting everyone! There was a twist on top of twist so if you are looking for something with multiple little mysteries, then this one is for you for sure!
It's a quick and enjoyable thriller and I definitely recommend it. Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this audio book.

Let me start by saying that B.A. Paris is one of my favorite authors. After discovering Behind Closed Doors, I preceded to binge her entire backlist within a long weekend. While this one had me hooked from the start, and kept me highly entertained throughout, the ending fell flat for me.

Paris does a fantastic job of developing each of these characters and creating a well layered and complex plot line. At times I felt as though I knew these characters, that they could be my neighbors. I was glued to the pages, flipping (or in my case tapping) as quickly as I could, so eager to know what exactly had happened. This entertainment factor is the strongest aspect of The Guest.

While the story itself is engaging, my issue is in the detail. I really appreciate when authors take the time to lay the breadcrumbs throughout the story, and whether or not you are able to see them in real time, you can find them when you go back and look. Unfortunately, there were a few big twists here, all that came at the end of the story, and none of which seemed to have been plotted or hinted previously in the story.

And yet with all of that said, I still think this is a fun, bingeable thriller that will keep your attention until the final page.

Read if you like:
•domestic suspense
•psychological thriller
•dual timeline
•single POV
•bingeable books
•Katherine Faulkner

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies.

When Iris and Gabriel return home from vacation, they are stunned to find their friend Laure living in their house. Laure has some shocking news for them: her husband Pierre has fathered a secret child, prompting Laure to flee Paris and her marriage. Iris and Gabriel tell Laure she can stay as long as she likes, but as time goes on, Laure shows no signs of leaving, and in fact only seems to be embedding herself further. Iris is at her wit’s end, fed up with Laure borrowing her clothes and rearranging the kitchen cupboards. Now sprinkle in some new neighbors, a gardener, and some illicit relationships, and things really start to get interesting.

This one is a bit of a slow burn, especially in the beginning, but I was intrigued from the start, especially since the prologue contains characters that we don’t meet right away in the story. I couldn’t wait to see how they would figure in. There’s a subtle but delicious dark undercurrent running throughout the plot that kept me engaged and guessing the entire time. There are lots of twists and surprises in this domestic suspense, and it’s hard to say too much without giving things away, but suffice it to say that I was surprised at how it all came together!

The audiobook is a great listen, with spot-on narration by Emily Joyce. Her pace and cadence are just right and added to my enjoyment of the story. She perfectly conveys Iris’s mild mannered, stiff-upper-lip Britishness while delicately infusing her with irritation and unease over the situation with Laure. She gives Laure a very slight French accent so she’s distinguishable from Iris, which is a nice touch.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I highly enjoyed this.
I sure did not see the ending coming!!🤯
Like her previous books I’ve read Paris kept the twists and turns coming.
I was eager to know what would happen next!
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys family drama/ suspense /physiological thriller books!
Huge thanks to NetGalley for this ARC
Set to publish 2/20/24

I am a huge Paris fan, but I felt this book was just okay. The characters were not as engaging as usual. I also really wanted a twist at the end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

OK wow this book started with a literal bang and the secrets kept rolling.
Everyone's lives were so intertwined. As more and more connections were revealed the ride just kept getting wilder.
There was so much going on with all the various plot points that I almost forgot about a lot of major moments until they resurfaced later. Example: Pierre's secret child and Laurel's fate. Just completely slipped my mind, which is strange for me. At the same time this is what I really loved about this book. With all of the craziness happening my mind didn't have time to dwell on every little thing and figure out what the twists would be.
A wild ride for sure.

🎧📖 note: Emily Joyce did an incredible job. Her accents are always impeccable and she has a way of really making you feel like the characters have their own narrator.

How about that ending!?! Wowza, I did not see that coming!

Suddenly Iris and Gabriel suddenly have a lot occurring in their lives. Gabriel finds a young man who has had a terrible accident and hears the young man's last words, leaving Gabriel with a terrible burden. This burden affects him greatly. Then their friend Laure, from Paris, arrives and moves in after telling them that Pierre, her husband informed her that he had fathered a child with another woman. They tell Laure that she can stay as long as she needs, but she soon becomes a tad bit annoying. Laur begins wearing Iris' clothing, following her around and asking questions about the young man's death. Then there are the new young neighbors and a handsome gardener thrown into the mix.

The characters in this book deal with all kinds of issues: depression, distance in a marriage, learning a partner has a secret child, loneliness, and lack of boundaries to name a few. Iris and Gabriel want to help Laure, but she soon outstays her welcome. She makes herself a little too much at home. Iris and Gabriel want to help but they also want her out but feel bad so don't ask her to leave. It sucks when one feels uncomfortable in their own home. I thought the author did a great job showing their annoyance and discomfort with their guest.

I thought the book was done at one point and was shocked to see there was more to go. Well hold on to your hats because the ending was a shocker! I did not see that coming at all! I wish that the book was that way the entire book through. This was an enjoyable book, but I wasn't completely wowed until the ending I mentioned. There is a lot of "talk" and scenes that didn't feel necessary. Plus, parts were slow and slow, and I do not get along.

Plus, the characters were not likeable or engaging. I found myself feeling meh about some of them. Having said that, I was invested enough to want to know how the book was going to end and for me, the final reveal stole the show and saved the book.

Well written and dramatic.

Although this was not my favorite book by B.A. Paris, I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

B.A. Paris once again proves her mastery of psychological thrillers with The Guest. In this gripping tale, Iris and Gabriel return from a pivotal holiday to find their close friend, Laure, in their home, harboring shocking secrets. Tensions rise as Laure's erratic behavior disrupts their lives, and the couple's attempts to support her take a toll. The arrival of newcomers brings a glimmer of relief, but as hidden pasts unravel, the story becomes a relentless exploration of dangerous secrets. The author weaves a suspenseful narrative, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with every twist and turn in this intricately crafted thriller.

I'm a long time fan of B.A. Paris and have read every single one of her books. This is a mid-book with an unsatisfying ending in my opinion. I can't elaborate anymore without giving it away but the majority of this book comes together in the last chapter (Epilogue) and I prefer it drawn out in multiple chapters and the epilogue giving final closure. There were also some side plots/ mysteries that I didn't particularly care for (ie the Charlie portions). I had a hunch early on as to who Pierre had fathered a child with and since that was one of the big mysterieis, it wasn't as satisfying. Overall, I think authors are getting a bit sloppy wtih the twists. I get there are only so many tropes to end with, but this one has been done many times before and wasn't executed well. This is definitely an outlier in B.A. Paris' work and so I will continue to read her, but this one wasn't for me. It was also hard to get into and I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable. Laure was by far the most annoying and while I understood Gabriel was doing with his own grief and trauma, I didn't appreciate how much he shut his wife Iris out.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reading copy of The Guest by B.A. Paris.

Without giving away too much. Iris and Gabriel are the perfect couple with a beautiful house in the British countryside and a young adult daughter living in Greece. Gabriel experiences a traumatic event which leaves him feeling guilty for the choice he made. Iris trying to take his mind off the event has them leave on a short break but when they return they have an unexpected house guest.

B.A. Paris knows how to craft a fast paced dual timeline. Unfortunately for me this was not as good as some other novels I’ve read by her.

As if coming home after a vacation wasn’t bad enough, Iris and Gabriel have returned home to find one of their friends has moved in. Laurie is sleeping in their bed and wearing Iris’s clothes. Laurie has left her husband and has assumed it’s all right to move in with her friends. As her behavior becomes more bizarre and she encroaches even more on Iris and Gabriel’s lives, the couple finds some relief from the tense atmosphere in their home by visiting a new couple who have just moved into the neighborhood. Paris creates a nightmare, living arrangement, and the neighborhood from hell in this twisted thriller

The narrator was great! I actually had the book and audiobook and found myself wanting to listen to the audiobook version more (which I usually don’t prefer) because the narrator did such a great job voicing the different characters and reading at such a good pace!