This was a very easy and quick listen on the way to and from work. I loved the narrators accent and will listen to more by her. The books had my attention from page one and I was anxious to hear more every day. If you are looking for a good suspenseful novel that has a little twist at the end , then this is it. I have enjoyed most all works by this author and will continue to request more ARC of hers. Thanks NetGalley!

What a ride The Guest book was! I loved this domestic drama/psychological thriller. Overall, this book is everything you want from this genre.

Iris and Gabriel arrive home from their holiday trip and discover their close friend, Laure in their house. She explains to them that she has just discovered her husband, Pierre, has a child! She gave up the idea of motherhood because they both agreed that children were not for them. Laure plans to stay more time with them as she tries to figure things out, but starts becoming annoying burden to keep having at their house. She’s constantly draining them about her relationship. Iris meets her new neighbors one day as she’s out for a walk on her own. She finds the couple lovely and fun. The new neighbors brought a friend of theirs to help landscape for them. It’s one deceptive thing after another. I did not see the ending coming! There are so many layered secrets. I feel like the pacing of the book was perfect. Everything is slowly unraveled when we finally learn about all the drama.


Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the audiobook copy.
I loved the audiobooks narration. Once I had all the characters sorted, I found the story easy to follow. I was able to listen to this in one day because I found the drama so interesting.

B.A. Paris continues to be one of those authors i automatically want to read their books. They don’t disappoint!

This was a nice read, a bit meandering at times with a nice payoff at the end. The narrator was engaging and fit the mood of the story. I love BA Paris books and will happily read her next but this one was not my favorite of hers.

The Guest follows the story of husband and wife, Gabriel and Iris. When they return home from a trip they find their friend, Laure, living in their house. Laure tells them that she has left her husband after finding out that he had an affair many years ago and has a secret child. Iris and Gabriel open their home to their old friend but quickly Laure starts to out stay her welcome. Many secrets from the past slowly come to the surface in this psychological thriller.

This book was full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. While I was intrigued I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. I felt that the pacing was off at time. Sometimes the book was slow and other times it was full speed ahead. I also didn’t connect with the characters and didn’t find them likeable. The ending came out of nowhere and really surprised me. Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator Emily Joyce did a great job, I would definitely listen to books narrated by her in the future.

When Iris and Gabriel return home from a holiday, they are surprised to find that their close friend Laure has unexpectedly taken up residence in their house while they were away. It seems Laure has recently learned that her husband and Iris and Gabriel’s close friend, Pierre, has a child with another woman. Iris and Gabriel want to support both their friends, despite Laure’s inconvenient and invasive presence in their lives and in spite of their own issues with which they are grappling.

Add in some other events that have recently impacted their lives, a new pair of friends in town, and the gardener that lives with those friends, and things become more and more complicated for Iris and Gabriel.

This one wasn’t exactly what I was expecting based on the published description, but I enjoyed it. Like Iris and Gabriel in the story, I wasn’t quite sure how far Laure would push their hospitality; had I been in the same situation, I also would have chafed at her apparent disregard for boundaries. I expected things to take a different kind of nefarious turn, but it was interesting to see how B.A. Paris wove all the seemingly disparate pieces and parts together to connect all the characters and happenings.

I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed Emily Joyce’s narration. It was easy to keep track of the different characters. This one is set in England and France, so expect accents to go along with those locations.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I listened to the audio version on the Netgalley app.

The Guest by B.A. Paris was my first book of hers that I read/listened to and I loved it. The story starts with Iris and Gabriel returning to their home after taking a holiday trip as they realize they aren't alone. Although they have used each other's residences when the other is on holiday, their good friend, Laure decided to do just that but neglected to inform them that she would be there. After they realize why she is there, the story begins with more background to the couples, new characters in the neighborhood and apparently secrets everyone has been keeping from each other.

Emily Joyce did an amazing job as the narrator. My attention on the story was held all throughout and never felt a lull. The story kept me guessing of who may have done certain deeds (not giving anything away), who told who what and although I was sure I knew what had happened, B.A. Paris fully surprised me! Just as you think you know what is what, all that changes and you're left wanting to reread/listen to it again to see how you missed certain clues. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. This book is now available as of February 20, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the ARC. Also thank you to the author, B.A. Paris for the great read! Looking forward to reading some more of your books!

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and MacMillan Audio for the gifted audio-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Multiple POV, mysterious characters, slow burn

I liked it. There was a lot going on, though, so it became a bit confusing. It started off really strong, but somewhere, it lost me. The epilogue was the best part.

BA Paris is such a great writer. As usual, I was pulled in from the beginning. The characters were so complex and all had secrets to hide. When their friend Laure shows up at their home unannounced and claims her husband cheated on her and fathered a child with another woman, Iris and Gabriel agree to let her stay, not realizing it may become a permanent arrangement. Things quickly become complicated, and even more so when they hire a handsome gardener who lives close by. There are many twists and turns throughout the story, which kept me invested. Honestly I didn’t love the ending and wish it had gone a different way, but I can’t say anything regarding that without giving it away. Others will no doubt love it. Overall I really enjoyed this book and recommend. I listened to the audiobook, thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, and loved the performance by narrator Emily Joyce!

I enjoyed this one, but it wasn't my favorite by this author.

Plot -
Gabriel and Iris return from vacation to find their friend Laure staying in their home. She had just walked out on her husband, Pierre, after he confessed to an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel try to be supportive, but Laure's behavior becomes more and more unhinged, and she has overstayed her welcome.

Audio -
I thought the narration was fine, but it doesn't always work for me when female narrators attempt to fake a male voice by making theirs deeper. There has to be a better way to do that. Overall, the pace was steady and easy to follow.

Thoughts -
This book was just okay in my opinion. I thought the whole thing dragged on for a long time with nothing happening. This author's books are usually more tense than this was. I wasn't entirely sure where the book was going. I don't want to give any spoilers because it does take a few wild turns, and then there is one massive plot twist at the end. I personally don't like the plot twists where everything is wrapped up, and then a character is like, "but here is what really happened." The best I can say is that it is a reliable thriller, but probably won't be memorable for me in either a good or a bad way.

I enjoyed this audiobook. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming! I think the author did a great job of building up the characters - everyone in my opinion was likeable but flawed in some way. This book was not fast-paced at first, but once things started unfolding, the plot started gaining momentum. I looked the narrator, and I think she did well with the French and English accents.

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Going to go with 3.5 stars for this and rounding up because I kept reading in a rush and honestly the twist was good, but the way it was revealed was not (which is why I am struggling to rate this).

The reasoning for not going all-in on giving this 4 stars is the way the twist is revealed. The Epilogue is almost an hour long and is where the twist is revealed. It is told in facts such as person did this thing and they had to do this, that, and the other to hide it from everyone. Person also did this other thing and followed up with premeditated actions one, two and three. Yawn. Instead of this almost hour-long epilogue with word vomit style reveals and explanations, it could have been built into the story in a more fun-for-the-reader way.

All that said -- I did like the story throughout and kept reading as I was interested in finding out what happened. I think most readers will really love this story and the twist, regardless of how it is revealed and explained at the end!

This was a good mystery with a twist I did not see coming. I felt the pacing was a bit slow which kind of drew me out of the story at times. Overall though the plot was good and the twists did surprise me. The udiobook narrator was decent. I would have liked a little more distinction between characters, especially in the male voices. Overall a solid resd.

As always, B.A. Paris continues to write amazing mysteries/psychological thrillers with such surprising twists. I read so many books in this genre that it’s hard for me not to predict an ending — but this one still surprised me. The characters were really well developed, and it made me want to become friends with the new neighbors, but then felt personally upset when scandalous details emerged. It was an easy book to foy through in a day or two, and the audio was great! I would definitely recommend!

"The Guest" by B.A. Paris is a domestic thriller. A couple returns home from holiday to find a friend has moved into their house. How long is she going to stay?

Characters 4/5
Writing 3/5
Plot 2/5
Pacing 2/5 too slow, not enough action
Unputdownability 3/5
Enjoyment 2/5
Narration 4/5 by Emily Joyce, but she has a strong British accent.
Cover 4/5

When the twist requires a long epilogue to explain, rethink the writing.

I didn't really enjoy this book. It seemed to drag on.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for this audiobook so i could provide this review. All opinions are my own.

Oof - wasn’t expecting that ending and boy was I pleased! This domestic drama was a bit slow to build at first, but immediately starts off with some mystery and a bit overbearing house guest. As it goes on, death ensues and you’re left wondering, who and how? I found myself hooked trying to figure out all the twists and turns and was pleasantly surprised by the ending! Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller!
It begins with a couple, Iris and Gabriel, returning from vacation to find an unexpected houseguest.
Laure, a dear friend of theirs has left her husband Pierre, also a dear friend of theirs, when he confesses to a much earlier indiscretion that will now affect their lives many years later. Laure oversteps again and again, as a houseguest, resulting in the atmosphere becoming quite tense.
An intriguing story with a roller coaster ride of twists and turns lead to a surprise ending.
Excellent narration by Emily Joyce.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an arc of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC and the chance to review it honestly.

I liked the story overall. You get a lot of deaths in this story! I liked that people were just getting killed to hide more and more secrets, this book is full of drama! I thought the narrator was great, I was able to finish this book quickly. I honestly really wanted to love* this one but the pacing really threw me off which then resulted in a lower rating but it was still enjoyable. This wasn’t my favorite book by the author but I didn’t hate it either!

Happy reading

This was such a good book! I loved the characters, and their story. The dialogue was realistic and enjoyable. I was very surprised by the ending!

3.5/4 stars (rounded up to 4 on here)

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
*
I have to start this by saying that I am an avid B.A. Paris fan. I have pretty much read all of her books and I think have a copy of all of her books as well (even though some might be in storage till we move). All this to say that I do love her writing. I can usually get into one of her books quick and they keep my attention throughout the whole book. However, The Guest is probably not going to make my favorite of her books. The one thing that did probably save the book for me was the ending, but I felt like it just took a lot of time to get there. The pace was slower than her other books and I felt like by the time we got to the twists, my attention span was struggling. Also, I think the biggest thing for me in this book was how unlikeable the characters were. They all just seemed to struggle, and for how close the group of friends supposedly were, their lack of communication was lacking.


I did really enjoy the narrator! I felt like I was engaged more throughout the audiobook and would tend to listen to it more than I would pick up the eARC!Overall, I still felt like it was a decent book and isn’t one that will deter me from picking up her books in the future, because like I said, I still really enjoy her writing!

This wild thriller kept me engaged with it unreliable narrators. What a wild cast of characters who kept me on my toes. The audiobook also enhanced the experience. I would recommend this audiobook to any friends who are interested in an audsome read!