This was my first Bonnie Traynor book and I will definitely be looking into more of her books. This book was a little hard to follow with all of the different characters, but that could also be because I did not read the first book to this yet.

This is the second book in the series about Laura a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who leads a team of young women trying to create new products. I wasn’t aware this was the second book, but it can be read as a standalone.

The book starts off strong. Allie, a rising star, creating technology for the dead moves into a new guest house. Things take a turn for the worst right away, from the bizarre landlords to a creepy tenant also staying there. I was hooked the first half trying to make out where her story was going because it was very suspenseful.

Laura has another set of issues with her family and she is weary of trusting anyone. She is trying to help Allie settle her situation but her family keeps getting closer and closer to Allie and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

I loved how the deaf community was represented. The author mentioned her daughter had cochlear implants and it was a big part of the story. I thought the ending finished several chapters too early. A lot of unanswered questions and a little too wrapped up. Like some characters just completely disappeared. It needed about 30-35 more pages to round it out. The last paragraph leaves a major cliffhanger though.

Overall it was an entertaining read but I wish the end was better. I was left wanting more. It’s a quick, entertaining read. 3.5 rounded up!

2.5 rounded up. The premise of this book was a cool one- I just don’t think it was done correctly. The pacing of the plot line was very strange. Allie just seemed to be a girl in a lot of unfortunately odd situations for most of the story. The book seemed to end 20 pages before it actually ended. There were also far too many loose ends like the Tabernakys and Barnat. Overall- the crumbs kept me turning the pages, but it missed the mark.

This was my second book by this author, and I am definitely a fan. I loved that Traymore wrote a book with a main character that is part of the D/deaf or hard of hearing community and wears a cochlear implant. I loved the premise of this book. It was narrated from two different POVs - Laura (who was my fave in the 1st book) and Allie. I read this suspenseful book in one sitting, and it did not disappoint. As someone that reads a ton of thrillers every year, I can say that I didn’t guess right on this one.

We see Laura come into her own from the 1st book, and I loved that she stood up for herself and followed her heart. She found her voice in this book, and I enjoyed watching her develop. I also loved Allie. It was great getting to know her in this book. Traymore did a great job with character development in this novel.

The suspense was at an all time high and I devoured this book in a few hours. The twists were twisting in this one! I was invested and very entertained while reading this. Traymore did a great job weaving a tale that was gripping while also educating me on the D/deaf or hard of hearing community.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

If I could do half stars I would give this a 2.5. It was entertaining but nothing special, I read a lot of thrillers and this was pretty run-of-the-mill. It's an easy read so I'd recommend it if you have some time to kill!

I felt intrigued by Allie's story right away and seeing the past and present of her character added to the tension and suspense for me, it did keep me guessing at points too.

I'm rating the guest house 4 stars. The characters were a little hard to tie together at first, this might be because I didn't read the first book in this series, but towards the ending everything tied together nicely! And that ending was INCREDIBLE, such a good cliffhanger. I'm going to read the first book now and hoping for a third in the series!

The latest book by Bonnie Traymore had a lot of characters to keep track of so I was getting mixed up from the very beginning of who was who. From that being said, I kept plugging along and just found this book to be "ok" for me. Maybe if I had read her first book, it would've made more sense? She does give a very good prologue at the back that helps it make more sense but still ... Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy in advance for my honest review.

Such a great read!!! Was enjoyable loved the plot and was great writing!

I will read more by this author!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review

Allie Dawson received a grant to join a group in Silicon Valley where she had the opportunity to launch her product onto the marketplace. Allie was born deaf and had a cochlear implant. She developed a screen that can clip onto eyeglasses and caption speech in real time to make it easier for those with the implant to communicate.
When Allie reached town she was faced with a cutthroat rental market. While shopping in a supermarket she was approached by a man who started a conversation with her. He guessed she was new to town and when she told him she was looking for a rental he offered to rent her his guest house. Reluctantly, she agreed. Little did she know the sequence of events that would follow.
After moving in she became disturbed by the strange behavior of her landlord and his wife. Then she discovered they had bugged the house. Were they after the details of her technology. This was Silicon Valley where nothing was safe. She quickly moved to the house of a friend in town but her life was still in danger. Someone was after her.
I was hooked from the very first page. The twists and turns and spine-tingling events that occurred left me with a book I couldn’t put down until I finished it.
I would like to add that the author has done a great service to those who live with cochlear implants. Her description of Allie’s everyday life in coping with and managing her deafness is beautifully written. I was happy to see there is a Silicon Valley Series Book One which I am anxious to read.

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!

This is my first read by author Bonnie Traymore. I was unaware this was story two in a series until just now, so you don’t need to have read the first to enjoy the second.

New in town digital entrepreneur Allie heads to the valley to get her captioning device off the ground. I love that Traymore utilized a character with hearing limitations and used this to build her storyline. Hopping from two different perspectives, Allie and her mentor Laura, you learn the complicated pasts of both main characters and watch the two begin to collide and intermingle.

This was a quick and easy read for me. As a reader who loves a psychological thriller it’s sometimes easy to see through the plots, but this story had me guessing for the most part until the end. Just the right level of spooky for me without the blood and gore that some authors choose to use. Would definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. I could really feel the madness increasing and wouldn't have pegged the correct villain. The ending was a bit too "Hallmark movie" for me but had a twist that confirmed my suspicions.

I received this book from NetGalley.

This story is a very slow read. I'm 30% in and barely anything has happened. I appreciate a good amount of detail but I feel like there's nothing gripping and really making me want to come back to the book.

Allie mentions Barnat's language problems more than once but he is living and working in the States and when he speaks English it appears to be decent, so it's weird that this is an issue.

Overall this book was okay but I feel like the end part, with Willa, could have been so much more dramatic considering it was nearing the end of the book and pieced things together. Also, the bit about Barnat working for Interpol was a bit random, real or not. Who was he really and what was he doing?

The Guest House tells the story of a young deaf woman who has been provided with opportunity to bring her invention to life. Througj the course of the book we follow her as she moves to a new part of the country, develops personal and professional relationships and comes up against numerous hurdles and challenges.

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

The beginning of this book drew me in and the characters were interesting. It's a well paced story though more suspenseful than thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this book early.This is the 2nd book in a series which I did not realize but it can be read as a standalone. Additionally this is my first book from author Bonnie Traymore and I will be checking out others.This book reeled me in from the start. I found myself not wanting to do anything else until it was finished.

Initially, I was positive about starting this book. I had just finished the prequel, The Stepfamily and I'm glad I read that before starting this one. The Guest House picks up where The Stepfamily left off and I was excited to see how these characters would further develop. Laura, the protagonist of The Stepfamily, continues her journey in the world of Silicon Valley. We also meet a new protagonist, Allie, a deaf inventor with promising cochlear implant technology, who brings a fresh perspective to the narrative.

I see where Traymore attempted to incorporate diversity in this cast of characters. Allie's struggles with navigating the tech industry are interesting. However, I found the characters lacked depth which would have allowed me to connect with them emotionally.

This is particularly evident with the subplot involving Allie's sudden romance, which feels rushed and detracts from the main narrative. It was an unnecessary detour that could have been used to further develop Allie's journey and her internal conflicts.
The antagonists lacked nuance with predictable twists. I wish there were more complex stakes and conflicts for an exciting thriller. In fact, I would catagorize this as more of a suspense than a psychological thriller.

Despite these shortcomings, "The Guest House" offers glimpses of its potential. The themes of innovation and overcoming personal challenges resonate, and Allie's journey, while underdeveloped, presents a unique perspective. With deeper character development, more nuanced antagonists, and a tighter focus on core themes, the novel could have truly captivated its audience.

Overall, "The Guest House" offers a familiar setting and intriguing themes, but falls short of fully realizing its potential. By diving deeper into its characters' motivations and conflicts, and refining the plot's focus, the story could have delivered a more impactful and engaging experience.

I missed Book 1 - with this being my first read by Bonnie Traymore - I will be checking into Book 1! I enjoyed the plot - a few storylines going on to keep track of - sometimes I can get a bit ‘lost’ if too many characters - but I found it easy to follow without backtracking. Included lovely imagery that paints the scene - and helps to take in the feeling of the moment. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced opportunity!

Grabs you quick with the plot and likable characters. I did not realize it was book 2 in a series. Thanks NetGalley I enjoyed