I read The Uninvited Guest in one sitting, it was that good! Megan and Jamie are getting married after living together and the birth of their daughter, Freya. But there is a gatecrasher at the hen party, Jamie's cousin, Beth, who promptly inveigles herself with both the very trusting bride as well as her friends. But someone is sending Megan death threats and she cannot relax until she finds her persecutor. I loved the details of the hen party and the buildup of tension leading up to the wedding. A great domestic noir thriller and highly recommended. Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review The Uninvited Guest.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Uninvited Guest’ written by Ruby Speechley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Megan and Jamie are getting married in five days’ time and her friends have arranged her a hen party. As Megan drives off to join her friends leaving her two-year-old daughter Freya with her parents, someone has left a flower display in the front garden with the words “RIP Megan”. Megan soon receives more threats causing her to worry about her own safety and that of Jamie and Freya. It seems that someone is determined to stop their wedding from going ahead.

‘The Uninvited Guest’ is a fast-paced thriller with a mystery guest who isn’t who she says she is, and enough drama, tension and twists and turns to put me off hen parties for life. The plot has been well thought-out with characters so intriguing it’s difficult to know who to believe. I was gripped from the page one and had to keep reading to find out whether Megan and Jamie were actually going to get to their wedding. This has been a chilling novel that’s easy to read and highly entertaining, and one I can definitely recommend.

Book Name: The Uninvited Guest
Author: Ruby Speechley
Pub Date: February 10, 2025
Publisher: Boldwood Books
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you, NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Ruby Speechley, for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Description:

Megan Lewis is eagerly looking forward to her wedding, but her world begins to unravel when an unexpected guest crashes her hen weekend. Beth, who claims to be Jamie’s cousin, quickly wins over the group, especially bridesmaid Lauren. However, things take a dark turn when a game of truth or dare reveals secrets from Megan’s past.

As Megan pieces things together, she realizes Beth isn’t who she claims to be—but she might be her only ally. With secrets, manipulation, and betrayal at every turn, Megan is left wondering who she can really trust—including her own fiancé.

A gripping and suspenseful domestic thriller, The Uninvited Guest is a must-read for fans of Shari Lapena, Alice Feeney, and Lisa Jewell.

My Thoughts:

This book had me on edge from start to finish! The pacing is fast, the twists are shocking, and the tension keeps building with every chapter. I was completely immersed, but also incredibly frustrated—because Megan is just too trusting! She allows toxic people to manipulate her, even when it's clear they don't have her best interests at heart.

Her innocence and blind faith in people lead to devastating consequences, and I kept wanting to shake some sense into her. The ending is absolutely breathtaking, with twists I didn’t see coming. And Freya… oh no, not her! I was desperate to know how it would all play out.

While I loved the gripping storyline, Megan’s choices left me fuming. Why trust people who have already betrayed you? Why keep toxic friendships? And the biggest question—why stay silent about serious matters but share them with those who despise you? Some of her decisions made it hard to sympathize with her.

Recommendation:

If you love domestic thrillers filled with suspense, secrets, and drama, The Uninvited Guest is a must-read! I highly recommend reading it with friends because there’s so much to discuss and debate. It’s the kind of book that will have you screaming at the characters but unable to put it down.

A solid 5-star read—fast-paced, intense, and deeply frustrating in the best way!

Best wishes to Ruby Speechley for this thrilling book—it pulled me in so deep, I felt every moment of Megan’s struggle!

#TheUninvitedGuest #NetGalley

This kept me on my TOES!!!! I was so confused but in a good way and I HAD to know what was going to happen. I couldn't put it down and when I did I found myself thinking about it. If you are a fan of thrillers I would give it a go.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by the author and while it was an okay book, I didn't love it. This is one of those books that has so many ridiculous twists. Now, I love a good twist, but these twists just didn't make sense to me, personally. But, if you can set aside the fact that this is so extremely unrealistic and just read it, the book was fast-paced and had some great surprises.

I had a hard time liking the main character who was gullible and I wanted to shake her and ask her why she was being so naive and frankly, dumb. But, that is a great way to move the plot forward and create conflicts, albeit silly ones.

While this is an unedited copy, I hope that the final draft will catch some errors that got under my skin a bit. Without citing exactly (can't because it is an uncorrected copy) on one page the MC is helping someone who is bleeding, and on the next page the police are unbinding her hands. So, which is it? These are editing issues that I'm sure can be resolved, but it just got me since I had to stop and go back because it gave me pause.

If you want a fast-paced story with lots of twists and turns, this is the book for you!

3.5 ⭐️

The book had a great plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was really curious to find out who did it! Some of the characters were a bit grating, but they worked well for the story. The female main character was frustrating because I wanted to support her, but she always rushed into things and made bad choices. The story was exciting and kept me guessing until the end. There were a lot of suspicious characters, so I had to keep guessing who the culprit was. Overall, it was a quick and enjoyable read!

This is kind of a slow starter, actually not that intriguing that I would've continued on with it if it was not on NetGalley. It's so important for a thriller to captivate in the first chapter. In the end it turned out pretty enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars!

Megan's hen weekend is disrupted by an uninvited guest, Beth, who quickly charms the group but soon reveals dark secrets and shakes up Megan's world. As the wedding approaches, Megan realizes Beth may be her only ally, but can she trust anyone, even her fiancé?

Wow, this read was an exhilarating rollercoaster of dark twists and turns! I found myself questioning everything and everyone, unable to believe the shocking events unfolding before my eyes. The main character, Megan, may have been a bit naive at times, but her intentions were pure and heartfelt. Meeting her fiancé's cousin was a chance to impress and expand her family, but little did she know the secrets that would be revealed.

The author did a fantastic job of creating distinct characters that were easy to follow, with one particularly manipulative individual standing out as the least likable. The main twist and reveal caught me completely off guard, despite my best efforts to guess what was coming. The plot was expertly executed, with subtle hints sprinkled throughout the story to keep me on the edge of my seat.

If you love books that keep you guessing, shaking your head in disbelief, and distrusting everyone with each new twist and turn, then this book is must-read. The simple yet effective plot was executed flawlessly, leaving me eager to dive into more thrilling reads like this one.

Thank you, Boldwood Books, for the email invite and digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I wasn’t that invested at first, but by the end, I was really pulled into the book. There was a lot going on, but I was still still able to keep up and not feel overwhelmed.

The Uninvited Guest by Ruby Speechley is a mystery thriller that will confuse the hell out of you!
I had a head spin at the number of times I changed my mind about who is the layer!
It's fast-pieced and easy to follow, with no jumping in times, no countless points of view. A good amount of mystery and never-ending questions.

Megan has her Hen due and things that should be fun and easy become complicated and stressful. If Megan thought this was what was complicated, she was not ready for all the craziness that planning to come!
Things escalate completely when past secrets are espoused. Nothing will be like before!

Thank you, NetGalley for this copy!

The Uninvited Guest by Ruby Speechley is a fast-paced and chilling psychological thriller that keeps readers on edge from start to finish. Megan Lewis is preparing for her dream wedding, but her plans are thrown into chaos when an uninvited guest, Beth, crashes her hen weekend. Claiming to be the cousin of Megan’s fiancé, Jamie, Beth quickly wins over the group with her charm. However, her presence starts to unravel hidden secrets, especially when a game of truth or dare forces uncomfortable revelations from Megan’s past.

As the weekend unfolds, Megan realizes that Beth may not be who she claims to be, and the tension escalates as the truth about her intentions—and her connection to Megan’s fiancé—begins to surface. With distrust creeping in, Megan must figure out who she can trust as she faces the unraveling of her seemingly perfect life.

Speechley skillfully weaves a web of suspense and intrigue, keeping readers guessing until the very end. The tight, isolated setting of the hen weekend adds a sense of claustrophobia, heightening the stakes as secrets and lies come to light. The sharp, well-paced narrative builds toward a gripping climax that will leave readers questioning the true motivations of everyone involved.

The Uninvited Guest is a twist-filled psychological thriller that will appeal to fans of domestic suspense, making it a perfect read for anyone who loves a good, dark mystery with unpredictable turns.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. Megan is excited for her wedding, but an excited guest crashes the hen weekend. Beth definitely isn't who she says she is. Lots of secrets in this one and I had no idea who to trust!

I couldn't get into this one. I found it quite boring and it had some unlikeable characters. I did try!

A super fast pasted twisty thriller which I couldn’t put down until I found out everything that happened. Set within a few days of a very eventful hen do, but sadly not all of Megan’s bridesmaids are as excited about her wedding as she is! Loved each of the characters and kept me guessing to the end

I loved the beginning. It started strong, sucked me in, and loved the drama that was also immediate. And then it went downhill.

The plot was predictable, Megan was aggravating, and it become difficult to keep going.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an outstanding novel from Ruby Speechley. I'm due to attend a hen do shortly so the content of this was brilliant. It's a super whodunit of a book. Highly recommended.

The Uninvited Guest is all about secrets, lies, and a BIG surprise! I found this book to be fast paced, entertaining, and OTT. There is never a dull moment as Megan Lewis and some friends are on her hen weekend. It was meant to be a weekend of fun, hijinks, drinking, celebrating and bonding. But when Beth, an uninvited guest, arrives claiming to be Jamie's, the groom's cousin, Megan, invites her in. Soon the fun times, take a dramatic and not too fun turn!

Megan, Megan, Megan, boy did I want to pull her aside and tell her to wake up and smell the coffee. How can one person be so naive, gullible, and lacking in judgement??????? Having said that, it did make the book move quickly along. It is interesting to read where the main character is so ridiculous that my neck got sore from shaking my head at her. There are quite a few unlikeable characters in this book which had me booing and hissing at them!

This was an enjoyable and fast paced read which can easily be read in one sitting/day. It's dramatic, has many twists and turns, and there is never a dull moment. As I mentioned, it is full of secrets, lies, and a few shocking scenes.

Fast paced with some great characters and some pretty unpleasant ones too. Parts of the story were a bit far fetched but I still enjoyed it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC

Ruby Speechley’s The Uninvited Guest turns a bachelorette weekend into a nightmare.

From the moment Megan’s hen weekend begins, she receives an anonymous warning—cryptic, unnerving, and impossible to ignore. Then Beth arrives, claiming to be her fiancé’s cousin, and despite the red flags, Megan lets her in. When a harmless game of truth or dare takes a dark turn, Megan starts to suspect someone in the group is behind the eerie warnings.

Megan’s choices were questionable at best and the over-the-top group drama felt unrealistic at times, but the fast pace kept me hooked. A quick, entertaining thriller with plenty of girl drama and enough suspense to keep you guessing.

Interesting points: bachelorette weekend, mean girls, unlikable characters, secrets

A great pick for fans of fast, drama-filled thrillers with plenty of tension.

This thrilling ride grabs your attention from the start. Megan’s hen weekend, meant to be a carefree and fun celebration before her wedding, quickly spirals into a nightmare. Someone is clearly determined to sabotage her big day, but who? As the mystery unfolds, I was hooked and eager to uncover the truth. Megan’s decisions throughout were often puzzling and frustrating, but they kept the tension high. The finale felt a bit exaggerated, but overall, it was a highly entertaining read that kept me on my toes.