Great book!  Couldn’t wait to read it, and it didn’t disappoint!  Grabbed my attention within the first two chapters, and then I didn’t want to put it down.  Excellent character development - I think that every reader will find a character to whom they relate.  I enjoy books where there is character development, and then also a surprise, and this book provided both!  Looking forward to reading more from this author!

In 1988, Beth goes to live at a sprawling manor house in England where she becomes friends with the owners' daughter, Nina. Beth feels like she belongs and is part of the family, until she is asked to join in what she thinks is an innocent game.  In 2019, Sadie is a struggling actress who gets a paying gig to attend a party at the manor house. As you start to piece together what the links are between Beth and Sadie, the book pulls you in. This book had the right amount of suspense that kept me interested until the end.

A decent enough mystery with several timelines, quite a few characters, and confusing family relationships. Hard to keep it all straight at times. Would recommend it to readers who don’t want anything too gritty as the action is mild.

I didn’t end up enjoying this one quite as much as I expected but I still enjoyed it I give it a 3.5 stars rounded up to four stars here and on good reads. I got some Mexican Gothic at home before dark vibes which I really enjoy because I love those books over this one isn’t quite as thrilling and is a little bit more of a mystery than a thriller however I feel like it’s being marketed as being a little more thrilling and I think it would’ve been a little more fun for the reader if you know your heart was pounding while reading it I never really got that feeling don’t give me wrong there are some twists and it’s not a bad book however it could’ve been better. I did listen to part of this on audio and I really enjoy the narrators. I will say with the lack of thrilling-ness if you will the author did a really good job at keeping me interested in the book and I found her writing to be very good.

The Perfect Guests is an atmospheric and gothic thriller that you should add to your TBR if you are a thriller/mystery fan! Swipe right for synopsis (although I do think going in blind with this one adds a lot more to the mystery). Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC!

From the same author of The Au Pair, The Perfect Guests is a game of Clue meets an Escape Room. Told in a nonlinear timeline with alternating points of view, it was the perfect creepy mystery to read over a cold winter weekend. Sit down by the fireplace with a warm cup of hot chocolate (make sure you trust who makes it) to get the full ambience with this one.

I have seen some mixed reviews saying that the twists and overall ending were a stretch for them. However, they completely worked for me. The present day setting of a murder mystery-themed overnight weekend already was a bit outrageous that anything but crazy, shocking and convenient twists would be a letdown. Emma Rous did an amazing job of transporting me to the setting that I felt I was in the game of “whodunnit.” The Perfect Guests is out now and I highly recommend picking up a copy for yourself!

Read if you like:
-Anything by Agatha Christie 
-Clue 
-Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift 
-Hot Chocolate

The Perfect Guests
“You are cordially invited to play a Game at Raven Hall.”

This was such an engaging and fun read. I was able to read this book in a couple days. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley at Penguin Random House for this digital book to read and review. 

I felt like I was playing a modern day Clue game while reading this and never realized how the implications of the past would turn up in the future!

This book follows Beth, in the past, a child who has lost both of her parents and brother in an accident. Her aunt can’t take her in so she lives in a children’s home until a great opportunity arises and she gets to join the family at the beautiful Raven Hall. She meets Leonora, Markus, and their daughter Nina. The longer she stays there, the weirder she realizes things are, especially involving Nina who is becoming a fast friend to her. 

The story also takes place in the present, with Sadie, who has been out of a job for a while and gets the PERFECT opportunity to be a part of a new Game at Raven Hall where they need to solve a murder. The pay is great, so she can’t pass it up. As the night goes on, Sadie realizes that something isn’t quite right with the guests and the home. It seems that someone is pulling the strings from behind the scenes! 

Here is another book that has endless twists and turns that don’t make the book seem like too much. Everything falls into place and it will keep you guessing until the very last page!

#netgalley #berkleypublishing #penguinrandomhouse #theperfectguests #digitalbooks #ravenhall #coffeeandbooks #mugsandbooks #bookstagrammer #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bibliophile #booknerd #bookobsessed

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Well hello another soap opera episode!

This one drew me in with the gothic vibes, murder mystery party and the author. While I did enjoy her previous work (<i>The Au Pair</i>), I got so tangled and confused with how all the characters interconnected.

<i>The Perfect Guests</i> was the same. With seemingly even more lies and secrets. Seriously you'll need a bulletin board with family pictures and that red string to connect everyone.

The dual timelines definitely made it more suspenseful and after a while I just needed to know what would happen!

Mashups: <i>The Au Pair</i>, the movie Now and Then and a murder mystery party.

Unfortunately, this book did not settle good with me. I hope to try to read it again in the future, to better understand it.

When first reading The Perfect Guests I was intrigued as much as baffled by how the past and present connected. I knew there had to be a connection with Sadie and Beth but it was not until the end that the relationship is revealed.

The story splits between present time with the character Sadie being invited to take part in a murder mystery dinner as an actress, and the past telling the story of a girl named Beth.

Back and forth we read about Raven Hall and learn of the relationships forged between the characters that come to be involved with Raven Hall.

The story was certainly unique with its past and present split to tell the tale. Beth is invited as a companion to Nina in the past story and the present focuses on Sadie's experience during the murder mystery weekend. Trust me when I say nothing is at it seems and all of it is configured in a way that leaves the reader wanting more.

I certainly enjoyed the twist at the end. I think you will too. Until next time!

Thank you Berkley Pub and NetGalley for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Perfect Guests 
By: Emma Rous 

REVIEW ☆☆☆☆

If you read The Au Pair by Emma Rous, I highly recommend checking out her latest novel, The Perfect Guests. 

A creepy mansion. Bizarre people. Eerie atmosphere with sinister undertones. 
Told in multiple points of view and from different time periods, this is a story that requires the reader to pay attention. This is not difficult, however, because the plot is engrossing and infuriatingly one step ahead of whatever you think you have figured out (incorrectly). 

There are lies, twists and turns, false and misleading clues and a difficult to decipher mystery. I was guessing right to the end, and I had everything wrong. But, who wants to read an easy mystery? I like the game of CLUE, and this story harkens to that game. The author sets up all aspects just right- leading to the thrilling conclusion.

There is much to like about The Perfect Guests. Emma Rous has crafted another excellent story that is worth your time!

I loved the Agatha Christie-esque setup of a murder mystery party where all the participants are unknowingly taking part in an actual mystery. I'm a sucker for a party that's not what it seems that takes place in a mysterious old house! This is definitely twisty - and there are so many twists at the end it almost strains credulity, but this was an enjoyable thriller nonetheless.

It’s 1988 and teenager Beth Soames’ life has been totally turned upside down after a tragic accident takes the lives of her parents and brother.  Her aunt doesn’t seem to have time for her so she’s sent to live with a family at Raven Hall.  The family feels Beth would be a wonderful companion for their daughter, Nina.  Beth is more than happy with the arrangements.  Then, things take a strange turn and the family isn't as innocent as they originally appeared.  Beth becomes more scared with each passing day. 

In 2019, actress Sadie Langton is hired to take part in a murder mystery weekend at Raven Hall. She’s given everything she will need to play her role.  It doesn’t take long before Sadie realizes there is more to Raven Hall than meets the eye. 

This story has  gothic overtones, complete with an old mansion involved.  I always enjoy books like this and The Perfect Guests is no exception.  There were so many twists and turns, they made my head spin.  Just when you thought the story was over, there’s more to come.  It literally wasn’t over until the final page.   

Some parts I figured out, but most of the storyline was a total surprise to me.  I enjoyed every minute of uncovering the history of Raven Hill and discover how 1988 and 2019 were connected.  It’s one of those stories that keeps you reading until late at night.   

I enjoyed this author’s previous book, The Au Pair, but this one is even better.  I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author.

 

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Wow, what a fun read.  I saw a bit of the ending coming but there were SO MANY other twists than I possibly imagined, and they were all so cleverly and cleanly plotted out.    The story was suspenseful and unsettling in the best way.  You cant help but get sucked in and have theories of your own once the game starts.  Brilliant

The days have been gray and cold and this book was the perfect thing to wrap myself up in.

The story is told in two simultaneous parts but they both revolve around Raven Hall. In the 80s, a young girl named Beth is brought to Raven Hall to live there and be a companion to Nina, the owners' daughter. Things are strange in this house. They have Beth pretend to be Nina when her grandfather comes to visit, the one who owns the house and has all the money. Beth, who lost her parents and brother, is torn between loving her life there and wondering just what is going on.

In the present, Sadie, an out of work actress, is asked to come to Raven Hall for a murder mystery party. She will be paid handsomely so she jumps at the chance. Things are just as strange today as they were back then. The cast of characters assembled at the party are locals and some others who are acting very strangely.

There are many a twist and turn. There are many times I was sitting there saying out loud to myself , "I bet that is so and so" or "That has to be her!" I loved the way it intertwined the stories together and you do realize that there is a connection early on but then another red herring is thrown your way . The ending was perfection.

I really enjoyed The Au Pair by Ms. Rous. She had a way of making you think the story was one way only to be surprised by what it really was. The Perfect Guests has that same twinge and I have to say I enjoyed this one even more.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for a copy of this book.

This book was absolutely fantastic!!  It hooked you right from the beginning and didn't let go!!!!  A definite must read!!!!!

4.5 stars
When Beth arrives at Raven Hall in 1988, she's not sure if she wants to stay... or run. She's in a bit of a tenuous place, having lost her family in an accident and with an aunt who travels, Raven Hall and her new family is better than living in the group home. So she gives it a chance. Markus and Leonora's daughter Nina is nice most of the time, but there are some odd goings on at Raven Hall that concern her.

Fast forward to 2019. Actress Sadie Langton is invited to play a part at a weekend murder mystery party set at... Raven Hall. Turns out it has just been renovated from a mysterious incident. The money is good and Sadie is all-in until things start getting weird starting with thinking she may be poisoned and the faint smell of smoke and the strange participants in the weekend game.

Told in alternating story lines, Nina and Beth's story is gradually revealed. At first, it doesn't seem too complicated and I was wondering what I was missing. Most of the good stuff happens in the final chapters of the book, and the rest is a meandering visit through time. My head is still reeling from the reveals in this book, and I may need to make a chart to figure it all out!

I liked this story and the strange characters and like good mystery and suspense tale, I want to go back and re-read so I can find all the clues that I missed along the way. I did think the pace of the first half was a bit slow for me and all the great reveals came at the end as the group unravels the story for themselves. That part I did like -- I felt I was right along side the characters figuring out what was going on.

If you like a good family-oriented mystery/thriller with lots of secrets set in a spooky old gothic location, you might just like this story. I did!

The Perfect Guests started out as a slow burn and picked up momentum as you read further.  I really enjoyed it, from the back and forth time and points of view.  It was well done and I was literally 95% finished and still guessing who and what.  Very enjoyable book.

I really enjoyed this page turner. This novel has a bit of a gothic feel to it even though the parallel time lines are set in 1988 and current day respectively. Beth, a young teenage girl living in a group home, is suddenly invited to live in Raven Hall, a large isolated manor house. She is to become the friend and companion of Nina Averell, the daughter of the owners of the estate. 
Beth loves living there but begins to feel uncomfortable when the Averell's ask her to participate in a harmless charade that isn't as harmless as it seems.
Raven Hall is featured in the 2019 storyline as well, when actress Sadie gets a job at the house portraying a character in a murder mystery weekend. 
The author does a great job of keeping things mysterious and suspenseful throughout.

This is the second book from the author of The Au Pair which I loved, but this one was a bit of a struggle for me to finish.

After reading the description of two timelines, a grand estate and a sinister game with guests, I couldn't wait to dive in. While I did enjoy the concept of the book, it just didn't grab me like I was hoping it would.

I was interested enough in the game that was playing out in the two timelines, that I wanted to see how it would wrap up.

She is an author that I will definitely give another chance too.

Thanks to NG and publisher for my advanced copy!

3.5/5 stars - rounded up for rating

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the free ebook copy in exchange for my honest review

What I loved about THE AU PAIR, the debut from Emma Rous, was the overall atmosphere, the pacing was great, and there didn’t seem to be any kind of filled or lull. Rous brings us something unique and just as fun to read in her second book THE PERFECT GUESTS. I don’t know about you other readers that frequent the thriller and suspense genres, but it was so refreshing to have a new story that is set outside of the typical suburban neighborhood.

Raven Hall is a beautiful and sprawling manor, even after all the renovations needed after the fire decades ago. So when Sadie, a struggling actress, is offered a job at Raven Hall she accepts. Being hired to be a guest at a weekend party at the estate seems like a nice gig, right? Well, nothing is ever as it seems and Sadie is learning quickly there could be sinister consequences to this party. We also get to meet Beth, in 1988, she’s a young girl staying with the family at Raven Hall. She truly feels like she belongs and becomes fast friends with the daughter her age – so what happened to her?

We get multiple points of view, dual timelines, and plenty to keep you guessing and asking questions as the puzzle comes together. I loved trying to piece together how their timelines would or might intertwine. I wasn’t completely shocked by the twists but this was 100% a binge read as I had gone through the first half without even realizing it. If you’re a fan of her first book, THE AU PAIR, then I highly recommend picking this one up!