A summer day away helping for a wealthy family when she is dragged into a game she would want no part of. A mysterious and thrilling story of survival in a place you are unfamiliar with.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't have a lot to say about this one, for while it was fun, it won't prove a memorable read for me. I did quite enjoy the sinister classic Clue and The Westing Game vibe (with a nod to Agatha Christie) combined with twisted coming-of-age 'girly' tale. I definitely wanted to see where things were going and I was pretty engrossed until about 3/4 in. The final quarter, however, felt rushed and a tad hokey, so I felt let down by that. It was a fun, fast little ride while it lasted and it would make a good beach (or long airplane ride) read.

Happy Publication Day!  A HUGE thank you to @emmarousauthor and the @berkleypub team for the ARC of The Perfect Guests.  I immediately jumped at this opportunity because I loved the slow burn masterpiece The Au Pair! 

Two time lines following Beth in 1988, who is an orphaned teen, goes to stay with the Averells family at Raven Hall.  The Averells are looking for a friend for their daughter Nina, and immediately the two become like sisters... then Beth is asked to do a very strange and odd favor. 
 
In 2019, Sadie is a struggling actress who can't afford her rent, and she finally receives a well paid opportunity.  Participate in a murder mystery show at Raven Hall Manor.

Que the unreliable narrator... who throws in the wrench to the mystery and left me devouring this book, wondering what the hell to expect!

Three worlds connect as dark flashbacks draw you in, as strange and twisty occurances take place in the present that left me wanting more, turning page after page.  A voice that wants to claim what is rightfully hers.  Well plotted, with characters I loved and of course, characters I hated, #theperfectguests is a great thriller, that fans of Christie will enjoy! 

The different POVS are perfectly executed and well done.  Which is a huge plus for me!

The Perfect Guests is a multiple POV thriller that takes place in an area known as the Fenlands in eastern England. Beth’s story takes place in 1988 and she is placed in foster care at Raven Hall. The family she is placed with has a younger daughter her age and they become friends quickly. Sadie’s story takes place in 2019 and she is a down on her luck actress. Sadie needs money and is hired as an actress in a murder mystery game at the old Raven Hall. There’s also a third mystery voice who we don’t find out who until much later.⁣
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I really liked this book! I love different POVs and this also had different timelines. I will say I liked Beth’s story more since it was much more complex. Sadie’s didn’t have as the rich history, but I liked the other characters at the murder mystery dinner. The old manor itself and the area where Raven Hall were located could be considered a character in this book. ⁣
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I found the story to be well paced and a good length. The ending is a bit far fetched, but I still think this was an excellent second novel.⁣
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Thank you so much to @berkleypub, @netgalley, and @emmarousauthor for the advanced reader copy. The Perfect Guests is on sale now! ⁣
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4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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After reading (and loving!) Rous’ previous novel, The Au Pair, I was thrilled to find out about her latest book The Perfect Guests! 

This book! OMG! I loved the back-stabbing, the secrets, the lies, the betrayals, the romance, the background history, the multiple POV’s… ok I loved EVERYTHING about this book! With characters that you will love, or love to hate or simply hate from the start, there is so much drama and interesting things going on that you will be hooked from the very first page. 

I enjoyed the many different characters in the book and learning about their various personalities and also getting a glimpse into their life and understanding their past and what makes them who they are now in the present. I enjoyed the main character, Beth, and reading the book through her POV and learning about her life, especially once she moves into the Averell’s home. The mystery around the Averell’s and why they sometimes would act strangely, especially Nina. Why didn’t she go to school; why was she not allowed into the village; why did she end up sick each time her grandfather came for a visit, who she has yet to meet? So may questions and mysterious happenings to keep you hooked and entertained.

I loved when the “guests” are invited to take part of a murder mystery and invited to stay in the Averell’s home all those years later. I loved how it felt like the game Clue (which I love) and the dynamics of each of the guests. With many shocking revelations and twists, especially the shocking ending that I didn’t see coming, this is definitely one that you need to read, right now!

This book is on sale now so be sure to grab your copy today.

Beth tragically loses both her parents and her brother in an accident when she's 14 years old. Despite having a close family member who could adopt her, her aunt Caroline instead has her live at Raven Hall with a couple and their 14 year old daughter, Nina. Beth was essentially brought into their family to be a companion for Nina, but as Beth's time in Raven Hall continues, she realizes there may be more reasons that she's there than they initially led on... The Perfect Guests has two timelines: present day from Sadie's point of view, and the past from Beth's point of view. These timelines weave together to make some really great twists and turns throughout the book. I can't believe I didn't read this book until now! Definitely recommend.

Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it. – W. W. Jacobs, English author (1863-1943).

Both Beth Soames and Sadie Langton have their wishes come true but afterward, life is never the same. Note to readers: The Perfect Guests pays meticulous attention to seemingly extraneous details—consider this a major spoiler alert. 

July 1988. When she was thirteen-years-old, Beth lost her parents and brother in a tragic car accident. Her frosty aunt Caroline didn’t invite the newly orphaned teenager to live with her, so she ended up in a children’s home. One day Caroline drives Beth to Raven Hall, a stunning house in the country. Raven Hall is set in the Fens, a coastal plain in eastern England. It’s a geographical and historical area that will be familiar to readers of Dorothy L. Sayers The Nine Tailors.

Geographically the Fens are situated mostly in the English county of Cambridgeshire. The region is known for its tranquil beauty, but with moody weather and sometimes peculiar inhabitants, it can be a treacherous environment where a watery end is always a possibility. A great setting for a crime novel…

Beth is to be a summer companion to Nina, a young girl her age. When they arrive at Raven Hall, she is so nervous:

Caroline, for once, offered no spiky words of advice. I squeezed the door handle with clammy fingers, holding my breath and gazing back at Nina. She wasn’t smiling. Did she hate this idea of her parents’? Would Caroline end up driving me—her jaw tight, her knuckles a furious white on the steering wheel—straight back to the children’s home before today was over?

But the girls do become friends and Beth’s fears of being summarily returned to the children’s home recede. Nina’s parents, Leonora and Markus, are somewhat over-protective: although the girls are permitted to swim and boat on the estate’s lake, they are forbidden to walk to the little village a few miles away. Beth is troubled by that but she’s so relieved to be part of a family, she tamps down her anxieties. One day Leonora and Markus ask Beth to do them a little favor. Nina is sick, just when her grandfather has arrived from the United States to visit her. Will Beth pretend to be Nina? 

Leonora and Markus has done so much for me; of course I’d do what they asked, even though it sounded bizarre.

 

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll try my best.”

 

“You’re an angel.” Leonora placed her hand over mine. “Thank you. And don’t look so worried. Just think of it as—a little game.”

Over the next few years, the scenario repeats itself, making Beth not only uncomfortable but suspicious—why does Nina fall ill every time her grandfather is scheduled to visit? Isn’t that rather sinister? Mostly Beth feels like a member of the family but one day everything falls apart. There’s a fire at Raven Hall and Markus dies in a tragic accident. 

January 2019. Struggling actress Sadie Langton is going through a bad patch. Her agent Wendy can’t seem to get her a commercial gig (even to play a mermaid!) and things are looking rather dire. Then Wendy suggests an alternative.

“But listen. I’ve got much better news—a fabulous job offer for you. It’s a murder mystery company, just starting up, and they want to act out a trial run of the game so they can take photos for their website—glamorous costumes at a posh dinner party, that sort of thing. It’s out in a big old mansion in the Fens—gorgeous-looking place, full of dark history . . .”

 

Sadie straightens, the mermaid commercial already forgotten. “Sounds interesting. When’s the audition?”

 

“That’s the best bit, Sadie. There’s no audition. The job’s yours if you want it, and the money is excellent.”

Wendy reads Sadie the words of the actual invitation card: “‘You are cordially invited to play a Game at Raven Hall’ . . .” It’s an echo of what Leonora said to Beth so many years ago: “Just think of it as—a little game.” Neither Beth nor Sadie is moored to a stable family, they only have peripheral relationships. Financial and emotional insecurity are facts of life until they are “rescued”, although their rescue brings worries and danger in its wake.

A terrific follow-up to The Au Pair, The Perfect Guests is a perfect puzzle involving a house, a family, and the people who come into their orbit. Prepare to be surprised at the twists and turns. Emma Rous writes about generational family secrets like nobody’s business.

I was so excited to see a new book coming out by Emma Rous because I really enjoyed and sped through reading The Au Pair and this one seemed like it might have a similar vibe.

Told in Beth's perspective in 1988 when she moves in with the Averells and befriends their daughter, Nina and Sadie's in 2019 who is invited to act as a guest for a weekend party. The thing that brings both storylines together is the grand and spooky place that is Raven Hall and the secrets that lie inside. 

It was definitely a creepy and entertaining read and it pulled you in to see how these two stories end up connecting together. Some of the twists felt thrown at you all at once near the end, but I didn't see them coming so I did like that it kept you guessing. 3.5 stars for this solid read, but I think I prefer her first novel over this one. 

Thank you Netgalley & Berkley Publishing for my e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Guests is told in two different timelines. The first follows Beth in 1988 who is 14 and goes to live with a couple and their daughter at Raven Hall when her family dies in a tragic car accident. Beth feels like she doesn’t belong, but she does everything she can to fit in. Beth soon discovers that the family is hiding secrets. The second timeline follows Sadie in 2019 who is a struggling actress. One day she gets a job offer to be an actress in a murder mystery party held at Raven Hall. When she arrives, nothing is as it seems and by the end the past and the future comes together and it’s not pretty. 
I thought that this book was an interesting read that started out really well. There were a few moments that dragged and sometimes all the POVs and changing timelines was a little much, but overall not a bad read. The ending was very explosive and kept you guessing.

I picked this up and it wouldn't let me put it down very long so I wound up finishing this in about a day. I very much enjoyed this and I want to talk about ALL THE THINGS but that wouldn't be cool because spoilers.

I love "group invited to a sequestered location under the guise of good time only to have sinister deeds start to go down" stories. Blame Agatha Christie. I am a complete sucker for the set up so between that and really having enjoyed Rous' debut The Au Pair , I was thrilled when I won a giveaway for The Perfect Guests. Beyond the setup, Rous gives us a storied house and a character so obsessed with it, things can't end well. The last time I came across so house obsessed a character was The Beloveds by Maureen Lindley and I have to say, Rous has sold me on the type. The way the obsession wove and wound through the story was fantastic. There are three POVs told in the past and present. Identities and connections were fun to puzzle out and I was even happier when I hadn't suspected correctly. It's always a joy when something big happens and you realize you've only reached the 75% mark in the book. The final 25% had me up late and it was worth it. Between my "Ha! There it is!" and "Wait. Oh... ok then." this story took the revelations all the way to the last word. Late-night reading is why coffee, I say. I was thrilled.

Well done all the way around by Rous. I am always excited for an author's followup after a debut and this one actually met and exceeded my hopes! That's no small thing. So, if you enjoyed The Au Pair definitely get this one, you're in for a treat. I will be waiting for Rous's next book.

A twisted tale of family and the power of home. 

Emma Rous has done it again with The Perfect Guests. Just as she had done with The Au Pair she breathes life into her settings, invoking emotions, and picture-perfect scenery you can easily imagine as you flip through the pages of her books. Similar to the Au Pair, she draws connections between the owner of a house and the strong connection they have to it, their will to protect it at all costs. This time she focuses on Raven Hall, a beautiful home, with a perfect family that resides within.

In the 1980s, Beth Soames finds herself taken in by the Averells, she can't believe her luck. She's finally found a family once again after the death of her parents. As she grows accustomed to the Averells way of life, she soon discovers not all is as it seems and even the most perfect of families even have secrets. Weaving between Beth's time at the Raven Hall we meet Sadie Langton, a town on her luck actress looking for anything to keep her afloat. She's invited to Raven Hall to take part in a murder mystery like-game with an assortment of guests, tasked to find the fake murderer by the following morning. As the game plays on, the guests realize something sinister brews beneath the surface of Raven Hall.

I really enjoyed this book. Emma Rous knows her way around a good thriller without being predictable as many books are these days. You get lost in the pages describing Raven Hall wishing you could visit it yourself. Thank you Emma Rous, Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC, truly it was great.

3 Wanted More Stars
This had all the makings of a seriously twisty tale. It did draw you in from the start laying out all of the needed interests to make you want to know more. 
It became more difficult to follow and be as interested once the middle started. Still interesting but the beginning was more captivating.

No matter how much you think you know I promise you will not know everything that is happening in The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous until the very end. This psychological thriller does not let you off the roller coaster until it has exhausted every reveal and there are plenty.

The book has a few timelines and as we go back and forth the picture gets less murky but for me the full clear picture was not seen until the end which I appreciated as a thriller fan.

In 1988 Beth is a  14 year old orphan when she comes to stay with a wealthy family at Raven Hall manor and instantly falls in love with them and their daughter Nina. Just as she settles in she is asked to do a very special favor; one with dire consequences.

In 2019 out of work actress Sadie considers herself lucky to get a well paying gig to be a pretend party guest at Raven Hall. The job comes at the perfect time and seems like an easy fun way to get her bills paid but are there ever really lucky coincidences?!

What do these timelines have in common? You have to read the book because, trust me, it is an intricate detailed explanation. My one piece of advise is everything from the beginning leads to the end so pay attention.

There a lot of characters and I had to go back and forth a few times to remember how people were connected but it was worth it in the end. If you enjoy a build up to an explosive conclusion this book is a must read.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

It was good!

A huge thank you to Berkley Pub and NetGalley for my advanced copy.

What I liked- 

The Premise- Multiple Timelines, Multiple POV's, Multiple Mysteries. What more can you ask for? Oh yeah, a sprawling estate at the center of it all called Raven Hall. 

The Writing- The author kept me intrigued the entire time. This book is easily readable in one sitting. If I had the time to do it maybe my star rating would be a tad higher.

The Mysteries and Secrets- I feel like the author did a good job at answering all the questions I had while reading. 

Why This Book Lost Stars- 

Did This Book Need a Third Timeline? It was a little confusing at first but all of the timelines fit together nicely at the end. I would have liked if the extra timeline was dated.

The End- I just don't get the deep obsession with this house. I don't get it.

Overall- I still recommend this to other readers and I really loved Emma Rous' previous novel The Au Pair. I will definitely be picking up her next book.

Quick entertaining book. While there is the feel of the gothic mystery it’s a modern setting with a dysfunctional family, deception, poisoning and a little romancer. A little too many twists for me to fully enjoy.

Fourteen-year-old Beth's life changes when her parents and brother are killed in a car crash. Her aunt seems to have no time for her, so she's given the chance to live with a girl close to her age at the lakeside estate Raven Hall. At Raven Hall, Beth is treated as one of the family. That is until her foster parents ask her to play a harmless game where she poses as their real daughter every time their father arrives from the U.S. That changes everything.

Fast forward almost 30 years to 2019. Struggling actress Sadie Langton is offered a part pretending to be a guest at a murder mystery weekend being held at Raven Hall. As the evening begins, Sadie realizes there is something more going on. This game she's been hired to be part of is far more sinister than she could have imagined.

The Perfect Guests switches back and forth from 1988 to 2019. As the people in each time period are different, it's easy to keep up with the different characters. I figured out who Sadie was early on, but the other characters in the two periods were more of a mystery. As the mystery unravels, it was a gripping read.

This is an easy read, told in dual timelines and POVs with Beth in 1988 and Sadie in the current day (2019). I loved the dual timelines and enjoyed the earlier one more for most of the book. This one is also very atmospheric, with both timelines centered around Raven Hall, a manor in the isolated East Anglian fens. In 1988 it is occupied by the Averells and they welcome Beth as a friend for their only daughter. In 2019, Sadie takes a well-paying gig at Raven Hall for the weekend, where she pretends to be a guest complete with clothes and instructions for her role. 

In both timelines, things are not as they seem, and as Beth / Sadie start to figure things out, I could not put this one down. The pacing for this was slow and steady, and secrets were slowly revealed throughout with a doozy at the end. The ending was a little convoluted as it became hard to keep the characters and their relations straight, but overall I really enjoyed this one, and while I could figure out some of the twists I did not get them all, which was great. I enjoy stories with dysfunctional families and if this doesn’t take the cake then I don’t know what does. 

Thank you to Berkley Books and NetGalley for the e-galley to review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Emma Rous for my copy of The Perfect Guests, for an honest review. I had read the Au Pair, so I was excited to get my copy of Perfect Guests. Beth Soames, is 14 years old when she is brought to the grand estate, Raven Hall. Her aunt drops her off promises to come back but doesn’t. The family living at Raven Hall, The Averills, take her in from the foster home and immediately make her feel at home. The house plays a role in this story. The secrets it keep and the people it haunts. All seems well until the family asks Beth to play a game. 
Then we meet Sadie Langston, a down on her luck, wanna be actress. She is desperate for her next acting role, so that she can pay her rent. She doesn’t seem to like regular jobs and receives a job that she can’t refuse. She finds herself at Raven Hall and things start to get good. This is where the story goes between 1988 and present day. The plot twists and turns and it had be guessing of what will happen. The story was well written. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. I love how it all came together in the end. I was surprised of how caught up with this story. I am glad I was able to read this one. This was a four star read for me. I have recommended this on my Instagram page. I have shared my review on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I am sure you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

Give me an old house with a mystery and I am hooked. Raven Hall is the perfect setting for this story. It is a large manor with a past and secrets.

Sadie is an out of work, struggling actress. She receives a good job to work at this unique house. She is to play a dinner guest. Sadie is excited, to say the least. But, it does not go the way she plans.

This story is told in two different time periods. In 1988, Beth is an orphan taken in by the Averells. Beth and Nina Averell become quick friends but there is something wrong. Beth is asked to do something weird. She is asked to impersonate Nina on several occasions.

Then the story rotates to Sadie in 2019. When Sadie arrives at the manor she is excited about this new job. But, she quickly realizes everyone is not who they are supposed to be and something is very wrong.

This is a twisted tale and it just keeps the reader guessing all the way through. The setting and the characters are perfectly created to go along with this puzzling story. Do not blink or you will miss something!

Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

1988: Beth is a fourteen-year-old orphan who is sent to live at Raven Hall with a family who also has a fourteen-year-old daughter. The girls quickly become friends and do everything together. Then one day everything changes when the parents ask Beth to dress up as their daughter.

2019: Sadie is a struggling actress. When she’s invited to work at a murder mystery party for a weekend, she can’t resist the good paycheck. She’s given instructions and costumes to wear. However, the clues that she’s given seem to get more personal as the party goes on. Sadie starts to wonder if there’s a reason all of these guests were brought together at Raven Hall for the party.

I love it when the setting of a story becomes a character. Raven Hall was important in both narratives. It seemed to take on a life of its own, in the way that it drew people in and wouldn’t let go. The area of England where this story was set, called The Fens, has an interesting history which was explained at the end of the book. This damp, marshy land added to the suspense of the story.

This was such a suspenseful story. I couldn’t put it down, but I also didn’t want it to end so soon. I could have easily read it in one sitting. I highly recommend this thriller!

Thank you Berkeley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.