Ugggg. I read this book because I’ve read several of her other books and have always loved them. I hate to give any author low ratings but especially one that I’ve loved so much in the past.

I think sometimes we can just take things too far in life. Suspense is wonderful but when it just drags on and on it can almost be like foreplay that goes on too long. Where you’re all bothered and in a rush to get to the next step, but then it’s pushed too far and nothing advances and it becomes repetitive and suddenly you’re thinking about what you’re going to have for dinner whilst in the midst of something that should allow no other thoughts in your head!!! The author just spent too long building three timelines and cutting the reader off to jump to the other. One or two pages of building up of one timeline then to be halted and having to jump to another. It was fine for a while but after so long (the entire book) it just became frustrating and not in a good way…then I just wanted it to be over already…

When the storylines did all come together it just wasn’t believable for me. Too contrived and far fetched for me to believe it. Parts built up and then so easily dismissed and glossed over.

I’m so glad this wasn’t my first reading of this author.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

This book had me gripping the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it. I was hooked from the beginning. Reading about the beginning and the trauma that took place I was dying to figure out what was going on and who was responsible for it. I was taken on a ride and thought I had it figured out but I didn’t really figure it out until the end!

I loved how the story was wrapped up and have recommended it to many people!

If I could use one word to describe this it would be atmospheric. I loved this story! I was instantly transported into the "cozy" house and kept on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next. I enjoyed the quick pace and the short chapters!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was a fun twisty thriller that had me guessing till the end. The narrator Brittany Pressley did an amazing job keeping the creepy vibe going and I really enjoyed the way it ended. I need more of this author's books in my life!

The overnight guest was fast paced. I couldn’t put it down once I started. The eeriness of the truck parked and waiting , the girls fleeing the gunshots , the knock at the door , created such a feeling of suspense and dread. Read with the lights on. Loved this book for its suspense at every turn and it’s twist I never saw coming.

This book wasn't for me. I found the pacing to be very slow and there were multiple POV's that at the beginning I found hard to distinguish. Overall, the book didn't hold my attention and I had a hard time finishing it.

I have been such a huge fan of Heather Gudenkauf!

I have read all her books and will continue to do so :)

This was an intense storyline as we always should expect from Gudenkauf. We are introduced to many storylines at the beginning of the book. They all seem random at first but each storyline flowed seamlessly and came together beautifully at the end.

Each character and storyline added more tension and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The only minor issue I had was the ending. I felt it was a bit unbelievable and tad dramatic and over the top. I was a bit sad because I love my bang of endings.

Overall, this was another decent read of Heather's! Can't wait to see her next.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for my copy.

True Crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being alone. To finish her new book, she rents a house in the middle of nowhere and it would be perfect except for the fact that many years ago, two people were murdered there and a young girl disappeared without a trace. A blizzard moves in, trapping Wylie in the house, cut off from the outside world. Until she finds a young child outside. As she goes to investigate, Wylie finds that she might not be as alone as she thought.

This book was a wild ride. I really enjoyed the isolation aspect of the book. It has a very limited cast of characters and as such, you really get to know each of them. The tension and the pacing were so well done to keep me engaged even with the limited setting and characters. The twist/reveal at the end was a little predictable, but not so much that it took away from the story.

Another aspect that I really enjoyed was how Gudenkauf used three separate timelines that all wove together seamlessly to tell the whole story. Nothing was included that didn’t feel necessary and it made this a very enjoyable read. I will definitely be checking out future works by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row, and Heather Gudenkauf for an e-arc of The Overnight Guest in exchange for an honest review.

How has Heather Gudenkauf not been on my reading radar?! To say that I loved this mystery/thriller is an understatement. This book has everything I enjoy about the mystery/thriller genre: atmospheric suspense, unreliable characters, and a juicy plot twist mixed in. My only regret is that I didn’t read it during the winter season to add to my reading experience. I bought my own copy to add to my personal library and reread this coming winter. Make sure you cancel all your plans if you’re going to read this one because you won’t want to put it down! As for me, I’m headed to find more books by this author and will be watching for her next great read.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishing house, Harlequin Trade Publishing, for providing an advanced copy for review. All thoughts and opinions written in this review are my own. My review of The Overnight Guest can be found on Goodreads, Amazon, my Instagram and Facebook book club page, and my local library website.

True Crime writer, Wylie Lark, decided the best way to immerse herself in her new book would be to rent the farmhouse that was the scene of the crime in rural Iowa. She has been at the house for a few weeks when a winter storm hits the area. The weather doesn't bother Wylie. The remote location doesn't bother Wylie, but finding a small boy nearly frozen to the ground in her front yard bothers her. Especially since the landline has been knocked out by the storm, and she broke her cell phone. The young boy doesn't speak but is clearly afraid of something or someone. Wylie leaves the house in the middle of the storm to see if she can find any clue where this child came from. What she finds only gives her more questions. A car crash and an injured woman that Wylie can't help without the proper tools. When she returns with those tools, the woman is gone. Wylie's desperate to help those who need it, but she is worried that there is something more going on than just a car accident.


The Overnight Guest is another edge-of-your-seat thriller from Iowa native Heather Gudenkauf. Heather and I have that in common. I am also an Iowa native and I love seeing pieces of home in her novels. Like her mention of Casey's General Stores, which was my first gig after college and my first step into management. This story is told in alternating voices and the one voice is tough to read at times. I could consider it a trigger warning for some. It was a bit gory and graphic, too. Which added to the thrilling nature of the book, but made it tough to read. The intense ending was perfect for the story. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS


Bottom Line - If you are familiar with the works of Heather Gudenkauf, you know that she writes exciting thrillers you cannot put down until you read the last page. The Overnight Guest is just as good as every other one she has written.

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
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Pages: 352
Publisher: Park Row
Publication Date: 1/25/2022
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

The Overnight Guest is the fouth novel I have read from Heather Gudenkauf. Pacing in this book is amazing. This book took your breathe away so many times. Being held captive and chased by your abuser just keep you going.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC which I received in exchange for an honest review!

As a thriller fan, I was expecting to enjoy this book way more than I actually did which kind of sucked. I just thought this book was fine. Even hours after I finished the book, I could barely recall the name of the characters because they just didn’t stay with me at all. The twists and plot points were predictable and that’s something that destroys my enjoyment when reading a thriller.

Wylie Lark is a true crime writer, temporarily living in an isolated farmhouse while making the final edits on her new book. As a big winter storm barrels in, Wylie soon finds herself in the middle of a scenario not unlike the books she writes. Will the past come back to haunt Wylie in ways that she cannot imagine?

I am a fan of mystery thrillers and suspense, but I just could not get behind The Overnight Guest. Wylie has a history that makes her cautious and fearful, leaving her to overprepare in case of the unexpected. The one thing that she does not prepare for, which does not seem realistic, is the ability to reach out for assistance. A woman, on her own, would have more than just a cell phone in case of emergency. The deliberate use of the words woman and girl, in place of actual names, did nothing but to point a finger directly at who they actually are. The shifting timelines accomplished nothing but to throw off the pacing of the story.

Overall, I was not a big fan of the main character. I felt that her story, and those of the other characters, had been told before in other books. The Overnight Guest just did not stand out and, for these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend it to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by the publisher and NetGalley. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

The Overnight Guest is a must read!
An atomspheric trapped in the woods sort of book that leaves you guessing until the very end.

I love Heather Gudenkauf, but I could not get into this book, I found it confusing and too many perspectives. I finally had to just put it up because the more I read, the more I did not like it.

A crime writer lives in a house far away from anywhere. The house is quite isolated with a fireplace and a place to work on a new book.

When a child is found outside the search begins to find out how this child came to be alone in the winter storm.

Is this house really that isolated?

This story! There is a good deal of remembering the past and the unnamed woman with a small child.

One twist and turn after another gets us to the meat of the story and who the culprit is. I have to confess, I didn’t see it coming. It felt like it was written this way for the shock factor.

I enjoyed the story and recommend it.

Wylie Lark is a true crime writer and she has taken up temporary residence in an isolated farmhouse in order to finish her latest book. As a blizzard moves in she discovers a small child outside, alone, and nearly covered in snow. As she tries to identify the child the storm rages and backstories are revealed.

The Overnight Guest consists of three storylines that help to slowly unravel the identity of Wylie’s unexpected guest. The characters are well-drawn and believable, the plot intriguing, and the atmosphere truly foreboding. Heather Gudenkauf has woven together a terrific thriller that kept me reading well-beyond my bedtime – and with the lights on! I enjoyed The Overnight Guest and look forward to more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

When I first read the synopsis, I was hesitant to read this novel because initially I wondered how interesting and varied the storyline could become with a singular main character stuck in the middle of nowhere. Boy, was I wrong. I read so many thrillers that I often forget what they are about after some time. I haven’t forgotten this one because the story is propulsive and addictive. A definite must-read.