Cover Image: The Guest Room

The Guest Room

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Member Reviews

I found this book riveting and I read it in one sitting, I could not put it down. Well written with good characters and a great setting and storyline that just kept the reader guessing. it was suspenseful, mysterious and tense with so much unpredictability I just couldnt call it. I really enjoyed it

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Stephs husband has walked out after 30 years of marriage.At night Steph hears strange noises of a night but her daughter Bea says she's imagining things.
She knows she closed the window and there's a strange smell in the house.
A young man Noah helps her fix a window after she has a break in.
Noah's fallen on hard times so Steph offers him a place to stay she won't be alone now.
Strange things start happening again,someone wants her to be afraid and feel unsafe,but who and why?
Really enjoyed reading this book by Rona Halsall it kept me guessing till the end highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC

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Bookouture,
Thank You for this eARC! 💜

Rona Halsall is a favorite of mine!
I loved The Honeymoon and The Ex-Boyfriend both were amazing reads.
And now I can add The Guest Room to that list!?

This story had it all.... It was gripping, engaging, the twist and turns
Rona has the ability to draw you.in slowly, getting ready to be hooked on these amazing characters and their secret and lies. Providing you with little twists along the way until you have no clue which way its going.
Utterly mesmerizing
Our characters are completely creative and interesting. Which I couldn't help but feeling something for Steph....
If you're looking for a fast paced, entertaining, quick, intriguing story, read this one!

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Following the breakdown of her 30 year marriage Steph is getting used to living alone. Until strange things start happening, Windows broken, snell of cigarettes. Her daughter Bea wants her to move in with her but Steph is determined to maintain her independence. During her work at a homeless shelter she meets Noah who's down on his luck. She offers him a place to stay to help him but also give herself reassurance of having someone in the house. Soon after however the mysterious events start happening again and Steph wonders if she's made a big mistake in opening up her home to Noah.
A really good thriller, well written with lots of twists about who the protagonist could be.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

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Unsettling Events…
When home becomes a barrel of insecurity for Steph she invites near stranger Noah to stay hoping that this will ease her fearfulness. Whilst her nearest and dearest are unhappy with the situation, Steph feels that she has made the right choice. Unfortunately, things are soon to descend into a whirl of bizarre and unsettling events. With a menacing underlying current, a plot populated with a credible cast and peppered with red herrings this is an often intense and chilling one sit read.

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Steph is far too trusting offering Noah, a homeless man a place to stay. She is happy not to be alone after some strange happenings in the house. Once again I did not figure it out but that is normal for me and this Author’s books. I will continue to read whatever she writes. Thanks to NetGalley, Bookoutre and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book

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A shockingly dark fantastically compelling read
Steph,54,had lost it all,her marriage,career and self worth,slowly she is rebuilding her life and even though started a new job and made new friends is still trying to convince herself she is enjoying her ‘freedom’……but then things start to happen to her and she is convinced she is being targeted,but by who? And why? She decides upon a rash course of action and invites a near stranger into her home to ease her nerves and help her feel more secure……and then her problems really start
I loved Steph,insecurities and all and the way she tried so hard to be happy after she lost everything,at times naive more often though just vulnerable she had no idea was was ‘afoot’
Brilliant characters and a fast paced storyline with yes some great twists and turns makes this everything you could wish for in a psychological thriller and will be for sure one of my favourite and most memorable books of the year
Tense and exciting it is also written in a way to be an enjoyable read where you slip straight into the characters,good and bad,lives and stay with them throughout the story
Loved every page

10/10
5 Stars

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I read this gripping read in just two sittings, I was totally drawn to the characters and this had you guessing all the way though which kept me page turning until almost midnight.

WOW A must read I absolutely love Rona's style of writing, just brilliant.

Thank you Bookouture 5 stars from me ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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“The Guest Room” by Rona Halsall is a domestic thriller. In this book we follow Steph, a kind-hearted woman, who has been let down a bit bit by the world - she was let go from her job, her son (a number of years ago) abandoned the family, and her husband wants a divorce. When vandalism occurs at her house, she’s concerned. Eventually she takes in a border she met at the homeless shelter at which she works. And that’s about all I can give as a plot before things start getting interesting. I have to admit, this book had a very slow start for me, but I did finish the book in a few hours. The author threw in a few possible red herring characters, but I’m not sure all readers will figure out the person behind the thriller aspect. I didn’t like all the choices Steph made, but they were justified in a way that made sense for her character. This book ended on what I thought was a pretty good note.

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Steph’s husband has left her after thirty years of marriage. She is a kind natured lady and when a young man called Noah falls on hard times and helps Steph, she ends up offering him a roof over his head.

Steph’s daughter, Bea is horrified, as is Steph’s husband! With strange goings on in the house, Steph soon feels she is in danger but who would want to harm her?

An intense story with some interesting characters. I thought it was great how the author highlights problems in our society in the story.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advance read of this book publishing 31st January 2022.
Stephs husband has just walked out on their 30 years of marriage leaving Steph to live on her own for the first time in her life. Strange things start to happen in her house. She decides she needs a lodger for company and impulsively offers Noah, a homeless guy she has met through work to move in.......

Wow, the twists in this kept me guessing! Another great read from Rona, I really enjoy her books. Five stars 🌟

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It certainly didn't take me long to read this book I was so engrossed I loved every single minute of it, a highly recommended read.

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Rona Halsall is a new author to me but on completing this exciting novel immediately started looking at other books by her to read.

Steph lives alone since her thirty year marriage ended when her husband left her. Steph loves her home but it no longer feels safe after she starts to hear noises in the night and there are other signs that she has uninvited visitors. Her daughter Bea is not convinced with her mothers claims and thinks she’s imagining things. Steph claims appear to be vindicated when her house is broken into resulting in a damaged front window. A young man who has fallen on hard times named Noah helps fix the front window and Steph in a moment of compulsion offers him a place to stay. This may be the answer to both their problems, Noah now has a place to sleep and Steph feels a lot safer now that she is not alone at night. Both Steph’s ex-husband and Bea are not so happy with the new circumstances, her husband wants her to sell the house to free up money for him and Bea is concerned about Noah’s reliability.

Steph’s peace of mind is short lived and it is not long before there are more strange happening’s as it becomes clear someone will stop at nothing to make her feel unsafe.

I found this an exciting read which had me turning pages very quickly, eager to know what was going to happen. I know this won’t be my last Rona Halsall read this year.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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I love Rona’s books and this one didn’t disappoint. Slightly predictable but a well told tale nonetheless. I would defiantly recommend it.

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This was quite predictable and went exactly as I though it would, but I did enjoy it. Steph is a kind hearted woman that wants to see good in all of us and the world, unfortunately she gets let down. She has always considered family to be so important, but it is in these trying times there are struggles she must face in this area of her life. I don't want to say anymore as I will give parts of the story away. I would read more of this authors books and thank Net Galley and the publisher for a review copy. Three stars

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Wow tense chilling with twists that totally shocked me.This book is so well w I was drawn in from the opening pages,I was so involved read til late into the night.I did not see the end coming,I will be recommending this book and this author.#netgalley #bookouture

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I couldn’t leave this down until I was finished so thankfully I was off for the weekend so I had no distractions. I must say I always enjoy reading Rona’s books as they keep the reader guessing right to the end. Definitely a five star and more read.

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Steph is married to Andy they have a son and daughter Max and Bea .but Andy accused Steph oh having an affair he became possessive , they have split up and started divorce proceedings . Steph does not want to sell the family home as she thinks her son Max will come back one day .she has a good friend at work Cara . one day Steph comes home and smell s cigarette smoke in the house but passes it off then a bang comes from upstairs someone has been in the house the windows are open . Cara suggests she gets a lodger Noah moves in . wont say no more but story so good

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I really enjoyed reading this book. At first I thought the concept might be a bit unoriginal but I was pleasantly surprised as I read on.

The characters were believable and although main character Steph made some questionable decisions, you can kind of see her reasoning behind them.

I really liked the ending. I was convinced that I knew who was responsible for everything within the first few chapters and I was wrong! I thought everything came together really well and there weren't any loose ends.

Just an editing note, in the beginning there are some timeline issues. Chapter Five beings with 'a few days later' but then the characters go on to talk about the events happening 'yesterday'.

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Wow! What a great read! I had to sit and think about it before reviewing. When I began reading I had a couple of minor complaints, but those disappeared the more I read. Steph’s husband of 30 years left her, and she wants to prove her independence for the first time. Against her family’s wishes, she continues to live in the home, near her workplace as an advocate for the homeless, a rather questionable area of town. She plods on, ignoring everyone’s concerns, and takes in a homeless young man. She has been threatened for some time, including believing she was pushed down an escalator and broke her ankle. The ankle has healed but the threats continue and seem to be escalating. She is stubborn and believes having a “lodger” will help to keep her safe. As bizarre and dangerous events continue, most everyone is suspecting the lodger, and her family wants him out, as they want her out of the house and into a nicer, safer neighborhood. This book got into my head, and I felt uneasy turning every page. When I thought I had it figured out, the plot went in a very different direction with a shocking ending. There were many twists and turns and dark corners in the story, and I have no complaints. This story entails the plight of the homeless, trust, love, family dynamics, betrayal, lost opportunities and second chances.
5 we’ll-deserved stars, and I highly recommend this unforgettable thriller.
Thank you to Netgalley Rona Halsall, and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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