I went into this book with no expectations and I liked the book a lot. The story itself is so heartbreaking at some points…really I felt so bad for the characters but at the same time after finishing the book I hated two of them. I don‘t want to spoil anything about this book, all I can say that it‘s a good book and that you‘ll be thinking about a lot of things after finishing it. You try to sympathize with all characters involved…but at the end it‘s such a good book. I loved it and am so glad that I was able to read this ARC.

Jamie and Victoria are spending a weekend away in a little guesthouse at Choristers' Lodge; their last as a family of two as Victoria is near the end of her pregnancy with their first child. The owners, Fiona and Barry, are ready to offer the couple a comfortable experience at their quaint and secluded home. Early into their first morning during their stay, Victoria's labor suddenly begins and her surprise is met with panic that intensifies when she and Jamie realize they are now locked in the home, their car keys are gone, their phones are gone, Barry and Fiona are nowhere to be found, and any sign of life is miles away. With the birth of their baby approaching any moment, Jamie makes some quick decisions for his family, but they will be pale in comparison to the decisions they are faced to make soon after...

Instantly panic-inducing, 'The Guest House' grips readers from the start of the first chapter and doesn't let go from then on. Writing Victoria's labor with pristine accuracy, Robin Morgan-Bentley delivers an anxiety fueled experience told through both Victoria and Jamie that is bewildering for both the new parents and readers. Alternating time frames between present day and the shocking weekend spent at the guesthouse, readers are fed bits and pieces of Jamie's and Victoria's encounters that trail into indescribable twists and turns. Morgan-Bentley fuels his thriller with an entertaining story that is impossible to put down.

Jamie is an excited father-to-be, well-versed in his career, and an attentive husband to Victoria. The eloquent way that his cerebral palsy is highlighted within his interactions and daily life is so well-done; everything from other character's reactions and comments to Jamie's thoughts and responses in relation to his disorder are masterfully placed. I loved the additional layer this gave to the feats he was up against as a father and husband protecting his family at all costs. As a character, Jamie provided a depth to this book that I've never experienced with other thriller novels.

'The Guest House' presents unthinkable choices that ask the reader, what would you REALLY do? The ride from there is a dark and thrilling one with unpredictable surprises around every corner. As the story begins to piece together, jaw-dropping revelations continue until Morgan-Bentley wraps it all up in one outstanding ending that will send chills of emotion through your body. An untouchable talent, I can't wait for more from this superbly entertaining author.

I appreciate the both the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy an electronic Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What would you do if you are on vacation and all of a sudden you locked in a guest house? Oh and you are pregnant! Me, I would panic. But this book shows you what a couple will do to get out and save themselves. I really liked Jamie and Victoria. I found both characters to be easy to like! Which in some thrillers you just want to knock some sense into the characters.

I am a huge thriller reader, and this one did not disappoint. I will admit the first half of the book had a slower pace than I prefer. But it was worth it for the second half of shocks and twists! Once I was half way through I couldn’t put this one down.

What I dis love:
- the dual time frames. I found this interesting and made it harder to stop reading.
- Dual points of views from the characters. This also always makes me want to not stop going to the next chapter
- The oh my gosh moment with the twist I didn’t see coming!
- The characters were well developed and the writing was really well done.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to recommend it to my book club this fall! 4 stars out 5. Excellent read for any fan of psychological thrillers!

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The twists were interesting and I can say that I didn't see all of them coming. The first half of the book kind of dragged a bit, which was weird because a lot of action was going on, but if you hang in there it speeds up and gets good by the end. Even though the first half was less engaging, I still cared about the characters and was interested to find out what happened. Overall a good read for anyone that likes psychological thrillers.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. One last trip before the baby comes, but the baby has other ideas, and the guest house owners are weird. Now they are separated and don't have the baby either but what happened and why? More a twisty mystery then a drama.

This was a fast read for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I was at first, disappointed that it didn't all take place at one time (while they were locked in the Guesthouse) but then I thought it rather clever. It is told during the time they are locked in the guesthouse and after they made their escape.

The writing was great and I was eager to turn pages. The twist I didn't see coming but I was getting a bit bored with not knowing what happened at the house, and started to dislike both characters.

This is a fun and easy read though so if you are looking for something like that, you should pick this one up!

This was a perfectly paced thriller! Wow! Looking forward to including this in our mystery/thriller section this Fall. This will also be a selection we include in our subscription boxes this fall for customers! Thank you so much for the chance to preview this novel! Loved it! Couldn't put it down! So twisty!

This book was a completely wild ride. From the first chapter, the reader wonders what tragedy befell the couple who stayed at the guest house. As the story moves through time, being told from the point of view of different characters at different points in time, everything unfolds into a competition of who is the craziest, most-unreliable narrator. In the end, there are even more upended beliefs and you're kept guessing until the last pages. Lots of craziness and suspenseful moments that leave you wondering what you would do for love.

After a lil mini binge on rom-coms, this one got me!
The story stressed me out from the very beginning. Extremely expectant momma goes on a remote get away with her husband with physical limitations, and they can't get to the hospital when her contractions start because the B&B they're staying in is dark and abandoned and their car is gone.
When I tell you my anxiety went through the roof, I mean my fitbit was worried about my heart rate.
It was a good twisty thriller!
Thanks to the publisher & Net Galley!

Did not see that twist coming! As a mother, this had me so anxious the first 3 quarters of the book!!!… but then felt the end was a little rushed. Would’ve liked a little bit more. For a male author, it felt like he did lots of research to understand a mother’s experiences in those first few days/weeks, and portrayed it well. Ultimately, liked the final ending. Jamie was a fav character and appreciated the attention brought to the ableism he experienced as a person with cerebral palsy.

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. Would read this author again!

I did not see the ending coming at all in The Guest House. This book flowed between present and past well and kept me interested throughout. I enjoyed the writing and the overall plot of the book. I enjoyed reading The Guest House and look forward to reading more books from this author.

I just love books set in creepy houses, they tend to be quite atmospheric and usually have a macabre vibe that I enjoy. I also really appreciated the authors inclusion and portrayal of Jamie’s cerebral palsy. That’s not something we see often enough, especially in thrillers. If you enjoy a tense build up, dual timelines & unexpected twists, give this one a read!

An original plot with some very engaging and unseen twists and turns. The characters felt very credible which gave the strange plot an air of menace and risk. A really great read and one I will revisit. Thank you for the ARC

A really engaging and submersible thriller that kept me guessing, I really enjoyed reading it and the twist caught me off guard completely. Thank you for the ARC!

Jamie and Victoria just want a little weekend getaway before their baby arrives, but their guesthouse experience soon turns into a nightmare. They wake up locked in this house with no phones or keys, and Victoria is going into labor early. What will this young couple do to try to save their baby?

This book is full of twists and turns, and I could not put it down once I got going. Good luck figuring out what’s really happening and who you can trust.

Told in dual timelines and dual POVs with short chapters, this book was incredibly difficult to put down.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

I will admit I was getting frustrated by the two main characters in this novel but then there was a hefty twist. Suddenly there was enough shock value for me to become invested in the ongoing tale again. A clever concept but I sort of feel that once the twist was revealed, there was not a lot to explain that wasn't somewhat obvious. I did like the outcome and essentially enjoyed the originality of the plot. Enough originality to recommend to other readers.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

OKAY WOW.

That was a wild, wild ride! The tension was high almost the entire time, the pacing was EXCELLENT—fast and unrelenting at times, and I didn’t guess any of the twists. It’s not often that I say “WTF?” or “OMG!” out loud when I read a novel…. And I did that at least 5-6 times throughout haha.

This may be a jarring book for some as the subject matter includes IVF, fertility, childbirth, and harming children. However, I handled it well (even as a mom to a 3-year old and someone who has suffered a miscarriage).

I loved that there were multiple POVs to this novel as it let us into the psyches of the main characters. And that epilogue…

This is a must read if you love a fast-paced, high tension thriller. September can’t come soon enough! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!

5⭐️

WHAT HAVE I JUST READ!!!🔥

This is one phenomenal read that inflicts a rollercoaster of emotions. I really felt connected to Victoria and Jamie during the heartbreak they were experiencing. The multiple twists were superb and I was gripped from the very first chapter to the Epilogue. The plot was stunning and contained everything you would expect in a thriller!

I also really liked how the protagonist had Cerebral Palsy, and how this disability never restricted their drive and motivation in this unputdownable read! 🔥📚

This thriller is going to be a big hit🔥

Many thanks to Robin Morgan-Bentley, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

I highly recommend this read!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, Net Galley and the author for the advance copy.
I loved this book. I’d label it horror as a mother of three! What an ingenious premise and a very interesting structure. I am not often surprised by twists and turns but this one got me! I speedread it as I was sick with fear. This book was absorbing and compelling and I read in one sitting.
The plot is told via dual timelines and these were very easy to follow. We get Jamie and Victoria’s perspectives both present and past. The pacing seemed almost frenetic as we sped back and forth trying to understand what happened. We know they did not come home with a baby, but what happened? I kept reading to find out first if he was alive and second what happened and who did actually die? The author dropped just a few nuggets with each chapter to keep me reading.
At first, I thought what had happened was totally unbelievable but the actual reveal delighted me as I didn’t particularly like those two characters. They were not portrayed as monsters, just not as mothers/women I would admire. It was nice to see the dad be the good guy for a change. Jamie was not totally lovable and so quite human, but he did his bit as a father. I enjoyed the author’s note where he discussed normalizing disabled main characters. It was educational to see how someone with cerebral palsy navigates his day-to-day life and how insensitive people can be. He was ultimately the better parent despite all the circumstances.
I see Lucy Foley, Shari Lapena and Ruth Ware fans enjoying this book. Just stick with it as the beginning is a bit different and filled me with such a sense of dread. It picks up steam and is a very unique take on a thriller.

Absolutely Incredible. I’m still in shock after reading this book!

The characters are creepy and so well written. It’s a dark storyline, with plenty of jaw dropping twists. It’s fast paced, and intense. I highly recommend!