The Guest House is a brilliant book, with twists that you would never have expected.

Jamie and Victoria are longing for a child, after IVF not working, they finally find out that Victoria is pregnant. They decide to visit a small Guest House in the Lake distract for a final holiday before the baby comes, but it all goes terribly wrong.

The book is a psychological thriller that you won’t want to put down. The pages are easy to turn as you want to know what’s happening next. The book is written with each chapter either Victoria or Jamie who share their side of the story. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy for an honest review.

The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley

Wow, I had a really hard time reading this book. Not because it’s bad, which it isn’t. It’s just such a harrowing depiction of every parent’s nightmare, that was so vivid I had to put the book down time and again just to catch my breath before pressing on with the propulsive narrative.

Said narrative comes via different viewpoint characters, with chapters shifting back and forth in time as events unfold and our narrators look back on what happened with clearer, perhaps wiser eyes. Jamie and Victoria are our young married protagonists. They’ve struggled for a while to get pregnant, and are now anticipating the arrival of their baby with equal parts terror and joy. In the last few weeks before their due date, they decide to go off on a babymoon in a remote part of the country that has sentimental value for them both. When they find that the place they usually stay in is fully booked, they opt to stay at a cute little guest house run by older couple Fiona and Barry instead.

Alas, things go poorly almost from the start. The food is indifferent, and Jamie is understandably tired of people asking about his disability:

QUOTE
She ushered us in front of her, and out of the corner of my eye, I clocked Fiona noticing my limp.

“Oh, what have you done to your leg, Jamie?”

Here we go. If I were in a wheelchair and more obviously disabled, people wouldn’t be so brazen as to ask so directly, so quickly. I think people often use it as an icebreaker with me, expecting an anecdote about an injury sustained while playing rugby or falling down in a club.

“Oh, it’s a long-term thing, actually. I always walk like this.”

I gave my standard answer, and thankfully, Fiona didn’t push it any further.
END QUOTE

But then Victoria goes into early labor on their very first night there. What might have been an experience worthy of an indifferent Yelp review swiftly turns into an actual ordeal. Jamie can’t find their hosts, and every door and window is locked, trapping them inside the building. Worse, their keys and phones have gone missing. With Victoria’s labor pains sending them into an increasing panic, the couple desperately look for a way out. Fiona and Barry finally reappear, but it quickly becomes clear that they have less than merciful intentions.

Fast-forward a month and a shell-shocked Victoria and Jamie are back in London, without their baby Danny. They’re both trying to get on with life as normal, but are understandably having a difficult go of it. The trauma of losing their child is also causing them to react in different ways. While Jamie reaches out to his wife for solace, Victoria can’t help but push him away despite his loving overtures:

QUOTE
And for a moment I’m tempted, because it’s just so wonderful to be looked after like this. There’s a comfort in spending time with Jamie that I can’t get elsewhere.

But I can’t face the prospect of sitting down opposite him, having breakfast, and talking about Danny. About the threats in the post. Because that’s where the conversation will go. Every moment I spend with him is a reminder of what’s happened. It’s exactly why we need to spend time apart.
END QUOTE

As a mom who’s had a complicated history of pregnancies myself, I honestly felt overwhelmed at points while reading this novel. Robin Morgan-Bentley writes powerfully about some of the worst terrors expecting parents can face; it seems almost unfair that he also manages some truly inventive mystery novel twists and chills on top of all that.

I was also impressed by Mr Morgan-Bentley’s choice to feature a lead with cerebral palsy. Diversity representation is so important, and he does a terrific job of showcasing the interior life of an expectant father who already has to contend with physical limitations in his everyday existence, even before adding on the nightmare of what happens to him and his little family in that seemingly innocuous guest house.

This was a truly outstanding thriller. I may never be able to read it again because I felt it all just so deeply in my bones, but I won’t ever forget it.

If you have anything important to do, don't start this book. This book grips you from the start and doesn't let go! Robin Morgan-Bentley does a fantastic job of ramping up the suspense and throwing in some awesome twists to make this a must read! Jamie and Victoria have been married for several years trying to get pregnant almost as long.. They've tried IVF 3 times with no luck and they're desperate for a child. After their third IVF the doctor tells them to relax and take some time. During that time, Victoria gets pregnant!! Jamie and Victoria are thrilled and the pregnancy advances along nicely.

Victoria wants a weekend in the country before the baby arrives and rents a small guesthouse with a few weeks before the due date. It's quite a drive to the guesthouse and when they arrive the only people there are an older couple, Fiona and Barry. They tell Jamie and Victoria that there are no close restaurants, so they share some chili they had made. Jamie and Victoria take their bags to their room and fall into bed exhausted. When they wake early the next morning, Victoria is too hot and wants some fresh air. The windows in the room are locked and can't be opened. She decides to go downstairs and go out on the porch to cool off. Wait, where are their phones and keys? Why is the front door locked with no key around to open it? Why is the back door also locked with no key? As a bit of panic begins to set in, Jamie and Victoria realize that they're alone and locked in the guesthouse. As they're trying to find an explanation for this, Victoria starts to have some pain.....she is starting contractions!!!! No phone, no keys to get out of the house, no car keys and their first child seems ready to come out!!

This book will make you read on at a breakneck pace! Be prepared! Do Victoria and Jamie find a way out of the house? Do they find a working phone to call for help? Will the baby be delivered at the guesthouse or will help arrive? Who are Fiona and Barry and why did they take their phones and keys? Are Jamie and Victoria who we think they are? You'll have to read this fantastic thriller to get the answers! This book comes out on September 13, 2022 so don't wait to get it! I'd like to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review. #NetGalley #TheGuestHouse

"The Guest House" was entertaining and riddled with twists that kept me engaged!

This story is formatted in such a way that each chapter alternates between the present and the past. This format worked for a bit, but by halfway through the book I noticed the redundancy in alternating chapters, which caused some of the information that could create tension to be a bit transparent.

Yet, Morgan-Bentley made up for this in the twists that kept coming up until the very end of the story, and I had a great time reading this domestic thriller.

Highly recommended if you want an atmospheric and bananas thriller!

3.5 ⭐️'s rounded up.

*SPOILER*
CW/TW: Harmful situations and physical abuse involving a newborn infant..

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced eARC of this book thanks to Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The baby is coming

Jamie and Victoria decide to go for a weekend away before the birth of their son, Danny. They are staying in a guest house and when they wake up their keys and phones are missing and so are the owners. What is worse is that Victoria is having contractions. They need to leave, to get to a hospital but they are trapped, and the baby is coming!!!

I thought I had this book figured out and I also felt this was a 3.5 star read and then that REVEAL happened. Talk about giving me whiplash! I did not see that coming at all! I love when a book can shock me. This one did and I enjoyed how entertaining this book was. There are twists and turns along the way with quite a few revelations.

Told in alternating POV's this one was wacky and full of devious and not so stable people. Bring it on! This book was entertaining, and I chalk it up to a guilty pleasure.

Shocking, dramatic, and full of secrets.


Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy to review. This was a twisty story that hooked me from the start. I did not see the twist until right before it spilled out on the page. I’m not sure I liked the twist but I’m also not sure what I would have preferred. I liked the format of bouncing between present day and the month leading up to it. Ultimately, I feel the ending fell a little flat. The last few chapters had me wondering if some other twist would happen and I was let down that it didn’t.

Thank you Netgalley & Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC of The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley!

What’s it about?
Just how far would you go to protect the ones you love? Jamie & Victoria are on a quick getaway before the arrival of their first child. The remote country guesthouse that Victoria selected seems perfect and free of distractions. When they awake on their first morning in the guest house, they find it deserted and locked - with their cell phones and car keys missing. The baby is coming…early…and there’s no way out.

I will say, this book is absolutely not what I anticipated after reading the synopsis. That being said, I found myself pleasantly surprised with the direction the plot went in! Jamie’s character has cerebral palsy, and I loved the representation of his disorder in the story. I anticipate this book having polarizing reviews given the fact that it's truly not what anyone would expect. I’d describe it as intense, and I was intrigued right from the start. There is some repetition of what’s happening at the end of the book, but it was interesting to see how each character interpreted the events of the story. If you're looking for a book that'll make you say - Wait, what???? - look no further.

Wow this book was totally crazy, intense and psychotic…and I loved it! I got sucked in immediately and could not stop reading. I finished it in 2 days because I just had to know where it was going. The twists literally made me gasp. This book dealt with sensitive topics such as domestic abuse, child abuse, postpartum depression, mental illness, infidelity and disabilities. It was so well written and made me feel uneasy wanting to know what would happen next. I highly recommend this thrilling suspenseful book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for access to this ARC which is available on 9/13.

This one is not what I expected after reading the synopsis. While this book started out with a strong opening, I slowly lose interest as the story goes.

The plot felt repetitive with slow pacing and flat characters as well. I don't feel connected with any of the characters which makes me care less to what happens to them.

It lacks the thrilling and shocking element I was hoping. There's not a lot of significant things happen except in the last few chapters of the book. The twist with the ending which caught me by surprise is the reason I bump it with one more star.

Sadly, I feel quite disappointed with this one. While the plot idea sounds intriguing, the execution though... not so much.

Thank you to Netgalley, author and publisher for granting this book to me. I'm leaving this honest review voluntarily.

This psychological thriller has a disturbing plot! This fast-paced book has a twist at the end that is noteworthy and mind blowing! It wasn't what I thought it would be about....it was more. When a couple decides an Airbnb for the weekend in a remote village and away from a hectic work week will be great for their marriage, they didn't factor in locked into the place without cell phones and car keys stolen and the owners nowhere around. Jamie and Victoria are in their last few weeks of pregnancy when she goes into labor in this eerie place. The owners, a midwife and ex-officer, reappeared and things became strange and panicked.

A month later, Jamie and Victoria have returned to their lives with grief counseling and their marriage disintegrating. Friends and family offer their help, but they are quick to push them aside. There is apparent guilt and pain with what happened in that cottage. What happened and who is to blame?
You won't believe it even after the final blow is given in this very disturbing, chilling and mind-blowing plot. It is original and thought provoking! I didn't enjoy the characters of Jamie and Victoria, but at the end you will understand a lot more of the story. It's definitely one of those aha moments!
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

"The Guest House" is about a couple who decide to go for a final getaway before their first son is born. Once at the guest house they find themselves in a situation where they are fighting for their lives as well as their child's. There are twists I couldn't have predicted but it's also a beautiful story of the love a parent has for their child. I LOVED seeing the inclusion of a main character living with a disability; especially because it was written by an author who shares the same disability. I feel like any time I have strong feelings (good or bad) about a character that means it was well written and I had some VERY strong feelings about all the characters in "The Guest House". I will be following Robin Morgan-Bentley and what comes next from him.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Guest house was an entertaining book with a main character with disabilities. It was good to see someone with disabilities represented so well. Unfortunately, the story went off the rails towards the end and I really didn't like how the story was resolved.

Wow, this was intense! This is a story about a couple who decides to go on one last trip before the baby comes. In the guest house, they are staying in, they get to know Fiona and Barry who are desperate to have a child after their own boy died years ago at two years old. What will they do to get the child they want?

The story starts off really strong! I enjoyed the jump between timelines - it makes it just feel a little more real and gets you invested to find out what happened. Throughout the book, I really felt a lot of empathy for the couple and what happened to them (even though I am not a mother). But while the story was really engaging up until the big twist, it just went quite a big downhill from there in my opinion. The idea was pretty good but I just felt a disconnect to how the last part of the novel was concluded. There are some (in my opinion) very irrational choices made and I just didn't really like/understand the reasoning for the things that happened.

Nonetheless. I did like how the ending did not just stop after the reveal but gave a little more details on what happened after it and how it might continue. I always appreciate it when stories don't just stop abruptly but instead try to give a little bit of close.

3/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a suspense novel about a young couple who book a weekend getaway at a countryside B&B to relax and celebrate their final days before parenthood. Victoria is in her last trimester of pregnancy and while she and her husband Jamie aren’t expecting for at least a few more weeks, things go horribly wrong once they arrive at the guesthouse.

The beginning of the story started off a bit slow but, as other reviewers have mentioned, things are not entirely what they seem. The ending revealed unexpected twists I didn’t see coming and although the story was well written, I had difficulty coming to terms with the practicality of the general premise.

Without giving too much away, I can’t see a person going to this extent instead of exploring more reasonable options. Otherwise, the story was suspenseful and I’m sure it will be enjoyable for some but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

Holy crap this book 😱 I devoured this in less than 12 hours it was SO GOOD!! I 100% was caught off guard by the twist and I was just floored. Wild ride from start to finish!

I loved the alternating narrators and the dual timelines until everything finally meets up. Absolutely recommend this for a twisted psychological thriller!

This book has a lot of potential & im sure a lot of people will love it.. that being said, it wasn’t my favorite. It was well written but the content/subject matter made me feel, with lack of a better work, icky. Still not a bad book by any stretch, just not my favorite.

This book was creepy, atmospheric and unique. It started of strong and had me hooked pretty much from beginning to end. I had no clue where it was going but I was there for the ride. I rooted for the characters and thought the plot twist was decent.


The Guest House is available September 13, 2022.

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Jamie & Victoria are on a weekend getaway, just before Victoria is due to have their baby. In a quaint house in the countryside, they realize they’ve been locked in by the owners and cannot escape, even when Victoria goes into labor. Fiona and Barry, the homeowners, proceed to keep them there and a nightmare unfolds.

This book was really fun! A truly twisted ride and I fully was not expecting where the story went in the final act.

Honestly, I do not even know what to say about this book!

It just seemed so convoluted, and repetitive, with such weird timing and pacing, I mean I guess the idea was good, but gosh, the execution was not to my liking at all.

I also take an issue with the primary two personas' character-defying bits being cerebral palsy and big, red curly hair. I mean... nothing else about them is with mentioning? And it was repeated multiple times throughout the whole book, it really got on my nerves.

I did finish this book in a couple of hours, but it was because I skimmed through so much.. not worth my time and even with that, I got the whole picture easily.

The best part is the book cover, honestly.
Just a big no from me.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

I finished this book a few days ago and just had to process everything, its haunted me, but in the way a good thriller is meant to.
I was anxious, tense and just when I thought I knew the story.. everything was flipped!

Do you believe that one event can make or break you as a person and completely shape you and your future?

Without giving too much away I despised one of the characters and could not relate to them at all, but I feel that was the intent.

Another character showed so much compassion and strength and I had empathy for them and could relate to them far more despite vast differences. I loved how Robin Morgan Bently used his own story in the character Jamie, and is bringing awareness of Cerebral palsy it's awesome to read a refreshingly real character.

This book had an unfathomable event and created a tense, crazy and gripping story I couldn't put down.