I was unsure of this book at first...it just seemed so implausible. But I'm glad I stuck with it to find out the answers! Really enjoyed the ride.

Wow wow wow. I had an ARC. from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press. This book. First off it’s a crazy plot. I dove right in and I’m like ok I see where this is going, but I didn’t. I was so off and it was a crazy ride. Spoiler alert. There’s a couple having a baby. They end up in a guest house middle of nowhere and the crazy people who own the home deliver and claim their baby, naming him after the child they lost. Claiming the couple can’t tell authorities or they will kill the baby. So at this point I’m like I’m yeah, this is unbelievable, I actually thought about quitting. But curiosity and the need to always finish a book got the better of me. Well I was glad, there’s a crazy plot twist I never ever saw coming. Amazing. Another thing I loved was that the husband of the story Jaime, had some physical limitations from cerebral palsy. He never let mobility hold him back his whole life but still lived with looks or comments or people feeling like they needed to treat him differently. He had an invisible disability. I have a child with an invisible disability and it can be a struggle. People don’t empathize always, they might stare, think there is something off about you, etc. To represent this group of people in the form of a main character was incredibly refreshing. This book was brilliant.

This book is definitely not what I was expecting! It seems like a straightforward enough story with a couple heading to a guest house for a mini break before their baby's arrival. This is when everything changes and Victoria goes into labour whilst seemingly stranded in a locked guest house. This book pretty much just throws you straight in the deep end and your brain is left to desperately try and fill in the missing gaps- and there's definitely a few! I loved the uniqueness of this story and there's plenty of revelations that make it a fast paced and head turning read. There's definitely little breadcrumbs of clues left within the story and suddenly it all makes sense. A brilliant read and sure to be hit this Summer.

I needed to get my hands on this book after reading some great reviews, and boy this novel blew me away! What an absolutely brilliant thriller. It had me on the edge of my seat, reading at every opportunity. The story was revealed one chapter at a time, going back and forth between the past and present. The suspense increased and I was fully invested and didn’t want it to end. The author did such a great job with the characters. I could feel their heartbreak when the drama unfolded, squeezing my heart since I could relate to being afraid of anything happening to my own son. I understood why Victoria had such a hard time after the worst event of her life had shattered her world. The sorrow tore her apart, and I loved how Jamie was there to pick her up again. Jamie had so many qualities that I liked, and I absolutely believed in him, wanting to applaud when his courage reawakened.

The twist was absolutely fantastic! I never saw it coming, and I love that feeling!

I will never forget the story, and would love to read more of the authors book.

I can warmly recommend it to anyone looking for their next thrilling read.

Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first child to be born in the near future. They decide to make a last trip together before becoming parents. They head off to the North Pennines to a small guesthouse in a very remote area. They are greeted on arrival by the guesthouse managers Barry and Fiona. They are served dinner and shown to their room to retire for the night. The next day Jamie and Victoria wake up to find the hosts are gone and so are their car keys and cell phones? Also the doors are all locked. What is going on here?

Wow, this was an intense thriller! The writing was superb and the setting descriptions were perfectly detailed. You could really picture the guesthouse and surroundings. I could not put this book down and I read it in one day. THE GUEST HOUSE checked all the boxes for me, I loved it and highly recommend it. 5 STARS!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc of this good book.
This is a new author for me but I hope he continues to write these taut mysteries with the interesting twists.
Jamie and Victoria decide to take a short trip and stay in a guesthouse nearby. She is nearly to her due date on their much wanted baby. What insues with the landlords of the vacation home is thrilling! I recommend this book to anyone who has loved other domestic thrillers.

Heavily pregnant Victoria and her husband Jamie are trapped in a house with no way out when Victoria starts having labor pains. The couple who welcomed them into the guest house is nowhere to be found. Until they are.

I spent about 2 to 3 hours with this book. I started reading it and got to about the 7% mark, and I did something I haven’t done with a thriller in, like forever. I skipped to the end to make sure the baby was alright. Then I went back and started reading towards the end to understand what happened and what was going on. Then I wanted to learn more so I read randomly. I guess this just wasn’t the book for me. At least not for me at this time. For those with more fortitude than I had, I think this was an excellent, suspenseful thriller with some legitimate shocks for most readers. While it was very well-written, the justifications as to why the main couple felt so trapped with no way out didn’t hold water with me. The story the other couple expected the authorities to believe was inconceivable. and it seemed there was less and less reason to take action as events occurred. I’m still giving it 4 stars. The fact that the suspense was just too much for me at this time, probably speaks well for the book. The problems I had with the plotting might not have been so bothersome had I read it cover to cover.

This book was amazing! I enjoyed every single chapter, and it kept me hooked the entire time, which I loved!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. What a crazy story- twists up to the end!! A couple goes on a weekend retreat and their lives change forever!! Definitely recommend !!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but it had several twists that I did not anticipate, which I always appreciate. It was very fast-paced and a quick read. I also thought having a main character with a disability was interesting and added to the story.

This book had my heart racing the entire time! As a mom myself who has a had issues getting pregnant before I can’t imagine being worried that something could ever happen to my baby. There were so many plot twists that made my stomach drop. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for something fast paced that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of The Guest House in exchange for my honest review.

The Guest House follows Victoria and Jamie who are soon-to-be parents. The two of them have struggled with infertility in the past and are now weeks away from their miracle baby. They decide to take a trip to a remote cabin to relax before the baby comes. However, trouble ensues when Victoria goes into labor and they find they are locked in and the owners of the guest house, Fiona and Barry, are to blame.

The story is told from two timelines, the day Victoria gave birth and the months following. Immediately we are thrown for a loop because they do not have their son, Danny, with them. Something happened on their trip to the mountains and no one is explaining why.

Initially, this book was difficult to get into. The dueling timelines and narratives made it hard to follow along. The book steadily picked up steam as time went on and I found myself entirely engrossed in the story.

The characters were made to be sympathetic, however, I quickly realized the only redeemable character was Jamie. He did anything and everything to protect his son, despite all other characters being against him. I was rooting so hard for Jamie so I’m glad that by the end, he came out on top.

MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD

The twist of having Victoria and Fiona be related and in on the scheme to kidnap Danny was WILD. I absolutely did not see that coming. This twist pushed my rating or the story to a 4 star. I loved how they wove this twist into the storyline. I had no sympathy for either woman so I was glad that they faced their just desserts.

MAJOR SPOILER ABOVE


All in all, this was an exciting tale and eventually piecing together the drama and mystery of it all is what made it a one day read for me. Once you get passed the beginning, it is easily digestible from then on.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press

An enjoyable read… a couple go away for a break and after their first night they find the owners have vanished and they are locked in their accommodation with no way out ..

I thoroughly enjoyed the twist in this book, but sadly it wasn't enough to make me like it as a whole. I felt the characters were too unlikeable, including Jamie, who I am sure is meant to be a sympathetic character as he is a victim?
I also read this thinking that the inclusion of Jamie's CP was a bit heavy-handed. However, I did change my opinion when I read the author's acknowledgements and realised that he himself has CP, in which case I suppose it must be a realistic portrayal of the disability, and I was ignorant to this.
Ultimately the ending makes the whole narrative make sense, but the scenario (a babymoon hours away from home when you are weeks away from giving birth?) was just too improbable to get my head around.

Jamie and Victoria are expecting their first born. They decide to take a quick holiday to the remote country side a few weeks before the baby arrives. The next morning Victoria is in labor. Their keys and phones are missing. They are along and locked in the strange house.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and had me hooked from the beginning. I couldn’t put it down.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. If you’re looking for a face paced mystery/thriller then I definitely recommend this one. This was one of those books that you just couldn’t put down. It’s written in different points of view (Victoria and Jamie - and later Fiona). The chapters also alternate from the time of the guest house visit to after. I really enjoyed the authors writing style. It starts off with a bang and has you guessing throughout. I try to make predictions while I’m reading and if it’s too predictable, I don’t care for that but I do like when I’m able to figure a few things out as I’m going. This one I made a couple correct guesses but also had a few shockers in there that I did not see coming!

As far as characters and trigger warnings. I liked Jamie’s character alot. I think the author did a great job writing his disability into the storyline (cerebral palsy). Victoria, I had definite mixed feelings about her. Fiona and Barry….creepy and very disturbing characters. I could picture them in a movie that I probably wouldn’t want to watch! Lol The trigger warnings are child abuse and threat to harm a baby. I did not like reading about that at all but understand why it was written into the story. To be honest, there were a few spots when I would think “omg, if they (Fiona or Barry) do that, I can’t keep reading this”.

Overall, I did really enjoy this one and would recommend it for a quick read if you like disturbing psychological thrillers. The ending was satisfying although without giving spoilers there were a few parts that didn’t sit well with me at the end. Basically with Victoria.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Guest House,
Robin Morgan-Bentley
Pub: Poisoned Pen Press
Pub Date: 13 Sept 22

Does it count as a workout if you’re exhausted when you finish reading a nail biting, rollercoaster of a thriller? It should.

Premise:
Jaimie and his very pregnant wife, Victoria, set out for a brief getaway to a guest house in the country; mere weeks before their child is due. The host couple greets them, serves them dinner, and then disappears. The young couple awakens the next morning literally trapped in the house - all doors and windows are locked, their phones and car keys are gone. Victoria goes into labor….

Told in multiple Povs and timelines, this is super-sonic train of a speedy read. Nothing is as it seems. Be prepared to be led astray, downright fooled. There are subtle hints thrown about - pay attention.

Many (most?) of the characters are unlikeable, which only adds to the creep factor. Jaimie, however, is a dear man, absolutely thrilled with the notion of becoming a dad. His character is uniquely, beautifully, vulnerable, due to a disability. His storyline could only have been written (with such tenderness and grace!) by someone who has lived this journey. Absolutely brilliant, touching, writing.

I zoomed through this book at light speed; loved it! I will read everything Morgan-Bentley writes!

My sincere gratitude to Robin Morgan-Bentley, NetGalley, and Poisoned Pen press for the opportunity to read The Guest House as an eArc, in exchange for my honest and wholly independent review.

Trigger Warnings
Infertility, miscarriage, child loss, Claustrophobia

Definitely wasn't expecting that. Told in past and present timelines, a young couple decide to enjoy the last few weeks of pregnancy relaxing at a remote guesthouse. The house is run by a sweet elderly couple that make them feel right at home. However, things take a dramatic turn when Victoria goes into labour and the sweet elderly couple turn out to be anything but.
The two timelines really kept the story intriguing. I had so many questions and couldn't wait to find out how it all ended. It reminded me of a movie called Timber Falls that has a similar vibe; how far would a loving mother go to protect her child?

Wow just wow! Visceral, Terrifying, Enthralling & Compelling. I so didn't see that ending coming! This was a pulse pounding, exhilarating, exceptional read, there were multiple twists that just made you kinda stop and say what? I had to read a couple of paragraphs over a second time to be sure I read what I thought I had, then after I confirmed I wasn't seeing things all I could think was this author is amazing. This was the first novel I'd read by Robin Morgan-Bentley but I guarantee it will not be the last he blew my mind and I've already Google searched him. I will most definitely be giving this a 5/5 star rating but only because it doesn't go to 10 or 100! I would recommend this book to anyone how knows how to read its amazing it's got something for everyone literally it's got comedy when Victoria gets drunk and tells some people how she really feels, it's got drama, thrills & chills coming out the wazoo! I'm a mother and my greatest fear is to have someone kidnap my daughter, let me tell you parts of this book left me chilled to the bone! This author has a way of pulling you in on page one yanking to set that hook and boom your all in. He makes you wonder what is going on that you don't know about yet because things just don't add up however they are intense, explosive & twisted. I was asking myself what would I do to keep my family safe and save my daughter? A better question is what wouldn't I do? I sincerely thank the Publisher Poisoned Pen Press the Author Robin Morgan-Bentley and Netgalley for the ARC it has literally been an honor to read such an amazing book.

This was a tense thriller that has a difficult subject matter...the loss of a child. A young couple goes away to relax in the country just before the birth of their first child...what happens next they could not predict. What happens to these new parents is hard to read about, but I enjoyed the twists and surprising turns in this story. It also has a satisfying ending and is a quick book to read. It's a little too mature for my younger students but it would be great for older students.