I just finished The House Guest in a marathon reading. I started it late yesterday and found it impossible to put down. Highlights are an impending divorce, loss of friends, new friends, and then along comes the FBI. Hank Phillippi Ryan will keep you guessing who the good guys are and who the bad guys are until the very end. This was a new author or me and I will certainly read more of her work.
Thanks to NetGalley I was allowed to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would definitely do it again!

Alyssa Macallen's world has just collapsed. Her wealthy husband Bill has inexplicably filed for divorce and disappeared, leaving Alyssa confused. Her snobby, so-called friends at her club seem to delight in her situation and she, herself, is left alone in her ostentatious home. Seeking solace and anonymity Alyssa heads to a suburban hotel bar where she is sure none of her social circle will find her. Soon a young woman, visibly upset, joins her at the bar. Before long Alyssa feels a sisterly connection after they chat a bit. Impulsively Alyssa invites Bree to stay in her pool house hoping to help a fellow woman in distress and to also reduce her own loneliness.

Plot twists, turns and surprising revelations abound as the story progresses. The closer the reader gets to the end, the more breathless the pace. And just when you think you know what will happen next, Ms Ryan inserts another unexpected twist and surprises you again. Despite all the twists, however, the resolution and explanation at the end of the book are plausible and satisfying. I read this book in a day and I think other readers might do the same.

Thanks to Hank Phillippi Ryan and NetGalley for the chance to be an early reader!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!

This is my second book of Ryan’s and not my absolute favourite. While the concept is interesting there’s a certain level of suspending your disbelief required that is beyond the usual required for a thriller in order for me to understand why the main character would do any of this so naively.

I spent most of the book kind of seeing where it was going but also there WERE a few good twists at the end where I was like “ alright you’ve got me here, didn’t see this coming”.

Overall a middle of the road thriller that I definitely still enjoyed :)

Alyssa’s fairytale life is smashing around her. Bill, her husband of eight years, has walked out. Not only is she devastated emotionally, but his power-grabbing is now directed at her. When Bree sits next to Alyssa in a hotel bar, this stranger’s life seems even more of a mess than Alyssa’s. Impulsively Alyssa, afraid Bill is gaslighting her, invites Bree to use the guest house. But how much does Alyssa know about Bree -or Bill? Ryan weaves a tale of money and trust in this standalone novel. The reader isn’t any more sure of who is being truthful than is Alyssa, but making a mistake won’t put us in danger. I enjoyed watching Alyssa grow, but found myself wanting to turn to the end of the book to see if I was correct in guessing the ending. The pacing was a bit slow for me, but this is still a good, convoluted tale. Recommended.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.