If domestic thriller writers are sending a message, that message seems to be: You can’t trust another woman. Despite the fact that women are most in jeopardy from their male partners, in fiction the danger comes from their best friend. Or their nanny. Personal assistant, sister, stepmother, mother-in-law, husband’s new wife. And as thriller readers, we are trained to expect that a husband might eventually be absolved, but the BFF is always up to no good.

In her latest thriller, The House Guest, Hank Phillippi Ryan takes advantage of readers’ expectations to craft a tale filled with unforeseen twists. How dangerous is it to invite a stranger into your home? Maybe not as dangerous as sharing it with a man.

For the complete review, click on the link below.

I thought the novel started out quite well, but the it seemed to go downhill from there. The storyline seemed far fetched and there were some plot holes that didn’t make sense. Started with a bang and ended with a fizzle.

It is not the money that is bad; it is how people use it.
“The House Guest” introduces characters by dangling the past, reviewing the present, and hinting at things to come. Everything Alyssa thought would make her life wonderful and happy, well, it didn’t. Her life was like that of a lobster -- living in comfort and luxury, about to be boiled alive. She was comfortable and clueless. First her husband left, and then her life became just one disaster after another. That is, until a strange thing happened; she met someone one night in a bar.
The story unfolds in a conversation driven narrative. Chapters are labeled with the day to make following the progress easy. Readers know some of what people say to each other, and some of what they say to themselves, but not everything. There are plenty of secrets hidden from others and concealed from readers.
Details paint a vivid picture of the environment. The headboard is crafted from local driftwood, painted a bleached blue, and buffed like a stone tumbled by the waves. The phone’s green charging light and the moon’s May brightness give the room a pale glow.
Alissa encounters more than her share of unexpected connections and unanticipated influences. There are casual gatherings, intentional encounters, and meetings that turn out very differently than originally planned – or perhaps they were planned that way from the start. Alissa knows that in real life, no one gets away with killing anyone, especially husbands -- in real life, but eventually nothing seems real to her. Things are not what they seem on the surface, and perhaps there is an evil that runs deep.
“The House Guest” is an elaborate deception. Things should be one thing, but turn out to be something very different. The characters are complex; the action is non-stop, and the ending is unexpected. Readers think, “I am glad it is not me!”
I also listened to the audio version of “The House Guest” narrated by Stephanie Willing. Willing has a multi-dimensional voice. At times the tone is melodic and reassuring; at other times there is urgency in the narration with a tone of anticipation and dread of what is to come.
I received a review copy of “The House Guest” from Hank Phillippi Ryan, Stephanie Willing, Macmillan-Tor Publishing, and Macmillan Audio.

“The House Guest” is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries, and anywhere you get your books.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, this was not a success for me personally, the writing felt stale and I just didn't care to see what was going to happen

Alyssa Macallan is newly divorced, it wasn’t a clean break.. and her ex is the king of playing mind games. They were wealthy, traveled, had a lot of friends and now Alyssa is alone. She needs a friend but how does an adult woman find a friend? One night she heads to an out of the way bar, in a hotel, to let out some steam. While there a young woman starts to speak with her. She has a lot of issues as well and they bind over their problems. Bree Lorrance, seems to have a stalker and she doesn’t have much money to stay in the hotel. Alyssa has a guest house and invites Bree to stay with her. Bree can save some money and figure her life out. At first things are going well and Alyssa loves the company. But Bree has issues Alyssa is now brought into. Plus the FBI, comes to her house to talk about her ex. After the FBI a leaves Alyssa starts looking into her husband and while she’s out she tries to piece together Bree and her story. Can Alyssa put all of it together? Is Bree a friend or an enemy hired by her ex? What will happen if her ex is guilty of what the FBI says? This was a quick read for me. The story moved at a good pace. Kind of predictable but there were a few surprises. I love a good mystery/thriller and this was a 4 star read for me. I’m want to thank Netgalley and Hank Phillippi (the author) for my copy of The House Guest, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review.

The Houseguest
Hank Phillipi Ryan



Ryan takes her audience on a non-stop from beginning to end rollercoaster ride where when the passengers expect the ride to stop it simply changes directions, takes a 360 loop and starts all over again, but don’t get too dizzy because to follow the subtle hints you’ll need your wits about you. Hank gifts her readers/listeners with a solid plot, fluid narrative, amazing scenic backdrops, exotic locales and characters that range from mundane to over the top and each one is unforgettable. Alyssa is the absolute star of the novel and while she may seem naïve to some she’s actually a refreshingly humble designer wearing classy leading lady. On the other hand, Bree, the “houseguest” and other female lead is more of a mystery and a bit harder to pigeonhole. The novel moves at breakneck speed from the beginning until just before the end when Hank does a cool down to allow her audience to get their breathing back under control. Fans of this amazing storyteller, the novels of JT Ellison and Lisa Gardner and lovers of twisty turny chilling thrillers will stay up all night to get to “The End” of this unputdownable read.


With no explanation Alyssa McCallan is tossed aside by her uber-wealthy and well connected husband Bill, with a nasty divorce on the horizon she decides to drown her sorrows in a not so up-scale bar where she’s positive she’ll never run into anyone she and Bill knows. Instead she meets Bree a woman who may just have more problems than Alyssa does and makes a perhaps rash decision to not only take her under her wing but make her “The Houseguest”. But after inviting Bree to stay in her guest house Alyssa starts suspecting someone is entering her home when she’s gone and wonders if maybe Bill is messing with her. If that’s not enough, not is all as it seems with her new houseguest and she’s left wondering is she going crazy or is someone really out to get her?

This is a solid psychological thriller. With twists and turns that keep the reader guessing and wondering who to trust the story unfolds well. I will say that, at times the story felt like it moved a little slow and I did find some of the characters actions/choices quite unrelatable.. However, I would still recommend this book, especially to someone new to the thriller genre.

⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5)

Oh man… I have thoughts about this book! ⁣
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⁣Alyssa is terrified and lonely when she is dumped by her rich and powerful husband. One night, Alyssa makes a new friend- Bree who is running from her own complicated secrets. She invites Bree into her house and her confidence. And then the FBI comes knocking at Alyssa’s door… Who does she trust? ⁣
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⁣It took me almost an entire month to read The House Guest. I’d pick it up, read three pages and pass out! I think it was the slowest thriller I’ve ever read. The “twists” are unoriginal and lame and I just really didn’t like this book. I never even felt like Alyssa was in danger or understood why she was afraid of her husband! ⁣
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⁣Not for me… maybe for you? Two stars! ⁣
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⁣Thank you to @Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of The House Guest in return for my honest review.

Unfortunately this was a tough one to get through. I was very uninterested by the half way point and I think it was a bit confusing.
Overall I just found myself not caring or wanting to find out why any of this was happening.
I finished this book and I would give the author another shot but this specific title wasn’t for me.

Alyssa’s wealthy and once loving husband has decided to leave and to divorce her. He will not speak to her and he takes all her friends, she is all alone. Until a chance meeting with another lonely woman in a bar that fast becomes her BFF and temporary houseguest.
The world looks bright in Alyssa’s life again, until too many coincidences with the FBI and police keep interrogating her about her ex husband’s schemes.
Alyssa has no idea who to trust and doesn’t know if someone is out to kill her and if so who?

Another brilliant and twisted read by one of my favorites, Hank Phillipi Ryan!

Another great book by Hank Philippi Ryan! MC Alyssa is drinking in a dive bar one night after her husband, Bill, leaves her. Bill is a wealthy and powerful man and Alyssa chooses this bar so she doesn’t have to see anyone she knows from her high society life. At the bar, she meets up with Bree, a woman who says she’s running from someone. From here the story starts spinning as Alyssa invites Bree to stay in her guest house until she gets things sorted out. Surprise after surprise (some good and some not so good) starts as the story unravels and Alyssa finds herself trying to figure out what her future will become.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me! Kept me guessing right to the end!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan

After every divorce, one spouse gets all the friends. What does the other one get? If they’re smart, they get the benefits. Alyssa Macallan is terrified when she’s dumped by her wealthy and powerful husband. With a devastating divorce looming, she begins to suspect her toxic and manipulative soon-to-be-ex is scheming to ruin her—leaving her alone and penniless. And when the FBI shows up at her door, Alyssa knows she really needs a friend.

And then she gets one. A seductive new friend, one who’s running from a dangerous relationship of her own. Alyssa offers Bree Lorrance the safety of her guest house, and the two become confidantes. Then Bree makes a heart-stoppingly tempting offer. Maybe Alyssa and Bree can solve each others’ problems.

But no one is what they seem. And the fates and fortunes of these two women twist and turn until the shocking truth emerges: You can’t always get what you want. But sometimes you get what you deserve.

Hank is a fantastic writer, her books are always winners! And we can just talk about this gorgeous cover? Everything about it is perfect. Don’t miss this one.

This came out on Feb 7, go get it now!

The House Guest is the newest novel out now by @hankpryan!

After Alyssa’s divorce, all her so-called friends have taken her ex-husband’s side and she is lonely. One night she meets Bree, a down on her luck woman in need of a friend and a place to stay. The women have a connection and Alyssa offers Bree a place to stay in their guest house. Bree has an idea of how she can help get revenge on Alyssa’s ex husband.

Alyssa’s ex-husband is truly toxic, but she was charmed by this man who offered to take care of her forever. She offers Bree a place to stay entirely too quickly for my liking, but I understand how lonely and isolated she felt. Bree was someone who didn’t know Bill at all so she was solidly Team Alyssa. (Bill was so controlling, he called her by a completely different name! Her real name is Alice!)

This was another winner from Hank. I truly enjoy the twists and turns each of her books has. I was left guessing into the very end. Well Done!

Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours and @forgereads for my gifted copy.

Hank Philippi Ryan does not disappoint with her latest thriller. There is an incredible amount of Machiavellian detail packed in a short amount of elapsed time, layered like an onion, peeled slowly with paper like shards falling away to reveal - the truth? As soon as the next soupçon of relevant information (whether it is true or yet another suspected deception) the self questioning begins. The House Guest is the literary equivalent of Knives Out: a skillfully crafted and thoroughly enjoyable adventure into the mind and misadventures of the book’s characters. Bravo!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I listened to this via audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator. The voice differentiation for characters was well done; I could tell who was speaking without needing the text. I was excited to get to read this one, however it was all just so unbelievable! Most of the book I was frustrated with Alyssa and her overly trusting (yet still suspicious?) personality. A woman walks into a bar and then befriends someone who comes to live with her and then she finds out she has millions of dollars coming her way and the lawyer who told her this starts practically living with them as well. Why do characters in books never do what's best for them? Just too over the top for me and as an aside, the author used "as a result" way too many times!

This is my first Hank Phillippi Ryan read. I got my ARC through Netgalley. I've learned not to judge a writer by just reading one of their books. There are exceptions for this rule, of course. Now, this book was not my cup of tea at all. Will I try one more of Ms. Ryan's books? Absolutely! Because there were moments when I felt that this writer is good, but the book itself is disappointing. I got to a point where I literally said out loud, "Enough with the cracker crumbs with people flapping them off their clothes". I think there was no need for dissecting the book into chapters. Every chapter was always beginning from what the previous one left off. And the endings of the chapters were not suspenseful enough to mark the end of each chapter. Alyssa, the heroine, with her constant wonder of how things came down to whatever they were, was kind of pathetic. The dialogue in this book is unrealistic to a painful degree. The plot is not thrilling, which makes me question the blurb and the testemonials that raved about The Guest House. The story is dragging and boring. There were points where I thought the book could go somewhere, but that thought was always stopped in its tracks. Will definitely try one more of Ms. Ryan's books, because I have a feeling there is more to this writer than what's shown in this book.

I absolutely love a good domestic suspense and Hank Phillippi Ryan did not disappoint, as usual!

When Alyssa's uber-wealthy husband Bill tells her that their marriage just isn't working and leaves that same day, she's beyond shocked.
Things were good or so she thought.
Now, being shunned in the country club and a social pariah, she decides to have a drink in an out-of-the-way place. It's here she meets down on her luck Bree. Bree is currently being stalked by an ex and there's just something about her that speaks to Alyssa's soul so after a few drinks, on impulse, she invites Bree to stay in her guest house. As a friendship develops between the two women, the twists begin!

This book was is filled with twists and turns and I was there for all of them! I liked both Alyssa and Bree and an additional character, Dez, but deciding whose intentions were pure was an absolute puzzle and really heightened the story.

Overall, a twisty binge-worthy plot, I highly recommend this one!

Thanks tp Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The House Guest was another HPR cat and mouse thriller, that while entertaining, was not my favorite of this author’s works. I was intrigued by the beginning of the story, then I did not trust any of the characters at all. I found all of them to be highly suspicious. I found I had many theories of where the story could go, and none of them were extremely thrilling. The end of the story, however, I found to be worth the wait. I really did enjoy how the story ended, and will definitely still be continuing to rave about Hank’s abilities to keep me entertained.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forge Books / Macmillan Tor Forge for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

You know a book is good when you can't predict the ending and this was the same for me. Unfortunately I was in a huge reading slump so I apologize for the late review :( But this book had a surprise that I could not guess towards the end and I loved it. This is my first book by Hank Phillippi Ryan and let me say that I will be looking out for another book releaseeeeeeeee by Hank! Domestic mystery thriller books could be a real hit or miss but this was definitely not a miss for me!

In The House Guest, USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan masterfully weaves the story of the newly separated socialite Alyssa Macallan and all the drama and turmoil that goes along with a high profile divorce.

Add in Bree Lorrance - a woman she meets at a bar, whom she doesn’t pick up but brings home, helping to track down Bree’s inheritance from an unknown relative, and an FBI investigation into Alyssa’s ex’s high roller business dealings, the fallout from which could also land our protagonist in prison.

With all Ryan’s twists and turns of the thread, like the best of artisans, you don’t see the true beauty of the pattern until it’s finished.

Even though I know what it is like to separate and divorce and had empathy for her character, I wanted to smack Alyssa several times throughout the novel and tell her to put the wine away and think straight. The cat and mouse and rat game, however, is superb.

I received this advance reader copy from Forge Books, courtesy of NetGalley. This review is fair and impartial.