Book Title: The House Guest
Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan
Narrator: Stephanie Willing
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: February 7, 2023
My Rating: 4+ Stars

Although I have only read a few [author: Hank Phillippi Ryan] novels, I went into this without knowing anything about it ~ except that I like the author!
Allyssa and Bill Macallen have been married for eight years in a life of luxury but now Allyssa is heartbroken. Bill has left her and she never saw it coming! No explanation. She’s sacrificed a lot to be with this man. She even gave up her own name Alice, changed into Allyssa.

In the meantime, Allyssa meets Bree Lorrance at a bar. Bree is a banker and also is having ‘guy problems’ as someone is threating and harassing her. Allyssa is concern so at their second meeting she invites Bree to stay at her guest house.
We soon find out that the guy who has been harassing Bree is not a threat but has information about a brother she never knew she had. That man Dez is now also a ‘house guest’ ~ hmmm

Thus begins the story ~ with twists that and turns and more twists! Can Alyssa really trust these new found ’friends’?
Who is who in this cat and mouse game? Allyssa referred to Bill as a cat toying with an injured mouse. There are actually several cartoon type analogies in this story. [author: Hank Phillippi Ryan] is a great storyteller!
I read a lot of psychological thrillers so was sure the title was a big clue in this story ~ if not the title could have been “The Wife who went to Law School for One Year” lol

Narrator Stephanie Willing is fabulous performing the characters- especially Allyssa and Bree. At one point I doubled checked if there were two narrators! I was clear which voice was Allyssa and which was Bree!
This was a great. I love twists and turns. In this case the turn has a turn! How great is that?

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 7, 2023

The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan is a solid 3 stars. The beginning dragged on and didn't really get exciting until around 50%, when things started to unfold and it wasn't clear who to trust. I found some of the twists and reveals surprising and others predictable. Overall, I enjoyed the ride, which is the reason for my rating.

Stephanie Willing was a pretty good in narrator. Her voice was distinctly different with Alyssa and Brie, which I always appreciate.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC.

I loved this story. For me this read like a domestic suspense with a twist of a long-con. I didn’t trust a single character (including the main character) and my theory of the story changed several times. This made for an incredibly entertaining listen (also the narrator was fantastic). I felt the pacing was perfect and I would qualify it as a slow burn. Unlike some slow burns- I felt this book had a well balanced ending and was not rushed in any way. The author fully developed all of the twists and explained them in the last 20% or so of the story which is very satisfying.

I love vengeful female MC’s and will be highly recommending this book.

Usually being sick entails taking care of my sick daughter, who is watching paw patrol on repeat, so audio books help me zone out. I usually have a headache and reading makes it hurt more, so audios allow me to still read. Yesterday was one of those day, and I am thankful I had this book.

Alyssa is terrified to be alone in her huge house after her wealthy husband decides they are divorcing. She goes to a bar on evening and meets a down and out lady, who she invites back to her guest house. Her new friend is also reeling from a horrible break up and they make quite the pair. As time goes on, Alyssa begins to wonder if her husband is playing mind games to leave her penniless. You can’t always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you deserve.

I did not see the twist on this one coming! It came out of left field in the most amazing way, and I ate it up. I haven’t read a book where this has happened in a long time, so it was refreshing. This was the psychological thriller I needed in my life. The compliant I have with this one is I couldn’t believe Alyssa invited a random stranger to live in her guest house right after meeting her. Maybe I’ve read to many thrillers and horror books. The narrator for this one, Stephanie Willing, did a fantastic job.

If you’re looking for a fast paced, heart thumping thriller, then check this one out February 7th of next year! The publisher, MacMillan Audio, @macmillan.audio, and @netgalley, provided me this e-arc copy for review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forge Books for an audio book arc in exchange for an honest review!

The audio book was well done and I loved the voice reading the book. She did a great job with the characters and helped me visualize the narrative.

Alyssa Macallen is in the middle of a nasty divorce where her super rich husband will keep everything (probably) including the country club and society friends. She has resorted to hanging out in a hotel bar where she meets Bree Lorrance, dealing with relationship issues as well. the two instantly bond and form an instant friendship. Alyssa even invites Bree to come live in her guest house! Once settled, Bree gets a pretty significant piece of news that could change everything.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the suspenseful mystery. There is a powerful ending. I also enjoyed the way the rich and powerful characters got into tricky situations and then watching as they try to free themselves.

Quite the rollercoaster ride! Highly recommend!!!

I have enjoyed every book that I have read by Hank Phillippi Ryan so I was very excited to listen to this one!! Hank did not disappoint!!!

Alyssa and Bree meet at a bar and both have a lot going on in their lives. Alyssa was married to a wealthy man and they lived a life of luxury until one day when he said he needed a break!! Bree has left an abusive relationship and the phone will not stop ringing!! Alyssa invites Bree to come stay with her and then all kinds of twists and turns are thrown at you.

There were so many times that I thought I knew what was going on and Hank workgroup throw another curveball at me!! Highly recommend!!

The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan (audiobook review)

There's no denying that The House Guest is a banger! This audiobook has it all: money, divorce, lies, and greed. It checks all the boxes for a fantastic thriller. I enjoyed this book to the fullest. It's a cat-and-mouse game you don't want to miss.

Synopsis:
In addition to being beautiful, Alyssa Macallan is also terrified. As she and her emotionally abusive husband separate, a devastating divorce unfolds. Alyssa realizes he is trying to leave her destitute.

Alyssa is shocked when the FBI knocks on her door. She wonders what her husband has gotten himself into. It's nice to have Bree, a new friend who can help her, but will Bree prove trustworthy when she moves into the guest house?

The House Guest is available on February 7th.
5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sharing this audiobook with me. Your kindness is appreciated.

#TheHouseGuest #HankPhillippiRyan #audiobooks

What a great psychological thriller by @hankpryan ♥️ The main character, Alyssa, is a little lonely while going through a separation from her wealthy and powerful husband. Next thing she knows, she meets Bree in a bar, who is running from a dangerous boyfriend. The following story that unfolds will leave you guessing who are good guys, who are bad guys, and what is everyone’s motives!

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this ARC! I enjoyed the narrator for this story, but the story fell flat for me. This is marketed as a thriller, but I wouldn’t consider it that. It felt more like a mystery? Or a drama.

I liked it, but I wanted more cat and mouse and suspense. It wasn’t a bad storyline, just not what I was expecting.

3.5 stars

Readers who enjoy a twist, a turn, and a series of questionable characters will be quite pleased to find all of these elements here!

Alyssa, the m.c., outlines what appears to be a super creepy relationship with her husband who has - seemingly out of nowhere - ditched her. This seems out of character to her to some degree, but it's hard not to develop some judgements early on. Some of the "endearing" memories of their life together seem anything but, and one can only hope that whether she wants it now or not, Alyssa is able to break out of this situation expediently.

Along with this surprise, Alyssa meets a new pal - Bree - whom she rapidly invites into her home. Wouldn't you know that Bree ALSO has a shocking twist occur in her life at the exact same time. The confluence of convenient surprises, timely character intros, and, well, maybe naivete on the part of the m.c. near the start of the book put me off a bit, but readers who can suspend disbelief and persist won't be sorry as they will come upon the most fulfilling twists near the end.

For me, this read was tough to stay connected to at times, but I developed a much greater appreciation for the content upon completion. It is well crafted, and it's an overall fun thriller/mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.
Wow. This one was a total roller coaster ride.
Started off a little slow but the pace picked up quickly. I was guessing through the entire book and the ending was still a surprise.
The ending was a little confusing because there were so many characters involved and it was sometimes hard to figure out who was helping and who was bad. But the overall ending was great. I listened to this whole book in one day.
Narrator did a really great job.

Alyssa and her husband are getting a divorce and she has started overthinking everything. From the placement of the tulips to where her one earring sits on the dresser, she believes he is going in her house without her knowing which is not in their agreement. Alyssa meets Bree who claims to be running away from her dangerous relationship, but when she stops and thinks about it, she is the one who assumed it was a dangerous relationship. They become fast friends and Alyssa invites her to stay in her guest house. They go through lots of problems together, like when Bree inherits millions of dollars from a relative she knew nothing about. That brings Dez into their friend group but Alyssa never fully trusts him. When Alyssa finds out that the FBI is investigating her husband and that she may go down with him, she doesn't know what to do.

I loved this story and found the constant new issue arising intriguing. It made me want to keep reading. I still do not fully understand how it all happened because the breakdown of who was who and what her husband did was really short in my opinion. I look forward to reading more from Hank Phillippi Ryan.

I expected a bit more thriller in my thriller. This was suspenseful in the way of wanting to know where the story line and characters were going. And it works for me. I did enjoy the story even when our main character just blindly trusts completely strangers. And yes, she does question them and then explain away any issues almost every single time, but she remains aloof.

Then came twist after twist after twist. Just when you think you have everything figured out the author throws a wrench into it all and you're left reeling. And refirguring it out. I still didn't have it figured out by the end so I'm giving this a solid 4 stars.

The House Guest had me all over the place. I began listening to the audio arc for Netgalley and initially REALLY disliked the book. When female main characters are written in such a way they exude naivety, and a boatload of incredibly unbelievable choices, I do not connect with them. If I cannot empathize with, or care about, a seemingly foolish woman making foolish choices, the book bores me. But, since this was for Netgalley, I kept listening.

I cannot explain many of my thoughts as I read the book because those thoughts would reveal too much and ruin the experience, but I am glad I stuck with it and I apologize to Hank Phillippi Ryan for all the bad words I may have said to her. In my head, ok occasionally out loud.

The ending surprised me and saved the whole thing - well done.

I enjoyed this book. It had a lot of twists and turns that not only kept me guessing but made it hard to figure out who was doing what I’m the plot of the book. I enjoyed that I was unable to figured out the end before I reached it and was surprised that I wasn’t close at all to what the end really was.

I'm rounding this one up to a solid 3.75 because this was 'Slow Burn' AF.

I am very thankful to Hank Phillippi Ryan, Forge Publishing, Netgalley, and Macmillan Audio for sending me both ALC access and a physical ARC to read. I have to say that I started this book as a physical copy and finished it on audio. I think the suspenseful factor played out better in the audio format. The House Guest is set to hit shelves on February 7, 2023, and I'm so glad I was able to be an early reviewer.

Alyssa Macallen is having a rough time following the blunt separation from her billionaire husband. The lifestyle and friend group she's so used to depending on also left her. One evening, she's wallowing in her sorrows alone at a hotel bar and stumbles upon an equally meek woman, Bree Lorance. Bree is on the run from her dark past that's come out to haunt her at every turn, so Alyssa takes her under her wing, moving her into her guest house so she can seek protection and her safety as she ALSO deals with marital problems.

Quick to trust this stranger, Alyssa gets thoroughly invested in Bree's battles and accomplishments until she realizes she's got issues of her own to sort out, including the fact that her estranged, soon-t0-be ex-husband has been committing various acts of financial fraud.

Throughout the following chapters, Alyssa realizes that she can't really trust anyone, for their intentions are not what they seem. This WTF read will surely capture your attention, but not until you are 75% into the book.

I didn't finish this one. The writing style just didn't keep me interested enough to keep reading.

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This is the first book I'm reading by this author and I was really pleased with it! It was very exciting and I stayed up late last night finishing it up. I listened to it all day long because it was so exciting and got real twisty at the end! One thing I can say is this. If a man asked me to change my name, I would have said 'sorry dude!' and moved on. Did he have her change it from Alice to Alyssa because it sounds more country club-ish? Probably! Well, I'm glad it worked out in the end! I don't wanna say that much because it'll give everything away but I would definitely recommend this book! I'm going to check out other books by this author. No man is worth giving up your dreams for, no matter how rich they are. Don't drop out of college, and find someone who wants kids. And definitely find someone who's not allergic to dogs! Cats too! (personally I think that was an excuse!) *Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, Hank Phillippi Ryan & NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook!*

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for sending me this audiobook prior to release!

The narrator, Stephanie Willing, made this such an easy and enjoyable book to listen to! She absolutely nailed the narration and brought these characters to life!

This one really kept me guessing the whole time; I truly didn't trust any of the characters and was suspicious of them all the whole time, which made it fun. It slowed down a little bit in the middle, but picked up again towards the end.

While the reveal was far-fetched, I liked the way it was all wrapped up in multiple twists along the way.

I'd recommend listening to this one for a fun and fast thriller fix!

This book and audiobook will be available for purchase February 7th.

3.5 Rounded up for GR

I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, It had to many unnecessary details and that lost me. The character twists were very frustrating. I will probably read it again just because it was terribly easy to get lost due to the details.