2.5 Stars

There wasn't much thrill to this thriller. I was never at the edge of my seat or felt like the protagonist's life was ever in danger. The pacing was slow and there wasn't much going on. For majority of the novel, it was just the protagonist bonding with two random strangers. Not to mention, the ending was predictable, well for the most part. I did like the final twist at the end, but that's about it.


Overall, I thought it was an okay read. Wish there were more to the story and more suspense.

***I would like to thank NetGalley, Hank Phillippi Ryan (the author), and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

This book was billed as a "cat and mouse game" and it really wasn't at all. The blurb also mentioned who gets the friends in a breakup, which turned out to be relevant only as a minor plot point at the very beginning of the book. This was an okay thriller. I found it to be too slow paced and largely predictable, if unlikely. Most of the book was devoted to a budding friendship with unlikely roots rather than the mystery. I think I may have liked it more if the blurb hadn't set me up for disappointment. Alas.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forge Books for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

HPR has been a long time favorite author of mine for when I need a solid thriller with some twisty twists and rich unlikable characters! Thi House Guest was no different!

We had a naieve wife, a scandalous husband with a pristine country club reputation, shifty bar characters, FBI, fake dogs (just go with it) and a stint in St. Barths. What more could you ask for?!

I think my favorite subgenre off of thriller is: filthy rich behaving badly, thriller. I love the desperate housewives vibes and private jets galore. HPR weaves a great tale - unreliable narrator? You'll have to read to find out, but this was GOOD!

My only complaint, about 80% in, I do think a few elements could have been edited out to avoid some minor confusion, but it all tied together nicely in the end. Another great ride from HPR!

Really enjoyed this story! Twisty and unpredictable this book gripped me right from the start, I couldn't put it down and didn't know who to trust. Definitely recommend foe any thriller/mystery fan. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

3.5 stars This cat and mouse story gave me The Last Mrs. Parish vibes; however, I had a hard time connecting with the story. The last 20% is what encouraged me to round up to 4 stars. Other listeners seemed to enjoy it more than me, so maybe this is a me problem.

Alyssa has been unceremoniously dumped by her uber wealthy husband and he’s determined that she won’t get a penny. He’s willing to go to any lengths to keep his vast fortune and Alyssa knows he’s capable of almost anything. When the FBI shows up looking for her, she knows he’s done something terrible. Needing someone to confide in, Alyssa can’t believe her luck when she meets Bree Lawrence, a woman with a romantic past even more convoluted than Alyssa’s. She invites Bree to stay in her guest house and the two become fast friends. Then Bree has an idea, maybe they could do each other a favor? Make all their problems disappear in a way that no one would ever need to know? Strangers on a Train with a wicked twist

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Alyssa Macallan is separated from her rich and powerful husband. She has been shunned by their joint friends and her ex is most likely playing games with her. Alyssa meets a young woman, Bree, at a bar and they hit it off. Bree is also dealing with some things and they bond.

Multiple twists and turns.

Stephanie Willing does a great job narrating The House Guest.

Look. The first book by Hank Phillipi Ryan was The First to Lie.. If you go to my website Novellives.com you can see the review. I LOVED that book

This book is brilliant in its themes of Patriarchy, wealth and grief... not over death but another ending- without beating the dead horse.

Now. The psychological thriller part? In spades. I am telling you. For those that read this genre regularly? There may be a few things that you pick up on. It doesn't even matter.

Where Ryan takes you is from what you might have guessed to another planet.

Drink it up like you were in a desert.