I was excited when I got a copy of this audiobook. I absolutely loved the narrator. I thought she really brought the story to life, even when it was moving too slowly for me. There were some good twists and the last fifth of the book or so was completely full of twists and turns. The first chapter completely got me, but the story moved more slowly than I would have liked. I also didn’t really like the main character Alyssa. She was a very sweet and kind person but despite showing intelligence she had no common sense. Listening to her journey through these adventures was a little like watching a future victim in a slasher film. I wanted to scream at the recording, no don’t you see these obvious red flags. She did not, friends, she did not see any of the red flags. Alyssa is separated from her husband, she never saw it coming and still doesn’t understand why things fell apart. She walks into a dumpy hotel bar and meetings Brie and the two women strike up a friendship. Which leads Alyssa to inventing Brie to stay in her guest house instead of the cheap hotel. But you should always be careful exactly who you let into your home. Overall I gave it 3.5 stars rounded up.

This whole story is like a subtle fever dream that just takes you on this wild ride. I’m still not sure if the twist is the best thing or the most random thing ever. This book was good, but I won’t read it again. It felt a little too slow burn for me and it felt like it took me ages to get through it.

Hank Philippi Ryan always delivers! Her psychological thrillers are always a treat to read and The House Guest certainly kept me on my toes until the very end.

This is a story of 2 women, Alyssa and Bree. They meet in a bar when they are both having a rough time of things. Alyssa takes pity on Bree and invites her to come stay in her guest house until she gets back on her feet. She is happy to help and could use the company after her husband left her, a move that she did not see coming. But both women have their secrets.

There is so much going on with this book… friendship, trust, love, money, lies, deceit, betrayal, and so much more. Thriller lovers will devour this one like I did.

A big thank you to Macmillan Tor for my advanced copy to read from a NetGalley. An absolute page turner

I received this as an audio galley to listen to for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me access.

The House Guest started out slow and I wasn't sure where it was leading. There are so many twists and lies that you can't keep up with the point of the story. In fact, I had a hard time figuring out how this was going to turn into a mystery/thriller. Towards the end, things finally fell into place and gained traction. Not only did we have a twist at the end, we had 2 and one seemed to be a little more farfetched than it should have been. Overall, it was intriguing enough to finish as Ryan really get you invested into the characters.

This was an entertaining book that I listened to over the course of a couple days. I found it engaging and the breadcrumbs left me wanting to keep reading. I also liked how this wasn't too scary, but more so a guessing game of how everyone was involved in the bigger picture. Overall, good read.

Very good book. I was a little iffy about it at first but it ended very well. There were twists that I was not expecting.

A woman is getting a divorce. She meets another woman at a bar and invites her to be her guest at her home. All I’ll say is: always be careful who you invite into your home.

Relationship dilemmas, newfound fortune, a long lost brother, scandal … this book has it all!

It took me longer than usual to be able to get into this story. That being said, I enjoyed it! I always think I’m going to figure out the plot twist on thrillers or mysteries and this book proved me wrong, yet again!
I knew something was off but I didn’t expect what was finally revealed.

This one really surprised me! In the first third, I was not super sure where the story was going, but then I was HOOKED. Then, halfway, I thought I had everything figured out and was thrown a CURVEBALL in the third act that got me! Definitely looking forward into looking at this author's backlog, as this one was a winner!

Alyssa used to have everything, being the wife of her very rich husband Bill. But suddenly he leaves her after telling her ue wants a divorce. It seems like Bill, her previously adoring husband, is now out to ruin her life. And then out of nowhere, Alyssa meets Bree, who says she needs a place to stay after leaving a toxic relationship. So Bree and Alyssa become roommates even though they're complete strangers, and almost immediately Bree becomes her biggest confidant, trusting her with her deepest secrets. And then an FBI agent shows up, threatening Alyssa over Bill's supposed crimes. And Bree seems to have a stalker who won't leave her alone.

This was really fun with lots of twists.

Thank you netgalley and Macmillan audio for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Listened to the audiobook. It was well narrated. The story was interesting, things kept changing direction and it kept me guessing.

The House Guest is new domestic suspense from Hank Phillippi Ryan.

"Alyssa Macallan is dumped by her wealthy and powerful husband. She begins to suspect that he is playing mind games with her but she can't prove anything. At a bar one night she meets a new friend, Bree, and offers the use of her guest house. Bree tells the story of an abusive boyfriend and makes an offer. Maybe they can help solve each other's problems."

This is a slow burn from Ryan. For a character that's supposed to be smart, Alyssa seems to make some awful decisions. I kept yelling at the audio - "Make a phone call!" Some fictional characters are so naive. Ryan takes the reader on a journey one way and then there's a big pivot and then another. I like how the story works out, including the epilogue.

Nice performance on the audio from Stephanie Willing

Fans of slow burn suspense will like this one.

I always enjoy Hank Ryans's books and this one is no exception. It kept me off balance and searching for answers only to realize that I was taken on a very twisty rollercoaster of clues and misdirection. Alyssa is a bit naive and trusting, but that adds to the feeling that something isn't right and Bree plays her part in the story perfectly. This is a book that I will enjoy rereading to see what hints I missed along the way. The audiobook is fantastic and I liked having two ways to enjoy this one.

Alyssa meets Bree in a bar where she’s soaking up her sorrows. Her rich and powerful husband has left her and she’s not only devastated, but is also terrified that her life might be in danger. Bree has troubles of her own. Alyssa and Bree have an instant bond and Alyssa invites Bree to come live in her guest house until she’s back up on her feet. When Bree gets some amazing news that will change her life, she’s extremely grateful to Alyssa and is willing to do anything for her in return and by anything, I mean ANYTHING!! Alyssa’s uneasy feelings about Bill intensify when an FBI agent shows up at her home accusing Bill of some shady dealings. Bree and her attorney, Dez, are both on Alyssa’s side and want to help her, but the more Alyssa gets to know them, she’s not sure if she can trust them. Alyssa could also be an unreliable narrator making it even harder to guess who’s the cat and who’s the mouse in this twisty entertaining tale. Well voiced by Stephanie Willing! Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC of this book.

⭐️Rating: 3/5
✍🏼Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan
📖Genre: Suspense

Summary::
Alyssa Macallan finds herself dumped by her wealthy and powerful husband. Her biggest fear comes to life when she finds herself on the verge of losing everything her lux life entailed. Alyssa fears her husband is scheming to ruin her life and becomes friendly with Bree Lorrence one night at bar, who also seems to be running from a dangerous relationship. The two find a connection and Alyssa offers up her guest house to Bree where they find themselves in a position to help each other.

My thoughts::

Overall I thought it was a decent read. I think that the story was a little predictable and the ending was anti climatic. I wanted to love this book but it fell a little short for me. What I loved most about this book was the found friendship between Alyssa and Bree. The epilogue was pretty cool, I was happy with how it ended and where the characters ended up. I thought the narrators did a very good job with their pacing and tone, it kept me engaged the entire time.


Thank you @Macmillan.Audio for the ALC and a chance to review this.

The House Guest is an interesting listen. The story itself is a bit slow for my liking. There is a considerable amount of time spent setting up the relationship between Alyssa and Bree. Interesting but slow in pace. Once things start happening it felt somewhat as if the author through everything and the kitchen sink out as a possibility. There were twists and turns for certain. Some I saw coming and others I was shocked by.

In the end it was the development and likeability of Alyssa that kept me invested. If you’re on the fence about this one I recommend listening to it. I found the narration well done.

This was a tough one to discuss without giving away to much.

Pros- I was pulled in from the beginning because of the writing style. I found the story to be written very descriptively which help picture the story. The narration by Stephanie Willing was excellent.

Cons-I found this story to be slow paced. The ending felt predictable and wasn't a big surprise to me. I also found the characters overall unlikable.


I'd like to thank NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author, Hank Phillippi Ryan for this ARC.

The House Guest was a very entertaining, but, at times, convoluted story of a woman who takes in a virtual stranger, and then all matter of chaos ensues. She's already at odds with her husband, and is looking for companionship and someone to talk to. The mystery woman comes into her life at just the right time for all of this.

Although I don't read books for how believable they are, this one is REALLY unrealistic and takes twists and turns that are really unlikely in the real world. I enjoyed the book, but at times I stopped and asked myself "really?!" Would that honestly happen?! and I typically said "no". If you are looking for something that is easy to believe, this may not be your book.

That being said, I mostly enjoyed all the twists and turns that this book took, although, at times, there were leaps that I either missed or were not discussed enough in the book for me to make the connection. It was a great and entertaining book, however, and people will definitely flock to read it!

Thank you for the opportunity to review.

I am normally a fan of this authors writing, but I very much struggled with this read.
It is not a thriller, it has some twists, but the biggest one is the lack of common sense from the main character.

The other items were hard to suspend your thought processes with the narrative and the other “twists” that occur.

It was a little too slow for me. I listened to the audiobook and narrator was good. I didn't care for the main character and that made it hard for me to truly get into the story. I think if the pacing was better the character issue wouldn't have mattered as much.

Thank you so much for the gifted copy.

Alysa (Alice) is going through a divorce with her husband Bill. Bill is playing games and taunting her. with his disappearance, and then sneaking into the house when she isn't there. Meanwhile the FBI thinks he has been stealing money from client's pension funds and want her to set him up in a sting.
In the process, she meets Bree, who has inherited a windfall from her biological brother, and Dez, who works at the lawyer's firm representing her brother's estate.
They try to work together to find the "missing' Bill, while making sure Dez isn't trying to con them out of their money.
Overall, the story line is suspenseful, but a lot of it is dragged out unnecessarily.