Perhaps, it is never a good idea to invite a person, (any person) who you met at a bar, back into your house. However, Alyssa Macallan is at her wit's end. She's terrified that her uber wealthy husband is going to divorce her and he is out for revenge. Revenge for him seems to be leaving her without money and set adrift in the world of the poor.

As she meets Bree Lorrance and they hit it off, over drinks, she invites Bree to live in her guesthouse, and then things get interesting. Of course if you have seen the movie Strangers On The Train, you will get the drift of this book. However, there are so many twists that one becomes enmeshed in the story as the author keeps the reader guessing and wondering what is going on.

The clues are there, but the story is riveting so perhaps one would miss the elements that brought this book to its ending.

I very much enjoyed this thriller. It was intelligent and well written with a definite flair for the unexpected. Who really are the bad guys and what can be behind their somewhat evil plans? If you love being in the dark until the final days of this story, this is the book for you.

Many thanks to Hank Phillippi Ryan, Stephanie Willing, the narrator, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for a copy of this intriguing book.

Living alone in a large house after her husband moves out and asks for a divorce, Alyssa is friendless and lonely. Her only companion her fake guard dog until one evening she goes into a bar and meets a woman that seems even more down on her luck. The next couple of weeks are full of paranoia, fear, and confusion. And at what seems like the end of it all, her husband shows up telling her she has passed a loyalty test and he wants her back. Lies abound in this twisty novel.

The book is a thrilling game of cat-and-mouse with plenty of twists and turns. Just when you think you have it all figured out, the author does an awesome job pulling the rug from under you. The only problem I had with it is that I felt that it dragged on for quite a while. And the MC's naïveté drove me crazy. The audiobook narrator, Stephanie Willing, did a fantastic job narrating both the male and female characters. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Alyssa’s world has come crashing down when her wealthy husband Bill leaves her. To make matters worse, he appears to be harassing her as well. When the FBI shows up at her door, she has never felt more alone. So when she finds herself in a bar and meets a young woman named Bree, she invites her to stay in her guest house and the two quickly become friends. But just who is this woman? And how she will play a role in Alyssa’s life?

Well, this was certainly entertaining! The synopsis described it as a “cat and mouse game” and I certainly found that to be true. In fact, I had no idea who was the cat and who was the mouse for most of the book. All the characters seemed like they could be hiding something and I loved finding out how their stories fit together. I found Alyssa and Bree’s friendship strangely endearing too. But my most revelries character was the dog 😊

Thank you to Hank Philippe Ryan, Netgalley, Forge books and MacMillan Audio for the ARC and ALC! “The House Guest” is releasing February 7th.

This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly 😊

Loved this! For most of the book I thought I knew how it would play out. I was for SURE that I knew the outcome because it was following the typical pattern of this style of book but sure enough it surprised me, TWICE! Just when you thought the big reveal happened it gave me another one! And even better, the ending was great. 10/10 recommend

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.

I loved this cat and mouse thriller!

This book had major Desperate Housewives vibes and I'm here for it. Alyssa is newly divorced from her husband who betrayed her time and time again and keeps all their friends in the process, manipulating the situation to his favor. She desperately needs a friend and just so happens to meet one at a bar. Bree seems too good to be true.

So is she?

Bree is running from a man's secret threats and Alyssa is thrilled to help her out to escape her own problems. She invites Bree to stay in her guesthouse. An FBI agents shows up at her door and not Alyssa is determined to find out what the truth really is.

This twisty thriller had me from start to finish. Loved!

Thank you NetGalley and Forge Books for the advanced read copy!

Overall, I give this 4/5 stars!

Alyssa has the perfect life: money, a handsome well-to-do husband, home, country club, and all she could desire monetarily. Suddenly she is kicked to the curb by her powerful husband, Bill. One evening, she makes an unlikely friend while out drinking in a bar. Her new friend Bree feels a connection with Alyssa, but Bree has issues of her own. One drink leads to another and before you know it, Alyssa has extended an invite for Bree to stay in her guest house. Friendship is formed and the two become inseparable. Then, suddenly the FBI arrive in search of Alyssa's husband. What has her husband gotten himself into? What is going on? Is she connected to the crime? Who can be trusted?

The book is a thrilling game of cat-and-mouse with plenty of twists and turns to puzzle your mind. The beginning of the story was mildly entertaining as the stage is set and characters are developed. However, the story seemed to drag on and go in circles for the majority of the beginning of the book. All the excitement hit at around 75%-80% and the ending was a rollercoaster ride of drama, intrigue, and mystery. The audio book was well read and overall, it was a nice escape book which I would rate 3.3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan audio for the copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Great book! It had all the intrigue, drama and suspense I had hoped for. The cat and mouse storyline kept me guessing and provided some twists and turns until the end. A great plot!

Stephanie Willing did a fantastic job narrating both mail and female characters. Her energy definitely kept me interested.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

I am a huge Phillipi Ryan fan....I watched her deliver the news in Atlanta as well as Boston, and I like her books....usually. But this one was a bust for me.

Alyssa is separated from her husband, and tentatively living in the lap of luxury. She is befriended by Bree who supposedly comes into a lot of money, and tries to convince Alyssa to investigate the alleged ponzi scheme that her husband is involved in. Enter Dez, Bree's "friend" - to help them.

The story is very predictable and contrived -- there's really no element of suspense. I was disappointed in the ending, which although not exactly what I'd foreseen, was still not satisfying. The characters are not very well developed and there is no real action other than driving around Massachusetts (and sometimes incorrect as to locations and geography...for example, there is no route 128 on the Cape).

Hopefully this is a one-off. I was disappointed!

The House Guest had a god narrator but I didn’t really care for the story. It dragged on and on. Most of was so unbelievable that I almost didn’t finish but this is an author I usually enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hank Phillippi Ryan and publishers for an ARC.

This book was a struggle for me. Alyssa's wealthy husband has left her and she doesn't know why. They aren't communicating except through lawyers, so while drinking away her sorrows one night at a bar, she meets Bree, another lonely woman going through her own relationship struggles. Alyssa invites her to stay in her guest house. Wait, what? Who invites a stranger into their house immediately after meeting them?

The book continually had me questioning Alyssa's common sense from there, and I just couldn't relate to her naivety. The last 15% had me thinking that maybe it was about to get to the good stuff, but even with the twisty ending, I was disappointed. I may be too much of a realist for this plot. I did enjoy the narrator though, her change in male and female voices was really good.

Oooo this book was so twisty twisty!!
Constantly bouncing back and forth on who to trust and who to think of as suspicious!

Alyssa’s husband randomly left her and now she is devastated. One night, she goes to a bar and hits it off with a younger, down-on-her-luck woman, Bree, whom she invites into her home. They become friends and begin to do everything together. Then the FBI tries to get her involved in catching her husband doing sketchy things…

This book shocked me & I finished the entire thing without stopping. I highly suggest you check this out if you’re into books that keep you on your toes.

Kudos to Hank Phillippi Ryan for keeping me on the edge of my seat having no idea who to trust and just who the bad guy was!

I usually have an idea from clues given throughout a book just who the bad guy is but this book had me jumping back and forth and all around and I was wrong all the way. Ryan had me scratching my head throughout most of this book as to whom Alyssa could believe and trust. One thing I did think was that her husband, who was unspeakably mean and abusive to Alyssa, was not someone she could trust. Was I wrong? You'll find out when you read this engrossing thriller.

Narration by Stephanie Willing was excellent with intonations, voice changes, and chapter announcements. It made following the roller coaster ride easy and helped me experience the fear, anger, and frustration that often comes with a good thriller.

My thanks to #NetGalley, @MacmillanAudio, and the author for the enjoyment of listening to this ARC. This opinion is my own.

The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Pub date: February 7, 2023
Narrated by: Stephanie Willing
Duration: 10H 46M

I love a good domestic suspense and Ryan didn’t 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!

I’m going to avoid too much of the plot because spoilers but I want to say this is so damn twisty and I loved it! I liked both Alyssa and Bree and an additional character, Dez, but deciding whose intentions were pure was an absolute puzzle and I had so much fun untangling this twisty web!

Stephanie Willing narrates and does a spectacular job moving the chapters forward with her voice acting! Well done, Stephanie!

If you like a twisty binge-worthy plot, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to @MacMillan.Audio for this gifted ALC!

Thank you to Hank Phillippi Ryan and NetGalley for this audio-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

Alyssa is recently separated from her husband Bill and goes to drown her sorrows in a hotel bar. She meets Bree a woman who is running away from a controlling ex staying in the hotel. After they start talking Alyssa invites Bree to stay in her guest house. The two women strike up a friendship and find themselves on a journey Alyssa never saw coming. When the FBI starts to investigate Bill and Alyssa she wonders who she can trust.

I'm giving this book a three star due to the fact I did not see the twists coming. I was very surprised and pleased with the ending. Unfortunately the journey to get to the twists caused me to question if I wanted to continue or DNF. Ultimately I forged ahead and kept going. I'm happy I did and while I enjoyed it this was not my favorite book of 2022 by any means. It just seemed middle of the road plot wise and kept repeating itself. I did not connect with any of the characters and the main one just frustrated me to no end. It's 2023 now can we please stop with the rich wife lets the husband control all the finances and when he leaves she's heartbroken and shocked? I just feel like I've read this story over and over again. The narrator of the audiobook was wonderful I really liked her voice.

Alyssa is in the middle of a divorce. She is married to a powerful man and she has been the dutiful wife at all his functions and lives an extravagant lifestyle. She had no clue her husband wanted out.

Feeling down she meets Bree at a bar. They become instant friends and she relates to Bree as she left an abusive relationship. She lets Bree live with her. Letting someone you barely know into your home might be a mistake!

The secrets these characters have and the abundance of twist in this novel kept me up late to find out what happened.

Thank you @netgalley, @macmillianaudio, @forgebooks and author @hankfillippiryan for this advanced book and audio due out February 7, 2023.

#MacmillianAudio, #forgebooks, #thehouseguest, #bookreview, #bookstagram, #booksconnectus, #stamperlady50

Trying to drink away her pain in a bar Alyssa met Bree another single woman drowning her sorrows in alcohol. Both were lonely and sad. They forged a quick friendship bonding over financial issues and recent breakups.
Alyssa took Bree under her wing. She invited her live in the guest house so she didn’t have to live alone.
Alyssa’s ego was bruised when Bill insisted on divorce. Bill provided a stable financial lifestyle allowing Alyssa to organize and control there lifestyle. When he demanded a separation she was baffled. She knew he was toying with her emotions by moving stuff and flaunting his new found freedom. She didn’t understand why he was behaving irrational.
Meeting Bree helped Alyssa look after herself without Bill’s influence. Her life felt ruined by Bill’s betrayal leaving her world turned upside down. For reasons unknown Bill asked for a divorce setting off a crazy and wild set of circumstances for Alyssa. Her new found freedom was met with paranoia and fear as she unfurls the life of Bill.

The House Guest is a stand-alone thriller written by Hank Phillippi Ryan. This novel is about Alyssa a woman scorned by her husbands demand for separation after eight years of marriage. Now she’s alone in an opulent world created by Bill. After being Bill’s possession Alyssa navigates a new world on wobbly legs nervous to be in the home Bill chose for them to live in. She had a secure life with Bill giving up her dream career as a lawyer.

There was danger living alone. Alyssa was weary of being alone so she invited Bree to stay in the guest house. She invited a perfect stranger into her home.
Feeling sorry for themselves and alone Bree and Alyssa found friendship in each other after Bill left. These two woman are chasing answers to questions that are created about of imaginative minds.

Hank’s writing voice speaks a message of crazy activity. There’s an interesting set of circumstances culminated by the divorce of Bill and Alyssa. It’s a wild ride of strangers and unexpected visitors. Alyssa’s character is gullible navigating a new world without Bill. The story took an interesting turn with Alyssa becoming paranoid.

Audiobook:
Stephanie Willing is the solo female narrator. The House Guest audiobook is an unabridged version. She’s a professional voice actor with a broadcast-quality home studio.
After reading ebooks for years and having the luxury of highlighting words and sentences I feel a disadvantage with audiobooks. I’m still fairly new to the world of listening to audiobooks. However, my transition was made easily by owning both the ebook and audiobook that way I could still highlight words while enjoying the performance of good voice actors. Trying to listen without the assistance of the ebook is difficult for me to stay connected. I need those words and the ability to highlight areas as reference. I know when it’s over I’m going to want to relisten so I can hear the story from a different perspective.

Alyssa Macallan is in the throes of a messy divorce from her wealthy and powerful husband, Bill Macallan. Scrutinized at every turn by the couple’s former friends, she believes her ex will stop at nothing to ruin her. In short, she has hardly a penny to her name and no shoulder to cry on as the picture-perfect life she once knew shatters into pieces. Luckily for her, she meets Bree Lorrance, a contemporary in dire straits, running from a dangerous man who is determined to hunt her down. The two become fast friends, and Alyssa takes a leap of faith and offers the stranger a temporary respite in her guest house. When the F.B.I. comes knocking on Alyssa’s door, the stakes become higher, causing her to turn to the only person willing to help—Bree. Two minds are better than one, especially those belonging to a couple of strong women dead set on outsmarting their adversaries no matter the cost.

The House Guest is a cat-and-mouse thriller with twists and turns in every chapter. Stephanie Willing delivers a praiseworthy performance as the narrator, absorbing the listener into the high-stakes drama with every shocking turn of events. A twisted tale of love and revenge, The House Guest is a compulsive and binge-worthy audiobook with the perfect combination of suspense and betrayal, leaving the reader guessing until the very last page.

Alyssa Macallan had it all. She met her husband and never looked back. She left her law degree unfinished and went on to live a fabulous life with him in the lap of luxury. Then suddenly he had an affair and wanted a divorce. So she was left alone in her huge house with no friends that weren't couple friends. So she goes to a hotel bar on a whim and meets Bree Lawrence.

Bree has her own problems and Alyssa quickly takes her under her wing, She brings Bree home with her and lets her move in the guest house. It feels good to have a friend.. But when the FBI come knocking on the fancy door - Alyssa learns that her soon to be ex-husband is wanted by the FBI for scamming people and she fears she is one of his targets.

I read this book while spending a week in December in NYC. I found that I keep wanting to get back to it to see what would happen next. There are some twists and turns - some predictable and some not so predictabl.e. Definitely a fun read.