Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Wow! This one really catches you off guard at the very end, just when you think story lines are wrapping up, we learn the real story. The overall theme of this read follows married couple Iris and Gabriel, along with their daughter Beth, their best friend couple Pierre and Laure as well as their new neighbors and their house guest. We see each character develop relationships with new friends, each hiding their own secrets that we learn may be more connected than we initially realized. Another great thriller from B.A. Paris!

b.a. paris books are either hit or miss for me, and I’m so happy to say that this was a firm … in between? my thoughts are still jumbled around in my head from finishing this at like 3am 😅

the initial mystery and plot didn’t pull me in like b.a. paris’ other novels, and while the plot twist TOTALLY shocked me, it came too late in the story for me to feel any satisfaction 🥴

I think the unlikable characters were a bit too annoying for my taste, but I get why the author wrote them this way. laure was the worst house guest ever (I mean, I would have shipped her ass back to paris in a fedex box so fast 😅), and the reasons iris and gabriel had for allowing her to stay were very random and not convincing at all.

the characters I enjoyed most, however, were hugh and esme. they were so integral to the story without really causing damage or being the MC. I wanted to know more about their relationship and why they bought this creepy gothic house!!!!

I sped through this one in one go because I simply could not put it down!! so that automatically is a win in my book ☺️

thank you to st martins press and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: loire valley cabernet franc

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle Advanced Readers Copy of The Guest. I've read a few of B.A. Paris's previous books and found them to be entertaining and quick reads. At first, I wasn't sure The Guest was for me but the story got me into it and I was glad I stuck with it. Gabriel and Iris have a longi term marriage, a grown daughter and nice home. Their friend, Laure, is experiencing marital troubles and comes to stay with them. Things decline rapidly on all counts - Laure's mental health, Gabriel's guilt over being able to help a wounded bicyclist and the arrival of new neighbors and their shady gardener. The story escalates into an unexpected and explosive finish. The Guest is a fast-paced thriller/suspense novel for anyone into the genre.

What a captivating and intriguing book, I did not see that ending coming! Once again B.A. Paris has pulled in my attention and kept it throughout the whole book. The characters are well developed, and it really all comes together in the end. I wouldn’t make the big reveal an epilogue though. I feel like it was way too long for that and not everyone likes to read and epilogue.

This book was interesting. It kept me guessing, and I was hooked after i got through the beginning. The beginning is slow, so I would say stick with it because once it gets going, I flew through it. This book starts with a guest (Laure), who is Iris, the main character's best friend. Laure crashes with Iris and Gaberil in their house after a falling out with her husband. During this time so many things happen, there's drama, secrets, deaths, explosions, and lies. Gabriel Iri's husband is keeping a secret, Laure is as well, and Esme Iris's new neighbor is also keeping a secret.

I really liked the way everything unfolded. At first, I thought it was petty little secrets between friends and partners, but as the book progressed, it became more than that with different moving pieces and characters. I thought a lot of characters were suspicious and horrible, though I didn't guess the main culprit. The plot twist got me so bad, I did not see that coming, but after reading, I went back, and so many things made sense. Overall a good thriller that kept me interested in the story.

Okay, you got me BA Paris - with The Guest, you went classic mystery thriller slow-burn vibes....to the point I was like yes, I love the slow building tension, but what am I missing? Then all unraveled and I sat back and applauded how I, (a seasoned thriller reader), could have missed the signs. I loved it!

The small town cozy feeling, the friendships, the drama - I was enthralled with it all, especially the secrets!
It felt like a story within a story which kept me engaged but mostly I wanted to know what the heck was going with everyone.

I would definitely recommend, especially as a buddy read or book club discussion as there is a lot to digest!

B.A.Paris created another master piece! While the first half of the booker was a slower read, the twist was worth the wait? WOW!!

Thank you St Martens press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I enjoyed this book. Some
Parts of the first 80% of the book dragged but the book did redeem itself in the end.
I would have been interested to have the perspectives of some of the other characters but see why it was written this way.
I’d say a 4 ⭐️ is rounding up a bit. The first portion of the book I would rate as more of a 3.
Overall enjoyable though.

Paris is an auto read for me. I find all the titles to be good books. The Guest included! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Slow burn but worth it!

B A is an auto read author for me. Sometimes I love her books and sometimes I don’t. I always will try.
This book goes is the love category.

Yes this is about a guest in a house with a couple, but there are some side stories also going on. I wasn’t sure how they’d all connect, but they did. The ending was 🤯.

Thanks to @stmartinspress for the advanced copy. I’m a B A fan girl.

The Guest was a fast read, with a great ending! BA Paris is one of my favorites and I always look forward to her new books!

This was the first BA Paris book I have read, believe it or not. Overall, I enjoyed the book, with the exception that there were a lot of characters to keep track of. I felt a bit overwhelmed during the first chapter. Once I learned all the characters the book was an easy read. It was well written and had lots of interesting twists.

The epilogue was extremely interesting and pulled everything together perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I’m usually a huge fan of B.A. Paris’s work; The Therapist is a particular favorite, but this upcoming release fell slightly flat for me. The story had way too much going on for me to feel connected or engaged with the characters and plot. I was intrigued in the beginning when Laure came to stay, and with it called The Guest, thought all the drama would center around her. But, then another couple was introduced, and then yet another character was introduced, bringing even more conflict and strife. I felt like I was reading three distinct stories with three separate mysteries/conflicts. All stories were interesting on their own, but as a whole I felt the overall plot suffered from not knowing which thread to follow. Plus, there were so many themes - grief, infidelity, alcoholism, pregnancy, depression, etc. - there wasn’t enough space within the plot to fully explore them or their impact upon the characters. I will say the story was an easy read; I flowed through the chapters, and didn’t see the final twist coming. I just wished the plot had a tighter and more streamlined focus. Despite this, I still eagerly await Paris’s next psychological thriller and hope it may be more up my alley.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this book I was a fan of Paris books and this book didn't disappoint. It wasn't one of my favorite Paris books but it was still good.

I am a fan of B.A. Paris' books, so this was a must read for me. Although this read is enjoyable, it isn't quite as fast-paced as her other novels. However, her characters are spot on and the writing is good. Recommended for fans of slow-burn mysteries and B.A. Paris. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm typically a huge fan of B. A. Paris's books. Her stories are captivating with lots of mystery and intrigue, while also full of well crafted characters with lives I'm fully invested in. Unfortunately, I didn't find any of that to be the case for The Guest. Simply put, I didn't like this story. The pacing was off, the characters were too one dimensional for me to become invested in and there was a lot of telling rather than showing (especially the overly long epilogue).

While I didn't enjoy this book, I still recommend fans of B.A. Paris to give it a try. Despite my experience/opinions, there's still a lot of high reviews for this one.

B.A. Paris is one of my favorite authors and I will always read whatever she writes.

This book was not my favorite. I felt it meandered a bit too long. It didn't have the fast-pace or sense of urgency I'm used to with Paris. But perhaps that was the point? Having a guest overstay their welcome can be excruciating so that was reflected in the writing?

Despite that, I loved everything else, the characters were great and that ending! I didn't see it coming at all.

If you love thrillers and you love B.A Paris, this is for you!

I found this book to be thoroughly enjoyable and perhaps the best work from the author since Behind Closed Doors. The ambiguity in the storyline due to an unreliable narrator added to the suspense, which kept me hooked throughout the book. The development of the story was also done excellently, and the ending was satisfying. I found the characters to be intriguing, especially the new neighbors and the protagonist's sudden houseguest, as they were shrouded in mystery. Moreover, the title of the book had me wondering which "Guest" referred to whom right until the end. All in all, I highly recommend this book, and I've also recommended it on my page.

I had so much fun reading this twisty mystery/thriller. Not a perfect story…but pretty darn good.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65213277

Yes. Yes. Yes!!! This book was fantastic. I have no words for how much I enjoyed this book. I love BA Paris and hungrily devoured this book from start to finish. My only complaint is I have to wait until Feb 2024 to sell to my customers.