I liked this book but not my favorite BA Paris book. The plot was ok. Kind of all over the place and just a weird, random story. The characters were ok. The ending I didn’t see coming but it was kind of just randomly thrown in there to tie up loose ends but it didn’t really go well with the entire plot line. It was a fast read but not my favorite book.

When Gabriel and Iris return home from a vacation, they find their friend, Laure, staying in their house. Laure and her husband, Pierre, have always had an open invitation to use Gabriel's and Iris's home while they were away. But this time, it is only Laure staying. Laure asks if she could stay as a guest in their home while she and Pierre work out some problems they are having. Thinking this would be a short stay, Gabriel and Iris welcome Laure to stay indefinitely. Gabriel recently suffered a trauma and is currently not working. So the house feels very full with the three adults home all day.
While Iris is out for a run, she meets new neighbors, Esme and Hugh, as well as their gardener, Joseph. These new friends are a breath of fresh air. Gabriel has decided to tackle the ignored walled garden while he is off from work. When he realizes the amount of work he has undertaken, he asks if Joseph can assist him. Things get more and more complicated from here. There are deaths, affairs and you will be hooked.
Throughout the book, I thought I had it figured out and felt the story didn't hold the usual "wow" that you get from a B.A. Paris book. Well if you hold on, you get your WOW! There are multiple twists and turns by the very end of the book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the ARC of this book.

Another doozy from BA Paris! This is one of my must read authors and this book did not disappoint. Great twists and turns throughout & I should have seen this coming, but did not.

Highly recommend this one when it comes out! Thanks NetGalley & BA Paris for allowing me to read this one!

This book kept me guessing till the end. Even when I thought I figured it all out (which always happens as an avid reader of thrillers), the last pages turned everything around. This is a book that could be reread to see all the clues and foreshadowing B.A. Paris left behind. I'm a fan of the author but they pulled out all the stops with this book. I will still buy this book when it comes out so I can have it in my library and give it out to my friends and coworkers. A fun read.

I would give this 3.5 out of 5 stars. I did like it but didn't live it like her other books. I found it predictable. Didn't care for any of the characters in the story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

Iris and Gabriel return home from holiday only to find they have a houseguest. A close friend, Laure, has come to visit after leaving her husband, Pierre, also their friend. Laure has discovered that Pierre, who had never wanted children, has a child with another woman. While Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive, Laure soon wears out her welcome with her self-centered ways and constant complaining. Mysterious disappearances, past secrets and sudden deaths round out the story.

Huge fan of B A Paris but found The Guest to be my least favorite of those novels I've read thus far; probably because I am horribly impatient. The story moves along, and I kept wondering when the big reveal would appear to make me gasp. I even had moments when I gave thought to not finishing but I have enjoyed Paris' novels so much decided to persevere. The ending is worth the wait - certainly not what I was expecting with a surprise twist.

This is not the first BA Paris book I have read and certainly won't be the last. The book is a well written domestic thriller which the story evolving around the lives of Iris and Gabriel. Gabriel recently was at the scene where a young man had a tragic accident and was with his when he passed away and is harboring guilt. Iris and Gabriel have a trip away and come home to find their best friend Laure at their home. Laure announces that she has left her husband and needs time to deal with it. Gabriel and Iris are happy to have her. Meanwhile a new coupon move into the neighborhood and Iris befriends Esme and Gabriel becomes friends with her husband Hugh. All the characters are likable and as I was reading and enjoying I was wondering where the "thriller" or the twist would play out. I was not disappointed in the ending, but then, wow the Epilogue was like a completely different story was let loose and bam everything I thought I thought I knew was nothing was I thought. Definitely grab this one - don't miss out on it!

I'm a huge fan of B.A. Paris, but The Guest was a miss for me. There were too many characters, relationships, names, and conflicts introduced all at once. For readers who stuck it out, it sounds like the ending was great. Unfortunately, I couldn't get through the beginning. However, I remain a fan of the author's and look forward to her next book.

When Iris and Gabriel return home from their vacation they find their dear friend Laures staying at their house. At first they have no problem supporting their friend while she deals with a huge secret her husband was keeping from her but quickly Laures had overstepped her stay. As the book continues the story unfolds the reader learns everyone is hiding something and as secrets are threatened to be exposed some characters will stop at nothing to prevent their secrets from coming out.
Paris yet again did a great job with building the story and gave the reader the twist ending that Paris is known for. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Iris and Gabriel come home early from their trip to find their friend, Laure, making herself comfortable in their home. Laure is taking time away from her husband, Pierre, after discovering that he may have fathered a child during their marriage. Iris and Gabriel reluctantly agree to let their friend stay as long as they need.

This wasn't my favourite by the author but I enjoyed the journey that this novel took me on. There were several side stories with side characters that kept confusing me as they were all quite similar. The confusion I felt may or may not have been on purpose on the author's creative part to keep me guessing about the "big reveal." The epilogue was probably the longest I've read for a domestic thriller like this novel.. it's where B.A. Paris reveals the "who dun it" and all the motivations behind the mystery. I enjoy it when it's sprinkled throughout the novel. I didn't expect the "big reveal" (I'm keeping it quite vague), so I'm giving this book 3.5 stars.

Looking forward to the next B.A. Paris novel

A couple is navigating through successive tragedies that challenge their emotional stability and their marital bond. It seems as though Iris and Gabriel are the most unlucky couple in that those around them disappear or die. Also, the presence of an uninvited guest/friend in their home keeps them from finding peace in their one safe harbor and each other. These unconnected events could break them if not for the friendship developing with a new neighbor. Even that presents challenges, though, as the new friend brings a gardener into their lives that presents an element of temptation and mistrust. There is a storm of calamity brewing, and the devastation will leave you shocked! This is an ending that I never saw coming!

Oh. My. WHOA!

I did NOT see that twist coming a mile away! The whole story made everything seem connected and concise. The last chapter completely threw me for a loop. That was the last thing that I possibly thought would happen. The author did a phenomenal job of making me think I had everything worked out in my head and then showed me how wrong I was.! I legitimately love that I was clueless until the very end. Wow. Just WOW!

I just finished my ARC and was blown away!
The Epilogue was great-did not see all of that coming. The twists and turns were great. I thought it was tied up a little too nicely-til the end! BA Paris has done it again!

I thought I knew what was happening in this book, but the last few pages turned all of that upside down. Wow, what a twist, what an ending!

Thanks to the author and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What can I say? This book just like every other BA Paris book was fantastic. Kept me guessing right until the end. The whole time I was reading I felt like there was something I was missing. Just the feeling that kept me reading and led to the “suspense”.

As I neared the end of this book,
I was worried we were not going to receive the jaw-dropping twists that B.A. Paris always delivers- all signs were pointing towards…normal? I should have known better- Paris never disappoints. From the absent but much discussed unfaithful husband, to the seemingly too good to be true new neighbors, it is difficult to predict who will ultimately end up being the “bad guy”. Plenty of family dynamics and long-kept secrets are in okay to keep readers guessing until the very end of this page turner!

I received an ARC copy of The Guest by B.A. Paris and it did not disappoint!

How well do you really know someone, and what secrets can they be hiding?! This book takes you through the intricacies of different relationships and the emotions of grief, loss, revenge, hate, anger, jealousy.. it has it all !
Just when you think you have everything figured you... YOU DON'T. The epilogue of this book does not disappoint and comes with a twist that you would never see coming! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend to a friend!

Iris and Gabriel have been away and return to find their family friend Laure staying in their house. She and her husband are having problems and Iris and Gabriel are more than willing to let her stay. But as time goes on, things are getting a little testy.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this book. It takes you along at an easy pace and then Wham! I have loved all of Paris' books and this one is no exception. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

From the outside looking in Iris and Gabriel have it all. A good marriage, good daughter and good friends( Pierre and Laure). But when a young man has an accident in a quarry and Gabriel finds him, their “good” world starts to unravel. Will their marriage survive it?
B A Paris does it again with this slow burn. I spent most of the book trying to figure out what “really” is going on.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ACR. #Netgally #BAParis
Pub. Date: Feb. 20 2024

I love every B.A. Paris book I've read (and there have been quite a few). This one is a little tougher to rate than all the others.

At times, I felt it was five star worthy. At other times, I was certain it was three stars.

The character development, like in all the Paris books, is first rate. By the end of the novel, you feel like you know every character, his/her foibles, his/her tendencies. You're wrong!

With great character development and multiple twists and turns, why would I rate it four stars? At times, I felt like I was dealing with a bunch of impish high schoolers. They bickered, they tattled, and they betrayed.

I'm sticking with this rating!