Everything BA Paris writes, I will read. Paris spun yet another amazing read with characters I cared so deeply about. And what a twist!!

3.5 stars

I always look forward to reading the latest book by B.A. Paris. She’s creative and her stories manage to be a little bit disturbing but entertaining at the same time. Bust out a bowl of popcorn and sit down and enjoy the show type reads.

While The Guest is not my favorite of her domestic thrillers it still is a solid read. My main issue was with the characters. With this genre I don’t mind unlikable characters but the problem is when they veer into annoying territory. It makes for a frustrating reading experience at times. Thankfully there are some surprises along the way that did keep me interested in the story and it does end on a strong note.

This was my third B.A. Paris novel.
Even though I liked some of her books, this one didn’t have much to it.
My biggest issue with this book is how repetitive this book was. They would talk about the same events 2-3 times.
Overall, it was solid and I didn’t expect the ending.

If you would have asked me 50% of the way in what I thought of this book, I might not have given it a rave review. Here is my advice: Stick with this slow burner because it gets better and better. The ending is phenomenal! B.A. Paris never disappoints!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars rounded up. Great twisty thriller alert! This book threw my suspicions in multiple directions and kept my attention throughout. I don’t want to give away anything more than that, but I will tell you this book is hard to put down. 😉 This is my favorite B.A. Paris book to date.

It's always a risk to try a new author. I've never read a book by B.A. Paris. I felt like the story flowed well enough. I enjoyed the story overall. My only complaint was that aspects of the book felt very predictable. When reading a book like this it's disappointing to have guessed the plot early on and to find out at the end that you knew how it would unfold all along. There were things that surprised me along the way. But the book really was quite average for me. I'm giving the book a score of 3 stars out of 5. It's books like this that I wish we could give half star ratings or even score out of 10 as this feels a bit too low. It's more of a 3½ our of 5 or a 7 out of 10. Thank you netgalley for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

The Guest by B. A. Paris was my first book by this author. I have heard nothing but good things about her books. This won’t be the last one I read of hers but, I was a tiny bit disappointed. Well, let's put it this way, I am more mad at myself than disappointed. I should have known who the murderer was all along. I’ve told you how bad I am about figuring these books out but, this one was a giveaway right in your face. When you read it, let me know if you figured it out before the epilogue.

I did enjoy The Guest. I spent a rainy day with my nose buried so deep in my tablet that I wasn’t very good company. I was engrossed due to a lot going on and several catastrophes. The author kept me turning those pages until well into the night.

The characters were all so interesting and their development was very satisfying. They seemed to have a lot of life changing things going on in their lives. The main characters, Iris and Gabriel come home to find one of their friends has taken over their home. Gabriel is on leave from his job due to burnout and now their friend Laure has separated temporarily from her husband Pierre and come to stay. She is the “guest”. There are others. Their daughter and neighbors down the road who all play a big part in the story.

I always wondered what an unreliable narrator was. This book is a prime example of that. I believed everything I was told only to find out that I got it all wrong. If you love a book that takes you on a ride and dumps you off scratching your head and wondering what the heck was I thinking, then this is a book for you to put in your tbr pile. I would! Until next time…Happy Reading!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher/author. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and B.A. Paris for an ARC of this book!**

"Uninvited guests are often most welcome when they leave." - Aesop

Iris and Gabriel are ready to sink into that post-vacation relief you ONLY get after being away for a while, where you begin to understand what Dorothy meant when she said "There's no place like home." After all, time away can be refreshing, but there's something about the feeling you get walking back into a familiar place and the comfort you feel as soon as you get there. When they show up at their doorstep and realize they aren't alone, however, the feeling of relief is immediately replaced with mild annoyance...even though they KNOW this guest well. It's their friend Laure, and she's fled home after learning about her husband Pierre's indiscretion: an indiscretion that has led to the birth of a child, no less!

Iris wants to be supportive during this time, but Laure is beginning to grate on her nerves...and that's putting it mildly. Laure has no problem trouncing around the place like she owns it, wearing Iris' clothes, and doesn't seem to be in any sort of hurry to get back to Pierre. There's also tension bubbling between Iris and Gabriel themselves, in a close yet distant marriage, which has never been the same since Gabriel found a body and feels like he should have somehow been able to prevent a young boy's death. When a NEW couple comes to town with a handsome gardener named Joseph, things veer into even MORE complicated territory...especially when Joseph gets romantically entangled with one (or is it two?) of our leads...and who IS the mother of Pierre's baby, anyway? Will this house guest ever take the hint and head for the hills? Or are there secrets involving this WHOLE group that, if revealed, could shatter their friendships...forever?

B.A. Paris is nothing if not surprising when it comes to her particular brand of domestic suspense novel: you never know EXACTLY what Paris you're going to get. Despite this imbalance, all of her books feature some unlikable characters that STILL somehow have an air of authenticity. You won't ever quite know who to trust, and who is the victim rather than the 'perp' in her books. There's also ALWAYS a level of 'he said, she said' that goes on, and often some wacky twists to keep things moving. After the absolute train wreck that was The Prisoner, I was wary to say the least about picking up this one and once again giving Paris a shot.

But while this was a giant step up from the messy, confusing, and eye-roll worthy B Action movie plot that was her last book....Paris decided to go the Maury route with this one, replete with everything from neighborhood gossip to a cast FULL of unlikable characters that frankly had me feeling sorry that Pierre's baby and Gabriel and Iris' daughter had to call these folks 'adults.'

This book is on the slower side (at least it was for me) and to be honest, there almost felt like there were TOO many characters that weren't that important...to the point where even though it wasn't a huge cast, I still occasionally forgot who was who. This may in part be due to the fact that I never felt that INVESTED in the story, but even with a group of Unlikables, I still want to have distinct enough personalities to keep track of everyone without having to flip back or remind myself what's going on at any given time. The strange thing about this one is that it almost didn't feel linear in terms of time line even though it very much WAS, and I kept feeling like I was missing something all along the way...and that the 'red herrings' were so plentiful that I needed a fishing net to contain them all!

When we FINALLY arrive at the final act of the book, however, all of the seemingly random information starts to slide neatly into place. (Side note: remember those little plastic puzzles with pieces you could slide back and forth and up and down until they slid into the right spots and made a picture? THAT is the little mental picture I just got...and I also miss those puzzles!) This final twist is honestly almost a SERIES of twists that bundles into one tidy package, and although some of it seems like it should have been obvious after the reveals, it certainly seemed like Paris saved all her 'oomph' for the last 30% of the book. That being said, I still don't feel like even this clever ending was enough to make up for the meandering it took for this book to get there, which is why out of all of the Paris books I've been thus far, this one lands firmly in the middle of the pack.

And at the end of the day, this book was reminiscent of a used Libman mop: it was both soapy AND twisty.

But much like that same mop after a LONG session of kitchen floor cleaning...I think what it needed most was to be wrung out.

3.5 stars

I've started to think this author's books are not for me. I had a hard time getting into this one and found it dragged. I wasn't a fan of the characters and even the twist didn't save it for me. 2 stars

The Guest by B.A. Paris
Pub Day: February 20th, 2024
Thank you, NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC
4.5 ⭐️’s
Trigger ⚠️: divorce is mentioned throughout the whole book
We’re so I even begin with this grappling and thrilling psychological thriller that held my attention from the beginning and got me thinking about different scenarios that could come up as I was reading more! 🤯 There storyline had multiple different characters and aspects that left you thinking yet also wondering who is the victim and who is the suspect/culprit! 🤔🧐 As I continued reading I’m not sure there was a character I didn’t like or that I didn’t think was a suspect/culprit. Gotta love the teacher aspect praying on their students, NOT! Given the teacher praying in their students aspect was why I kind of ultimately effected the way I rated it as it could ultimately have been given a 5 stars rating if I just wasn’t reading it at the same time as The Teacher! I’m sure if I did a reread of this later in the year it would ultimately be a 5 star read! 😉

I read this book so fast. I just kept wanting to know what was happening and going to happen next. Some characters I liked more than others but that’s how thrillers should be. The ending was wild and I read it as fast as I could to see what was happening.

*Thank you netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an Advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review:

Thank you to @NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my free advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!

Wow. Just wow. I seriously did NOT expect that ending. Seriously a complete SHOCKER and such a great TWIST. I should have guessed it, but I guess my radar was off! A pleasant surprise!

Iris and Gabriel are a long time married couple with a young adult daughter away on a gap year. They come home from vacation to their long time friend, Lure, in their house and making herself at home. Lure has left her husband, Pierre, claiming he confessed to her that he just found out he was a father outside of their own marriage. Hurt, confused and shocked at his betrayal, Lure contemplates leaving him for good, not knowing any details of his affair nor child.

New couple, Esme and Hugh come rolling into town, having purchased a new house and waiting for thier baby to be born. With them, they brought friend and landscaper, Joseph to renovate their gardens. Joseph, a guy with a shady past and secrets of his own ends up working on Iris’s and Gabriel’s garden and seems to be spending a lot of time with Lure.

What about Pierre? What secrets are Joseph carrying and who is a murderer? So many juicy happenings throughout this book! B.A. Paris did not let me down at all. I LOVED this thrilling read!

Once again I'm unfortunately disappointed in this author. The book hooked me pretty quickly in the beginning but then I started to get really bored. A majority of this book was not a thriller to me, just a lot of talking and drama with friends. The ending, I will admit, did have a really good twist that I didn't fully see coming but everything up till that point I could care less about. I didn't care for any of the characters and honestly skimmed a good portion of this without feeling like I was missing out on anything.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the gifted copy for my honest review.

BA Paris writes perfect novel for a thriller lover like myself. I was so lucky and privileged to be able to receive this arc.

Laure moves in with Gabriel and iris after a personal issue comes up. She is the kind of house guest who overstays her welcome.

It seems that everyone in this story is hiding something. But what is it?

This novel has twists and turns, and a surprise ending you won't see coming!!

Thanks to NetGalley and st martins press for this arc! What an absolute treat

Twists and turns. Lies and deceit. Murder and mayhem. Secrets, lots of secrets. Yep, this story has it all! And more.

I've read all of Ms. Paris's books and have loved them all. This one did not disappoint and rates right up there with all of the rest of her stories. I inhaled it and had no idea how it was going to end. I had the 'disturbed' person wrong over and over. First I thought it had to be this one, and then no, I changed my mind. It had to be this other person. I was kept guessing until the end. And I loved it!

The Guest is a book that you will need to devote some time to because once you start it, you will not want to stop reading. Keep that in mind. I highly recommend this one!

Iris and Gabriel return home from a vacation to find their good friend Laure has taken over their house. Laure has left her husband, Pierre, after finding out about an affair that resulted in a child. The tension quickly rises as Laure crosses boundaries and disrupts their lives. The arrival of new neighbors, Esme & Hugh, provides some relief.

I felt this book was full of suspense and it kept me on edge as Laure's behavior became increasingly erratic. Although I felt it was a slow burn, Paris' writing is engaging and kept me hooked from start to finish.

Overall, this was a gripping thriller that kept me guessing until the very end, which WOW, that ending! What a shock!!

The Guest is a remarkable read. I loved the twist at the end that I had no way of seeing coming. At first I thought it would be one that I had to push myself through, but I found myself wanting to keep reading. I found Laure to be unbearable and rude - I think that's what drew me to this story so much. I had to see where it was going.

When Gabriel and Iris return home from a weekend away, they discover that they have an unexpected guest. Not to worry, it’s just their dear friend Laure who has visited them many times. Only this time Laure is alone and her husband Pierre is at their home in Paris.

Evidently Pierre has told Laure that he has learned he has a child from another woman in his past. Laure is completely caught off guard by the news. Naturally, Iris and Gabriel are supportive of Laure and welcome her to stay while she and Pierre sort things out.

It isn’t long before Laure starts to wear out her welcome. She’s needy and doesn’t seem to be making any progress to reconciling things with Pierre. Also, Gabriel has tried to get in touch with Pierre, only to be sent to voicemail or to get a message that he’ll be in touch later.

Other players in this scenario are newly befriended neighbors, Esme and Hugh and their gardener/friend Joshua. They enter the picture and the more we get to know them, the more the story heats up.

I did not see this one coming! BA Paris had me throwing out all kinds of scenarios as to what was going on with this story, but I was completely blindsided by the ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to recommend this to readers who love a good mystery/thriller and to give my honest review.

Oh, boy. I have been a past of B.A. Paris’ books in the past. However, this book was so far-fetched that even a character points out how ridiculous the things “happening” are. There were redeeming features, such as the honest feelings regarding not having children, regret with parenting, and the spark that can dwindle after so many years. Even still, the plot was just too silly and the characters too unlikable. Thank you NetGalley, B.A, Paris, and St Martins Press for the ARC!

3.5/4 stars (rounded up to 4 on here)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
*
I have to start this by saying that I am an avid B.A. Paris fan. I have pretty much read all of her books and I think have a copy of all of her books as well (even though some might be in storage till we move). All this to say that I do love her writing. I can usually get into one of her books quick and they keep my attention throughout the whole book. However, The Guest is probably not going to make my favorite of her books. The one thing that did probably save the book for me was the ending, but I felt like it just took a lot of time to get there. The pace was slower than her other books and I felt like by the time we got to the twists, my attention span was struggling. Also, I think the biggest thing for me in this book was how unlikeable the characters were. They all just seemed to struggle, and for how close the group of friends supposedly were, their lack of communication was lacking. Overall, I still felt like it was a decent book and isn’t one that will deter me from picking up her books in the future, because like I said, I still really enjoy her writing!