⭐️⭐️⭐️


I think this book could have done without the prologue. I swear I reread it three times because I was trying to figure out who was who and who they belonged with. But once I started reading the book I figured it out. The prologue made it more confusing. And to be honest, didn’t really draw me in.

This was a slow burn, and predictable. It was a quick read for me though because of the short chapters and I thought there was going to be a bigger twist than what was revealed and I thought it was going to go in a different direction. Right before I got to the epilogue I was like “no way this is it?! This is how it ends?” But the epilogue is about 20ish pages long so SPOILER ALERT that’s where the big reveal is.

This one just fell flat for me. I wish I loved it but I didn’t.

Gabriel and Iris are dealing with their friend and newest house guest, Laure. Who is dealing with her own troubles with her marriage and a secret that her husband has been keeping from her that he recently revealed.

Gabriel and Iris’s newest friends are also dealing with their house guest who also has his troubles.

Soon everyone gets intertwined and it goes from bad to worse. Just how far would everyone go to keep a secret?

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a DRC. The Guest is available now.

The house guest that just won’t leave. This book had some big twists! The begging was a little slow for me and took a bit to grab my attention but after a while it just took off like a roller coaster going dow hill. There are so many secrets these people are holding onto. Secrets that can change the outcome of person’s life. I’m not sure I would want to be friend’s with any of these characters. They are all pretty terribly in their actions. I did really enjoy the story and the twists. It was a quick fast pace read for me. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I just finished The Guest by B.A Paris and here are my thoughts.

Iris and Gabriel arrive home from their vacation to find their friend Laure has been staying there in their absence. She has left her husband after he admits to having an affair and having a child with her. They are also friends with Pierre which makes it hard for the couple.

Laure, the longer she stays, the bigger the toll it starts to take on the pair of them. The only reprieve coming from their new neighbors. With them they bring a gardener, a man with a dark past but then again, they all have secrets and as they unravel…. Some are more dangerous than any of them knew.

I was super excited to get an ARC of this one. I thought that the pacing was a bit slow for a psychological thriller and too much time was spent in the past with Gabriel and Iris having Laure for a house guest. It just seemed excessive to me.

I also did not like any of the characters. They were all unlikeable which I am normally OK with in thrillers but this had more of a drama vibe rather than a thriller.

What saved the book? THE ENDING!!! I didn’t see it coming. It was like being slammed into space on a catapult! I usually see these things coming but nope!

Short chapters which I loved, I also liked the writing style. As my first book by the author, I would definitely read another. The twists were expertly woven enough to overlook everything else.

3.75 stars rounded to 4

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my gifted copy. OUT NOW!

Another wonderful thriller from B.A.Paris. I’m a fan and read all her books, The Guest is one of my favourite.

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴜᴇsᴛ
ʙ.ᴀ. ᴘᴀʀɪs
ᴀᴠᴀɪʟᴀʙʟᴇ ɴᴏᴡ
sᴛ. ᴍᴀʀᴛɪɴ’s ᴘʀᴇss
𝟺.𝟻★

Author @baparisauthor always provides a twisty story and her newest domestic drama 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 did not disappoint. I loved the atmospheric setting, the eerie vibes, and the unpredictability of what was going to happen next.

This is one of those books where the characters drive you totally insane and your literally yelling at fictional characters. The first half was a MAJOR SLOW BURN- you must push through and just trust that you will be pleasantly surprised with how the story turns out. The epilogue was brilliant and quite honestly jaw dropping, I was somewhat mind blown!

SYNOPSIS: “Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their closest friends, Laure, is in their house. The atmosphere quickly becomes tense as she oversteps again and sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris’ clothes, even rearranging the furniture.

Laure has walked out on her husband—and their good friend—Pierre, over his confession of an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive of their friends, but as Laure’s mood becomes increasingly unpredictable, her presence takes its toll.

Iris and Gabriel’s only respite comes in the form of a couple new to town. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past. Soon, secrets from all their pasts will unravel, some more dangerous than they could have known.”

✨special thanks to @stmartinspress @macmillanusa for both an early earc and a gorgeous finished copy✨

QOTD: would you truly enjoy having a long term guest at your home?

#theguest#baparis#stmartinspress
#bookreview#bookstagram#books
#bookfeature#bookmail#booksta
#readmorebooks#readersofinsta

This is the second book l've read by B.A Paris and truthfully I was very shocked at how much longer this one took me to read. Personally I feel like the story line lacked captivating qualities. I wish there would have been more twists within the book rather than it all happening at the end. Though the ending I was very shocked at and truly did enjoy I wish there would have been more going on throughout the book. This was just a much slower read than I was hoping for. This was a 3.5 star read for me. I do want to try more of her books though as I think this might have been a one off for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy! I really enjoyed this book about a husband and wife who come home from a trip to find their friend (t"the guest") staying at their house (for too long) because of the affair her husband confessed to. I liked the pace of the story and how it keeps developing and unwinding - it kept me quietly intrigued throughout - with a very satisfying ending. What more could you want from a good book?

ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ: Laure goes to visit close friends Iris & Gabriel after discovering her husband has a child with another woman, but is still keeping secrets about her identity.

ᴍʏ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴄᴇɴᴛs: I read this one months ago, and looking back there was a lot going on with the addition of the new neighbors and their gardener to the story line. The chaotic cast of characters added to the mystery of trying to figure out if/how everyone was connected.

I’ve read most of B.A. Paris’ books and they have mostly all been easy-to-binge, fast-paced popcorn thrillers. This one felt different than her recent work because it had a slower pace, but the twists still kept me turning the page as everything unraveled.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮:
🏠 love reading about friends groups that become family
🏠 enjoy a twisty murder mystery
🏠 don’t take narrators at face value

A bit of a slow burn in the beginning but totally worth it! 
The Guest really dives into some of the dark parts of marriage and how far some people are willing to go to keep up the facade of the picture perfect family. 
A great reminder that not everything is as it seems, this felt like the perfect balance of suspense and drama all tied together with a beautiful explanation at the end. 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and B.A. Paris for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 I've enjoyed B.A. Paris's past titles and happily picked up her latest - The Guest - without reading the synopsis.

The opening prologue is the now, and the book then takes the reader back to the beginning.
When couple Laure and Pierre separate, Laure heads to the countryside home of their friends, Ivy and Gabriel. Ivy and Gabriel come home from a holiday of their own to find Laure ensconced in their bedroom. Wearing Ivy's clothes as well. A bit of a shock, but they want to help out their friends in any way they can.

I thought this was a great opening scenario. What next? And also a chance to meet the lead characters, especially Ivy. I was curious as to what would happen next.

What happens next is a slow burning tale. Ivy is a bit of a pushover. Laure takes advantage of her and Ivy makes excuses for her, over and over again. And as much Ivy and Gabriel are doing the right thing, I found it was really hard to like both of them. Gabriel is also dealing with an issue of his own. The supporting cast was newly arrived neighbours and a gardener. And as the book progressed I felt the same about them as well. Too friendly, too fast, too unbelievable.

Things pick up in the second half of the book as I waited to see if my suspicions were correct. Not quite on every thread, which is always appreciated.

A good read, but not my favorite from Paris.

I thought this would be a book about a Houseguest that you couldn't get rid of, well it was that and so much more. The tangled webs of lies, secrets and deceit between 2 couples that span years and involve others is unbelievable. I think I read the ending of this book with my head shaking and mouth open in shock! What a great book. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and the Author, B. A. Paris for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press!

I couldn't put this book down. B.A. Paris books always hook me in. I've never been disappointed by any of her books. Suspenseful and didn't predict anything coming!

This was my first B.A. Paris book, and I enjoyed it! I liked it enough to check out her other work, anyways. This was an ARC via NetGalley, and I went in completely blind. In the beginning, I found all of the characters and different storylines confusing. Towards the middle, things simplified a little bit. I wondered how the book was going to end, as there seemed to be so many questions remaining, but the epilogue answers all of the questions. I did find myself wondering why there needed to be so many storylines, but it worked out in the end. I’m curious if all of her books are like this. Overall, 3.5 stars.

I wasn't a huge fan of this book tbh but I could not put it down , I had to know what was going on with all these people who btw I didn't even like .. 😂 everyone is a hot mess !!!
Beth was the only character I liked .
Everyone else like I said .. a mess !
I thought about giving up on this book several times cause it didn't really get interesting til about 52% in but I had this uncontrollable urge to keep reading . I kinda had the ending figured out but it still somewhat took me by surprise . I'd say this book was a 2.5 ⭐ but I hate half's so I'll round up because it's more good than bad 🤷

#TheGuest #NetGalley #Arc

I didn't enjoy this one. I guess the entire plot line at 50% through - to the extent that I read the epilogue and learned that I had been completely right.

Thank you so much to @stmartinspress @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the ALC and ARC!

🚪 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🚪
Iris and Gabriel return to their home to find their friend Laure there unexpectedly. Laure and her husband Pierre are having marital problems, so Laure wants to stay for a few weeks. As time goes by, Iris and Gabriel wonder if Laure will ever leave or talk to her husband again. In the midst of their houseguest, Gabriel is having some issues with knowing someone that passed away recently.

The Guest is definitely a domestic suspense story, that starts off as a slow burn. We learn a lot about the characters slowly as Laure stays with them. New neighbors also move in and make friends with the main characters, which adds to their friend group and circle of stories.

The book really picked up halfway through the story! More twists and turns are explored, and it made the mystery more intriguing. I had my guesses as to who may have been doing what, but I did not guess the ending of this one! I definitely love an expected ending, and this one delivers!

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🔹 Slow burn thriller
🔹 Domestic suspense
🔹 Murder mysteries
🔹 Explosive ending 🤯

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

While an interesting story I found it very slowly paced and I grew bored with some of the characters. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this early copy for read and review

The Guest by B.A. Paris

The Guest by B.A. Paris is a fun and light domestic thriller about a friend moving in with a couple after her own couple imploded.

I love B.A. Paris's writting; its witty and funny and it sets a unusual (but fun) tone to this thriller.

This quick read was really fast-paced and you really can put yourself in the character's shoes.

I would recommend this thriller to everyone looking for a diffenrent - and really good - thriller.

Prepare to be surprised!

This is the third book I’ve read by B. A. Paris, and while I liked it, it didn’t thrill me as much as Behind Closed Doors and The Therapist did. The story opens with a bang - literally - when an explosion in a quiet neighborhood outside London startles Iris, Gabriel, Esme, and Hugh, who are chatting in the garden after Esme and Hugh’s son’s christening. Then the timeline rewinds to six months before the explosion, and we learn about what led to the incident. (Swipe for synopsis.)

While the plot is intriguing and kept my interest, the book gets bogged down in repetitive conversations, inaction, and the minutiae of the characters’ lives. I shouted, “Just tell the guest to leave already” in my head several times! There are a lot of sub plots to keep track of, but they all come together in the end.

B. A. Paris is the queen of turning everything you thought you knew about what happened upside down at the end of her novels, and The Guest is no exception. The short chapters make it easy to binge read. If you like her other thrillers, I think you will enjoy reading this one, too.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my review.