Domestic thrillers are my bag, and I really love to read them and see what each author does with the genre. An uninvited house guest is a personal nighmare for me, and I would hope that I would deal with this issue swiftly and well. B A Paris does a great job setting the story, and once established, following the characters was interesting and a great read. Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC of this book.

★★★★☆

b.a. paris knows how to sink her claws into you, and the guest is no exception. from the very first page, there’s an unsettling undercurrent—a slow, creeping tension that tightens its grip with every chapter. this is not a thriller that relies on big, flashy twists; instead, it builds its unease gradually, piece by piece, until you realize you’ve been holding your breath.

the novel thrives on its atmosphere—claustrophobic, charged, laced with secrets that fester beneath polite smiles. the characters are flawed in that distinctly paris way, where you don’t know if you trust them, but you have to know what happens next. the pacing is sharp, the dread palpable, and while some plot points felt a little predictable, the execution kept me glued to the pages.

if there’s a flaw, it’s that the emotional depth doesn’t always land as hard as the tension does. some moments could have cut deeper, hit harder. but even so, the guest is an addictive, compulsively readable ride—one that leaves you unsettled in the best way.

Wow!

The Guest is a story that will keep you turning page after page.
There’s nothing to make you think outside the box. The story is exactly what it says…………….until it isn’t.
Did not see that ending coming at all.

Such a good story!

This book just wasn’t for me. I felt like the pacing was a little too slow and I never found myself eager to pick the book back up. It wasn’t the writing that I didn’t care for but the development of the story.

This was an intriguing novel. I was surprised by the ending - never would have guessed the culprit. The writing style was good with intriguing characters. I recommend this novel for a nice, cozy mystery read. The full scope of my review can be found on these links!

B.A. Paris does it again with twists and turns you don't see coming until they hit you! Buckle up for the ride!
#thriller #Netgalley

BA Paris truly never misses. I would read anything by this author. Amazing premise and perfect execution.

I had a hard time connecting to this one. I didn’t find the characters engaging, the mystery didn’t have my normal favorite elements of a Paris book. Others may enjoy it more than I did.

Loved this book 10/10 kept me engaged the whole
Way thru and loved it from start and finish thankful I was able to read before anyone

The Guest by B. A. Paris is a domestic suspense novel packed with secrets, tension, and a final twist that’s sure to leave readers stunned. It’s a story about friendships, betrayals, and the unsettling presence of a guest who overstays her welcome—both physically and emotionally.

The mystery at the heart of the story is well-woven, and that final twist? I didn’t see it coming! While the reveal surprised me, I’m still unsure if it fully lived up to the suspense built throughout the book.

The biggest challenge for me was the characters—I didn’t feel much of a connection to them. Laure, the titular guest, had me shouting at the pages—her overstepping and erratic behavior made me want to throw her out of the house myself! On top of that, the pacing dragged at times, with too much focus on repetitive discussions and mundane details.

That said, there’s something undeniably entertaining about B. A. Paris’s storytelling. Domestic suspense novels like this are great for when you want a quick, low-effort thrill. While The Guest wasn’t my favorite of hers, it’s still an engaging pick with enough twists to keep you reading until the end.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. I paired it with the audiobook—a fantastic decision, as the narrator’s performance was truly engaging and made it easy to stay immersed!

Because this was an ARC from Netgalley, I gave it 50%
The first 50% was fine enough and did keep my interest a bit, but I didn't care about any of the characters and I couldn't keep any of them straight.

Around 80% it finally started picking up. But the twist... it was unpredictable, yes, but not at all satisfying.
The epilogue just shot through the story. I would have liked the author to take her time a bit more.

⭐️⭐️
04.26.2024

3.5 out of 5 Stars.

I always find an interesting read from B.A. Paris, although this wasn’t one of her best, it was still a decent and fast paced read.

Hated it. Not for me. Loved the prologue and that was about it. Too many random things thrown in when it could’ve been just really focused on one story to tell.

3 Stars
I really wanted to like this book.
However, the characters weren't interesting enough to entice me to continue picking up the book.
DNF at 45%

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley that provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC! I love me a good thriller and this one did not disappoint.

As a long-time fan of B.A. Paris, I was eager to dive into The Guest, but sadly, this book fell short of my expectations. While Paris is usually a master at weaving suspenseful and gripping narratives, this story felt disappointingly flat and, frankly, boring for much of its duration.

The premise initially intrigued me—a tense home situation with secrets threatening to unravel—but the execution left much to be desired. Laure’s antics were more annoying than thrilling, and the pacing dragged, making it difficult to stay engaged. The characters felt one-dimensional, and their decisions often defied logic, which only added to my frustration.

That said, the twist and epilogue redeemed the story somewhat, offering a glimmer of the sharp, unexpected storytelling that Paris is known for. I also appreciated the underlying theme—that you never really know anyone, no matter how close you think you are—which added a layer of unease to the narrative.

Overall, while The Guest had its moments, it didn’t live up to the high standards I’ve come to expect from B.A. Paris. Here’s hoping her next novel recaptures the magic.

Another page turner from this author with a great twist at the end.

Thank you to netgalley.com for the ARC in exchange for a review.

I enjoyed this one and stayed up late to keep reading to find out what happened. A good thriller where you suspect everyone and most of the characters are unlikeable (in a good way!). I definitely did not expect the ending and given that so few books do that for me, made this book even more fun to read.

I always look forward to books from this author.

Having read most of Ms. Paris's previous books, I was looking forward to this new edition. Unfortunately, I didn't like anything about this one. There was no suspense, no mystery, and no action throughout most of the book. A married couple take in a friend having marital troubles. That's the entire plot. Someone dies but who-dun-it? By this point, I didn't care about the characters and I really had to push myself to even finish the book. A slightly interesting twist wasn't enough to save this one.

The Guest was my first book by B.A. Paris and wont be my last! I highly enjoyed the short chapters, even though there are a lot of them but they all lead up to one crazy, intense twist I did not see coming! The author will have you questioning every possibility of whodunnit from every angle and aspect, and even one of the main characters will list out quite a few possible scenarios, but just when you think you have it figured out, another alibi or explanation comes out, but what is the real truth and story is the question. The ones you think you can trust the most are sometimes not who they seem.
There are not many characters, but the book is filled with several different intriguing storylines. Sometimes it is a little difficult to stay on track of who belongs in which couple and even includes one big love rectangle, but it all comes together eventually and is just absolutely mind blowing! I highly recommend this as a fun read and look forward to checking out other books by this author.

This was one weird and creepy book. When Iris and Gabriel return home from a trip, they discover that their friend Laure has left her husband and and taken up residence in their house. What starts off as a stay of just a few days turns into a longer and longer period of time. Not only that, Laure's story keeps changing and just doesn’t add up. Of course Iris and Gabriel start digging around and asking questions. There were a lot of twists and turns in this one, mostly at the very end.