B.A. Paris weaves a gripping tale in her latest novel, delving into the lives of Gabriel and Iris, a couple grappling with personal tragedies. Gabriel's recent losses—his beloved dog and father—coupled with a haunting encounter with a dying teenager, have left him shattered. Meanwhile, Iris finds herself drawn into the turmoil of their friend Laure, who seeks solace after discovering her husband's infidelity and secret child.

As the narrative unfolds, the introduction of a new couple, Esme and Hugh, along with their enigmatic gardener Joseph, adds layers of mystery to the story. Paris masterfully crafts a tense atmosphere, leaving readers eager to uncover the secrets lurking beneath the surface.

However, just when you think you have the story figured out, Paris delivers a jaw-dropping twist in the epilogue. Without giving too much away, let's just say that everything you thought you knew is turned on its head, as the full truth is revealed, reshaping the entire narrative in a surprising and satisfying way. It's a testament to Paris's skill as a storyteller to seamlessly tie everything together in a twist that leaves readers reeling.

Thank you, B.A. Paris, for another thrilling ride through the depths of suspense and mystery.

I'll start by saying I am a huge B.A. Paris fan. I have read all her books, and getting an ARC of The Guest was truly an honor! As usual, this book did not disappoint!! Perfect domestic thriller centering around a couple who return home from holiday to find one of their friends in their house. Confusion and tension sets in and there's a "single white female" vibe to Laure who seems to want to morph into Iris. Turns out, Iris's husband had an affair and has a child from his mistress! Too much drama for the main characters, Iris and Gabriel, so they then befriend a new couple who just moved to town. However, they have a strange third weird gardener who has some weirdness. Eventually, all their connects are revealed and what a twist! Thank you to @Netgalley for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

It has been a while since i've read a B.A. Paris book. I have been a fan of her writing for years and have enjoyed most if not all of her books. 

This book was classic Paris; slow burn, flawed characters, and an ending that hits you right in the face. 

The beginning of this story seems innocent enough, Iris and Gabriel's friend shows up at their home after a big fight with her husband. Laure has found out that he has fathered a child outside of their marriage and she is devastated. Iris tries to be there for Laure, but she is starting to wear out her welcome...

I loved the slow build of this story- all is not what it seems!

If you are an audiobook lover, this was a fantastic way to read this book!

This is definitely a must read if you've been a fan of Paris's writing in the past. 

4 stars. This is out in the world next week 2/20

The Guest by B.A. Paris is listed as a mystery/ thriller, I'd classify it as a domestic drama, emphasis on drama. Married couple Gabriel and Iris return home from vacation to find their friend Laure at their home. Laure claims her husband has a child with another woman, and she just needed to get away. In support of their friend, Gabriel and Iris offer Laure to stay with them while she figures out the future of her marriage. But as the days go by, things get odd, and secrets are revealed.. albeit slowly. I usually love B.A. Paris novels, but this one has much slower pace, and I wish there was more action to keep my interest. The ending was satisfying, though, and worth the wait. I was ready to give 2 stars for being an okay read, but the ending adds a star. A good read, fun for those that like a slower burn and buildup.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy.

Publication date: February 20, 2024

The Guest by B.A. Paris is a physiological mystery/thriller with family drama woven in. While this wasn’t my favourite by this author, I did enjoy it and the wrap up with a twist at the end.

Gabriel and Iris come home from holiday to find one of their dear friends Laure staying at their house. Laure and her husband Pierre are having marital issues and it seems Pierre has stepped out of the marriage and fathered a daughter but won’t say much more about that.

Laure is devastated and decides she’s not going back home. As the days turn into weeks and then months Laure is definitely overstaying her welcome.

As Gabriel and Iris struggle with how to help Laure and Pierre, there are other dramas that weave through the story. Gabriel is struggling with guilt over finding a teen who has a dying message for his mother and there are new neighbours at the end of the village that also have a guest with a troubling past that seems to be connected to everything.

This was slower paced in the sense that you don’t put everything quite together until towards the end chapters. This is definitely a slow burn plot but I did enjoy it and loved the wrap up twist at the end. This is a 3.75 star for me.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #BAParis #theguest

Overall, this was a decent book with moments of interest though overall it was slow pacing for me. The ending twist was enjoyable so I really appreciated that! Thank you for this ARC!

Boy, oh boy, do I love B.A. Paris books! They are an autobuy/read for me everytime. The Guest is definitely up there on some of my faves from the author!

Iris and Gabe seem like the perfect couple! Their adult daughter is in Greece from a gap year, Iris and Gabe take awesome vacations quite frequently, they have a gorgeous home, and they have two amazing friends from Paris. Their friends from Paris, Pierre, and Laure are two of their favorite traveling companions. They also love to host each other on trips or even swap homes on ocassion. So when Laure shows up out of the blue, they think nothing of it at first. But she adds an extra later of tension to Iris and Gabe who are already struggling on a traumatic event that happened to Gabe. But Laure doesn't seem to be in any hurry to leave aftr claiming she left Pierre because of a secret child he had. Things get rockier and more tense as Laure starts to weave her way into their lives more and more. Iris finds some form of relief in befriending the new couple who moved to their town. Things get even more chaotic as time passes. Iris is determined to save her marriage. Question is will she able to?

What I enjoyed:
- ah, what a twisty book! Going in, I had a few ideas of what was going to happen. But I was completely wrong. L
- There were SO many layers, characters and all kinds of craziness to this story. I felt like I was peeling back a never ending onion trying to figure out what was happening.
- The writing was well done and the book was fast paced
- The ending had me shocked! I did not see that one coming at all!

This was definitely a fun, and fast paced thriller! I do love the author's other books and this one was better than their last one! I enjoyed how quickly I was able to devour it. 4 stars out of 5. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Yeah… this book was not for me. It was a thriller.. yet I was VERY bored throughout the entirety of this book.

I was not invested in any characters or their plot lines or what was happening next. There wasn’t a single character that didn’t annoy the heck out of me. The epilogue was good.. but wasn’t good enough to make up for the rest of the book.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martins Press & Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this ARC.

In this domestic thriller we follow Iris and Gabriel, a seemingly perfect couple who have everything until Gabriel gets involved in a tragic event that affects him greatly. While Iris tries to be there for her husband, Iris’ friend Laure comes to stay with them unannounced after she has gone through a traumatic event. It seems this couple can’t get away from tragedy and drama. You follow them trying to deal with their current issues while also getting entwined with other problems. With fractured relationships and secrets piling up around them, can Iris and Gabriel’s marriage survive?

I liked this book, I thought the beginning was a little bit slow, but it really picked up at the 50% mark. There was a lot going on and I was eager to see what was going to happen next. Most of the characters in this story are flawed and I had a feeling many of them could not be trusted. I don’t usually like domestic thrillers, but I liked this one. I would read more from B.A.Paris.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

This one just wasn't for me. It was a very quick read - & I found myself wondering when something was gonna happen. Things did happen, but the twist/reveal didn't come until the epilogue, & unfortunately it was pretty farfetched & was lackluster. Really bummed, as I loved "Behind Closed Doors" by this author, but I won't be recommending this one.

The Guest by B.A. Paris is a domestic thriller about a couple, Iris and Gabriel, who return home to an unexpected house guest and the trouble starts there. At the same time, there is a fairly new couple to the neighbourhood, and Iris and Gabriel have befriended them, and they also have a house guest who raises some questions.

Told from the point of view of Iris, we watch as Laure sets up residence in their home, and seems to have no plans to leave any time soon. Iris and Gabriel have a lot more patience than I have because I think I would have tossed her out after the initial period she had indicated she was staying for.

While I found The Guest to be interesting at first, after a while I was just sick and tired of Laure, and wanted Iris and/or Gabriel to grow a backbone and throw her out. The saving grace of this book is that Gabriel didn't fall into bed with the house guest, which is half what I expected to happen.

It says something that at one point, it felt like this story was wrapping up, only for me to realize I was only at 63%, and I wasn't sure what was left to say. As it turned out there was more to the story, but I'm not sure it was necessary to do it in another 19 chapters (plus an epilogue). While there were some surprises, if you were paying close attention, it wasn't hard to spot where the ending was going. If you aren't paying close attention, then the ending may surprise you.

All in all, the story was entertaining, if a little long winded, and may be worth a read if you're a lover of slower moving domestic thrillers.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Guest was a little different from all of B.A. Paris’s books. It was a great mystery. I had no idea who the culprit was until the last chapter. I actually thought I had it figured out but I didn’t. I’ll admit that I’m just now getting to this book because I started with her first book. I’m proud to say that I’ve ready everything by her now. I’m looking forward to the next book!

Thank you NetGalley, B.A. Paris, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC of The Guest in exchange for an honest review!!
Description:
The Guest follows Iris and Gabriel a married couple and their married friends Laure and Pierre, and Esme and Hugh. Gabriel is struggling with grief after finding Charlie, a young man who had an accident by a quarry. Charlie was still alive when Gabriel found him and heard the last words spoken by Charlie before he passed away. Suddenly Gabriel pulls away from Iris which leaves the couple in an awkward spot.
In the meantime, Laure moves in with Iris and Gabriel after finding out that her husband, Pierre, fathered a child with another woman. But Laure is pushing Iris’ buttons. She’s wearing her clothes, rearranging her kitchen, and following her around every where. Esme and Hugh are new friends that recently moved into the neighborhood with their gardener. But how do their webs intertwine?
Review:
The prologue of The Guest immediately captured my attention and I am a HUGE B.A. Paris fan! If she writes it, I am going to read it. After the prologue though, the story was slow moving. I love a good drama so there were many parts that captured my attention, but they were alarmingly slow and dragged out. I kept waiting for the story to pick up, but it just didn’t. The last chapter, you find out everything and honestly I was underwhelmed. I found the big twist extremely far fetched or rather weird. Like how, why? It was very random. I also thought this books writing was a lot different than B.A. Paris’s other books so I was a little disappointed. I still think it’s worth the read though for a quick thriller.

Err I wish I had a better review to leave for this one. Unfortunately, I just didn’t enjoy the characters or the plot as it began to play out. In the end, you could just read the (too long) prologue to get a complete summary of the book, including the who and why.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was certainly more of a drama as there wasn’t anything particularly thrilling about this story. The characters were dreadful and I was not really interested in the story as it dragged on, but the epilogue was good and rather unexpected.

B.A. Paris has been a hit-or-miss author for me, but this is the best novel I've read by her to-date!

Also, this is the second book I've read this year about the unannounced houseguest from hell who shows up distressed at the door of a couple and invites herself to stay indefinitely. In The Guest, British couple Iris and Gabriel are surprised to come home from a holiday to discover that their friend Laure from France has let herself into their house after hastily leaving her husband (Pierre) due to her discovery that he had an affair and fathered a child with another woman.

While I always want to scream at the homeowners, "just kick her out already" in these types of novels, making for a shaky premise, I enjoyed all the twists and turns in the plot. I am rarely shocked in thriller books, but the epilogue of this book got me!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and the author for copies of this book and audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Have you ever had a non-family member show up to live with you for a while? It happens in the appropriately named - The Guest by B. A. Paris.

"Iris and Gabriel get back from their holiday and find an old friend has moved in. Laure has left her husband, Pierre, in Paris, (after he confesses an affair and secret daughter) and moved away to find herself. Days turn into weeks and Iris feels torn between helping her friend and getting her life back. She's desperate for some time away from Laure.
A new neighbor moves in - with a gardener who has a checkered past.
Soon dangerous secrets will unravel...with deadly consequences."

This is more of a domestic thriller. There's plenty of tension with Laure overstaying her welcome, and being oblivious to any hints about moving on. She is a pretty self-centered character with zero boundaries. (How would you like it if a guest rearranged your kitchen cabinets?) Iris struggles with having an unexpected housemate the whole time. Her method of dealing with it will surprise you.

The book moves along at a slow burn until Paris starts killing off characters. The epilogue makes for a wild ending.

Fans of Paris's previous books will enjoy this one.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.

I love B.A.Paris and for that reason I pushed through the first half of this book. I was disappointed as it felt more like a rough draft that hadn't been sprinkled with magic yet.
I did find any of the characters likable, the twist was great and the Epilogue made the book.

I however wish the entire book had been written in the same pace and tone as the epilogue.

I had really high hopes for this book because I have really loved all of the B.A. Paris books I have read before. I did enjoy reading this book and at no point was I bored with it, but it just didn’t quite live up to what I have come to expect when I pick up a B.A. Paris book.

Iris and Gabriel are surprised when they come home from vacation to find their friend Laure has invited herself to their house unannounced. Laure’s husband, Pierre, told her he had an affair that resulted in his having a child with another woman and Laure needed some space from him. It is not long before Iris and Gabriel are feeling stressed from the invasion of Laure into their lives and the only bit of reprieve they seem to have comes from befriending their new neighbors.

This was a very tense and engaging book, but it felt like more of a domestic drama than a thriller. It was not until the epilogue that there was enough of a twist that it even really felt like it was a true thriller. In all honesty, the epilogue saved this book for me and otherwise I likely would have rated it a little lower.

I am still glad that I read it because I was engrossed in the drama of this story, it is just that as a mood reader I picked it up really wanting a thriller and did not feel like that it what I was reading until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for a copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily.

This book was unbelievable great. At first it started out with a bang. Then it got better about half way. It didn't happened the way I excepted but it was great. I loved it ! Great job.

If you want more be sure to grab a copy of this amazing book!