I really wanted to love this one, but the thrilling premises stalled for me in the middle of the plot and I lost investment in the outcome of the story. I adore domestic thrillers, so when Iris and Gabriel returned home from a holiday to find their uninvited friend living in their home, tension develops. While they want to support her in her split from her husband (due to an alleged affair), having a live-in house guest with no exit plan leads to conflict for everyone in the house and with nearby neighbors. Add in a recent neighborhood death, a mysterious new gardener with a secret past, and tensions overflow into murder. The lack of connection for me was that there were too many subplots to keep track of, and their interconnectedness felt like a stretch. Also, rather than have some twists or reveals throughout the story, I felt the novel ended abruptly and then relied on an epilogue to reveal all of the twists.

B.A. Paris is THE writer of domestic dramas. While the air was not thick with suspense on this one, the character relationships are masterfully crafted. I craved more intensity from the plot, but I enjoyed the ride.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC. 👏🏻

Richly written with a complicated story that the author easily lays out. Such a fabulous read with an unimaginable ending! Beware those best friends!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

Believe it or not, this is my first B.A. Paris book and was so thrilled when I got accepted for this arc! I thought this story overall was pretty good. It sucked me in right away and I was so invested in all the drama that was going on between Iris, Gabriel, Laure and Pierre's friendship/lies and then things finally started to unravel.

I thought it was a little bit of a slow burn and felt like it didn't pick up until the later part of the book. But even with it being a little slow until the middle, it was still bingeable, and I needed to know what was going on. I loved the short chapters, alternative Pov's and unexpected twists! All and all it was a good read and I'd still recommend.

Thank you Net Galley and St Martin's Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I saved this one to read on a long flight thinking that a good thriller would keep me entertained. The premise of this book is solid and it started off pretty strong. Unfortunately, it was bogged down with endless mundane details of the characters' lives. These irrelevant pieces slowed down the pacing and by the time we got to the big reveals, I wasn't that interested anymore. It didn't help that the characters felt one dimensional and I was in no way invested in what happened to them. I'm rounding down to 2 stars from 2.5, because the epilogue simply rewrote everything to create a "gotcha" reveal that didn't seem to align with the rest of the book. This was an underwhelming and disappointing slog.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The Guest is marketed as a thriller but I'd argue it's more along the lines of a domestic drama, heavy on the domestic light on the drama. I am typically a huge fan of B.A. Paris' writing, but I felt this one was lacking in the addictive quality I was looking for.

Iris and Gabriel's world is turned upside down when their friend Laure shows up on their doorstep. Laure has just discovered that her husband Piere has a child she didn't know about, and she is rightfully distraught. She heads to the home of her lifelong friends to seek refuge, but her lingering presence in their home begins to cause tensions. Gabriel is already suffering mentally after finding a young boy who suffered from a fatal biking accident, so having an additional guest in their home is troubling.

Iris builds a bond with a new neighbor and finds comfort in her and her husband while her home life suffers. But when the young recovering alcoholic who lives with the neighbors begins embedding himself into her life, even further chaos ensues.

As I was reading, I was consistently asking myself, "So what? Why does any of this matter?" which is not exactly a thought you want to have. I was struggling to connect the different elements of the plot and understand what any of it meant to the bigger picture of the story for at least the first 75% of the book.

There wasn't necessarily anything suspenseful, so I found myself reaching for other books before I would turn back to finishing this one. When I read a thriller, I want to be absolutely hooked in from the start, so when one doesn't grab my attention from the jump I feel disappointed all around.

The saving grace here is the fact that it DOES eventually come together in the end, and all of the seeming plot holes are filled in. It took a while to get to that point, but the ending was satisfying, so this wasn't a total loss!

If you are a fan of domestic dramas where the plot stays relatively flat until the end, then you will enjoy this more than me, but I feel very strongly that not every book with an ounce of tension needs to be marketed as a thriller.

In true B.A. Paris style, The Guest presents us with another cast of characters, at least one of which is deeply unlikeable, and will leave your BEGGING the protagonists to get away from them. This book left my skin crawling at how engrained the guest was trying to become in our protagonists lives.

It was a touch obvious that something was seriously wrong in France, but that was balanced well by the utter loathing one felt for Laure.

I always read any book by B.A. Paris. This one wasn’t one of my favorites because it kinda dragged. I thought it was just okay. There was not any excitement to make me want to stay up late to finish it. Kind of predictable but still a good, easy read.

I have become such a fan of this author!

This book took awhile for me to digest after. So much going on and such a great twist. It was a slow burn thriller yet felt like I got to the end fast! Maybe that’s cause I couldn’t put it down once I started?!

I did not see the ending coming. I thought I had it all figured out but boy was I wrong.

Will definitely be recommending this book.

The Guest is the newest of the B.A.Paris thriller suspense books. It is not often that you can say that the ending is just WOW!
Iris and Gabriel come back from a mini vacation to find an unexpected house guest that’ it seems is never going to leave . After a series of stacking unfortunate events their lives have been totally turned upside down .
This book is one of those that reminds you exactly why you love to read.
Thanks NetGalley and publisher for a copy for my opinion.

Ughhhh!! I went into this one with high hopes. It starts off fine. The chapters are short so makes it easy to keep reading. Problem is nothing really exciting happens to suck you in. Right away you can kinda guess what’s going to happen. The ending leaves you thinking “that’s all”? Booo! I’m gonna go pout now. 😂

The beginning was kind of slow for me. The guest Lauren was annoying (lol). I would have not let her stay that long. Even the first day her being there I was annoyed with her and I wasn’t even the one in the house. I did not see the twist coming. I really enjoyed this book and would give it 3.5 stars.

The Guest by B.A. Paris was a 4/5-star thriller, for me, that revolves around the lives of three married couples in England. Gabriel & Iris, Pierre & Laure, and finally Hamish & Esme are all dealing with issues in their marriage. This book explores what happens when husband and wives keep secrets, and how those secrets can end up decimating a marriage. Because all these couples are burdened with secrets they aren't sharing with their partner, the reader is suspicious of all their true characters! Could any of these individuals be capable of murder? Read and find out!

Gabriel and Iris are the main characters, and therefore most of the story is told from their perspective. They are recently empty-nesters and dealing with their own marital strife when Laure, one of their best friends, comes for a surprise extended stay because of her own severe marital issues of infidelity and a secret lovechild fathered by her husband Pierre. Gabriel and Iris are devastated by the news of an impending divorce, but soon bore of the constant complaining, and somewhat childish antics of Laure and her wearying presence!

There are many "secrets" interwoven into this storyline, each having its own impact on the lives of Gabriel and Iris. Throw in a few suspicious murders and suicides, and the murder mystery goes full speed. With the help of a few other interesting characters interspersed, the story begins to get very interesting. Between the several different compelling, and simultaneous mysteries, the reader begins to seriously question the character of everyone introduced in the story. Nobody is trusted, because every character is hiding something shameful!

Parts of the story were a little slow, in the beginning but it certainly gained momentum towards the ending. Though the ending was exciting, I wasn't blown away with surprise and therefore my rating is a 4/5. Overall, this is a well-written, and very entertaining book.

The only real negative for me was the apathetic way Gabriel and Iris allowed Laure to live indefinitely and intrusively in their home without a serious discussion of an 'exit strategy.' I found this aspect to be a bit unrealistic. They walked on eggshells protecting her feelings instead of being honest about her intrusiveness. Gabriel and Iris were having their own marital issues that needed sorting out, and with Laure there the issues only became more serious. This was the lesson of this book; honesty and communication are essential, with friends but especially when dealing with a spouse. Keeping secrets in a marriage becomes exhausting and not worth the damage to the relationship in the long run.

Thank you, Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and B.A. Paris, for this opportunity to read this very entertaining eARC. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced by anyone else. Add this to your TBR list and grab a copy after its February 20th, 2024, publication day. Enjoy!

📖REVIEW// THE GUEST BY B.A PARIS📖

⭐⭐⭐

While I've had fantastic luck with B. A Paris in the past, the last two novels I have read by this author have been flops for me. I didn't like any of the characters, I found the pacing to be slow, and I struggled to get through it. Overall, this book doesn't work for me, but I will be willing to try any future books by this author.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, and St. Martin's Press for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Expected Publish Date: February 20th, 2024

ARC via publisher

B.A. Paris does it again! I've read so many books by Paris and it's safe to say that this is one of my favorites. That epilogue... wowza! I'm still reeling!

Iris and Gabriel are an interesting pairing. They have been together for decades and it seems like not only has their relationship fizzled out, but the added stressors surrounding them have pushed them farther apart than together. When their long-time friend Lore unexpectedly decides to move in after marriage troubles of her own, the chasm between them seems to grow.

This novel packs death after death into the pages and I couldn't get a sense of if they were coincidences, if there was foul play, or if something totally separate was going on. There were twists I thought I was so smart for catching onto and then most of the surprises flew right over my head and left me breathless and giddy with excitement.

From shady characters, untimely deaths, unwanted houseguests, infidelity, secret lovers, and a love child this book has SO much going on! It all played so well together that it never felt too much and until the epilogue, I maybe didn't even catch on to how much was going on! Paris is an expert at her craft and I loved how everything came together, how she answered questions I didn't realize I was asking, and how she just left me so stunned and surprised.

I listened to this one on audio and really enjoyed it. The pacing and thrill is perfect for audio and the narrator, Emily Joyce, did a stellar job.

This is one I definitely recommend and thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to MacMillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the copy.

I usually love BA Paris’ books, but this one drags on and on. It felt like nothing happened until 50% through the book, and then nothing happens again until the 95% mark. I was bored and would have DNF’d if not for loving this authors other books and thinking something amazing must happen.

Iris and Gabriel return home from a vacation that was intended (by Iris at least) to rekindle some sparks in their marriage but sadly fell far short. Gabriel is still suffering from depression after being present at the dying declaration of a young man they knew. He’s sad, conflicted, unable to focus and is on leave from his job. Romance is the last thing on his mind. Iris has tried to be supportive but she’s getting more than a bit impatient. Their daughter is away at school so it’s just the two of them, rarely speaking and not really connecting.

As if that’s not bad enough, they return home to find their friend Laure staying, uninvited, in their home. In their bedroom, in fact. Laure and her husband Pierre have been friends with Iris and Gabriel since they met nearly 20 years ago at Iris and Gabriel’s first wedding anniversary and have maintained regular contact and visits over the years, but Laure’s appearance in the house is unexpected. She’s left Pierre after he revealed he had a daughter from a secret affair. Naturally she’s obsessed with it, it’s all she thinks or talks about, but it soon becomes apparent that she’s not intending to leave anytime soon and she begins to act like it’s her house and they are the guests.

They meet Esme and Hugh, who have just moved in nearby. Hugh is older, Esme is expecting, and their guest Joseph seems to have a close, unusual relationship with Esme. Esme and Iris become friends, but Laure horns in. Iris develops a little crush on Joseph but here comes Esme again. And where is Pierre all this time? He’s not replying to Gabriel’s calls or texts, hasn’t contacted Esme or come to smooth things out.

So lots of people with emotional issues, secrets, hidden motives, shifting loyalties, and suddenly a lot of death. We get a lot of detail about day-to-day life, what everyone is doing, and what they are thinking – although we can’t be sure about that. I have enjoyed every book by B. A. Paris since the beginning but it was at about this point in The Guest that I started to become weary. The pace is slow and author Paris takes us down long, often convoluted paths where we think, “Aha! I know who did it.” But then something happens and we are left wondering how we went wrong and start down another path. In the end there are too many people, most of them not too likable, too many red herrings and unexplained events. There is a big surprise at the end, but at that point I was surprised/not surprised because who else could it be by this point? The epilogue is far too long and seemed more like a recap or an essay than an active part of this story.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of The Guest via NetGalley. Although it was not quite for me I believe many readers will enjoy it, as there is a constant level of suspense and discomfort throughout the story and many twists and turns. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

This was a great paced and fun read. Great twists and turns and kept me engaged the entire read. A friend is in your house when you return from a trip and she’s sleeping in your bed and wearing your clothes? Little strange don’t you think?? This book has some plot twists that kept me guessing.

This story begins with a struggling couple, Gabriel and Iris, coming home to an unexpected guest and mutual friend- Laure. Laure has arrived after hearing a terrible new secret about her husband, also a friend to the couple. She arrives at a time of grief for Gabriel, as he’s just lost his dad and witnessed the death of a young boy. There’s something lingering - guilt or fear- about the incident with the young boy that’s caused Gabriel and Iris to grow distant.

A new couple appears in the neighborhood, Esme and Hugh, who are also hosting a guest- Joseph. Joseph is a recovering alcoholic and is staying with the couple to work on their landscaping for the summer.

Many questions start to arise that are solved throughout this story. What is Gabriel hiding ? What really happened with Laure and her husband? What is Joseph hiding about his past?

I love this author, and I will admit I was hooked while reading this book. The ending came crashing in all at once and, for me, was a bit underwhelming, so I went with the three stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out as a story of a woman Laure who leaves her husband and intrudes on friends while trying to cope with this decision. I totally sympathized with the friends, Iris and Gabriel until…….. Wow the twists began and I was floored. This is definitely a must read.


Thank you to B A Paris and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reading this book in exchange for my review.