I enjoyed this book! It was slower than I normally liked but had good dialogue to keep me interested! And the twist was unexpected and def what the story needed

The Guest

A solid psychological suspense. For fans of the genre searching for a light and mildly suspenseful read, it might be a fair option; nevertheless, those expecting a genuinely exceptional and compelling thriller might be let down.

I am a mood reader, and I will re-read this book when I'm fully in the mood for suspense. I did like this story; I just was expecting more, and it may not be fair to either myself or the writer to rate higher or lower because its not for me right now

Intrigue. Mystery. Murder. Domestic Drama. Complicated Relationships.
All can be used to describe The Guest by B.A. Paris.
I have to say, when I compare The Guest to other books by B.A. Paris, this one is missing the fast paced, gripping suspense that keeps you on the seat of your chair waiting to find out what is going to happen next. I felt too much time was spent on the day to day goings on between characters, and conversations with a few loose ends that were never tied up.
Overall though, I was still invested enough to continue through to the end, where my patience was rewarded with a twist that I had been waiting for all book and certainly didn't see coming!
Thank you to NG and St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy in exchange for my thoughts! Book hitting shelves February 20th!

⭐⭐💫

The characters in this book were all extremely unlikable. The premise, their interactions and dialogue was infuriating.

Even the concept of an unwanted houseguest is terrifying for me (stay out of my space!) but the execution makes it worse than anything I could imagine. That's not a critique on her writing but rather the characters and their situational awareness.

Multiple times throughout the story the leads remark that they should do or say something to improve their situation but quickly brush it off - THIS MAKES NO SENSE. In terms of overall believability, the fact they are unwilling to tell a guest to leave after a month in their home pushes the boundaries of reality.

The book picks up a bit around 80% and finishes stronger than it started. I'm not sure I buy the twist (or cared by that point) but better to go out on a high note.

Very much appreciate the opportunity from @netgalley and @stmartinspress to read this one early but this one didn't quite land for me.

This book started off incredibly slow. I’m not even sure I could call it a slow burn. It just seemed to take forever for anything to really happen and I found myself bored and rolling my eyes at the way Iris and Gabriel dealt with their unexpected houseguest, Laure, overstaying her welcome. We are introduced to lots of little details that don’t seem to make a lot of sense, only for everything to come spilling out during the last 10-15% of the story. I will say that I didn’t see the ending coming. The ending saved me from giving this book two stars.

This had all the vibes of Desperate housewives, and I LOVED that about it. It's centered around one main couple who became fast friends with the new couple in town. Then, there's their long time best friends, also a married couple, and a mysterious gardener! They've got dark juicy secrets that MUST be protected at all cost.
The suspense hooked me and the short chapters made this a very easy and fun read.

The Guest did not disappoint. BA Paris stays true to their writing style. You start off thinking you are reading a drama. But this book takes you on a journey from drama to crime to murder and before you know it the story is flipped upside down with the most unexpected twist. I wont disclose any spoilers, but make sure you read the epilog. That's where everything comes together.

3.5 for me overall
This definitely has the drama. But it fell flat for me with so much day to day life fluff. I thought I had things figured out pretty quickly but then another person died and I knew I was wrong. A little bit later and I had definitely figured out where this was going. The big end twist was exactly what I predicted and I NEVER get those right.
Thank you for this ARC netgalley all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This domestic thriller centers around two narratives from a married couple, Iris and Gabriel. They’re coming home from a vacation in Scotland when they enter their house and realize someone has been staying there. A terrifying moment reveals that this is not an intruder, but one of their oldest and dearest friends, Laure. She’s left her husband, Pierre in Paris and needs a place to stay while she figures out her next step.

My thoughts:
This is where I really started to enjoy the story. I saw how Laure was beginning to overstay her welcome with Iris and Gabriel with her clinginess and making her stay a little too comfortable with wearing Iris’s clothes and rearranging her kitchen.

But then, the story changes direction and we’re introduced to all new characters and I found it made “the guest” storyline irrelevant and changed the whole vibe of it. I kept having trouble trying to figure out how these new characters/situations were related to each other which made me lose interest halfway through. I only kept on reading to find out the big revelation that would tie it all together. Even then, the ending read like an afterthought to explain the missing pieces from the story so you’d get all the answers in a very long drafted epilogue.

I do really wish I loved this book because I did enjoy the writing and pacing but the overall execution was what led to my low rating. If the storyline had stayed the course with a story about a guest overstaying their welcome, I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

I appreciate the opportunity Netgalley and St. Martin's Press gave me by providing me with an ARC.
Publication Date: February 20, 2024

Pierre and Laure are having marriage trouble after he tells her about something from his past. Iris and Gabriel give Laure a place to stay. All four have been friends for years. Then Esme and Hugh move in down the road and have a guest staying with them as well. This book has a lot of characters. Was slightly confusing at first but then I was drawn in. The ending was a shocker.

This is my favorite B.A. Paris book so far! You think that you have it figured out and then boom, the ending shocks you. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this. I’m glad I gave it a try.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. However, I think we spent a little to much time with the main characters and their houseguest, and at times I felt that the day to day lives of them and their neighbors was a little drawn out. The twist at the end was definitely worth the read!

If you want a moderate read that has intriguing parts, and a great plot twist at the end then this is a book for you!

I will admit that I had trouble getting into this book at first and was having a hard time following the story, but this ended up building and being a very enjoyable read for me. Laure’s extended stay as a houseguest of Iris and Gabriel coincides with some personal crises including a local death in a nearby quarry, where Gabriel heard the last words of the boy who died. Although I was not immediately gripped by this book like other BA Paris books, this was still a solid read and enjoyable! 3.5/5 ⭐️
Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

I liked the over all story but I feel too many obvious clues were given too early in the story. The story was quite drawn out for my liking and I felt that the same result could have been accomplished with fewer pages. A little more character development may have gone a long way in contributing to a more "who done it" read.

Would certainly recommend to anyone who enjoys books that keep them guessing!

When reading the synopsis I felt that there were probably going to be too many characters for me to keep up with what was going on. However, B A Paris does a great job at helping readers to keep all the characters straight.

There is so much going on with each character that it distracts us and hinders predictions about what the twist is going to be. We learn that all the characters have their secrets, except maybe Hugh, and they all go through great lengths to hide these secrets. Some more so than others. There was always something interesting happening which really made the book great.

Iris and Gabriel met Pierre and Laure while on their honeymoon 20 years ago. Since then, they've remained close friends and often stay at each other's houses when they travel.

When Iris and Gabriel return home early from a trip and find Laure there alone they are shocked but this isn't something new. But Pierre is not with her. With news of their separation, the characters start to try and unravel what happened in their marriage.

But everyone is hiding something from their spouse and each has their own agenda on how to keep those secrets hidden.

I love that the story is being told by Iris and Gabriel. Two different POVs of what's going on around them.
I loved all the twists in the story and just when I thought I had figured out who unalived who, I was very wrong. Well done B.A. Paris. Another exceptionally written book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

OKAY I wasn't sure about this book but it exceeded all expectations. The guessing, the unexpected, THE TWIST. Again, I love a simple murder mystery but I wouldn't say this is simple. I did not expect it to go the way it did and it's clear this author is a pro. I will have to pick up more of her books but this one had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Plus, it was really easy to get into and read (I finished it super quick).

I struggled with the first half of the book because there was a lot of foundation work which was a bit boring and there were a lot of names to keep track of. Once I reached the halfway point though the story picked up. I kept trying to piece together what was happening but I never expected that ending!!! The twists kept coming and it was a delicious story of vengeance and the lengths someone will go to to protect the life they've built. This was my first book by B.A. Paris and I am impressed!!

I am so grateful to B.A. Paris and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Guest. Thank you!!!

(I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

Iris and Gabriel are content in their marriage. It may not be perfect k but it’s ticking along. Their daughter is working her dream job in Greece. The tranquility of their life gets disturbed when Gabriel comes upon Charlie, who is tragically involved in a biking accident. Charlie’s final moments have monumental effects on Gabriel, leading him to distance himself from his wife and his life. Iris and Gabriel go away for a weekend to try to have a break and as they come home encounter their long time friend Laure making herself at home in their home without their knowledge. Laure and her husband Pierre became friends with Iris and Gabriel several years ago on a trip abroad and have maintained that connection by seeing each other several times a year and staying with each other when they’re in town. But this time Laure turns up unannounced and declaring that she will be ending her relationship with Pierre because she has found out he has a secret child.
Then Esme and her husband Hugh move in next to Gabriel and Iris, along with their employee Joseph, and these new people further shift the dynamics of Gabriel and Iris’ lives.
Marital bonds are tested, dark secrets revealed and unreliable characters all add up to a story that is engaging and gratifying.
Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I am a long time fan of B.A. Paris's novels. But, I found The Guest to be disappointing. The characters were not likeable and talked on and on about their problems.
But, I must say that I was extremely surprise with the twist and the end of the book. It made the slow burn worth the time that I spent reading the book.
All in all 3 stars and I am hoping that Ms. Paris' next novel will be more engrossing.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Guest!