The Guest
B.A. Paris
☆☆☆☆☆
February 20th, 2024

This book was stunning. The story was weaved wonderfully and in a truly captivating way. I love how it unfolded, and I was unable to predict where this book was taking me. An absolutely wonderful thriller that I could not put down! I would buy a physical copy for my shelf, and will definitely recommend it to others!

This was my first book by BA Paris and it started off slower than I thought it would based on her other books’ reviews. However, I really enjoyed that it was a slow burn… I loved the writing style and how each of the characters really felt fleshed out, and I loved how everything was tied together in the epilogue. Overall, I was really pleased by the book and it made me add several of her previous works to my TBR list.

A big thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was a solid read! It kept me engaged and I couldn’t stop turning pages because I just wanted everything to come together! The twist was great and unexpected. I can’t wait to recommend this one when it releases.

I was excited to read this BA. Paris novel. since I thoroughly enjoy the first one I read. Unfortunately this was not my favorite. I prefer page turners and quick reads while this book was an extremely slow burn. At 50% of the way the plot was still being developed. I was about to put this book down but since its my first ARC I felt I had to finish it.. Never quit lol. Eventually the book did pick up and the VERY long epilogue tied up all plot twists very nicely. Overall I give this book a 3.5. Its a good story however could have been at least 100 pages shorter. The first part of this book should cut by half (at least) and the epilogue should be chapters in the book

This was my first BA Paris novel and I have heard so many good things about her books that I wanted to love it. It took me a long time to get into the book. The first half of the book was a bit of a chore without much happening. The last half of the book picked up and the epilogue redeemed the whole thing. If you prefer fast-paced books then this won’t be for you, but if you like a slow burn with a twist you never saw coming then definitely pick this one up. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I didn't know what to expect from this book. I have read all of this author's books and to me, they are hit or miss. This one, however, was a hit! It took a little for the story to get going, but once it did, I was hooked and read it in two sittings. The epilogue wasn't a shocking twist, but it made all the pages before it totally worth it! If you're looking for suspense, here it is. 4 - 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC
B.A. Paris is one of my go to authors. However, I will admit I found this book a little bit slow at the beginning, however STICK with it, as it will blow your mind.

So many twists I did not see coming and after I was about 50-60% in I had to sit and read it until I was finished.

Definitely another great B.A, Paris book and 4 stars!

I would give this book 3.5 stars if possible. Most of the book was slow. It was hard for me to stay interested. Only until I got about 50% of the way through did I feel like something was going on. The ending tied everything nicely though but also was super hard to believe. The twist was interesting and I enjoyed the ending the most!

I really enjoyed this thriller. I found the characters to be flawed but also likeable. It also kept me guessing about the truth. I had different theories in my head then what ended up playing out. I read the book in 2-3 days. I also enjoyed that the truth was not revealed until the very end.

I haven’t read many books by B.A. Paris, but I enjoyed this one! The story took a little while to get my interest, although it started with a dramatic scene, the introduction of so many characters in the beginning took a little while to sort who everyone was and follow. The pace picked up as I read and the twists revealed were fairly easy to predict. As I got to the end… I was not expecting the final chapter and that had me devouring the last chapter!! I was very surprised! Loved this book and was a great read!

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. This is the fourth book I’ve read by B.A. Paris and the only one I liked was Behind Closed Doors. I continue to go into her books with high hopes and am always completely let down. I was bored a majority of this book. The only twist came at the epilogue. Yes, I’m serious. Not only did it save the twist for the end, but it was so ridiculous, I rolled my eyes and didn’t even want to finish the last few pages. I personally wouldn’t recommend this one and I think after this one, I’ll accept that her writing is just not for me 😵‍💫

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of this book for an ARC of this book in exchange for a non-biased review. I have read other books by this author, and enjoyed this one as well! This book tells the story of husband and wife, Gabriel and Iris, as well as their daughter Beth and their friends. Gabriel has had a rough year and after a quick vacation, they come home to their friend Laure in their house. She has been having trouble with her husband, and she needs a bit of distance. But she soon seems to outstay her welcome, and Gabriel and Iris want to help their couple friends back together. This was a good book with a surprise ending, and I would recommend to any thrill seekers. Thank you for reading!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I'm usually a BIG fan of B.A. Paris's books! Behind Closed Doors is Chefs Kiss!! I get drawn into her books so quickly with the mystery and the characters you just connect with.

This one sadly wasn't up to par with the rest of her books. This one took a little more than half way into the story to even have some sort of drama to it. I had to double check that this was a thriller. Once I hit the part of the story that felt like a thriller it became a quick easy read and I was so interested in "what happens next" but sadly when I finished the last chapter I was like "I still have questions". Just to have to read the extremely long epilogue to wrap it up. Basically a retelling of the WHOLE book so you knew who did it)

While I didn't think this was one of her best it still did have a short period where I couldn't stop reading so go ahead and give it a go. I will continue to recommend B.A. Paris to others but just a different one of her books to start.

3.75 stars

This domestic drama/thriller will having you knowing something is off on the first page, but not figuring out until the last.

A book dealing with unexpected and unwanted guests, secret pasts, and family drama galore- this weaves together the stories of 3 couples. It takes a while to see how they are all connected, but the epilogue explains it all. It’s a slow burn, but I flew through it.

I have absolutely loved all of the BA Paris novels I read, this one was still good, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as others.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for granting me an advanced ecopy in exchange for my honest review.

This book opens with introducing the reader to Iris and Gabriel. They have returned from a holiday to find their friend, Laure, in their house. Laure. What follows next is the unraveling of what is going on with Laure and her husband, Pierre. Just when Iris feels like she is going to lose her mind because Laure is everywhere, all the time, she meets a new couple in their neighborhood. With each Tuen I’d the page, there was another twist or turn to the story. Just when I thought I had figured out what was going on, I was surprised again. The end of the boom was a complete shock and I would agree with a other review I read - you need to read this book so that you can get to the ending and fit all of the pieces of the puzzle together. It is definitely worth reading.

Thank you net galley for the arc copy of this book to read!

I normally loved B.A. Paris but the beginning of this book really dragged for me. It seemed really slow to get into the story. I would classify it as a contemporary domestic suspense instead of a thriller, as always, the characters were very well written, and you actually cared about most of them. The plot was great once it picked up around the halfway mark and the book really flew from there. Like I said the beginning was so slow but the second half i felt made up for it with the twists that followed.

The books timeline was sort of all over the place which made it hard for me to keep up with what was going on. We would jump days ahead in the plot and not even know it. Overall, this was an okay suspense book but not my favorite of B.A. Paris.

I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris and am impressed at the frequency at which she publishes books! I was hooked by this story from the beginning. What would you do if you came home from vacation and found your friend living in your bedroom and wearing your clothes?!

B.A. Paris is back with another twisty, psychological thriller that will have you hooked from page one. I won't get too into the plot, as it is complicated, and I don't want to give much away. What I will say is if you want a shocking ending this is the book for you. I rarely read thrillers where I don't guess what is happening, but this one blew my mind! I just did not see it coming, yet it totally made sense. I love a book that surprises me, and this one did that perfectly. Thank you so much to the publisher, and the author, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure: I was given an ARC of the ebook version of this in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book 100% blind. No idea what the plot was, or even what the cover looked like.

I was a bit lost for the first few chapters, simply due to the inundation of names. They're also French names so if you're not used to seeing them commonly, it's a little hard to follow.

However, once I got past that, this book was actually EXCELLENT. It's hard to review without spoilers, but I will say that one of the main characters has excellent development, and they're all written very thoughtfully. Everything makes sense. There's no suspending belief to acknowledge the events as they unfold. It's all very realistic, which makes it even a bit scarier.

The red herrings are on point too. I definitely DID NOT see the twist coming at all. I thought it was just happening as it was laid out, but the epilogue really got me.

The only bit I didn't love was the friction between characters not being resolved in the end. Mostly just because I wanted to know what happened farther down the line. It didn't affect the story though.

Very minor typos I will submit to the publisher.

There's a decent story buried in the pages of The Guest, the problem is it can't get out of its own way to tell it. The Guest is agonizingly slow for the first third of the book-there's too much repetition and not enough revelation. When Laure shows up on the doorstep of longtime friends Iris and Gabriel she comes with a heartbreaking tale. It seems that Laure's husband Pierre recently told Laure he has a child from an extramarital affair. Pierre's news would be distressing on its own, but to make matters worse for Laure her husband always claimed he never wanted kids, and Laure choose to forego her own dreams of motherhood for Pierre. From here the plot of The Guest is mostly Laure dragging her feet about if she is going to leave Pierre, and insinuating herself into the lives of her friends. There's a subplot with Gabriel that deserves more attention that it gets as it is more intriguing than an adulterous spouse. Things pick up in the last part of The Guest, and the twists come fast and furious, but it's not enough to make up for the lackluster pace of the previous 90%, and you may find yourself yawning instead of exclaiming at what should be a barn burner of an ending.