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.

The Guest was a fast pace read that had me guessing what would be the twist which I absolutely did not see!! I love a good book that can fool me. Not going to lie as I was reading I became bored because it didn't seem like a book with a twist. Don't get me wrong it’s definitely something I couldn’t put down I just did not foresee the ending that happened. I would say behind closed doors is still my favorite book by this author but I do and would recommend this one to friends.


Short summary because I don’t want to give anything away it just needs to be read all the way through…

A couple named Iris and Gabriel live alone now that their adult child Beth is off on a gap year exploring Greece. Things have been rocky since Gabriel, a doctor, came across a boy named Charlie who run off the side of the quarry on his bike and he could not save him when he found him. Charlie had a message for his mom Maggie before he passed away that Gabriel delivered. With lots on their minds they suddenly get a guest. Their really good friend Laure comes asking to stay with them after shes had trouble in paradise with her husband Pierre. Their other good friends Esme and Hugh also have a guest staying at their home named Joesph a gardener. Now how can these two guest shake up things around their friends and how is there 3
Murders since their arrivals. Read on to find out because you’ll never guess!

Even though this mystery/thriller wasn't as fast-paced as others that I've read, I couldn't put it one down! It had a slow build up and lots of suspicious behavior/events that resulted in a great wrap-up.
My only complaint is that some of the chapters did not seem to flow together smoothly but would instead start somewhat abruptly.

I'm usually very excited by a new BA Paris novel, I've had great success with her books in the past both in audio and written format, and was eager to dive into this one as the premise sounded odd and intriguing. Unfortunately from the very first pages I did not enjoy it. I found it scattered and incredibly slow moving and just couldn't engage with or care about the characters. This one wasn't for me...

First I would like to start by saying thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for this ARC I received in exchange for my honest review. I love a few books by this author and was excited to recover this copy early. Sadly this was not for me and I had to DNF. The first half is so incredibly slow and not in a slow burn kind of way. It just did not engage me or even just set the story up for something good later to come. By the time I stopped, I honestly just didn’t care what happened to the characters as I was not able to form any kind of connection with them. I hope someone else enjoys this novel but it did not thrill me.

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
The Guest is a domestic drama about a married couple,Gabriel and Iris. They have a strained marriage after Gabriel experiences a tragedy. They have an unexpected house guest that throws them for a loop and 3 deaths later it all comes to a interesting conclusion that I didn’t quite see coming.
This is a decent mystery but the pace was a bit too slow for me. I have really enjoyed the author’s other books but this was not a favorite. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

B.A Paris always delivers

Characters :
Iris and Gabriel - the MCS
Gabriel a doctor and Iris an interior designer live in a beautiful house in the countryside. They have a polite marriage and one daughter, Beth.
Gabriel is in the midst of inner turmoil and grief. He lost his dog, his father and on a bike ride down by the quarry he witnesses a dying teenager , Charlie. Charlie's last words were heard only by Gabriel and since that day Gabriel he has been unable to think about much else. The unfairness of it all. His marriage is suffering , his work and his well being. Iris is hoping that Gabriel will bounce back. She can't understand why Gabriel has changed so much. He's still polite but the distance is growing.
Laure and Pierre have been their "couple besties" for years. They travel together and see each other often. They are dear friends.
Gabriel and Iris return from holiday and find Laure there beside herself going on about her marriage.
Esme and Hugh live down the street and are with child. They become close with Gabriel, Iris and Laure.

This was an engaging slow burn for me.
I love the way Paris unfolds and unravels the stories she writes so organically.
I find the MC characters introspection incredibly interesting, the pacing may be slower as a thriller but still just as interesting. The characterization is superb.
She crafted an excellent read.

If you are looking for a psychological drama/slow burn thriller this is it

If you are looking for a good story this is it.


Thank you #Netgalley.

Another good one from B.A. Paris! Each time I thought I knew what the twist was I second guessed myself. The story was a bit repetitive and I knew that there had to be a point for it. Beth and Gabriel seemed to have such bad luck in such a short time. And at every turn. In the end it comes together. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

I love B.A. Paris books. This one did not disappoint. It is about a family in turmoil. Gabriel is on medical leave from his job because he found a young man who had fallen, hit his head and was dying. He stayed with the boy until EMT arrived and heard his last request; "tell my Mom I love her". But is that what he really said? Iris is Gabe's wife and she is trying very unsuccessfully to help him through his trauma. Their very good friend, Laure, arrives at their house with an overnight bag asking to stay since her and Pierre have had a serious disagreement. It seems Pierre, who never wanted children has found out that he has a child and wants to pursue a relationship with his child. So the story begins and continues with Iris telling the story. They have wonderful neighbors that they have become friends with. I think everyone in this story has a secret to tell. Even Iris and Gabriel's daughter, who comes back home after being in Greece has issues about college and then some. Laure is driving Iris crazy by following her around and wearing her clothes and Pierre is not returning anyone's calls. The neighbor's gardener comes to help Gabriel with his garden and what about Joseph?? He seems to lie quite a bit about a lot of things. This story intertwines the characters and is one of those books you keep reading to find out what happens next. The characters were all very different. Some were likeable, some were not. I would highly recommend this psychological thriller.
Thanks to #netgalley @stmartinspress and @baparisauthor for an ARC of the great read.

Never saw the end coming. Couldn't put this book down. Loved everything about it, the plot, the characters, the twist.

Ok love B.A. Paris her books are slow burn type of reads however she draws you in with the story and the characters. I really enjoyed this one I definitely a page turner. Liked the different POV I liked the complexity of the characters each of them had their own secrets they were hiding especially Iris like she stated no one knows the real Iris. Through out the book I thought Laure was the sociopath. Loved it

B.A. Paris writes domestic thrillers like no one’s business. I didn’t see this ending coming, and I appreciate that. This was engaging, I couldn’t put it down- however the first half had me saying “JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER.” But then I figured out why that’s not possible. 4/5 stars for me- the ending epilogue was great but the “ending” was sort of just there. Loved all the twists.


Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange for a review!

The Guest focuses on the relationships of three couples. One could debate who is the actual guest in the title. Of course, all the couples bring with them their secrets and baggage. While the atmosphere is a bit claustrophobic in the UK location, the intermittent travel to Paris gives the reader a break from the familiar surroundings.

I had high expectations for this novel as I still think about Behind Closed Doors by this author. While The Guest was not quite as memorable, I did enjoy the story. It was definitely more of a slow burn, but I find her writing style engaging, and I was eager to figure out the mystery.

Possible spoiler—I don’t love novels where a twist is revealed because an unreliable narrator was withholding important details which are divulged at the end. Having said that, the twist was plausible, and I was invested enough in the characters that I enjoyed the novel overall.

B.A. Paris’ best novel yet! I could not put this one down. It kept me on my toes the entire time. I 100% did NOT see that ending coming and Paris kept me guessing UNTIL THE EPILOGUE.

Once you read the ending and you replay the different scenes in your mind and you start connecting the dots…. just insane. I never would have guessed.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend. If you are a fan of mystery/thrillers and Freida McFadden!