This book was so good! I can’t get over the epilogue! There were a lot of characters but everything tied together so well. I really loved this one.

OMG what a ride and what a twist. Again BA Paris has written a book so well crafted I just could not put it down. The story revolves around 3 couples and their secrets, but you never guess them. I love the character development and the way she slowly revealed each part of a secret and then the epilogue was totally unexpected. This author can truly do no wrong in my mind.

I loved that this was different than some other domestic thrillers in that it varied in each chapter from the point of view of the wife (Iris) and the husband (Gabriel). Initially it was just Gabriel’s secret white lie that was the focus, but as other characters are introduced you learn bits about them, including the long time friends, Pierre and Laure and the new friends Hugh and Esme. Then add in Joseph the gardener that Esme and Hugh are helping after he had a drinking problem and there are so many secrets. You keep guessing how they may all be connected. She does an amazing job slowly connecting the stories, but not giving away everything until the end which was a shock.

B.A. Paris is never disappoints! Her latest novel The Guest is a domestic thriller that had me guessing the entire way through! Centering around a couple who unexpectedly hosts a friend while she goes through martial issues. Well she ends up being the houseguest that doesn’t plan on leaving! From that point I was completely hooked and couldn’t wait to see how this would all play out!! Spoiler alert - I never figured it out lol! I thought B.A. Paris was clever in planting her twists and turns and loved the fact that my jaw hung wide open at one particular part!! I also enjoy getting lost in B.A. Paris’ novels and The Guest most definitely lived up to my expectations!!

Loved this book - so many twists and turns, with unreliable characters and everyone with a secret. Couldn't put it down and will be recommending it to others.

3.25/5 ⭐️

This is going to be a weird review for me because I’m not 10000% sure how I feel about this book. Maybe if I let it sit for a week & think more about it, I’ll be able to understand my thoughts better, but here are the immediate things:

The characters were all frustrating and had their Ickes that made the story both great but also drawn out. I didn’t like the majority of them and there was a lot of back and fourth in the dialogue that could often feel repetitive.

Sometimes I felt like from one chapter to the next, things happened behind the scenes that weren’t explained and that I was missing something? Like it hopped from one thing to the next but with no explanation to how it got there (which ultimately made so much sense for the ending but during I was like 😅). What’s confusing here is that this point actually ends up being a positive and is a reason you’ll never figure out the twist (it’s pretty genius if you let it sit).

Loved the ending! The twist was fantastic even though it was sped through. Everything was explained so no questions were left unanswered.

I’d still recommend this one!
Read if you love
- a slow burn
- Wicked twist
- Intertwining stories

The Guest is a slow burn thriller filled with secrets and lies. Although the story was very slow to begin, I kept finding myself wondering about the characters and kept coming back to continue reading this book.. Laure was insufferable - I felt like I was being suffocated in my own home. B.A. Paris did an amazing job and drew you into these messy characters and their intertwined lives. There were so many twists in this book that upon reaching the epilogue, I felt so thrown off. The epilogue was *chef’s kiss” A solid 4 stars for this book!

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

Did you ever have a houseguest who stayed much longer than you wanted? One who took advantage of your hospitality, invaded your privacy, created problems, and was nearly impossible to get rid of?

I have, and it was very stressful! That experience is why I wanted to read this book. Fortunately, my life didn’t go nearly as off the rails as it did for the poor characters in this novel.

Iris and Gabriel’s friend Laure shows up unexpectedly and asks to stay for a few weeks. She’s had a terrible fight with her husband, Pierre. Iris and Gabriel have had recent problems in their marriage, and Laure’s intrusion adds to the tension. A new family in the neighborhood befriends them, and soon everyone becomes enmeshed in unhealthy ways and starts lying to each other and keeping secrets.

I really liked all the drama in this book. I read it late into the night because I wanted to know what happened next. The plot kept surprising me and the epilogue was clever and impressive.

Much of the dialogue was repetitive and unnecessary. For instance, many phone conversations were written out word for word, including small talk which could have been summarized for brevity. The inclusion of mundane details and minutiae about the characters’ daily schedules bogged the book down in some chapters.

I do recommend this book if you are looking for an entertaining read with a good storyline.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for sending this eGalley book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I feel like I give every BA Paris book a chance, because I once was enamored with this author’s twisty thrillers.

Recently, the books have been hit or miss. This book reminded me quite a bit of the “garden party” BA Paris book. Lonnnnng, slow burns with little to no pay off. In this book, specifically, the twist at the end was incongruous with the rest of the text.

This was a definite no from me.

Special thanks to Net Galley for the arc copy-I wanted to like this book so much!

A thrilling book that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking ending. Full of twists and turns!!

This book ended up being a very pleasant surprise! When I first started reading this book, I will admit that I did have trouble keeping up with all the different names/characters. There aren't that many characters, but there are three main couples that are dealt with. Two of the couples, Iris & Gabriel, and Laure & Pierre are our two main couples of focus. Then we have the new neighbors who moved into the village, Esme & Hugh (okay- got it?). Once I had everybody situated, this book was smooth salling...
This story starts off with Laure being an uninvited houseguest at Iris and Gabriel's home. Laure and her husband Pierre are taking some time away from each other, and Laure is very distraught and needy. What should have only been a three week stay turns into much longer (Umm- that's when I would have put my foot down and told her to go, but whatever.
Also, during Laure's stay with Iris and Gabriel, we find that Gabriel is going through some personal crisis of his own. There have been some deaths in his familv and in the communit. and he has had to take some time off to grieve.

My thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an e-ARC of this book.

Iris and Gabriel have had a happy life. They’ve raised a daughter who’s off working in Greece. They have Parisian friends they often vacation with. They have a lovely home in the British countryside. But when Gabriel finds a local boy in the moments before his death, his world is shaken and his relationship with Iris is strained. Their friend Laure comes to stay in the midst of her own marriage struggles, but her she begins to outstay her welcome. Things are further complicated by new friends and neighbors and their suspicious gardner with a suspect past, and Iris and Gabriel find themselves entangled in a mess of problems, their own and others.

I found the pacing to be a little slower, and there weren’t the twists and turns of a psychological thriller. This falls much more into the domestic drama genre, with a possibly surprising ending.

Wow- another winner from B.A. Paris! This book had me hooked from the beginning! I read it in one day and enjoyed every minute! Great story and great characters. Did not have the twists figured out AT ALL! I was totally shocked. Definitely recommend this book as well as all her other books- what a great author. Thank you to NetGalley, B.A. Paris and St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I struggled keeping up with the names/ characters initially but the book's ending was a pleasant surprise. The epilogue is worth the wait to connect all dots together. Many thanks to netgalley, St. Martin's press and BA Paris for an amazing domestic thriller.

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. I've read every book by BA Paris and couldn't wait to read this one. I had a harder time connecting to this story and it felt a little slow for me. I enjoyed the twists at the end and didn't see them coming.

Holy cow!!! I feel like I have whiplash after all the twists and turns in this story! Really like the way this author writes, especially the details of each character. Do we really know each other and what we are capable of? The ending is so shocking - did not see that coming!

Just when you think you have it all figured out. The author pulls a once over on you and flips the switch! I loved the build up and chaos of it all. Nothing like a few deaths to incite chaos and insanity of who done it! I enjoyed looking at every character with possibility and intrigue! Combing the chapters for clues and trying to figure this out and lo and behold I could not have figured this out! What a read! What a wild ride! Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy! Always a joy

Really good book.. I’ve read several by this author and this is my second favorite, with Behind Closed Doors being my all time favorite thriller. No way you’ll guess the twists and who-done-it. An easy read with plenty of surprises and twists but yet a still easy storyline to follow. I would highly recommend this book to others.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins press for an ARC of this book. I have been a big fan of BA Paris and read all their books. This one was a bit difficult to connect at times and I thought in the end it would be underwhelmed but holy moly! I did not see the end coming. True Paris fashion! It is definitely a slow burn and at times I was wondering how all these people connected. I would definitely recommend giving this one a read. I read it quickly and when it was over my jaw was on the floor!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC of B.A. Paris' newest book.

I always look forward to reading Paris' novels and this one was no exception. I dove right in.

The pacing of the story felt odd, as we spent lots of time on their mundane lives and not enough on important events.

The story definitely kept me reading to find out what happened but overall this one felt a little underwhelming for me. I did appreciate the epilogue but after all the build up it almost fell flat.

The twist was good but I felt like it also came out of left field. Overall I enjoyed this one but it is not my favorite by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the early copy of this book!

(You can read the synopsis for the plot because where do people find the time to write whole summaries for book reviews, man.)

BA Paris is one of my favorite thriller authors so I was so excited to read this.
It was well paced, suspenseful, and took a turn that I didn’t see coming. It kept me guessing and changing my mind the whole time!
The characters were well written, even the minor ones, I could get a clear vision of.
I’ll definitely buy the physical copy when it’s released in February.