Let me start by saying that B.A. Paris is one of my favorite authors. After discovering Behind Closed Doors, I preceded to binge her entire backlist within a long weekend. While this one had me hooked from the start, and kept me highly entertained throughout, the ending fell flat for me.

Paris does a fantastic job of developing each of these characters and creating a well layered and complex plot line. At times I felt as though I knew these characters, that they could be my neighbors. I was glued to the pages, flipping (or in my case tapping) as quickly as I could, so eager to know what exactly had happened. This entertainment factor is the strongest aspect of The Guest.

While the story itself is engaging, my issue is in the detail. I really appreciate when authors take the time to lay the breadcrumbs throughout the story, and whether or not you are able to see them in real time, you can find them when you go back and look. Unfortunately, there were a few big twists here, all that came at the end of the story, and none of which seemed to have been plotted or hinted previously in the story.

And yet with all of that said, I still think this is a fun, bingeable thriller that will keep your attention until the final page.

Read if you like:
•domestic suspense
•psychological thriller
•dual timeline
•single POV
•bingeable books
•Katherine Faulkner

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies.

When Iris and Gabriel return home from vacation, they are stunned to find their friend Laure living in their house. Laure has some shocking news for them: her husband Pierre has fathered a secret child, prompting Laure to flee Paris and her marriage. Iris and Gabriel tell Laure she can stay as long as she likes, but as time goes on, Laure shows no signs of leaving, and in fact only seems to be embedding herself further. Iris is at her wit’s end, fed up with Laure borrowing her clothes and rearranging the kitchen cupboards. Now sprinkle in some new neighbors, a gardener, and some illicit relationships, and things really start to get interesting.

This one is a bit of a slow burn, especially in the beginning, but I was intrigued from the start, especially since the prologue contains characters that we don’t meet right away in the story. I couldn’t wait to see how they would figure in. There’s a subtle but delicious dark undercurrent running throughout the plot that kept me engaged and guessing the entire time. There are lots of twists and surprises in this domestic suspense, and it’s hard to say too much without giving things away, but suffice it to say that I was surprised at how it all came together!

The audiobook is a great listen, with spot-on narration by Emily Joyce. Her pace and cadence are just right and added to my enjoyment of the story. She perfectly conveys Iris’s mild mannered, stiff-upper-lip Britishness while delicately infusing her with irritation and unease over the situation with Laure. She gives Laure a very slight French accent so she’s distinguishable from Iris, which is a nice touch.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I highly enjoyed this.
I sure did not see the ending coming!!🤯
Like her previous books I’ve read Paris kept the twists and turns coming.
I was eager to know what would happen next!
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys family drama/ suspense /physiological thriller books!
Huge thanks to NetGalley for this ARC
Set to publish 2/20/24

I am a huge Paris fan, but I felt this book was just okay. The characters were not as engaging as usual. I also really wanted a twist at the end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

OK wow this book started with a literal bang and the secrets kept rolling.
Everyone's lives were so intertwined. As more and more connections were revealed the ride just kept getting wilder.
There was so much going on with all the various plot points that I almost forgot about a lot of major moments until they resurfaced later. Example: Pierre's secret child and Laurel's fate. Just completely slipped my mind, which is strange for me. At the same time this is what I really loved about this book. With all of the craziness happening my mind didn't have time to dwell on every little thing and figure out what the twists would be.
A wild ride for sure.

🎧📖 note: Emily Joyce did an incredible job. Her accents are always impeccable and she has a way of really making you feel like the characters have their own narrator.

How about that ending!?! Wowza, I did not see that coming!

Suddenly Iris and Gabriel suddenly have a lot occurring in their lives. Gabriel finds a young man who has had a terrible accident and hears the young man's last words, leaving Gabriel with a terrible burden. This burden affects him greatly. Then their friend Laure, from Paris, arrives and moves in after telling them that Pierre, her husband informed her that he had fathered a child with another woman. They tell Laure that she can stay as long as she needs, but she soon becomes a tad bit annoying. Laur begins wearing Iris' clothing, following her around and asking questions about the young man's death. Then there are the new young neighbors and a handsome gardener thrown into the mix.

The characters in this book deal with all kinds of issues: depression, distance in a marriage, learning a partner has a secret child, loneliness, and lack of boundaries to name a few. Iris and Gabriel want to help Laure, but she soon outstays her welcome. She makes herself a little too much at home. Iris and Gabriel want to help but they also want her out but feel bad so don't ask her to leave. It sucks when one feels uncomfortable in their own home. I thought the author did a great job showing their annoyance and discomfort with their guest.

I thought the book was done at one point and was shocked to see there was more to go. Well hold on to your hats because the ending was a shocker! I did not see that coming at all! I wish that the book was that way the entire book through. This was an enjoyable book, but I wasn't completely wowed until the ending I mentioned. There is a lot of "talk" and scenes that didn't feel necessary. Plus, parts were slow and slow, and I do not get along.

Plus, the characters were not likeable or engaging. I found myself feeling meh about some of them. Having said that, I was invested enough to want to know how the book was going to end and for me, the final reveal stole the show and saved the book.

Well written and dramatic.

Although this was not my favorite book by B.A. Paris, I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

B.A. Paris once again proves her mastery of psychological thrillers with The Guest. In this gripping tale, Iris and Gabriel return from a pivotal holiday to find their close friend, Laure, in their home, harboring shocking secrets. Tensions rise as Laure's erratic behavior disrupts their lives, and the couple's attempts to support her take a toll. The arrival of newcomers brings a glimmer of relief, but as hidden pasts unravel, the story becomes a relentless exploration of dangerous secrets. The author weaves a suspenseful narrative, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with every twist and turn in this intricately crafted thriller.

I'm a long time fan of B.A. Paris and have read every single one of her books. This is a mid-book with an unsatisfying ending in my opinion. I can't elaborate anymore without giving it away but the majority of this book comes together in the last chapter (Epilogue) and I prefer it drawn out in multiple chapters and the epilogue giving final closure. There were also some side plots/ mysteries that I didn't particularly care for (ie the Charlie portions). I had a hunch early on as to who Pierre had fathered a child with and since that was one of the big mysterieis, it wasn't as satisfying. Overall, I think authors are getting a bit sloppy wtih the twists. I get there are only so many tropes to end with, but this one has been done many times before and wasn't executed well. This is definitely an outlier in B.A. Paris' work and so I will continue to read her, but this one wasn't for me. It was also hard to get into and I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable. Laure was by far the most annoying and while I understood Gabriel was doing with his own grief and trauma, I didn't appreciate how much he shut his wife Iris out.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reading copy of The Guest by B.A. Paris.

Without giving away too much. Iris and Gabriel are the perfect couple with a beautiful house in the British countryside and a young adult daughter living in Greece. Gabriel experiences a traumatic event which leaves him feeling guilty for the choice he made. Iris trying to take his mind off the event has them leave on a short break but when they return they have an unexpected house guest.

B.A. Paris knows how to craft a fast paced dual timeline. Unfortunately for me this was not as good as some other novels I’ve read by her.

As if coming home after a vacation wasn’t bad enough, Iris and Gabriel have returned home to find one of their friends has moved in. Laurie is sleeping in their bed and wearing Iris’s clothes. Laurie has left her husband and has assumed it’s all right to move in with her friends. As her behavior becomes more bizarre and she encroaches even more on Iris and Gabriel’s lives, the couple finds some relief from the tense atmosphere in their home by visiting a new couple who have just moved into the neighborhood. Paris creates a nightmare, living arrangement, and the neighborhood from hell in this twisted thriller

The narrator was great! I actually had the book and audiobook and found myself wanting to listen to the audiobook version more (which I usually don’t prefer) because the narrator did such a great job voicing the different characters and reading at such a good pace!

Characteristic B.A. Paris with twists and turns. Even without the twists, the idea of a guest overstaying their welcome and not feeling able to tell them that they need to go elsewhere is a psychological thriller/horror movie for me. This will attract people who like Lisa Unger and Paula Hawkins. My only wish is that more information about Charlie had been revealed earlier in the book.

‘The Guest’ is a delight for fans of domestic intrigue and the twisty webs ‘ordinary’ suburbanites weave.

Premise - set in the UK and focused on one British couple and one French one (living in Paris!) the story follows a nice British couple dealing with an unwanted long term guest, the French scorned wife. Soon, people start dying…

The characters were so well written and I loved the author’s style! The build was glorious and I could not put this story down, but then the ending felt like more of a whimper than a scream — until I read the epilogue. Holy Batman, yes! I thoroughly enjoy a wicked woman in my novels.

This book has:
* domestic intrigue
* lies aplenty
* oodles and oodles of drama
* proper Brits being naughty
* wicked women
* unreliable narrators
* complicated marriages

Thanks, NetGalley and St Martin’s Press, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already my most anticipated book of 2024, The Guest by BA Paris doesn't disappoint! This domestic neighborhood drama was part mystery, part thriller, and ALL twists until the last moment in its long and satisfying epilogue. I love when the questions I forgot I'd asked earlier on are finally answered! This was so clever and devious. I love it!

Returning home from vacation, Iris and Gabriel are surprised to find Laure at their house. She's married to Pierre and together, they are Iris and Gabriel's best friends. They met on vacation when both couples were young and never lost touch, even loaning each other their homes when out of town, which explains why Laure is here now, but where is Pierre?!

Pierre and Laure are on a break because of a suspected infidelity and although they're very welcoming to Laure, as the weeks go on, she's wearing out her welcome. She's a needy love sponge and they have things to do. Enter new neighbors to keep everyone busy. Esme and Hugh, along with their mysterious lawn boy Joseph, are new to the neighborhood and super welcoming.

Over the weeks and months, everyone's lives become intertwined. It's a cozy extended family.. until it isn't. Tensions are brewing amongst some of the friends and secrets are kept that beg to be revealed. They've had a lot of losses this year.. will there be more?

Don't miss out on this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read, listen and review. The narration was fantastic.

This is my 6th book by B.A. Paris and she continues to write domestic thrillers which pull me in. Fair warning, The Guest, at least on audio, is a slooooow burn. I've looked at some other reviews and complaints that they DNF because of the pacing. Hang on. Just get past the first few chapters and the action picks up. The ending was COMPLETELY unexpected and satisfying. What more can you ask for in a thriller?

Audio narrator, Emily Joyce, does an exceptional job with male and female and an astonishing number of accents. A true talent to read words, convey intonation, bring to life multiple characters, and move the story along without getting in its way. Joyce is new to me, but based on this performance, I would not hesitate to choose her again.

The story, an unexpected, ensconced houseguest, new friends, mysterious strangers, affairs, parenthood and surprise after surprise were interesting and I finished this 8+ hour book over the course of an afternoon through morning.

Easily can recommend The Guest.

Omg this book was excellent. I finished it in one day. This author never disappoints with their books. It captures your attention from the first chapter. You go through all types of emotions from anger to shock to disbelief. It’s definitely a roller coaster ride. I love the twists and turns of the story. You think you have solved the puzzle only to be surprised that you were wrong. I highly HIGHLY recommend this book. Thanks for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoy this novel and was glad I had this opportunity.

When Laure comes to stay with Iris and her husband Gabriel after some recent marriage troubles, Laure slightly overstays her welcome. Add new neighbours Esme and Hugh, and their gardener Joseph into the mix, and a whole bunch of domestic drama.. and murder..follows.

This is one of those books that started off a bit slow and didn't really hold my interest, until I finished it and wanted to re-read the whole thing again knowing everything I know now. I did a mix of ebook and audiobook, and I found I was able to get into the audio version a lot easier and enjoyed narration. This is a domestic drama, full of characters who each seem to have their own secrets ever so slightly intertwined with each other and we don't know who to trust. My suspicions changed multiple times throughout the book and I certainly didn't predict the ending, but I really enjoyed it.

3.5/5⭐

The Guest by B.A. Paris is the first book I have read/listend to from the author. All I have to say is that is was such an unbelievable ending (in a good way) that I was floored by it. I was not expecting the ending at all and I got it all wrong. If you want a real page turner this is the book for you. It follows Iris and Gabriel who come home from vaction to their find long time friend Laure has been staying at their house the who time they were gone. Iris and Gabriel soon learn of Laure's husband Pierre has fathered a child. Soon Laure welcome soon runs out when she decides to quit her job in Paris and stay with Iris and Gabriel in England. While Gabriel can't believe that Pierre would have an affair or have a child with someone other than Laure h, he tries to get in touch with Pierre with avail.

I will not be rating this publicly, just here for the publishers.

I LOVE B.A. Paris. They are some of my favorite twisty, WTF moment, reads. This however, was just not the same. I read the first couple of chapters and then found this in audiobook on NG, so I requested the audiobook. I listened to 50% of it, and as of right now, I will not be continuing.

This book has been so repetitive. I can recall all the names, but what they are actually doing, who knows? The plot just seems to have gotten lost.

If I choose to come back, I will update this review.

Description from Amazon...Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their closest friends, Laure, is in their house. The atmosphere quickly becomes tense as she oversteps again and again: sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris' clothes, even rearranging the furniture.

Laure has walked out on her husband―and their good friend―Pierre, over his confession of an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive of their friends, but as Laure's mood becomes increasingly unpredictable, her presence takes its toll.

Iris and Gabriel's only respite comes in the form of a couple new to town. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past.

Really enjoyed this book! Read it over two days and could not put it down. When you think you have figured it out and then say wait, what?! Well done B.A. Paris, I will absolutely look forward to reading another one of your books. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.