I have to admit I was slightly bored throughout this book but tense at the same time waiting for the other show to drop. I guessed one of the twists but not the other so that was good. But I don’t like unreliable narrators. Overall, I think if you’re a fan of this author and their writing you’ll probably enjoy it but it just wasn’t my fave.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

Started strong, but too many weird relationship connections.


Review copy provided by publisher.

<b><font face="roboto" size="12pt">TW: Language, drinking, PTSD, grieving, depression, anxiety, postpartum, death of parent, cheating, alcoholism, abortion, death of child, mourning</font></b>

<b><big>*****SPOILERS*****</b></big>
<b>About the book:</b>
Iris and Gabriel seem to have it all: a beautiful home in the British countryside, a daughter happily working in Greece, and good friends Laure and Pierre from Paris, who they often vacation with. But when a young man has a tragic accident in a nearby quarry, Gabriel is the one to find him and hear his final words, leaving Gabriel with a guilty burden.

As Iris tries to help ease her husband’s trauma, they acquire an unexpected house guest. Laure has seemingly moved in after her husband’s revelation that he has had a child with another woman. Iris and Gabriel insist Laure stay as long as she needs. But Laure keeps wearing Iris’s clothes, following her every move, and asking her about the recent death of the young man.

Their only respite from the increasingly tense atmosphere in their own home comes from a couple new to town and expecting their first child. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past.
<b>Release Date:</b> February 20th, 2024
<b>Genre:</b> Domestic Thriller
<b>Pages:</b> 320
<b>Rating:</b> ⭐

<b>What I Liked:</b>
1. I liked the story
2. The characters were good

<b>What I Didn't Like:</b>
1. Wth is that ending
2. Dna - What's that

<b>Overall Thoughts:</b>
<small><b>{{DISCLAIMER I WRITE MY REVIEW AS I READ}} </b></small>

Okay I understand that Laure is upset at finding out that her husband has a child that she knew nothing about, but I don't get why she's so mad at him that she would leave. I get that he didn't say anything for a few months but maybe he was processing it and coming to terms with it. <s>It's not like he cheated on her (that I read) and he never even knew the kid existed before so this would be shocking to learn you have a child.</s>So I guess he did indeed cheat then because the child is like 6. Still though it really makes little sense that she would have a drink with him and he'd think to take a piece of hair to test.

Mostly I can't believe how much Iris puts up with this person, Laure. From the fact that when she comes home and she's in her house when she didn't even ask permission to be there is insane to me. And then all the times that she wears her clothing. And then she gets the same haircut as her. And then she just takes it upon herself to stay with them without even asking if it's okay. Now we found out that she lost Iris a job because a month ago she didn't give her the message. Honestly don't know why iris is dealing with such craziness from this person and still letting her stay there. They've gone to the point where now iris is just pretty much ignoring her but still letting her stay there so why not just kick her out?

There must be something in domestic thrillers and thrillers where the characters have to put up with an insane amount of craziness from people before they actually deal with any kind of confrontation. I feel like confrontation is the one thing that thrillers bask in with their characters. They just lack the sense of approaching a person in a normal circumstance and setting boundaries. Clearly there are people in the world that are like this so it's not so insane but it's amplified 100% in thrillers that people can't tell someone to leave them alone without going a thousand miles an hour to the most extreme ending ever.

Sorry, I don't buy that the baby is 5 weeks early but is right on time. I think she got pregnant before she said she did.

How did Laure manage to kill her husband in that time, get back, change clothes, went to the store, and came home. Iris even made a comment about how fast she managed to get back. Even if her husband weighed 100 lbs that's still dead weight - but she did change her others so yeah it's possible I guess.

Maggie's son Charlie dying has to do something with the the other characters. She freaked out when she saw Joseph. <s>I bet she was sleeping with Joseph and that's why Charlie took off.</s>She was actually dating another teacher at the school and that's why they fought because Joseph told Charlie.

Laure is found dead at the same area as Charlie but I keep wondering if someone wanted to kill Iris but got Laure instead since they look similar.

So then we find out that actually Joseph is responsible for telling Charlie about Maggie's affair with his teacher essentially making Charlie leave in the middle of the night and die. But in this passive aggressive world does Gabriel go and fire Joseph? No! He proceeds to keep him on because he's going to let him finish the job since he's leaving in a few weeks after the christianing of the baby. I just don't get it...why? Who cares. Gabriel was so upset about this death of Charlie and worried so much about Maggie it seems out of place that he would keep this guy on and pay him for his work when he was responsible for the death of this kid.

Beth is sleeping with Joseph - that's why she's been missing so much. Joseph and his amazing body & penis.

Omg now Joseph is dead. Is there any characters left for the book??? 4 deaths in this book. 4!

Omg........ Get out of here that Iris is the mother of Pierre's child. What a stupid and convoluted ending. So Iris just went around killing people to protect the identity of who her child's father was. How does DNA never exist in these thrillers? Is there no paper trail either or CCTV? I mean they went out to eat together. Did the detectives do nothing to try and find out who killed Pierre? Like they just accepted that this man was dead and his basement next to a chainsaw and that was it. I just don't know how she wouldn't have somehow left a paper trail that she went his house on a train. Like her phone record when she sent the text that thing there. Anything!

Then we get this like stupid boring rundown of the ending and how she killed all these people and what she thought and I didn't care and is this book over yet?

And of course of course Lori was able to figure out that Beth is Pierre's kid.

<b>Final Thoughts:</b>
Certain parts and actions of the characters bothered me I felt like they didn't match what the author had written about the characters in the beginning of the book, so by the time we got to the middle of the book their actions seemed off. Like Gabriel being okay with keeping Joseph on after finding out he was responsible for the death of Charlie seemed out of character for who Gabriel is as a person.

You know what I hate? I hate books that put me in the pov of the person that turns out being the Killer but through the whole thing they never once think about anything that leads them to being the murderer. Their whole tree of thought is like who killed this person why would they kill this person but really they're the person that kills them. It doesn't make any sense. If you're the Killer and you do kill someone you're not going to be wondering the whole time oh I wonder who was the killer or what happened.

Book was going until that over the top soap opera ending that made zero sense to anything I had just spent 300 pages reading.

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Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm just not sure I am the target audience for B.A. Paris books. While they read okay, I'm just never blown away by them and greatly dislike the information dump at the end of them! This is the second time I found myself reading one of her books and being completely disappointed by how we solve the mystery, if you will, at the end by being told exactly what happens all in the last chapter instead of being fed information throughout the story. I felt zero connection to any of the characters which made it all the less shocking when one would die, especially when we figure out how the murder is. While it was an easy enough read, it just didn't check the boxes that I need when I'm reading an intense and fantastic thriller. I do believe that the narrator did a fantastic job, however, of bringing this subpar book to life. I think it was more entertaining listening to the book than it would have been reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced audio copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

In "The Guest" by B. A. Paris, slow burn takes on a whole new meaning, yet strangely, the deliberate pacing works! I spent the majority of the book frustrated with the characters or the monotonous pace of the storyline, but I could not stop listening because I HAD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!

None of the characters in "The Guest" are particularly likable, each evoking frustration and a desire to shake some sense into them. Yet, this blend of irritation and intrigue keeps you hooked until the very end.

The plot does feel repetitive at times, but the story kept me invested. The narratoe truly shines in this story. The narrator's skillful delivery breathes life into the flawed characters.

I'm glad I stuck around to the end because the last few chapters deliver an unexpected surge of adrenaline, setting the stage for a jaw-dropping epilogue that left me gasping. I'd be surprised if anyone guesses the twist. I enjoyed this one and give it 4 stars!

"The Guest" is a must-read for fans of secrets, lies, unlikeable characters, and slow burns with shocking endings.

Thank you to the author, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Short synopsis: Iris and Gabriel get home from a trip to find their friend Laure staying at their house. Laure soon overstays her welcome, because she’s left her husband she’s accused of an affair.

My thoughts: I did most of this on audio and really enjoyed the narration. This is definitely a fun psychological thriller, and the multiple POV kept the story rolling. This was completely bingeworthy and the twists kept me guessing until the very end.

It did drag somewhat in the middle to me, but the wrap up totally came out of nowhere and was completely unexpected. I recommend to those wanting a fun fast paced thriller.

Read if you love:
- Psychological thrillers with mystery elements
- Houseguests
- Multiple POV
- Quick paced story’s
- Secrets

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

Iris and Gabriel have just returned home from holiday to find their long-time friend, Laure, in their house. Laure gives them the shocking news that she’s left Paris and her husband, Pierre, after learning he had an affair and had a child with another woman.

This was more of a slow burn mystery with a large portion of the book giving us insight on Iris’ day-to-day life and her growing resentment towards Laure for being a bad houseguest. It did pick up in the later half of the book with the mystery growing and more storylines being woven. I did not find a single likeable character in this book which made it a little harder to connect. Overall I did want to keep listening to get all the answers but I think had I been reading the physical book I may have struggled.

This story starts strong, drawing you into the fast paced thriller. This is my first read by this author. I have found myself devouring thrillers and mysteries left and right, and based on the author’s reviews, I dove into this with very high hopes.

When Iris and Gabriel have a surprise house quest, their friend Laure, they feel bad because she is going’s through an emotional phase, after discovering her husband Pierre has a child. Believing that their houseguest will be short term, they decide to support her, giving her time to decide what she wanted to do with her marriage. But as days turn into weeks, Laure becomes more irritating as she takes it upon herself to reorganize the kitchen, cut her hair to look exactly like Iris, and wearing the same clothing Iris owns, quickly wearing out her welcome. But still Iris and Gabriel don’t tell her to leave. The book reminds me of the 1992 movie Single White Female. They can’t stand her staying there, but keep their mouth shut, never asking her to find a different place to leave, even after several weeks.

The characters are a bit annoying. They seem to have no backbone, first not standing up to their houseguest and then allowing their houseguest to hire a gardener named Joseph that they didn’t want. They are tedious and boring, including their dialogue. If someone stayed in my house, friend or not, you can’t let them change your house to what they want. The characters didn’t have anything that made me really like them. They either seemed tedious weak or pushy.

The questions arise early in the book. Is Pierre choosing a new woman and his child over his wife? Why is Pierre not answering anyone? Where is he? Why are Iris and Gabriel letting Lauren run all over them? They don’t like Joseph but keep employing him? And what were the last words that Gabriel overheard by Charlie? Who is the She? And what is Joseph’s connection to so many characters?

I enjoyed the narrator and liked listening to her.

I felt that the book had many boring spots and started to lose interest. Overall it’s an ok book but it’s not one I would reread. The story did have twists that are revealed as the book unfolds, which makes this more of a three and a half.
I couldn’t get into the characters and that had a large part of not loving the story. It is definitely worth a read but not the first one I would reach for.
I do plan on giving a different book a chance because her reviews are great overall.

I love BA Paris, but her last 2 books just haven't been for me. This book is about a couple named Iris and Gabriel. They get home from vacation and find their friend Laure staying at their house indefinitely after a break up with her husband, Pierre. Of course, things get a little sketchy and she overstays her welcome, but this is in no way a thriller. This is a drama about a bunch of people keeping secrets from each other for no real reason and then a massive epilogue that finally has some action. The book is very very slow and I didn't like any of the characters. They were all very flat and boring to read about. They were unlikable, but I can get behind a good villian. Most of the time all of these characters were just blah. I like the way it all worked out in the end, but the journey getting there wasn't worth the pay off.

Gasp!!! The ending!!! I did NOT see that coming.

I was given advance access to The Guest in return for an honest review. The beginning was a bit slow, but I'm so glad I stuck around because I ended up really enjoying the book. This was the first book I've read by B.A. Paris. I will definitely be adding books of hers to my TBR list in the future!

An interesting take on what happens when someone takes a friendship too far. This book was a ride. I felt like I was comparing relationships in my personal life to this.

I enjoyed this story about a family hiding many secrets. I thought the writer did a good job making the characters come to life, and I enjoyed the twists and turns in this story. I figured out (sort of) what was going on early on in the story, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I also loved the epilogue and final little twist to the plot. The narration was excellent. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this audiobook, in return for an honest review.

This was a very easy and quick listen on the way to and from work. I loved the narrators accent and will listen to more by her. The books had my attention from page one and I was anxious to hear more every day. If you are looking for a good suspenseful novel that has a little twist at the end , then this is it. I have enjoyed most all works by this author and will continue to request more ARC of hers. Thanks NetGalley!

What a ride The Guest book was! I loved this domestic drama/psychological thriller. Overall, this book is everything you want from this genre.

Iris and Gabriel arrive home from their holiday trip and discover their close friend, Laure in their house. She explains to them that she has just discovered her husband, Pierre, has a child! She gave up the idea of motherhood because they both agreed that children were not for them. Laure plans to stay more time with them as she tries to figure things out, but starts becoming annoying burden to keep having at their house. She’s constantly draining them about her relationship. Iris meets her new neighbors one day as she’s out for a walk on her own. She finds the couple lovely and fun. The new neighbors brought a friend of theirs to help landscape for them. It’s one deceptive thing after another. I did not see the ending coming! There are so many layered secrets. I feel like the pacing of the book was perfect. Everything is slowly unraveled when we finally learn about all the drama.


Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the audiobook copy.
I loved the audiobooks narration. Once I had all the characters sorted, I found the story easy to follow. I was able to listen to this in one day because I found the drama so interesting.

B.A. Paris continues to be one of those authors i automatically want to read their books. They don’t disappoint!

This was a nice read, a bit meandering at times with a nice payoff at the end. The narrator was engaging and fit the mood of the story. I love BA Paris books and will happily read her next but this one was not my favorite of hers.

The Guest follows the story of husband and wife, Gabriel and Iris. When they return home from a trip they find their friend, Laure, living in their house. Laure tells them that she has left her husband after finding out that he had an affair many years ago and has a secret child. Iris and Gabriel open their home to their old friend but quickly Laure starts to out stay her welcome. Many secrets from the past slowly come to the surface in this psychological thriller.

This book was full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. While I was intrigued I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. I felt that the pacing was off at time. Sometimes the book was slow and other times it was full speed ahead. I also didn’t connect with the characters and didn’t find them likeable. The ending came out of nowhere and really surprised me. Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator Emily Joyce did a great job, I would definitely listen to books narrated by her in the future.

When Iris and Gabriel return home from a holiday, they are surprised to find that their close friend Laure has unexpectedly taken up residence in their house while they were away. It seems Laure has recently learned that her husband and Iris and Gabriel’s close friend, Pierre, has a child with another woman. Iris and Gabriel want to support both their friends, despite Laure’s inconvenient and invasive presence in their lives and in spite of their own issues with which they are grappling.

Add in some other events that have recently impacted their lives, a new pair of friends in town, and the gardener that lives with those friends, and things become more and more complicated for Iris and Gabriel.

This one wasn’t exactly what I was expecting based on the published description, but I enjoyed it. Like Iris and Gabriel in the story, I wasn’t quite sure how far Laure would push their hospitality; had I been in the same situation, I also would have chafed at her apparent disregard for boundaries. I expected things to take a different kind of nefarious turn, but it was interesting to see how B.A. Paris wove all the seemingly disparate pieces and parts together to connect all the characters and happenings.

I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed Emily Joyce’s narration. It was easy to keep track of the different characters. This one is set in England and France, so expect accents to go along with those locations.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I listened to the audio version on the Netgalley app.

The Guest by B.A. Paris was my first book of hers that I read/listened to and I loved it. The story starts with Iris and Gabriel returning to their home after taking a holiday trip as they realize they aren't alone. Although they have used each other's residences when the other is on holiday, their good friend, Laure decided to do just that but neglected to inform them that she would be there. After they realize why she is there, the story begins with more background to the couples, new characters in the neighborhood and apparently secrets everyone has been keeping from each other.

Emily Joyce did an amazing job as the narrator. My attention on the story was held all throughout and never felt a lull. The story kept me guessing of who may have done certain deeds (not giving anything away), who told who what and although I was sure I knew what had happened, B.A. Paris fully surprised me! Just as you think you know what is what, all that changes and you're left wanting to reread/listen to it again to see how you missed certain clues. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. This book is now available as of February 20, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the ARC. Also thank you to the author, B.A. Paris for the great read! Looking forward to reading some more of your books!

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and MacMillan Audio for the gifted audio-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Multiple POV, mysterious characters, slow burn

I liked it. There was a lot going on, though, so it became a bit confusing. It started off really strong, but somewhere, it lost me. The epilogue was the best part.

BA Paris is such a great writer. As usual, I was pulled in from the beginning. The characters were so complex and all had secrets to hide. When their friend Laure shows up at their home unannounced and claims her husband cheated on her and fathered a child with another woman, Iris and Gabriel agree to let her stay, not realizing it may become a permanent arrangement. Things quickly become complicated, and even more so when they hire a handsome gardener who lives close by. There are many twists and turns throughout the story, which kept me invested. Honestly I didn’t love the ending and wish it had gone a different way, but I can’t say anything regarding that without giving it away. Others will no doubt love it. Overall I really enjoyed this book and recommend. I listened to the audiobook, thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, and loved the performance by narrator Emily Joyce!