I had really looked forward to reading this book but was somewhat disappointed. It was interesting and kept my attention but some of it was pretty far fetched . I did enjoy trying to figure out who the culprit was but it lagged a bit before getting thereand I wish the epilog had been longer.. Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A fast-paced, entertaining read that was full of drama, secrets, and lies. There wasn't a dull moment! It kept me guessing throughout, and I was definitely intrigued from beginning to end.
Megan, however, was laughably gullible. Her actions and behaviour had me continuously shaking my head. She was so ridiculously naive, I just wanted to scream at her! 🙈
Honestly, there wasn't one likeable character in the bunch, but at least the story kept me entertained.
It's not the best book by this author, but it's still worth a read.

Thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Yeah, this wasn’t it. The plot dragged, the characters felt one-dimensional, and I kept waiting for something to hook me... but it never did. Just not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day! I had to know what happened and actually lost sleep to finish this book! I would definitely recommend this book.

This book centers on Megan and her "hen night" before her marriage. I thought the premise of the book was one that has been done before, however the book was engaging. I did find Megan to be gullible and naive which made for some of the story being monotonous. Her so called friends are an eclectic group from childhood through more recently. I was not surprised at all by the twist, however the middle of the book kept me engaged as it was a good story.

Reading in Between the Wines book review #18/125 for 2025:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: The Uninvited Guest
Author: Ruby Speechley
AVAILABLE NOW!!!

Sipping thoughts: Ugh, I was so annoyed and mad at a lot of the characters throughout this book. I did not know what to expect as I love how Speechley reveals unexpected twists in her books. I have to say I did not love this “twist” or reveal. I was hoping it was someone different to offer more juiciness. Overall, I liked the book and can’t wait for the next release.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @BoldwoodBooks for an advanced copy of @TheUninvitedGuest.

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This book had an interesting premise and started off strong, but the execution fell flat. The main character, Megan, was frustratingly naive and made unrealistic choices, making it hard to connect with her. The plot was predictable, repetitive, and at times, far-fetched. While it was a fast read, the writing felt sloppy, and there were noticeable inconsistencies. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me.

This book was horrible. The story and plot lines were a mess, the characters were shit, the ending was shit as well. You drag us through this whole story and end in two pages? Just like that. This was one of the worst books I’ve read, felt like something written for a teenager but then even teens wouldn’t waste their time with this. What the heck ..

This was an interesting and unique storyline that kept you wanting to read more. The twist and turns just blew your mind. Just when you think you know what is happening, new information comes along that takes you back to being clueless. The lengths people are willing to go for love hold no bounds. It emphasizes that there are always 2 sides to a story, and you should never trust anything at face value. Some people tell you what they think you wanna here and even those who seem nice to you can actually harm you. I will say the beginning was a bit slow, and the ending was a little rushed. I wish there were a few more chapters at the end that focused on Megan and Jaime's relationship. Even a few to give a little more info on Brooke's background. All in all, it was a good read.

Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher, for the advance copy for an honest review.

The Uninvited Guest was so good, I couldn’t put it down. Megan is getting ready to marry Jamie and celebrating with her hen weekend. When they arrive at the place they are staying, a guest no one knows is there claiming to be Jamie’s cousin, Beth. All of these weird threats happen before the weekend starts and continue through the weekend. Megan isn’t sure who to trust especially as it seems a few of her friends are not really her friends and would love to embarrass her or even ruin her life. After an incident involving one of the bridesmaid and Beth, she discovers Beth is not who she says she is. This makes her wonder about things Jamie has told her. When everyone lies, who do you turn to?

Oh man, there were times when I was literally yelling at Megan as to why she would do things or believe things. I understood why she was having trouble figuring out who to trust but also at the same time I was wishing she was my friend so I could tell her she was being dumb. This was a good story and I really enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more by Ruby Speechley.

⭐️⭐️ Not for Me

This book read like a Lifetime movie—dramatic, predictable, and filled with a frustratingly naive main character. Megan ignored obvious red flags, and the twists were easy to see coming. While the premise had potential, the execution fell flat for me. If you enjoy over-the-top thrillers with familiar tropes, you might like it, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you, NetGalley & Boldwood Books, for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Should have DNF'ed at 10% in but I made myself finish it anyway. So I guess it gets 1 star for that?

Fast paced thriller. Lots of secrets and betrayals. Though some bits were a bit too much believe, overall, I enjoyed it. This is my first book by this author and I would read their work again.

At megan's hen party, beth seems to have gate crashed it claiming to be the cousin of megan's future husband jamie. Megan senses something isnt right, but as they start to play truth or dare secrets start getting revealed especially jamie and megan's, and megan isnt sure who to trust anymore however beth, the so called cousin, might be the only hope megan has.
The book has twists and turns and has you guessing and bouncing between the characters, its the type of book when you start it, it has to be finished in the one go.

A hen weekend is supposed to be about fun, laughter and (naughty) games only for Megan her hen do takes a sinister turn when a simple game of truth and dare threatens to expose Megan's deepest and darkest secret that could end her marriage before it even begins!

Along with that game, there is an unexpected guest - Beth, who claims to be Jamie's cousin from Australia who may just not be who she says she it. I guessed Megan's secret from the get go, it was fairly obvious, but Beth's true identity and everything else that went out to stop the marriage going ahead keep me guessing until the end.

4 stars

This book had an interesting premise.

The chapters are short so it is a quick read.

I was very interested at first but unfortunately I found my interest waning a bit because the MC made such strange and questionable decisions. Though I understood why the author used them to advance the plot but it did impact my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, this is a quick read. If you are a fan of light thrillers this one will appeal to you.

This is my first book by this author and it was a good one. I found some of it to be predicable but it was still a fun read. I’m American, so I call it a bachelorette party. When someone shows up to the party saying they are family, things take a turn. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is book is full of twists, turns, and suspense that all center around a hen (bachelorette party) and stag (bachelor party) and getting ready for a wedding. During the hen is when things start to go awry and it seems that someone is targeting Megan, wanting to stop the wedding, and wants her dead. Now this is the part that got me, how naive and annoying the FMC was. She is suppose to be in her late 20's/30's and she is acting like a teenager telling her deepest darkest secrets to strangers. It made no sense and was rather frustrating if I do say so myself. Also the ending was not believable and over the top. It was an easy read but overall just meh. This is also the first time I have ever read a book by this author, but I do want to read some more so I don't think my negative feedback has to do with the writing style.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This is a psychological thriller. Bride-to-be Megan is looking forward to her hen party, but she's surprised at the arrival of her fiancé’s cousin, Beth, whom she has never met before.

I enjoyed how the author took a relatable, fun situation and created a tense, nail-biting atmosphere. After just a few chapters, I felt the suspense building, and I wasn't sure how many of the characters could be trusted, if any. After that, the story seemed to escalate quickly, taking surprising turns that I didn't expect. I also found that the individual chapters were quite short, so I wanted to read more and more, and I had to keep turning the pages.

I think this would be a good choice as a book club read too; I may recommend it to my own book club.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

I received a free copy of, The Uninvited Guest, by Ruby Speechley, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Megan Lewis is getting married, her hen party is not what she expected, someone uninvited shows up, Beth who claims to be family. This was a wild ride.