Heather Gidenkauf is one of my favorite authors and this book didn’t disappoint! We have major “Dynasty” vibes in this one with the wealthy Drakes who throw a gender reveal party where everything goes wrong.

Set on their ranch, we have an explosion during the party, where everyone comes into question. Now we dive deep into these relationships to find out who is responsible! Don’t miss out on this one!

Intriguing premise with a LOT going on. I didn't really connect with any of the characters much, but it was a pretty quick read.

Wes and Madeline have planned an elaborate and over-the-top gender reveal party at their lavish horse farm. Everyone important is invited, and even Reba is scheduled to sing. The plan to shoot and blow up a truck goes horribly wrong and one guest is killed and many seriously injured. Right before, Madeline sees neighbors who were not invited holding a box with a big bow, Wes and his brother are fighting, and then why is Wes standing so close to a young pretty waitress? Surprisingly, Madeline’s estranged sister has also unexpectedly shown up. ATF agent Jamie Saldano arrives to examine the carnage, and he secretly has long ties to the small town. There are many moving parts to this complex and mysterious story, and the author’s pacing is thorough and precise. I recommend this enjoyable book! With thanks to Netgalley and and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

An extravagant gender reveal party. What could go wrong? Everything!
I LOVE Heather Gudenkauf's books, and I was so excited about this story. This author never disappoints, and this book was no exception. This book is fast paced and twisty, with unlikeable sketchy characters and a plot that hooks you right away. I read this in one sitting. It was so exciting and the tension and suspense throughout the story made this an unputdownable book!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Perfect Hosts is my third book by Heather Gudenkauf and as with The Overnight Guest and Not a Sound, it was unputdownable! I read this one over 2 days (and even then I was longing to pick it up).

A gender reveal party gone wrong (when can we stop doing these?), a decades old mystery, small towns with big money set on what I imagine to be the Yellowstone ranch (I’ve never seen Yellowstone 😂) make for a great Western thriller 🤠 A great ending with a hint of suspense too.

I did feel some of the twist timing was too convinient, and this ARC copy had errors in the names used during twists that didn’t make sense, but I’m sure that will be resolved by publication.

Thank you NetGalley, Park Row Books and Heather Gudenkauf for the ARC!

I was initially a little hesitant to pick this one up. The premise of being a gender reveal gone wrong felt like it would either be really good or not so great. I should never have doubted Heather Gudenkauf! Excellent, twisty read that captures the reader from the start. Heather is quickly becoming one of my instant reads!

When I found out I got approved for this book, I squealed and scared my husband and our dog!! I have read all of Heather Gudenkauf’s books and I was eagerly anticipating this one. Let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint. A unique plot, told from multiple POV, it was really fascinating seeing how all of their storylines intersected with each other. I also loved how it ended with the option to have a second book. I really hope the author writes a sequel. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would.

What. A. Ride. From the very first page, this book had me hooked and I could not put it down. A gender reveal party that goes from champagne and confetti to chaos and death? Absolutely wild. The suspense is perfectly paced, and just when I thought I had it figured out, another twist smacked me in the face.

The setting at the ranch made everything feel cinematic, and the layers of secrets unraveling kept me flipping pages way past bedtime. I loved how the author wove together small town gossip, family drama, and a murder mystery in such a sharp, entertaining way.

If you’re a fan of thrillers with shocking twists, a web of deceit, and a storyline that keeps you guessing until the final page, this one is a must read for spooky month. Easily a 5 star thriller for me!

Is it a boy or a girl? They would die to know! Madeline and Wes Drake have invited two hundred of their closest friends and family to their sprawling horse ranch for the most anticipated event of the year: a “pistols and pearls” gender reveal party so sensational it is sure to make headlines. But the party descends into chaos when the celebratory explosive misfires, leaving one woman dead and a trail of secrets! Good book! This book had a very interesting storyline! It had good suspense, murder, mystery, dark family secrets, intrigue, and some shocking twists! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

My first Heather Gudenkauf book, but definitely not my last! This novel was very well written, which is a must in my book! Madeline and her husband Wes are throwing a huge, over the top, gender reveal party, despite Madeline’s secret desire to keep it small an intimate. It all goes wrong when not one, but two explosions rock the barn, killing Madeline’s best friend, and midwife, Johanna. Among the many injured is Mellie, a waitress with the catering company who is more devious that she appears. Lucy, Madeline’s stepsister, who is angry with Madeline for being the executor to her dad’s will turns up at the party, unexpectantly, last minute. After the explosion, Jamie, who has his own history (including a missing sister), investigates as the ATF agent. James suspects that Wes was involved in his sister’s disappearance and strives to solve not only the explosion mystery, but also what happened to his sister. What follows is interesting, twisty and kept my attention throughout. Loved the characters and the plot.

I could not figure out how this was going to come together but oh boy did it ever. This was a wildly exhilarating ride from start to finish!

Omg I absolutely devoured this! Heather Gudenkauf writes pure perfection. The overnight guest has always been an overall favorite book of mine, but the perfect hosts is JUST AS GOOD

“The Perfect Hosts” by Heather Gudenkauf is an intense, suspenseful read that grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go. Heather Gudenkauf delivers a masterfully written story with well-developed characters, each layered with secrets and hidden motives. The tension builds steadily as lies unravel, and just when you think you know where it’s heading, another twist takes you by surprise. A dark and gripping page-turner that fans of psychological suspense won’t want to miss.

Madeline Drake and her husband Wes are hosting an over the top Pistols and Pearls gender reveal party for their first child. The Drakes are well known in the community and for this over the top event Wes will be shooting up an old truck and the color will be revealed. Something goes awry however and there is an additional explosion leaving people injured and one dead.

Now, an ATF agent with ties to the Wyoming town is on the case. Agent Jamie Saldano starts to uncover some unseemly events surrounding the Drakes. Will he be able to solve the crime before more get hurt?

I enjoyed this story of a small town gender reveal gone wrong and the corrupt dynasty that has more than a touch of the criminal element. I felt for Madeline, who wants to keep herself and her baby safe but has to do so cautiously as to not come up against the Drakes in the wrong way. With strong characters and lots of red herrings, this book is a quick read and a good thriller. 4 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is my 5th book by Heather Gudenkauf. The Perfect Hosts pulled me in right from chapter one. The middle felt a bit slower than my previous reads. However, I especially loved the ending!

Thank you to Harper Collins Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC.

The Perfect Hosts was so fun. You were never sure who to trust and who was the ultimate bad guy. There were quite a few good plot twists throughout this novel that I really enjoyed. Unfortunately one of the biggest happened too close to the end without any real wrap up. I was desperate to understand motivations. Still super fun.

It should come as no surprise that Heather Gudenkauf wrote another unputdownable thriller. This book had it all- juicy small town drama, a crime from 20 years ago, and a procedural element. I was so invested in the characters and their stories and couldn’t wait to see how it all tied together. Also, a gender reveal gone wrong? Absolutely brilliant. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Madeline has the perfect life. She's married to Wes, an extremely rich man, is pregnant with their first child, and gets to live on a farm with her favorite animals- horses.

Now they're hosting a party that's an elaborate gender reveal. However, the moment is shattered when an explosion rocks their party and people are injured- and one is dead. Madeline struggles to figure out what happened- who wanted to hurt them? Why now?

On top of being investigated by ATF, Madeline's sister Lucy ends up in town. They had a big falling out earlier in the year, and Lucy is up to no good.

More people are going to get hurt as the truth gets closer to coming out. And are the perfect hosts as perfect as they seem?

Told from several POVs, this is a fast-paced thriller that keeps you on your toes.

Title: The Perfect Hosts
Author: Heather Gudenkauf
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing – Park Row
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: November 4, 2025
My Rating: 4.8 Stars
Pages: 320

Madeline Drake and her husband Wes live at ‘Lone Tree Ranch” a horse ranch in a fourteen thousand square foot home. They are expecting their first baby and have planned an elaborate gender reveal party and have invited many guests.
Wes and his brother have rigged up an old truck with explosives, when the explosives ignite it will rain pink or blue confetti and powder to let everyone know the gender. But when they pull the trigger, there is immediately a second explosion which causes the barn to explode and causes chaos – damage and injury. In fact, Madeline's best friend and midwife, Johanna Monaghan is killed.

The investigation brings Agent Jamie Saldano back to the town where he lived before and where his sister Juneau went missing.

Nasty things are going on at the ranch and many people are angry.
Wes is known to be flirtatious but was he having an affair with Johanna?
Next Madeline’s step-sister Lucy Quaid shows up . Lucy has been upset that her father left his estate to Madeline Oh then the cute twenty-one year old waitress Mellie Bauer who was working at the party but is she there for another reason?
These characters are certainly weaving a tangled web!

This thriller ended up being an unputdownable pulse pounding ride.
I was way off on what was really going on!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 4, 2025.

Another thriller that kept me hooked until the end! When a gender reveal goes wrong and someone ends up dead, the ATF is called in where the past collides with the present in unravelling a rich couple’s secrets. This multi-POV book had a really fantastic twist at the end that I in no way so coming—it was so much better than I was expecting out of the character. The main character, Madeline doesn’t know who to trust, the strange woman she took pity on and offered her a place to stay, her husband who she’s sure has a wandering eye, or her estranged step-sister who she hasn’t seen since their huge falling out months ago. Alternatively, the ATF agent has his own past to contend with, nearly losing his life in this very town as well as his sister, whose case remains unsolved. But will this case break it all wide open and provide details from almost 30 years ago?

The characters were compelling, the setting was eerie, the unsolved murders weighed heavy on the town and its occupants. I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a good mystery!