Once again, Heather Gudenkauf has written a thrilling, suspense-filled novel in her latest, "The Perfect Hosts". Grab this book and run to read it!!!!!

A gender reveal party gone wrong. Wes and Madeline Drake are the happy couple waiting to see if it’s a boy or girl, but an explosion happens and it’s chaos. They invited 200 of their closet so there’s presents scattered everywhere and people running. Agent Jaimie Saldana is called to the scene, he has a past with Wes and the Drake family. Everyone has a secret and can’t stay hidden forever. Thank you to the publisher for a copy.

This review contains spoilers.

When I was just a few pages in to The Perfect Hosts, I found myself thinking that there were already too many characters to keep track of. It didn't help that three of the characters introduced were Madeline, Mellie and Mia. However, once I got everyone straight, I found myself getting pulled in to the mystery. Heather Gudenkauf is a favorite thriller writer of mine. I will genuinely find myself on pins and needles reading her books. However, this one wasn't hitting the same way for me. It was almost as if there were too many mysteries to solve - past cases 20+ years old, infidelity mysteries, the most current mystery of the bombing. It just became a bit much. And never mind a story with one or two red herrings - in this story, just about every character was a red herring.
I also didn't find the characters very likable which made it hard to connect to the story.
Lastly, the end of the story became entirely too rushed as it became a race to solve all the open-ended mysteries. The treatment given to Juneau's story was almost an afterthought which I thought was not right after spending so much time on her and Jamie's stories.

I was left a bit unsatisfied by the story. However, I will still order this for the library's collection and recommend to those looking for a thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, the way the author tied in real-life scenarios for gender reveals and put an unexpected spin on it was wonderful. The who done it had twists and turns right to the end. Such a good read that I sadly finished it too quick!!!

gripping, slow-burn thriller that delves into trust, trauma, and the facades people wear. With sharp pacing and emotional depth, Gudenkauf crafts a story that’s both suspenseful and hauntingly intimate.

I read this in one evening. I was all in from chapter one. There are twists and turns throughout. Loved it.

What starts out as a fun gender reveal party idea leads into a mystery that will leave you questioning everything. I loved learning more about these characters and the twisted motives they had. Keeps you guessing the whole way through!

This was such a gripping read! Heather Gudenkauf really knows how to build suspense, and The Perfect Hostess had me hooked from the start.

The story is full of twists, and just when you think you know what’s going on—boom, you’re wrong!

The characters felt real, and the tension kept me flipping pages late into the night. If you love a good psychological thriller, definitely check this one out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Loved this dark thriller that takes place during an over the top gender reveal party. A compulsive read that would be perfect for a beach read.

I usually love this author but I found The Perfect Hosts lacking her typical twists and turns. There was so much happening immediately and unfortunately, it was very predictable.

Thanks to @htp_hive and @netgalley for the gifted ARC!

An already over the top gender reveal for the richest couple in a small town goes horribly wrong when a second explosion leaves someone dead. Agent Jamie Saldano, who has a complicated history with this small town, is brought in to investigate and determine if this was an innocent mistake, or murder.

Once I read this premise I had to pick up this book immediately! I love any story of rich people behaving badly, small town secrets, and a great mystery! Gundenkauf delivers on all of the above in this fast faced thriller. Almost of of these characters were unlikable but that didn't take away from the fun of uncovering everyone's secrets and the lengths they will go to keep them buried. I really enjoyed this one!

This was far from what I was expecting. There was a lot going on from the beginning, and unfortunately I knew exactly how it would end from the beginning. I love this authors writing so even though this wasn’t my favorite, I’ll continue to read her books.

This was a miss for me which is disappointing because I usually love Heather’s books. I wasn’t invested in the plot and didn’t find any of the characters really likeable. The only storyline that held my interest was Juneau’s murder, and it wasn’t given the attention it deserved.

Thanks to @htp_hive and @netgalley for the gifted ARC!

This was somehow my first book from @heathergudenkauf and I cannot wait to read more from this Iowa author! I was hooked from the beginning.

The Drakes are a fabulously wealthy couple who live on a horse ranch in Wyoming near the Grand Tetons. As we meet our characters, Madeline Drake is pregnant and they are throwing the party of the year for the gender reveal! Pistols or pearls?! What is supposed to be an explosion of pink or blue, ends up going horribly wrong💥

This premise! Ah I don’t think I have ever read a book that starts with such a bang! As with most thrillers, I can’t give too much away but man did this one take some wild twists and turns. I loved the multiple POVs, the setting in isolated but beautiful Wyoming, and while the characters are mostly unlikable, it worked for this story. There are multiple mysteries all tied in together. I didn’t know who to trust and it kept me guessing until the very end! This one will stick with me and I can’t wait to read more of her work!

I’m a BIG HG fan. HUGE. I have loved every single one of her novels and LOVED her latest, Everyone is Watching.

This? This i didn’t love. The characters seemed a little flat, the twist wasn’t incredibly twisty and I had a terrible time investing in any of the characters. I was so hopeful for another breakout novel but this one didn’t do it for me.

Unfortunately, at least for me, this was not one of her best. Little suspense - I had it figured out early on. The premise was a good idea, but there was a lot going on and I feel like it would have been better if there was more focus on J.J. and Juneau's past. It felt glossed over and didn't really add anything to the story.

Average read.

Thank you #netgalley and #htp #parkrow for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Ripped straight from the headlines. A gender reveal gone wrong ends in injuries and death! The explosion wasn’t just a reveal gone wrong, but who caused it and why? This was a decent read but honestly kind of silly. I’m not sure why Gudenkauf made the decision to switch from writing family drama/suspense novels to writing such fast-paced thrown together whodunits but I wish she’d go back!

Another thanks to Netgally for the ARC copy. This novel had an interesting storyline but didn’t quite align as well as the authors other books. There should have been a heavier focus on the death of Juneau from years ago. I would have liked to have her perspective included in the story and remove Mellie (the caterer/waitress) from the book. The relationship between the sisters was odd until the end. I’m a huge Heather Gudenkauf fan, but this one missed the mark.

Madeline and Wes invite 200 of their closest friends to an over-the-top gender reveal party. What starts as a fun celebration turns deadly and there are numerous suspects.

I really enjoyed the multiple POV of this book and the characters felt well developed. I especially liked Agent Saldano and the element of a previous disappearance that got introduced complicating matters. The twist and turns were interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat, but the book didn't quite stick the ending. Still it was an entertaining read and I would recommend it.

Tropes:
* Twists and Turns
* Mysterious events
* Complicated pasts
* Multiple POVs

4 star

Loved this book! When Madeline and Wes have a gender reveal party, there is an explosion right as the tannerite goes off. Madeline’s bff ends up dead, her sister shows up for some reason, and the ATF agent was once left for dead in this very same town. Other guests include past business partners and a waitress who also happens to be pregnant. What do all of these people have in common? Some sort of involvement with Wes-not all good. Great suspense!