One year ago, Iris’s world turned upside down. Haunted by nightmares of her mother’s traumatic death, Iris has become a sleep-deprived, jittery version of herself who she hardly recognizes anymore. So when she’s given the opportunity to get away from the crushing grind of reality for a relaxing week with her partner and his close-knit group of friends, she jumps at the chance. But after she arrives early to the remote lake house in the Catskills, things take a dark turn. Alone in the cabin in the middle of the night, Iris sees a blood-covered man burying something, or someone, in the mud behind the deck before entering the house. But the daylight reveals nothing, the dirt unturned and the house pristine! This book was definitely a bit different?! It had good suspense, mystery, murder, intrigue, and a few shocking twists and turns! The story was interesting, it wasn’t one of my top favorites but still worth reading! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

The House Guests is an engaging domestic thriller with an intriguing setup: friends, secrets, and the simmering tension of a shared space where everyone is hiding something. Amber and Danielle Brown do a great job creating an atmospheric setting that feels claustrophobic in the best way, and the book kept me turning pages to see what would unravel next.

That said, some of the twists felt a little predictable, and a few of the characters could have been developed more deeply to make their choices and motivations feel more believable. The pacing was uneven at times, with certain sections dragging while others raced by too quickly.

Overall, it’s a solid, entertaining read if you enjoy slow-burn thrillers with messy interpersonal drama. It didn’t completely blow me away, but it held my attention and had enough tension to keep me reading until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The opening pages are going to be forever etched in my brain. Amber and Danielle Brown definitely know how to make you visualize death and how it lingers; they make sure you can smell and feel its residual effects as you move through the story with Iris questioning her own reliability as the author. Twisty, chilling, and nightmarish. Be prepared to be haunted and question everything.