coffeesips_and_pageflips's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
the_evergrowing_library's review against another edition
4.0
A relaxing weekend away before the birth of your baby, what could ruin that?
Perhaps waking up with your contractions starting and finding the house locked up, and your phones,keys and home owners missing.
Tense right?
I loved this book, and even with that opening, by chapter 2 it was already taking me in a different direction that I’d expected, keeping me on my toes and gradually feeding me more and more.
The writing here was really well done and it was clear throughout the book that a lot of research had been made to ensure accuracy of certain things. If this was a movie it would be an ‘edge of your seat’ situation for most of it and I felt tense an uneasy at multiple points.
There was definitely times when I felt some of the supporting cast were a bit superfluous, but I appreciate that world building has a hard balance to get perfect.
I would absolutely recommend adding this to your pre order list right away.
This was an ARC review in return for an honest review. thankyou to Orion Publishing, Robin Morgan-Bentley and Netgalley for the opportunity.
Perhaps waking up with your contractions starting and finding the house locked up, and your phones,keys and home owners missing.
Tense right?
I loved this book, and even with that opening, by chapter 2 it was already taking me in a different direction that I’d expected, keeping me on my toes and gradually feeding me more and more.
The writing here was really well done and it was clear throughout the book that a lot of research had been made to ensure accuracy of certain things. If this was a movie it would be an ‘edge of your seat’ situation for most of it and I felt tense an uneasy at multiple points.
There was definitely times when I felt some of the supporting cast were a bit superfluous, but I appreciate that world building has a hard balance to get perfect.
I would absolutely recommend adding this to your pre order list right away.
This was an ARC review in return for an honest review. thankyou to Orion Publishing, Robin Morgan-Bentley and Netgalley for the opportunity.
alisonb's review
4.0
The Guest House was entertaining and riddled with twists that kept me engaged!
This story is formatted in such a way that each chapter alternates between the present and the past. This format worked for a bit, but by halfway through the book I noticed the redundancy in alternating chapters, which caused some of the information that could create tension to be a bit transparent.
Yet, Morgan-Bentley made up for this in the twists that kept coming up until the very end of the story, and I had a great time reading this domestic thriller.
Highly recommended if you want an atmospheric and bananas thriller!
3.5 ⭐️'s rounded up.
CW/TW:
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced eARC of this book thanks to Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This story is formatted in such a way that each chapter alternates between the present and the past. This format worked for a bit, but by halfway through the book I noticed the redundancy in alternating chapters, which caused some of the information that could create tension to be a bit transparent.
Yet, Morgan-Bentley made up for this in the twists that kept coming up until the very end of the story, and I had a great time reading this domestic thriller.
Highly recommended if you want an atmospheric and bananas thriller!
3.5 ⭐️'s rounded up.
CW/TW:
Spoiler
Harmful situations and physical abuse involving a newborn infant.I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced eARC of this book thanks to Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
unlifeoftheparty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Abortion, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Infertility, Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Miscarriage
athrillerreader's review
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
motherbooker's review against another edition
I think there's a pretty big flaw in this book that gives away the ending. You either have to accept that the whole thing is one huge coincidence or you have to assume that somebody on the inside knows more than they're letting on. There was really only one solution but it takes so long to get to that point. Without the thrill of the story, this book is just a slightly dull and drawn-out affair. The story relies too heavily on the anxieties associated with parenthood and especially first-time parents. Aside from that, I don't think this book really has a lot in terms of suspense. It all feels very superficial to me.
Jamie and Victoria are about to have a baby when they decide to have one final trip away. They book a room in a remote guest house to relax before the birth. Unfortunately, Victoria goes into labour a few weeks early. They also discover that their hosts have mysteriously vanished along with their phones and car keys. It becomes a desperate search to try and get Victoria to a hospital in time. The story also jumps forward to a few weeks afterwards when the couple are dealing with the consequences of their trip. The pair are lying to their friends and family. They're also living separate lives due to the events of their trip. It's a situation that doesn't get easier when envelopes referencing the events start turning up in the post. Will their secret be uncovered?
I'll be honest, I've never been a fan of split narratives for thrillers. I think it's an easy way to try and create tension and keep people guessing. Add that to the time jumps and you can easily create cliffhangers. All you have to do is change the timeline or switch to a different perspective. The problem is that none of the cliffhangers are actually that suspenseful. This approach also means that it's difficult to create any depth for your characters. Neither Jamie nor Victoria have a lot of dimension to them. We never learn anything about them. The only times we see them are either during a pretty stressful situation or in the aftermath of a traumatic event. We don't know anything about them. Or about anyone else. The characters just feel flat and lifeless. In fact, the only interesting thing about them is Jamie's disability. You learn later on that he has cerebral palsy but it's referenced throughout the book as his disability. His perspective as an expectant father with a medical condition did add some interest to the book. It could have had more focus but that's just me.
The rest of the book just didn't really wow me. It was too obvious what was going to happen for the most part. There were maybe one or two things that weren't immediately obvious but the major twist was signposted from the start. If I hadn't been listening to this book then I'd probably have skimmed the majority of it. It all gets quite repetitive, especially the flash-forwards. This had the potential to be a great thriller but it ended up being disappointing. At its worst, this book is boring. At its best, it's mildly interesting. I needed more thrills and more suspense for this to be memorable.
gabrieljingco's review
3.0
When I learned that the male character, Jamie has cerebral palsy like myself, I became more intrigued about the story. Characters who share the same diagnosis as I are rare, which is why I am very happy every time I come across books like this one. This was almost a five star read if not only for that revelation about his wife Victoria.
I would still recommend it particularly to people with cerebral palsy who yearn to see a fictional version of themselves, who is portrayed as the hero of the story.
Thank you, Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Spoiler
She had cheated on him with his best friend resulting in pregnancy, and out desperate measure to hide her infidelity, Victoria had asked the owners of the guesthouse who are actually related to her to kidnap the baby.I would still recommend it particularly to people with cerebral palsy who yearn to see a fictional version of themselves, who is portrayed as the hero of the story.
Thank you, Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
geminisour's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thought I knew the ending and they were done with plot twist just to add another unexpected one
lemonyv's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75