Reading the description of the book, I had very high hopes.

The ending was definitely unexpected and slightly made up for the disjointed turn that I feel the rest of the story took.

While the characters did have depth, I don’t feel like I particularly connected with any, or felt the intended empathy towards them (even Brandon at some points)

Thought the novel had some good moments , overall I found it lacked momentum and was a slow read.

Wow. Full of twists and turns that I definitely didn't see coming. Laura has a life that I seriously envied but is it all its made out to be? As a mother, I could understand her worries and concerns due to certain things happening with her family but she shows a side that you never thought she had. Loved every single bit of it and will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

I liked this book, but unfortunately I didn't love it.

I didn't see the twist coming at the end however that was the most exciting part of the book. I think the action scenes were well written but it was hard to feel anything for the characters as they were very underdeveloped.

It wasn't a great book but I would recommend it to someone who hasn't read many thrillers as they might enjoy it.

Ellie has a great life with two kids and her dream job as the owner of a very successful art gallery. She lives in California in a beautiful home with her children and her husband, Seth, with whom she has a good marriage. But Seth starts behaving in some very strange ways, the strangest inviting a near stranger to live with them in their guest room. After a neighborhood high school girl is found murdered and Ellie's art gallery is vandalized, she has the feeling all of these events are connected. But how?

I had high hopes for this book, as I do for all mystery/thrillers that I read, but this book left me disappointed. Most of the storyline felt disjointed and the writing overall left a lot to be desired. The main character went back and forth so much on what she was thinking or feeling about nearly everything, that it was hard to get to know and understand her. The characters were somewhat boring. The book had long stretches of needless description and that space would have been better off used to develop the plot and storyline. The first 2/3 of the book contains a lot of rambling in which something is explained or told only to revisited again in the next chapter.

There was way too much talk about what they were eating and drinking. If I had to guess I would say that a chef wrote this book with a glass of wine. Food and drink were mentioned so much that I started to wonder if there was going to be some secret plot twist regarding the two bottles of wine the main character was always drinking at dinner.

The last 1/3 of the book did get better, which is why I rated this book with 3 stars and not 2. There were some pleasant surprises, which I love at the end of a book. The idea for this book was a good one, and the ending was good. I think more time needed to be spent on the story and character development and the overall writing as well.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. It was an enjoyable read, but I really thought Ellie was not likable, It was difficult to put up with her bad choices, but that may be because I disliked her so much. But the story was good and had many twists and turns. Ellie sure drank a lot, even though I thought I read an exchange between Brandon and Ace where Brandon talks about how Ellie had a drinking and drug problem when he was younger. Not sure that is realistic. I absolutely disliked something that happens at the end,

Average thriller for me. There were some twists I didn’t see coming but found myself skimming more than anything. Decent. I just haven’t been able to get into this authors books fully.

The Guest by Cathryn Grant

Featuring a family in Southern California mum, dad two kids living a normal life until a girl from the boys school goes missing. Then dad brings a supposed family friend whom no one has met home for dinner and that is when the wheels start to come off. Dads hiding a secret, the police want to speak to the son about the girls disappearance and who is this 40 year old couchsurfer that Dad has invited to stay.

Overall it is an enjoyable book. The cover is the type that will catch your eye on a supermarket shelf with a dark background and bright title and picture. The chapters are short, meaning you want to just keep reading that one more chapter and the book runs at a good pace but in areas chances were missed where more detail or depth could have been added to the story.
I felt Simone, the daughter's character was underdeveloped; she was awful quiet for a supposedly chatty 6-year old. I felt that Dad was not a likeable character and Ace a mystery which suited the stranger role, but I felt some of his interactions are not realistic for someone who is supposed to be a stranger.

The first line "Girls like her don't get bullied" was an intriguing start and immediately had you thinking famous last words but that part of the plot was grossly underdeveloped. I felt the book wrapped up too quickly and neatly, I would have liked another few chapters to see how things are developed.

I would recommend this book but I would consider it an afternoon cup of tea and take your brain out book.

The Guest is a domestic thriller that drew me in from the first chapter. I found it to be a very easy read, I just kept reading and before I knew it I'd finished.

It kept me guessing until the end, in which the twists and turns keep on coming.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, I think you'll like this one.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

This book was a real doozy. I simply could not put it down and had to keep reading and turning those pages. Its a who-dunit with lots of stuff going on in the background. However, no way did I see the twisty ending coming. It completely took me by surprise.

A strange one this one. I enjoyed it but found my eyes rolling just too often.

Another woman who is successful in business but a total disaster domestically; lacking in self-confidence in her own home, unable to confront her husband, her son or her guest and unable to make a decision, and yet can confide in her assistant ... or so we are led to believe.

What was the role of the neighbour who complained about parking? I dislike characters who are introduced and featured in story lines and then vanish. Why so much emphasis on food and wine? Other than filling pages I m not sure that it adds much to the story.

The big reveal was just a little too convenient.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC.

Ellie lives a suburban dream, perfect husband, children, and job. Then one day,her husband brings a mysterious friend to stay with them without asking her about it. Ellie finds herself attracted to this mysterious stranger. Alongside this new development, a teenage girl in their neighborhood is murdered. Ellie's son becomes a person of interest in the case.

This book is hard to describe. Technically it is more about the circumstances around their new house guest (hence the title) but it is also about her son being suspected of this crime. It is also about what lies beneath the surface in suburbia, how things are seldom as perfect as they look from outside.

I find this book tough to review because I wasn't overly drawn in for the first two-thirds of it. I found very little about Ellie relatable, which is always tough for me when I can't relate to a first person narrator. I also found very little to relate to or even like about any supporting characters.

Then the final third of the book comes in swinging. I found the writing more engaging, the plot tighter, and some characters suddenly much more interesting. With a great twist at the end, I found myself a little more frustrated that the beginning hadn't been as captivating. I can appreciate a good slow-burn, but I just found it tough to connect to the story at the beginning. That said, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good suburban thriller, and would read other books by the author again.

I had extremely high hopes for this book. . The premise was inviting and I was excited to get to review it. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it at all. The stories seem to drag on for me and though it was tagged as a thriller with twists and turns, it didn’t live up to its potential. I found the characters to be one dimensional and lackluster. The ending didn’t give me the chills I think the author was looking for.. Overall, I was extremely disappointed.

Wow what an ending - great twist that you will not see coming !! Life is good for Ellie - married to the handsome Seth with great kids Brandon and Simone but things take a massive turn around when Seth invites Ace a friend of his cousins to stay with the family. Suddenly the perfect life begins to unravel - Seth admits to having lost his job months before having kept up the pretence of going to work each day and Brandon being bullied at school is called on for questioning when one of the bullies is found dead. As we’ll as Ellie having feeling for the new house guest ...Great characters and the story slowly builds to A great ending - highly recommend this book

I love the name of this book. A simple name that brings to mind a story where anything can happen, as in who is the guest? What is their story? How will they impact the characters? I knew this would capture my imagination and more authors should think about the names of their books. They can be one of the main reasons a book is purchased especially if a reader is not familiar with authors.
The guest starts very slowly but the chemistry and descriptive language used to bring the story to life is excellent. It is escapism but makes one think of how would I react in this situation or situations. The characters have depth and often if children are not the main characters in a book but just part of a family they don't have personality or depth. This is not the case from the very beginning. Highly recommend this book. Definitely worth a read

Where do I start this book drew me in and kept pace all the way through to the very end. We meet Ellie and her family her husband, son and young daughter.
One night begins to change everything Ellie ever knew and everything she holds dear. Their guest sets in motion a series of events that will leave not only the family but the reader wondering how will this end.
I was glued to this book from beginning to end and it left me wanting to read more of this Author's books.
I will definitely be recommending it to others and I will be rereading it with relish for some years to come.

A dark, gloomy story. The reading of that book was fluid.
It is an enjoyable read that keeps you guessing until the end.
Thank you Inkubator Books and NetGalley for the e-copy of the book in exchange of an honest review!

The Guest by Cathryn Grant, paints the picture of a perfect family living a perfect life. Ellie owns and runs a successful art gallery. Her husband, Seth is handsome and smart and works hard alongside his wife. Brandon, the teenager is introverted but has never minded keeping to himself. Little Simone, is the baby of the family and adores her loving family.
Until one day, everything changes.
Ace, a handsome friend of the husband shows up for dinner and then never leaves. Secrets begin to come out and before she realizes it, Ellie finds herself unable to trust anyone in her family, besides little Simone.


Then more drama unfolds, as Ellie's son finds himself in the middle of a murder case. A teenage girl from school has been murdered, and everyone is being questioned. Including the new house guest, Ace. Whose charm and good looks have Ellie feeling things she shouldn't be and wondering if he has some kind of hidden agenda.

I felt that Grant, used believable character traits and I really got the feeling that I knew them. Ellie's anxiousness and stress made me feel that she was uptight and judgemental but really Grant used them to her advantage and at the end I truly understood why she portrayed the character the way she did.


Grant, kept me guessing with this compelling story of deceit, suspense and manipulation. I could not put it down, and when I did it was constantly on my mind. It wasn't a face paced read, and some details about the teen murder I felt were glanced over. However, this book held my attention and I was blown away by the ending.

Thank you Cathryn Grant and NetGalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Thank you Netgallery and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. The only negative that stands out to me is the main character Ellie she is just annoying which I know that's how the author wants her perceived but i just didn't like her. Ok, having said that the book was good the ending really made the book 4 stars. Overall ok read would read from this author again.

3.5 rounded to 4 Stars

Wow, I didn't see that coming at all! The Guest by Cathryn Grant is a moderate paced book. To be honest, if it was not for the ending of the book my rating would have been lower. I had a few issues with the way things were playing out before the ending. There was a lack of substance behind Brandon's school mate being murdered, the "disappearing" of her husband on a daily basis etc. It was not until the last 20% of the book that I felt the lead character was more than 2 dimensional. Overall, an ok read, but with a good ending.

Thank you Netgallery for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.

I read this after reading another thriller. Probably not advisable but I was just desperate to read this one because I had heard such good reviews. And it didn’t disappoint.
The story is told from the main character’s, Ellie’s perspective. It follows her and her family who have allowed a man, who is apparently her husband’s cousin’s friend, to stay with them whilst he finds his feet in a new neighbourhood. I know what you’re thinking, who just allows a random man to stay with them and their family? I thought exactly the same. Is it believable? If I’m honest, although it doesn’t sound too believable, it actually worked for this story.
I really enjoy thrillers that offer a prologue and epilogue. I think they really add something extra to the story and the whole ‘thrill’ of the book. In this book, the epilogue is quite shocking and makes everything in the book make sense. Once you’ve read the epilogue, everything Ellie did, makes sense and adds a bitter after taste to the book.
I still can’t decide whether I liked Ellie or not. She was extremely judgemental, very anxious about everyone and everything, as well as a little controlling when it came to her family. She took control of nearly all the family routines and I question whether that is because she had to or she preferred to.
I never liked her husband. I got bad vibes from the start. Yet some characters aren’t all who they are made out to be, and once you finish this book you may see him in a different light.
I really enjoyed this book but I feel like towards the end, the book did become slightly rushed and I had to reread a few sentences to make sure I knew what was happening and how. I tend to write notes whilst I’m reading because when it comes to writing my review, I can sense how my thoughts and feelings changed (or didn’t change) throughout. I wrote early on in my notes that the fact that Seth (Ellie’s husband) is her children’s step-father isn’t very well-explained, and we are left in the dark about her children’s father. Little did I know what Cathryn Grant had up her sleeve, and this added surprise at the end of the novel, is the reason I am rating this book so highly. For that, you will have to wait and see yourselves.
Available to buy in the UK from 24th May, this is surely a thriller that will be read by most, if not every book club out there.