Grace and Charles are meant to be having a lovely honeymoon but inclement weather forces them to stay in Saltwater in the Anchorage. It isn't the dream that Grace hoped for but that's not quite as bad as things are going to get!

This is a dark thriller with some very slow pace and some faced paced parts. I couldn't really understand why Grace had married Charles with him being such a vile piece of work which made it quite hard to believe the story.

A good attempt at a thriller. Just not there yet

This book was so intense from the beginning! I really enjoyed it!

The plot was so well written and fantastic. So atmospheric! I really could feel the creepiness and even the claustrophobia of being in the B&B.

I couldn’t put it down as the book was so fast paced I just had to keep reading!

I loved to see the two different perspectives and the book had its fair share of twists and mystery to keep me turning the pages.

Overall I would highly recommend this books to fans of fast paced thrilling stories and I look forward to reading more books by the author.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Vintage for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

4.58 Stars

Thank you, Random House UK Vintage, CL. Pattison and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of “The Guest Book” in exchange for an honest review.

In The Guest Book, we follow three narrators as they share with us how Saltwater and a cozy little guest house, The Anchorage, impacted their lives.

Two of the narrators are Grace and Charles, newlyweds who find themselves at this quaint little town due to a storm. As fate would have it, Charles had vacationed there with his family in his teens and convinces his wife to stay at the same B&B he visited many summers. For Charles, this is a nostalgic stay. For Grace, however, it soon turns into a nightmare as she starts to hear children crying in the night, footsteps in empty hallways and sea chanties in the dead of night.

This book had me on the edge of my seat, flirting with the supernatural. The characters were so well developed, you could feel the emotions Grace was going through and every second you asked yourself if any of the narrators were reliable.

I loved the use of the third narrator, who was a mystery but told a very eerie story of an accident that happened to them in an undetermined timeline. The author uses “Grace” and “Charles” as headings for the chapters they narrate and no names, for the other chapters. This was an incredible way to build suspense and invite the reader to figure out what is going on and who could that person be

Another thing I really enjoyed was being transported to the seashore Cornish town of Saltwater. The whole atmosphere was well constructed and I felt like I was there – even more so, I want to go there! The eerie vibe of The Anchorage was also masterfully built.

I really enjoyed the plot twists, how the author played fair with her clues and how much she made me care for Grace. The was a visceral scene in the book that brought me to tears, in a good way.

I highly recommend this book and have marked May 27th on my calendar to get my hands on a physical copy of this book.

#theguestbook #Netgalley

I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller!
I wasn’t sure where it was going midway through, but it’s a refreshing change to read a fictional book which isn’t predictable.
Good strong characters, a gripping storyline, and a satisfying ending meant that I finished this in 1 sitting.

Grace and Charles are on the way of their dream honeymoon but destiny got different plans. Due to the weather, they had to stay in Saltwater. All the guest houses are booked so they have to stay at Anchorage, which is not what Grace had in her mind, she is more than unhappy but Charles is reliving his childhood/teenage visits here. Anchorage is not what it seems, the hosts are also hiding something.

First of all Why it is named The Guest Book? There was just a tiny part of the guest book. I struggled in connecting with everything. Grace and Charles as a married couple didn't make sense to me. I didn't find any chemistry between them except what the author was telling. Charles as an individual character is so shady and unlikeable. Grace was a bit sane but I am done with mystery books using characters who are drunk or facing PTSD or other disorders for the sake of developing the whole story. It is the same pattern in almost all of the books.

I found the pace too slow and writing wasn't my cup of tea too. It is that kind of book which was too hard. I liked the final twist and it is the only thing I enjoyed.

This was a dark story, great for reading during winter. Creepy and well-paced, and addictive, I didn't want to put it down until all the questions were answered.

3.5 stars

Newly-weds Grace and Charles are on a train to St Ives for their luxurious honeymoon. However, due to a tree on the line, the couple are forced to take refuge in the village of Saltwater, Charles' childhood holiday destination and stay in an old guest house that Charles used to stay in. Strange things start to happen and Grace starts to question everything, including her husband.

Pattison does a very good job of building the tension, suspense and paranoia in the story. I felt the despair that Grace did as she grew to realise she was trapped in the village and that everyone was against her. I also did not expect the ending AT ALL. There were no clues whatsoever, so I was incredibly surprised.

However, I found the story slightly slow at the beginning, though it did pick up in the last half of the book. Grace is incredibly whiny and Charles is a complete creep, so I didn't overly like the characters, but I don't think it was necessarily important to like them. I also didn't really like the ending - too much was explained retroactively rather than revealed at the time so there was no real spark or danger, which was disappointing.

I also wonder why it is called The Guest Book, when really a guest book has very little to do with the story. I think it should be called The Guest House. Is there any reason why it isn't?

Grace and Charles are headed for their honeymoon when their travel plans are disrupted by a storm bringing a tree down on the train line. Needing to get out of the storm and find a place to stay, they find every hotel in the own fully booked, except for one. The Anchorage. Charles used to stay at the very same B&B when he was a child and remembers the hosts, so they check in. But Grace is not at all comfortable. The phone lines are down, there’s no wi-fi and she knows she’s hearing strange noises in the night. As Grace becomes more and more desperate to leave, Charles seems in no hurry to part with his childhood holiday destination.

A haunting tale with some brilliant twists and turns. I really didn’t see the reveals coming at the end and the mystery was more heartbreaking than I thought it would be. There were a few things I was becoming frustrated about, because it didn’t seem they were going to be cleared up at all but most of them were, right at the end! Told in alternating chapters from Grace and Charles, and interspersed with chapters from an unknown narrator, this was a well paced thriller with plenty of creepiness!

This was a good book and gets you hooked from the beginning. It’s just keeps you guessing and reading on to see what the ending is.

I love this book it’s a fun electric thriller it’s actually scary in many places as well. The characters were people I could relate to and the plot kept me in suspense. I highly recommend this one.

Charles and Grace are on their way to a hotel when a storm hits and they have to take a room in an empty B&B, but why is it empty and why does Charles know the place? As increasingly spooky incidents happen, Grace has to ask herself if she knows her husband and can she trust him?

This was an entertaining read, I wasn’t entirely sold on the ending but I enjoyed the book.

This was a brilliant creepy thriller. I literally couldn't put it down. I lived the Maddy the main character too.

I have really enjoyed this book. Atmospheric and well worth a read. I am going to read all the authors back catalogue and have found a new favourite author.

The synopsis for this really intrigued me; it sounded dark and twisty, with the hint that perhaps something a little supernatural might be going on. Definitely right up my street!

The story unfolds from differing points of view: Grace’s, Charles’, and an unknown narrator. This definitely helps to keep the pace quick, and the reader intrigued; however, it quickly ended up feeling gimmicky and tired for me.

I struggled to relate to either of the main characters; Grace comes across as utterly pathetic, and Charles just seems a bit bland. There are many allusions to an event that has taken place in the recent past, yet it took a while for that particular story to emerge, and I don’t really understand the need for the cloak and daggers. It seemed needlessly cryptic and secretive, and actually highlighted the fact that not a lot else was going on.
For me, more was needed in terms of character development. I think the author tried to do this through the changing POV, the flashbacks/reminisces but it fell a little flat for me and felt too staged. Also, the story itself just wasn’t gripping enough. It’s not dark enough to be a paranormal, and there is no believable mystery for it to be a thriller. Just a bit lacklustre on the whole.

To be honest, it feels like this is a good first draft, but more needs to be done before it’s actually read for market.

Newlyweds Charlie and Grace are headed for a honeymoon in a lavish hotel in Cornwall. However when a severe storm scuppers their trip they find themselves stuck in Saltwater, a harbourside village with nowhere to stay barring The Anchorage. Charlie has been here before and soon Grace begins to doubt she fully knows her husband as they find themselves shut off from the outside world. The story has a reasonable twist at the end which makes for an interesting read. I found Grace's character a little weak and lacking substance which was occasionally frustrating but overall the plot was reasonably spooky.

This book sounded very stereotypical of 90s movies but it actually turned out to be quite a good read. It is atmospheric and kept me interested until the end. The ending however was rather predictable and let it down a little.

Tension Building, Atmospheric Suspense...
The idea of a quiet, peaceful and relaxing honeymoon appealed to both Charles and Grace. The reality was something quite different. When their train is forced to an early stop due to adverse weather conditions the pair are faced with the only guesthouse in town with space. Plenty of space. Unlike the other hostelries in town this one is deserted. Tension building, atmospheric suspense and ideal for a night in next to a roaring fire with the doors safely locked.

At 64% into the book none of the three main storylines (haunted house, Turkey, shipwreck) were getting any clearer, yet I finished the book. Indeed, the outcome was somewhat surprising, but not enough to conclude this as a happy read for me. There was obviously something creepy about Charles from the beginning and I was really hoping he wouldn't end up being the bad guy...

Oh my goodness - I was a bit worried at the start as was a bit confused and it was a bit slow to start. But about a third of the way in, boy does it get good. I had to read this in one sitting and still wanted more. The ending is a blinder - amazing.

Well thought out, well constructed - great read. One of my best reads of 2020. Read it you wont regret it. - it is a must read if you like thrillers.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review which I have done.

A really interesting and thrilling read. A little different from my normal lot choose, but so glad I tried it