Scan barcode
A review by jayseejewel
The Guest House by Robin Morgan-Bentley
4.0
An intense thriller about a pair of flawed but relatable parents trying to save their son. I enjoyed this story and was excited to see how they would resolve the situation they found themselves in.
What I liked:
- It takes the story a little while to start up but once it does, it doesn't stop. The plot could get really suspenseful and tense, especially right before the middle point
- The pacing is very slow in the beginning (with a bit too much filler dialogue) but picks up in the second half
- I like that the husband's job of stopping scams actually comes into play during the story
- I quite enjoyed the twist. It explained a lot of coincidences and questions I had.
What I didn't like:
- The dialogue can be repetitive and a tad awkward at times, particularly in the first half. However, it seems to level out halfway through when the plot actually gets moving
- The first quarter of the book was a very slow start
- [Warning: Spoilers ahead] The main reason the main characters don't report their son to the police is because all the evidence is stacked against them (and the threat of the child dying). However, this changes when the killer sends a text/letter outlining her threats and includes a picture of her threatening the baby. There's your evidence! The fact that the husband doesn't even think about this broke my immersion.
- I didn't love the main characters in the beginning. Their personality traits were largely negative (rude, judgemental, constantly getting offended) so it made it hard to like them at the start. This is generally evened out in the second half but made me annoyed in the first half.
- I don't think the epilogue was necessary.
- [Warning: Spoilers ahead] It was never explained why the wife killed her uncle, especially because she was in on it. I assume it's a plot hole because it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, unless I missed something.
Overall, while the pacing was slow at first, I really enjoyed this book. It feels rooted in reality and has a lot of tension. It could get frustrating at points to see the main characters struggle but their plight was relatable and had me on the edge of my seat. The twist also made everything feel planned out and interesting.
[This book was kindly provided as a free e-arc and I appreciate it.]
What I liked:
- It takes the story a little while to start up but once it does, it doesn't stop. The plot could get really suspenseful and tense, especially right before the middle point
- The pacing is very slow in the beginning (with a bit too much filler dialogue) but picks up in the second half
- I like that the husband's job of stopping scams actually comes into play during the story
- I quite enjoyed the twist. It explained a lot of coincidences and questions I had.
What I didn't like:
- The dialogue can be repetitive and a tad awkward at times, particularly in the first half. However, it seems to level out halfway through when the plot actually gets moving
- The first quarter of the book was a very slow start
- [Warning: Spoilers ahead] The main reason the main characters don't report their son to the police is because all the evidence is stacked against them (and the threat of the child dying). However, this changes when the killer sends a text/letter outlining her threats and includes a picture of her threatening the baby. There's your evidence! The fact that the husband doesn't even think about this broke my immersion.
- I didn't love the main characters in the beginning. Their personality traits were largely negative (rude, judgemental, constantly getting offended) so it made it hard to like them at the start. This is generally evened out in the second half but made me annoyed in the first half.
- I don't think the epilogue was necessary.
- [Warning: Spoilers ahead] It was never explained why the wife killed her uncle, especially because she was in on it. I assume it's a plot hole because it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, unless I missed something.
Overall, while the pacing was slow at first, I really enjoyed this book. It feels rooted in reality and has a lot of tension. It could get frustrating at points to see the main characters struggle but their plight was relatable and had me on the edge of my seat. The twist also made everything feel planned out and interesting.
[This book was kindly provided as a free e-arc and I appreciate it.]