THE PERFECT GUESTS BY EMMA ROUS

Emma Rous is shaping up to be one of my favorite authors! This book, like her debut, is an excellent read with a shocking ending I didn't see coming! I highly recommend it. 

​Rating: ★★★★
​Release Date: January 12, 2021
Genre: Domestic Suspense.
Series: None. Complete standalone. 
Pages: 302 pages
Format: eBook. Source: The Publisher

​The USA Today bestselling author of The Au Pair returns with another delicious, twisty novel—about a grand estate with many secrets, an orphan caught in a web of lies, and a young woman playing a sinister game.

1988. Beth Soames is fourteen years old when her aunt takes her to stay at Raven Hall, a rambling manor in the isolated East Anglian fens. The Averells, the family who lives there, are warm and welcoming, and Beth becomes fast friends with their daughter, Nina. At times, Beth even feels like she's truly part of the family...until they ask her to help them with a harmless game—and nothing is ever the same.

2019. Sadie Langton is an actress struggling to make ends meet when she lands a well-paying gig to pretend to be a guest at a weekend party. She is sent a suitcase of clothing, a dossier outlining the role she is to play, and instructions. It's strange, but 

​she needs the money, and when she sees the stunning manor she'll be staying at, she figures she’s got nothing to lose. 

In person, Raven Hall is even grander than she'd imagined—even with damage from a fire decades before—but the walls seem to have eyes. As day turns to night, Sadie starts to feel that there’s something off about the glamorous guests who arrive, and as the party begins, it becomes chillingly apparent their unseen host is playing games with everyone...including her.

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YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY EMMA'S DEBUT NOVEL 

THE AU PAIR

READ MY BOOK REVIEW

My Rating: 4 stars
Genre Mystery/Suspense

Emma Rous is a memorable and gifted writer. I say this because her stories are uniquely written, and she doesn’t take tired topes and recycle them over and over again. Sometimes its nice to read the same types of books with different characters and locations, but its even nicer when an author gives her readers something FRESH like she has here (and with her debut). Another reason she’s memorable is because her storytelling ability is exquisite. Emma weaves her stories nicely from past to present and slowly builds up her plots and characters to the tune of the story. There’s no “filler” in her books and even the small details mean something to the story. It’s truly exceptional and I look forward to reading many more of her novels in the future. Now on to the story…

The Perfect Guests is a puzzle of a story. Readers can easily be reading it for hours and not know where the author is taking us but still enjoy the journey because of the evocative scenes she brings to life. I’ll admit, I was wondering WHAT the big secret was, but in due time it was slowly revealed. There are breadcrumbs scattered here and there towards the big mystery, but you need a fine eye to catch them! This story feels gothic as much of it takes place in a big manor house that has been in a family for decades and it holds many secrets, but also modern because of the present tense in some of pov’s. When I think of a gothic novel, I think of something set in the early 1900’s but Emma proves that isn’t necessary for the trope. This one DOES span decades, but those decades begin in the 80’s and end in the present (2019). It’s all pretty clever if you ask me!

Anyway, this is a story about Beth. Nina, Sadie, and a slew of secondary characters who play a role in the mystery that surrounds Raven Hall. Readers will question what’s wrong with this beautiful home and why some characters need to stay hidden. Shocking twists filled with deceit and tragedy slowly bring readers to a climax that stuns its readers! You think you know these people but in reality… that’s not the case.

The Perfect Guests is a mystery, a family drama, and a suspense novel wrapped together. It’s a slow moving, engaging, and intriguing read that will keep you entertained for hours. It’s a story that is likely to get many readers excited because of how sharp it is and one I know I won’t soon forget. I recommend this book whole-heartedly!


︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙︙

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞

● This is an atmospheric novel that engages readers from the beginning.

● The characters are all well placed and even though we don’t know what role they play in the story until the big reveal in the end, they all DO matter to the plot.

● There isn’t any unnecessary filler in the story. Every single action MEANS something.

● I love how the author weaved the story through the past and present as it gave is a glimpse into the reasoning behind the mystery. The author COULD have written it without the present tense, but it wouldn’t have been half as good as it is like this.

● The big twist and the final reveal had me jumping because I loved it so much! It’s insanely unique!

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞

● I think the only thing that held me back from giving this one a perfect 5-star rating is how slow it was in terms of getting to the point of the story. Looking back, I understand WHY everything was revealed so slowly, but there were a few times I was wondering what the heck I was reading! This is a very character driven novel and getting to the mystery part and watching it unveil was SLOW.

𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗧 𝗨𝗣

The Perfect Guests is one of those books that you won’t know you NEED until you read it. Emma Rous is a superb writer and getting lost in the worlds she builds is easy. I love a mystery that shocks me and this one did just that! I highly recommend it.

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emma Rous is the USA Today bestselling author of The Au Pair. She grew up in England, Indonesia, Kuwait, Portugal and Fiji, and from a young age she had two ambitions: to write stories, and to look after animals. She studied veterinary medicine and zoology at the University of Cambridge, and worked as a small animal veterinarian for eighteen years before starting to write fiction. Emma lives near Cambridge in England with her husband and three sons, and she now writes full time.

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