The Party Guest

by Amanda Robson

A birthday to remember. But would they rather forget…?

Ralph is turning 45, and the only gift he wants this year is his ex-wife.
Gemma, his trophy girlfriend, is trying to ignore this.
Sarah, the ex-wife, has agreed to attend Ralph’s birthday party, but with her new man in tow.
And Jack, Sarah’s partner, is keen to accompany Sarah to keep an eye on the proceedings.

It’s a birthday trip like no other. The whole extended family in a villa on the beautiful Amalfi coast. But under the politely strained surface, every party guest harbours their own agenda.

By the end of the trip, two people will be dead. But while Ralph unwraps his presents, will anybody be able to unwrap the truth…?

A compulsive and twisty suspense thriller with an ending you won’t see coming, perfect for fans of Louise Candlish and Adele Parks…

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Ebooks, Crime, Family Drama

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2022

Reviews

[Michael David (on hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Amanda Robson novel? That means another cast of wackadoodles!

Ralph is still in love with his ex-wife, Sarah. His young girlfriend, Gemma, doesn’t like that. Sarah is engaged to Jack, and isn’t in love with Ralph anymore. That’s why she left him 8 years prior.

Now on the cusp of Ralph’s 45th birthday, he has invited his children, as wel as Gemma and Sarah to a paradise vacation on the Amalfi coast. When Sarah reveals that she’s bringing Jack, Ralph isn’t thrilled.

Not everyone will leave the island alive.

I’ve gotta hand it to Robson for always pulling me in with her plots and characters. They are always 100% certifiably bonkers!

However, this one didn’t really deviate from her last few books, and therefore didn’t feel very fresh. It’s very formulaic. The chapters are short and sweet, tackling multiple POVs, but the characters were truly despicable…all of them! The dialogue and verbiage of the characters’ thoughts was pretty corny and repetitive, which means I rolled my eyes on more than one occasion. There were moments that were hard to follow too.

And yet, I was entertained. So even though this definitely wasn’t my favorite book by the author (that would be My Darling), I’d recommend it to someone who wants to read an entertaining but OTT story without using their brain at all. As of this moment, I’m not sure if I’ll pick up her next book (only gave 4 stars to two of them)…but I’m guessing by the time it comes out, I will. HA!

#guiltypleasurebutnotsurewhy

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 9/29/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me begin by introducing you to our cast of despicable characters:

Ralph: Birthday boy, uber wealthy, obsessed with his ex-wife even though he has a new girlfriend, and a total wanker.

Sarah: Ralph's ex-wife and engaged to be married to Jack yet still likes to lead Ralph on by sleeping with him occasionally.

Jack: Described as a silver haired fox, Sarah's fiancé, and total fool for getting involved with this insane family.

Gemma: Ralph's new girlfriend and a gold digging hoochie momma that wouldn't mind hooking up with Jack and Ralph's son just to make him jealous.

Janice: Ralph and Sarah's daughter, whiney, entitled, and may or may not have psychopathic tendencies.

Patrick: Ralph and Sarah's son, party boy that likes to ogle his Dad's girlfriend whether his girlfriend is around or not.

Anna: Patrick's girlfriend and the QUEEN of all KARENS.

Ralph has decided to treat those he loves to his lavish 45th birthday party by whisking them away to the Amalfi Coast for endless champagne, food, and festivities. Inviting your ex and their new spouse in order to win her back doesn't sound like a good plan to me but Ralph thinks so and he thinks by bringing his new girlfriend it will be just the thing to make Sarah jealous and rushing back into his arms. What could possibly go wrong?

Again, as with all the books of hers that I have read, Robson embraces the 2nd person narrative and rather than actual chapters the breaks are marked by who's point of view is speaking at that time. Normally I don't have a problem with this but this time I have to say it just didn't work. I had to go back many times to re-read sections in order to figure out who I was reading about and I think, perhaps it was poor formatting, that some of the breaks didn't get marked properly so, for instance, you think you're reading from Jack's perspective and then all of as sudden he's putting on high heels and a lacy top. That is jarring to say the least and I spent a lot of my time saying what the fuck but not in the way I was hoping for. Very confusing.

Check out these gems:

"Ralph is walking toward me, looking as dapper as ever in his seersucker shorts and bright red pumps."

I think even Robson was getting confused on which character is which and who she was writing about unless bright red pumps mean something different in British slang.

"I thrust open the lunch box, pull out the pizza slice that is inside and take a bite. The cheese is soft and delicious. Heaven. But one bite is enough. I know after not eating so long I must take it easy. Then I place the rest of the slice in my pocket and save it for later."

What in the actual fuck? Who puts a slice of pizza in their pocket? Better yet, who eats only one bite of a slice of pizza? Psychopaths, that's who.

Where were the editors???

So, yeah, this is not a favorite of mine but I'm not writing Robson off yet because her previous books were great guilty pleasure reads and I'm hoping this was a one off. 2 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my complimentary copy.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 2 out of 5]

EXCERPT: A special holiday. After working ninety-hour weeks for so long, two weeks off should be a real treat. But I'm stuck in a taxi with my girlfriend, Gemma, my seventeen-year-old daughter, Janice, my twenty-year-old son, Patrick, and his girlfriend, Anna, while you, Sarah, the love of my life, are about to arrive at the villa that I've paid for, with your new lover. Whoop-de-dooh. (What a) fabulous forty-fifth birthday. Congratulations, Ralph Kensington. Let's crack open the Louis Roederer as soon as we arrive.

ABOUT 'THE PARTY GUEST': Ralph is turning 45, and the only gift he wants this year is his ex-wife.
Gemma, his trophy girlfriend, is trying to ignore this.
Sarah, the ex-wife, has agreed to attend Ralph’s birthday party, but with her new man in tow.
And Jack, Sarah’s partner, is keen to accompany Sarah to keep an eye on the proceedings.

It’s a birthday trip like no other. The whole extended family in a villa on the beautiful Amalfi coast. But under the politely strained surface, every party guest harbours their own agenda.

By the end of the trip, two people will be dead. But while Ralph unwraps his presents, will anybody be able to unwrap the truth…?

MY THOUGHTS: I have read two previous books by Robson: The Unwelcome Guest (⭐⭐⭐⭐); and My Darling (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐). Both were fresh, engaging, compelling and twisty.

Unfortunately The Party Guest just doesn't measure up. It doesn't flow. It's often repetitive. I lost count of the number of times we were told that Sarah wears Rive Gauche perfume. In fact, the author seems to have some sort of obsession (or promotional deal) for perfume. We know what every character - even the men - wear.

The chapters are brief and narrated by the seven main characters: Ralph, his girlfriend Gemma, his ex-wife Sarah, her fiance Jack, Ralph and Sarah's two children, Patrick and Janice, and Patrick's girlfriend Anna. This means much of the information is regurgitated with minor variations.

This is a quick read, but not a great one. There are a multiplicity of silly errors that quite spoil the reading experience. The most jarring one for me was Sarah talking about her seventeen-year-old daughter, Janice: 'My darling, brave girl. You never had children, did you? That must have been a great sadness for you.' WTF????

None of the characters are particularly likeable, nor realistic, except for Jack, who's an absolute sweetheart. I really disliked Ralph and found myself wanting to give him a good, swift kick you-know-where more than once. Additionally, he doesn't like books!

I don't know what Robson was thinking with this one, but it certainly didn't work for me. Even the final resolution was decidedly 'meh'.

⭐⭐.1

#ThePartyGuest #NetGalley

I: @amandarobsonauthor @avonbooksuk

T: @AmandaRobson @AvonBooksUK

#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #mystery #psychologicaldrama

THE AUTHOR: After graduating, Amanda Robson worked in medical research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and at the Poisons Unit at Guy's Hospital, where she became a co-author of a book on cyanide poisoning. Amanda attended the Faber novel writing course and writes full-time.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Party Guest by Amanda Robson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for a honest review)

Publication date: 16 June 2022
Publisher: Avon Books UK

Plot

Ralph's 45th birthday is approaching and he intended to celebrate in a lovely home on the Amalfi coast with a huge group of people: his girlfriend Gemma, his children, ex-wife Sarah and her boyfriend Jack. When the past meets the present, who will make it out alive?

Thoughts

The blurb made it sound like those closed room mysteries which was why I requested for this ARC, even though I've not read any of the books from this author before.

The pace of the book was fast which is good because given the amount of characters in this book, it could have gotten boring too fast but the pace made it light too. However, the POVs were all over the place because they were in 2nd person. I had to go back to see whose POV is it in because it was a little messy and confusing to follow along, could be a case of bad formatting/editing. I also couldn't make a connection with the characters because some were fillers and unnecessary.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ralph planned a fancy vacation for his 45th birthday. The guest list? His family. His two children and his ex-wife Sarah. Much to his surprise and secret horror, Sarah is bringing a suitor. This throws a wrench in his plans to try and woo her back to him by taking her to where they honeymooned. Not to be upstaged, he invites his younger on-off again girlfriend. His 20 year old son brings his girlfriend, and the odd one out is Janice, their angst-filled teen daughter.

This trip is already a disaster but there’s more to come. No one is grateful for the trip. Janice is lashing out at Sarah for leaving the family and bringing a date on dad’s birthday trip and his son’s girlfriend ends up being kind of a weirdo, getting snowflake-level offended over a harmless joke.

Sarah did wrong by leaving the way she did but Ralph is not without fault. When he had Sarah, he left her alone and spent too much time at work. When she did get him for a night out, he sat on his phone reading emails. He was too late.

Sarah has come to reveal the truth to Ralph about her relationship with Jack. It’s gone on longer than he knows. There’s more to the story of all of these relationships! Some wild dynamics at play here.

This was interesting but I also found it a little silly at times and unbelievable. The pining like a teen coming from Ralph. I didn’t care for the prose. But still an interesting vacation story which I’m into right now.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The Party Guest’ is by first read by this author and I enjoyed it so much I plan to read more of her books. This is a well written novel with some very interesting characters, plenty of twists and kept me hooked to the end.

Sarah is invited to celebrate the 45 birthday of her ex husband Ralph. Ralph has never completely moved on following his divorce and he makes no secret of his wish to have Sarah back in his life. Sarah now has her new love named Jack and intends to bring him to the party which is very likely to cause waves. Ralph has a a trophy girlfriend named Gemma but continues to send out mixed signals regarding their relationship.
Certainly an unusual birthday celebration at a villa on the Amalfi coast with the whole family attending and there are bound to be upset and arguments but no one imagined quite how bad it would get. By the end of the visit two people would be dead.

Fast paced thrills make this a page turner to enjoy.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Avon Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Jonann loves book talk❤♥️❤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amanda Robson's The Party Guest is a domestic thriller with an interesting premise.

For Ralph's 45th birthday he hosts a combined family trip to the magnificent Amalie coast. Ralph's girlfriend Gemma, Ralph's ex-wife Sarah, Sarah's fiancee Jack, Ralph and Sarah's children Janet and Patrick, and Patrick's girlfriend Anna are in attendance. Everything is well until two people are reported missing.

The Party Guest is entertaining with fascinating plot twists. The short chapters are easy to read and are told in alternating points of view. It was sometimes difficult to keep up with multiple characters. Once I became accustomed to the author's writing style it was easier to follow the story. As the chapters progress, dark secrets and forbidden thoughts are revealed. It's like getting a delicious glimpse into someone's hidden diary.

The Party Guest is available on June 16th.

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon Books UK, Avon, for allowing me to review this twisty book. Your kindness is appreciated.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 2 out of 5]

What’s not to love about being invited to a location birthday celebration?! You hear about location weddings all the time, but rarely about location birthdays. I was excited to party until I saw the guest list. Immediately, I knew this story was going to have some challenges.

The stunning cover and breathtaking setting attracted me to this book, the diary entry format in short chapters and multiple points of view held my attention, however, the unlikeable characters with their crass behaviour and explicit scenes quickly overpowered what excitement I had initially and I lost interest in this story. In short, it did not feel like an authentic nor plausible story worthy of my time investment.

I was gifted this advance copy by Amanda Robson, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[Danielle B · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's Ralph's 45th birthday and he decides to spend it in a beautiful villa on the Amalfi coast. He invites his girlfriend, Gemma, his children, and ex-wife Sarah and her boyfriend, Jack. Once everyone arrives the claws start to come out. Gemma is jealous of Sarah because Ralph is still in love with her, Ralph is jealous of Jack and Janice is mad at her mom for leaving her dad. Talk about a party gone wrong. Two people end up dead and someone goes to jail. This was a wild story!

I want to note this book does not have traditional chapters, but is told in alternating points of view. It was a bit different than what I normally read and I was ok with that. The story was a bit out there, but I still enjoyed it. Overall, an enjoyable read. If you are looking for something quick and entertaining.

Many thank to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ralph is still in love with his ex wife Sarah, it's his 45th birthday and all he wants is Sarah.

Ralph has booked a villa in Naples for his birthday, which incidentally is where he had his honeymoon with Sarah. Ralph invites his trophy girlfriend Gemma, daughter Janice, son Patrick and his girlfriend Anna. Sarah is also invited and she brings along Jack her fiancé.

What more could Ralph want, he has his family around him and Sarah to flirt with, but under the polite conversation every guest harbours a secret and by the end of the trip two people will be dead!!

An addictive fast paced domestic thriller that you will not be able to put down.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ "If you tell a lie often enough, the lie becomes the truth in your mind."

This is an author that I've been reading faithfully ever since her debut and she's one of those who made me fall in love with domestic thrillers. I've had both hits and misses, with The Party Guest sitting somewhere in the middle.

I couldn't put down this riveting thriller and love how it has Amanda Robson's distinct style: Short chapters to fly through. Morally bankrupt characters that you just can't turn away from, no matter how reprehensible their misdeeds (I wish Gemma wasn't such a caricature though). Lots of drama and craziness going down. Secrets, affairs, lies and the whole shebang.

I also enjoyed the Italian setting. In fact, the plot flatlined after the characters returned to the UK. The whole police procedural was a bit of a joke, but that's no surprise if you are familiar with the author's work. Most disappointingly, I went from being kept guessing to waiting for some big twist that never came.

Overall, I had fun bingeing on this popcorn thriller. Totally my kind of comfort read! It's my 6th Amanda Robson novel and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

✨ "The fine line between life and death is the part of the human condition that makes us so vulnerable. The constant murmur in the back of our minds that we and all those we love will die eventually. Death is life's only certainty."

Thank you to Avon Books UK for the Netgalley ARC.

[Fizah(Books tales by me) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating 2.5
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER FOR THIS REVIEW COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

Ralph decides to take his GF, children, and ex-wife to Italy on his 45th birthday but the real motive is to get his ex-wife back. Sarah-ex-wife-decided to take her partner with her. Everyone is looking forward to something specific on this trip (Hint: it's not Ralph's bday). 

The writing was easy and quick, there were short chapters from each character's POV, making it easy to keep track of everyone and understand what is going on in their minds. The flow was good but the writing style was cringy at points, the way female characters were written was shouting male author, I was indeed surprised after finding that author is female. There was so much unnecessary graphical detail. Patrick and Anna's characters were FILLER, they didn't offer anything except annoy me. I couldn't understand why they talked so robotically and why they are even dating?. Gemma was portrayed as a typical bimbo, from her POV she was the smartest person in the group, and from others' she was nothing more than a golddigger and stupid person. Sarah was also so annoying, she left her children because she fall in love with Jack and they both keep acting like teenagers in love. She never showed any guilt or regret for leaving her children but expected them to be cordial with her. The ending was weird and could have been better.

I am giving it 2.5 stars only because it was an easy read, I didn't have to spend too much time on it.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I am really in two minds about this book I liked the idea behind it and it started off well. The characters became so repetitive with their opinions and I struggled to like any of them. The formatting was poor and it would switch from one character viewpoint to another without telling you and it became confusing. I did however enjoy the story and it was a quick easy read that I finished in one day

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ralph is about to turn 45 and has organised a trip to Italy to celebrate. Along with his children and current girlfriend he has also invited his ex wife Sarah. To say that Ralph is still in love with Sarah is an understatement, he is absolutely besotted with her. Unfortunately for Ralph, Sarah has fallen for another man and is intending to marry him. When this news is broken Ralph is devastated, he has always had fantasies of Sarah coming back to him.

The story will take further turns as two people are murdered and then one imprisoned. I enjoyed the book but can't say that I was riveted by the story, I think this was mainly because I really did not warm to any of the characters at all and found that I worked out what would happen and to whom quite early. A quick read but one I have to say that I really did not enjoy.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is definitely a family I would advise you to steer clear of! Despite the trip to the Amalfi coast to celebrate a birthday, this weekend away is one that is seeped in deception and even murder. None of the characters are particularly likeable and I was quite shocked by the lack of loyalty to anyone but themselves.

Ralph is clearly very hung up on his ex-wife and even though he has brought his current girlfriend on the trip, he has also invited Sarah. For most of the narrative, we see Ralph mooning over what once was, whilst Gemma is seething that Ralph clearly isn’t that in to her. Added to the fact that Sarah is accompanied by her partner, her adult children and another girlfriend, there are plenty of grudges to be held in a family dynamic that is far from peaceful. Jealousy simmers like the heatwave in Amalfi and it is evident that this tension is going to bubble over.

It wasn’t so much as the plot that ground me down, it was the structure of the narrative. Not only does Robson write incredibly short chapters (some only a couple of paragraphs long), but I don’t think they were formatted particularly well: there were a couple of occasions where it abruptly shifts to another, unnamed character, whilst still apparently following the lead voice. It made no sense to me and was very disorientating. These short chapters meant I struggled to connect with the characters and the children in particular felt too similar. Often I found myself flicking back to see who was narrating, and it didn’t help that I generally didn’t like them in the first place.

My second major criticism was Robson’s use of the second person narrative. It was way too much. Each chapter is a first person perspective addressing other characters as if they are talking directly to them. This just added to my confusion and didn’t make for a natural narrative. Ultimately, it really put me off the book and it meant I was rather keen to finish it.

Towards the end, I thought the plot lost control and it got a bit silly. I was really keen to see the answers to the crimes committed but don’t think the revelations were too realistic. Too much was implied earlier on in the story so that the ending didn’t come too much of a surprise, just the character’s desperation to find happiness.

Although this was a locked room mystery, it didn’t quite deliver. The pace was fast (for which I was grateful), but the narrative felt inflated and repetitive. The characters were too similar and I really could not connect with Robson’s writing style.

With thanks to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this tale by one of my fave authors, Ralph is celebrating his 45th birthday and he hires a villa on the Amalfi coast and invites his on/off girlfriend Gemma, his daughter Janice, his son Patrick, along with Patrick's girlfriend Anna, and his ex-wife Sarah. Ralph is still in love with Sarah who insists on bringing her partner Jack, so it may not surprise you when things go awry.

A compelling, easy read facilitated by the concise chapters, I really enjoyed Amanda Robson's The Party Guest. With an assemblage of unlikeable characters, the author deftly directs fingers of suspicion towards all of them. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Avon Books UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Karna · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story was bad, the characters worse. They all felt surface-level caricatures rather than actual persons. The story was dragged out and obvious and the last third was unnecessary. It felt like the story was continued purely for the purpose of continuing. There were also way too many chapters and they were so short it was impossible to build anything in them. It felt more like a scattering of random thoughts than an actual narrative.

[Saltygalreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is Ralph's 45 birthday. He wants to celebrate in style on the Amalfi Coast in a villa with his family - his fractured family. Ralph is still obsessed with his ex-wife Sarah, who will be there with her new love interest Jack, to whom she is now engaged. Their children Patrick and Janice will also be in attendance. Janice is struggling with the impact of her parents' separation and her own mental illness. Patrick is bringing Anna, his girlfriend, with whom he has a difficult and testy relationship. Emotions and resentments simmer under the hot Italian summer sun. What could go wrong?

This quick summer read consists of numerous short chapters with multiple POV. It is a novel version of a reality TV show, showcasing a group of self-centred characters behaving badly. I enjoyed it in a rather guilty way, as you would with an indulgent ice cream you shouldn't be eating!

I have seen many critical reviews of the novel - citing odd vocabulary choice and unlikeable characters. It is a valid critique that it is not masterpiece of literature, to put it mildly. However it was never intended to be and it is unpretentiously what it is: a fun and indulgent confection to tear through while lying on a lounger in the summer. I feel that the conclusion and resolution could have been stronger as it is rather anticlimactic after all the tension. There were no real surprises or plot twists, so it was rather uneventful at the end. However, I enjoyed it simply for what it was. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for a copy to read and review.

[RK_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite an intriguing premise of a birthday party gone wrong in the beautiful locale of Praiano, I wasn't very taken with this read.

Ralph's forty-fifth birthday celebrations at a private luxury villa in the Amalfi Coast in Italy sees a curious blend of guests - his kids -17-yr old Janice and 20-yr old Patrick, Anna - Patrick's girlfriend, Gemma - Ralph's on-off girlfriend, Sarah - his ex-wife, and Jack - Sarah's fiancée. Ralph, still very much in love with Sarah, plans to use this trip as an excuse to woo her back. But when someone ends up dead right before the party, all his plans go bust.

The author has a unique writing style, akin to a diary entry; this was observed even in her previous book, 'The Unwelcome Guest.' Despite the slow pace of the plot, there is a steady progress in the suspense build-up that keeps one hooked. With a bevy of unlikeable characters, the author deftly manages to throw suspicion on all of them, cementing one's continued interest.

Having said that, it was a great disappointment to note that there were no plot twists in the story. Infact, initially what seemed like plot twists were just red herrings, strategically placed to cast doubts on certain individuals. The author proves that the simplest answer is most often correct with a climax that was glaringly obvious and yet one that I kept ignoring in the hope of an intriguing twist.

Overall, a good storyline but with a downer of an ending. Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Vanya Prodanova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Не е кой знае какво, но някак си беше приятна за четене. Героите бяха доста абсурдно изградени, но откровено не ми пукаше и просто се наслаждавах на книгата.
Това е от онези книги, които не са нищо особено, но понякога имаш нужда точно от нещо подобно, за да релаксираш. Убиваш мозъчни клетки и си щастлив, че го правиш. :)

Главите са къси. Върви леко и се чете много лесно книгата. Действието се развива в Италия, та се размечтах и аз да се наслаждавам на красотата на италианските малки градчета. Всъщност книгата би била идеална за четене на плажа, хехе. :)

[Germaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow one of the best books I have read this year a must

[Ria Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like how the book jumps from character to character with short chapters. Different views if the same scenario. However, plot twists were underwhelming.

[Kelly (aka jsybookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second book by Amanda Robson and I most certainly wasn’t disappointed!

It’s Ralph Kensington’s 45th birthday so he invites all his family to a villa on the Amalfi coast to celebrate, however, his family isn’t a typical family. He has invited his two adult children, Patrick, and his sister Janice but also his ex-wife (and the woman he is still desperately in love with), Sarah. Sarah crushes him two weeks before the holiday by saying she is bringing her new partner, Jack, so Ralph brings his younger on and off girlfriend Gemma to compete with Sarah and Jack. Tensions rise between everyone especially when Sarah reveals her and Jack are engaged, and then on the second day of the holiday Jack vanishes without a trace and the holiday becomes an unbearable repetition of police interview after police interview for everyone staying at the villa. Where has Jack gone and who in the villa can be really trusted?

Wow this was good, definitely a page turner and I struggled to put it down. I loved the descriptions of the Amalfi coast, and the details were so good I could almost smell the flowers that the author was talking about, it sounded idyllic! I really enjoyed hearing from each character involved in the story line, I didn’t like any of them at all but of course that was the idea as almost all of them had dark hidden depths and were not nice people, nicely done Amanda Robson! I found it very interesting near the end how the Italian justice system is so different to the UK one and I liked the detail. The end was just shocking and left my mouth gaping, clever how things were neatly tied up but shocking all the same. The only tiny issue I had was that at times it was confusing to know which characters point of view I was reading as there was the occasional problem with the heading on who I was reading about, but I soon figured it out and it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book at all. This could even have been something to do the fact that it was an ARC I was reading.

Overall, a gripping page turner of a psychological thriller and I definitely would recommend it. Thank you, Amanda Robson, it was a fun ride!

Thank you to NetGalley, Amanda Robson and Avon Publishing for my advanced reading copy. Out now.

[Kirsty (BookBlogger) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Party Guest by Amanda Robson

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books and I am leaving this review voluntarily

A birthday to remember. But would they rather forget…?

Ralph is turning 45, and the only gift he wants this year is his ex-wife.
Gemma, his trophy girlfriend, is trying to ignore this.
Sarah, the ex-wife, has agreed to attend Ralph’s birthday party, but with her new man in tow.
And Jack, Sarah’s partner, is keen to accompany Sarah to keep an eye on the proceedings.

It’s a birthday trip like no other. The whole extended family in a villa on the beautiful Amalfi coast. But under the politely strained surface, every party guest harbours their own agenda.

By the end of the trip, two people will be dead. But while Ralph unwraps his presents, will anybody be able to unwrap the truth…?

Do you ever get to the end of a book and wonder what you have just read? This was the case for me with this book - unfortunately I really couldn't connect with the writing style and this really spoilt my enjoyment. Within the first 10% I knew that this wasn't the book for me but kept reading on the hope that the writing would just click. Worryingly this was my first book by Amanda Robson and I'm not sure if this has put me off reading anything further by Robson.

Rating 2/5

[Mae Clair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This family drama will keep you flipping pages. Ralph invites his two children and ex-wife, Sarah, to sun-soaked Italy to help him celebrate his 45th birthday. Still hopelessly in love with Sarah, he is crushed when she brings her boyfriend, Jack, along. To compensate, Ralph invites his much younger, on-again/off again, girlfriend, Gemma. Son, Patrick, lets girlfriend Anna tag along.

Once everyone arrives at the villa they will be sharing for two weeks, the fireworks begin, starting with Sarah announcing she and Jack are engaged and will soon be married. What ensues is a lot of anger feelings of betrayal, backstabbing, plotting, and ultimately a few deaths. Although the author plants a few red herrings, the ending didn't come as a shock to me. I guess I was hoping for a big twists. Still, the soap opera gloss, short chapters and multiple POVs kept things interesting. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for review purposes.

[Seb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a typical 'destination', multiple POV thriller, which are two things I look for in a book.

Overall, I enjoyed the storyline - Ralph celebrates his 45th birthday in Italy (on the Amalfi Coast, I think), the place where he honeymooned with his now ex-wife, Sarah. He invites his two children, his son's girlfriend and his ex-wife, who announces that she will bring her long-term partner (whose name I can't remember). Ralph decides to invite his 'casual' girlfriend, Gemma, in retaliation. Before the holiday, Ralph plans to woo Sarah and salvage the defunct relationship. He professes his love to her in front of the family (is that right? he does something like that), which places Sarah in an uncomfortable position. But during the holiday, Sarah announces that she is going to marry her new partner, while Ralph recoils at this unsettling news. (Or does Ralph expose Sarah's plans to marry her new partner? I honestly can't remember). Anyway, Ralph becomes deeply jealous and the next day we learn of 'The Party Guest's disappearance. Have I just given away the plot?

The multiple POVs are interesting, maybe not all of them are necessary (Patrick, the son and his girlfriend, Anna). And I got confused as to who the 'you' was in the opening few chapters. I assume each character was referring to 'The Party Guest', but I could have sworn that it was interchangeable with other characters.

Overall, though, an enjoyable read.

[Iphigenia]

Beautiful cover and I love a vacation-gone-wrong story. This one didn't really work for me though. The premise was ridiculous. A 45-year-old man named Ralph decides to celebrate his birthday with a stay at a luxury Amalfi Coast villa. He invites his gold-digger girlfriend Gemma, his 17-year-old daughter Janice, his 20-year-old son Patrick, Patrick's girlfriend Anna, Ralph's ex-wife Sarah, and Jack, the guy Sarah left her husband and kids to be with. In what universe?!? Anyhow, the story alternates between their different perspectives and it's very confusing trying to figure out who is currently telling the story. The characters don't really behave in realistic ways.

[Goldie Fishbaum · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing is horrible. Usually a thriller will suck me in right away but the way this was written was absolutely horrendous. Making it, it actually struggling to make it to chapter 3 was a challenge.

[Brooklyn E · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ended up skipping through most of the last few chapters. Fairly predictable and just weirdly written. The mixture of modern (swearing, general conversation seemed to be set now) then traditional language (calling the parents mother/father) was strange. It just didn’t flow. Glad that’s over.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspenseful