A couple of years ago, Emma Rous’s debut novel, The Au Pair, was my first read of 2019. I thought it was a wonderful novel and showed such promise for a new writer. It was a five star book for me and I couldn’t wait to see what she came up with for her next book!
Well this is the next book, The Perfect Guests. It is out now and early reviewers are enjoying this one just as much as the first book! The Perfect Guests promises twists, thrills, Gothic atmosphere, and family secrets. I can hardly wait to read this one. Not only is Rous a marvelous writer but you all know how much I love Gothic novels!
So this one is at the top of my TBR as well. While I couldn’t ft it on my January review calendar, I will certainly have a review up and coming later this winter/early spring! But for now, you can pick up a copy fo yourself and dive into this moody, atmospheric, and thrilling novel now!
Summary
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. (summary from Goodreads)
The Lit Bitch 