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The Hotel Guest
"Their fate was her fate, their future, her future…"
Kit's summer position at the Abbaye de Saint Maurice, an upscale hotel in the French Alps, was meant to be a new start. But after she became entangled with a mysterious group of guests, the estate came to hold her darkest secret, and she had no choice but to flee.
A decade later, Kit receives an invitation to return to the hotel for the first time since she left. But who is calling her back? And why, when they had all promised to stay away?
Despite unanswered questions, Kit can't resist the pull of the Abbaye and the chance to finally find closure. But upon arrival, she learns that JP, her former lover, is writing a book that could expose the group's shared secret, and the others need her help to stop him.
How far will they go to protect themselves? And will Kit be able to betray the man she once loved for the good of the rest? When new details surface about that summer, Kit is forced to question the story she's told herself all these years about its disturbing ending, and she'll have to race to uncover the truth before everything comes crashing down…
Kit's summer position at the Abbaye de Saint Maurice, an upscale hotel in the French Alps, was meant to be a new start. But after she became entangled with a mysterious group of guests, the estate came to hold her darkest secret, and she had no choice but to flee.
A decade later, Kit receives an invitation to return to the hotel for the first time since she left. But who is calling her back? And why, when they had all promised to stay away?
Despite unanswered questions, Kit can't resist the pull of the Abbaye and the chance to finally find closure. But upon arrival, she learns that JP, her former lover, is writing a book that could expose the group's shared secret, and the others need her help to stop him.
How far will they go to protect themselves? And will Kit be able to betray the man she once loved for the good of the rest? When new details surface about that summer, Kit is forced to question the story she's told herself all these years about its disturbing ending, and she'll have to race to uncover the truth before everything comes crashing down…
320 pages, Hardcover
Published April 28, 2026
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March 4, 2026
I went into The Hotel Guest with fairly high expectations, and while I didn’t dislike it, the experience ended up feeling just average overall.
One of my biggest struggles was keeping track of the Olympians. Many of them felt too similar in both personality and role, which pulled me out of the story more than once. I often had to stop and remind myself who was who — what they looked like, how they behaved, and how they were connected to one another. This was especially true for JP and Louis. Both are wealthy, both have interactions with the main character that feel driven by similar motivations, and because of that, their presence blurred together rather than standing out as distinct individuals.
I also had a hard time connecting with Kit as a protagonist. She’s written as mysterious, but for me, that mystery never quite turned into intrigue. Instead of making me desperate to uncover her past or understand her choices, it left me feeling somewhat detached. I didn’t feel emotionally invested in her journey in the way I usually hope to be with a central character.
In terms of pacing, the story felt drawn out. Much of the book moved slowly, with tension that never fully built, and then nearly all of the action was packed into the final portion. Even then, the climax didn’t quite deliver the payoff I was expecting. Rather than feeling shocking or thrilling, it felt more like a relief that something was finally happening.
Overall, The Hotel Guest isn’t a bad book, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. It has an interesting premise and moments of potential, but the character development and pacing kept it from being truly engaging. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy slow-burn mysteries and don’t mind subtle differences between characters.
One of my biggest struggles was keeping track of the Olympians. Many of them felt too similar in both personality and role, which pulled me out of the story more than once. I often had to stop and remind myself who was who — what they looked like, how they behaved, and how they were connected to one another. This was especially true for JP and Louis. Both are wealthy, both have interactions with the main character that feel driven by similar motivations, and because of that, their presence blurred together rather than standing out as distinct individuals.
I also had a hard time connecting with Kit as a protagonist. She’s written as mysterious, but for me, that mystery never quite turned into intrigue. Instead of making me desperate to uncover her past or understand her choices, it left me feeling somewhat detached. I didn’t feel emotionally invested in her journey in the way I usually hope to be with a central character.
In terms of pacing, the story felt drawn out. Much of the book moved slowly, with tension that never fully built, and then nearly all of the action was packed into the final portion. Even then, the climax didn’t quite deliver the payoff I was expecting. Rather than feeling shocking or thrilling, it felt more like a relief that something was finally happening.
Overall, The Hotel Guest isn’t a bad book, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. It has an interesting premise and moments of potential, but the character development and pacing kept it from being truly engaging. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy slow-burn mysteries and don’t mind subtle differences between characters.
May 11, 2026
twist on twist on twist
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rosemary Hennigan’s The Hotel Guest said “let’s romanticize a luxury hotel in the French Alps” and then immediately followed it up with “also… everyone here is lying, no one is innocent, and you might not survive the truth,” and honestly? I was hooked from page one.
Published by Harlequin Audio—huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted ALC/ARC because clearly I enjoy a little psychological chaos with my reading life.
This is the kind of slow-burn, simmering suspense that doesn’t come at you loud—it creeps in, settles under your skin, and then quietly starts making you question everything. We follow Kit, who returns to the Abbaye de Saint Maurice ten years after a summer that changed her life in ways she’s clearly still trying to outrun. What was supposed to be a fresh start back then turned into something darker when she became entangled with a group of wealthy, magnetic, and deeply complicated guests known as the Olympians—Louis, JP, Angelica, Iris, and Gia.
And let’s be clear… this is not a “found family” situation. This is a “we trauma-bonded over something we absolutely should not have done” situation.
The dual timeline works beautifully here, peeling back the past while the present slowly tightens like a noose. You’re constantly toggling between what happened then and what’s being revealed now, and the deeper you go, the more you realize memory is… flexible. Kit is such an interesting character because she doesn’t hand herself over to you easily. She’s observant, guarded, and just unreliable enough that you’re never fully sure if you should trust her—or if she even trusts herself.
“Their fate was her fate, their future, her future…”
That line? It’s the heartbeat of this entire story. The way identity, guilt, and influence blur together here is honestly unsettling in the best way.
The atmosphere is doing a lot of heavy lifting—and I mean that as the highest compliment. The French Alps setting is stunning, almost too beautiful, which makes the underlying tension feel even sharper. It’s that classic “gorgeous on the outside, something’s rotting underneath” energy, and it works. You can feel the isolation, the privilege, the quiet danger of being pulled into a world that isn’t really yours… but is way too seductive to walk away from.
And the tension? It builds slowly. This isn’t a rapid-fire twist machine—it’s more thoughtful, a little philosophical at times, but always purposeful. You’re not just asking “what happened?”—you’re asking “who are these people, really?” and “what would I have done in that situation?” which is honestly more unsettling.
The audio narration by Roisin Rankin absolutely elevated the experience for me. She didn’t just narrate Kit—she embodied her. There’s a restraint and quiet intensity to the performance that makes everything feel more intimate, like you’re being let in on secrets that were never meant to be spoken out loud. It adds this extra layer of immersion that just pulls you deeper into the story.
If you’re someone who loves morally gray characters, messy, complicated friendships, and that creeping sense of unease where no one is fully innocent and everyone has something to hide—this is your book. If you need constant action and explosive twists, this might feel slower, but if you appreciate a story that lingers and makes you think? This one delivers.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And now I need to know… if you got the invitation to return to a place tied to your darkest secret—are you going back for closure… or are you blocking that number and pretending it never existed? 👀
#TheHotelGuest #RosemaryHennigan #ThrillerThursday #PsychologicalThriller #AudiobookReview #AudiobookLover #ALC #ARCReader #NetGalleyReads #Bookstagram #BookReview #MysteryReads #SuspenseReads #SlowBurnThriller #CurrentlyReading #ReadersOfInstagram #BooksAndCoffee #CozyChaos #BookishLife #DarkAcademiaVibes
Published by Harlequin Audio—huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted ALC/ARC because clearly I enjoy a little psychological chaos with my reading life.
This is the kind of slow-burn, simmering suspense that doesn’t come at you loud—it creeps in, settles under your skin, and then quietly starts making you question everything. We follow Kit, who returns to the Abbaye de Saint Maurice ten years after a summer that changed her life in ways she’s clearly still trying to outrun. What was supposed to be a fresh start back then turned into something darker when she became entangled with a group of wealthy, magnetic, and deeply complicated guests known as the Olympians—Louis, JP, Angelica, Iris, and Gia.
And let’s be clear… this is not a “found family” situation. This is a “we trauma-bonded over something we absolutely should not have done” situation.
The dual timeline works beautifully here, peeling back the past while the present slowly tightens like a noose. You’re constantly toggling between what happened then and what’s being revealed now, and the deeper you go, the more you realize memory is… flexible. Kit is such an interesting character because she doesn’t hand herself over to you easily. She’s observant, guarded, and just unreliable enough that you’re never fully sure if you should trust her—or if she even trusts herself.
“Their fate was her fate, their future, her future…”
That line? It’s the heartbeat of this entire story. The way identity, guilt, and influence blur together here is honestly unsettling in the best way.
The atmosphere is doing a lot of heavy lifting—and I mean that as the highest compliment. The French Alps setting is stunning, almost too beautiful, which makes the underlying tension feel even sharper. It’s that classic “gorgeous on the outside, something’s rotting underneath” energy, and it works. You can feel the isolation, the privilege, the quiet danger of being pulled into a world that isn’t really yours… but is way too seductive to walk away from.
And the tension? It builds slowly. This isn’t a rapid-fire twist machine—it’s more thoughtful, a little philosophical at times, but always purposeful. You’re not just asking “what happened?”—you’re asking “who are these people, really?” and “what would I have done in that situation?” which is honestly more unsettling.
The audio narration by Roisin Rankin absolutely elevated the experience for me. She didn’t just narrate Kit—she embodied her. There’s a restraint and quiet intensity to the performance that makes everything feel more intimate, like you’re being let in on secrets that were never meant to be spoken out loud. It adds this extra layer of immersion that just pulls you deeper into the story.
If you’re someone who loves morally gray characters, messy, complicated friendships, and that creeping sense of unease where no one is fully innocent and everyone has something to hide—this is your book. If you need constant action and explosive twists, this might feel slower, but if you appreciate a story that lingers and makes you think? This one delivers.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And now I need to know… if you got the invitation to return to a place tied to your darkest secret—are you going back for closure… or are you blocking that number and pretending it never existed? 👀
#TheHotelGuest #RosemaryHennigan #ThrillerThursday #PsychologicalThriller #AudiobookReview #AudiobookLover #ALC #ARCReader #NetGalleyReads #Bookstagram #BookReview #MysteryReads #SuspenseReads #SlowBurnThriller #CurrentlyReading #ReadersOfInstagram #BooksAndCoffee #CozyChaos #BookishLife #DarkAcademiaVibes
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The Hotel Guest by Rosemary Hennigan publishes April 30th with Hachette Ireland and is described as ‘a seductive, slow-burn thriller where privilege, obsession and buried secrets collide.’
Kit arrived to the Abbaye de Saint Maurice Hotel seeking escape from the chaos of her life. Growing up with a father who skirted society, Kit’s whole life had been frenetic, always on the move, always unsure of where she would lay her head for any extended period of time. When she saw a position become available in this converted abbey located in a picturesque French lakeside village, she jumped at the opportunity. Kit was hoping to salvage some part of her life and fill it with the peace and solace that she craved.
Working at the hotel was challenging, with the constant demands of the guests and the perfection demanded by her manager, but Kit loved it there. When she crossed paths with a group of young intellectuals, Kit initially was reticent of spending any time in their company. She was aware that her education hadn’t provided her with the same level of knowledge to allow her participate in their debates and discussions but, inexplicably, she was drawn to them. Self-labelled ‘The Olympians’, they were the wealthy offspring of well-connected families, living life far-removed from Kit’s personal experiences to date. She was slow to socialise with them but the desire to be liked, to be accepted, was strong and Kit soon found herself falling in with their social activities outside of her busy working days. Kit loved the sense of belonging, enjoying the camaraderie that this elite group unexpectedly offered her. But one night it all ended in a tragedy when a shocking incident occurred, leaving all of the group horrified but bound in secrecy forever.
They left the Abbaye with a promise that the truth would remain permanently buried but now, ten years later, Kit is back after receiving an unexpected invitation. One of The Olympians has called them all together as he has written a book revealing the truth. With slow-mounting horror they all realise that his intended exposé will destroy them all. Kit finds herself in a very tense and fragile situation as the pressure to act mounts. She slowly recalls the past but have the years altered the truth?
Kit is an unusual individual with a very sketchy backstory. At times you will have empathy for her and other times, you will wonder who she really is. Kit is a person of extremes, with a personality that craves belonging but also relishes privacy and solitude. She has a dark side but how far is she prepared to go when the walls start to cave in? I would have liked if Kit’s personal history was delved into a little more. I never quite got a true sense of who she was, or who any of them really were bar being a bunch of pretentious and unlikeable individuals. The conclusion felt too tidy, a little hasty perhaps, but probably fitting for the novel as a whole.
The stunning imagery of the lakeside French retreat is wonderfully depicted and is in dark contrast to the jealousy and selfishness that permeates the novel. Highlighting themes of toxic relationships, class and entitlement, The Hotel Guest is an atmospheric tale of obsession, greed, privilege and desire.
Kit arrived to the Abbaye de Saint Maurice Hotel seeking escape from the chaos of her life. Growing up with a father who skirted society, Kit’s whole life had been frenetic, always on the move, always unsure of where she would lay her head for any extended period of time. When she saw a position become available in this converted abbey located in a picturesque French lakeside village, she jumped at the opportunity. Kit was hoping to salvage some part of her life and fill it with the peace and solace that she craved.
Working at the hotel was challenging, with the constant demands of the guests and the perfection demanded by her manager, but Kit loved it there. When she crossed paths with a group of young intellectuals, Kit initially was reticent of spending any time in their company. She was aware that her education hadn’t provided her with the same level of knowledge to allow her participate in their debates and discussions but, inexplicably, she was drawn to them. Self-labelled ‘The Olympians’, they were the wealthy offspring of well-connected families, living life far-removed from Kit’s personal experiences to date. She was slow to socialise with them but the desire to be liked, to be accepted, was strong and Kit soon found herself falling in with their social activities outside of her busy working days. Kit loved the sense of belonging, enjoying the camaraderie that this elite group unexpectedly offered her. But one night it all ended in a tragedy when a shocking incident occurred, leaving all of the group horrified but bound in secrecy forever.
They left the Abbaye with a promise that the truth would remain permanently buried but now, ten years later, Kit is back after receiving an unexpected invitation. One of The Olympians has called them all together as he has written a book revealing the truth. With slow-mounting horror they all realise that his intended exposé will destroy them all. Kit finds herself in a very tense and fragile situation as the pressure to act mounts. She slowly recalls the past but have the years altered the truth?
Kit is an unusual individual with a very sketchy backstory. At times you will have empathy for her and other times, you will wonder who she really is. Kit is a person of extremes, with a personality that craves belonging but also relishes privacy and solitude. She has a dark side but how far is she prepared to go when the walls start to cave in? I would have liked if Kit’s personal history was delved into a little more. I never quite got a true sense of who she was, or who any of them really were bar being a bunch of pretentious and unlikeable individuals. The conclusion felt too tidy, a little hasty perhaps, but probably fitting for the novel as a whole.
The stunning imagery of the lakeside French retreat is wonderfully depicted and is in dark contrast to the jealousy and selfishness that permeates the novel. Highlighting themes of toxic relationships, class and entitlement, The Hotel Guest is an atmospheric tale of obsession, greed, privilege and desire.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Title: The Hotel Guest
Author: Rosemary Hennigan
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Roisin Rankin
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Genre: Mystery
Pub Date: April 28, 2026
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 320
Story is told ~ Now and Then- Ten years ago.
Now: Story starts when Kit gets an invitation to returning to the luxury hotel, Abbaye de Saint Maurice in the French Alps. She worked there as a waitress ten years ago but departed when she became involved with guests who were wealthy as well as mysterious. A situation happened and she had no choice but to leave.
But who is calling her back? They had all promised to stay away.
Then-Ten years ago: Kit a student in France is working as a waitress for the summer. There are five guests known as the ‘Olympians’: Louis, JP, Angelica, Iris, and Gia, who are approximately her age and befriend her. Kit is flattered that they had taken an interest in her.
Present Day: Turns out that one of the members of the group had sent a message to reunite, wants to write a book that could reveal past secret and solve the death of one of them!
As we get to know the characters, it becomes confusing as who to trust. Iris seems angry as well as a ‘not so nice person’. JP on the on hand seems too nice and someone NOT to trust.
I especially liked the narrator Roisin Rankin. She did a great job performing all the characters but to be she was Kit - and I liked her!
Story kept me curious – must admit it was a slow-building suspense and got a bit philosophic. I was curious about the author’s background, so I looked up her bio.
ROSEMARY HENNIGAN studied Law at Trinity College Dublin and practiced as a solicitor for several years before completing a Master's in Law at the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked in advocacy for a number of human rights focused NGOs (a nonprofit organization that operates independently of any government, typically one whose purpose is to address a social or political issue). Ms. Hennigan lives in Dublin with her husband and a lot of books.
I want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 28, 2026.
Author: Rosemary Hennigan
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Roisin Rankin
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Genre: Mystery
Pub Date: April 28, 2026
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 320
Story is told ~ Now and Then- Ten years ago.
Now: Story starts when Kit gets an invitation to returning to the luxury hotel, Abbaye de Saint Maurice in the French Alps. She worked there as a waitress ten years ago but departed when she became involved with guests who were wealthy as well as mysterious. A situation happened and she had no choice but to leave.
But who is calling her back? They had all promised to stay away.
Then-Ten years ago: Kit a student in France is working as a waitress for the summer. There are five guests known as the ‘Olympians’: Louis, JP, Angelica, Iris, and Gia, who are approximately her age and befriend her. Kit is flattered that they had taken an interest in her.
Present Day: Turns out that one of the members of the group had sent a message to reunite, wants to write a book that could reveal past secret and solve the death of one of them!
As we get to know the characters, it becomes confusing as who to trust. Iris seems angry as well as a ‘not so nice person’. JP on the on hand seems too nice and someone NOT to trust.
I especially liked the narrator Roisin Rankin. She did a great job performing all the characters but to be she was Kit - and I liked her!
Story kept me curious – must admit it was a slow-building suspense and got a bit philosophic. I was curious about the author’s background, so I looked up her bio.
ROSEMARY HENNIGAN studied Law at Trinity College Dublin and practiced as a solicitor for several years before completing a Master's in Law at the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked in advocacy for a number of human rights focused NGOs (a nonprofit organization that operates independently of any government, typically one whose purpose is to address a social or political issue). Ms. Hennigan lives in Dublin with her husband and a lot of books.
I want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 28, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC received in exchange for honest review.
I wanted to like this book. The author’s descriptive writing is strong: the hotel and its surroundings are described with vivid imagery that immediately draws the reader in, and the fast-paced plot kept me engaged to the very end.
That said, there was a great deal I struggled with. One among these issues was the reliance on familiar and overused tropes—most notably, the “working- or lower-middle-class girl is barely accepted into (yet remains obsessed with and deferential toward) a group of reckless rich kids.” Another is the “rich boy who treats the working-class girl as a mildly interesting project while she hangs onto his every word,” as well as the broader trope of “rich kids doing strange and awful things simply because they can.” Each of these felt tired and repetitive, and rather than deepening the story, they consistently pulled me out of it.
Another was the extensive philosophical theorizing by the so-called “Olympians.” The repeated discussions about “living interestingly,” along with debates about existentialism, free will, and choice, came across as both pretentious and unnecessary to the movement of the plot. Instead of adding depth, these moments felt distracting.
I also felt the protagonist was subjected to unnecessary trauma, particularly in relation to the event she experienced at the age of ten or eleven. Given the current state of the world, encountering yet another fictionalized portrayal of this very real and devastating experience—one that real children have endured at the hands of rich and awful people—was unsettling. If I read another account of this horrific experience framed as narrative texture or character development, I may scream.
However, the fact that this book provoked such strong reactions—so many thoughts, emotions, and points of resistance—speaks to the author’s skill. The writing is vivid enough that the average reader is likely to react and feel deeply. In that sense, the book may succeed in doing exactly what the author intended.
I wanted to like this book. The author’s descriptive writing is strong: the hotel and its surroundings are described with vivid imagery that immediately draws the reader in, and the fast-paced plot kept me engaged to the very end.
That said, there was a great deal I struggled with. One among these issues was the reliance on familiar and overused tropes—most notably, the “working- or lower-middle-class girl is barely accepted into (yet remains obsessed with and deferential toward) a group of reckless rich kids.” Another is the “rich boy who treats the working-class girl as a mildly interesting project while she hangs onto his every word,” as well as the broader trope of “rich kids doing strange and awful things simply because they can.” Each of these felt tired and repetitive, and rather than deepening the story, they consistently pulled me out of it.
Another was the extensive philosophical theorizing by the so-called “Olympians.” The repeated discussions about “living interestingly,” along with debates about existentialism, free will, and choice, came across as both pretentious and unnecessary to the movement of the plot. Instead of adding depth, these moments felt distracting.
I also felt the protagonist was subjected to unnecessary trauma, particularly in relation to the event she experienced at the age of ten or eleven. Given the current state of the world, encountering yet another fictionalized portrayal of this very real and devastating experience—one that real children have endured at the hands of rich and awful people—was unsettling. If I read another account of this horrific experience framed as narrative texture or character development, I may scream.
However, the fact that this book provoked such strong reactions—so many thoughts, emotions, and points of resistance—speaks to the author’s skill. The writing is vivid enough that the average reader is likely to react and feel deeply. In that sense, the book may succeed in doing exactly what the author intended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Book Review - The Hotel Guest by Rosemary Hennigan ⭐⭐⭐
PUB DATE: April 28, 2026
Synopsis: This eerie, atmospheric mystery/thriller takes place at a hotel in the French Alps where a group of former acquaintances have been summoned to reunite ten years after spending a summer together that ended with a tragic event they have not spoken of since. The events of the past and present are revealed through FMC Kit, a young member of the hotel’s waitstaff that is already running and hiding from a traumatic past. Kit ends up forming a “friendship” with a privileged group staying at the hotel for the summer. Little does she know that this choice in friends will only extend her life on the run.
My Thoughts: I love the mysterious, lakeside European setting in a hotel known for its opulence and upper class clientele. It felt luxurious and foreboding at the same time.
The mystery of Kit’s past, the events of the night that the group swore to bury, and the reason that they were mysteriously summoned back to this hotel tens years later unfold slowly. For me, the question surrounding these three things I just mentioned unfolded too slowly. While the plot held my attention, I felt no sense of urgency to keep turning the pages, something I enjoy when I am reading a mystery/thriller. Also, I felt no connection to any of the characters, nor did I care what happened to any of them. I found them all to be self-centered and unlikable. The last 70 pages of this 320 page book grabbed my attention and had me racing to the end. I just wish I had felt a little more of that need earlier in the story. The conclusion is satisfying in that it ties up all the loose ends, but because I was not rooting for any of the characters or worried for their fate, I didn’t have strong feelings about the ending overall.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the digital copy of The Hotel Guest by Rosemary Hennigan.
PUB DATE: April 28, 2026
Synopsis: This eerie, atmospheric mystery/thriller takes place at a hotel in the French Alps where a group of former acquaintances have been summoned to reunite ten years after spending a summer together that ended with a tragic event they have not spoken of since. The events of the past and present are revealed through FMC Kit, a young member of the hotel’s waitstaff that is already running and hiding from a traumatic past. Kit ends up forming a “friendship” with a privileged group staying at the hotel for the summer. Little does she know that this choice in friends will only extend her life on the run.
My Thoughts: I love the mysterious, lakeside European setting in a hotel known for its opulence and upper class clientele. It felt luxurious and foreboding at the same time.
The mystery of Kit’s past, the events of the night that the group swore to bury, and the reason that they were mysteriously summoned back to this hotel tens years later unfold slowly. For me, the question surrounding these three things I just mentioned unfolded too slowly. While the plot held my attention, I felt no sense of urgency to keep turning the pages, something I enjoy when I am reading a mystery/thriller. Also, I felt no connection to any of the characters, nor did I care what happened to any of them. I found them all to be self-centered and unlikable. The last 70 pages of this 320 page book grabbed my attention and had me racing to the end. I just wish I had felt a little more of that need earlier in the story. The conclusion is satisfying in that it ties up all the loose ends, but because I was not rooting for any of the characters or worried for their fate, I didn’t have strong feelings about the ending overall.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the digital copy of The Hotel Guest by Rosemary Hennigan.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Rosemary Henningan, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
This was my first read by this author, and while I would still pick up another one, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. I just think the story didn’t deliver on its potential, and here is why.
Rosemary’s descriptive writing is great. The imagery we are given of the French hotel creates a stunning backdrop for this story. This was done really well, which made the book start off strong for me. I really appreciate an author who can weave words to immerse me in their world. I saw some other reviews that were mixed on whether this was a slow-burning mystery or a fast-paced plot, and while I can see arguments for both, I think it is fairly subjective as to what the reader considers fast or slow. To me, this is more of a slow-burn. If I don’t get whiplash from the plot twists and have to pause and collect my thoughts, I don’t really consider it fast-paced. BUT, that is just for me, so take that for what you will.
The character development is where this story fell flat for me, mostly. The MC Kit needed a bit of a deeper dive into who she was as a character for me to feel any real kind of connection with her or really be invested in her story. The Olympians, eh, at the end of the day, they were just a group of pretentious rich kids. I think there was some intent for them to be individuals, but they really just kind of ran together, and many times I had to stop and remind myself which one we were talking about.
The end of the story did pick up, but it felt a bit rushed in the wrap-up, and because of that just didn’t quite hit the mark overall. Again, the book is fine the way it is; it wasn’t bad by any means, and nothing about it would keep me from picking up more work by this author.
This was my first read by this author, and while I would still pick up another one, this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. I just think the story didn’t deliver on its potential, and here is why.
Rosemary’s descriptive writing is great. The imagery we are given of the French hotel creates a stunning backdrop for this story. This was done really well, which made the book start off strong for me. I really appreciate an author who can weave words to immerse me in their world. I saw some other reviews that were mixed on whether this was a slow-burning mystery or a fast-paced plot, and while I can see arguments for both, I think it is fairly subjective as to what the reader considers fast or slow. To me, this is more of a slow-burn. If I don’t get whiplash from the plot twists and have to pause and collect my thoughts, I don’t really consider it fast-paced. BUT, that is just for me, so take that for what you will.
The character development is where this story fell flat for me, mostly. The MC Kit needed a bit of a deeper dive into who she was as a character for me to feel any real kind of connection with her or really be invested in her story. The Olympians, eh, at the end of the day, they were just a group of pretentious rich kids. I think there was some intent for them to be individuals, but they really just kind of ran together, and many times I had to stop and remind myself which one we were talking about.
The end of the story did pick up, but it felt a bit rushed in the wrap-up, and because of that just didn’t quite hit the mark overall. Again, the book is fine the way it is; it wasn’t bad by any means, and nothing about it would keep me from picking up more work by this author.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I ended up loving this story. The story did start out slow but at some point I became really intrigued by the story. Kit is on the run from her past. There are clues revealed a little at a time about the history of her father, her family and her love interest Henry. Bad things happen and she ends up fleeing her past and taking a summer job at a resort hotel far from home. At the resort, she meets a group of friends. She is attracted to this group especially JP whom she starts to fall for. She just doesn't realize that these people have problems of their own, jealousies, shifting loyalties, entitlement and competitiveness. She doesn't realize that she's just a tool for their manipulations. She wants so hard to fit in somewhere and she's willing to do certain things to fit in. A death of one of the friend's occurs, everyone goes their separate ways agreeing to lay low and not discuss what happened. Ten years later, Kit is invited back to the hotel resort by JP, who is writing a book confessing to their part in the friend's death. Everyone is on edge because no one wants to go to prison or be scrutinized harshly for what happened. There is more that goes on. This is not a fast paced thriller, this is more of a complex story about personalities and what people will do to each other, but I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns and the great storytelling. I thought the story was well thought out and written. This story has something more than just entertainment value. I really understand how Kit got sucked into her situation and how she always felt like an outcast. Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing and Park Row for the complimentary copy of the story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Hotel Guest by Rosemary Henningan
The Hotel Guest by Rosemary Henningan is a destination thriller set in a remote hotel beside a lake in the French Alps.
In the past, Kit Costigan is desperate for a fresh start and to get away from her family and ex-boyfriend in Ireland, so when she finds a job as a waitress at a remote, mysterious abbey-turned-turned hotel, she thinks this will be the perfect summer escape. During the present day, readers also find out that Kit has been lying low, living anonymously in London, when she receives a mysterious invitation to return to the Abbaye. I felt Kit was well-developed as a character; I understood her motivations and the dual-timeline fully developed her character, while leaving room for suspense as well.
The Past
When Kit first arrived in France, she was drawn into the inner circle of the hotel owner’s son, Louis, and his reclusive, intellectual group of friends, a group of philosophers called the Olympians (charming JP, fragile Gaia, and ambitious Iris). While she is a waitress and they are upper-class post-doc scholars, they still become friends. The Olympians are all about free will and trying to live out their unique moral codes, while also arguing all of the time. To Kit, they seem a bit strange, ambitious, and weirdly entangled, with dramatic relationships, but overall, intriguing and irresistible.
At times, this group was giving Secret History vibes. Kit had vowed to steer clear of relationships, based on her past trauma and secrets, but she was lonely and desperate for friendship, so the obsessive group of friends drew her in.
The Present
The suspense is heightened as the novel moves through a dual-timeline narrative. Readers understand that one of the groups’ members went missing all those summers ago, and someone else has called them all together for a reunion during a prestigious Philosophy Conference at the Abbaye. When their secret is threatened to be revealed by one of the group, Kit has to decide what to do next.
Love Triangle…or Square?
The book flashes back to Kit falling in love with JP, who was in a love triangle with Iris and previously… yet one of the women is not ready to forgive and forget. As Gaia starts to act more erratic, the friends worry about what will happen to her, and JP and Kit are forced to hide their relationship. When they meet up again years later, no one can ignore their shared history.
Who has changed the most? Who would risk it all for their ambition? And who is threatening to tell their long-lost secrets?
The Setting
If you know me, you know I LOVE a destination thriller. The novel’s setting is Abbaye de Saint Maurice, a lakeside luxury hotel in the French Alps, near the Swiss border.
In The Hotel Guest, I loved the atmospheric setting. I could picture every detail, from the views of lake to the arduous nearby hiking trails! The isolation of everyone living by the lake, at the hotel and nearby mansion, added a layer of claustrophobia and surreality to the decisions that characters made.
Destination thriller fans who enjoy books by Andrea Bartz, Lucy Clarke, and Helen Cooper will love The Hotel Guest.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Hotel Guest by Rosemary Henningan is a destination thriller set in a remote hotel beside a lake in the French Alps.
In the past, Kit Costigan is desperate for a fresh start and to get away from her family and ex-boyfriend in Ireland, so when she finds a job as a waitress at a remote, mysterious abbey-turned-turned hotel, she thinks this will be the perfect summer escape. During the present day, readers also find out that Kit has been lying low, living anonymously in London, when she receives a mysterious invitation to return to the Abbaye. I felt Kit was well-developed as a character; I understood her motivations and the dual-timeline fully developed her character, while leaving room for suspense as well.
The Past
When Kit first arrived in France, she was drawn into the inner circle of the hotel owner’s son, Louis, and his reclusive, intellectual group of friends, a group of philosophers called the Olympians (charming JP, fragile Gaia, and ambitious Iris). While she is a waitress and they are upper-class post-doc scholars, they still become friends. The Olympians are all about free will and trying to live out their unique moral codes, while also arguing all of the time. To Kit, they seem a bit strange, ambitious, and weirdly entangled, with dramatic relationships, but overall, intriguing and irresistible.
At times, this group was giving Secret History vibes. Kit had vowed to steer clear of relationships, based on her past trauma and secrets, but she was lonely and desperate for friendship, so the obsessive group of friends drew her in.
The Present
The suspense is heightened as the novel moves through a dual-timeline narrative. Readers understand that one of the groups’ members went missing all those summers ago, and someone else has called them all together for a reunion during a prestigious Philosophy Conference at the Abbaye. When their secret is threatened to be revealed by one of the group, Kit has to decide what to do next.
Love Triangle…or Square?
The book flashes back to Kit falling in love with JP, who was in a love triangle with Iris and previously… yet one of the women is not ready to forgive and forget. As Gaia starts to act more erratic, the friends worry about what will happen to her, and JP and Kit are forced to hide their relationship. When they meet up again years later, no one can ignore their shared history.
Who has changed the most? Who would risk it all for their ambition? And who is threatening to tell their long-lost secrets?
The Setting
If you know me, you know I LOVE a destination thriller. The novel’s setting is Abbaye de Saint Maurice, a lakeside luxury hotel in the French Alps, near the Swiss border.
In The Hotel Guest, I loved the atmospheric setting. I could picture every detail, from the views of lake to the arduous nearby hiking trails! The isolation of everyone living by the lake, at the hotel and nearby mansion, added a layer of claustrophobia and surreality to the decisions that characters made.
Destination thriller fans who enjoy books by Andrea Bartz, Lucy Clarke, and Helen Cooper will love The Hotel Guest.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This story is your classic dual timeline atmospheric dark academia suspense (whew!) where we follow Kit, a temp waitress at an upscale hotel in the French Alps and “the Olympians”, a reckless & privileged group of wealthy young academics who are staying there for the summer.
The group takes Kit into their exclusive “clique” … but things kind of go off the rails & now there is a big bad secret to keep. They have all sworn to never talk of that fateful night & go their separate ways … but now, ten years later, one of their own is threatening to expose the truth. A mysterious invitation arrives bringing them back to the place where it all started & to finally face the music once & for all.
Hmmm. Talk about a slow cooker of a story. This one be simmering in the crock pot all day long. I don’t mind that … if it comes out the other side juicy & delicious, but unfortunately for me, that just didn’t happen.
There was a lot of philosophy talk where my brain kind of glazed over (which I shouldn’t admit to because that probably tells on my intellectual status. LOL!) But because of those dull-ish sections, the pacing was thrown off for me.
The characters didn’t really capture me either … they were your basic run of the mill snobbish rich kids. And Kit was their play toy. They all do something bad. Shocker. The end.
At about 60% the story did pick up & I was mildly engaged to find out what the big bad secret was … but again, not anything really surprising came to light. I think that this one had the potential to be much more … the setting is on point & the plot has good bones … I just needed a bit more tension, a few twisty surprises & characters who made me love ‘em or hate ‘em!
Thank you to HTP Hive & Park Row for the gifted arc!
The group takes Kit into their exclusive “clique” … but things kind of go off the rails & now there is a big bad secret to keep. They have all sworn to never talk of that fateful night & go their separate ways … but now, ten years later, one of their own is threatening to expose the truth. A mysterious invitation arrives bringing them back to the place where it all started & to finally face the music once & for all.
Hmmm. Talk about a slow cooker of a story. This one be simmering in the crock pot all day long. I don’t mind that … if it comes out the other side juicy & delicious, but unfortunately for me, that just didn’t happen.
There was a lot of philosophy talk where my brain kind of glazed over (which I shouldn’t admit to because that probably tells on my intellectual status. LOL!) But because of those dull-ish sections, the pacing was thrown off for me.
The characters didn’t really capture me either … they were your basic run of the mill snobbish rich kids. And Kit was their play toy. They all do something bad. Shocker. The end.
At about 60% the story did pick up & I was mildly engaged to find out what the big bad secret was … but again, not anything really surprising came to light. I think that this one had the potential to be much more … the setting is on point & the plot has good bones … I just needed a bit more tension, a few twisty surprises & characters who made me love ‘em or hate ‘em!
Thank you to HTP Hive & Park Row for the gifted arc!
May 8, 2026
The Hotel Guest is a slow-burn psychological suspense that quietly pulled me the minute Kit arrived at the hotel and checked in. At this point, the book refused to let me go! The atmosphere is lush and unsettling. The French Alps setting feels almost dreamlike, but there’s an undercurrent of tension running through everything, like something is just slightly...off. That mood carries beautifully throughout the story and makes it hard to stop reading.
Kit is a fascinating, complex narrator—someone you don’t fully understand at first, but can’t look away from. Watching her unravel her past (and her own role in it) is both gripping and emotionally layered. The story moves between timelines seamlessly, gradually revealing pieces of a long-buried summer that clearly didn’t end well.
One of the standout elements is the group dynamic. The so‑called “Olympians” are magnetic in a slightly dangerous and intoxicating way—full of intellectual bravado, blurred boundaries, and subtle power plays. The exploration of friendship, belonging, and influence is incredibly well done, especially how easy it is to slip into something darker without realizing it.
This isn’t a fast-paced thriller; it’s more of a simmering, character-driven mystery. But if you enjoy that creeping sense of unease, morally gray characters, and secrets that unravel layer by layer, it absolutely delivers.
Overall, The Hotel Guest is atmospheric, thought-provoking, and quietly haunting—a story that lingers well after the final page. I enjoyed reading this book on my days off while the weather was rainy and chilly. I definitely recommend.
Kit is a fascinating, complex narrator—someone you don’t fully understand at first, but can’t look away from. Watching her unravel her past (and her own role in it) is both gripping and emotionally layered. The story moves between timelines seamlessly, gradually revealing pieces of a long-buried summer that clearly didn’t end well.
One of the standout elements is the group dynamic. The so‑called “Olympians” are magnetic in a slightly dangerous and intoxicating way—full of intellectual bravado, blurred boundaries, and subtle power plays. The exploration of friendship, belonging, and influence is incredibly well done, especially how easy it is to slip into something darker without realizing it.
This isn’t a fast-paced thriller; it’s more of a simmering, character-driven mystery. But if you enjoy that creeping sense of unease, morally gray characters, and secrets that unravel layer by layer, it absolutely delivers.
Overall, The Hotel Guest is atmospheric, thought-provoking, and quietly haunting—a story that lingers well after the final page. I enjoyed reading this book on my days off while the weather was rainy and chilly. I definitely recommend.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Kit accepts a summer job at a luxury resort in the French Alps. She gets a bit too friendly with a group of the privileged guests and something tragic happens. Everyone swears to never speak of this matter again. Anyone who is familiar with these sorts of stories knows how this will work out. The entire group is summoned back 10 years later to the same hotel. Kit returns, this time as a guest, because she still has regrets and hopes for closure. When she gets there, she learns that JP, who she had a summer crush on is writing a tell-all and she was invited to see if she could stop him, as a tell-all could ruin reputations or worse. But who summoned them? The story gets off to a bit of a slow start as all the characters are being introduced, but the setting and atmosphere are amazing, and I soon found myself wrapped up in the drama and the goings on between everyone as it all gets rehashed. Secrets, lies, toxic friends and murder abound. And interestingly the class differences come into play with the haves and the have nots. Kit was a good character. I wouldn't go as far as saying she was likeable, but none of them were really. I think that is usually the point in these sorts of stories, though. I definitely had fun reading this one and will absolutely read more from Rosemary Hennigan.
Thank you to Rosemary Hennigan, #NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of April 28,2026.
Thank you to Rosemary Hennigan, #NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of April 28,2026.
May 1, 2026
3.5 that I'm rounding up to a 4
The Hotel Guest is a mystery that takes place in two different time periods: the present, and 10 years in the past. In the past, Kit is a hotel waitress that gets involved with a friend group that all come from money and are basically her complete opposites. However, the more time she spends with them, the more she feels a sense of belonging. However, something happens back then that forces the group to go their separate ways, only to be reunited ten years later when they all get called back to the hotel.
Kit’s ex, JP, reveals that he’s writing a book about that summer and the big secret they’ve all been keeping for a decade. No one wants him to publish it, but his mind seems to be made up, and there’s no way to stop him, and to stop the truth from coming out. Or is there?
Since this is a mystery, the big secret is withheld from the audience until the end. The only thing we know is that everyone from the friend group comes back to the hotel except for one, whose fate is unknown.
This was an interesting one. No one in this novel is particularly likable, and most of them are pretty pretentious- they’re very big on philosophy (that’s literally what binds them together) but it’s fascinating to see how they navigate the world, and in particular, their relationships with each other. There is a lot of tension, and you get the feeling right away that they don’t even really particularly like each other, they just went through something that forever ties them together. Again, fascinating! The character study in this book is really something.
Overall, is this the best mystery I’ve ever read? No, but it did what it was supposed to do, it kept my interest and that’s all you can really ask for!
The Hotel Guest is a mystery that takes place in two different time periods: the present, and 10 years in the past. In the past, Kit is a hotel waitress that gets involved with a friend group that all come from money and are basically her complete opposites. However, the more time she spends with them, the more she feels a sense of belonging. However, something happens back then that forces the group to go their separate ways, only to be reunited ten years later when they all get called back to the hotel.
Kit’s ex, JP, reveals that he’s writing a book about that summer and the big secret they’ve all been keeping for a decade. No one wants him to publish it, but his mind seems to be made up, and there’s no way to stop him, and to stop the truth from coming out. Or is there?
Since this is a mystery, the big secret is withheld from the audience until the end. The only thing we know is that everyone from the friend group comes back to the hotel except for one, whose fate is unknown.
This was an interesting one. No one in this novel is particularly likable, and most of them are pretty pretentious- they’re very big on philosophy (that’s literally what binds them together) but it’s fascinating to see how they navigate the world, and in particular, their relationships with each other. There is a lot of tension, and you get the feeling right away that they don’t even really particularly like each other, they just went through something that forever ties them together. Again, fascinating! The character study in this book is really something.
Overall, is this the best mystery I’ve ever read? No, but it did what it was supposed to do, it kept my interest and that’s all you can really ask for!
May 17, 2026
Thank you to @htp_hive @htpbooks @htpbooks_audio & @netgalley for the Pub Week novel, 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑯𝑶𝑻𝑬𝑳 𝑮𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻 𝒃𝒚 𝑹𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑯𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒏, 𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑹𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏!
This was a suspenseful read that had me feeling the tension growing through every moment.
A decade ago, Kit was working as a waitress at a high end French Alps hotel. When a group of wealthy students who call themselves the Olympians arrive, Kit is drawn into their sphere of erudite and elitish pontificating of the ideas of freedom and choice. When one of the members calls them all back to announce a tell-all memoir, Kit finds herself back in the pull of the group, but can she trust them now after what happened back then?
I did like this story, with all its slow-build tension, dual timeline revelations, and clear themes of class and how freedom is often tied to it, regardless of morality. I had hoped to connect more with Kit and feel more engaged in the deeper philosophical issues presented. I think I was expecting this to go into a heavier literary vein, and it went more into the lighter, fun suspense realm. I do think that decision will make it more accessible and enjoyable for thriller readers who like a slow-burn mystery with some rather "free" relationship groups!
The audio addition was done well, with lots of accents to distinguish the characters, which is always fun. I am often impressed when a cast is done by one and they feel so distinct.
For me, it was a good read that took me away from the windy wilds of the Midwest and for that I am quite happy!
This was a suspenseful read that had me feeling the tension growing through every moment.
A decade ago, Kit was working as a waitress at a high end French Alps hotel. When a group of wealthy students who call themselves the Olympians arrive, Kit is drawn into their sphere of erudite and elitish pontificating of the ideas of freedom and choice. When one of the members calls them all back to announce a tell-all memoir, Kit finds herself back in the pull of the group, but can she trust them now after what happened back then?
I did like this story, with all its slow-build tension, dual timeline revelations, and clear themes of class and how freedom is often tied to it, regardless of morality. I had hoped to connect more with Kit and feel more engaged in the deeper philosophical issues presented. I think I was expecting this to go into a heavier literary vein, and it went more into the lighter, fun suspense realm. I do think that decision will make it more accessible and enjoyable for thriller readers who like a slow-burn mystery with some rather "free" relationship groups!
The audio addition was done well, with lots of accents to distinguish the characters, which is always fun. I am often impressed when a cast is done by one and they feel so distinct.
For me, it was a good read that took me away from the windy wilds of the Midwest and for that I am quite happy!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is a slow simmer read that builds with intensity. The atmosphere becoming tense and uncomfortable. The Abbaye de Saint Maurice is the perfect setting. Who does not love a beautiful hotel tucked into the French Alps, pressed against a gorgeous lake. Which calls to everyone to dip their toes and cool off from the intense heat. I did not connect with any of the characters. I felt like with Kit hiding her past it also hid everything that would make me like her. The Olympians are a bunch of rich kids who think they are too intelligent for most around them. They use one another and fight amongst themselves. Standing out in the crowd and trying too hard to be different. This is a dual timeline that takes you from current day to ten years ago.
Kit has been running, from what we do not know. She has gotten a job as a waitress at the Abbaye de Saint Maurice. She has a room that the hotel provides, and she has been enjoying the lake. The first night she sees The Olympians she becomes curious about them. What makes them tick. As the summer goes on, she slowly blends into this group. Witnessing their studies, beliefs, loves, and all that comes with a group. There is something brewing and building around them. Something dangerous. Ten years later the groups are called back to the Abbaye de Saint Maurice. There is a prestigious award being given. Kit has been invited but does not know who is paying for her room. As the weekend progresses the fear builds. Will their secret finally be exposed?
I wish more background was given on Kit early and The Olympians early on. There were no connections. No real want to keep reading. It is a slow burn, which seemed a little long in places. The setting was exceptional. Thank you to Rosemary Hennigan and Park Row for my gifted copy.
Kit has been running, from what we do not know. She has gotten a job as a waitress at the Abbaye de Saint Maurice. She has a room that the hotel provides, and she has been enjoying the lake. The first night she sees The Olympians she becomes curious about them. What makes them tick. As the summer goes on, she slowly blends into this group. Witnessing their studies, beliefs, loves, and all that comes with a group. There is something brewing and building around them. Something dangerous. Ten years later the groups are called back to the Abbaye de Saint Maurice. There is a prestigious award being given. Kit has been invited but does not know who is paying for her room. As the weekend progresses the fear builds. Will their secret finally be exposed?
I wish more background was given on Kit early and The Olympians early on. There were no connections. No real want to keep reading. It is a slow burn, which seemed a little long in places. The setting was exceptional. Thank you to Rosemary Hennigan and Park Row for my gifted copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars
This is a slow, atmospheric mystery that really leans into its setting and structure. The story moves between the present and events from ten years earlier, and that shifting timeline helps keep the pacing from feeling too heavy, even as it takes its time getting there.
What worked best for me was the tension built across the different threads and the uncertainty around Kit as a narrator. I kept going back and forth on whether she was as perceptive and in control as she believes—or if she was being shaped by the people around her. That ambiguity added an extra layer to the story.
The book does take a while to reach its conclusion, but the ending itself is strong and worth the buildup, even if it resolves a bit more quickly than I expected.
Some of the characters felt interchangeable, and a few seemed to exist mainly to move the plot forward rather than stand on their own. Kit is intentionally guarded, but I did find myself wanting just a bit more from her.
Overall, this was an engaging, easy-to-read mystery that I ended up finishing in one sitting. It feels like a good pick for summer reading—something you can dip in and out of or read straight through in an afternoon.
I received this as an advanced reading copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This is a slow, atmospheric mystery that really leans into its setting and structure. The story moves between the present and events from ten years earlier, and that shifting timeline helps keep the pacing from feeling too heavy, even as it takes its time getting there.
What worked best for me was the tension built across the different threads and the uncertainty around Kit as a narrator. I kept going back and forth on whether she was as perceptive and in control as she believes—or if she was being shaped by the people around her. That ambiguity added an extra layer to the story.
The book does take a while to reach its conclusion, but the ending itself is strong and worth the buildup, even if it resolves a bit more quickly than I expected.
Some of the characters felt interchangeable, and a few seemed to exist mainly to move the plot forward rather than stand on their own. Kit is intentionally guarded, but I did find myself wanting just a bit more from her.
Overall, this was an engaging, easy-to-read mystery that I ended up finishing in one sitting. It feels like a good pick for summer reading—something you can dip in and out of or read straight through in an afternoon.
I received this as an advanced reading copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a taut psychological thriller about a summer experience at an exclusive Alpine hotel that leaves a young woman with a dark, festering secret she might bury but continues to haunt her.
Kit holds a summer position at Abbaye de Saint Maurice in the French Alps. She becomes entangled with a mysterious group of guests. Ten years later she receives an invitation to return but who is inviting her and why when everyone agreed to never return. When the reason is revealed, Kit realizes she may have to get involved but can she betray someone she loved for a group of people she’s only tied to by a secret? But then new details emerge about the summer and Kit may have been blindsided into believing a lie. Twists end turns are there with a surprising ending.
The book explores toxic friendships, class boundaries, and what freedom and choice really mean. It is told alternating between past (10 years prior to the present) and present. I didn’t particularly like any character - the friends were wealthy and selfish and Kit was a hanger on. The setting helped the story but I never felt much suspense. I did like the ending.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Park Row for allowing me to read this ARC.
Kit holds a summer position at Abbaye de Saint Maurice in the French Alps. She becomes entangled with a mysterious group of guests. Ten years later she receives an invitation to return but who is inviting her and why when everyone agreed to never return. When the reason is revealed, Kit realizes she may have to get involved but can she betray someone she loved for a group of people she’s only tied to by a secret? But then new details emerge about the summer and Kit may have been blindsided into believing a lie. Twists end turns are there with a surprising ending.
The book explores toxic friendships, class boundaries, and what freedom and choice really mean. It is told alternating between past (10 years prior to the present) and present. I didn’t particularly like any character - the friends were wealthy and selfish and Kit was a hanger on. The setting helped the story but I never felt much suspense. I did like the ending.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Park Row for allowing me to read this ARC.
June 11, 2026
The Hotel Guest is another wonderful book by Rosemary Hennigan. The book has two intertwined plots, both of which keep you engaged— the first focuses on a past event that involved Kit (the primary protagonist) and a group that she becomes a part of during her summer as a waitress at a high-end resort in the Alps; the second plot centers on a 'reunion' of Kit and the group to deal with the consequences of the first event (the death of one of the group members). With great skill Hennigan keeps the reader guessing until the very end as to what really happened ten years earlier and how Kit and the remaining group members will ultimately face the consequences of that event. Like her prior two books, the Hotel Guest is interlaced with larger questions about human nature -- how much do we control our choices; the human impulse to fit in; how much does the past shape the present. Hennigan writes beautifully as the reader is gradually allowed to see the different plot pieces come together (I'd say she "teases" the reader and I mean that in a very good way). As in her other books, the main protagonist is a complicated character who continues to intrigue even once the last page is turned. Well worth a read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
“The Hotel Guest” surprised me. I wasn’t fully sold at the start, but Rosemary Hennigan’s engaging writing style totally pulled me in. (Yes, I briefly confused her with Layne Fargo, the author of “The Favorites”. They both wrote books with the same title.)
Thank you to the author and Park Row Books for providing this gifted ARC via NetGalley.
Kit, working a summer job at a luxury hotel, falls in with a magnetic group of wealthy guests and has a relationship with one of them, JP. Their brief connection leads to a tragic end-of-summer incident that binds the group together as a result of a dark secret they share.
A decade later, Kit is invited back to the hotel. Hennigan slowly teases out what happened that summer, offering just enough hints to keep us leaning in until the final reveal. The atmosphere, the shifting dynamics, and the tension of returning to a place steeped in memory all work well.
With its blend of character drama, buried secrets, and an isolated setting, “The Hotel Guest” is an enjoyable, slow-building suspense read. I’m glad I stuck with it.
Thank you to the author and Park Row Books for providing this gifted ARC via NetGalley.
Kit, working a summer job at a luxury hotel, falls in with a magnetic group of wealthy guests and has a relationship with one of them, JP. Their brief connection leads to a tragic end-of-summer incident that binds the group together as a result of a dark secret they share.
A decade later, Kit is invited back to the hotel. Hennigan slowly teases out what happened that summer, offering just enough hints to keep us leaning in until the final reveal. The atmosphere, the shifting dynamics, and the tension of returning to a place steeped in memory all work well.
With its blend of character drama, buried secrets, and an isolated setting, “The Hotel Guest” is an enjoyable, slow-building suspense read. I’m glad I stuck with it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This one really worked for me.
I liked it more as I went along, and by the end I was fully invested in what was actually going on beneath the surface. The setting does a lot of the heavy lifting here in the best way possible — the hotel in the French Alps feels isolated, beautiful, and just a little unsettling, which fits the story perfectly.
The book moves between past and present smoothly, and I found myself thinking a lot about memory, guilt, and how much we lie to ourselves to survive certain moments. The characters aren’t meant to be likable all the time, but they’re interesting, and that kept me turning pages. There’s a constant low-level tension rather than nonstop twists, which I appreciated.
It’s not a fast, chaotic read, but it’s thoughtful, moody, and sticks with you once you’re done. If you like character-driven suspense with a strong sense of place and messy human dynamics, this one’s worth picking up.
I liked it more as I went along, and by the end I was fully invested in what was actually going on beneath the surface. The setting does a lot of the heavy lifting here in the best way possible — the hotel in the French Alps feels isolated, beautiful, and just a little unsettling, which fits the story perfectly.
The book moves between past and present smoothly, and I found myself thinking a lot about memory, guilt, and how much we lie to ourselves to survive certain moments. The characters aren’t meant to be likable all the time, but they’re interesting, and that kept me turning pages. There’s a constant low-level tension rather than nonstop twists, which I appreciated.
It’s not a fast, chaotic read, but it’s thoughtful, moody, and sticks with you once you’re done. If you like character-driven suspense with a strong sense of place and messy human dynamics, this one’s worth picking up.
April 29, 2026
A slow burn that didn't quite light the fire! This is a generous 3-star rating, maybe 2 would have been more like it. This is an unbiased review of a galley copy provided by HTP via NetGalley - today is publication day, 4/28. My introduction to this author, never have read anything by her, was disappointing for me, but if you are a follower and fan of this author, please give it a try.
The publishers blurb sounded like something I would definitely like. It had a good setting, descriptive writing of the hotel was good, so I was looking forward to getting to know the characters and getting involved in the "mysterious" plot line. Alas, it just didn't get there for me. I couldn't stay interested and it just dragged in parts. I almost got to half but had too many other galleys waiting for me, so I gave this up.
My thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishers, author Hennigan and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an upcoming release. Available now at your favorite retailer.
The publishers blurb sounded like something I would definitely like. It had a good setting, descriptive writing of the hotel was good, so I was looking forward to getting to know the characters and getting involved in the "mysterious" plot line. Alas, it just didn't get there for me. I couldn't stay interested and it just dragged in parts. I almost got to half but had too many other galleys waiting for me, so I gave this up.
My thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishers, author Hennigan and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an upcoming release. Available now at your favorite retailer.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
🏨 The Vibe
A story centered on a luxury hotel, secrets, and a guest who might not be who they seem. It promises a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, but for me, the "cat" was taking a nap and the "mouse" was just... hanging out.
💭 My Honest Thoughts
I really wanted to be consumed by this one, but unfortunately, it was a slow burn that never actually caught fire. * Pacing: It felt quite dull in stretches. I kept waiting for that "just one more chapter" feeling, but it never arrived.
• Engagement: I didn’t feel that urgent, magnetic pull to the pages. To be honest, I could have put it down halfway through and not felt like I was missing out on a life-changing twist.
• Atmosphere: While the setting had potential, the momentum just wasn't there to back it up.
⚖️ The Verdict
If you love a very methodical, character-driven slow-crawl, this might be your cup of tea.
A story centered on a luxury hotel, secrets, and a guest who might not be who they seem. It promises a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, but for me, the "cat" was taking a nap and the "mouse" was just... hanging out.
💭 My Honest Thoughts
I really wanted to be consumed by this one, but unfortunately, it was a slow burn that never actually caught fire. * Pacing: It felt quite dull in stretches. I kept waiting for that "just one more chapter" feeling, but it never arrived.
• Engagement: I didn’t feel that urgent, magnetic pull to the pages. To be honest, I could have put it down halfway through and not felt like I was missing out on a life-changing twist.
• Atmosphere: While the setting had potential, the momentum just wasn't there to back it up.
⚖️ The Verdict
If you love a very methodical, character-driven slow-crawl, this might be your cup of tea.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Kit has spent over a decade running from the past, but she now has to revisit the very place where things went down. Once she had been a worker at the hotel where a group of privileged young people hung out, and was delight to be accepted into their clique.
Now, they are all determined to prevent one of their number from revealing those events and Kit has been chosen as the one most likely to be able to pull off the persuasion necessary because of her relationship to that person.
But can she actually do it? And even if she can, is it really wise of her to return to the scene of the crime? An engaging story, this gets 3. 5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Now, they are all determined to prevent one of their number from revealing those events and Kit has been chosen as the one most likely to be able to pull off the persuasion necessary because of her relationship to that person.
But can she actually do it? And even if she can, is it really wise of her to return to the scene of the crime? An engaging story, this gets 3. 5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you @htpbooks @htp_hive @htpbooks_audio @parkrowbooks for the digital arc and audio!
Kit Costigan takes a summer job as a waitress at a luxurious hotel in the French alps and becomes entangled with a group of philosophy students that call themselves the Olympians. Ten years later she receives an invitation to return and face their dark shared secrets.
I enjoyed this one overall. It is definitely more of a slow burn but I loved the gorgeous setting of the hotel. Once I got a hold of all the characters, the dynamics of their group were really interesting. Ultimately, the secret was not that surprising and it was a bit lacking in suspense. The audiobook was done very well and I enjoyed listening to her Irish accent.
Rating 3.5⭐️
Kit Costigan takes a summer job as a waitress at a luxurious hotel in the French alps and becomes entangled with a group of philosophy students that call themselves the Olympians. Ten years later she receives an invitation to return and face their dark shared secrets.
I enjoyed this one overall. It is definitely more of a slow burn but I loved the gorgeous setting of the hotel. Once I got a hold of all the characters, the dynamics of their group were really interesting. Ultimately, the secret was not that surprising and it was a bit lacking in suspense. The audiobook was done very well and I enjoyed listening to her Irish accent.
Rating 3.5⭐️
April 30, 2026
First things first, thank you both Netgalley and also Hachette Books Ireland for this ARC!
Secondly, I sadly could not really get into this one. I wanted to like it, because the setting alone sounded like something I would enjoy, but when it came to those 'Olympians', the people in this group just felt very similar when it came to personality, and it was hard for mwe to keep track of who was who. Also they seemed to be just snappy rich kids and I just wanted to punch them in the face more than once, to be all honest with you... And the story itself moved along too slow for me to really feel gripped by it. I liked Kit, our FMC, well enough, but sadly, it was not enough to really enjoy what I was reading. 3 stars, rounded up from 2,5.
Secondly, I sadly could not really get into this one. I wanted to like it, because the setting alone sounded like something I would enjoy, but when it came to those 'Olympians', the people in this group just felt very similar when it came to personality, and it was hard for mwe to keep track of who was who. Also they seemed to be just snappy rich kids and I just wanted to punch them in the face more than once, to be all honest with you... And the story itself moved along too slow for me to really feel gripped by it. I liked Kit, our FMC, well enough, but sadly, it was not enough to really enjoy what I was reading. 3 stars, rounded up from 2,5.
Read
May 6, 2026Rosemary Hennigan's "The Hotel Guest" is a slow‑burn psychological mystery that plays into its moody setting and characterization. The story follows Kit, whose job at an upscale resort in the French Alps a decade earlier was meant to be a fresh start but ended up leading to the darkest secret of her life. When she receives a mysterious invitation to return to the hotel ten years later, she finds herself drawn back into the past she has tried to escape. Hennigan's mix of old flames, buried secrets, and shifting loyalties creates a steady sense of unease that will keep readers engaged. The mystery at the center is more about messy characters and bad decisions than in-your-face, fast-paced thrills, and will have readers hooked from the first page.
March 20, 2026
3.5⭐️
I enjoyed this book overall. It delivers a slow-paced suspense that builds tension gradually, and the setting fits the story perfectly, adding to the atmosphere. The transitions between the past and present were very well done and helped deepen the narrative without making it confusing.
However, I would have liked more character development, especially for the protagonist. That said, I still found all the characters engaging and interesting in their own way, which made the story enjoyable to follow.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book overall. It delivers a slow-paced suspense that builds tension gradually, and the setting fits the story perfectly, adding to the atmosphere. The transitions between the past and present were very well done and helped deepen the narrative without making it confusing.
However, I would have liked more character development, especially for the protagonist. That said, I still found all the characters engaging and interesting in their own way, which made the story enjoyable to follow.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
On paper, this book had everything I usually love. It is a psychological thriller with a gorgeous atmosphere and that dark academia edge that usually hits the spot. However, I think this might have been a case of right book, wrong time for me. I did the tandem read with the ebook and the audio, and while the production was solid, I struggled to fully connect with the characters or the pacing. I’m giving this a solid 3 stars because the writing is strong and the setting is vivid. If you love a slow burn with a French Alps backdrop, this is definitely worth a read. It just didn't quite click for me in the way I hoped it would this week.
May 15, 2026
The Hotel Guest
A secret had been buried for 10 years but now, mysteriously invited back to the hotel where she had worked all those years ago, is someone is about to reveal it? From the opening paragraph I was transported to a beautiful village in the French Alps. Kit Costigan, the main character, had my sympathy. Had she done herself any favours when she became part of a spoilt, privileged group? 10 years later does she regret getting involved? So many twists and unexpected turns, this is a must read.
Ann Keating
A secret had been buried for 10 years but now, mysteriously invited back to the hotel where she had worked all those years ago, is someone is about to reveal it? From the opening paragraph I was transported to a beautiful village in the French Alps. Kit Costigan, the main character, had my sympathy. Had she done herself any favours when she became part of a spoilt, privileged group? 10 years later does she regret getting involved? So many twists and unexpected turns, this is a must read.
Ann Keating
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