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THE GUEST BOOK

 



SYNOPSIS

WELCOME TO THE ANCHORAGE, FOR A HONEYMOON YOU'LL NEVER FORGET . . .

Charles and Grace wanted a quiet staycation honeymoon, but when their train terminates early due to a storm up ahead, they wonder if they made the wrong decision. Forced to take shelter in the nearest seaside town, Saltwater, they discover that there is only one guesthouse left. Unlike the rest of Saltwater, The Anchorage is entirely deserted.

That night, with the storm howling relentlessly, Grace is woken by a child crying. She is haunted by the sound, until Charles convinces her it was only her imagination. But the next day, she finds a warning scrawled in the guest book: Leave now. Do not trust them.

As the storm rages on, phone lines are down, transport links cut off. Grace is desperate to leave, but Charles remains unaffected by the eerie stillness of the house. Is it just Grace's imagination or do the owners, and Charles, have something to hide?

THANK YOU FOR STAYING AT THE ANCHORAGE. WE HOPE YOU'LL BE BACK SOON...


Title: The guest book
Author: C.L. Pattison
Publisher: Vintage
Publication date: May 27, 2021


REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐💫

I’ve had The Guest Book eARC for several months but as I read them in order of publication I did not start it until a couple days ago, so I went in blind without reading the synopsis again and I was not expecting those gothic vibes.

The book started off pretty well with a really unsettling atmosphere when a couple of newlyweds get stranded in the coastal town of Saltwater when they’re on their way to their honeymoon. The storm, the strange vibes of the town and the weird behavior of owners of the B&B where they end up, were pretty disturbing. Add that Grace and Charles seems to be hiding a secret of their own and you had everything for it to be a fantastic read.

Although I liked it it didn’t deliver everything it promised. First of all, why is the title The Guest Book when said guest book plays such a small part in the whole plot? Halfway through the story stalled a bit. Things didn’t seem to go anywhere and one of the things I dislike most in this kind of stories started happening. Why does the husband always trust more the opinion of strangers than that of his own wife? 

Anyway, despite all this I was really enjoying it and could not wait to find out who or what was behind the strange happenings in The Anchorage. Until the end. What was that? It was completely disjointed! There’s nothing I hate more that when we’re just told the resolution without any involvement from the characters. I think the same thing could have been done in a different way and be much more organic. And to top it off, the last twist was not that surprising and left things hanging open a little bit.

A good story with a fantastic atmosphere that started off really good but fizzled out as it moved toward the resolution, and that sucks cause it showed so much promise.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Vintage for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

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