The Perfect Hosts Author Heather Gudenkauf

Audiobook Review

5 out of 5 stars!


Dual Narrators:

Brittany Pressley 

Xe Sands




Madeline Drake didn't want a big, extravagant gender reveal! Just a simple, cute party with a cake filled to show whether they were having a boy or girl. Only when you are practically royalty amongst the horse ranches of Wyoming there's no choice but to have an all-out-party with no limits. One that ends in an explosion and tragedy. Secrets are about to come out as investigations are held for the aftermath and chaos of the event.


The gender reveal is about to make headlines just not the way anyone intended. . . Jamie Saldano is on the case and hoping to find answers that this was all an accident. Things just aren't sitting right with the incident or maybe ghosts from his past are haunting him. Clouding his judgement and reminding him why he left this small-town community centered around the Drakes. Or was he meant to come back and possibly solve unfinished business alongside this current case?


So, I love to listen to thrillers/mysteries as I'm doing mundane tasks. It makes things better and the work goes by faster! This is my second audiobook from this author, and I have to say it is another hit! Need to re-listen to the first book and do a review! Sometimes you just finish a book and want to instantly dive into another one from the same author!


With this read I loved the undertones of what was going on. Not quite being able to put my finger on things but knowing something was up. Loved how Madeline was written and just how big of a heart she had. Also, her down-to-earth feel with woes of pregnancy, swollen ankles, and just wanting to scream for everyone to be silent. The author wrote her well and I felt for her multiple times especially toward the end with things being revealed. Oh, this read just has so much home drama!


Madeline's home becomes a BNB after the turmoil of the gender reveal event. I really enjoyed multiple characters coming into the picture and for various reasons. I didn't fully catch onto the plans made by some of the cast until the final moments! Love not being able to fully guess twists!


Jamie's character is dear to me; I lovingly blame the author and narrator! He has a very tragic and brutal backstory that we get to see and feel from first person POV that drives his ambitions for his current present! I was excited by the supernatural vibes surrounding Jamie and how something is haunting him and whispering in his ear. A person who helps drive him toward answers even if they are frustrating and don't just outright state things. But where's the fun in giving away the ending without it being earned?


This read does contain language and violence. There's intensity surrounding a party gone wrong with an explosion, fire, people getting injured, etc. Madeline has some pregnancy scares throughout the thriller in the sense of "is the baby okay?!" Intense scene of violence and being left for dead and the aftermath of surviving. Cold cases, big name family secrets, lies, manipulation, deceptions, small town rumors, and more. Actual moments of panic, fear, and anxiety. There's domestic abuse in this read, the subtlety of it all plus the ways one lies and tries to survive the encounters.


I truly enjoyed the writing and how the author wove everything together. The narrators help to bring the multiple POVs to life and convey different personalities and emotions. I kept having a ringing question in my head as the book went on about one cast member who was missing. I love how things were linked and tied together. Twists upon twists even one final one at the end of the read! We do get a conclusion and some HEAs but there is more for your imagination to play out!


It's fun listening to a thriller and then replaying it. Understanding things in a new light after you know all the outcomes and being like "oh wow this scene reads so much differently!" Enjoy the book however you may read it and don't forget to give the author some stars!


Thank you, Libby!


Amazon.com: The Perfect Hosts (Audible Audio Edition): Heather Gudenkauf, Brittany Pressley, Xe Sands, Harlequin Audio: Audible Books & Originals


The Perfect Hosts | Barnes & Noble®


The Perfect Hosts - Heather Gudenkauf


Heather Gudenkauf's Instagram


Brittany Pressley's Instagram


Xe Sands' Instagram


Voice Artist | Xe Sands, Audiobook Narrator

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