Don’t you love watching those gender-reveal videos on social media? I admit, I’m one of those people who especially loves the videos where something goes hilariously right, or horribly, wrong. This is why I wanted to read The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf. It is an interesting mystery that takes place at a gender-reveal party.
4/5 stars ★★★★☆
To read more about the story: https://amzn.to/4pmpcjg
Published on: November 4th, 2025
From the publisher: “You don’t know who to trust or where loyalties lie in The Perfect Hosts. I loved every minute of this fun, twisty wild ride!” –Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing
A couple’s gender reveal party turns deadly and everyone is a suspect in this gripping thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest.
What I Liked About The Perfect Hosts:
I am a big fan of the show Yellowstone, and I kept picturing their horse ranch as I read this story. It takes place on a big ranch in Wyoming, and the very expensive gender-reveal party is called, “Pistols and Pearls.” When there is a misfire and then a second explosion, the party turns to chaos.
I liked that there are different multiple points of views and subplots throughout the book. This adds to the mystery of who was involved in the explosion and keeps the story moving along at a faster pace. Was it a family member? An enemy of the family? Someone from the past? A close friend? This is why it keeps you guessing. Secrets are revealed throughout the story, and everyone seems to have a dark one from their past.
My favorite character in the book is Jamie Saldano. He is the agent that is brought to the town in order to investigate the explosion. Little does anyone know that Jamie actually grew up in this town. Is his return fully for professional reasons? Read it to find out.
The publisher markets this as a ‘gripping thriller.’ However, I found it to be more of an intriguing mystery. It focuses on character secrets and uncovering a single culprit. Either way, it kept me turning pages! Plus, don’t you love the cover of the book?
Where To Buy The Perfect Hosts and More:
- Purchase The Perfect Hosts: https://amzn.to/4oRjaHy
- If you liked this book, and you might like these other mysteries that keep you guessing:
- Dead Money by Jakob Kerr
- The Marriage Rules by Samantha Hayes:
- The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards
- Read more of my book reviews: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/
- Missed my Top Books of 2024? Find them here: https://judiholst.com/top-20-books-that-i-loved-in-2024/
Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Heather Gudenkauf for my free copy. This is my honest opinion.
Now, I’d love to hear from you: Do you enjoy watching gender-reveal videos on social media? Have you ever been to a party to find out the gender of a baby? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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