Book Review: The Chosen Guest by Laura Drake
Cowboy Romance. Emotional Relationship Fiction. Sinister Travel Thriller. Wait. What? Watching Drake's evolution as a writer these last few years has truly been a thing of wonder, something that really has to be experienced to be believed. I first encountered her via her cowboy romances, which were excellent within that space and good enough that even non-romance fans should give them a try. Then she expanded into more "relationship fiction" (women's fiction, but at least one of them specifically revolved around certain issues with the lead character's husband) novels, and hot DAYUM she proved capable of writing some rooms so dusty firefighters could train in them.
With this book, Drake expands yet again into thrillers, and proves yet again just how masterful she really is. This isn't your run of the mill thriller (well, it *is* in the most general sense, in that it follows genre conventions and will play well with genre fans). This is one of those almost The Condemned (the early 2000s movie with Stone Cold Steve Austin) level thrillers that will actively make you so uncomfortable that defenestration will - and probably should - be considered, but that you're then too addicted to and have to see how the situation plays out. Fortunately, without giving *too* much away, let's say that at bare minimum the action here isn't anywhere near as explicit as Stone Cold's movie (which I've only ever watched *once*, specifically over one specific scene). No, Drake manages to keep the worst elements *just* off screen *enough* so as to make the reader extremely uncomfortable... without going so far as to veer into the "I truly can't continue reading this anymore". Though to be clear, this tale *will* hit uncomfortably close to home for all too many readers, and *those* readers may get a lot closer to putting this book down. But don't. Not unless it truly is just too much, and if it gets to that level, you truly have my sympathies. Do what you need to do there, but I'm telling you without telling you that everything here is done so as to show the horrors of certain events without showing them in near the explicit detail (even while not being explicit in *that* way) ala The Condemned. It will be enough to *push* many psyches, but at least *most* readers should find that these elements back off *enough* so as to not *break* the psyche.
What Drake manages to do so well here - in addition to making your skin crawl - is to bring the dusty rooms that she did so well into the realm of such skin crawling thrillers. Which is desperately needed in a book dealing with these subjects, and which Drake does here with truly remarkable skill. A book like this, with the things it deals with, you *have* to have that deep emotional bond to push through. Clancy understood this in Without Remorse, where he establishes John Clark's emotional heft before he ever broaches the sheer brutality the rest of the tale becomes, and there are *reasons* this book is so beloved for so long. While nowhere near the sheer utter brutality of that tale, this one does explore at least some similar themes in a completely different environment and with a *very* different lead character, and yet truly of every book I've read in the circa 30 yrs since originally reading Without Remorse, Drake here likely comes the closest to establishing that level of greatness in this type of tale, but again, ultimately utilizing a very different take on the same - at the geosynchronous orbit level ish, at least :D - tale.
Come for the rather unique character and her exact story. Stay even though the tale gets *very* tough at times... and see how great Drake manages to stick this landing. Along the way, you're going to get a gorgeous Caribbean island. You're going to get some other connections I can't really go into as they are spoilers that serve no warning purpose and would be far too specific to boot. You're going to get an awesome tale of survival. You're going to get a phenomenal tale of a woman learning who she is and what she is truly capable of.
And when you're done reading this, I do hope you'll leave your own review wherever you see this one. It doesn't have to be anywhere near as wordy as this one, which is clearly one of even my own longer ones. 24 ish words will be accepted in every review location I'm aware of, and anywhere you'll see this one accepts so little as "I liked this book" - which helps, though I do hope you'll at least give one reason, no matter how general or "basic" you think it may be, as to why you did (or did not, if that is the case). Make your voice heard, because only when we all discuss the things we see openly can real intelligence ever be obtained.
Very much recommended.
This review of The Chosen Guest by Laura Drake was originally written on October 5, 2026.
