A remote camping trip designed to bring two families together, ahead of their children's wedding. Things don't go as smoothly as bride to be Abigail had hoped. There are strange noises in the night, strange messages at their campsites to find.
A lot of secrets, suspicion and accusations. I really enjoyed this book and the twists and turns all the way to the end. I would recommend this book and read more from this author.
Thank you netgally for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Nor sure which genre I would categorise this book as if it were my job to do so. It’s got comedy and some tension but for me not enough of either. It didn’t thrill me but it wasn’t a difficult read either. On the whole I thought it was over the top with more twists than Chubby Checker ( that shows my age ) and not a favourite read of mine.

Camping in the remote woods with your in-laws-to-be. What could go wrong?

Abigail and her parents have only met once, and it didn't go so well. As a participant in many "required" bonding events, I cringed when bride-to-be Abigail suggests a 3-day guided camping trip with organized exercises. Of course, they can't take the main trails because what would be the fun in that? Not! They hike deep into the woods which should already be a red flag.

But there are other events: a strange encounter, odd messages, and eerie screams in the night.

Since we know from the start that someone falls to their death, it's only a matter of whom, and when. And the why will blow you away.

I am thrilled that NetGalley and Bookouture gave me the opportunity to read an advance reader's copy of this intense and fast-paced thriller!

This was a quick and fun read. It centers on Abigail, who is getting ready to marry Pete, but concerned that their parents don’t really know (or like) each other. She plans a 3 night wilderness retreat for them to get to know each other better while participating in team building type activities. Once out on the trails, it becomes clear that there are multiple people keeping secrets. The chapters are primarily told from Abigail’s POV but there are some chapters dispersed throughout the book from others’ POVs as well.

The premise for this story was unique and the characters were well drawn. I had no trouble picturing the dynamics between this group of very different people. The creepiness of the wilderness setting was a nice way to amp up the tension. I really enjoyed how multiple layers of secrets were uncovered, with most characters having something to hide. There were a few twists that I did not see coming. I felt like the end was rather abrupt but it did work, and managed to tie up loose ends fully even in just a few pages. The epilogue leaves the reader with a bit of a cliffhanger but I didn’t mind it- I felt like I was satisfied with what I imagined to happen after.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read that was also fast paced. I think I finished the whole book in probably 4-5 hours. I’d recommend to those who enjoy psychological thrillers and mysteries. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In this twisty, swift-paced tale with some fantastic turns in the story, Abigail and Pete are to marry. But their parents hardly know each other so Abigail organises a trip to the Hiawana National Forest, Michigan... I really enjoyed this book with its chilling prologue that instantly had me hooked. A fantastic read that I loved every single minute of, I would definitely look out for more by this author. A great, edgy tale.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

Two families...countless secrets...the perfect nightmare...

Not sure why I've not read Laura Wolfe before but this one hell of a convoluted mess involving secrets, lies, more secrets, more lies...and some clever deception. Add that to two "very different" families and a remote wilderness walk in a National Park...what could possibly go wrong? And just which of them fails to make it out alive?

Abigail and Pete are engaged. But their respective parents failed to connect the one and only time they met some months before. So in an attempt to bond and to get to know each other before the wedding, Abigail organises a wilderness tour with guide Liam who had taken her colleagues out on a similar (though shorter) tour some months before. Abigail has seen Liam's bonding efforts and knows he can work wonders with the sparring families...or is this one a little out of his league?

Abigail's mum Kristen is a psychiatrist while her father John works in commercial real estate. In fact it was through her father that she met Pete who works with him. Her parents love Pete, John often saying he is the son they never had. Kristen and John have a luxurious lifestyle and high standards so when they met Pete's parents they were surprised at the difference between them. Kenny and Darla are somewhat average, if not kooky, with a few secrets that leave everyone wondering if they've made the right choice in making this trip.

There are several hints along the way that make them second guess themselves if this really is a good idea. But the group remain positive...until the families begin to clash and then one thing after another goes wrong. Items go missing, food is ruined and then there are the strange messages left in the dirt at each of their campsites. Is someone stalking them, knowing their route and going ahead of them to spook them? When one of them winds up dead, they all start pointing fingers. Who among them is a killer? And what do they really want?

OK so first up, Pete's parents Kenny and Darla are a little eccentric. Kenny spends his days watching reality TV (then boring others with the details) while Darla is a "mystic Meg" who is never without her crystals and Tarot cards. She read a couple of palms giving some vague answers to what she saw without really giving any clear answers. But then if she had, then we wouldn't have a story, would we? But is she for real? Or a fraud? Abigail's parents are straight-laced and maybe a little snobbish. They love Pete but his family is strange...so how did they end up with such a normal child? The two families couldn't be more different.

And hiking...camping...in the wilderness for three days? I couldn't think of anything worse! Spiders, snakes and all sorts of creepy crawlies. Not to mention no mobile phone signal. What if something went wrong? How would they contact emergency services when they are a full day's trek into a remote National Park? The whole wilderness tour and remoteness of it all has all the creepy hallmarks of the perfect storm. And what unfolded out there in all that nothingness just confirms everything I think about being in the middle of nowhere. Just no.

And then there's the whole in-laws thing. The coming together of two very different families...who couldn't be any more different than these two are in the middle of nowhere...what could go wrong?

THE IN-LAWS is a page-turning psychological and domestic thriller that will keep you guessing. This is a classic whodunit reminiscent of the locked room theory...only the players are in the remote wilderness. Same concept, different setting. The pieces finally slot into place for me and it became glaringly obvious at that point that I wanted to shout it out and warn everyone! Can you guess who it is?

I have mixed feelings about the epilogue because I felt it tainted a particular character I felt didn't need it. But at the same time, I also thought it was very clever. Those closing lines especially...

Overall, THE IN-LAWS is an edgy domestic thriller that is an entertaining read with a disturbing level of secrets, lies and distrust that is perfect for fans of this genre.

I would like to thank #LauraWolfe, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheInLaws in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

The blurb for The In-Laws grabbed my attention, and I knew immediately I needed to read this book. The heroine plans a camping trip as a last-ditch attempt to get her parents and future in-laws to bond over the experience before the wedding. However, while on the trip, she discovers someone is keeping secrets. Arguments ensued and a member of the team ends up at the bottom of a cliff. Was it murder or was it an accident? Who has the most to gain from the death of this individual?

The In-Laws is the type of story readers need to go into blind. Wolfe created a dark and twisted tale with characters you will either hate or admire. Everyone on the camping trip has secrets which they are willing to kill for. The In-Laws proved difficult to put with its engrossing storyline. Readers will have questions about who will end up at the bottom of the cliff and why. The reason will shock you. If that wasn’t crazy enough, learning the real reason for the camping trip will probably lead to jaws dropping. Frankly, I am still trying to wrap my head around it, as there was an easier way to accomplish the task.

Told from the POVs of a few of the characters on the camping trip, readers are given an inside look into the twisted minds of these individuals. One POV wasn’t as twisted, but you will have to read the book to find out which. I found the quirkiness of this character endearing and funny.

Now while I enjoyed the story, the ending disappointed me. It didn’t provide the closure I hoped for regarding the shocking revelation near the end. This seems to be the trend with most of the books I have read in this genre.

Overall, The In-Laws fed my need for a thrilling and twisty read. If you need of a twisty and thrilling with an interesting plotline, then look no further. The In-Laws would make a great addition to your reading list. This was my first experience with Laura Wolfe’s writing, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Have you had enough family drama this weekend or can you handle a bit more?!

If you are looking for a great suspense story with multiple twists, Laura Wolfe’s, ‘The In-laws’ is definitely one to add to your new year’s reading list.

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

Six soon-to-be related adults head into the wilderness on a bonding trip and only five return. Who is it? Who did it? Why?

Wolfe has curated the perfect storm:
✔️a fast approaching wedding
✔️a nervous bride
✔️future in-laws who do not get along
✔️a cast of characters each with a secret agenda
✔️a remote wilderness camping experience

What I loved:
✔️a fast-paced adventure
✔️seemingly resourceful heroes and a better-equipped villain
✔️delightfully clever plot
✔️thought-provoking ending
✔️multiple twists throughout
✔️utterly plausible
✔️genuine page-turner
✔️no unnecessary gore

You’ll turn over the last page and wonder how well you really know those you love! Wolfe is an auto-buy author for me and this one showcases her outstanding talent extremely well. Congratulations, Laura Wolfe, you got me AGAIN.

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Five Big Twinkling Stars!! First, I’m something of a nature girl, and so I truly loved the setting (any story making use of the word “carabiner” and I’m in!)- you can tell the author enjoys adventure and her passion for it shows in her writing. I also love the way she brings her characters to life and puts us right there in the scene with her use of small, unique details such as the father’s razor burned cheeks and the mother’s sensibly trimmed nails painted the color of ballet slippers. From the very first chapter, I started to miss my own parents and to think of our trips together. The story is so relatable, and I think this is partly why it is so terrifying! I can picture, so easily, a family camping trip going off the rails. And the struggle to navigate a situation where people we love have such diverse views is all too familiar. That familiarity has you thinking you know where this is headed, but suddenly, the rug is pulled. Wolfe delivers a fantastic thriller along with relatable characters, a fabulous setting, and terrific writing. A master of twists and turns, she kept me reading well past my bedtime, but I don’t regret a minute of it. Trust me, this is an incredible read!

A deliciously deceptive read.
I vacillated between feelings of horror and humor while reading this book.
An engaged couple go on a camping trip with their parents so everyone can know each other better.
Stark contrasts are visible between the parents and there are eery occurrences. I laughed at some of the actions and dialogue between the characters.
There could be more than one monster in the midst of the campers.
It’s a great twisty read. Personally I can’t think of an activity I would rather do less than wilderness hiking plus camping. I’ll stay back at the hotel and read books like this.

When two people get married, the usual thing to do is to make vows to each other, a promise for your marriage and your upcoming life together; for better for worse, for richer for poorer, to love and to cherish, until death us do part… But what about the In-Laws?

Abigail and Pete are engaged to be married, but their respective parents are very different people. Abigail’s parents have high standards and live a life of luxury! They adore her fiance, Pete – he’s everything a parent would want in a future son-in-law. They would be considered upper class, with Abigail’s mother being a highly educated Psychiatrist and her father owning his own real estate business. On the other hand, Pete’s family is more of a working-class family – with some odd quirks. Pete’s mother is a palm and tarot card reader who has a crystal on hand for every occasion and his father is a forklift driver and an avid reality show enthusiast! After their first meeting didn’t go so well – a very uncomfortable dinner at Applebee’s – the couple are anxious to bring their families together before the big day to try and bond everyone. They decide to arrange a three-day hiking trip into the wilderness of the National Park, led by a guide. Liam works for Team Wilderness, which specialises in these kinds of trips for team building and bonding – what could go wrong?

The first thing they see when they arrive at the visitor’s station is a distressed couple who are arguing and can’t seem to get out of there fast enough!! A bad omen? YES, yes it is!! Almost immediately things start to go wrong, and from there, things go from bad to worse. Anger, resentment, heated arguments – a dead body… when everyone is keeping secrets, is there anyone that you can trust?

I really enjoyed Laura Wolfe’s last book, The Girl Before Me, so when I saw that she had a new release available on Netgalley, I requested it straight away. I also LOVE books set in the wilderness. I seemed to read a lot of them last year – the whole Rockerton series by Kelley Armstrong (Strongly recommend reading) Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner and her follow-on book, One Step Too Far (Both amazing) in the Frankie Elkin Series.

I enjoyed this book on the whole, the set-up and the camping was great, well written with interesting characters and a building feeling of suspense – that something really bad was about to go down. You could imagine it all playing out, especially with some of the more ‘unusual characters and their behaviour’ but as you read on, the pacing went a bit off track. The book wasn’t evenly spaced with set up and reveal and as a consequence, it appeared that maybe a chunk had been removed during editing? When the reveal came, it seemed a bit convoluted, a bit over-explained and not quite in keeping with the rest of the book. The last twenty per cent or so just seemed a bit rushed. The end was twist after twist – the twists themselves were good, I think the problem was the way that they were done. A couple of them I had pretty much worked out and some I definitely hadn’t. A good book that could have been made a great book with a bit more editing and reshuffling?

My thanks to the author and Bookouture for my advance copy to read and review via Netgalley. Due out 26th January 2023.

Want to watch a nature adventure escalate quickly? This group is your case in point. Pete and Abigail are engaged. She grew up in an upper middle class home with a mom who is a psychiatrist. He grew up in a lower middle class home with a mom who reads palms and tarot cards to help make ends meet. Abigail suggests a wilderness adventure for the three couples to bond before the wedding. Liam, their affable guide, has his work cut out for him. As the hike begins, so does the sharing. Both sets of parents will find out facts about the other two that make them apprehensive. Things disappear. The guide falls into the river ruining some of their food. Messages appear at their campsites. This is quickly becoming the trip from "H-E-double hockey sticks." Abigail and future MIL Darla provide our narration. You might guess, like I did, what the biggest secret is. Don't be too sure. This is a twisty one and I have found a new author to watch.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy this book but I also found it to be a bit ridiculous at times so I dropped what would have been 4 stars to 3. I like the premise; we have a couple who are soon to be married trying to get their families to get along better. What could be better than a bonding experience deep in woodlands? Of course plenty of things go wrong along the way and not everyone is telling the truth.
As I have said I did enjoy this and Wolfe throws in quite a few twists along the way, even to the very last page, which did mean I was never too sure who to trust. But this did end up being slightly ridiculous in my opinion and there was almost too much going on and too many lies.
I did like it but I did not love this read. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance copy.

Twisty, fast paced and some fantastic turns in the story. I really enjoyed this book- would definitely look out for more by this author. I’m not sure the title is right for the book in all honesty, and there aren’t many (if any) likeable characters!

A very well done thriller. Slow build until the middle when the main character divulges what transpired weeks before the hiking trip. And the ending - oh I wanted to know!
The changing narrator gave a lot of depth to the characters as well as built the suspense.
The In-Laws - cringe worthy
The Parents - very prestigious
The Engaged couple - really not that well matched, Pete drove me nuts.
The Guide - very shady character
Lots of undercurrent.

What a delightful and interesting read! Although a complicated story, the author has made it easy to read and digest. There are tons of red herrings and a few surprises along the way. Fantastic read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

This is a book that had so many twists in it I couldn’t trust anyone. Was someone messing with them or was their group of prospective in laws hiding a secret that will blow all their lives up and should they really be stuck camping in the wilderness together when there is so much animosity?

Abigail and her fiancé, Pete, are getting married soon, but their parents barely know each other. What’s the best way to get a little family bonding in? A three-day hike in a national park, of course. What could possibly go wrong?

Well to start, Pete’s parents are slightly strange. Kenny is a felon who did prison time, and Darla is a mystic, never without her crystals and Tarot cards. Abigail’s parents however, sound straight out of an L.L. Bean catalog. Pete seems fine, but to them, this family is off. How did these two end up having such a normal child?

This hiking/camping trip was doomed from the start, and there were so many red flags that anyone that isn’t a book character would have run away from those woods as fast as possible. But this is a book, and the characters ended up trying to finish the hike and bond with each other.

Camping to me has always sounded creepy, and the events in this book only make me realize how right I’ve always been about being in the middle of nowhere! As a death occurs within the party, the rest are left wondering who did it - and if they are next.

This is a classic whodunnit, with a page-turning vibe and plenty of twists. It was a good story, but the ending got a little convoluted and I was never really pulled into the scenery or characters. I’m giving this 3.5, rounded up because it was definitely entertaining and a very quick read.

(Thank you to Bookouture, Laura Wolfe, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on January 26, 2023.)

Book Title: The in-Laws
Author: Laura Wolfe
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: January 26, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars

Story is told from alternating POVs; mostly Abigail but Liam the guide, and Darla Peter’s mother as well.

Abigail Cates and Pete Mitchell are planning their dream wedding. They were anxious for their parents – the future in-laws to meet each Abigail parents Kristen and John and Pete’s parent Darla and Kenny. The parents are not from the same social circle and the first meeting a dinner didn’t go great.
Abigail decides a weekend camping trip in the National Park- hiking – getting back to nature is the answer! However, the trip goes from bad to worse. Their guide Liam discovers his bear spray has gone missing and half of their food has been spoiled. Abigail is still trying to make the best of it and organizes a fun scavenger hunt but one of the members gets lost and is missing ~ ends up dead at the bottom of a cliff. Was it an accident?
Story has a slow built up but our author keeps throwing us several secrets making me very suspicious of not everyone but close to everyone! (For example Pete’s brother Trent has had serious behavioral issues that got him in some trouble – Trent isn’t even on the hike and I suspected HIM!)

I love a story with twists and turns and I never thought this story would have so many! Certainly kept me guessing right to end plus the epilogue has a final twist!!!

My first author, Laura Wolfe and I will definitely read another

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for granted me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 26, 2023

A digital ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and Bookouture. The opinions are my own and freely given.


Cast of Characters:

Abigail - fiancée of Pete
Pete - fiancé of Abigail
Kristen - Abigail's mother
John - Abigail's father
Darla - Pete's mother
Kenny - Pete's father
Liam wilderness tour guide

Told mainly from Abigail's POV with a couple of chapters from Darla and Liam's POV.

This is the story of a camping trip gone wrong, on so many levels. With Abigail and Pete's impending nuptials, Abigail wants to get both sets of parents to like each other, so she plans this trip for a "bonding" experience. Kristen is a physiatrist and believes in science, where Darla believes in mystic powers and reads Palms, Tarot cards and healing crystals. The moms don't get off on the right foot. And with 7 people on this trip, one ends up broken at the bottom of a gulch. Fingers are pointed, tensions are high. Was it foul play or just an accident?

I didn't see the outcome and I was surprised. I love books where groups of people are stranded in dangerous situations, so this was right up my alley. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture.