I received an ARC of The Other Woman. The summary caught my attention and I wanted to read it in priority. I was disappointed after only 3 chapters. The dialogue between Emily and Adam was so unnatural, and the story wasn't able to capture my interest.

"The Other Woman" was a bit of an odd duck. Although marketed as a thriller, it didn't feel like one until maybe the last 30-40% of the book. The first two-thirds were extremely annoying and felt more like rant about potential mothers-in-law. Emily has met the "perfect" guy at the bar during a work conference- I put perfect in quotations because really, it's completely unclear why she thinks so and what she likes so much about him. Their relationship builds fast, and it comes time to meet his mother (his dad has been dead for a long time).

Adam is obsessed with his mother, Pammie- she's the perfect woman, and Emily cannot convince him otherwise. She has some micro-aggressions that she lets out early on and which escalate over time. Emily in turn becomes obsessed with this two-faced nature... but this stops short of talking to Adam about her concerns and expectations. Instead, she mostly internalizes and overanalyzes everything that has happened. The biggest problem seems to be Adam's relationship with his mother, as he is constantly rushing to her side, at the expense of their relationship.

Eventually, Emily has had enough and begins to put her foot down. The earlier transgressions really weren't as bad as made out to be, and I found it all to feel a bit fake. The relationship didn't seem that great/was hard to believe they were so attached that she was willing to just put up with stuff she couldn't stand. Add to that the interactions between the characters (Emily, Adam and Pammie), and it all felt really forced. I kept reading because I had to know if the twist I was guessing would be right (and it was- overall felt pretty predictable).

I am giving three stars because I did find the last 30% to be a huge page-turner, but the first part was hard to get through, and I found it hard to be even 2% as invested in Emily and Adam's relationship as she was (I didn't really get it). As a warning, there are also mentions of domestic violence for anyone who is sensitive. I'm not sure how much I'd recommend this book, but I do wish the first part was more like the last- it's a good start from a new author!

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Other Woman is a gripping psychological thriller. This book has so many twists and turns to keep the reader glued to the plot. Couldn’t put this book down.

The description on the back says "will have you questioning her on every page" and it couldn't be more true! I had no idea why Emily stayed with Adam. Throughout the entire book, I just couldn't believe what was going on! How no one caught on or saw what was happening, so it seemed like it was all in Emily's head. But I also couldn't believe some of the stuff that Emily did either.
Even with all the different clues, I didn't figure out what happened until the book revealed it to me. I was in no way expecting that to happen! This book grabbed me on page one and I couldn't put it down. I stayed up all night just to finish it, it was that good. There were so many twists and turns. It's definitely one of those 'on the edge of your seat' books. It is in my Top 3 books of 2018.

The Other Woman is the story of the relationship between Emily and Adam with one additional major element — his interfering mother. Adam is the love of Emily’s life and she is completely devoted to him. At the same time, Adam’s mother Pammie is determined to break up their relationship and stop their wedding but, the reason why remains a mystery. Adam loves Emily and wants to be with her, so why is Pammie so opposed to her — Emily cannot figure it out. Pammie tries to thwart her at every turn and when Adam is not around, she can be downright nasty.

“Pity wasn’t an emotion I often applied to myself, but it was the only one that I could relate to. I didn’t feel happy or sad, I just felt incredibly sorry for myself, numb from the resounding questions spinning in my head. What had I done to deserve this? Was I really the best thing that had ever happened to Adam? Why did Pammie hate me so much?”

Emily and Pammie are constantly at war with each other, vying for control. Each wants the other one gone. Emily just wants to live her life with Adam but without Pammie in it. On the other hand, Pammie wants to keep her 30 year old son all to herself or maybe just wants to keep Emily away from him.

“...however long I’d known him and however much I loved him, I’d never be able to compete with his own mother. They had a bond like no other, one that simply could not be broken or even tampered with.”

While Emily keeps trying to explain to Adam what his manipulative mother is up to, she fails to open his eyes. Adam just refuses to see it.

“When I thought about it, every little thing that Pammie had done, from the very beginning, had been contrived, meticulously planned to create upset and turmoil for me. No one else would notice, of course—that’s where she’s clever.”

Emily is determined to expose Adam’s mother for how she is trying to sabotage their relationship. She will not give up. She just wants to live happily ever after with Adam, without Pammie continuously coming between them.

“They didn’t know that the sweet old woman ambling along, playing the martyr, was actually a calculating, scheming bitch. But if she wanted to play that game, to systematically chip away at me until she hoped there was nothing left, then I was ready.”

This book is an entertaining and fun read that’s chock full of suspense, intrigue and mystery. The pacing is good and it will definitely keep your attention. While a few of the minor twists are a little predictable, the major ones are completely shocking and will most surely catch you off guard.

The character development is especially strong and the relationships are well fleshed out. I was on the edge of my seat; the more I read, the more I had to continue reading. I could not put this book down — in fact, I stayed up way too late to finish it! If you liked The Wife Between Us, you will love The Other Woman.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is my favorite type of genre and definitely had me hooked til the very end! I did end feeling bad for Emily and kept shouting at her to approach the situations differently. I really didn't expect the ending at all! It took me by surprise but at the same time, it wrapped up so quickly it was yo believe that just happened. I will definitely be looking for other books by this author!

I have received an copy of this book through netgalley to post an honest review.

I'm giving this book two stars instead of one because I did finish it to the end and perhaps someone might like it as a beach read, but it's not a thriller. The premise could have been a good one in more capable hands but I found myself skimming because the characters were all so annoying and predictable. Em the protagonist annoyed me the most.
Thank you, Netgalley, for the e-review edition of this book.

4 Stars!

First, thank you to Minotaur Books for sending me an arc of this book.

This book came highly recommended to read by my fellow bookstagrammers so I felt like I needed to dive right into this even though it doesn't come out until August.

The book starts off with meeting Emily who doesn't know if she could find the perfect soulmate. Then enter Adam who she falls in love with pretty quickly and he falls in love with her just as fast. They seem to have it all: good jobs, good looks and good lives. But what if the one thing standing in your way what is your soon-to-be mother-in-law?

Emily's soon to be mother in law does everything in her power to make sure her and Adam are not going to get married. I literally mean anything and she will go to any length to make sure this wedding does not happen. However, Emily may think that only her mother-in-law is the issue and is turning the blind eye when it comes to possible other people who are causing trouble. So what happens to this perfect love story? You'll just have to read and find out. And yes, the ending got me. I was not expecting what happened to happen and hats off to the offer for writing in such a way that I didn't see what was coming.

This book is full of lies, deceit, broken hearts, abuse and a lot of lessons about relationships. The only thing I can think of that was hard for me to get through in this book was the sheer oblivious attitude that Emily has towards her future husband and his mother. Regardless of if someone is your parents or you love them very much, abuse is abuse whether it be physical, mental or emotional. I know that this happens often in the world and I'm lucky to have not stayed in relationships that have had this happen but it just was a struggle for me personally to get through because I just wanted to shake her and say wake up you don't need to stay in this.

Overall, I would say this is going to be a great thriller choice for readers. I really enjoyed the twist at the end. Like I said, I didn't see it coming in that's a key to a great thriller. I would definitely say pick this up if you are a thriller fan. It comes out August 21st!

I was really excited to read this one since a lot of the reviews on it were really good but unfortunately I was a little underwhelmed with it. It was hard to not be frustrated with the main character throughout most of the book and a lot of the twists were relatively easy to see coming. With that said there were parts of the plot that I did enjoy that brought me back into the story. Overall, this was a quick and easy read that a lot of people will likely enjoy. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this.

A big thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for letting me read this in exchange for my review.

Emily met Adam at a work party at a bar, and they hit it off right away. They've been having wonderful date nights and enjoy spending time together. Emily is ready to learn more about Adam's past and anxious to meet his family. Despite his initial hesitation, Adam brought Emily to meet his mom. At first, she was sweet and charming, but that soon turned to posessive and manipulative. Emily was the only person to see this side of her, and Adam would get pretty pissed about it. Is his mom going break up their relationship or can Emily fight past this to keep her love alive?

At first I wasn't interested in the read because I thought it was going to be a boring story about a crazy mom sad to lose her son to marriage. I figured it would be the typical crazy mother-in-law scenario, not something I find exciting to read. I wasn't a huge fan of how fast the story started. Emily and Adam had only been dating for a month before she gets worried about what his mother thinks. I don't think that's realistic, and honestly it sends off red flags for me thinking she's a bit crazy and going to be an unlikable character. 

It was an easy, fast paced read which I did enjoy. I was glued to the story regardless of my initial impressions and kept wanting to read more. I didn't want to put it down which is something I love about books like this. I had to know about Adam's past relationships and I had to know if they would end up together. The ending was INTENSE and I would recommend to read this book just for that reason. The only thing that frustrates me was, why wasn't something said sooner :( 

3.75/5 Stars

The debut thriller, The Other Woman, by Sandie Jones, was unexpected and twisted. The protagonist, woman named Emily, has met the perfect man, Adam. He is every bit the ideal guy- a bit mysterious, smart, polite, and devastatingly handsome. And Emily, well, she’s the lucky one who gets to go home to him. Life couldn’t be more perfect. Until, Adam introduces Emily to the other woman in his life, his mum, Pammie.

Oh, Pammie. Where does one even begin with a character like this? As a woman, we have ALL met the mother of the boyfriend, who on the surface seems to be the normal, sweet doting mom who is looking for the daughter she’s never had, but underneath, she’s vindictive, malicious, and every woman’s worst nightmare. And she will stop at nothing to destroy Emily and Adam’s relationship. But will it work??? The Other Woman is a disturbing, unpredictable page-turning read, suspenseful until the very end, with a twist you won’t see coming.

If this first thriller is any indication of the twisted mind of Sandie Jones, then I look forward to her future work. Make sure to pick this book up this summer, on August 21, 2018!! #TheOtherWoman #NetGalley #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #ARC

The Other Woman – Sandie Jones
I was fortunate to receive this novel as an Advance Reader Copy, in exchange for an objective review.
Emily Havistock is living the single life, when she chances to meet someone, after attending a conference. Instantly annoyed at Adam Burns for cutting in front of her wait at the bar, she’s instantly intrigued as well by his outgoing nature. They share a few words and phone numbers, and Emily is left hoping he’ll call her.
He does call, and things progress, and Emily falls hard – he seems to be all she’s ever wanted or needed. There’s just one catch – his mother Pammie. When they first meet, she seems nice enough, but as time progresses, the little things add up – the misunderstandings, the snide remarks, and behaviors only Emily seems to see and understand, which begin to drive a wedge into Emily’s relationship with Adam.
Meanwhile, Adam’s brother James begins to insert himself into Emily’s life as well...
This novel is the perfect storm of ‘mother-in-law’ from hell, and twists and turns you won’t anticipate, all culminating in an end that will make you question your interpretation of the whole thing! Makes me want to go back and read it again!! A great psychological thriller!!!

Quick read. Would make a good beach read. Plot was pretty good but I figured out the ending halfway in. None of the characters stood out to me, but, still, I would recommend as it was a fun read.

This was unexpectedly amazing! I really didn’t know much about the premise of The Other Woman by Sandie Jones when I began to read. I started this at the airport, read it through my flight to San Francisco and then finished it up that evening.

The author has pulled off a really good plot…okay, I don’t want to tell you anymore. But know that this is an addictive read and one that fans of thrillers and suspense will want to read as soon as its hot off the press. Due out in August.

HE LOVES YOU: Adam adores Emily. Emily thinks Adam’s perfect, the man she thought she’d never meet.

BUT SHE LOVES YOU NOT: Lurking in the shadows is a rival, a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves.

AND SHE’LL STOP AT NOTHING: Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother Pammie. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever.

My review can be found on my GoodReads page at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly. Thanks for the ARC!

Oh my goodness! This book keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat to the very end. I loved every second of it and read it in a day. You will think that Pammie is the evil MIL to the very end....but you’ll never believe who the evil one really is!

This was a real haunter of story. I read this book as fast as I could. I was equally mesmerized by the story and repulsed by it. I spent my read sympathizing with, emphasizing with, and scolding the main character, Em. She made stupid decisions. She was blinded to the obvious. She was "in love". This author made bold choices and didn't stick to the evil mother-in-law formula on this one. It really works. I loved this book.

WHOA!!! Up until the twist at the end, this book hit way too close to home. I almost thought the author was writing this book about my MIL and I could so relate to Emily. While it's really easy to judge and say that Emily should have RUN, until you walk in someone else's shoes... Definitely highly recommend this fast paced thriller, especially if you have a crazy MIL.

Wow, it's nearly midnight, way past the time I should be asleep, but I could not stop this until the end - and what an ending! It is crucial not to read any spoilers if you want to feel the full impact of this book, so I will give away as little as possible.

Emily, high -flying recruitment consultant, meets handsome Adam in a London bar, and they rapidly become the perfect couple. She's never been in love like this, and soon she is moving out of the flat she shared with her best friend, so she and Adam can move in together. The only cloud in her perfect blue sky is Adam's mother, Pammie, who has taken an instant dislike to Emily, and does everything possible to split them up. No one else hears the bitchy comments, veiled threats, or sees the way Pammie manipulates situations to make Emily look bad in front of Adam, and Emily, increasingly paranoid, fears that with no proof, she can't confide in anyone, in case they think she's crazy. As their relationship progresses, the secret war between the two loves of Adam's life threatens to destroy it. Will Emily walk away, and let Pammie win, or can she finally open his eyes to the truth about his mother - and what about her confused feelings for his hunky younger brother...?

Reading this, I did feel hugely frustrated with how Emily behaves, and had to remind myself that at 27 it's fairly normal to be insecure and easily confused by the games people play. You want to shake her for confusing lust with love, and having so little self-respect and allowing herself to be treated like that. Adam may be wonderful, but does she really think she can win against a master manipulatrix, for the heart of a Mummy's boy? I had to remind myself that twenty years ago I would've been much the same. I didn't always like Emily, she's often shallow and vain, abandoning her friends for her man, and using her sexuality as her main weapon. She did however feel very real, and the building tension as you start to worry just how far Pammie will go, is excellently done. I did not see the ending coming, and it boosted my planned four stars straight up to five. Highly recommended if you like superbly crafted psychological suspense novels with a satisfying twist.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly wasn’t a huge fan of this book. It had some quality’s I enjoyed the beginning started out well I liked Adam and Emily’s relationship for the most part until the mother came into the picture. It then became somewhat typical and drawn out to me. I think what held me back from it enjoying more was the writing style it made the book seem slightly boring in parts. I did enjoy the massive twist at the end I was not expecting that at all! I think this writer has a lot of potential to make a great thriller maybe with a less written about premise she could really soar she managed to surprise me which is a great quality.