An engaging, suspenseful tale that’ll keep you guessing! The characters are relatable & the storyline is perfectly placed - looking forward to more with this author!! Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read & review.

"The Other Woman" was an entertaining read with a great twist.

Emily unexpectedly meets the love of her life, Adam when she is at a work function. At first it seems like everything is great: Adam is loving and attentive, and they have great chemistry and fun together. But something is very off with his mother, Pammie. She seems to take an instant dislike to Emily, and is constantly trying to undermine her relationship with Adam. As things quickly become serious between Adam and Emily, Pammie becomes more desperate. How far will she go to stop Emily from marrying Adam?

The author does a great job of casting doubt on the characters. I wasn't sure who to trust in the story, as they all seemed pretty unreliable, even Emily herself. Pammie certainly seems to have ulterior motives, Adam's brother James seems to have feelings for Emily (or does he?), and Adam may be more than he seems.

The story did feel very rushed at times, with some scenes and characters feeling underdeveloped. Emily was a pretty unlikeable character who makes poor choices and allows things to happen to her instead of taking charge of her life. I didn't understand why Adam was so blind to what his mother was doing. Was it intentional?

However, it is a very readable and entertaining bok, and I certainly didn't see the ending coming.

I received this book as a giveaway from NetGalley, and it was the first time I won a book from them! Thank you!
I really enjoyed reading "The Other Woman", it was a book I looked forward to reading and couldn't wait to get back to. There was a twist at the end, that I couldn't quite figure out! I would recommend this book for women of all ages.

What woman does not have a story about her mother in law? This story brings you in the typical villain, alias the mother in law but on steroids. That woman is ready to do anything to “protect” her precious son. However, it turns out that it is not that simple. I enjoyed this book with the surprising twists and development.

I enjoyed this book. It was fast paced without leaving anything out, and kept me wanting to read.
But maybe I just feel like this girl is too smart to have fallen for this. There were big “You In Danger Girl” signs from the beginning. That car ride? Get out, and forget you knew him.
But.
I still enjoyed it. Because it felt like something that could happen to anyone. You laugh off a mood swing as a bad day at work, or nervousness.
And you put up with mothers in laws that seem to have it out for you.


There is a twist, and I had an inkling, but wasn’t sure until the book spelled it out. And I enjoyed the ending. It felt right.

“The Other Woman” by Sandie Jones

It must be said: This is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read in quite a while; it actually made me a little uncomfortable. I was stuck to the edge of my seat while reading chapter after chapter. And when I thought I had it all figured out, I didn’t. In fact, I wasn’t even close.
Emily Havistock is attending a work conference when, at the bar, she meets a man who jumps the queue to be served. After getting to know him, Emily begins to wonder if she has finally met the perfect man. Adam is caring, attentive and loving, and their relationship quickly develops. They are soon planning their future together, which includes getting married.
Before long, Adam brings Emily home to meet his mother. He introduces Emily to Pammie, who seems to be a nice woman but also a little domineering when it comes to motherhood. And that, my friends, is only the beginning. Pammie has other ideas about her son’s future; she wants Emily gone and is willing to lie, scheme, and manipulate to get what she wants. Adam is oblivious to his mother’s antics. He defends his mother and often blames Emily for the rift and distance between the two women.
Jones has set up the character of Pammie so wickedly that you will wince every time she enters the room. When it comes to the full cast of characters, you will love some and hate some as the situations progress. Not wanting to give too much away, however, it is best just to say that the book operates at a pace that will keep even the most curious reader happy. “The Other Woman” is the kind of read that offers escapism. It’s a fun book that will keep you turning pages until the end.
Reviewed by Lauren Brabrook for Suspense Magazine

This book was an okay read for me. While it kept me up way too late reading just to find out what happened next, it still lacked the punch I was looking for or expecting based on the summary. I found myself frustrated with Emily and rolling my eyes at her many times -- her decision to stay with Adam after some of his disrespectful words and actions really bothered me. I think some of the relationships felt very contrived as well. The ending, while providing a twist I hadn't seen before, left a lot to be desired to me and felt very rushed.

I went into this book thinking one thing, but the outcome was totally different. This book paints the picture that Adams mom is crazy and doesn't want him to marry Emily. She does everything that she can to make sure that he doesn't marry her. But in the end you found out that Adam is really crazy and that Pammie was trying to protect Emily. This book kept me on the end of my seat the whole time!

Really really liked this book. It's a book that takes you through lots of different emotions and feelings. Kept me interested from the first page and enjoyed getting to know the characters. Recommend!

This was a very suspense thriller. Great read! This book had so many twists that it kept me guessing constantly throughout the entire book. I think anyone that enjoys a good suspense thriller would greatly enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Other Woman.

The Other Woman is a fast paced, twisty thriller. It centers around Emily. Emily thinks she has found the love of her life in Adam. He is everything she is looking for. There is just one problem...his mother.

The things I loved about this book were the short chapter, fast moving story line and extreme plot line. Although some of the twists and turns of this novel, were a bit far fetched, I still loved every minute of it. I honestly could not put this book down.

I love books that actually make me start yelling at the characters! Although I really didn't like any of them. The only character I felt I should be rooting for was Emily, and I felt that she was such a weak character, I did not really feel much for her until the end.

The ending was a bit improbable but I still enjoyed it.

A suspenseful read. The mother-in-law was just so believable that at times I was wondering if I’d be able to finish this book as I was so angry at her. The last few chapters felt rushed, I would have liked to know more about Adam and his issues.

This book was a page turner for me and a total shocker at the end! Totally didn't see it coming! Adam, Emily, and Adam's mother, Pammie, are involved in such a tangled web of deceit and lies. I wanted to smack Pammie throughout most of the book and shake Emily the other half! I rooted for Emily and Adam to get their HEA, but all is not what it seems. So many twists it keeps you intrigued from beginning to end!

This book is like nothing you've ever read! It was fact-paced and surprising and EXACTLY the kind of book I love.

Emily is an ordinary woman, preferring a glass of wine and quiet nights at home after working hard at her job. She meets the handsome and charismatic Adam and is totally swept away by his romantic and loving gestures. She has her own group of friends and family but falls hard for Adam. He seems perfect. Until she meets his mother, Pamela.

“Do you think your mother would like me?” I asked. He rolled over and pushed himself up onto one elbow. The light was off, but the curtains were open and the moon was bright. I could see his silhouette close to me, feel his breath on my face.
“Of course she would. She’d think you’re perfect.”
I couldn’t help but notice the turn of phrase: “she’d” instead of “she’ll.” There’s a big difference between the two—one hypothetical, the other intentional. The sentence spoke volumes.


Oh, Pammie!! All smiles to her two loving sons, she is downright cruel to Emily. Pammie takes every chance she can get to make a cruel comment and play mind games with Emily. At first Emily thinks she is imagining the cruelty that Pammie seems to intentionally inflict on her. But soon it biomes crystal clear that Pammie HATES Emily and will do ANYTHING to stop Emily from having a relationship with her son Adam.

Emily is determined to make her relationship with Adam work. After all, he's perfect. She overlooks many of Pammie's cruel tricks and nasty comments. All she wants is a future with Adam.

"But despite having been in love and lust before, I couldn’t ever remember feeling this safe. And that was how Adam made me feel. He made me feel all of the above. Every little box had a tick in it and, for the first time in my adult life I felt whole, as if all the jigsaw pieces had been slotted into place."

Soon Pammie worms her way into Adam and Emily's lives, driving a wedge between them. I could not believe that Emily was not fighting harder to assert herself with Pammie! But what would I do in that situation? I literally could not put this book down until I finished this fabulous, juicy thriller!

"I tried to reassure myself that he was just putting on a show to get their relationship back on track, but what about our relationship? Wasn’t that the one that needed saving? We had barely spoken since she’d walked in on us, let alone been intimate, and it was all beginning to gnaw away at me . . . nibbling, nibbling. Everything between us would be perfect if she just behaved normally, like a mother was supposed to."

Nothing is at it seems in this smart and fast-paced story. When it seems as though Emily might be in danger, the fun really begins, and Emily finally exerts her power. The slight feeling of unrest I felt while reading this book really kicked in and my jaw dropped at the ending of this book. Why was Adam so overly devoted to his mother? What was really going on with his brother? And was Pammie really that cruel and self-centered?

"She’d stripped away my confidence and had caused hurt that I’d carry with me until the day I died, but I would not allow her to take away the one thing she wanted. She would never take Adam away from me. I’d use the only weapon in my artillery that she’d never be able to outgun me with."

I loved this book. The Other Woman is the first book by Sandie Jones and I can't wait to read what she comes up with next! This book was pure enjoyment. Highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of The Other Woman.

Emily has found the man of her dreams, Adam. And after things get serious enough, it's time to meet the family, and most importantly, mother Pammy. But their relationship takes a quick turn when Emily discovers that her soon-to-be mother-in-law is an absolute nightmare who will stop at nothing to keep the two apart.

Capitalizing on the classic battle between mother-in-law, daughter-in-law was a lot of fun. Just how far is Pammy going to go? And how much will Emily tolerate before being scared off by a future of constant tension. The best part was the ending, I'm actually kind of ashamed of myself for not seeing it coming! Well pieced together, compulsively readable, would highly recommend.

I liked this well enough to keep reading and the ending was unexpected (although, really, I should have been able to figure it out), but it seemed a bit of a slog with people I didn't really like all that well.

Fans of domestic psychological suspense may enjoy this, as will those who like suspense titles by Catherine McKenzie and Shari Lapena.

That twist at the end got me like WHOA.

W-H-O-A.


I didn't see that coming at all! Very well done!
I mean, I saw clues along the way but she had me until the end - believing the story she spun for me. I wasn't ready to be confronted with the truth like that. Without spoiling it, or retelling the synopsis that you can read anywhere I want to take a moment to appreciate what Sandie Jones did. She was able to create characters so nuanced and real that you formed opinions and convictions about who they were solely on her craft and slight of hand. She's a magician and did a stand up job with her plot turn that is refreshing and stands out in a sea of thrillers. Bravo! This is one you don't want to miss, I highly recommend it.

Minotaur Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Other Woman. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Emily thought the new love of her life was perfect, until she meets his mother. Adam and his mother Pammie have an unbreakable bond, one that threatens the relationship as Emily is constantly rebuked by the woman. When it all comes to a head, whose relationship will survive?

Although The Other Woman is marketed as a psychological suspense, it is really just a straightforward thriller. The major component to the story, Emily's constant battle over Pammie's treatment of her and Adam's defense of the woman, would have been a non-issue in real life. With the relationship being in its early stages, it makes no sense that Emily would have stayed. I did like the small twist at the end, but the rest of the book was lackluster. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend The Other Woman to readers.

Holy mother of... woah, sometimes a book comes around and smacks you upside the head. Dumb struck! Like how did I not see that? Sandier Jones wrote a fantastic mystery. That is what this is... there isn’t much of a thriller feel until those last 15 minutes. But during that brief time your heart will be going wild. I do kind of wish there was more of a thriller aspect to the story but it’s a great think story.

Emily loves Adam and Adma loves Emily but Adam’s mother isn’t so sure. What Pammie wants…Pammie gets. And Pammie wants Emily gone. But Emily isn’t going down without a fight and when she suddenly finds herself trapped with no way out, help comes from an unexpected source.

Sandie Jones’ debut thriller takes readers on a diabolical journey when a young woman must face down her soon to be mother in law. Along the same vein as The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train, things are not what they seem as a young woman finds herself caught up in a web of lies, deceit, and madness. Jones’ keeps the story fresh and flowing with bold narrative, captivating twists and turns, and a cast of unreliable characters. I never saw the ending coming.

Grade: B