Annie fought her son, Ben up single handed. Her love for her son is unconditional. But Ben is all grown up. He's a musician and he meets Daisy. Daisy and Ben secretly marry as she is also pregnant. She is five months when Ben finally takes her home to meet his mother.

Oh wow. Be prepared for Annie to get under your skin and stay there long after you finish the book. There is quite a lot going on in this book. There were a few things that were not made quite clear, like who one of the characters was that we had not heard about throughout the book, I think I know who she was though. There are random characters told by Grace. At first they confused me, then it all slotted into place. I did get a bit wrong but I can't tell you what it was as it would spoil it for you. I couldn't read this book quick enough. My only criticism is the last 25% felt rushed. As if the author couldn't wait to tie in the loose ends. If the story had played out a little longer this would definitely be a 5⭐️ read.

I also need to thank my friend, Stina for recommding this book to me.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Boldworld Books and the author Nina Manning for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For a debut novel this gets 3.5 stars. For a seasoned author this would get 3.
The book is told in 3 voices Annie (mom), Daisy (DIL) and Grace(unknown). It starts off slow never really picking too much pace. The characters all have their secrets and that is interesting. But while the plot is interesting the lack of buildup. There is a lot of focus on Daisy and her pregnancy, not all of which really adds to the plot. If you read a lot in this genre you will figure it all out pretty quickly. Overall its a good book to read but nothing about it sets it apart from other books in this genre

Out today: 8/1/19!

I'm always a sucker for a psychological thriller and a family drama, but this time we have a bonus character: the daughter-in-law! Definitely a page-turner and an incredible thriller.

The Daughter In Law, by Nina Manning, is a psychological thriller of a treat! Newly married and pregnant, Daisy accompanies her husband Ben to meet his mom Annie. Annie is quite shocked when Ben not only moves out of their seaside home but marries someone he's only known a few months. Readers are quickly clued in that all is not well with Annie and her relationship with Ben. Tension continues to build as Annie tries to wedge herself between Ben and Daisy, who is keeping secrets of her own from Ben. With so many twists and turns, readers will be on the edge of their seats to see what happens next!

A twisty-turny read full of suspense and surprise. I really enjoyed this claustrophobic debut and would definitely recommend. Bravo!!

Claustrophobic, menacing and yet so believable, 'The Daughter In Law', is a riveting read.

It was always Annie and Ben until it wasn't. Annie can't understand why her only child has left her and married in secret. Now he is bringing her daughter in law to visit, and she has to be prepared.
Daisy's has secrets, her whirlwind romance with Ben offers her a new life, but still, she dreads meeting her mother in law.

Told from Annie and Daisy's point of view, the story begins to unfold, and each chapter brings a new revelation making you uneasy as you read on. The characters are complex, emotionally damaged, but believable. Annie seems extreme in her dominance of Ben, but the bond between a mother and her child is strong, and not always easy to share.

The plot twists begin early on, and gradually you start to realise there is something sinister going on, but who is the true victim. The suspense building is excellent, making this a genuine page-turner.

The last few chapters are so atmospheric, creepy and visual. You can see the action unfolding in your mind, even though you are metaphorically watching through your fingers.

A classy psychological novel, with many unique elements, vivid imagery and characters that resonate.

| received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is a debut novel by an author that needs to be watched.... Nina is going places!
I could identify with this book in so many ways. I'm also a single mother, and are also very close with my son. So I wonder how I will deal with my future daughter-in-law!
Annie comes over as a bit obsessive about her son, and Ben just allows it..... this was a very well written book, gripping from beginning to end, and worth your time. Recommended.
Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of this great novel.

One of my favorite types of domestic noir novel - mother, son and daughter-in-law. Told in multiple POV’s these unreliable characters are vying for power and greed. Can a new wife pull her husband away from his mother who has doted on him from birth? Only in literature, never in real life. Fast paced, with twists and some turns you can see coming this is the perfect beach read.

An OK read for me. I didn't feel as if I wanted to rush back to it when I put it down unfortunately. Not for me I'm afraid.

Annie and her son live in a beach house close to the ocean until Ben meets Daisy and falls in love.
Ben brings Daisy his now new wife to meet the mother-in-law who is not impressed with the woman who has taken her son away and to top it all Daisy is pregnant.
Annie is not all that she seems , Daisy has her secrets too
Annie tells Ben something that Daisy is hiding where he then rushes off to his new job leaving daisy to stay with his mother.
There is quite a few twists in this story but the biggest twist is the one at the end and I didn’t have a clue
Thanks Netgalley

. A dark domestic noir, Manning’s story is an examination of the lengths that women will go to when they want to have a child and how they will protect that child when it arrives.
Told in three voices, that of Annie, Ben’s mother, Grace - an unknown woman and Daisy, Ben’s newly pregnant wife, this psychological thriller is a close up study of the way that abuse and childhood trauma can perpetuate through generations.
At least one of these characters, whose voices we hear in alternating chapters, is an unreliable narrator. Annie, is Ben’s mother. She lives in a beach cottage and raised her son Ben as a single parent. Ben has always lived at home and when he meets Daisy and falls in love, they have a whirlwind courtship and marriage. Daisy is pregnant and both are very happy with their lives.
Something’s not quite right, though. Daisy’s parents are in Australia and she didn’t ask them to the wedding. Neither was Ben’s mother invited. It’s becomes clear that Ben is a bit of a mummy’s boy and he’s not looking forward to his mother’s reaction when he brings Daisy home for Christmas.
Manning drops hints here and there that each of these characters has a secret they’re holding onto. There is something in Daisy’s past she’s not told Ben. Annie seems to be very protective of Ben in a way that feels slightly unnatural and makes Daisy a little uncomfortable.
Ben is a musician and Daisy is a personal trainer. They don’t have much money, but they are very happy living in the flat that they share with Daisy’s best friend, Evie who is dating Patrick.
Then tragedy strikes and Daisy becomes anxious and depressed. Ben is off in the Hebrides, working on an album. It’s been a difficult decision for the pair, but a huge opportunity for Ben and they agree that he shouldn’t turn it down.
This leaves Daisy alone with Annie and soon the pair are living together. Things take a much darker and more sinister turn after that and the reader begins to wonder just what is going on?
The Daughter in Law is a competent psychological thriller that relies on a tragedy in Daisy’s life to ensure that she is more compliant and suggestive that might otherwise be the case.
The reader will understand the complex relationships and it doesn’t take much guesswork to work out where the character of Grace comes from and what her motivation is.
And that’s the quandary with this book. It is not hard to work out the plotting and the twist and has nothing essentially new to add to the domestic noir genre. The pace is fairly slow and because I’d worked out the plot quite early on, it felt a bit too slow for me, probably because there wasn’t any tension to ramp up the plot.
If you don’t read many psychological thrillers, then this could well be a book you’ll really enjoy. But if, like me, you read a great deal of this genre, you may find it slightly predictable, albeit well-written.

Enjoyable, but pretty standard domestic thriller. I was glued to the pages, but overall this didn't wow me. I expected from the blurb there would be more of a missing person situation than what it actually was, and I did not expect quite so much pregnancy related content, specifically a lot of the action involving Daisy lying in bed and being pregnant. This was a fun ride for the most part, but I wouldn't particularly recommend it over other domestic thrillers.

I give this book 5 Wows! Once you start this book, you’ll be drawn into a pleasant world that slowly and insidiously becomes more twisted, and you will be shaken by the horror that creeps ever closer.

The Daughter in Law is a psychological thriller. A psychological thriller focuses on characters, and their unstable emotional states. The genre generally features guilt, obsession, moral ambiguity, and complex and tortured relationships and author Nina Manning uses all these tools to create a book that will puzzle and then terrify you.

The book starts off pleasantly enough. We meet Annie a woman in her sixties who lives in a pretty beach cottage. She raised her son as a single mother. Ben was her world. Then Ben grows up, begins to break away from his mother, and he meets Daisy. They fall in love and when Daisy gets pregnant, they marry and settle into a quiet and caring life.

The sweet romance feeling of the book changes as the characters’ worrisome thoughts and odd comments begin to grow. What is Daisy’s terrible secret? Why is Ben a bit different? Can Annie continue to keep Ben in her “secret party of two”? Does Annie truly want the best for her unborn grandchild? Annie tells us, “When I feel unhinged, who knows what I’m capable of.” Creepy!

Annie and Daisy tell their stories in the first person, in alternating chapters. The immediacy of their thoughts draws the reader in to their confused minds. And then, along comes Grace, who shares her own odd story. Who is she?

The author adds to the psychological suspense through the details of the setting of the beach house and the action of the characters. The ocean and wind, the spartan furnishings of Annie’s house, the obsessive way Annie cooks and cleans, all contribute to our growing realization that something is dreadfully wrong.

Who is telling the truth? Who can we believe? The uncomfortable and eerie feelings and actions of the characters continue to build until the unexpected ending. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a digital review copy. This is my honest review.

Absolutely fantastic had me gripped!!! Loved it! Can't wait for more from.this author. Storyline was great, characters were easy to.connect with

Thank you for the advanced copy

This book was excellent! Totally kept my attention and I wanted to find out what would become of the main characters. Highly reccomended.

Fantastic, creepy, dark and chilling. How deeps a mothers love?

This made me feel very honoured to have a great relationship with my mother in law.

What a fabulous story.

This book was mildly entertaining but was nowhere near as good as similar books such as The Mother in law or The other woman. It felt long and dragged in many places. I was able to predict the twist pretty early on in the novel. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

2.5/5 stars

A nice albeit slightly predictable psychological thriller.

Daisy and Ben meet and soon they fall in love, secretly got married, and in no time Daisy is pregnant.
Ben introduces his new wife to his overly protective mother Annie who believes that no woman is good enough for her precious son, thus, showing instant dislike to Daisy.

Later Ben mysteriously disappears and Daisy has no one else but Annie.
Daisy also has her share of dark secrets, and Annie is determined to expose her.
The story alternates between Annie and Daisy viewpoints.

The plot is ok, but I'd have preferred a quicker pace and a couple of original surprises.
3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thanks Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and author Nina Manning for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Very predictable, and I’m sure I’ve read a similar psychological thriller recently. The dialogue was quite contrived and the whole book was slow.

Not an enjoyable read for me, sadly.

When Annie meets her new daughter-in-law Daisy she is not impressed, although no one would be good enough for her precious son Ben who she raised single handed. The fact that they married secretly doesn’t exactly help matters.

The chapters alternate between Daisy and Annie’s point of view. Is Annie just a overly protective mother who wants the best for her son? What is the secret Daisy is hiding?

This is a great psychological thriller that kept me captive until I finished the book. The twists and turns made me dizzy keeping up and the ending was .... well let’s just say I did not see that coming!!!

Nina Manning is an author to look out for.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.