This book. Blew. Me. Away.

Going into this one, I was NOT expecting the horror vibes that showed up as it’s nowhere near listed under the genre. But it sure did freak me out!

In this one we follow the unreliable main character whose son is claiming to be followed by a mysterious woman claiming to be his new “Granny.” Creepy right?! And from there, we are swept into a psychological thriller that makes you want to read with all the lights on (which I learned the hard way..). I even had to force myself to stop reading so I could get some sleep before work.

If you like spine-tingling, someone’s-watching-me vibes while also struggling through domestic drama, this book is highly recommended by me! A complete 5 out of 5 stars.

After the death of her mother, Georgina is doing the best she can raising her son Cody with her husband Bren by her side. She is stunned when Cody starts talking about a woman he meets one day at the park who wants him to call her New Granny. She tries to brush it off as believing Cody created an imaginary friend from the loss of his grandmother. But things take a startling turn when she discovers Cody talking on the phone with New Granny and finding unknown candy wrappers in his possession. Determined to find out what is happening, Georgina has to figure out what is make believe and what is real. With a history of mental illness, she finds herself second guessing her thoughts and decisions, especially when Bren doesn't believe her theories. As she continues to solve this mystery on her own, she discovers hidden secrets and betrayals that has her mind going into overdrive as to all the possible scenarios as to who New Granny really is.

I was intrigued by the blurb of the story and thought this was a good mystery book. The author creates other drama into the story - marital issues, an odd and mysterious neighbor, handling the death of her mother, and her father in a depressed state over the loss of his wife. I didn't really care for her husband Bren. I found him to be selfish and unsupportive. Though Georgina mentions he's been her rock and helped her seek treatment in the past, I felt she let him off too easy once his secrets were discovered. The ending was surprising as you continue to figure out who New Granny is. This book had many twists and secrets and I found myself immersed in the story.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book.

My first read of 2021 and I wasn’t disappointed. 4.25/5 ⭐️

Georgina, Bren & Cody - a small family of three live in Dublin, Ireland. On the outside, they may seem perfect, but they all have their secrets. Georgina is devastated and is dealing with the death of her mother in the best way; Bren is a cheating husband; Cody like all children is playful, but has an “imaginary” grandmother who gives him sweets and mysteriously talks to him on the phone.

Is the grandmother really imaginary? Is the only question I had throughout the book. The author’s debut writing is so fantastic, she had me framing theories with ghosts and serial killers!! She made me not trust anyone, even Georgina at times! There are some intense scenes and I felt cold every-time Georgina got spooked. The one character that grew on me was Bren, I hated him at first. I thought he was responsible for all the bad things that was happening, but he kind of “proved” his innocence; which I liked. The ending gathered all the loose ends together in a heartbreaking way by adding a bit of family history. Overall an entertaining thriller you wouldn’t want to miss.

CW - kidnap, mental health, miscarriage, abuse, breaking of planters.

Thank you Gallery & Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest opinion. Find me on Instagram @monikas.bookblog

Dublin

Georgina is watching her son Cody, age 7, and his friends on the playground when he emerges from the bushes with a lollipop in his mouth. He says his granny gave it to him. Georgina is shocked because her mother and Cody’s only remaining grandmother, recently passed away. When she tells her husband, Bren, he agrees that it truly must have been a shock for her. Bren is a trained psychologist, but works in technology and Georgina is finishing her degree and will soon be an art teacher.

When some calls come in on their landline with no one there, Georgina becomes even more upset. Bren thinks that Georgina is still suffering from grief and suggests she see someone. She has had some emotional problems in the past and now that she has also found out that Bren has been unfaithful, Georgina is in a fragile state.

When Georgina and Bren hear Cody talking on the phone to his “granny,” she becomes even more concerned. Is Cody playing childish games to upset his mother?

I found this book difficult to get going. There was too much time spent on Georgina and Bren’s marital problems. However, as we finally got toward the end of the book, it really picked up and there was a heart-stopping ending. Well done!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

There's a lot to unbox in this story - a child with an imaginary grandmother who he meets in the woods and talks to on the phone, a gaslighting and cheating husband, and a wife struggling to cope with her mother's death while taking care of her grieving father. And the common thread between all of these situations is that everyone is keeping secrets. This book chilled me to the bone. As a wife, mother, and daughter, I sympathized with Georgina and found myself cheering her on. There are a handful of heartwrenching scenes, especially towards the end when everything comes to light. After all, secrets never stayed buried forever.

Oooh! This was a fantastic psychological thriller. I couldn’t put this down and finished in a little over 2 days (during the holiday season, if that tells you anything). I thoroughly enjoyed the fast paced story and am excited to see what else this author will write.


Overall: if you like a good mystery/thriller, then you HAVE to read this one.

Super quick read. The ending was a little bit of a stretch for me, but that’s how this genre goes sometimes. I couldn’t put this one down. I think thriller lovers will enjoy this one!

Thank you to Gallery Books and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really liked the premise of this one, anything with a possible creepy kid appeals to me in a weird way and then throw in a mother who is fragile and it leaves you with a whole lot of questions and head scratching moments. This one was unsettling and slightly sinister and despite some minor issues I can see how it would appeal to many.

What worked for me was the great sense of place the author created, it was atmospheric and there were a few times where I got goosebumps because of the great scene she set. Wondering if Cody really met someone in the park or if he was just using his imagination kept me on my toes but it did feel kinda draggy at times. This was definitely a slow burn and I lost my patience with the pacing a few times. It had so much potential for me at the start and then things didn’t really pick up for me until the very end and that just wasn’t quite enough for me to truly enjoy this one. It didn’t feel like a true thriller, maybe a domestic drama with some suspenseful moments? But definitely not an exciting and fast paced thriller for me. If you enjoy a well written, atmospheric light style suspense novel you’ll like this more than I did.

This was a intense psychological thriller that you won’t be able to put down! It was a quick book, mainly because you’re turning the pages as fast as you can so you can find out what happens. Wow! What a story!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of The Woman Outside My Door
I can’t remember reading a book based in Ireland so this was intriguing to me. This book kept me guessing I went back and forth on is new Granny real or is Cody just lonely for the Grandma he lost ? His Mom is grieving the loss of her mother also so is she thinking straight ? Is their mental illness involved? Then you have her husband with his own secrets so this book is a page turner. I would definitely recommend.

This was a very entertaining debut novel that held my interest and had a very interesting storyline. I suspected every single character and did not expect the ending at all! I read so many books set in England so it’s fun to read something set in Ireland! I definitely recommend it!

Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in advance for my review!

When Georgina’s son comes home talking about “New Granny”, Georgina reminder’s herself that many kids have imaginary friends, and New Granny may be her son’s way of dealing with the loss of his real grandmother. However, when strange tags start happening, Georgina starts to wonder if there is something more sinister at play. She fights to put the pieces together before it is too late.
Quick moving plot and great character development. Highly recommended.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

at first, i went into this book not really expecting anything. adult mystery/thrillers sometimes don’t really work with me, but in here really worked. like as i read this story, i completely loved the whole mystery element, and also how Georgina and Bren not really working together really made me like this even more, since it showed that every couple had their ups and downs. but, i did find the ending to be kind of predictable, since as soon as they mentioned Anne, it was kind of a gimme.

The beginning of this book had some rough writing, but I read an arc and there are some things that may be addressed/polished prior to publication. Without going into spoilers there were a few things that began happening that made me really concerned about where the book was going. But as I progressed through the book I really wanted to know what was going to happen and it did keep me guessing!

I really liked this. It was mysterious and it was a wild ride. I was glad to have read this early. I was not expecting that ending. Love when that happens.

Nice, creepy read but I felt like there was too much going on and it felt kind of jumbled. It played out well enough though

I am super glad I read this. There’s something to be said for a creepy read! Special thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy! This gem comes out on January 5, 2021 and I highly recommend it!

Cody begins telling his Mom about his “new granny” after a day at the park. Apparently his new granny gives him toffee candy but, that can’t be right because Cody’s grandma’s are both dead. Soon, Georgina is experiencing more occasions of “hauntings” and “stalking”, who is it who wants to be her sons grandma so desperately?

I really enjoyed this! And with the days being shorter, it’s the perfect read for before bedtime..of you dare! Do yourself a favor and preorder it!

I’m working hard on getting my @netgalley under control (it’s so hard!) and so I started a new on over the weekend and finished in 2 days! The Woman Outside My Door was an amazing suspense thriller set in Dublin!

Georgina’s 7 yr old son starts a friendship with an imaginary grandma after her mother passes away. Her husband Bren assures her that its natural after the death of a loved one, but Georgina’s maternal instincts tell her otherwise. She starts to see shadows and hear things and she is always on high alert straining her relationship with Bren.

I don’t want to give too much away, but this book is very fast paced and has a twist I didn’t see coming. It’s also a shorter one at just 288 pages. I am very impressed by this debut novel and I can’t wait for more!

Any book set in Ireland is dear to my heart, but this one actually took place close to wear I used to live in northern county Dublin. The author describes places I could actually picture in my head!

Thank you to @rachelryanwriter @gallerybooks and @netgalley for my advanced reader copy. This book will release on January 5!

4.5 stars

I find it hard to believe this is the author's first published book. The writing was fantastic. This was suspenseful and ominous in a way that had me not trusting anyone, even the main character Georgina. Little things that escalated into even bigger problems kept me up at night. First because I didn't want to stop reading, and then because I was scared and had trouble sleeping.

It was a fully fleshed out story, too. Not only is there the creepy factor of some old woman trying to connect with Georgina's young child, but her marriage is on the rocks, her dad is recently widowed, her neighbors are interesting. And the ending- it was shocking and had my heart rate up! I definitely want to read whatever Rachel Ryan comes up with next, as this was a total hit for me.

The Woman Outside My Door by Rachel Ryan was a delightful domestic thriller set in Dublin. Our story centers around Georgina, a young mother who leads a busy life going to school and working. She is grieving the loss of her beloved mother and is having some martial issues with her husband, Bren. In the midst of this emotional time period, Georgina’s son Cody begins speaking about his “New Granny” who has given him candy at the park. Is New Granny a real person or is she an imaginary friend created by a 7 year old boy who is grieving the loss of his grandmother in his own way?
This was a very fast paced story that I read almost in one sitting. Rachel Ryan does an excellent job at telling an entertaining story full of mystery and intrigue. I enjoyed the story despite it containing many of the usual tropes found in modern thrillers: an unreliable narrator, is the mystery real or a sign of a mental illness, and of course some red herrings thrown in just to try to confuse the reader. All in all, I found The Woman Outside My Window to be a fun light read that provides a nice escape from the daily grind.