3.5 stars

A Child with an imaginary friend...Imagine that!

But what if you have doubts, what if there is something a little off about your child's imaginary friend, what if "New Granny" is real, what if????

Seven-year-old Cody has been having conversations and receiving gifts from his "New Granny". Is his imaginary Granny the result of his young mind attempting to cope with the recent death of his grandmother? Or is someone really talking to Cody and giving him treats?

Georgina is worried for her son. She KNOWS that New Granny is real, even if her husband, Bren does not believe her. Bren believes their son when he says he made New Granny up. Grieving the loss of her mother, Georgina is also reeling from Bren's confession.

But what if she is wrong? What if New Granny is really an imaginary friend? What if????

You will have to read to find out!

This proved to be fast read which had me guessing, incorrectly, as to what was going on. My initial theory was so far off base and I do not think anyone will see the revelation coming. I thought the author did a great job showing Georgina's fear and concern for her son.

This was an enjoyable book which shows a woman coping with grief, while balancing work, family life and studying. When her son begins talking to his imaginary friend, we see her question many things as those in her life begin to question her sanity. There are a couple of subplots going on in this book as well, I felt many where cleverly used to throw the reader off and to cast doubt.

Entertaining, a tense whodunit which does not disappoint.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! What a great first novel from Rachel Ryan!

The author does such a fine job of throwing up red herrings - you will suspect everyone and everything of being the "New Granny" Georgina's son keeps talking about and you will try to figure out who is gaslighting her, because surely it couldn't be a relapse of her earlier mental illness! Throw in a little marital infidelity and it's the perfect recipe for paranoia.

The book raises the question of when do you believe yourself and when, especially as a mom with every instinct to protect your child, do you raise the alarm? And if there is mental illness in your past, and your husband doesn't believe you, why would the police?

The story was fast paced and the ending so tense that I had tears in my eyes (I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying!). I'm so glad I decided to read this book as my holiday treat, because it was perfect!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery books for an advance reader's copy for review.

The Woman outside my door was a quick read that made you want to keep reading until the end. Located in a town in Ireland, a husband and wife live together with their young son. The obstacles parents face in today's world are plentiful, but when Georgina and Bren start questioning whether their son's imaginary friend is really imaginary, the situation becomes dire.

I enjoyed this fast paced read, and the mystery wasn't far fetched, but relatable, or something you might hear of happening - as scary as it seems. The family drama that was thrown in made the mystery even more complicated. It touched on mental illness, and the importance of friendship But I felt like we were thrown on too many different paths to find out the ending. Not in a good way. As soon as the narrator decides that it's her mental illness playing ticks on her, the story line throws a 380 and decides it's not that at all. Her husband goes half the story not believing there is something going on with their son, and then one day he just believes her and the signs she has been showing him all along.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of suspense or thrillers, or even just a solid fiction book. The ending did surprise me and it took me on a fun ride all the way until the end. The ending was wrapped in a pretty bow, and all the issues were tied up nicely and their family was starting to heal.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I received a complimentary eARC copy of THE WOMAN OUTSIDE MY DOOR by Rachel Ryan. Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the chance to read and review.

THE WOMAN OUTSIDE MY door follows Georgina, a woman who has a lot going on in her life. She lost her mother recently and her marriage is on the rocks. When Georgina’s son Cody begins talking about an imaginary friend, everyone is inclined to believe it is just a stage. Learning that this new friend is an older woman he calls “New Granny”, it seems logical to relate it to the loss of his grandmother. Still, Georgina isn’t sure.

As Georgina begins to see more and more signs that her son’s “imaginary friend” isn’t as imaginary as everyone thinks, she begins to look into it more. She doesn’t think she’s just being paranoid even if that is exactly what her husband claims. When other things begin to happen from noises outside to destruction of property, Georgina is determined to protect her son above everything else.

I was in the mood for a gripping thriller and this one was exactly what I needed. I stayed up reading this way too late, eager to find out what exactly was going on. Anytime a story centers on potential danger to a child it ups the ante and I could absolutely feel that here. I also really liked the premise of this “new granny” being a potential danger, sort of a new twist on the witch in the story of Hansel & Gretel, luring a child in with candy.

There was a lot going on in this one between Georgina’s mental health concerns, her marital difficulties and worries about what is going on with her husband and her pain over the loss of her mother and the potential loss of her son. The author did a good job of gradually bringing in secrets and questions to keep the reader and the protagonist guessing.

This was a fantastic debut by Rachel Ryan and I will look forward to seeing what she brings us in the future!

Wow! These short chapters were amazing... and it only took 2.5 pages (the first chapter) to absolutely suck me in! I probably shouldn't have read this so close to going to bed, but when do I every listen to intuition? I'm the blond girl running up the stairs in a horror flick... Rachel Ryan brilliantly tells a tale about a boy and his "imaginary friend"... but is he really imagining this woman or is she real?

Anyone looking for a good, haunting tale MUST read this one. Definitely going to be hard to top this one!

Thank you for allowing me to listen and give my honest opinion!

Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books, and Rachel for an advance copy of The Woman Outside My Door.

First and foremost, I’m a sucker for thrillers with neon colors on the cover. I don’t know why, but it just works so well for me. The black plants are a nice touch, also.

The Woman Outside My Door combines several subgenres under the thriller umbrella to deliver a twisty fast-paced book that will keep you questioning yourself and every character involved. You may even start to look at your kids strangely and question them.

Georgina has had some struggles lately. She is mourning the pretty sudden loss of her mother while also trying to forgive her husband for an infidelity, while taking classes, working, and raising their seven year old son. One day when Georgina is at the park with Cody, he turns up with sweets and says that “New Granny” gave them to him. Georgina’s concerns grow as more alarming things begin to happen.

I felt like this book had several elements that you see in your run-of-the-mill thriller, but elements that I don’t know that I’ve ever seen combined into one book. It was really quite an interesting mix. There was a topic or two that I felt like was skimmed over when it should’ve been explored deeper, but given how much ground this book covered, it’s understandable and enough was discussed to ‘get the gist’ of the background. If maybe 10-20 extra pages had been added to the overall total in order to delve into those topics, it wouldn’t have made or broken the book…much like it didn’t make or break the book that they were not explored as much. (Excuse this stream of consciousness that wound up with no real conclusion…)

As the mom of an 8 month old, I remember reading the synopsis before requesting this book and being like …but am I *sure* I want to read this? ha ha ha. And there are things that I believe will really resonate with mothers who read this. Aside from the concern that someone is contacting her son and the general worry of what actually is going on, Rachel Ryan does a fantastic job at conveying just how isolating it can be to be a mother. This is, of course, an extreme case being that she’s worried about her son’s safety and a predator, but I could honestly feel Georgina’s loneliness and helplessness throughout this book. She really doesn’t have another female figure that she can, or that she feels comfortable confiding in, which did a lot to add to the terror of the story.

All in all, this is a really impressive debut.

Georgina and her son Cody are still mourning the death of her mother Rose when Cody announces that New Granny, who he met in the park, has given him some chocolate. Georgina is, understandably, creeped out but when he starts talking to the woman on the phone and so on, she's downright worried. Her husband Bren dismisses her- telling her it's normal for a kid to have an imaginary friend but Georgina knows he's not the most sympathetic person for her mental health concerns. IS she a reliable narrator? Well, off things start happening and Georgina has to get to the truth. This is hard to review without spoilers but know that it's nicely paced, sometimes a little over the top, but always pulls you back in because of the characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. it's an entertaining read- a page turner with twists that keep you guessing.

Going into this story I really did not know what to expect. As I continued to read I was intrigued, I could not figure out if it was Georgina’s imagination or was her motherly instincts really kicking in. With Georgina’s health history thrown into the the story, there was a couple way the story could go. I had to keep reading to find the truth of the story. What an ending, one that I was not expecting. I recommend this book for anyone who likes a good psychological thriller.

*Disclaimer: I received a free review copy through NetGalley for my honest and unbiased opinion*

"The Woman Outside My Door" was a book I found was hard to put down. It's a thriller but the author, Rachel Ryan, keeps you guessing. Just when you think you know what's going on, she sends you on another whirlwind second-guessing it all. The twists and turns just kept on coming in this one. I highly recommend this book and this author. I look forward to reading anything she puts out in the future in the same genre. If you like books that keep you guessing - don't miss this one. Warning though - you're not gonna want to put it down to go to sleep at night.

What a good, quick read! I wasn't totally sure what would happen and was surprised by the ending. This is one that includes an unreliable narrator, with a few plot lines that seem to come out of nowhere, but overall is a quick enjoyable read.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this advance reader's copy of The Woman Outside My Door by Rachel Ryan.

Georgina is having a hard time. Her mother has recently passed away and her husband has admitted to an indiscretion with an ex. Add in her work and studies and Georgina is stressed. When her young son Cody makes a new friend that only he can see, Georgina begins to have trouble coping with all of the anxieties in her life. There are just too many questions without answers for Georgina to handle, especially whether or not her son's new imaginary friend is really imaginary or something much more sinister.

I loved The Woman Outside My Door. The premise was just creepy enough to keep me engaged and on the edge of my seat without giving me nightmares. There were so many twists and turns that it's nearly impossible to guess the ending until you get to it in the book. Highly recommend to anyone who likes thrillers.

Georgina is worried. Cody, her 7 year old, keeps talking about "New Granny" -- someone who approached him in the park and gave him chocolate. Something about it feels off, strange. Georgina's mother died recently and at first, everyone assures her that it's just Cody's way of dealing with grief.

But...Georgina isn't sure. She's also not so sure about her own mind - she's heard voices before, right after giving birth to Cody. So maybe it's her own grief as well - bringing about this paranoia.

This is a good thriller - marital tension, a somewhat creepy kid, a loner neighbor, a dead mom, random phone calls. There is something missing, however. I read a ton of thrillers so it does take a lot for me to be excited by something new. I feel that Rachel Ryan is a good writer - she is able to create tension - the repetition of Georgina's thoughts helps that. The story had a lot of side characters and I wish some of them had been developed a bit more. I also wanted to know more about the "laundries'.

Still, it's a good read.

I really struggled with this book. While I wasn't expecting a literary masterpiece, the writing felt clunky and a bit over-explaining, which cut against the suspense of it. This is pretty par for the course of a standard domestic suspense, coupled with creepy children, so if that's your thing then go for it.

I was not the most excited about how the story ended. However i was excited for the journey leading up to it. I enjoyed how the author made me suspect everyone and made me feel uneasy like at any moment something could happen.

This book was a solid psychological thriller, or domestic suspense novel, or whatever you want to call it. I had a fun time reading it because it held my interest from start to finish. That might seem like a minor thing but I've really been struggling with my reading concentration levels during this crazy year. I'm always happy to stumble upon a page turner like this one.

Georgina's seven year old son, Cody, says he met a new friend at the park. He calls her New Granny. Hmm... Georgina's mother recently passed away, did Cody make up an imaginary friend to take her place? But the more Cody talks about this New Granny, Georgina starts believing him and becomes concerned for Cody's safety as that's pretty creepy someone keeps approaching her son when she is not around. As anyone knows, a good mother will go to great lengths to protect her child.

There's just something about the whole "is this person off their rocker or are they truly in danger" premise that sucks me in every time. As a reader it's like you feel protective of the characters and need to make sure they are okay so you gotta keep reading to find out. And that's what made this a fun read as the author played right into that natural curiosity I have when it comes to these types of stories.

Towards the end there's a bit of a creative tangent which I sorta liked and I sorta did not like. Maybe the best way to put it is the payout isn't super satisfying but yet points should be awarded because I doubt any reader will be able to predict with 100% accuracy every single detail of how it all plays out.

For me this fits my definition of weekend read in that it's not taxing on the brain and it's entertaining. An impressive debut novel and I'll be on the lookout for more books by Rachel Ryan.

No idea this was a debut book until after I read it and went looking for more by this author! Such a great read and perfect for this genre. Would definitely recommend!

What a great psychological thriller! Wonderful debut!!! When I read that her writing was like Lisa Jewell and Mary Kubica-I was sold!! Thankful to NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel.

Georgina, her husband Bren and their son Cody are seemingly one big happy family. However, Cody has an imaginary friend that Georgina is not so sure is imaginary. Suddenly cracks in their marriage start to show. Is something more sinister going on? Or is Georgina being driven crazy from the stress of losing her mother and dealing with her husband’s infidelity? Is Bren really the kind of husband he claims to be? Will secrets from their past cause them to lose everything? I read this in one day to find out!

This is the perfect fast pasted thriller to curl up on the couch and read. I loved it and look forward to reading more by this author!

This is my favorite genre to read, but the book missed the mark for me.

The premise was interesting, and I anticipated numerous twists and turns, as well as a shock factor, but I never found that to be the case. Things could've been fleshed out a bit more, and the book could've benefited from more character development. It was hard to know where Georgina and Bren's marriage truly stood, as that seemed to change in each chapter. There wasn't as much depth to the overall storyline as I've come to expect from this genre, and some parts just seemed to be thrown together without much segue between scenes. The reader is made to feel sympathetic for Georgina, but it's harder to like Bren. Generally, there are clues that the reader can piece together to help uncover the final reveal, but that wasn't the case. It just seemed to come out of left field. The epilogue felt a bit out of place. No real "pop" to the story, which was a letdown.

Georgina and Bren seem to have figured things out in life. They love each other, they are the parents of one child, and Georgina is going to school to realize her dream to be an art teacher now that their son Cody is in school. It’s been a rough year, Georgina lost her mom the year before, but with everything else in life going well, Georgina is slowly coping and coming out of her grief period.

But when her son Cody starts talking about a friend he met who is giving him candy, Georgina doesn’t know if he’s imagining it, or if it’s real. And when she starts worrying it’s more than a passing childhood phase, other parts of her life start falling apart and she really starts to wonder if anything is real.

In The Woman Outside my Door, Rachel Ryan preys on one of the scariest aspects of being a parent – the safety of our children. Sometimes the everyday fears are what is most terrifying on the written page. This one was well written and entertaining enough, but it fell a little flat for me. I found Georgina to be a little tiring and the story lacked the twists and turns I look forward to in books of this genre.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out January 5! My review will be published on my blog, Women in Trouble Book Blog on 12/11/2020.