Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I tried multiple times, but I just could not connect with it and could not get into it. Honestly, with all the raving reviews, I feel like I read a different book than everyone else. I guess I'm not the right audience for this one.

This was a very suspenseful book! The story is told from multiple POV's and a dual timeline that gives you the overall feel of what is going on. These things add to the overall creepiness and sense of dread. The ending was stellar.

This was just okay to me. I was not invested in the characters at all. I would try something else by this Author.

Thank you Jane Renshaw, Inkubator Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in return for an honest opinion.

The story is told in multiple POVs. There’s Nick, the stepson, who lost his father, stepmother, and stepsister years ago when they disappeared without a trace. He thinks his stepmother has something to do with their disappearance. Even now, years later, he is struggling with the demons from his past. He becomes an overbearing husband thinking that the past will repeat itself and something will happen to his wife, Lulu. Lulu is a psychotherapist and she is getting a little frustrated with her husband’s obsession of making sure he knows where she is 24/7. And finally, we have Maggie, Nick’s stepmom, who tells a different story from Nick about what happened in the past.

I enjoyed how the story is told from multiple POVs and flips from past to present. It keeps the reader guessing whose story we want to believe.

I enjoyed this fast paced thriller and would give it 4/5 stars.

Dang this dude was fucked up! This was a great story with lots of twists and turns and ending that did not disappoint! This was my first book by Jane Renshaw but will definitely not be my last, as I'm off to add her entire backlog of books to my TBR!

#TheStepson
#NetGalley

Thank you for the ARC of this book!

Dual POV from both Maggie, Nick’s step mother and Lulu, Nick’s present day wife. The story was okay, but I think I was just a little bored.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. The plot was intriguing and I gave it many tries, but just couldn't get into this one. There are many amazing reviews though so be sure to give this one a try yourself.

I started this book feeling like I was gearing up for a 5-star rating but that slowly slid down as I kept listening.

I loved the dual storytelling, from the past (stepmother's story) and present (the wife's story) as we unravel the mystery behind a young man and his family abruptly disappearing when he was a child. Other unexplained mysteries surrounding various deaths of people tangentially related to the storyline are sprinkled throughout.

Early on, I thought I figured out exactly what happened in the past and what was going on now. But I kept listening as often as I could because I knew a big twist was coming and I couldn't wait to hear it and see how wrong I was
Except things happened exactly how I expected, there was no twist. So the absolute OMG moments never came because it was really just completely obvious what happened.

I did not love this one the way I thought I would. it was creepy and gave me major PUSH vibes and I still despise that book. the twist was pretty good but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is having children or step children. deff check the trigger warnings.

This creepy thriller is told in dual timelines. The journey was compelling, even though the ending was slightly unbelievable. The narration was expertly executed and gave the story an added layer of intrigue and suspense. The story kept me interested and interested in the outcome. Overall, a very intriguing listen. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my audiobook.

The Stepson
by Jane Renshaw
Narrated by Mhairi Morrison; Katherine Littrell; Joshua Manning

Rating: 3.25/5 Stars

I had a difficult time connecting to the characters in this story and had a difficult time with the narration. I think it was moreso the slang that was written, as I typically don't have a problem with accents as far as narration goes. This story does jump around in time a bit, from when Nick is grown in the present day and when Nick is a child.

Overall, I don't feel that I'm the best to judge this book, as I'm sure that it will connect with the right audience. I'm just not that audience.

The point of view in which <i>The Stepson</i> is written is interesting - Lulu, the wife of Nick in present day and Maggie, stepmom of Nick from when he was a child. This is a true psychological thriller. Is Nick overprotective of his wife because of his traumatic childhood? Not to mention Lulu is a therapist and could possibly be unintentionally diagnosing him or allowing herself to be manipulated into doing so. Is he just a manipulative, crazy person? Lulu struggles to come to terms with the man she married - could he actually harm her or protect her?

DNF - I was definitely not the correct audience for this. I did not connect with the characters and just couldn't get into it

I went into this audiobook expecting to love it, but I did not love this book, or the narrator. The characters were all very unlikeable. I don't think it was poorly written, I think I was not the target audience for this one.

If only this book had lived up to the premise. I so wanted to like this book, however, the plot wasn't what I had in mind. Between the profanity and the storyline, I couldn't connect. Furthermore, the narrator, just didn't work for me. I think this was just the case of my being the wrong reader for this novel.

I enjoyed the storyline and found it easy to listen to the audiobook. Beware, lots of (unnecessary) profanity that detracts from the story but still a good thriller with lots of twists and turns.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Well narrated book, but the various characters were all a bit too annoying for my liking. One of the main characters, Lulu, a professional psychotherapist, was particularly annoying as she seemed totally incapable of seeing her husband's psychopathic traits despite her professional training. The story starts out in Scotland with the disappearance of a 16 year old's family in November 1997. The story then moves back and forth between 1997 and 2019. The 16 year old boy is now the wealthy stockbroker husband of Lulu. All the accents were well done in the audio version, just wish the story was better.

This book had some very frustrating moments. While I enjoyed the back and forth time hop, I found Lulu to be very naive and unlikable. If something seems to be too good to be true, it usually is; in the case of Nick I truly don't know how she could have fallen for all of his lies and deceit. The only thing that shocked me was the end, and finding out what actually became of Maggie, Duncan, and Iyla. This one did keep me on my toes and overall it was okay, but it's not one I will be recommending. Thank you, NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Jane Renshaw for the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review.

The perspectives of this book (the step-mother, Maggie, and wife, Lulu) as told during totally different time periods (more than 20 years apart) were really engaging to me and well done. Al though the ending wasn't altogether a jaw-dropping surprise for me, the suspense building up to it had me racing to finish the book. The characters were interesting (maybe a tad exaggerated) and the story unfolds beautifully with its thrilling twists. My first by Jane Renshaw but definitely not my last. #netgalley #thestepson

Amazing read! Wow! With someone that has stepsons I had a difficult time digesting how Maggie could make the decision she did. I mean, she could have just left?! But I Was struggling wondering who’s version of events was reality! And the last twist had me shocked!! 10/10 recommend!!!