Thanks NetGalley and DreamScape media for an advanced audio copy of this book. I liked this a lot. In fact, more than I thought I would. Lulu is a new psychiatrist and has had a whirlwind marriage to a man named Nick. Nick’s childhood was not free of problems. His mother died from a fall in their home and his father, Duncan, has remarried a younger woman named Maggie. Maggie and Duncan have a new baby, Isla and Nick is a jealous older brother. This story is told from when Isla is a baby, in 1989, and now, when Lulu decides that Nick has PTSD from his Dad, step mother’s, and half sister’s disappearance. Lulu just wants to believe the best in Nick but the author paints him as the psychopath that he is. We see it, she doesn’t, and that is a little annoying at times. The narrators are brilliant, one is Australian, the other Scottish. This would be a good book for a book club. The nuances are there and could make for a great discussion.

Lulu and Nick's paths crossed during a holiday trip, and ever since the couple has been inseparable. Meeting a handsome and ultimately rich Nick has changed Lulu's life for the better. But despite his privileged upbringing, Nick's childhood was overshadowed by a dark tragedy. By the age of sixteen, he lost his whole immediate family and became estranged from his surviving relatives. Troubled by his recent queer behavior, Lulu insists for Nick revisit his childhood home, but she is completely unprepared for the shocking discoveries.

The fast-paced novel, dual timeline, filled with multiple twists and a spine-chilling ending. As much as I've enjoyed the twisty plot, I was taken aback by how mistaken and naive Lulu was about Nick's character. Although all the facts were right there in front of her face, she blindly followed her husband's lies. You would think a psychotherapist would be a lot sharper. Oh well.

Nevertheless, my thriller-loving heart was finally at peace as I read the last chapter. The justice was served most satisfyingly. Although I would not call the novel's plot twists shocking, the hints are very well placed throughout the novel, so if you pay attention, you will enjoy the revelation at the end. Would I recommend this book to my fellow readers? Absolutely! Happy Reading!

Thank you, NetGalley for a free copy of the novel.

3.5⭐ rounded up for the audiobook.

We've got the overprotective husband, Nick, that is worried something is going to happen to his wife, Lulu. Years ago his family disappeared and he thinks his stepmom is to blame. He can't stop feeling anxious that something might happen in his present life that mirrors his childhood.
But when we hear Maggie, the step-mom's, perspective we start to question Nick's story. She sounds terrified of Nick. It's step-son vs step-mom ~ who do we believe?

Dual timeline ~ 2019 (Lulu) & 1997 (Maggie) and 3 narrators ~ Mhairi Morrison, Katherine Littrell and Joshua Manning did an okay job for 9 hours and 6 minutes, easy to follow along at 2x. The accents did take me a bit to get used to.

Yes, yes it's predictable, so don't expect to try to figure out a mystery with this one. Still a good psychological read though. I have The Lost Boy in my queue, so I'm hoping this is an author I'll enjoy again and again.

TW ~ suicide

I want to thank @netgalley for the advance audiobook of The Stepson in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was fantastic. It kept me guessing. The characters are unreliable, so you don’t know if their motives are authentic or not. I liked the alternating between present and past. I did find the relationship between Maggie and Duncan to be unsettling since he was her mentor.

Maggie was a troubled teen and met Duncan through a center where he was her mentor. When they married, her stepson, Nick, does not take well to the marriage. Maggie fears that he will harm her and the child she and Duncan have together. One day, they vanish. Fast forward to the present, Nick is dating Lulu, who is a therapist. She noticed that he has unhealed trauma from his past and tries to help him. In the process, she uncovers information about him that questions who he is.

This book's main focus is Nick, aka The Stepson. We get a dual narration and timeline. Then is narrated by Maggie, his stepmother. Now is narrated by Lulu, his wife of six months and a psychotherapist. I liked the dual timeline and the perspective of two importat women in his life. But it leads to the question - is Nick a monster and a killer, or a kid who as the victim of a wicked stepmother?

This was a quick read/audio. It was a bit predictible at times and I'm not sure I really cared for any of the characters, which I'm okay with. Even though I had suspicions, it was still an enjoyable read.

The epilogue gives you the final twist, which I admit I didn't see coming and found the ending to be great!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio for an advance audio in exchange for my honest review.

The Stepson is centered around Nick who is struggling with his past. It is told in two timelines; the past through the eyes of his stepmother Maggie, and current day through the eyes of his wife Lulu.
I enjoy a story told in two timelines and really liked that each timeline was told by a different woman in Nick's life. This way of telling the story certainly added to the mystery of Nick; is he a monster or the victim of a cruel stepmother?
This was a quick and fun read (or listen). I did find the story a bit predictable at times and Lulu often came off as naïve, but she grew on me as the story unfolded. The characters were well fleshed out and I enjoyed reading their development throughout the story.
The books epilogue holds the final twist, which I did not see coming, and was the perfect ending to the story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio for this audiobook.
Release Date scheduled for August 9, 2022.

An enjoyable read and great audio! The Stepson overall was a suspenseful and captivating audiobook that I was able to get through in just a few days. However, it was definitely predictable. For me, the predictability did not take away from the story and there were some surprises waiting for me at the very end. The audio was very well done, and I enjoyed having multiple narrators for different POV.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Jane Renshaw for providing me with this advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a well written, tension filled story! I enjoyed all of the characters, and while it was some what predictable it was an enjoyable read. The narrator was great as well.

Enjoyment: 10
Total rating: 4.86

I thoroughly enjoyed The Stepson as an audiobook. The chemistry between Mhairi Morrison, Katherine Littrell and Joshua Manning was spot on, their pacing impeccable, and they brought a lot of tension, making the story proud.

The Stepson is my first book by Jane Renshaw, and I will be looking for more - from the unreliable narrators, the tension, and the well-plotted and paced story, this book hits the spot if you're looking for a fun, fast-paced, unputdownable thriller with tons misdirection.

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of The Stepson

3.75 stars

This book confirmed something for me that I pretty much already knew: reading about characters experiencing obvious gaslighting and intense manipulation irritates me to the point of feeling a very real, almost physical discomfort. It’s a common issue in this genre of story, which makes sense, but wow- apparently, when that kind of situation is written well, it *really* affects me. The ultimate outcome of the story isn’t surprising and is almost predictable, although the specific way some of the details unravel is a bit unexpected. Overall, it was an interesting story.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Jane Renshaw for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

There was definitely a lot of potential for this book but I felt that it missed the mark on the deliverance. Maybe it was the order in which it was presented. I would think that it would have been less predictable if we had followed Lulu's story for a longer portion and only her POV in the beginning, providing less of Nick's background story for the first part, leading up to (but not getting to) the big event/scene. Then for the second part of the book went back in time to the past for Lulu's POV to provide more of the background followed by the big event. I feel like this would have given us more of a buildup? It all just felt predictable, which I guess it is since the title sums it up. Since this isn't more of a who-did-it thriller, I'd think more of a buildup would have been better. Maybe. All in all, it was an enjoyable read!

I did not finish this audiobook. The narrator's voice was irritating at best and absolutely terrible when doing an accent.

#TheStepson #JaneRenshaw #DreamscapeMedia #InkubatorBooks #NetGalley

This is a review of an advance listening copy of the book.

Nick, a handsome, wealthy businessman & psychotherapist Lulu are happily married.

Nick is very protective of his wife, sometimes almost to the point of obsession. Lulu attributes it to the trauma of his youth, when he returns from school to find his dad Duncan, stepmom Maggi and baby stepsister gone from the family house.

The story alternates from the points of view of Lulu and Maggi.

Maggi and Nick did not get along. She thought he was evil and out to get her and her baby. There is no love lost between them. She tries to warn Duncan but is not taken seriously.

After the family's disappearance, Nick tells everyone that Maggi must have done away with his dad and stepsister.

Lulu, on the other hand, loves her husband and wants to help him work through the trauma of finding his family gone.

As a psychotherapist, she persuades him that going back to where it all happened would help him heal.

When they get there, things are not what they seem. Another person disappears. Lulu also hears from people who were close to Nick in his younger days.

She is at a loss, not knowing what to believe. Is Nick a saint or the very worst kind of monster?

I liked the story and the narration. It kept me interested in how this would end.

Maggie, a former juvenile delinquent is marries Duncan a widower, who has a son, Nick. Nick doesn’t get along with Maggie. Is Nick sinister or is Maggie the evil stepmother who wants to get Nick out of their lives? The reader is left wondering when Nick’s entire family goes missing if he had something to do with it.

This is a dual timeline story with multiple POVs. Lulu is Nick’s new bride and also a therapist. She tries to help him deal with his tragic loss by revisiting Sunnyside, where his parents disappeared.

I saw a lot of good reviews for this one so I was expecting more. It was just ok for me. I thought it was going to be twistier, but it felt a bit predictable and I felt dissatisfied with the ending.

This book had potential and I think that is the hardest part to deal with.

This book is told in duel timeline/POV. We follow Maggie, who is Nick's stepmom and Lulu who is Nick's wife of 2 months. The first thing we find out is that Nick comes home at the age of 16, and his father, step mother and baby sister are missing.

There is a lot of speculation about what happened, who killed who, or who ran away. On the cover it says the twist you didn't see coming, and I would love to know where that twist was. There was never any doubt in my mind about what happened.

I think the most frustrating part is the so many people warned Lulu about who Nick was, and how dangerous he was and she denied it all after only knowing him for like 8 months. She is supposed to be a psychologist and she doesn't see the very obvious controlling, and gaslighting behavior. I know love is blind but she was just naïve.

This book also has some trigger warnings. There was mention of DV, rape, and murder.

Like I said I felt this book could have been really good but nearly 40% of the way through it was just repetitive. I can't say I would recommend this.

Past: Sixteen-year-old Nick returns home from a day out with his friend to find that his entire family is missing - presumed murdered - including his father, step-mother, and baby sister. With his mother already having been murdered years before, Nick is traumatized.

Present: Adult Nick is now happily married to psychotherapist, Lulu, and she has finally convinced him to confront some of the trauma of his past and overcome it. Through the process, they uncover some deeply buried secrets and terrifying realizations about what happened to Nick's family.

I absolutely loved this book. Mhairi Morrison, Katherine Littrell & Joshua Manning all do a fantastic job with the narration, especially the first two as they read about 90% of the book. They kept me engaged and really transported me into the story.

Not all thrillers are created equal and I love this thriller for reminding me that not all of them need to have 86 twists that knock me off my chair. They don't all need huge "what did I just read" moments? I saw a lot of the "twists" coming and I had most of this pretty figured out but it was still such a great ride! It was thrilling and made me shudder at times. The characters were all fleshed out, had issues and baggage that made them feel real. In some of them, this was more horrifying than others...

I would recommend this to anyone that reads a lot of thrillers. Even if you love the super twisty, shock you off the couch ones. Give this one a shot! You may not even see a lot of it coming, but if you do, I promise the ride will be worth it.

AHHHHHHH. That's about how I felt when all the pieces were finally coming together. But in the best way possible!!!

The Stepson had so many tropes that I LOVE in a thriller: unreliable narrators (Yes, more than one, just what you need for added confusion and suspense!), multiple POV's, and dual timelines! It took me a bit to really catch on to who was who during the perspective/time changes, but once I got that figured out it was smooth sailing from there.

Maggie was such a great character. With her troubled past, as well as having quite a lack of empathy towards the passing her new husbands late wife, she had just enough going on to really make you question every move she made. The stepson, Nick, was so easy to flip back and forth with as well, between Maggies perspective of his actions, the passing of his mother, and the new marriage between his father and Maggie, it was very fun figuring out who actually did/said what.

The unreliability between the two of them made this such a fun ride. I couldn't decide who was the hero/heroine vs antagonist and the way it all came together was perfection! This book kept my anxiety high the entire time I flew through this book, it ended with a well deserved 5 star rating! it's definitely making its way to my favorites of the year.

Evil Lurks Within by Jane Renshaw slowly grows on you as you make your way through the book. It would be helpful to know if a book has more of a British vocabulary so you can adjust your thinking or look up unfamiliar words. That being said it wasn't difficult to figure out when looking at things in context. Back to the story, the characters were interesting and there were one or two it was fun to distrust and not like. Maggie and Duncan face a major dilemma after many incidents that seem harmful and intentional on Nick's part. Nick as Maggie's step-son's is not close to her but he is extremely close to his father. There are multiple suspicious deaths throughout the story and many seem to be linked, at least in part, to Nick. Nick seems able to explain things away fairly well and makes you question whether he just has bad luck or is pure evil. It was a good story that unfolded at a good pace. I recommend this novel. I received an ARC copy of this novel. All thoughts are freely given and my own.

The story is told from 2 POVs - Maggie (Nick's stepmom) in 1997 & Lulu in 2019.
Lulu, a psychotherapist, quickly married Nick after a chance meeting. Nick had a very troubled past; his entire family (dad, mom
&baby stepsister) disappeared when he was a teenager and he was sent away to boarding school.
Lulu is understanding when he is scared of losing her and tends to be very controlling. Lulu decides Nick needs to confront his demons so they travel back to where he grew up, only to have another person go missing.
While there weren't a lot of twists and turns in this one, this was a well-written thriller that kept me intrigued and I liked the ending.
Many thanks to NetGalley &Dreamscape Media for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Stepson by Jane Renshaw

The book is about Nick who is married to Psychotherapist Lulu. He is still struggling with demons from his past. When he was a teenage, his father, step-mother, and half-sister disappeared leaving him left behind to be care from an aunt and uncle. The family was never found again. The police suspected Nick of killing them and burying their bodies. But Nick told the police that he suspected his step-mother was the one who disappeared his family. The trauma has left him feeling that anyone he loves is in danger, might vanish at any moment.

Lulu is not having it the behavior that Nick is doing things that are not typical of him and Lulu is not liking it at all. The book is told in two pov the step-mother and Lulu. I really enjoyed the psychological aspects of the book with the step-mother. Lulu understands trauma and wants Nick to confront it.

Nick character itself was not likable at all. He is really in my opinion bad in his behavior from start to finish. You would think a teenager would grow out of certain behaviors well with Nick you might be surprised.

I found this to be a gripping page turner thriller that keeps you engaged throughout the story. Mhairi Morrison, Katherine Littrell and Joshua Manning did a great job giving each character their voice. I would differently recommend this book to anyone who likes fast pace suspenseful thrillers. This was a solid four star read for me and will be reading from this author again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for a free advance audio copy of this book for an honest review.