Happy Pub Day!

The Daughter-in- Law by Shalini Boland REVIEW

5/5

Caroline and Seb fall in love, get married and move into his parent’s apartment which is above their pub. From day one, Caroline’s mother-in-law is trying to get rid of her but why?

There are many secrets and lies. EVERYONE in this book has secrets and one might even kill to keep them hidden. This gripping domestic thriller had me hooked. I could not put it down! There are so many twists that I did not see coming. This book will keep you guessing until the very last page. Definitely a must read or listen!

Could you live in the same house as your in-laws?

Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #TheDaughterinLaw #bookreview #shaliniboland #bookish #newrelease #bookobessed #kindleunlimited

I finished The Daughter-In-Law by Shalini Boland in two days. I am sorry I am just now able to write my review. This promised to have me gripping the edge of my seat. I am sad to say that it did not fully deliver. This felt to me to be a slow burn. I am not really a fan of the slow burn. Also, at times when the author told what character was telling the story for that chapter, part way through I might forget and have no idea who was speaking. I will say this though, there were plenty of twists and turns, and the ending I never did see coming. That was a wonderful surprise! There was the slow burn, that I am not personally a fan of, but there are others who are. Then there is this fast rollercoaster ending with all these quick twists and turns! Overall, I will say that I enjoyed the book, but it was just okay for me.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Shalini Boland and it definitely won't be my last! The Daughter-in-Law was a fast paced thriller that was full of twists and turns that made it absolutely delightful until the last page.

Newlyweds Carolyn and Seb met online, and much to his parents dismay, marry before returning home to meet the family. As soon as the couple arrives, Seb's mother, Lillian, is cold and rude openly acknowledging that she doesn't believe the wedding was in their best interest. As the story heats up and secrets come out, the reader is left to question how well we really know the people we love.

I listened to this book on audiobook. The app (potentially) appeared to have issues with echoing. I am not sure if this was a NetGalley issue or an issue with the audio itself so it made it hard to listen to at times.

The Daughter-in-Law is a fast-paced thriller which will grip you from the very beginning. Every page reveals more secrets and betrayals until that fabulous twist at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. And the narrator did a fantastic job.

The hasty marriage of Seb and Caroline comes with many secrets. Will the couple be able to overcome their past?

I'm a fan of Shalini Boland, but this novel didn't keep me in suspense as her previous novels did. And the overall plot of the novel didn't make sense, especially Caroline's storyline. Her reactions didn't match her backstory, and her overall act was very confusing and over-exaggerated. All the remaining characters were good. I loved the twist with the parents, that was a great unexpected touch.

Overall, I didn’t find the novel very captivating. I guess I’m more used to the author's books being packed with twists and turns which has me asking lots and lots of questions throughout the story but not this one.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel.

What a great mystery surrounding this book! From the start I was trying to figure out why she would marry a stranger and move across the world with him! And I love the tag line “Your new husband has a shocking secret. Would your mother-in-law kill to protect it?” Shaking Boland is my new favorite author.

Caroline meets and falls in love with her now husband, Sebastian, in a chat room and when they meet face to face, they decide to get married and she will move back to England with him. She isn’t sure about leaving her home in Australia, but she loves him, so she does it. However, his family is less than receptive to her when they arrive at the family owned pub.
The story is told from the POV of both the mother in law and the daughter in law and there are so many things that neither are revealing to the family that once come to light nothing will be the same.
I’m giving this 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 because I am a fan of Shalini’s other work. While I did like this, and the ending made up for a lot of what was lacking in the rest of the book, I didn’t really connect to any of the characters so it felt hard to stay focused on the story at times. The narration was well done though. The characters were easily identifiable by the narrator.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review

Thank you Bookouture, Shalini Boland, and Netgalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I started this book yesterday (11/02/22 at 3:15 pm). I finished it today (11/03/22 at 12:15 pm). It gripped me right away at the prologue. The twist at the end was really good, never guessed it. I had it all wrong. The narration was spot on! This one is one of her best so far! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 solid star rating from me!

When Seb shows up married to Caroline in front of his parents - his mom is not too happy about it, but she just keeps quiet but at the same time tells Seb's father that something is not ok about Caroline.
Caroline agrees to work at the pub owned by her in-laws, but nothing seems to work in her favor - there's a fight with one of the customers, then an order is written down all wrong - seems like someone at the pub is trying to sabotage her new life.

After too many mistakes Caroline is asked to assist Seb's brother Felix in the kitchen - and things seem to settle for a bit. But everyone in the family seems to be hiding secrets and protecting one another.

Caroline must figure what is her new family hiding, even if it means that will put her life in danger.

thanks to Netgalley, Shalini Boland & Bookouture Audio for approving the audio ARC in exchange for honest review.
Really loved the narration by Katie Villa

This thriller was quite a ride, unexpected twists and turns all the way. I was sure I had it figured out but the author was 10 steps ahead & I had no clue. Good writing and great characters. I will add that I usually struggle with narrators with an accent but this one was perfect.

The daughter-in-law
By Shalini Boland
Pub. date: Nov. 4/22
Format: audiobook
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What would you do to protect your family? The Fletcher family own and run a popular small town pub. They are close knit, work together and live together. So how does a new, and unexpected, daughter-in-law fit in? In the case of The Daughter-in-law, not very well.

If you like plot twists and turns then you will appreciate this book. The Fletcher family is complex and somewhat dysfunctional. Katie Villa’s narration brings these characters to life. She is somehow able to present each character in a unique and chilling way. Full of shocking revelations this book keeps the reader wondering what will happen next right until the very end. I would definitely recommend this book and particularly the audiobook.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook ARC.

When Sebastian comes home to England he cannot wait to bring his new bride Caroline to the Royal arms the pub his parents own and live above with him. His mom Lillian isn’t the nicest person but at the heart of her attitude is wanting to protect Sebastian from the hurt she recently seen in him.
And although with the appearance of Caroline that all seems to be in the past but there’s just something she don’t trust about her new daughter-in-law. To make it worse it seems Caroline cannot do anything right not in the pub nor at home with Sebastian. One day when Caroline overhears a vendor asking Lillian about Sebastian‘s past, she is instantly interested in the conversation but Lillian puts a quick stop to it and that only intensifies Carolines intrigue into the subject. What is this family hiding? As time goes on you learn there’s lots of liars in this family and those who would murdered to keep their secrets. Are usually love Shalini Bolen books and fine most of the time she dots every I and crosses every T but she fell so short with this one. I don’t want to give any spoilers away but what I will say is I don’t like when you find out the big reveal and they don’t jive with everything you’ve known before hand and as I can see from all the reviews 99% of people forgive that but there’s just too many lapses and continuity for me to think this book was as great as her other ones. This is still worth reading and I will not stop reading this authorss books because the ones in the past have been so super good. I listen to the audiobook version and loved it I thought the narrator was excellent she did a great job with character distinction especially Lillian and Caroline and the guys and I would definitely listen to another book narrated by her it was so good. I received this book from NetGalleyShelf and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This was a great book! I listened to the entire audiobook today and wanted more after I finished it. This is an author that I actively search for because I have yet to be disappointed by one of books. Highly recommend this book for people who like twisty turny mysteries.

A perfect twisty and drama filled domestic thriller! This is my second read by Shalini and she does not disappoint. I really enjoyed how fast paced this story was and the narrator was great as well. Definitely would recommend this one to readers who love domestic thrillers like myself!

Wow, this book had a twist I definitely did not see coming! It may not have been entirely plausible, but it added a very intriguing dimension to this captivating psychological thriller. The book starts with the hasty marriage of Sebastian and Caroline, as they arrive at the house and family business shared by Sebastian and his parents. The tension between Caroline and her in-laws starts immediately and does not let up, as she starts working at their pub, living in their home, and trying to adjust to her new life. This is one of those books where the reader spends the first half wondering how these people ever connected in the first place and the second half seeing all of the pieces sliding into different—and eye-opening—positions. I was hooked from the start; I especially loved how the revelations unfolded and the nuances of the seemingly-ordinary title were revealed. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this engaging audiobook!

The Daughter-in-Law by Shalini Boland
Narrated by Katie Villa

A page turner that I finished in just a few days. Great narration by Katie Villa who narrates the male and female voices. I can't say too much without giving away the plot but if you like thrillers, check it out!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Shalini Boland for letting me read “The Daughter-in-Law” in exchange for an honest review.

Just love this author and this book did not disappoint! Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review. of this book was so good, brought the book alive for me and I easily followed the storyline. Listening to spoken word is one way I get through mundane tasks and as such I am prepared at times, to put up with a poor storyline. However, in this case I thoroughly enjoyed the tale and found myself choosing to do some simple tasks so that I could justify listening to more! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book... just never became what I hoped it would be. The mother-in-law is a little nuts. The daughter-in-law is a bit too naive. Ultimately, this wasn't a great example of the thriller or domestic thriller genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

I have read other books by the same author and enjoyed every single one of them. She writes in an easy style which makes for a simple, enjoyable story. This one was so dark with a surprise twist… not the bit you already guessed either. Made my long, dark, damp commute quite enjoyable

Definitely a nice change from the regular who done it mystery…. I really didn’t see some of the twists coming … Easy read that keep your interest up to the very end… I’m sure this book will get a lot of buzz.. will definitely recommend it.