What I’ve learned from reading two of Megan Abbott’s books in a short period of time is that no one creates dark, eerie atmospheres quite like she does. I felt like I spent the entire time reading both books—Beware the Woman the latter of the two—holding my breath as a dark sense of foreboding crawled up my spine, waiting for whatever chilling event would finally bring the book to its climax.

In Beware the Woman, Jacy and Jed are newlyweds who take a trip to visit Jed’s dad at his remote cabin in the woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Jacy is pregnant and at first, Jed’s dad, Doctor Ash, seems to dote on her in anticipation of welcoming his first grandchild. On the other hand, the house manager Mrs. Brandt seems indifferent, if not cold, toward Jacy. However, things are not quite as they seem, and gradually Jacy’s perceptions of Dr. Ash and Mrs. Brandt begin to shift and she increasingly begins to wonder if she is in danger. Jed repeatedly dismisses her concerns and Jacy begins to see him in a new light as well, unsure if she really knows the man she married. The tension finally breaks and answers become clear in a dramatic ending with plenty of unexpected elements.

Unfortunately, this book was missing something for me that my other Abbott read—The Turnout—seemed to have. The pacing here was slower for the majority of the book, which didn’t keep me nearly as hooked as I was throughout The Turnout. When the turning point finally came, it felt too late as events rushed forward to get to the ending. I also felt like there was meant to be a larger imagery or metaphor with the mountain lion as a mother figure in parallel to Jacy’s pregnancy, but it felt only partially developed and got lost in the rushed ending. Ultimately, I enjoyed the ride and am still likely to read more of Megan Abbott’s work in the future, but this one just wasn’t my favorite.

Beware the Woman will be available on May 30, 2023. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for my advanced reader’s copy in exchange for a review!

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. A husband and wife living a true whirlwind love story. Going to visit the grooms dad in a secluded cabin in the woods for the first time. Wife is pregnant - unexpected but welcomed by both. Then. Weird things start to happen. Why is this house so securely protected if it’s in the middle of no where? Can it all really be just for mountain lions? Page turner for real. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Megan Abbott is an acquired taste, in the best possible way. She does creepy and disturbing so well and this one is not different. The plot, intriguing the layout of day, to dusk, to night gave it a slow burn quality. Oh, how I wish there was more to the ending however! It felt a bit abrupt and left me unsatisfied. So close!

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC!

Wow! I stayed up past my bedtime to finish this thriller and think it is Megan Abbott's best book to date. This one is definitely in the literary thriller category and I appreciated the slow burn and attention to detail. Jacy and Jed are a married couple expecting a baby. They got married after not knowing each other well and Jacy hasn't met Jed's father, Dr. Ash who lives in the UP of Michigan. The couple go on a road trip to meet Dr. Ash and tell him about the pregnancy. I like to vacation in Michigan and enjoyed the descriptions of the area surrounding Iron Mountain where the novel takes place.

At first Dr. Ash seems warm and welcoming and Jacy is happy to be meeting Jed's only relative. The only thing strange is the housekeeper Mrs. Brandt who seems very much like the evil Mrs. Danvers from "Rebecca". As the days go by, things take a strange turn and I really applaud the author for creating a slowly stifling and scary atmosphere. When Jacy experiences some bleeding with her pregnancy, Dr. Ash turns from caring to controlling and I was really tense in a scene where Ash, Jed and another old school doctor insist on talking about Jacy's body without her being present! Things start to go very wrong when Jacy becomes convinced that she will not be allowed to leave the cottage and return home. Jed seems to turn into a different person while in the presence of his father and Jacy must rely on her instincts to find the right way to escape. There is also a sub plot about a roaming mountain lion which added to the tension. Thank You to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have read several Meg Abbott novels and rate this 2.5 stars rounded up to 3. The story was decent but somehow the ending felt rushed despite this being extremely slow paced, which is not my personal preference. I would still read other works by Meg Abbott but this wasn't my favorite.

This is a gripping look at the vulnerabilities of pregnancy and the peril of not being taken seriously. That said, the ending of this novel just came a little too abruptly. And I'm the type that loves a good, different, or even ambiguous ending! This one just fell flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publish for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There is no author that writes more viscerally than Megan Abbott, which elevates even her weaker books to a solid three, in my opinion. Unfortunately, Beware The Woman didn't quite hit for me because of pacing issues that severely slow the book down. What seems to be a bit Rosemary's Baby-esque, set in a solitary mountain atmosphere, ends up with a rushed ending that doesn't feel truly earned from all that came before it.

I wanted a lot more build up than the book supplied, especially when it comes to Jed and Doctor Ash, though the book does capture that sense of men who are overly nice and paternalistic that are unwilling to listen to the women around them. The ending is very unresolved though, with the fate of some major characters still up in the air and more closure felt needed.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really gave this my best shot. I got to 45% and I really just didn't care what was going to happen.

This story grabbed me from the very beginning and continued to throw out thought provoking questions with every turn of the page. Newlyweds Jacy and Jed feel a chasm of doubt open between them as their trip to Eden transforms into a nightmare. Jed and his doctor-father's unspoken secrets begin to dissolve the original cozy comfort Jacy had felt when the expectant couple's announcement was first celebrated upon being welcomed into the family's remote northern cottage. And, Dr. Ash's house manager Mrs. Brandt has seemed a little odd from the beginning. Jed's immaturity and some questions about the old fashioned culture of the tightly woven small town are making Jacy doubt herself and her safety in this isolated upper Michigan wilderness. And, she feels so alone, but then is it all as it seems? All my guesses about the heroes and demons crawling in the shadows were shaken up. I turned the pages of this mystery-thriller quickly and some shocking surprises were revealed by the ending - which left me breathless.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance egalley of Megan Abbott's Beware The Woman in exchange for a fair review. To be published May 30, 2023.

Beware The Woman, Megan Abbott’s latest domestic suspense novel had my skin crawling and my nerves tingling, but in the best way possible.
Jacy and her new husband, Jed take a trip to visit Jed’s father, widower, Dr. Ash and the intimidating Mrs. Brandt who manages the property. When Jacy arrives, she feels so much warmth and pampering that she feels like she’s living the dream. That dream soon turns into a nightmare that she cannot seem to escape. After a medical emergency all Jacy wants to do is return home and to her own OB/GYN, but Dr Ash and eventually Jed make it more and more impossible for her to do so. Oh, and throw a mountain lion into the mix for another reason she isn’t safe leaving the house.
As Jacy spends time alone with Mrs. Brandt, they begin to form some kind of weird relationship and Mrs. Brandt warns Jacy to get out as quickly as she can, however all of her efforts to do so are thwarted in one way or another. Working through these obstacles makes for an enjoyable, entertaining, read that shouldn’t be missed.

Megan Abbott is the queen of creating an eerie atmosphere, and I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of her newest novel, Beware the Woman, from NetGalley.

Jacy is recently married and newly pregnant, and she’s thrilled to spend time with her husband in the remote Upper Peninsula of Michigan for the Fourth of July holiday. Her father in law, Dr. Ash, is welcoming and protective of Jacy’s condition in an antiquated way, and soon it becomes more than Jacy feels comfortable with. In a desolate location, plagued with mountain lions and poor phone service, Jacy can’t leave fast enough.

I flew threw this novel and would have easily read it in a sitting if my people had let me. Abbott’s ability to make even the biggest thriller sceptic feel unsettled is a true talent. She’s toes the line with taking things too far, so I wouldn’t recommend this novel to anyone pregnant or who has experienced trauma in child birth. However, I think most thriller fans will approve.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is a MOOD! I was so drawn in by the eerie feel. Such great ambiance, taut writing, creepy and interesting characters. I loved the combination of a woman in the midst of pregnancy, a cabin far from civilization, and mysterious family secrets. The ending was a bit far-fetched, but I didn't mind that. I was so pulled into the story. This would make a great limited series or film.

WHAT. Did I just read.

Abbott’s books always have an almost feverish quality to them, like they’re being read through that haze when you briefly wake up in the middle of the night before you roll back over and go back to sleep. This one is no different.

When newlyweds Jacy and Jed make a road trip to visit Jed’s father, Dr. Ash, Jacy feels like everything is falling into place. She is in love, they have a baby on the way, and they’re about to spend the next few days nestled cozily in the rural Upper Michigan home.

But almost immediately, Jacy experiences a pregnancy-related health scare, and their peaceful vacation takes a sharp and terrifying turn. Her every move is monitored and directed. Guests and family alike murmur about the traumatic long-ago loss of Jed’s mother. And even Jacy begins to doubt herself.

With no way to reason with her husband or his father - and no other way out of the woodland home that previously felt peacefully secluded - Jacy grows increasingly desperate. And when it seems the clock is ticking, she’ll have to decide if she’s doubting her own reality - or if there’s something far more sinister going on inside this house.

This story of a young husband and pregnant wife on vacation at his father's remote country house builds slowly, but once things start happening, it moves quickly into a psychological thriller. My only wish is that there be an epilogue, because the ending, although exciting, seems slightly abrupt. Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books/Penguin Group for the advanced reading copy.

This was a super slow burn that culminated in a cut-off finale. It had the vibes of a gothic novel in that a lot of time is spent building the atmosphere and making you wonder what’s actually happening (is it all in their head? Is something sinister actually happening? Etc). That was all very well done and you can feel the sense of dread looming and growing as the novel continues and the danger heightens. There was a lot of time spent on descriptions and in the main character’s head, but I found it very well written. As a woman, many of the events/comments really horrified me and got my blood boiling (hello, HIPAA anyone?!?) but it wasn’t entirely unrealistic (unfortunately) that there could be a person so backwards and sexist who could exist. The relationships were nuanced adds complex. The ending wasn’t unsatisfying in the way that it was left ambiguous, but rather it seemed as though the author actually stopped writing in the middle of a paragraph and never picked it back up. It was STRANGE, to say the least. The ending had the potential to be extremely satisfying if not for the fact that it was so abrupt.

Overall, a 3.5 rounded up to 4, but it was strange. I have no idea how to classify this. A literary thriller? Is that a thing?? Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While this was not my favorite thriller, I would say that I was still entertained. For the most part, I would say that I was surprised that this was more of a gothic novel than a thriller in my opinion, so it was a little more slowburn than I was expecting. I didn't feel much was happening in the beginning of the novel, so it felt a little slow, but it picked up a little closer to the end and definitely caught me by surprise. I overall just didn't think that this plot was really that detailed, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. This was my first Megan Abott novel, and while it probably won't be my last, I wouldn't put this as one of my favorite novels. I will say, I go back and forth about liking ambiguous endings and not liking ambiguous endings, but I definitely thought it fit for this book.

This was an exciting book and thought it was well written. The author did a great job with the characters. 4 star read!

I was looking forward to this read. I’d read The Turnout in 2022 and at times I loved it, at times I struggled with it but I knew I loved this authors creative sense of writing so I was excited to read another. If I had to suggest a Megan Abbott book to a friend, this would be that book! It was fast paced, elements of all the thriller and a little bit of mystery thrown in

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This one took me a bit to really get into. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it or not.
Kind of a strange in that ended up being really good.
Though note to myself, never go in a road trip to an in laws again!!

Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott was freaking spectacular!

I love Abbott's writing and I was thrilled to get the chance to read more of her creative work.
I'm telling y'all she didn't let me down with this one.
This was another well written suspense novel.
Abbott's writing is wonderful. Her storytelling is captivating beyond words!
She sucks you in almost immediately and doesn't let go!
The characters are their story is absolutely addictive.
I thought the novel we done well, it's fast-paced, unputdownable and totally unforgettable!
What more could I ask for?!
An outstanding psychological novel. That I devoured and loved every second of it!
This is one of her best IMO!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.