I usually love all of megan abbotts books but I struggled to get into this one. The concept was interesting, but fell flat in the all other areas. The storyline seemed promising but was a slow slow. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Very different than her usual, domestic thriller meets American Gothic. It kept me turning the pages.

I have read all of Megan Abbott's books and they never disappoint... Loved this one although it started a bit slow.

First I want to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN Group for the ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This was an odd book. I struggled to get into this book from the start as I didn't feel like the writing flowed well and it felt a bit choppy. The main character, Jacy, married Jed after a short courtship and then once she was pregnant they decided to go visit Jed's father in Michigan. The book gave me the impression that Jed didn't get along with his father and that is why they had not went to see him prior to now. Once they get to the house, things start out simple enough but turn weird within a few pages. Jacy starts bleeding and they rush her to a local doctor which is a family friend of the dad. This is where the book takes some unexpected twists and turns and what kept me reading it. The dad is oddly over protective and Jed ends up being a pushover since all he wants is he dad's approval. The major plot twist at the end was one I didn't see coming. Which is why I ended up giving this review 3 stars.

I will still look forward to reading other books by Megan Abbott as normally I really enjoy her writing.

Newlyweds Jacy and Jed return to Jed’s childhood home for a summer visit with Jed’s father, Dr. Ash. The newly expectant couple arrives to the home, buried deep in the Michigan wilderness, without the pleasures of Wi-Fi and cell service. Soon secrets come out and questionable misogynistic comments are made by the men in Jacy’s life.

I found this book to be a slow burn of a read. Megan Abbott writes with beautiful, flows descriptions and metaphors. I was shocked by the abrupt ending that left me wanting more. Overall I found this quick read to be a satisfying thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before it comes to stores on 30 May 2023.

Pregnant and longing for family, pregnant Jacy heads out to her husbands family farm… where there’s no internet and no cell service. Once there , she realizes not everything is what it seems with her husbands family, and slowly but surely she realizes that she has become a prisoner. Now she must fight for not just her, but also for her unborn baby. Beware the pregnant woman… for that’s the mightiest kind.

While not my favorite Megan Abbott book, it did make for a locked up read.

Thank you so much to #NetGalley, the author #MeganAbbott and the publishers #PenguinGroupPutnam for extending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

My full review will be available on all my social media sites, blogs and retail on publication day in May 2023.

Megan Abbott is one of my favorite authors for when I want a well-crafted psychological thriller. Her stories are always refreshingly sharp, unapologetically cruel at times, and unflinchingly incisive. Beware the Woman gets inside Jacy’s head and marriage, as the story explores marriage, the families we assume through it, and their devastating traumas and secrets. Beware the Woman delivers smart thrills in spades.

I'm a fan of Megan Abbott's previous books, so I was surprised at how much this one did not mesh with me. I struggled to connect with the style of the narrative, and pacing-wise, it felt like nothing was really happening. Unfortunately, it was a miss for me, but I will definitely try her next book.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Jacy and Jed, with baby on the way make their way to visit Jed’s father, Jed mother died delivering Jed or so he was told, Jed has mixed feelings about his father, Everything was going fine until Jacy had a health scare and the. Everyone became so overprotective. She begin feeling trapped like she wouldn’t be allowed to leave. Is she paranoid or are her fears real?

When Jacy and her husband Jed finally visit his father in Michigan, she is excited to meet the rest of the family. It was a quick marriage and even quicker pregnancy but Jacy feels great - loved and secure in her relationship.

Dr. Ash is comforting and hospitable and Jacy is confused to why Jed didn't have him attend the wedding. When there is a health scare threatening her pregnancy, the atmosphere changes dramatically and Jacy is unsure about her place in this rural area.

Abbott turns the screw slowly as a staccato beat of fears pound in Jacy's head. The writing reminds me of the style of Joyce Carol Oates and it places you right at the cabin, right in the heart of rural Michigan and right in the jaws of danger. If you like your psychological thrillers creepy, root for the woman always, or just love the twisty horror of Megan Abbott, Beware the Woman is for you! #Penguin

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC for an honest review.

I loved Abbott’s book Dare Me (and the tv series). I was very much looking forward to this new novel.

It fell flat for me. No pulling me in, no keeping me gripped.

Please read and form your own opinions.

Holy fucking hell.

I don't know if I have words for how much I loved this book.

Beware the Woman starts off as a slow burn and gets increasingly creepy and unhinged and I fucking loved it! Possibly my favorite 2023 release this far. If you like feminist fiction and Megan Abbott you need this book..

I was so excited for this book but it ended up falling flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you, Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam, for gifting me this copy of Beware the Woman.

This book follows a pair of newly weds expecting their first child. Jacy has never met Jeds father, so they decide to take a road trip to the UP to meet him. The cabin in a lush dense woods immediately gives off creepy vibes. Everything seems to be going smoothly when Jacy has a heath scare... good thing Jed's father is a doctor? After that, things begin to change.. was Jeds mom's death an accident, or was something else at play? Jacy starts to feel trapped and figures out the true intentions of Jed's father. This book was really good until the end. I would have given it 4 stars, but it just abruptly ended.. I feel like it needed more.

I'm an unabashed Megan Abbott fan and I know that her style and books aren't for everyone; I say this because she's one of the few writers that's an auto buy for me and not all my friends share my love for her writing. I'm saying this bc I am definitely biased in that she's my type of writer, even thought this a departure from the noir style. She doesn't shy away from characters you'll loathe and not relate to at all. It's not my favorite of hers but I enjoyed it enough that even though the ending knocked off a star, Abbott continues to be a reliably good author.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I tried and I tried and I tried. But I could not get into this book. The concept was interesting, but fell flat in the all other areas.

Domestic thriller that brings to mind a modern, post-Roe version of The Yellow Wallpaper. While I enjoyed The Turnout, this is a return to (literal) form for Abbott with a more traditional narrative structure and more grounded by virtue of taking place in only one setting — Jacy’s imprisonment becomes yours.

Since I enjoyed Megan Abbott's previous book, The Turnout, I was excited to read Beware the Woman. Unfortunately I was not blown away. During the first half of the novel, nothing much happens. It isn't to the last quarter that secrets are revealed and action ensues. Pregnant Jacy and her new husband, Todd are visiting her father in law, Dr. Ash in the very north peninsula of Michigan. During the first Jacy is at first enamored with Dr. Ash, but as the days pass Jacy realizes Dr. Ash is more than just a protective parent. He becomes obsessed with the baby and finds fault with everything Jacy does. There are secrets in the house and woods that scare Jacy to point of escaping to her home. However, leaving is the one thing Dr. Ash will not allow Jacy to do.

Jed and Jacy travel to the UP of Michigan to visit Jed’s dad. While there, a pregnant Jacy has a medical scare and something feels very off. Being in a remote area, there aren’t many helping hands available for a pregnant woman, but thankfully (or not) Jed’s dad is a doctor, Doctor Ash. Concerned for the health of his unborn grandchild, Doctor Ash goes to great lengths to eliminate any potential risks for Jacy and the child. His motivations are questionable, especially given the history of his late wife and Jed’s birth story.

There were a few elements of this book I liked: the setting in the UP of Michigan and there was some showcasing of the strength of women and what they will go through to protect their children, themselves, and each other at times.

The rest was weird for me. 90% of the book was buildup for the last 10% and it was just too slow in my opinion. The back 10% was action packed, but I needed more of that throughout. We knew something was off, but there was no element of surprise and the ending was entirely predictable. The concept of the book wasn’t up my alley either: a delusional man doing messed up things to “protect” his unborn son and grandchild. You win some, you lose some, but this one wasn’t for me.

From the moment I first read a Megan Abbott book, I knew I would devour anything she decided to write, and BEWARE THE WOMAN is no different. This feels like a continuation of the shift Abbott took with THE TURNOUT, which was still very much her unique voice but with more focus on female sexuality not at the pivotal teen years but as adults struggling to define what womanhood is or should look like. Many times, her adult characters feel stunted by some trauma or inability to conform to societal norms, something many readers will feel in their bones. In BEWARE THE WOMAN, she leans into the question of motherhood and all the expectations trapped within the idea of bodily autonomy. The answers are at once intriguing, horrifying and absolutely timely.