I wasn't really sure about this book when I started reading. It took a bit to get into, but then, before you really even notice, you are hooked. The story starts slow but becomes intriguing and engrossing. The second half is fast paced and has you eagerly flipping pages. The characters are great, you either love or hate them but you want to know what happens with them. The slow start may be a deterrent, but hang in. The shocking ending is well worth the wait!

The Other Woman.

Emily a top consultant at Faulkner's London wasn't looking for a boyfriend until she meets Adam a handsome young man, mysterious with a perfect smile.
They meet at a bar after an Emily work conference. Adam manages to exchange card with her and suddenly he and Emily start dating almost every night, her friends worried because they almost do not see her, but Em is happy she believes that she has finally found the man of her life.

The relationship goes OK until Em finally manages to get Adam to take her to meet his mom, Pammie. She realizes that he is VERY attached to his mother, but that is not the only issue: Pammie is the evil mother-in-law !!! controlling, manipulative, liar and all she wants is for Em to disappear from the life of her son. But she is very clever, everything she does is without her son realizing, in front of him she is the perfect mother, sweet and attentive. So when Emily tries to explain how she feels when his mother treats her so badly, he blames her for not trying to get along with her and only defends her because he can not see how such a sweet person can become as evil as Em describes.

So here is where Sandie shakes everything with this end! I did not expect this turn, it's spectacular.

I love how Sandie manages to create the perfect evil character, the one you love to hate and mix it with all these other very real characters that you love. It is a quick read, developed in a clear way that keeps you intrigued, wanting to change pages to know what will happen next.

I recommend investigating as little as possible about the plot of this book. Go read it blindly. So you can enjoy it as much as I do. Congratulations to Sandie for this spectacular debut.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own

Emily meets Adam and thinks she's met the man she wants to live with forever. But once Emily meets Adam's mom, Pammie, Emily realizes that Pammie wants Emily out of Adam's life. Emily is determined not to let Pammie win this battle for Adam. At the same time, while Pammie is trying to undermine everything that Emily is, Adam will hear nothing said against his mom. As the battle between Emily and Pammie heats up, Adam's anger issues become apparent and he begins drinking more.

Emily has no idea why Pammie would hate her and want to drive her and Adam apart. Adam is no help when Emily tries to discuss the matter with him since he thinks Emily is imagining anything Pammie may have done wrong. And then there is James, Adam's brother, who seems to have fallen for Emily and also wants to drive Adam and Emily apart.

This is such an addictive psychological mystery and I wanted to find out what was behind the strange behavior of the Banks family. Pammie's two boys are so devoted to her and don't see or hear the unkind things that Pammie does to Emily. All this just makes Emily want to dig in her heels more and make Pammie realize that she can't take Adam from her.

The reason I gave this book 4 stars, rather than 5, is that red flags, as big as a barn, are slapping Emily in the face, concerning the actions of Adam and Pammie. Emily seems to hang on to her first impressions of Adam, without giving consideration to how he changes over time, and the fact that Adam gives no weight to her thoughts or feelings. Add that to his scheming and cruel mom and I can't see why she was willing to fight for a relationship that seemed not worth the time and effort. But I'm not Emily, so I set aside those thoughts and just enjoyed the book for the psychological thriller it is, all the way through the twist ending.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Emily Havistock works in human resources and while at a conference, she meets Adam Banks. They enjoy chatting and he calls her after she gets home. Since then, they have seen one another often. Adam appears to be quite laid back and doesn’t seem to get easily riled like Emily can. Emily likes Adam a lot and now wants to introduce him to her gay friend, Seb, and see what he thinks of Adam.

When Adam introduces Emily to his widowed mother, Pammie, Emily is shown some photo albums. In one of them is a picture of Adam kissing a young woman named Rebecca with a caption saying, “Miss you every day.” She learns later that the young woman was Adam’s love and that she died.

Staying over at Pammie’s, she catches Emily and Adam having sex and is furious afterward and very cold to Emily. In addition, Adam becomes withdrawn from her. Their relationship soon becomes very unstable and Emily feels like Pammie is trying to break them apart. Just before their long-planned wedding, Pammie reveals that she is ill and they have to cancel the wedding as Adam just cannot be apart from his mother. As time goes on, Emily realizes she is pregnant. Can she continue in her relationship with Adam and his family?

This is a good story with a twist at the end. That twist didn’t necessarily surprise me. Pammie is the type of woman who makes “mother-in-law” sound like a four-letter word. I cannot say that I cared for Adam or Emily. They just seem like two losers. But! The book is good so don’t miss it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. Such a page-turner, I could not stop reading. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers. The fast pacing made it a joy to read.

Wow, there's not much I can say about this book without spoiling it for everyone else!

Emily is a successful woman, and meets Adam, who she falls for. Adam is very close to his mother, Pammie. He and his brother were raised by her after she was widowed. But things aren't as they seem. Emily soon realizes she is going to have to share Adam with his mom. How devious is Pammie? You have to read the book to find out.

I read this in one day, it was that good!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. This is my honest review.

The Other Woman is the debut by author Sandie Jones. This is one terrific read. I really enjoyed it.

The Other Woman is one of those thrillers that you cannot put down. The twist at the end was quite delightful. I raced through this book. It is very fast paced and I needed to know what was going to happen next.

The Other Woman is set in London but these characters could be anywhere. The characters totally move this story along. They are truly fascinating.

I highly recommend The Other Woman.

This was a fantastic thriller to get lost in after reading a couple of non mystery/thrillers. I kept needing to turn the pages it became an obsession. Each chapter was a further twist and turn where you were inside the mind of our protagonist Emily. There were several moments where I exclaimed out loud “ oh my God” because it goes in so many directions. The author Sandie Jones created a very tight story that threatened to go off the rails but she was an expert making sure that did not happen. I didn’t ever say to myself I cannot see that happening in real life. The fear that “my partners parent might not like me” is a real feeling. It makes you nervous it makes you second guess every single thing you say. Eventually it wears off and you can relax but it is there especially at the beginning. I think that Sandie Jones really turns the psychological thriller on its head and makes you crave more and more and more. I cannot wait to read more by the author. But this is a suspenseful debut by a pro whose name will be legendary within this genre.

Synopsis: The most twisty, addictive and gripping debut thriller you'll read this year.
HE LOVES YOU: Adam adores Emily. Emily thinks Adam’s perfect, the man she thought she’d never meet.
BUT SHE LOVES YOU NOT: Lurking in the shadows is a rival, a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves.
AND SHE'LL STOP AT NOTHING: Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother Pammie. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever.
THE OTHER WOMAN will have you questioning her on every page, in Sandie Jones' chilling psychological thriller about a man, his new girlfriend, and the mother who will not let him go.

I received an ARC from the publisher and chose to write a fair and honest review

THE OTHER WOMAN will have you questioning her on every page, in Sandie Jones' chilling psychological thriller about a man, his new girlfriend, and the mother who will not let him go. “The Other Woman is an absorbing thriller with a great twist.

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones. A debut novel. A roller-coaster of a ride with a ending you don't expect. A enjoyable read. I look forward to reading future books by this author.

Thank you, Minotaur Books, for gifting me an advanced copy of this debut novel by author Sandie Jones, in exchange for an honest review. This book hits store August 21.

I will cut right to the chase; this book was totally my jam I LOVED IT – a roller coaster domestic thriller with so many twists and turns. I was gasping right through to the last page.

Emily meets Adam unexpectantly in the lobby of a conference she attends for work. The two of them hit it off and so begins their relationship, which takes flight almost immediately after their first encounter. They cannot keep their hands off each other and Emily has never felt this wanted by a man. She cannot pinch herself enough, to make sure it’s real.

Their fantasy relationship comes to a quick halt when Adam introduces Emily to his beloved mother, Pammie. They do say that first impressions are everything, but who would think that they could also take away everything?

To Adam, Pammie is the perfect mother who can do no wrong, and he is such a loyal son to her no matter what she does. She screams perfection in his eyes and he will be at her defence, no matter who her ‘attacker’ may be, even if it is the love of his life.

To Emily, Pammie is a complete nightmare – jealous, intrusive and possessive [ABOUT HER OWN SON] and outright evil to Emily at every juncture. Emily cannot seem to get this woman to like her, and finally she stops trying so hard to be accepted and focuses more on being the last woman standing in Adam’s heart.

I won’t give away any more as I think readers should experience this one blind and without any bias. Trust me this is definitely a thrill ride that you won’t want to miss.

I am shocked that this Sandie Jones’ first novel – she truly has mastered the thriller fiction game with this one. I cannot wait to read what she comes out with next.

With short and engaging chapters, this book will devour your attention – so be sure to set aside uninterrupted time when you decide to pick this one up.

My Rating 5+

Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


Emily isn't really looking for anyone special the night she meets Adam. She is sure it will end up being nothing, but when he calls her a few days later she is caught up in and soon the relationship begins. Adam is perfect and soon he is an important part of her life.


But everything starts to fall apart when she meets his mom. Well after she meets his mom, while at her house she sees a picture of Adam and woman named Rebecca. Emily can't get Rebecca out of her mind and soon wonders what happened to her. But soon Pammie is ruining everything. She takes every chance she can to come between Emily and Adam.


Plus his brother James is always around. Soon Emily thinks about him a little too much, but she knows that it is Adam she loves and she won't let his mother ruin things for them...


I have to say that about 3/4ths of the way into this I was on the verge of lowering my rating. I thought for sure this was a mystery or a thriller and it really didn't seem that way, but when the reveal came I was blown away. Don't get me wrong by this point I wasn't a fan of Emily, Adam or his mother. So believe me when I say that ending made it all worth it.


So this was a very subtle read, with a lot of hints and clues that point one way, while clearly showing you a glimpse of the truth if you pick up on it. I caught a lot of the hints about one person so I wasn't completely shocked by that aspect of the reveal. No matter how I felt about the beginning of the book I can't lie I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what was going to happen, or what the mystery was. I literally couldn't stop turning the pages.

Emily barely knows Adam, but she is enthralled with him, even though he is not forthcoming with information about himself or his past. As Emily puts it, "[N]o matter how hard I tried, we always ended up talking about me, even when I was the one asking the questions." Eventually, Adam agrees to introduce her to his mother, Pammie. From the outset, theirs is a troubled relationship. Emily is convinced that Pammie abhors her because Pammie is a classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde -- affectionate and warm when Adam is around, but a monster when his back is turned.

Emily lacks self-confidence and esteem. She clings to Adam, despite their conflicts which include manipulations and outright threats from Pammie when Emily discovers the depth of Pammie's deceptions.

Author Sandie Jones keeps readers guessing. Is Emily paranoid and delusional? Is she imagining or exaggerating the horrid things Pammie appears to be doing to destroy Emily and Adam's relationship?

Or is Pammie truly as diabolically devious and determined to undermine Emily's efforts to make Adam happy as she seems?

And what about Adam's only sibling, his brother James? Is he part of Pammie's plan to break Emily and Adam up, or is he genuinely fond of Emily and oblivious to his mother's machinations?

Emily is a weak, insecure protagonist. Of course, she has to be in order for the plot to hold together. A stronger woman with even a modicum of self-esteem would have left Adam, irrespective of whether or not his mother was a psychopath, instead of clinging to a man and a relationship that are anything but the ideal she doggedly wants them to be.

Savvy readers will figure out the mystery early in the story . . . but keep reading to see if they have guessed correctly. The resolution strains credulity, but no matter. The book is entertaining and an impressive debut from Martin. Throw this one in your beach bag!

I thought this book was interesting from beginning to end, but it also made me feel tense most of the time. And I did guess some of what was coming but not in a real positive way.
I liked the characters of Emily’s friends Pippa and Seb, they added some sparkle and I was sure glad she had their support when things got rough.
Great writing Sandie Jones you had my senses on high alert.

Just… WOW! This book absolutely had it all. This was no ordinary story of how two people fell in love and married to live happily ever after! Nope! No way! This is the story of a man, a woman, and a bat shit crazy… “other woman”. Her job was only to sabbatoge any chance Emily had of living the dream with her man. You wouldn’t believe the lengths she goes to in order to make sure that Emily and Adam will never survive together.
But the craziest thing of all… happens at the end. This shocking twist will have you screaming in disbelief! The expectations for this book were very high and I was SO NOT disappointed! Highly recommend this read! 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First, thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

Second, this book had me from the get go. I was intrigued right from the prologue all throughout the book.
The book never felt slow and was fast-paced and moved along quite nicely. It took place over about a year and jumped along in time in a manner that didn't feel rushed or contrived. I've been waiting for a thriller that both captivated me and left me wondering "whodunit" for a few books now.

Now for the game and the players. I like to refer to characters in a thriller or suspense as my players and the plot as the game. They are all playing a game and I am watching it unfold blindly as someone on the sidelines.
Oh my goodness! These characters are horrible. And not in a bad way. I always want to FEEL something. Something about the story, the characters, the plot development....just something. And these characters had me hating on one in particular. You've never met a woman like Pammie before. Or perhaps you have. I just couldn't get past the way she treated her son's daughter, Emily. It was horrific. I was beyond mortified for her. But I wanted Emily to stand up to her in a way. And throughout the story, we got to see Emily grow and learn from her past as well as from her boyfriend, Adam's past. But also to accept certain things. Perhaps things she shouldn't have.
And Adam? Where the heck did this guy come from? At some points he seemed like the successful guy that wanted it all. The girlfriend, the family, the home, the job. You name it. But his relationship with his mother was completely unhealthy. I mean he would drop anything and everything for his mother at any time. He was dependent on her. He seemed to be in a relationship more with her than with Emily or anyone else in his life. And here is where our plot thickens. A marriage is between 2 people. Not three. So what dynamics will change for this to work?

I can't go into more details, but I can say all the characters and the events leading up to our plot twist is quite perfect. There are a couple things that didn't match up as far as small details, but overall this thriller had me turning the pages so fast that I couldn't put it down once I started. I had to know what was going to happen and who was the "monster under the bed."
Kudos to Sandie Jones for her debut novel and creating a family of crazy.

Just finished this book today. Unfortunately, didn’t care for the characters or the dialogue. Didn’t find it very suspenseful.

If you love a story that will cause heart palpitations from the rollercoaster of plot twists, sudden desires to throw the book across the room, and/or the need to muffle screams as you read into the wee hours of the morning... this is the book for you!
Just... WOW! This book absolutely had it all. This was no ordinary story of how two people fell in love and married to live happily ever after! Nope! No way! This is the story of a man, a woman, and a bat shit crazy... "other woman". Her job was only to sabbatoge any chance Emily had of living the dream with her man. You wouldn't believe the lengths she goes to in order to make sure that Emily and Adam will never survive together.
But the craziest thing of all... happens at the end. This shocking twist will have you screaming in disbelief! The expectations for this book were very high and I was SO NOT disappointed! Highly recommend this read! 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an easy and entertaining read. I can’t say the twists were unpredictable but they were fun nonetheless. This is a great debut from this author and I look forward to reading more from her. Definitely recommend!

What a debut novel! This book is a psychological thriller but the prologue seems to hint at murder. Emily is an average girl, packing on a few pounds of winter weight while coententedly binge watching TV with her flatmate Pippa and never going to the gym. She wasn’t looking for a boyfriend when she met Adam at a bar and they fell in love. Emily presses Adam to meet his mother but when she does she regrets it. Adam is a momma’s boy and momma doesn’t want to let go. She snidely thwarts Emily at every turn but Adam sees nothing amiss. He thinks Emily is being paranoid. The romance progresses rapidly and a wedding date is set. Will Emily get her happily ever after or will momma win? Ms Jones did an excellent job building the tension. I quickly got involved and the quick pace carried me along until I finished the book at 5 AM. . Her characters are well developed and likable or hated as the case may be. There were several twists and turns I didn’t expect and I definitely didn’t see the ending coming. This book would make a wonderful movie. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for allowing me to read an advance copy. I loved the book and am happy to leave this review. I look forward to more books by Sandie Jones.