Awesome! That is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Sally Hepworth's latest book, The Mother-in-Law. The book has some great, well-defined characters with complicated relationships. How many people can't identify with the relationships between monther-in-law's and daughter-in-laws? Sometimes, it doesn't matter how nice a person is, they just can't seem to mesh.

The story begins when Lucy meets her now husband's mother, Diana, for the first time. Diana is not what you would call 'warm and fuzzy', she's cold but rich...and not too generous, lucky for her children her husband is the polar opposite! I really believe Diana is just misunderstood, she's complicated. The story is told between both Lucy and Diana, so we can see both points of view, which is done so well, especially since it jumps between past and present day. I'm not sure too many autheror's could pull this off, but Ms Hepworth certainly did it justice.

When Diana is found dead, and a suicide note is found, but other clues don't fit in with a suicide theory. The secrets of Diana's children, her son, Ollie, and daughter Nettie, start to unravel. Money troubles plague them, as well as Nettie's desire to unsuccessfully have a child of her own, and we see how Diana handles each problem as it arises. As the police start to investigate, and it becomes pretty clear this is a homicide, could one of Diana's own children or in-laws be to blame for her death? As the story plays out, we really believe any of them could be guilty. This is so well written, with characters you love to hate, once you start it, you will not be able to put it down. It is really that good! I have a read a few books by Sally Hepworth, all good, but this is by far one of my favorite books of the year!

I would like to thank St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced read copy of this fabulous book! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!

I was really excited to be able to review this for you all. This book did not disappoint one bit. When you hear “mother-in-law” what first comes to mind? Monster-In-Law maybe? Why is that? Could it be because mothers only want what is best for their kids? Could it be because they think they know what’s in their kids best interest? Could it be that she just wants to protect them? Save them from past struggles? Give them something to work for? Give them a meaning to be oneself? You’d never know the truth behind a mom’s motivation towards her kids.

I’m not going to lie, I went into this book with the assumption of an evil mother in law. I mean I had personally just dealt with the terms of a monster-in-law, so I just mentally assumed what I shouldn’t. This book was all over in terms of who the better character was Lucy or Diana. It was such an interesting and different take to emotional family dynamics. This book was both dark, dynamic, and engaging. I read it fairly quickly because I was really into this book.

Anyways, this book is definitely not what you could expect. It is greater than that. It is more than that. It will make you rethink your own opinions about your monst…Mother-In-Law.

Dual perspectives and a storyline will keep you intrigued in this newest novel by Sally Hepworth. Strained relationships, family secrets and a clever who-done it. I was hooked!

5 STARS! This is going in my top favorites of all time! Sally Hepworth has quickly became one of my favorite authors and this novel proves how talented she is.

I'm sure everyone has a problem with their mother-in-law at least once. Sometimes, they aren't the easiest to get along with or they are too overbearing or they just can't let go of their baby. Sally Hepworth explores the dynamic between a woman and her mother-in-law.

Lucy met Ollie and fell in love. She was so excited about becoming a part of his family but it always seemed she was never good enough for her mother-in-law, Diana. She tried to form a special bond with Diana but never could. Diana wasn't the nicest person to everyone which became evident when she was found dead in her home. Was it suicide, like the note said? Or did something more sinister happen?

Told between two points of view (Lucy and Diana), this story is filled with twists and turns and will have your jaw dropping on the floor! I already know it will be in my top favorites for 2019!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sending me an early advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Loved this book - didn’t want to put it down or go to sleep! I kind of guessed the ending shortly before it happened, but still such an awesome read!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well-written novel with a moral message about a mother and daughter-in-law who struggle to find common ground. I love the ending and how the matriarch's purpose in life was continued on. This is a great novel about forgiveness and finding common ground.

This was my first Sally Hepworth book and I will definitely be reading more!
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From the moment Lucy met her husband's mother, Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Diana was exquisitely polite, and properly friendly, but Lucy knew that she was not what Diana envisioned.
Now, Diana has been found dead, a suicide note near her body. Diana claims that she no longer wanted to live because of a battle with cancer.
But the autopsy finds no cancer.
The autopsy does find traces of poison and suffocation.
Who could possibly want Diana dead?
Why was her will changed at the eleventh hour to disinherit both of her adult children and their spouses?
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This was a quick read and had some good twists. I really enjoyed getting to know these two characters. And I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review. The Mother-In-Law will be released on April 23, 2019. #netgalley #bookreview

Thanks to Net Galley & St Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
This is one of those books that once you start reading you don’t want to put it down. The story is told from two points of view, Lucy and then Diana her mother in law, and of course they have a complicated relationship.
Lucy wants to be loved by Diana and be her friend, difficult when Diana is cold and distant. Diana’s relationships with her children Ollie and Nettie is also rather complicated.
When Diana is found dead in her home it looks like suicide, she has left a suicide note. Ollie, her son seems to have been the last person to see her alive, but was he? The police question all the family members, they all have a motive.
There are lots of rsurprises in the story as the pages turn themselves as the plot unravels. Super read.

Oh wow. Put some time away for this book. It has all the ingredients for a terrific psychological thriller.

No spoilers from me. Book is great with lots of lies, deception, tragedy, and twists. Also, loved the unpredictable ending. Can't say enough great about this. Read it today!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this fabulous book.

This was a wonderfully crafted domestic suspense! I was captivated by this family and their relationships and misunderstandings, love and regret.

Told in the alternating viewpoints of Diana (mother in law) and Lucy (daughter in law) and switching between past and present, the author masterfully demonstrates just how easily words, assumptions and lack of true communication can be the downfall of a relationship.

This was a refreshing change from the usual trope. I could not put this book down, needing to see the story unravel!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for access to this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a good read. Alternating between past and present and mother and daughter in law, we see how two women's are intertwined and affected by both their experience, assumptions and inability to communicate. I loved the way the mystery was woven and the growth of the relationship as seen from both character's perspective. A really page Turner, I read it in one afternoon.

Thank you to NetGalley for sharing this book with me. I was so lucky to discover Sally Hepworth's books one day in a book store. Since then, I have enjoyed every single one that I have read, and The Mother-in-Law may be her best yet! The family dynamics in this book were so intricate and interesting. I had a very difficult time figuring out Diana, the mother-in-law. She was never quite what I expected. There were so many great twists throughout this book. I think this is going right to my favorites shelf!

If you are looking for a book with a sinister plot and an evilly, wicked mother-in-law, this is not the book for you. This book is much more about family dynamics. It’s about things unsaid and things miscommunicated or misconstrued. Diane is not evil or wicked. She comes across quite hard hearted at times, but really does want the best for her children. With a completely different take on “the mother-in-law story” Hepworth keeps the reader completely engaged from start to finish. Diane is a complex character, one that is completely unlikable one moment and one that you feel sorry for the next. Did she really kill herself or is it murder? Told in two perspectives both in past and present, Hepworth does a remarkable job of weaving everything together and creates a very satisfying read.

I zipped through this book in two sittings, with an awkward space in the middle where I snapped at people who unreasonably expected me to do momwork instead of curling up on the couch to finish this book. This is one of those rare stories that actually deserves to be called 'unputdownable'.

"The Mother-in-Law" is twisty and suspenseful, and even more than that, it's clever and sophisticated. A lesser author would have given us a mother-in-law to hate, and that's where I thought this was headed at first. Not so fast!! Sally Hepworth is far too talented and brilliant for a shortcut like that. There are no flimsy, easily exposed villains in this book, and considering it's about a murdered mother-in-law that's a fantastic feat.

There is no black and white in this book. It's all shades of deliciously mysterious grey, and that's what makes this story so addictive. A fascinating storyline combined with sharp prose and clever insight makes this one of my favorite reads in 2018!

A bit of a mystery mixed with family drama, secrets, and a great twist. I love everything Sally Hepworth writes, and this was no exception. Her characters are nuanced and flawed and totally realistic.

A remarkable book which has everything- humor, tragedy, suspense, love,hate , jealously, friendship and so much more!
It begins with the strained relations of a young wife and her mother-in-law. This allows for some humorous in-law scenes.
Things then become much more serious with a sudden death. It looks like suicide, but could be murder. No one is above suspicion!
Meanwhile, the characters are learning not to judge each others' actions and not to harbor drudges or resentments.
This novel is very well told with enough suspense to keep the pages turning and it kept me guessing until the very end.
Excellent and so well written!

Great book!!! 4.5 stars!

I had read the family next door and really enjoyed it, but this one was even better. The story line hooked you from the beginning and I found it very hard to put the book down to get anything else done. It was a fun ride with 2 great main characters and I loved reading the different point of views of the same situations.

This was a definite page turner with a good mystery mixed in!

Thanks to netgalley.com for the ARC.

I went into this book with an idea of what happened. Sally Hepworth took that assumption and blew it right out of the water. I thought this was going to be a standard evil mother-in-law story with a dash of suspense, but it was so much more.

I received an ARC of The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth from NetGalley to read and review. Going in I instantly thought this was going to be a story about some evil, vicious mother-In-law. Boy, I was wrong! I can honestly say that I didn’t totally hate her. Yes, I felt she was a little different, a little harsh at times, but I believe it was all due to the earlier life she had lived. I would consider it to be a domestic thriller that had a twist at the end that I definitely didn’t see coming. I was totally shocked and surprised at how it all played out. If you enjoy reading suspenseful thrillers, then you should give this book a try. I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy of The Mother In Law by Sally Hepworth. I tried really hard to wait a few more months to read this but I just couldn’t wait. It got me out of my miserable book slump and the mom quotes were spot on so big points right there!

This story is told with two POVs with alternating time lines between past and present. Lucy, the daughter in law, and Diana, the mother in law, are our two main voices.

Lucy was very excited to marry into Ollie’s family but quickly learned that Diana was not very welcoming. It seemed to Lucy that Diana always kept her at an arms length. Their relationship was polite but strained.

Diana and her husband, Tom, are extremely wealthy. She believes her children, Ollie and Nettie, should work hard for what they want. When both Ollie and Nettie come to her with money problems she denies them right away.

Right in the first chapter we know Diana was found dead with a suicide note. The rest of the story tells us what lead this family up to this point. To me, this wasn’t your typical evil mother in law story. While reading The Mother In Law I felt like I was suppose be on either Lucy’s side or Diane’s side but I was on both!

Family drama, money, lies, tired moms, and a little bit of mystery yessss 🙌🏼 5 stars ⭐️