The First Mistake by Sandie Jones is a fun and captivating thriller. It's a quick page-turner with many twists that keep you guessing how the story will play out. While most of surprises are somewhat predictable, there are a couple of things that didn't materialize as I expected. Which I loved as it kept me on my toes! I expect to see this book as one of the top beach reads for 2019.

I actually won this book through a giveaway and received a digital ARC through NetGalley around the same time. Thank you Minotaur Books, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for these advanced reader copies for my honest review.

Having loved the Other Woman, I was looking forward to read the next one, and it didn't disappoint. This book gripped me from the first chapter and didn't let go until its amazing ending.
Its a clever and tense psychological mystery thriller with mysterious and hard to figure out characters.

Alice found happiness again after the death of her first husband (whose body was never found) when she married Nathan. She also has Beth as her best friend through thick and thin.

But then Nathan starts acting suspiciously and Alice relies on her best friend, but soon she realizes that she might have misplaced her trust and her world comes crashing soon after.

Who is lying, who is manipulative, and who is genuine? A thrilling ride of dread and confusion that I highly recommend.

Thanks Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and author Sandie Jones for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I received an ARC for my honest and fair review. Sandie Jones has delivered again! This book has friendship, suspense, and makes you question everything! Alice has a perfect life, or so she thinks, until her husband starts acting strange. I don't want to say to much but just enjoy the ride and let the answers fall in to place. You will love ding just that!

Great !!! I was very quickly pulled into the plot. Some unexpected twist and turns kept the story interesting , and had me guessing till the very end

Yowza momma. This one kept me up all night to finish. So many turns I almost got whiplash, but i didn't mind one bit. Another great story!

I’m gonna start by saying I LOVED THE OTHER WOMAN. I was so excited to start this! So happy to get lucky enough to get an ARC of THE FIRST MISTAKE. so, my name is Bethany (Beth) and my other half’s name is Thomas. So this made me question everything about my life! Hahah! Kidding of course, but it was crazy to read with our names in it!!
This was an amazing thriller, kept me on the edge of my seat as I devoured it in less than 24 hours!! Sandie Jones has a way to get you hooked, so you think you know what’s coming, you flip the pages as fast as you can to see what happens next, and than you’re left with your mouth gaping open and thinking WHAT? how was I so wrong?? Her twist are always mind blowing, which is my favorite thing in a book like this! I loved this so much! I would ABSOLUTELY recommend. 5/5.

Bravo...Applause to Sandie Jones author of last year’s smash best seller "The Other Woman" for her second novel "The First Mistake." Thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy of this book. I immensely enjoyed this fantastic, absorbing thriller. I literally thought I had the storyline of the novel figured out twice, but was completely wrong both times. Two stories that diverge into one surprisingly twisted ending, which totally blew me away! The First Mistake is an exciting, delicious and highly addictive read. An excellent domestic thriller to put on your summer reading list.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Synopsis: For Alice, life has never been better. With her second husband, she has a successful business, two children, and a beautiful house. Alice knows that life could have been different if her first husband had lived, but Nathan’s arrival into her life gave her back the happiness she craved. Through the ups and downs of life, from celebratory nights out to comforting each other through loss, Alice knows that with her best friend Beth by her side, they can survive anything together. So when Nathan starts acting strangely, Alice turns to Beth for help. But soon, Alice begins to wonder whether her trust has been misplaced. It’s out in bookstores 6/11!📚📚📚📚

The twists and turns will have you flipping pages as fast as you can. This is a roller coaster of a ride so make sure you are well buckled in and prepare for the most harrowing ride of your life. Make sure to make plenty of time because it's unoutdownable. Happy reading!

Review of uncorrected eGalley

For Alice, remarried and finding happiness with Nathan after the death of her first husband, Tom, life is finally in a good place for her. When Nathan begins acting strangely, she turns to her best friend, Beth, for help. But is Beth a true friend? And what is behind Nathan’s strange behavior?

The narrative spins out in three parts: Alice’s story in the present, Beth’s story from nine years previous, and Alice and Beth in the present. The fast pace of this quick-read story will keep the pages turning as the reader is pulled into the narrative. Although the characters are reasonably well-drawn, each is, in some way, unlikable and, in what seems to be commonplace in books of this genre, Alice shows far too much dependence on alcohol and pills.

Even though astute readers may find the story a bit predictable, there are several unexpected plot twists designed to ramp up the suspense and keep them guessing. However, it’s in the telling of the tale that readers are likely to find themselves captivated by the unfolding story.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#TheFirstMistake #NetGalley

Is Nathan telling the truth? What is Beth hiding? Will Alice find out before she loses everything? A compulsively twisty domestic thriller that keeps the reader eagerly turning the pages until every layer is peeled away and the truth is revealed. Sandie Jones has done it again!

first of all, thanks so much to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC ebook of this!
holy WOW was this one twisty 😳
this is my very first Sandie Jones book and honestly, it was totally worth the hype!
It held my attention throughout the entire book and had me really questioning whether our main character, Alice, really was crazy or not.
I really enjoyed the different POV’s during this story, first reading Alice and her battle with depression after her late husband, Tom’s, tragic and mysterious disappearance that now I believe to have been maybe a murder at the hands of his brother?
She has suspicions of her new husband, Nathan, being unfaithful. Her suspicions are 100% true, but not in the sense of being unfaithful as far as another woman in the picture- unfaithful as far as him being a thieving con artist.
She’s thrown for a loop when it’s revealed that her best friend Beth- also the mother of one of Alice’s daughter’s best friends- tells her that her daughter’s father left before even knowing she was pregnant and she is now wanting to find him. She doesn’t know where he lives or what he does for a living, she only knows his name and his birthday- which happens to be the very same as Alice’s first husband Tom.
Then we’re introduced to Beth’s POV, starting from the moment she met Tom, and their whole whirlwind romance. She also suspects something might be “off” about him, and questions his authenticity multiple times. He’s in the wine business, selling old bottles of vintage wine that are collecting dust to high bidders and seemingly making his clients lots of money. Beth introduces him to her mother, after much hesitation, and he then goes into a big spiral of lies- telling them that he could make them more money out of the bottles of wine and liquor that was Beth’s late father’s that are collecting dust in their wine cellar if they invest a certain amount, guaranteeing them their money back, doubled. They decide to go for it, and once the money is cleared from Beth’s mom’s account- she suddenly cannot get ahold of Tom. She races back to her apartment that he’s supposed to be moving into, only to catch him getting into the car with another woman- who we later find out was Alice.
It’s then revealed that Beth saw a picture of Alice in the newspaper and knew immediately that it was the woman she had seen that day in the car, she used her to track “Tom” down. Only now, Tom goes by the name of Nathan and he’s married to Alice. It’s all so twisty and crazy, because all throughout this, Alice has rediscovered Tom (her first husband)’s facebook profile, and he’s posted some new photos. Leading her to believe that he isn’t in fact dead, but just left her and their child to start a new family with someone else. Beth admits to have hacked into Tom’s facebook profile and posted the photos to make Alice believe that Tom was still alive, which is terrible and ill never fully forgive Beth for doing that, but at this point Beth is trying to seek revenge on Tom/Nathan and blackmail him to repay what he stole from her family. She had fully believed Alice was in on it, too.
Tom/Nathan ended up being Daniel- Tom’s troubled and exiled from the family’s younger brother who didn’t get any kind of money from their parents and is pissed and committing fraud to get what’s “owed to him”. In the end, Beth and Alice came together and plotted against him. He got what was coming to him.
At times, the book was a bit confusing to piece together, but it did come together in a way that made sense. It was very surprising, and a pretty fast paced thriller. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more from Sandie Jones!

When I started reading this book, I thought I’d figured out the ending within the first few pages and I was disappointed that it was so obvious. I hoped for some twists and turns along the way, and my wish was definitely granted. I was delightfully surprised by the way the story turned out and I enjoyed the book quite a bit.

5☆s for sure! This is the second book I've read by this author and I love her. This book has great characters and is a fast read. I didn't want to do anything but finish this book. It had me guessing the whole time! Sometimes when you read so many psych thriller they all seem to blend into a similar story. Not this one. I highly recommend it. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved Jones’ debut thriller, The Other Woman, and I knew I would love this one as well. I had heard so many great things about this one and jumped right into it! This was a fun thriller that took me no time at all to read. I thought I knew what was going to happen by the time I got to the middle of the book. But Jones quickly threw me off guard, with shocking twists I didn’t expect! I guarantee you won’t be disappointed! Buy this book when it’s released on June 11! Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley and Sandie Jones for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 Stars! This domestic thriller has the most amazing twists the left me so shocked. I am still trying to get my head around what I just read. I read and really enjoyed The Other Woman by Sandie Jones, but truly this book is even better!

The story is told from two points of view - Alice's and Beth's. Alice is the wife of Nathan and she suspects he is having an affair. Beth is Alice's best friend and she has lost all her family's money to a guy she was dating, Tom, who took her money (her Mom's money) and disappeared leaving Beth pregnant. Alice and Beth's daughters go to the same school and are friends and Alice and Beth have become best friends. There is a point where their stories intertwine and this incredible story unfolds. I was totally involved and couldn't put the book down.

Thanks to Sandie Jones and St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

A little slow to get started as I was trying to figure out what the twist was going to be rather than just let story develop. The twists came compiled by more twists you don't see coming. Manipulating, engaging and another good read from the author! I always wonder how authors come up with these twisted plots!

Current day, Alice has is married to her second husband, has two kids, and a very robust, healthy business. This story refers to current day deceit, lies, marriage, friendship, and trust, and flashes back to multiple POV and timelines. This book was so gripping and was one of those 'just one more chapter' books. The suspense keeps you so invested and you weren't sure who was lying, who was genuine, and who you should trust. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy.

This is the first book I’ve read from Sandie Jones. It starts out getting to know the main character, Alice, in depth. The characters are very likable and relatable. The story is told from two points of view: Alice, an interior designer, and her friend Beth, a schoolteacher. It starts slowly, and then hits the reader with satisfying twists and turns, becoming a page-turner. I will definitely read more from this author. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Alice Davies has a handsome husband, two beautiful daughters, and a thriving interior design business. Even so, she lives a half-life foreshadowed by the death of her first husband....

Things seem to unravel when she finds an earring in her husband's car. Is Nathan having an affair?

And when her best friend, Beth, reveals that her daughter's father was Tom Evans, Alice's whole being begins to spiral. Could Tom, her Tom, truly have led a double life? Did he leave Beth for Alice?

Many thanks to Netgalley, Sandie Jones and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this twisted thriller! It is a read that you won't be able to put down!

Where do I begin with The First Mistake?

I am again torn as to what to give this book for a review. This was such a fast, engrossing, and quick read! I was hanging on by the edge of my toes!! My goodness I couldn't turn those pages fast enough to figure out what was going on.

Although.... my detective skills definitely didn't steer me wrong on this one. I had some of the plot/twists figured out but just needed a bit of help for that final twist. But, unfortunately, the final reveal just left me a bit disappointed like her first novel did.

I will be honest... I feel like this plot continues to play out in psychological thrillers. Again, as I felt with her first novel.... nothing unique something we have seen before. I think it's really hard for this genre to take unexpected turns with something we haven't seen before. I'm holding on to hope ladies and gentleman!!

But, there is something about Sandie Jones writing that really just takes you for that ride you're longing for in thrillers!

Overall, this was a fun and engaging novel! 3.5 stars!

I'd recommend picking up if you're wanting a fast and compulsive read.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 6/11/19
Published to Goodreads: 5/27/19