What a fun and entertaining thriller, which I devoured in one sitting. While the end is slightly impassible, I love the twist that I never saw coming. Jones has done it again, with another chiller where the pages fly.

Following The Other Woman was going to be a hard battle for Sandie Jones, but she nailed it with The First Mistake. I thought I had this book TOTALLY figured out, only to realized I was wrong. Close, but wrong. I love when books do this! The psychological/domestic thriller genre is really hot right now, but with that comes a lot of repetition and very little surprise. Sandie was able to surprise me, and keep me interested, to the point that I blew off all obligations, and stayed inside for an entire Sunday to read. I finished this one is a little over a day, only because my eyes were burning and my brain was begging for rest. This is one of those situations where I wish ARC came in audio.

The character development in this book is probably my favorite part. The main character starts out very meek and timid, and grows significantly by the end of the book. The First Mistake is SO well written, that it will make you question everything you think you know about your own relationship. I love when books make me reflect, and even sometimes when they make me freak out.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Holy cow, what just happened?!? Every time I thought I had it figured out I turned out to be wrong. Everything I start to write seems spoilery, so I’ll just say this was a riveting story. It’s tense, at times confusing, and completely unpredictable and I really need someone else to read this to talk about the ending!

So many twist. I was truly blindsided by the end!!! Great story full of deceit, pain, and what men and women would do for love and money.

I received an Electronic Advance Reader Copy through NetGalley.

I connected with Alice from the beginning of this story. This could be a study on the true meaning of friendship and trusting those we love. I did feel that the ending was rushed, but I understand that was for shock value. All in all , I enjoyed this book a lot.

What a twisting, turning read! I found myself reading myself right into a tizzy, not sure what was coming next!

I will keep this review brief today, as I want to be very careful not to reveal any spoilers. What I will say is this: I kept thinking I knew exactly what was going on or what was going to happen, and Sandie Jones would surprise me AGAIN! I had felt disappointed toward the beginning of the novel, believing I knew right away what was happening, but I ended up second-guessing my way through the entire novel, which is what I'm looking for in a mystery. While we all want to feel intelligent and figure out what happens next before we read on, I enjoy being surprised and taken along for the ride.

On the constructive side, I would have preferred a much stronger ending. While it "wrapped up," it felt unfinished and rushed. I believe even one more chapter to tidy things up at the end would have made this a more satisfying read for me. I love Sandie Jones's writing style, even when I can't relate to the main character; and I ALWAYS love a rotating perspective. However, I found the shift from first-person narration to third person (around two-thirds of the way into the book) a bit strange. I understand the reasoning behind it and the desire for effect, but it fell a bit flat to me.

Overall, it's an entertaining and twisty read that you are sure to enjoy!

This was my first read for Sandie Jones and holy wow, it was a doozy! A grieving widow meets a new man and seemingly has the picture perfect life until her husband starts doing a bunch of things that has Alice questioning everything she knows. Turning to her best friend Beth is second nature for her, but before long, she starts questioning her friendship with someone she thought she knew and could trust.

There's plenty of twists and turns in this story and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. I wasn't really a fan of the three main characters, especially Alice because of the things she does and says, but ultimately this is her story and just because I would have done a ton of things differently than she did shouldn't take away from a gripping story told by Ms. Jones.

There are some things that occur that I predicted early on in the plot and other things that I didn't see coming at all. The pacing of the story dragged in a few places for me and sped too quickly in others, and the story came to an abrupt ending which was kind of vague and left me with wanting more, but overall for my first Sandie Jones book, I was entertained and plan to go back now and get a copy of her first book, The Other Woman.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

WOW is what I think when I think of this book! It was amazing throughout. I couldn't put it down and even fought sleep to finish it.

Alice fights each day with the loss of her husband from 10 years earlier. She has remarried to a man she believes saved her from wreckage. Nathan is by her side in every way. At home to help raise their daughter and the daughter from her first husband. He works with her in the company her and her first husband build. He is very supportive in every way she needs. Or is he?

Alice does not befriend women so easily so when her and Beth become close it means everything to Alice. She can confide in her with just about anything. Beth knows of the struggle Alice had dealing with the loss of her husband. However Beth has her secrets too!

This book has me from the start. Just when you think you have it all figured out there is another turn you didn't see coming. This book is full of suspense just the way I like it. I can see it being a huge hit this summer.

The First Mistake by Sandie Jones is another stellar suspense thriller by an author who is quickly becoming one of my must reads. Lots of twists as you read about Alice and Beth and their unknown connection to each other. The drama keeps the book moving along at a swift speed that reaches a great conclusion. Read and enjoy!

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

What I liked: the writing. She certainly has a way of sucking you in. The characters are pretty good too.

What I didn’t like: I knew exactly what was going on the whole time and at first I thought that was purposeful, but then the way the story went I realized it was not. Or we weren’t supposed to know. It just dragged to get to the “big” reveal which wasn’t such a big reveal after all, hence the drop in my rating.

What a rollercoaster of a story - I absolutely didn't see what was coming until at least 2/3 way through, which shows the skill of the writer.
I couldn't put it down and stormed through it in one sitting, a fabulous holiday page turner.

The cover is beautiful, could say that one of the most beautiful in the current year. Its interesting title short but concise. The subject in general sounds interesting but it is much more than what is already written. As with his first book unfortunately I could not connect with the plot or the characters which I found simple and predictable.I think the reader has to have a lot of connection with the author and I do not have it with Jones. I could not finish reading it. Thanks for the opportunity to Net Galley and I must clarify that this opinion as all that I give in my accounts is honest and entirely mine.

From the moment I read the first page until the moment I read the last (3 times over!), The First Mistake held me captive. Real life ceased to exist as my heart rate picked up, my stomach got that funny kind of impending doom feeling, and I'm pretty sure I held my breath until this twisted story ended. And then, I sat there stunned - book in hand, staring at the final words . . . thinking "what the h*ll just happened"?! I'll say it right now . . . Carve out enough time to read this book beginning to end in one sitting because once you start, there's no going back.

Alice is a content, wealthy businesswoman, mother, and wife. Life is good . . . until suddenly it isn't. Nathan rode into Alice's life three months after she lost her first husband Tom. She'd been lost in the depths of her grief and despair, and he pulled her up out of the darkness into the light once again. No one need know she still depends on a couple of anti-depressants to get through her day. It's normal with all she's been through, right? Nathan is a charmer with a killer smile - a loving husband and father who works by Alice's side in the successful design firm she and Tom started. Alice, Nathan, and the two children are the picture perfect family. Rounding out Alice's inner circle is her best friend and confidante Beth. Their daughters are playmates and when Alice makes a couple of disturbing discoveries that give her cause to question her marriage, Beth is the one she turns to for advice. As this story plays out, dark revelations pile up, one after another, threatening to destroy life as Alice knows it. With her heart, gut, and the evidence pointing in different directions, Alice has to figure out who's telling the truth and who's lying. That's all I can say about the story without spoilers, and trust me folks, you do not want to read any spoilers before diving into this masterpiece of suspense.

A sinister, mesmerizing story, The First Mistake is highly addictive - simply impossible to put down. I ignored the phone, doorbell, my husband, and even the dog as I frantically burned through the pages of this book. My "need to know" level was off the chart, and I can say it's one of very few books I've read lately where I wasn't even close to 100% certain of the outcome by the end. And oh that ending! How I wish I could talk about the shocking ending, but of course I can't. Some will love it and some won't, but I think it's brilliant! The author sets a menacing tone within the first few pages and then elevates it and the pace throughout as she masterfully manipulates characters and readers - withholding the final piece of the puzzle until the very end. Through strong, real-to-life characters, Jones delivers a relatable plotline that could mirror the life of any average citizen, making it that much more believable and terrifying. Beautifully written and delivered, The First Mistake is one I'll be thinking about for some time to come. An absolutely riveting "Are you kidding me?!" Must Read Suspense Thriller!

I was excited when I got approved from NetGalley and the publisher for Sandie Jones’ newest book “The First Mistake “. I absolutely loved her first novel, read it in 1 Day and gave it 5 stars! This one, to me, was not as good as her first book but I did enjoy it. I felt it fell flat about midway through and I almost gave up, only to have it pick back up again until the end. That ending!!! I wasn’t expecting that and I’m still trying to process it. Can’t wait for Sandie’s next book! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit I enjoyed this book compared to her first book. While this book is not a five star read I did throughly enjoy it from start to finish. Sandi’s books always have an excellent twisty ending that I absolutely love, however the process getting there can get a little boring. For example there was a lot of back story and time jumping in this book that was confusing until you realized where you were in the timeline of the situation. There is a lot of information that leads up to a 10 page twisty ending. My only complaint is there needs to be more excitement in the middle of the book not just the ending. All-in-all great thriller and would recommend for a good beach read!

I absolutely loved this authors first book so I was naturally looking forward to the second! Sad to report, a little disappointed. The main character was slightly “weak”? The plot was fun, very reminiscent of a Liane Moriarity book, Big Little Lies, but with a few less characters. I just felt the need to rush the book because I didn’t love the main character Alice. She does gain strength in the end however this book wasn’t a favorite.

Great book that will keep you guessing until the very end. The plot twists and turns throughout the book and you will not want to put it down. Sandie Jones is one of my favorite authors and this book does not disappoint. Thank you Net Galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by the author. I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this book. The plot twists were amazing and kept me guessing until the end? How far will one go to make the perfect life?

I look forward to more by the author.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41150483

A tangled web of deceit but not very realistic. A very early hint will give readers a strong clue of what is happening. I felt sympathetic towards Alice who was trying her best to cope with the past and deal with the present. But it was irritating to see Alice so naively go along with Nathan's plans. Nathan and Beth both gave early signals of deceit. A lot was going on in this book and sometimes it felt like reading several stories with no connection between them. I also felt the ending was a letdown. This was just an okay story for me.

Excellent mystery and thriller that includes some unexpected and unique twists! A thoroughly enjoyable read.