Seems like I'm back in the "unpopular opinion camp" again. But I really just did not like this book or any of the characters in it. I feel like I was meant to sympathise with them, to understand their feelings, but they were all just irritating and irrational 🤦🏻‍♀️
The mid-twist was okay, slightly underwhelming but it was alright. The end for me was just eh 🤷🏻‍♀️
The one thing I will say in its favour is that it was a quick read that held my attention, despite hating everyone 😅

The Sister-in-Law is a gripping psychological thriller by Sue Watson. It is an entertaining read that I found hard to put down!

A great read, such a roller coaster! It pulled me in from the first page worth its twists and turns. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to others!

I’ve actually read a few books by Sue Watson before since she writes both contemporary romance and thrillers and I enjoy reading both so I was expecting this book to be a good one since I’d enjoyed the others in the past. Thankfully my expectations were completely met when I picked up The Sister-in-Law which is her latest psychological thriller.

In The Sister-in-Law we meet Clare who has been married to her husband Dan for quite a while with the couple having three young children. Clare had lost both of her parents early in life so when marrying Dan she loved gaining his family as her own and always looks forward to their large family vacations with his parents and brother.

The year though Clare and Dan have been struggling in their marriage so the family getaway is that much more important but after arriving to the Italian villa for the summer holiday the entire family is in for a surprise. This year Dan’s brother Jamie is not alone when he arrives but announces that the young woman with him is his newly wedded wife.

The Sister-in-Law was really one of those books that I just wanted to grab some snacks and watch the drama unfold in front of me. The tennis match of psychological torment between these new sisters in laws definitely kept me entertained. As usual Sue Watson gives readers plenty of action in this thriller to keep the pages turning along with a few twists to the story along the way that one probably will not expect.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This book was marketing as a gripping psychological read...hmm, not so much. It was interesting, sure. Did it have some twists and turns? Yes. Did it create some suspense? Yep. Were parts of it super predictable? Yep. This was my first Sue Watson book and I think while well written, there was a bit of fluff that could have been cut - lots of repetition of narration. I also felt like the ending was very rushed! Overall, it kept my interest and was a solid read. I'll probably check out other books of hers to see if they're similar or any better than this one.

My first time getting to this author and she sure does pack a punch doesn't she....
Meet the Taylor family.....
Matriarch Joy Taylor, married to Bob, a quiet, unassuming man always happy to stay in the background and follow his wife's lead..
Her two boys Dan and Jamie are her pride and joy..
Dan Taylor is married to long suffering wife Clare and they have three children.
Dan, a serial philanderer whose head seems to always be turned the minute a beautiful woman enters his orbit.
Jamie Taylor is the traveller in the family, never staying in one place long enough to lay roots...
His mum Joy seems to only know where he is from Instragram and the pictures he posts...
The family holiday to the Amalfi Coast takes a different turn when Jamie turns up with a new wife in tow, the very sexy and glamourous Ella and the Instagram queen.
Friction between Clare and Ella starts from day one.
Ella makes her mark with everyone immediately....
With Joy she is clearly trying to impress her new mother in law..
With Dan, his head is turned by this tall, beautiful young lady...
Bob is not put in nor out with her so long as he can get away for his sneaky cigar....
But Clare can't seem to figure out what Ella's story is and she knows she must have one..
So what is she up to she wonders....
What started out as a family holiday where family time is needed and a marriage needs to be mended soon turns into complete and utter chaos...
Secrets are revealed and life will never be the same again...
Well worth taking the time for this one....
I quite enjoyed it...

This was a compelling psychological thriller set in the sizzling Italian heat. It was an attention grabbing book and I was able to picture myself sunning by the pool!

I really enjoyed the premise of a family holiday, looking forward to it and then boom it’s all changed. Her brother-in-law turns up with a new wife that nobody has met and life is changed for everyone that day.

The family dynamic worked really well. Supportive but slightly over bearing MIL, FIL who stays out the way, husband who has strayed and a prodigal brother who always get a heroes welcome. I think the success of this book is everyone can see a little bit of their family in the characterisation.

This attractive, selfie insta girl with the perfect pert bottom and sly remarks and actions would intimidate anyone! But imagine her knowing your worst secret. I enjoyed the story - there were quite a few twists and turns and I totally didn’t figure out the ending. I love a book that beats me in that way!

The Sister In Law is a book that transports you to the sun, has a riveting storyline, believable characters and the ability to shock! You better pick it up and realise all the hype behind this book is true. Now I’m off back to my imaginary pool.

You know the feeling you get when you know something bad is going to happen and it unfolds in slow motion as you keep on watching. When the hairs on your arms stand up and you are rooted to the spot in shock. That feeling is this entire book.

Clare had my sympathy from the start even though I would have left Dan after the first betrayal. Having lost both parents I could totally understand how she was desperate to stay with him and be part of his family. But this family is not great except maybe poor old Bob the father in law who just bends to Joy’s will.

But this family holiday becomes a nightmare for Clare with the arrival of Ella her new sister in law. Now Ella is right up there on my calculating, manipulative bitch chart. Many controlling people have a charm about them, after all that’s how they get what they want. But Clare can see behind all the gloss and charm that she presents to the rest of the family as she has made it perfectly clear to her what she’s really like.

Now I love baddies, always have always will. I admire their use of intelligence to try to get one over on the good guy. If they are also women that gets an extra tick in the box as I hate that women are mostly portrayed as victims. Here the evil is so subtle and so commonly used in normal life that it almost feels too realistic. That is testament to how real the author has made her characters. I was literally grinning from ear to ear with devilish delight every time Ella opened her mouth to Clare wondering what would come out of it next or how Joy managed to make the family succumb to her every whim to keep her happy.

As if that isn’t enough to make this a fabulous read there’s a secret too. This was such a fun read and there’s not many psychological thrillers you can say that about. But damn this entertained me from start to finish. So if you like sharply written characters and a devious plot I can highly recommend this.

WOW this was deliciously twisted! Sue Watson has written one heck of an entertaining and addictive story with one of the most unlikable characters I think I’ve ever read. Clare thinks her upcoming family vacation will be a chance to rekindle things with her philandering husband Dan. Then her brother-in-law Jamie shows up with his new wife Ella. At first Claire is excited to befriend Ella, that is until Ella makes it clear that she is no friend to Claire. Secrets, lies, cutting remarks, manipulation, misdirection, twists, deceit.

Claire was a sympathetic character although sometimes I was hoping she wouldn’t be so easily manipulated by Ella. Ella, The girl seriously did not have a single redeeming quality. I could not figure out for the life of me what she had against Claire and the rest of the Taylor family. It was also so frustrating that no one else in the family seemed to be able to see Ella’s true side, or could they? And what was Ella holding over Claire? So many questions that had me furiously turning the pages of this book. and just when I thought I had figured everything out, there were several twists that proved me wrong. Well done Miss Watson!

This book in emojis 🍅 🍦 🌶 ☕️ 🍷 👙 🤳🏼

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I've read many of Sue Watson's romance novels and I always adored them.  They made me feel all warm and squishy inside and in need of cake.  The Sister In Law did not have this effect at all but boy is it thrilling and intense and utterly brilliant.

The women certainly take the lead in this thriller which I loved.  The story is told from Clare's perspective using first person narrative.  Clare has been through quite a bit recently and is looking forward to a relaxing break with her family and in-laws in Italy.  She gets on well with her mother-in-law Joy but sometimes Joy attempts to be a little controlling over Clare.  They are soon joined by her brother in law Jamie who has brought his new wife Ella to stay.  From the start, Ella seems to be cool towards Clare, making disparaging remarks and seemingly trying to stir things between Clare and her in-laws.  But when Ella reveals that she knows Clare's secret, things really become intense.  Just what are Ella's intentions?         

Clare is already highly anxious and has zero confidence but does this make her point of view reliable?  Sue Watson plays on this well as the story builds Ella's behaviour becomes more sinister but knowing that Clare has a secret of her own just adds mystery to the whole situation.  Ella is perfectly written and a character that readers will hate almost instantly and I found myself screaming at everyone else in the book and not understanding why they couldn't see it.The plot develops at a good pace that leaves you wanting more and unable to put the book down until the very last pages.

A very suspenseful read full of twists and turns and a family that you become so involved with that you cannot help but shout out at them.  Brilliant and highly recommended.

This book was completely addictive and I loved it!

Clare is looking forward to the Taylor family holiday in Italy with her husband Dan and their three kids. However, when Dan's brother Jamie arrives with his new wife Ella in tow, the perfect holiday is about to be not so perfect after all.

Let me start by saying I HATED Ella with a PASSION! I don't think I have ever despised a character more than her before, but my gosh she completely got under my skin. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be Clare in this situation. I could totally empathise with Clare and honestly would probably react the same!

This book had me hooked from the get go. The writing was great, the plot was fast paced, and there were twists throughout the story to keep me guessing. The family dynamics were interesting, and I felt like it was a realistic familial set up.

This is the perfect unputdownable thriller to devour in one go, and I would HIGHLY recommend it! I would give this 5 starts, but am rounding down purely for how much I hated Ella's character and how angry she made me.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The sister in law by Sue Watson is all you need in a psychological thriller!
The Taylor family all have a gorgeous summer holiday every year, Joy and Bob and their two sons, Dan and Jamie. Dan is married to Clare and they have three young children. Clare is an overworked nurse who is desperately looking forward to a relaxing time in the sun and attempting to restrengthen her marriage after Dan's little indiscretion.Jamie is the younger of the two sons. He is the globetrotter, the singleton who flits from girl to girl, until this year...this year he brings Ella, who is his new wife! With this initial bombshell everyone settles into the holiday as always.
Ella is perfection in everyway and Clare finds herself struggling to find a connection with her as Ella takes every opportunity to knock Clare in anyway possible. Clare finds herself struggling to feel comfy around Ella and Joy, her mother in law.The final straw is when Ella lets Clare know she knows her secret and is threatenening to tell, one that Clare has successfully kept from everyone for years...until now!
I was totally by Clare's side in this story, all the way through. All the tensions with Clare and Ella, then the fragility of her marriage to Dan. All that pressure had to come to a point and Boy! Did it! Loved the twists and turns we were taken on on this summer holiday. Every emotion was brought to the fore throughout this book and I was almost exhaustes when I finished it. Brilliant characters, perfect pacing and a fantastic ending. What more do you need?! Thanks to Bookouture Books for allowing me to be a part of this Blog Tour! Also Netgalley for my copy of the book!

Wow!  This book!  I knew from the description that I would like it, but I was not expecting the whirlwind of a ride I was about to encounter.  From opening the first page I was completely hooked.  

Clare and Dan are arriving to enjoy a holiday with his parents.  Clare's intentions where to re-kindle the romance and hopefully repair her marriage to Dan.  With three children under the age of 10, this was going to be challenging, but she was still optimistic.  However, things start to turn sideways when Dan's brother Jamie shows up with his new picture-perfect wife, Ella.  Now, not only is Clare trying to keep up with her three kids daily, she is also juggling the ever snide comments from Ella who has made herself a nice replacement for Clare.

I love books with strong female leads.  While she is continually put down with little comments, continuously exhausted from being a wife, mom, and working as a nurse, somehow she continues to raise her head high.  I could identify with her early on.  As the book progressed, the more I became her sideline cheerleader.

The author did a fantastic job with all elements of this book.  From the characters, to the scenery, to the suspenseful writing that turned a psychological thriller into a book that we can all relate to.  

I highly recommend this book...especially for those upcoming vacations.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book an read it in one sitting. This was definitely a book about family dysfunction. One big family on a summer holiday, Clare and Dan with their children and Dan’s parents. They’re joined by Jamie, Dan’s younger brother, and out of the blue his brand new wife Ella. Ella takes an immediate dislike to Clare but no one seems to see this but Clare leaving her feeling like an outsider with her own family.
I loved the characters with all the twists and turns. I liked Clare and how she starts to realise she someone not just a wife and mother. Great beach read.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in change for an honest review.
#TheSisterinLaw #NetGalley

This year has been a good year for books, but the Sister-in-Law by Sue Watson may just be the book that has captured and held my attention to the most. Readers will be on the edge of their seats dying (pun intended) to read to the end.

Clare and her husband Dan are on a holiday with his family. She wants them to reconnect, they need to work on their marriage and with three young children it's hard. She is happy to learn that his younger brother Jamie will be joining them for a few days as well.

But Jamie isn't alone, he brings a beautiful woman with him, and it's not a girlfriend it's his wife. Ella is an instagram perfect model. Clare feels older, fatter, more depressed every time she is around her. Ella isn't the friendliest sister-in-law and Clare believes Ella is a fake, a liar, and a thief. And worst of all, Ella knows Clare's secret, a secret that will tear her entire life apart.

This family has secrets. Ones they all wish could be buried. But who knows who's secrets? Who will kill to protect those secrets? Chilling book, I didn't want to put it down. The Sister-in-Law is a classic page turner. I highly recommend this book - it is so good!

I really liked this book. The author keeps you wondering who did what and why. The characters are relatable and the twist is unexpected. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future

"And no matter where I go, I know she'll always be there, my sister for a season, my nemesis, the woman who changed everything."

Now, seriously, this has to be a family that nobody could love. This domestic drama grabs hold and doesn't let up thru the twisty ride to the end. And sure, her new sister-in-law is a nasty piece of work. Ella is about as fake as a woman can get and Clare is going to make certain that everyone else knows it before the end of the Taylor family week vacation on the beautiful Amalfi Coast.

The Taylor clan sets off for an idyllic holiday to celebrate Joy and Bob's retirement from the property company they own and manage. Included on this special occasion are Dan, the eldest son, and his wife, Clare, and their 3 young children. The younger son, Jamie, is also coming along and everyone is happy that he's decided to return home and run the company along with Dan. Then, to everyone's surprise, Jamie turns up with a new wife -- Ella. This beauty has Jamie wrapped around her finger and soon begins a campaign to manipulate the entire family, however, she really hones in on making things miserable for Clare. And the secrets they all have are the perfect opportunity for Ella to do her best work! In a matter of hours, things start to fall apart for the Taylors and it's going to get a whole lot worse. NO SPOILERS.

This was quite the fun read as long as you don't need to like any of the characters. They're all hideous in their own way and any sympathy you manage to dredge up for one or the other won't last long. I figured out early where this was going but it was very entertaining to see how well Sue Watson weaves the web and traps the reader into being unable to put the book down until the conclusion. Although I wasn't quite so pleased with the ending, it did fit. I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

A family vacation you won’t forget. Clare, mother of 3 and her husband head to Italy with her family for a vacation in hopes of improving her relationship with her husband. When brother in law Jamie shows up with his new wife Ella everyone is surprised, especially Clare. I was hooked right from the beginning. This was an amazing psychological thriller. Lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing and reading. I hope to read more from Sue Watson in the future!
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: April 30 2020

The Sister-in-Law is a domestic thriller and an engrossing story, set on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. When Clare and Dan Taylor head to an Italian Villa for their summer holiday with Dan's family, Clare really hoped she could get some much needed relaxation time. She's had a hard time of it lately and is looking forward to putting her feet up for the next few days. For Dan, he has been suffering from a roving eye but now thinks he has put all that behind him. However, Dan's well travelled, younger brother Jamie, rocks up but he is not alone... he has brought his beautiful new wife, Ella. A wife no one else knows because they have just got married and intend to use this time as their honeymoon, thwarting everyone's plans.

I loved this fantastic, juicy thriller by Sue Watson! It was a thoroughly riveting and compulsive story with a sound plot, perfect pacing, and this talented author's writing style suited me well. I appreciated the way Sue Watson created a subtly oppressive atmosphere and a sense of foreboding, surreptitiously notching up the tension until everything eventually reached crisis point. Family dynamics and toxic relationships were deftly described and the characters so well drawn and portrayed with an interesting, authentic cluster of layers that I regularly found myself shouting at my e-reader! Joy was especially odious and I frequently felt incensed on behalf of protagonist Clare.

The Sister-in-Law was a story of secrets, relationship tensions and struggles, duplicity, jealousy, deception and power to name but a few. There was absolutely no room for boredom and I was held in its thrall from the very first page.

This was an excellent and exhilarating novel, complete with an unforgettable resolution. Very highly recommended and well worth reading.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

The peaceful setting of an Italian villa on the Amalfi Coast belies the tension in the family inhabiting the villa. This contradiction adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere. The author did a good job of creating characters that were real enough that their actions were natural. There were a few worthy twists (like when Clare fought fire with fire (no spoiler)) and some of my suspicions were proven true, but they were still good reveals. It felt like it lagged a little bit in the middle, but overall, it was good, quick psychological thriller. For a full review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.