Clare is ready for a break. In fact, she needs one. She and her husband, Dan are going to use their Family Holiday at an Italian Villa to work on their marriage. It seems that Dan can't quite keep his hands and eyes to himself. After his last affair, they really need this time for them.

Each year the Taylor family goes on vacation together. Dan's parents (Joy and Bob) pay for the vacation and pick the place. It's the perfect time to unwind, bond, and get some much-needed rest from running the family business. But this year, Dan's younger globe-trotting brother Jamie throws a wrench in all their plans when he shows up but not alone as he always does. This time he has brought his wife, Ella. A wife no one knows because they just got married and plan to use this time as their honeymoon.

Ella is glamourous, young, and brags of being an Instagram influencer. She also has her claws out and instantly begins to make jabs and rude comments to Clare. She knows a secret, a secret that Clare is afraid of coming out. Everyone seems to be drawn into her and she begins to steal the show. Even Joy, the family matriarch appears to have lessened some of her control and is bonding with her new daughter in law. While I was reading this, I kept wondering are Clare and I the only ones hearing the cutting and rude remarks that Ella is making to Clare? It is so obvious that she is being mean and rude on purpose, but the entire Taylor family appears to be either deaf or completely lacking in any moral decency.

This was such a fun and entertaining read. I was pulled in almost immediately and the story did not let go. This book is full of tension and characters who readers will either like, dislike, or find their feelings for the characters changing as the book progresses. I enjoyed the pace as the story built and the proverbial you-know-what began to hit the fan. This became a real page-turner for me, and I alternated from wanting to know what the secret was to once knowing, wanting to know when/if the secret was going to come out.

Entertaining, addicting, and full of twists and turns. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Sister-in Law by Sue Watson should come with a warning: Do not read this book on a family vacation. Clare Taylor, that means you!

Clare, her husband Dan and their three young children are vacationing with Dan’s parents Bob and Joy in Amalfi. Her in-laws always help with the grandchildren so Clare looks forward to using this time to heal her marriage, strained by Dan’s infidelity. All goes well until Dan’s younger brother Jamie arrives. Jamie, obviously the favored son, is a rootless world traveler who has only recently agreed to return home to work for the family real estate business when Bob and Joy retire. However, Jamie is not alone. He’s accompanied by his new wife Ella, a young, tall, slender, glamorous model and instagram influencer. In short, Ella is everything Clare is not and soon has captivated everyone. Only Clare seems to have doubts about Ella and she is proved to be right when Ella reveals knowledge of a secret that could destroy the entire Taylor family.

This is a fantastic psychological thriller. It builds slowly as Sue Watson pulls the reader in to the Taylor’s world. Just as you begin to imagine the cracks beneath the perfect family surface, the story explodes into and ending full of surprises. What an amazing story!

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Sue Watson for this ARC.

Clare and her family joined her in-laws on holiday in the Amalfi coast of Italy. It was supposed to be a time to work on her marriage and spend time with the kids. But what happens when your brother-in-law shows up with a wife no one knew about and seems to have it out for you. This psychological thriller is a must read.

This is a fantastic read. It's a gripping, twisty psychological thriller that I couldn't put down.

The characters were fantastic. I related to Clare, I felt true hatred for Ella and felt smothered by Joy. It's not often I have strong feelings towards characters but I definitely felt them here!

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this E-book to review via Netgalley.

My oh my, what a thrill-ride of a read this was. It's been a long time since I read one of Sue Watson's books. Only a couple of pages into 'The Sister-in-Law', all of the reasons as to why I've always been such a huge fan of Watson's work came flooding back to me. I loved this book. From first page to last, back to front, this was INCREDIBLY ADDICTIVE, SINISTER, CREEPY, DARK, COMPELLING, and DEEPLY, DEEPLY DEADLY.

In 'The Sister-in-Law' by Sue Watson, readers are whisked away to a stunning white-washed, charming villa on the Amalfi coast to spend two weeks alongside the Taylor family. Clare, who is a nurse, over-worked and desperate to fix her marriage with the eldest of the Taylor's sons, Dan, is incredibly excited to be spending two weeks of uninterrupted time with her family beneath the Italian sun. The in-laws are there too, Joy and Bob, so it's a real family get-together, a yearly tradition for the family, and a chance for Joy and Bob to spend some quality time with the grandchildren as well.

Once everyone is settled, there's only one person left to arrive. The youngest of the Taylor sons, Jamie. A globetrotter and single, Jamie rarely stays in one place for long. He has nothing to tie him down and is adored immeasurably by his mother, not forgetting his nieces and nephews. Joy absolutely dotes on him, and when he finally arrives, she is over the moon to see him. Except, Jamie isn't alone as everyone had expected him to be. The slim, stunning blonde that stands beside Jamie is introduced to the family as Ella. And she's not just a friend or girlfriend that Jamie happened to meet whilst on his travels. Oh no. Jamie has married Ella, and now, she's a Taylor, too.

Ella's arrival in the beautiful and serene villa changes everything, and I absolutely loved watching as this strange change of circumstances took over the Taylor family. I also loved how the chilling atmosphere was so at odds with the gorgeous surroundings. Obviously unaware that Jamie had even met anyone special, never-mind married them, Joy is taken aback by this turn of events, and it quickly becomes clear that she's not the only one. Ella's unexpected arrival is like a tidal wave crashing down on Clare's much-anticipated break with her family, and it isn't long before the plot of this novel begins to take a strange and disturbing turn towards something much darker, and much more dangerous.

I was hooked. Hooked, I tell you. As soon as Ella arrived, Watson had me captivated as the plot progressed and with each new chapter, new tensions and shockwaves hit. It was riveting. I didn't want to look away for a single second for fear of postponing some new and shocking revelation within the white-washed villa walls. Watson absolutely nailed the suspense in this story. There was so much mystery behind Ella, and Clare just couldn't figure the woman out. It's only when Ella begins picking at her, downright insulting Clare to her face, that she realises that something's not quite right, and she sets out to discover who Ella truly is. In some of the scenes, I had to applaud Clare for her ability to not snap. She's a much more patient woman than I could ever be in that situation, and as Ella only continued to become more and more brave with the comments she made, the sly remarks and threats when no one else could hear, the tension continued to climb and climb and I honestly didn't know how much more I could take. It was highly-entertaining, but also so, so fascinating, watching as these two women, complete opposites of each other, came together under the same roof and circled each other. I just couldn't understand what Ella's issue was, but I was dying to find out.

Alongside the simmering suspense between Clare and Ella, there were also the issues regarding Clare and Dan's marriage, and hints towards something else that had happened in Clare's past. I really loved the detail Sue went into whenever Clare reminisced about her and Dan's past together. This is one of the reasons I adore Sue's writing so much. She manages to describe things so beautifully in only a few sentences, and this goes for everything within this story. The character's personalities, their appearances, descriptions of the villa and the food that they prepare and eat. Watson's turn of phrase is just so delicious and moreish, addictive and powerful, and I don't think I'll ever get my fill of it.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I loved every single page and found myself utterly devoted to Clare's story and how it would all come to an end. I powered through the pages, desperate to reach the final conclusion, mind absolutely blown to smithereens from all that had happened in just two weeks. It was exciting, sharp, exquisitely-paced and superbly written. A thriller with all of those much-desired qualities, a cast of brilliantly-crafted characters and so much tension, I felt like I was going to burst at the seams. This was a pressure-cooker of a story, ready to blow at any given minute.

'The Sister-in-Law' by Sue Watson is being given a five out of five rating from me. With thanks to the publisher for the advance reading copy of this book, that of which has no reflection on my giving a fair and honest review.

This was nothing short of a brilliant read, I raced right throught it. I did wonder at the beginning whether the heroine, Clare, was a character common to a lot of similarly themed novels we come across these days. Worn down mother to young children, no longer slim or fashionable and the object of derision by other scheming women. with an agenda.. Thankfully Clare turned out to be a mother and wife full of mettle when she was confronted by Ella, her nemesis in every way. All the characters were so well portrayed, I could imagine each and every one, Joy felt like a Mary Berry lookalike to me. The story line developed at an excellent pace and just when it seemed that Clare would lose everything and everyone in Dan's family, all those who had become her family, like a she wolf, Clare iwas ready for battle. The story line was truly excellent and unexpected in it's complexities, right up to the last page.

Oooh if I could pick the perfect poolside read this would be it! Easy to read, hideous characters, cheating, lying and all with an amalfi back drop!!
You are most certainly taken on. Rollercoaster ride - is Ella as evil as she appears?? I won’t spoil it - but it certainly kept my interest while sunbathing with a gin!!

Eᴠᴇʀʏ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ ʜᴀs sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs. Tʜᴇ Tᴀʏʟᴏʀs ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏ ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴ.

First off 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂! @netgalley and @bookouture for this e-arc. This book grabbed me RIGHT away, and kept me. I had no idea what was happening in the best way possible! I love a little psychological warfare and this book had plenty. If you love thrillers and have this on your #netgalley list, read it next! 🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴 5/5
•
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗙𝗘: Clare is ready for a break. It’s been a tough year and now she wants to put her feet up. Arriving at the Italian villa for their summer holiday, she decides it’s high time her husband and his family did some of the work. After all, her husband owes her…
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗨𝗦𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗗: Even though Dan had his head turned by someone else, he’s realised the error of his ways. He’s here now, and he says it’s for keeps. Clare can trust him, can’t she? At least he’ll have his brother there, to keep him in line…
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥: Jamie is the prodigal child, back in the family fold again, after years of travelling abroad. But when he gets to the villa, he’s not alone. He’s brought a wife, someone none of them have met before.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥-𝗜𝗡-𝗟𝗔𝗪: Ella is everything Clare isn’t. Glamorous. Young. Influential. But she knows a secret about Clare. Something that has the power to break the whole family apart.
And there’s someone who will do whatever it takes to make sure that this deep secret never comes to the surface. •
#bookshark #booksparks #bookworm #thesisterinlaw #suewatson #bookouture #booksandbeaches #bibliophile #goodreads #thriller #suspense #readingismymedicine #beaufortsc #bookphoto #beachphoto

Clare and her family travel to Italy for their family vacation. When her husband’s younger brother arrives newly married, Clare is hopeful to have a sister. She can’t imagine the journey they’ll all take.

What a great book. A quiet thriller with many twists and turns. I was sure I had it all figured out, but alas I was wrong.

I loved this book!! This author certainly knows how to write a story which sets your nerves on edge just at the right moment! We are introduced to a family holiday in Italy. Clare, Dan and their children are heading to a villa for their yearly family holiday with Dan’s parents and his brother, Jamie. When Jamie arrives with a new wife in tow, the relaxing family holiday that they are all used to is thrown into disarray. Jamie’s new wife Ella is young, pretty and stylish. She also manages to make an enemy of Clare straight away and things go from bad to worse as the story progresses!

This book set my teeth on edge from the very first meeting with Ella. Ella is not a nice person, although only Clare can see that. To everyone else, she is wonderful and manages to get her perfectly manicured feet well and truly under the table. Whilst I really felt for Clare, being pushed out of the family and being made out that she’s a bad mother, wife, daughter and sister in law, I also wanted to give her a good shake and tell her not to let Ella get away with it!! By half way through the story, if I was Clare, I probably would have told everyone where to go and took my kids home!

None of the characters were particularly likeable, apart from Clare and I think I empathised with her more than I liked her. They all had their issues and problems, and were definitely a family who liked to brush things under the carpet rather than deal with them. Ella was by far though the one I disliked the most. It was obvious to the readers (and Clare!) that she wasn’t all she made out she was. Every time she clashed with Clare, threatening to divulge a secret of Clare’s, I felt myself getting more and more tense! The storyline was perfectly written to keep the secret hidden and it continued to add more and more suspense and tension to it as the book moved on.

Clare’s character was definitely the better of a bad bunch though and as more of her story came out as the book continued you got to realise what an unhappy life she actually had. The ending was completely unexpected however, and I certainly didn’t see the twist coming. Very cleverly written, the storyline took you in one direction and then diverted off at the very last minute!

I really, really enjoyed this book and once started I couldn’t put it down. Its suspense was electrifying and had me biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my seat – all at the same time! Set in a picturesque Italian villa, this book gives you a great insight into how some families live and what problems some people are really hiding! I would highly recommend this book…. fab, fab, fab!

5 Stars

Sue Watson has knocked it out of the park, yet again!

I totally thought I had this one figured out and then when the killer is revealed… I was floored! I started out listening to this on my Kindle but I had to switch to reading because it so disturbed me. I mean, this stuff could happen in real life and that is what is scariest of all. Clare handled it all so much better than I would have.

The main character was keeping a secret from the readers from the very beginning which if we had known the circumstances, I think we would have had a better idea what the heck was going on. I am sure that was done purposefully but it was still a shock when we discover what Clare’s secret was.

Unputdowanable for sure! Disturbing on a very personal level. Loved the story but had to read it with one eye closed so the shock wouldn’t be so awful.

If you love a good mystery/thriller, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Ahhhh this book is perfect, if you are a fan of psychological thrillers this is the biz

Clare and Dan and family arrive in Italy for their yearly holiday with Dan’s parent’s Joy and Bob and are waiting for Jamie, Dans brother to arrive and join then

And arrive he does

With his new secret bride, Ella, a Insta goddess with a perfect body and an evil tongue that she takes no time in using to lash Clare, and once she starts she wont stop, but why is she so against Clare? what has Clare done and who is this evil beauty Ella?

Oh it’s a delicious feeling as you anticipate what is going to happen and what chaos Ella will cause and then I literally couldn’t wait for Ella’s downfall

I thought I had the book nailed and the outcome sorted and was happily waiting for it all to unfold

And unfold it does

But in so many different ways it kept me flicking the pages and as the story got more and more shocking so I loved it more and more

An ending to make you shout YES but not quite for the reasons you had imagined

Fabulously written, the best characters and I have to mention Joy ( the Mum ) whose disapproving looks, taut smiles and tightening jaw were just awesome

In the Authors letter at the end she says she hopes this book has taken the reader out the chaos of the current world situation just for a while and I can say 100% it did

Really really great read

10/10
5 Stars

Great story with great twists and turns

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest opinion

Secrets can ruin everything and that just might happen in this gripping book by Sue Watson. When Clare and Dan head to an Italian Villa for their summer holiday with Dan's family, Clare really hoped she could push the reset button in her life. Clare and Dan are having serious marital difficulties, but to Dan's parents, family is everything, and this gives Clare hope that their marriage can be saved.

However, when she meets Dan's brother Jamie's new wife, things unravel quickly. Jamie has been abroad for years and hopes that bringing his newlywed wife to the villa will make his mother happy. That proves not to be a problem, as Dan and Jamie's mother accept Ella with open arms. However, Clare and Ella have friction from the very moment they meet. What is the issue? It is secrets, and these secrets wield tremendous power. Such power could topple this family.

Not only are secrets and lies the backbone of this story, there are vindictive actions that overpower any good this family has tried to do over the years. Dan and Jamie's mother Joy had a rather Pollyanna attitude, and to her family is everything, no matter the cost.

The Sister-In-Law is a high caliber psychological thriller and is told in Clare's first-person point of view. Her insecurities are rather overwhelming. Clare and Dan have three children and she has always been proud and happy to be a part of Dan's family. Her family life was tragic so she shows remarkable desperation to hold onto the idyllic family she has set in her mind, even if it means overlooking major issues. Now, with Ella being the newest member of the Taylor family, Clare begins to lose the tenuous hold she held over the years.

What a book! Deception is the name of the game here, which made me have ambivalent feelings towards the characters, especially Clare. Yet, this was one book I could not put down and it was more than easy to see why Clare had problems with Ella. This was the type of book that made me think of a powder keg - you just knew everything was going to blow, but you never knew when!

Sue Watson hit it out of the park with this one. Makes me wonder if I want to attend my next family gathering - just kidding, lol.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Sister-in-Law by Sue Watson is a novel with a very slow start. Sixty percent in the prose and I was still waiting for it to speed up. When it finally did, the twists were mostly average and easily guessable. Even in the narration, when I expected a murder, one was waiting just around the corner.

The act of projecting a character as an antagonist and then flipping the narrative was apparent from the beginning itself. Having said that, the character development is applause worthy. The portrayal of a dysfunctional Taylor family is excellent.

To sum it up, the book is a decent read.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Clare and Dan, along with their 3 children, travel to Italy for a much needed holiday with his parents and brother. They are trying to recover from Dan’s affairs and things start off ok until Dan’s brother shows up with an Instagram model that he has just met and spontaneously married. Ella hates Clare right off the bat and reveals that she knows Clare’s darkest secret and intends to reveal it.

I liked this book. Most of the characters were horrible. Dan was a cheating bastard. Ella was awful. Dan’s mother Joy was like a wife out of the 50’s, except very domineering, utterly ridiculous. I just wanted Clare to pack up and leave her philandering husband and the rest of these loons behind but then there would have been no story. I thought it took a touch too long to get to the what Clare’s secret was, but it turned out to be a major secret and Ella’s reasons for hating Clare, someone she had just met, became clear in the end. Overall a solid read that wrapped up well.

The Sister-in-Law takes mostly over a two-week family vacation in sun-drenched Italy. Clare Taylor, a forty-something-year-old nurse and mother of three is hoping to use the vacation as an opportunity to reconnect with her philandering husband Dan. After her brother-in-law Jamie shows up with his new wife, Ella, a beautiful young Instagram influencer, the vacation dissolves into a whirlwind of tension and accusations that ultimately ends in a tragedy where nearly everyone has a motive.

Sue Watson once again takes her readers into a suspenseful, entertaining read that is easily devoured in one setting. Almost everyone has that relative with the ability to create chaos wherever they go, but few of them have the ability to create the spiderweb of lies and deceit that are unveiled during the annual Taylor family vacation. Watson’s latest novel makes the reader wonder how well we really know our families and just how far we would go to keep them safe and protected. The Sister-in-Law is definitely a book that readers looking for a tension-filled page-turner will enjoy!

Thanks to Sue Watson, Bookouture, and Netgalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Sister-in-Law
Sue Watson
Release date 4-30-20
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 stars!!! This book is a gripping page turner. I was swept up in the beauty of a holiday on the Almafi Coast in Italy. Clare and Dan have been married 15 years, they have three kids and are looking forward to their annual holiday abroad with Dan’s parents and his bachelor brother Jamie. Here’s the twist — Jamie shows up late and married to a beautiful model named Ella he just met...... Ella may not be who she says she is and this creates a tension so thick. It appears as everyone has a secret - big secrets that could change everything. Will they ever be the same at the conclusion of their holiday??? Well you will have to read it and find out!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher and Sue Watson for this early release of such a wonderful book for my honest review. If you love psychological thrillers I highly recommend checking out The Sister-in-Law as it hits the shelves in just a couple of weeks!

www.instagram.com/donnasnotsosecretbookdiary

Twitter
@donna64619247

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12409011-donna-beiderman

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pg/donnasnotsosecretbookdiary

#netgalley #thesisterinlaw #suewatson #bookstagram,
#booklover #bookworm #booknerds #booksofinstagram #booklife #bookofthemonth #bookbub #bookclub #bookclubs #bookclubbook #ilovereading #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookadvisor #betweenthechapters #goodreadsgiveaway #goodreads #100bookchallenge
#BOTM #readacrossinstagram #readingnook #bookreviewer

Many Thanks to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book before being published in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the cover and the blurb when I first saw it and decided I wanted to read it. It didn´t disappoint me at all.

The sister in Law is about a two weeks planned idyllic holidays in Italy. The parents, owners of the little business where their sons work, always decide where all the family will go and pay for it. Last year was Greece; this year is in a Villa in the South of Italy where Joy and her husband will be joined by his son Dan, wife Claire and their three children. Plus the other son, Jamie, newly married to Ella, a spectacular woman who makes Claire self conscious of the way she looks during that holiday time.

With Ella´s arrival everything will be head over heels.

The book starts from the surprise of Jamie´s marriage to the discovery that Ella knows “the secret” so well kept by Claire, because Jamie and Ella don´t keep any secrets from each other.
The first half of the book is a bit slow, you can see the relationships between Joy and her 2 sons, her husband, always insignificant as Joy always takes care of everything to do with the family. The family customs, Joy and Claire usually get together cooking in the afternoon, and confidence time during the Gin-Tonic time. And how all this breaks up when somebody else, Ella, gets in the middle. Changing what they have thought for cooking that evening, making everybody to eat vegan food, putting words out of context. Changing the meaning of whatever Claire said. You realise how the gossiping put ones against each others in a very twitching atmosphere during the holidays.
The second half is much faster and intense. When Ella and Jamie take their nephews to eat out or to have ice-cream you are always waiting for something to happen. It is like a rollercoaster ride.
I finished the book in 2 evenings. It is hard to put it down. Very interesting and I was very curious to find out what was going to happen at the end, and I didn´t see it coming.
I would really recommend it to people who liked other psychological thrillers like The girl on the train or The woman in the window.

My rating for this book is 4.5 stars.

Totally gripping from start to finish! Sue Watson has done it again a book full of tension, twists and surprises that will keep you enthralled from start to Finnish!
A beautiful Italian villa,a family holiday for Clare, Dan snd their three children, Dans parents joy and Bob and a surprise visit from dans brother Jamie and his very new wife Ella! Secrets, deceptions and intrigue surface as the family attempt to bond in the Italian sunshine, gradually over the holidays the relationships between the family become strained and fraught leading ultimately to a tragic outcome!A great psychological thriller that explores family dynamics, the secrets we keep and the repercussions of these secrets, brilliant characterisation I particularly liked the portrayal of bob!
Thank you netgalley for this early read.