For a first novel Rachael Ryan has produced a mystery that is hard to put down.
Bren and Georgina have a marriage that is not great, but one thing they have in common is their devotion to their only son, 7 year old Cody. When Georgina finds candy wrappers in her son’s pocket, she demands to know where they came from, but Cody would only say from his new nanny. As he had recently lost his grandmother Bren suspects he has an imaginary friend. All children have imaginary friends Bren declares, it’s his way of grieving. Georgina, on the other hand doesn’t believe Cody’s stories and becomes obsessed with finding out who this woman is.
The novel has many surprising twists and turns, which keep the reader wanting more!
A good quick read.

3.5/5 Stars

After the death of his grandmother, 7 year old Cody creates an imaginary friend he calls New Granny. As time goes on, Georgina begins to think that the way Cody is grieving is troubling, and begins watching her son more closely. She begins to think that New Granny may not be imaginary after all, and that Cody may be in danger.

The beginning of this book was a bit slow, but it began to pick up half way through the story and became extremely fast-paced and addictive. It was an interesting concept, but I think the marriage problems overshadowed the mystery of the New Granny and whether she was real or not. I would have liked less of a focus on the marriage and its problems, and more on what the book claims to be about. I did like trying to figure out whether or not we should trust Georgina's POV as a reader, she was extremely unreliable as a narrator, and had me constantly questioning her. I was not a fan of Bren, who made me very angry on multiple occasions. While reading, I had a lot of theories about what was going on, which all ended up being incorrect, but I did like how the story ended.

Thank you Netgalley, Simon and Schuster Canada and Rachel Ryan for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.

Georgina, young mother, suspects that her son’s imaginary friend might not be imaginary at all. Unfortunately, her husband does not believe her because she had experienced postpartum depression and is prone to mental health issues. He also believes that Georgina is simply stressed out. She recently lost her mother unexpectedly, she is back to college, keeps part-time job at the bookstore and a full-time mother. Also, she found out her husband is hiding something.

I did enjoy a lot The Woman Outside My Door. Every time I thought I figured it all out, I was proven wrong. Unexpected twists and turns keep the reader engaged. Characters are well developed and quite believable. There were no loose ends at the end and it was all nicely wrapped up. The ending itself was a bit dramatic, however, the build up was good and there was a climax to all the events.

I am looking forward to read more from Rachel Ryan.

I really loved the premise of this book. This was a quick read that was nice and easy to follow from beginning to end. It had a satisfying ending and I’m very happy I got the opportunity to read and review this one.

This was really good. Lots of suspense and tension, totally realistic and sad. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes domestic mysteries.

Georgina is a mother whose son has an imaginary "new granny" but she starts to suspect that something is not on the up-and-up. Her marriage is in turmoil, her kid is lying his little face off, and she thinks she's going insane maybe.

All the reveals in the story felt organic, the internal narrative from our (unreliable) main character was logical and not at all insufferable (which is a problem I come across frequently in these kinds of stories), and I really enjoyed the writing, particularly Rachel Ryan's ability to describe someone's face when they hear bad or shocking news; it was SO vivid.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

This is the debut novel of Rachel Ryan and with this book being her first, I think she is off to a promising career.

Georgina is not at a great point in her life. She is in a troubled marriage and has recently lost her mother. While being close with her father, she is shattered by the loss of her mother. When her son Cody says talking about a new Granny, Georgina is alarmed initially but after her husband reassures her thoughts she then resigns herself to the probability of Cody having an imaginary Granny to deal with his grief and the trauma of losing the grandmother he loved. After all, many kids Cody’s age have imaginary friends; it isn’t that unusual. But soon Cody’s behaviour seems a little unusual; talking at length on the phone to his imaginary grandmother, the sudden appearance of candy that his parents didn’t give him, baffling things he says. Is new Granny real? Or is Cody just a normal child substituting an imaginary grandmother to cope with the loss of his real one?

Georgina is determined to figuring it all out. And is it connected to what Bren did? (And she was way too easy on him there)

This book is fast paced and keeps the reader flipping through the pages to find the answers. I read most of it in two sittings, staying up late in the night to solve the mystery. There are a couple of curves thrown in to distract the reader; hinting at one possibility then yanking that possibility back until we as the reader aren’t really sure ourselves what’s real and what isn’t.

There are so many of this genre of book out now. It’s a tough market out there and an author needs to be really good to break out into it and she has more than accomplished that. This one was a 4 1/2 for me. I enjoyed it a lot and am looking forwards to what this author comes out with next.

Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and honestly review this novel in return for a free copy.

This was one outstanding book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It. Plenty of suspense to keep you intrigued. I can’t wait for more.

The Woman Outside My Door is a domestic suspense that raises questions around every turn.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for my eARC for review.
Georgina is grieving the recent loss of her mother when her seven-year-old son Cody claims he has met "New Granny".
Of course Georgina is disturbed and suspicious of this, especially when Cody shows up with candy New Granny has supposedly given him, then says he has made her up.
Throw in the pressures of returning to college, a job, and history of mental illness; Georgina is struggling. And did I mention husband Bren has been getting much too friendly with an ex-girlfriend?
I spent a large chunk of this book asking myself "what the heck is going on here?"
A couple of the main characters drove me nuts, though I know their actions propelled the storyline.
Then the story shifts to add in some interesting Irish history and family dynamics, and takes on a whole other slant.
Overall a decent thriller with a nice twist, but not a standout in the genre for me.
Released on Nov. 24, 2020.

Georgina is worried that her son has a new friend who he calls “New Granny.” He says that he saw her at the park and she gave him candy. Georgina’s mother recently died, so her son doesn’t have any grandmothers. Her husband, Bren, just thinks that this is an imaginary friend, which is the way their son is dealing with the loss of his grandmother. Then, Georgina gets the feeling that she’s being watched everywhere she goes. Georgina has to figure out the truth behind her son’s “New Granny” before someone gets hurt.

This story started out like a lot of thrillers. Georgina seemed to be losing her mind because no one believed her about someone following her and her son. She had mental health problems in her past, and she didn’t have a great relationship with her husband. I’ve read many thrillers with these clues, so I thought I had the story figured out. However, halfway through, the story twisted and went in a different direction. I was really surprised at the ending.

I almost read this whole book in one sitting! It was fast paced and suspenseful. I really enjoyed this thriller!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for my copy of this incredible psychological thriller debut. The Woman Outside My Door was an entertaining read with a twist you will not see coming. With well-developed characters and a well-executed plot line, I'm throughly impressed that this is a debut! I really enjoyed the theme of imaginary friends in this one, this is something I haven't read that much about. The characters were real to me and resonated well as they were ordinary people like any one of us, dealing with extraordinary things. Well done on all fronts! Rachel Ryan has definitely made her mark with this book and I already cannot wait to read what she comes out with next.

Wow what a wild read! The traditional mystery with a lot of modern twists. From suspects to feeling the gas lighting effect to oh didn’t see that coming, a great new find in this author. Enjoyed thoroughly and look forward to more from Rachel Ryan. A little bit of Irish history as well of a dark time. Perhaps Ryan can expand on the Magdalene Landry theme in a new novel. So many places directions one could go with the topic. Of great importance. This novel struck all the right chords; mystery, suspense, and to some perhaps an important history lesson and opportunities to learn. Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for this good ARC.

I really enjoyed this read, I thought the element of adding in the child who desperately wanted to connect with recently deceased grandpa through "new granny" creeped me out and pulled at my heart strings. It was easy to believe this mother was becoming undone and I was immediately sucked into the story wanting to know the outcome and I thought it look an interesting turn and had a nice tidy ending. Which sometimes, you just need.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a copy of “The Woman Outside Amy Door” in exchange for my honest review.

This was Rachel Ryan’s first novel and I hope there will be many, many more. This book gripped me from page one until the very last page. It’s tense and taut. It was incredibly difficult to put down because I needed to know what was going to happen next.

Georgina lives in Dublin, Ireland with her 7 year d son Cody and her husband Bren. When Cody announces that he’s getting sweets and phone calls from “New Granny” Georgina is very suspicious. Bren is convinced it is just an imaginary friend that Cody is using to cope with the death of Georgina’s mother 6 months earlier.

When strange things happen and Cody denies that he’s talking to anyone, Bren starts to think that Georgina needs counselling. Bren feels that his logic is infallible.

Georgina’s father Jimmy gets a phone call that causes him to have a heart attack.

The Magdalene Laundries and the Mother and Baby Homes could hold the key to the whole mystery of the “New Granny.”

The ending is incredibly exciting and so well written. Worth more than 5 stars. Looking forward to many more books from this wonderful new author.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Ryan and Simon & Schuster Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This novel is very full on with the anxiety and never ending sketchy things happening to her family. I really enjoyed how fasted paced it was and I devoured it in a sitting. It's definitely not the first book like this, but the twists and who actually was doing this to her family was totally unique and I didn't see it coming at all. I really enjoyed the anticipation leading up to the ending and I would definitely recommend reading it for yourself!

The Woman Outside My Door by Rachel Ryan
Publication Date: November 24, 2020
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Description from NetGalley...
“How far would you go to protect your family?

All children have imaginary friends, Georgina tells herself. It’s perfectly normal, and they all grow out of it in the end. But when seven-year-old Cody tells his mother about “New Granny,” the new friend he’s met in the park, Georgina is instantly suspicious. Something—call it maternal instinct—tells her he isn’t making it up.

But maybe Georgina is losing her mind. It wouldn’t be the first time, after all. And with her own mother’s recent death leaving her bereft and trying to cope with life as a busy working mom, it’s no wonder she’s feeling paranoid that Cody has invented a “New Granny” to replace his beloved grandmother.

Her husband, Bren, becomes the voice of reason, assuring Georgina that it’s just a game, the product of their son’s overactive imagination. But what if Cody’s imaginary friend is not so imaginary after all?”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @simonschusterca @simonandschuster for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
This was a debut novel for Rachel Ryan. An entertaining read. It started slow but got better as the story progressed. It was a creepy book, but quite tame as it had a mixture of themes. There were a lot in here: familial issues, psychological thriller, mystery, supernatural and domestic dramas. But, it was a quick read, page turner and had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until the end.

This book was a really good read, it kept me guessing right to the very last page.

This book is based around Georgina and her family and how it all starts to crumble when her son starts talking to "new granny" and then things start happening that will have you thinking Georgina is loosing her mind.

You will keep flipping pages to get to the end

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book via netgalley!

This book brings you on twists and turns...and just when you think you have it figured it out....you don’t! what does a person do when everyone around her thinks she is crazy...when her mom instinct tells her otherwise....when her son’s life is on the line....family secrets eventually catch up to those involved!

The Story: While Georgina is going through a rough patch in her marriage and is still grieving for the recent loss of her mother, her seven year-old son, Cody, tells her about "new Granny", his new friend whom he met at a park. Suspicious and paranoid, Georgina shares her concern with Bren, her husband, but he says that it could be Cody's "imaginary friend" and Georgina is overreacting. Just when Georgina begins to doubt herself, she discovers things that suggest Cody's "imaginary friend" may be real after all.

My thoughts: This is every parent's nightmare kind of story. Either your child has a really wild imagination or someone is targeting your child. This thought send chills down my spine.

No doubt this was a suspense-filled story with unexpected twists and plenty of red herrings. It kept me guessing in the beginning but as the story progresses, you can pretty much figure out the plot. However, this did not take away my enjoyment of the book. It was engaging and held my interest.

I really liked Georgina character. She is strong yet vulnerable, and one kick-ass mom who follows her instinct! But I do wish there were more depth in other characters.

Overall, this was an enjoyable debut novel and an absolutely creepy read for parents. I loved that the setting was in Dublin, Ireland. I am looking forward to reading more of this author's work!


Pub. Date: Nov 24, 2020


***Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada, author Rachel Ryan and NetGalley for this gifted review copy in exchange for an honest review.***

“The Woman Outside My Door” tells the story of what happens when a woman become convinced that her son’s imaginary friend might be real and putting him in danger. Doesn’t that sound intriguing? The premise alone drew me in immediately.

There’s a lot of plot in this novel, with twists and turns you won’t see coming. Is it a supernatural thriller? A domestic drama? A thriller? The book has elements of all of these and I kept guessing right up to the end what was going to happen.

The characters are well drawn and detailed. In particular, the family unit of Georgina, her husband Bren, and her son Cody, is complicated and realistic. As a reader, I wasn’t sure who to root for at times or who to believe. The extended cast of characters is also fascinating, each with their own air of mystery.

If you’re looking for something fast-paced and thrilling, with a hefty dollop of creepiness, this is for you. Many thanks to Net Galley for providing a copy in return for an honest review.

This is a debut novel by Ryan, who was born and raised in Dublin. The book is a psychological thriller and features Georgina, a married mom of 7-year-old Cody. Georgina's mom passed away months ago and she is still grieving. When Cody starts talking about a 'new granny', Georgina gets upset. Her husband tries to reassure her it is just an imaginary friend, but Georgina is convinced her son is at risk. This short, fun read is December's 'Staff Pick of the Month' and a great recommendation for fans of the genre who are looking for a quick entertaining escape.