I made it about 40% of the way through this one before giving up. I found it to drag and not be as engaging as I wanted it to be. It did not hold my interest enough for me to care about what happened to the characters. I enjoyed the authors previous book and had high hopes for this one. Thank you to NetGalleg and the publisher.

Megan Abbot is just so good. While not my favorite of her novels -- I love a slow burn but this one was sometimes a little *too* slow, the narrator taking just a bit too long to catch on to what we already know - it's still an incredibly satisfying, smartly written, intensely insightful literary thriller.

I really wanted to love this book, and I think the bones of the book are there. Unfortunately for me, the book was really slow for me and hard for me to engage in. Then the book ended once I started to get interested in the story, so overall I felt very incomplete when I finished this book.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley for review.

Atmospheric, creepy, and a definite vibe of you should know someone better before marrying them and getting pregnant. Add in a cabin in the woods, a old-school chauvinistic father in law, and no cell phone reception, and it's the beginning of a horror movie.

Great premise, long chapters, and a slow burn made this a good, but slightly short of great novel.

Thank you Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC!

Rebecca meets Cabin in the Woods in this new mystery.

It was three stars for me because it was too predictable. Locked cabins in the woods with no phone service or Wi-Fi in the middle of nowhere is sooooo overdone. I did like the dark, twisty vibes though.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me feeling all sorts of ways. Squirmy, is the way I'd put it. Which might not sound like a compliment but often, the sign of a good book is that it makes you think about things in a different way, some of which make you uncomfortable. BEWARE THE WOMAN is just that sort of book, as are so many of Abbott's works. She's so good at creating slow-burn suspense, and BEWARE THE WOMAN definitely got under my skin.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me turning the pages because I just had to know what happened. The mystery element was so good! There were several twists and turns that I never saw coming!

Beware the Woman
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Megan Abbott

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Penguin Group and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Honey, I just want you to have everything you ever wanted. That’s what Jacy’s mom always told her.

And Jacy felt like she finally did. Newly married and with a baby on the way, Jacy and her new husband Jed embark on their first road trip together to visit his father, Doctor Ash, in Michigan’s far-flung Upper Peninsula. The moment they arrive in the cozy cottage in the lush woods, Jacy feels bathed in love by the warm and hospitable Doctor Ash, if less so by his house manager, the enigmatic Mrs. Brandt.

But their Edenic first days take a turn when Jacy has a health scare. Swiftly, vacation activities are scrapped, and all eyes are on Jacy’s condition. At the same time, whispers about Jed’s long-dead mother and complicated family history seem eerily to be impeding upon the present. As the days pass, Jacy begins to feel trapped in the cottage, her every move surveilled, her body under the looking glass. But are her fears founded or is it paranoia, or cabin fever, or—as is suggested to her—a stubborn refusal to take necessary precautions? The dense woods surrounding the cottage are full of dangers, but are the greater ones inside?

My Thoughts: This is a slow burn creepy, claustrophobic psychological thriller. While the plot works well, paced at a slower level, building the plot in twisty layers, the ending needs something more. It was too abrupt. We should have slowly arrived to the end, just like the beginning of the novel, but it comes out of left field. The premise had so much promise and just fell a little short with the ending. Jacy and Jed’s romance is fast and just as fast is the pregnancy. Jed thinks they should visit his estranged cottage in Michigan, however, Jade has the pregnancy hormones and feels very emotionally unbalanced. The dysfunction family drama thriller is well executed until the end.

Jacy has terrible choice in men, as evidenced by the quick marriage and pregnancy with Jed. Jed has some of his father’s old school beliefs. Dad aka Dr. Ash is chauvinistic and extremely old school. Ms. Brandt, the caretaker, is very creepy. The cottage is in the middle of nowhere with no phone, no cell reception, and no WiFi. Dr. Ash becomes consumed with protecting his unborn grandchild, no matter the consequences. The characters were fleshed out well with creepiness and mystery. The author’s writing style was suspenseful, twisty, and paced well.

I would recommend picking up this book or audiobook today.

Megan Abbott has certainly made a name for herself in the crowded thriller field, and her latest book, "Beware the Woman," will add to her reputation. I loved the setting of this one; it was very atmospheric, and the description of the cabin and its surrounds felt claustrophobic and unsettling in the best way. I had a few problems with the characters, however--what is the father's motivation? And why does this woman even like her husband? I wanted more positive moments between them so that I could understand why she would stay in what was clearly a sketchy situation for so long. Overall, this was not my favorite Megan Abbott book ("You Will Know Me" takes that title), but it's tense and scary and gives serious "Rebecca" vibes; well worth a spot in your beach bag for some entertaining vacation reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and to GP Putnam's Sons for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review..

This book was an absolutely claustrophobic nightmare! In it a newly married woman and her husband go back to his father’s home. There she is slowly cut off under the guise of concern for the baby. Things devolve into what I consider the realm of horror. For a thriller I felt this was quite graphic. I also felt the ending was abrupt-I wanted a bit more of a conclusion. I recommend this dark thriller, but pregnant women beware!

a modern Gothic story, this has a different vibe than Abbott's other novels but i liked it! it's very slowly paced but the dread builds and builds. the ending felt a little abrupt (i guess i would've liked an epilogue) but overall, a satisfying read.

I was excited for this one but sadly, it didn't hit the mark for me. I felt like it was promising in the beginning but took a while for the suspense to finally happen. The ending felt rushed. I also couldn't stand the LONG chapters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Having been to the Upper Peninsula, I can understand how isolating it can feel even before you add in people that you aren't exactly trusting. I think this experience really made this book much more thrilling for me. It was a quick read because I couldn't put it down. I hated the trapped feeling, but I had to find out what happened in the end - which didn't disappoint!

I really enjoyed The Turnout by Megan Abbott so I was excited to read this but OH WOW was it different. I was next-level terrified with this plot and setting. It felt like fiction but also like social commentary, I was so creeped out by the characters, I just...whew. Not for me. This was suspense that veered a little too much into horror territory for me. Well-written, for sure, but not my favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I’m torn on this one. It has suspense and a different story line than most but I did get bored a little and felt like it drug on. Overall an ok read that I’d still recommend.

I enjoyed Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott! I was quickly drawn in to the story and kept intrigued throughout. I think this is a great thriller to pick up if you enjoy the genre. The storyline was more unique than many other suspense books I have read lately!

Abbott is at the top of her game and just keeps getting better with each story. I love her sinister way of telling a story and this one is exceptional

This one was not for me. I didn't feel the suspense and was more annoyed at the main character rather than feeling the urgency of her situation.

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Beware the Woman unfolds at a deliberately slow pace for most of the novel. However, for those who enjoy a gradual and suspenseful build, this book may be a perfect fit. Personally, I need a quicker pace and was unimpressed with the first half of the story.

Yet, as the story moved into the second half, the pace picked up and I turned page after page, eager to find out how it would all end. As a reader, I was perched on the edge of my seat, filled with anxiety for the main character, Jacy. But, just as I felt fully immersed and invested in the story, it ended with an abrupt and predictable final conclusion.

Author Megan Abbott's writing shines in this novel, even if I didn't care much for the story it overall. Her characters are intriguing (and often, intentionally, infuriating), and she is able to capture my imagination without offering over the top descriptions or too detailed exposition. I will be reading more of the author's work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this interesting book. This kind of frightening story of Jacy and Jed kept me intrigued and reading til the end. Reminded me of the old saying “be careful what you wish for.”