2.5 ⭐️‘s
There’s the slow burn and then there’s the spark that really never catches on fire. This book was the latter for me. It was easy to see where it was going from the beginning, but it took way too long to get there. Because it was so slow, it never really held my interest for any length of time, but I continued slogging through until it’s bitter open ending. Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I hate giving a negative review. I really do, while I really enjoy the authors other books, I just could not vibe with this one. I think it was a bit of a trigger for me, because of the violence and pregnancy scares. Morgan is a fantastic writer and paints a picture so vivid and well written. I just couldn’t finish because my own issues.

Hit the road with recent-weds Jacy and Jed on a bumpy trip to visit his father in a remote house in the wilds of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But if I were you, I'd stay home. "Beware the Woman” (on sale May 30) isn’t really a mystery, or a thriller. It’s best categorized as domestic suspense, with a big nod to a classic that, if you read with the connection in mind, will totally spoil the ending.


Jacy and Jed fell in love and married impulsively; now she’s pregnant. His father, Dr. Ash, is warm and welcoming; the housekeeper, Mrs. Brandt, is chilly and used to doing things her own way. Everything about the visit seems fine until Jacy has a pregnancy complication and winds up stuck in a house that feels increasingly claustrophobic and creepy.

Abbott’s 10 previous novels, in this same vein, have gained her legions of fans. Those readers may enjoy “Beware the Woman,” but I found it painfully slow, with almost everything happening inside Jacy’s annoying head for a long, long time. Almost nothing anyone did made sense, or made me care about any of them, except possibly the roaming mountain lion.

“Beware the Woman” does boast a rousing conclusion that you may see coming. But getting there is a bumpy road

Megan Abbot’s book had me checked behind doors and ensuring all my doors were locked at night. This thriller had me going back to my childhood fears and being scared of the dark. I mean this all in a good way! While the story progresses slowly, the moment the action hits, you better buckle up and take a seat because the ride will have you twisting and turning through every page to the end. The tension was palpable between characters. The most terrifying aspect of the story, the monsters are not fictional, but standing right next to you. Abbot had me questioning every hint she gave me and pulled through to the ending. Though the story overall had me on the edge of my seat, there were certain aspects keeping this from being a five star read. Aspects of the writing felt disjointed and unrealistic. The inner monologue made me wish the beginning was set to a faster pace, but thankfully once the story truly began, I was satisfied.

I would like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

⭐️⭐️.5

Jed and Jacy are in their second year of marriage and are expecting their first baby when they take a roadtrip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to visit Jed’s father. The remote cabin is idyllic and Jacy feels very welcomed by Jed’s father, if less so by the house manager, Mrs. Brandt. Soon, though, a pregnancy scare will change the vibes and have Jacy questioning everything.

This book was troublesome for me. There were plot holes and storylines that should have been better explained. The characters weren’t fleshed out, and their motives were unclear. I didn’t enjoy it very much.

Jacy was walking home from hanging out with her fellow teachers at a local bar when she stopped at his shop. She’d seen the shop before, a man making neon signs. She had been drawn to him the first time she’d seen him. She’d walked past his shop several times before, hoping to bump into him. But that night was different. She went in.

That started a whirlwind love affair between Jacy and Jed that burned hot. Within a couple of years, they were married and expecting a baby. That’s when Jed insisted that they go visit his father, a retired doctor living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Jacy isn’t sure what to expect from the area or from Jed’s father. He appears welcoming and kind, but Jed changes as soon as they get to Doctor Ash’s house. The house is nice, and the area is dense with woods and wildlife, but they are informed that there may be a mountain lion nearby, a very dangerous wildcat who won’t hesitate to kill given the chance.

Also on the property is Mrs. Brandt, the caretaker for those years that Doctor Ash had practiced medicine and only came to the U.P. during the summers. But when he retired, she stayed on, living in a small cabin out back and still helping with the cleaning and cooking.

Jacy decides to make the best of things, although something feels a little off about the whole situation. But it’s only for a couple of days, and then they’ll head back to the city. However, a hiccup with her pregnancy means that she shouldn’t travel just yet and those couple of days just keep adding up.

Jed spends a lot of time hanging out with his old friends and drinking, leaving Jacy at the house with Doctor Ash and Mrs. Brandt. She’s bored. She’s isolated. There is no wifi, no television, no way for her to go anywhere except on foot, and then there are the warnings about the mountain lion. She feels trapped, and Jed is not around to help.

As her pregnancy stirs up strange sensations, morning sickness, odd cravings, Jacy also has to deal with the tension in the air. She wants to leave, but Jed thinks they should stay. She can’t tell if her nightmares are real, if she’s in danger, if she’s going a little crazy. But she does know that something in that house is not right, and she’ll need to find a way out if she’s going to protect her child.

Bestselling author Megan Abbott is back with Beware the Woman, a fiercely creepy slow-burning domestic thriller about what it means to be a wife and mother. With the tang of iron and the smell of blood, there is an earthiness to this story that is palpable. You can smell it in the air, feel it like sweat, hear it in the fireworks for the Fourth of July. Beware the Woman is visceral, and once you start reading, it stalks you like that mountain lion.

I struggled some with this one. The writing is beautiful and raw, but the family wounds of many of these characters are deep and painful. The fear is very real, and it hangs in the humid summer air like gnats. This reminded me more of a ghost story than the thriller I’ve come to expect from Abbott. And I like a good ghost story. But this one got under my skin pretty badly. I couldn’t stop reading, because I had to get to the end of the story, but it took all of my strength to keep on the journey of these wounded characters. Beware the Woman is an exceptional book, but it is not an easy read. In this case, the phrase “Beware the Woman” might refer to Abbott herself.

Egalleys for Beware the Woman were provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I just read the book Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott. #NetGalley This is the second or third Megan Abbott book I have read and unfortunately this one fell flat for me. It was a slow burn, psychological thriller. I don't mind the slow burn aspect, however throughout most of the book I felt like I wasn't sure where things were going or what the end goal was going to be. The ending definitely cleared up some of the questions I had throughout the book, however there were many things throughout the story that I thought could have been better explained. There were several plot points as well as characters I thought had potential that wasn't explored.

While this wasn't a favorite for me, it might be just the ticket for someone else! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Wow! Fabulous read by Megan Abbott! This was a refreshing new thriller. Absolutely loved the characters, flaws and all. I was hooked from the beginning and intensity just kept building.
Great read!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I would not recommend this book to anyone that 1) is currently pregnant or 2) doesn't enjoy gothic literature. I fall into both categories, so I'll exit the convo. Megan Abbott is my favorite author, but this just didn't land for me.

If you need a book to read poolside, this is for you. I finished it in one sitting- completely addicting! Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

‼️ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ‼️

ᴍᴇɢᴀɴ ᴀʙʙᴏᴛᴛ ᴅᴏᴇs sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ɪ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟʟʏ ᴀᴍ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇʟʏ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴏғғ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ʜᴇᴀʀ sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs sʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʙᴜʀɴs ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ. sʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴜʀɴᴏᴜᴛ ᴀs ᴡᴇʟʟ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴀɴ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʀᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴏᴍɪɴᴏᴜs ᴛᴏɴᴇ ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ ᴘᴇɢ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ. ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴄᴛ ᴊᴀᴄʏ ɪs ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ ʜᴇʟᴘᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪs ᴇᴇʀɪᴇ ғᴇᴇʟ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀʀᴀᴛɪᴠᴇʟʏ, ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴀsɴ’ᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀʟᴏᴀᴅᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴇxᴜᴀʟ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴛᴏɴᴇs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴜʀɴᴏᴜᴛ ᴡᴀs. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴍʏ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ɢʀɪᴘᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀɴʏ ʟᴇᴠᴇʟ ᴏғ sᴍᴜᴛ. ʜᴜɢᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴜᴅᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ! ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʜᴀᴅ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴏᴘʀɪᴀᴛᴇ ᴀᴍᴏᴜɴᴛ ᴏғ sᴇx ᴛʜᴀᴛ ғᴇʟᴛ ɴᴇᴄᴇssᴀʀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴏᴛ.

ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛʟʏ, ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏ ᴄʟᴜᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ғᴏʀ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ 𝟼𝟶% ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ- ᴀɴᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ɴᴏ ɢᴜᴇssᴇs ᴀs ᴛᴏ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴜɴғᴏʟᴅ.

ᴛʜɪs ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴏᴠ - ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀs sᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴛʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ᴘᴏᴠs ᴀɴᴅ ғᴏʀɢᴇᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ɪᴍᴘᴀᴄᴛғᴜʟ ᴏɴᴇ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴘᴏᴠ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ. ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ. ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ sᴇᴇᴍ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴇ ʀᴇʟᴇᴠᴀɴᴛ - ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴄᴀʟʟʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴀᴛ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ.

ɪ ᴛʜᴏʀᴏᴜɢʜʟʏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴍᴇɴ ᴠs. ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ. ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴡ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴊᴀᴄʏ ᴡᴀs- ᴠᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴛᴜɪᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜᴇs. ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴍʏ ɴᴇᴡ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ʙʏ ᴛʜɪs ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ.


📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ @ᴘᴜᴛɴᴀᴍʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴀɴᴅ @ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀᴄ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖

This was a well-written paychological thriller, but it was definitely a slower read. I tend to prefer thrillers that are faster paced, so unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a while to fully figure out what direction this book was headed. I think it’s because I was under the assumption that the main female character was an unreliable narrator so I wasn’t sure if I wanted to believe everything from her point of view. As the story progressed, things became much more clear to me and I enjoyed never knowing what direction it was headed! If you like psychological thrillers that are well written, I’d recommend checking this one out!

“Oh she wants to conquer the world completely
But first she'll conquer me discreetly
The female of the species is more deadly than the male

Oh she deals in witchcraft
And one kiss and I'm zapped

Oh how can heaven hold a place for me
When a girl like you has cast a spell on me…

…The female of the species is more deadly than the male…”

This classic rock song by the English band Space was something I hummed off and on while reading Beware the Woman, which I’ve come to think of as the love child of Rosemary’s Baby and Charlotte Perkins-Gilman’s legacy from generations of female authors reading The Yellow Wallpaper and saying, “Oh heck no”.

This isn’t just feminist psychological thriller at its finest, though. It’s also a deep satirical commentary on the waning power of the aging white male in his isolated mountain stronghold, a member of the boy’s club, where women aren’t welcome and should be home with the children and minding the house. In this book, boys will be boys until they get married to a good girl and have kids; and all girls are just tempting little Eves walking around just asking for it. These rural mountain communities are places out of time in a way, yet they are filled with men and boys who think they have every right to know everything about a woman’s body and to make decisions about it for them.

Right from the start, our protagonist Jacy tells us she’s always had a bad picker. I’ve known women who have bad pickers. I myself have an inadequate picker, but not exactly bad. Somehow, between a fit of whimsy and that glow of brilliant new love, Jacy ignores her knowledge of having a bad picker and decides choosing to marry her boyfriend Jed after a short courtship is the best choice she’s ever made. She decides there’s nothing wrong with Jed. He’s perfect.

See, I don’t care if this major point of foreshadowing may seem a bit too obvious. I don’t care at all. Why? Because this book hooked me as soon as I opened it. I was trying to decide which ARC to read next and I opened this one and all of a sudden I was more than ten pages in and couldn’t put it down. You should have seen me absolutely devouring this book: I snapped at anyone and everyone who pulled me away from it. I just wanted to keep reading. If I could’ve cooked my mom’s lunch while reading it, I would’ve. The first few pages hook you hard, and the first ten percent just reel you in nice and steady. Once Jacy and Jed have reached Jed’s father’s house, the frenetic energy from the very beginning slows to a steady thrum so it can pick up what feels like a sense of awkwardness at first, then anxiety, then foreboding, then dread, and then it becomes outright paranoia and panic before it becomes outright desperation as the book head into the 80% mark. From there, it’s a wild, frenetic ride that’s everything I had hoped it would be.

I felt so satisfied by this book. The ending, pacing, plot development, character development, and sublime way Megan Abbott weaves those deep and dark themes into the narrative made Beware the Woman into one of the most satisfying thrillers I’ve read so far this year.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Read/Domestic Thriller/Literary Fiction/Psychological Fiction/Suspense Thriller

Beware the Woman is a slow burn, slow build-up thriller involving soon-to-be mother, Jacy and her husband, Jed. The pair are visiting his father, only addressed as Doctor Ash, at his home in the isolated woods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for the 4th of July. Though, as the holiday weekend progresses, Doctor Ash doesn't appear to be the alluring and caring father-in-law that Jacy had first met.

This was an incredibly slow read for me, and my first by Megan Abbott. I was immediately drawn to it as a Michigander who has spent their fair share of time in the woods. But the pacing was just off for me. I didn't feel like I really got sucked in until about the last half of the book when more and more of Jacy's world started to fall apart. I didn't really care for any of the characters, Jed had his redeeming moments but would be sucked back under his father's spell, Mrs. Brandt seemed to be the saving grace, but even something seemed off with her too.

Then there was the weird Captain Murderer that seemed to be Jacy's boogeyman growing up that resurfaced after reading a book mysteriously placed in her room. It was brought up twice and I'm probably terrible, but I never really understood why. Why was it necessary? Again, I probably missed the metaphor that he had, but it didn't do too much for me.

I went back and forth between 2 and 3 stars, because once Jacy caught on to Doctor Ash and his desire for a grandson and essentially imprisoning her until she popped, I did enjoy the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an ARC copy of this novel!

Thank you Megan Abbott, Penguin Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for this #gifted arc in exchange for my honest review.

I'm going to be completely honest, I'm not sure this book was for me. This book definitely has a slow build in the suspense. However, I think it was well written and the pacing was a deliberate choice. It allows the reader to really question the story. Is the narrator unreliable? Or is it the reader's perception? It was just a tad too slow for my preference.

This book definitely had me feeling anxious for our female main character, Jacy. The chauvinistic ideologies of most of the male characters paired with Jacy's feminist views helps elicit an emotional response from readers. Personally, I thought the men were trash and was anxious about what would happen to Jacy by the end of the book. I truly did not see that twist at the end. All in all, it was interesting read that will keep readers guessing, it's just not one I fully enjoyed personally.

Rating: 3 stars

“Everyone marries a stranger…” Megan Abbott gives us a twisty, atmospheric, psychological thriller that makes you wonder, how much do you truly know your spouse…or their family?

I will start off by saying I went into this one blind - I had no idea what the premise was, and it was completely the opposite, but I preferred it this way as I really had no idea what to expect. What I did not expect was a feminism meets old school mentality clash which got my heart racing at times more than the suspense! 😠 That is, until about halfway through. The beginning is more building suspense and establishing a series of unreliable characters and uncomfortable situations. Not knowing who to trust or what to believe, this really kept me on my toes especially as things picked up at the end!

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review! Will be posted to my IG @manis.and.manuscripts this pub week!

Jacy and Jed have a quick courtship and now are 2 years married w a baby on the way.  Life is good but a bit unsettling. Her mother’s words come back to haunt her throughout the book………you never really know someone.  There are still subjects that are not approached about her husband’s past and family. A trip to the isolated mountain home of her father-in-law provides insights to events she never knew about.
   Her father-in-law, a physician and charmer in the past, takes on a different persona. His relationship with his son, her pregnancy, secrecy, the remoteness and isolation lead to events that rival the of a prisoner in a very fancy castle.
   A spooky thriller full of characters that at first blush will send you down a path you’re convinced will provide a certain outcome. HA!

Beware the Woman is honestly one of the creepiest novels I have ever read, and that is a compliment! Newlyweds Jacy and Jed Nash are taking their first road trip to meet Jed’s father, Dr. Nash. He lives in the UP of Michigan in a rickety home in the isolated woods with no cell coverage (note to self, never do this). He explains that he hung up his stethoscope after Jed’s mother died in childbirth. Jacy is pregnant too, and Dr. Nash begins focusing on her in a creepy way, appearing to care about Jacy’s pregnancy even though it becomes increasingly clear that he has a problem with women. Jed is if no help as he regresses in his father’s presence.

The epigraph of the novel says it all — “Beware of the man who wants to protect you; he will protect you from everything but himself.” This is particularly apt in a world where women’s reproductive rights are increasingly under attack from paternalistic politicians. The atmosphere of the novel is unrelentingly claustrophobic as we wait for the next shoe to drop. Who can be trusted and will Jacy ever get away? An absolute triumph. 5.0 out of 5,0 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary advanced reader’s copy of this book.

✨Book Review - Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️STARS

Pub Date: YESTERDAY

REVIEW: I’m kind of shook by this book. It was intense, dark, twisted, and chilling. It’s a bit of a slow burn but I liked it, I stayed up late last night just to finish because I needed to know what was going happen. It’s written in a choppy way that many times I had to stop and question if I missed something, but then it started to add to the suspense and mindfuckery. I got angry so many times because the very real threat we women are experiencing today about our bodies and what men believe to be the right decision concerning our health, especially when it comes to pregnancy was very prevalent. I’m getting worked up again thinking about it. So, yes, I loved it.

SYNOPSIS: Newly married and freshly pregnant, Jacy and her husband Jed head on a road trip to visit Jed’s father, Doctor Ash in Michigan. What starts as a nice family trip, turns sinister and alarming. Is Jacy being paranoid or experiencing cabin fever? The woods might be dangerous but could those inside be worse?

Thank you to NetGalley & putnambooks for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.