I thought this book was great. I enjoyed the uncertainty of who to trust and the way the characters interacted with each other. This book had me flying through the pages. I really enjoyed reading this!

I started enjoying this book from the first chapter. I felt an instant connection with Damon and Connie, and anger for her from the first Madelyne chapter. Having personal experience with people who have retired from the armed forces, I could imagine how much Damon was struggling. Seeing with each chapter how Madelyne chooses her new husband over her daughters feelings is both infuriating and heartbreaking. At first, it felt like Madelyne deserved what happened towards the end, for being so blindsided by what she thought was the perfect life. I wish this book was actually longer, as I was really enjoying it. I look forward to reading more books by this author. Thank you NetGalley for giving the opportunity to read this.

3⭐️
After reading the synopsis, I immediately downloaded because this sounded so creepy and suspenseful.
Unfortunately I could not get into the story the way I wished I could have.

I found the characters to be absolutely infuriating, to the point where my interest fazed out as I kept reading. I also feel like the storyline kept getting repetitive at times. The bickering and dram between these characters kept looping and I was not invested enough to continue reading, despite all of these reasons.

I know there are other readers who may find this story enjoyable which is awesome and I wish I was one of them, but I just wasn’t into it the way I wanted to be.

This book kept me intrigued the whole time. Connie and her dad both knew there was something off about her stepfather. But her mom didn't believe it. How will they get her to believe, and how will they find proof? Once they do find proof, are they safe? This was a fast paced thriller, and I now want to find more by this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this novel.

After a painful divorce, Madelyne finds love with George, a successful restaurant owner with a charming veneer. Their marriage seems perfect except for one thing: her daughter Connie has taken a strong dislike to her new husband.

Sixteen and smart, Connie knows something is deeply wrong with her stepfather. His behaviour towards her mother is often manipulative and she suspects he’s cheating. The only person she can turn to is her real father, Damon.

Afflicted by PTSD from his time in Afghanistan and facing financial ruin, Damon has every reason to hate his ex-wife, but he still carries a torch for her and wants to help.

But when Connie hatches a plot to expose George's true nature, she stumbles instead on a truth that's a thousand times more horrifying than anything she could have imagined.

Now Connie and Madelyne are in mortal danger. And Damon is the only one who can save them.

Really enjoyed this story. Will recommend to others.

A unique premise but only an okay mystery. Most of this felt repetitive and too unrealistic to me especially with the reveal (which I won’t spoil) however I felt this was written for a younger audience and it wasnt the suspenseful thriller I was expecting.

Damien and Madeline were married for 20 years but when he couldn’t get his mental issues together after being in the Middle East and would rather drowned them and alcohol and stay away from home she decided to call it quits. They would still have to see each other however because of their teenage daughter Connie Damien with sad his marriage didn’t last but when she remarried a man named George he sunk into depression he has started seeing a psychiatrist and is now the owner of a gym that teaches self-defense classes and boxing. He sees his daughter on the weekends but has been seeing her more often due to her arguing with Madeline because her mom insist she spend time with George but there was just something about George Connie does not like nor does she trust. Damien feels the same way but he doesn’t want to express his opinion because he feels it may just be due to jealousy and so he tries to take the highroad but that doesn’t stop him and Madeline from devolving into arguments when she calls. When George tries to assert authority and threatens Connie the first thing she does is tell her dad something Damien does not take too kindly to but when she runs to her dad and tells him what she saw George doing this is when Damien knows he must rescue his daughter unfortunately in his haste he didn’t stop to think of the danger Madeline may be in can the trained fighter Damien rescue his daughter‘s mother or will she be another victim of “George?“ I am a big fan of Theo Baxter‘s books and although they have a few eye rolling moments and part of the book that make you stop and shake your head in disbelief I find his books fun to read and I know if he is the author I am in for a good time. I don’t know what makes his books different from other thriller books that I would give a lesser rating to have so many OMG moments are in a book but there is just something about a Theo Baxter book that I love and this one is definitely included. He has the type of victims that would say one time free I’m calling the police and you’re going to jail… But OMG I love this book so much and can’t figure out why but I do and if you love a good thriller with a few eye rolling moments then you’ll love The Stepfather. I do want to say it isn’t a silly book it is definitely a serious thriller they just have some moments where are you like OK really? But it’s all good and if you love a good thriller you’ll love this book by Theo Baxter. I received this book from NetGalley and incubator books but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I'm so grateful for giving me the ARC for a honest review.

And.I really need to be honest. I couldn't get past the chapter 11. It was a nightmare to get there.

The book is too repetitive, the beginning of the book as so much drama and it is a slow paced thriller. I just couldn't do it. If you want to write a good book, being it a thriller, you need to leave the drama for the middle of the book or not making use of it at all.

George's character isn't even explored enough in the beginning. I get it, you want to make it a mystery, you want the reader to get to know the character throughout the chapters, but letting Connie call him a "creep" right from the start of the book without giving out reason why... No. A pushy mom? Worse. I felt like I was going through a family drama rather than a thriller. I'm so sorry I couldn't go forward with it. I'm pretty sure it is a great book or that it has a really great plot, it just isn't for me. I bet there's people out there that loved reading the whole book, I guess I'm just a bit picky with it.

Best of luck with the releasing this month.

3.5 stars rounded up.

After a painful divorce, Madelyn finds love with George, a successful restaurant owner with a charming veneer. Their marriage seems perfect except for one thing: her daughter Connie has taken a strong dislike to her new husband, Sixteen and smart, Connie knows something is deeply wrong with her stepfather. His behaviour towards her mother is often manipulative and she suspects he's cheating. The only person she can turn to is her own father, Damon. Afflicted by PTSD from his time in Afghanistan and facing financial ruin, Damon has every reason to hate his ex-wife, but he still carries a torch for her and wants to help.

Madelyn and Damon are divorced and share custody of their daughter Connie. Madelyn has remarried and Connie does not like or trust her stepfather. When she shares her concerns with her dad, Damon does not like him either. He has some bad feelings about him, but he doesn't want to share them with his daughter. Connie knows her stepfather has a secret, and she sets out to find out what it is. There's a couple of unexpected twists to the story and the characters were well developed, but not all of them likable. There are parts that are quite repetitive, so I took half a star off for this reason.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #InkubatorBooks and the author #TheoBaxter for my ARC of #TheStepfather in exchange for an honest review.

3.0 ⭐️

The book is told from the point of view of two characters: Damon and Madelyne a divorced couple that can hardly be in the same room. However; they have a daughter together, Connie. Madelyne recently got married to a perfect and caring man….or is he? Her daughter does not trust him at all. She sees right through him and does not buy for one minute that he is Mr Nice Guy, but rather a creep. She launches a plan to try to expose him for who he really is, but she bites off more than she can chew and must turn to her dad for help!

This was a very quick read and I was able to finish it in a few hours. While I was curious at who George actually was and what his intentions were, I found this story quite lacking. The character development was extremely lacking. The dialogue was too simple. And Madelyne frustrated me to absolutely no end. Her inability to protect or listen to her daughter really fired me up.

I can’t say that this is a book I would buy for myself and unsure if I would recommend it.

“The Stepfather” follows the story of Damon and Madelyne, a divorced couple learning to co-parent their teenage daughter, Connie. With unresolved resentments from their marriage, their dynamics are often strained. Matters worsen as Madelyne’s recent second husband, George, feels that Connie’s dislike of him is fueled by Damon. Connie however, feels deep in her gut that there is something off about George, and she is determined to figure out what it is.

Told as a dual POV from Damon and Madelyne, this book was fast paced and engaging. I often found myself confused and borderline maddened by Madelyne’s actions and priorities, but that curiosity to understand her kept me hooked. We do eventually learn more about Madelyne’s backstory, and at that point her actions clicked into place for me and my heart really felt for her. Her character serves as a gentle reminder that we might never really know what someone is going through/has gone through.

Although the ending to this thriller was satisfying, I felt that the end wrapped up a little too neatly. I also would have enjoyed learning more about George’s backstory, or perhaps even had chapters from his POV.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It was a well written book. I hope to read more books by this author.

Thankyou for being given the opportunity to read this story.

Unfortunately it wasn't for me. It seemed to be the same thing over and over.

This was my first read by this author and it was so good. Madelyne and Damon went thru a painful divorce. Damon had many issues after serving in Afghanistan. Despite their differences, the two of them share custody of their teenage daughter Connie. When Madelyne remarries Connie takes an instant dislike to her stepfather. She knows he is bad news but her mom will not listen to her. She shares her feelings with her dad. Damon harbors some bad feelings too, but he didn't want to share them with his daughter until she came to him. He wanted his ex-wife and Connie to be happy. Connie decides to prove her feelings about her stepfather. She will find out what he is up to. He's very controlling. She knows he's got a secret and she sets out to find it. She goes to her father for help. She knows her stepfather is dangerous. What she discovers may put her family in danger. This book is a page turner that's for sure. I couldn't stop reading. The shocking events will keep you on the edge of your seat. I definitely recommend this book if you like action, drama, mystery and domestic thrillers. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read and review this book.

A twisty turny ride that made me mildly uncomfortable. I am so grateful to have read this e arc. Good times were had.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book so much, but to be honest, if it wasn't for the fact that I got the advance copy in exchange for a review, I wouldn't have finished it. The writing style came off as extremely juvenile to me. There were unnecessary details in some chapters and in others, stuff that should have been there seemed to be missing. It was difficult to get past the first few chapters. I stuck with it to see what was going to happen, and this could have been an awesome book, but for me, it just wasn't.

Everything about this book was intriguing. It is a fascinating thriller including several unexpected twists. The writing was strong, and the characters were well-developed. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

Wow what a book! And I lived the fact it was very original, I’ve certainly not read anything like The Stepfather and I will be looking out for more books by Theo Baxter.

Madeyline and her precious husband Damon divorced and she has now happily married and in love with her second husband George. Madeyline has one problem though, her teenage daughter Connie cannot stand her new husband and there is a constant atmosphere in the house.

Connie decides to take matters into her own hands to find out exactly what is going on with George, she is convinced he’s not who he says he is and she is determined to prove this to her mother who is smitten with him.

Throughout all of this Connie’s only ally is her father, he can see how George is treating his daughter and how he is manipulating his exwife. Then one day after a huge row Connie decides to follow George to uncover the truth of what he is up to, however it soon appears to Connie that things are much worse than she first thought and it’s up to Damon to save his daughter as well as his ex-wife.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

This book is absolutely fantastic. The characters were as i would expect from a storyline like this. I too found myself getting annoyed with how George acted. Highly recommend

This was intriguing from the start. It's a solid thriller with some interesting twists. However, it did get quite repetitive which pulled me out of the story a bit and so much of the story took place in his head which was so frustrating. But aside from the repetitiveness the story was new, fresh, something I hadn't read before which was exciting. It just needs better execution.