Member Reviews

Megan wakes up in a hospital bed with only a vague memory of how she got there-fighting with her husband, Rick, over the steering wheel and they crash into the river and her husband drowns and she survives. But then at Rick’s funeral, a very pregnant Emily turns up claiming to be Rick’s long estranged sister and wants to connect with Megan over their loss. But is it all as it appears?
The story is told from the dual POV of Megan and Emily, who were both unlikeable in their own ways and that made them both hard to root for. It was a quick read with several twists,some of which I didn’t guess! Yay-that doesn’t happen too often.
If you like a fast paced thrill ride where nothing and no one is as it seems, then pick this one up and get lost for a few hours.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

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This is supposed to be a thriller, but I did not find it all that suspenseful. I felt it dragged most of the way. By the end, I did not care for any of the characters. When the author switched back and forth between the two points of view, it often got repetitive seeing the same scene from both of them. By halfway through, I had a strong feeling where this was going and was not surprised by the ending.

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When Megan loses her beloved husband, Rick, in a tragic car accident, she feels like it’s her own life that has ended. She feels too young to be a widow. Walking around the house that had been their home – so quiet without him – nothing feels the same.

But at his funeral, she sees a face she doesn’t recognise. A heavily-pregnant young woman, with a sweet heart-shaped face that is somehow a little familiar. This stranger introduces herself as Emily, Rick’s estranged sister. She explains how she’s been searching for her brother for years, but – as she bursts into noisy sobs – she knows she’s too late now.

Megan finds herself taking pity on the sister-in-law she’d never met. And quickly Emily becomes more and more a part of her life, even moving into the spare room of her house. It feels less empty than before. And at first it’s comforting to Megan

This one was full of surprises for me. It's rare for a thriller to surprise me since I've read so many of them, but this one did! I loved the premise, and the execution was well-done. The beginning was a little bit slow, but once it popped off, it was gripping! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

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The Sister-in-Law
What a thrill of a ride! A very twisty plot full of suspense and so many surprises. Sensational ending! A must-read! 5 stars
Thank you to Net-Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc

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Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Sister-In-Law by Joanne Ryan published by Boldwood Books
This book was fun to read, the plot was good, the characters were created to be loveable or not, the author did a good job of this. I certainly didn't see the more than one twist coming at the end, loved these. I felt the author did a great job with the main character, she was the grieving wife who was helping out her sister in law at a time when they both needed some help, or did they? There were some parts of the narrative that were a little repetitive but nothing that made me  want to change my 4 star rating.
I'd definitely read more books by this author

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This book was a fun and entertaining read!

It begins with a tragic car accident, leaving Megan a widow. At her late husband Rick's funeral, she meets Emily, her sister-in-law whom Rick hadn't spoken to in years. One thing leads to another, and before you know it, Emily moves in with Megan. After all, family helps family.
But things quickly take a turn for the worst soon after Emily moves in. Emily isn't what Megan expected, but Megan is determined to help Emily thinking this is what Rick would have wanted.

This book is dual POV which I don't always enjoy, but this one kept me engaged throughout. I didn't connect with Megan or most of the characters as much as I would have liked, but the story was a quick read and had some good twists towards the end which, in my opinion is one of the most important parts of a good thriller novel. The book starts a bit slow, but definitely picks up halfway through and doesn't disappoint towards the end. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a moderately-paced, psychological thriller with unexpected twists and turns!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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The Sister In Law tells the story of Megan, who's husband Rick dies in a tragic car accident. At the funeral, a heavily pregnant woman introduces herself as Rick's estranged sister, Emily. Megan takes pity on her and Emily, who is escaping an abusive ex, soon moves in with her sister in law. But can she be trusted?

This was a fairly quick and easy read which I thought was just ok. It's nothing I haven't read before and I didn't find the characters overly likeable, with Megan making lots of questionable decisions!

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

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I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. This was a quick read and had a few twists that were surprises. The book is told in parts by two women and I didn't like all of the repetitiveness as the story went from one person to another. The ending left so many unanswered questions. I felt like the ending was rushed and not finished.

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I found the first section of this book slow moving. The style of dual points of view often repeated the same events from two different angles and, though it was done skillfully, it had a tendency to string the story out longer than I felt necessary. In the middle, however, things started to get going and I was glad I'd stuck with the book.

I have to say, I figured the ending out about 50 pages before it happened, which was a little disappointing, but then we had a nice little surprise in the very last chapter which I didn't see coming.

All in all, an engaging read and I would read more of this author's work.

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Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC of The Sister-in-Law by Joanne Ryan. This book was a bit lackluster for me. I was not surprised by the revelation of the husband’s death or Meg’s awareness of her sister-in-law, though I did not expect the twist at the very end. While I do enjoy reading from each person’s perspective, I was not a huge fan of rereading the same situation from both points of view and felt it was not necessary to repeat conversations just to see it from each of their sides. Overall, I liked the plot and twists, though I found it predictable, and I think the author did a great job tying it all together at the end.

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I loved The Sister-in-Law! The pacing was perfect—never dragging on with unnecessary details—and the story had me hooked from the very beginning. I especially loved the alternating perspectives of Megan and Emily/Shelley, which added layers to the narrative. The twist at the end completely took me by surprise and left me wanting more. I highly recommend this book!

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My second book by Joanne and another good thriller! This book really got me thinking about the characters, how looks can be deceiving or how you think you know someone but you don't really.

I felt sorry for Megan at first but wasn't sure it was warranted as the story progressed. The car accident at the start gets you into the action from the first chapter and I wondered why Rick and Megan were speeding during a thunderstorm and nearby a swollen river but all is explained.

I like books with not a lot of characters and this one has a handful which is great. I did like Elaine but felt she could be a bit overbearing if she was my friend although her heart is in the right place.

Well worth a read and the twist was great!

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A wild ride of a read. My favorite type of thriller so many twists and turns read late into the night.Joanne Ryan never fails to looking forward to more thrillers from her.# netgalley #boldwoodbooks

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The Sister in Law by Joanne Ryan felt like a family drama with good secrets and an unexpected ending.

The story is presented in the present and just from two points of view so easy to follow. The chapters go one by one between Megan and Emily, and some moments feel too repetitive. I do get that it was necessary to learn both characters and individual characteristic traits but still.
Some secrets (I would not necessarily call the twists) came out as a good surprise and I absolutely loved the end twist, which was like a cherry on top of the cake.

When Megan wakes up in the hospital after the car crash she finds out that her husband Rick is dead. At Rick's funeral, Megan meets Emily, a long-lost Rick's sister who is heavily pregnant. Megan's dead mother’s best friend, Elaine is there to support but she doesn't like Emily. Despite anything, Megan will invite Emily to move in... Can they trust each other?

It's fast-paced in general but repetitive sides slow it down a bit.
I love how much we learn about Emily and her personality! She is one of those characters you want to hate but there is something about her that you want to love.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this copy!

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I found this to be a very entertaining and easy to read book, the pages just flew past!
The story is narrated to us mostly from the points of view of Megan and Emily, each alternating chapters as we read their story and version of events. The story is interesting as there are many clues to things going on beneath the surface of what we are reading and that ending, when it came was everything I was hoping for and so much more as well which made it just a touch jaw dropping when all was revealed!
The characters were mostly likeable or at least understandable, similar to people that most of us will know or know of and the stories that weave around them were interesting especially how they all knitted together to create this very bingeable book!

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I enjoyed The-Sistet-in-Law, starting with a tragic accident but as the story continues and you get to know more from the two main POV'S Megan and Emily.
The twists towards the end was a complete surprise.
A thoroughly enjoyable book.

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Loved the twists! You think you know, but you don't! I thought I had it partly figured out, but then a twist. I was like okay, now I know, and boom, another twist. Would definitely read more by this author.

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An enjoyable thriller when we meet Megan, recently widow, upon a car accident where her husband Rick dies.
She is all alone, except for her late’s mother friend who vowed to always take care of her.
At the funeral she thinks a familiar face appears, this turns to be Rick’s sister, someone she never met, as the two siblings weren’t close.
After the encounter they begun to hang out, every day a little closer, but the question is: Can Megan trust this stranger?
We learn the story through each of the character’s point of view.
Recommended for thriller readers who enjoyed an unexpected ending.

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A slow start that ends with an unpredicting ending.

I had not see the ending coming at all.

It was so well written, it has me gripping about 35% of the book.

Amazing book to put your your TBR

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I found this more melancholy than mysterious and it made it difficult for me to get into and I just didn't believe the characters. Thanks for the chance to read and review.

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