An easy enjoyable read, I didn't love the characters but although a little predictable, the ending had another unexpected twist. Parts of the story are repeated from different perspectives which can be a little repetitive at times but all in all this was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this gripping e-ARC.

Megan's world shatters when her husband, Rick, dies in a tragic car accident. While grappling with her grief, a pregnant stranger named Emily appears at Rick’s funeral, introducing herself as his estranged sister. Distraught and seemingly vulnerable, Emily claims she has nowhere to go, prompting Megan to invite her into her home.

But as the days unfold, Emily’s presence begins to unsettle Megan. What starts as an act of kindness spirals into suspicion and tension, with secrets lurking beneath the surface of both women’s stories. Is Emily who she claims to be? And how well did Megan truly know her husband?

Joanne Ryan masterfully constructs a suspenseful, layered thriller. The dual POVs of Megan and Emily add depth and intrigue, revealing the motivations and hidden truths of each character. The twists are perfectly paced, with revelations that kept me glued to the page. Emily’s manipulative charm is both chilling and fascinating, while Megan’s vulnerability makes her journey deeply relatable.

This isn’t just a tale of deception and mistrust—it’s also a poignant exploration of grief, identity, and the lengths people will go to protect their truths. The final twist was jaw-dropping, rounding out a rollercoaster of a story.

The Sister-in-Law is a psychological thriller that fans of Lisa Jewell and Freida McFadden won’t want to miss. With its sharp writing, unpredictable plot, and richly drawn characters, this is one you’ll want to devour in one sitting.

Thanks again to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advance copy.

🏡📚 The Sister-in-Law by Joanne Ryan 📚🏡
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Length: 321 pages
POV: Dual
Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2025
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the e-ARC of this novel. The opinions stated here are solely my own.

Synopsis:
Megan has only been married to her beloved husband, Rick for one year, when a tragic auto accident takes his life. At his funeral, Rick's estranged sister, Emily, shows up devastated by this loss. At 30 weeks pregnant, she has nowhere to go, and Megan takes her into she and Rick's home to stay until she gets back on her feet and/or the baby is born.

As time progresses, Emily has really made herself at home and something doesn't seem right, and Megan's neighbors also began to smell a rat...

Opinion:
You find out pretty early in the book what is going on with Emily (the sister-in-law), and without spoiling it for anyone, I also had my suspicions before it was revealed. However, this book was extremely fast-paced, going back and forth between Megan and Emily's POVs, which made it fun to see what each one was really thinking. There was a bit of a twist at the very end that I admit I saw coming, but it didn't make my enjoyment of the book any less. This is a great book for a quick, thriller read, and I couldn't put it down!

I love crazy, twisted stories like these so this novel was a no-brainer for me! When Megan's car crashes into the river during a rainstorm, husband Rick is killed. Although they'd only been married for a year, they had a life insurance policy so Megan will be comfortable. But suddenly Rick's sister, Emily shows up, pregnant and needing a place to stay, Of course Megan, feeling guilty about his death, invites Emily to stay and the plot thickens as more characters are introduced and twists throw everything we thought we knew into an unbalanced picture of craziness!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Yet another book starting with a woman who has survived a car crash....I must have read at least three during this Christmas period that they're all melding into one...anyway, the woman in this particular accident is Megan. She survives, her unfortunate husband Rick does not. She is heartbroken, obviously, wandering about in a fog whilst her mother's old friend, whose name I can't even remember, organises everything. Megan's mother is also recently deceased, so she's not in just any old ordinary fog, but a real pea-souper. Anyway, out of the fog comes a woman who claims to be the deceased Rick's sister. Now Megan has never net any of Rick's family, but accepts this woman at face value and very quickly forms a close relationship with her. Well, she's Family, isn't she! Isn't she?


Oh, yawn, another one that is as transparent as a piece of cellophane, but not as interesting. Maybe I'm jaded from reading so many “psychological” thrillers, that fail to thrill, but I found this so predictable I didn't finish it. How far did I get with this one? Ah 23%, further than I thought, but that's it. I'm not interested enough in any of these characters to invest any more of my time.

When Megan loses her husband Rick in a car accident, she takes in a pregnant woman, Emily, who says she is Rick's long estranged sister running from an abusive relationship. Little does Megan realize, however, that Emily has other tricks up her sleeve to have Megan take care of her and her unborn baby.

I liked that in the middle of the book, Megan reveal herself to be something the reader does not expect. I also was intrigued that a third person, a woman who has taken care of Megan all her life, intervenes at the end to change the ending of the story.

The plot twists and character twists make this a very good suspense read.

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.

I enjoyed this. It’s an easy read and has a big twist at the end which I didn’t see coming. It’s well written and the plot flows along nicely.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. A gripping psychological thriller that was full of mystery and unexpected surprises. The story is told from different POV’s but flows brilliantly and flawlessly. Joanne Ryan never disappoints and this new book is just as entertaining as her previous books. A well written domestic thriller that had me hooked from the start. Highly recommend.

A slow build up to a gripping story, this is the great thing about Netgalley that it introduces the reader to new authors and I will be checking out other books by the author, so back to this one, none of the characters were particularly pleasant but that added to the storyline and the ending surprised me as I could see it finishing differently. A definite 5 star rating for me.

#TheSisterInLaw #NetGalley
I loved it.
The Sister-in-Law is a gripping psychological thriller that explores grief, deception, and the unraveling of trust. The novel begins with Megan, reeling from the sudden loss of her husband, Rick, in a car accident. Left in a void of silence and heartbreak, Megan’s world takes an unexpected turn when she meets Emily, a heavily pregnant woman who claims to be Rick’s long-lost sister. Emily’s arrival is both comforting and unsettling. Her tragic sobs and heartfelt stories about her search for Rick strike a chord with Megan, who is desperate for connection. Offering Emily a place to stay in her home seems like an act of kindness, but it quickly turns into something much darker. Emily’s increasing presence in Megan’s life brings both companionship and unease, and her motives slowly become questionable. Ryan masterfully builds suspense, creating a narrative that keeps the reader second-guessing every action and conversation. The juxtaposition of Megan’s vulnerability with Emily’s seemingly innocent demeanor fuels a tension that intensifies with each chapter. The author delves deep into the complexities of grief, highlighting how it can blur judgment and make one susceptible to manipulation. The strength of the book lies in its character development. Megan is relatable in her sorrow, and her journey through mourning feels raw and authentic. Emily, on the other hand, is an enigma—her charm masks layers of secrets that unravel at a perfectly measured pace. The twists are well-executed, leading to a chilling climax that leaves readers questioning loyalty, identity, and the consequences of opening one’s heart to a stranger.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me an advance copy.

The Sister-in-Law is a cat and mouse game of a book. Megan has lost her husband in a car accident that may not have been an accident. She knows they were fighting over the wheel of the car, and she was the one who walked away. Her husband's family has never been in their lives, and she is pleased to meet her sister-in-law at the funeral. Will this unexpected family member turn into a blessing or curse for Megan?

Very enjoyable read, I was vested to learn more about Megan's life and her husband's accident and how she would move on. I liked the dual point of views from Megan and Emily (the sister-in-law). The little surprises throughout the book kept it a very interesting read.

THE SISTER IN LAW BY JOANNE RYAN.
Release date set for the 27th of January 2025.
I found this book started off a little bit too slow for my liking but then it turned into a fast paced book the second half of the book.
I didn't want to put the book down once it picked up and ended up really enjoying it.
My first book by this author and ill deffo check out her others.

I couldn't turn the pages fast enough... twists and turns that will knock your socks off, this is a gloriously wicked must-read!

The twists do not stop. The reader is deceived again and again! If you think you have it all figured out, think again! I’d highly recommend this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!

I really enjoyed this as a psychological thriller novel, it had that feel that I was hoping from the description. It had great characters going on through this and as engaged with what was happening. Joanne Ryan wrote this well and left me wanting more.

I absolutely loved The Sister-in-Law!! Told from the POV of Megan who's just lost her husband in an accident, and Emily, his pregant long-lost sister who suddenly appears at his funeral, it gives a great insight into both of their minds. I have to say I thought Megan was annoying, too naive and downright dumb, so I loved Emily's POV! I thought I had the twist figured out but obviously I was wrong. The plot is diabolical!!! A solid 5 star read!!

I really enjoyed how twisty and unexpected this was! I spent the entire book thinking it was going one way and then kept getting hit with surprises that I didn’t see coming. It’s got a bit of unreliable narrator with the dual POV and you can’t trust what one of them is saying.

I really liked that the ending fully explained things and everyone got what they deserved. My first by this author but will definitely read more!

Thank you for the ARC!!

This book was a good read . The only thing is sometimes nearly a whole chapter is repeated which I found a little boring . The storyline is really good and I wasn't expecting the ending worth a read .

Thank you to NetGalley and. Boldwood. Books for this ARC. Of. The sister-in law by Joanne. Ryan.

This book started off with a bang, then was really slow and then.another bang!

Rick and Megan are in the car together when their car goes off the road into the water. Megan wakes up in the hospital where she finds that her husband is dead. Fast forward to the wake where her sister in law, Emily, whom she has never met, arrives.

Is Emily who she says she is?

Grab this book if you want rollercoaster of a ride. I do have to say I figured out what was going on right away which is why I am giving it a three.

What a brilliant read this was from a new author for me, just great storytelling with well described characters.

I was on the edge of my seat throughout and what an amazing ending, everything brought to a satisfactory conclusion, so well written

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Megan loses her husband in a tragic accident and is approached by a woman claiming to be his sister at the funeral; the woman is really his pregnant mistress. You feel for Megan as she is taken advantage of by this woman. I really thought I had knew how this would end, but I didn’t anticipate the twist that came. The ending wasn’t my favorite; I wanted more, but I will definitely be reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC of this book!