Very easy read with a simplistic storyline. The book is written from two points of view; Megan and Emily. Megan just endured the tragic loss of her husband, Rick. At Rick's funeral, Emily shows up pretending to be his long-lost sister.

Megan portrays herself to be a giving and gullible, trusting person, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Emily is annoyed by Megan's attentiveness but has zero issues with taking advantage of her.

I found the second half of the book to be very repetitive, with the story being told from two points of view. I figured out the main plot twist but can honestly say I was surprised by the last chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Sister-in-Law’ written by Joanne Ryan in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Megan and her husband her husband Rick are driving home in pouring rain when their car leaves the road and plunges into a flooded river, Rick drowning while Megan manages to escape and is rescued. During Rick’s funeral a heavily pregnant young woman approaches Megan introducing herself as Rick’s sister Emily. Megan feels sorry for her and offers to let her stay in her home until she’s able to find herself accommodation.

‘The Sister-in-Law’ is a psychological thriller of two women who are sharing the same house but neither of them can be trusted. I was intrigued by the plot that was told in alternate chapters by Megan and Emily, and there was plenty of suspense and drama to keep me gripped. But as the twists kept piling up I wasn’t prepared for the final huge twist near to the end that took me completely by surprise and wasn’t how I’d expected the story to conclude. This was an entertaining thriller kept me involved throughout and was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Megan wakes up in hospital with vague memories of fighting over the steering wheel with her husband. The car had gone into the water. Her husband, Rick, died. At the funeral, Megan meets Rick's estranged sister, Emily. Emily is pregnant and moves in with Megan. As Megan gets to know Emily, she notices she has some worrying traits.

This story is told from Megan and Emily's perspectives. The characters are well-developed, but they both have secrets. Megan kis quite vulnerable, Emily is controlling. This is a gripping, tense and twisted read. The plot builds slowly. This is an easy read. I loved the ending.

Published 27th January 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #JoanneRyan for my ARC of #TheSisterInLaw in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Boldwood and NetGalley for this ARC! When Megan married barely a year losses her husband Ricky in a car accident she is devastated. At his funeral a very pregnant woman shows up claiming she his estranged sister Emily. After the funeral Megan invites Emily to come stay with her till she gets situated in town. Told between the two women’s POV, the story unfolds. A good addictive read but gets a wee bit repetitive with both women retelling the same situation as they see it. Great twist at the end!

This book starts with a tragic accident, Megan has just lost her husband in a car accident, at the funeral his sister turns up pregnant and Megan wants to help. This is a twisty thriller that really heats up at the end. I really liked this plot, it’s a well written book with a twist. A 5 star read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Loved this book. Picked it up by recommendation and so glad I did. I was engrossed from the first pages and could not put it down. It was really well written and keeps you totally absorbed in the story. Loved the ending, really didn’t see that coming. Will certainly look out for future Joanne Ryan books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of The Sister-in-Law by Joanne Ryan. This book fell a little bit short for me. It was a quick and easy read and kept me engaged while I was reading it but I wasn't totally engrossed in it. It was entertaining enough that I would recommend this book to others, but it won't be my top pick for 2025. The ending was unexpected for me so that alone is a plus. A 3 star rating from me.

This book is so good!!! Brilliantly written and has certainly kept me on the edge of my seat. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Thabk you for allowing me the opportunity xx

WOW!
This was the first book I've read of Joanne Ryan's but it certainly won't be the last!
It had an extremely gripping storyline from the very beginning & a few phenomenal twists! 5stars!

Basically, the wife of the late husband unexpectedly sees her sister-in-law at his funeral. However the sister-in-law is not who she says she is. More to that she is carrying her late husband's child.

I did not expect the twists and turns in this book. For a mystery book it is quite okay. I feel like I lost the plot when there was all this talk about the baby. I kind of expected more from the book. But maybe that was the author's intention, to keep you guessing and to not reveal much until the end. I would maybe add in another plot twist or something that would grab the audience's attention while they were talking about the baby.
Maybe I'm also not the right audience for this book either, that could be a factor in my decision as well.

Thank you to the publishers and author for sending me this copy. I hope you take my review into consideration.

Megan awakens in a hospital bed, only to discover that her husband has tragically passed away in the accident she miraculously survived. Despite the immense pain and grief she feels, she recognizes the urgent need to move forward with her life.

When a stranger approaches her, Megan is shocked to learn that the woman is Rick’s sister. Emily introduces herself and reveals that despite their years-long estrangement, she’s always wanted to reconnect with her brother. Now that it’s too late, she’s eager to get to know Emily. As Megan starts to get to know her, she begins to notice some concerning behaviors in Emily. However, she might be even more shocked when she discovers the true extent of Emily’s issues.

Knowing that this was a psychological thriller didn’t prepare me for the unexpected twists that unfolded as I read this captivating novel. It’s one of those books that you simply can’t put down.

Many thanks to Boldwood Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Joanne Ryan’s The Sister-in-Law is a psychological thriller that weaves a tale of grief, mystery, and betrayal. The story begins with Megan, a newly widowed woman struggling to cope with the loss of her husband in a tragic crash. At her husband’s service, a mysterious figure from the past arrives—a long-lost sister-in-law who has been absent for years. This unexpected reappearance sets off a chain of events that draws Megan into a whirlwind of confusion and suspicion.

The sister-in-law’s story is filled with inconsistencies and unanswered questions, which only adds to the tension as Megan tries to piece together the puzzle of her late husband’s life and her family’s secrets. Ryan masterfully constructs a narrative that keeps readers on edge, as new twists and turns emerge that challenge everything Megan thought she knew about those closest to her.

One of the most compelling aspects of The Sister-in-Law is Ryan’s ability to keep readers guessing. There are moments when the story becomes so intricately layered that a second or third read is necessary to fully understand the details and connections between the characters. This complexity is part of what makes the novel so engaging—Ryan doesn’t spoon-feed the answers but rather challenges the reader to question the motivations and truths behind every interaction.

The pacing of the novel is carefully executed, with Ryan gradually revealing crucial information while maintaining an air of suspense throughout. Megan’s emotional journey is relatable, and her internal struggle as she uncovers dark truths about her husband’s past resonates deeply. The twists in the story come fast and furiously, culminating in an explosive ending that leaves a lasting impression.

However, the plot does have its flaws. The sister-in-law’s narrative, while intriguing, occasionally feels too vague and convoluted, leaving the reader frustrated by the lack of clarity. Some plot points, though intentionally mysterious, might leave certain readers feeling a bit lost in the intricate web Ryan weaves.

Overall, The Sister-in-Law is a gripping psychological thriller that delves deep into themes of family, secrets, and the complexities of grief. Ryan’s storytelling is engaging, and the novel offers plenty of twists to keep readers hooked, though it may require more than one read to catch all of its nuances. Fans of suspenseful, twist-filled dramas will find The Sister-in-Law a thrilling, albeit challenging, read.

yeah, this was not for me. The main characters actions were recounted in excruciating detail, like instead of saying "she made a cup of tea", each step of the process was described, from taking the cup from the dishwasher, removing the teabag from the caddy etc etc etc etc. The characters were not great either.

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was messy. It started out fast-paced, and though I knew I’d figured out one of the twists before even starting to read it, I decided to give it a go anyway.
Emily was so childish and ridiculous. Her chapters read like a teenager’s stream of consciousness and she had absolutely no redeeming qualities. Megan came off as aloof and totally checked out and I had a hard time believing she could just go with Emily’s story of being Rick’s long lost sister.
There was so much repetition that the plot often felt like it was running in place. Some of the events were so irrelevant and unbelievable that I found myself rolling my eyes pretty often.
This book could use some heavy editing and more of a streamlined plot.

Sadly this thriller despite sounding ideal was not for me. It has many aspects in that I really don't enjoy in a book. Firstly the main character, I need to like them, to route for them and also be able to believe what I'm reading about then rather than at the end of the book realising that as a reader, we're being misled. Secondly, I realise that it's good to have a 2 person's narrative, but the swapping between our main character and her "sister in law" were very repetitive so quite unnecessary. Finally, it doesn't feel like a thriller, we're told basically whats going on the whole time, no suspense other than right at the end which was pretty obvious really, along with a few questions unanswered.
Thank u #NetGalley but not for me this time. I give 3 stars for the idea and ease of reading but just not the plot.

The book has something that make you excited to read till the end but still something that makes me also angry and annoyed. This means that the main actors are perfectly portrayed with their all attributes.
The domestic thriller and the drama about fake love , wrong expectations and dreamy bubble views about real problems .
Well done !

When Megan's husband Rick is killed in a car accident, she is bereft, and so when Rick's heavily pregnant sister, Emily, turns up at his funeral, having escaped an abusive relationship, Megan is happy to meet someone who can help her hold on to her connection to Rick. But both Megan and Emily have secrets and they find themselves caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Neither of the women are very likeable and I couldn't decide who to root for, changing my mind several times while the brilliant plot played out to a shocking conclusion with some superb and very unexpected twists.

The story is told from the POV of the two women and I did find the retelling of the same events by both of their perspectives too repetitive as there wasn't any difference aside from their own internal voices, trying to outwit their opponent. Other than that, it's a great read!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Joanne Ryan and Boldwood for an ARC in return for an honest review.

What a cool twisty tale! Creepy in parts, thrilling in others - I’m not a huge fan of psychological thrillers but this one was great!

The story kept me interested pretty quickly. I didn't see the ending coming. However I feel like there's some loose ends.

This book begins with a tragic car accident, setting the perfect tone for this thriller. A couple were on their way home, they were going too fast, then their car went off the road and plunged into a river. Only one of them survived…Megan wakes up in the hospital with some scrapes and bruises, but her husband Rick didn’t make it.

Megan doesn’t know what to do with herself. Her parents are gone, his parents are gone, and her closest friend is her dead mother’s best friend, Elaine. Elaine and her husband Keith promised to always watch over Megan, and though she’s heading towards thirty, she’s glad to have them in her corner as they set up the funeral arrangements and make sure Megan is taking care of herself.

At the funeral, as we know from the synopsis, Megan sees a very pregnant young woman. The woman approaches Megan and introduces herself - she’s Emily, Rick’s estranged sister, and she read the news of his death and came to pay her respects. Rick did have a sister he hadn’t seen in many years, and Megan is not wanting to be alone in the house they shared. After talking to Emily, she finds out that the young woman has left an abusive relationship and has been living in a hotel, but is running out of money. Megan invites Emily to come live with her, at least until the baby is born and Emily can get government assistance. They’re family - and family helps family.

Then, as expected, things get crazy. Emily turns out to be a slob who doesn’t mind mooching off her sister-in-law, but Megan is doing her best to help the young woman in honor of her dead husband. This books starts off being from Megan’s point of view, but when it switches to Emily’s, the reader is in for quite a few shocks. The book bounces back and forth between the two women as the story rolls along, and it’s all very entertaining. I can’t think of much I’d change about this dark yet fun novel! 4.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Boldwood Books, Joanne Ryan and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on January 27, 2025.)