A new author for me which excites me as I see she has a number of other books out before "The Mother In Law".
Karen writes romantic stories, her eleventh novel recently published and "The Mother In Law" is her third psychological thriller.
We meet Dana and her fiancé Sam in this story. A whirlwind romance with a wedding planned for six months later. They are in love and both looking forward to their life together.
But of course not everyone is happy about their relationship and the speed at which everything is happening. Sam's parents seem happy and Dana's friend is supportive but when small little accidents start happening Dana, she begins to wonder is someone out to stop their marriage and split them up before they have even started.
I myself am blessed with the most wonderful mother in law so I despaired for Dana.
Not having her own parents in her life, it is important for her that she builds a nice relationship with Sam's parents.
She feels slightly vulnerable as it is with the difference in their lifestyles.
Sam's family are rich and live a comfortable life where Dana is used to saving and being somewhat frugal with her money.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read I must say.
Quick paced, short on pages but the author tells her story well.
The tension is palpable and I held my breath a number of times wondering what would happen next to Dana.
I felt myself at times almost shouting at my kindle "get out, run for your life".
And as I turned each page towards the final half of the book I wondered how on earth it was all going to come to a head...
Well worth your time...

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Mother-In-Law' by Karen King.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Karen King, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 29th July 2022.

This is the third book I have read by this author. I have previously read Karen's 'The Stranger In My Bed' and 'The Perfect Stepmother' which I would also recommend reading.

I was originally drawn to this book by its interesting eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'An absolutely thrilling and gripping psychological suspense novel, perfect for fans of Shalini Boland, Shari Lapena, and The Woman in the Window.' I am a huge fan of Shalini and Shari so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a fan of Karen and if this is as good as 'The Stranger In My Bed' and 'The Perfect Stepmother' it is sure to be a gorgeous read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 48 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited and had holidays on England on several occasions so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise anywhere that Karen has based the book on.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Dana Wynters. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.

Wow!!! Well fair play the first thing I must say is congratulations to Karen King on another HUGE success!! Absolutely fantastic!! I never did work out what was happening and that is quite a feat considering it is quite hard to shock me now thay I have read so many suspense and thrillers yet I never did see that coming!! Anyway on with my review....

As you can tell from the above I loved it!!! This book is very well and smoothly written it just drags you straight into the storyline and keeps you in there under you have finished. It is fast paced and includes some excellent subjects which I won't go into as I don't want to give anything away. A true page turner, this book has an absolutely compelling with an addictive storyline that kept me guessing throughout. I was continuously questioning who was doing what and who the. I loved the ending and thought it fitted perfectly. The storyline is realistic and believable making it easy to picture what is going on. Great descriptions throughout the book really put the readers in the story and gives them a good feeling of what is going on. Filled with suspense and tension this book is one must read psychological thriller!!

It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

The characters were very realistic and well rounded and again their personalities reflected the storyline and how they would act, etc perfectly. The narration gave a really good in depth view of how Dana was feeling. It was like she was telling me her story over a cup of tea and it made the hairs on my arms raise when certain events were happening. It is very thought provoking and makes the reader question what they would do in that situation. I really felt sorry for a certain character when I found out what was going on and what had happened but at the same time I also knew they weren't innocent. I was absolutely shocked when one of the characters true personality came to light and it took me a while to believe it even though I was "seeing" it happening myself. However I can't say too much due to not wanting to give anything away. Needless to say I was completely invested in both Dana and the storyline.

I am looking forward to reading more psychological thrillers by this very talented author. Going from romances to psychological thrillers cannot have been an easy feat but you absolutely smashed it!!

Well done Karen on yet another fantastic, gripping book!! This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors!! Here's to your next success 🥂

Overall a page turning, gripping and addictive psychological thriller that will have your heart racing.

Genres covered in this novel include Thriller, Noir Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Fiction, Mystery, Women's Psychological Fiction and Psychological Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Shari Lapena, Sheryl Browne, Sam Hepburn, Shalini Boland,'The Woman in the Window' and anyone looking for a psychological thriller with a twist you won't see coming!!


285 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle or free on kindle unlimited (at time of purpose) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The Mother-in-Law by Karen King from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I was very excited to read this one as who doesn't like to read a book about their Mother in Law? :) Needless to say, I was unable to put this book down as it's really fast paced, and a gripping story line that will keep you engaged through the entire book. Let me tell you there were so many twists and turns that at times you will find yourself gasping and wondering if you really read that. Great book and I highly recommend that you read this right away.

My third book by Karen King, The Mother-in-Law opens with an intriguing exchange between Lynne and Dana Wynters (soon-to-be Corbett) on Dana's wedding day as the two drink champagne. Her soon-to-be husband, Sam, is the sole son of a wealthy, well-known family; Sam's father is Harold and Evelyn is his mum.

The prologue sets the tone for the story very well. This cracking read positively whizzes along and I was certainly kept on my toes. The surprises and shocks are in plentiful supply while I was led down one avenue and then another. The ending was a good one in this compelling family drama-style psychological thriller. The Mother-in-Law is a great tale I highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

BOOKWORMS REVIEW:
Firstly this book had a great start. You'll read it and think I definitely want to see what plays out here! It starts with the wedding of the main characters Sam and Dana,she's glowing at her wedding day,she's setting the scene for us and her happiness radiates through the pages. Then something awful happens and we're transported back 6 months to when she and Sam met....and so it continues.

Sam and Dana are crazy about each other. After a whirlwind courtship following an accidental meeting they've been inseparable and got engaged after 4 months.
At first meeting her in-laws seemed fine. They were very welcoming but Dana notices little jibes and digs here and there.
Soon Dana realises Evelyn- her Mother in law, wishes Sam had settled down with someone like Tamara,from his past. Evelyn still holds out hope as she and Tamara are still close.

Before they marry they move in with Evelyn & Harold to save for their own home. Ridiculous and then downright dangerous things start happening,and Dana is convinced Evelyn is out to ruin her relationship with Sam,if not actually endanger Dana's life..but she's made to feel crazy.

There is however more to this family than meets the eye. This story is quite typical of the usual Mother in law stories we've read,it follows the formula (think of the movie Monster in law with Jane Fonda)....bar one thing..there's a twist near the end that turns the whole thing on its head! I most certainly didn't see it coming..but it's a great touch to the book. I enjoyed the book on the whole..and would recommend a read.
With thanks to Karen King,@Bookouture,and Netgalley for an arc in return for an honest review.
BOOKWORMS RATING: 📕📕📕📕

The premise of this story tends to be one that is somewhat overdone, predictable. I was feeling this way at some points of the book, but the ending totally redeemed it for me. It was a fast read, kept me hooked, and the end had a twist I did not see coming! This was a nice palate cleanser and I would recommend it to a friend. Thank you netgalley <3

This is the first novel I have read by this author and I will definitely be reading more of her work. The plot was well written with red herrings to make it difficult to know who to trust - if anyone. The author made it easy to dislike many of the characters and make the reader sympathetic to Dana, the bride. The book was fast paced with short chapters, making it easy to keep reading "one more chapter". I found myself anticipating what I thought would happen next and wanted to read to see if I was correct. This was a fun, fast read.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Bookoutre for an ARC of #TheMotherinLaw by #KarenKing - 4 stars.

This is a very fast paced thriller with some good characterisation, but the love story was pretty boring and the tension never really had the time to properly build. A reasonable read, but not one I'd come back to.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is how you write a tense battle of wills. Right from the start you know things have gone horribly wrong for bride Dana……

Having no real family of her own she has perhaps rushed into marriage with Sam and living with future in-laws Harold and Evelyn. At times she screams desperate and I was urging her to leave the home of the crazy lady. It starts off with snide little comments and bringing in family friend Tamara to push her insecurities before escalating in accidents that could prove deadly. While meek, mild mannered or possibly hen pecked Harold hovers in the background doing as he’s told.

It is so well done and Evelyn is written to perfection as the mother in law from hell. Poor groom Sam is stuck in the middle loving both his mother and bride to be. I flew through this book itching to see how low Evelyn would stoop with the help of Tamara. I mean as if Tamara wearing a white dress to their wedding wasn’t bad enough! But when it goes back to before the wedding that seemed positively nice of her.

My only critique is the ending, which I understand gave the twist but I kind of hoped for a different outcome. But that’s just the twisted little reader I am!

Dana can't wait to marry Sam. But little accidents keep occuring and it seems someone doesn't want Dana to be around for the wedding day. All evidence seems to point to Sam's mother....

The annoying mother in law storyline can sometimes feel repetitive and it's always crazy to read about lengths some mother in laws will go to, to get their own way. With short chapters that leave you hanging and wanting to read on, I was able to finish this book fairly quickly. An engrossing and satisfying read, would recommend!

I enjoyed this book. I can not wait for more! Thanks to publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book!

This is a different genre to what I usually read but have enjoyed Karen's previous romance books, decided to give it a try. I was blown away by her writing style and enjoyed the book very much.

The premise of this story is one that has been written so many times before, but there are always small things that will make a story different and more interesting than others.

And here we get it right at the beginning when the prologue sets the tone for what's to come later in the novel.

A mother-in-law can be seen as mean and untrustworthy, within reasons. She will only want what's best for her child and not settle for anything less.

The story is woven in a manner that makes you doubt all characters at one point or another. And I must admit that while I thought I had it all solved and knew what the next steps will bring, I found myself intrigued by some of the unpredictable twists.

I can't say that I got to get close or feel sympathy for any of them in the end. Some cheesy scenes were definitely on the spot for the romance part.

Overall, it's an enjoyable read that many will love and find it entertaining.

🆓📖Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy and blog tour spot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a good thriller. Somewhat predictable and easy read but I enjoyed it. I’ve read other books by this author and never been disappointed.

This was an enjoyable psychological thriller. I did start to work it out along the way and it wrapped up with a good ending

I've read several of King's books before and they've never disappointed, so was delighted to be taking part in the tour for The Mother in Law.

Fast paced from beginning to end, full of suspense and kept me flipping the pages until the early hours as I couldn't put it down and needed to know who was terrorising poor Dana.

The characters were credible, flawed and before I'd finished the book I think I'd had them all down as suspects.

With twists and turns aplenty and the big reveal at the end I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent at the family home and can't wait to read more from King.

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in a day.

The story is about Dana and Sam, a couple in love after a whirlwind romance and wanting to get married. But things suddenly begin happening to Dana, falls, injuries, illness. Could they really all be just accidents, or does her mother-in-law to be actually mean her harm?

I love books like this, where you never quite know who to believe. The underlying menace was deliciously present throughout and the characters were suitably believable, yet seemingly untrustworthy at the same time. Some sneaky red herrings were also thrown in, meaning I didn't guess whodunit, always a bonus to me!

Definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys domestic type psychological thrillers. I'm looking forward to Karen King's next book.

Thanks to the author, Karen King, publishers Bookouture and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dana meets Sam unexpectedly one day and they realise they just click and soon become an item and turn their attention to getting married but Dana hasn’t taken into account her soon to be mother-in-law from hell Evelyn and her husband Harold who seems one of the quiet one of the two.And when they are forced to move in with Sam’s parents Dana feels increasingly like someone is out to harm her, and throw into the mix Sam’s childhood friend Tamara who clearly dislikes Dana and what you get is a book that I couldn’t put down and it’s full of intrigue and kept me guessing until the final few chapters.This is the first book I’ve read from Karen King and if this is anything to go by it won’t be my last it really was that good.It’s a great 5 star read which I recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this free ePub in exchange for my honest feedback!

The Mother-in-Law tells the story of Dana and her soon-to-be husband, Sam. They have a rom-com level meet cute outside a cafe one day, and their whirlwind romance turns into an engagement in just a few short months. Dana has no family after being orphaned at a young age, and she is so excited to marry Sam and become part of his family. Dana quickly realizes after meeting his friends and family that they do not accept her, and they are great at keeping it all from Sam and making her look absolutely insane.

I've never had a mother-in-law, but I thought this book's premise was intriguing. Unfortunately, the author did not hit the mark on this one. Every single chapter was identical and repetitive, something weird/invasive/dangerous would happen with one of the parents, Dana tried to rationalize what was happening, somehow she always turned out to be the bad guy, she and Sam would argue, and then they would make up and say, "well at the least the wedding is soon in __ days/weeks/months!" And then a new chapter would start over with the exact same thing, and I just kept thinking to myself - wait haven't I read this before? I also thought that Dana the "protagonist" was absolutely insufferable and if I was Sam's mom I would probably be trying to get the wedding called off to save him from marrying her.

Dana is practically alone in the world. Her parents died when she was young and the company she worked for has just closed its doors. She's on her way to a job interview when she meets Sam and falls in love. He's wealthy and gorgeous, the man of her dreams. Then she meets his mother and things start to go downhill. I had a hard time getting caught up in the plot of this one. Dana never feels like an adult, let alone a strong protagonist. (Honestly, she lost me when she got extremely upset because her steak was too rare.)