I received an ARC copy of this book and it was my first book by this author and it's left me wanting to read all her other books. It kept me on my toes and when I thought I had things figured out it turns out I did not ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a cat & mouse type mystery/ thriller. It was a quick and easy read. I enjoyed the plot of this book, but I did find a few things a bit OTT. I was still engaged and I actually did not guess the ending!

Gina is meeting her boyfriend Owen’s parents for the first time but it soon becomes clear that they know alot about each other already.

Although I found the storyline to be ok, I really didn’t like Marta as a character at all and I found her parts rather cringey. It was a quick read with short sharp chapters with a slow drawn out build up until the ending which was quite good.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Such a good book!

Gina and Owen have been dating for 7 weeks when Owen asks Gina to go home with him to meet his parents. They’ve fallen head over heels for eachother so meeting the parents is a big deal!

Grant & Marta (Owen’s parents) are not what they seem. Marta despises Gina and Grant seems aggressive and secretive. What will the weekend hold for them all?!

This story was one that kept me wanting more! A fabulous thriller that will keep you intrigued and interested until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Meet the parents will be available for purchase 8/28/24.

Loved this thriller. I had suspicions and the storyline kept my on my toes. I love that it didn’t go back and forth too much and the dual POV is perfectly fitting. The author perfected an epilogue that wanted me wanting more.

Podcast will be live August 24.

I was excited to read Meet the Parents. The minute I saw it was by Emily Shiner, I was in. The cover is also intriguing.

Gina and Owen have been together for a mere 7 weeks. They are already so head over heals in love, that it's time for Gina to "Meet the Parents"! So Gina and Owen take a trip to visit Owen's parents. It was supposed to be a little cabin in the woods, at least from what Gina understood, but upon arriving Gina is taken by surprise by this amazing mini-mansion of a house!

All-the-while, Gina is haunted by her past. There is a connection between Owen, his parents, and Gina's past. There is constant tension in the air. Marta, Owen's mother, seems to be a bit obsessed with her son, constantly pointing out the incredible bond they have. Owen is also very close with his father, Grant. Why are Marta and Grant constantly testing and challenging Gina? ...and why does Gina seem to being doing the same in return? Read and find out!

This book will make you tense, build your curiosity, and keep you guessing. The ending will certainly throw you for a loop!

Wow so this dark thriller had me on the edge of my seat not knowing who was the bad person in the story and what actually happened when Gina was a young child. As she sets off to meet her boyfriends parents little do they know that she knows exactly who they are and is there for answers, however it appears they also know who she is and have also been organising it so that she ended up exactly where she is now. Should they be scared or should she and what exactly happened all those years ago.

Gina and Owen have only been dating for seven weeks when Owen a renowned heart surgeon decides to bring Gina home to meet his parents because their whirlwind romance has been heading towards wedding bells and fast. Marta and Grant Whitlock adore their son and have never met any of his previous girlfriends so they are very intrigued to meet Gina but Marta strongly dislikes Gina from the moment they meet and Gina does everything in her power to win the women over. Do you believe in fate, or was this chance meeting the result of a tragedy that happened twenty years ago?

Meet the Parents by Emily Shiner was freaking mind blowing. It kept me entertained as well as wanting to see as what would happened next. Very fast paced. Marta definitely borders creepy, incestuous and obsessive. Grant pretends to be the caring, innocent father and then his true character starts to come through. But then is Owen who he says he is?!

Thank you Bookouture for letting me get this ARC!

This pov was such a pageturner full of suspence and tention. The characters were. Well written and I loved the way the story evolved as did the characters . The true nature of revenge was skillfully revealed as the story played out. The ending was perfect loved th.e twists. This story was focused on the female pov Gina the girlfriend and Martha the mother. I would love a few chapters from grants point of view and owens. Their story was told via their interactions with the women.
This was a joy to read I was gripped to find out the truth there were so many questions and a lot
made the story more prevailing. . This is pwrfect for anyone who loves a goid thriller . Highly recommended. Thank you netgallery and publisher and author for this 5 star read. It felt a quick read.

Now this was a psychological thriller I couldn't put down. Right from the start the pacing and introductions of each character is perfectly laid out, with twists and a backstory that kept me page-turning nonstop! The secluded location just made this book way more eerie as the more we learn about Ginas backstory and the house she's in. Fun and twisted thriller that would be great on paperback!

MEET THE PARENTS by Emily Shiner
⭐️ rating: 7/10

read if you like:
👩‍❤️‍👨 romantic thrillers
💁🏻‍♀️ disapproving parent tropes
⏰ past and present narratives

summary:
This book is about Gina, a seemingly perfect girlfriend of Owen’s, when the two of them head to Owen’s parents house for the weekend. Immediately upon arrival (and I mean immediate), tensions arise between Gina and Owen’s parents, Marta and Grant. While both sides are harboring long buried secrets, the question is — why does Gina want to meet Owen’s parents? And why do Owen’s parents hate Gina so much?

This book gets off to a VERY quick start — almost abruptly so, so much that I thought I had missed a chapter or at least a few pages. The good part though is it hits the ground running and takes very little time to get hooked. It’s clear from the very early pages that both Gina and Marta have their secrets, but it’s hard to tell whose side to be on, or who we should consider to be the protagonist. This makes the book feel a little choppy, because I was constantly asking myself, “wait am I supposed to love her or hate her?” Both characters are interesting though, and even though it’s hard to know who to trust, I kept reading so I could learn what secrets they were hiding and how their pasts seemingly intersected. About halfway through the book, I started to put the pieces together of what happened, and the story has a slow burn predictable reveal until a total curveball drops at the end. It’s a rollercoaster but I promise no matter how predictable it feels, it ends with a stunning twist!

Thanks to @bookouture and @netgalley for the ARC, and check this book out when it releases on August 28!

Owen has a beautiful girlfriend, Gina is perfect for him in every way. But Owen has secrets.
Gina loves Owen, and looks forward to her life with him. Marriage is on the cards and Gina is happy with that, even though it wasn't part of her plans. The weekend at Owens parents home was part of Ginas plans, as Gina knows about Owens parents, their past, and what they are capable of.
Marta and Grant have secrets and plans of their own. These plans include their son, Owen, and girlfriend, Gina. They are looking forward to the weekend when Owen brings Gina, to visit. This weekend, with all it's secrets and plans will have an explosive ending, and not everyone will make it out alive.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat, I just could not put it down. On almost every page, a new twist to the plot was revealed, and I never saw the ending coming. An addictive read.

I DEVOURED this book. It had me hooked from the first page to the last. There were some instances where I felt there was some annoying repetition regarding how much she loved Owen and wasn't expecting to fall in love with him but aside from that this story was brilliant.

Having revenge planned for 20 years and finally it's time for it to come to fruition. But who's plan will make it through to the end? Not getting along with your in-laws is fairly common at first, but not on any level that Gina's relationship with Owens parents at their first meet. The twist in the epilogue made me feel like I was finishing a Freida McFadden book!

This is my second ARC from Emily Shiner and I have loved both her books! I would recommend this to someone just getting into reading or reading thrillers or someone who is a veteraned thriller lover. Excellent job Emily Shiner 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Thank you Bookotoure for allowing me to fall in love with Meet The Parents before it's release on August 28, 2024.

A little girl witnesses the murder of her aunt, a bloody and traumatizing event. Decades later she is hot on the murderers trail. The only problem is that she fell in love with his son. Will the murderer tie up loose ends or will the little girl finally avenge her aunt? In this fast paced thriller you will truly be on the edge of your seat! Every chapter offers a new development in the story to keep you wanting more. Personally, I flip flopped back and forth between who I was rooting for in this one. The dialogue can become a little monotonous but that's not a deal breaker for me. The plot twists are artfully revealed and really did have me gasping!

One thing I truly enjoyed with this book was how it all took place in one building. Except for one scene where our secondary characters go to town for a while, the whole thing takes place in the secluded home of the parents. It helped to add to the trapped feeling, especially towards the end. I honestly found myself holding my breath in anticipation of the hammer dropping,

The one thing I will say I have a bone to pick with is the very ending twist. I won't spoil anything here but I will say it feels like something the main character should've caught onto. It wasn't bad enough to make me take off a star, just enough to be a little disappointing, Overall this one was really good and I can't wait until it comes out!

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡.

Gina and Owen have made the trip to meet Owen's parents in their secluded family home. While you may expect a woman to be nervous about meeting her partner's parents, Gina's not. She's done enough surveillance to know that they are the ones.

Gina lived through something terrible in her childhood, witnessing something no child should ever have to see. And she's spent years waiting for revenge.

This book was just ok to me. I found most of the characters, especially Owen's parents to be almost comically created. They were both so over the top, especially Owen's mom Marta. The things she said and the way she treated Gina just weren't realistic.

I did figure out the twist and wasn't even surprised when I was right. I have enjoyed previous books from this author, so even though this one was a miss, I will check out her next one. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this early copy. At the time this review was written, this book was slated to publish August 28, 2024.

This book was so good! So many twists that you didn’t see coming. One of the best thrillers I have recently read. I love Emily Shiners writing style. A great face paced book. Highly recommend. Will definitely be reading more books from this author.

Thank you to Bookoture, Netgalley and Emily Shiner for an ARC copy. All opinions are my own.

Gina and Owen are in love and go to meet his parents. Gina, however, has a hidden agenda that has to deal with her aunt’s murder 20 years ago. Quick rollercoaster thriller (could have cut some of it out) had me wondering how it would play out - but, the ending I didn’t expect!

Gina and Owen have been dating for just seven weeks when he secretly decides he wants to propose to her. Before he does, he wants to take her to meet his parents - he’s very close with them, especially his mother, and this will be the first woman he’s brought home to meet them. Gina is more than happy to go…because this just so happens to be a chance to close a terrible chapter in her life.

Marta and Grant Whitlock are definitely imposing characters, with their “little cabin in the woods” that is more like a mansion, and their perfect images. Marta is homemaker supreme, never mind that her son no longer lives with her and is in his 40s. Grant is retired, no longer constantly on hectic business trips, which makes Marta happy because those trips usually ended up with extracurricular activities. Their taste is eclectic yet refined, they live for Owen and have spent their lives making sure he has the best of everything, and they are both absolutely wicked.

From the start, we see that Gina is with Owen for revenge, and that Marta knows something about Gina’s past. Though they’ve just met, they already have a horrible, and unspoken, bond - the question is, who will crack first? These women both want to kill each other, and only one will be victorious. The event that binds them is surprising, and the surprises keep coming all the way to the final page, even after the Whitaker house burns to the ground.

This was a really fun thriller - it was suspenseful with some dark humor sprinkled throughout - or maybe that was just me laughing at how deviously delicious this story is! Definitely a page-turner, this will keep you enthralled the whole way through; the story spans twenty years, but it never became disjointed or convoluted. Overall, this is a great read that most thriller readers will enjoy! Four stars.

(Thank you to Bookouture for inviting me on this book tour. “Meet The Parents” is slated to be released on August 28, 2024.)

This is the second book I’ve read by Emily and WOW! So freakin good! I could not put it down! When something happens to Gina’s aunt. She has to figure out who did it. Is or isn’t fate when she meets Owen. He decides to bring her home to meet his parent’s and things don’t go as planned. Marta is Gina’s mother and she is not a fan of Gina. Marta refuses to let Gina take Owen away from her. Owen’s parents have an odd relationship. Her husband Grant is not a good guy and Gina knows that. I was really rooting for Owen but he’s not as nice as you think he is. He’s a pretty gross/terrible person. So many secrets!! Who will make it out of the house alive? I was honestly on the edge of my seat the entire time and my heart was racing. It just got better each chapter. I honestly wasn’t expecting it to end the way it did. I would definitely recommend this book. I’m looking forward to reading more books by Emily. Thank you NetGalley, Emily and Bookouture for the ARC!

Meet the Parents is not your typical psychological twisty novel. Emily writes suspense superbly, I've never read a book that has left me feeling like I need a heart rate monitor as much as this book has! It's an easy read with every other chapter leaving you with questions and on tenterhooks.

The writing style and premise of the book are comparable to Freida McFadden. I really enjoyed the pace of the book and found it gripping and always wanting more. It was really difficult to put down.

The story is told through the perspective of the two female main characters and there are several time jumps to give you back stories which I really liked.

Emily Shiner is an author I won't forget!

I was kindly given this book as an ARC from Netgalley.