Overall: 2.5⭐️

To preface, I'd like to note that I was initially super excited to read this book because I am a domestic thriller girlie, through and through. Anything that has to do with domestic thrillers, complicated relationships between an FMC and her husband/boyfriend, and hair raising family dynamics, are my jam. Unfortunately, as someone who spent the previous year reading nothing but thrillers, this book did not meet my expectations, despite the novel premise that originally drew my interest.

Beginning this review with our FMC... I have truly never been more angry at the stupidity of a main character before in my life. She knowingly puts herself in harms way time and time again, despite knowing EXACTLY what the most dangerous situation and outcome is and having literally all the knowledge available at her disposal. Not only does this happen recurrently throughout the book, she also shows all of her cards / tells the main antagonists that she's onto them and their shady plans from the very beginning.

I also did not like how we were told the plot of the entire book within the first 3 chapters. By the time chapter 3 was done, we knew a) how the book was going to end, b) could deduce what the main plotline of the story would be, and c) nothing throughout the rest of the book came as a surprise. There was so MUCH POTENTIAL that was squandered, and the author definitely could have built the tension gradually over time without info dumping every single character's main motivations (including spoilers for their own plotlines) in the first three chapters.

Lastly, I found Marta and Grant to be incredibly one dimensional and the dialogue stilted and unnatural. Marta was the stereotypical, emotionally incestuous, overbearing boy mom and Grant, a shady father who clearly had something to hide. I think the story would have benefited from Marta not being such an OTT (over-the-top) caricature, and I wish her her cunning nature and cruelty had been more gradually demonstrated over time. There were so many moments where her interactions with Gina could have been more nuanced in a way that left both Gina AND the reader truly guessing, but instead she was relegated to stereotypically childish quips in exchanges with her son's girlfriend, and cringey predictable lines.

Overall, I'm super disappointed and was not at all shocked by the twist, especially considering all signs pointed in that direction throughout the entirety of the book. Nothing was left to the imagination, and as someone who reads thrillers with the hope of ending the book totally mindf*ked... that's the whole problem.

A fast read with a riveting plot but the writing was repetitious with a bare bones style. A few scenes took me out of the story, like when the main character threw up because her cell phone charger was missing and she made stupid choices, like going off alone with a known predator. The ending was great with several twists.

this story follows Gina And Owen who have been dating for awhile and Owen decides to take Gina to meet his parents. He is very close with his mother Marta . His parents are Marta and Grant who have this sorta cabin in the woods vibes but it’s a mansion Gina just wants to start fresh and close the bad chapters in her life away but Marta knows something isn’t right . This was a great thriller and I was at the edge of my seat to know what happened.

Five stars for Emily Shiner! Couldn’t put this one down, I had it done in 24 hours!

In the first timeline, Gina is in accidentally in love and is meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time. What could go wrong? The second timeline takes us back to Gina’s childhood, including the murder of her beloved aunt.

This thriller has moments of suspense with dark humor sprinkled in throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Shiner, and Bookouture for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this book, with my honest review below.

As if Meet the Parents wasn’t tense enough with the plot following three characters with something to hide - girlfriend Gina, Mother Marta, and Father Grant, this thriller gives you an absolutely masterful twist at the very end.

The writing was great even if the plot dragged just a bit in figuring out what each person was hiding and was going to do about it. But again, I can’t gush enough about the ending and third act of the story. I could visualize it all and absolutely loved how creepy this was. Recommended for the end alone!

Meet The Parents by Emily Shiner is a stellar novel, surpassing any previous notions i had. You’ll find yourself throughly enjoying this book if you love Freida Mcfadden or Daniel Hurst. This book is fast paced, descriptive, and captivating. The story line is unpredictable and randomly funny. I was never bored.

This is an ARC review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was so fast-paced and I devoured it in a day! I loved the writing style with short and twisty chapters. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and the ending was super unexpected!

I will definitely be reading more books by the author.

Thank you to Emily Shiner and NetGalley for the ARC! ⭐

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.