Member Reviews
When I started this thriller I was very excited because I love domestic thrillers. Gina starts off basically stating how she’s out for revenge for her aunt and how she used her boyfriend Owen to get close to his parents. They spend a weekend with his parents, Marta & Grant, who she thinks is responsible for the tragedy that hit her family as a kid. I could not wait to see how this story unfolded but unfortunately it moved incredibly slow. It was beyond repetitive of her seeking revenge, the overly obsessed mom, & how much she loved Owen. Gina made so many questionable moves while she was visiting the parents it honestly didn’t make it sense. Especially with her carrying out majority of her plan even tho her aunts son Wade was involved but was only really in the shadows. Like what?I was curious to see how this story ended & I think the author definitely is a good story teller and keeps the suspense going so it was a solid read. The repetition is my biggest complaint for this book. The ending was wrapped up nice for a thriller, even tho I figured it out but not a bad ending. Grateful for a complimentary copy for my honest review.
This book is WILD! And the ending?! Gina is meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time… but is it really? Emily takes in-law drama to a WHOLE. NEW. LEVEL. I love books with dark family secrets and this book did not disappoint.
This book gripped me from the start! A slow burn yet fast paced thriller that never slowed down once.
A few times throughout, I thought I had guessed the ending but nope! Not once.
The writing style, the POV changes, the pacing and the TWISTS were absolutely perfect. Can’t wait to read more by Emily Shiner!
If you’re in the mood for an un-put-down-able thriller, make this your next read!
Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and to bookcouture for early access to this fantastic author @emilyshiner.
This book had me gripped from chapter one, which isn't a surprise as I've had a previous audiobook of Emily's 'The Wife in the Photo' which was equally as good!
The narrative is built around a young couple and his in laws and a past murder many years ago. The young couples relationship is essentially based on a Web of lies and yet they are truly in love. The book is full of twists and turns and each chapter leaves you 'wanting more', I love these kind of books. The conclusion is unexpected.
I loved this book. A fantastic psychological thriller! A great 5 star read!
This book earned 5 stars and this author usually does. This book did not disappoint. Emily Shiner writes some really great psychological thrillers! I could not put this one down and did not guess the plot twist correctly. You will not be disappointed!
Thriller meets mother in law nightmares! Great book. But that ending!! & I don’t think there’s enough there for a part 2.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
If you are a "Freida readah" then you will love Meet the Parents. This book was filled with suspense and twists and moments of "wait, did I just read what I think I did?!"
Owen is the only child of Marta and Grant and has lived a charmed life. He is the center of his mother's world...and it is possible that she loves him more than her own husband. Owen becomes a successful doctor and crosses paths with Gina. Owen realizes after a mere seven weeks that she is the one. He wants to propose to Gina, but first he must take her home, to his parents cabin (mansion) in the woods.
Upon arrival, Gina feels as though something is off. Marta is smiling too much and Grants eyes are saying what his mouth isn't. Soon, this will become a game of cat and mouse. But, alas, Gina has an agenda of her own. You see, it isn't a coincidence that she met Owen...
Huge thanks to Bookouture, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC!
Ever since Gina made sure to "accidentally" meet Dr. Owen Whitlock at the hospital, she’s been pretending to be the perfect girlfriend. But she didn’t expect to actually fall for Owen. Now, she’s about to meet his parents at their large, secluded home. Gina knows the dark secrets this family is hiding and will do whatever it takes to keep them from finding out who she really is.
The story reveals its plot early on, but the suspense feels slow and drags on. The pace only picks up around second half of the book.
The tension between Gina and Owen’s mother started off well, but it quickly became repetitive and lost its edge. I found myself getting frustrated as the same situations kept happening. It wasn’t until the last few chapters that the big confrontation finally occurred, but by then, I just wanted to finish the book.
When some secrets were revealed, the main character made some choices that didn’t make sense. After all those years of planning, she still put herself in danger. It felt unrealistic.
Overall, I was disappointed. The twist didn’t surprise me at all because the hints were obvious throughout the book.
Meet The Parents was a page turner of a book! It was told in multiple points of view, which is my favorite! The plot and the characters were all very interesting and well written, There were moments where I didn’t trust anyone. The ending was perfect- it was expertly delivered and completely unexpected. Lots of great twists in this new novel by Emily Shiner. I would absolutely recommend reading this book to other readers
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Emily Shiner delivers yet again! By now, I’m fairly certain that she can do (write) no wrong. Each and every book of hers that I read gets even better. This one is no exception. A claustrophobic domestic psych thriller where you don’t know what REALLY is going on – check. A twisty ending – check. Fast-paced, well-written – check.
“We’re so excited to have you here in our home.” My boyfriend’s mother smiles at me a little too wide. His father’s eyes are hard at the edges. It’s like they’re hiding something. But of course, I already know that
This book had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know more everyone had a motive behind each other
Gina is riding with Owen Whitlock in his Lexus to visit his parents, Grant and Marta Whitlock. Owen is a surgeon and they have only been together for 7 weeks.
When Gina was 8 years old, she was staying overnight with her beloved Aunt Bethany. They always had so much fun together. After watching a movie and eating snacks, Gina went up to bed to wait for her aunt to come tuck her in. After a while, she went downstairs to see what was delaying Bethany. There she was met with voices in the kitchen. A man was threatening Bethany and he ended up killing her. Now, 20 years later, Gina has zeroed in on who this serial killer is and plans on getting revenge. But, first she is ready to meet Owen’s parents. She is so in love with him and he is the kindest man ever.
The Whitlock home is huge and located in a large and remote area. Marta is cold and standoffish to Gina and only wants to shower attention on Owen. He is her son and always wants to come first in his life. Grant is a big man who used to be a drug salesman traveling to different towns over the course of his career. Now, the two of them are enjoying their life in their beautiful home.
Gina does what she can to conceal her dismay at Marta’s rudeness because she is on a mission and keeping her temper is key to doing what she has come here for. Thus begins a dance of fear and determination to carry out her plan. Is murder hereditary?
This book really shocked my socks off. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. The ending was a real shocker. Don’t miss this one!
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Gina is 28 years old and works in a hospital. That’s where she meets 41-year-old surgeon, Owen. A short romance blossoms, followed by an invitation to meet his parents, who live in a huge house in a secluded and peaceful spot.
As soon as Gina enters the house, she realised that Marta, Owen’s mother, hates her. Nothing that Gina does is ever good enough and Marta is very quick to point that out. Gina soon discovers that Marta is overly protective of her son.
Grant, Owen’s father, is a bit friendlier, but Gina feels unnerved by his stares.
All of them are hiding something.
Wow! I was blown away by this story.
I was hooked straight from the beginning. I knew that Gina witnessed something horrific as a child, which has had huge impact on her future life.
It was also clear that Grant and Marta knew more about Gina then what they let on.
I loved how this book was written from different points of view. You could really get into the character’s head and see what made them tick.
This book also features a tremendous twist at the end. I couldn’t put it down.
Many thanks to Sarah Hardy of Bookouture for the e-ARC and for my spot on the tour.
Meet The Parents by Emily Shiner
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Rating 5 stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
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Oh boy, what a ride! Intriguing with a twist!
Emily never disappoints
My review
Gina is off to meet Owen's parents. They haven't been dating long. It's clear right away that his mother does not like Gina
Something happened to Gina when she was little, and Marta Owen's mom just may know something about it.
Marta doesn't want Owen to have anyone but her.
Gina is out for revenge. Meeting Owen was on purpose. Get him to fall in love with her. Meet his parents and deal with them. She never intended on falling in love with him back, and this Hard
When Gina gets to the house, strange things happen. Her cell phone charger is suddenly missing, and everything, including the garage, is locked
Gina knows Owen's parents are hiding a secret of the past that can bring them both under. Gina's aunt was killed long ago, and one or both of Owen's parents has answers about what happened
She just needs to stay alive long enough to get the proof she needs and without bringing suspicions to Owen as to what she's up to
Wow. This book held me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I thought I knew the ending until I didn’t! Great twists and turns the entire book!
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'Meet The Parents' by Emily Shiner.
Emily does it yet again!! I genuinely don't think she can make a book that I don't love!! Love, love, loved this book!!!! Absolutely gripping edge of your seat page turner!!! I mean just HOW HOW HOW can an author make each and every one of her AMAZING books EVEN BETTER each and every time???!?!? I must admit that the fact that several of the characters have Whitlock as their surname and it being my surname too, well what can I say!! Definitely extra bonus points for that!!!!
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene and put you in the storyline. The cover and synopsis suit the book perfectly.
The storyline was captivating and addictive from the first page until the last and I was completely invested in it. It was absolutely rammed full of lies, secrets, family, tension, drama, twists, suspense and everything you could ask for in a page turning psychological thriller. I just could not stop reading this absolutely addictive book from the first word to the last. Emily's extremely talented and evocative skills really brought the book to life and I was completely absorbed throughout. I lost count of the amount of times I promised myself one more chapter but that one finished in a way I just HAD to know what would happen next so I said just more and this went on and on until I ended up finishing it in one sitting!!! The location and atmosphere was absolutely perfect for this gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I absolutely love Emily's books and am guaranteed to be shocked every time I pick one up which is not an easy feat considering how many books I read a year so a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS Emily!!! One of the things I love about her books is that they can also be quite thought provoking and always end with MASSIVE BOMBSHELLS that I absolutely love and never do see coming. Emily's evocative writing drags you deep into the storyline from the first sentence to the very last and will keep you up until the very last word! THAT ladies and gentleman is a true sign of an absolute must read. I absolutely loved the ending which was definitely an unexpected twist which is just one of the reasons I love Emily's books, she manages to get me every single time!! I've said it before about Emily's books and I shall say it again!! I would absolutely LOVE to see this turned into a movie and would wait up all night to get tickets to watch it!!
I hope your busy writing your next book Emily as I just cannot wait to see what bombshell twist and explosive storyline you have up your sleeve for us next!!!!
Do not start this book until you have cleared your schedules as you will not be able to put it down!!
The characters were all realistic and strong and I was completely invested in them throughout. I love the fact that we got to see what was happening from the points of view from not just the girlfriend Gina but also from her boyfriend Owen's mother Marta WHITLOCK (!) and as with all her amazing books Emily weaves all of the chapters together with perfect timing until it all comes together with an explosive BANG!! It also explains absolutely everything which leaves no question unanswered at the end which is a pet hate of mine!! It also leaves you questioning what is really going on and gets you thinking more and more the deeper you delve into the storyline. Emily's multiple person perspective also really helps the reader understand the characters more making them more realistic to the reader. I was completely invested in all of the characters throughout and Emily's evocative descriptions really makes them jump out of the book and come to life in front of the readers eyes. All of the characters were multi layered with complex personalities which definitely made them all the more interesting to read about!!! Unfortunately, I really can not say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for future readers. I had no idea what to think of the different characters, what was really going on or where it was all leading which just goes to show what a talented author Emily is and I cannot wait to get hooked into her next psychological thriller which is guaranteed to be another page turner!! Regardless of what I thought about who, each character worked perfectly to make this page turning psychological thriller!!!
Congratulations Emily on yet ANOTHER huge success. This is the exact reason why you are in my favourite 5 authors list!! Here's to your next guaranteed success 🥂!!
Overall another absolutely unputdownable, action packed, intriguing psychological thriller that will keep you up at night on the edge of your seat with a pounding heart from onw of the best psychological thriller authors EVER!!
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**NetGalley Review: *Meet the Parents* by Emily Shiner**
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Emily Shiner delivers a gripping and suspenseful tale in *Meet the Parents*. The story pulls you in right from the start, with a plot full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. The character development is strong, particularly with the protagonist, whose anxiety and fear are palpable as she navigates the tension between her and her partner’s parents.
Shiner skillfully builds an atmosphere of unease, making even the most mundane moments feel ominous. The pacing is well-done, with the tension gradually escalating to a thrilling climax.
The only reason I'm not giving it a full 5 stars is that I felt the resolution was slightly rushed, leaving a few loose ends that I wished had been tied up more neatly. However, this didn't detract too much from my overall enjoyment.
If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers with a domestic twist, *Meet the Parents* is definitely worth a read!
A quick read thriller that definitely throws some punches!!
Gina meets the perfect guy, Owen and now it's time she meets his parents. Although she's never met them, she knows all about them and their secrets. But Owen's parents also know who Gina really is. What was supposed to be a fun weekend with the parents turns into a mind game of everyone trying to get answers.
If you love Freida McFadden books, this is definitely a book for you.
Thanks you Netgalley, for this ARC! Now available!
This was exactly what ti needed to outline me out of my reading slump and omg I couldn't get through it fast enough! It's so well written, the story just flows perfectly and is so tense and twisty! It's amazingly plotted out to keep you guessing and I just wad absolutely hooked. Amazing!
Meet the Parents is a psychological thriller that’s tragic & with truly twisted characters carrying agendas for revenge. It’s hard to figure out all the agendas until the end when Emily Shiner brings everything to a gripping end.
Thank you, Emily Shiner, Bookouture, & netgalley for my early copy! All opinions are my own.