Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the book #MeetTheParents by #EmilyShiner. I absolutely loved this book about revenge that I could not put it down. Owen takes Gina home to meet his parents. What could go wrong? Marta and Grant, the parents don’t seem to like Gina very much. There are so many secrets and such an awesome plot twist. Highly recommend.

Meeting the parents can often be an awkward and tense experience. What if the mother is obsessed with her son? This thriller has you gripped from the start. The battle between the doting girlfriend, Gina, and Owen’s mother, Marta, is tense and gripping.
I loved the authors writing style and the story was phenomenal. From the beginning, there is so much going on between the two main characters.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I can't sing Emily Shiner's praises loud enough! Meet The Family is the first standalone I've read from her, and both this book and the first two of her Detective Freya Sinclair series have all been five-star reads!

With a full cast of diabolical, deceptive, and cunning characters, this book makes you realize just how normal your own in-laws actually are! The dual point of view allows two cleverly crafted perspectives to play out through both Gina (Owen's girlfriend) and Marta (Owen's mother). The story unfolds and becomes a tug of war over Owen's affections, with both women plotting against and trying to outsmart the other!

I will continue to devour Shiner's books since her well-rounded female characters are ones that stick with me long after I finish reading! I enjoyed seeing how Shiner created characters that come from the opposite side of the tracks from Detective Freya Sinclair, meaning Shiner has a lot of tricks up her sleeve!

This psychological thriller deserves a standing ovation with its twists, turns, and shocking ending!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Wow!

Toxic boy mom, toxic parents-in-law, toxic...everyone!

I had a little hint of what was going on, but it was really just a hint and these characters surprised me again and again. And once things come to a head? Oh. My. God.

This is an absolutely entertaining read that's just pure fun!

(Also, thank goodness my; family is blessedly normal lol.)

* ARC via Publisher

I love Emily Shiner’s books, so I was excited to read this one. I love how she writes thrillers that are unique. That’s hard in a genre where many authors write about the same tropes over and over again. Owen is his parents pride and joy, especially his mother Marta. When he brings home his new fiance to meet his parents, will they love Gina as much as he does? Or will his parents stop at nothing to tear Owen and Gina apart?

There are so many secrets in this book! WOW! The lies, deceit and manipulation run rampant in this story. It took me a while to figure out the correlation between all the characters, but when I did, I was mind blown! There were nonstop twists delivered as the plot developed. Shiner dropped pieces of information throughout which kept the reader guessing right up until the ending. And that ending?! EPIC! Another great book by Shiner that I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I knew that Emily would put me through a wringer but that final final final final blow is what did it for me! Jeez! I had an inkling where it might go, as I love Emily's books so I knew we would have a fatal blow, but that last sentence left me breathless.

It's a huge game of cat and mouse, and you are never sure who the cat or the mouse is! It changes so many times, so many red flags and so much behaviour which is deemed normal, where Owen doesn't bat an eyelid!

I would love to have known more about Gina and her past. I would love to know why Aunt B, I have so many questions but I also have a semi-satisfying ending too. What a conundrum!

A strong book for Ms Shiner! She is the Queen on these stingers, these crazy characters who suck you in, who try to make you believe one thing but you can see the truth....but what you don't know is that they are still hiding from you - these characters still hide truths from the reader. Twisted!!!

I am in awe of how she writes each book with a refreshing spin, without losing the story or the addiction to reading her tales of woe - and they are of woe!!

Oh. My. God. With everything in me, I am telling you that you should go read this book. From the very beginning, I was hooked. There was a constant back and forth between the characters that was just so entertaining, and did so well with keeping me engaged with the story and it kept me guessing and obsessed with the story right up until the very end. There was never really a lull in the story that made me want to put this book down. In fact, the only time when I did take a break from reading, was when I needed to sleep but I picked it right back up as soon as I woke up. It was just that good.

I have never read an Emily Shiner book before, but I am very interested in seeing what else she has written and if it is anything like this book, I will be adding it all to my TBR and buying it ASAP.

This is the type of thriller you think you have figured out. You get upset thinking “god this is so predictable” only to be thrown a curveball from left field. WOW. I will admit it to be awhile to get through, simply because I did think I “had it all figured out” but boy was I wrong!

Gina was a little girl who watched her aunt be murdered right in front of her. She spends decades trying to figure out how to avenge her aunt. Will she be successful? Will it blow up in her face? It starts with a trip to her boyfriend’s parents… from there… it all changes. Not quite fast paced, but not slow either. An absolutely great read!

This is a page turner, you will need to have a spare few hours as the pages are easy to turn. Relationships, families and lies, this book was gripping.

Gina has a lovely boyfriend Owen, when he invites her back to his parents, she says yes. His parents have secrets though and Gina knows this.

This book was additive, a great plot that springs into action quickly. I liked that you read the story from Gina’s and Marta (boyfriends mother). Twisty thriller that gets 5 stars.

Gina's life was torn apart when she was younger - an event that has haunted her for her entire lift. Now that she's older, her life is in a good place with a job as a nurse at a hospital, and she has an amazing doctor as a boyfriend. But Gina wants something more than to spend her life as Owen's wife - she wants revenge on the person or people responsible for destroying her family all those years ago. She and her cousin think they have it all figured out, and meeting Owen's parents, Marta and Grant, will solidify what she knows and hopefully fill in any missing pieces. But she's not the only one keeping secrets...

Emily Shiner did an amazing job of creating characters with a ton of depth - ones you want to root for and ones you despise. This book kept me guessing and I couldn't put it down!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with this ARC.

#NetGalley #MeetTheParents #Bookouture

Shiner shines light on sinister secrets that everyone has in this book.
I spent the first part of the book snickering at the petty sniping between Marta and Gina. They were like two dogs fighting over a bone.
I did figure out part of the story but Shiner ended the story with a well played twist that I should have seen but didn’t.
The one person who seemed to be the true victim turns out to be a product of a sordid upbringing.
Russian roulette is the subtitle for this devishly good read!
My advice: elope and skip the parental meets.

Clever and unusual, a roller coaster of a ride with an epic twist at the end.
An excellent read about revenge

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


✨ Revenge
✨ Family Drama
✨Murder Thriller



✨Gina is the main character in this story. As she was welcomed by her boyfriend’s parents with an open wide moment. If you’ve experienced a in law obsession or witnessed something similar this will keep you awake all night😆

✨ Martha, Owen’s mother’s is a homemaker. I thought she was just looking after her son but no, it’s more like an obsession for the couple.

✨ On the other side, Gina has a traumatic past. So what is it that makes them not go well together?

✨ I thought the ending or the plot will be easily predictable but no. It’s a gripping story and it was worth to read . I would love to listen this on an audible version as the characters are likeable.



✨ Thankyou @bookouture for the opportunity to read this book for a honest review.



✨ Shaye.Reads

Thank you, Netgalley, Emily Shiner, and Bookouture for the ebook! This was a great thriller that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I love a secluded horse in the woods thriller. Cat and mouse game! Must read!

A captvating spellbinding, thrilling and twisty book.

Thank you netgalley and bookouture.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this before its publication.

Nothing beats a good thriller and I enjoyed Meet the Parents. The plot hooks you in right from the beginning and you immediately want to find out more and see where it goes. I think the fact the plot focused on the 4 main characters really helped, as we got to really experience their intensity and see what role each of them will play in the story. We didn't have to remember too much or connect too many dots to keep the story interesting and easy to follow.

One thing I will say is that I found the ending a little underwhelming and bizarre but that wouldn't stop me from recommending the book. If you're looking for a smart and intense thriller, then this is definitelt worth adding to the list. I finished it in less than 2 days, they're the best kinds of books!

The book cover caught my attention straight away and once I had read the book description I knew I had to read it.
Fresh and dynamic... Fast-paced and spellbinding...a book you will have a hard time putting down.

This was an electrifying ride of deception, danger and mystique. The crisply written chapters made this book an easy read as I flew through the pages at warp speed. This was one of those books that I was not going to be satisfied until I finished it.

I felt like I was watching two boxers in a ring getting ready to fight. I was not really certain who would get the TKO, but I knew there was going to be bloodshed. The players in this game were all deceitful. All the red flags were flying. It was going to be a battle of wills.

This was a top notch psychological thriller that will play with your mind while taking you on a wild ride. Ratcheted tension makes this book unputdownable. I am still shaking my head.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you Bookouture & Emily Shiner for this read!

I was so excited to see one of my new FAV authors was releasing a new book, and this book didn't disappoint! Emily Shiner has quickly landed her way into my must-read and auto rec author lists.

This book was dark, it was twisted and as I read it, I just knew that there would be some shocking moments ahead. The suspense builds to some literal jaw dropping moments!

I love the way Shiner made this feel like a claustrophobic, cat and mouse game. You are thrown back and fourth between multiple POVs and will be hooked trying to find out how this will end.

Some horrible, well written characters, some humorous moments and overall a dark thrilling read!

Highly recommend this one!

Emily Shiner (a favorite author) returns following Three Drowned Girls and One Liar Left with her latest twisty domestic suspense thriller, MEET THE PARENTS—A young woman meets the parents of her soon-to-be husband. As the story unfolds, you'll be captivated by each character's sinister and unpredictable nature, keeping you engaged until the end.

Obsession. Revenge. Karma. Secrets. Murder. Collateral Damage. Family, and so much more.

About...
The author cleverly sets the stage, starting with the prologue. A fire. Who will be left alive? What buried secrets of the past rise to the surface?

Meet the Whitlock family. Marta is a homemaker and the wife of Grant Whitlock (he formerly traveled for business, was a womanizer, and is now retired), and she is a very possessive mother of Owen, her son (age 41). They live in a McMansion (mini-Mansion) in the secluded woods.

Owen is a successful doctor and is dating Gina. He is planning on proposing and wants her to meet his parents. He is smart, sexy, rich, and driven.

Gina has had a traumatic past. What is her hidden agenda?

Gina soon finds Marta is a nightmare.
Whose side will Owen take?
What happened to Gina in the past?
Marta and Grant have a plan.

Who is the serial killer? This question will keep you on the edge of your seat as the plot unfolds, revealing unexpected connections and shocking revelations.

Trust no one!
Let the games begin...

My Thoughts...
Intense, creepy, diabolically twisted, hilarious, and wildly entertaining! A compulsively readable and deeply satisfying fun psychological suspense!

MEET THE PARENTS is a wild rollercoaster ride with a jaw-dropping twist Epilogue! You have no clue where the author is headed, but you will want to enjoy the devious, chilling journey of obsession, revenge, and justice. It's a thrilling tale of family dysfunction!

MEET THE PARENTS has a locked-room thriller vibe, and the dirty secrets, betrayal, and deceit will be unraveled when meeting the parents. Shiner's portrayal of Gina and Marta is fabulously compelling and darkly hilarious. (dark humor is key to a great psychological thriller, in my opinion)

How do each of the characters and their past connect? Do Marta and Grant know more about Gina than they are letting on?

Who's Zoomin' Who?

The story is skillfully told from the perspectives of Gina (then and now) and Marta, adding a unique and engaging narrative structure that keeps the reader guessing.

Marta, in particular, is a character to behold. Shiner's dark humor and snark are at their best, creating a psychological thriller filled with unexpected twists and turns.

The bonds between mothers and sons should never be broken (Marta takes it to the extreme). But you never know how far someone will go to keep a family together! A huge fan, as always, I enjoyed the author's note and her creative twisted stories.

Recs...
This book is a must-read for those who enjoy the works of the author, Kaira Rouda, Freida McFadden, Jenova Rose, BA Paris, and Shari Lapena.

Blog Tour Host...
Join me on pub day Aug 28th for Booktour Books On Tour —Blog Tour Stop. Thriller lovers, get this one on your list!

Thanks to Bookouture for a gifted digital review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Aug 28, 2024
Aug 2024 Must-Read Books
Aug Newsletter
Blog Tour Host