I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I really didn't care for this book and skimmed the last few chapters to be finished with it. I just felt like it got so far off the storyline and I didn't care for the main character either.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. This was an engaging read. Henderson moves between past and present well, and the story was well - paced and intriguing.

The Stepfather revolves around a woman called Sophie. Its an emotional read, we start in the present but get taken back to her childhood. The book could be a bit shorter but it is well written. I had a lot of sympathy for Sophie but was shocked at the end. I would read more books by Lorna Henderson.

Psychological thriller - please check trigger warnings!

Emotional family drama, favourite daughter who dies, father who's overstepping, pregnancy, living to get revenge - it all makes sense during the second part of the story, when things that have only been alluded to earlier are brought together.

I'm glad I continued reading, despite the slow beginning and the darker themes. The story comes together well in the end, but for me I'll return to more happy stories including the author's books set on Arran.

As a side note, there is something seriously wrong with our justice system (quote from the ARC);

‘I just know how much stress and heartache lies ahead for you. Especially if this goes to court. To trial. Your life will be ripped apart. Our lives will be ripped apart. Nothing will ever be the same.’
Feelings of guilt and shame are flooding through me.
‘I’m sorry,’ I whisper. ‘But I can’t be the victim anymore. I need to speak out.’

Thus book had me hoping for the best revenge right from the start. It is riveting! I absolutely loved how the author wove thus story to a conclusion. Excellent book!

Thank you, NetGalley, Choc Lit, and Joffe Books, for this ARC. I am 100 percent responsible for my own opinions.

This book was very drawn out. As a person who has childhood trauma of my own, that was a bit hard to get through.

The story itself was suspenseful and kept the reader intrigued. However, the extra-drawn-out aspect of this book took away from the reading experience. The constant going from the past to the present didn't help much.

This book is still worth reading, but it has triggers for anyone with a childhood past.

"The Stepfather" tells the tale of Sophie's life, alternating between past and present. The author alludes to terrible things happening to Sophie during her teen years, but it isn't until 1/3 of the way through the book that the reader finds out what the terrible things actually were.

As an adult, Sophie, along with her husband and young daughter, move from Australia back to the UK. Sophie has been keeping secrets about her past from her husband, and she is worried that when her husband finds out what she's done, he will no longer love her.

Sophie finally decides that her Stepfather needs to be held accountable for his actions, hopefully saving other young girls from a life of abuse.

I kept thinking something big/exciting was going to happen. I was disappointed when that never occurred. The book ended kind of abruptly, almost as if the author needed to meet a deadline and didn't take the time to fully develop the conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

The Stepfather was a little bit of a slow burn to me. The first part of the book took some build up and anticipation, but once the story really took hold I was hooked.

The secrets just kept unraveling and kept me interested in the story line. Trigger warning, the plot contains mention of childhood SA, and grooming. There’s mention of the me too movement, and gaslighting of victims too.

There were some heavy plot points, but overall I throughly enjoyed this read.

Lorna Henderson’s The Stepfather is a gripping psychological thriller that hooks readers from the start and doesn’t let go until the final page. This is a story that lingers in your mind long after reading, filled with unexpected twists, simmering drama, and a depth that defies expectations.

Henderson masterfully builds tension, crafting a narrative where every reveal feels like a piece of a larger puzzle falling into place. The story doesn’t just reach a climactic spillover; it keeps readers on edge by layering more secrets, surprises, and emotional shocks even after you think the dust has settled.

What sets The Stepfather apart is Henderson’s ability to balance intricate plotting with richly developed characters. Every twist feels earned because of the depth of the relationships and the emotional stakes woven throughout. The dynamics between family members—complicated, raw, and sometimes unsettling—keep the reader guessing about motives and truths.

The novel explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the hidden complexities of family life. It challenges readers to question appearances and ponder how far people will go to protect—or destroy—those closest to them.

With its steady pacing and unforgettable conclusion, The Stepfather is a must-read for fans of domestic thrillers and stories that blur the line between right and wrong. Lorna Henderson has delivered a compelling tale that will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

This was a slow burner thriller which I really enjoyed. It was full of tension throughout and I really felt for the character Sophie. I how it went from past to present it definitely helped build up a picture of what was going on in the characters head. Overall a very great well written thriller which I can’t wait to recommend. Thanks to negalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this.

This is a fairly intense page turner, a little slow getting started but definitely worth the read. My first by this author, I will be looking for more. I like to alternate "women's fiction" and psychological suspense, so this was a good break, especially from Christmas romance at this time of year.

Past and present collide in this dark thriller, which explores themes of trauma and dysfunction. I enjoyed the setting very much and felt the author did a good job in making the reader feel the atmosphere of the various locations. The pace was a little slow but the story itself was a strong one and worth the patience to explore in detail.

Unfortunately, this book was just too slow for me. It really dragged on. Even though the chapters were short, which I appreciated, it still took a while to get to these gripping and tension filled parts. It is quite depressing, so perhaps there should be a trigger warning.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book!! It had me hooked from page one! I couldn’t put this down. I finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. This was a first for me by this author but it will not be my last!!

The emotional elements of this book combined with the pace kept me reading and it definitely had me feeling emotional, panicked and tense throughout

I picked this up in the read now section because I needed something light. Well, this story isn't exactly 'light' because Sophie has a lot on her mind. Her move from Sydney to cold and dark London, her husband Eliott who's always working, and her beloved daughter Emma and her mother-in-law Joan who comes to stay - maybe indefinitely?
And there there are her dark memories of her childhood, with her mother who doesn't care a lot about Sophie because she reminds her of her father, but dotes on Sophie's sister Ellie, who tragically dies when she's a teenager - and not to mention her stepfather James, a politician as bad as they come.
Slowly - sometimes too slowly - we learn what happened with Sophie's family and slowly, very slowly James comes back in Sophie's life to make her even more miserable. But she's had enough and decides to fight back.

The book drags on in places and most characters are quite flat but it was an easy read and therefore I ended up giving three stars.

Thank you NetGalley Choc Lit and Joffe Books for this ARC. The views outlined are my own.

Plot

Sophie has married an Australian and has a daughter, Emma. She and her family return to England and Sophie takes the reader through her past and present unravelling the secrets behind her Stepfather - a well respected MP with a dark past.

Review
In order to make my review fair and balanced, I’ll outline the positives and the negatives from the book. Beginning with the positives:
1. The book does make you want to understand what exactly happened.
2. It does a good job of building tension
3. It has very short bursts chapters so you get through the book quite quickly.
4. The plot is very interesting and I didn’t hate the characters - except James but I’m fairly sure I’m meant to.
However, some of the negatives that I tried really hard to overlook but couldn’t include:
1. The constant switching between past and present did make it incredibly difficult to follow what era we were in. I understand this was one of the ways the author tried to introduce cliffhangers but sometimes it felt like it would be more appropriate to have a few chapters from one era and a few from another.
2. I understand this is an unedited version but there were a lot of silly spelling mistakes and errors in the plot.
3. The first person narrative was really annoying. I love a good first person narrative but this narrator was working too hard to over describe everything, was often repetitive and it got boring in parts because of this.
4. A minor issue but the copy I had, the typing was too close together and was pretty poor accessibility wise to read. I’d consider double spacing for the official ebook or readers with poor eyesight may struggle.

Overall, it wasn’t an awful book but I didn’t love it and I don’t think I’ll be rushing out to buy this or another book by this author unfortunately..

My thanks to Joffe Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Stepfather’ written by Lorna Henderson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Sophie Lewis thought she’d never have to meet her mother’s second husband again but when she walks into the London office of James MacIntyre MP she can feel his presence and when she smells his nauseating aftershave she’s physically ill. Sophie is determined to save children such as her own four-year-old daughter Emma from experiencing what James MacIntyre did to her as a child.

‘The Stepfather’ is a thought-provoking dramatic novel where a young woman is traumatised by events that happened to her in her childhood by the one person she should have trusted. The chapters switch rapidly from Sophie’s past to now and although I would have liked longer chapters for each ‘past’ and ‘now’, the story itself works well and it was easy to get caught up in Sophie’s life and her experiences. The story involves both child abuse and dementia but they were handled carefully and with sensitivity and weren’t sensationalised in any way. The final chapter was a huge surprise when Sophie finally reveals what happened to her sister Julie and her mother and her involvement. I enjoyed reading this novel and can recommend it.

This novel draws readers in right from the start, delving into Sophie’s journey to confront her past and seek justice for the harm caused by her stepfather. The first three-quarters of the book are gripping, with tension building as Sophie, haunted by years of trauma, returns to face the man who destroyed her family.

However, as the story nears its conclusion, the momentum slowed for me, and the final quarter didn't fully deliver on the suspenseful buildup. Some plot lines ultimately fall flat for me, lacking the shocking resolution that might have made the ending truly satisfying. While the wrap-up may have left me wanting more, Sophie’s journey is still compelling, and the story’s emotional depth makes it a worthwhile read.

Overall, this book earns a balanced 3 stars—an engaging read that might not fully satisfy but still delivers suspense and intensity.

Thank you to Joffe Books, Lorna Henderson, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Sophie and her little sister Julie grew up with their mother and lost their dad when they were very young. Some years later their mother married again, and they ended up with a new stepfather James, a local politician who to the outside world is respected and loved by his local constituents and members of their community. It seems he can do no wrong in their eyes he is charismatic, charming and pays people the kind of attention that makes them feel like they are of great importance to them.

But James is not a nice man, and this is evident by the way his stepchildren feel towards him, their mother seems to be oblivious as to what may be happening to her daughters. Julie has always been the favourite daughter and Sophie has always felt second best. Her mental health is suffering, and her life is very unhappy.

Years later Sophie marries Elliot and moves countries so that Elliot can expand his career. Sophie who now has a five-year-old daughter Emma cannot believe it when she finds out James is living in her local town and now, she is after revenge.

I found that this book dragged, the story is a slow burn and maybe it was because it is such a depressing topic, but my mind kept wandering and I was wanting it to hurry up and end. By the time I got to the conclusion I was more than ready to put the book down and move on to something else.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own. 2.5 stars