SYNOPSIS:

 

A deliciously disturbing, compulsively readable debut domestic suspense–prepare to meet The Other Woman: there’s nothing she won’t do to keep you away from her son …

Emily thinks Adam’s perfect; the man she thought she’d never meet. But lurking in the shadows is a rival; a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves.

Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother Pammie. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever.

The Other Woman is an addictive, fast-paced psychological thriller about the destructive relationship between Emily, her boyfriend Adam, and his manipulative mother Pammie.

 

MY REVIEW:

 

This book is like nothing you’ve ever read! It was fact-paced and surprising and EXACTLY the kind of book I love.

Emily is an ordinary woman, preferring a glass of wine and quiet nights at home after working hard at her job. She meets the handsome and charismatic Adam and is totally swept away by his romantic and loving gestures. She has her own group of friends and family but falls hard for Adam. He seems perfect. Until she meets his mother, Pamela.

“Do you think your mother would like me?” I asked. He rolled over and pushed himself up onto one elbow. The light was off, but the curtains were open and the moon was bright. I could see his silhouette close to me, feel his breath on my face.
“Of course she would. She’d think you’re perfect.”
I couldn’t help but notice the turn of phrase: “she’d” instead of “she’ll.” There’s a big difference between the two—one hypothetical, the other intentional. The sentence spoke volumes.

Oh, Pammie!! All smiles to her two loving sons, she is downright cruel to Emily. Pammie takes every chance she can get to make a cruel comment and play mind games with Emily. At first Emily thinks she is imagining the cruelty that Pammie seems to intentionally inflict on her. But soon it biomes crystal clear that Pammie HATES Emily and will do ANYTHING to stop Emily from having a relationship with her son Adam.

Emily is determined to make her relationship with Adam work. After all, he’s perfect. She overlooks many of Pammie’s cruel tricks and nasty comments. All she wants is a future with Adam.

“But despite having been in love and lust before, I couldn’t ever remember feeling this safe. And that was how Adam made me feel. He made me feel all of the above. Every little box had a tick in it and, for the first time in my adult life I felt whole, as if all the jigsaw pieces had been slotted into place.”

Soon Pammie worms her way into Adam and Emily’s lives, driving a wedge between them. I could not believe that Emily was not fighting harder to assert herself with Pammie! But what would I do in that situation? I literally could not put this book down until I finished this fabulous, juicy thriller!

“I tried to reassure myself that he was just putting on a show to get their relationship back on track, but what about our relationship? Wasn’t that the one that needed saving? We had barely spoken since she’d walked in on us, let alone been intimate, and it was all beginning to gnaw away at me . . . nibbling, nibbling. Everything between us would be perfect if she just behaved normally, like a mother was supposed to.”

Nothing is at it seems in this smart and fast-paced story. When it seems as though Emily might be in danger, the fun really begins, and Emily finally exerts her power. The slight feeling of unrest I felt while reading this book really kicked in and my jaw dropped at the ending of this book. Why was Adam so overly devoted to his mother? What was really going on with his brother? And was Pammie really that cruel and self-centered?

“She’d stripped away my confidence and had caused hurt that I’d carry with me until the day I died, but I would not allow her to take away the one thing she wanted. She would never take Adam away from me. I’d use the only weapon in my artillery that she’d never be able to outgun me with.”

I loved this book. The Other Woman is the first book by Sandie Jones and I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next! This book was pure enjoyment. Highly recommend!

(With thanks to the publisher for a review copy.)