Relax and Read Book Reviews
  • Book reviews
  • Book covers
  • Blog
  • Character in the Spotlight
  • Author interviews
  • About Me
  • Contact Me

The Stepmother - Claire Seeber

20/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Book Description
Jeanie
 and Matthew are a happily married couple who both have teenage children from previous relationships. 

No one said it would be easy to raise a blended family under one roof but Jeanie and Matthew are strong. They will make it work. 

And whilst Jeanie’s step-daughter Scarlett rejects her, Jeanie will just have to try harder to win her over. 

But Jeanie has a past. A terrible secret she thought she’d buried a long time ago. And now, it’s coming to the surface, threatening to destroy her new marriage. 

Someone is playing a terrifying game on Jeanie and she must put a stop to it once and for all. 
After all, a fairytale needs a happy ending…doesn’t it? ​


I've participated in the blog tour of this book!

Picture
4.5/5

"...family - they'll either make you, or they'll break you."

In literature and movies, stepmothers are frequently portrayed as wicked, scheming women, all set out to make their stepchildren's lives miserable. However in real life, I'm sure that this is not always the case. Granted, a marriage that brings up children from a previous marriage certainly presents many challenges, but hopefully these challenges won't be of the sort faced by poor Jeanie in this book. This is not just a thriller but a tale in which family dynamics are stretched to their limits... and beyond.

"You can't take two halves of two different things and try to make a whole. It just won't work."

After marrying Matthew, a handsome, wealthy businessman, Jeanie goes to live with him in his house - a big, old house - straight out of a fairytale book. Both Jeanie and Matthew have children of their own. Jeanie takes her teenage son Frankie to live with them and Matthew's teenage twins Scarlett and Luke come and go as they please between both their parents' houses. Is it possible for two families to blend into one? I think yes, but not when there are external forces at play and a dark past threatening to make a comeback.

"... what if someone recognises you? There's always a chance..."

Everything seems just fine in this fairytale life - if for a moment you don't consider Scarlett's cold attitude towards her stepmother and the fact that Jeanie is hiding a shocking secret - even from her husband. However it's not long before strange things start to happen and things start going wrong. Slowly the fairytale house begins to deteriorate into one out of a horror film. Someone seems to know Jeanie's secret and is hell bent on exposing and destroying her. What secret is Jeanie hiding? What has she done? Why didn't she confide in her husband? Why does her sister Marlena fear someone might recognise her? What will Matthew do and think of his new wife if the truth comes out? Who has it in for Jeanie? And what's hidden in the room that's always locked?

The story is quite fast-paced and packed with tension, lies, secrets and strange noises! It is told from the point of view of the two sisters - Jeanie and Marlena. A couple of times the author gives a short hiatus to the tension and interacts directly with her readers, asking them direct questions - this is something I've never come across in other books and I think it's a brilliant idea. 

Thanks to the author's vivid descriptions and excellent writing I felt I was part of the story. I could almost see Matthew's imposing house in all its glory with its vast gardens and the roses climbing up the old brickwork and around the windows. And I could sense the sinister aura haunting the place. 

All characters are credible and convincing, but the majority of them are quite messed up individuals hiding underlying problems. I LOVED Jeanie with all my heart. She's not a wicked stepmother. She's a lovely woman but unfortunately too much trusting and naive. On many occasions I wished I could squeeze her in a big tight hug to comfort her and let her know that she's not alone. 

Even though I wouldn't describe the twists in this book as 'mind-blowing', this is counterbalanced by some nerve-wracking chapters, especially towards the end. All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and found the plot very intriguing. I think this is a fab psychological thriller not to be missed and I highly recommend it. 4.5 stars!

With thanks to Bookouture for approving my request to read and review this book through NetGalley.

About the Author
Claire Seeber is a Londoner who started professional life as a (bad) actress and became a documentary maker, a journalist and a writer of, so far, psychological thrillers. The Observer said of her first novel: 'a disturbing debut' whilst The Guardian called it 'powerful'...she keeps writing whilst also studying psychology and (trying to) to manage a home of slightly feral kids and animals. Luckily she's got a very nice partner to help too.


0 Comments

    Currently reading

    Picture

    Picture
    Picture
    Challenge Participant
    Picture

    Authors

    All
    A.J. Waines
    Alex Marwood
    Alison Baillie
    Allan Guthrie
    Andrew Nicoll
    Angela Marsons
    Angie Smith
    Anne Goodwin
    Antti Tuomainen
    Arlene Hunt
    Arthur Golden
    Ava Marsh
    A.W. Rock
    B.A. Paris
    Ben Cheetham
    Beth Miller
    Betsy Reavley
    Camilla Lackberg
    Camilla Way
    Cara Hunter
    Caroline Mitchell
    Carol Wyer
    Chris Carter
    Chris James
    Christine Sutton
    C.J. Tudor
    Claire Douglas
    Claire Seeber
    C.L.Clark
    Cynthia Clark
    David Videcette
    Debbie Howells
    Debbie Rix
    Deborah Rogers
    Elizabeth Haynes
    Emma Kavanagh
    Emma L. Clapperton
    Eva Dolan
    Evans Light
    Faith Mortimer
    Gail Honeyman
    Graham Masterton
    Graham Smith
    Harlan Coben
    Helen Callaghan
    Hendrik Groen
    Hollie Overton
    Ingrid Black
    J.A. Baker
    Jackie Kabler
    Jack Jordan
    Jac Wright
    Jadran Hawke
    James L. Conway
    Jane Harper
    Jan Ruth
    J.A. Schneider
    Jeff Menapace
    Jennifer McVeigh
    Jessie Keane
    Jodi Picoult
    John Lincoln
    John Nicholl
    J.S. Carol
    Karin Fossum
    Karin Slaughter
    Kathryn Croft
    Kathryn McMaster
    Kerry Fisher
    Kerry Wilkinson
    K.L. Slater
    Laila Ibrahim
    Laura Elliot
    Leigh Russell
    Lin Anderson
    Linda S. Prather
    Linwood Barclay
    Lisa Hall
    L J Ross
    Louise Jensen
    Luana Lewis
    Luca Veste
    Lyle Howard
    M.A.Comley
    M.A.Comley & Linda Prather
    M.A.Comley & Tara Lyons
    Maggie James
    Maggie Shayne
    Mandasue Heller
    Margaret Atwood
    Mark Edwards
    Mark Tilbury
    Martina Cole
    Mary-Jane Riley
    Matt Brolly
    Mel Sherratt
    Michael Wood
    Nate Gubin
    Netta Newbound
    Nicky Black
    Pamela Crane
    Patricia Cornwell
    Patricia Gibney
    Paul Finch
    P.D.Viner
    Peter James
    Rachel Amphlett
    Ragnar Jonasson
    Rayven T. Hill
    Rebecca Bradley
    Renita D'Silva
    Richard Montanari
    R. I. Olufsen
    Robert Bryndza
    Robin Roughley
    Ruth Ware
    Samantha Hayes
    Sara Bailey
    Sarah Stovell
    Scott Pratt
    S. E. Lynes
    Sibel Hodge
    Simon Kernick
    Siobhan Daiko
    SJI Holliday
    Sofia Lundberg
    Sten Ostberg
    Stephen Edger
    Stephen King
    Stuart Neville
    Tamar Cohen
    Tara Lyons
    Teresa I. Robison
    Terri Reid
    Tess Makovesky
    Tim Ellis
    Tom Bale
    Val McDermid
    Will Carver


    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013


    Super book blogs


    By the letter book reviews
    I Love Reading

    CrimeBookJunkie
    ​
    Best Crime Books

    ​Bibliophile Book Club

    


    Goodreads: Book reviews, recommendations, and discussion

    Tweets by @callejajos

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.