"The Other Woman" is a psychological thriller novel by Sandie Jones, published in 2018. The story revolves around Emily Havistock, who falls in love with Adam Banks, only to find out that his mother, Pammie, is not ready to let go of him[3].
The novel begins with a prologue in which Pammie narrates in the first-person present tense, stating that she is going to stop Emily's wedding to Adam from ever happening[8]. Emily and Adam met at a work event in London, and their instant chemistry was too much to ignore. Soon, the two are spending all their time together. Things are going great for Emily, who now has her dream guy in hand, until Adam wants her to meet his mother, Pammie[3].
Jones provides a half-page prologue in the voice of someone who’s going to make sure a wedding doesn’t happen. Then she leaps to the opening of the first chapter, which puts the possibility of trouble right out front, in Emily’s view[2]. Emily is a relatable lead character, and the dialogue reads genuine and true. Likewise, the characters are all nicely developed, especially Emily and Pammie, who drive the story for much of the book[3].
Sandie Jones goes for it all with her fast-paced, suspense-filled debut. At first, the plot feels generic, like a re-telling of stories featured in about a hundred chick-flicks and rom-coms, before Jones pivots hard, allowing her plot to take on a darker tone in the process[3]. The novel is an emotional thriller about the destructive relationship between Emily, her boyfriend Adam, and his manipulative mother Pammie[10].
"The Other Woman" is a strong example of what I like to call “popcorn reading”: a suspense novel with serious entertainment value that begs to be devoured in one sitting[5]. The book is a classic story of girl meets boy, girl and boy fall in love, girl and boy (hopefully) live happily ever after. However, in this case, the “other woman” is Adam's mother, Pammie, who is willing to go to great lengths to keep Emily away from her son[2].
Overall, "The Other Woman" is a creepy and suspenseful novel with a smashing twist that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. It is a debut crime novel that will appeal to fans of domestic suspense novels[2].
Citations:
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Other-Woman-Novel-Sandie-Jones/dp/1250192005
[2] https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/other-woman-novel
[3] https://therealbookspy.com/2018/07/29/a-book-spy-review-the-other-woman-by-sandie-jones/
[4] https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250191991/theotherwoman
[5] http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2018/8/19/book-review-the-other-woman-by-sandie-jones
[6] https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36212848
[7] https://www.howdidthatbookend.com/other-woman-sandie-jones/
[8] http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-the-other-woman-novel/
[9] https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sandie-jones/the-other-woman-jones/
[10] https://www.amazon.com/Other-Woman-Novel-Sandie-Jones/dp/125019198X
[11] https://bookcoffeehappy.com/2019/02/20/book-review-the-other-woman-sandie-jones/
[12] https://www.enotes.com/topics/other-woman