Oh my god, this is so bad. ( )

I may have mentioned in the past that my favourite fairy tale is Cinderella, but Snow White comes a close second. The Stepmother is something of a modern fairy tale for grown-ups loosely based on Snow White, but with strange ghostly goings-on instead of cute little dwarfs.

Jeanie has had a tough life but she thinks her dreams have come true when she meets and marries Matthew, after a whirlwind romance. Jeanie and her son, Frankie, move into Matthew's home which has an evil Queen style ornate mirror and its very own turret. Matthew has two children from his previous marriage: twins, Luke and Scarlett. Scarlett's moods are as red as her name - she's very angry that her parents have split up and resents Jeanie moving into what was once their home. Luke is more accepting and quiet on the outside, but is he more affected by his parents' split than we realise?

When strange things start to happen, all seemingly directed at Jeanie she feels her marriage crumbling before her eyes. Jeanie has a secret (or two) hidden in her past and like many secrets, nothing ever stays buried for long. As one of Jeanie's secrets is discovered, it is used against her and even Matthew doesn't side with her. As Jeanie is mentally tortured, she starts to think that Matthew also has a few secrets hidden from her as the paranoia in The Stepmother reaches record levels. As Jeanie's mind whirled with questions, I was eager to find out the answers too! What really happened to his previous marriage? What's behind the locked door? Who is the woman whose post gets delivered to the house?

The Stepmother kept me on my toes from start to finish; filled with secrets, lies and paranoia it's such a gripping read that I found difficult to put down. I loved the links to Snow White: 'mirror, mirror on the wall', the good instead of evil step mother and the young beauty of the story being represented by red instead of white. Hugely enjoyable, twisty and gripping: make sure you put The Stepmother on your list to read.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Bookouture, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

You can't choose a family to be born into, and when the family falls apart, and the Stepmother comes into the idea it is not always easy. It was hard for Ginny, the more she tried to approach, the more Scarlett, her stepdaughter and Matthew, her new husband, who naturally favored his innocent children and even his son, Luke.

Ginny hides a secret from her past, and someone sends e-mails to Matthew and tries to torpedo the relationship. In addition to the old house, the creaking little shrouded only increases the fears, and Ginny begins to lose her mind.

The relationship between herself and Matthew, between Matthew and Frank, Ginny's son, and Matthew's ex-wife, Kay, did not stay indifferent and buried her hand in the fray.

Ginny shares her sister, Marlene, who is busy chasing a story as part of her work as a journalist and wakes up only after Frank leaves, after Ginny is hurt, humiliated and leaves Marlena spinning the ends and discovering the whole picture that in fairy tales also has a happy ending.

The book recommended for reading; it reminded me a little of the telenovelas I once watched in Spanish. ( )

Jeanie has a secret and is terrified that someone will find out, especially now as she has just married the man of her dreams. She has a teenage son and he has a twin son and daughter, so it's all a bit awkward. What should have been a perfect new life for them all, is anything but as someone is intent with sabotaging everything and Jeanie is convinced she is going mad. Loved the book despite of mousy Jean who always seems to put off doing something or saying what needs to be said and is very spineless! It was a great, exciting page turner with a few dark twists, leaving the reader wondering what nasty trick was coming next. I took it with on holiday and it was perfect for that. ( )

A special thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Nice cover!

Claire Seeber delivers a nightmare of a fairy tale, THE STEPMOTHER A gripping domestic and twisty psychological suspense, with more red herrings than you can imagine.

A perfect read for Halloween.

Is the stepmother as bad as you think, or is someone making her appear to be?

With a devilish twist of Snow White, Cinderella, old houses and creepy—join the disturbing stepfamily to learn which one is really evil.

From violence, rage, jealousy - a psychopath. Inflicting pain on the helpless. The horror of the Malum House.

Jeanie believed in fairy tales. She subscribed to the myth. However, the fantasy life crumbled. The beautiful idyllic stuff fell away. Shiny and unreal. She always looked for the best in people. An optimistic. Jeanie marries Matthew. They have a blended family.

"Why do you think little Snow White’s stepmother struggled with her? Was it merely because the girl was young and youth is always to be coveted? Was it because the girl was the queen’s daughter, who was first recipient of the king’s great love? Was it perhaps because the king love her- his little Snow White, firstborn- more than he could ever love the stepmother? Or was it because Snow White was a spoiled, little cow, used to getting her own way all the time?"

Mothers and daughters can be tricky. Teenage children from former relationships. A blended family.

Jeanie has a past. A terrible secret. Someone is playing a frightening game. It seeks to destroy.

From Jeanie to Marlena, two sisters; things are not as they seem. Can things be put away in the past, tidied and boxed up?

Jeanie Randall marries her prince charming, Matthew King. Jeanie has a son, Frankie from a prior relationship, and Matthew has two fourteen–year-old twins, Scarlett and Luke from a former marriage to Kaye.

Jeanie is now a stepmother. She wants to be accepted and wants everyone to be one big happy fairy tale family. However, someone does not feel the same.

Strange, weird things-begin happening. Driving someone to the brink of insanity. A family imploding. Step families are hard work. However, who can be trusted? Someone has a secret and it threatens to destroy.

Dark and compelling, wickedly evil! Plenty of twists and surprises to keep you guessing. A fairy tale family turns deadly. A game which threatens to drive someone nuts.

Seeber sends her reader into a labyrinth of creepy twists and grotesque turns. The secrets of the past refuse to keep quiet in this disquieting, taut thriller.

Razor-sharp and intense THE STEPMOTHER hooks, grips, and draws you into the web of deceit - impossible to put down. Wow, an author to follow!

JDCMustReadBooks ( )