The Unwelcome Guest by Amanda Robson #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the gripping new thriller by Amanda Robson, The Unwelcome Guest.

BLURB

SHE HAD THE PERFECT MARRIAGE. UNTIL HER MOTHER-IN-LAW MOVED IN…

Saffron vowed to love Miles no matter what life threw at them both. But when her mother-in-law moves into their happy family home, Saffron’s shiny life begins to tarnish.
 
Even as Caprice’s barbed comments turn to something more sinister, Saffron hopes the new nanny’s arrival will shield her from the worst of it. She’s starting to feel paranoid in her own home.
 
Little does she realise that Caprice longs for a new daughter-in-law – and she’ll do anything to make that happen…

MY THOUGHTS

If you’re looking for a pacy thriller, you need look no further than Amanda Robson’s books. In her latest novel, The Unwelcome Guest, she explores what it is like to live with the mother-in-law from hell. I’m lucky to come from a family where there are no quarrels at all between each side. But I know of a few people who can’t stand the thought of their in-laws. Meeting the in-laws is one of the things many people dread, and sometimes that relationship can go drastically wrong.

Saffron’s mother-in-law, Caprice, really wants to stir the pot in her son and daughter-in-law’s marriage. She comes across as very bitter when Amanda first introduces us to her. I could see that she will go to any extreme length to get what they want.  It’s clear that Caprice doesn’t like Saffron at all and believes her son could do a lot better. Caprice believes that Saffron is too career-driven and doesn’t devote as much time as she should to her family. It’s what made the book such a gripping read, and I had no idea how things were going to end up for Saffron and her husband, Miles. Would Saffron’s mother-in-law succeed in getting what she wanted?

Saffron and Miles have also recently hired a new nanny, Hayley, and she adds another layer of tension to the book. Hayley has come to the UK from New Zealand, but on her first day, she quickly falls head over heels for Miles. Caprice can see this, and she uses it to her advantage to get what she wants.

I loved the short and snappy chapters in this book. It’s what made me fly through the pages, and it helped build the tension as events played out between the characters. I could feel Saffron’s frustration as she tried to form some sort of a relationship with Caprice for Miles’s sake. Amanda Robson builds a very clear picture that these are characters who are close to breaking point. Miles doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t want to leave his wife, but he doesn’t want to abandon his mother. Miles faces an impossible choice, and I had no idea what he was going to do.

I thought that Amanda Robson delivered a very satisfying ending, and I couldn’t help but smile as I read the final pages. This is an utterly compelling character-driven drama. I really enjoyed it.

Publisher: Avon

Publication date: 19th August 2021

Print length: 416 pages

The Unwelcome Guest is available to buy:

Amazon UK Waterstones