Kristin's Bookshelf

Earlier this year, I had the chance to join the Smother book tour, and I’ve been looking forward to this one ever since.

There’s something extra exciting about getting an early peek at a story that’s been building so much buzz, and I was thrilled to dive into the ARC. Soon, I’ll get to share my thoughts.

Huge congratulations to Daya Winters on the release of what’s already shaping up to be a much-anticipated read for fans of psychological thrillers.

I can’t wait to see everyone else’s reactions to this one!

About: Hannah thought she’d found her happily ever after. Marrying Ethan, the man of her dreams, felt like the start of a perfect new life. But with Ethan came his family, and with his family came Margaret. She welcomes Hannah with warmth, insisting she sees in her not just a daughter-in-law, but the daughter she never had. 

Yet as the honeymoon bliss fades, Margaret’s affection unfurls into something much darker. Ethan, ever the devoted son, remains disarmingly blind to his mother’s covert manipulations. He insists Margaret means well, attributing her intrusions to love and concern. But Hannah feels a different truth in her bones.

Hannah is forced to confront a chilling realization. She thought she had married the man of her dreams, only to discover that she’s also bound to the mother of her worst nightmares…

Genre Tags: 18+, Psychological Thriller 

Tropes: Overbearing Mother-in-Law, Newlywed Nightmare, Gaslighting, Psychological Control, Manipulation, Paranoia, Betrayal, Triangulation, Secrets between spouses, Dark family drama, Power struggles

Content Warnings: Psychological Manipulation, Emotional Abuse & Domestic Violence, Child Loss (Infant Death),
Implied Infanticide,
Graphic Violence,
Mental Health Struggles,
Loss of Autonomy, Sexual content between consenting adults,
Reproductive coercion