Tag: Ruth O’Neill

The Sisters by Ruth O’Neill

Publisher:

Date of publication: October 6th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Purchase Link: Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a web of deceit, escape is just the beginning.

Ava Cressman’s life takes a twisted turn after her divorce from Spencer. Seeking comfort, she falls into the arms of a mysterious man named Joel Carney, a former college acquaintance. However, when Joel meets Ava’s sister, Tanya, an unsettling connection sparks between them.
Tanya, seemingly innocent, invites Ava and her twin sister, Belle, on a secluded trip to a remote lodge. From the moment they arrive, an ominous atmosphere hangs in the air, hinting at a hidden darkness beneath the surface.
As shocking truths emerge, will Ava find a way to expose the tangled labyrinth of secrets before it’s too late?
The Sisters is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the depths of manipulation, betrayal, and the darkest corners of the human mind. As Ava fights for her freedom and tries to untangle the lies, she also must face her own demons and find the strength to outsmart those who want to control her life.

First Line:

The wind blew strongly through the trees, the leaves rustling and swirling, a thousand tiny dancers.

The Sisters by Ruth O’Neill

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pacing of The Sisters was all over the place. In some places, it was fast; in others, it was medium; in others, it was slow. The switch-up of the pacing made this book a little tricky to read.

POV: There are several POVs in The Sisters, but it always stays in the 3rd person. This book is told mainly through Ava’s POV. There are several chapters from Spencer’s POV and a couple from the DI in charge of the case.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Sisters has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Bullying (moderate, on and off page)
  • Child Abuse (minor, on and off page)
  • Cheating (moderate, on and off page)
  • Divorce (minor, off page)
  • Anxiety & Anxiety Attacks (moderate, on and off page)
  • Depression (minor, off page)
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (moderate, on and off page)
  • Alcohol Consumption (minor, on page)
  • Drugging (moderate, on and off page)
  • Hospitalization (moderate, on page)
  • Captivity & Confinement (moderate, on page)
  • Cults (moderate, on and off page)
  • Gun Violence (minor, on page)
  • Kidnapping (minor, on page)
  • Murder & Attempted Murder (moderate, on page)
  • Loss of Autonomy (moderate, on page)
  • Medical Treatment and Procedures (moderate, on page)

Sexual Content: There is sexual content in The Sisters. There are sex scenes that are nongraphic.

Language: There is moderate swearing in The Sisters.

Setting: The Sisters are set in Bath and Cumbria, England.

Age Range: I recommend The Sisters to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

After going through a painful divorce, Ava isn’t ready to date again. But that changes when a friend request from an old college friend, Joel, turns quickly to romance. But Ava is cautious after Joel meets Tanya, her older sister. There is a familiarity between them that makes Ava uncomfortable. Ava is already careful with Tanya. Twenty-three years earlier, when Ava was twelve, Tanya did something horrific to her. But Ava doesn’t let her uneasiness give up a chance to reconnect with Tanya and Beth, Ava’s twin sister. Tanya has booked them a weeklong trip to a lodge in Cumbria, and Ava is looking forward to it.

But, the minute they set foot in the lodge, something feels off. Ava soon finds herself facing her worst fears and old demons. Can Ava get to the bottom of what is going on? Or will the betrayals of past and present be enough to destroy her?

Main Characters

Ava Cressman (Bateman): I wasn’t sure what to think about Ava when the book started. She came across as childish and needy. But as the book went on, I saw that she was damaged by what Tanya did to her. But, by the middle of the book, my opinion of her changed. I still viewed her as needy and childish, but I also saw her as someone trying to overcome the past. I kept that opinion of her until the end of the book.

Tanya Bateman: I didn’t like Tanya. My inner warning bells went off every time she appeared in the book. She was almost too invested in Ava and Joel’s relationship and kept pushing for that trip together. By the middle of the book, my dislike of her intensified, and I thought she was shady. Those opinions stayed the same by the end of the book. And honestly, I felt that she got what she deserved.

Belle Bateman: Like Ava, I didn’t form an immediate opinion of her when the book started. She did come off as upbeat and tended to side with Tanya regarding Ava. In the middle of the book, as she got more page time, my opinion did change. I felt that she was foolish and easily led. She also brushed everything Ava said off until it was almost too late.

Joel Carney: I didn’t like him from the start. It was so convenient that he immediately friended Ava on Facebook (after Tanya signed her up). I also thought that he pushed for everything too soon. And don’t get me started on his blatant and poorly concealed attraction to Tanya. I won’t go into his character much more except that he got what he deserved.

Spencer Cressman: Out of all the characters in the book, I pitied Spencer the most. His behavior drove Ava to divorce him, and he knew it. It was slightly controlling when he kept calling Ava. But it also proved to be life-saving. There is a twist with him that I didn’t see coming and didn’t fit with who the author presented during the book’s first half.

My review:

I was excited and eager to start reading The Sisters. I love psychological thrillers, and this one seemed right up my alley. And in a way, it was. But, I was put off by the characters, their actions, and how the storyline kept jumping from past to present.

The main storyline of The Sisters centers around Ava, her sisters, her divorce, Spencer, Joel, and the trip. I did like the storyline and thought it was intriguing. But I had some issues following it. The author would jump from past to present on a dime. During the book’s first half, it hindered me from reading it because I couldn’t keep track of everything. But, in the end, it worked.

The storyline about the cult (towards the end of the book) was interesting. It added some much-needed depth to Ava’s, Joel’s, Tanya’s, and Spencer’s characters. There was also a massive twist to that storyline that I didn’t see coming. It surprised me because it came out of left field. I also liked how the author tied this storyline to what Tanya did to Ava when Ava was twelve.

The suspense and thriller angle of the book was good. The author did a great job of building apprehension before and during critical scenes. It was the thriller and suspense that kept me reading the book.

The end of The Sisters was interesting. There were a couple of twists in the storyline that I didn’t see coming. I wasn’t a massive fan of how the book ended. It didn’t fit in with the rest of the storyline. Don’t get me wrong, it was lovely, but I couldn’t see past what one of the characters did and what that character hid.

Many thanks to Ruth O’Neill for allowing me to read and review The Sisters. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Sisters, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Ruth O’Neill

Befriended by Ruth O’Neill

Befriended

4 Stars

Publisher: Lulu.com

Date of publication: February 5th, 2018

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find Befriended: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Some secrets never leave us alone. . . Gemma Peacock’s life was perfect – or at least, she thought it was. She had a home she loved, a job she enjoyed, and a husband she adored. The only cloud on the horizon was the continuing tension between Gemma and her mother-in-law, but that’s the same for everyone, right? After the death of her beloved husband, Ritchie, everything begins to fall apart. Indiana Manors’ life, on the other hand, is far from perfect – but she knows just what she has to do to fix it. Befriend Gemma Peacock – and destroy her.

My Review:

I wasn’t expecting to like Befriended as much as I did. When I read the blurb, I thought that it was going to be a chick lit novel. There were parts of the book that do have that vibe. But, this book was so much more. It was the so much more that surprised me. The more I read, the more I liked and the more I enjoyed the story.

I did feel bad for Gemma for about 90% of the book. Her husband’s death devastated her. But, it was the secrets that were revealed after his death that rocked her world. Which brought me to my first question. Why did she keep going back to Indiana? I know that Gemma wanted to help her but still. I agreed with Maria. Gemma should have told Indiana to leave her alone after what happened in Crete. I do think that Gemma needed to come to terms with what Ritchie did and Indiana was there to help.

There was a point in the book where I did think that Indiana and Gemma’s relationship was going to become a Single White Female type of relationship. I mean, Indiana was calling Gemma’s friends and driving them away. She even phoned Mick and told him that Gemma wanted nothing to do with him. Thankfully, Mick didn’t believe that BS.

My feelings for Indiana was all over the board in the book. I first felt disgust for her when she revealed why she became Gemma’s friend. That changed to feeling bad for her because of her mental illness. I will say this, she did try to get help. My feelings then morphed into pity when it was revealed why she had singled out Gemma and what was being kept from her. Then I actually started to like her at the end of the book. Like I said, they were all over the place.

I did not see the big twist that came towards the middlish (more towards the end) of the book. I also did not see who was behind everything. That came as a huge surprise. Put it this way, when it was revealed why and who set everything in motion, my mouth fell open and I whispered (I was in bed), “No freaking way“.

I did think that Mick’s romance with Gemma was cute. But it did seem to me that it was more of an afterthought. I didn’t see that Gemma had feelings for Mick until he came to London. I thought they were friends. Then, suddenly, she has feelings for him. It seemed like it came out of nowhere. Of course, I could have missed the cues to their romance with everything else that was going on in the book.

The end of the book was great. I loved that everything was ended the way it did. Each character got their version of a happy ending.

What I liked about Befriended:

A) Great storyline

B) Likable characters

C) Twist that I didn’t see coming

What I disliked about Befriended:

A) What Gemma was put through the first half of the book

B) Indiana’s antics in the first half of the book

C) Mick’s relationship with Gemma

I would give Befriended an Adult rating. While there is sex, it is not graphic. There is language. There is also mild violence. I suggest that no-one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are trigger warnings in Befriended. They are mental illness, the death of a spouse and kidnapping. If you are triggered by any of these, I would suggest not reading the book.

I would recommend Befriended to family and friends. I would let them know about the triggers. This is a book that I would reread.

I would like to thank Ruth O’Neill and Lulu.com for allowing me to read and review Befriended.

All opinions stated in this review of Befriended are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**