The Daughter in Law by Nina Manning (Audiobook)
Boldwood Books
Audible Release: August 1, 2019
Listening Length: 9 hours 25 minutes
Narrators: Helen Keeley and Candida Gubbins
Genre: Psychological Fiction
KKECReads Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
KKECReads Rating for Performance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
KKECReads Rating for Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I listened to this title for free with my subscription to Audible, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Nina Manning writes psychological thrillers with complex female protagonists at the centre. Her novels explore many themes, including toxic friendships, motherhood, obsession, and paranoia. Nona also likes to explore child and parent relationships and how our childhoods impact who we are today – for better or for worse.
As a single mother, Annie has an especially close relationship with her son, Ben. They have always been together. Just the two of them. So, when Ben brings home his mysterious beautiful new wife, Daisy, immediately Annie doesn’t trust her. Who is this woman who has taken her son away from her? And what is she hiding? She’ll protect him with her life….
When Ben disappears, suddenly Annie and Daisy are all the other one has. Alone in Annie’s big, remote house, just the two of them, the tension is rising. And like any protective mother, Annie will stop at nothing to expose her new daughter in law, and the secrets she is hiding….
“I can’t be replaced.”
Annie has devoted her life to raising her only son, Ben. So when he meets a girl and starts living life with her, Annie is hurt. When Ben surprises Annie with the news that he and Daisy are married and expecting a baby, Annie is furious, heartbroken, and hurt. Until she realizes this could be a fresh start.
It took me a while to finish this audiobook, as I mainly listened when I could at work. The storyline was pretty good. I was not too fond of Annie from the start, though. She just was not a likable character.
I liked Daisy, even if she had baggage. She was a loving and loyal human, and I could appreciate the situation with Ben. I was conflicted with Ben, and I couldn’t decide if I liked him or not because even when he knew his mother was being a nightmare, he didn’t say anything.
I did feel like this book went on for far too long; the chaos with Annie escalated so much. And the naivety of Daisy was pretty shocking. The twist was bizarre, and the last hour was probably the best in the book.
I enjoyed the narrators, and they performed the story beautifully. The voice of Annie brought her to life in a realistic and cringy way. I enjoyed the performances.