The Stepfamily

Silicon Valley #1

by Bonnie Traymore

Laura Foster’s not the type to go looking for trouble. But it seems to be looking for her.

Laura’s on the verge of living the life she’s always wanted. At the age of twenty-seven, she put her career plans on hold, married handsome widower Peter Foster, settled down in his Silicon Valley home, and helped raise his two children.

Twelve years later, it’s her turn to shine. Her career is thriving, the kids are out of the house, Peter’s company is on the verge of an FDA approval that could garner a windfall in stock gains for them, and she’s training for the Ironman world championship in Kona.

But when a series of freak accidents can no longer be chalked up to bad luck, it becomes clear that someone is out to get her. Is it someone from work, jealous of her promotion? Or is it perhaps someone more dangerous? Someone closer to home?

Laura has no enemies that she knows of, but she senses that husband Peter is keeping something from her. And when she starts digging into the family’s past, she ends up with more questions than answers. But with the walls closing in on her, she needs to find out why someone would want to harm her…and what really happened to his first wife.

Before it’s too late.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

314 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2023

Reviews

[Lisa Aiello · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars that I am rounding up to 3 simply because I found myself sticking around to find out what was going on, even if I did skim through the last 2/3rds to do so. I was pretty much lost to this story almost immediately. Who sees brake fluid on the ground and their thoughts go immediately to "someone cut my brake line and is trying to kill me"? And then it's talked about for chapters as if it were the Lindbergh kidnapping. If you called the police around here because you assumed a brake line leaking was a plot to murder you, you'd be laughed out of town...but I digress. This just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this so much more than I did. The description of this had so much potential that I feel like the actual book never met. I’ve read plenty of books where the main character’s perception of events is questioned based on an unstable mental state, but this was a case of the main character and everyone else in her life immediately jumping to the furthest conclusion possible for no obvious reason. For at least the first 2/3 of the book, I struggled to get through it. I knew something shady was going on, but more because the characters in the book were telling me and not because the story was truly showing me. I felt compelled to finish simply because I knew there wouldn’t be a book unless something happened. Overall, this just wasn’t for me. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

[Rebecca Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book was interesting.... I liked the overall premise and the plot, but unfortunately for a thriller, it didn’t really keep me on the edge of my seat like I wanted it to...

I guess I am just used to really messed up stuff because this didn’t hit the right spots for me.

I liked the characters and I liked their dynamics and all, but I wasn’t sprinting through the pages with a need to know who did it.

I also found the main character to be a bit whiny....

However.... The ending has me quite intrigued.... I’m thinking the author has a sequel in mind? I kinda can’t wait to find out what happens next.....

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley and pathways publishing. My first Bonnie Traymore novel. The stepfamily. I devoured this in a few short hours. Very easy to read and the story keeps you coming back for one more chapter. I felt the characters could have been sharper, but honestly that wasn’t a deal breaker for me. Definitely will look out for more books by this author. 3.5/5

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting thriller with a cast of strong, likable characters. The author pulled me in and kept me reading with all of the twists and turns along the way. She does a great job painting her scenes and moving the story fluidly. I enjoyed reading.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved the blub for this it hooked me in for a domestic physological thriller. The main character was single and then feel in love with a widower with young children so she stepped up and became part of their family. Told from her point and her husband as various things happen to bonnie and her version of events is questioned. As usual Peter has his own secrets and actions. They employ a pi. The pace is a bit off especially in the middle , i wasnt invested in the characters and didnt really care who was the villian i just wanted it over. However then i realised it was book 1 so there could be more to add to my tbr pile. This needed a bit more guts for me and less glossing over sections. It was a struggle to keep at it, i did enjoy the final twist which redeemed it to 4 stars for me and a definate tbc read. Thank to netgallery, publisher and author. If reading this remember real life is never exiciting as the blurb

[Shauntelle (myglamorousreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. I flew through this domestic suspense novel wanting to know the ending.

Laura goes from being a single woman to a wife and stepmom of two kids when she marries Peter. His first wife dies by suicide….maybe. Whoa! Talk about drama! Peter is messy, and Laura is passive. Throughout this story, we get to see Laura become less passive and start to speak up for herself. That part I loved! The storyline was full of drama, and I loved that too.

The suspense building in this novel was great. Traymore wrote the plot in a way that pulled you in and kept you wondering what was going to develop. The narrative is told from dual POVs with Laura and Peter taking turns. Laura was the star in this book, and I found myself rooting for her.

The twists in this book were good and believable, which I appreciated The only con I had was the alternating 1st and 3rd person writing. It was slightly confusing. Overall, this was a good read, and I am awaiting book 2 in the Silicon Valley Series. I am a new Bonnie Traymore fan.

Thank you NetGalley and Pathways Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Justice for Carson, who existed in this merely as a plot device, despite being part of the family.

This edged me. Could have been really good but it seemed like the author always stopped just shy of making the bold decision.

[Ellen Lakin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this novel in almost one sitting! It’s a good psychological thriller with some unexpected twists and turns. The two main characters are both likable yet flawed. I feel like the ending was a little bit rushed and some of the characters thoughts were narrow minded to fit the plot but it was a very enjoyable read.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read

Pretty good read, the writing keeps you interested in the plot but I wouldn't call the events riveting or gripping.. it's more of an old-fashioned slow-paced family drama with a bunch of unknowns at every turn. I think a reader who enjoys a mildly suspenseful storyline would enjoy this book. The writing is ok, and the chapters flip between characters with no title or heading to let you know whose point of view we're reading at the time but it isn't hard to keep up. The characters are basic and typical for the books that are currently out. Overall, an enjoyable read if you're looking for something easy.

[Matt S Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley for the pre read. Loved the characters and loved the twists! I was expecting a more dramatic ending bur still enjoyed all in all!

[Kimberly Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stepfamily by Bonnie Traymore is sure to please many readers that enjoy a good psychological thriller. Laura has been an integral part of the Foster family for over 10 years, but at times, she still feels like an interloper, not truly belonging to the family unit. She married Peter Foster and helped to raise his two young children after their mother died in a terrible incident. Was this incident truly an accidental fall or suicide? While Laura has never asked too many questions about this incident, it does rear its ugly head as dangerous incidents begin to plague the family. Laura’s safety is in peril after a dangerous malfunction occurs to her car. Peter begins to receive ominous messages about past business deals that could threaten his financial future. Someone is clearly out to punish this family, but who, and why? You will be completely surprised at the ending. I enjoyed the characters, but didn’t feel that the son was developed enough. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Addie Suckow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book centered around a family with a stepmother MC who seems to have someone targeting her. Her husband has a shady past including the death of his first wife, and secrets are being kept.

I enjoyed this book it was a quick fast-paced read. It was a bit difficult at times to follow what POV it was because it seemed to change in the middle of chapters with no delineation that a new character was narrating. The character's POVs were also in different narrative styles (the female MC was first-person and the male characters were third-person) which threw me off a bit. Good thriller overall to get you out of a reading slump with the short chapters, but probably wouldn't re-read it.

[Sam Lance · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Stepfamily by Bonnie Traymore is a typical who did it story. You spend the whole book trying to figure out who is trying to murder the main character, Laura, and why. The story revolves around Laura and her husband Peter and his children who are her stepchildren. Laura has always felt like an outsider due to Peter’s first wife dying in a mysterious way and the children taking a hard time with it. One day Laura walks out to her car and finds her brakes are cut on her car. The police don’t take it seriously but Laura and Peter do. Peter is very concerned about her as he has flashbacks to his first wife’s death. However you find out that Peter has his own secrets involving his past that he doesn’t share with his wife of seven years prior to the attempt on Laura’s life. The story continues on where there are multiple attempts on her life and she is forced to delve more into her friends, coworkers and her husband’s past. Eventually the attempted murder is found and the story resolves for the most part. There is a cliffhanger at the end leading to the next book in the series.
One thing I really liked about this book was the visualization into a stepfamily’s dynamic. Coming from a stepfamily, it’s a hard thing to understand if you aren’t a part of it. Bonnie describes how the children had a hard time accepting Laura due to the loss of their mom. The dynamic of the daughter wanting to be the “woman of the family” and then having to “fight” for her dad’s affections when Laura comes into the picture was well described. I also enjoyed the character growth of Lydia to want to be closer to Laura and have a mother-daughter relationship. I also enjoyed the brother-sister dynamic where it had the sister always in the spotlight and the brother in the shadows. I liked that it showed that Laura recognized that Carson was always left behind or forgotten and that she is trying to change that.
I gave this book 2 stars out of 5 stars and there’s several reasons. I gave it two instead of one because I was engaged in the plot to find out who was attempting the murder. It had enough twists that kept me interested in finding out who it was.
It seemed like Bonnie wanted to make this story a multiple POV between Laura, Peter, and the PI detective, Shep. I love multiple POV stories but I didn’t think book wasn’t done well. Only Laura was ever written in first person. Peter and Shep are written in third person and like the reader is supposed to be omnipotent. If it’s a changed perspective I would expect it to be all in the first person. There was also no indication when it changed perspectives except page breaks. However, you wouldn’t know which person it was until you read part of the passage and figured it out. Plus Bonnie would also use page breaks to indicate a change in time so it made it difficult to know if it was a change in time or a change in perspective.
I also found that Laura was a very meek woman. She develops some of a backbone but by the end of the book it was gone again. She states that “she wouldn’t pry” into her husband’s past even though it had 7 years of their relationship together. I personally don’t understand how you would rather have all of these secrets and unknowns with your husband. Especially regarding his past wife that died mysteriously and she doesn’t believe it was an accident.
I also disliked that every time we read from Peter’s POV it was another secret. He was portrayed as this loving amazing husband and yet he intentionally kept all of these secrets and manipulated everyone. Whether it was for their safety or his own, it’s still shady. He even manipulated the PI so that Shep couldn’t say anything to the authorities about Peter under the law.

[Janaya Kabamba · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really quick and easy read. The characters were well written with realistic problems and reactions. The plot was a bit slow but I did like the way tye author created the stepfanily dynamic and surrounding issues. It felt very authentic and genuine. Its written from multiple povs but it was a bit confusing when the povs seemed to randomly switch mid paragraph without warning so that was a bit annoying. The various perspectives were also written in different narratives at some points which also made it feel a bit off. I loved the short chapters and it did make me need to keep reading just one more which is why I ended up finishing it in a sitting! There were also some good twists and turns and it all came together well at the end without feeling rushed or leaving any plot holes

[Steph (Teacups & Tropes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What you don't know... can hurt you.

OOF THAT GIVES ME SHIVERS EVERY TIME I READ IT.

This book was actually really enjoyable to read. It's quite short - I think it's just over 250 pages - so everything moves at a quick pace. I enjoyed the characters and the mystery and the author did a really good job at keeping me on the edge of my seat. I'm eager to see what else is released by this author in the future!

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

you should read this!

Bonnie Traymore's literary creation, "The Stepfamily: A Psychological Thriller," offers a captivating and multifaceted narrative that beckons readers into its gripping world. The plot, intricately woven, is not merely intriguing but also exhibits a remarkable sense of pacing, making it an absolute page-turner. This book is a gem for thriller enthusiasts. It's brimming with suspense, masterfully delivered in a way that keeps you perpetually guessing, fostering an aura of constant anticipation. The narrative is so finely tuned that it practically forces you to perch on the very edge of your seat, immersing yourself in a story that's destined to keep your heart racing and your curiosity piqued. Traymore's deft handling of psychological elements adds an extra layer of complexity to the tale, making it a psychologically enthralling journey as well. The characters and their intricate motivations are deeply explored, lending depth to the storyline. Every twist and revelation contributes to an atmosphere of mounting tension, ensuring that the reading experience is not just enjoyable but also mentally stimulating. In essence, "The Stepfamily: A Psychological Thriller" isn't just another book to add to your reading list; it's a literary adventure that promises to envelop you in a world of suspense, psychological intrigue, and unrelenting mystery. If you have a penchant for thrillers, this is a book that will undoubtedly leave you captivated and yearning for more.

[Shhh....Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laura marries Peter after the death of his wife and she helps him raise his two young children. Several years later, Laura is climbing up the corporate ladder, the kids are older and moved out and Peter is awaiting a approval from the FDA. However, someone is out to kill Laura and doubts surface about what actually happened to Peter’s first wife.

The Stepfamily was a slow burn read for me. As the story focuses mainly on Laura’s point of view because she’s the main character we are introduced to other characters’ POVs.

As I was reading this book nothing about the story was really pulling me into it. I didn’t like any of the characters, a lot of mindless actions, Laura’s character was too passive and Peter was a liar and selfish. There were a few moments where it picked up and I was intrigued to learn the outcome, then the story quickly loses its momentum.

The Stepfamily by Bonnie Traymore wasn’t a bad story at all. I was hoping for that thrill, but it just didn’t happen.

Thank you Netgalley and Pathways Publishing for an advanced readers copy for a honest review

[Santiago Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend reading it

"The Stepfamily" unfolds a suspenseful narrative that delves into the chilling intricacies of a seemingly perfect life shattered by mysterious threats. Laura's character is meticulously crafted, her life a blend of success and lurking danger. Traymore adeptly builds tension, skillfully intertwining the past and present, keeping readers on edge with a sense of impending peril. The Silicon Valley backdrop adds depth to the tale, amplifying the enigma surrounding Laura's tribulations. While the storyline captivates with its web of secrets and psychological twists, some elements could benefit from deeper exploration. Overall, "The Stepfamily" is a gripping psychological thriller, offering a compelling peek into the darker facets of domestic tranquility.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy

I really enjoyed this thriller, and living in the bay area made it so more real to me. When Laura met Peter, she immediately fell for him. Peter's previous wife had passed away in an "accidental" manner and had two young children. When Laura joined the family it took awhile for her to build relationships with the children. Laura never really felt at "home" in the house she moved into. So when Laura's breaks were cut, she immediately felt unsafe, which lead her husband down a PI rabbit hole and his secrets begin to spill out. Strong characters, confusing at times figuring out what perspective we were following since it jumped back and forth. But overall, I really enjoyed and look forward to more from her!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Stepfamily” is the first psychological thriller in the Silicon Valley Series written by Bonnie Traymore. Laura Foster has what she always wanted, she formed a family and a home with Peter and after her children grew up, she decided to dedicate herself to her profession, but a series of strange events puts all that on the line. She feels that her husband is hiding something from her; will she discover it on time or will everything be too late?
One of the things I liked most about this reading is that the author creates a work where mystery and reality meet to make the reader experience a moment of suspense and intrigue. I think the balance between showing and telling is very good, and author Bonnie leaves nothing to chance.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK story about Laura and her husband Peter who are living a rather uneventful, innocuous life together with his 2 grown children from his first marriage, which she helped raise. As strange incidents, directly affecting Laura, start occurring, she wonders if she is being targeted, and if so, by whom? And why?
When Peter hires a PI to investigate, the story starts ratcheting up. Never reaches full thriller status but it does get a little intriguing, from time to time, as various characters are considered possible suspects.
Never engaged 100% with characters who were a bit too wishy washy, for me, at times.
Plot was a goid surmise but slow revving up.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family thriller

Laura is fairly successful in her life. Her family isn't hers, but she has made a place for herself with them and it seems to be a happy arrangement until accidents begin to happen frequently and all of them dangerous and deadly to her alone. Is someone out to get Laura? What happened to peters first wife?Will Laura figure this out before it's too late? A spellbinding book that will keep your attention riveted. I enjoyed the twists and the ending.

[Squasha* · Rating 3 out of 5]

The storyline and character development were good. However, the changes in POVs were awfully confusing. It would change within a chapter and there was no indication beforehand. There were some good plot twists to keep you intrigued. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

I received this ARC thanks to NetGalley for a review.

[Terrie Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a high intensity, easy to read psychological novel. It has plenty of heart pounding moments and wonderful characters. I almost missed reading this due to a formatting issue but was finally able to read it. I am fortunate to have been able to do so. A great read. Don’t let yourself miss out on it.

[Readingfordays · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The story was good and kept me interested throughout. My only criticism is that after the story wrapped up, there were many “one week after”, “one month after” etc … it was nice to know how they were getting on, however, I felt it was one too many “updates” on the characters life.

[Clarissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right from the very beginning, I was enjoying this story. This is a short book, and it kept me wanting to read more. the characters are flawed, but not to where they're unlikeable. There were a few twists, and for the most part I didn't see coming. The ending lacked, but still overall a great book! Thank you NetGalley.

[Melinda Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura feels like someone from her past is following her. There is twists and turns on this one and you will not be able to put the book down.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and the publisher Pathways Publishing.

[BookTrib.com]

Author Bonnie Traymore has crafted a deliciously unsettling domestic thriller with her new novel THE STEPFAMILY that's serpentine in its twists and turns and tantalizingly unpredictable!

Read the full review on BookTrib.com