Book Review The First Mistake

The First Mistake is the story of Alice, who is a widow and mother of two girls who after the loss of her first Husband Tom, finds love again.

Since remarrying, she is finding the stability of her new family dynamic reassuring. Her second Husband Nathan is a little overbearing and controlling, but she overlooks those things to maintain what she feels is an ideal household. Her interior design business is thriving, and she has a best friend Beth that she can confide to and relax with at any time. Beth is a single mom who lives paycheck to paycheck. She isn’t jealous of Alice per se, but she wouldn’t mind having the perks that Alice’s life provides.

We all know things aren’t always what they seem. Alice’s youngest Daughter is lashing out and getting into scrapes at school, and she starts to think Nathan is having an affair. He becomes standoffish, and Alice becomes paranoid. Why is Tom so secretive? What is the real reason why her Daughter is lashing out at her friends? Naturally, she confides her fears and worries to Beth, who has a few secrets of her own. Is it a coincidence that the father of Beth’s youngest Daughter has the same name and birthdate of the deceased Tom? When Alice stumbles upon something fishy on social media, she doesn’t know what to do or who to believe. Alice must now figure out who she can trust, and why is she feeling betrayed?

The First Mistake is the second novel by Sandie Jones. Her first book, The Other Woman was a fast-paced and gripping read. She has a way of easing you into the story and bringing the characters together in a satisfying fashion. The characters are relatable, which in turn makes the story believable — nothing over the top or far-fetched. The story starts slowly but picks up, and the twists and turns keep coming.
Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.