The Other Woman is a debut psychological thriller by British author Sandie Jones. The novel examines the mechanics of manipulation in close relationships while highlighting protective maternal relationships. Upon its 2018 release, The Other Woman was a New York Times bestseller and a Reese Witherspoon book club selection.

This guide refers to the 2018 eBook edition published by Minotaur Books, an imprint of Macmillan.

Content Warning: Sections of The Other Woman describe verbal, emotional, and physical abuse. This guide briefly summarizes and analyzes these passages.

Plot Summary

Protagonist and narrator Emily Havistock lives a quiet, comfortable life, building a successful career as a recruiter for a consulting agency in London. Emily enjoys close relationships with her best friend, Seb, and her flatmate, Pippa, and she adores her parents, brother, and brother’s family. Having previously experienced heartbreak when her serious boyfriend, Tom, engaged in an affair with her best friend, Charlotte, Emily prefers a low-key lifestyle with relaxing nights at home. She unexpectedly and quickly falls in love with Adam Banks, who rescues Emily from her misogynistic co-workers while buying her drinks at a work event.

Emily and Adam enter a tumultuous romance strained by Adam’s overbearing, manipulative mother, Pammie Banks. Their relationship develops quickly. After a few months of dating, Adam and Emily become flatmates, and Adam proposes to Emily the same night he meets her family. Pammie discreetly insults and undermines Emily at every opportunity, ruining traditional ceremonies and events, including Adam’s proposal, Emily’s hen do (bachelorette party), her dress fitting, and the family dinner before the wedding. As the undeniable animosity builds between the women, Adam sides with Pammie and dismisses Emily’s concerns. Both Adam and Pammie illustrate The Mechanics of Manipulation in Close Relationships as they independently try to make Emily feel ashamed, insufficient, and insecure.

As in his other relationships, Adam exhibits a need to control Emily. His unrelenting nature develops slowly; Adam insists on Emily canceling plans with her friends and family, and he makes space for people and things important to Emily only when convenient for him. As the novel progresses, Adam becomes more possessive by telling Emily how she can dress and with whom she can maintain friendships. Adam is emotionally and verbally abusive to Emily. His manipulation, such as gaslighting, causes Emily to question her understanding of reality while Adam belittles and demeans her. Adam limits her time with her parents and encourages Emily to distance herself from her best friend, Seb. Emily develops a connection with Adam’s brother, James Banks, who tries to warn Emily away from Adam.

Although Emily is appalled by Adam’s behavior, she prioritizes winning Adam over from Pammie, who clarifies her intentions to destroy Emily and Adam’s relationship. Pammie plans on blackmailing Emily with the knowledge of Emily and James’s attraction to each other though James and Emily never become physically involved. Pammie reveals her cancer diagnosis two nights before Adam and Emily’s wedding, causing Adam to postpone the ceremony. Emily doubles down on her efforts not to lose Adam permanently, using her own manipulative tactics to keep Adam placated and satisfied. She believes Pammie is lying about having cancer as another manipulative strategy. Emily searches Pammie’s house for evidence of Pammie’s deceit, realizing she doesn’t like the person  she is becoming in response to Pammie. However, Emily finds an old inhaler and a picture of Adam’s former girlfriend, Rebecca, now deceased. Emily believes Pammie stole Rebecca’s inhaler while she moved into her and Adam’s shared apartment, inevitably causing Rebeca’s death.

Emily realizes she is pregnant with Adam’s child. Pammie experiences recovery from her cancer though Emily continues to doubt Pammie’s diagnosis. James announces his engagement to his new girlfriend, Kate, and Emily feels isolated upon witnessing Kate and Pammie’s close, healthy relationship. Adam’s emotional and verbal abuse worsens after the birth of his and Emily’s daughter, Poppy. Emily discovers Adam engaging in an affair at James’s wedding; however, she forgives him and allows him to return to their shared apartment after a few weeks.

Emily distances herself from Pammie after a traumatic incident in which Pammie takes Poppy from Emily and Adam’s apartment in the middle of the night. Pammie experiences a recurrent cancer diagnosis, and Emily begins to believe Pammie is ill only when she arrives at Poppy’s christening looking very unwell. In a surprise twist toward the novel’s conclusion, Adam becomes physically abusive to Emily while suspecting an affair between her and James. Pammie rescues Emily and Poppy, and she explains how she acted maliciously to scare Emily away from Adam. Pammie witnessed Adam murder Rebecca. She withheld evidence (the inhaler) from the police, believing Adam saw Pammie kill her own abusive husband when Adam was a boy. James reveals he, not Adam, witnessed Pammie kill her husband, but he loves his mother and respects her act of self-defense.

Adam’s incarceration will last over a decade. Emily and Pammie develop a close relationship, illustrating Honest Communication and the Importance of Forgiveness and The Protective Nature of Maternal Relationships. The novel closes from Pammie’s perspective as she wishes to live longer and enjoy her newfound freedom.