Nellie aka Vanessa was once married to Richard, they have divorced and now he is with Emma. Vanessa appears to be having difficulty with it, drinks, can't hold a job etc. Emma on the other hand feels like she is being watched. As the book progresses you discover more and more about the two, the past and the lies. At times you go between, Vanessa, Emma and Richard wondering who is the victim. The authors did a great job of hiding who is the bad guy and who you want to root for. I loved, loved, loved this book. It grabbed me on the first page and didn't let go. This is just the type of psychological thriller that keeps you guessing and wanting to turn the pages quickly. I totally can see this being made into a movie. I will be first in line to see it!

OK - I will be honest, I liked this book a lot more than I expected to. I found the title on NetGalley and requested it because a friend of mine had received an ARC of this as well and I thought that it would be fun for the both of us to read it together. I love psychological novels but have been burned by the promises of dark and twisty books in the past, (I'm thinking about you Girl on the Train) so I approached this book with a light-hearted open mind.

The Good: They caught me off guard with the switchbacks in the plot. This jaded reader is not easy to fool but I found myself flipping back a few pages at the end of the first section saying "Wait...What?" and re-reading to make sure that what I thought I read was really how things went down. So bravo on that front!

I wanted to hate the characters and write them off as your typical, spoiled, rich, New York Housewives that I normally loathe in books - but I ended up really enjoying the development that happened as the novel progressed and you found out more and more layers of each player.

The Notes: Near the end, the actions of the main character stretched where I was willing to go with them. It's so hard to write this without spoilers but - as calculating as she was throughout the entire novel - I found it hard to believe that the big denouement was as haphazard and left to chance as it ended up being.

The book is credited to two authors and, looking back on the reading experience, I could see those separate voices poking through even where they weren't supposed to. I'll be interested to see if the writing duo persists and how they continue to smooth out their process over time.

Overall, I am very glad that I was granted a copy of this book by St Martin's Press and Netgalley. It will make a great summer read and one to reach for if you need a fun and light read that gives you a nice surprise in the middle. Overall Rating: 3.5 stars.

Nothing is quite what it seems in this twisty Psychological Suspense. If you think you have it all figured out, keep reading. The first half of the book was a slow build up to the first twist that was a doozy, one that hit out of the blue and left me turning pages faster and faster in the second half of the book. The second half wasn’t as strong as the first, but continued to have more nice twists and turns until the very end twist that I found unnecessary and left me a bit disappointed overall with the ending.

Although it's been weeks since I've read THE WIFE BETWEEN US, I still wonder which wife was between the other? And was this a mystery novel or a true psychological thriller?

To be honest this review surprised me: "A jaw-dropping psychological thriller." —Publishers Weekly, starred review "

Perhaps, after too many novels that have tried to top GONE GIRL and GIRL ON THE TRAIN, I'm expecting much more from the facsimiles. What I do know is that this read proved both confusing and -- too often -- redundant.

While a few breadcrumbs were scattered about the traumatic past, the actual telling of the event fell flat to me. And the Epilogue caused me to roll my eyes.

Once upon a time I was a book blogger and reviewed/promoted Sarah Pekkanan's debut novel. Sarah's writing is solid, genuine, and generally filled with emotion. I wanted to love this book for Sarah, instead, it was merely "ho-hum" for me.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. I find the subject of betrayal and secrecy a bit depressing but the portrayal of the characters was very accurate.
There is a sad mood about the book, vengeance dosent heal anything in the end.
Thankyou for sharing it.

My thoughts go like this. Wow! Wait, what? No, more twists? I'm losing interest. Finally, that final twist... no. Just no. It's redundant and a very slow read. I know it has a lot of good press, and that's cool, but this book wasn't for me. It wasn't what I had hoped for.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

I've had this book finished for about a month now. I keep trying to come and write a review, and then wandering away to do something else. Because sigh.

The title of this book sets up a certain expectation. The blurb for the book sets up a certain expectation. You go into this book waiting for a delicious twist on an age old story. Married woman whose husband is cheating on her, and the fact that it seems to be driving her quite mad. Which, I don't know about you, but that plot definitely has my attention.

I love a good twist in a book. I like a twist so good it leaves me slack jawed. And not all authors can do a good twist. An author has to be a chef in this case.

Gently sprinkling in foreshadowing, stirring up suspense, letting the story bake just long enough that when they throw the twist in, you're left gasping for air.

And then...there's this book.

This could have been an excellent book. The characters aren't particularly likeable, and you may have issues activating your sympathy chip, but you're still compelled to read, you still want to know what the inevitable twist will be.

And then boom, the twist hits. And if you're anything like me, you'll say, "Yeah, I kind of saw that coming." But still, it's a good twist. And you're ready for the wind down.

And then another twist hits.

Well, okay. That was unexpec BOOM, another twist hits.

Seriously?

This book suffers mightily from too many ingredients. It's a bouillabaisse, crammed with too many attempts at cleverness and too little delectable bites.

I'm not saying it wasn't an enjoyable read, it really was. But if you retain any of the plot, it will be muddled by the convoluted and unnecessary plot twists. Which is sad.

The Wife Between Us was an exciting read with a number of plot twists. I could see this easily being adapted into a movie along the likes of Gone Girl.

As with most domestic/psychological thrillers, I recommend going into this book knowing very little, so I won’t go into the plot too much. Vanessa is the ex-wife of rich, successful, perfect Richard. She is a mess and is stalking Emma, the ex-husband’s fiancé.

Suffice it to say, the plot thickens with a huge twist at around 40% that I didn’t see coming. Very clever. It actually took me a few minutes to process what I was reading. The blurb says it all: assume nothing. After the first huge twist, there are several more to come.

There were too many twists to call it predictable but there was some repetitiveness and a character turnaround that had me scratching my head. Despite those misgivings, this is an entertaining page-turner that will surely be a highly successful movie.

** many thanks to Netgalley, the authors, and St Martin’s Press for an e-galley of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this thrillride.

It's safe to say this book blew my mind!! The twists were amazing - I'm still in shock!!!

The narrative style took some getting used to but once I did I saw the brilliance in how the author's told this story. Many, many books have been hailed in recent years as the next Gone Girl or Girl on a Train (to the point of nausea) but this one may just surpass them both!!

An incredible, unputdownable read that ranks among the best I've read this year. When it's released next year it will be a sure fire success.

Simply amazing. 5 BIG stars.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Very clever novel. I was reading this late into the night and loving all the twists and turns. Not your typical thriller, it has a lot going for it and what made it even better is that it all worked in the end. Sometimes there are too many things going on at once and they do not assemble at the end, this book did not have that problem. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a refreshing thriller.

There has been so much buzz surrounding THE WIFE BETWEEN US that I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it and delve into the lives of Nellie and Vanessa while trying to figure out the many twists and turns that take place in the story. Just when I thought I had it all figured out I realized that nothing is as it seems and what I thought I had figured out suddenly took another twist.

Nellie is ready to commit to her fiance, Richard. The wedding is planned and she is tidying up a few loose ends before the nuptials. Nellie loves her job at the Learning Ladder where she teaches children, but she knows her life is about to change once she walks down the aisle. Her fiance Richard is wealthy affording her opportunities she would never have on a teachers salary and living in New York City. She is a sweet girl making a very big life change. Although she is much younger than Richard, he seems to be able to take care of her and make her feel safe. Nellie is not all that she seems though and has a very big secret from her past that she does not want to get out. Not only is she carrying a secret, but she also finds herself with a new stalker, Richard's ex-wife Vanessa.

Vanessa once had it all before her divorce from Richard. Now she finds herself almost penniless, living with her aunt, and working at SAKS, a high end retail store. Her life is definitely not going in the right direction. To top it all off, she medicates herself with alcohol and wonders where her life went wrong all the while still trying to fight her feelings for Richard. He was her entire world for a long time and he still has power over her feelings. Things go from bad to worse when Vanessa finds out that her ex-husband is engaged to a younger woman and she will do everything in her power to stop the wedding from happening.

THE WIFE BETWEEN US is a riveting and engrossing psychological thriller that pulls you in right from the start. I thought I knew where the story was heading right from the beginning. I could not have been more wrong. The collaboration of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen created one intense mind boggling story. The pacing in the beginning is nice and slow and really digs into the background of Nellie and Vanessa and before you know it the story takes a twist that is very unexpected. I consider myself pretty good at figuring out clues. Nothing could have prepared me for this story. I was so wrong and pretty much shocked up until the end. I cannot stress enough just how much I LOVED this story. Please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book or you will miss out on one genius story. This is one for my keeper shelf.

Hmm... an interesting concept and idea but ultimately left me a little cold with its numerous “twists” and lack of real characters that you could empathize with.

Vanessa Thompson is our main character and narrator throughout the book. Hiding a somewhat troubled past that has shaped who she is, after moving from her hometown in Florida to New York she meets and eventually marries Richard, a very wealthy and handsome funds manager. A perfect husband so it seems from the outside but he too has suffered trauma in his early life which too has shaped his character.

Richard apprently wants the perfect life. The perfect wife with the perfect home and children to match. As they struggle to conceive and Vanessa starts fertility medication and starts to drink heavily she notices things about her husband that are far from perfect and she begins to wonder is he really the man she thought she married? She withdraws from life, spending hours on end alone in her big house, drinking and letting her mind wander. When she thinks she has found out that Richard is having an affair and they eventually separate, she is determined to make sure that the wedding to her “replacement”doesn’t go ahead. She has to warn off the new bride about who her husband may actually be. But is he? Can she trust her own hazy mind? Is she paranoid and seeing things that aren’t there or is her husband really a monster underneath who needs to be stopped?

This one is a weird one. It’s an interesting premise and flows quite nicely for the first half of the book or so as the story is fleshed out. Then a bombshell is thrown in and you find yourself reading back to make sure you were keeping track of things. You see we only have Vanessa’s word as to what is really happening and even she doesn’t trust herself to recollect everything correctly. Anyway I went with this “twist”and continued on. The story being told by Vanessa both in the present and the past, as it goes on she becomes increasingly sure of her train of thought and is convinced that her husband has abused and manipulated her for years. It’s part of his dark character and she has to stop him before he inflicts the same on his next partner and soon to be wife Emma. We the reader though have our nagging doubts as can we really trust Vanessa’s recollection of things?

I enjoyed this somewhat but to be honest the numerous “twists” were irksome and the story felt like it took an age to conclude. None of the characters were particularly easy to empathize with and Richard felt like a very two dimensional character. The ending was especially annoying as it meandered on for a few more chapters than it should have, tying up every lose end in a nice bow and throwing couple more reveals right at the end that felt forced and thrown in as an afterthought.

It seems to be getting rave reviews across the board so maybe it’s just me but I found this one just ok. Interesting concept and ideas behind it but a little clunkily told with too many “twists” for its own good.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Overwrought

This isn't my style of book, a psychological thriller that tries to build suspense by darting all over the landscape with snippets of information and heavily veiled hints like a jump cut movie.

I suspect, though, that the general public will eat it up.

I received a review copy of "The Wife Between Us" by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.com.

Ahh, this book. This book right here is just pure amazement. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is exactly what you are looking for if you want to read a thriller that will twist, and turn you until you don’t know which way is up.

Told in three parts, this story will make you assume one thing, then slap you in the face with reality. The first part blew my mind, the second part made me cringe, and the third part was impossibly, frustratingly, tormenting. From now on, instead of book covers claiming they are the “Next Gone Girl” they are going to be shouting that they are the Next The Wife Between Us”, because this book has just dug a grave for Gone Girl, bye bye Amy Dunne.

In the beginning of this book, we meet Vanessa who has just divorced Richard after a tumultuous marriage. She’s living with her aunt, and she’s trying hard to pick herself up by her bootstraps, even though she’s drinking too much and trying to find ways to get Richard to not marry his new girl.

Then we meet Nellie, who is excited to marry Richard, she’s working at the Learning Ladder as a preschool teacher, and as fate might have it, meets the man of her dreams on a plane. It’s not really a big deal if he was already married, or older than her, it only matters that he treats her like a queen.

Why did Vanessa and Richard divorce? If the truth comes out, who will be found guilty of multiple sins? What will happen to Nellie? I can’t tell you any more about this book without giving something away, so my best advice is to go pick it up RIGHT NOW. Are you still reading this? Well stop, go go go. As a matter of fact, I’ll even help you: Amazon. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars, I just…there are no words.

The Wife Between Us is one of those thrillers where you're better off not knowing much about it prior to reading. I enjoyed the slow burn of the first half. I could really sense a gradual escalation of tension but wasn't sure what it was building toward. A great twist/reveal practically resets the entire story. Shifting perspectives at different times, sometimes for the same scene, slowly come together to present the true reality. Or is it? Some questionable, perhaps unreliable, narration causes some confusion, purposefully I believe to further some plot themes. I was a little disappointed in the ending, think I was just wanting more. I thought a very late twist fell flat. It fit, but would have had more impact had it been better incorporated earlier. Overall, the presentation of the story may be more clever than the story itself. I did like it. 3.5 stars.

ARC compliments of St. Martin's Press via Netgalley.

I just completed The Wife between Us, this is an awesome book. It keeps you interested throughout, the story is told very well, the writing is excellent and it keeps you longing to find out what is coming up next. You think you just have a dejected wife that is bitter from a divorce but then you find out she has a completely different side and agenda. And the ending gives you another different spin on the tale coming out of nowhere. This is a great book, it will go in my top 10. It does get a little confusing sometimes when they're going from past to present but the author wraps it up so well in a tidy package in the end. I would highly recommend to my friends. I thank the publisher and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to have an early copy. Awesome!!!!

This is another of those 'Gone Girl' kind of books but in this case, it's a GOOD one! The beginning was confusing yet intriguing and kept me glued to the book. There were plenty of twists and turns right up to the end. This is one of those books I didn't want to put down until I had read it all. I loved that the story surprised me a few times. I won't tell any of the story in my review - I don't want to spoil it for readers! This is one I'll tell all my friends to read. I'm giving it 5 stars!

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen is a thriller that focuses on a scorned ex-wife and her young replacement, both pining for the same handsome hedge fund manager…or so the reader is led to believe. The first twist is solid! However, by the end of the novel I was suffering from total twist overload – it just became silly and convoluted. I’d definitely suggest The Wife Between Us for fans of The Girl on the Train as they share a ton of similarities, but it’s the cheaper version. Still worth a read if you love domestic thrillers, even if just for the first 100 pages or so. For what it’s worth, it is viewed very favorably on Goodreads (4+ stars), so most early readers enjoyed it. (From The Napanee Beaver, December 13, 2017)

This domestic thriller plots the story of the ex- and the next wife of Richard. Told from both viewpoints, the story starts a few weeks before Nellie is due to marry Richard. She’s a preschool teacher and he’s a hedge fund manager. You learn quickly that something bad has happened in her past, but not what.

Flip side, Vanessa is the ex. So when Richard decided he wanted out, why did she leave the marriage with hardly anything so that she’s now forced to work at Saks?

There are lots of questions right from the get go. I was initially sympathetic to both women. And immediately suspicious of Richard.

This book grabs your attention. I thought I knew where it was going. So, I wanted to keep reading to see if I was right. The first twist threw me for a loop. I mean I was literally confused. I’m not sure how, but I keep thinking there might have been a better way to handle this.

And the twists just keep on coming. The book definitely gets more suspenseful as it goes along. Yes, I had part of this right, but several of those twists were totally unexpected. Overall it’s a fun read and think anyone who enjoys a good mystery will enjoy this.

My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.