I did not finish this book. The writing was extremely heavy-handed and lacked all sense of subtlety. The very first pages were a massive info dump of backstory for the main character, all while she's turning over in her sleep for a moment. It tried very hard to be mysterious with this strange occurrence that happened in her past. The result, however, was boring and it just made me roll my eyes instead of pushing me to keep reading.

"He used to touch me that way. I told him once I loved the subtle, sexy feel of his fingers there. I get up, moving quietly in the darkness, and retrieve my burner phone and my laptop from the bottom dresser drawer. Richard cannot marry again. I begin to make my preparations. The next time I see her, I will be ready."........

She is about to marry the man of her dreams. At times she doesn’t feel she’s good enough for this man who expects perfection. Is Richard too good to be true, or was his ex wife so horrible he had to leave?

Vanessa is the first wife. Richard cheated on her, then tossed her from her life of luxury with him. Forced to live with her elderly aunt, and take a job where she caters to former high class friends. Drinking is her friend. Plotting and obsessing about her replacement is controlling her life. To what end though? It may not be for the reasons you'd assume.

The first half of the book alternated between one life and another. With a huge surprise leading into the second half of the book. The final part was just so clever.

Where do we go from here? Two wives and a husband. Who is the victim, who is the manipulator? We love someone and overlook the small signs of danger, cheating, fear of loss. A thought provoking suspense. Just when you think things are figured out, you’ll never see the twist coming. Original story line considering that divorce, cheating,and remarriage is so common.

Thank you Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen Netgalley, St. Martin's Press

I loved this book. It made you think about what was happening. Was the main character, Vanessa, crazy? Was her husband a stalker? The book was wonderfully written and I loved the ride that it took me for. A great thriller, mystery book that will leave you satisfied and wondering what the heck happened in their pasts!

The reason why I’m extra tired today… is that I stayed up past my bedtime reading this amazing book that is WORTH ALL THE HYPE. This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year (and since it doesn’t come out until next month I am SURE it will top all of the best thriller lists for 2018). There were at least 2 big things that I didn’t see coming which almost never happens anymore with me. This is HUGE.

The book is about a recently divorced woman who feels as if she is being replaced by his ex-husband’s new fiance and she becomes rather obsessed. As the book continues, you learn more about her past as well as her present. I loved the way the story was told and I really loved how I was surprised. I can’t help but to say that another highlight for me was that one of the character’s is a Chi Omega and so am I. I know that my IRL book club will love this book so I cannot wait for January 9 when it comes out. .

This book has gotten SO many good reviews from what I can find. I don't know how. This plot was incredibly predictable. Nothing new about it at all. It didn't keep me in suspense whatsoever. I wish I could recommend this book to others but no such luck.

The Wife Between Us is a fun, fast-paced read. It was honestly exactly what I needed to help get me through the beginning of the cold weather. I didn’t mind staying inside curled up in bed with a cup of tea, my dog by my side, and this book in my lap.

Not only is this book highly addictive, but it somehow always keeps you on your toes. Just when you think you’ve got the story – and its characters – all figured out, think again. Authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have an uncanny ability to always keep their readers guessing.

“It sometimes seemed as if it – he – were a bit scripted. But it didn’t matter. Richard was caring, charismatic, and accomplished. I fell in love with him almost immediately. And I never doubted that he loved me, too.”

At the center of the plot exists kind, successful, and loving Richard. He wants nothing but the best for his soon-to-be wife and the future they are going to create. But just like the other characters, there is more to him than meets the eye.

Then there’s Nellie – a smart, hard-working college graduate. She works two jobs and shares an apartment with her best friend in the city. When Richard promises to give Nellie everything she could ever want and more, she chooses to place her trust in him and never look back. However, Nellie has a secret to her past – one that just might shake up her future.

Vanessa, on the other hand, is the woman that Richard divorced. With her failed marriage looming behind her, she has nothing to call her own besides a few pieces of outdated designer clothing. Moving in with her aunt, Vanessa spends most of her days wallowing in liquor and regrets – all the while envisioning her ex-husband with his new fiance, or her “replacement”, and of course – plotting ways to stop Richard’s marriage.

The Wife Between Us is more than a story about a jealous ex-wife or a marriage gone wrong. Just as the synopsis says, Assume nothing. I will say, however, that this is a story about fear, manipulation, and most of all, truth.

Countless twists and turns left me breathless – and with an insatiable desire to see what would happen next. Beautifully written with an intricate plot that is often times misleading but all the while thrilling, The Wife Between Us is one of those books you should be excited to read – and even more excited to share.

Thank you to the St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Readers’ Copy and giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts with others!

Please read my full review at http://lipsticknliterature.com/2017/12/18/most-anticipated-reads-of-2018-the-wife-between-us/

This book is not your typical psychological suspense. When you begin reading, you will think it is a very stereotypical “wife scorned, out for revenge” novel. Trust me, IT IS NOT. Throw out any preconceptions you may have of the betrayed wife suspense novel, you will be wrong. I can usually figure out the twists in plots about half way into a book, not so with this one. These two authors keep you guessing all the way through, take twists and turns to a whole other level. They will send you on an amazing journey through a veritable labyrinth as they tell the story. I did not see any of the reveals coming, and almost bought into the read herring. You will find yourself stopping to ponder a reveal, possibly even rer-reading just to take it all in.
Mark my words, this will one of the top books of 2018.

This book keeps you guessing at every twist and turn! When the plot summary says assume nothing, they are right! You spend the first part of the book thinking you understand what's going on and then the next section flips it upside down. Then you can't stop reading because you have to figure out what the heck is going on. Then everything changes again! It's an amazingly well written psychological suspense read not to miss!



I did have to reread parts here and there to make sure I was keeping everything straight (especially at the end) which kept me at a 4 star rating for this one instead of 5--sometimes it was a little jumpy and hard to follow. I also had to re-read the epilogue to make sure I had figured it out. But wow! What an ending! But the need for rereading could've been because I was reading so fast to figure out what happened! It did leave me with an unanswered question or two (if you've read it and know me, you know what I'm talking about!) but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

This book kept me on the absolute edge and didn't let go until I read the mind blowing ending! The author did an amazing job keeping me intrigued and in suspense throughout the entire book, though I must confess that I was beginning to catch on. This is for any fan of Girl on the Train and like - minded books!

Very engaging storyline, and I loved the surprise twist. A bit slow to start, but it really draws you in as you continue to read. Highly recommend!

A free e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
With the reviews this book was getting, I had much higher hopes. I wouldn’t call this a thriller, more a mystery, and a slow burn one.
After finishing this book the cover and description make so much more sense. Good job marketing!
Vanessa (Nessa) is having a hard time letting go of her ex-husband Richard. So she of course stalks him and his new fiancé. We are tossed between past and present, between Nessa and Nellie. I found myself interested enough to keep reading but at the same time bored because I say the ending coming by page 100.
The characters were not easy to like and the constant clothes name branding that happened for no reason at all was just boring to read about. How many times did I read “Chanel with a dented button” and “it was 4 seasons out of date”.

Whoa... What did I just read!?!?!

This had to be the most twisted, mind-blowing love triangle that I have read in quite some time! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, each page kept me guessing until the very end!

“In my marriage, there were three truths, three alternate and sometimes competing realities. There was Richard’s truth. There was my truth. And there was the actual truth, which is always the most elusive to recognize.”

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have a winner in this one... Absolutely brilliant writing that will definitely leave you speechless! Really looking forward to reading more from these two in the near future.

*I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such a complex, twisty-turny story, it’s nearly impossible to summarize it without ruining it. So, I won’t. What I can say? It’s rather brilliant. Every chapter, I think I’ve got my finger on what’s going on, and then I begin to question again. Is she crazy? Is he abusive? Why is she following the new fiancée? Are her intentions good or bad? Who is this early girlfriend? What is with his sister? What really happened in Florida? OMG, WHAT IS HAPPENING?!? And then I finally figured a few things out and thought there were no secrets left to be revealed, but no. Of course not. Where would be the fun in that?

Honestly, I don’t know how to talk about this book without giving something away! It’s the lack of surety that makes the book so great. And it’s so character-driven, I struggle to say anything about any of the main characters that won’t give up the goose.

How about this: I loved Aunt Charlotte. Everyone should have an Aunt Charlotte. Aunt Charlotte is everything she seems to be. She is alone in that. ;)

So, when you pick up this book (and you should), be prepared. It’s topsy-turvy and a bit disorienting. If you feel like you don’t know which end is up, keep reading and enjoy the ride. It isn’t going to be what you expected. It’s better.

Okay, so I have to admit I was a little nervous when I started seeing my fellow reviewers compare The Wife Between Us to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. Even though I loved Gone Girl, not many of the novels that have been compared to it since its rise to popularity have lived up to the hype. And boy have there been a lot of them. I’m thrilled to say that not only does The Wife Between Us live up to the comparison, but I enjoyed The Wife Between Us even more than I enjoyed Gone Girl. I think we’re looking at what is going to be one of the must-read books of 2018. I also recently read that there is already a deal in place to make it into a film and I’m really excited about that.

I know this is the part of my review where I would typically describe the book without giving away spoilers. In the case of The Wife Between Us, however, I can’t really do that. To write any kind of description of even the basic plot points and characters would just spoil it. So all I’m going to say is just know based on those Gone Girl comparisons that you’re diving into an addictive psychological thriller filled with twists and turns and complex characters, and that there are also questions regarding narrator reliability. Most importantly, as the synopsis indicates, assume nothing!

LIKES

My favorite part of The Wife Between Us is that it really did keep me guessing from beginning to end. I read the synopsis, which told me to ‘assume nothing’ because everything I assumed would be wrong. And then I proceeded to jump right in and start making assumptions anyway. The book just lends itself to that and no matter how hard I tried to keep an open mind, I continued to make snap judgments about characters and situations, and yes, as the synopsis warned, I was dead wrong every time. And that may sound like it should have been a frustrating reading experience, but I LOVED every page of it. Nothing about the story was predictable and that was just fabulous and refreshing.

There is one plot twist about halfway through that was such a shock to me that it made my head spin. I actually had to backtrack a few pages to make sure I had read what I thought I had read. It was truly mind blowing!

The characters in The Wife Between Us are also so well drawn. They’re complex, flawed, and utterly human, and unlike in many of the Gone Girl-style books, they are actually quite sympathetic in spite of the unreliable narrator issue. I won’t go so far as to say that I liked any of them, but I did feel tremendous sympathy for what at least one of them was going through.

The book also weeds into some dark territory as we navigate the various plot twists -- mental illness, addiction, abuse, jealousy, the struggle to let go and move on after a failed relationship, etc. All of this dark subject matter weaves together seamlessly into an enthralling tale that you won’t be able to walk away from until you know the whole truth behind ‘the wife between us.’

DISLIKES/ISSUES

The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me was that the pacing felt a little inconsistent before that huge plot twist vs. after it. There wasn’t a huge difference but just enough that it was noticeable in terms of how quickly I moved through each half of the book.

I also can’t say that I was 100% satisfied with the book’s resolution either. I’ll be curious to see if that is tweaked when it is made into a film.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Wife Between Us is a mesmerizing thrill ride that will keep you guessing from beginning to end. I would definitely say to go into it knowing as little as possible for the most suspenseful reading experience possible. As the synopsis says, ‘Assume Nothing.’

RATING: 4 Stars

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and of course, authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for allowing me to read and review this book on my blog in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacts my review.

The Wife Between Us by Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks.
This book is a hard one to review as you don't want to give away the storyline that keeps you guessing.
Vanessa was once married to Richard but now they are divorced. Richard is planning on taking on a new wife named Nellie, who is a young Preschools teacher he met. Vanessa is now having to start over by working to gain back what she has lost. Along with that it seems she has taken to drinking more.
There are a lot of things going on in this book that keeps you wondering who is the 'bad guy' here and who is not...or are they all bad. This book will be really hard to put down because you want to see what is next on this domestic thriller storyline.
Exciting Read!!

High expectations can ruin a book. I think most of us have experienced that before. I can happily say that this is definitely not the case with this book. It lived up to the hype and delivered multiple twists with good character development.
This book was marketed very well. The lack of information given in the synopsis is clever and I did make assumptions (most of which were false).
The book is split up into three parts. Each leaving you wanting more. This is a page-turner. Make sure you don't have any pressing matters as you'll want to devote all your time to this book.

*My review has been posted on goodreads and will be posted on Instagram on 12/18*

The Wife Between Us

Greer Hendricks Sarah Pekkanen


THE WIFE BETWEEN Us is filled with twists and turns you will never see coming. Just when the reader thinks they have it all figured out, forget it! They are totally wrong! Haha don't you love when an author does that to you?


My review for THE WIFE BETWEEN US is going to be very short. I'm afraid I'm going to give something away or spoil it for someone. Basically here it is, Vanessa is the ex wife. Nellie is the fiancé of Vanessa's ex husband. Vanessa can not stand the fact that Richard might be getting married again and decides she has to stop that from happening. Hang on people! You aren't going to believe your mind as you are reading! There is so much more to the story, but as I said, I'm afraid of giving too much information. There is nothing worse than having someone ruin a book for you right?


While reading THE WIFE BETWEEN US remember, not everything is as it seems. Appearances can be very deceiving and we all know, you should never judge a book by its cover! I can easily see this story becoming a movie. Once you start reading, you will have a hard time putting THE WIFE BETWEEN US down. It is filled with lies, infidelities, and betrayals that are going to blow you away.

OMG, what just happened? This is going to be THE book of 2018. Forget the “Girl” books and bring on the “Wife”. I am not even going to say what this book is about except to say this - don’t read anything about it, just go buy it. I am telling everyone I know to read this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing me a free digital copy of 'The Wife Between Us' in exchange for my honest review.
The Wife Between Us is a very clever physiological domestic thriller that dissects a marriage and its undoing. With lots of twists and turns, it is a very entertaining read. The reader is constantly being put to the test: just when you think you know who the bad seed is, the perspective changes and you realize you were wrong. Vanessa is now divorced from Richard, a successful business man and a doting husband. Now he is remarrying someone new and Vanessa will do anything to stop the wedding, but not for the reasons you might think. It's hard to say more without giving away too much, but just know that as stories from Vanessa and Richard's past mix with what is happening in the present, you will constantly be guessing and what is really going on. In The Wife Between Us, nothing is as it seems.
I rate this one 3.5 out of 5 stars. I did enjoy reading this book and found myself thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. I really wanted to find out the truth but there were parts that seemed to drag on a little bit. The perception of the characters kept whipping back and forth and well was done in my opinion. I found this very smart and clever, the misdirection always made the reader wonder who was really the one who ruined the marriage. However, I couldn't help but find parts of the story a little depressing: a lot of mental and physical abuse was going on and that may be a trigger to some people. Mental abuse can sometimes be one of the worst kinds because no one outside of the abuse knows its even happening. As more truth about Vanessa and Richard started to be revealed, instead of feeling thrilling, it felt sad to me. I would say that this was a well done book, but for someone who has strong feelings about abuse, I couldn't fully love this novel.

The Wife Between Us.... do not assume that you know anybody.. do not asaume that you know what is happening.

Twist after twist makes this a fast paced read. I really enjoyed this book.. after hearing so much about it I was hoping that it would not disappoint... it did not!

Thanks to St Martins Press via Netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review.