To be honest, I think I expected more from this book. (but as you see by my rating I liked it. More than liked it).

Maybe that's an unfair statement (the expecting more) but based on all the hype surrounding it, I couldn't help but feel a pinch let down. And I read this right after another thriller and perhaps I might have compared and felt the two books were similar...both books have the "let's see how much we can deceive the reader" vibe going on.

That said...

The Wife Between Us was still a damn compelling and interesting read. Despite having two authors, the style and flow seem to come from one hand. Plus the first half of the novel is simply brilliant in the set up. Brilliant.

Overall, this is a twisty book, yet I can't help but feel some things were a bit too much out of left field at the end/last part of the book . One or the other should have happened. Again maybe I am unfairly comparing to another book but there it is.

The hard thing about reviewing this book is I can't say much without giving things away, but trust me when I say the book is worth the read. I'd also read another book by these ladies in a heartbeat.

I loved this book. It will definitely be one of the most talked about books of the year. Loved the characters! I felt sorry for the ex wife but wow the things that happen!

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
was a smart, fresh, and engaging psychological thriller. It was fast paced and fast moving; though the subject matter is difficult, it is presented in a manageable way. The twists and turns are staggering, Be prepared for purposeful confusion to lead to amazing discoveries thanks to a riveting story-line with multiple reveals. I read the book in one day. For a person who reads a great deal, as I do, it was refreshing to be surprised and absorbed in this unique, entertaining novel. If you think that you will guess the ending, you won’t. I am glad that I couldn’t.

To discuss more would risk ruining an extraordinary read. I highly recommend it.

My best advice about this book is to know nothing about it going in. Just pick it up and begin to read. It will grip you quickly and keep you in its clutches throughout its excellent and intriguing story. I thought I knew where it was headed, but I was so very wrong. Deliciously entertaining!

This book was amazing! Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. The suspense and twist and turns were unbelievable! I did not see the end coming at all!!!! I highly recommend this book, it is going to take you by surprise. I became very engrossed with the characters. The book is highly detailed . You will not want to stop reading!

Summary:

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.

"In my marriage, there were three truths, three alternate and sometimes compelling realities. There was Richard's truth. There was my truth. And there was the actual truth, which is always the most elusive to recognize. This could be the case in every relationship that we think we've entered into a union with another person when, in fact, we've formed a triangle with one point anchored by a silent but all-seeing judge, the arbiter of reality."

My Review:

This novel is full of twists and turns down to the last page. And I did not see that last chapter coming! This is a MUST READ!! That being said, this is a difficult review to write because everything that makes this book unique is a spoiler. The publisher had it right when they were so vague about the summary. You do not want any spoilers going into this book which of course means I can’t tell some of the many amazing things I love about it!

Hendricks and Pekkanen do a great job of making the reader feel confused when learning about this love triangle. It’s not confusing in a bad way, but more of in a “wait…did I just read that right?” way. The book is divided into three parts. The first is entertaining with very intense in-depth character building. By the end of this part I became completely invested in both of the primary characters, so much so that I overlooked a critical detail, which by part two led to some seriously jaw-dropping moments. It isn’t until you get to the second and final parts that things start to get really crazy!

I was completely invested in the book from the first page. Not only is this book FANTASTIC, the authors just announced that it was optioned for a movie. It's the same team at DreamWorks that brought you Girl on the Train. Trust me when I say, I will be the first person in line to buy a ticket!

I rate this novel 5 / 5 stars!

Click here to pre-order your copy today!

This psychological thriller is reminiscent of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris. It offers an inventive twist halfway through the book instead of at the end and yet continues to surprise until its conclusion. Definitely worth the wait!

I loved this book. At first I thought it was way too simplistic and predictable and then I realized I had no idea what the authors were up to. Love, loved, loved it. I just wish the author would have provided resolution about the dog.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Wife Between Us describes a life that has gone awry. Vanessa is attractive, bright, and talented but a trauma from her college years manages to discolor every aspect of her life. She has left Florida behind to lose herself in the big city; riddled with guilt, she never really feels worthy of happiness.

Meanwhile, quiet Nellie prepares to marry the all too perfect Richard. He is handsome, rich, generous and madly in love with Nellie. Although she senses something is wrong, Nellie marries Richard and leaves her quiet life behind. The desire to have a child takes over Nellie's and Richard's lives. Hendricks employs a rather unique narrative device that manages to keep readers engaged in the seemingly storybook romance. It isn't until the middle of the book that the two narratives of Vanessa and Nellie merge into a cohesive plot.

There was lots to really like about this book. The desperation and sadness of the female characters ring true since they were well drawn with back stories and honest emotions. (Their realism is the reason I gave this book four stars.) Richard, however, is more of a superficial antagonist. His motivations are unclear until the end and then they are presented a little too quickly and a little too simplistically.

Finally, the unbelievable and unexpected connections between past and present are too coincidental. Hendricks wraps up the story a little too neatly, providing threads of connection that too easily fit. Real life means uncertainty and unanswered questions. But, her use of these connections did provide a few AHA! moments to me as a reader.

This book was an enjoyable read.

"The Wife Between Us" is an odd thriller that doesn't always play out like one. The narrator is unreliable in some ways and the tense shifts in the first part do a wonderful job of leading the reader to some wrong conclusions. The story picks up in the second part and becomes a more traditional, though not very suspenseful, thriller about a woman, her ex-husband, and his new fiancee. The final twist seemed more designed to give it a happy ending and tie up an invented minor loose end. Fans of Gone Girl, Girl on the Train, etc. will likely find this to be similar in style and will probably enjoy.

I thought this book was terrific--beautifully written, enjoyable to read, with an intriguing and original premise well executed. The pace of reveals was perfect, and there were some really fabulous twists. It will keep you guessing as you start to realize that things were not what you thought. Highly recommended!

This book genuinely tricked me and the twists were actually twists!
So many thrillers today, try desperately to be original and/or shocking. Well, The Wife Between Us actually succeeds!
To me, the best thing about this book is that it basically says, "Hey you! Do you have any idea how quick you are to judge characters and the books they're in?" And when you claim that you don't the book laughs and says, "Hold my beer."
We're so ready to assign blame! And this book will let you do it over and over again and prove to you that you're wrong every single time.
While the subject matter wasn't very original, hence withholding one star, the technique used to write this book and the twists that managed to take me by surprise made this my favorite thriller of 2017. (Even though it's not coming out until 2018)

OOH BOY! This book was so unique and quite enjoyable! I was enthralled with the characters and the way things were being exposed. I was hooked from page one and I couldn't wait to see what secrets these characters were hiding. I truly wasn't expecting it to unfold the way it did. I kept being surprised throughout this book and this writing duo did a GREAT job of keeping me on the edge of my seat and wondering what would be exposed next. Now that I know the ending, I'd like to do a re-read of this book and see if there were other things I missed. If you love a good, complex, things-aren't-as-they-seem read, then this is the book for you! I can't tell you too much about this book because it would do you an injustice. But, be prepared not to get anything done as this book will completely consume you and hold on after THE END is read. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

The Wife Between Us is an addictive, gripping, suspenseful read about betrayal, lies, deceit, revenge, love, friendship, marriage, and so much more. What can I say...I was BLOWN AWAY by this breath-taking book! It definitely deserves ALL FIVE STARS if not more!
There were so many twists and turns in this brilliant psychological thriller that I was enthralled from page one all the way to the end! I read this book in just a few hours because it was just that fantastic. Not only do I definitely foresee it as a HUGE bestseller in 2018, but I really, really want you to read this book!
The writing is carefully executed and wonderful, and the characterizations are perfect! The authors, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, do a phenomenal job tightly weaving the plot, building the suspense, and keeping the reader guessing. The book is broken down into three parts and although section one is a little slower than the other two, it sets the stage. Part one allows you to meet the characters: the ex-wife, her "replacement", and the ex-husband all while slowly drawing you into the very unsuspecting web of twists, turns, and the crazy, wild ride ahead! Simply genius!
The Wife Between Us is a difficult book to review because I don't want to give away details and spoil the plot! Believe me, this is a completely unpredictable story. When they say "Assume nothing" they are not kidding!! I strongly recommend you go into the book knowing as little as possible so it won't be ruined; then you can be completely blown away by this enthralling, clever, insane read just like I was!
Hendricks and Pekkanenan really did an outstanding job throwing the reader off guard with crazy twists, that at times made me think I was going crazy, and I literally had to make sure on occasion that I had read things right! All I can say is WOW! Of course, these stunningly, clever twists were on purpose to confuse and bewilder the reader, and it worked! Just when you think you have the plot figured out, Hendricks and Pekkanenan flip everything around...again and again...and once again! It was insane..insanely good! Usually, when I read psychological suspense, I have most, if not all, of the twists figured out halfway through the book but not this time!
I loved this book! Can you tell how much I loved this book? I honestly haven't been this excited about a psychological suspense novel in a very long time. Oh, and I'm really looking forward to seeing The Wife Between Us on the big screen in the future since it has optioned for a movie! If you love an intense, captivating psychological suspense, then you will love The Wife Between Us. I highly, highly recommended you read this one!
**Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the authors for an ARC of The Wife Between Us in exchange for my fair and honest review. **

I really enjoyed this book. So many twists and turns. I never would have guessed the ending of the story. I like the changes in perspective between a Vanessa and Emma. It was truly a page turner. .

I’m not going to go into any details about the book in my review, which will shorten it a great deal, but believe me—I’m doing everyone who hasn’t read it yet a huge favor. For maximum reading enjoyment, you REALLY need to not know anything beyond what is said in the cryptic blurb. If you do that, this book is guaranteed to knock you off your feet.

That’s how I read this book. I started it with certain expectations of what might happen, and all I can say is I was never so happy to be so completely wrong about a book in my life. I can say without hesitation that The Wife Between Us is easily one of the best books I have ever read in this genre, if not the best. The characters are crisply written, and you’ll find yourself siding with one or the other early on. The plot is complex, yet easy to follow and the events that take place within the story will keep the story uppermost in your mind during those moments life forces you to (reluctantly) stop reading for a while. Thrilling plot twists and stunning reveals will shatter everything you come to expect from the story, and have you frantically reading to see what happens next.

Don’t miss out on reading the book that is destined to be listed as one of the best releases of 2018. Do yourself a favor and add this one to your TBR immediately!

The synopsis of this excellent novel warns you to assume nothing. But what is there to assume? It's pretty obvious what's going on, right?... right? I thought I was reading an addictive psychological thriller. Well written and impossible to put down, but a story that I've read before. A woman was dumped by her husband for being a mess and is now obsessed with her perfect, innocent replacement. She couldn't have children, so she doesn't want to even think about the new bride being pregnant. A great read, but not the most original. Well... I was SO wrong! The first twist was surprising, I had to go back through some passages and seeing in a different light made so much sense. Then, the twists kept coming, one after the other. Nothing is what it seems. Really. I can't say more because spoiling anything would be a crime. All I can say is: read this book. Now! You won't regret it as you run back the events in your mind figuring out how it all fit together.

This was such an emotional ride while reading this. I recommend this book!

Wow! This book will definitely keep you guessing! Is Vanessa a jealous wife? Who's Nellie? What about Richard? As the chapters go by we learn more and more about these people.. But who's deceiving whom? Then we meet Emma.. More twists! A must read and the twists don't stop until the very last page. Highly recommended!
*I received an advance reader cooy in exchange for an honest review

Wow, where to start? I'm reading along thinking the alternating points of view are leading down one road, and then BAM, nothing is as it seems and the path to the climax takes an entirely different course. Some readers are going to hate this, some will love it. Some will be sooooo confused. You may need to go back and reread parts.

For me, I felt somewhat manipulated and kept asking myself if what happened really made any sense. I kept with it, through more twists and turns, until the very end. And then I started it over again. And yes, it did make sense knowing now what I didn't know before. So, touche and congrats to the author for pulling it all off!

Absolutely not what I expected at all, from the title or from the first few chapters.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.