I didn’t love this novel as much as everyone else seems to. I thought parts of it dragged, and some of the twists at the end seemed forced like, “Ah ha! We can do yet another switcheroo! You might have thought X, but really, it’s Y!”

I will say that at the 40 percent mark of the novel, a story that seems to be about a jealous ex-wife (Vanessa) stalking her ex’s fiancé (Emma) got decidedly creepy and more interesting. However, for me, certain mysteries weren’t solved to my satisfaction while there were twists about things that seemed inauthentic.

I don’t want to say too much about what we discover about Vanessa’s marriage, which she tells us about through flashbacks. The relationship started out as ridiculously happy, though Richard is controlling, a trait that only gets worse, to the point that she believes herself to be crazy. Her mother battled mental illness, so it’s not totally unreasonable that she might have some issues to contend with herself. Certainly her behavior to us, the readers, doesn’t exactly scream that she’s perfectly stable.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is what I'll be posting on my blog and Goodreads closer to the January pub date.

Whoa!!! The Wife Between Us was suspenseful, thrilling and a definite page-turner! From the beginning, I did not want to put this book down (you won't either). Authors, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen give a heck of a psychological thriller full of curve balls, and serious twists, and turns. I thought I knew where the story was headed and then BOOM, nope... I had it ALL wrong! Just like the synopsis states, assume nothing! I can't write too much about the plot or I will spoil it, but if you dig psychological thrillers that keep you guessing, I immensely recommend you get yourself a copy (and a comfy spot). I assure you, you will be talking about it. Oh, and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners is planning a film of this phenomenal thriller - woohoo!

Oh how I love a good domestic thriller. The Wife Between Us starts out simple enough. An ex-wife in pain, seeing her replacement. A bride to be, innocent in love. However. Nothing is what it seems. This book shocked, SHOCKED, me before I was even halfway through. And the surprises keep coming, right up until the very end. Hendricks and Pakkanen are masters of suspense and surprise and this book will rocket up the Best Seller list, I guarantee it. I’ve read so many books, I can sense the patterns. Though I still enjoy them, suspense and thrillers rarely surprise me. Well, not anymore. There have been a handful of masterpieces this year that threw me for a loop and this one is at the top of that list.
You will think you know what comes next. You. Have. No. Idea.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this delectable thriller. All opinions are mine alone.

I loved this!! it was the perfect domestic thriller for a cold fall night. I flew through this book.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is a mystery/thriller read that already has readers talking months before it’s scheduled release. Picking up this book I was a bit hesitant because who hasn’t read over and over again that this will be the next Gone Girl or Girl on the Train only to be a bit of a disappointed? Well The Wife Between Us didn’t promise to be the next anything but guess what, I think I finally found the one that surpassed the promises regardless.

The book starts readers off by introducing them to Vanessa, the wife that was. Vanessa is struggling to recover after her marriage and losing all that she once had all the while worrying and wondering what her husband is now doing. Then we meet Nellie, the wife that will be. Who do we root for? Who do we hate? As we dive into these characters feelings will form and thoughts on how the story will go will pop into your head but whatever you think you know, think again. With so many twists it will make your head spin this book is sure to keep readers on their toes.

Each part of this story is told in sections during the book and with each section I was scratching my head and wondering if I had read things right. These authors certainly found a way to confuse and confound readers and make them love every minute of it. We as readers all hear the phrases unputdownable and a definite page turner all the time but how often do those actually come true? Well, I’d highly suggest if you are looking for that next jaw dropping read you really should pick up a copy of The Wife Between Us.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I received this book through NetGalley but this is an honest review.

All I can say is "oh my gosh". This book was an incredible read. You thought you had it pegged, but at you read it kept throwing you for loops. I ended up going to bed a couple chapters from the end and couldn't get to sleep. I gave up sleeping and ended up getting up at 12:30am to finish it. It was that good. This book won't disappoint.

Wow! Can you say crazy?
What did I just read?
This book was a fast paced, addictive thriller. And trust me, the less you know the better it will be. I was spun around 180 twice and then once more.
To say anymore than, it was a about a woman whose husband has left her for another woman would spoil it, but it was much more than that.
This was a book with a lot of twists and drama. I loved it, Lots of things I thought I knew, but didn't and then thought I knew again and didn't. I was surprised at certain points and it all worked!
An excellent book for anyone who likes thrillers, who likes domestic tension type stories and anyone who likes WTF moments.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. The characters were very relatable. Richard and “ Nellie” were endearing but interesting. The twists and turns were crazy, intense and amazing. I highly recommend this book

Disclaimer: NetGalley provided this copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.

The tagline for The Wife Between Us is, “A novel of suspense that explores the complexities of marriage and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.” The synopsis doesn’t tell you anything, really, because it’s hard to talk about the plot without giving anything away. The books starts out alternating between two points of view. One, told in the first person, is Vanessa’s. She’s recently divorced and has found out her ex-husband is getting remarried to a younger woman. The other point of view, told in the third person, is Nellie, who is the younger woman marrying Richard. On the surface, it seems fairly standard, but the seeming simplicity of the plot is meant to draw in the reader and make them question what they know.

In this respect, The Wife Between Us is very good at keeping the reader off-balance. Hendricks and Pekkanen make full use of their unreliable narrator, to the point that when you think you’ve got your feet, they add another wrench to the mix. However, I almost felt like some creative decisions, particularly one at the end, were made for the sake of throwing readers for a loop. In that sense, it’s a thrilling read. The writing is smooth, and the story keeps you interested.

One of the things that’s always on my radar as I read is how female characters are written and treated. Without giving anything away, I was pleased with how this tackled issues women, in particular, face and how it portrayed relationships between women.
My biggest complaint is that after each big revelation, the pace slows way down. This could have been cut by fifteen or twenty percent, and the story would’ve been much tighter. Although it was an enjoyable read, it left me a little unsatisfied. You rush right through it, which makes for an enjoyable reading experience, but it doesn’t stay with you for very long. That knocks it down to a 3.5 for me, but I rounded up because no half stars.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy fast reads and to fans of suspense novels, especially ones who want something familiar but a little different.

This book took so many twists and turns, but was a great read. Trying to keep up with Vanessa, Nellie, Emma, etc and figure out what exactly was going on kept me guessing through most of the book. And the final couple of twists were worth the wait.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

This is the twistiest book and I freaking loved it. Let me set the scene: Book Expo 2017. Some of the bloggers that I was going with/met up with was talking about a book drop for this book. I had not heard of it (it had been a crazy few weeks leading up to Book Expo and I was nowhere as prepared as I like to be!) I somehow missed out on the book drop, but lucky for me, my fave publicist was sending a copy!

So, it arrives. Yes, it does not publish till Jan 2018. No, I have no self control. I took it to the pool within days of it arriving and read. And read. And read some more. Then I went inside & sat down with some pizza and read. I was HOOKED. Each time I thought I had it figured out- it twisted, zigged, zagged, turned all upside down.

This is one crazy ride of a book and YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT.

What I Liked:

THE cover. Blue and yellow and those blondes and the looks on their face- it just all hints at so much.

How the book is laid out. It takes skill for the set-up of a book. The pacing with what the reader should know, should suspect, the red herrings, the set up of the twists, and the OMG moments. Sarah and Greer should teach a class on this- because THEY. FREAKING. NAILED. IT.

When it all came together- the big reveal, the ending. It was just great!



Bottom line: This book is getting TONS of pre-pub buzz, already has the movie rights sold, and will def be one of St. Martin’s BIG books of winter 2018. Trust me, you will not want to miss out- so get on the ball and pre-order your book!



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

**The Wife Between Us will be a January 2018 #FuturisticFriday selection from Traveling With T.**

5+++++ stars!

This is one intense psychological thriller and I can't believe this is a debut novel.
A must read in my book, and when you do- make sure you listen to the publisher: <B>ASSUME NOTHING!</B>

I just love when an author does an unreliable narrative with flawed characters and gets it right. This book kept me guessing all the way through and I gave up counting how many twists there were. Suffice it to say I was kept off balance right down to the last chapter. I love a good blindside. Absolutely Brilliant!

As dark and intense as this was, I have to say it was a fun read as well, as I really enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on and loved how things wrapped up.

Kudos to the authors on this joint venture. I hope there is more to come!!

ARC provided by NetGalley

Enter here the song, Applause Applause by lady Gaga... I am dancing around singing that about this book... WONDERFUL and sure to be a HUGE hit!!!! I could not put this book down, and I am still going over it in my head... I cannot praise this book enough, and really, you need to read it without making ANY assumptions.

This is an excellent thriller!

The main character is a woman whose wealthy and attractive husband Richard has left her for a younger woman. Since the divorce, she has been living with her aunt and works at Saks.

Then she learns that her ex-husband plans to marry again and this is where the book starts.

Let me tell you, the publisher's description of this book is accurate: "ASSUME NOTHING". Go into it as blind as possible and you won't regret it. The less you know the better your reading experience will be.

Once I started reading this novel I could not stop, it kept me engaged throughout. "The Wife Between Us" is a twisted and thrilling novel about relationships, marriage, and friendship.

Overall I loved it and recommend it to all lovers of thrillers, mysteries and suspense. Also recommend it to lovers of contemporary fiction.

FINAL NOTE: the novel has already been optioned for a movie.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the authors for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness...where to start??? First off, this book was amazing! I would give it 6 stars if possible! My full review is on Goodreads but I will highlight what makes The Wife Between Us such a riveting and unputdownable read. The plot is flawless and cleverly written. You think you know what's going on and then BAM it's not what you thought. I don't know too many authors who are able to pull this feat off in a domestic thriller but it works here and not only once but multiple times!

The twists and turns in this book will leave you guessing until the final page. It may even make you want to re-read the book from the start....just saying....The characters were superbly developed. I was completely invested in their lives and eager to find out what would happen. I had no idea what was to come which made for a suspenseful and unpredictable read. Every single loose thread is accounted for and tied up in the end. Super satisfying! And the plot moves along at a good speed yet the author successfully integrates just enough description to activate the reader's senses. I could keep going but will leave it at that.

If I could recommend only one psychological thriller to read this year, THIS IS IT!! I guarantee you will be captivated and surprised. Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I am just stunned. This may be the best domestic psychological thriller I have read in a long time! There are twists and turns everywhere. Each time I thought I had something figured out I read more and it was turned upside down. Nothing is what it seems. I was surprised and shocked over and over again. Not one character was who I thought they were. Get this book - I loved it! This story is woven carefully to constantly surprise you. Oh - and I hear they are already planning a movie. I don't want to say anything at all about the story line because I'm afraid I would inadvertently give something away. Just read it!

Thanks to the authors and St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is to be published in January!

BLOG TOUR OF “THE WIFE BETWEEN US”
Lindas Book Obsession Review of “The Wife Between Us” by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen, St. Martin’s Press

My Review of “The Wife Between Us” by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

WOW! WOW! WOW! I still have chills after reading “The Wife Between Us” by Greer Hendricks, and Sarah Pekkanen. The genres for this story are Mystery and Thriller, Suspense and Fiction. The timeline is set mostly in the present going to the past only when it pertains to the events or characters in the story.
The authors describe the characters as complicated and complex. There are deep dark secrets, and betrayals. BE WARNED: Nothing as it seems to be. There is a line between reality and insanity. In the blurb this says “Read Between the Lies”.
Somehow, this story reminds me at times of the movie, “Gaslight”.Other times it reminds me of “Gone Girl”. The plot is intense, and suspenseful,and constantly building.
The premise of this story is that an unbalanced ex-wife is reacting to the engagement and soon to be marriage of her ex-husband and new “replacement”.
Think what you want. This is not a predictable story. This is a rollercoaster ride where you are stuck at the top, then speed to the bottom and then get stuck again. Is anything or anyone who they seem to be?
I would highly recommend this story for readers that enjoy intense, suspenseful, and captivating stories with severe twists and turns and a tremendous amount of crazy. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, Greer Hendrick’s and Sarah Pekkanen for an ARC for my honest review.

My Thoughts:

Business First****I received an ARC from NetGalley but all following statements are my own honest opinions.****

You may get the impression from the book description that making assumptions about this story will be a given. You would be correct. I was drawn to this book because it seemed like it had the potential to be a pretty good thriller. I also loved the fact that it had not 1 but 2 authors. I was not disappointed. The book revolves around a marriage that has dissolved. Not only do you get to see what life is like for the wife since the divorce but she also tells the story of how the relationship even began. Each new chapter is like peeling back a new layer of the marriage. Nellie, Richard, and Vanessa have quite the complicated relationship. I must have had at least 4 different predictions as to who I thought the story teller was and why she was behaving like she was. Needless to say this book kept me glued to it and guessing constantly. This is gonna be a best seller for sure! It is a 5/5 for me.

OK. Wow. This was a heck of a ride! 

We're first introduced to who we assume to be our narrator - the spurned ex-wife, seemingly stalking her replacement. Then we're sprung into the narration of Nellie, who we assume to be the replacement our first narrator is stalking. We are warned we shouldn't make assumptions. And we should heed that warning.

The beginning of The Wife Between Us, a collaboration between debut author Greer Hendricks and best-selling author, Sarah Pekkanen, starts off somewhat slow. You might call it a slow burn. The first twist takes a little while, but it's worth the surprise.

Vanessa, our main protagonist, is a well-written character and we get to know her intimately - perhaps a little too intimately. While some of those past revelations do help to obfuscate and advance the twists and turns we're hit with, some of them felt a little out of place.  That said, the pace certainly picks up and I raced through the last half of the book at breakneck speed. Even though I had figured out "the big one" by the time we got to that reveal, the writing was good enough to keep me interested in seeing how it played out. The extra twist or two that were thrown in towards the end only served to reinforce my decision to stick it out.

At the end, I felt it was a little bit of Gone Girl meets Girl On The Train, but with enough of a fresh take to keep a devoted fan of psychological thrillers and suspense from rolling their eyes and throwing The Wife Between Us at the wall. Yet to me (and this is the only thing that has me in two minds about this one), it seems to straddle a line between being thriller-y and being not. It is an enjoyable read though, and it's already been optioned for a movie, so pick it up and decide for yourself!

Note: I think the thing that most impresses me about this one is that both Ms. Hendricks and Ms. Pekkanen managed to blend their voices so seamlessly. There were times I had to remind myself that there were two authors.

I knew going into this that there were going to be twists and not to assume anything - I mean, the blurb screams this at you. As someone who reads this type of book ALL the time I figure I'm going to catch what's going on, or figure things out as they go. Boy, was I wrong! From page one, I just got so engrossed that I forgot to be on the look out for any clues of where I thought it might be headed. So color me shocked and if you heard a thudding noise sometime Sunday evening and couldn't figure out where the sound was coming from, it was just my jaw hitting the floor.. a couple of times.

Once some things were revealed, I figured where it was probably going to go and though I was right in one instance, I still didn't see that last chapter coming. It has been quite some time since a book has surprised me like this one has. I turned off the TV, got under a comfy blanket and read this cover to cover in one sitting.

You ever meet someone and you feel like you know them, but something is off but you can't help but be drawn to them in some way? Then all of the sudden, something happens and you're like A-HA - I KNEW IT! Then something else happens and you go... uh, what...the...actual...fuck..... Yeah, this book was basically like that for me. Fast paced, twists and turns to make your head spin and and engrossing story that I was completely engaged with. I really can't say too much without giving anything away so I'm going to end by saying this - PUT THIS ON YOUR TBR.