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.

This one kept me on the edge of my seat -- I loved the twists and turns. Definitely a must read!

4 stars

What can I say about The Wife Between Us that will not give anything away? First, let me start by saying that when I started this book, I was less than enthralled. It was a little slow to start and surprise! The main protagonist has a drinking problem (this is not a spoiler, IMO). I was immediately put off, because seriously, does every psychological thriller need a drunk??? It must be the formula du jour. I was thinking “Ugh. Here we go. I’ve read this book a 1000 times. I know how this is all going to go. The only thing we need now is amnesia”.

Well, I am here to say that I was wrong. WRONG! As the blurb will tell you, assume nothing and you know what happens when you assume… With that said, it took me until about 40% to get really into this book, and once I did, I Could. Not. Put. It. Down. There are twists and turns and they will surprise you and the ending is oh so satisfying.

The reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because of my feelings about the beginning of the book and the fact that it took me a little while to really become invested in this book. I would highly recommend putting this on your list for 2018 as this is going to be a hot one. Put in your pre-order now.

I will close with this: do not read spoilers. Keep yourself in the dark as much as possible about the plot. Do not read reviews that give you a book summary. The less you know the better and it will make the book that more enjoyable.

Great book! I love a book with twists and turns and this book has them. The characters are will written and loved that the storyline kept me guessing. Would definitely recommend this to anyone. Thanks for the advance copy, I really enjoyed it!

This was a very different read for me. The book is in three parts. The first part left me confused because I didn’t realize the story was being told by the ex=wife. It dragged a bit at certain parts for me. It definitely had lots of twists and turns. It was a different kind of psychological thriller. It’s not a book you can rush through. It left me thinking which is a feeling I love after reading a book.
Received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

Wow. From the first pages of The Wife Between Us I was hooked.
And from the well developed characters to the movement of the plot, I stayed interested. The Story moves along without stagnating and is interesting. There are enough of the "oh no he/she didn't" moments to make you gasp and hurry to turn the pages.
This is a well thought out book and worth your time.

First impressions are not the most accurate ones. You don't have to say that twice to Vanessa and Emma. Vanessa is the ex-wife and Emma is the new wife.

I went into this book keeping my options open knowing that things would not be as they appeared. I have two theories about what was the truth. Yet, I can assure you that the real truth never crossed my mind. That is how smart the authors were in the plot. Even with the many twists, I still could not piece two and two together.

I have to say that I was Team Vanessa. She just had a bit more of a stronger personality and voice. Plus, the things she did were interesting. Not to that anything away from Emma. She just was portrayed as the victim. Yet, when the truth was revealed, I see know that she was smart.

The Wife Between Us is a brilliant, psychological thriller with a crisp plot, dynamic characters, many twists like a pretzel, and an ending that will leave you speechless!

What an amazing novel! It was written in three parts. The first covered Vanessa and Nellie. These characters appeared to almost be stalking each other. Nellie had been married to Richard, everyone’s ideal;handsome, educated, wealthy, loving and intensely interested in Nellie.

In part two, we learn more about Nellie and Vanessa and meet Emma, the replacement. Emma is stalked when she and Richard get engaged shortly after he and Nellie separate. Nellie is now drinking excessively and acts erratically. Everyone is becoming convinced she is mad.

Part three deals with the reality of the situation and what Nellie’s marriage to Richard was really like. She continues to harass Emma and to attempt to stop her from marrying Richard and makes this her life’s work. Ultimately Nellie causes a situation to occur that shows Richard in his true light. Emma also comes clean about herself.

Obviously I have chosen to omit great sections of plot because of spoilers, but it is gripping and engrossing reading. Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a riveting psychological thriller, this one is a perfect choice. It’s tense, it’s frightening and there are twists that readers will not see coming.

I’m going to do my best to review this without spoilers. There is a cast of unlikeable characters, with the exception of Aunt Charlotte, who was my favorite person in the story. The narrator(s) is unreliable and at times readers will not be certain of who is telling the story.

We mainly learn the story from the perspective of Vanessa, the ex-wife of Richard. Vanessa comes across as unstable. She has trouble sleeping and is known to drink too much. She has a family history of mental instability. There was also an incident in her past that continues to haunt her.

Richard, Vanessa’s ex-husband is about to be married. Richard seems like the perfect catch. He checks all the boxes for those qualities women look for: handsome, successful, attentive, etc. I disliked him from the start.

Throughout the novel, we will find out the intimate details of Richard and Vanessa’s marriage. Who was the crazy one? Who was at fault? Sometimes you may not be sure.

It’s a bit of a slow start, but well worth the time. The ending was shocking and extremely satisfying. It was everything I could want in a psychological thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

WOW! That is what we all said after reading this book. I got NOTHING done this weekend because I was too busy trying to figure out the ending. I never did!!!! Great story!

READ THIS BOOK!  This is a fast-paced story with twists that you do not see coming until they are almost upon you.  Some, you won't see coming at all.  This is more than a "he left me so I will get revenge" book.  This is more than a "woman-scorned" story.  It is one that will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions.  It will test your perception and how you feel about the protagonists of the story.  

This is one of those few books that you need to read to the last page to fully understand the complexity of the characters.  Even the most minor character at times has a major role in how the lives of the others play out. I think that is why this book is so astounding.  The authors do an excellent job hiding relevant information without compromising the story in any way.  They reveal what they want on their terms, which makes the characters have more depth than if the reader knew everything up front.

The reader is given time to know the characters and identify with them through various interactions.  We are shocked when the characters are shocked and experience fear as the characters are acting out their lives. But    most important, we are given the ability to put the pieces together on our own well after the story is done.

It is difficult to review this one without giving too much away. This is absolutely a book you must go into with a completely fresh perspective. You will think you are reading about a woman scorned looking for revenge......and in a way you are. Okay. That's all you get! The layout of this book is unique and fresh. It is almost three books in one. The way that scenes are revisited later in the story fill in gaps you didn't even know were left open. You feel the anxiety and depression and rage and fear in every page. There were times I read a little faster to get through the uncomfortable parts and slowed down when I needed the break. The missing star is only because, for me, it cleaned up a little easy. Beyond that, it was a fantastic ride!

A twisty, page turning, smart romantic thriller, that will keep you guessing until the end. It was an enjoyable book that was hard to put down. I would recommend it!

This is one of the best books I've read this year. A special thank you to NetGalley for the ebook!! So many twists and turns and unexpected things happen is this story. I couldn't put it down, it was such a well thought out book. I will definitely be following Greer Hendricks for future reads!!

The Wife Between Us is a very suspenseful, hard to put down domestic thriller. It's incredibly well-written and engrossing, I was sucked into the story from the first page. One of the lines in the blurb is "Assume nothing" and it’s an excellent advise. Also don’t read any spoilers or discussions before reading the book. For the best experience go in blind, you won't be disappointed. The Wife Between Us is one of the best domestic thrillers I've read and is well worth the hype. I cannot wait to see the movie (which is already in development)

When I started reading THE WIFE BETWEEN US, I was sure that I knew where the plot was going and what was going to happen. After all, one woman was scorned in favor of another one, a younger model who didn’t drink too much and who could possibly produce children for the very rich and very desirable Richard Thompson. Vanessa has a drinking problem and is stalking her ex-husband’s fiancée, but what is her purpose? What does she hope to gain? That is the question that the reader will not be able to guess, and one that will keep you reading long into the night. So many horrible things happened to Vanessa during her marriage to Richard, so why would she want him back? This is a psychological thriller with twists and turns that are unbelievable and that draw you into a relationship with Vanessa that makes you question your own conclusions. No matter what you think is happening in this book, believe me it isn’t! You have to read it to find out the true story of Vanessa and Emma...and Richard..