If you had asked be before I would have said Catherine Bybee’s Weekday Brides series is one of my favorite series. The First Wives series doesn’t take their place. No they are the untold stories in the marriage by contract books. The ones who didn’t have their happily ever after – yet. These ones who joined a small tight friendship and call themselves the First Wives Club.
Half Empty is about Trina Petriv, trying to come to grips that the man she married and didn’t love had committed suicide. Shortly afterwards his mother passes away and Trina finds herself a very rich woman. Life is unfulfilling and meeting country music star Wade Thomas changes everything. Catherine has written a romantic story of two people, their chance meeting, and how they soon find out together that it’s not too late for love. Yet between danger and interfering loved ones, Wade is not going to let anything come between them.
Bravo Catherine – another fantastic book worthy of more than the five stars I could give!

In Book2 of the First Wives Series, HALF-EMPTY, Catherine Bybee gives us Katrina “Trina” Petrov’s story. Her marriage of convenience ended when her billionaire husband Fedor committed suicide. For the past year she’s been traveling and trying to come to terms with the way her life has turned out. Stuck in a hotel due to a storm,she fights jetlag by having a late dinner in the empty hotel bar.

Well, almost empty.

A charming, handsome and persistent man strikes up a conversation with Trina. She has no idea who he is and for him, that’s a plus. Wade Thomas, good ole’ boy and famous country singer needs some down time and wants to be as anonymous as he can. The fact that the beautiful and reluctant woman sharing her food with him doesn’t know who he is, is just another plus.

After hitchhiking a ride on his plane home, Trina and Avery, another member of the FWC, start to go thru the house Trina has been avoiding for the past year to clean it out. When they discover innumerable expensive items, Trina entrusts Avery with getting quotes on them all with the thought to donate any money she receives to Suicide prevention. But when Avery is brutally attacked while on a mission to unload the items, things take a very decided turn for the worst in Trina’s world.

With Wade by her side, though, she’s able to navigate through the undeniable fact that someone wants her dead. And that someone is Fedor’s father, Ruslan. He’ll stop at nothing to get his son’s wife-in-name-only out of the picture so he can gain control of the oil empire she was left.

The cast and crew from the First Wives Series, book 1 FOOL ME ONCE are all on board in this story, helping Trina through the nightmare that has become her life.

This book had me hooked from the get-go, just like all Bybee’s stories do. Fast paced and rich with emotion and intrigue, you can’t help but fall in love with the characters and their goals. Now, I’ll say this truthfully and suffer the wrath of romance readers everywhere. I don’t usually read books with cowboys at the hero. But Wade Thomas is more than just a laconic good ol’boy. Despite his uber-fame he’s a good, decent man, loves his mama, and is a gentleman to his core. And I’ll admit this too: I fell in love with him just like Trina does.

Another fab book from a fab author. 5 well deserved stars from me. Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for giving me a preview Arc for an honest opinion of the work.

I am never disappointed in a Catherine Bybee novel. These First Wives have it all. Romance, suspense, money, fame, bodyguards, etc. We met Trina in the previous book, and was seriously hoping she would meet a wonderful man to complement her new life. Wade is that perfect man. And a country singer? HOT. What a great story with plenty of twists to keep you intrigued. I cannot wait to see which of the First Wives is next!

Oh my goodness!! This book was just amazing 💗. It starts out pretty somber and then builds into a big honking crescendo that had me breathless.
So perfectly done. Kudos Ms. Bybee.

We return to the First Wives’ club to continue Trina Petrov’s story. She is suffering crippling grief after her husband’s suicide and has been finding ways of avoiding the other members of the club to avoid their concern. On her travels she bumps into singing superstar, Wade Thomas, who is stunned by her and decides that he needs to stay close by. I really enjoyed the intrigue in this episode and look forward to more. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an amazing addition to the series! I love the adventure and mystery involved in Trina’s life. I like that she opened herself up to second chances and let go of her grief. This series is fun, addictive, and sexy!

I'd love to go to Italy.

It's so cryptic, the way she's acting.

Hell-o, Dante!

Wade really is full of himself. What if she just doesn't listen to country music?

Her friends know all her secrets? That's creepy.

Are we sure that Fedor actually died from a suicide?

Seriously, Avery?

Wait, she knows that she has a crazy father-in-law running around, but she doesn't think anything of a strange tracking app on her phone or noises outside her house?

She's not a deadbeat, Vicki. Sorry to disappoint. And what's wrong with New York, thank you very much?

Avery's father sounds like a twat. Who arranges monthly meetings with their kid?

You'd think Wade would have more sense. Who leaves someone you know is in danger all alone in a hotel room? Especially when you were warned, and you even have your own bodyguard?

Five bucks says Sasha is Fedor's sister.

I want Jeb and Avery to be together.

She is definitely going to have mother-in-law problems.

Another great First Wive's Club book! I loved Trina and Wade's story! They are a perfect fit for each other. Plenty of steamy with a mystery and we get to see all Trina's friends. I can't wait for the next book!

Who runs the world? Girls! Beyonce’s song kept going through my head while I was reading Catherine Bybee’s, Half Empty! I love books that have strong, amazing women and The First Wives series comes through big time in those departments! I love the premise of the series itself and after reading the description for Half Empty, I was excited to dive in! As usual, Catherine Bybee did not let me down and has wow’ed once again!

From the beginning, I loved that Trina had no idea who country superstar Wade Thomas was! As if Wade didn’t find that shocking enough the fact that she wasn’t interested in his money AT ALL blew him away! From that point, Wade knew he had to impress her and after finding out all the stuff she had gone through in the last year, Wade knew although she was strong, she needed to be handled with kid gloves! I adore what Catherine Bybee had in mind with these two!

I flew this book! I love the sisterhood that’s between the women in the The First Wives club! The ladies crack me up and I love that they always have each others back! In saying that, I hoping they wouldn’t scare Wade away from Trina before anything even started lol! I was keeping my fingers crossed that Wade was going to be a keeper and most of all I hoped he would be patient because Trina has gone through hell and back and I wasn’t sure she would let Wade past her walls. I thoroughly enjoy this 4.5 star read and cannot wait to dive into the next installment in this addictive series!

This was a decent read, I think that a lot of people will enjoy reading this book although it wasn't my all time favorite but still good! This is Trina and wade book, Trina was in a marriage by contract and it was only temporary, the reasons and all about that you'll have to read to find out lol wade is a country music superstar! He's trying to lay low and kind of get away from the craziness! Trina kind of blows him off which he is not used to at all!!! I definitely liked that part lol but I definitely recommend reading this it was well written and I think some will definitely enjoy reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for sharing this book with me!