This is a very gripping and intense read. Initially I was unsure how a full book was going to be achieved with the plot but all becomes clear and it was truly enticing reading. Elliot covers some very difficult subjects throughout this book so at times this is a hard read but the subject is handled as sensitively as possible and of course it is integral to the plot.
Sadly, I did think the latter half of this read was weaker than the rest and it was confusing working out who was being referred to at times. Had this been clearer then this would have vastly improved the read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance copy.

What an amazing thriller this had so many twists and turns I felt like I was on a rollercoaster and I love a good plot twist fantastic keeps you guessing roo the very end

I love thrillers and this one did not disappoint. at times it was a little slow moving and the shift in perspective threw me out of the story a little, but all in all I would definitely recommend

It took a minute for me to get into this, started a bit slow, but when it picked up, I couldn't put this book down! I really enjoy Laura Elliot's books..

This book was alright but not my favorite read this year. I appreciate the opportunity to give my feed back but don't believe I could recommend this to my book club and fans unfortunately.

I was completely gripped by this story and was impressed with the writing quality. I was entertained throughout the story and would not hesitate to recommend this book.

This was a good story, but for me, something just didn't gel right and I just couldn't get going with the flow of it.

This book was disturbing to me from the beginning. Nicolas is a complete psychopath who abuses his wife and has murdered people. It was twisty and dark and if you are into that, this may be the book for you.

Mea culpa. I read this book in 2018 and somehow my review got lost in the ethernet. I have active memories of writing it and yet it is.nowhere.to.be.found! The nice thing is that I got to write a new review and that The Wife Before Me itself had not disappeared from my mind. Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and for their patience with me.

Domestic Thrillers have recently become a new favourite of mine. There is something about the domestic dynamic in thrillers that fascinates me: the everyday irritations that may or may not become reason for murder; the façade that hides a horrible reality; the pressures of domestic family life that boil over. It is all intriguing and I truly wonder how the COVID-19 lockdowns will affect this particular genre. Will it be something no one wants to touch, due to the actual horrid increase of domestic abuse and the general sense of loss and despair, or will it give a new twist to the stories? In The Wife Before Me, written well before our current pandemic, domestic violence plays a big role and I do think it is good to know that coming on. The descriptions are pretty rough at times, graphic and explicit, which will be triggering to some readers. While I sometimes wished Elliot had focused less on it, I also appreciate that domestic violence should not be swept under the rug. However, approach with care.

Elena is in love. She and Nicholas are the perfect solace for each other as she still grieves the loss of her mother and he grieves the loss of his first wife. Everything is perfect so of course she will move in with him. With each little acquiescence and compromise, Elena begins to lose ground. And then she finds a letter which changes everything. We also get the perspective of Nicholas' first wife, Amelia, whose story is also one of isolation and pain. The speed at which The Wife Before Me moves from almost a romance to stone-cold thriller could give you whiplash, but Elliot manages it very well. By the time all the different storylines from both Elena and Amelia's lives come together in the end it feels a little rushed, but overall I found myself very gripped by the story. I wanted only the best for Elena and Amelia.

Laura Elliot is a prolific Thriller writer and I could recognise her skill in The Wife Before Me. Many of the elements in the novel are traditional and expected of a Domestic Thriller, but Elliot manages to make something new and exciting with it. While many of the plot twists are also (kind of) expected, I still enjoyed the journey there. While at times the narratives of Elena and Amelia were almost identical, Elliot manages to keep them differentiated enough so the reader begins to care for both of them. As mentioned above, for my taste some of the descriptions of abuse in The Wife Before Me were too explicit, but they did do well to establish the dynamics. I noticed some issues like switching from first to third person, which may just be an issue of the ARC I had. This also added to the occasional confusion of who was narrating. However, I will most definitely be keeping an eye out for Laura Elliot's other books.

The Wife Before Me moves quickly from romance to thriller in its depiction of marriage gone horribly wrong. Read with caution!

This book took me a very long time to finish because I just did not like it and unfortunately, the ending couldn’t save it for me either.

The task of repopulating the senior library has been an exciting and daunting task aS in a boarding school our aim is to encourage all members of the community to read. Because of this, I have been searching down a wide and diverse range of books to read that will entice a wide cross-section of the school to come in, browse and find books that they love.
Books like this will ensure that the senior students in the school see the library as a diverse, modern and exciting place with books that speak to them and they want to recommend to their friends, classmates, teachers and tutors.
It is an engrossing and exciting read with fully-formed characters and a plot that ensures that it's hard to look away. It is as far from formulaic as it is possible to be and kept me up far too late in order to finish it. I immediately wanted to read all of this writer's other books as I loved their voice and found that it really drew me into the story and made me think about it even when I'd stepped away from this tale.
This is a thought-provoking read which I'm sure will be a popular and well-read addition to our new library; I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read it and I know that the students are going to absolutely love it too!

Loved it! Plot twists galore and so much sinister stuff happening I was hooked. Domestic abuse is a sensitive issue and I found myself several times wanting to scream at Elena in the start to leave, get out as she seemed to be the perfect victim. I am glad tho that she became a strong woman and ultimately won.

I will admit to being a bit nervous starting this book as the authors previous book I struggled with. Thankfully though I needn’t have worried. This book was just fantastic. A psychological thrilled full of suspense that gripped me from the start.

This story was disturbing and gripping throughout most of the book. This book shows the courage and bravery to escape abuse which I appreciated. I did not love the ending.....such a let down.

This book deals with a very sensitive and relevant subject, namely domestic violence. It was handled well and with respect, and still told a harrowing tale. Recommended.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the advanced copy of The Wife Before Me. This book was okay. Kind of cringy at some points because sometimes I just want to shake the character for making such foolish choices. Note to future self: Don't date a man whose wife died mysteriously under suspicious circumstances and whose body was never found. Especially when he starts showing signs of being abusive.... I don't understand how these two women received literal proof about their husband being a murderer, and they STILL don't believe it. After being hit and abused on every part of their body, including being pushed down the stairs or ladder (which caused miscarriage), they did not believe he could be a murderer!! The book did end in a twist, had its own delightful, mystical, magical moments, it was a thriller. But for most parts, it was abuse and cowering. Overall, an okay read.

The story revolves around Elena, who recently lost her mother, and the man she meets at the funeral, Nicholas. But Nicholas is keeping secrets about his deceased wife, Amelia, and her tragic drowning that left the town baffled.

The prose is consuming, which was my favorite part of the book. The opening chapters were a bit of a slow start for me as we watch Nicholas and Elena's relationship develop from a chaste kiss, to a passionate connection, then segue into fights over Amelia's hold on Nicholas. The first half is packed with romantic drama as they fight and make up. After all, what kind of man keeps photos of his dead wife all over his home two years after she passed away? It's unsettling, and aptly so.

After the halfway point the pacing starts to pick up speed as the mystery behind Amelia's death starts to unravel with a letter that Elena finds. And now Elena could be someone's target.

Overall, it's an enjoyable psychological thriller.

This is a beautifully written novel; I was drawn in by the cover and the fact I love thrillers, though this one was more unique due to Laura Elliot's gorgeous writing style. Genuinely scary and gripping, with a slight paranormal aspect which I loved.

The only issue I had (hence the 4 stars and not 5) was that I felt the ending was a bit too long, and it was unclear in some places as to who was narrating. Otherwise, this a brilliant, compelling novel.

While some predictable, this book proves to be a fun read. Recommend for anyone that enjoys novels like Gone Girl or A Simple Favor. Plenty of twists and intrigue even if it didn't bring much new to the genre.

Gee whiz what a book!

Sooooo Elena mum has died and she meets Nicholas who’s wife has recently died also and they begin to help one another through the grief, and begin a whirlwind romance, Elena moves in with Nick and Nick totally changes!

The book is told from Amelia (Nicks wife) and Elena and is full of twists and turns and a really good read!

Nick had me totally fooled and oh my god what a total horror he is!

Seriously good book I couldn’t put it down.