If you’re a fan of Gone Girl you’re going to love this one. I think it takes sick relationships to a whole new level.

A fine choice for literary thriller seekers who like a novel with a twist. Would recommend for readers' advisory for those who also enjoyed Gillian Flynn and Tara Westover.

Having recently finished “My Lovely Wife” by Samantha Downing, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview; thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group.

What a creepy... disturbing... debut! For some reason this story had my stomache in knots like no other thriller since I was a teenager and read Rosemary's Baby. There was no demon here other than the evil intent of devious humans: mom and dad humans!! I think the creeeeepy and chilling was because a "normal" family life continued and was portrayed so perfectly, while the dark, deadly and dramatic moments were mixed in to the story in such a believable everyday workday way. I have always detested the name Damien... now I can add Tobias to that list!

What a crazy ride My Lovely Wife was! It also had a really novel idea of the woman being a psychopath killer, which is quite unusual in books or real life. He goes by the name Tobias and claims to be deaf when he's trying to pick women up in bars or restaurants. But he doesn't do it for himself--he does it for his wife Millicent and how sexy and fun the game has become. He collects the women, Millicent hides them and does what she wants to them, including torture and murder. But Millicent claims that her sister Holly was the one who had a mental disorder and used to hurt her--or was she? This was crazy from the opening sentence to the ending words!

Mystery | Adult
I never watched Dexter, but I bet fans of that show will love this. Our protagonist and narrator Ted is married to a beautiful redhead named Millicent. They have been married 15 years and have two children, and well, life is kinda boring and predictable. Except the book opens with the reveal that Millicent is responsible for the murder of a young woman whose body has just been discovered shortly after she was killed. That’s another surprise – Millicent was supposed to have killed her months ago, according to a careful plan she and Ted concocted that really livened up their boring existence. Yup, they are husband and wife killers, though we quickly learn each is keeping secrets from the other. No honour among thieves or murderers, evidently.
Things get further complicated when their deadly adventure spins out of Ted’s control, creating unintended chaos within their home and work lives. I can’t really say much more without revealing too much. Essentially, this is a delightfully twisted tale, a kind of procedural, but from the other end, from the criminal’s perspective. I read this one with a bit of morbid fascination – how in heaven’s name do people find ecstasy in hurting others? Despite this icky premise, it’s actually a great read. The pacing is excellent, and there are more than a few surprising plot twists, though the resolution is rather pat. I’m happy to report that neither Ted nor Millicent come out of this as sympathetic characters, though since Ted is telling the story, he tries hard to get some sort of compassion from the reader. I enjoyed it from start to the penultimate line – the last sentence just wrecked it. I really wish the author and editor had not done that. Oh well. What’s done is done. And hey – if you read it, do NOT peek at the last line, okay? My thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for the advance reading copy provided digitally through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39796904

There’s something deeply disturbing about this book, in the most fantastic way!!! This is one of those books that will have you reading furiously while repeating “just one more chapter”.
How far might one couple go to satisfy a secret shared obsession. What started it all? You’ll soon realize how your childhood past can manifest itself in thrilling ways. Anyone would feel sad about the way Milicient’s disturbed sister treated her as a child. Milicient seems to make up for it by having two children that she cares deeply about. So much so, she is strict with homework, diet, family time…
But her marriage is by no means “normal” and impossible to stop reading about! A thrilling twisty thriller that will have you gasping at the end! Highly recommend!!

When a marriage starts to lose its spark a couple looks for ways to add excitement. But is the excitement worth risking it all? What will happen if there new activity is revealed and can they trust each other?

ALl I have to say is WOW-- this book started out amazing , and did not disappoint through its entirety. The characters were intense, and I kept thinking I knew what was going on. I was pleasantly happy that I did not figure out what was happening until the ending.

5 stars and I will definitely be sharing this with my customers!

I was torn if this book was truly five stars, but I couldn't put it down. From the snappy opening to the ending that was just a zinger, this book kept me engaged. It's not "Dexter", not even by a long-shot, but it's just as gripping as any episode of that show. Characters are well-written and the premise is beyond interesting. A truly twisted tale!

a great book that will keep you reading until the last work. Don't start this book in the evening or you will be up all night. What happens when a fifteen year marriage gets interesting. Secrets and murder keep things lively,

This book is and will most likely remain one of my favorite reads for 2019 and beyond. I rooted for the characters even though they aren't good people. Plenty of wonderful twists and turns! I am recommending this book to everyone and even wrote about it on my book reviewing blog! Excellent writing! Perfect plot and well rounded characters!

3 1/2 Stars

OMG I am so conflicted on this one!!! There was a lot to love about 'My Lovely Wife', and in the end I liked it BUT I have a lot to say on this. Most importantly it is NOT a “cross between Dexter and Mr. and Mrs. Smith” as it is being promoted.

Dexter featured a deranged protagonist yet even he had a motivation for killing his victims. What was the motivation of Millicent and her husband committing murder and kidnapping women? None, apparently. They are just psychotic. Yes this is still a twisty and suspenseful thriller and yes I finished it but I had several issues with the story.

Millicent and her husband live in an unnamed Central Florida suburb. He is a tennis instructor at the local country club and Millicent is a successful realtor. I say Central Florida because there are vague references to the nearby Orlando airport. The Florida heat is mentioned only a handful of times. If you are a tennis instructor in Florida, the weather and the heat should play a more prominent role.

I wasn't thrilled with Millicent's character. Her husband worships her yet I found her to be largely unsympathetic. I can like even the most unsympathetic of characters, but they need to have some redeeming quality! To me, Millicent had no redeeming qualities at all.

This book did grab me from the very clever opening, and did end on quite a zinger. For that, I am grateful. I figured out the twist very early on but what bothered me most I think was the audio book narrator's portrayal of the female characters. They came off as cartoon-ish. The audio narrator was not the perfect choice for this book, even though he is a renowned narrator.

It is no spoiler to say that this couple commits murder for fun. This is a very dark tale, yet sprinkled with black humor throughout. There is no doubt Samantha Downing is a skilled writer and this book did hold my attention to the very end. I found it a little hard to believe that there were SO many unsolved disappearances and murders in such a small community. I will admit that I loved the ending. So if you like your thrillers with a dose of murder and lots of mayhem, then you will like 'My Beautiful Wife.'

My Lovely Wife had the things I like in a good thriller. It was a fast read, the married couple was seriously twisted!
(which I loved by the way!) Just an overall enjoyable read. Thanks NetGalley for the E Arc.

When I read the description of this book on NetGalley I was instantly intrigued. I wanted to know what the heck was making this couple keep their marriage alive by murdering people?! I mean maybe take a European vacation or something right?

The book started with a quick little background on the couple and their lives and then it just dives right into how they are murdering women to keep their marriage alive. At first you just see that they are on the hunt for a new girl and then you start to learn how it started and also how it has changed; especially for the husband (his real name is not given).

The plot was great it kept you guessing at every page and then there was just surprise after surprise of what brought them to where they are today and how things were changing. You were left guessing on if the husband and wife were still a team or if they were turning on each other and if things were going to work themselves out. Then you wonder are they going to get caught?! It was great, don’t want to give away too much detail.

I thought the characters were well written. They are some nasty/crazy people; but in a good sense because that is part of what makes this book. You even start to see how their personalities are rubbing off on their kids! There are some smaller supporting characters that help move the story along. The writing was well done and the story flowed nicely.

I would definitely recommend this book.

What a page-turner. The author did a spectacular job at the pacing of the storyline, making it impossible for you to put the book down. You just had to read "just one more chapter" except you would be flying through the pages, devouring the story. In-depth characters and a devilishly delicious storyline made this book a heart-pounding reading experience. I loved every second of it!

One of my favorite thrillers of all time! I loved the pyschological elements, and the characters are to DIE for. If you love domestic thrillers, this is the best one out there!

This was a riveting book. The concept was new and different. If you like reading about murder and secrets then this is the book for you.

More from this author, please!! It's crazy to imagine that this book is a debut novel. This was a quick read for me, and pretty addicting. I've never come across a thriller like it. This story will suck you in. Thanks, Netgalley, for this arc.

I struggled to get into the book, I found the storyline so bizarre. After reading so many good reviews, I decided to persevere. The story does get better and I really wanted to know what happens. The end has a few semi-predictable twists. Definitely different. I'm sure that's why so many people love this book.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Thriller
Triggers: Kidnapping, Murder, Stalking, Torture

Whew... This book will mess with your mind... A LOT.

You're sucked right in to the twisted and crazy lifestyle of Millicent and her husband. While they appear to be the typical suburban household with two growing kids and two jobs, their "dates" are anything but normal.

While twisting and turning in their messed up psyche, you're also trying to reconcile that they are your neighbors... they are your tennis coach… your realtor...

It's a game of cat and mouse, but throughout, you're not quite sure who the cat is or who the mouse is. This book will make you second guess everything at least twice and then, when you think you've got it, another mind bender will show up.

While it's a fast read, I think mainly it's quick because you want to find out what happens next. There is a well-developed mystery within the story and fairly decent backstory information so that you can try and figure out how Millicent and her husband function every day.

This is the first book that I've read of Downing's and it left me speechless and happy, all wrapped into a crazy, confused package. I loved the intensity and while I'm unsure if I "liked" the book, I definitely liked the style.


Shelby – ☆☆
My Lovely Wife was not what I was expecting, it had moments of intrigue but unfortunately it didn't appeal to me. I will admit I like a darker, psychological thriller as much as the next person, but this read more like a diary then an actual story. Due to that, I just couldn't get into it. I would set the book down and read something else, then come back (I may have done this a few times).

The unnamed main character is a father, husband, and tennis instructor. I know his children's names, I know his wife's name, I even know his client's names but never have I learned his name. Happily married with a predictable family schedule, doting wife, and loving children. Unnamed and his wife, Millicent, find a way to "spice" up their lives and the insanity begins...

I couldn't connect with any of the characters (thankfully), I had absolutely nothing in common except maybe the love of my children, and I believe this may be where the disconnect started for me. While I didn't enjoy the story, I do appreciate the ending (even if I already knew what was going on).

I would definitely give this author another try, but this story just wasn't for me.