I received this book "The Starter Wife" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. I liked the book. I found it confusing at times - what is really going on? I didn't find anything original in the story though. It was a quick read. I didn't care for the end but overall I liked it.

I was given an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book always had me thinking. I struggled with knowing who was being followed by whom.

While the end of the book tried to clarify things, I found myself scratching my head feeling the need to reread the book. I felt I must have missed something.

The characters were believable and the plot was interesting. I just struggled to have all the pieces tied together.

The Starter Wife is a book that keeps the reader on edge trying to figure out exactly what is going on. When I started this book I had so many questions that needed to be answered and found myself so irritated with Claire and her naïveté so much so I realized I was talking out loud one day while reading it and a co-worker ask good book ? Lol. I would say that any book that gets under ones skin is a good book but that is not always the case. But luckily it is for me with this one.

Claire Wescott is a fairly new wife who has found herself in a situation no married woman wants to be in, her and her significantly older husband Byron are not spending the time together that they used to. He is leaving the house in the mornings without saying goodbye and it has been a while since they have had sex. Claire believes his dead ex-wife plays a huge role in his disinterest, believing he has not really gotten over her.

The Starter Wife has you questioning Claire’s decision making skills to marry a man she seems to be clueless about and her agreement upon moving into the house he and his dead wife shared. You even begin to question your own sanity and wonder why you haven’t figured out much about the book. This is a well written book (although I would’ve preferred a better ending) that keeps you questioning what exactly is going on and which character should you really be siding with?

Wow! This was my first book by Nina Laurin, but not my last. I have her other two, and can’t wait to read them soon! What an amazingly twisted tale of love and how far people go for love!!! So many twists you may get dizzy, so much suspense you can feel it in the air! A perfect read for thriller lovers! Would give more stars if I could! A must read! Can’t praise this riveting read enough!
Will be using in a challenge and letting members of Chapter Chatter Pub know how amazing it is!

My phone rings, jarring me away from my thoughts, and when I pick it up, it's an unknown number. The only answer to my slightly breathless hello is empty static.

When the voice does finally come, it's female, low, muffled somehow. "Where is it, Claire? What did you do with it? Tell me where it is."
A woman. A real flesh-and-blood woman on the other end of the phone. She's not just in my head. A wave of panic spreads under my skin like ice water. It's Colleen.

While I found this book to be an interesting enough read to make me finish it, it wasn't very original. That being said, I do think it was well written and intriguing. Especially if you haven't read many thrillers in the past. I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending but overall I'm glad I got a chance to read it and will be looking for the authors other books.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheStarterWife
Pub Date: 11 Jun 2019

This is my first read by this author. I honestly had a difficult time following it, but I think that had to do with the plot twists. Overall, an intriguing read but I feel like it's been done before -- and the end was very frustrating to me.

I really enjoyed reading this book. There are lots of plots within one book which keeps you as the reader stimulated and wanting to read it. Poor Claire at first you feel she is being controlled and mistreated by her husband. Throughout the book snippets have the past are delved into and a stalker is giving thoughts and actions.

Byron: a literature professor whose past is shrouded in his first wife's death.

Claire: a young aspiring write who married someone 20 years her senior.

Colleen: A famous artist and also Byron's first wife who went missing.

The story line is a good. It has drama and mystery. However, I find that the way the story was written was confusing. Present mesh with past mesh with a few different characters had my head spinning. I still wonder who was messing with Claire. Is it her or is it really someone else? Is it the past of what she did to Colleen or is it the present? It has many twists. I find Byron to be weak. How did he get to the point of hiring an investigator on his new wife? There are so many pieces missing to this story. It doesn't seem complete.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow.. The starter wife was an addicting read that I couldn't get enough of! This is my first Nina Laurin book and it really ended up being a good read that has gotten me out of my reading slump.

I have been totally obsessed with domestic thrillers and this really knocked it out of the park for me. It had everything I look for in a domestic thriller. It had so many lies, secrets, betrayal, multiple wives, obsession and murder!

The starter wife was well written with well thought out plot and characters and everything just flowed together perfectly. It was a little predictable for certain parts of the story but even so, it was still really enjoyable and kept me reading until all hours of the night until I was finished it. Once I did finish it I quite honestly didn't want it to end and the ending really has you left with unanswered questions and had me thinking of my own conclusions which is a fun part of reading.

Wow, I loved this book!! I didn't see the twists coming and can't wait to read more by the author. I know it's a cliche, but I couldn't put the book down and it was perfect for a curled up with a cozy blanket afternoon

The Starter Wife was just what I was looking for. It had me hooked from the first page. A great suspenseful , page turner that left me guessing what was going to happen next. I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I almost didn't request this, I was so afraid it was going to be like all the other books out these days, and it was, there are so many books trying to follow the footsteps of the other authors doing the same thing, I had the thing predicted at the beginning. I was hoping for something new and original. It was still a decent book, a quick read, and not entirely too awful, but as someone who has read so many books lately that are similar to this one, I was hoping for something more.

Well that was a crazy and wild ride! It was entertaining for sure but there were a few problems I had with it while reading. It was still enjoyable though and would make a darn good summer beach read.

Claire is married to Byron, a college professor. Byron's first wife aka the starter wife, Colleen, committed suicide while they were married, and Claire has always felt like she was in Colleen's shadow. It is probably hard to shake that feeling when they live in Colleen's nice home, spend money from her estate, and are surrounded with her artwork. Claire's relationship with her husband appears to be on the rocks as Byron has been acting cold and distant towards her lately. Claire might have to do some investigating to find out why Byron is acting this way.

This was definitely a page turner and ended up being a fairly quick read. At times I felt frustrated and confused by the motivations of certain characters. However, most of the questions I had about characters' behaviors were answered by the time I finished the book. This is one of the rare times I will say I think I might enjoy this book better on a reread. It's also the type of book I am looking forward to other people reading as I am dying to know what others have to say about it. Lots of interesting things to discuss!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

I know that Laurin wanted to bury the lead in THE STARTER WIFE, but she buried it so deep that the entire book became confusing. While the confusion was intended, and the book certainly delivers a knock-out punch at the end, the confusion also detracted from my enjoyment of the book. When the narrator is so unreliable that you can't even tell who is telling the story, it's just frustrating. I really enjoyed GIRL LAST SEEN, one of Laurin's earlier books, and I will certainly try her again, this was not a favorite.

The Starter Wife by NIna Laurin was completely gripping from the start! In this psychological thriller, we follow along inside the mind of a complete sociopath who has an obsession that takes over her entire life. The novel is written in a way that keeps you as disoriented as it's unreliable narrator. Also, somehow, Nina Laurin sneaks wit into rather dark ideas. BRB - Going tell everyone to add this title to their TBR's!

WOW. his was an amazing book. The writing style is very intriguing as well. I finished one big read.
I will definitely recommend this book to others. I have yet to read this writer be I am so glad I did.
Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Very interesting read. Although it follows a lot of the same cliches most suspense novels do. Younger woman, older husband, mysterious wife that has "killed herself"

However, the writing is almost poking fun at the genre but not in a "In your face" sort of way. Almost in a blink and you will miss it fashion. It is wonderfully written so I didn't mind the cliches. Let's be honest, every book in this genre has the same cliches. If I didn't like the cliche, I wouldn't read these types of books! Nina Laurin has taken a predictable genre and turned into to something fun and exciting. Let's not to forget quick read! I was able to stay focused on the story and characters and not get confused with all other things happening.

This is my first read by Nina and I can't wait to read more of her work!

The Starter Wife is a good read for someone who enjoys psychological thrillers. Told from two points of view this reader had a difficult time determining fact from fiction until the end, just as the author intended. The writing is good and the plot moves along nicely...even as the characters’ personalities begin to change or perhaps, deteriorate. I found this basically to be a story about deception, but who was the deceiver? I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.

Claire’s marriage to Byron is picture perfect, or at least it used to be. She’s always felt she was living in the shadow of Byron’s first wife, Colleen, who supposedly killed herself. But while Colleen’s car and suicide note were found, her body never was. Now, Byron seems moody and distant and Claire has been getting frightening phone calls from someone who is supposed to be dead. Be prepared to be gaslighted in this thriller where nothing is as it seems

I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review

A powerhouse of a thriller, everything about this book was superb . The characters, the narration, the twist, the plot. A very refreshing take on the female sociopath trope . One of those books where everyone is an asshole but you enjoy it anyhow.