Nina Laurin’s The Starter Wife is a dark, twisty psychological thriller that keeps you questioning reality until the very last page. The story follows Claire, the second wife of a charming and successful professor, Byron. But Claire can’t escape the shadow of his first wife, Colleen, who died tragically. As strange events unfold and secrets about Colleen’s life emerge, Claire begins to question everything about her seemingly perfect marriage.

Laurin masterfully creates an atmosphere of paranoia and unease, drawing readers into Claire’s spiraling thoughts. The unreliable narration keeps you on edge, making it impossible to distinguish between truth and illusion. The characters are complex, and while not always likable, their flaws make them feel real and relatable.

The plot is packed with unexpected twists and turns, and Laurin expertly builds tension with each revelation. Themes of obsession, jealousy, and the lies we tell ourselves are explored in a way that feels fresh and gripping. The story’s pacing is brisk, leading to a shocking and satisfying conclusion.

The Starter Wife is a must-read for fans of psychological suspense who love exploring the darker side of relationships. If you enjoy novels that delve into the complexities of love, trust, and betrayal, this one will not disappoint.

I didnt have much preconceptions as I don;t know this author but i did enjoy this book. It was pacy and very atmospheric, to the point that I was slightly freaked out reading the 2nd half. Decent premise and I enjoyed the satisfying twist. recommended.

“I’m overcome with a sensation of vulnerability, alone and exposed in this airy room like a goldfish that becomes aware of her tank for the first time.”

Claire and Byron have been married for a few years. Byron’s first wife, Colleen, died ten years ago in an apparent suicide and to Claire, it’s clear he has not moved on from her death. Colleen’s paintings still adorn the walls of every room in the house they shared and he won’t let Claire redecorate even though she now lives there with him. Even worse, he proposed to Claire with a replica of the lost emerald heirloom ring that he had given to Colleen.

Claire’s insecurities regarding her infertility, inability to have her writing published and Byron’s hangups on Colleen start to get the best of her. When odd things start happening - for example, strange emails appearing and disappearing - Claire begins to convince herself that Colleen didn’t actually die.

Is Colleen alive and coming back for revenge? Is Claire losing her mind? Is something entirely more sinister going on?

This book was intriguing and kept me guessing. I didn’t feel particularly invested in any of the characters and there were a lot of loose ends that weren’t addressed. All in all an enjoyable read for any thriller lover looking for a bit of crazy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I finally got to read this thriller and I was a little disappointed? It is predictable in its unpredictability, if that makes sense. The unreliable narrator trope is amplified with TWO unreliable narrators, but it was not as twisted or new to make it any more enjoyable than the countless other books with similar vibes. It was fine though.

A psychological suspense thriller, The Starter Wife, will have you on the edge of your seat.

The local police have decided to close the case of Colleen Westcott as there is no proof of foul play. They believe she disappeared intentionally. However, that may not be the case. So, hold on to this roller-coaster ride full of twists and turns.

This story was missing something for me. Although I liked that I didn't know where it was going at the beginning, it got boring after the first couple of chapters.

Thank you so much for this ARC! I will not be providing feedback on this title. I did not read this to its entirety and cannot give a fair review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The author's style is very readable and I read this book very quickly because I wanted to know how all the different plot points were going to tie together. Unfortunately, I don't feel like everything was explained in the end - there were a few things that were mentioned that I believe were meant to lead you in one direction that the book didn't end up going in, but then those things weren't explained. Additionally, I was let down by the "reasoning" for the main characters actions - it felt like an unnecessary detail and was a let down for me. I would definitely give the author another try on a different book, still.

Byron and Claire are married. Byron is much older than Claire and is a widower. His first wife Colleen disappeared, but her body was never found. Claire begins to feel second to Byron's first wife Colleen and is determined to
find out what happened when Byron begins to behave differently toward her.

I was just able to read the extended preview, but I'm definitely intrigued and added it to my list of books to buy. It seemed like a good page turner.

As this was only a sampler could not give more than a three. It did have me wonder what would happen next

I read an excerpt of the book which I found very interesting. The narrator is Claire who is the wife of Byron who lost his wife, Colleen, years before. The police suspect that she committed suicide but her body was never found. The excerpt definitely was interesting and I plan to read the full book.

Claire is married to Byron and is his second wife. Bryon’s first wife ,Collen committed suicide but her shadow hangs over their head as she feels Byron is still in love with her .When Bryon starts acting distant with Claire she becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Collen and will stopping at nothing to find out the truth to save her marriage.

The Starter Wife by Nina Laurin is a definite page turner and an enjoyable domestic suspense.Though a little slow in the middle it picked pace later and kept me guessing till the end . Highly recommend !

I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

Really well written. Lots of twists and very dark! I couldn't help but feel so sad for Claire. What a dark and lonely world she became part of.

The Starter Wife had a lot of twists! It was a really dark story and one that I didn’t see coming. This is one of those domestic thrillers where no one really wins. It was well written, but I needed a break from thrillers after this one.

Claire Westcott is married to successfull professor Byron who is much older than her. She met him when he was a widower as his first wife Colleen disappeared and was presumed dead (although her body was never found). It was speculated that she had mental problems and committed suicide by drowning herself. Claire does everything for Byron but feels that she never quite measures up to Colleen - and it seems lately Byron has been cold and distant toward her. Suddenly weird things start to happen and it seems as if someone is trying to reach out and.....warn her? Who is to be trusted? What really happened to Colleen and will history repeat itself?
I really enjoyed this book even though the characters (even the protagonist) weren't terribly likable. Great twists and turns with a good ending!
Thanks to Nina Laurin, Grand Central Pub and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

~ www.roxtao.com ~

Oh, how confused I felt during the reading of this book…

It starts as a classic family thriller, with a growing feeling of unhappiness, in contrast to the dreams of joy that the main character had when she got married to the one who looked like the ideal husband. And then, slowly, things start to change and you get the feeling that something is wrong, although you cannot really put your finger on what exactly it is. The heroine starts acting weirder than the situation would ask for, normal things begin to look shady, the characters keep changing colors from white to black and vice versa from one chapter to another.

At some point, I was annoyed with the heroine, thinking she’s overreacting and going paranoid for absolutely nothing. Because we’re getting the whole story from her point of view, for a while things don’t seem to make sense, everything is foggy and unclear.

Not until the perspective changes and all of a sudden, boom! Here comes the shocking truth and after that, everything is spiraling out of control, all the puzzle pieces start falling in the right places and you discover a whole new story, in a way you couldn’t have predicted in a million years.

@nina.laurin is one of my favorite go-to authors for keep me on the edge of my seat (and guessing!!) page turners! #thestarterwife is no different!! If you haven’t picked this one up yet or if it’s on your TBR, make it your next read!!! Special thanks to @netgalley and @grandcentralpub for the #arc! And sorry for the delay in my review— full time grad school and full time teaching crazy, adorable 5th graders (and my adorable 7th grade son!!) have kept me super busy!!

Wow! What a fact paced read!! This was another book that I was unable to put down. Thank you Netgalley for granting me this book in exchange for my honest review. A 5 star read for me!