Ah, yes. A Tarryn Fisher original. First off, thank you to NetGalley for the ARC they provided me in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read a TF book in a hot minute...not sure why, because it's blatantly obvious this author is a literary powerhouse. I've held onto this book for MONTHS now, waiting to read it until closer to its release date; partially because I hate to throw down spoilers or anything that may be construed as a spoiler in a review, but also because I needed to be there. You know where there is, don't you? The razor's edge...the precipice of a cliff. I have to be in the right headspace to venture into the dark with some authors, knowing they have the chops to toss me right into the thick of things and make me question *everything* around me.

Such was the case with this book. No spoilers, not how I roll, I can just tell you that I literally sat up the entire time I read this book. Wild, right? No lying around in bed, enjoying a book...no, I was sitting up, sucked into twisted mindmessery greatness that Ms. Fisher bled onto the pages. I guessed at some of the little gems that were tossed in...but gah, don't go into a book like The Wives thinking you're so smart and have everything figured out. I guarantee there's a reason I read this one side-eying everyone around me and blinking in suspicious anticipation with every flip of the page. Thursday is no longer just a day of the week for me...well done, Ms. Fisher. 4.5 stars.

That was such a ride and I felt like I was going crazy over this plot line! Now, I want you all to imagine your husband having two other wives. How’s would you feel? Will you get jealous and know their identities? What happens if you befriend one and notice bruises on her? Do you know your husband? Is this real or are you crazy? This book was plotted well and she makes you believe what is going on. I was on the edge of my seat. A must read!

4.5/5 - #TeamThursday

This book! This book! This book!

It’s a THRILLER and it delivers. When I read a thriller I expect to be jump into the dark and ugly parts of the psyche — this book is that, so twisty and wonderful.

The story is presented as a polygamist relationship. Only the wives don’t know each other and aren’t allowed to speak to each other. One of the wives hits a breaking point and all that seems true begins to crumble.

Tarryn Fisher is an indie romance author. The kind the bucks the happy, bright, and totally unrealistic romance stories. She writes soul quenching characters. This book, The Wives, has that level of depth. Thursday twists your back and forth, Seth is made to be a blend of doting and selfishness. The other wives are out at arms length but as a reader you are reeled in closer and closer until you can’t stop looking.

The ending of this book left me giddy. This is how I wanted this story to end. Thursday embracing who she is and giving zero f*cks.

Totally rec this book!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

FYI:

Violence, mental abuse, psychological turmoil. And my favorite word (almost) cunt is used once.

This book started out so well. The writing was engrossing, the main character was intriguing and the plot was interesting. Then it all derailed. I'm not a huge fan of unreliable narrators but I am willing give those type of stories chance as long as the story remains cohesive and believable. This one did not. The swerve was along the lines of what I expected but the ending was much too strange and off putting. I wasn't sure who I was supposed the empathize or sympathize with.

This was a very quick read. I think I read it in two days. The story did keep me turning the page so there is that. I just didn't like were it went.

Three wives.
Three separate lives.
Nothing is simple about it, especially when one wife becomes curious about the other two.
That is how this story begins, but the direction it takes was far from expected.

While I didn't connect with this story's narrator, whose name isn't initially revealed (and I won't spoil it), she is an intriguing heroine. What kind of woman would sign on for having a husband only one night of the week? Initially, she is a doting wife, doing everything to please her man. But some kind of switch goes off when she finds another woman's name in her husband's pants, and her curiosity can't be tamed.

I had mixed feelings about the other wives. One I thought was just trying to move on with her life, while the other is vindictive for her own reasons (again, I'm trying to keep this vague on purpose). How the narrator interacts with each has significant consequences later in the story.

"You get to have as many women as you want, and we are your emotional prisoners."

At times, I wasn't sure if the author knew what direction she wanted to take plot, as it changes course several times. I sort of wanted Seth to be the villain in it all, as I saw nothing redeeming about him. But an unexpected twist changes everything.

I loved the ending, very dark and appropriate for the genre. Fans of this author should keep in mind that this isn't a romance, and just relish in this author's evil mind.

Thursday and her husband, Seth, have a slightly different marriage. Seth, you see, has two other wives. Thursday therefore typically only sees Seth one day a week. But she agrees to the arrangement because she loves him, deeply and unconditionally. But then something happens and she starts to see some cracks in their marriage. It causes her to doubt their union--and to seek out his other wives. And once she does, nothing will ever be the same.

"He comes over on Thursday of every week. That's my day, I'm Thursday."

Oh man guys, this is a fun one. If you're able to suspend a little disbelief, you will greatly enjoy this thriller. From the moment I picked up this book, I was pretty much captivated by Thursday's story. There's so much to wonder about. Why on earth would she share her husband with two other women? What on earth is her husband's deal--and, seriously, what is the draw of this guy? What are the two other women like; why would they sign on to this arrangement? And, this is a thriller... is some shoe waiting to drop somewhere?

"Imagining what the future holds proves difficult when factoring in two other women who share your husband."

I can promise that, for the most part, you will not be disappointed. This is a wild ride. It's completely engaging, surprising, and for the most part, totally unpredictable. I wasn't 100% sure about the ending--things came on a little fast and it didn't feel fully resolved--but overall, this was a really enthralling and different read. It's fascinating and bizarre and cringe-worthy and amazingly enjoyable. 4+ stars.

"I shouldn't wonder, but I do. How does a man love so many women? A different woman every other day."

I received a copy of this book from Harlequin/Graydon House Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review. It is available on 12/30/2019.

A twisty thriller by Author Tarryn Fisher about a woman obsessed. Thursday is the third wife of charismatic Seth, a purported polygamist with three wives, a man who coincidentally comes to her every Thursday.

Thursday’s curiosity gets the best of her and she sets out to learn more about Seth’s other wives, jealous of Seth’s time with them, turning stalky. The more she learns after meeting these wives, the more crazy and obsessive she seems. Midway through the story, things take a surprise twist and the waters get murky. I am a bit on the fence on this one. Loved the first half, the second half, not as much. The suspense definitely held my attention throughout however, bumping it up to a 4-star rating.


*will post links and online reviews closer to publication date

Oh my goodness. This book has so many twists and turns I feel like I have whiplash. If you like suspense filled books than this is the book for you. It’s very dark.

I kept hearing all the buzz about this book so of course I had to read it. The blurb alone had me sold! 

The first half of the book had me questioning everything and everyone. I was so excited to see where this story was going to go and to see if I was correct on any of my guesses.

Then somewhere around the halfway point, things got confusing. It felt a little all over the place. I stuck with it because I still had to know what the hell was going on. I was waiting for that big mind blowing moment but it didn't come. I wish the ending was a little more drawn out because I personally felt like things were missing. However, I loved what she did to you know who. They deserved that and then some!

Being a huge psychological thriller reader and with all the buzz, I was expecting more. It's not a bad read but I needed more. I wanted my mind to be completely blown and it wasn't at all. Maybe next time.

I love going into thrillers without much of an expectation. By the time I start a book, I will have usually forgotten the synopsis (in the rare case that I even read the synopsis at all). In a book like this, that blank slate is perfect.

Within a few chapters, I thought I had a grasp of the premise and the direction that the book was heading. I wasn't sure what secrets and twists would come from the narrator's investigations, but I thought I had a general idea of the type of book this was.

And wow, was I ever wrong. A word about first-person narrators? Never trust them. Because the way this narrator lies to you and herself is quite excellent, and will really mess with any expectations or ideas you have.

This book was quite the rollercoaster. It's definitely something that sticks with you -- I finished this a few weeks ago, and I still think about the twists and secrets. It's very cleverly done, though I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending.

I absolutely love that you never know what to expect when you pick up a Tarryn Fisher book. Every book I have read from her has been so different and creative and I can't seem to get enough. This story is captivating from the first page. It held me completely glued to the story and did not let up until the end. I love the surprises that I didn't expect in this story. I love that the characters were flawed and real. I loved that I was on the edge of my seat the entire read wondering what would happen next. This is an amazing read and I can't wait to see what Tarryn has in store for us next.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked it in the beginning because I was curious about these women. I liked how we got glimpses into what was happening between Seth and Thursday. Thursday decided she wanted to know more about her husband and began diving into what was really going on. I was intrigued until I got closer to the end. Then I felt like things fell apart. It felt rushed and completely unbelievable. I didn't love this book or hate it. I was more disappointed about it.

The Wives is unlike any book I've ever read, which I suspected would be the case based on the description and reading a few of Fisher's previous titles. I'm conflicted about this book, though. Parts of it were really good and flowed well, but then a twist would happen. It took a bit longer for the flow to build back up, and just when I thought it was getting steady, the rug was pulled out from underneath me again.
If you enjoy a thriller with an unreliable narrator that is going to keep you guessing the entire book, then this would be a good one to try. It's hard to write a review, without giving anything anyway. I would recommend going into this book with an open mind, no expectations, and to hold on for the ride.

*ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I can't even. I fished this book awhile ago, and thought maybe if I stew a bit I'll be able to express how amazing wild, crazy, unexpected and brilliant The Wives is. Nope. Can't do. There is nothing I can say to do this book any justice.
Just do yourself a favor, and read this. You won't be disappointed.

Holy balls... how do I even put into words what just happened. Let me think....

<b><I>Alllllll aboard the crazy train. Get your one way ticket riiiight here!</I></b>

I really don’t want to tell you ANYTHING about this because there’s so many layers to it that if I tell you one little thing it’s gonna spiral into an outpouring of coo-coo-ville.

JUST KNOW
-everything is not always as it seems.
-there is no redeeming quality for any character in this story and I love that about it.
-never underestimate a scorned woman on a mission!

I love that I read this on a <I>Thursday.</I>
I gasped approx 20 times.
<b>Just read it, you’ll see!</b>

Wow...just wowza...this book!! Ms. Fisher is gonna take you down a deep, dark rabbit hole and won't let you see the light until she is ready to let you go.

The Wives takes you on a dark and twisty tale.  What's reality, what's delusions, what is love and what is hate?  So many questions and the answers are gonna floor you!

Thursday is the central character of this story, she is on the search for the truth in her world. But to find that truth, she has to go through so, so much!

Ms. Fisher has a magic to her words! I couldn't put this story down once I started.  I went through a whole gamut of emotions when reading this! With every character, I could find a reason to admire them and then hate them!  I was second-guessing myself as I was reading this and that was amazing to me!  Who was the victim? Who was the perpetrator?  Who was the hero/heroine?  Even at the end, I was wondering who to really cheer for in this story.

This is the definition of a thriller!  This story is going to take your mind on a wild ride and you are going to need a minute or a day when you finish to really let the amazingness of this story to settle in!

Bravo Ms. Fisher!

Wow! What did I just read?!

This book was not a romance story but a thriller that had me scratching my head and dying to read more.

I was enraptured with heroine and curious to read more. This book made me realize how much I love thrillers. There were so many twists and turns. I was really surprised at the ending and wasn't sure how to feel about it. Definitely not what I was expecting.

I haven't read much of Tarryn's books but definitely like this more than her romance books.

A really stunning book and must read! You will be flipping the pages dying to know more and see what happens next!

What on earth did I just read???

My mind as well as my heart were officially confused as to what was happening....I couldn’t put this book down!
The further I read the more my heart pounded!
Best way to read this story, going in blind!
It is such a thrill of a thriller!
Honestly wasn’t sure which character to believe and then Id think ‘what is going on here?’
I genuinely got hooked in the storyline that grabbed my attention from the start and when it ended??!! What in the what????
As I read, I really felt like this was one of those midday movies that play with your mind! I kid you not! It was just.....yep not too sure to be quite honest!
The author has written a book that will no doubt stick in your mind as something you don’t quite expect!

ooosh, this one is hard to rate. I think I'm going with 4 stars.

I really really enjoyed this book, BUT, I read so many thrillers, that I just wasn't as shocked as I thought I should be.

Don't get me wrong, there were a few places Tarryn definitely had me, but I was really hoping for her original idea of polygamy to go throughout the whole book, so I was disappointed at how it got lost in the end.

This is a domestic thriller about a husband who has 3 other wives, and he visits them on different days of the week. We are reading from Thursday's perspective, how she is different than the other two wives, and how this make her feel. She finds out who one of the other wives is, and starts stalking her. .. but bad things happen. (trigger warning: miscarriage, stillbirth)

This was a great thriller, and definitely much better than some of the hyped 2019 thriller releases (yes, I'm looking at you Lock Every Door, The Passengers, and Turn of the Key), so of course I still HIGHLY recommend everyone to read this book, especially if you don't read that many thrillers (you will most likely be shocked throughout the book). The polygamy aspect is really what drew me in, and was my absolute favorite part of the book! I mean, sure its taboo, but who doesn't love reading about some effed up stuff in their thrillers?!

Another reason I docked a star, is not really Tarryn's fault, or this book in general, but I've recently been seeing a huge rise in thriller books including infertility in the story line (which I suffer from, and yes I love that the word is getting out there), BUT most of the time, its being included in a way that is hurtful. Thrillers are making it seem that women turn extremely crazy after losing a child. I'm not particularly a fan of this representation, because does that mean since I had a miscarriage, I'm going to start talking to myself and hiding in my house (or murder someone, end up in a mental hospital, etc).

tsk, tsk. This trend needs to stop in 2020.

Anyways, I love Tarryn's writing when she writes thrillers, and I definitely would beg her to keep writing thrillers because she is really great at spinning together some crazy stories.

Thursday's husband has two other wives. None of the wives have met, which is how Seth likes it. When Thursday find's a receipt in her husband's pocket, she tracks down the third wife, Hannah, and befriends her. Thursday then tracks down the first wife, Regina, who she watches from social media sites. However, something isn't right. Hannah has bruises all over her body, and Regina's websites say that she is divorced.

There was really only two possibilities that this story could have gone. There were too many clues which gave the plot away. It didn't unravel, rather the information was just dumped all at once. The characters themselves were a bit bland and boring. Overall, a bust.