Well, The Wives is getting a lot of hype and let me tell you--,it's all deserved! This twisty thriller that might be about a woman who loves her husband enough to share him with two other wives but starts to fear he might be harming one but it also might be about a woman whose grip on reality is skidding out of control when her formerly married lover marries someone else. Or it could be both.

Yeah. Let that wash over you. Both. Both! And it is freaking awesome and honestly, The Wives is everything I wanted Girl on The Train to be--a thriller that can be read as being one story or another...or both. The Wives is a rollicking twist filled ride that nails the landing, because the ending is utterly mesmerizing and so, so perfect.

Very highly recommended.

Twisted and throwed off!!! I don't even know how else to explain what my mind just experienced.

Thursday is in a polygamist relationship with her husband. She is the 2nd wife. Monday and Tuesday exist but she doesn't know who they are or where they live.

This book has me mind blown. I can't even comprehend or make sense of this book. I had no idea what was going to happen or how all this was going to end. Wicked.

I really like Tarryn Fisher’s stories but this one I struggled with to finish. The concept was interesting and there was some suspense but the second half of the book left me really confused - was she crazy, sane or just unsure of what was happening. The ending was a real letdown.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars

Tarryn Fisher is known to be an edgy writer and I was in the mood for something a little different--a little less sweet, so I was glad when I was approved for the ARC for this title. It started off strong. The edgy writing was there and the character had a spark, which I appreciated. I was intrigued by the notion of a woman who is in a polygamous relationship and I liked how we were discovering the other wives with her. This continued for about the first third of the book and then things took a turn. The second half of the book was a downward slide, in my opinion. I no longer related to the main character, I struggled with the direction of the storyline and worse, I wasn't sure I even cared anymore. Yes, it was still edgy, but the end strayed into harsh and unformed which caused me to lose interest. There were several plot twists and rather than me thinking, "whoa, I can't wait to see how that develops", I was thinking, "what the hell???". By the end, I was just looking forward to the end.

Based on the premise of a polygamist marriage, this book had an intriguing plot. The leading character in this story, Thursday, is a second wife and exhibiting the same symptoms as a middle child. She feels jealous and overlooked. She’s always looking for information on the other wives and comparing herself endlessly with their circumstances. She knows her husband Seth divorced his first wife so he could marry her. He wanted babies and the first wife didn’t want any. So it behooved her to give him babies but then she miscarried and later wasn’t able to have babies anymore.

So now Thursday feels like she failed on her purpose, and when Seth goes on to attain a third wife and got her pregnant, she’s feeling more and more forlorn.

I’ve been watching a lot of Chinese soap operas lately, about the Emperors and their harems, and found a lot of the same behavior of the concubines in Thursday. She’s conniving, ambitious, she wants to be the preferred one, she wants her husband all to herself. Not content on only having two days a week with Seth, she’s looking for clues to help her attain a better position in the wives hierarchy.

The reading pace on this book is initially slow. For me this was torture, because I like a fast pace in my reading. Then I realized that the author is doing a slow burn, a slow crescendo of the suspense. After 40% into the book, it went on from a chronicle of Thursday’s relation with Seth into a full-on investigation about his other wives. Little by little the pace increases, more information is discovered, more fear and suspense is created. From a slow and boring beginning, we get to a point where we feverishly pass the pages to find out what happens next and the anxiety grows.

Around 75% into the book, I already could predict the outcome and was not wrong, but even so, the author was brilliant in the way she pieced all the parts and the characters together into a cohesive and coherent whole. The author was brilliant in keeping the reader in the dark and developing the characters. At times I had doubts about each and every character in the plot and assigned them nefarious motives. The end was not surprising but very spectacular. There were some plot twists that took me by surprise and kept me guessing if my prediction was right. I would say that the first half of the books is a 3 star and the latter part a 5 star in terms of the anxiety it caused!

This was my first Tarryn Fisher book and I loved it so much that I also had to buy this book from BOTM! This will not be my last. I am finally feeling my grove in the Mystery/Thriller genre and I am loving it!

The story line and plot was solid and highly recommend this book! This will not be my last book by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

I don't even know what to say or how to review this book. I expected a story that was a bit off the rails but The Wives was off the rails and was set in fire! I am beyond floored. The first 50% of the story was a nice set up and showing you this nice neat box. Ha! Tarryn Fisher must not like nice or neat because she took that box and played basketball ball with it and then set it on fire. Everything I thought I knew, I didn't. I mean, woah!

The narration by Lauren Fortgang was amazing. She portrayed Thursday to a T. Her narration mixed with the way Mrs. Fisher writes was stunning. It came to life. Just a very messed up life that will shock all listeners!!!

This was a crazy, twisted, wild ride. Thursday is one of Seth’s three wives and she agreed to this arrangement because she is so in love with him. None of the wives have met the other until Thursday discovers the identity of the third wife and after that things begin to unravel for her. Seth is enraged she has met the third wife. What follows next are so many twists and turns that leave you so confused as to who is telling the truth. This book is fast paced and entertaining. I really was rooting for Thursday and hoped she was the one telling the truth throughout the book. My only complaint is that the ending wasn't as strong as I would have liked. Other than that a binge worthy read.

Wow! This book had many twists and turns that left me on the edge of my seat. The ending was completely unexpected! I had never read a Tarryn Fisher book before, but now I see why all the hype over her!

I really enjoyed this book! The author had me guessing all the way through and I didn’t expect the twist at the end! I would definitely recommend this book!

The Wives was the first book I read of the new year and it was a good one. It tells the story of Thursday as she embarks on a journey to discover the truth about her marriage to Seth...and his two other wives Regina and Hannah.

I applaud the author for creating and sustaining a story line like this one. Although many were upset at the portrayal of mental health in this book, as a sufferer of anxiety myself, I felt as if Fisher simply wrote a fictional character dealing with a reality that is hard to comprehend and a traumatic event that is difficult to process. Characters are characters and, at the end of the day, stories need all types.

The first half was wild--the second half slowed down for me, but still concluded in a way that was perfect for Thursday's character arc and development. Fisher finished the story that was true to her characters; she didn't just create a resolution that tied up in a nice bow. I appreciate that from a story!

Overall, 4.5/5 stars.

Wow..... what a twisty, crazy book! I couldn't put this one down.....a page turner from the very beginning. I didn't expect to like this as much as I did, but obviously I was glad I did. I'd venture to say this is/will be a best seller at my store. Bonus points -- Im NOT the only one who is recommending this title!

This book was a twisted, wild ride, but I loved it.

Thursday’s husband has two other wives. Her life spirals out of control when she decides to find out who the other wives are. I can’t really say much about this book without giving away any spoilers, but it was very suspenseful and creepy.

Thursday was an unreliable narrator, but the pieces of her life fit together, so I couldn’t help but believe her at times.

There were some mental health issues in this story. There were also some miscarriages that were described. These could be triggers, because they were intense parts of the story.

This was a great psychological thriller!

Thank you Graydon House Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

Well, Tarryn Fisher delivers a total mind-blanker (and you know what word I’m actually thinking of) with this book! Holy hell, that was a wild ride and I loved it! Three wives, three lives, one husband. What could possibly happen, Tarryn will blow your mind, that’s what!

I’m not going to say much about the actual story, this is a book that has to be experienced. It was intriguing and twisty and I couldn’t put the down! There were times when I didn’t even know what I wanted to happen. These characters are unique and their story takes a lot of twists and turns. This is definitely a must read for those moments when you want something different and dark that is just going to play with you! Great read from Ms. Fisher for sure!

The elevator pitch:
Big Love makes a woman lose her mind


Read/Skip:
Read!

Sign this writer up to teach a Masterclass course, like, right now! I read a few thrillers similar to this one the past year, all of them trying to be the ultimate mindfuck. But to be good at this twisty paranoid genre, you have to respect your reader, think of him/her as Holmes/genius/ New York Times puzzle solver, and bring it on on a whole other level. With The Wives, Tarryn Fisher takes charge of the reader; she has you exactly where she wants. In her Masterclass, Tarryn could explain how to create an invisible minefield, ( And I have just watched the Circle, so let me insert lots of mind-blown emoji.) Tarryn is a misdirection Master.
Fisher creates a compelling first-person voice by lingering on ordinary details that are well-defined, making the scenes feel genuine. Her style lures you in, that and the absurd premise that is so discombobulating that when you finally realize what is happening, it's too late. Kudos, if you were able to predict what would happen next. For the first time in months (that means lots of books), I was deep in the fog with this one. And I loved it.
I am vague. I know.
Let me just say, this what thrillers should do. It's uncomfortable, tantalizing, mischievous, and excellent at hiding its truth. Tarryn Fisher must be one of those excellent liars, impossible to read. This book is not. It's as seductive as Seth, one of the protagonists, a man able to make three women lose their minds.

The gist:

Thursday has a bizarre arrangement with her husband, Seth. She doesn't understand how he convinced her, but Seth has two other wives. She calls them Monday and Tuesday. They don't live together like one big happy polygamous family; in fact, Thursday has never met the other wives. But when the haze of infatuation, and boy is she in love with her husband, lifts a bit, Thursday starts wondering who they are. Then she finds a piece of paper with one other wife's name. A revelation that will blow her whole life to pieces.

This one just wasn’t for me. I loved the first part, but as the plot thickened and the mental aspect was coming to the foreground, it went downhill do me. However, I could see how some could love this!

I enjoyed this a lot and was so eager to find out what was going on. It’s a real page-turner!
......................

Ok. What in the hell did I just read?? This book has my mind seriously twisted. When The Wives begin, we meet Thursday. She is “Thursday” because that is the day of the week that she spends with her adoring husband, Seth. Thursday knows that she one of three wives that Seth has. She does everything in her power to be his favorite to ensure that she gets the majority of his love, affection, and attention.

Soon she begins to develop jealous tendencies of the other wives. The rule is that they are NOT to talk to or know about each other. One day all hell breaks loose when Thursday finds a note in Seth’s pocket with the name of one of the other wives. Thursday decides to take a road trip. She meets the other wives and gets way more than she bargained for. She tries to be a savior to one as she is getting played by the other.

While reading The Wives, I kept thinking, “What is the backstory?” Why can’t they know about each other (The Sister Wives do)? Why is Seth so hot and cold with Thursday, and why does she have so much damn time on her hands?

There were so many twists and turns it is hard to give a review without spoilers. I have so many questions. Did I read the ending, right? The beginning started slow, but halfway through, you will begin doubting your sanity. The end was explosive and mind-bending. The Wives was the first book I read by Tarryn Fisher, but it definitely won’t be my last.

Thank you, NetGalley, Harlequin, and Graydon House Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I give this 3 stars, because it did keep me on the edge of my seat. However, I really hate the unreliable narrator trope. By the end I was rolling my eyes.

Thank you to Graydon House / NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for any honest review!

Story:

The reader follows an unknown narrator, but she is referred to as Thursday, since that’s the day of the week when her polygamist husband, Seth, comes to see her. She cooks him a delicious meal; they have sex, and he moves on to one of the other two women—Monday and Tuesday. Monday is his first marriage, and Tuesday is pregnant—Hannah. Thursday finds a doctor receipt on the floor, accidentally left there by Seth, and it has Hannah’s name on it, hence why we know her name so early on.
She meets up with Hannah, and she notices some bruising on her arm. She suspects that Seth is laying a hand on her and that seems to be so unlike him. The catch to the meeting: Hannah doesn’t know who Thursday is or who she is married to.
She would also like to contact his first wife—Monday. It’s difficult when her husband won’t tell her anything, and his phone is totally bare of any juicy details connecting him to the other women.
What’s actually going on?
—
I enjoyed the book all the way up to a certain point, probably the 70% mark. Then it pretty much stayed at a three-star rating for me. There was a lot of information thrown in during a short time span. It almost felt like the first half of the book took too long, so the ending had to be rushed. The last page was pretty intense, and I really enjoyed that part.
I did love how unreliable the narrator was. That always makes me question what’s actually happening. It makes me pay attention to the details a little more. You never really know.

Characters:

There wasn’t a single character in this novel that I liked. I think that I knew what was somewhat going on. The main character, Thursday, was extremely redundant. I had hoped that it would switch narrators, but that wouldn’t be conducive for the main twist at the end.
I honestly didn’t like Seth from the beginning. If I say anymore about him, then it would pretty much spoil the story. Bad vibes across the board with him.
They are all portrayed in multiple ways that it was hard to keep track of.

Writing:

The writing is what I think to be good thriller writing. It’s simple and straightforward. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.

Overall:

This was average for me, but I would recommend it to readers who are just entering this genre. I think it would catch them off guard. The story was a little repetitive at times, but it’s nothing unbearable. Even though I won’t be purchasing this for my collection, I am still interested in other novels by Fisher.

I will add that there are problematic elements to this novel. I don’t want to spoil anything here, but if you’re interested, please go check out my review on my blog. It will be up either later today—1/19—or tomorrow—1/20. The same goes for Goodreads.