Mary Kubica has done it again with The Other Mrs. I will officially devour anything she writes!

The Other Mrs. is a character-driven psychological mystery. The small island that Sadie and Will live on almost feels like a haunted house and Kubica does a wonderful job creating a creepy atmosphere the permeates throughout the novel.

Without giving away too much, this book delivers twists and turns that engage the reader and handles mental illness and the manipulation of those with mental illness (which is real and terrifying) with respect and finesse.

Kubica is a master at multiple POVs and is able to create unique voices for each character and integrate each POV into the overall narrative without causing confusion.

Definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book has it all! There are so many twists and turns you will not know which is up and which is down! The novel has the trademark alternating POV, which sometimes for me does not always work, but it does in this case. There are times when I have not enjoyed Kubica's books as much as others, but this one really delivers. There are some times when things seem to work out in a way that may not be realistic, but once again, I can look past that and simply enjoy the book. I think this has to be my favorite book she has written so far. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the honor of reading this book in advance in exchange for an honest review. Four stars!

Didn't finish the book. Tired of books with a bunch of twists and turns that seem silly. So many books are trying to emulate Gone Girl and its exhausting.

Such an amazing book! A dysfunctional family, affair with another woman, who is jealous as all can be of the wife, a suspicious wife, a little girl being abused by her mother-in-law, and a woman dead, found by her step-daughter. That sentence reads like a movie, but I promise this book is even better than that could ever be!

While I had an inkling of an idea about what was going on with Sadie, I really wasn't sure. Camille was so believable that I tended to take what she said for face value, over Sadie. And Mouse? I definitely believed her, too. Heck, I even believed Sadie! As far as Will and Morgan, that I never saw coming! Or even Imogen. It makes me wonder what Imogen saw that Sadie didn't realize she saw, to make her hate her and call her messed up. How confusing it would be for Imogen, Tate, and Otto to see one thing and hear their mom say another, yet claim that she would never do or say those things. Who do you believe? Which mom is the real mom?

Such a great read!

Wow, what an excellent read! Complex characters and a plot kept me hooked! The numerous twists left me breathless and were so well executed that I didn't see them coming! The ending was satisfying!

Wow! 4.5 stars.

Sadie and her family move to Maine to live in her sister-in-laws house. They are there to take care of her niece, Imogen, after the suicide of her mom. Imogen is 16 and kind of scary, doesn’t communicate with family except with profanity and anger, wears all black, doesn’t always go to school, etc. Sadie and Will have two sons, 14 year old Otto, and Tate who I think was 7 or 8. Otto has problems of his own, as he was terribly bullied at his former school.

After living in the small Maine island town a few months, a neighbor woman, Morgan, is murdered. During the course of the book, Sadie is trying to piece together and find out who the killer is - wondering if the killer is in fact in her own house or someone else on the island. We also hear two other points of view: Camille, mistress of Will, and Mouse, a 6 year old girl abused by her step-mother.

That’s all I’m going to say, but I really loved this thriller. The author crafted an intriguing plot and was hard to put down. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher, Park Row Books, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adore Mary Kubica’s books, and this one is another exceptional thriller!

Sadie and her family have moved to an isolated island to care for their recently orphaned niece. Sadie starts to feel paranoid about strange occurrences on their island.

This story is told through multiple POVs, which I did not care for at first, because I did not understand how they all connected. But once I figured it out, about 70% into the book, I wanted it to last longer and have more backstories!

This book was quite a thrill ride! Sadie was a very complicated character, who didn't make friends easily and her husband Will was a friendly affable character. When they move to Maine to make a new start things go downhill quickly for Sadie. She's all over the place throughout this book and you're never sure who likes her, if anyone, and who doesn't. When their neighbor gets murdered Sadie falls apart with worry, then things really start to unravel in her life. And what an ending!

I always love a Mary Kubica book. This one was no exception! 5 stars. I changed my mind about what must be happening repeatedly throughout reading.

This is my favorite by Mary Kubica after The Good Girl. I didn’t know that I’d have another “favorite” because while her other books were entertaining, nothing felt the same as the first. My head is spinning.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.25 Hearts Boy the beginning of this book had me going. The thrill of it and the intensity was leading up to… well nothing.

After the first third to half of the book it was good. But then bam… nothing seemed real, logical or really interesting. I was looking for more of a spooky feel but the story just didn’t end with that and really was a let down.

Maybe I built it up to much but I the best way I can describe it is the author started this book, put it aside because of writers block then came back with a whole different mindset.

Giving it 3.25 because of the beginning and the concept.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Other Mrs.

An intriguing psychological thriller soon to be a Netflix movie.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Sadie and Will Faust and their two sons Otto and Tate move from Chicago to a small remote island of the coast of Maine for a new start. They hoped to leave their previous dramas behind them. Will’s sister, Alice had recently committed suicide and had left her Maine house and the care of her daughter, Imogen to Will. Imogen is a troubled sixteen year old and does not want these strangers telling her what to do or living in her house.

Only weeks after the family’s arrival in Maine, a neighbor, Morgan Baines, is found dead in her home. The murder rocks the tiny island but no one is more shaken and than Sadie, who is terrified by the thought of a killer on the loose. Suspicion for the murder soon turns towards the new family in town. Sadie is drawn into the mystery of Morgan’s death and begins investigating. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose.

REVIEW
There was something about THE OTHER MRS. that bothered me. It nagged at me the whole time I was reading. It made me feel uneasy and uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the multiple points of view, perhaps something else entirely. I came very close to giving up, but when the twist came and I had to see the intriguing story to the end.

The characters were disappointing. I struggled to connect or care anything about any of them. I was particularly disappointed in Sadie. Professionally she is a medical doctor but her character is that of a sad, weak, scared woman, who makes really stupid decisions. And Imogen, the sixteen year old niece does not even speak, unless it’s to use foul explicatives or threaten murder. You can’t help but dislike her. There is not a strong, smart female character in the whole bunch.

While I didn’t like the characters, the writing was good and I liked the setting on an island in Maine. Word is that Netflix made a film deal with Mary Kubica for the novel, and Kubica will be the film’s executive producer. You may want to read THE OTHER MRS. just to see what you think. Be aware that Kubica covers some heavy topics in the novel: suicide, infidelity, obsession, bullying and mental illness.

Kubica is a New York Times and USA today best selling author of five novels, including The Good Girl, Pretty Baby, Don’t You Cry, Every Last Lie and When the Lights Go Out. Thanks to Netgalley and Park Row for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Park Row
Published February 18, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

I want to start off by saying thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book, it was a very good read easy to follow along with storyline and characters. This was a new author for me but I very much enjoyed it, thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to reading more by this author again. I highly recommend this book to everybody.

4.5 stars
Wow was that a ride. I was almost instantly captivated and found myself hesitating to want to put my kindle down to do other things (like work, sleep, etc). I absolutely love Mary Kubica's storytelling style and the characters she comes up with. They are each so different from each other, and I loved seeing how the stories converged. And oh my heart hurt so much for little Mouse, I almost felt physical pain I was so upset for her.
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I love that there was one standard murder mystery, but also so many other smaller mysteries surrounding it - so much to think about and try to piece together. I did guess one of the big twists at about 20% through, but mostly because I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers and I like to think of the most bizarre possibility. And actually having this idea in my head, I feel like it brought out so much more from the narratives than if I had just found out at the reveal. But I absolutely did not see the BIGGEST twist coming - the last 15% had me gasps a lot and also yelling at Sadie (must to the amusement of my husband).
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The pacing in this book definitely varied, there were parts that I just wanted to hurry up and others that had my heart racing. One of my favorite authors and this did not disappoint!

I generally don’t like to write a review when I felt like I HAD to keep reading just to finish a book…which rarely happens, BTW. I’ve pretty much been willing to read ANYTHING my whole life! And I realize I have a less than stellar memory as I get older – but whoa, why didn’t I look back at my views on Mary Kubica’s books Don’t You Cry, Every Last Lie, and When The Lights Go Out BEFORE I had the chance to read The Other Mrs (thanks to Harlequin/Park Row and NetGalley) in exchange for this honest review?? Those three titles received decreasing numbers of stars (four to three to one) – so I probably should have passed on this one. But nope, my faulty memory said “Mary Kubica…(name deleted to protect the identity of a book club crony) really likes her, this should be a good escapist read, get my mind off the current political situation” (TBH I am still trying to get through Very Stable Genius, because I keep stopping to pull out my hair and scream) – but! I digress…

In this latest from Ms. Kubica, Dr. Sadie Foust and her husband Will Foust and their two boys have recently moved from Chicago to a small island off the coast of Maine. Will’s sister committed suicide, leaving her house to Will…oh, and it comes complete with her troubled teenaged daughter – what could POSSIBLY go wrong? Sadie is the primary breadwinner, although early on there’s a hint of trouble as we get references to her losing her last job due to some incident(?) – and there is also a hint of the older son being troubled, kicked out of school for bringing a weapon (a knife) in his backpack – plus Will has a history of infidelity…again, what could possibly go wrong?

The Foust’s neighbor, a young woman named Morgan Baines, is found dead in her home, the victim of a knife-wielding intruder. (Red flag: remember the older son’s history with knives?) Sadie is terrified by the thought of a killer in her very own backyard…but she also shows her own issues early on as she basically reveals herself to be a stalker and she seems to have a bit of a memory problem. Plus, the creepy old house and the super-angry teenager that came with it are menacing AF, and it’s all just dark and threatening.

So we have a boatload of characters, none of which are likable, and they take FOREVER to get anywhere or do anything as the days roll on toward some kind of resolution of this mess. Sadie seems to be a prime suspect in Morgan’s murder, but then there is her son…and the troubled teenage girl…and Will. Red herrings everywhere, but TBH I didn’t really care who did it or who might be the next victim. I just wanted it over with.

And possibly the worst part for me was the epilogue following the climactic scene, complete with crashing waves and sunshine…followed by the author’s afterword with a sort of half-baked nod to the challenges of mental problems. I won’t ruin my perfect record of never spoiling a story, and after reading a few reviews, it is obvious that many people will appreciate this latest offering from Ms. Kubica. And it is highly likely it isn’t her, it’s me, and we just aren’t a match. So, with great relief, I give this one a single star and move on with my life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for an advance copy of this book.

I thought this book sounded like it would be a fun thriller to take my mind off winter and it was — to a point.

I liked how the narratives bounce back and forth between different characters. If you pay attention during these times, you'll likely figure out the first twist pretty easily. I realized it just past halfway, but didn't realize the full extent of it.

Two more twists came, which just seemed tired. When the reader isn't told everything and the author pulls the rug out from you in terms of what you know, that should be enough. There shouldn't be more twists.

Once I learnt "the truth," I then began questioning other aspects to the story that had been passed off to us as what Sadie knew to be true of other characters. Because of all the surprises and twists, I was left unsatisfied at the end because I don't know what was really true or not.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

Mary Kubica is one of my favorite psychological fiction writers. I have read all of her books, since meeting her at BookExpo in 2014, when she was there signing copies of her debut book, The Good Girl. She continues to craft such addicting, twisty reads and this latest one just might be my new favorite.

I always love a book set in a spooky old house...there's just something haunting and creepy about it that sets the tone right away. And when you add in three compelling narrators that you immediately need to know more about, and a very suspicious death - I am all in. This book completely hooked me right away and I could not put it down. I basically read it in two sittings and even when I finished it, I couldn't stop thinking about it - the characters were so well-drawn that I felt so attached to them.

I loved that as you continue reading, you get the sense that all is not as it appears and you start wondering just who you can trust. The three narrators really grab you and you can't help but wonder just how they all connect. I had my suspicions and was wavering back and forth, but I never fully put it all together...and that reveal was just brilliant. I thought it would go one way and I was so off-base.

This book is full of twists and turns that are both subtle and in your face and that combination works so well. It is also so atmospheric. The isolated island where the creepy old house is and the winter weather conditions really work well to add to the tension that is already building. It's a dark, unsettling read that is sure to get under your skin, but it's so addicting that once you start reading it, you will not want to put it down because you will need to see how it all plays out.

I absolutely loved this book. I love Mary Kubica's writing and I love the issues that she tackles in her books. I cannot wait to see what comes next from this talented author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really really enjoyed this book! It was twisty and suspenseful—a solid thriller! I felt immersed in the setting and I really felt like I knew each character. That said, I did guess most of the twists, but that didn’t impact the reading experience. I still fully enjoyed it. I will also mention that there may be some triggers in this book, so please do what’s right for you and look up trigger warnings if you feel you need to do so. The twist did include something that is a little divisive. I’m not going to discuss any spoilers here, but do what’s right for you.

Overall, I really liked the book. The beginning did feel a little slow to me until I understood where the story was going, but once it picked up the pacing was great and I couldn’t put the book down. The three points of view were timed incredibly well, I was very impressed by that. This is the first book I’ve read by Mary Kubica and I know I’ll definitely be reading some more!'

This review will be posted immediately on GoodReads and a shortened review can now be found on my Instagram.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishing house, Harlequin, for providing an advanced copy for review. All thoughts and opinions written in this review are my own.

Sadie and her husband, Will, and their two children have recently moved because of a death in the family and Will has become the guardian of his niece, Imogen. Sadie becomes a suspect when a neighbor is murdered and, while she becomes suspicious of those closest to her, she struggles to clear her own name.

This was my first book to read by Ms. Kubica and it didn’t disappoint. The story is told from multiple view points, but was not difficult to keep up with. It had a bit of a slow burn, but the ending packed a punch that I didn’t see coming and it even left me a little jumpy. I gave it 4 stars because I figured out one thing early on and there were something I thought was missing after I finished. I don’t want to ruin it for anyone so I won’t say anything more. I would read other books by this author in the future.

This book is a really good read. I never saw the twist coming and it was executed so well. I highly recommend this book. Thanks for the opportunity to read this book and provide my honest review.

It took me a while to get into it. It dragged a lot throughout -not gonna lie- and the ending was honestly a little hard to believe for me.