This is the second book from this author that I have read. I enjoyed the back and forth between Joanna and Piper, the wives of Leo. Hearing both perspectives helped me see the two sides to the story, but it definitely didn’t help me figure out the twist! The author definitely had me going. Even though parts of the book felt slow moving and I wanted it to go a little faster, the end was satisfying. Thanks to Netgalley for this early preview in exchange for my honest review. 3.5 stars

The Wife Stalker had traits I have come to expect from Liv Constantine. A betrayed wife, someone with a shady past, all colliding together with catastrophic consequences. They have yet again crafted the perfect domestic thriller with a successful Lawyer Leo as he distances himself from Joanna and finds himself in the arms of Piper. Their rich, East Coast settings always seem like the perfect place for tragedy to strike. The back and forth, wondering who was really in the wrong, added to the anticipation. I have never been able to guess the ending of Liv Constantine book which is one of the reasons I love their work.

With that being said, I think there was too much going on in this novel. Things moved way to quickly and I found myself confused way too often. The ending did wrap up all the loose threads and of course shed light on previous events. Such as Piper and Leo telling the kids that "their mother was in heaven". Had Joanna's relationship been revealed earlier, with the truth about Olivia revealed at the end I think it would have made things a lot more enjoyable with a Single White Female vibe.

I will still read their next novel, without question. I think this can be a great novel for those new to the thriller genre. For fans of Constantine's work, I think this one falls short of the other two novels.

https://hockeysticksgripsandtrips.com/2020/05/03/book-review-the-wife-stalker-by-liv-constantine/

Summary:

From the author of The Last Mrs. Parrish, here is another addicting thriller that comes out May 19th!! Piper Reynard is new to Westport, Connecticut. She is the new owner of a yoga and wellness studio. When Piper meets Leo, a wealthy lawyer, she has an instant connection. Piper is a little hesitant since Leo wears a wedding ring, but things move quickly and Leo and Piper end up married. Joanna has been waiting patiently for Leo to love her back while caring for his children. Leo forces Joanna to move out when Piper moves in. Joanna digs into Piper’s questionable past, and Joanna begins a battle against Piper.

My Thoughts:

Liv Constantine pulled the rug out from under me again!! I was definitely shocked at this ending! I loved her first book, but I wasn’t as much of a fan of her second book…….this third book was AWESOME!!

Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Preorder this thriller soon!

Hello Lifetime Movie!

That’s what we all decided this one reminded us of in our buddy read. I’ve never watched a Lifetime movie before because I think they are cheesy. And after reading this, I probably would not have watched the movie cause I thought it would be cheesy 😂

Ironic, eh?

Idk, but I didn’t like it. This is my first book by this author though and to be honest I would probably read another book by this author.

Why you ask? Because even though it was cheesy, it kept me engaged and that’s the sign of good writing right?

I absolutely had to know what was going on because the beginning made absolutely no sense and it didn’t seem real life enough. When I read a thriller it needs to be believable. Otherwise it’s just too outlandish and I just don’t end up enjoying it.

The ending brought most of it together. I still have questions about Piper and to be honest I still don’t like her 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’d read a whole book about Piper and her previous life though.

I recommend it...at your own risk? That seems safe.

Joanna has been nothing short of loving and supportive as Leo works his way through a deep depression. She makes sure the kids, Evie and Stelli, are well cared for and that things at home run smoothly so he can focus on returning to being the confident, successful man she’s always known him to be, the one she loves. When he finally starts acting more like himself again Joanna is thrilled and ready to look towards the future - until she finds out Leo’s future plans don’t involve her. Enter Piper Reynard, a beautiful newcomer to the area and the reason for Leo’s turnaround. Joanna is completely devastated and makes it her mission to find out all she can about the mysterious woman stepping into her life. When she finds out some rather unsettling things about Piper’s past she becomes determined to protect Leo and the children but her concern is taken as jealousy and she’s encouraged to move on but how can she when her family could be in danger?



I really enjoyed this book! I read and watch a lot of this genre so I usually try to think outside the box a little but my feelings towards certain characters gave me blinders and I was totally surprised by the way things came together at the end. Well worth the read!

This is honestly the perfect summer reading adventure. It’s a light-twisty read that kept me captivated to read it all in one sitting. It is written in multiple points of view, but they weren’t so in depth that I was lost in their story-lines. The ending will have you shocked – the perfect ending to a good thriller! How these two pull off awesome stories like this while living in separate states, I’ll never know!

Liv Constantine books are so fun. The Last Mrs. Parrish was one of my favorite books I read last year. The sisters did not disappoint with this one. This was no exception. A whip-smart twisty thriller about 2 women that kept me guessing at every turn.

I didn't know what to think! When the book begins I really felt for Joanna. She's got a good life - a good family with great kids and a husband who has gone through some mental health issues but is nonetheless successful and provides for his family.

All of that changes for her in the blink of an eye when Leo meets Piper and falls under her spell, quickly dumping Joanna for Piper. It's an awful thing to think about, completely losing your family at the snap of fingers. Any woman would probably lose it a little bit, do things that she normally wouldn't do.

Around the middle of this book I almost started to feel for Piper. Joanna starts to do things that some might deem a little crazy - digging into Piper's past, stalking Piper when she's with the children, leaving nasty comments on Piper's blog and calling to scream at her. In a way I kind of wondered if that's how I'd act.

Except this book jumps back and forth between Joanna and Piper, and when we see things unfold through Piper's eyes she at first seems like a conniving husband stealer, but then you almost want to root for her. It's so confusing, but in a good way that really makes you question who's in the wrong and who's in the right.

This book is such an exciting read with a good twist that definitely makes it one of my favorites of 2020. You'll want to check it out!

I love a good juicy thriller, especially one where I have no clue what is going to happen until the end. And the Wife Stalker gave me exactly that. Was it perfect? Definitely not. Did I love how it ended? I am not sure. Was it a wild ride? Yes. It. Was.

Joanna is married to Leo and has two children, Evie and Stelli. Leo is depressed and Joanna is trying to get him out of it and connect more with him. But as Leo gets out of his depression, Joanna realizes she is no the cause: a new woman in town named Piper is. As Leo and Piper get closer, Joanna gets more unhinged, until Leo asks for a divorce, moves Piper in with him and decides to marry her. What follows is a deep look at husband/wife relationships, mental illness, and how our parents can utterly mess us up.

The Wife Stalker is told from both Joanna and Piper's POVs and the chapters are extremely short which made the plot move pretty quickly, although there was a bit in the middle that felt repetitive and a little bit boring. Some of both Piper and Joanna's inner monologues were slow and I starting skim so that I could get to the ending which I felt would blow my mind. The twists are there and I wonder if I would have figured them out if I had not skimmed. I can't give any details without spoiling and this is something that you have to go into without spoiling. Although I enjoyed the book, and was really surprised at a few of the twists (although I did guess one!), I didn't love the ending. I was waiting for it and I still didn't love it. Overall I would recommend this to anyone who likes a quick thriller that will make you so annoyed and then you will reevaluate everything that happened prior to the twist reveal to figure out how you might have missed the signs.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Leo Drakos has been suffering from depression for months, yet his wife, Joanna is faithfully by his side. She is raising their kids and trying to cater to him as he battles his demons. When his depression lifts and the spring is back in Leo's step...it's not for reasons Joanna expects...it's because of Piper. Piper is new to the town and has set her sights on Joanna's husband- and succeeded!

I was thrown in for twisty ride as Joanna tries to stop Piper- the women who has stolen her husband and her children. I kept thinking WHAT THE...? Then comes the twist of all twists and it all comes full circle in a shocking and clever moment of clarity. I NEVER saw it coming and was thrilled to be shocked to the core in this wild ride of a cunning, entertaining story.

𝐡𝐞 𝗪𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐯 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 thanks to Harper Books, Netgalley, and Liv Constantine for the e-arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
⁣
When Joanne is put aside for the young, new-agey Piper, she starts to feel something is wrong. She begins to investigate into Piper’s path, as she becomes more and more estranged from the family she is trying to protect. ⁣
⁣
That may have been one of the only thrillers I’ve read where I was completely thrown. This was a shocking story and you’ll never see the end coming. I’m holding off on saying too much because I have a buddy read planned AND I don’t want to spoil anything for future readers, but if you like exciting thrillers, you’ll love this story. You stay frustrated and angry because you don’t know exactly who too root for. In the end, it’s all worth it! ⁣
⁣
The Wife Stalker comes out 5/19⁣

Semi suspenseful plot that details two women, Joanna & Piper, who both have a love interest with Leo (& his children). One woman becomes jealous of the other & does everything in her power to make sure she is the one who Leo chooses to be with. A little unbelievable at times but the ending had a twist I didn’t see coming. If you’re looking for a quick ‘family drama type’ book then this will do the trick. Comes out in May 2020. Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for the ARC.

Leo Drakos is a successful attorney who defends cases that many feel are unwinnable. For the past several months he has suffering from depression but having a new case to focus on seems to be pulling him out of his brooding. Joanna has stood by his side and anticipates his every need, from making sure he eats no matter how late he comes in to making sure the kids are happy. When she learns that Leo’s new client had attended a new age center called Harmony Healing Arts she convinces him to take a meditation class.
The center is owned by a beautiful young woman named Piper who had met Leo briefly when he stopped for background on his client. She was immediately attracted to him and when she sees his name in the roster for the class, Piper makes sure to be in attendance. Although Leo is not interested in meditation, he is very interested in Piper. They begin finding reasons to meet and he quickly is planning a future with a Piper.
Joanna is cast aside completely and becomes obsessed with proving Piper is not who she seeks to be and if she can discover her secrets Leo will be hers.

This book had me confused in a good way, it was hard to reconcile some characters actions with the type of person they seemed to be. I promise whatever you think you know, you are wrong. I am going to go back and reread the last third of the book because I want to pick up the clues that I missed.
This is a light entertaining read, perfect escapism for these endless day of being inside.
Thank you to #netgalley # HarperCollins for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. “ The Wife Stalker” will be released May 19th.

3/5 - a good thriller book and perfect cover

Fun in the beginning but fell a little flat in the middle. The ending was oh so good.

I wished the characters had been fleshed a little more but the overall premise kept me reading in one sitting.

I enjoy thrillers I just wish this one had been a bit more twisty.

The Wife Stalker was a slow burn that built up to a clever twist I didn't see coming. While all of the characters were unlikeable, I felt like the entire book was missing a puzzle piece I just couldn't find- I had no idea where the story was going to end up! Definitely a fast paced, hard to put down book!

Synopsis: Piper has just moved to Connecticut because she is trying to escape her last. She opens a Wellness/Mindful Healing facility where she meets Leo, a lawyer. Leo, who is married to Johanna with two children, has been depressed for months. When Leo finally emerged from his depressive state, he chooses Piper to continue his life with, forcing Johanna out and never allowing her to see the children. Johanna immediately has a strange feeling about Piper and she is determined to uncover the truth, no matter the lengths ⁣
⁣
I loved how the story alternated from Piper and Johanna’s perspective. Piper was SO unlikabke (can you say homewrecker) but it obviously developed the story. It was also very intriguing right from the beginning, I never felt like there was a dull part! I was truly MINDBLOWN at the ending! I can usually predict parts of an ending, but this caught me 100% off guard and I loved that⁣
⁣
I felt like the parts leading up to when Piper and Leo officially get together and Johanna leaving were missing some details. I felt like all of a sudden Johanna was gone and Piper was in. My only other issue, is that there were still some unanswered questions for me at the end⁣
⁣
A lot of people have said that they thought there were a lot of similarities between this book and The Last Mrs. Parrish, and I also kind of thought that at the beginning, but I love their writing style so much that both are excellent books to me!

Big Thank You to NetGalley, the publishing house, and the author for allowing me a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Ohh! These sisters!!
As I read their books, I find myself wondering at the end who was responsible for what? Because I really can't tell but however they work it out, it works!
As per usual with Liv Constantine, you can be assured you are getting a twisty thriller. Sitting down with their book is like getting into a super fun roller coaster. And I don't want to drop any spoilers but at one point towards the end I was like "Who the ---- is that!!" (And I still don't trust one of the characters)
I don't read books that are in series very often, but if Constantine made a series, I would be committed.

What. Just. Happened?! My mind is still blown from that ending! Crazy with a capital C!! Liv Constantine has the rare ability to keep you happily gliding along a path and then BOOM! Whacks you with a curve ball from left field that knocks you straight on your a$$ wondering how in the world you got there! That ending though- whew! Once again I found myself completely wrong from any and all predictions I had. Loved this book, though my brain needs additional recovery time, and maybe a stiff drink!

Another great book from Liv Constantine. My only complaint is that the ending felt too short, almost too rushed.

The story is written from the viewpoints of Joanna and Piper. Piper is a newcomer to Westport, starting over under a new name, while trying to escape tragedy in her life. Joanna, we are led to believe, is Leo's wife and mother to his two children. The chapters alternate telling the story from each lady's point of view.

Leo, a busy lawyer, begins a new relationship with Piper, eventually marrying her. Joanna is left alone, without her kids, to figure out a new life. Without giving the ending away, I sympathized with Joanna, while almost hating Piper. This totally shifted in the last few chapters and left me shocked. I wish the ending went into a little more detail about their actual lives, but I was satisfied.

Such great suspense! I'm a huge fan of Liv Constantine, and didn't see this one coming. Piper has a mysterious past, and he seems to be pulling Leo out of his depression- a depression that Joanna has been patiently waiting for him to emerge from, while caring for him.