Would you be able to carry out a dying friend’s wish to be sure to protect her family?

Marie takes Nina’s request to heart and perhaps to an extreme.

Marie moved into Nina’s home to get closer to Stuart, Nina’s husband, and assume care of the children.

Marie also found out some things that a best friend like Nina should definitely have told her and didn’t.

Then a mutual friend from many years ago appears on the scene and still rubs Marie the wrong way. Marie doesn't know what Camille is up to in all of this.

The more Marie finds out about Nina, the more she is determined to find out who Nina really was, what Nina really thought of her, and why she really asked Nina to make that promise.

We could ask Marie the same questions and add a question about what she is up to now and was up to with her past relationship with Nina.

THE LAST WIFE has a tense, sinister undertone which makes it so good.

It will keep you on your toes because of the characters with questionable traits, secrets, and long-held lies.

THE LAST WIFE is for readers who like not knowing who to trust or who to believe and a story line that will keep you guessing and wondering how it will all turn out. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Wife is a sinister story. Marie has infiltrated every aspect of Nina's life. But Nina managed to have secrets of her own. Marie slowly unravels those secrets as they pertain to her past. Marie has her own secretive past to hide. I didn't like any of the characters in this story. It's a chilling creepy read.

Thank you Net Galley and Harlequin for an early release of The Last Wife. I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this book. It kept me going back for more but then as I was reading I couldn’t wait for it to end. The characters were very unlikable but there was something that kept my interest. All in All i’m glad I stuck with it. Be careful what you wish for!

The Last Wife is an unusual story. It begins with a first person narrative from Marie, who I assume is the protagonist, but is clearly an antagonist whom almost everyone dislikes. She seems to have a serious personality disorder that she tries to hide, even from the therapists she visits and then abandons when opening herself to treatment gets too hard. She's selfish and self-serving, though fiercely loyal to her friend, Nina. All of the secondary characters, except the children, lack boundaries and are difficult and unkind.

As the story continues, Marie's motivations become clearer and she seems more sympathetic and likable as I understand her actions. She's still an antagonist, and a difficult character to root for, but since Marie is her own worst enemy, I found myself doing just that. For a while, anyway.

Many thanks to the publisher at Harlequin/Graydon House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Nina and Marie are best friends but Marie has always been jealous of Nina. And then Nina is terminally ill and she asks Marie to fulfill her last wishes. How convient for Nina as this is what she has always wanted - Nina's life. Follow the story to see where it leads as the husband and children are being brought a new mom...and the unbelievable things that happen to pave the way

It was very easy to not like Marie. It was also easy to feel sorry for the other characters - and suddenly it wasn't! Lots of twists, turns and play changes. It was hard to out down - but left me wanting something more at the end.

Lots of twists and turns. Deceit, desperation, and secrets! You won’t be able to put it down. How far will they go to hide the truth?

This is a suspenseful story that revs up slowly, then back down, then up, and then down..like a roller coaster with a twist. Enjoy the ride!

The Last Wife by Karen Hamilton was a slow but wild ride! Marie fulfills a deathbed promise to her best friend, Nina, that she will carry on her legacy and ensure her family is taken care of. But when it’s time for Marie to make good on that promise, who is she really doing it for?

I found every character unlikeable and completely untrustworthy. Although the author weaves in little truths and clues throughout the novel, I still could not figure out if Marie was being honest about her motivations, if Nina had her family’s best interest at heart, and if Marie and Nina’s friends and family ever really knew either of them. There are so many secrets and manipulations in this story that it’s difficult to keep them straight!

Overall, this was a quick read that really picked up in the second half of the book. I can’t say I’d recommend it, unless you’re someone who loves an unreliable narrator and disagreeable characters!

I don’t mind utterly unlikeable narrators. In fact, it’s a nice change in pace. However, in order for me to stay invested in a story narrated by a horrible character, there have got to be equally likeable characters to strike a balance. This story didn’t have that. I felt like I was reading more of a family drama than a thriller. I wasn’t rooting for anyone. I felt like I HAD to have achieved the 75% mark at one point, but sighed when I’d actually only reached 30%. Loved this author’s previous book though, so I will keep high hopes for the next.

Two friends and a dying wish. Would you take over your best friend's life if she passed away? Well, that is what Marie did after the death of Nina. Not only does she move into Nina's house, she becomes pregnant with Nina's husband's baby! Along with this juicy story are many many secrets, lies, affairs, and murders. Such a great book to read this summer.

I've read a few books by this author and was excited for the opportunity to read The Last Wife! The story moves a little slowly, but the plotting is smart and there were a few twists that really surprised me. Overall, a solid mystery that held my attention!

Book: The Last Wife
Author: Karen Hamilton
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Mira Books, for providing me with an ARC. This is another book that I would have never picked up had the publisher not reached out. I really did enjoy this. I will admit that it kind of gave me Rebecca vibes, which is not a bad thing.

This is not the type of thriller that I was expecting. It’s more domestic than anything, which, again, is not a bad thing. It’s been awhile since I’ve read something like this and actually enjoyed. I really liked the slow burn suspense and how the author built everything up. Yes, I do prefer faster paced thrillers, but the slower pacing worked here. Had we rushed into what actually went down, we would had never gotten to spend so much time with the characters and developing a sense of who they were. Once everything came together, I was able to sit back and say that made sense. I have read so many thrillers that leave me thinking that the ending really didn’t make sense. Here it does. Plus, once I had a chance to actually think about it, I was able to see just how many little clues Karen weaved throughout the story.

I thought the characters were really well done. Now, they weren’t the most developed and most complex characters I’ve seen, but they did what they had to do. There were so many moments weaved in with them that I could not help, but to form a bond with them.

I really liked the use of the unreliable narrator as well. Marie, our main character, is blinded by her friendship with Nina. She thinks that Nina had it all and made her promise to take care of her family. Nina has passed away now and so Marie moves in with Nina’s family-thinking that she is fulfilling her best friend’s dying wish. We don’t know if she is actually telling us the truth or not, which is something that I love. It just adds more to the suspense element. We don’t know that much about Nina, other than what Marie is telling us. As Marie starts to go through Nina’s things, we quickly discover that things are not what they seem. As this goes on, we get a deeper understanding of the characters and why some of them act the way they do. With this being a thriller, I really can’t say anymore without spoiling the book. I will say that all of these secrets and lies really adds to the complexity of the book.

So, why not a five star? Well, I do have to admit that Marie’s obsessive nature did wear me down after a while. There were so many different ways that the plot could have gone, such as focusing more on the secrets, the stalking, and the past. I get that this was Marie’s story, but I wish the subplots had been a little bit more developed. Other than that, I really did enjoy the book.

This book comes out on July 7, 2020.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/JVOc3mgaxA4

The Last Wife by Karen Hamilton is a solid, palatable read, although I must say that I never felt completely invested in either the characters or the storyline. Having enjoyed the author's previous novel, I was very much looking forward to this one but, unfortunately, it ultimately fell a bit flat.

Nina and Marie are the best of friends, so when Nina dies, Marie naturally steps into the role of caretaker for the family she left behind. Suddenly Marie is living the life that she has always coveted, but perhaps Nina's life is not as perfect as it has always appeared from the outside looking in. As for Marie, are her intentions as honest and altruistic as they seem?

While I did enjoy the overall premise of the story, I felt that it was a tad drawn out and, ultimately, anticlimactic. Based on the strength of her previous work, however, I am certainly willing to read more from this author. 3.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN - Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for this ARC.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There are unexpected twists and turns in this novel that lead to a very different ending than the reader would imagine.

In The Last Wife (Karen Hamilton's latest) the reader quickly learns that the "heroine" isn't the nicest person. For a long time I found it difficult to give  her any empathy, than it seemed as soon as I'd begin to have some feelings for her she'd show her true colors again. However I kept turning the pages to see what she'd do next. I want to thank Net Galley and Harlequin for any early copy to review.

I really wanted to love this book. I absolutely loved The Perfect Girlfriend! Nina is dying and asks her friend Marie to look after her husband and kids. Marie has always been jealous of what Nina had. After Nina dies, Marie just steps into Nina's life. The problem? Marie is crazy! There are a few good twists and turns but I ended up skimming a lot of the book. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I had a difficult time remaining interested in this book. I didn’t particularly like the main character but the concept and plot were okay.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45288571

If ever there was a book that I thought would end one way but went down a different path, it would be The Last Wife. While it seemed straightforward, a woman's best friend dies, woman steps into her friend's life, woman gets involved with friend's husband, there was nothing predictable about this story. I was so far off course that I may have to turn in my super sleuth reading cape, or at least send it off for some badly needed maintenance.
Marie made a promise to her best friend Nina that she would look after her family when she died. Marie has always been obsessive about her relationship with Nina, but now she must take care of Nina's husband Stuart and their two children, Felix and Emily. This isn't a hardship for Marie since she always thought Nina had a perfect life. When her relationship ends, Marie moves in and discovers there were secrets Marie kept from her. Suddenly, Marie isn't sure if stepping into Nina's shoes was such a good idea since one of those secrets changed the direction of Marie's life.
I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that Marie's character takes a 180-degree turn. Obsessive stalker or believer in truth and justice? I preferred early Marie but still kept flipping pages to see which version would be left standing. Not what I expected, but still a unique tale of being careful of what you wish for.

I am a big fan of thrillers and had previously read Karen Hamilton's "The Perfect Girlfriend". Although underwhelmed by her last novel, I decided to give The Last Wife a go... unfortunately came to the same conclusion.

I can get on board with a unreliable narrator in the right circumstances, but wow... "The Last Wife" was made up entirely of unreliable narrators, who were unlikable characters with no redeeming qualities. I just find this type of story disappointing - perhaps I've read too many of them!

The writing style was pleasing and the mystery kept me reading, but overall just wasn't for me.