Special thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book drew me in from the beginning - which is saying something considering it usually takes books a little bit to build up. This book is about lifelong friends who have not seen each other in 25 years but have stayed in touch throughout life's ups and downs. Sophie had just been through the death of both of her parents and needed a quiet getaway to recharge. Caroline had kept Sophie up-to-date on her life - marriage to Dominic, daughter Lucy and move from Hong Kong. Sophie goes to visit Caroline and soon quickly feels like things are off - although she chalks the weirdness up to being the 25 years since the two friends saw each other last. Sophie bonds quickly to Lucy, Caroline's three-year-old who is no longer talking, and becomes her temporary nanny as the previous one quit without notice.

Like I said before, this book really draws you in from the beginning. Very quickly you are bonded to Sophie and Lucy while feeling wary of Caroline but also, at the same time, wanting to like her since you are aware of her past friendship with Sophie. The character development is great and gets deep very quickly. I like how each chapter focused on Sophie (in the present) and Caroline (in her past) and towards the end, the author ties the two together in the present day. I read this book in a day and a half - and found myself anxious to get back to it when I wasn't reading. I loved the ending which tugged at my heart and left me emotional but also satisfied.

Overall, a great and quick read! Thanks again to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It just did not click for me. The book was far too wordy, too descriptive. It was a fair read, not great.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy to review.

This is the first book I have read by Jill Childs and I was hooked from the beginning! I literally could not put this down! Suspense and thrills to the very end!

Caroline and Sophie have been friends for over 25 years. But, that’s the thing. They haven’t seen each other in over 25 years either. Sophie has lost both parents, and needs a fresh start. She visits her oldest friend Caroline and finds her daughter won’t speak. What kind of trauma did Lucy endure?

The first two chapters are really detailed. So detailed to where I got bored. I don’t care about Caroline’s linen in detail, I want to know what happens in the story. I did not sense a feel of backstory that was necessary in the superfluous wording. Sadly, I felt it took away from the plot itself. If I could DNF, I felt as though I would have. However, I cannot DNF, so I pressed on. I found myself just scanning pages because the plot was completely lost in the details.


After the first three or four chapters, the plot started to come alive and the scene was set without all the excessive details. I turned page after page yearning for Lucy to talk, waiting to see why she didn’t speak. The last 20% of the book were great!! However, I felt as though many would stop reading by the time they got to the thick of it. The twist was great, and I enjoyed reading both character’s perspectives separately. I give this 3 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At first i thought i wasnt going to get into the book and had to start from the beginning again...... and glad i did..... a bit of a slow burner, but worth the wait..... a book that i felt was well written and not confusing with the different characters...... it held me until the end..... both life stories of Sophie and Caroline as they eventually merged to bring the whole story line together .....

I loved the twists and turns that were taken... it held me captive for a while until it was a red herring. then took me off on to another
lead.....

The end is where you find out what happens to Caroline and that through out the book you are always wondering ...... simple ending and very apt to what was going through my mind through out the book

This book works around friendship and love... of life and death and the future..... I loved it, loved it, loved it

Worth reading and allow the slow burn beginning to grip you, then you are off on a trail of clues and red flags along with red herrings and ultimately the end

I look forward to reading another book from Jill Childs,

Who does not like a psychological story drizzled with a creamy emotional sauce and topped with a few cherries? I most certainly do!

The prologue is already very intriguing and you know something is going to happen but when and to whom is a big secret that has yet to be revealed.

After that, the book starts slowly. Sophie, one of the main characters, gets an uneasy feeling very soon and I understand where she comes from. It gave me chills too.

The story develops and the further we go, the more the feeling of creepiness grows.

After about 70% of the book, I really thought that I had figured it out. Well, let me tell you that that thought went out of the window fast.

A little bit later I had a 'eureka' feeling and thought I had hit bull's eye. Was I right this time? Of course ... not. 

Never mind. I was enjoying this book so much that it did not bother me that I was wrongfooted. I can only applaud this and show my appreciation by giving 5 stars.

Thank you, Jill Childs and Bookouture

After losing her dad, Sophie goes to stay with her friend Caroline who she hasn't seen for 25 years, but remained in contact via emails. As soon as she arrives, she notices Caroline isn't exactly how she remembered her but puts that down to people changing, having children etc. Caroline's husband works away most of the time, but I didn't get good impressions off him! And then their daughter Lucy is silent when Sophie arrives, and doesn't speak a word... Sophie wants to find out why & what's happened to Lucy as to why she's silent.

I was hooked on this book, I was soo intrigued into Lucy's story and what had happened. I wanted to know why she wasn't speaking and I love the connection her and Sophie ended up having, which made me question what actually was going on.

I found it quite fast paced, going from Sophie's point of view and then Caroline's, and the chapters weren't too long so it was easy to keep up. I loved how Sophie was soo caring to Lucy, even though she hadn't seen Caroline for a long time, her loyalties were always there and there until the end. Once everything started piecing together and we knew what was going on, it was definitely a shock. The only negative thing I would say is I felt like we didn't have enough answers to some of the questions relating to the twists, and what happens. However I loved how it all ends.

This is the first book I've read by Jill, but I will definitely be looking out for more books by her! ❤️

I hate when I don’t like a book and I hate it even more when I DNF......I tried to give this book a chance but I just couldn’t get into it. The chapters are way to long and everything is just too descriptive. I had to sort out what was important and what pertained to the actual story line. Sorry but this was a pass for me.

After the death of her father, Sophie comes to visit her old friend Caroline. It’s been over 25 years since they have seen each other, but they kept in constant contact through letters at first and then e-mails. Caroline and her husband Dom live in a beautiful home with their darling daughter Lucy. The three year old doesn’t speak and it makes Sophie worried. This book was very slow to start, but the last quarter of the book began to tie up loose ends and gave me quite the surprise in the end. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my fair and unbiased review.

Thank you Net Galley and Bookouture for a copy of The First Wife. I was confused about the title but then it made sense when I figured it out finally. It was a good read, I liked it. Wasn’t so suspenseful, it was just a book that you wanted to find out the truth and it felt like forever to finally get the truth of the plot. All in all keep with it, you will be glad you did.

The First Wife is the story of two childhood friends who reconnect in adulthood. After being apart for many years, Sophie, at a crossroads in her own life, goes to visit Caroline who needs some help with her daughter. Caroline always had the perfect life, and Sophie being a kind person, rushes to help. Once she arrives, Sophie quickly realizes, with cues from Caroline's daughter, that something about Caroline isn't quite right.

I found The First Wife to be suspenseful and a page-turner once I got into it. It was a little slow in the beginning, but did change. The plot and characters were developed appropriately, and the book was well written. The author used multiple perspectives that helped the reader identify with each of the characters.

For those who like mystery and suspense, I would recommend this title. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I was totally hooked on this book right from the beginning and it had be guessing right to the end. Would highly recommend.

Impossible to put down! A pageturning, psychological thriller! It had all the elements that make an excellent novel. The pacing was also excellent. I would certainly rate this 5/5. I also was never able to guess what would happen next. I like when books are unpredictable and hard to stop reading. I stayed up way to late to finish this one! Impressive and addicting!

Not bad but certainly not great. A bit too wordy for my liking, and overall plot was a bit hard to swallow. I did finish it, and give it two stars.

Deceitful. Suspenseful. Lies. Death. Loss. Redemption. All of these words are explored in The Frist Wife. An unidentified body is found. Could it be Caroline? Is Lucy safe? Is Dominic complicit or is he the grieving husband? The author takes the easer on a merry ride of suspense. The ending was a clever twist and even the epilogue was surprising.

Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy. This is the first book that I have read by this author but she seemed to have rave reivews on Goodreads, so I was excited to be able to check her out. I was pleasantly pleased with what I read. While I didn't feel like this was a super suspenseful book at first, it did draw you in and pick up quite a bit in the middle of the book. Overall, it was worth reading and I will be checking out the other books by her.

Sophie is off to visit her best friend, Caroline, who she was best friends with as a child. Caroline has a daughter who doesn't speak and seems traumatized. Every night she stands in the window of the attic and does a silent scream. What kind of three year old does that? So spooky! Caroline doesn't even seem to concerned and treats the child so harshly. Something really odd is going on and Sophie is determined to find out what it is. Discovering the contents of a safe makes her realize that she is in danger and so is Lucy. The twists and turns from there are pretty thrilling and kept me entertained when it started to pick up pace.

While this isn't a book that I read in one sitting, it was one I read in a few days and I didn't want to stop it at any point.

I loved this book! From the moment I started, I couldn't stop reading it. I didn't want anyone to interrupt me as I got closer to the end. The author did an amazing job of catching my attention, wrapping up my interest as she kept me intrigued, and kept me guessing until the very end. There were surprises until the very end. An excellent thriller book that delivered. My emotions were stirred; curiosity, rage, and my heartstrings. Rarely does a book make my eyes swell with tears, this one did, and I'm glad it did. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller.

The story is about a childhood friendship that turned into a pen-pal dynamic. An old friend moves with her friend after losing her parents and discovers that not all is what it seems. There is something odd about the house, the family dynamic, and the 3-year-old child, Lucy, who won't speak. She thinks there's more to the stories being told. How well did she know her friend? Is she in any danger by staying? Is she truly a welcomed guest or is she intruding? What happened to Lucy? What happened to her friend Carolina who she lived vicariously through? She seems a shell of her former self.

I loved it! Great job :-)

What an amazing book by Jill Childs. This is the first book of hers that I have read but it won't be the last! This story had me hooked from the first chapter and I read it practically in one sitting! I loved how engrossing it was and how the story was told from Caroline and Sophie's points of view. I never saw the twist at the end coming! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. I cannot wait to recommend this book to all!

4.5 for me; oh make it 5 why not? After all The First Wife is a gripping read.

The story is told from alternate viewpoints. Both very well done.

Jill Childs pulls you in slowly and all of a sudden you realize something is not right here but what?

I am not going to say anything else, don't want to ruin the book. Its a must for your TBR pile.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a fascinating read.

Wow picked it up to read a few pages and found my self so engrossed I could not put it down.A story that will stay with you a story that is chilling an edge of your seat thriller,#netgalley#bookouture