This is my second book by this author and probably my last. The writing style felt very amateur but this author has written several books. The main guy was such a jerk and the whole time she pines for him and we are expected to do the same? I didn’t get it. And on top of that the main character just asked the most dumb questions. I just couldn’t take this book seriously.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of The Wife Who Knew Too Much for my honest review.

Apparently I'm one of just a few who didn't care for this book. It started out okay but it turned to the ridiculous. It was obvious (although it tried not to be) and I felt like I was watching a soap opera or a Lifetime movies (I apologize to those who love both of those - my mother was one, just not my thing). The only character I liked at first was Nina. Connor and Tabitha, ugh. Truly horrible, stupid, and lame. I don't know how many times I rolled my eyes at them or the story. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest opinion. I'm sorry I couldn't like it.

This is not my first time reading a book from this author and it definitely won't be my last! I read this book in a day because I did not want to put it down. "It becomes clear that what a wife knows can kill her." I was wrapped up in the story. Betrayal, love and second chances.

Michele Campbell did it again with this suspenseful Hamptons-based summer thriller. I flew through this un-put-downable beachy read. This book gave me serious The Last Mrs Parish vibes.
Without giving too much away, I can tell you that while I personally did suspect the real culprit from about 30% into the novel, I was surprised by several turn of events leading up to the final reveal. I am not someone who is disappointed by guessing or spoilers, because part of the fun is getting to that point where they are revealed.
Overall, Campbell did it again with this one. I enjoyed last summer's suspenseful thriller, A Stranger On the Beach, but not nearly as much as I enjoyed this one.

I did not care for this book. I feel like Michele Campbell has the ability to come up with interesting stories but she struggles to execute her plotlines. The story wasn't fleshed out much. It was forced and choppy. Not only that, but the entire time I was reading this I felt as if it were written by a young adult or someone who hasn't had much life experience. The characters were naive and immature, especially the narrator. Tabitha is the stereotypical "dumb girl" in the scary movie...you see their mistakes coming and can predict that she will make the wrong choice every time. She never learns! I got very irritated by the ridiculousness of the situation. It just wasn't realistic. I rated her last book, A Stranger on the Beach, a bit higher, so I wouldn't say I dislike her writing completely. I would just go into her books knowing that the drama is contrived.

Michelle Campbell’s books are great summer thriller reads. This book was no different. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the twists and turns throughout the story. It was certainly a fast read. I felt as though the ending became a bit apparent too early on for me, though. I would still recommend for a good beach page-turner!

I loved this. It took me about a 1/4 of the way into the book to really get into it but then I couldn’t put it down! It had a Megan Miranda vibe. The author swapped points of views and characters quite often which made it a bit confusing at times but all in all a good book with great twists and turns.

#37 The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell

#thoughts This was a quick thriller, that was entertaining. However, so many of the characters were lying throughout the entire book, that even at the end when everything was supposed to be explained, it still felt unsettling to me or maybe unfinished,
because no one had been reliable. Several parts I found to be very ridiculous as well. Would you sleep in the mansion of your new husband’s newly deceased wife’s bed of 20+ years, without him there, with pictures of her everywhere, as well as all of her personal items like makeup and clothes still in there place? For me, that’s an absolute NO. Obviously I have mixed feelings on this book, but am thankful to @netgalley for the ARC.

Summary:

Connor was Tabitha's first love. They had a whirlwind summer romance as teenagers, but his family forced them apart when they found out due to Tabitha's low social status. Now, several years later, they meet again and fall back in love. The only problem is that Connor is married - to a fabulously wealthy woman named Nina. Their prenuptial agreement states that if he initiates divorce or is unfaithful, he gets nothing. Connor asks Tabitha to be patient while he figures out how to separate from Nina and still secure some money. But Tabitha can't be too patient, because she is pregnant.
And then, all too conveniently, Nina is dead.
Her death is initially ruled suicide, but there are many suspicious aspects of her death. The investigation that follows leaves Tabitha frightened and unsure of whether she can really trust the man she loves.

Review:
A tale as old as time - wealthy spouse dies under mysterious circumstances, those who stand to benefit most from their death are the key suspects. Unfortunately, there was not much unique about this story. While the twist at the end did take me by surprise, it didn't make a whole lot of sense or feel very realistic to me. I also felt that the character development was seriously lacking (and I recognize that thrillers don't require the most deeply developed characters, but just a little more personality, please!) That being said, this book was well-written and held my attention, which is ultimately what makes it a 4 for me. This was my first Michele Campbell book, and I would give more of her books a chance! I recommend this book for fans of Megan Miranda and Lucy Foley. The Wife Who Knew Too Much will be available to the public on July 28th 2020!

3.75 stars - thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me an advance copy of this book to review.

This book was a pretty easy read and has many twists and turns throughout the plot. I do enjoy books about rich people behaving badly but the villain in this story seemed a little obvious maybe 40% of the way through the book. I didn’t guess the ending entirely and it wrapped up nicely. I’ll be looking forward to Michele Campbell’s next book!

I have read every book written by Michele Campbell. This is her fourth and I really think that this is her best yet! She writes mystery/thrillers that really hold your attention. The way she writes, it’s like I’m right there because I can visually picture the story taking place in my head as I read. Tabitha Girard, the main character in this story, is very likable and I grew to really care about her and rooted for her well-being and safety. Throughout the book, I wasn’t sure what to make of Connor Ford. Was he being honest? Could he be trusted? Did he really love her or was she just a tool to help him accomplish what he wanted? There’s so much excitement and drama going on that you hate to set the book down. It’s not until close to the end that most of your questions get answered. I have to admit that what Tabitha did at the very end of the story surprised me but it really made me like her all the more! This was a great read and I highly recommend it. I’d like to thank Naureen Nashid, marketing assistant at St. Martin’s Press for the invitation and NetGalley for the arc to read and review. I give this book a 5 star rating!

Michele Campbell’s books are awesome summer beach reads!! Between the sounds of the waves and a twisty thriller you’ll be sure to catch a sunburn if you’re not careful as the time will fly by lost in between these pages. The Wife Who Knew Too Much is dark and gripping with lots of twists. The ending was ok. But overall I enjoyed this quick read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This started off slow for me. At the point when I thought it was wrapping up I checked my placement and saw I was almost halfway though which wasn’t a good sign. Fortunately that was right before the point that it picked up so away I went.

Although the slow start, this did keep my interest especially the second half. Was it far fetched? Definitely,
but it’s quite entertaining. The characters are foolish, greedy, corrupt and immature. There’s an insta love reunion that is seems to defy any logic as well. But it was fun and a good ride.

This was my second by this author. There were some fun twists. I would recommend it overall.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin’s Press for a copy in exchange for a review.

I absolutely loved every moment I spent with this fast paced thriller. All the secrets, as they were revealed kept me reading up into the early morning hours. I will definitely buy any book this author writes. Thanks to St Martins Press and Net Galley

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review. I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book.

After reading Campbell's Stranger on the Beach last year and enjoying it, I was looking forward to this one and e=very excited to be approved for an ARC for this book. But sadly, it really didn't work for me. I'm not sure where it all went wrong, but I had to force myself to finish the book. I saw the 'twists and turns' (such as they were) coming ahead of time, and I really hated all of the characters. I have no problem reading a book about a subject or with characters I don't like, but the writing was just off for me as well.

When I first started the book, and until about 20% in, I really enjoyed the story and couldn't put it down. Then something went wrong, and I put the book down for a few days - something I almost never do - and when I came back to it, I just didn't care. I ended up skimming for of the book than actually reading. The descriptions were endless and not necessary, and the dialog was odd.

I"m really disappointed in my feelings for this book. Maybe it will work for others - it does have a lot of 4 & 5 star reviews so far - but it just didn't work for me.

Main Character: Tabitha Girard
Her first and only real love: Connor Ford
Connor’s rich wife: Nina
Tabitha’s boss at the diner: Liz
Tabitha’s ex husband: Derek, a crook, abuser and jailbird

Not many likable characters, except compassionate Liz who usually has Tabitha’s back. Even Tabitha (or Tabby as Connor called her) had her shortcomings. There are other relevant side characters in this multi-layered novel with a lot of questions that need revealing answers, so you keep reading as you’re dying to know the answers.

Connor was handsome, self-centered and motivated by money. Love was secondary. He seems to love his “Tabby” whose heart he broke years ago, but Connor is a master manipulator. Does he still love her, or is he using her? Tabitha has never gotten over him but is naive, besotted, crying a lot of the time, wringing her hands in worry and getting on my nerves. She does some things that I can’t believe sometimes, after she’s become the mistress of the man she loves who can’t divorce his wife or he will forfeit 10 million dollars in a prenup if she catches him cheating. You’ve heard or read several versions of this story in a hundred different ways, but this captivates you on page one, opening with a statement from Nina’s diary that every reviewer has posted already about a warning note in regards to the reader if she is one day found dead, that her husband did it. That alone has you flying through most of the pages, and most of it constructed well but yet frustrating. The last few chapter brings about a twist or two with some unexpected answers we’ve wondered about and is full of action and some violence.

The ending left me a bit deflated, however, and I’m not sure why. I was just not really as invested emotionally as I thought I would be. I thought that Tabitha made some good choices at the end with what she had been left. The writing is not bad at all, but something here was missing for me and I can only come up with a 3+ rating, rounding up to 4. Don’t let me discourage you, however, as it may be a five-star read for you. Get your copy on July 28, 2020.

Special thanks for my review copy to #netgalley #StMartinsPress #MicheleCampbell
#TheWifeWhoKnewTooMuch

I devoured this. Loved the reading experience SO MUCH. So different to my last Michelle Campbell read--I had issues w/ the POVs in A Stranger on the Beach, yet I could tell reading it I was in the hands of a great author and I needed to read another one of her books. I was so right.

This one has a non-traditional structure, but it works very well to build the tension. It opens on a letter from Nina, an heiress who is sure her husband and his lover are going to murder her--if she dies, they did it. Indeed, she dies that night and it looks like suicide. Then we jump into Tabitha's POV--first a month before that fateful July 4 party and then into the deeper POV of when she was 17 and met Connor, who we know is Nina's husband in the future. She and Connor meet again 13 years later, have an affair and then someone starts stalking and trying to kill Tabitha. But then we jump back into Nina's POV on the day of the July 4 part. You learn about how she met Connor, and her Connor is very different from Tabitha's Connor... who and what is the real him?

From there, it does a few more leaps that really worked for me (the mid-point turn threw it into one of my favorite Gothic novel tropes) and things spiral to ridiculous, dizzying murder book heights. It's all about insanely rich assholes being horrific to each other, with "from the wrong side of the tracks" Tabitha caught up in everything and the spectre of Nina (and her own regrets that we get from her POV). A majority of the action is set in a mega mansion in the Hamptons, and I kept picturing the house and grounds from Sabrina, but with murder vibes! I really cared about Tabitha, even when she was being a huge idiot, and rooted for her. Her growth arc was great, too, and as she grows stronger she gets in some great little moments of triumph that I enjoyed.

It ended up that I did peg the major twist early on--I pieced it together and held onto that guess as I kept reading. I was still in suspense the whole time and figuring things out did not lessen my enjoyment. It was good, soapy fun.

Go sit by the pool or stake your umbrella in the sand, because I have found a great #beachread for you! The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a fast-paced thriller by Michele Campbell that will keep you reading long after your sunscreen has worn off.

I love to root for the underdog and Tabitha Girard is pretty down and out. No family, a struggling divorced waitress, her life takes a real turn when Connor Ford, the handsome hunky rich kid from her high school days, walks back into her life. But to get to a happy ending for these two, there is a small matter of Connor's rich wife. She ends up face down in the pool on the 4th of July. WHODUNTHAT??? I thought this was going to be predictable - and I did have a few things figured out from the git-go, but there were many surprises for me.

Michele Campbell writes in a clear, clean, to the point manner that I really appreciate in a thriller. The plot clips along and there is just enough detail and description to make the story interesting and exciting.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this book that will hit bookstores and online sellers on July 28th!

Two and a half stars, rounded up.

In The Wife Who Knew Too Much, Tabitha reunites with her high school sweetheart Connor, who is now married to a fabulously wealthy woman. A month after, Connor's wife Nina takes her own life in a very suspicious suicide, and Tabitha is forced to question what happened and who she can trust.

This is a very fast paced novel. While it mostly follows Tabitha's POV, we also get peaks of Nina's thoughts through her diaries, which I appreciated. The extent of Nina's (and Connor's) wealth was astounding and added to the craziness of this novel.

Ultimately, however, it wasn't for me. I have a hard time relating to characters who are having affairs, and that was pretty much all of them in this book. I mostly liked Nina, but didn't like Tabitha that much and really disliked Connor. I didn't see what Tabitha saw in him, other than he was handsome. I also felt like Tabitha, Nina, and Connor made a series of really poor choices, lacking both morals and common sense at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book.

3 stars
The Wife who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell
I am on the fence about this book. It really drew me in at first. The concept was intriguing and the writing is sound, but a number of things made me change my mind.
The sex scenes were completely unnecessary and not needed. Around the 40% of the book, the story begins to drag. There are far to many characters and too much going on. It is very hard to believe that a grown woman would behave this way over a man she knew for one summer as a teenager. It felt like Tabitha was stuck in place and never grew up. Some people may really like this book. I personally felt it was too far fetched. I do not believe I will ever read this author again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own.