The Wife Who Knew Too Much, or alternatively, The Wives Who Didn't Know Jack Shit, is probably the dumbest book I have read so far this year. You know those terrible made for television thriller movies with an erotic edge? That's the book in a nutshell.

Tabitha and Connor had a fling when they were teenagers, but according to Tabitha, it was ~true lurve~ even thoguh he broke up with her because she was poor. 13 years later, Tabitha meets Connor again and now he's married to a rich woman named Nina. Tabitha and Connor rekindle their ~lurve~ by hooking up. Tabitha spends less than a day with Connor, which leads her to conclude that she is still ~in lurve~ with him. Connor's wife, Nina, conveniently commits suicide under mysterious circumstances and Tabitha gets to achieve her lifelong dream of marrying Connor. But as his new wife, Tabutha begins to suspect that maybe Nina's death was not a suicide after all.

I can't even begin to describe just how fucking stupid Tabitha is. She is probably the dumbest character I have ever come across in a fiction novel. Tabitha acts as if she is still the 17 year old teenager who had a crush on Connor. She does not come across as a 30 year old woman at all. I was baffled by her stupidity and lack of logic. Connor is also stupid in his own way, but not as dumb as Tabitha.There is no substance to their relationship even though it is supposed to be ~true lurve~. The story is ridiculously predictable, with lots of plot holes. The climax is ridiculously anti climactic. The ending is terribly unsatisfying. Overall, one of the worst books I have read this year.

P.S. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was so bad. She probably thought the book was so terrible that she didn't need to bother with a good narration.

After not seeing her first love for ages, when he shows up at her place of work a young women is thrilled. But he's married to a woman he doesn't love. And she was just found dead by suicide. Or was she really murdered?

This book's premise really captured my attention and I really couldn't wait to see how this story would play out. I was slightly disappointed. I really wanted a thrilling crime and pursuit of the truth story to keep me on the edge of my seat. It fell just short of that hope.

Going into 2020, The Wife Who Knew Too Much was one of my most highly anticipated Mystery/Thrillers. I have really enjoyed previous works from Michele Campbell and was definitely hoping this would offer up the same high-intensity drama. Unfortunately for me, I was let down by this one. It hurts me to write that, but it's true.

Please don't take my disappointment as meaning this isn't a good story, however. It is a good book, it just didn't live up to my expectations. That tense drama I usually enjoy was definitely, in my opinion, toeing the line of eye-roll territory.

We mainly follow protagonist, Tabitha Girard, a recent divorcee, who works as a waitress at a seen-better-days restaurant in rural New Hampshire. She can't believe her eyes when, one night, a blast from her past gets seated in her section. A very rich, very handsome guy who had broke her teenage heart at the end of a summer fling. She has never forgotten him.

Connor Ford's life has changed a lot since the last time he saw Tabby. For example, he's now married to an uber-wealthy older woman, Nina Leavitt. He's a trophy husband, imagine that?! Or is he?

Once they circle back into each other's orbit, Connor and Tabby cannot get enough of one another. Cue the sappy music. Right around here was where it started to lose me. Not long after their rekindled relationship, Nina Leavitt ends up face-down in her swimming pool after a lavish party. The incident is tentatively determined to be a suicide. Soon after that, Connor and Tabby are married.

The icing on the cake, Tabby is pregnant with Connor's baby, the timeline of which makes it clear the two of them were together prior to Nina's untimely death. As you can imagine, he is desperate to keep that fact hidden. He stands to lose the entire fortune if suspicions of infidelity, and possibly even murder, fall upon him.

I won't belabor the point, this just wasn't the book for me. It's fun for what it is. Campbell's writing style is fast and smooth, making this a good, light weekend read. It's not offending in any way, the content just wasn't to my tastes.

My main complaint was the relationship. I just wasn't buying it. For one thing, cheating tropes, like the one here, really get under my skin. I also found Tabby to be lame and annoying, while Connor was just a jerk. I didn't even understand why they would want to be together, besides the fact that they were purportedly both ridiculously good looking.

With all this being said, I'm not mad I read this book. I will continue to pick up anything Michele Campbell writes. She has an addicting style and I'm here for it.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity. As always, just because this book didn't necessarily work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. There's a Reader for every book!!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a free galley in exchange for my honest review. This is the third book I’ve read by Michele Campbell and unfortunately I think it may be my last. As with her other books, I found the storyline to be a bit unbelievable and the writing to feel very YA. I’m sure there are many readers that will enjoy this book, but it’s just not for me.

I received a copy of this book as an ARC, but I hadn't heard of this author before. I liked the cover and the description, so I gave it a shot. And found a new favorite. Once I was done, I immediately downloaded some of her other books (It's Always the Husband, She Was the Quiet One). I liked her that much.

Tabitha is working as a waitress, down on her luck, and feeling pretty bad about herself when her high school boyfriend comes into her restaurant.

He's richer than ever, married into more money, but he remembers Tabitha, just as she remembers him. They rekindle their romance, and he shares his "woe is me" marriage story.

It seems like they are going to get their happy ending, Connor's wife commits suicide, and he immediately moves Tabitha in. Despite how this sounds, I still found Tabitha a sympathetic character. She's way out of her league in Connors' life and she knows it. Then she find's his wife's diary, starting Tabitha on a path of doubt.

The thing I really liked about this book was that in reading the synopsis, you think you know what's going to happen - but you don't. The twists and turns don't stop coming.

I would categorize this as a great cozy read for the fall - curl up under a blanket and enjoy!

I listened to this book on audio, and it was great! I went into this one with lower expectations since I have seen some mediocre reviews for it, and maybe that's why I ended up enjoying it more than others. Even though I predicted some of the twists at the end, it did not change the way I really liked how the author moved the story along and made it really interesting to want to keep reading and find out more. So glad I gave this one a chance!

When Tabitha runs into her first love Connor at the restaurant she works at, she is excited and thrilled. Until she remembers he is married to an older, beautiful and rich woman. Connor claims he isn’t in love with his wife but he cannot leave her or he’ll be left with nothing in the divorce. When Nina commits suicide suddenly, Tabitha is happy they can finally be together! But the police do not suspect it was suicide and before long, Tabitha doesn’t either. Pretty soon she does not know who she can trust. Everyone around her is hiding something. And the police are starting to see her as suspect number 1. To me, the blurb about this book gives away too much. It’s best to go into this book just trusting the author because she has a gift for writing. I liken her writing style to that of a magician. Things are often hidden in plain sight but Ms Campbell has a way to make you look the other way until she is ready to show you the twist. And that is what I love about her books! I haven’t read one I didn’t like so far! Read this and enjoy the escape! It’s fun, thrilling, and a good guess who book.

Something was just off about this one, and I can't quite put my finger on it. You definitely had to suspend belief to get to the conclusion, which I'm okay with to some extent. I think what bothered me was the author kind of led me where she wanted me to go. Sort of like "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, this is what you need to conclude from what you just read." I didn't particular like any of the characters, and I'm not sure that it was intended that I do so. You spend a lot of time in Tabitha's head, and she is exhaustingly naive and simplistic. Connor is not likeable by any stretch of the imagination, and I never warmed to their relationship. I guess let's just say this one wasn't for me.

A quick paced, thriller/love story. Its value may not withstand time, but it was just what I needed to escape from the world for a few days.

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome book! This is my first experience reading this author's work and I am now a fan. This was a perfectly scripted thriller. It definitely kept my attention and did not disappoint me at all. I would highly suggest this book to any thriller lover.

I loved this book!! Great thriller!! Kept you at the edge of your seat!! 1st book I have read by this author will read more of her books!!

I enjoyed this novel a great deal. Ms, Campbell has a marvelous writing style. She created a great plot. Although she skipped around to various timelines and characters, the story was easy to keep up with. Each chapter was labeled as to the time and character. Her main characters were vibrant and realistic.
Tabitha Girard meets an old boyfriend from her high school years, Connor Ford. He’s wealthy, mainly because he married Nina who is extremely wealthy. They carry on an affair while Connor is married to Nina. Connor wants to divorce Nina, but can’t do so or he’ll get no money from Nina’s estate. If Nina divorces Connor, he gets ten million dollars. If Nina catches Connor cheating on her, or of he divorces her, he gets no money. So Connor is hoping Nina will divorce him. Connor freely admits to Tabitha that he married Nina for her money.
Tabitha Girard came off as a decent person although quite naive. When she married Connor Ford, she was suddenly wealthy, and confronted her new life with a mixture of joy and trepidation. She realizes the rich are different. She took advice from the wrong person and caused a lot of negative talk on social media and the society pages. She started out as innocent and optimistic, but learned fast how to navigate the shark infested waters of Connor Ford’s milieu.
It appears that Conner may not be the man Tabitha thought he was. Instead of going on shopping sprees, having spa treatments and facials, Tabitha finds herself lonely and wretched. She begins to regret marrying Connor, as she’s alone most of the time, and finds herself tangled up in anxiety. Tabitha realizes she’s being followed. She’s tailed by an SUZ and run off the road. She doesn’t know who to trust in Connor’s household and begins to mistrust Connor.
“The Wife Who Knew Too Much” was a memorable book, and I recommend it to those who love domestic thrillers and psychological drama.
Thank you, MacMillan USA and NetGalley for a chance to read and review Michele Campbell’s wonderful novel.

I was terrifically unimpressed with this book. It was slow and difficult to get into. When the story finally got moving it was hard to believe. The characters were not just unlikeable they were unrelatable.

The Wife Who Knew Too Much
Contemporary Suspense/Mystery
Michele Campbell, author

This story offered well developed characterization with a well organized and thought out plot.

Connor Ford and Tabitha met in high school and engaged in a world wind romance, only to be separated by Connor's over barring grandmother. Then thirteen years later, they meet again. Was it planned or by happenstance? They rekindle their romance, but this time, Connor is married to a renowned wealthy businesswoman. Then the unthinkable happens, Connor's wife is found dead. The story explodes at this point with the ends and outs of the investigation into whodunit.

This was my first novel by this author and I would definitely read another of her books. I highly recommend this book to others who enjoy a really good mystery. I was gifted an advanced reader copy from Netgalley, the publisher and the author. I thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I leave this review of my own volition.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

Having enjoyed A Stranger on the Beach, She Was The Quiet One and It’s Always The Husband– I knew The Wife Who Knew Too Much would be on my TBR list the day it was announced!

The back cover copy of The Wife Who Knew Too Much really intrigued me!

What I Liked:

That cover. I can see the beaches filled with people reading this book.

How I was never quite sure about the way this book was headed. Kept me guessing.

The characters- very memorable.



Bottom line: Juicy and delicious- The Wife Who Knew Too Much has A LOT going for it.

#The Wife Who Knew Too Much was my first #MicheleCampbell book and it definitely won't be my last! I totally enjoyed this page-turner with the chapters going back and forth in time and told from the perspectives of the first and second wives of Connor Ford - Nina and Tabitha. These two women couldn't have been more opposite from each other - one older and extraordinarily wealthy, the other young and from the wrong side of the tracks. The central mystery is who killed Nina. Was it Connor and if he did, who helped him? One little clue gave me an idea early on, but there were still many surprises I did not see coming. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a fan of Michele Campbell since her first novel a few years ago, It's Always the Husband. So, I knew I had to read The Wife Who Knew Too Much. Campbell's novels are usually pretty well hyped in the bookstagram community, and it was the same with this one. Either way, I'll typically want to pick up a Michele Campbell novel when it releases.

Tabitha grew up a poor girl in a country club town, where she fell in love with Connor Ford, a rich, young man and country club member. It's a summer fling and never meant to last. But several years later, when Tabitha and Connor reconnect - Connor's richer, and married to widowed tycoon Nina. But he's always loved Tabitha and married Nina for the money. So when Nina ends up dead, it leaves a spot open for Tabitha to rejoin Connor's life. But it all seems a bit convenient. Did Connor kill Nina?

Michele Campbell's crime/domestic thrillers are so enthralling, and I think a lot of that is due to her experience as an actual real-life lawyer. Her experience and knowledge makes her books so smart. I will say her books have been weirdly predictable in a totally twisty kind of way. But I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I didn't really see it coming until it got closer to the end of the book.

The story is told in a really interesting way too. Chapter one was giving me all the Gone Girl vibes, and the rest of the book felt very much like the show Revenge (which I loved, by the way). I'll say that I wasn't totally sure about what the book was about as I began reading it. I'm notorious for not reading synopses before diving in. But as I began reading, I expected a story much like The Wife Between Us, and was glad that the twist was unexpected by the time I got to the end.

The first chapter was a letter from the wife (Nina) full of fear that her husband is wanting to kill her for her money. The chapter is totally enthralling and pulled me in immediately. I had to know what was going to happen next. It also led me to believe that the book was mostly going to be from Nina's point of view. But it wasn't! Instead it was from Tabitha's point of view, the woman who was the husband's (Connor) first love. So it quickly switched what I was expecting, and the book continued to really keep me on my toes, though it was a bit of a slow burn too. The storytelling definitely takes it time, but in the end it speeds up very quickly.

In fact, my biggest complaint was that the ending wrapped up incredibly quickly. I definitely feel like I got everything I needed from it, and then it was over. I also found myself a bit annoyed by the epilogue. It was a bit too pretty and didn't really seem to connect with the rest of the story. I guess it honestly says a bit about how we, as humans, idolize folks after they die and make them out to be more perfect than they were while they were alive. But it still irked me a bit how pretty and perfect the epilogue was.

"If something's too good to be true, then is it true? Or is it just lies?" - The Wife Who Knew Too Much, Michele Campbell

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. While not perfect, it kept me on my toes and I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next. A really enjoyable read.

Who would have thought that excessively rich characters are insufferable, terrible people?! I didn't even love to hate them, I just hated them.

I have enjoyed this author’s other books. This one did not disappoint. It was a fast paced fast read thriller to the end. I am recommending this one for my book club.

Am I the only one who just didn’t like this?

The main character starts a stupid woman and ends a stupid woman.

The ‘Wife’ is the only halfway decent character, and even she has some moral…issues.

Every other character in the book is a mix of criminal and criminally stupid.

I get that it’s a beach read but there were times when it was more maddening than entertaining.

This one is a skip from me.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley