This book will make you think about those great existential questions of life. What makes you, you? Can someone take your place? What makes a mother? Is science going too far? The Echo Wife has the reader hanging on the edge of the seat with a few whodunit motives, and Sarah Gailey takes us somewhere new.

This was a great, tightly paced thriller (that starts off a wee bit slow) that plays around with the ethical implications of cloning. To be clear though, this book doesn't necessarily FEEL like sci-fi. This is a world nearly identical to our own, save for the existence of clones.

Anyone who's ever been in a relationship will appreciate this premise: what if your partner dumped you for a clone of you, genetically engineering out of the clone all of the qualities they dislike? I think this book did an excellent job of getting us into the headspace of Evelyn and exploring the emotions that would bring up (What makes you YOU? What is those things that also make you special also make you less loveable to someone else? If that person only wants you without those qualities is that even love?)

I liked the fact that Evelyn wasn't always likeable, that the interest in science always trumped her emotions. She understands that befriending Martine is likely an excuse to be able to study her further and accepts that about herself. Unlike most lead characters in thrillers, Evelyn actually seemed like a self-actualized person that had done some personal work, despite her traumatic childhood. (Thankfully avoiding the trope of "brilliant scientist behaves like an idiot during a crisis.")

Martine is more opaque. It's not her story, but she's a central figure in everything that's happening. While this book did a great job of exploring aspects of "her programming," her awareness of that programming and her ability to live a normal life with/in spite of it, I still found myself wanting to know more about her life with Nathan and how she felt about Evelyn.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

at times the echo wife feels a little contrived in its character building, there a couple of lines that seem written solely to tick off some feminist cred boxes, but it's the kind of riveting read where your initial criticisms start to melt away the deeper you get in and you find yourself getting lost in the story, desperate to see how it ends. compelling!

Stepford Wives meets Big Little Lies. This science fiction book takes the husband/wife dynamic to a whole new level. What happens when your marriage isn't meeting your expectations? Cheat on her with her clone. Wait, what?!? You read that right - clone. The Echo Wife is a page-turner full of dark and twisty plot twists that you wont't want to put down!

4 - 4.5 stars

There is something so satisfying about thrillers, I always end up reading them so quickly. The Echo Wife was no exception, I ended up reading it in one sitting. I literally couldn’t put it down, it was that good.

I don’t often read the synopsis, I like to go in as clueless as possible. But the first line of the synopsis of The Echo Wife caught my attention. “Martine is a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn Caldwell’s award-winning research.” Clones? I haven’t read many books with clones as the subject so immediately I was invested. But when I read the rest of the synopsis, I was hooked and immediately requested this book! I was a bit concerned with the number of spoilers in the synopsis, but there is so much more to this story.

Now there is no way I can safely talk about the plot or the characters without spoiling anything. Just read the synopsis and jump in! Just know the premise is brilliant and I am so happy I got to read this early!!

A thriller with a hint of science fiction? You guys must simply read this!

This was a very interesting book! I loved the Sci-fi feel to it because it does center on the concept of cloning, but also the important concept of human nature at its core. I loved the p[lot twists it takes, especially it's ending because it wasn't the ending I expected. It's not a momentous, big event end kind of ending, but the way the story goes is something very unexpected and I really enjoyed that.

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

Evelyn is a scientist who is working in the field of cloning research. She is betrayed by her husband and lab assistant and the betrayal leads to a plot twist that keeps expanding.

I loved the concept, although the description is a little misleading. A brilliant scientist develops human cloning, and her ex-husband steals the technology in order to create a better version Evelyn, his career driven wife and our strong-willed protagonist. Enter Martine, the Stepford version of Evelyn. Then, the bastard dies. Actually, I wish they had left this off the back cover description because the death came as welcome jolt to the plot. If I hadn’t seen it coming, I’d have been pleasantly mortified.

Evelyn isn’t a likeable character, which is perfectly fine. Readers don’t have to like characters to connect with them or enjoy a story. She is cold and terse, and while she has her reasons and there is an attempt to thaw her ice heart, it never goes beyond a surface level try. This benefits the story, because it gets the reader to wonder, who are the monsters in this book? Some are obvious. Others aren’t.

The first act sets a nice pace which dwindles to a halt mid-book. There is a lot of repetitive information being conveyed through Evelyn’s point-of-view. She describes her marriage, her work, her relationship with her lab assistant Seyed, and her relationship with her parents in great detail several times. The book is set up to jump between past and present. At first, I welcomed this ebb and flow. Later, it slowed the action.

Luckily, the action picked up during the climax, and the book ended strong; however, there are some concerns with believing the plot. There’s a key discovery at the end of the book that seemed made me wonder, “Wouldn’t they have found this out in much earlier?”

While the book started strong, and ends with intrigue, the middle waivers. Some will like this book. Other’s won’t. I recommend reading it and seeing which side you land on.

I enjoyed this book very much. I thought it was very well written with subtly nuanced characters and a fast paced thrilling plot. I felt let down by the neat and tidy ending and felt it was too convenient especially for a novel that was so creative and well researched. The premise was unique and interesting and the book asked just the right amount of questions and was very relevant. I will definitely be interested in reading more of this author's work.

My full review can be found here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3323379273

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I requested The Echo Wife after skimming two sentences. I saw “Killing Eve” and “clone” and I was good to go. I didn’t read any more of the description so every twist was refreshing and fun. I liked the uniqueness of the plot and the sci-fi/thriller combo.

Evelyn is not a likable character but she is shown honestly and with her flaws. I liked Martine a good deal. There were some fantastic lines: “I filled my pockets with that smile” and “No one would look at the seams that held me together and guess that they were scars.”

There were a few holes that bothered me—I don’t want to say something that will give away some of the twists—but how are characters being financially supported and getting medical treatment? A random complaint but it annoyed me.

I was going to give it a 4* but that just isn’t enough so 4.5* it is. I highly recommend reading The Echo Wife.

This was unexpectedly fun and crazy! I wasn't sure I was going to like it from the description, but wow! There's just enough science-y cloning stuff to be interesting. There's Evelyn, who is really hard to like and harder to feel sorry for, but I found myself hoping her plan would succeed, if not exactly liking her. Especially when I realized how her ex-husband had programmed Martine to "behave." There's Martine, who begins to break through her programming and defies all odds - and science! - by ending up pregnant. This really kept me guessing the whole way through with no idea what would happen next.

Fully fifteen percent into it, this seems like a domestic novel focused on women's lives and relationships. Then the quick dive into sci-fi and suspense. that totally reshape one's engagement with the story. Great genre blending for sure. This will please sci-fi readers, but is also a satisfying novel for those who generally stay clear. of it.

In the midst of betrayals and discoveries, there are ethical questions on the table.. While set in the near future, today's themes are prevalent. How do I change my husband so he becomes the man i want him to be? How dare he try to change me! Why must women always tiptoe around men? Is it so impossible that women might actually be smarter than men? How do women find their voice and claim who they are and what they want.? When does science go too far?

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Think there could have or should have had one more murderous twist at the conclusion as it seemed set up for that. Excellent character development and plot.make this one absorbing read.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan/Tor for providing this copy for my review!

What a delightful little book this is! The publisher's copy describes it as a mix of Westworld, Blake Crouch's works, and Big Little Lies, and I can't really argue with that. It's maybe less mind-bending than Blake Crouch's stuff, but still offers plenty of unexpected surprises along the way. Add in some stuff about what it's like to be a female scientist, and some thoughts about what it means to be a human, and this is defnitely worth some of your time.

This thrilling book was far from what I expected, in fact, it surpassed my expectations entirely. While I’m a fan of thrillers in general, I find most of them formulaic and often predictable. Sarah Gailey has totally turned that on its head in “The Echo Wife.”

On the surface, you have standard fodder for a contemporary thriller: a successful woman finds out her husband has another partner, and the story begins. The added sci-fi layer, in which Gailey drops in the science of cloning and how it works (in the world of the book, that is) makes for a fascinating read. While the story follows the flow that we would expect of a thriller, the twists and turns are unanticipated. The shift of focus in this story away from infidelity and toward the cultivation of a relationship with The Other Woman is remarkable.

Since finishing reading this title a few weeks ago, I’ve thought of it frequently – there really is so much to think about. It’s a great pick for a passive reader or a lover of thrillers, but there is plenty of content there for a deep book discussion or a full literary analysis. I keep wanting to recommend the title to people, then I remember that this one isn’t out until early 2021. “The Echo Wife” is worthy of attention from the book world, and is a commanding addition to the sci-fi thriller genre.

Sarah Gailey never disappoints. The Echo Wife is unlike anything she's ever written and will please current and new readers alike. A recommended purchase for adult fiction collections.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

Pub. Date: Feb 2021

This is a most interesting mix of genres-- psychological thriller and sci-fi. Evelyn's husband Nathan is a piece of crap that only leaves her for another woman, the other woman is a clone of herself (Martine). One day, Martine contacts Evelyn in a fit of despair and that's when this story gets going. There is a thriller with excellent character development, except on Nathan's part. I never felt I understood his actions. It's a thriller for the modern age of science and cloning. I felt compelled to discover what insanity was going to happen next. A fun, fast-paced read. Put this on your TBR list!

How to handle when your husband leaves you to be with your clone? Just this premise got me intrigued and then it follows a suspenseful plot where Evelyn, a scientist working on clones has to deal with this exact situation where her clone is made by her own husband. This is a bizarre and crazy plot that will keep the readers hooked as there are more secrets and lies. Things get more juicy when Evelyn and her clone, Martine, almost become friends with a game plan against the husband after Martine ends up killing the husband, Nathan. To take it up a notch, there are dead bodies and also a baby thrown into the plot. For the readers who think it is sci-fi with clones and all, it is more of a domestic thriller with a sci-fi concept as the key element.

It is one hell of a ride.

I really enjoyed this read. Although I wished to see more from the plot itself, the character development was on speed and kept my interest. I was intriguing enough for me to finish!

I struggled with this one a bit, but I did like it. I thought the plot was incredibly interesting, and the story was something right up my alley. Where I had issues was in how much introspective and thought dialog there was. Once I reached the end I realized why. It really was a character study versus a story. So for that, the inner monologue made more sense. But at times it felt like it dragged on a bit. This is a very interesting book though. There are some great plot twists and surprises that I didn’t see coming. You do need to suspend your belief a bit at points, but isn’t that the fun of reading? :)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC. The Echo Wife should definitely be added to 'to be read' list. Evelyn Caldwell is a brilliant scientist who has revolutionized the field of cloning. Unfortunately, her husband has left her and is having an affair with a clone of Evelyn that he secretly created, and then ends up dead. Leaving Evelyn and her clone to clean up the mess he left behind. Filled with questions of morality and a great undercurrent of suspense, The Echo Wife was hard to put down. I would highly recommend this title to anyone.