Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Shalini Boland is very consistent in producing well written psychological novels full of twists to keep you guessing and this is another. Full of well rounded characters that are not all they appear to be. The plot build up was engrossing but I wish we had heard more of Zoe's dad rather than the perfect family Zoe had married in to.

Another solid enjoyable book and I look forward to the next.

This is a really good psychological thriller. Zoe passed out on her wedding day but cannot remember what happened leading up to it, Move on 10 years and she is planning a celebration event for her wedding anniversary. This book tells the story of what happened 10 years ago and the current timeframe as the events seems to be coming to a head.

I love the way that this book built up the tension by revealing the story layer by layer. It makes you question all the people in Zoe’s life and indeed doubt everyone at some point or another. Zoe is a very likeable character and you fear for her sanity and safety at points within the book. An interesting array of characters has been brought together. The plotting certainly allows for plenty of guesswork for the reader and you feel totally involved with the book and story.

This is a very readable book and keeps you wanting to read on. I’ve not read any books by the author previously but will certainly be searching out her other books on the basis of this book. I strongly recommend the book to others that like psychological fiction.

I would like to say thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a copy of this book to me for an open and honest review.

The review is completely based on my honest opinion.

Zoe fainted on her wedding day with no recollection of what really happened a moment before she fainted. Ten years later, Zoe and her husband, Toby are happily married with two children and are about to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary and they will be celebrating it at the very same hotel they had their wedding. But soon, while the wedding preparations is under way, Zoe feels odd--her best friend is seemed to be ignoring her and Toby seems to be hiding from her on something. And Zoe keeps seeing a woman who seemed to look like her sister Dina, who mysteriously disappeared ten years ago. And there's a secret that would threaten to ruin Zoe's happy life if it was have revealed...

Truth to be told, I have always wanted to read Shalini Boland's books but this is the first book I have read from this author. The story is completely told from Zoe's perspectives, switching between Present Day and the Past so as a reader we would get to know the life before and after. The story is filled with twists and turn and the writing was good as well. The thriller was actually fast paced. The ending was however a bit expected as I have expected that type of ending. I truly enjoyed reading this book and this book actually kept me up all night!

Overall, this is a fast paced thriller and it is actually really a good book!

Gradual build to great twist thriller

Zoe fainted just before her wedding ceremony and, although that was 10 years ago, still wonders why it happened.

This is Zoe’s story. Happily married to Toby for 10 years, great job, two wonderful children, a great in-law family and living in beautiful Shaftesbury, in Dorset England. Everything is perfect, except people seem to be acting a bit oddly towards her, there are some strange developments around her missing sister, and what is her husband up to.

The novel is divided into “Then” and “Now” chapters, all clearly marked and easy to follow. The story flows well, if a little slowly for my liking. Its a great plot, but the writing style leaves few surprises, except for a massive twist about ¾ of the way through. A perfect light read, or for a commute, as it is easy to pick up and put down without losing the thread.

3*s for me, as I found the pace a little slow, and much of what was going to happen was fairly predictable a few pages before it did (apart from the great twist). I didn’t know enough about the characters to feel involved with them, and therefore the storyline. Having said that when I think back on this thriller now it was a great storyline, and the Epilogue was really excellent

Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for ARC of #thewife by @shaboland
Zoe and Toby is about to celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary, however prior to the party, whatever happened in the past on their wedding day was about to emerge. Zoe was fainted on her wedding day, and she had blur recollection of why she was fainted. I suspect that there's something fishy on her fainting episode. Another story line of Zoe's missing sister adds more curiosity. It's not WOW but I can say it's enjoyable reading with unexpected twists.

Fainting on your wedding day? Blanking out on the happiness day of your life? Ooooh! I was gripped from the synopsis! My believeability was gone towards the ending. It was unexpected and I didn’t like the direction it took. Just odd I guess but don’t let that put you off!

My main complaint is the title. I’ve read several books this year with the same title. There’s a thousand thrillers with variations of this title! It doesn’t make a story stand out, for such a good book you need to show something different from the rest of the market.

I’ve read books by Shalini before and loved them so if you’re a fan then get this ordered now! You definitely won’t regret it. I really enjoyed this book and you will too! I’m just worried it won’t stand out enough from others on the market.

This was a fun and fast paced read. It centers on Zoe, who faints at her wedding, loses some time, and always carried a sense of unease about that day. Fast forward 10 years later and Zoe and her husband Toby are still happily married, the parents of 2, and planning 10 year anniversary party. Zoe is somewhat stressed about the party, as it's a lot of work and brings back the uncomfortable feeling she had at her wedding, and on top of that, she keeps thinking she sees her sister who has been missing for 10 years.

The pacing of the book is fast, going back and forth between Zoe in current time, at her wedding, and beforehand when her sister first left. Zoe herself was a believable and somewhat likable character, though I wish she would have stood up for herself more when things got weird with her sister-in-law Madeline. The ending of the book had a good, though a little bit unrealistic, twist- I didn't see it coming right away but when it happened I realized I had seen all the signs. The ending of the book leaves you hanging, but in a good way.

I struggled a little bit with the storyline regarding Zoe's former friend who is now a celebrity blogger- I felt like that entire plot line wasn't important to the story and don't know why it was there. Perhaps it was meant as a red herring, but I never really saw the connection and felt that the situation was left mostly unresolved.

Overall, I thought this was a fun read and is another hit for Boland. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy the domestic suspense genre.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Zoe has led a charmed life ever since the day she married her husband, Toby, ten years ago. She has a husband she adores, two wonderful children, loving in-laws, a job she enjoys, a kind and considerate employer, and a few remarkable best friends. Their shared closeness has somewhat eased the losses and loneliness she experienced in her own family when she was younger. The ache she feels about her own fractured childhood family still hurts, but thankfully her husband, children, and in-laws have become the family that she wished she had growing up. She wishes her dad was more involved and is troubled that she hasn’t been able to find her sister, but her husband and in-laws are always supportive and do everything they can to help her. Despite how wonderful her life is now though, she has always had unexplainable negative emotions that gnaw at her whenever she thinks back to her wedding day. Now that they are nearing their ten year wedding anniversary those feelings start flooding in more than ever, but she still can’t piece all of the information together.

Zoe fainted within an hour of when she was supposed to walk down the aisle at her wedding and has never been able to fully regain her memories of what happened. Those memories have evaded her for ten years, and although the wedding and day of celebration ended perfectly, ten years later she is still struggling with not knowing what happened. Although she can’t explain why, something just doesn’t feel right. Thankfully her mother in law had been there to help her, and seeing a doctor after returning from her honeymoon explained the most likely reason for why she fainted, too. Zoe felt blurry and fuzzy for the rest of the day after she fainted, so she is determined to make their upcoming ten year wedding anniversary party as memorable as possible so that it may allow her to recreate memories she wished she had of their wedding day. Her nagging feelings of not knowing what happened have stuck with her though, and the closer she gets to the anniversary party date, the more unstable her life and emotions become. All of the sudden it seems like one of her best friends, her sister in-law, is acting cold towards her. She catches her husband doing something questionable, and isn’t sure if she should believe what he says when she confronts him about it. She has reason to believe that her sister is back, but still isn’t able to find her and cant understand why she would come home and not get in contact with her. Is her sister in town and intentionally avoiding her? Is her best friend angry with her for something Zoe isn’t even aware of? Is her always honest and faithful husband lying? Or is she overreacting due to the pressure of trying to arrange such a perfect large scale party? With so much effort going into preparation for the anniversary party, its quite possible that she’s overwhelmed and Is making things out to be more than what they really are.

The beginning of the book starts off with a physical struggle between two people. Shalini Boland does a brilliant job not revealing who the attacker is, who is being attacked, or the final result of the attack. Right away I was hooked, and couldn’t put it down! The book goes back and forth between then and now chapters about Zoe’s past, the day of her wedding, and her current life. I loved how Shalini Boland Intertwined the different events of Zoe’s life at the perfect times because it added to the surprises and shocks throughout the book. Although I felt the book was somewhat predictable and I was able to figure out who did it, I still enjoyed the story and surprises that Boland threw in. In my opinion I think some of her other books were more shocking, suspenseful, faster paced, and had bigger twists and surprises, but The Wife was still a good book. Thank you Shalini Boland, Bookouture, and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of reading The Wife. Although I didn’t feel that it was one of her best books, I will still be highly recommending her as an author to other readers!

A bride to be faints moments before her wedding, and can’t remember the events leading up to the mishap. So begins The Wife, a capable thriller that’s told in alternating timelines (now/then). A decent amount of suspense and some twists will hold your interest, and I breezed through the pages, as it’s a fast read. Overall, I enjoyed the book and the delivery. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book grabbed my attention and carried me along at a brisk pace. The book features Zoe, a wife, and mother. The book starts on her wedding day as she is coming to after having fainted on her wedding day. Upon regaining consciousness she has no memory of what happened right before she fainted. Throughout her wedding, Zoe still feels unwell and like something is off but doesn't want to make waves or spoil her big day. The book then switches to the present where Zoe is a mother of two children. The story alternates between Zoe and her life then (during the time she got married) and now (with her present-day family and friends). As I was reading, I felt like I was experiencing Zoe's memory loss. Throughout the book, things seemed "off" but neither Zoe (or I) could figure out exactly what was going on. As the book continues to progress the reader meets the others in Zoe's life; her husband Toby, her kids Alice and Jamie, Toby's brother Nick and his wife Madeline, Toby's parents Celia and Malcolm, Zoe's father, Guy and more. Complicating Zoe's inability to remember is the odd behavior of Zoe's friends and the mysterious disappearance of her sister Dina. The book swirls along until the edge of you seat ending. I was completely unprepared and surprised by the ending. So, does Zoe regain her memory? Are all the unknowns resolved? You'll have to read this book to find out.....if you dare!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Wife' by Shalini Boland

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 9th September 2020

This is the third book that I have read by this author. I absolutely loved the other two I read which were 'The Other Daughter' and 'One Of Us Is Lying'. I gave both 5 stars and hoping this will be the same (written before I started this book).

I was originally drawn to this book by its colourful cover and intriguing blurb plus the fact that I have yet to read a bad book by this author and she is on my top author list which definitely helps!! I must admit I was also biased due to the author being Shalini Boland publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture or written by Shalini that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! If I needed another reason there is also the fact that it states it is perfect for fans of 'Gone Girl' which I also enjoyed so fingers crossed it lives up to my high expectations!!! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 35 chapters and an epilogue which are short to medium in length so ideal to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is written in first person perspective with the protagonist being Zoe. I enjoy books written in first person perspective as as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them.

This book is based in in Dorset, England, UK. I love books set in the UK as I live in Wales, UK and sometimes I have been to the places mentioned so I 'see' it more clearly when reading. Considering I've been to Dorset many times and am actually going again in less than 2 weeks reading this book now is perfect timing! I have actually visited Shaftesbury, where the book is based, several times already.

Wow!! Where to even start?!? Firstly I must say yet again I was NOT disappointed by the very talented Shalini Boland!!! I started reading this book this morning and finished it in a day.

Absolutely gripping storyline which I got completely sucked into. A great unputdownable page turner filled with suspense, deceit, mystery, love and lies. I loved the storyline, especially the shocking plots that I would never have seen coming! Not just one either!! There's nothing worse than when you have worked everything out and your not even half way through a book so a massive well done for that!!

The book contains 3 different timelines which run smoothly with the storyline and the book itself is very well written and filled with great descriptions. I enjoyed the fact that it went back and forth in time as it gives a bigger picture and what led up to what leaving all questions answered. Again, I really get put off a book when they include plots but leave things unravelled. I really enjoyed that several chapters ended on cliffhangers even though it kept me up most of the night!!!

The characters were all well rounded and realistic and I really felt like I bonded with Zoe, going through the many different emotions she must have felt, like a roller coaster ride.

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Shalini Boland for another absolutely fantastic success!! I cannot wait to read more of your amazing work!!

Overall a page turning, epic psychological thriller that will keep you thinking about it long after you have finished. I would love to see this turned into a film.

Genres covered include Thriller, Mystery, Psychological thriller,

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as ANYONE looking for a page turning and gripping novel.

292 pages.

This book is 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED IT!!!! ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Shalini Boland has become one of my favorite authors because of her riveting psychological thrillers. She does this without a single curse word, and for those of her who prefer to read books without all the bad language, that is definitely something to be grateful for. She also leaves out the play –by-play sex scenes that have become an addition in most books like this, and is another thing many people don’t care for.

The character development is superb. As the book unfolds, Shalini shares so much that is going on in the main character, Zoe’s thoughts that I definitely got a really good feel for the kind of person she is and also those around her. The plot was intriguing as usual—this author cranks out one good book after with surprising plot twists that you know are coming!

This is definitely another great book by this author.

Wow when they said a psychological thriller you can’t put down they sure meant it. This book had me intrigued from the prologue. I just had to know what happened to Zoe and I could not put the book down. I found myself getting mad at many of the characters and how they were treating Zoe. The plot was fast paced and engaging and although I could predict that many of the characters were not what they seemed the ending had me in shock and even rereading the chapter!

This is a book you won’t be disappointed you bought! I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the advanced read

I had high expectations of this book after reading the authors other books. It just did not grab my interest and l nearly gave up 50% through it was all to tidy and homespun for my tastes.
Children not being invited to parties, Mums not talking in playgrounds and a school friend, who is a celebrity causing mischief, but l carried on, but not impressed the ending was unbelievable and not in a good way and it felt to me that this “borrowed” ideas from many other stories so not for me very disappointed 😞

No other words other than I was absolutely giddy reading this thriller! I did not want to put this book down! It was that good! If you love thrillers and mess with your head suspense, then this is your book!!

Dont take it seriously and you'll like it, a bit of a laugh out loud ride even though I think it was trying to be sinister. Has the bones of a good story just not for me.

This isn’t the first book I’ve read by this author and won’t be the last. It was all I expected and more it’s gripping & fast paced and so much more!

# The wife Netgalley
One hell of a book, that kept me up all night. It’s now 7.34 am and just finished the book. Once I started I knew I couldn’t put it down until I had finished it. It grips you from the prologue and continues all the way through the book like that. You just have to keep turning the pages. I was looking at the clock from time to time and was continuously trying not to click watch. Either way I could not have put the book down if I had tried. Twice I actually did put it down was to quickly make myself a coffee. It’s gripping fast paced with a few really unexpected twist and turn. Why unexpected. You will realise why the sorry thr second on in particular it answers the first one. It really took me back that someone could actually say something like Toby did about his wife. When Madeline started to act a bit strange towards Zoe. It’s just something you would not expect a husband to say if he loves his wife as he says he does. After Toby and Zoe decide to throw a 10 year marriage part at the same place they got married. We’re Zoe fainted on her wedding day. She always felt something was not quite right about the day she married Toby she felt during the wedding and reception detached somewhat from herself. She just put it down to having fainted and her fainting was due to nerves and lack of breakfast.... it’s not long before her wedding anniversary that Zoe has cought Toby lying. She doesn’t confront him for quite some time she’s given him every opportunity to tell her the truth. But he doesn’t. I actually found that Shalini Boland as written another masterpiece of a book one that completely mesmerising that you just have to read. A rollercoaster of a ride. With enough twist and turns that my knickers could get an 1600 spine speed washing machine. Lol 😂 seriously more twist and turns anything would get an a 1600 spin speed. It’s a must must read she never ever lets you down Shalini Bolanld. Keeps it going right to that lady word just bloody brilliantly

First time reading something from this author and I was pleasantly surprised. Something happened to Zoe on her wedding day but she has no recollection. Now, ten years later she is planning her ten year anniversary party and everything is revealed in shocking detail what really happened that day. Reminded me of a lifetime movie but with more substance. Definitely will look into reading more from Shalini Boland.
Thanks Netgalley and Bookouture publishing for an ARC.

This book was true to the title. It was hard to put down and one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read in awhile. The Wife was an incredible roller coaster of who did it. The ending was quite a shocker. I cannot wait to read more books by Shalini Boland.