Well I wasn’t expecting that !!! As with all of Shalini’s books what I did expect was a great thriller with a fabulous cast of well written characters but what I didn’t expect was that twist and that shocker of an ending.

Anyway I’m getting ahead of myself, so let’s start at the beginning. Told from Zoe’s perspective in three timelines of then, now and eighteen years ago you are pulled into her world where she had the perfect happy family until her mum died of cancer. Her sister then fled and her dad shut down. So when she marries Toby she finally has the perfect family again, except she passes out on their wedding day and it’s all felt a bit off kilter since.

Now ten years later and planning an anniversary party, her sister in law is snubbing her and secretly meeting her husband behind her back and she’s randomly seeing her sister who has been missing for ten years but hasn’t got in touch.

Now I love an unreliable narrator and the use of the black out and the vagueness of family members really ups the suspicion, frankly I didn’t have a clue where this was heading and I was genuinely shocked when all was finally revealed.

Zoe was a great character and the normality of her life as a hairdresser, wife and mum really helped me to gel with her and root for her to find out the truth. Makes a change from the high society, rolling in money characters that are often found in thrillers that I have no resemblance to sitting in my pjs with a cup of tea (no evening dress and champagne for me, sorry to dispel the myth).

Slow paced and character building at the start works perfectly and it then ramps up the speed and tension just when it’s needed. Anyway I will leave it here, so as not to spoil, with one final thought “be careful what you wish for”.

On her wedding day Zoe faints and loses her memory how that happened. Ten years later she has all, happy family, great husband and in-laws, children, career...but someone is missing, her sister. And suddenly some strange events happen.
Is really everything so great as appears? Who lies and why?

Fantastic read, perfect thriller with fabulous twists.

Shalini Boland has done it again with "The Wife"!

Zoe and Toby are planning a ten year anniversary party at the same hotel they got married. This is a big event, and everyone will be invited, but Zoe's heart is not in it and her mind keeps going back to her wedding day when she fainted and cannot really remember too much about it.

Zoe is a nervous wreck about the party, coupled with the fact that her sister in law and some friends seem to be ignoring her and she doesn’t know why, she also thinks she has spotted her sister, who has been missing for years and just makes sporadic contact every now and then. Also, her childhood friend has returned home and this seems to drag up unhappy memories for her, but reliable Toby her husband has been her rock and is always there for her.

Told in alternating chapters between now and then, the reader gets a clearer picture as the book goes on about that day and the events that unfolded since.

I am never disappointed with books by this author and this one was no exception!

The Wife was unrealistic and predictable. It’s a quick easy read and that’s always a plus. Boland is a great author but this book let me down. Good thing is, I can still see other people enjoying it!

A young woman....her wedding day....dark secrets. Something isn't quite right, but Zoe doesn't know quite what it is. She has a beautiful marriage, beautiful children, and a job she loves. Despite that, her own past always niggles at the back of her mind, wrapping her in insecurities.

I was gripped by this book at the very beginning and didn't want to put it down. The story goes back and forth between present day and her past, making me wonder what had happened to cause her to feel the way she does in her current life. Secrets abound, and nothing is quite as it seems. I had my ideas about what was really going on, and some were accurate while other events shocked me. It kept my attention until the very end.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers, and I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Anything Shalini writes is pure psychological thriller GOLD and The Wife was pure gold!
I loved the character details, their flaws, their crazy and their lies and deception.
This one was a one day read!!!
5 stars!
Thank you #Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first novel by Shalini Boland - and let me tell you it was one wild ride. I was hooked at the beginning and at the end. While I found some parts of the story to be a little predictable- other parts really got me! The middle of the book seemed a little slow for me - other than that it was a great quick winter read! I would definitely recommend this book!

Rounded up on this one...
Fast, easy read that kept me entertained but lacked in intensity.
A great beach read, or one for those times when you don’t want anything too heavy.

ARC provided by NetGalley

I’ve read a lot of Shalini Boland’s books and always know they won’t disappoint.
This book centres around Zoe who is planning a tenth wedding anniversary party but things start to worry her when people start acting strange around her.
Her sister in law starts to blank her and when she sees her with her husband when he’s just told her he’s too busy for lunch, Zoe becomes suspicious.
Part of her has always wondered what caused her to faint on her wedding day ten years ago but it’s not until later in this book that we find out what happened.
I can’t say much more as I don’t want to spoil it, but needless to say, I loved this book.
Zoe is a great character and I loved the way she deals with what’s thrown at her.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Woah! There are twists and turns in books, and then there's this book! It all hit you right in the face! Totally unexpected outcome. Great book.

Shalini Boland does it again with another addictive page-turner full of unexpected twists!

I honestly can’t speak highly enough of Shalini’s books, she is one of my favourite go-to authors. Her books always have me gripped from the first page and the short chapters make it so easy to think, oh go on just one more! The twists and turns are always shocking and surprising too!

Zoe has been happily married for ten years, she has two children and loves her job as a hairdresser at Waves salon. She should be excited as she is planning a big party for her tenth wedding anniversary, but strange things start to happen and whenever Zoe thinks back to her wedding day, something doesn’t feel right, but she just can’t put her finger on what it is.

Is her husband hiding something? Are her close friends ignoring her? Or is she just being paranoid? Whilst trying to work things out in the run-up to the party, Zoe encounters a blast from her past which leaves her feeling even more stressed and anxious. With her memory feeling like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle, it is time for Zoe to find the missing pieces.

Expertly plotted, this book is told from Zoe’s POV in a dual timeline, going from ‘now’ in the run-up to the party, to ‘then’ back on her wedding day ten years earlier. I honestly had no idea where this book was going and found the twists brilliant and unpredictable. A lot of the chapters leave little cliff-hangers making it a hard book to put down.

The story builds slowly to begin with, which works just perfectly, as you feel just as confused and in the dark as Zoe herself. Then bam! Things get going and it is a rollercoaster ride right to the end.

A clever, engrossing, terrific read that I highly recommend to all lovers of psychological suspense thrillers.

Thank you to Shalini Boland, Bookouture & NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

I liked this twisty novel about a wife who has a strange occurrence of fainting on her wedding day. Throw in a vicious frenemy, a husband acting strangely, alternating timelines, and a missing sister, and you have a recipe for twisty suspense.

I found this to be a very clever story but I did think it took a little bit of time to get started. I was waiting for the promised “fast paced” and “gripping” aspects, and though they did not immediately present themselves, about halfway through the book they showed up and the action was great from then on. There were a couple of pretty great red herrings as well as more than one potential villain to suspect. The ending was a bit over the top but very enjoyable.

All in all, this novel didn’t reinvent the wheel or grab me from the beginning, but it was a fun and clever suspense read. 3.5 stars rounded up for good writing and fun characters. I’m interested to read more by this author.

Thanks to Bookouture, NetGalley and Shalini Boland for the ARC!

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Wow, what a rollercoaster of a ride and so many twists. I really enjoyed this book. When Zoe faints on her wedding day, she wakes up with no memory of what happened. She marries Toby, has two children with him and loves her new family, especially her mother-in-law. With her sister, Dina, not showing up for her wedding and not being able to reach her over the years, she assumes the worst. While preparing a party for their ten year anniversary, strange things are happening. Her sister-in-law, Madeline, starts snubbing her and she keeps thinking that she catches glimpses of her missing sister. It is after the party when her husband tells her what really happened at their wedding that her memory comes back and she is facing the truth about all of the people she holds dear.

I always enjoy a Shalini Boland book and this is no exception. I honestly don't know how she does it but I am instantly intrigued, instantly drawn into the plot and instantly drawn into the lives of her fictional characters.
In The Wife Zoe is married to Toby Johnson and all seems well in their lives except for the fact that the opening of the story sounds very threatening, life threatening in fact. The reader therefore knows someone has died or will die. But who?
I enjoyed the descriptions of the town, the Johnson's cottage, the realistic juggle of getting children to school and going on to work as well as the hops, skips and jumps through time, which is a trusted way of building depth to characters and helping the reader understand more about what is happening.
There is the trademark portrayal of relationships and motives. What draws us to another person? Why do we love who we love? What are we missing in life and seeking to replace?
The Johnson's seemingly have everything Zoe needs as her own father is kind but very detached and her mother died when she was about 13. Celia Johnson makes her feel wanted and loved and part of the family.
Yet there are strange interludes where Zoe recalls her wedding day when she bumped her head really badly. Then there is the matter of a missing sister, a sister in law who has turned cold for no apparent reason and an ex best friend determined to tarnish Zoe's reputation as a hairdresser.
Everything comes to a shocking conclusion at the party Zoe has organised to celebrate her tenth wedding anniversary.
Compulsive reading with mounting suspicion, nail biting developments and a fantastic finale, I do not think anyone who picks up this book will feel disappointed.
Great read!

Highly rate and recommend The Wife as a great domestic thriller.
A wedding day should be one of the bride’s happiest memories. What if she cannot remember part of it? This is what happened to Zoe and as approaches her tenth wedding anniversary to Toby. She plans to celebrate their happy marriage with a party, but still feels like something is missing from what happened ten years ago. Can she remember? Does she want to find out? Should the past stay in the past?
Brilliantly plotted, engaging book had me reading late into the night to find out what would happen next!
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Omg what a brilliant book. Will not spoil the story line but it keep s you on your toes and wanting to get to the end

Just finished this one today and really enjoyed it ! Zoe is about to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary! Her husband is loving and caring ! They shared two children and his mother is a wonderful mom who has always treated Zoe like her own daughter
As the party gets closer - we the reader, get to relive Zoe’s wedding day and the drama that unfolded that day. After a few too many drinks - Zoe’s sister in law let’s a secret out and Zoe is shocked by what she says!
Will the truth of what happened on the day of her wedding ten years ago finally come out !?
Will the search for her long lost sister Finally come to an end?
Lots of twists and turns! Lies and secrets! Towards the end - no one is who they have been pretending to be ! My favourite kind of ending
One I didn’t see coming 😊😊😊
If you’re a drama and thriller seeker - then this one is for you!
Happy reading and stay safe !

Thank you to @bookouture, @netgalley, and @shaboland for the early gifted copy of The Wife—it is out today, September 9th! Happy pub day!
Zoe faints on her wedding day, and has no recollection of what happened. Ten years later, she and her husband are celebrating their anniversary. But since their wedding day, something has never seemed quite right, and Zoe can’t put her finger on what...
Every book I have read by Shalini Boland I have absolutely loved, so I was super excited to be sent this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Wife was a perfect domestic suspense thriller, fast paced and full of twists and turns. Many chapters ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I often felt compelled to read just one more (okay, three). I ended up finishing this book in just a couple of days—and no spoilers, but the epilogue opens up some questions! If you’re a fan of domestic suspense, pick up this one today!

This book seriously had you guessing what the flip was going on from beginning to end. This author is so so good at suspense was really the amazing plot twists that have you saying what the heck? Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Quickly becoming a new favorite author #shaliniboland #thewife #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreview #netgalleyreads #netgalley #arc wow. This book was definitely unputdownable 😂 don’t judge for my made up words. We meet Zoe and she’s just awoken from fainting. She has no memory of what has happened. Fast forward to ten years later and we learn she and her husband are getting ready to throw their ten year anniversary party. The story involves a missing sister. A phenomenal mother in law. A father who wasn’t one once his wife, her mom, had passed. You won’t be able to stop reading. Highly recommend this one. Perfect for those cozy fall evenings. #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookaddict #booknerd now .... #topickanother #readergirllife #booktime #sundayreading