Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read The Hunting Wives

Book Rating : ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
Cover Rating : 🌟 🌟 🌟 💫

A group of mean girls - except they are adults ... Mrs. Robinson who also gaslights her friends .... forbidden attractions ...a weekly “hunting party” ...a dead teenager

What I liked & didn’t like :
▪️a unique storyline but a predictable mystery
▪️Sophie’s internal conflicts - she knowingly makes certain decisions in the first half of the book she shouldn’t because she cannot resist temptation ; in the second half - her decisions just seem .. well kinda stupid ...
▪️I was impressed by the author’s willingness to explore the “Mrs Robinson “ plot - seems like it could be quite controversial these days
▪️the pace was a little slow for me for a M&T - although I did enjoy the first half of the book more - just as a study of human nature

Whooo boy, these ladies are scandalous! When Sophie moves from the city to a rural Texas town, she finds herself enthralled with a group of glamorous, MILF-y residents... one in particular. She finds herself drawn (ok, obsessed) with getting the approval, acceptance and adoration of Margot and her friends. These women are rich and bored with their day to day lives as wives and mothers and so they form a group where they push the envelope on acceptable motherly behavior. They start with skeet shooting and heavy drinking and then press their luck enticing men. Sophie thinks that it's just a fun bit of flirting and feels leery about how her husband would feel if he knew but then she sees just how far the other ladies take it and how many secrets pile up. Just how will Sophie go outside of her comfort zone to fit in?

When a young girl peripherally related to their salacious circle goes missing, Sophie's suspicion goes into overdrive. Could she know something about what happened?

I get the idea of being bored with your life and having a little mid-life crisis but these women take that to a level I couldn't imagine. Functioning with the levels of alcohol and the level of promiscuity was slightly unbelievable. Although, that could just be my innocent Catholic self... LOL. I did like the characterization of the women and the amount of time we spent with them before the real mystery unfolds. Then as the panic and paranoia set in, you really feel it with Sophie. This was a perfect summer page-turner!

Thanks to Penguin Random House for a copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.

I did not love this but I also did not hate it. All the characters were extremely unlikable and unrelatable. But, you know that train wreck where we know we’re not supposed to stare but we can’t help ourselves?!?!🤷🏻‍♀️ This story is the same. I was intrigued right from the start and it hooked me until the end. Sophie was so obsessed with Margot and the Hunting Wives, she didn’t see herself spiraling out of control. I know I’m not supposed to judge but after finishing the book, I feel like she got what she deserved. The only character I liked was Sophie’s husband Graham. And for his sake and their son’s, I hoped their marriage recovers from this. But Sophie will surely need lots and lots of therapy! If you like Desperate Housewives or misbehaving wives, I think you’ll be entertained by this book. 💖

Pub day: May 18, 2021

Thanks to @berkelypub and @netgalley for my eARC.

The Real Housewives but with murder. Been looking forward to reading this one for a long time and finally got to it. Had no idea what the wives would be hunting, but it was definitely not what I expected.

This book was super entertaining and kept me on my toes, but I hated every single character in the book besides Graham. The poor choices over and over again, drove me absolutely crazy and made me feel so anxious just reading it. So many things could’ve been avoided if the characters in this book controlled their drinking.

Don’t get me wrong, this was fun to read and I was curious what was going to happen, but it seriously made me feel so anxious reading it. Definitely gave me Dead To Me or Big Little Lies vibes, so if you enjoy those, you should check this out!

I went into this book completely blind. So I hesitate to share too much. It's the story of Sophie, who is married to an endearing and seemingly perfect Graham and together they have an adorable young son. They move to a new town and Sophie befriends a group of women who like to drink and shoot guns. What happens next is quite the adventure!

And what a journey this book took me on! I could see the car crash coming and couldn't look away! While I felt like it was a tad predictable at points, it ended up being not predictable at all! I was surprised by the ending. If you are a thriller fan, this was a fun journey to go on to find out what happens. There are a lot of problematic things throughout the book like drinking and driving, cheating and other things but I don't want to spoil the book so keep that in mind. The characters weren't all the endearing either (except I loved Sophie's husband). I think some of the more negative reviews might have to do with those but I enjoyed this story for what it was, a crazy plot with a surprising ending, a good thriller. It was fast-paced and I read it in a day!

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. Opinions are my own!

This is a good read for laying out in the sun with your favorite boozy beverage by your side. Sophie returns to the small East Texas town where she attended her junior and senior years of high school, with husband and young son in tow. Excited to leave the fast pace of Chicago behind, Sophie plans on starting her own lifestyle blog and social media presence. But she quickly feels bored and stifled by her new life.

In search of excitement, she's drawn to the rich and beautiful Margot Banks and her three slightly less glamorous friends. Sophie starts with some light stalking before immersing herself in their clique. These women love their alcohol and their firearms. Sophie joins in with their obsessions and alcoholism which leads her to actions (and accusations) that only months earlier would be unthinkable.

It's an engaging read - but more in the same way that you are compelled to gape at the scene of a car crash on the side of the road. Sophie's hard to sympathize with - or even like - as are the rest of the women. The plot holds some surprises, though, and it certainly captured my attention from start to finish. I never connected with the characters enough to root for them.

The ending, which picks up two months after the main events, isn't terribly satisfying either - maybe a one-year later view would have been a bit more fulfilling... It's certainly not a badly written book and the characters do come to life - I just would have liked a character to root for (and maybe a few more surprises in the plot).

I have no words. This book was so good. Fast paced and literally had me on my toes and stressed for the Main Character Sophie. I saw a lot of myself in her - self sabotage, wanting to be with the "in" group, getting mesmerized by the one friend and then getting caught in shit and even though not at fault entirely, can't seem to get out. Whew. Stressful. Loved the ending as well and I finished the book in a day. Highly recommend!

Ya'll! This book!!

This one had me absolutely hooked from the first chapter and couldn't put it down--I think I read it in three sittings total and would have finished it faster if I had more time.

I loveddd the short chapters and how you didn't know who to trust.

I appreciated that there were a few small twists along the way rather than one huge one at the end. And let me just say, I definitely didn't expect the bigger twist until *right* before it happened (and I mean literally maybe one page before it happened did I finally figure it out

My only "complaint" is that I feel like the ending was a bit rushed.

3.5 stars

With friends like these....

Sophie and Graham O'Neill and their young song move from Chicago to a small town in Texas. Hoping to get away from busy city life, they settle into their beautiful home in quiet community. But there is quiet and then there is too quiet. Sophie soon begins to feel bored; she is used the hustle and bustle of the city. To cure her boredom and quest for excitement, she finds herself drawn to Margot, a glamorous socialite and ringleader of her tight nit clique known as "The Hunting Wives” What exactly are they hunting? Besides targets, booze comes to mind among other things. These women live life to the extreme and take their shooting seriously.

Soon, Sophie is a member of the group and things begin to change for her. She wants to have fun, but at what cost? She cannot really claim the devil made her do it, when she saw how the women behaved and joined in with gusto.

This book started a little slow for me but quickly picked up and became a fun read. I was curious to see just how out of control and reckless these women would become! Would their late-night shenanigan's catch up with then? Sophie soon finds that all that glitters is not gold when police show up at her door and she finds herself in the midst of their investigation.

As the twists and turns came about, things got juicy. This was a fun twisty book. While reading, I kept thinking this would make a fun movie as well. It is thrilling, sexy, has a mystery, there is drama, and a character who is slowly spinning out of control.

Fun, Juicy and Dangerous

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sophie and her family move to a small town in Texas to leave the hustle and bustle of Chicago. She wants more time with her son, and to be a great homemaker, giving her family the stability she never had growing up. Little did she know how restless she would get.

ENTER SOCIALITE MOMS, run by the fabulous Margot.

When she gets a chance to be a part of this group Sophie snatches it, but what happens when there becomes more secrets she can bear? And then in the middle of a murder investigation.

💭Thoughts💭
This book reminded me of Desperate Housewives, but if they lived in Texas and liked skeet shooting at a Lake house.

What could have been better?
I thought the ending was a little rushed and I wish there was more time spent with the Hunting Wives to really develop their relationships and characters. I just wanted more.

What I enjoyed?
The book was fast paced, mysterious, and had a couple twists. Just like Desperate Housewives, I found it entertaining and binge-able and FULL OF DRAMA and secrets.

I honestly think this is another book that would make a fun tv series!!!

Thank you @berkleypub and #netgalley for this e-arc!

3.5/5 rounded to 4 for netgalley

Don't mess with a Texas gal or her gun.

Welcome to the piney woods of East Texas in a small town where everyone knows everyone else and the rumors abound. Sophie and her family have moved back to this town where she spent two years in high school. She thought it would be a better place to raise her son compared to Chicago. She might be right and she may be wrong.

I will have to admit that the first half of the book (or so) was somewhat slow as we learned more about Sophie, Margot, Erin, Callie, Jill, and Tina. I learned that most of these women were catty and shallow, and liked to drink a lot. It seems like they were always getting drunk. I don't know if they weren't happy with their lives or if they were bored or something else. Sophie also has an obsession with Margot and it takes some time to really get down to the reason for the obsession. At the outset, it might be because she is bored with her life, and moving to this town may not have been what she was expecting.

Most of the characters are unlikeable but in a way, they draw you into their world. It is surprising what they manage to get away with and keep from their families, or are they? I think their spouses have an inkling about what is going on and either keep quiet or have their own agenda.

We learn at the beginning of one death, but you won't get the details about that until much later. There is another death that shocks the small town especially when other information comes to light. One might think you learn who to trust or not trust, and just when you thought you had it all figured out there are some twists that will surprise you.

The moral of this story - don't go looking for happiness in others because you will only find it in yourself.

Overall, I found this book to have some good suspense/thriller moments but it was hard to root for any of the characters except maybe Erin. We give it 3 1/2 paws up.

I have been waiting to get my hands on this book ever since I saw it come out as a Book of The Month. Such a thrilling read! I could not put it down. This book was giving me major Desperate Housewives and Single White Female vibes.

I couldn’t put this one down. Real Housewives of suburban Dallas has nothing on these vicious and deceptive socialites. Couldn’t stand the main character as she was just a little toooo much for me.

Thank you Berkley for the gifted copy of The Hunting Wives!

While I have never seen an episode of any of the "Real Housewives" TV shows, I know what they are and I have to imagine that The Hunting Wives has a lot for the same elements in common: wives behaving badly, keeping secrets, living wildly, and all the drama! If you like that TV series, then this book is perfect for you! I don't normally get into stories heavy with the drama, and this one did go a little over the top for my personal preferences, but I still had fun reading it. The mystery in the second half of the book is what made this one work for me. If it was just going to be naughty drama all the way through, I don't think I would have liked it as much.

With that being said, I think The Hunting Wives is very well written. The character development is strong and the plot was also well done, with lots of storylines weaving together. This is one of those novels that is just a lot of a fun to read, a great guilty pleasure! If you are looking for something light and fun to take your mind off of things for a while, this is a great choice!

I received a gifted galley of THE HUNTING WIVES by May Cobb for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review!

THE HUNTING WIVES follows Sophie O’Neill, a wife and mother who is relatively new to the small Texas town. She has a lovely family and a beautiful home, but she still feels like her life is missing something. When she meets Margot Banks, she’s instantly attracted to Margot’s glamorous life and the excitement that brings.

Margot is part of a secret club known as the Hunting Wives. They get together and drink, do some target practice with guns, drink some more, and target young men for a bit of fun. Sophie is thrilled to get get invited into the club and she is fully drawn into their lifestyle, even as it puts her other relationships on the rocks. A body is found near the location where their club generally meets and Sophie is suddenly in more danger than she realized.

This is a hard book to review. It is full of characters that I couldn’t really like, but that were incredible readable and kept me wanting to know what would happen next. I flew through this book in a single day. I was so frustrated with Sophie and the choices she was making. She really needed to find a way to be her own person and take stock of the good life she was already leading! While I could understand the desire for friends, this wasn’t a group of women I would find appealing.

If you enjoy a book about adults behaving VERY badly, this is one to add to your TBR.

You will enjoy this book if you like rich women behaving badly and/or the show Desperate Housewives (except in suburban Texas rather than Wisteria Lane). It was fun and a relatively quick read. I don't like the phrase "guilty pleasure" because if you like something, don't feel guilty about it! But this book felt like a guilty pleasure. There's lying, cheating, drinking, guns, ruined friendships, and, of course, murder.

This book was a wild ride! I really felt like I was there, a part of the "Hunting Wives". Margot Banks was painted in such a way that I even found myself wanting her to like me. This story was perfectly descriptive, and I must say I love a plot twist. This book really makes you think about that fine line and what it takes to cross it. Our protagonist Sophie was both relatable and just far enough away to make you say "What are you doing!?" I questioned her constantly and yet I couldn't help but like her. This story will draw you in and leave you wanting more. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a thriller that makes you feel like you've jumped into the story and you're living it along with them.

If you think this is just your friendly girls get together novel with rainbows and butterflies you best be prepared. These girls are rich snobs whose main worry is to drink red or white wine while relaxing in the sun. And they don’t come with baggage but a whole heck of a lot of drama. This is a very rich character driven novel, charged with the many personalities of the women whom it consists of. The Author does provoke some controversial scenarios and gets you thinking. And boy did I have my opinions. It surprised me with what the ladies were able to do with their time when they weren’t drinking and how they managed to do it soberly. I wouldn’t suggest this to anyone that had an alcohol problem because on almost every page, some form of alcohol is discussed. I could have done with a little more lemonade and less conversation about booze. Despite that minor glitch, I absolutely loved this book. It was clever, engrossing, expressive and thrilling. A cult like mania evolved to a thrilling mystery that you want to help solve. The action is non-stop and you won’t stop turning pages but just be prepared for a bit of shock and awe.
*****
Sophie & Graham O’Neil move from Chicago to a small Texas town. She meets and becomes infatuated with one of 3 women she begins to hang around with named Margot. Margot is up to no good most of the time and it still doesn’t stop her magnetic effect of people. She is an influential socialite and everyone in THE HUNTING WIVES club can hardly turn down a request to hang at one of Margot’s properties for a little fun. These wives seem uncontrollable when in Margot’s presence and do things their husbands wouldn’t dream of. And one day when the girlfriend of one of the wive’s sons goes missing, it doesn’t seem to be a surprise when new girl, wife Sophie ends up at the other end of the law being framed for murder. Now no one in the club will take her call. Was this a set up all along? Or was the friendships real? Who would want a young teenager murdered and have it pinned on Sophie. Oh, if you only knew.

Thank you to @berkley and @letstalkbookspromo for a copy of the book. I totally binged on this bored housewife gone bad story. This was a fun thriller that I could not put down. Sophie is obsessed with Margot and her friends who are the “in” crowd of the town. She goes beyond what is reasonable behavior to stay in with this group and I find her actions very questionable. Overall, a fun entertaining read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of this book by May Cobb - 4.5 stars for a wild read!

Sophie and her husband, Gabriel, have just moved from Chicago to a small town in Texas where Sophie lived for a period during her high school years. Tired of the rat race of the big city, Sophie was looking forward to a more relaxed, simple life with plenty of time to spend with their young son, Jack. That's exactly what she got except she is now so very bored. When she meets the "it" woman in town, Margot, and is invited to a select group's secret hunting night, she is excited and intrigued. But Sophie soon finds herself even more obsessed with Margot and doing things she never dreamed she would. When a teenage girl is found dead on the property where they meet, everything changes.

This was definitely a mean girls group fueled with incredible amounts of alcohol and I was screaming to Sophie the entire time to just go home to her husband and Jack! But then we would all miss out on reading this deliciously fun book. The ending totally surprised me and this book kept me glued to the pages.