When people have a lot of charm, they can win everybody's heart. A lot of them are really nice human beings, but some of them are the worst of the worst... behind closed doors. That makes it hard for the victims to convince the rest of the world what is actually going on.

They also can portray themselves as some kind of God, whilst blaming others for their mistakes.

Their victims are scared and don't find the courage to escape, but when the final drop hits the bucket, some cannot take it anymore and act anyway.

I found this a very complex story and I like that a lot. It's great to follow the path the author has flattened out for the readers and then finding out whether it was real or make believe. 

Looking forward to reading more books by this author. 5 stars

Thank you

This book grabbed me from the beginning.

It's dual POV which I love, because it gives you more info that way.

Sometimes the pace was a bit slow, but it still kept me interested. You really feel for Tess and want her to have a happy ending, but her husband was a whole other story. What a jerk!

This book kept me guessing a bit. At times, it was a little unbelievable, but I'm okay with suspending belief for a good story, and the author brought it together at the end!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have read some of Liz's books in the past, and once really entertained, and couldn't wait for this one. I didn't like the domestic abuse part of the book, but the rest read nicely enough, and I will read more in future.

This was a great thriller and kept me gripped from the start, I loved the dual perspectives and how they tied in together. I will definitely look out for more from this author

This one had me from the beginning. It’s a subject matter that really grabs your attention. It’s told from 2 different perspectives and it’s interesting to see the connection between both. It was a little to slow paced and I would have liked a little more going on but it was still engaging. At times it was uncomfortable reading but it would be odd if it wasn’t. As for the characters I really felt for the main character Tess and I was really rooting for her but when it came to her husband he really made my blood boil. Loved the authors style of writing and how she weaves the story. She keeps you guessing and gives you the twists when needed. It really was an engaging storyline but I did feel it was a little unbelievable near the end but the author did bring it together nicely. Would recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that was published on the 3rd of Nov.

A gripping read with some great twists. I'm a huge fan of the author and this one doesn't disappoint. I can't wait to read more from her.

First I’ve read by this author and I couldn’t put it down. I’m a little upset I waited so long to read it (had read another book with similar plot and didn’t want to confuse the two reading them in succession). Nonetheless I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more by this author.

I have always really enjoyed this author's books, this one was great from start to finish, i would deffinately reccomend it to people who enjoy a good thriller.

The main character was a narcissist and I enjoy reading about those type of people. At the end, I was getting a bit confused with all the characters but it was a good ending.

This book doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and the villain is clear from the start, but as a fairly traditional story of domestic suspense, I thought it did a scary, suspenseful job. The book does a great job of capturing the “frog in boiling water” nature of progressive intimate partner violence. While it was frustrating that Tess could not escape sooner, the book did a good job in exploring and explaining her trapped feelings.

Tired story of domestic abuse. Other books in this genre are better written with more believability, suspense and tension. Believability is questionable due to someone staying in such a toxic relationship. It is also unbelievable that a stranger on the train does not intercede earlier. A psychological thriller should have just that- some thrills or chills. The Next Wife doesn’t deliver in the edge-of-your-seat factor.. . The storyline held my interest as I tried to unravel plot, but the pacing bogged down as did my interest. Character development is lacking; The antagonist is one dimensional and there is no depth or even explanation into his psyche. There is an interesting and intriguing twist at the end . Regrettably, it is too little, too late. The reveal simply takes too long and the story line lacks credibility. (Complete dominance after only four months of marriage? No explanation of name change? No explanation of perverse motive of antagonist?)

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was gripping. I loved it so much. It was actually terrifying , thats a good sign if reading a thriller. Very fast paced, well written. Loads of twists. I never saw the ending coming. That was so good.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first novel by Liz Lawler. I had heard great things about her books from friends/fellow booklovers, so I was very excited to be approved to read this. The Next Wife was a top notch thriller for me. Tess, a young surgical nurse, has fallen head over heels in love with Daniel, an older vascular surgeon. They marry, move into an old house, and things start to fall apart and change for Tess' newly found happiness. We are also introduced to an older woman, named Martha, who can't help but spy on Tess and Daniel because something seems familiar to her about him. Even though this book is set in current times, I got all kinds of creepy gothic vibes from the atmospheric description of the home, furniture, clothing and Daniel's actions. Tess' life was described very detailed, like a nightmare you just couldn't wake up from. I found myself empathizing with her, and I just really connected to her character. I also loved the medical aspect of this book, just things thrown in that were very descriptive and were interesting to read about. Daniel was one sick man, but yet you are drawn to feel sorry for him somehow. This is all to thanks to the talent and style of Liz's writing. I loved it. The ending came with a nice twist that I was not expecting, nor had I figured out. That is nice, because a lot of thrillers lately, I have been able to guess the culprit way before the end. This book keep me guessing. I give The Next Wife 4/5 stars. I am excited to read more by this author.

The Next Wife is Liz Lawler’s third psychological thriller and is a heart-stopping, dark and twisted story of what really goes on in a marriage behind closed doors.

WOW 😯 what a cracking read ! Had me gripped from the first page! The storyline was brilliant and quite dark in places where it highlighted domestic violence. A great read with a great twist at the end ! Highly recommended

After Tessa and Daniel marry he moves her into a huge, fully furnished home without telling her he bought it and overnight he becomes different. He is now controlling, demeaning, and abusive. Then an older woman comes to the house to tell Tessa that she should ask him about his first wife and what happened to her. Tessa is living in a nightmare and she has no idea how to get out or if she can. This was a good, suspenseful read with an ending I wasn’t expecting.

The Next Wife by Liz Lawler is a great book. With a horrifying description of domestic abuse and the horror that goes on behind closed doors, it’s definitely an eye opener. It captivated me from the first few pages and left me wanting more.

Loved this one! So easy to read and lots of twists and turns along the way. Definitely a quick read and one I recommend.

Tess and Daniel marry after a whirlwind romance. Not two weeks later, Tess is ruing the day she met him. What has changed .. .and why?

He starts by criticizing her clothes, her shoes, her make-up. Then he buys her clothes that would suit a frumpy elderly woman. When he takes his phone and her her credit cards, and locks her in her room, she's decided she's had enough.... but now she discovers that she is pregnant.

OK.. so maybe she'll stay and hope things get better, Until ... an elderly neighbor stops by and tells her she shouldn't trust her husband and suggests she ask Daniel what happened to his first wife.

First wife? What first wife? Where is she?

This is a psychological thriller that has been done numerous times. It is well-written, with a few surprises here and there. The characters are deftly drawn, but Daniel was over the top and Tess was a bit too wishy-washy. The ending made the read worth while .. it was unexpected, surprising.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Wow this is a show stopping heart wrenching dark and very twisted thriller that's enough to put anyone off marriage for life!

Lawler’s character development is fantastic and I really really hated Daniel, an evil, vile man.

After a whirlwind romance our poor naive Tess is swept off her feet, married and moved away from London to Bath - and from their the abuse and control becomes worse and worse. Daniel then begins keeping tabs on her like a child — he doesn't allow her to use her phone and bank account freely and even chooses what she can and cannot wear but with one mistake everything becomes unraveled.

This is one of the best domestic-based thrillers I've read in a while; it's captivating, terrifying and heartbreaking and Lawler's narrative feels authentic. It is completely relatable and brought me to tears to see how the domestic abuse situation starts to break Tess as a person.

TRIGGER WARNING! There are scenes of violence, rape, domestic and sexual abuse, controlling behaviors and suicide that could be very upsetting to people who have been or are n this situation.

4/5 stars from me and a huge thanks you to the author and Netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.