This one just wasn't for me. There were some good parts that I did enjoy but for the most part I found it be a bit predictable and repetitive. I also felt like it got to be a bit too out there for me in some parts. The ridiculousness of some parts really pulled me out of the story and made it hard to enjoy. I did like the writing though and would probably still look forward to reading her next book.

USA Today’s bestselling author Kaira Rouda is out with her book. The Next Wife is fast-paced and surely a twisty mystery that could be read right till the end. You would easily be able to complete this in one sitting.

The Plot
Kate Nelson has it all. She runs a company with her husband John that is doing well, a happy marriage, and a daughter, Ashlyn. Indeed it is a picture-perfect family. But misery strikes when John leaves her for another woman, Tish, who is half his age. Tish is the ambitious kind and strikes a friendship with Ashlyn and believes she has won over her. However, she is wrong.

Tish Nelson is young, lives a life of luxury and of course, now has a new husband. However, she comes with her own baggage in life. Moreover, if Kate plans on getting John back, Tish is one step ahead of her. But what happens next is something neither Kate nor Tish saw coming. As best-laid plans come undone, there’s no telling what a woman will do in the name of love – and revenge.

Review and Verdict
The book is light to read. I wouldn’t say it’s a hard-core thriller, but it sure has a decent element of mystery. I did catch the clues strewn across though and could predict the outcome quite early.

A decent one-sitting read, you could pick up for lazy weekends.

What a showstopper! From the gorgeous cover to the fabulous ending it is amazing! I read it in one setting because I just couldn't put it down I had to see what was next. I am so delighted with this book I can't wait to read more by this author. It will keep you mesmerized. I highly recommend.

I was so excited by the description of the book, and the first few chapters held up. However, the more I read, the more I found the writing to be flat and the plot to be aimless. What was such a soldi concept really missed the mark for me. About halfway through, I skipped to the ending. Disappointment aside, I would still try another book by the author.

This is a juicy, devious drama between two women who want the same thing. A lavish lifestyle with the same man. They’ll go to extremes to have what they want. Kaira Rouda writes in the scorned woman flawlessly. She creates characters that you’ll love to hate. The Next Wife will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.

The Next Wife by Kaira Rouda is a domestic thriller told from three points of view. We have Tish, the greedy, shallow, heartless second wife determined to keep her acquisition...aka new husband. We have Kate, the ruthless, conniving first wife who built a multi-million dollar company with her husband, only to be humiliated and replaced by a younger version. And we hear from Ashlyn, the sleuthing, teenage daughter who is caught up in the trauma-drama of it all. After the company goes public, Tish decides to whisk her husband away on a romantic rendezvous, whether he wants to or not, and the trip turns into anything but relaxing and romantic.

This story started off strong. It was candid, sordid and looked like it might be a riveting, delicious drama. Unfortunately, it soon became fairly repetitive, predictable and borderline ridiculous. It has short chapters and a simplified writing style that make it easy to consume and if you’re looking for a fluffy, soap opera-ish thriller, this may work for you. I really enjoyed Kaira’s previous two books, but unfortunately, The Next Wife felt rather unrealistic, unsurprising and lacked enough substance and originality to make it an enthralling thriller.

3.75 stars

One word: Diabolical

I always struggle to sometimes find one word to describe a book, but this one was easy to identify right from the beginning. Having read Rouda's previous novels, this is my favourite one yet.

Kate Nelson is married to John Nelson and they have a wonderful daughter, Ashlyn. Her life is perfect, until it isn't. Enter Tish, only a few years older than Ashlyn. She is the next wife, and it's hard being the next wife, isn't it? So she plans a romantic getaway for her and John. But from there, everything unravels.

Enough said, the less you know the better.

I devoured this novel in two sittings. It's a very quick read. This book is devious, smart, fast-paced and everything you could imagine about a domestic thriller. But it's also very different for reasons you'll have to find out yourself. The chapters are short and will keep you flipping the pages until the very end. It has revenge, lies, secrets, and betrayal. What more could you want?

Told from the perspectives of John, Tish, Ashlyn and Kate. From the four, Kate is definitely my favourite. She's a mother who will do anything to protect her family. and everything she worked for. And she's done a lot of work for the company she has with her husband, more than he really has. She's not one to give up and will stop at nothing to do what she needs to. I did like how Rouda made every character in the novel play a significant role. Sometimes, characters are pushed to the sideline, but in this novel everyone has a role, whether it is good or bad.

Every time I think the stakes are high, they get even higher and the novel takes an even darker turn. Disclaimer: People go very far in this novel, so beware of that before reading. There are a few twists that you might be able to catch on to, but for me, the ending was brilliant. Like I said, diabolical. I was flying through the last few pages because I just wanted to know how it would end! If you like fast-paced cat and mouse domestic thrillers, this one is for you!

I read this one with my friend Marco @bookish_mom1329 back in January after we both received an advance reader copy, and she ADORED it, gave it 5 stars.

I had a little bit more trouble with it, and ended up rating it 3.5 stars. I found it incredibly predictable, to the point that I considered not finishing. For a buddy read especially, I hated to not keep going, so I did and while the book had characters that were easy to love to hate, I just felt like it was missing something for me!

This was my first book by this author, and I enjoyed the writing style enough that I would definitely pick up another of her titles to try — I definitely think it was more ME, and that others would find this story one to enjoy! (& they clearly are, it’s getting rave reviews, so IDK what my deal was, I’m sorry!)

Thanks to Megan Beatie of @mbc_books + NetGalley for providing me an eARC to read & review!

Oh how I needed this book. A thriller that had me turning pages and trying to guess where the twist would come in was exactly what I was looking for when I picked up Kaira Rouda’s The Next Wife.

A young, trophy wife takes the place of the wife who stood by his side as he became the man he was. The catch, they all work at the same place. I cannot even imagine going to work and having to look at the man who cheated on me and the woman he cheated with every day. Kate stuck it out, stayed on the job, and did it all with grace. Tish was jealous of Kate, she wanted everything Kate has. I so enjoyed watching the wives play games against each other. I kept reading in anticipation of what they would be doing next.

The end…YES! I loved it. I did not know where I was heading but I am so happy that I got there.

Best. Epilogue. Ever.

Another AMAZING book by Kaira Rouda! I did the audiobook for this one, and flew through it in a day as it is absolutely fantastic. (Audio is also fantastic btw.) Kate and John started their business together as a married couple and it has been very successful, and then John left Kate for Tish, a woman half her age and who was also an employee at the company. Tish has also become friends with their teenaged daughter Ashlyn, so when John marries Tish, she thinks she has it all - the money, the lifestyle, the man, and the family she never had. Fast forward 3 years later and Tish is now getting apprehensive about all the time John is spending with Kate as they work on a company initiative, so once it is finished she thinks they should get away for a romantic weekend, away from exes and stepdaughters. And she wants to remind John who he is married to, and let’s be honest, remind Kate as well. But best laid plans….

This was so good! Told from the POVs of John, Kate, Tish, and Ashlyn, I enjoyed it so much. I loved the back and forth between Kate and Tish and all the drama about who was ‘ahead’. As Tish was only a few years older than Ashlyn there was drama between them too and it was great. What I love about Rouda’s books is there is always a slow build and you know something epic is coming, and this one did not disappoint. The ending is SO satisfying, my jaw was open and I was stunned. Exactly as I expected to be. I can’t say too much more without giving away spoilers, but add this one to your list, you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the digital copy to review.

Best-selling author, Kaira Rouda is back with another one of her psychological domestic dramas, a genre she seems to rule. THE NEXT WIFE (Thomas&Mercer) will have you questioning everything and everyone and has a chilling ending you'll never see coming.

I should never have married him. I ignored the warnings. It’s what you do when you’re in love. Ignore what you don’t want to see.

My husband is everything I ever dreamed of. A handsome, successful doctor who swept me off my feet.

Our new life together is perfect.

He’s perfect.

But am I good enough for him? I never seem to get anything right. And I’m starting to feel a little afraid of the man I married.

He’s taken away my bank card and my phone. I don’t know what to think or what to do. I gave up everything for him and now I’m trapped.

Then a stranger comes to our door. She tells me that I can’t trust my husband.

That I should ask him what happened to his first wife.

Kaira Rouda has once again produced a smart, intelligent and unpredictable read that'll have you flipping the pages once you start to the very end.

I will read anything that Kaira Rouda writes. Before even reading the synopsis or settling in with her books, I know the story will be a little creepy, very suspenseful, and will keep me guessing until some major twist happens. In The Next Wife, she didn’t disappoint.

Check it out:

Kate Nelson had it all. A flourishing company founded with her husband, John; a happy marriage; and a daughter, Ashlyn. The picture-perfect family. Until John left for another woman. Tish is half his age. Ambitious. She’s cultivated a friendship with Ashlyn. Tish believes she’s won.

She’s wrong.

Tish Nelson has it all. Youth, influence, a life of luxury, and a new husband. But the truth is, there’s a lot of baggage. Namely, his first wife—and suspicions of his infidelity. After all, that’s how she got John. Maybe it’s time for a romantic getaway, far from his vindictive ex. If Kate plans on getting John back, Tish is one step ahead of her.

She thinks.

But what happens next is something neither Kate nor Tish saw coming. As best-laid plans come undone, there’s no telling what a woman will do in the name of love—and revenge.

I LOVED Best Day Ever and really liked The Favorite Daughter, The Next Wife was just as good and clever as Kaira’s previous novels. You never know what is going to happen next and that is the fun of her books.

Coming out on May 1 but if you have Kindle Unlimited, you can get this book as your April pick. Hurry and grab it!

Words cannot explain how much I loved this book!! I don't think I ever read a book as fast as I did this one -- it was so incredibly hard to put down and if I could have I would have just read it straight through without getting up!! This is the first book I've read of Kaira's but I will definitely be reading all of hers. This story revolved around a seemingly perfect couple who start a hugely successful business. Then... he has an affair with his assistant and eventually divorces his wife and marries her. It may sound typical -- but that's where the typical ends!!

The captivating storyline made it super hard for me to stop reading.
While reading, I was on the edge of my seat through it all!
This was such an amazing book and Kaira did an incredible job of the writing of this one!
The Next Wife has some.awesome characters you'll love and hate!
But will Tish the current much younger wife come out on top or the ex older wife win?

Thank you to Netgalley for this copy of The Next Wife. This was a twisty tale about betrayal. The character development is excellent. I really enjoyed this book.

This was not my favorite read from Kaira, but it's not a bad easy summer beach read! It's entertaining, but predictable, and that's where this one fell short for me. There are multiple points of view, and I feel like this could have done better without it. I still would come back to read more from her again!

No one writes a psychopath like Kaira Rouda! I couldn't put this book down and I never saw the end coming.

3.5 stars rounded up!

I love Kaira Rouda's writing style - sarcastic, witty, and at time laugh-out-loud. I knew this was going to be another sarcastically written thriller as soon as I read Part 1.

Overall, the pacing was a little slow, and some chapters I found repetitive, however the ending delivered a somewhat foreseeable twist.

Out 5/1! Don’t miss this one if you love Rouda’s previous books - Best Day Ever & The Favorite Daughter. Thank you to the publisher & @getredpr & netgalley for my gifted review copy!

Perfect families, perfect companies, perfect relationships- Kaira Rouda has explained them all in her best-selling novels. Will that be a theme in her latest novel, The Next Wife?
John Nelson is a very lucky man. Within days the launch of the IPO for the company he and his ex-wife, Kate, own will transform John from rich Cincinnati businessman to wealthy Cincinnati businessman. Good news number one.
John and his ex-wife Kate have developed a workaholic business relationship. They share ideas for new products and frequently discuss company issues. They have worked together for over twenty years. Good news number two.
John has a new wife. Tish was hired to be John's personal assistant. This role evolved into a romantic relationship and John divorced Kate and married Tish. Tish is also a tall blonde beauty, twenty-five years younger than John. She is also only four years older than John's daughter Ashlyn. Kate may hate Tish, but Ashlyn seems to like her. Good news number three.
Everything looks rosy for John. However, Tish thinks John is losing interest in her and getting too chummy at work with Kate. Solution? Wisk John away from the celebration party for the IPO launch and head off to the Telluride ski lodge to rekindle their romance.
Two days later John is dead, cremated and the death certificate is issued. Was it natural causes or murder? Either way, Johns good news is over. The surface glittered but underneath turmoil roiled. Now we learn of the real struggles going on in Johns, Kates and Tish's lives.
Was Kate satisfied with her roll at the company? Did she think her and John's daughter Ashlyn was receiving enough attention? Was she angling to get John back or did she wish to punish him for his infidelity? Was she undermining Tish's role at the company? Did she want revenge on Tish?
Could Tish become a force at the company? Was she smart enough to wage war on Kate? Was Tish only interested in money? Who could help Tish? Did Tish have outside resources? Could she keep Ashlyn's trust?
As the Nelsons battle, we receive many clues and hints as to what is really going on - or do we? Hints and clues are not always true. Both wives are capable of unleashing devious diabolical plots against the other. How much damage will be done? Who will survive?
Eventually, the issues are resolved. I'm not sure that everyone will find the resolution to their liking. So many twists and turns need to be straightened out that they can seem ponderous. The story is not new but to me it is unusual. I cannot recall reading of two women involved in a life struggle who are neither one likeable.
Once again, Kaira Rouda has shown us that when we look at perfect people all we are seeing is what we want to see.

Tish Nelson thinks she has it all. A loving husband, millions of money, control of his multi million dollar company, and wedded bliss. Little does she know things are about to go south big time. Her husband John's first wife thought she had it all too until John left her for Tish. Making her a laughter stock in their company. Then John dies suddenly and the fight is on between the two wives for control of the company. Who will win?? 

This novel is amazingly diabolical!!!!!!!  I read this suspense thriller in one day and loved every juicy minute of it. This is in my opinion Kaira Rouda's best work yet. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Trust me you will love it too!!!!!!