Member Reviews
The Sinful Lives of Trophy Lives, by Kristin Miller, is not my kind of book in a genre that is fundamentally foreign to me. Watching TV shows about the “fabulously” rich never seemed like a good use of my time. I don’t understand greed past the point where the money makes any difference in your style of living. Suffice to say, the three main characters are wealthy, greedy, amoral, and criminal.
While I am probably not the right type of reader to write a review, I extend thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing – Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read a digital ARC.
Just from the cover alone, you know you're in for a scintillating, scandalous read. In this book, you meet up with three affluent, gorgeous women who live in the exclusive Presidio Terrace enclave in the Bay Area. You have a mystery writer new to the neighborhood, a reporter on the rise married to a plastic surgeon, and the "Black Widow" of the block who supposedly offed her two prior husbands, according to rumors. Now she's on number three, and the wedding's soon approaching. Will it go off without a hitch?
When I received this book, I was lured in by the cerulean blue cover and the mysterious woman. I was settling in for a latter-day "Dynasty" or even "Melrose Place" type of book, possibly Jackie Collins fare. While it starts out that you observe these wealthy women in their plush habitat, it course corrects and becomes a suspense novel. That was a little off-course, and maybe it's because of the title. It wasn't the book I thought it was going to be.
Other issues lurked within this book. Although you get ultimately three different perspectives, the characters sounded very similar, so I had to look more than once to remind myself who was narrating. Several plot holes litter the story, and I was surprised by the epilogue. Some things seemed to come out of left field. It almost seemed like the story changed right when I was settling in for some hijinks of the jet set. I was looking for more decadence, I suppose. And I didn't buy the "fast friends" bond that these seemingly competitive women create.
It was enjoyable enough, but maybe it's not marketed in the right direction. I expected a very different book than I received, but it kept me mildly interested.
This is a story about three women who appear to have it all, but appearances can be deceiving. Erin King is a leading television journalist married to her attractive husband, Mason a plastic surgeon. Georgia St. Claire is engaged to the love of her life Robert, a loving, attentive, and wealthy man. Brooke Davies is married to a tech billionaire who appears to have a perfect marriage to the public eye. The women reside in a wealthy and prestigious neighborhood and while they appear to have it all, they are each looking for something in their respective ways.
Erin is facing personal challenges both at work and her marriage. After an explosive argument at work, she walks out of her job to focus on her marriage only to discover that her husband was not as committed to their relationship as she had hoped. She attempts to reclaim her place at work however soon discovered that she doesn’t have as much clout as she believed.
Georgia is infamous but not in ways one might suspect. Rather, she had two prior husbands, both who met untimely deaths and whose deaths are believed to have been intentional. Nicknamed the black widow, she is now moving on to husband number three and it is unclear whether he is her great love or her next victim.
Brooke is the girl next door, married to a loving and doting husband who gives her everything she desires. While the reader is led to believe she is a simple housewife whose purpose is to compliment her husband’s life, the reader soon learns that Brooke is an accomplished author who is seeking inspiration for her next novel. She surprises you several times throughout the novel and ultimately leads to an ending that is not anticipated.
This book has a lot of attention-grabbing themes – love, lust, infidelity, murder, jealousy, wealth, greed, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and rebirth. While there was significant potential, this book falls flat and fails in execution. The themes are not fully developed, and the author only scratches the surface leaving the readers wanting more. The characters lack depth and development causing them all to seem silly and lack any substance. The relationships, including friendships are insincere, lack depth and are sometimes inappropriate. The characters lacked substance and made them extremely unrelatable. Whereas one would suspect to feel compassion, the lack of character development just left the reader not caring one way or the other for the character or the outcome. The entire plot just seems entirely unrealistic. It was hard to take seriously how Erin and Georgia openly joked about the murder of Georgia’s two husbands, the police investigation into the disappearance of Robert, the therapist’s relationship to Erin and Mason and the predestined friendship of all three women. As a reader, I did not feel emotionally invested in any of them. Rather than cheer these women on, I felt the plot and circumstances surrounding the entire situation just unbelievable.
The pace moves quickly, and it is an easy read to get through despite the lack of character development and realistic premise. The book has a lot of potential. It just fails to get there, and the premise is better than the actual read itself.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
The build up to the meat of the plot was much better than the payoff. I felt like I was reading two different books, and when the action started heating up in the second half is when I kind of lost interest.
A suspenseful, thrilling read. Brooke is a young trophy wife who has just moved into the exclusive gated community where she meets Erin and Georgia. Erin and Georgia quickly become friends with Brooke and the three are caught up in their own troubles. All three have their own secrets and both Brooke and Erin actually do not have the perfect marriages that they make it out to be. Georgia, who is newly engaged appears to have the best chance at having a happy marriage. the secrets and lies are slowly revealed throughout the story. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.
Brooke and tech billionaire husband Jack have just moved into Presidio Terrace, an upscale community full of other rich couples like themselves. One neighbor, Erin, is on the verge of a breakdown and quits her job to be more available and focused on her husband so he doesn’t leave her for someone younger. And rumor has it that Brooke’s other neighbor, Georgia St. Claire, is the black widow—a woman who has had two husbands mysteriously and unexpectedly die within a year of her marrying them both. And now, Georgia has a new beau. Is this man in danger of getting tangled in the black widow’s web? Each of these women are hiding secrets, so to what lengths would they go to keep them hidden? Murder?
This book was so fun and twisty and just completely unexpected. I felt like I was reading the script for a daytime soap opera. I didn’t necessarily connect personally with any of the characters, but they were so over the top and quirky that I couldn’t get enough of them.
I really enjoyed the alternating timelines between Brooke, Georgia, and Erin. Seeing a glimpse into each of their lives shows that not everything is as perfect as it seems, and what you find you may be jealous of in someone else may just be the thing that tears them apart.
The alternating viewpoints made this book a fast read. Each of the women were so sneaky and unreliable it had me guessing what was happening until the end. While I had some idea of what might be happening, I never had that “aha!’ moment until it was finally revealed and it all made sense.
Overall, this fun, juicy, gossipy, twisty book gets 5 stars from me. I would recommend this to anyone who likes drama and mild thrillers.
I was all in on this 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴-esque story of three wives who live in a prestigious Bay Area development - one is known as the Black Widow for allegedly killing her first two husbands, another is a local news anchor trying not to age and the third is a young new wife to an older tech billionaire . They each have secrets that I was dying to discover but the twist at the end left me scratching my head. That being said, it was a great beach read and I'll definitely pick up Miller's next book.
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book by how entertaining and intriguing the characters were in the book. The book is separated into narrations and chapters relayed by the 'trophy wives' these being Brooke, Erin, and Georgia. The latter is a woman labeled as the Black Widow given her past two husbands have died unexpectedly.
All of these women come together and discover an unexpected friendship in their neighborhood, Presidio Terrace. Each 'trophy wife' has her own secret and her own story to tell. Brooke is the mystery writer who is married to Jack, a man twenty years her senior. Jack continues to worry that the longer Brooke interacts with the other wives she will reveal the true secret behind their marriage.
Erin is a notorious news anchor that after too much stress and far too much frustration over the treatment of her co-anchor she snaps and walks out on her job. Such a choice leaves her questioning if Erin herself should become a trophy wife. Most of Erin's actions and behavior is strongly controlled by her envy over Georgia and Brooke's youth, beauty, and naturally effortless personalities. However, for Erin, stress hits from all sides especially in her marriage, a marriage that is crumbling. Erin is left with the suspicion that her husband may be cheating on her and that suspicion results in some dangerous behavior from Erin.
Then there is Georgia, the Black Widow. Of course most of the husbands of the neighborhood urge their wives to stay away from Georgia lest they get any 'ideas.' With Georgia there is so much more to the story then what is painted out to be seen. Georgia has an effortless grace and skill and not to mention a near actress like quality. To say in other words... Georgia is a manipulator that does what she needs in order to get things done.
In fact right now Georgia has a fiance and the neighborhood is left wondering if he is going to be the next victim, especially when days before the wedding day, he goes missing. This is where it all gets interesting because the true nature of Erin is even more so exposed, Georgia is revealed as not being so much of a Black Widow as expected, and who Brooke really is comes to be revealed. The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives is a book that leaves you with unexpected twists and revelations towards the end, and the justification to their actions is almost strangely acceptable. As a Summer Read I would certainly recommend the book because these trophy wives are left leaving the reader wanting more. Until next time, happy reading!
Brooke and her husband Jack are moving to the prestigious Presidio Terrace, a private neighborhood full of San Francisco's wealthy elite. The rules are strict, the security stricter, and the secrets darker than she could ever imagine. With the HOA president, Erin, across the street and the famed Black Widow, Georgia, next door, Brooke sets about making friends with the woman who might just inspire her to finish her next novel. She could never have expected just a week into the new neighborhood she'd be keeping secrets alongside the women as Georgia's fiancé, and upcoming third husband, goes missing.
The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives was just plain fun to read. It's like The Real Housewives franchise with a shot of thriller tossed back. With hilarious dialogue, campy extravagance, and just the kind of murder you'd expect from wealthy, beautiful people, Kristin Miller delivers an entertaining thriller that is, in my opinion, the perfect summer read. I absolutely loved the flashiness of Brooke, Erin, and Georgia's lives. They have the cars, the clothes, the homes, the parties, and the attitudes. The women joke about things no one else would dream of saying out loud and they have the money to get away with it, even when the cops are involved. Unlike your usual trophy wives, these women lead their husbands, dropping suggestions so the men think it's their idea, but its the wives with the reigns and the jobs. Miller jumps into the suspense and thrills right away, with every page turn it gets just a bit more twisted and the women show just how dark they think.
Far-fetched, intriguing, and over-the-top, you'll want a drink or popcorn to dive into The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives.
An over the top soap opera of a book which keeps you turning every page to see what is going to happen next! The title says it all and as I met each of the three characters - I asked myself - "do people really live like this" but then I shook it off and dove into the craziness of the plot and the book!
Take this to a beach, enjoy the dark, twisted, thrilling mystery - because it is real - and get to know Claire, Erin and Brooke and all the blemishes and scars that make up their lives. You will be happy you did!
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a chance to read and review the book!
I received an eARC of The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives by Kristen Miller provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4⭐️
There’s nothing I love more than good murder/mystery set in a prestige area where secrets and lies are the glue that bonds friendships. Each of these women, Brooke (a murder/mystery author with a dark past of her own,) Erin (a news anchor willing to go through any lengths for a huge story, no matter who it might hurt,) and Georgia (dubbed The Black Widow with 2 multimillionaire husbands dead within years, engaged to her 3rd husband) couldn’t be more different from each other; yet their shared experiences brings them together. This was a fun, fast paced edge of your seat, quick read.
I really loved how Miller incorporated Brooke being a Murder/Mystery writer and how it ties into the story. I also appreciated the backstory of the characters and how each used their own trauma as fuel to make the changes in their life. The epilogue was *chef kiss* everything tied up in a beautiful red bow
I was engaged and entertained the entire read. I finished it this in one day. Great for a beach read!!
Blurb:
Meet the trophy wives of Presidio Terrace, San Francisco’s most exclusive—and most deadly—neighborhood in this shrewd, darkly compelling novel from the New York Times bestselling author of In Her Shadow.
Mystery writer Brooke Davies is the new wife on the block. Her tech-billionaire husband, Jack, twenty-two years her senior, whisked her to the Bay Area via private jet and purchased a modest mansion on the same day. He demands perfection, and before now, Brooke has had no problem playing the role of a doting housewife. But as she befriends other wives on the street and spends considerable time away from Jack, he worries if he doesn’t control Brooke’s every move, she will reveal the truth behind their “perfect” marriage.
Erin King, famed news anchor and chair of the community board, is no stranger to maintaining an image—though being married to a plastic surgeon helps. But the skyrocketing success of her career has worn her love life thin, and her professional ambitions have pushed Mason away. Quitting her job is a Hail Mary attempt at keeping him interested, to steer him away from finding a young trophy wife. But is it enough, and is Mason truly the man she thought he was?
Georgia St. Claire allegedly cashed in on the deaths of her first two husbands, earning her the nickname “Black Widow”—and the stares and whispers of her curious neighbors. Rumored to have murdered both men for their fortunes, she claims to have found true love in her third marriage, yet her mysterious, captivating allure keeps everyone guessing. Then a tragic accident forces the residents of Presidio Terrace to ask: Has Georgia struck again? And what is she really capable of doing to protect her secrets?
This was a super fun fast paced thriller that made me keep flipping pages. If you love the Housewives then you will love this book. Told from 3 POVs, Brooke, Erin and Georgia.
Brooke just moved in to the secluded neighborhood and was warned about the “black widow” Georgia. Georgia’s prior two husbands were killed due to questionable suicides. Georgia is now engaged to another man and they are having an engagement party on a yacht. Her fiancée comes up missing. Has the black widow returned?
This kept me guessing and I was shocked at the end on certain things. Must read!
Summertime reading at it’s best. The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives is a delight. The beautiful cover caught my eye first. The story is told in three POVs. I was fascinated with the lives these three women led. Not all is as superficial as it seems. As the story progresses, we learn what’s under the make up and expensive jewelry. We see to the heart, substance and secrets of Brooke, Erin, and Georgia.
The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives is a fast paced, surprising escape. I highly recommend.
3.5 Stars
This book had a very Desperate Housewives vibe to it. Each woman has her own mini-drama occurring, and they band together to cope with the situations. The power of friendship is on display here, and Miller does a great job building those relationships, while at the same time showing just how fragile those bonds can be. This is a short, quick read, and if you are looking for a great soapy read, this book is for you!
Many thanks to @netgalley and Ballantine Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Wow! This is a sinfully delicious read! I was hooked from the start. The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives was a true page-turner for me. I just couldn’t put it down once I started reading!
I found the premise intriguing and author Kristin Miller’s execution of it is excellent. Each “trophy wife” gets her say as they share in the narration of the story. Erin, the uptight newscaster, is the most frank in her version of the truth. Georgia, the so-called Black Widow, has a reputation that she can’t shake and doesn’t put forth a lot of effort to do so. She and the new neighbor, Brooke, are rather enigmatic. They clue readers into what is happening, but they hold their cards close when it comes to their truths.
There are twists within twists, and all unexpected. Some were so clever that they brought a smile to my face. I did easily guess one small part of the story denouement, but that did not impact my thorough enjoyment of the trophy wives’ tale. No one is depicted as an unreliable narrator, and there are plenty of characters to mistrust. It was fun guessing and re-evaluating hypotheses as I read. The story of these trophy wives is an absolutely engrossing train wreck. It’s like a nighttime TV drama—campy and highly entertaining.
Think you wanted to be taken care of by a super-successful and Uber-wealthy man? You might think twice on that after reading The Secret Lives of Trophy Wives!
This scratched the itch I’ve had since Desperate Housewives came to an end. And then some! What a fun, frothy read, perfect for a summer read.
Presidio Terrace, an exclusive gated community in San Francisco, where the lives of the rich and famous play out, is home to Erin, Georgia, and Brooke, the newest of the wives. There’s plenty of dirty little secrets hiding behind the perfect façade of these well-manicured lawns.
A trophy wife used to be considered a much younger wife of an older, very wealthy man, a status symbol of his power, virility, and attractiveness. But it’s 2021, and the meaning now includes women who are attractive, yes, but also successful. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-new-trophy-wife_b_6207364
And that is what we have here with two of our three main characters.
- Georgia, aka, The Black Widow, so named after two of her husbands conveniently turned up dead shortly after the vows were exchanged. She’s the more stereotypical trophy wife.
- Erin, a local news anchor, is constantly trying to keep her youth and stay relevant in a cutthroat industry where someone smarter, younger and prettier stands ready to take her place.
- Brooke, the new wife on the block, is a successful novelist, busy at work on her second book.
When Georgia’s fiancé turns up missing, suspicious eyes turn towards her, the Black Widow. And, suddenly, this frothy read turns into a whodunit. The clues and secrets of these ladies are doled out strategically to keep me surprised and engaged throughout, flipping the chapters until the final shocking reveal. But lest you think this is all about the wives, the husbands have secrets of their own.
All of these are characters I would hate in my real life, but this isn’t real life. For a well-written, dishy soap opera that is over the top, with a dash of mystery, this is great fun!
• I received a digital copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own
• Published 7/20/21 by Ballantine Books
• This was a buddy read with my friend Marialyce, one that we surprisingly enjoyed very much!
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.
This is an enjoyable book about three beautiful women who live in an exclusive development in San Francisco. Their adventures include murder, intrigue, and jealousy. What more can one ask of an escape read?
Well! I didn't see THAT coming!! That's how I felt at the end of this book....the major ending twist is worth waiting for! We see the story of the "trophy wives" through the eyes of three of the ladies living in the elusive area of Presidio Terrace in San Francisco. Truly the "lifestyle of the rich and famous" goes on in those houses! We meet Brooke, married to an older man who is very controlling.....she is a mystery author and likes to feel that protective. Erin, married to a plastic surgeon and a news broadcaster herself, find her marriage is not all that she wants it to be...nor is her job. And Georgia... known as the "Black Widow" as two of her previous husbands mysteriously died...or did she murder them?? And her current fiancé? Everyone wonders how long he will last! The book focuses on the upcoming nuptials of Georgia and Robert....and the mysteries, twists and turns take place all around it! This mystery/thriller by Kristin Miller has it all and more! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine Books. for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. #NetGalley #TheSinfulLivesofTrophyWives
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Kristin Miller and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Mystery writer Brooke and her husband, tech billionaire Jack have moved to the exclusive neighborhood of Presidio Terrace in northern California. Besties Georgia and Erin who live in the neighborhood welcome Brooke with open arms. Even though Brooke's heard the gossip about "Black Widow" Georgia possibly killing her first two husbands, she continues hanging out with them. Georgia is getting married (again) in a few days and invites Brooke and her husband to a party she and her fiancé Robert are throwing on his yacht. After the party, the girls spend the night on the yacht along with Robert. Sometime during the night Brooke hears a noise and gets up to investigate. She thinks she sees a black rubber boat in the water but isn't sure. In the morning Robert is missing and nowhere to be found.
Meanwhile a stressed-out, self-conscious Erin, a tv anchorwoman, flipped out at work one day, said some nasty things to her coworkers and walked out of her job. Due to her breakdown, Erin has lost her co-anchor position, but is given a second chance - a live interview with her best friend Black Widow Georgia - whom everyone assumes has already killed Robert before the wedding.
What happened to Robert? Will he be found in time for the wedding? And what really happened to Georgia's first two husbands?
When I received an ARC for this book I was really excited and looked forward to reading it. It sounded so good - a light, fun, summer beach read about a group of obscenely wealthy, married women doing nothing all day but shopping and drinking and getting into mischief.
The beginning of the book was a bit slow for me, but once the pace picked up I was hooked. Aspects of the plot aren't always the most realistic and I found myself having to suspend my disbelief a number of times. The book is "darker" than I expected - exploring themes of abuse, kidnapping, and murder.
The chapters are split between Erin and Brooke pretty evenly, Brooke comes across as the true main character. She comes across as cold, unfeeling and emotionless. The synopsis of the book and a few sentences sprinkled throughout are meant to give the impression that Jack is controlling of Brooke and all is not as it seems.
"Like a queen. Locked in a palace."
Yet I never really saw it. It never came to fruition. Brooke would often tell the reader that she and her husband care about and love each other. Their relationship didn't seem to have have a consistency.
Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives was just an okay read for me. I was left with a lot of mixed feelings after this one. Despite the captivating writing style and (overall) interesting premise, the ending was just too unrealistic for me to buy it. I would most definitely try something else by this author. Recommended for fans of thrillers, psychological suspense, soap operas, Desperate Housewives, The Real Housewives Franchise, mysteries, fiction, Gossip Girl, women's fiction.
This was not a super high quality book, but what a fun one to read in a buddy ready!
We had a blast chatting about this one as we read 5 chapters each day. Every chapter revealed more twist and more craziness. You have to laugh along this journey.
I can't say it was quality literary work, but was a fun lighter read that I loved reading along with my book friends!