The title of this one grabbed me - the lives of the wealthy are usually fascinating. Brooke, a mystery writer, moves into an exclusive neighborhood in San Francisco with her billionaire husband Jack. Brooke quickly befriends some of her new neighbors - Erin, a famous news anchor and chairman of the neighborhood board, and Georgia Georgia has been nicknamed "Black Widow" because it is rumored she murdered her first two husbands (in only 4 years) for their money and is now working on her third.

I didn't like any of these women and found them arrogant, vain, and selfish. The story's premise is over the top and is told in turn by each woman's point of view. There were a few surprises. This reads like a soap opera! I enjoyed the writing and it flowed well.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Real Housewives has nothing on Georgia, Erin and Brooke.

GOOD LORD. Let's just lay it all out there.

Erin is a neurotic TV anchor with a handsome plastic surgeon husband.
Brooke is the young new wife of a tech billionaire.
Georgia is the beautiful and rich Black Widow. Two of her previous husbands have died under strange circumstances.

This is a light - fast paced read - there's murder, kidnapping, mimosas, a neighbor who trims her grass with scissors, a huge party, police and a giant yacht. Also...this books takes place in a timeline of 1 week.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this fun read!

This light page turner was a great beach read. Juicy and scandalous! 3 stars for the intrigue but missing a few points due to quality of writing, some errors (like referring to red bottom shoes as Louis Vuitton rather than Loubitons)

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives would make an excellent, drama filled, suspenseful tv show! ⁣
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Brooke a murder mystery writer moves into a very wealthy gated community with her wealthy tech husband and becomes friends with Erin a tv anchor and Georgia “the black widow” who’s lost two husbands and is newly engaged to lucky number three. So much drama occurs around these ladies that you’re just here for the juicy secrets. ⁣
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This was such a quick, suspenseful real house wives meets dynasty meets dirty john read with some great twists that I was not expecting! I devoured this one!⁣
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Thank you @ballantinebooks for an ARC for my honest review! #netgalley #bookstagram #books #thriller

What a delicious sinfully wonderful wonderful book. Poor Georgia has buried her first two husbands and is engaged again. Will the third husband be the one who lasts? This easy to follow and well written, soap opera style, book is perfect for a pool side read.

Scrumptious. Full of gossip and drama. Grab the popcorn and a bottle of red wine…this is the perfect book to lose yourself in.

To me, a great summer read is one that lets you fully forget real life. Soap operas often get a bad rap. But nothing allows you to escape reality quite the same way as a dishy storyline portrayed by caddy women and unconscionable men living exorbitant lifestyles.

The soap opera greats (think Dynasty and Desperate Housewives) have tossed the baton to Miller’s trophy wives, and I was there for every over-the-top, drama-filled moment.

Georgia, Brooke, and Erin are divas with secrets. Their lives look ideal on the outside. Oh but the cunning and manipulation it takes to keep up those appearances! The book begins at the end, in a hospital after a car crash. Georgia is involved. But who else was there? And someone’s dead…but who? Even more important, was it an accident or is this the result of a crime?

Miller’s campy writing style was utterly engaging and worked perfectly for this fast paced drama/mystery. She doled out clues at exactly the right interval to keep me hanging on for chapter after chapter, until I was reading the last page. The foreshadowing was meticulously interspersed and the last twist was utterly brilliant.

I’ve seen some criticism of this book’s soap opera-ish nature…particularly the grotesque wealth, the power of privilege, and the unnerving justification of all sins. But I cut my teeth on the “trials and tribulations” of the Newmans (The Young and the Resless) thanks to *both* of my grandmas. So I guess this book just felt like an old friend to me. Somehow things that I abhor in real life can be overlooked for campy entertainment when presented in such an over the top manner. My recommendation: take this for what it is…pure entertainment.

Thank you Kristin Miller, Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

Brooke is a mystery writer and is new to the ritzy neighborhood. Erin is a news anchor who is questioning her husbands loyalty. Georgia is nicknamed the "black widow" since she got rich after both her two pervious husbands died in her house. The three wives bond when tragedy strikes as they determine to find out the truth.

This was like reading a reality tv show, but make it a thriller. The lies, the secrets, the gossip made this a very compelling book. I read it in one day! This is a fantastic beach read. Anyone who likes mimosas, this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: July 20

Brooke and Jack have just bought a new home in the prestigious Presidio Terrace in the Bay Area. It’s near enough to Jack’s work, and perfect for Brooke to relax and write her mystery novels. When the real estate agent reveals that living just next door is the Black Widow, Brooke is intrigued.

The Black Widow, Georgia, has been married twice. Both marriages have ended in deaths for her spouses - Eli took a terrible fall down the stairs, and Andrew swallowed a gun. Georgia’s best friend is the homeowner’s associate president and news anchor, Erin. Brooke feels there are definitely stories there, and though Jack is reluctant to have her pursue friendships with these women, Brooke can’t help herself.

The friendship triangle that ensues will keep you on the edge of your seat. These three women are quite the trio, with skeletons that are simply falling from their closets. What will Brooke find? And will it be inspirational enough for her to finish her next novel?

This book was pure fun. When you have enough money to achieve pretty much anything you want, the world is your playground. While all three women are very individual, they have the shared characteristic of being “trophy” wives to wealthy men. They live the kind of lavish lives that most can only dream about, and that’s where it’s fun to follow along.

Kristin Miller has shared a simply crazy plot full of situations you can’t imagine. This was definitely a book that was finished quickly, simply so I’d know how it would end. Loved every minute of it. Great beach or sofa read. Grab a mimosa and enjoy.

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives by Kristin Miller is simply scrumptious with its perfect blend of deceit, lies, deaths, and beauty.

I loved the trio of trophy wives narrating this story - Brooke Davies, Erin King, and Georgia St. Claire. They reside in the prestigious gated community of Presidio Terrace, San Francisco, where the grass is never over two inches tall, garage doors are always closed, and cars are kept in the garages when not being driven. With HOA rules like that, who has time to worry about anything other than not breaking any rules?

Brooke is my favorite character and one of the three narrators. She is a mystery writer, married to tech entrepreneur Jack, and is the new, young trophy wife on the block. She shows surprising support for her two new friends – the Black Widow, Georgia, and the head of the HOA, Erin - but the mystery writer that she is, she cannot wait to discover all the dirty little secrets the neighborhood is sure to be hiding behind their well-manicured lawns.

Georgia earned the moniker Black Widow five years ago because her previous two husbands died under suspicious circumstances. With all eyes on her husband-to-be, Robert, speculations abound that his life may be in danger. After all, two times can be a coincidence, but three times is a pattern.

Erin, the third narrator, is a well-known anchor on a local news program and married to her college sweetheart, Mason. All her bravado and confidence are masking a dark secret - she is aging, and it is beginning to seep through the cracks in her veneer. When younger and seemingly perfect, Brooke moves into the neighborhood, Erin cannot keep her insecurities under control anymore, but what she will do next is anybody’s guess.

You can imagine that when these three become involved in something, the readers get the pleasure of a complex and tantalizing story, the likes of which the Desperate Housewives could not even have imagined. All of the residents of Presidio Terrace have motivations and secrets, which sprinkle the story with just the right number of red herrings, enticing you to follow the breadcrumbs to the delectably surprising end.

I cannot think of a better summer read when you are in the mood for some outrageously devious fun.

I was sucked in from the beginning, the title itself being so intriguing - I knew some devious things were going to happen in the pages of this book. It definitely kept me on my toes the whole time!
Kristin Miller is very talented in the way she can write such unlikable characters that you cannot ever fully trust, yet you are still so interested in their lives and what is going to happen next.

This is the perfect summertime, beach or poolside over-the-top drama read. Perfect for those that like a domestic thriller, female friendships, or psychological suspense!

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives is the perfect summer read. I read this book in a day and loved the soapy, Real Housewives vibe. If you liked Big, Little Lies or The Hunting Wives, you’ll love this one!

What a fun, ridiculous romp of a novel! Like The Real Housewives of (in this case) San Francisco. Georgia St. Claire, Erin King and Brooke Davies, a are married, or in Georgia’s case, engaged to older, successful millionaires and residing in the prestigious gated community of Presidio Terrace.
Georgia has a reputation as a Black Widow, since her previous two husbands died under suspicious circumstances, and now all eyes are on her husband-to-be, Robert, whose life I’m sure all the oddsmakers are setting bets on.
Erin is a well-known, prima donna anchor on a local news station, married to a plastic surgeon, Mason. She’s becoming increasingly aware of her aging appearance, especially when younger and seemingly perfect Brooke moves into the neighborhood. She's also getting suspicious of Mason and his faithfulness.
Brooke is a mystery writer, married to almost fatherly tech mogul, Jack. She’s always kind and supportive of her two new friends, but as a writer, she’s also got one eye out for her story at all times.
What a head-spin of a tale! You won't want to put this book down until the bittersweet end!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early e-arc of this novel.*

Three stars for The Sinful Wives of Trophy Wives by Kristin Miller. The plot of this book is fun and a bit unexpected. The story follows three “trophy wives,” switching between perspectives. I didn’t think the characterization of these characters was sufficient to distinguish their “voices” from one another - I often found myself forgetting who was narrating in the first person. A fun, if somewhat forgettable, summer read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love gossipy neighborhood/suburban wife reads, a la Big Little Lies, but this one just didn't work for me. Usually what I love is drama with some true character development/friendship underlying it, but for me these characters felt quite flat and their relationships not genuine.

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives by Kristen Miller
Why does life always seem to be greener on the other side? The lifestyles of the rich and famous seem to be all the envy. But be careful what you wish for! Life is not what it seems in the luxurious neighborhood of Presidio Terrace. The famous news anchor and secretary of the homeowners association, Georgia St. Claire, lives next door. Erin King, who lives across the street, is the president of the homeowners association. But, Georgia has a nickname, the Black Widow. Her husbands have a bad habit of dying.
Brooke and her husband, Jack, are looking for the security that the prestigious neighborhood offers. However, all is not what it seems in the neighborhood. As Brooke gets to know Erin and Georgia, she soon realizes that she is getting pulled into the drama. Brooke figures it will make a great story for her next novel. The lines between reality and fiction are starting to blur. Can Brooke escape the drama before it is too late? Or is she already in too deep?
This was a great story that was easy to read. I did not see the ending coming. Enjoy!!

This started out strong for me - I thought I was going to give it 4 stars at least - as the cast of trophy wives, gold diggers, mystery writers, and is-he-secretly-abusive-or-just-surly husbands were introduced, hinting at murderous pasts and conniving schemes. I really enjoyed meeting the three titular wives: Erin (HOA president and career woman), Georgia (the maybe-maybe-not Black Widow, infamous for her wealthy dead husbands), and Brooke (quite literally, the new girl on the block). For the first half of the book, I was totally wrapped up in their lives, longings, and ambitions. Unfortunately, around the halfway mark, the mysteries and hints dropped started to feel too convoluted, with too many threads and too many red herrings to throw readers off the track, and not enough breadcrumbs to indicate the actual truth. I ended up feeling a little underwhelmed by the resolution, and like too much of the story had been set up to mislead me for it to make sense or feel satisfying, and the characterization I had enjoyed in the first half fell a bit flat somehow. However, I do think the mix of neighborhood lady drama and murderous suspense will appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty, author of Big Little Lies

When murder mystery author, Brooke, moves into a new ritzy neighborhood with her husband, she’s looking forward to meeting her neighbors. Little does she know her neighbors will end up being muses for her next plot!

I sped through this read in about 3-4 hours. Once you pick it up, it’s impossible to put down. It’s dramatic, soapy, and gossipy; but majorly entertaining. You don’t need a lot of brain power to get through it; turn off your brain and let your primal instincts be entertained. It’s the perfect summer beach read. If you like fun, ultra-drama, with best friends you love to hate, read this!

“Presidio Terrace is like a vortex, where negative energy and drama cling to the air like fog, swirling round and round our little cul-de-sacs.”

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives comes out 7/20.

Brooke moves to an affluent neighborhood in San Francisco and quickly becomes friends with Georgia & Erin. Georgia is an infamous woman named the “black widow” as both of her precious very wealthy husbands died in mysterious circumstances. When Georgia gets engaged to the love of her life, he disappears without a trace. But who is to blame? Georgia? Erin? Or Blake? Who is the most sinister of these trophy wives.
Overall, I enjoyed this quick book. It definitely felt far fetched at times but I enjoyed it overall. There were parts that didn’t need to be in the book. For example, the interview or TV show surrounding Georgia and her upcoming potential nuptials. I think that part could have been left out completely. There were hints along the way as to the big plot twist at the end. It gave me Finlay Donovan meets the hunting wives vibes. Overall a solid 3.5 stars.

The book could not have a better ending, I loved it. It is a puzzle to determine what each one of the three women is up to. Do not skip pages it’s important that you follow it all. Who is pretending and lying, who is an innocent victim. What is the story with the husbands? Enjoy all the twist and turn with a final conclusion at the end I bet it is not what you suspected all along.

Three women…all with secrets. Brooke moves to the wealthy enclave of Presidio Terrace and meets Erin and Georgia. Georgia lives under a veil of suspicion…her first two husbands died under circumstances that could be construed as suspect. Erin is a tv journalist looking for more out of her job and her marriage. As these women become friends, we learn just how deep and tangled their secrets are.