This was a soapy, wild ride. It is peak dramatics in all forms and I feel like if you love Real Housewives type shows, this book will be up your alley. For me it was a little too over-the-top, and one of the climactic moments a little too convenient, but it definitely held my attention.

But I think if you're looking for a less serious summer read, this could be the one for you.

I will be the first one to admit this: I judged The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives by the title of the book. Since Kristin Miller is a new author to me, I assumed that this book would be something like Joan Collins writes. So I wasn’t surprised when I started reading TSLOTW and realized that this book was nothing like Joan Collin’s books. Instead, this was a psychological thriller.

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Lives follows three women: Brooke, Erin, and Georgia. Brooke moves into the gated community with her husband, Jack. Erin is married to Mason and has just quit her job to focus on her marriage. Georgia, also known as “Black Widow” because of the deaths of her previous husbands, is engaged to be married. There are dark secrets that the three women keep. These secrets could destroy lives if revealed. What are they, and will they be revealed?

The plot for The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives is fast-paced. This book starts with a literal bang and doesn’t stop until the last page. The author was able to keep the pacing of the book up, even with the three separate POVs. I loved it!! I also loved that there was a slight lag too.

I loved Brooke, Erin, and Georgia, and I loved how the author kept me on edge with their characters. Just when I thought I knew those ladies, the author threw a tidbit or had them do something that made me go, “Really!!” It made for a good read because I didn’t know how these characters would end up.

The mystery/thriller angle of the book was well written. There were red herrings all over the place, and nothing was what it seemed. As soon as I thought I figured out what was going on, the author did a 180 and changed things. I loved it!!!

The secondary characters made the book too. Mason, Jack, and so many others. There were ones I loved and ones that I loathed.

There was a secondary storyline that involved Brooke and her past. I did predict what happened, but I didn’t expect what grew out of it. That took me by surprise!!

I wasn’t surprised at what was revealed about the deaths of Georgia’s husbands. I guessed that pretty early in the book. But I was surprised at who was involved and why that person got involved. So that made me look at that character differently.

I am going to warn that domestic violence is discussed at various points. For example, there are scenes where a woman gets beat by her husband in front of a child and another scene of a husband smacking his wife where the bruises couldn’t be seen and covered up with makeup.

The end of The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives was insane. I almost couldn’t keep up with everything that the book revealed. There was a huge twist that shocked me. I did not see it coming, and it blindsided me. But, once it was announced, it made perfect sense.

I enjoyed reading The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives. This book hooked me from page one, and I couldn’t put it down.

I would recommend The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives to anyone over the age of 21. There are trigger warnings, which I discussed above. They are domestic violence and cheating. There are also scenes of pill-popping, sexual harassment (Erin’s male boss told her to get on her knees and beg for her job), and lots of drinking.

Growing up in Northern California I can definitely appreciate the setting of this novel but the characters were petty, superficial, and hard to like. The title of the novel intrigued me because amidst the certain mystery I was curious whether the reader would be treated to a multi-dimensional look inside the lives of trophy wives, "arm candy," or "gold diggers" but there is a huge lack of insight into who these people are and what makes them tick. it took me quite a while to read through this novel and it produced enough mystery and intrigue that I was committed to finishing it. As with any novel, I am the type who wants to "buy in" and become invested in the characters and the plot/story. If I am unable to do this then the process of reading becomes a slog. It wasn't a terrible read but it also wasn't one that I can wholeheartedly endorse nor recommend.

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives is the quintessential summer read. I finished it about a day and has all the perfect elements of a character you love to hate, one you are intrigued by, mystery and suspense with some glamour thrown in. When Brooke moves into a new neighborhood, she becomes friends with her neighbors- Erin, the glamorous HOA president, and Brooke, the so-called Black Widow who has buried to husband at a young age. As Brooke gets an insight into their lives, will she be drawn into the web? Finding out was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon with this book. Perfect for summer/vacation. 3.5 stars

Welcome to the Real House Wives of Presidio Terrace, a presages and exclusive neighborhood in San Francisco with sprawling views of the Pacific Ocean and Golden Gate Bridge.

The Sinful Lives Of Trophy Wives by Kristin Miller centers around three women who live in the neighborhood. All trophy wives of course...

Georgia St Claire, who is also known as the Black Widow Killer because her first two husbands are dead, one from falling down a staircase and the other from an apparent suicide, but there is heavy speculation that they had help. She is now engaged and preparing for her third profitable marriage

Erin King a popular and top-ranked newscaster for a local station, worries her looks and popularity are fading. Erin is married to a Plastic Surgeon who is a bit of a rake.

Newcomer to Brooke Davies, a beautiful and young mystery writer working on her second novel, is the second wife to a Tech Billionaire.

I think the title of the book speaks for its self, this book is a soap opera, it's juicy, it is dramatic, it is wild and over the top, but it is also a bit of a mystery. I will say, I had suspicions on what was going on but never quite had it figured out is written with each woman narrative and the story moves quickly. Kristin Miller’s writing style is easy and flows well, and will keep you reading because like a curious cat you will want to know what is going on.

The characters are…well I am not sure how to describe them other than over the top. I am not sure I liked any of them, maybe I leaned into liking Brooke a bit, but for the most part they a superficial and almost comical with their jealousies and antics.

While The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives will never be one of my top reads, it certainly wasn’t at the bottom of any list either. It is what you expect it to be. It is not rocket science and it is not a literary masterpiece, but you know what it is? It is the perfect book to throw in a bag, head to the beach, and escape with for a few hours.

Welcome to the exclusive and gated community of Presidio Terrace in San Francisco. Small but very exclusive. Home to rich husbands and their trophy wives.

Brooke is a mystery writer and also the newest trophy wife. Her hubby is a tech billionaire named Jack who is twenty-two years younger and fresh as a daisy. So it seems. She demurs to her husband’s taste and desires. Or so it seems, but there is a lot more to this wifey. I mean, she is a mystery writer. Published.

The new place comes with an HOA with rules that are insane, to say the least, and the most neurotic of their neighbors, Erin, a local news anchor, is the head of this tightly controlled cul-de-sac.

Erin is married to Mason. Who is a liar and a wife beater. Erin is a control freak. And when she goes too far on live television, she gets the boot. Since she has made her career her life, she has little of her marriage left. In fact, she thinks her hubby is sneaking around so they go to therapy.

Erin’s BFF is Georgia “The Black Widow”, whose first two husbands died shortly after marriage. People whisper about her but no one is brave enough to challenge her to her face. Now Georgia is about to marry Robert, who loves her dearly until he disappears and the police come knocking on the exclusive community.

During the first part of the book I was picturing a 90’s thing going on but then it became a puzzle to figure out. By the end of the book, no one was what I thought they were and I was happy!

NetGalley/ July 20th, 2021 by Ballantine Books

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives by Kristin Miller is a campy mystery with a definite daytime soap opera style, full of wicked, dislikable characters who are self-absorbed, backstabbing, jealous women!
The fast-paced narrative focuses on a trio of women in a privileged community in San Francisco who are trophy wives. Erin is a TV news anchor; Brooke is a mystery writer; and Georgia is a Black Widow who has already buried two husbands.
The hijinks are outrageously over the top, and completely unbelievable, but it is still an enjoyable read with an unexpected twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books, and Kristin Miller for providing a digital ARC of The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives in exchange for an honest review.
#TheSinfulLivesofTrophyWives #NetGalley

This book left me with my mouth open, I was SHOOKETH!!!! I can’t even explain it, it’s one of those books that will keep you up at night because you have to finish it. It was just amazing! This will make an amazing movie for sure! The twist and the DRAMA! Love it all.

Loved this! So much drama, so many twists and turns and tons of sinfulness & scandal! This would make a great movie! I absolutely loved all the characters, some I simply loved to hate! This is THE perfect summer read!! Highly recommend!

A twisted, dramatic, and sinful read! I couldn't believe some of the parts of this book. They were so good! The ending was shocking and kept my attention throughout!

Thank you to the publisher for my copy of this one, all opinions are my own.

This book should be categorized as PERFECT SUMMER READING - the kind of easy, popcorn thriller entertainment that will suck you in and is just so enjoyable to flip through on a gorgeous, sunny afternoon.

If Desperate Housewives met Real Housewives met Dead to Me - you would have this plot. Set in rich, private suburbia, with three highly interesting women, a missing fiancé, two previous dead husbands, and secrets abounding behind closed doors, there is so much drama packed in here that each chapter flew by faster than the one before it.

I loved how perfectly crafted each of the three women were, with their own private ambitions, secrets and skeletons in their closets. I loved the subtle humor in the story, and the unapologetic desire of these women to get exactly what they each wanted, regardless of the cost. I loved the twists and the turns and the unexpected explosions of mayhem and honestly, I just loved the entire story.

I don't want to say too much because you want to enjoy this one spoiler free, but I promise you, this is the exact kind of summer reading that is a MUST for your TBR - its a something for everyone kind of book, and you'll regret missing out!

Brooke and Jack are the newest couple on the street. 22 years older, and married to his mistress, Jack knows what he wants in a wife and Brooke knows what is expected of her. Her new neighbors Erin and Georgia don’t help her when it comes to being the perfect wife. Georgia has been coined the Black Widow by the media, since every time she gets married her husband unexpectedly dies. While Erin is trying to keep her husband interested, Georgia is planning her wedding to the first man she has truly loved. When tragedy strikes though, everyones lives get thrown into a tailspin.

This book was very The Real Housewives. I mean minus all the dead husbands and possible murderer wives. When it came to the ladies friendships however, total Real Housewives. The snide and snarky comments Erin and Georgia threw back and forth were so funny from the outside, but damn if my friend said some of those things to me, I’d be out! I also thought it was insane how often Georgia joked about killing her husbands when she was saying she was innocent in their deaths. Any outsider would 100% assume she did kill them. Also Erin was so full of herself. I hated her, but also felt for her so much throughout the book. Overall all the characters were unlikable but likable at the same time, which I always love!

This book begins as though it's going to be a comedy about the lifestyles of pampered California wives, but quickly turns sinister with the disappearance of the fiancé of the wife known as the Black Widow because her previous two husbands died mysteriously shortly after their wedding. Her two friends deal with their own relationship issues while supposedly helping her find her missing fiancé, Intrigue builds upon intrigue as everyone turns out to be something other than what they seem.

This is very additive book that follows the lives of three women that live in a secluded community in Northern California. One woman is known as a "Black Widow", one is a TV news anchor and the third writes murder mystery novels. The story is a scandalous page turner leaving the reader not sure who to trust and is fun read!

Mystery author Brooke and her billionaire tech CEO husband move into a wealthy enclave of high end homes and quirky home-owners. Brooke becomes friendly with the Erin the newscaster and the "black widow" Georgia who has had two husbands die mysteriously in four years and is currently engaged and soon to be wed. When Georgia's fiancée disappears a few days before the wedding, secrets about all three women start to emerge and nothing is what it seems. I enjoyed this book, on the surface it looked like the typical bored suburbanites with secrets book that has become popular but the motivations and secrets of the characters was different than usual. I received a free ebook from NetGalley.

For all the hype II have heard about this book, I had to read it for myself to see what the big deal is all about. Overall, I thought it was ok but nothing new. A cross between Desperate Housewives and the elegance of a 50's TV series. The dialogue was not very entertaining, in fact it was juvenile and annoying AF at times. I loved the characterization of Brooke, Erin and Georgia, they were well written. The actual story was kind of dull and did not pick up until the middle, I felt myself not caring and wanted to get to the end, which was good and fitting.

Recommended but may be disappointed. IDK.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kristen Miller and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 7/20/20

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Three women live in an exclusive community in San Francisco. Georgia is the black widow, having had her first 2 rich husbands die under suspicious circumstances, she is now engaged to a new rich man, Robert. Erin is a newscaster married to Mason. And Brooke is new to the area with her much older husband Jack. When Robert disappears days before the wedding, people start to wonder, did he get cold feet or is it something more sinister.

3.5 stars.

This book was like reading the Real Housewives rather than watching it. These women were awful and nobody in the book was likeable, but that was the point. I didn't really know where this book was going until about 33%, then things started happening and in the end there was more to the story than I had expected. It was a good quick light read.

1 Presiding Terrace, located in California, is an exclusive gated community. Wealthy people reside in this exclusive community. But inside this exclusive community, the women who live their harbor secrets and dysfunction.

This story follows the life of several of the wives residing in the exclusive neighborhood.
Presidio Terrace. As the story unfolds, the resident's secrets are revealed. Told from the point of view of the different women. The story moves fluidly between each woman's story as the reader learns the good, the bad, and the ugly of the lives of the wealthy residing in Presidio Terrace.

Things take a dark run when one of the wife's husbands dies mysteriously. This isn't her first husband to die. Because all her husbands died, she has earned the moniker the black widow

Everyone becomes a suspect as the police investigate the death.
This book has it all: love, secrets, fashion, friendship, even murder. I was drawn into the lives of these wealthy women and their problems. I kept turning the pages because I wanted to know what happened to each woman and how they resolved their issues.
An overall satisfying read.q

This book was so much fun! I admit to vacillating back and forth between captivation and disgust. I mean, the pace was fast and I never lost interest...I was truly vested in the story...but the three main characters, Georgia, Erin, and Brooke, seemed so horrible that it was difficult to root for any of them. But it all came together in a wonderfully delicious, feminist girl-power way.

Entertaining, but unlikeable characters abound in this story! The ladies who live in this exclusive community share one thing in common...the ability to deceive. The book was very fast-paced and difficult to put down!