Thanks to Linette at Harlequin for the ARC access! This thriller pulled me in right away with the voice. Melanie is a stay-at-home mom outside of New Orleans, with two kids in school. She's also a caregiver to her elderly mother-in-law, and her husband is always at work or hobnobbing with the rich men in the neighborhood. Out of boredom, she begins attending a writers' group at a local bookstore. That's where she meets Luke, the enchanting writer who does readings at the store. Melanie is drawn into his orbit, and they begin an affair. Melanie's also getting tangled up in the drama from a local cop, who's corrupt and a known abuser. She wants to help the women he's abused, particularly a woman she watched get into an altercation with the guy, but she doesn't know how. Her secrets collide when she finds Luke dead at his rental house. Melanie is caught between her lies and her desire for vengeance, and a reckoning is coming - she just doesn't know what will blow up first. This was a perfect beach book - yep, I actually made it to the beach in my neighborhood, and it was a random gorgeous day in May in Ohio. There is plenty of deception and many red herrings that add a sense of unease and a misunderstanding of what's really going on. I'm going to go back and read Glass's first book now!

Melanie Hale has the perfect life, or at least that is what it looks like from the outside. She has a loving husband, she adores her two children and they live more than comfortable. However, being a housewife, main caregiver of their children while also caring for her husband's mother who is living with them, has her tired and willing to try new things like a writer's group. She expected a few hours out of the house discussing a subject she loves and gave up long ago, but instead she meets the dreamy handsome and successful writer, Luke. She starts living a double life, while not willing to leave or hurt her family, she can't stop the affair she had started with Luke. When one night Melanie finds Luke dead in his rental home, her real problems begin. Not only does she have to keep her affair a secret, but now she also has to avoid being a suspect in Luck's death.

This book took me on a ride, a very good one. The book is written in first person and it does feel like you are right there experiencing everything the main character is going through. There were lots of turns and twists which had you wondering who the murderer was or if there even was one. In fact, the end completely surprise me.

The book is well written and one you will enjoy reading or even as an audio book since it is so immersive. I also liked that the book wasn't incredibly graphic when it came to sex, even when an affair was taking place. I say this because it makes the book more appealing to more audiences (eg. LGBT).

Overall, I loved this book and I have already started recommending it to people. If it is released as an audiobook I will definitely get it so I can experience it all over again.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me ARC in exchange my honest review.

I flew through this book, it was one that I couldn’t wait to pick back up when I had to take reading breaks.

I loved how it was over dramatic in the twist, or anything unbelievable. I absolutely loved Collins character, I loved to see a devoted husband who was also a good dad.

Domestic thrillers are my favorite genre and this one did not disappoint. The writing was great, characters were great and I was questioning everyone involved. I was really waiting for Claire to have some part in the madness.

Thank you for early access to this one, I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This was a bit of a slow burn, but with an action-packed ending. It centers on Melanie, a happily married mother of 2, who randomly starts an affair with a visiting writer, only to risk being exposed when he turns up dead.

I couldn't quite figure out why Melanie started the affair to begin with, other than out of potential complacency or curiosity. I didn't find her super likable, as she seemed to use people around her (i.e., her "friendship" with Lacy) and also made some stupid decisions. I wish I could have better understood why she did the things she did and what she was thinking.

Despite not being enamored with Melanie, I enjoyed the read and felt it was a steady slow burn. The end of the book had a couple big twists, neither that I saw coming, and one causing me to suspend my disbelief. Though it seemed rather "out there" to me, it was enjoyable to read.

Overall, fun book with a unique take on a common story. This wasn't my favorite book ever, but is definitely memorable, and the ending was a fun ride. Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Melanie Hale is the mother of a moody teenage girl, a son with special needs, and the primary caregiver to her husband's dying mother. There isn't a minute in her day that belongs just to her, and she is tired, very tired of it all. It is not that she regrets caring for her family, but wonders where her dreams fit in this picture.
She joins a neighborhood book club full of her pretentious and oh-so-perfect neighbors, and that does nothing to fix her life. When her husband Colin suggests she join a writer's group at the local bookstore, she initially thinks it is a bad idea. After all, she hasn't written a thing in years, and she does not need the humiliation from other writers. But something has to change, so she decides to go. What she encounters is a welcoming group, but also a local writer Luke who seems to have everything Melanie does not.
Their affair makes her feel vibrant and alive, but the guilt is overwhelming. Melanie goes to Luke's house to end their relationship, and finds him dead, and not from natural causes. She can't call the police and admit she was having an affair, so she quickly leaves, certain that no one has seen her arrival or departure.
It isn't that easy though, and soon she is being blackmailed. Pay up or face the consequences of her actions. Things go from bad to worse as the police question her about her involvement with Luke. The only choice she has is to find out who killed Luke and hopefully keep everything far, far away from her trusting husband.
This didn't have me furiously flipping pages like many thrillers. It was a slow burn for me with some very well-developed characters and some food for thought plotlines. Normally, I wouldn't feel much sympathy for a main character like Melanie, but the author really brought out the fact that even though she wasn't perfect, she was just at the end of her rope and made one really bad decision. I was also pretty surprised at the killer's identity. That person really didn't catch my eye.

Such A Good Wife was a slow burn where I couldn't trust anyone! I overall enjoyed the book and the twist took me buy surprise! Thank you for my advanced copy!

Melanie has a wonderful family, she also has a lot of family responsibilities that leave her physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Then Mel has an affair with a local author and she is both excited and ashamed. When she finally decides to end the affair she discovers her lovers dead body and runs away. Then she is embroiled in a blackmail scheme and becomes part of the police investigation. This book is an addictive page turner. Highly recommend!

Slow burn thriller filled with intrigue, betrayal. Just when you think you know what happens next, twists and turns fill the pages. Married life, family aren’t quite what they seem for Mel and Colin. Yoga and book clubs are a touch boring ... will an affair help?

This is a beautifully written domestic thriller and I adored every page. Mel and Colin are a regular couple, often overwhelmed with work and child rearing trying to live a middle class life and mostly succeeding. Colin works as a real estate broker and Mel does typical suburban homemaker things like yoga, book clubs, girls nights out, . One evening, Mel joins a writers group meeting at a local coffee shop where an established writer Luke is giving a reading.. The world changes. Mel changes. The story changes. Glass writes intelligent prose and we are reading the story from Mels perspective and much of the narrative is Mel thinking, feeling and acting instinctively as she starts an affair. Then the author is murdered. I was rooting for Mel and Colin all the way. Mel becomes a different woman and I respected her choices and actions as she laid them out. Knowing she was a suspect Mel is determined to discover the truth. It’s devastating yet fun to read. You will love it!

Dark, juicy thriller centered around a suburban mom, who has become a bit burnout being in her role. When she chooses to follow her passion, she becomes entangled into a deceptive plot. Good beach read. #suchagoodwife #seraphinanovaglass #netgalley

This novel is a slow burn, character-driven story. Despite it moving quite slowly, it held my attention and I found it to be a fun and entertaining read. This is my first by Seraphina Nova Glass, and I will on the lookout for other works by her.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Books, and Seraphina Nova Glass for the opportunity to review this ARC. This review and all opinions are my own.

Betrayal was just the beginning…
Melanie will do whatever it takes to keep her family safe. She starts having an affair with guy named Luke.... He turns up dead!!! She has to keep het affair hidden as well as trying not to become a suspect in this murder of her lover boy.

This book was great. Heart pounding. Think you have an idea but really have no clue read.
Very enjoyable.

Slow burn psychological/ domestic thriller that you find yourself drawn into its rich deeply layered character driven writing!

I am kind of true addict WTH I just read books with so many twists and never see it coming revelations. This book is so different from my normal smart, mind blowing, fast pacing thrillers but I still enjoyed it too much because...
Well, Melanie Hale is flawed but honest heroine who makes us truly feel how a person who is suffocating, trapped in her own life, trying to find a way to escape from her own realities for just a second to breathe!

You can feel her cry for help, giving up her own writing career to take care of her son who is at the spectrum of mental illness. And she also finds herself taking care of Colin’s mother who suffers from dementia, slowly dying, losing her cognitive skills. Let’s not forget her daughter who turns into a sulking, whiny teenage.

Colin is buried his head into his work. Even though he’s the sweet and kindest guy, the flame they had before already diminished!

Melanie feels lost, breathless, lonely, unhappy, exhausted, unfulfilled ! She tries to join the book club to connect with her privileged, pretentious, gossiping neighbors which results as disaster.

Colin suggests her attend a writing group at a bookstore. And she meets with charming Luke, a romance writer, who rocks her world. She feels the attraction and she tries to resist but she cannot! So she cheats, she hates herself but she cannot stop because first time in her life she feels alive! The forbidden intimacy, the undeniable attraction between them crushes into guilt feelings, her responsibilities to her family.

She decides to end things between them but as she stops by his house, she finds him lying on a blood pool! It’s too late! And somebody sees her living his place! Somebody tries to blackmail her! She is already summoned to the police station. Could she be the prime suspect because of a crime she didn’t commit! Who may have killed Luke? An ex? A rival? Somebody she knows?

This is more a psychological, slow burn, high tension suspense novel with detailed and impeccably well crafted characters. The characters’ evolving at the risky situations pick your interest more than the ongoing investigation.

It was solid, well written suspense reading with impressive character building. That’s not my favorite kind of exciting, intriguing thriller novel but I still couldn’t put it down till the end and the conclusion was outstandingly great which made me rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 steamy, intriguing stars!

Even though our heroine has flaws, telling lies, cheating, you can easily resonate with her and understand her misery, desperation without prejudging her.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin / Graydon House for providing me this digital reviewer copy in exchange my honest thoughts.

A little fun and games is healthy right? An affair is ok, right? No one will know. Except someone always knows. A family can be destroyed when unfaithfulness is added to the equation. Sometimes you forget what you can lose in a blind moment of lust.
How will you fix things when you may have gone too far?
Brilliant story!

Ooh the book clubs are going to love this one! With a touch of Gone Girl thrown in, don't let Mel's role of the good housewife fool you...she'll do whatever it takes to keep her family safe.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a character driven story with some likable characters...others not so much...the story moves slowly as the mother deals with her children and family issues. It is a quick read albeit and once finished, questions ensue...try it and see.

I love this multi dimensional thriller. It was extremely fast paced and a fun read. I would highly recommend this book

Such A Good Wife...As if!

Melanie is happily married to Collin. They have a teenaged daughter and younger son, and also care for Collin’s mom, who is pretty much on her deathbed. Despite some struggles, they remain happy. Melanie has always wanted to be a writer, so when Collin convinces her to join a writing group at the local bookstore, she decides to give it a go.

That’s her first mistake.

At the bookstore, she meets a well known romance author named Luke. Immediately smitten and not able to hide her rapidly growing desires, Melanie begins an affair with him. Despite her guilt, she keeps it up until it finally dawns on her what the fallout could be if her family ever found out.

She decides to break it off, and goes to his house to do it in person. Unfortunately, Melanie never has a chance to tell him...because Luke is dead. What’s worse is that someone seems to know she was seeing him.

If only she never went to the bookstore.

When a book has mostly all unlikeable characters, it’s important for me to still be able to root for one if I’m going to enjoy it. Luckily, I was rooting for Melanie despite her moral issues. This is a fun read with simmering suspense throughout. While the tension doesn’t necessarily build, there are a couple unexpected surprises and a deliciously wicked ending that borders on bonkers...but totally works.

This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and I look forward to more. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you to HarperCollins/Graydon House for sending me a widget for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on: 8/10/21.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

Melanie Hale is all things to all people – a devoted wife and mother, a caregiver to her mother-in-law and the person everyone turns to when they need a favor. But there is little left over for Melanie herself, so one night she begins an illicit affair with a local and successful author. She’s a little shocked at how easily she slips into her new personna, lying with ease and doing things that could hurt others while pleasing herself. Then Melanie finds her lover, Luke, murdered on the floor of his home. If she calls the police, not only will she have to come clean about the affair, she will likely become a suspect in the murder. How far Melanie will go to see her secret kept makes this a riveting, “oh my god, that could be me” thriller