*sigh*

Another unreliable, weak female narrator. It feels like that's all I've come across lately, so maybe a 2 star review is less than this one deserves...but I don't think so. The fact that she is gaslit by everyone in her life doesn't help much either. It's like women are so untrustworthy, that even their partners can never believe what they say. This is a theme I am constantly seeing; and it does nothing for me, besides make me angry.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thanks to NetGalley, BookClubGirl, William Morrow, and Harper Collins for this copy of "The Replacement Wife."

Ellsa becomes convinced that her brother-in-law killed his first wife and is now responsible for his fiancee being missing. Is she right?

It was a solid story but didn't leave a big impression on me.

(3.5 stars, rounded up to 4)

"The Replacement Wife" is a suspenseful thriller that delves into the complexities of marriage, secrets, and betrayal. The novel follows Elle, a woman who agrees to serve as a surrogate for her best friend, only to find herself entangled in a web of deception and danger.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its intriguing premise and fast-paced plot. Darby Kane crafts a suspenseful narrative, rifull of twists and turns. The tension builds steadily throughout the novel, as Elle becomes increasingly suspicious of her best friend and the true motives behind her surrogacy request. The characters in "The Replacement Wife" are well-developed and multi-dimensional, each harboring their own secrets and vulnerabilities. Elle is a relatable protagonist, and readers will empathize with her as she grapples with the moral dilemmas and dangers that arise from her decision to become a surrogate.

Kane's writing is engaging and immersive, drawing readers into Elle's world with vivid descriptions and evocative prose. The pacing is brisk, with short chapters and plenty of suspenseful moments. However, while "The Replacement Wife" is a gripping read, it also suffers from some familiar tropes and predictable plot twists common to the thriller genre. It is easy to anticipate certain reveals or outcomes before they occur, which can detract from the overall suspense of the novel.

"The Replacement Wife" is a compelling thriller that will keep readers engaged from beginning to end. While it may not break new ground in terms of plot or characterization, its suspenseful narrative and well-drawn characters make it a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! I read Darby Kane’s first book and loved it. This book was no different. The twists and turns made it easy to fly through! I will be recommending this book and reading more by Darby Kane. This title will become a staple on my display where I work at a public library. Thank you again to NetGalley!

This book was just okay. I have loved other books by this author but I found this one to be a bit of a let down.

This was a wild ride, I liked the way the story progressed quickly and I really liked the main character, Elisa. I thought her internal voice seemed very real and relatable. I enjoyed how we kind of doubt Elisa at moments and aren't sure if she's believable. I would certainly recommend this book to fans of thrillers and I think Darby Kane is a very good writer. There were just a couple of things I didn't like about this book. One was the alternate POV chapters came off a bit stilted in tone and took me out of the story. I'm sure that was intentional and meant to misdirect or obscure the POV’s identity, but I didn't enjoy it. The other thing I didn't like was that although we do eventually learn what happened to Abby, I didn't find the reveal satisfying at all in its content or its delivery. That being said there's plenty to love here including lots of insights about marrige, motherhood, families and mental illness that I really appreciated. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance copy of this book.

Elisa has the perfect family and enjoys having her brother-in-law, Josh visit. However, Josh’s most recent fiancé is missing and Elisa is concerned. Mostly because Josh has been married before and his wife died in an accident. As Elisa tries to figure out what has happened, the gaslighting begins and it is RUTHLESS. These characters are unlikable BUT the twist was great in the end.

Darby Kane is a must-read author for me ever since her debut. What I love about many of her books is her main character, who is typically a strong female lead who is underestimated by those around her.

In THE REPLACEMENT WIFE, Elisa is a wife and mother who rarely leaves the house after a traumatic incident several months prior. Her husband Harrison is supportive of her stepping away from work. As the book opens, Elisa is suspicious of her brother-in-law Josh after his girlfriend (and Elisa’s friend) Abby went missing.

Elisa is frustrated that Josh and Harrison brush off her concerns about Abby’s disappearance. Meanwhile, Josh seems to have moved on quickly to a new woman named Rachel whom he says he met the year before. Did he start seeing Rachel before Abby even disappeared? Even more troubling, Elisa finds some of Abby’s belongings hidden away and becomes even more convinced that something nefarious happened.

When she learns that Josh was married before she met Harrison and that wife met an untimely demise, Elisa’s instincts are on red alert. Harrison won’t listen to her, but Elisa presses on looking into Josh. She not only fears for her missing friend Abby, but now Elisa is worried about Josh’s new girlfriend Rachel. Meanwhile a mysterious woman keeps showing up places where Elisa is. But the more she tries to uncover what is really going on, the more Harrison and Josh are concerned about her mental well-being. Is Elisa on to something or is she losing her mind like they say she is?

The Replacement Wife is definitely a page turner, and I wanted to keep reading to find out what was really going on with Josh. There were so many clues and moments that seemed suspicious. While usually this makes a great thriller, in this book they were almost exhausting at times. There were so many clues that it became uncomfortable how Harrison and even Elisa doubted what she was saying.

Harrison seemed supportive, but at the same time, we learn that he never told Elisa about Josh’s late wife and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. This seems like a big omission and it made me question their relationship. I often wondered if Harrison could be trusted after that information comes out.

Elisa is a character that I often found exhausting. I like an unstable main character, but Elisa verged on whiny and it took too long for us to learn why she was so fragile. I think if I had known about the incident at work sooner, I would have felt more sympathetic for her. That said, she has good instincts. Josh is an infuriating character, constantly stopping by Elisa and Harrison’s house without asking first. He doesn’t seem as worried as he should that Abby disappeared.

Elisa is deeply worried about Abby’s disappearance, but doesn’t know how to go about tracking her down. Meanwhile Josh’s new girlfriend Rachel is a puzzle herself. She seems sharp and put together, and she’s an ally for Elisa. But Rachel also is inconsistent and deceptive. She tells Elisa things aren’t serious between her and Josh, but then other events portray the opposite. She helps Elisa track down clues and is a listening ear, but she doesn’t always keep Elisa’s confidence.

I didn’t know what to make of Rachel, which made her more fun in some ways than Josh. The other interesting mystery was the woman Elisa kept seeing around—first at Harrison’s work, then at Nathan’s school. Why does this woman keep appearing in Elisa’s life and why does Harrison claim to know nothing about her?

Elisa becomes more redeemable as the book goes on. The mysteries and twists kept me reading, though I never really ended up liking Elisa or any of the characters. I found Rachel to be the most intriguing, and I wanted to know how the pieces of the puzzle would come together. I had a lot of theories and this story kept me guessing the full way through.

A solid psychological thriller, though not quite as good as the other books by Darby Kane. I recommend this for fans of domestic suspense and an unreliable narrator.

What would you do if you thought you had a serial killer in the family? when she begins to suspect that her brother in law might have killed his wife and his fiance, she woriies that hisnew girlfriend will be next. But are her suspicions just figments of imagination or could she be looking at the wrong family member? So much drama, but what if she's right? A great thriller with some interesting twists along the way.

A gripping thriller! I loved every minute of this book and couldn't put it down! Oftentimes, I felt unsure of the narrator which only added to the suspense.

I really enjoyed the authors previous book, Pretty Little Wife and this one was just as good. The thing with this author is that she makes me want to keep reading even though her main characters are so unlikeable. Elsa is convinced her brother-in-law is behind the disappearances of his wives and girlfriend. Or is she just whacko? Now, I do have to say it took a sec to get fully involved, but once I did, what followed was a fast-paced thrill-ride that was hard to put down. The ending was nicely done! I look forward to more books from this author and can definitely recommend this one!

I honestly do not know what I would do if one of my in-laws had one dead wife, a missing fiancée and now a new girlfriend. It really doesn't look good for that person and I can definitely see where Elisa's concern is coming from.

Is it Josh that is at the center of these crimes or is there something more sinister going on in this seemingly quiet family than meets the eye. Digging into such matters can also unbury secrets that otherwise would have gone undiscovered.

A suspenseful and thought provoking story.

What a ride. There were portions of this book that were slow but overall this was an exciting book and kept my attention.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House for a copy of The Replacement Wife by Darby Kane.

Elise has some suspicions about her brother-in-law that are disturbing – is he a killer? Is he killing multiple girlfriends? Fiancées? Wives? Who is next and can Elise prove her suspicions to be true?

First, I love a book with short chapters. And while this can lead to reading until 3am with the “just one more chapter” mindset, it also means staying immersed in the story and being done before you know it.

Second, I struggled a lot with the gaslighting that occurred within the story – I just do not have any time for it, unless it is a key factor in moving the story/plot along and is acknowledged it is occurring.

Third, while I found the story somewhat predictable, the twists and turns kept me hooked and I enjoyed reading through them.

I greatly enjoyed the authors debut novel, Pretty Little Wife, so I was thrilled when I received The Replacement Wife from NetGalley. This one was ok. Elisa’s best friend and future sister-in-law is missing and nobody but her seems to care. The story takes off from there with a strange red head following her, her charming but potentially sociopathic brother in law lying to her, her clueless husband not believing her, all while dealing with her own mounting fear, anxiety, and depression in the wake of her own severe trauma.

While I tore thru her first book, this one left me wanting a bit. It wasn’t bad just not as good. Elisa was weak and annoying. This has been at least the 3rd book I’ve recently read where if the main character had only picked up their phone to record a conversation or take a few pictures the entire book would have been over much more quickly. The overall mystery was decent even though I correctly guessed who was behind it. There is a bit of surprising violence at the end and I’m not sure how I feel about the overall ending.

I did a combination of reading and listening to this one and I did enjoy the narrator.

**thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review, sorry it was late.**

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

The Replacement wife by Darby Kane was the first book I have read by this author. This was an interesting story although most of the characters are completely unlikeable. Elisa is an unreliable narrator and she is one of those characters that is completely obsessed with the fact that she thinks her brother in law killed his fiance. She's one of those characters who doesn't let it go-- she goes on and on and on about it which became a bit repetitive. While the story was a bit predictable - I enjoyed it for the most part and would read another book by this author.

I enjoyed this psychological thriller. This book was fast paced with twists and turns I never saw coming.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Is she crazy or being gaslit and if so by who?


People are messy, relationships too. This psychological thriller took that theme and ran with it. The characters were messy and unlikeable.

Elisa was supposed to be sympathetic I think but made such stupid decisions I couldn’t cheer for her. The writing was good and kept be entertained but I found myself heckling the characters as I was reading it. Probably not what the author intended.

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC.

I knew Darby Kane would be an auto buy author for me after reading her debut. The Replacement Wife did not disappoint. This was a fast paced, twisted book and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Can’t wait to read more from this author.