Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for the advanced ebook of His Loving Wife! I LOVED this book! First of all, I loved the beautiful cover that gave me creepy Sleeping with the Enemy vibes. Second, I loved the relatable family dynamic. Third, I loved gaining the perspective of the aftermath of surviving a traumatic event as a family. Fourth, I loved how I had no idea where this book was headed for a LARGE portion of it. It was a true treat to get completely engrossed in this family and how they survived. I highly recommend for my thriller lovers!

Pub Date: October 4, 2021

#Bookstagram #AnxiousReader #Thriller #Netgalley #HisLovingWife #MirandaSmithAuthor #SpookyReads #FallReading #CoverArt #FictionReader

“His Loving Wife” is my first novel by Miranda Smith and I definitely want to check out her others after this one!

A year ago someone broke into Kate’s home and put her family in danger. She believes it’s all her fault. A year later, her husband Andrew, booked the family a surprise vacation to get away and work on putting their family back together after that horrible night. But Kate and Andrew know that the danger their family is in is far from over…

Likes:
- Alternating chapters flashing back and forth between the past and present
- My heart was seriously racing at times! This was truly such a suspenseful read and I felt all the fear of the characters each time they were put in a situation. Made for such a good psychological thriller!
- The plot was very creative and I loved the twists and turns of the book.
- The isolated beach setting and family drama vibes this book gave off.

Dislikes:
- The start was a bit slow, however I never lost interest and the middle picks right up and never stops!

Pub Date: October 4, 2021 - make sure to be on the look out for this one!!

The early chapters seemed to promise so much. The book begins with Kate waking to the sound of an intruder in the house she shares with her husband Andrew, daughter Willow and son Noah. Not only is the fear felt by Kate truly palpable as she opens the bedroom door to see a masked man in the hallway outside, but it also has the reader questioning how they would react in the same situation. Would we, like Kate, be prepared to face any danger for the sake of our children, or would our instincts - like Andrew's - be to freeze, leaving us only capable of trying, and failing to summon the emergency services on our phone?

Subsequent chapters alternate between the previous year, in which Kate discovers that the intruder was known to her, and the present day in which the family are on their first vacation since the break-in. After a year of both Kate and Andrew having struggled, in their own way, to come to terms with what happened and received therapy, this should have been a time of much-needed escape and relaxation. But Kate - and through her, the reader - feel increasingly uneasy. Something isn't right. Could the same intruder from a year ago have found where they're staying, and be out to harm them again? And if not, what other explanation could there be?

These chapters continue for about the first three-quarters of the book. So yes, you could argue it's a slow burner, but I didn't mind in the least. it manages to stay suitably tense and compelling. Which just means I'm all the more sorry to say that the ending, for me, just didn't live up to the promise of those early chapters.

Firstly, it's one that I saw coming. Not because there are any giveaways or big clues - it isn't that clumsy - but because I read quite a lot of psychological thrillers so just knew that there had to be a twist coming. And with such a small number of characters, this one seemed to be the most obvious.

Second, it all felt a bit sudden and a bit rushed. Almost as though the author had suddenly realised how many words she'd written and thought: oh, wow. I'd better wrap this up somehow'.

Perhaps worst though is that I don't think it would have needed to change much for me to have loved it. Perhaps a bigger shock, which saw one of the characters we had been routing for not escaping alive, would have done it. Another possibility would have been if we had known earlier who the real culprit was and been allowed to enter his/her mind to the extent that we understood, empathised, even begun to share the belief that he/she was actually doing the right thing.

But without either of these things, the book for me lost its tension at the time when it really needed to be ramping it up. Which meant that instead of feeling 'wow' as I finished the last page, I actually felt a little bit 'meh'.

My thanks to the author, Bookouture and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this book, which I have reviewed voluntarily and honestly. I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

Wow, what a great book! I don't want to give any spoilers away, but this books delivers all the suspense, character development and of course twists and turns!

Kate, her husband Andrew and their 2 kids are still reeling after a home invasion left them feeling vulnerable and afraid of what could possibly happen next. More information comes about regarding the identity of the invader, which leads to his eventual capture. Kate's husband Andrew plans a idyllic family beach vacation to get their minds off everything. What happens next will SHOCK you!

Great thriller and I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Someone broke into Kate and Andrew's house. A year later, the family is still dealing with the aftermath. When they find out the perpetrator will be released from prison, they decide to go on holiday to postpone having to deal with it. But fear follows them wherever they go.

I enjoyed the author's previous books, so I was excited to be approved for this ARC.
The book started with a bang, and it had me hooked immediately, but after some time, the story slowed down, and I wasn't sure if I'd give it more than three stars. Also, I wasn't a fan of the alternating timelines. However, the twist compensated for all the shortcomings; it was mind-blowing, and it had me madly turning the pages to find out how the story ends.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. WOW! This book is so suspenseful and a real page turner. I promise you will not be disappointed if you love suspense! I highly recommend this book and this author.

Though beautifully written, His loving wife is a slow paced psychological thriller.

A year ago, Kate’s ex boyfriend Paul broke into her home one night with the aim of causing harm to her family. However, they survived but the tragedy has left Kate and her family in fear forever. Now a year later, Kate’s husband has planned a beach house vacation, so he can protect his family from Paul, who has been released and also to spend some time together as a family without fear. Will Andrew be able to protect his family and will Kate be able to relax? Or will this holiday give rise to more dangers,fears and loss?

Had the author focused on one story, this book would have had more potential. For me, the starting chapters of the story did not connect with the climax of the story. The latter half could have been a entirely different book with a potentially greater topic where Andrew was dealing with his mental health issue in which he was unable to protect his family. The characters also felt a bit weak. I would have liked to see more of Paul’s involvement in this story. The book alternate between present day and a year age which was okay.

Will I recommend this book?
Why not! It’s a nice book except for the fact that it did not work for me much.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and author Miranda Smith for this ARC.

His Loving Wife opens with a terrifying home invasion for Kate and her family. The rest of the story deals with the aftermath of this, going backwards and forwards between present day and the previous twelve months since the invasion. It had twists and turns throughout which kept me gripped and had a major twist that I did not see coming and was truly satisfying bringing the whole story to its fabulous conclusion.
I loved every minute of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC

I really enjoyed this book by Miranda Smith! This is the first book I have read of hers. The title of the book kind of made me think the wife was going to turn out to be a murderer or something, but that's not what happened. There were a few crazy twists in this book that had me on the edge of my seat, but I don't want to give anything away, so I’ll leave it at that. I thought Kate’s husband, Andrew, was an interesting character. I’ve never read a book where the husband is weaker than the wife and displayed so many physical emotions, such as crying and expressing his feelings. I thought Kate was such a strong female character, and even though she had certain anxieties as to what was happening in her life, she always pushed through them and came out stronger in the end. I was glued to this book for two days straight. The ending caught me by total surprise. His Loving Wife was a really well written, suspenseful psychological thriller, with some twisty moments, and bits of domestic crime sprinkled in. This book is a must read!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I will be posting this review on Instagram @thrillersandcoffee

Despite all the glowing reviews, I just wasn’t impressed that much. Yes, what happened to the family was absolutely horrible. Nobody is prepared for something like that. Not Kate and her husband Andrew, and especially not Willow and Noah. Recovery from such an ordeal can take a long time. There were some surprises in the story but for the most part it dragged along. Other thing I could see coming a mile away. What’s so special about having a two week holiday? Why keep pointing that out? I didn’t think Kate and Andrew very strong characters. I have no picture in my mind of either of them; me, I would have left Andrew long ago, despite the strong connection. He may be good as a friend, but I thought him a quite weak husband. Much later in the book another man is introduced, and although he turns out to be very bad and dangerous, as a character he stood out.
It's not a bad book; it’s just not entirely to my taste.

Thanks to Netgalley for this review copy.

After reading Miranda Smith's novel 'What I Know' that earned 5-Stars on Bayside Book Reviews, I looked forward to reading her new release, 'His Loving Wife." Miranda has become an author to watch for me, so I was pleased when Bookouture approved an ARC for review.

It's difficult to discuss His Loving Wife without giving away spoilers, and I try to be careful not to reveal critical plot points. I will say there are sketchy characters in the first half of the book that made me wonder when the protagonist, Kate, would see through them, but all became clear in the second half. I had a bit of trouble accepting that a relatively mild inciting incident created the impetus for the rest of the story, and that's why I rated the book 4 Stars instead of 5. The tension in that early pivotal scene could have been tightened several notches to be totally convincing. But that's just my take.

At roughly 70% of the novel I had an "ah-ha" moment when I understood exactly what was about to happen, and was glad Kate gained clarity soon after. I rooted for her all the way through the book. The pacing picks up little by little in each act, like a train gaining steam, and then roars toward its very satisfying conclusion. I look forward to the next book by this author.

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the novel. *NetGalley Top Reviewer.* This review will be posted to Bayside Book Reviews at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Bookouture and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Thrilling, spellbinding, surprising, twists and turns. You’ll be captivated from the beginning.

This was one of those books that just made me hold my breath in so many parts. One that completely surprised me. I did not see it coming. I never guessed. I didn't figure it out. That is a good thing too. Usually I come close if I don't actually get it.

When Kate and Andrew take their two children, Noah and Willow, on vacation little do they know how much their lives will be changed. After the trauma they went through a year ago from a home invasion they deserve time away to regroup. To get back to what matters most. Each other! But can they truly put it behind them? Can they move forward and be the family they were before?

This book goes from when the break in happened to after the break in. From when this family's lives were turned upside down. From a horrible act to what should have been a relaxing time to get back what was lost that night. After a few secrets come out though can it ever be the same?

Kate is a wonderful mother. A wonderful person. She would do anything for her children and she certainly did the night of the invasion. The night that left them all terrorized. The night a man broke in and threatened Noah and Willow. Kate was strong enough to stand and fight. She didn't have a choice in her mind. I admired her. I liked her. Her kids are typical. A boy who is just a wholesome kind caring kid. A teen who can be moody and stuck on her phone all the time but still a good kid. A husband who to me left a lot to be desired. I just didn't like him for a lot time in this book. After I did some serious crying though he did grow on me.

I thought this book was well written. It had the things that I love in a book. A few chuckles. A lot of edge of your seat. A few questions of what the.... And some tears. It held my attention from the beginning all the way to the end. I'm still shaking my head at that ending. It was so unexpected. I honestly didn't see that coming.

This book is about more than just this family's home invasion. It's also about a few murders that come about. It's about a group that may or may not be involved. A group that is there to help men basically. Help them cope with things when they feel they may have let their family down. There is a lot going on in this book but it's also very easy to keep straight. I truly did enjoy this rollercoaster ride. From start to dramatic finish.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MirandaSmith, #Bookouture for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

I gave it 5/5 stars because it deserved it. To me. I highly recommend it.

This book is a true thrill ride through a family's response and aftermath of a home invasion. There are well developed characters, constant tension and you won't be able to put it down even for a minute! Very well done Miranda Smith!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Two storylines, one family at two points in time. One plotline starts a year in the past when this family had a horrible tragedy as someone breaks into their home in the middle of the night and their family's safety is put at risk. The other plotline starts a year forward as this family is taking a vacation after a hard year and hoping to repair all the damage that that one night did on them.

It will be hard for me to review this book because this book is so good and you don't want to or need to know much to dive in. The twists and turns and how things unfold are genius. I don't want to even hint at anything because I was so glad to be clueless as it all went down.

I will say this author created a fantastic cast of characters that I cared about quickly and deeply. I wanted to know how this family would heal from the pain and wanted to see how they could get their lives back on track after such a tragedy. This author wrote each character of the family so well that I cared about each one of them and I loved how in the chapters that went back in time the reader learns so much back story as to how that one night affected them all and how they each responded.

My first Miranda Smith book and I hope that she writes more that are just like this one, because this one was so good!

A very strange and quirky premise dealing with a person that breaks into your home. Ms. Smith certainly keeps her readers in her grip and doesn't let go until the very end. Fascinating!

Kate & Andrew and their 2 children were the victims of a home invasion. It was scary, and even scarier is the fact that the person that broke in is someone they know. They are having a hard time moving past it. But now Kate & her family have gone to the shore for a two week vacation. The only problem is, the past seems to have followed them there.
This book got such glowing reviews, so I expected to enjoy it as much as everyone else did. Unfortunately for me, that wasn't the case. I just felt the book had no momentum, the characters felt flat, and the storyline was a bit boring. It did have a few surprises in there that I was not expecting. Overall, this book was not for me, but may be something others would enjoy.

I was looking for a thriller to read and came across this. I found this a little slow and predictable in the first half but the second half of the story just swept me away. Everything happened so fast in the last few chapters and I thought I had it all figured out until the plot twist came! Wow…I didn’t even see that coming.

This story starts off with a home intrusion that led a family to live in fear and despair. Imagine having your safe space being violated. The Brooks family was never the same again after that especially Kate. She lived in constant fear and paranoia that she was being followed. Her marriage with Andrew is on the rocks after they found out who the intruder was but they still try to make their marriage work, to make their family whole again. Andrew has booked a surprise family vacation at a beachside cabin so they can all relax and enjoy time together as a family. Or so Kate thought. Kate quickly begins to suspect that they were being followed and she needs to protect her family at all cost…Will it all be too late? Is it all just in her head?

The invasion and holiday happened a year apart so there is a dual timeline in the story which focuses on the present day and what happened a year ago. As the story unfolds, we learn why the invasion took place and how it impacted the family. At first, I struggled with Kate’s decisions and responses, like she didn’t allow herself to breathe and was suffocating those around her but it soon became clear that although some time has passed after the invasion, there is still alot of pent up feelings she had to deal with. What annoyed me later on was Andrew. He just didn’t seem to pull his weight in helping his family recover. He rather play the blame game and be a pity party. I did not feel sorry for him at all.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this and really enjoyed the plot twist! I love it when a thriller proves my prediction wrong. Where is the fun in guessing correctly all the time? Thank you Netgalley and bookouture for the arc! This book is coming out on 4/10/2021.

As you can probably tell, I’ve gotten back into reading mode, which is a nice change for me. I really haven’t read regularly for a while, and thanks to being out of work I guess, I’ve had the time. Recently, I finished a thriller called His Loving Wife by Miranda Smith, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

So, Kate and her family are on vacation, one year passed the night when everything changed and a man broke into their home. When her husband Andrew surprises her with one more week away, she’s pleased, but that doesn’t take away that sense that nothing is quite resolved for their family. You see, it wasn’t just that a man broke into their home, it was someone Kate knew. Someone she once dated before she met her husband. But now it’s been a year since, and Paul – the man who broke in – is now in jail. So, it’s all behind them. Isn’t’ it?

Well, Kate wants to make the most of it, even with her daughter Willow’s moods, and her husband’s insistence on taking their son Noah out on the boat despite Kate’s reservations. Yet, Kate keeps thinking she sees flashes of a man that looks like Paul, and Andrew seems out of sorts too. Arguments spring up, and Andrew drinks too much.

In His Loving Wife, we are taken back to the past in the aftermath of the break-in, where we get a few more bits and pieces of Kate’s relationship with Paul, and how things start to fall apart with Andrew. In the midst of the past and the present, things accelerate to a shocking ending, making this an incredibly exciting thriller.

I will say as much as I enjoyed it that there were flaws here and there. Many times I had a hard time believing how volatile Andrew responded to his wife, and how combative he became. At the same time though, with how roped in Andrew got into this online group called “Second Chance,” I almost could see how someone with a weak self-image could get roped in and manipulated by people online.

As for the ending, it was definitely shocking and not what I was expecting at all. Admittedly, it required me to suspend to disbelief a little bit, and at times, it felt over the top. However, this was a really fun, exciting read that left me with wanting even more when I was done.

A wild ride.

The book has an thrilling start. An intruder breaks into a family's home. The story then moves one year later and it slows down a bit. The same family is enjoying a nice vacation and they are still dealing with the aftermath of that night of terror.
The book goes back and forth between past and present. Although for the most part it is pretty slow in the middle, you can feel something brewing and I'd venture to say it does not disappoints.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this great book.