In the sequel to Mrs. Wiggins, Hubert is mourning the death of his wife and son, while others feel that he should try to move on. Of his many suitors, he chose Jesse, his deceased wife's best friend, whose husband died in book 1. On the outside, it makes perfect sense, but on the inside, we learn that it's all a facade. Disappointed and frustrated are two words that describe the new Mrs. Wiggins, who sells comfort in the arms of someone else. Little does she know that he is in a situationship with her rival, Blondeen.

She also doesn't know that her husband is hiding a secret of his own.

Meanwhile, someone is killing black women in their small town and everyone is on edge. This series is getting good y'all.

I enjoyed catching up with these characters, and about midway through the book, I went looking in my personal library for the next installment. My favorite character was poor Jesse. She set her sights on what she wanted and didn't stop until she got it. Then, when life began lifing, she maintained her perfect role of wife and daughter-in-law. I don't think it's a surprise that my least favorite character was Blondeen. There was something about her from day one, that didn't sit right with my spirit. I felt that she and Conway were perfect for one another, because he was nothing but a trifling user that dipped it wide and spread it low (in my Evelyn Braxton voice).

If you like historical fiction and in search of a good story, I implore you to check this series out.

Not her best work or the best in the series, but it delivered enough to earn 3.5 stars. I didn't enjoy it as much as Mrs. Wiggins, but I always appreciate how the author gives a rich description of the historical setting, consuming you in the social and cultural dynamics of that era. The pacing of the story it dragged a bit, especially in the first half, making it a bit difficult to get through, but by the end I was left anticipating what would happen in the third book. If you enjoy dramatically flawed characters in a historical backdrop, then I would definitely recommend this series and book.

I would like to thank Netgalley/ Publisher for ARC copy.


Can I just say miss Maggie so much in ( Empty Vows) the focus was on Hubert which was very interesting his back story. If you read Mrs. Wiggins you would know what mean those secrets. I don't know how to feel about Jessie and her sister she push Jessie into situation with Hubert. And that Blondeen was a hot mess and Conway was a trip. I hope in the next book we will found out about all the colored Women why is this Happened to them. I really enjoy Mary Monroe books.

Empty Vows is a continuation of the first novel Mrs. Wiggins by Mary Monroe. That book left me speechless! This book was good, but didn’t have the same intensity as the first novel. But it still keep me engaged and I did want to see how things played out. I’m looking forward to the next installment to find out who’s been murdering the women in the town.
I recommend reading the books in order for them to make sense. I received a complimentary copy of the book from Kensington Books and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Honestly, I’m very disappointed this book wasn’t giving what it was supposed to give. It was definitely a miss for me. Mary Monroe is a great author, this is really the first book I DNF since I started reading her catalog.

Our book club enjoyed Mrs. Wiggins and thought we’d read the sequel to support the author and see where the plot takes us as a group of vested readers and fans. While some were satisfied with this offering, I felt underwhelmed and disappointed. The book begins fine – in fact, it picks up exactly where the prequel ended and the cast of messy, quirky characters are in full effect. In this case, many women are scheming to marry a man who isn’t who he appears to be. In fact, he’s not the only one with secrets, schemes, and the ability to manipulate. If this isn’t enough, to make matters worse there’s also a serial killer afoot.

Those elements alone might be enough to appease most readers; however, I was very disappointed in this offering and I question whether I’ll pick up the next. I found the plotlines a bit disjointed, elongated, and some storylines were left open (I’m guessing the next novel will provide closure).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Empty Vows is book two in the Lexington, Alabama (Wiggins) multicultural series by bestselling author, Mary Monroe.

Book two begins right where book one ended. The community is still reeling after the recent tragedy. Hubert Wiggins and Jessie Tucker turn to each other for support. They both have secrets. Will they survive the aftermath of secrets and lies?

Ms. Monroe reveals this second novel of the series through the alternating viewpoints of Hubert and Jessie. She handles this sometimes tricky writing technique through the use of appropriate chapter headers. For comedic relief, Monroe amps the depictions of the poor, southern, Depression-era lifestyle, sometimes to the point of hilarity; I laughed out loud several times. The story lags a bit in the beginning, but soon picks up the pace until the climatic end. I enjoyed this addition to the series. I give Empty Vows 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

My thanks to Kensington Books, Dafina, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

This is the follow up to Mrs. Wiggins, and I enjoyed this story as much as I did the first one. Hubert is a widower, and has to find a way to keep up his former life, which is hard to do now. Jessie, who happens to be his former wife's closest friend is attempting to snag Hubert by any means necessary, although she doesn't know the real Hubert. This was such a compelling and thought provoking story that I just didn't want to put down. I am definately anticipating book 3 in this series.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions

Empty Vows left me a little empty. I went into this book with the hope that it would keep me turning pages like its
prequel. Mary Monroe is a great writer, but this book just left me wanting more from it. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Empty Vows by Mary Monroe is a disturbing book for me. I found my emotions running all over the place, sympathy to outrage, understanding to confusion, caring to anger. All these emotions run through this book. Through the lives of Hubert and Jessie, two church going southerners, we see them faced with many choices. Some of the choices they make are bad. This book takes place during the depression era, and one can understand Hubert’s reluctance to have his secret life discovered, but I found it hard to believe that Jessie would be such a schemer and so deceitful. The criminal act was alarming, but the cover up was unsettling as these two people appear to go about their lives. I guess one can say they will never by safe or happy. While the writing was excellent and I often could not only visual the scene, but sense the characters’ feelings, I really found this book to be depressing.

When I read the description for this book I was ensnared and cxould not wait t o read it. The plot sounded exciting, plenty of secrets being kept, sneaking around behind other's back etc. I did not know that this is the second novel in a series. Maybe if I had known and had read the first book I might have done better with this one, but alas, I did not know, therefore I did not read the first, which led to me going in blind, attempting to read this one. I am sorry to say that after about a fourth of the way through I gave up! I tried and tried to force myself into reading it but it simply did not interest me at all.
I hate DNF'ing a book and I try to avoid doing it if I can but I just could not force myself to read this any longer. I am sure others will love this story, it simply is not one for me.
Thank you to the publishers at Kensington Books and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am giving my honest review in return.

I really enjoyed this book and the ongoing theme of the irony of the hypocrisy of Christianity. They were so easily influenced that what they were doing was right even though it was blatantly wrong, even in the most noble of situations. I found myself smirking at the many references to how holy Maggie was no how she’d never hurt a fly, along with reminders of the gumbo last meal. Monroe’s writing reminds me of a gossip session on a hot summer day complete with a glass of lemonade- I find myself reading the text like a tea session. While I wish the serial killer didn’t seem like as much of an afterthought, I can’t wait for the third book to find out who the killer is.

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Empty Vows is a companion novel/sequel to a prior Mary Monroe release, Mrs. Wiggins. While I don’t feel they necessarily have to be read in order, I do feel it‘s a good idea to read both at some point, especially given the way this one ends and how it segues into the upcoming third book. That said, I found myself a bit underwhelmed by this one in comparison to its punchy, provocative predecessor. But given my experience with Monroe’s series structures so far, I’m not surprised by this.
To start off, here’s the good: Monroe does once again craft a pretty compelling narrative of messy characters keeping big secrets from each other. And having read the first one and seen Hubert through his first wife’s eyes and the way she’d tried to manipulate the situation, it was deeply ironic to see him reeling in the aftermath of karma biting her in the ass. And Jessie is a delightfully calculating schemer, who knows all the right cards to play to keep the naïve Hubert dancing to her tune.
But so much of their story was so mundane. He wants to find a new gay lover. She’s two-faced, determined to keep up the illusion of her perfect marriage, while also seeking covert comfort in another man’s arms. Monroe can sometimes make the soap opera interesting, but I wasn’t super compelled by this one.
But there’s a third-act twist that makes it all worth it, which really changes the game for these characters and puts them in an even darker situation. With that in mind, I’m oddly grateful for the setup of their unconventional domestic arrangement, given the way the ending shakes things up.
While I didn’t love this book, I feel like this one will be better with the fuller context of the next book to see the full payoff.

Jessie sets her sights on Hubert when his wife Maggie dies but she doesn't know that he has a secret, And that Maggie kept that secret throughout their marriage to protect him in their small town. This is an interesting look at LGBTQ issues in the 1940s but it is diluted a bit by an unnecessary plot line about the murders of black women which would have made a good separate novel. I missed the first book but that wasn't a problem - this will be fine as a standalone, Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

Mary Monroe has done it again! If you read the prequel to this book, then you already know that the main character's wife and son both passed away on the same day. His parents see him going into depression, and try to hook him up with a new lady friend to help ease his loneliness, and help with cooking and cleaning for him. The tricky part is him trying to find someone new, without giving away his "secret" of being gay.
If you are a fan of Mary Monroe's, then you will enjoy this book, and all of the crazy things that happen through out.

This book just didn't have the same impact as the first book did. - Mrs.Wiggins by Mary Monroe (If you have Amazon KU, then this book is free to borrow.) The first book had an interesting plot, proved how lies and deceit can lead down the wrong path, it explained how and why Maggie and Hubert got together. It had some historical inaccuracies, but that was not a big issue for me. I felt I had to read that book because I knew that THIS book was second in this series, and I received it as an ARC.

This book was just plain dull. It was filled with chapters of Hubert trying to find a new lover while Jessie was trying to snag Hubert. However, the best part of the book comes in the last two chapters when Blondeen shows her true colors.

ARC supplied by the publisher Kensington Books, Dafina, the author, and NetGalley books.

This is the second book in a series. This story dragged quite a bit for me. Overall a good plot, but I kept wanting to hurry it along.

The story picks up with Hubert Wiggins having to bury his wife Maggie and their son Claude after their unexpected deaths. Now that Hubert is a single man again the women are coming after him trying to be the next Mrs. Wiggins, especially Blondeen, after all Hubert is handsome, owns a funeral home business and works at the mill he is great husband material.
Maggie and Hubert good friend and neighbor Jessie Tucker has decided she wants Hubert for herself and sets out to snag him after her sister suggested that Jessie should go after him.
Hubert is still living his secret life and now needs someone to cover for him just as Maggie did while they were married for over twenty years. After all it is the 1940’s and certain lifestyles has to remain a secret.
So who will get Hubert, Jessie, Blondeen or someone else? Will the truth come out of all the lies, secrets and affairs? I don’t want to give any spoilers so you will have to read this book to find out.
Once again the author has written a storyline that draws you right in from the beginning and leaves you wanting more after you have finished reading. The characters are well developed and you can feel the emotions of each one. There was a subplot that 5 black women bodies were found murdered in a part of the town, so there is a suspicion of a serial killer amongst them.
I highly recommend this book to read and any other books by this author.
Cassandra H.
I voluntarily received a ARC from Netgalley and this review is of my own honest opinion and thoughts.

A decent read. Not as drama filled or engaging as the first. Told from the alternative perspectives of Jessie and Hubert. It was interesting to see their POVs but eventually it became repetitive. Lots of repetition which made the storytelling less reader based. This book probably could have been about 50 or more pages shorter.

When I think of historical romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. Not being a big fan of this genre and this being my first book from this author, I was pleased with my experience. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day.