Member Reviews

Brilliant thriller what a thrilling fast paced edge of your seat read it kept guessing right until the end this is definitely worth a read

Was this review helpful?

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book but the plot was nothing special. The characters were frustrating. I did enjoy the ending.

Was this review helpful?

I wanted to like this book but could not get into it. The characters were not interesting to me and the story was stale.

Was this review helpful?

An ending you will never see coming. Twisty story about an unstable person, who has many problems. Callie thinks she has it all, but her head tells her differently. How does James not notice the anxiety that Callie goes through in one day and the pressure it puts on her? She needs help and she casn't find any. Callie attaches herself to Rhys. All the sex and attention makes her feel loved until Rhys get killed and she completely loses it. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest book review.

"The Lying Wife" by Katheryn Croft is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story centers around Callie, a woman whose life becomes more and more complicated as she tries to navigate her new family. Her relationship with her stepsons is difficult, to say the least. As she tries
to get the boys to like her, she gets caught in a web of lies that she doesn't know how to get out of.... and it ends in murder.

Callie is an unreliable narrator and becomes more and more unhinged as the story progresses. I found the writing engaging and suspenseful, and the tension is built skillfully with a very unexpected twist at the end. This was an engaging psychological thriller, at times uncomfortable. Sometimes I just wanted to jump in and shake Callie and ask her what she was doing. Definitely worth the read!

Was this review helpful?

I truly didn't know who or what to believe for the entire book! The suspense, the plot twists, the uncertainty.. I loved this book and highly recommend it!

Was this review helpful?

I'm a little late but I wanted to add my review none the less.
This was an extremely easy and quick read. I couldn't put it down due to the suspense and unknown that was constantly occurring.
I could relate to wife in this book, even though I've never been in this type of situation. I felt her fear, not knowing if she was imagining things, and the utter isolation she ended up feeling.
I do feel like a few of the story lines were a tad bit of a stretch, but I was thoroughly engrossed in the book and it didn't make the reading or enjoyment of the book any less than I hoped. For an easy, quick read which will keep you up late at night, I'd suggest this book 100%. It has suspense, shocking surprises and twists and turns that'll make your head spin!

Was this review helpful?

I was so intrigued by the premise of this domestic thriller with an unreliable narrator that I picked it up twice! I finished the ARC and then borrowed it from the library again when it came out. I immediately remembered I had read it when I started the physical copy, but I don't know exactly what that says about me or the book!

I am a fan of mysteries with unreliable narrators, as I never know who to believe and am constantly trying to figure out who is lying, who is gaslighting, and what the final truth is.

Was this review helpful?

I really wanted to like this. I really really did but I didn't like the characters. Callie wasn't interesting, the author tried to pass her as unhinged and unreliable but I found Callie to be quite ridiculous, making the most stupid mistakes ever.
James is supposed to be the partner she craved for so long but he's a workaholic so he's mostly absent leaving Callie with her stepsons who obviously don't like her. I got their resentment but their shenanigans really annoyed me.
The pacing was slow and boring. It was also very repetitive. I wasn't invested or cared enough for these characters.
I knew where the story was headed what twists would be revealed but I have to be honest I wanted to see how it would play out. Was I a huge fan of the reveal or the entire story? Well not really.

Was this review helpful?

Sorry. I had to pass and give this a low rating. That was just unpleasant.

Thanks to Netgalley! Hoping for a better read next time!

Was this review helpful?

3 for neutral, was unable to access my netgalley account for months, until today. Because of this, I was unable to see which books I needed to read. I apologize for the inconvenience and hopefully will not have any more issues in future.

Was this review helpful?

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫
The Lying Wife by Kathryn Croft

Callie marries her dream guy James but his 2 sons are not very welcoming to having a stepmom. She tries her best to win them over but they will not cut her a break. An error in judgement sends Callie scrambling and fighting for her family. Can she ever get the boys to accept her and if so, at what cost?

Was this review helpful?

This book was all about suspense and had you unsure of what was going to happen next. The pace was set at a meduim pace and the ending was unpredictable.

Was this review helpful?

ok, so. The people who regularly read this blog (there’s what, two of you now?;) Well you know who you are and thank you very much for always reading!!) know of my absolute love for Kathryn Croft’s thrillers. I’ve adored every single one up until now but … I’m only joking of course!!! (Jumps from foot to foot!) I Loved this book sooo much!!! From a clanger of a first line on, I was totally sucked into the life of Callie, who has met the love of her life and was fully in and ready to accept James and his family as her own, only there’s a few things standing in her way …

I loved the everyday of this, coupled with a sense of unease that something was going to happen. The characters were that satisfying mix of likeable and unlikeable and the twists made it so I absolutely wanted to keep reading. I had some slightly patchy bits, but then absolutely flew down to one of the best endings I’ve read in some time. All in all, beyond totally my bag!!

Rating: 5/5

Was this review helpful?

This was a great read and has me searching for more Kathryn Croft. Great character development, well-paced plotline, and a great twist! Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. I love this type of family drama. Starts out with a slow build, laying the groundwork of the story and developing those great characters and really drawing you in; then gradually ramps up until about halfway through you won't be able to stop reading until the twisty conclusion! Strongly recommend for fans of twisty, thrilling family drama.

Was this review helpful?

I was so excited to read this one - the synopsis definitely drew me in! The plot fell a bit flat for me, but it was an overall okay read.

Was this review helpful?

I don't know why but I just could not for the life of me get into this book.

The cover had my full attention, the synopsis grabbed me straight away BUT once I started reading it just seemed to fizzle out.

In all honesty it was bizarre and unbelievable. Not for me.

Thanks to netgalley and Canelo for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I found this psychological thriller unappealing; there was nothing about any of the characters to let in even an inkling of empathy for them for their behaviours and decisions, the plot too contrived and not believable. A generous three rating I fear.

Was this review helpful?

Wow, this was a wild ride. This was a fast paced domestic thriller that touched on a taboo topic but handled it really well. This was my fist from Kathryn Croft but certainly won't be my last. I really enjoyed her writing style and it kept me wanting more every time I stopped reading. She did a great job of developing the relationships and making them feel realistic and organic. I was mind blown by the events in this and definitely did not expect the ending that came. I thought it was so fitting and really well done. I really loved this from front to back. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?