My Review:
Wow, wow, wow!!!!! That last line really got me. It hit me with so many raw emotions. It is why I loved this book so much. This book proved to me why I love this author so much. If you have read any of this authors books you will know as well as I do how wonderful she is. All her books keep you in suspense and you never know what is going to come next. You can’t read each chapter fast enough. You don’t want to eat or sleep until you finish one of her books. I really can’t say enough good things about this book and all her others. I can’t wait to read her next book.

In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I enjoyed this book. I thought the story was ok. The characters frustrated me at certain times. The plot twist at the end was pretty good.

Callie adores her husband James. Her step-kids Dillon and Luke, not so much. They have been making Callie’s life miserable from the start. Nothing she does is ever right or good enough, and their dad James is too busy working to notice.

One action changes everything and when the police arrest her for murder, all of Callie’s secrets are revealed.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The main character is such an idiot but an entertaining idiot, I loved this book. This book is definitely a page-turner that explores the step-parent/child relationship. You will definitely have strong opinions about many of the characters while being entertained along the way. Thanks for the advance review copy.

The Lying Wife by Kathryn Croft is a compelling read with enough twists and turns to make your head spin. I always enjoy Ms Croft's writing, and this latest proved no exception.

Callie longs to be a mother and when she meets James, the widowed father of two sons, it seems that she has found the answer to her prayers. But the boys are not anxious to fall in line with the fairytale narrative, letting Callie know at every turn that she is not wanted in their lives. While simultaneously caring for her ailing father and trying to keep her marriage on track, all while being constantly undermined by her stepsons, Callie begins to spiral out of control. Just how far is she willing to go to maintain the facade of happily ever after?

This is a gripping tale with a deliciously unreliable narrator leading us on a veritable collision course. It is a ride you will not want to miss.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for an ARC.

This book was not at all what I expected - the twists it took!

FIrst and foremost the first lines of the book: I am a wife. A mother. A friend. But now I am also a murderer. COME ON this book hooks you in from the get-go.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. It alternates between past and present and that writing style really keeps me engaged throughout the enitie book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Callie is recently married to James and is mostly happy after a rough past. The only problem is that his two teenage sons hate her and as much as she wants to be a mother to them, they keep doing anything they can to make her miserable. We know that someone has been murdered and Callie is being questioned by the police but we don't know who.

I thought this book started a little slow with just a lot of drama where Callie was trying to make the boys like her, to no avail, and I had trouble getting into it. But, about a third of the way into it, it started to pick up and Callie started doing really stupid things and her life became a train wreck. Overall, it was a good book and once I got into it, it held my interest. I didn't love the ending, but that is just a personal opinion on how I would have liked to have seen it end. I look forward to this author's next work.

Kathryn Croft is a master at building up tension and suspense which is believable. She turns an everyday situation into something quite extraordinary.
We learn in the prologue there will be a murder, but we don't know who, what or why? This psychological thriller revolves around Callie, who is in the difficult situation of being a step mother to two boys and her husband has a close relationship with both their babysitter and a work colleague.
As I was nearing the conclusion, I was thinking what a wonderful gripping read, then came the ending, totally unexpected which blew me away!!!! Highly recommended.

This book had a interesting storyline, a little different, to me but a decent read! I didn't expect what happened in the end! I will recommend reading this book, it was worth reading just not one of my top favorites! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This is the first book I have read from Kathryn Croft. I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I found myself constantly yelling at the protagonist (Callie)! I finished it in a day and I really did not expect it to end the way it did. I will definitely try more of her books.

For me this year has started with some excellent reads and this is yet another one. I always enjoy Kathryn Croft novels, good characters, well paced teasing plots make excellent reads.

Callie’s life has not been a smooth ride, full of sadness and troubles and happiness a far away dream. But when she meets James she feels life may be suddenly be getting better. James has also suffered and is no stranger to grief, but they bond and Callie becomes his wife, and the stepmother to his two sons.

But everything is not as straight forward as she would hope for, there are tensions between her and the two boys and they do very little to accept her into their lives. The tensions rise until her life careers out of control until there doesn’t appear to be any remedy. Following a series of events Callie is arrested for murder and her secrets look like they will be exposed to the very people she kept them from.

A very enjoyable read that I couldn’t put down.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Canelo for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five

Callie loves having James as her husband, but things are a little harder with her stepsons who hate her and will do everything they can to get her out of their lives. Then a rash decision causes everything to spiral out of control. And then she is arrested for murder... A thrilling story that keeps you turning the pages until the shocking conclusion. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback. Please note that this book was previously released as 'The Stranger Within'.

The Lying Wife is an extremely well written, additive read.
Intricately plotted, keeps the reader guessing and has more twists and turns than a curvy road in the mountains. The pace of the novel is also excellent.
This story hooks you in within the first page, and has some very clever misdirections.
And the characters are very vivid, realistic, relatable casts of individuals.
A real gripping, captivating and clever story that I believe most thriller lovers will devour. I know I stayed up way to late to finish this one and loved every second of it!

Canelo,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.

I love Kathryn Croft! I did read this book before since it was previously published as "The Stranger Within," but figured I would it again. Callie wants to be a mother so bad. She marries James and his two sons do all they can to push her out. Callie makes a lot of mistakes. There are a lot of shocks in this book, including the ending. But at the end, Callie finally proves she's a mother. Another good one!

Another brilliant story from one of the best psychological thriller writers. Briliant and frighteningly realistic xx

Gripping Psychological Suspense…
Fast moving, gripping psychological suspense demonstrating how quickly a life can simply unravel and end in shreds but who can be trusted here and who is telling the truth? The narrative is compelling, the storyline often extremely disturbing, characters are credible and twists and turns along the way lead the reader to the, perhaps, unexpected denouement and the biggest twist of all. (Note that this was previously published as The Stranger Within)

#TheLyingWife #NetGalley
Awesome read.
Callie has known sadness, and sometimes doubted she would ever have the life she wanted. When she meets James, also no stranger to grief, it seems as though her luck has changed. She becomes his wife, and in the process a stepmother to his two sons. Callie has finally got what she always imagined for herself. But things don’t go to plan for Callie. She tries to get things right, but at every turn she makes mistakes. If she can only show her new family just how much she cares, perhaps everything will be okay. Yet the harder she tries, the more she fails. A split-second decision leads to her spiralling out of control, and there is no way back for Callie. When the police arrest her for murder, the dark tale of Callie’s shocking fall from grace slowly unfolds. But how much is Callie willing to reveal about the choices she made? If those she cares for the most learn the truth, they will hate her. Will her secrets be her undoing? Or will she tell the truth, no matter the cost?
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for giving me an advance copy.

Incredible story! A dynamic strong main character and a story full of twists and turns. This is an amazing thriller that will keep you in grossed until the last page. I highly recommend!