OMG!!!! Shanora is one of my fave authors, and I loved her romances... but what she does with this genere? WOW! It was mindblowin from the very first page!

I couldn't put this book down, like ven for one second. Theres not many authors who made me feel gasping, level hard ... and after The Wife Before I know, that Shanora has a master mind, and is one of the most talented authors I know!

From the begining, author shows any mercy. She is throwing reders into very deep water, filled with unexpected twists and turns that made head spinning around. It hard to find properly words to say anything about this book, and not to give any spoilers. Every single page was unexpected, breathtaking journey, that left me shocked at the end.

The Wife Before is Shanora Williams at the finest - read this book when You Only can!!!!!

Have you ever looked at the title & synopsis of a book and make a prediction like you already know exactly what’s going to happen? Because that was me with this book and holy crap was I wrong.

This one completely took me by surprise. I’ve been seeing a lot of comparisons to Verity and I completely agree, in the best way. The pacing was on point throughout the entire book and I found myself flying through each page. I was taking my kindle with me throughout the entire house, not able to stop reading for a second. It really was “unputdownable”. It felt like there was a new twist or discovery with each pages right up until the very end. I really enjoyed this one a lot! 4.5 ⭐️ (Rounded to 5)

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Books, and Shanora Williams for this e-arc. Check out The Wife Before on its pub date 6/28!

Samira Wilder has never had it easy and struggles to keep a job. That all changes when she meets famous pro golfer Roland Graham, who is wealthy, handsome and caring. They quickly forge a relationship and get married. She agrees to move to to his secluded Colorado mansion from Miami. Samira settles into the mansion, blissfully happy - until she discovers long-hidden journals belonging to Roland’s late wife, Melanie, who died in a tragic accident. While reading, Samira comes to realize that perhaps it was no accident at all - that perhaps her perfect husband is not as perfect as she thought. Even as her trust in Roland begins to dwindle and a shadow falls over her marriage and she begins to fear for her own life, Samira is determined to uncover the truth of Melanie’s troubled last days.

I know what you're thinking...another book that sounds like 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆?! Yes, it definitely has a Verity vibe but it had some other twists that made it its own story. The pacing was great. The chapters were the perfect length. It was impossible to put down. I read this in a day.

I often go into books blind - this book was no different! I’d encourage you to do the same - here’s how it went for me….
I saw the author name & recognized it - prompting me to click the “request” button on NetGalley, getting approved & HERE WE ARE 🙌🏼

Get ready for a prologue that leaves you on the edge of your seat, and keeps turning those pages faster than you know what to do with! I was immediately drawn into the story, which gave me ALL the questions and I needed to know more - ASAP.

Not only did this book have elements that kept me drawn in, but it also addressed some very prevalent & often stigmatized topics - which I appreciate. I also appreciate the fact that this was done with great care & the author addressed it even more in the last pages too 👏🏼

Hold onto your hats with this one, friends - and snag this gem when it releases 6/28/2022! 🥳🎉☺️

I haven’t been this excited over a thriller in some time! Major Alessandra Torre’s Ghostwriter and Colleen Hoover’s Verity vibes!!!

Samira is just a woman sorting out her life until Roland walks in and cue chaos. This is a whodunnit spiral that will carry you to the very last few pages. Get your thinking cap on, though, I can’t say it will help much.

Williams spins a very clear web that you can’t help but attempt to detective your way through but she’s too much of a sleuth and never quite let’s you settle into any one notion.

I loved this book! Shanora Williams’ previous book The Perfect Ruin is a favorite, so I was so excited to get a chance to read The Wife before!
Samira Wilder has always struggled, and she currently finds herself in the position of needing a new place to stay when her time with her current roommate is coming to an end and her brother Kellan is getting ready to stop paying her way in life. She takes a temporary job and meets handsome pro golfer Roland who is currently single. She finds out his previous wife died under mysterious circumstances, but she brushes it off and marries him after only a few months.
She relocates with him to an isolated mansion in Colorado where she knows no one. Clearing out a shed she finds the previous wife, Melanie’s journals. She begins to read through them and both her and the reader are on a wild ride of everything that went down in Melanie and Roland’s marriage. The journals were my favorite chapters! This novel was twisty, drama filled, whiplash giving, and very engaging. I could not put it down! Each chapter had me saying no I want more I must keep reading!
This was a 5 * read. Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the EArc and the chance to review it!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Wife Before.

Despite the Lifetime tropes rampant in The Wife Before, there were a few aspects of the story I liked.

First, the stereotypes:

Samira is struggling to hold a job and make rent. Naturally, she meets a handsome pro golfer, Roland Graham, who sweeps her off her feet and a few months later, they're married.

Naturally, Roland may not be who he appears to be. It seems his wife met an untimely end and he has remained the number one suspect.

There are lots of pretty people here; Roland's first wife, Melanie; Darryl, Roland's cousin, Felipe; it's just a gamut of prettiness.

Second, Samira was hard to like. I understand she's young, but she's not a teenager, and some of her decisions are based on emotions and her current circumstances. She has no home, no job, no money, and Roland is a good deal.

Third, the whole identical twin body swap thing has been done sooo many times and I actually called it before it was revealed.

The twists were crazy, outlandish, hard to suspend disbelief for....yet the author is good at selling it; it was the same with her previous book.

I think it has to do with her writing style, the tone and language is easygoing and blunt.

What I also liked: Samira and Kellan. I don't see enough decent sibling relationships in books and it was nice to see Samira and Kellan helping each other.

The ending was great, exactly what I hoped for.

👀ARC Book Review👀

“the Wife Before” by Shanora Williams

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Pub date: June 28, 2022

Thanks to #netgalley and the author for this ARC copy in return for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this story. I devoured it in less than 24 hours!

This psychological thriller was jam packed with twists and turns. It was wild from the very start!

This book gives off such a gripping tale that you can’t help but read it as fast as possible.

If you liked Verity, Gone Girl, or any other big domestic thrillers.. I definitely recommend picking this up when it’s released!!

I rated 4.5 instead of 5 ⭐️ solely for a few grammatical errors I found that left me a little lost. But I’m sure with the final edit, it’ll be Perfect!

The Rot Sets In…
A seemingly perfect marriage begins to rot in this twisting, tense suspense. Samira is the second Mrs Graham, now ensconced in the luxurious but secluded Colorado mansion. When she discovers the journals of Roland’s deceased first wife, the rot begins to set in. The accident that the first Mrs Graham had - was it an accident after all? Is Roland keeping secrets and should she worry for her own safety? The truth may not be what it seems. With an underlying sense of menace, this is an atmospheric, tension fuelled read from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley, Dafina, and Shanora Williams for the advanced copy of The Wife Before in exchange for my honest review!

This book is so much fun, so thrilling, and absolutely impossible to put down. I think fans of Verity will love this one as well. Chapters from journals of a dead wife? Yes, please!! I loved the journal chapters but also loved how short the chapters were in general, it made it super easy to fly through.

If I'd had no interruptions, this easily would've been a book I could have finished in one sitting.

There's also a little treat for those of us who read The Perfect Ruin... but that's all I will say.

The Wife Before will be on bookshelves June 28!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of The Wife Before in exchange for my honest review and opinion. WOW! This book was fantastic and kept me guessing all the way to the very last page. This is one that will grip you from page one! You will not be able to put it down!

Shanora Williams wrote one of my top five last year, The Perfect Ruin. I loved all of the twists and couldn’t put it down. Now with her new book coming out I couldn’t wait to read it!

~The Wife Before
~Release date June 28th
~Fiction - Psychological Thriller
~Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

Samira Wilder has never had it easy, and when her latest lousy job goes south, things only promise to get harder. Until she unexpectedly meets a man who will change her life forever. Renowned pro golfer Roland Graham is wealthy, handsome, and caring, and Samira is dazzled. Best of all, he seems to understand her better than anyone ever has. And though their relationship moves a bit fast, when Roland proposes, Samira accepts. She even agrees to relocate to his secluded Colorado mansion. After all, there’s nothing to keep her in Miami, and the mansion clearly makes him happy. Soon, they are married amid a media firestorm, and Samira can't wait to make a fresh start—as the second Mrs. Graham . . .

I just couldn’t stop reading!

My favorite quote in the book:
“A room without books is a room without a soul”

Shanora does it again! The twists and thrills are so good and you just keep wondering who, what, why!
Every time I thought I had it figured out a new twist until the last page!!! I was on the edge of my seat eagerly anticipating what was next!
I don’t like to give anything away so all I will say is READ IT!!

** Although it has hard topics, it shows us how you can overcome things, make things different or get help for past trauma.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫
#shanorawilliams

My Rating: 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

If you are a fan of the classic, Rebecca, then you will LOVE Shanora’s second thriller, The Wife Before!! Samira Wilder is an average girl in her 20s, trying to find her place in this world. Samira is dependent on her brother to assist her with her daily finances until she meets Roland, a professional golfer at one of the events she was working at. Roland is a widower who was accused of murdering his late wife, Melanie, who died from what was ruled a suicide. Samira believes Roland is innocent until she finds Melanie’s written journals while clearing out her personal items for donation. Will Samira be able to figure out the truth behind Melanie’s death? This fast paced thriller will keep you wanting to turn the next page to figure out what happens next!

The Wife Before is available now for pre-order, and will be officially released on June 28, 2022.
Shanora’s debut thriller, The Perfect Ruin is available for purchase now! Shanora also recently announced that a third thriller is on the way and I can not wait!!

**There were a few grammatical and editorial errors throughout this eARC copy, however I did not allow that to effect my rating. Some of the "bigger" errors include:
In chapter 21, there is a repeated sentence: "I unwrapped my scarf, weaving my way through the boxes and hanging it on one of the built-in hooks by the door. Unwrapping my scarf, I took it off and placed it on one of the built-in hooks my the door".
In chapter 50, on of the sentences should have been italicized due to it being a passage from Melanie's journal.

Thank you @netgalley, @kensingtonbooks and @reallyshanora for an early release, eARC copy of The Wife Before in exchange of an honest review. ♥️

Awesome thriller from the talented Shanora Williams!!! I love thrillers that keep you guessing and when you think you've figured out the plot and the real story the writer does not only one twist but a couple of major one's your like what the fuck just happened ! This had a Hitchcock vibe not only with different spins on the characters but also atmospheric with a secluded house and journals from the dead wife. This is the second book I've read by this writer and I love her storytelling she knows how to build the story up and take you on a hell of a ride. I will say that at first I did not like Samira in the beginning she came off very self indulged and a mooch but as she goes on in the story I came to like her and her search for the truth behind her husbands first wife's death. Roland is a great character and plays into the part of the suspious grieving husband who's whispered to have killed his wife. He's very moody and at times distant and even a little scary. All in all this was a awesome rainy day read and I really enjoyed it. Until next time Luv's💗💋

Such a good book, I think people are gonna really love this one. Keep me wanting more the whole way through. Thank you!

Thank you Kensington Books & NetGalley for an ARC of The Wife Before in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! As soon as I read The Perfect Ruin last year, I knew I needed to get my hands on anything and everything Shanora Williams would write. I devoured this book in a single sitting and was enthralled from the very start.

This mystery is so engaging, filled with family drama, secrets and plenty of lust. Shanora expertly intertwines love and suspense in her books, and this one is no exception. With a combination of complex characters, who should you believe? Who can you trust?

I was pleasantly surprised to see journal entries as a major part of the plot-line, giving me some vibes of Verity. Shanora's books are always a pleasure to read and she can be counted on to deliver both steam and suspense in one!

This book was sent to me electronically for review from Netgalley. Mystery and intrigue…likable characters and some not so much…the language was off putting to me and had no real place in the book…other than that, it was a quirky quick read…

Loved this book!
Highly recommend
5 stars from me!

The twists were great and I didn’t want to put it down. It was a fast paced roller coaster. So good!
The ending was crazy.

I’ll definitely be reading more books by this author

* *Thank you to NetGalley and especially to Kensington publishing for allowing me to read the arc in return for an honest review.

I thought this book was pretty good, though it started slowly for me. The story centers on Samira, who is down on her luck when she meets rich and handsome pro golfer Roland, who sweeps her off her feet. Her brother uncovers some info that makes it look like there is more to the story of his first wife Melanie's death, and Samira then finds journals written by the first wife that seem to corrorobrate his story. Samira isn't sure who to trust. The story is told fully from Samira's POV, with Melanie's journal entries dispersed throughout.

I like a story with an unreliable narrator, which is what you get when Melanie's journal entries don't necessarily match up to the story that Roland paints. That being said, I found myself regularly frustrated with Samira for jumping to conclusions instead of just talking to Roland (or others) to learn more about the events of the past. Most of the action happens in the last few chapters of the book, but I did feel that it tied up the loose ends nicely and provided a couple surprises.

Overall, decent book but I ideally hoped for a little more action as well as a little more connection to the main character. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A twisty tale of faux love…This engaging mystery is spiced with immoral lust & family drama and a tantalizing bit of romance.
A skilful blend of whodunit and whydunit will keep readers guessing and invested till the last word drops. Trust me when I say Shanora excels in weaving love with mystery and thrills like no other. The story is twisted to the point of being demented at times. Warped characters hiding their true colours play act innocent selves right in front of your eyes and I for one was gobsmacked.
Who to believe?
Who to trust?
Who to side with?

"His first wife was still lingering around, staking claim, not only of the home, but Roland too. "

Samira Wilder isnt a naive woman. She falls for Ronald Graham with her eyes wide open. He is a pro golfer with a murky past. His image carries a big shadow of his ex wife's murder & accident.
As always the second wife has to live with the ghost of the first one, so does Samira live with Melanie's.

"How was I supposed to be better than the wife before? "

The whole house, the mysterious shed and it's contents are enough to enflame her curiosity and she goes digging. As they say Be careful what you wish for
The truth doesn't set you free always!!
I can't /won't tell you a word more, except grab this book with both hands when it releases and start reading ASAP.
Shanora's knack for suspense reaches new heights with his latest work. immersive, incisive and a thorough nail biter from start to finish. I challenge you to try and put it down...you'll lose!!
4.5 stars for She-Sheds