Holly attended the funeral of her ex husband and only then discovered Lyle didn’t bother telling his next 2 wives about her which puzzled and hurt her. There were very few interesting parts of this book and so many unnecessary details to wade through before getting to them. This made the book far too long. The description of brain injury was exceptional but the endless communication between the brothers certainly wasn’t. I can see that lots of people seemed to have enjoyed it but sadly not me. I really did like the sound of this novel but not when it actually came to reading it.

I was drawn in straight away and constantly wondering what ‘The Change’ was and boy was it a real unexpected twist. I loved the characters and the real life possibility of them. Holly who is strong and weak at the same time. Perfect husband Lyle and is brother Caleb who is more perfect. I just wished it was a little more relatable in the regard that the characters are all rich or at some point were rich. A great read and kept me wanting to be in the life of the characters and find our more about them and what they will do next. I would love to visit Senneck!

I was a little concerned that I would not like this book. I was so wrong! The story caught me by surprise and I couldn't let go! The characters are well developed. This book is a mystery, a love story, and, occasionally, super confusing. But it all comes together and you're guessing what the next plot twist will be. You will love some of the characters and hate others. But you will not be able to stop reading this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the opportunity to read and review this book. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.

First ever Mina Shehadi reader. I enjoyed the set up of this book from the page one email to Holly regarding her ex-husband going missing in Thailand. I very much enjoy when a writer infuses a variety of ways to communicate a story. “The First Wife” sets us up in the first chapter with promises of secret revelations to come. This is what lured me to open and commence reading.

When Holly is called to the funeral of her ex-husband, she expects to be emotional. What she doesn’t expect is that wife #2 and #3 know nothing about her (including the fact that she was wife #1) As time goes by we learn about each of these women. Secrets are revealed some which make Holly question her life.

This is a story of greed and grief along with love and heart tugging moments. This is a book that will lead you to question life. For Holly, she questions the life she had and and the memories she had.

Thank you NetGalley, Mina Shehadi and Headline review for the opportunity to step inside this wonderful book.

Holly comes to a expensive resort to have a memorial for her ex husband. They have been divorced for years but she thinks he is still alive. Lyle didn't tell the other wives about Holly. Why?
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and Headline Review.

This was an interesting story featuring Holly, who is at a fancy resort that she and her ex-husband, Lyle used to go to when they were married. She has fond memories of the resort, but this time she is here for her ex-husband's funeral. Also attending are Lyle's second and third wives. Holly finds out quickly that wives two, Megan, and three, Eliana, know nothing of Lyle's first marriage - like it never existed.

This was a touching story and I felt for Holly as revelations unfolded and she questioned her life with Lyle. I think I liked all three of the wives, although they were very different, but I really liked Holly and my heart went out to her.

Thanks to Headline Review through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on June 25, 2022.

This is set in a luxurious resort hotel where the wealthy family who own it have come together for a funeral/memorial service for Lyle who has been missing for 5years and now presumed dead. His first wife, Holly Penny, suffered a catastrophic brain injury that has changed her life. There are fascinating insights into this condition throughout the book that give her character real credence. The story revolves around family secrets and does have a very satisfying ending.

Lyle has vanished 5 years previously, and his brother Caleb invites Holly for a memorial. Holly and the other wives are gathered together at an expensive resort, all remembering Lyle differently.
Who is leaving the strange gifts? What has been planned?
The central character Holly has a brain injury, which has been described perfectly. So great to read a novel with such understanding. I also loved the theme of one true love versus many loves.
Highly recommend!

In the First Wife by Muna Shehadi, we meet Holly Penny. In her early years Polly overcomes the adversity of a family scandal and meets the man of her dreams. Once Holly and Lyle marry they enjoy a live filled with love and adventure. A rather bizarre accident puts Holly in a coma and changes her life forever. Throughout the book we follow Holly on her journey to recover her body, mind, confidence, and life. We learn about a rather whacky trick of Lyle’s and Holly’s ultimate success in getting her life back. The book vividly described the struggle that a person goes through while recovering from a catastrophic accident.

Holly Penny attends the funeral of her ex-husband, Lyle. The funeral is taking place at an elegant mountain resort that Holly and Lyle enjoyed spending time at. Holly is wowed by the little touches that are put into place after her arrival, things that she enjoyed when spending time with Lyle at this beautiful vacation spot. It makes Holly feel as if Lyle is still there. After her arrival at the resort, Holly meets Lyle’s other wives. She is shocked by the character of these other women, as well as, the information that related about Lyle’s character and actions. This is not the man that Holly remembers falling in love with. Whose recollections are accurate and what other secrets will be revealed about Lyle. Holly will have to reconcile the man that she thought she married with what actually occurred. This story was difficult to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review. I will be seeking out other novels from this author.

Holly Penny expects that attending the funeral of her ex-husband at the elegant mountain resort they enjoyed together so often will be momentous and emotional. Lyle was the love of her life; they were happier than she'd ever imagined being, until a split second changed their lives and eventually destroyed their marriage.

Surrounded by luxury she could once take for granted, what Holly doesn't expect is to discover that Lyle kept their long, loving relationship a secret from the two women he married after her. Even more troubling, stories the other wives tell bear little resemblance to the man Holly knew so well.

As the weekend unfolds, guided by detailed instructions Lyle left behind, new jarring surprises surface and new connections are formed that will force Holly to redefine both her future and, more wrenchingly, her past.

I loved it, I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, and the characters... My advice is not to start reading this unless you have time to go to the end!

A really well written, edge of your seat psychological thriller. With lots of twist and turns to have you guessing all the way through.

Unfortunately, this wasn't really my cup of tea. From the blurb, I was expecting a psychological thriller about a first wife who attends her ex-husband's funeral and clashes with his later wives who didn't know she existed. This was more in the "Contemporary Women" category. It was well-written, just not what I was anticipating.

What look happen to the life that you imagined was interrupted by a sudden accident leading to a traumatic brain injury.? This is the premise of this novel. This book did not keep my interest but I did finish it as I wanted to know how it ended. I will not be recommending this.

Holly Penny hasn't had an easy life. When she is invited to hers ex husband's funeral.......her first love.......how will she cope???
She will meet his 2 newer wives at the funeral, which leaves her with more questions than answers.
A fabulous read full of twists and turns which takes you back into Holly and Lyle's life together before things went so badly wrong.

A great book....I loved it. Definitely a 5 star read.

This is a great read, it was well written with a great storyline and well developed characters that I took to my heart. It was a captivating read that also had romance as well as twists and turns. I couldn't put this book down it was truly compelling.