Really enjoyable in a completely OTT way. I liked all of the detail about the US congress system (something I never thought I'd say - I actually learned quite a lot!). Characters were equally outlandish and I think there was maybe one or two plot twists too far but honestly a good old romp and the main character pleasantly villainous.

Another great book from Kaira Rouda, one of those authors I would just automatically purchase a book from.

Stories regarding politics are not normally my thing but I couldn't get enough of this one once I started.
Jody Asher has had her life with husband Martin planned for years, she wants them to go to the top in politics so that she can continue her role of a somewhat first lady. All things considered things are moving along nicely even though Martin is or has had an affair with a young staffer. Then, Martin suddenly dies of a major heart attack leaving Jody terrified about what her life with out politics would be like. Instead she decides to continue as Martin's replacement until the term of power is up leading but she will upset others as she has her own agenda to fulfil and not everyone will like what she has in mind. All this makes for great reading, near the end another twist occurs that I had not seen coming.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Martin Asher had a great career as a politician in Washington DC for 15 congressional terms. His wife Jody has been his perfect partner to further his career. Martin had an affair with a young staffer which will kill the power couple’s legacy if it gets out. When Martin suddenly dies it is time for Jody to take control and save their legacy and her future.

I am a fan of Kaira Rouda so I jumped at the chance to read her latest book. I went in blind and I wasn’t disappointed. This was somewhat of a political drama which I thought was rather unique. There was plenty of backstabbing and drama happening also. Now I am definitely looking forward to see what Kaira Rouda comes up with next!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

I received an e-ARC version of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.

“The Widow” is by Kiara Rouda. This book focuses mainly on Jody Asher, the wife of Martin, a congress critter. They’ve spent many many years living in Washington, DC and Jody is regarded as a charming congressional spouse. Jody is planning their daughter’s extravagant wedding (going to be THE event of the year) when Martin comes under the scrutiny of a reporter with a nose for scandal. Martin suddenly dies and, to my surprise, this book didn’t become a mystery thriller but instead switched to Jody wanting to become Martin’s replacement through “widow’s succession.” There are some twists, turns, deceit, hidden secrets, back stabbing, and surprises in this story.

What I enjoyed about this book were the “tips.” I’ve read a number of books about former congressional spouses where tips like those were noted. Yes, a number of the tips seem a bit outdated - but ignoring the 1950s vibe, I’m sure a number are still relevant today. The wedding rehearsal scene - oh my goodness. Wow … just, wow. I found a lot of this book entertaining, even the parts where scheming and double-crossing were in the works. A very enjoyable book along with a quick read!

Stepping into my non-reading mode for a paragraph, for the first part of this book I kept thinking “Oh, dear, Jody SO reminds me of [relative]. Everything has to be just right. Everything is all about her, including her daughter’s wedding!” But in the second half of the book, I thought “Oh, wait, this is what Enneagram folks means about 3 vs 8 - the 8 wants power …” and that’s what Jody wanted. So, Ms. Rouda, thank you for nicely clearing up the difference between Enneagram 3 and 8 for me … nice little bonus there. :-)

𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐓𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, "𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬."
𝐀 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐢𝐦𝐢 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡

Y'all, where do I start with this book? First of all, it read just like an episode of the television show Scandal, replete with smarmy, soulless, morally bankrupt characters. There really wasn't anyone to root for, and that was the whole point.

Jody Asher's plan was for her husband Martin to become a political icon, and they would be the golden couple. Everything was going so well, and then Martin had an affair with a young intern, and there were rumblings about lining his pockets with shady deals. Worst of all, a reporter got news of both indiscretions and is threatening to tell all, on the day of their daughter's wedding, no less. But when Martin falls over dead at the wedding, all of his drama is put on hold. Jody decides to take the lead and run for Martin's seat; after all, if she can no longer bask in the glow of the sidelines, she's more than happy to take the spotlight, even though she's hiding a secret of her own.

I had a love/hate relationship with Jody. While I admired her ruthlessness, there were hints that perhaps she's suffering from psychopathy, which readers will pick up on during the scenes with her daughter. I loved that she would casually keep Martin in line by dropping a few drops of Visine to his drinks.

Ultimately, you will root for no one, but you will have a mighty fine time reading this darkly comedic tale.

No characters that I liked, Too much back and forth between the characters' voices.
This book just wasn't for me, but maybe I'm just not in the mood right now for politicians/politics.

Another enjoyable read. Although there was politics involved and I'm not usually a fan, there was more drama and mystery that kept me turning the pages.

Jody Asher has supported her husband, Martin, in his position in Congress and enjoys their life on the Hill. Except Martin is getting sloppy and more than one of his indiscretions has come to light, jeopardising their future. When Martin suddenly dies, it is a chance for Jody to take control of her future and there's nothing she won't do to get what she wants.

I always enjoy a dash of humour in my murder/mystery novels and this one certainly had that, along with devious women. An enjoyable read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this gifted advance copy.

The Widow is a fast paced, suspenseful, and highly enjoyable book. It’s only the second book by Kaira Rouda that I’ve read, but I will certainly be going over her backlist! I loved the character of Jody and found her to be highly entertaining. I’m not usually one for political books, but this one didn’t disappoint. I liked how the author kept the political components easy to follow along with. I definitely recommend this thriller! This was an edge of your seat book that you can read in a day if you’re in the mood. Well done, I liked it alot!👏.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book once the storyline picked up, it had me glued to my seat to find out what happened next!

WOW! I feel like I need to go rewatch “House of Cards” because I’m so sad this book is over! I devoured “The Widow” in just two nights because I had an obsessive need to find out what Jody would do next. She is probably the only character who could go toe-to-toe with Claire Underwood without blinking an eye. Such a devious, sinister, bordering on evil, sociopath! But I give her kudos for letting no one stand in her path, whether it be her husband, best friend, staff or own daughter.

I found Kaira Rouda’s insider knowledge of The Beltway to be beneficial to the story because it added depth to the background of the plot with events, facts & vivid descriptions that only someone who has lived through it, would know.

If you were a fan of House of Cards or just love a good sinister psychological thriller, you need to make sure to pick up “The Widow” when it hits shelves.

I usually don’t enjoy reading anything about politics, fact or fiction, but Kaira Rouda writes so well that I was engrossed much of the time! Good storyline, good dialogue plus irritating and interesting characters you never quite want to cheer on and who make your jaw drop! Scenes that gets a reaction out of you, also jaw drops! Twists and turns here and there, and what’s more, no jarring profanity on every page! Can’t wait to see what she will write about next, hopefully not politics again, and will also look at some of her previous titles too.

Jody Asher's husband Martin is a Congressman, who is having a fling with a much younger woman. He is also extremely corrupt, along with many others in the party.

Martin dies suddenly at their daughter's wedding reception and Jody steps into his place in Congress with plans of her own.

Jody exacts revenge on all those that crossed her while she was in office, and those that betrayed Martin.

This was punted as a thriller on Netgalley, but I do have to point out that there are no thrills in this book.

I cannot lie, I did not enjoy it, and only finished it because I promised an honest review. I found it dry and uninteresting. Perhaps because I do not enjoy politics, and know very little about American politics. I do, however, know that most, if not all, politicians are corrupt.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for this ARC.

An interesting read told from the POVs of the couple, Martin and Jody and gives an insightful glimpse into the main characters. Would recommend

Thank you to Kaira Rouda, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this book.

A wife who has enjoyed the opulence life style, they both had secrets
When a political mishap and his affair come out and his sudden death
She wants to get back at those that have hurt her in the past
She now is ruthless in her endeavor and with no husband or his position
to stop her. A powerful story the author has once again given us, a good page turner.
Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion for Net Galley and
Thomas Mercer.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys political fiction. I couldn’t get into the book although it is written well.

4.5 stars Kaira Rouda does an amazing job at writing smart and devious women that I should hate but don’t. Political based plots aren’t usually for me but this worked. Just enough behind the scenes detail to set the stage. The focus was on the personal interactions between the key players. The plot is told through two main viewpoints in two separate parts. One of the viewpoints switched at the mid-point. Interspersed between these POV are tips/essays for spouses of congressmen. These provided humor and insight into the DC political world. The behind the scenes look at how a Congress person’s office is run, a bit about campaigning and social events was fun. Plot was easy to follow and kept me completely engaged. Perfect book to throw in a beach bag.

Jody was ruthless but also funny. She is exactly the type of unlikable character I enjoy! By the end I was rooting for her to succeed. Jody knows her husband is keeping secrets and only cares when his secrets are about to be revealed by a nosy reporter. In addition to these scandals, she is dealing with hitting middle-age. She is juggling keeping the Asher’s on top and scandal free and her daughter’s wedding. I expected Martin’s death to come sooner in the story than it did because of the title. When and where it happened fit perfectly in the plot and propelled the second half plot line.

Really enjoyed this read! The only thing that kept it from being perfect for me was a need for a little more information on the political scandal. I understand why the author wrote it the way she did. Kept the politics light to make this easy to understand and a fast, fun read.

Thank you NetGalley and THomas & Mercer for the digital ARC in exchange for my review. I look forward to reading more of the author’s books!.

𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈.

An immensely entertaining read that ties politics and plot twists together to culminate in a satisfying finale.

Jody Asher, wife of congressman Martin Asher has been reaping the benefits of her husband's privileged position and power for many years now. But rumours of Martin's political conspiracies and an affair with his intern form cracks in the carefully constructed facade that the Ashers have created and maintained. However, Martin's sudden death gives Jody the perfect opportunity to take back the power that was slipping from her grips and get back at all those who wronged her.

I have read only one other book by this author - The Next Wife - and two things that I have noticed and loved in both these books are that the women are ruthless and unapologetic in their march to win their fight, and their fight is never about the affections of a man, but about power, which is definitely the better option.

Jody is a self-confessed anti-social who has to fake most of her emotional responses and empathy to fit in with the crowd. While I confess that much of the political jargon flew over my head, Jody's vindictive nature was such a turn-on.

The narrative started on a high note introducing Jody as the badass wife who kept her congressman husband with a roving eye in check using creative means. Towards the middle, the storyline floundered a bit, where she is more a bumbling widow than the conniving lady boss that I was expecting. The plot did pick up steam by the climax, but I do wish it had the same intensity as the beginning. Nevertheless, you end up cheering Jody's scheming mind for carefully plotting every step of her happily ever after.

Overall, highly entertaining. Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is another fantastic thriller by Kaira Rouda. I was excited to read this one and it certainly did not disappoint.
It’s deliciously dark and ruthless and I was quickly engrossed in the story.
I can’t wait to read the next book, they seem to get better each time.

“We pretend to get along for Martin’s sake. Martin will not fire him, despite my urging for years. Martin is loyal to a fault. David is an example of that weakness. I may be another.”
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to review this eARC for my honest review.
The Widow is a fast-paced political fiction book that takes you deep into the dealings of one political family on Capitol Hill. Jody is the wife of a congressman whose lies and scandalous behavior have him stressed that he is any minute from being exposed and prosecuted. Jody has her secrets, though. Although Jody has sociopathic tendencies, she has taught herself to appear normal and fit into society's standards. “I have many secret talents, and Martin knows about most of them. I’m different, and that’s a blessing. I’m not crazy. I’ve learned to exist inside society’s bounds. I’m smart- street smart. It’s the difference that allows me to be one step ahead, always”
Jody has been honest with her family though about her emotional issues and shortcomings. Even her daughter reminds her to act appropriately in certain situations- which is bizarre. “Mom, practice your sympathy, ok?”
The book is focused on scandals, privilege, and power, making you wonder how accurate this cutthroat behavior may genuinely be for those serving in public office in our nation’s capital. The writing overall is well done, and the style is unique. I found Rouda’s writing to be witty and concise. I did find the characters lacking, although my dislike of them was more than likely the author’s intent. The chapters a short and to the point, but I found the quick switches in point of view hard to follow and wanted more details about the characters.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys political fiction, and the themes in this book were reminiscent of House of Cards and Scandal. Overall, I give this book a solid 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this new novel by Kaira Rouda. As expected, it did not disappoint! I read it in a day and did not see the twist at the end coming.