The blurb for this book says it’s reminiscent of Rebecca, so I was super excited to jump in. Unfortunately, this was a hard one to get through. Samir’s, the main character, acts in ways that make no sense— even to her. The prose over explains every action to such a degree that the book is boring regardless of the plot.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a good read, with plenty of twists and some interesting characters. I was a bit hesitant at first- I actually didn't like Samira in the first few chapters and she ended up redeeming herself, so I'm glad I didn't write this one off! The narrator did a good job as well.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I'm not sure where to start with this review, so let's start with the narrator.
I liked the narrator of this story. She gave the characters sassy, spunky personalities when required, had a unique voice, and I grew to really like her by the end of this story. Some narrators sound almost robotic, or simply sound too much like everyone else that narrates audiobooks these days. This narrator was perfectly different and did an amazing job with the different characters and their own personalities.
The story itself was well thought out and flowed nicely from the different points of view. As a person who keeps a journal sporadically, it would mortify me if someone read one of them after I passed. In this story though, the journals that the main character read definitely added extra flare to the story. I typically enjoy thrillers, but often find them too easy to figure out. All of the characters had their own motivation for the events that happened in the past, and it actually took me longer to figure who and why. There was definite character growth going on and the whole story was entertaining. I would definitely read more books by this author and recommend that book to my friends and the bookish community.

Samira Wilder - she's basically just existing. Going from job to job. Relying on her successful brother when she gets in a jam. But he has a life change and basically cuts her off and she has to get her act together. She takes on a job serving at a party and meets pro golfer Roland Graham. Sparks fly. Their relationship moves fast. And next thing you know they are married and she is living in his remote Colorado mansion as Mrs. Graham. The second wife.

Roland's first wife, Melanie died. The circumstances are odd, ruled as accidental drug overdose. Many people suspected Roland of foul play. Samira finds Melanie's journals and can't stop herself from reading them. They tell a very different story that what Roland has told her and she begins to doubt him and their relationship.

It's a wild ride after that and it will have you wonder if Roland did, in fact, kill Melanie. Or was Melanie setting him up to take the fall?

Now she's looking at her new husband through a cloud of suspicion rather than the rose-colored glasses of a blissful newlywed. Was Melanie setting up her husband, or will Graham stop at nothing to have the perfect wife?

I can't give away any more of the story. It was my first book by this author but I will be looking for more!

Many thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this psychological thriller. Was kept in suspense till the end.
Samira meets and marries golf pro Roland. She learns about the possible murder of Roland's late wife and it looks like Roland did it, while Roland continues to swear he had nothing to do with her death.

After reading the description for this book I felt like I was going to listen to something that has been done so many times before but wow was I wrong. This book has so many twists and turns and it was hard to figure out whose story to believe. Did Roland murder his former wife or did she really commit suicide? Could someone else close to Roland have done it? Or perhaps was Melanie the crazy one? This went a totally different direction than I had thought and I really enjoyed the last chapters. Unfortunately the book starts out really slow and I found myself getting bored thru the first half of the book. It wasn't until the last probably 15 chapters or so that it really picks up and the action begins, but it was worth the wait. 3.5 stars
Thank you Net Galley and Shanora Williams for allowing me to listen this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#TheWifeBefore
#ShanoraWilliams

Twist after twist this book had me hooked from the start! I kept thinking I knew exactly what had happened, only to be proven wrong. And when I thought all the revelations were over, Shanora had surprises in store for the reader! Great book after her amazing debut! Shanora Williams will have a successful career as a thriller writer if this continues!!

He's going to kill me.


I was hooked from the start and couldnt stop listening to this! I thought the audiobook was fastpaced. The narration by Tracy Conyer Lee spoke clearly and the writing of this book just flowed and I had enjoyed accent of the narrator as well. I felt that it added a bit more to the story. The twist were fun because you can come up with so many different kinds of scenarios. 

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this audiobook for an honest review!

This book will be out on June 28, 2022.
TW/CW: Mental illness, Domestic Violence, Violence, Abusive relationship, Drug Abuse, Deaths.

While the author is best known for her romance novels, this story is more of a mystery/thriller with some romance, which I LOVED.

I didn’t feel a genuine love connection between the main characters, Samira and Roland, but this did not bother me as their love story wasn’t the main plot. The plot itself kept me guessing and was incredibly fast-paced, well-written, and entertaining. I enjoyed following Samira as she unraveled the mystery of her husband’s first wife and felt the ending was unexpected but wrapped up nicely.

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel and was immersed in the narration. Narrator Tracey Conyer Lee did a phenomenal job at bringing the characters to life and building tension as the plot unfolds.

I couldn't put this down and can’t wait to read what the author writes next.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The Wife Before first hit my radar because of the "Rebecca" comparisons it was receiving. It gave me a little bit of that vibe, but Shanora Williams definitely put her own spin on the classic tale. There were lots of twists that kept me engaged in the story. I loved how the first wife's journal gave her a voice in the story, and how you weren't really sure who the unreliable narrator really was, and what character you could trust. If you think you have the killer figured out one minute, everything changes the next and resets your whole line of thinking. I definitely recommend this one if you're into twisty thrillers, especially on audiobook!

I requested this book because it was a nod to Rebecca, one of my favorite romantic suspense books, the book that made me fall in love with the genre. Shanora put her own spin on one of my favorite novels and I was here for it! 4.5 Stars for this twisty thriller!
The story is told from Samira's POV, but I will also argue that Melanie has a POV. Samira finds Melanie's journals and much of the story is told in these journals.
Samira is the second wife of Roland, a pro golfer whose first wife died tragically. There was a lot of speculation about her death and if he was responsible. Samira isn't sure what to believe. After a whirlwind romance with Roland, she feels safe with him and trusts him and then she finds the journals. Samira becomes obsessed with trying to figure out what happened to Melanie and if her husband is who he says he is.
I loved this book because it kept me guessing the whole time. I had so many theories and while some of them were true, others had twists scattered throughout and they took so many other turns I didn't see coming.
If you love romantic suspense, this is the book for you.
The narration was great and really captured the characters emotions.
Thank you to RB Media, Shanora WIlliams and Netgalley for an early copy.

I was hooked on this story from the prologue. This book had me on the edge of my seat and thinking everyone did it. Once again I was wrong about what happened and how it was done. I like this book, half the fun is trying and failing to figure out things before they are revealed. I liked how she became a detective herself. The ending was so very sweet. I liked all the characters with the exception of Dylan. I will for sure be checking out this authors backlist.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thankyou #netgalley #shanorawilliams #rbmedia for the arc copy of this book for a honest review🎓
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The story was evolving samira ,, from this story she sounds very easy to talk to.The story has some familiar people too like lola maxwell from shanora’s last book. But it does t link up too much on this one.
. One thing I want to say is - I WANT MORE-
It does sounds like a cliffhanger on the en but it doesn’t. I want to read more and more but of course it has an ending on every story.
Definitely the narrator was amazing to portray the story to. Tracey deserve the 5⭐️.
- the ending as usual, it feels like you know what will happen, but it goes and on and on the twisty plot and it was really good!
- Great ending.

❤️Shaye.reads

I guess I'm in the minority in saying that I didn't care for this. I really didn't like too much about it. I did not like the protagonist and found her personality to be incredibly irritating, which was hard to recover from. I found the narrator's voice to be lackluster and it was difficult for me to pay attention and impossible for me to really care what was happening. The writing seemed to be unfocused and went in so many different directions that it was hard to keep track of everything. The only positive for me was the ending, which did deliver an unexpected and satisfying ending. This received rave reviews from other readers so I urge others to give it a try and to form their own opinions.

I absolutely could not stop listening as Samira Wilder gets much more than she bargained for in millionaire golf star Roland Graham. As she works to solve the mystery behind her husband's death, Samira finds herself caught in a tangled web of long-hidden dark secrets that she just might get trapped in herself.

I can't think of a single criticism-- this one's just a well-woven mystery that will keep you guessing to the last page! Highly recommended for anyone looking for a quick read or a very twisty mystery. Can't wait for more from this author!

I’m going to keep this super short. This was not the book for me. The characters, particularly the main one, were so cringy and the story was so predictable and overdone. It was one that’s been done over and over and this one didn’t bring anything new to the table.
And the narrator. Oh my stars. I wanted to DNF it so many times just because of how awful she was. I will make sure to avoid any future books she is on.
I’m sure loads of people will enjoy this, but I am not one.
Thanks to Dafina Books and NetGalley for this audiobook arc in exchange for my review.

The Wife Before by @reallyshanora is a thriller with Rebecca/Verity vibes.

Samira’s Wilder is down on her luck when she meets a man who will change her life forever. World renowned pro golfer Roland Graham has it all: wealth, money, looks. But he also has a past that people can’t forget. After a whirlwind romance Samira moves to Roland’s secluded Colorado Mansion and finds the journals of Roland’s late wife, Melanie. Turns out her death may not be an accident after all.

This was a fun who dunnit with multiple POV’s and timelines. It’s a juicy drama that had me guessing. If you like Verity I think this one is right up your alley!

Struggled with the narrator on this one. The American accent for me was a bit much which made it hard to listen and follow the story. I'd maybe try this physically but the audiobook was just not for me.

I picked this book off the NetGalley Review shelves because it claimed to have Rebecca vibes (I can't pass up a chance to visit the gothic!), and I was intrigued by the plot, which became quite twisty and unpredictable. For most of the story I was thinking--oh no, it's Bluebeard!--but I'm glad the author reached for other threads, and I was entertained.

Were there problematic tropes of excusing domestic abuse? Yes. The author addresses these at the end of the book. I appreciated the perspective and what she hoped to accomplish in this book. I'm not sure I would read a sequel, but I would read more books by this author in the future!

File Under: Tiger Woods Meets a Waitress After a Scandal and....

I feel bad giving poor reviews, but I received an ARC of the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review so here it is:

I finished it.
Very close to DNF, but I plowed through.
I'm giving it a generous 1.5 stars

None of the characters have any redeeming qualities. So many inconsistencies.

"Samira Wilder has never had it easy" - What?? By her own choices! Her mom worked hard to give her opportunities but she doesn't want to work, is blasé about loosing the latest job her brother got for her because she can't be bothered to wake up and get to work on time or at all, and is mad because her brother and his fiancé are expecting a baby and he says he can no longer give her money all the time. Her life is so unfair! 🙄

Pro golfer Roland is suspected of killing his first wife. With no known motive and an alibi at the time of her death. Apparently the police never even did an investigation based on information that comes out at the end of the book, but of course he is presumed guilty by everyone.

Samira meets Roland and they have an immediate connection.
She believes he had nothing to do with killing his wife.
But then she doesn't believe him.
But then she believes him and marries him.
But then she finds his first wife's journals and immediately suspects her husband again.
But NOTHING she has read should elicit such a radical thought. And even later, the one scene in the journal that COULD have indicated a potential red flag on her husbands temper still does not equate to he murdered her.
She is willing to talk to everyone else about what she has read in the journals except her husband, who she supposedly loves and trusts.
But she doesn't trust him.
Finally, 80% into the book her husband finds the journals and they actually TALK ABOUT IT.
Then we can wrap it up with the "suspenseful", "action packed", "twist" at the end that feels false and forced and out of left field.
And they can live happily ever after with the final "twist" that no one would really believe but would never be investigated by the police because they don't do that (see first wife's death) so they are fine.

And don't get me started on "the mansion".
I get it - he has a big house. You don't need to call it "the mansion" over and over and over again.
I don't care if living in a mansion is new to you, after you have lived there for a while you would just say "let's go home" not "let's go back to the mansion"