I found The Trophy Wife to be a bit of a slow burner to begin with and I did struggle to get into it. Once it got going I really enjoyed it with all the twists and turns until it got to the ending which was quite disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

Valerie Keogh does it again! This is a must read for people who enjoy psychological/domestic thrillers. What I enjoyed about this book was that it was told from Jake’s perspective, who I HATED at first, and started feeling conflicted the more I read. I was convinced he was a sociopath and I found it fascinating to get inside his head.

One thing is that I wish that the character of Jane was better developed, because I asked myself several times why Jake was so obsessed with her. We weren’t given much info on her.

This was hard to put down and I enjoyed it thoroughly - 4.5/5 stars ⭐️

Many thanks to Valerie Keogh, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC!

I love this authors style of writing and the book has a very suspenseful story . I enjoyed the reading the rags to riches story but must admit it was obvious money would not bring him happiness. The story had the slight twist at the end which unfortunately I was expecting. All in all it was a great book even though I thought the ending could have been better . I will still recommend this to my audience and still give it 5 stars .

I love this intense, climactic thriller. I was incredibly invested in the characters and plot. Readers are going to love this incredible novel.

Really cannot stand it when books are re-titled and brought back as some new release.... As someone who's a huge reader its crazy to try and remember plot lines - especially those that aren't as well written as this one.

Jake's family had nothing, and his parents seemed to want him to follow in their footsteps living the same nothing life.

When he's accepted to Oxford, he leaves home behind. Once there, he reinvents himself, making up a much more stellar past than he acxtually lived. He becomes friends with Adam, who is from a wealthy family and represents all that Adam wants in life.

One night they meet a girl, who Jake blows off and Adam ends up talking to. Then dating, and finally marrying. Jake cannot let go and she will always be "the one that got away".

Jake has a very successful financial career, an extravagent home and is living the life he dreamed of.
The only thing missing is a wife, and Adam's sister, Anne, would make the perfect Trophy Wife. They marry, have children and Jake is still wanting more.

I love a book that makes me feel, and this one brought out strong emotions toward Jake. He was truly an unlikeable character and I struggle to find even one redeeming quality.

There are some tragic events and that ending had me like WHAT?!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’d like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Trophy Wife’ by Valerie Keogh in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Jake Mitchell comes from a working-class background and gets a scholarship for Balliol College in Oxford where he meets Adam Brett who become his best friend. When they meet Jane in a pub Jake falls in love with her but it’s Adam she marries so Jake compensates by marrying Adam’s sister Ann who he doesn’t love but she’ll be the perfect trophy wife for a person in his position as a consultant fund manager.

‘The Trophy Wife’ is an amazing psychological thriller with an addictive plot that’s been beautifully written. The story is so full of suspense and intrigue that I’ve been unable to stop reading as I’ve become more and more involved in the lives of the characters as they show their strengths and weaknesses. Ms Keogh has the ability to write with a perfect turn of phrase that makes her books a pleasure to read, and although ‘The Trophy Wife’ starts off as a fairly ordinary novel it soon proceeds to becomes compulsive reading with an unbelievable twist to the end that I hadn’t been expecting and came as a complete shock. This is a fantastic novel that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.

I love this author and I would highly recommend her new book. A glimpse into the elite life of a political couple. And the lengths one would go to secure their status. Brilliant xx

Geez! I almost wanted to say she got what she deserved! Anyway this book was a little crazy! But crazy good! it had light suspense, intrigue, murder, and one heck of a crazy story! the storyline was very interesting and crazy, kept me glued to my Kindle! wasn't how I thought this book was going to go! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

The Trophy Wife is dark, disturbing and unexpected, full of gut-churning angst and teeth-clenching moments of anxiety, precisely what a Thriller ought to be!

Jake's home life was stagnant, his parents had no aspirations and Jake couldn't stand the thought of a dead-end life. He left and didn't look back. In Oxford he did well. He climbed the ladder in his jobs and made piles of money. On paper he was successful. His close university friend Adam was not ambitious and was content to work at a mind numbing job. However, Jake envied him for several reasons. Though he was wealthy and had a showcase home, with whom could he happily share it? He fell in love with Jane, a woman out of his reach. But the one he married was Ann and was soon flooded with regret. Deceptions lead to bad choices with hideous consequences.

Seeking a slow burning story which quickly picks up pace and anxiety-inducing Thriller with some oomph? This is it!

My sincere thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me an early digital copy of this thrillery book.

This was a slow burning domestic psychological thriller with a unique storyline and a few shock moments and goes to show that everything's not always as it seems on the outside and the stark reality of life on the inside couldn't be further from the truth. If you like a storyline with lots of liie deception and mystery then This is for you.

This author has a clever way of hooking the reader in. With their clever and complex storyline and mix of characters.

What a thought provoking physcological thriller, I was surprisingly thrilled with this book. The plot is quite deep and I don't think any of the characters are likeable but it is still an addictive and engaging read. Jake and Ann marry not for love but to achieve what they both desire. What consequences follow is unbelievable. It pulled me in and I could not stop reading until I got to the end. The beginning starts out slow but it soon picks up and has your heart racing.

I absolutely loved this one. It had me hooked from the start. The plot is constantly moving and I loved how easy it was to read. It all just flowed in such a natural narrative. The characters were original and unique and were so well written and really came to life. The book really does explore these characters and their motives and impulses and it gets you invested in what happens to them. It's not just a basic thriller, it has so many more layers than that. I loved the twists and turns and the very human impulses and motives..... just generally ones that normal people don't sucomb to. There also isn't a villain and a hero, there are just people whoch made it all more fascinating. I honestly stayed up all night to see how it ended and it was worth every second of lost sleep. A must read, even for those who aren't fans of thrillers this will still tick the box for you since it's such a nuanced, complex read. Loved it!!

This was an achingly slow burn .I quite enjoyed disliking most of the characters though. This story changes drastically from a soap opera Great Gatsby to an ominous mystery of delusion. Interesting and unique.

Jake Mitchell leaves home at eighteen after finding out that his father wants him to join him at the factory that he works in. Jake wants to leave. He feels stifled at home and he wants to take up the scholarship at Oxford University that his parents are so against too. When he arrives at Oxford, he meets Adam Brett who comes from a rich family and spends his spare time with them whilst studying at Oxford. He has told them that his parents are dead. That later in years comes back to haunt him.
After leaving Oxford Jake becomes and Hedge fund manager whilst Adam becomes a teacher. Adam meets Jane, which then Jake gets jealous of the life he is living and also starts having a massive crush on her. But nothing becomes of it as, Adam and Jane get married.
Jakes career is going really well, and the money is coming in. More than he ever hoped for. But the only thing he is missing is someone to love. Jake meets Adam’s sister Ann who is not really marriage material, more high maintenance but they start seeing each other and eventually marries her. Ann is not the loving kind, only thinking how much money she can spend. But Jakes job at the bank takes a different turn, not for the better and doesn’t know how Ann will react.
Thank you, Boldwood books for an ARC of the Trophy wife. At first this has a slow start but becomes an addictive read regarding Jake doing anything he can to better himself but, not really caring what he did to get to the top. I found him quite a cold person and in two minds whether I liked him or not. But as I also felt sorry for him at the end as I thought he was quite delusional. This has also a lot of twists, especially the ending. 4 stars from me.

The Trophy Wife by Valerie Keogh

Read this if you want to be enveloped in a tense story about a man who has everything except the woman he loves, and the trophy wife he marries.

From the moment I saw Anne, I knew she was perfect for me.

Her beauty and her social connections would make my miserable life so much better. It didn’t matter that I didn’t love her. I would give her the lifestyle she craved, and she would give me the life I deserved…

But soon my marriage vows were a noose around my neck.

I longed to escape my beautiful, horrible wife.

And then I saw her and I knew there was only one way out…

Will be out on January 2

Jake was from the working class so when he got a full scholarship to Oxford he knew he couldn’t pass it up it’s there he meets his lifelong best friend Adam and despite them being total opposites they were still closer than brothers. When Adam met Jane he wasn’t the only want to fall in love with her Jake did as well but he loved her silently and remained their friend it wasn’t until he became very successful with the humongous home and all the attributes of wealth that he knew he had to find his own wife. Ann was nothing like her brother Adam she was selfish self-absorbed and despite being from wealth was money hungry so win Jake started showing her attention it was inevitable they would get married. This is the worst mistake Jakers ever made since leaving home he has done everything right got good grades made great friends got a good job but his choice of wife will be the ruin of him… Unless? I love books by Valerie Kiogh and even though he didn’t even get married until halfway through the book I would still highly recommend the trophy wife. Valerie Keogh has a great talent for writing characters with depth and whenever I get a new book by her I can’t wait to be introduced and this book was no exception. For some reason with those authors books you really get where the characters are coming from and they seem like people you know in real life I love our books and although this one wasn’t my absolute favorite I still think it is so worth reading. I received this book from NetGalley and bold wood books but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.gg

Another great yarn from this author. I was hooked and read it in two days which is unusual for me. There were lots of twists and turns. Be careful what you wish for!!

I am sorry to say this, but I did not care for this book, I liked this Author's book, The Widow, but this one is too depressing for me. I had promised myself no more Psychological Thrillers, and to be honest I didn't realize that this book fell into that category, but it does. I battled my way through halfway of the book, before anything interesting occurs, it's all backstory about the protagonist, Jake, and his self - pity behavior toward his parents, and his embarrassed attitude towards them, his justification of his self - destructive behavior begins on that day, and his envy carries him to the top, and once he obtains everything his heart desires, a posh house, a beautiful wife, and two precious children, his downfall begins. I think the reason it irritates me is I have no sympathy or empathy for people who whine, feel sorry for themselves, and who can't appreciate their blessings. If you like drama, or better yet, melodrama then you will like this book.
Thank you #Netgalley #Boldwoodbooks #TheTrophyWife
carolintallahassee

This book is written in a very interesting way.
It's a life story based on lies, jealousy, and daydreams of a young man trying desperately to be someone he isn't.
He keeps trying until it appears that he has achieved his goal.
Until his dreams turn into nightmares and the pressure is too much.

As I said, the book was very interesting written, but unfortunately, the book doesn't have a bit of a thriller in the story. Psychological thriller aspects only appeared after 80% of the story and were just that, a surprising moments on the last few pages.

I didn't like any of the characters in the book, which was probably intentional by the author to create the very odd atmosphere in this story.

I read this book and kept thinking how weird the main character is.
It left the impression that he had no real emotions at all.
Everything played, lied, and calculated.
I didn't know what would happen at the end of the story, but after all the chaos of his life, the ending definitely made sense.
It was a very impressive ending.

Did I like the book? Yes and no.
It was interesting, but sometimes dragged on too much and other stuff was not really explained to the reader at all. I'm not sure what to think about this book to be honest.