BOOK: The Other Mistress
GENRE: psychological thriller
TROPES & THEMES: betrayal, unreliable narrator, mental health, successful women, murder
TRIGGER WARNING: child abuse
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
RELEASE DATE: June 27th, 2023

This is definitely a book I have to review carefully so that I won't spoil anything.

I like the writing. The author conveyed the story very well. It is a story that states taught the reader.

I would recommend it to the fans of the genre.


Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Other Mistress.

I enjoyed the author's previous books so I was excited my request was approved.

Sadly, The Other Mistress didn't live up to my expectations, mainly because using mental illness as a twist is a cheap tactic.

First, most people with mental illness are not violent, and that includes people afflicted with DID.

I may not be a psychiatrist but I was a clinical psychology major in college.

Second, I didn't like or sympathize with the characters and some of the scenes especially with Gabriel were awkwardly written.

Third, the narrative is dull, nothing really happens except for copious amounts of descriptions about Adira grooming herself, wearing expensive clothes, an expensive tote bag slung over her arm, hashing it out with Jocelyn, and drinking. Excessively.

I did appreciate the author's disclaimer (and heads up) about the painful subjects found in the book that may be triggering such as sexual violence, pedophilia, and child abuse.

Thank You, Netgalley and Kensington, for ARC for The Other Mistress. I enjoy this book about a woman who discovers her husband has affairs with two women. The wife collaborates with one of the mistresses to take down her husband and this other mistress. This book was full of rollercoasters of emotions. I want to fight everybody in this book, but the end of this book was a shocker. Please read the book Ms.Shanora Williams did again with this book.

TW: Child abuse and Sexual abuse

4.5 stars - There are a lot of mixed reviews for this one, but I personally really enjoyed this book! It’s a great quick, fun, heart-pounding, and jaw-dropping psychological thriller.

This book really was captivating and intriguing from the start, couple that with short chapters and different POVs, and you have a winning combination! I was able to fly through this book. I’ve never read a Shanora Williams book, but I understand now how people mentioned that this author takes psychological thrillers to the next level and how they are never disappointed. I found the author did an excellent job of building suspense in every chapter.

This novel takes you on a roller coaster ride that leaves you incredibly curious about what will happen next while also making you feel nervous and perplexed. Once you start reading this book, you might not be able to put this book down. I wholeheartedly urge everyone to read this book but prepare yourself for the unpredictable including a mind-blowing ending.

Thank you #NetGalley and #kensingtonbooks for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: June 26, 2023

4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Adira knows how to turn around a troubled past. Now she's a self-made multi-millionaire who takes exquisite care of herself and her only true love: her husband Gabriel. Adira has it all - except the answer to one tormenting question: why is attentive, affectionate Gabriel cheating on her - with not just one, but two women."

If you like Taryn Fisher, you'll enjoy Shanora Williams!

I liked this one! It was a quick read (249 pages), so the book didn't slow down much. There are twists, none that were very shocking to me, but still good. There was plenty of suspense, betrayal, and thrills.

This book had so many intense twists and turns, and it was a quick enjoyable read. A scorned woman befriends her husband's mistress and they start stalking her husband's "girlfriend". As you get into the story of what happens to cause such trauma and hurt early on in life, you begin to understand why one of the main characters has mental issues. I found the book rather predictable at the end as it seems to kind of follow the story of another book I have read, but overall it was highly intense and kept me wanting to read more. I received a free sample for my honest review from NetGalley.

Totally twisted delight! Once the author clues you in, then it starts to make perfect sense...hang in there! I can't wait to read more from this author.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and mostly the author for the chance to read this advanced copy for a fair review.

This is the second book by Shanora Williams that I’ve read, and it didn’t disappoint! In the beginning, we learn that Adira’s husband hasn’t been faithful, and has not one, but two mistresses. The story unfolds as we follow Adira in her attempt to get her husband’s attention back on only her.
I really liked how the author included a trigger warning in the beginning of the book, as some of the topics are definitely heavy and can be hard to read for some. I also liked the short chapters, which made it a good fast paced thriller. The twist wasn’t the most crazy plot twist ever, but it was good and felt almost familiar in a comfortable way? Not to say that in a bad way!

3.5 ⭐️/5

Thank you @kensingtonbooks and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A little slow at first but the ending really threw me and I loved it! It's about infidelity and betrayal but also touches on mental illness. I really enjoyed this book.

The Other Mistress by Shanora Williams

You’re strong, successful, and drop dead gorgeous…but your husband has a mistress…or two?! How far would you go to get him back? This book touches on some really difficult topics.. most of all on the crippling effects of mental health concerns that go unaddressed. It’s a fast paced read—two days for me. I didn’t see the twist coming and when it did I was genuinely shocked. To say it made me sad was kind of an understatement. It’s a powerful read wrapped up in the packaging of a thriller. Would highly recommend. On NetGalley now, but being released June 27th.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for this arc! I really enjoyed this book and the twists; I would recommend this book and will read more from this author in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and preview this copy of The Other Mistress. This was my first by this author but will not be the last.
One wife and two mistresses. Do i need to say more? Filled with suspense and mystery with a twisty plot! I would most definitely recommend this one to fellow readers

This book held such promise, but I just couldn't relate to the characters. None of them a likeable and I couldn't find a reason to care what happened to them.

This is the first Shanora WIlliams novel I have read. While very well written, it was not for me. I appreciate the trigger warning at the beginning. Books that explore those topics are not something I usually chose. This novel was packed with twists, turns, affairs and scandals. The ending threw me!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review and opinion!

This was the first book of Shanora Williams that I’ve read but it won’t be my last. The writing and mystery were well written and there’s a twist at the end that I didn’t predict, so I enjoyed my read!

This book was amazing!! I felt the beginning was a little slow but I did NOT expect the twist!! Everyone needs to read this!!

This was an extremely fast paced psychological suspense/“thriller” which left me disappointed.

I was hooked from the beginning, Adira finds out her husband is cheating on her, but not just with one woman. He has TWO mistresses. The audacity of this man!? Adira and one of the mistresses, Jocelyn, meet and slowly begin to conspire against the other mistress, so that Adira can have her husband back to herself.

Up until the twist was revealed I was expecting this to be a 4 or 5 star read. But then we learn that Adira and Jocelyn… are the same person. Adira has DID (multiple personalities) which stemmed from her traumatic childhood.

I just saw this book going in a totally different direction and was disappointed that the main character ended up being portrayed as “crazy”. I have learned a lot about DID (multiple personality disorder) over the years, including during a psych class in college. I find the disease extremely interesting and heartbreaking.
But this portrayal of it just didn’t do it for me.
I think I’m also tired of reading about “crazy” female main characters, and was hoping for a different exciting twist to end this story.

I would recommend this to people who typically enjoy psychological thrillers

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in return for my review.

This was very close to being a DNF for me. It was… different. It was a slow start that seemed to drag on with nothing really happening other than the main character, Adira, complaining about her husband cheating on her with not one but two other women. It picked up a little at the 50-60% mark, but not enough to draw me in. This was my first Shanora Williams book, and it wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me a copy to read I enjoyed the book and I was pleasantly surprised by the author as I haven’t read anything from them. I would rate it 3/5 stars.

This was fine! I have to say, I was expecting more given the author's hype over her 2022 release, The Wife Before.
But all in all, this was a perfectly decent domestic thriller. One thing that bothered me throughout the whole book was the immense suspension of disbelief I had to make regarding some of the dialogue. Like, you know when you're like "... this is not at all how a human would react to this"? HOWEVER, it makes more sense when you get to the plot twist (although I still think it could've been handled better).
If you're into that more classic Girl on the Train, Woman in Cabin 1o kinda vibe, this will definitely work for you, I think. Just as long as you're not expecting something extremely crazy or twisty to happen, you'll have fun reading this!