Fun fact! I read this author’s memoir about her move to Bali a few years ago and I really liked it. This is definitely a very different book than that one!
I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining and intriguing suspense filled psychological thriller! What a unique plot! We have an author that writes erotica but isn’t interested in having sex herself. To get story ideas she lets her husband have one night stands and then he relays to her what happens during these trysts. This all works well until a new neighbour moves in and suspicion and doubts begin to emerge in their marriage. The characters are interesting and well written. As I said the plot is very original and moves fairly quickly. Overall a great read that I found hard to put down.

The Widow on Dwyer Court by Lisa Kusel

The Widow on Dwyer Court is a fast paced multiple point of view thriller that takes you on a ride so fast and dangerous, that it’s hard to hold on to. Kate has the perfect life. She’s a very successful erotica novelist with a handsome husband that makes woman melt over, and an adorable loving child. What more could she want? How about a best friend. When Annie and her daughter move into their neighborhood, Kate thinks she found just what she needed in this unusual new neighbor., but of course, this widow is hiding some pretty big secrets. Will they be exposed, and if they do, what will the collateral damage be? And with Kate’s aversion to sex, will her marriage be able to be salvaged?

This book moved super fast, moving from the past to the present, painting a picture that will keep you guessing. While I enjoyed the writing, I feel there was too much bouncing around between characters. However the author easily defined and built the characters, creating ones you either like or hate.

This book was twisted, but oh did I enjoy the ride.

Interesting concept for a thriller type novel, when a couple makes an arrangement for opening their marriage, it helps further the career of one but causes serious issues as the story progresses. It is definitely twisty and I didn’t want to put it down.

THIS WAS BANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANANANANANANAS in all of the best ways.

Even though she loves him, and is otherwise happily married, Kate does not EVER want to have sex with her husband, Matt (who is 99% hormones and would permanently live in the bone zone if he could), so she sends him off into the world to sleep with other women... but then he has to come home and tell her allllll about it so she can write the sex scenes for her romance novels. There are rules: Matt can only see a woman one time, no relationships, and he can never leave Kate. This arrangement is working out great for everyone -- Kate doesn't feel obligated to have sex that she is grossed out by and Matt can indulge himself without guilt -- and then Annie comes to town. She's different than the other suburban moms, and Kate forms a fast friendship with her, but there's more going on with Annie than she lets on.


I absolutely loved the premise (outsourcing was a genius move on Kate's part), the book-within-a-book situation with Kate's romance novel (I mean... how DO you make a cheese cave sexy? lol) was so fun and added just enough spice. The dual POVs from Kate and Annie were great -- watching those two trying to figure each other out from both sides was wild. AND THAT ENDING: bonkers and perfect.

Definitely not for the faint-of-heart/pearl-clutchers, but wildly unique, fast-paced, and completely unhinged. (( and the audiobook narrators, Brittany Pressley and Hillary Huber, were SO GOOD! ))

The Widow On Dwyer Court was good but it wasn’t my favorite book I have read. It is a good mystery suspense unique erotica sex story with a surprise twist at the end. It is about an Author Kate who writes erotic sex stories. Her husband Matt and her love each other but they don’t have sex. However, they have a open marriage and he can have sex with any woman he wants too and in return he tells Kate about his time with these women and she uses the ideas in her erotica books with the characters. Things are going great until a new neighbor Annie and her daughter move in. Kate and Annie become good friends and so do their daughters Finley and Terra. However, things take a turn between Annie and Kate’s friendship as well as in Matt and Kate’s marriage. Sometimes in life we realize and know that those we love the most can hurt us and keep the darkest secrets from us. Thank you to Netgalley and blackstone publishing for giving me a complimentary ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

The Widow on Dwyer Court is the most delightfully deranged domestic suspense thriller that serves up absolute DRAMA.

The premise of a marriage in which the wife is sex-adverse, but who encourages her husband to have affairs so she can write about them under her own name as an erotic romance author is unhinged on its own. Then throw in a mysterious new neighbour who starts disrupting the status quo and seems to be hiding something and you have yourself a rollercoaster of crazy that doesn’t stop.

This book is just so freaking fun to read. It’s like a nighttime soap opera and reality tv all rolled into one. There are secrets and mystery and tension and total moments of absolute hilarity and it’s a blast from start to finish.

When you want something a little different, but that serves pure entertainment, this is your book. Perfect for an end of summer pick - don’t wait to grab a copy!

Many thanks to @blackstonepublishing for the copy and to @lisa_kusel for letting me be a part of your writing process on this one! Can’t wait for what you dream up next!

A little too spicy for me considering the book is a thriller.
Didn’t finish. Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read.

The group over at Thriller Blook Lovers: The Pulse all agree that this is one of the sexiest psychological thrillers of the year! Thankful for Lisa and Blackstone Publishing for allowing us an early peek.

Kate and Matt are a happily married couple living in an affluent neighborhood and raising their daughter while working successful careers. Kate writes erotic romance under a pen name…using stories her husband shares of the one night stands he has while he’s away on business. They have an agreement and it works. However when a widow moves to town and Kate’s daughter befriends her daughter, the dynamic starts to shift. Annie is eclectic, carefree, and a breath of fresh air compared to some of the other stuffier moms in the neigborhood.

The closer that Kate and Annie become, the more Kate is tempted to share her secret identity and unconventional marriage with Annie. But Annie is keeping secrets from Kate as well - big ones that could shake Kate’s entire world.

I don’t read thrillers to feel like they are absolutely possible scenarios that will happen to me - I read them to suspend reality and get absorbed in (rich) people behaving badly. Don’t go into this one thinking “OMG it could happen to me” because it couldn’t, it won’t. Go into this one thinking that you’re going to get an absolutely DELICIOUS fast and fun thriller, you will.

It was such a unique premise full of unique characters. I cannot think of any thriller I’ve read before that showcases a wife who has a deal that her husband can cheat as long as he relays the details to her! Wild!! Watching this woman who is comfortable in her skin and her relationship be slowly driven to insecurity after setting these rules herself is like a slow descent into madness. It’s sort of a character study in how people handle adversity within the parameters of their own making.

Overall I thought this would make a fantastic Lifetime movie and I say that with sincerity. The drama, the absurdity, the extremely unique circumstances - the makings of a solid cinematic experience.

I believe this was Lisa’s first thriller and I am excited to see what she gives us next if she continues with this genre because I find her to be fresh and exciting.

This was unlike any book I had read - the mix of suspense, erotica, and craziness. The dynamic between Kate and Matt was something else and then throwing Annie in - Wow! While the story was progressing, it was hard to tell where it was going and who was the “bad guy.” I felt like most of the action happened within the last 25% of the book, but the ending -- I didn’t see it coming at all.

Lisa is definitely on my must watch list for authors! I can wait to see what she writes next!

Unlikeable Characters
Domestic Drama / Thriller
Infidelity & Secrets
Spicy
Story within a story

The Widow on Dwyer Court by Lisa Kusel earns full marks for originality, though the challenge of blending erotic fiction with psychological suspense fell short, in my opinion, of being successfully met.

Kate is sex-averse, yet is a moderately successful writer of erotic fiction. Without her own experiences from which to draw, she relies on her husband's sexual encounters with other women to fuel her creative juices. When Annie, a widow with a young daughter, arrives as a new neighbour, Kate feels a connection, despite Annie's numerous quirks and odd behaviour. As Annie endeavours to increase Kate's libido with her own potions, the cracks in Kate's dichotomy are blown wide open.

While I did, admittedly, devour these pages, I found that the inclusion of Kate's erotic fiction, as well as the alternating viewpoints of Kate and Annie, felt more than a little disjointed. This one will be a hit or miss with most readers, though I find myself firmly in the middle.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC.

I had to DNF this one. I’m all for some smut but this wasn’t what I anticipated when I read the “about” section. I got to the scene at the park and had to call it quits.

"The Widow on Dwyer Court" is a sexy psychological thriller that grips you from the first page and doesn't let go. The story centers on Kate Burke, a thirty-six-year-old stay-at-home soccer mom, whose marriage to Matt Parsons is anything but conventional. Their unique arrangement, where Matt has one-night stands on work trips and shares every detail with Kate, adds a tantalizing layer to the narrative, especially since Kate channels these experiences into her erotic romance novels. This unconventional setup is intriguing and provides a fresh take on marital dynamics and fidelity.

Kate's life takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of Annie Meyers, an eccentric young widow, and her daughter. Annie's presence is a breath of fresh air for Kate, offering a reprieve from the mundane suburban lifestyle. However, as their friendship deepens, the tension escalates with the revelation of Annie's dark secrets. The interplay between Kate's hidden life and Annie's mysterious past creates a suspenseful atmosphere that keeps readers on edge.

The characters are well-developed and multi-dimensional. Kate's struggle with her dual identity as a devoted mother and a secretive writer is relatable and adds depth to her character. Annie's unpredictability injects a sense of danger and excitement into the plot, making her an intriguing foil to Kate.

The narrative is skillfully woven, balancing the sensual elements of Kate and Matt's arrangement with the mounting psychological tension brought by Annie's secrets. The pacing is excellent, with each chapter leaving you eager to uncover more.

Overall, "The Widow on Dwyer Court" is a captivating read that blends eroticism with psychological suspense. It explores themes of trust, deception, and the complexities of human relationships in a refreshing and thought-provoking manner. If you enjoy thrillers with a steamy twist, this book is definitely worth your time!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with this ebook.

The premise of this book intrigued me. It didn't sound like anything that has ever been done before. However, so many pieces of the story have been. I didn't get to experience any surprises or have any questioning moments because of that. It was also difficult to set down and pick back up because the point of view changed so drastically at times. I think the book could have been written in a different manner that allowed for it to flow better. I will gladly read more work by this author in the future, but I do hope it improves.

Kate writes erotica. But she doesn't like sex. So, she allows her husband to go out and have sex with other women. Which he does. But the agreement is to come back and tell Kate every detail so that she can write it in her book.
Annie moves into the neighborhood. She has a daughter the same age as Kate's daughter. Annie meets Kate's husband Matt first at the park before she met Kate, but they seem to get along pretty well as fast friends
Annie is into organics. No plastic items or artificial foods. Annie tells Kate she is a widow and her husband died on a kayaking accident
Eventually, there is something about Annie that Kate no longer trusts. What is she hiding
Kate no longer wants Matt to sleep around anymore either, but she doesn't want to have sex with him
How can she be a best-selling author and no longer have Matt's sexapades to relay on

3.5 stars
I was really intrigued by the premise of this book and overall, I enjoyed the storyline! There was definitely some spice, but I liked that it wasn’t overpowering and didn’t consume the whole book.
The thing I struggled with was all of the jumping around. Sometimes you were hearing from Kate, sometimes you were hearing from Annie, and sometimes you would be thrown into Kate’s books. I did find most of the resolution predictable so I wasn’t shocked at the twists, with the exception of the last two pages.
Ultimately, it was a slightly above average read for me, but I would absolutely read more from this author!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot is truly unique, featuring Kate Burke, an erotica writer who is sex-averse, and her husband Matt Parsons, who is sex-obsessed. They navigate their marriage through a special arrangement. The involvement of a widow in the neighborhood and the friendships among their kids add more depth and wit to the story. The plot twists are captivating. Highly recommended!!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to review as part of the Thriller Book Loves The Pulse group, ll in all, a solid thriller that will definitely appeal to lovers of the genre!

This book is scandalous,sordid, and salacious. The premise intrigued me but based on the description I knew it wouldn’t end well for at least one of the main characters.
I thought Kate was just pathetic as she used her husband as a piece of meat and then pumped him for details so she had fodder for her erotic books.
Matt was a chump and clueless.
Annie was just as Manipulative as Kate but from different angles.
This book is an example of how a reader can not like any of the main characters but still like the book.

The Widow on Dwyer Court by Lisa Kusel, is what I believe is what every thriller, suspense and, romance reader needs to read.
What I love is that Kate is a writer living through her husband’s sex life. It has to be in my top 5 reads of this year so far and I am so happy I was chosen to read this. What I also loved was the plot twist no one would have guessed or seen coming at the very end.
The Widow on Dwyer Court made you feel like you were there watching everything unfold and played out.

Kate Burke, 36, is happily married to Matt Parsons, although their marriage looks very different behind closed doors. She has a secret life writing erotic romance novels under a nom de plume, and Matt’s adulterous affairs are her bread and butter. Annie Meyers, an eccentric young widow, moves to town with her daughter and she and Kate become friends.

My opinion of this novel varied almost from day to day. I don't normally read erotic fiction so there were times when I'd cringe at the description of various sex acts and other times I'd get so immersed in the story that I'd forget about the eroticism until it popped up in the story again (pun intended). Some of the erotic romance that Kate is currently writing is contained in the book as a story within a story and the transition is well done but still uncomfortable for me to read at times. I guess I'm more of a prude than I thought. Still, I never once thought about dnfing the book. The writing itself is fine and easy to read.

TW: Infidelity, sex acts, some bad language.

Once again I find myself in need of a half star but unfortunately I have to round down in this case. Most reviewers rated this much higher so check out other reviews if you're interested in reading it.

My thanks to Blackstone Publishing via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: July 16, 2024