This story had so many twists and turns! I didn't know how it was going to end up! You know it’s going to end badly when the wife gives her husband free reign to sleep with other women. I tend to side with a character, but I didn’t know who to choose! One of the twists I could see coming from a mile away, but the one which I will call the big twist! Now that I didn’t see coming! If you like reading on the edge of your seat then don’t miss out! You won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough!

I thought the book was really well written, I loved the premise of it and I think it was executed in such a way that doesn't bring anyone down.

THE WIDOW ON DWYER COURT
By Lisa Kusel
Pub Date July 16, 2024
200 Pages

There are so many good thrillers publishing in the next few months. THE WIDOW ON DWYER COURT is one you don't want to miss. Everyone at @thrillerbookloversthepulse is talking about this book.
Thank you to @blackstonepublishing @lisa_kusel
and @netgalley for the ebook.

Kate Burke is an sex averse erotica romance writer who is happily married to her sex loving husband Matt. They have an agreement that he can have one night stands with other women on his work trips as long as he follows her four rules. When he returns home he tells Kate every detail about them so she can put them in her new book.

A widow and herbalist named Annie and her daughter move into town. Kate and Annie and their daughters become fast friends. Kate trusts Annie with her secret that she is an erotica romance writer. Little does she know that Annie has secrets of her own that just might destroy Annie's marriage.

This was more of a domestic suspense than a thriller for me. They story is told in the POV of Annie and Kate and I liked seeing both sides. I also liked the book within a book as we get to see Kate writing her new book. There is spice in this book but I didn't mind it as it fit into the story. Even if I was sex averse, I wouldn't want my husband sleeping with other women. When I started reading this book I wasn't sure where it was going but then everything started to come together and I loved the ending. This book is a quick read that I read in one afternoon. Perfect reading for by the pool or at the beach this summer.

There is something about this book that I am just not drawn to. Maybe it's the characters. I know for me, a book needs to catch me pretty quickly, and I'm around 30% through, and nothing has caught me. I try hard not to DNF books, but after a series I read a few months ago from here, I quickly changed my thoughts on that. I may try and pick it up at another time and change my review, but as of now, it is a no for me.

1.5⭐️

Thank.you NetGalley and Blacktone Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a quick, fun, spicy 🌶️ domestic suspense! Very unique and nothing like I’ve read before.
I liked how the main character was an author, and how the story was told in alternating POV’s.
The idea of Kate allowing her husband to have sex with other women so she could use his “experiences” to help her write her books, was obviously a bit far fetched, as was the entire book in general. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing— it just may be helpful to go into this one with an open mind & know beforehand that it’s going to be extremely unrealistic.
That being said, I definitely liked how this crazy plot played out, and it kept my attention all the way through. The ending was satisfying and worked really well.
I just feel like there was a lot of “extra” stuff that probably would have been better off not being mentioned. And I’m not sure I’d categorize this as a thriller, or even a mystery. I would say a domestic suspense at best. Lots of spice, with all of the “action” happening at the very end of the book.
Also some of the dialogue gave me the ick 😂

Thank you NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

This was honestly so hard to get through, the dialogue and writing were so cringe, there was no plot except sex and writing about sex and this was definitely far from a real thriller. It was just cheesy marriage drama. The characters were also all really flat and unexciting. Nothing happened until the very end and the ending didn't even really make sense. The "plot twist" was also just so obvious.

I walked into this book forgetting what the synopsis said it was about and was blown away. So many shocking events and twists and turns! I love a book with a shocking ending that I didn’t see coming and this book definitely delivered!!

Kate is a writer and her husband helps her to write her books. But all bets are off once the Annie moves in down the road. Kate’s perfect world is up lifted by these new events and now she’s not sure if she’ll be able to finish her book. Her life as a writer is in jeopardy will she let this woman ruin all she has worked for in her career and her marriage?

If you read the synopsis of this one you already know this is outrageous because that premise is insane 😂 so when I started this I knew it would be slightly ridiculous but I had no idea just how unhinged it would get. The author really went there in terms of outrageousness and I was here for it. This was fast paced, I could not put it down so there was an addictive quality to the authors writing. I really had no idea what the characters would do next but I was dying to know. There’s a bit of a book within a book as there are excerpts from Kate’s steamy erotica story interspersed within the chapters so that was fun. You also hear from Annie, the new neighbor in alternating chapters and she was quite the character. If you like domestic novels with unhinged behavior, a side of steam and some pretty surprising twists this was a blast. The publisher says it’s for fans of The Arrangement series and I can definitely see that!

With many thanks to NetGalley, author Lisa Kusel and Blackstone publishing for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.

I was hooked from the very beginning. It is a fast paced page turner that will keep readers wanting to stay up to finish it.

I loved the character development in Kate! Wow, just wow. Readers will never expect her to do the things she did and I’m sure many who have experienced the betrayal she did will relate to her quest for pay back.

Matt is a character that most women will have a love/hate relationship with. He comes across as a great Dad and a loving husband who is just doing what his wife needs. So loving right? Until he decides his needs are more important than hers which creates the ‘hate’ factor.

Annie…omg Annie. Even though she’s a villain, I absolutely loved the way the author developed her character. She was a very new age woman, relatable with her holistic and natural path mindset and just the fact that she was so different made her quite the likeable character.

I felt the ending was predictable, but the build up to it was very well written. This was my first book by this author but I’m looking forward to reading more.

I would have given it 5 stars if it had just a little more twists or thrills but overall a great read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The widow on Dwyer Court
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I feel like this was more of a domestic drama versus the domestic thriller I originally thought it would be. And I think given this I felt the book was slower than I'd anticipated as well. However, regardless of those things the writing was good and I'd recommend this to others given they read this and know what to expect!

When a stay-at-home mom turns to a writer, the inspiration behind her steamy scenes happens to be none other than her husband. She writes all the little details about her Husbands's very real work trip affairs. And she encourages him to continuously get involved in these sexcapades to keep her creative juices flowing.

The premise is highly captivating, however, I thought there would be more m@rder involved, lol. That's entirely a "me" problem. I watch FAR too much true crime.

The Widow on Dwyer Court is pure entertainment. It blends genres, sprinkles in some spice and takes you on a totally unexpected journey.

The @thrillerbookloversthepulse crew was not lying when they said that the book is unique. Go in blind and enjoy the ride!

Lisa Kusel takes what could have been your standard thriller plot and turns it up to 11. It’s original, the characters are delightfully messy and the ending is spot on. I can’t wait to read more of her work!

Thank you to @netgalley @blackstonepublishing for the gifted copy.

I wasn’t too crazy about this one for the longest time. Most of the book revolves around our main character’s spicy (but incredibly cringy) novel she’s writing and then her husband’s sexcapades with other women, that she’s using to write said novels.

The last bit of the book did pick up, but there just wasn’t enough of the good parts for me to enjoy it all that much. That said, for people who do enjoy spicy books and domestic drama, you’d still probably enjoy it.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for my eARC.

Our main character, Kate, is an erotic writer who pens her spicy books under the name “Daphne Moore”. She otherwise is pretty normal - she has a husband named Matt, and they have a daughter, Finley. Matt is out of town for business a lot, so writing is a natural thing for Kate to get into. She can be home with their daughter, and spend her time writing about sex.

The odd part? Kate doesn’t like sex. At first I thought she was asexual, but in the book she’s called something like sex-adverse. Basically, she loves her husband, loves being married and having a family, but the actual act of sex does nothing for her. She played along and pretended to enjoy being intimate with her husband for a few years, then finally admitted that she can’t stand making love to him. She comes up with a compromise, and that’s when the book goes completely off the rails.

Kate doesn’t want to deprive Matt of a sex life, so she asks him for something very strange: every time he goes on a work trip, she wants him to find a woman, have a one-night-stand, then tell her every single detail when he gets home. Kate then turns his sexual experiences into her books - and sells plenty of them. Their only rules are that he is to be safe, and he is only to see the women one time - no emotional attachments.

I’m sure you can tell where this is going - a woman named Annie moves into their neighborhood after her husband dies, and her daughter Terra soon makes friends with Finley. This brings Kate and Annie together, despite Kate being bewildered by this sex-positive woman. Then, I probably don’t have to give spoilers - you’ll immediately see the problem, and what is to be done about it.

This book was relatively entertaining, and it was definitely unique - because THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN. Like, couldn’t she just watch some porn to get ideas? It’s such a preposterous plot that I had to laugh in some places, and I didn’t care for also reading the “Daphne Moore” books as they were written. I can do without the bodice-ripping, Fabio-type books - even if they’re books within other books. As ridiculous as I found this though, I was still intrigued enough by the story to finish it. Three stars for a very strange read.

(Thank you to Blackstone Publishing, Lisa Kusel and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on July 16, 2024.)

This book was good but a little chaotic for me. I like a good thriller & this had some thrilling parts but it fell flat for me. Who on earth would let their husband sleep with other women so he could tell her about it so she could write smutty books? It’s so unrealistic. There were many parts that were just unnecessary. It’s only 200 pages-I should’ve finished this quickly but it dragged for me. Sorry!

This is an extra spicy and suspenseful story that is character-driven mainly by Kate and Matt. They have a bizarre arrangement where Matt is allowed to have extra-marital relationships as long as he tells his wife all about them for her erotic romance novels. The character development is well-done with each character being distinct and interesting. I think readers who enjoy spicy romance, romantic suspense, and domestic suspense would enjoy this book.

The Widow on Dwyer Court is a sexy twisty thriller.

Kate is an author of erotica, yet she doesn't like sex. Her husband, who has a permanent hall pass, is her muse and she uses his escapades as inspiration. All is going just fine until a new neighbor arrives and something just seems off, leaving Kate unsettled.

As Kate and Matt's marriage teeters in the edge, Kate wonders of she is imagining things that aren't there.

This is story about sex and obsession, love and lust. It was the ultimate page turner with a brilliant finish.

This book was a wild ride! It combines family drama, toxic friendships, suspense, and spice. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all! I liked the dual perspectives of Kate and Annie, and thought the dynamic between them was interesting. There’s something the book is leading up to that I figured out early on, but the way the author ended the story was completely unexpected.

The Widow on Dwyer Court is getting all the buzz around thrillerbookloversthepulse!

Wow. I am usually not rendered speechless after a book, but Lisa accomplished it. The premise of this book is WILD & unlike any other book I’ve ever read. Annie & Kate we’re night & day. Matt may be one of my most despised MMCs of all time. I felt like I was turned upside down to be put right side up, for then yet another twist to present itself. This one is definitely not your typical thriller, but great for readers who like romance & suspense. You won’t know what to anticipate with every page you turn. I disliked all three MCs, but was still intrigued to learn about their journey. I did not expect the ending what so ever & it may have been more wild than the entire book! This one was wicked, but still captivating.

Thank you to thrillerbookloversthepulse , blackstonepublishing , & lisa_kusel for this ARC! I will be interested to see what Lisa writes next & check it out.

2.5 stars

very intriguing synopsis but i would not call this a thriller book. this was more of a domestic drama than thriller. the thriller aspects were only picked up on by the last few chapters of the book. decent pacing, dull, annoying characters, lots of sexual content, confusing ending.

this book might not have been for me, but it might be for you!

Rating: 3 stars!

The book was a whirlwind. The plot line was something out of my realm of normal reads and is something I am most definitely not interested in reading again. That being said, the plot line was incredibly original to me. The ending fell a little short for me.. The book went from a domestic suspense to a thriller ending real quick.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.