WOW. First off thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc copy of The Lucky Widow.

I am a thrilled/suspense and mystery story lover but this story really was so good!

The story follows Emma who is married to Nate a cardiothoracic surgeon. It also includes Nate’s friend group as well as following from the pov of the detective following the case, Gabriella Rossi.

All is not what it seems in their life and marriage… and as the story goes on you learn everyone in the book has secrets. Big secrets.

I did not see the twists coming - not at all & was pleasantly surprised by the ending being even more shocking when it had yet another twist.

This four star read is definitely worth recommending- I loved it!

Oh my, finally a Hitchkonian style book that would make a great movie, except I don't know how modern movie makers would do the disgusting sex scenes, this author did an excellent job alluding to the evil orgies, without the specifics. The thing about books are that I must like at least one character, Emma is not it, Nate is certainly not it. I like Emma's parents, I like the girls, especially Taryn, very sweet, Abby was okay, but what a potty mouth, I couldn't feel sorry for Emma, she did stalk Nate and she got what she deserved. This is a suspenseful book, I really thought Rossi had her, but I didn't like Rossi, people like to say there is a gray in the world, but there is only black and white, good and evil. The protagonist in this story are evil! Yuck.
I highly recommend it. Thank you #StormPublishing #Netgalley
carolintallahassee

THE LUCKY WIDOW by Samantha Verant (Sorry, the accent point doesn’t work) was SO GOOD, you’re gonna want to clear your calendar!

When her private investigator finally gets the goods on her husband‘s cheating, Emma returns from a trip to tell him she wants a divorce. The prenup says she’ll get nothing but there is an infidelity clause and Emma can’t wait to break out of the prison in which she has been living, albeit a beautiful glass and concrete eighteen thousand square-foot home that she designed and decorated herself.. When she arrives however, she finds her billionaire heart surgeon husband, Nathaniel Booth Landon, the “Prince of New York” dead in the pond. The police immediately suspect her of having something to do with the death. They begin speaking to friends, family, employees, neighbours and of course, her BFF Abby and her twin fourteen year olds who are currently abroad, staying on holiday while she came home to take care of things. All of her carefully laid plans are crumbled to dust when she finds Nate.

As the police continue their investigation, it becomes clear that Nate may have actually died of natural causes which will make her a very LUCKY WIDOW indeed. A very rich, lucky widow. But Detective Gabriella Rossi can’t seem to move on to other suspects. When another billionaire in Nate’s social circle is also found dead the secrets slowly begin to emerge and the lifestyles of the rich and famous are not too sweet.

I love any mystery with a good dose of glitz and glamour and this one fit the bill. It was also a deep dive into the depravity that money can buy. Samantha Verant weaves a masterful tale of crazy, sick individuals with too much time and money on their hands. I would caution that there may be some abuse triggers; physical, sexual and emotional, but I felt that these topics were addressed within with respect. The writing style was clear and concise and I felt richer just reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this arc opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

This was the first book I read by this author and it had me hooked with its many twists and turns! It is definitely fast paced and a must add to your TBR!!

Thank you NetGalley & Storm Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. I love the plot, but did get confused a few times. But it all set up pretty well with good writing. I always like different POVs, It was a little slow to the point for me, the beginning took quite a while to get the book moving.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. This is the first book I have read by Samantha Verant and I am now hooked. This book had me not wanting to put it down. This domestic thriller had a lot to unpack. This book was fast paced and had so many twists and turns. The story is very complex but it made the book better. This book does jump around in time some and the story spans over decades. The book is mainly from the female main characters point of view but does jump to some other characters point of view. This book sucked me in from the start. I highly recommend this book.

Wow! What a story. Even when you think a marriage looks perfect from the outside, you never know what’s it’s really like. Emma accidentally on purpose met the ‘perfect’ man, Nate, but once they married, things changed. Emma makes plans to get out of her marriage, but how far will she really go and who is she saving? There is a theme of sex trafficking in this book, so beware, although it doesn’t go into detail. Thank you so much to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a interesting read for sure. Imagine wishing that your husband would die and plan on serving him divorce papers when you get home just to find out your dream has literally come true. The story was enjoyable to say the least and I do plan to read from this author.

I could not get into this one for the life of me, this is the biggest red flag book, there are so many. The relationship is hard to get past. I just couldn't find myself being invested and interested enough to continue reading this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Please note that this is a 3.5 for me.

On one hand, I really enjoyed this book. The mystery was very solid, and I enjoyed it from the perspective of domestic thriller more than most that I have read recently. There's a lot to be said for the substance of a long-standing, slow burn read like this one, where the storyline traverses decades of background to culminate in the climax. I think that this part of the book was done really successfully.

I do think as well that Emma and Nate were both written really well - Nate is a walking red flag and a big bucket of 'No thanks', and Emma is, realistically, a galvanised and interesting woman. The one flaw with her is that you never really understand why she pursued Nate in the first place - that could be made a little clearer.

While I guessed a lot of the twists, I had a fun time with this one, and really did think that the twists were written in well. They were certainly gripping, and it was an absolute delight to read this one in the dark with the company of the cats!

On the slightly less good side. I do think that there was a touch of a saviour complex to Emma that I wasn't a huge fan of. I think as well that the narrative could have been pared down a little in places, and expanded in others - pared down in relation to the end bit and a large chunk of Rossi and her motivations, but expanded in terms of why Emma picked this particular guy.

Rossi is, unfortunately, the main reason that I couldn't rate this higher. She comes across as self-righteous and frustrating, and, while I understand her black and white view, it reaches a point where it's a little too much. This could have been done better and she could have had just a bit more nuance.

I'm excited to see what this author writes next, however- the most fundamental part of a mystery novel is the mystery, and that is, at least, certainly done well!

The Lucky Widow by Samantha Vérant The book is about Emma Novak Landon who is an interior architect and returning home from Paris France she walks in to find her house a mess and her husband dead in the pond. When police are called in Alex Kowalski and Gabrielle Rosa are the detectives sent in to investigate the suspicious death. Despite the Landonds being one of the richest couples in New York City Gabrielle and Emma have a past and it isn’t a good one. The detective immediately focuses straight in on Emma being the perpetrator despite all the evidence to the contrary. When the corners report comes back that he died from a heart attack Detective Rosa still believes there’s more to the story and win the billionaires friends start to die from heart attacks as well things just get stranger especially everything and everyone they find in the dead men’s homes. I thought this book was going to be predictable and in a lot of the case it was but in a good way. Even when I thought I knew who did it I still couldn’t wait to turn the page to see if I was right. The smoke as much longer than your average Thriller but once you start reading it is hard to put it down this was really a great crime thriller and although I wasn’t the biggest fan of Detective Rosa because of her ulterior motives in my mind for wanting Emma to be guilty by the end of it I was still happy for her and her personal life. Those who read the book will know what I mean this is a great book in one I definitely recommend. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.#StormPublishing, #NetGalley, #TheLuckyWidow, #SamanthaVerent

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Twisted mystery about Emma and her husband Nate. When Emma first met him, Nate lived a very high societal life, which is what first attracted her to him. Now that they are married, he treats her, and their twin daughters terribly. His rich friends are also rude to Emma, and always seem to have ulterior motives at their parties. When Emma comes home from a trip, she finds Nate dead. Immediately Emma is a person of interest, but as the detectives do some digging, they realize there are many people who wanted Nate dead. A decent mystery, lots of twists and turns towards the end.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for this Advanced Readers’ Copy. This book is available July 5th!
#booksbyashleynicole

Great thriller! Loved the drama and backstabbing told from different POV!!

Reminds me of Fried McFadden books!! So good!

I was immediately drawn into the captivating world of "The Lucky Widow" by Samantha Vérant, a thrilling tale of betrayal, suspicion, and unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story unfolds with Emma, an aspiring interior architect, returning home from a work trip only to discover her husband, Nate, dead in the pond.
As accusations and suspicions swirl around her, Emma finds herself at the centre of a police investigation as the prime suspect in Nate's murder. The intricate web of lies, secrets, and hidden motives slowly unravels, painting a complex portrait of their tumultuous marriage and the dark truths that lie beneath the surface.
What struck me most about this novel was the deft handling of multiple points of view, including Emma, Nate, and Detective Rossi, the lead investigator hot on the trail of the truth. The shifting perspectives added layers of suspense and intrigue, giving readers a glimpse into the minds of the characters and their tangled motivations.
The fast-paced narrative wastes no time delving into the heart of the mystery, skilfully blending elements of a psychological thriller with a gripping whodunit storyline. While the book touches on sensitive topics like sex trafficking, it does so with nuance and sensitivity, adding depth to the narrative without detracting from the overall plot.
At its core, "The Lucky Widow" is a powerful exploration of power, money, and the resilience of women in the face of adversity. Vérant expertly weaves a tale of justice and empowerment, reminding readers that strength can emerge from the darkest of circumstances. The satisfying conclusion ties up loose ends and delivers a gratifying resolution that left me thoroughly impressed.
For anyone seeking a page-turning read filled with suspense, complex characters, and a compelling storyline, "The Lucky Widow" is a must-read that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Sometimes you know exactly which path you are going to take in life and this means you also know who you want to marry. The only thing left to do is to meet him and make sure to win him over.

He is rich. He is charming and it seems like he falls for you. This sounds like the perfect recipe for a happy future. Sometimes tough, the outside is shiny enough. It's the inside that is rotten.

It looks like someone has had enough...

Little by little all the sordid deals are surfacing.

This is my first book by this author and from the very beginning the story swept me off my feet and I raced along on this rapid river. 

Sometimes people act spontaneously, but what I learned from this book is that a perfect plan gives the best results even if it takes a lot longer before you achieve your goal. In the end the time you have invested pays off. 

I liked the intrigues, the lies and the twists and I was shocked by the cruelty of people. On the other hand, when you show kindness to others, they will repay you. 5 stars

Thank you

Thank you for the advanced copy of this edge of your seat thriller. Im providing an honest review based on my thoughts about this novel.

At first I was unsure about the very beginning - the gruesome crime scene and the personality of the main character, Emma. As Detective Rossi began her investigation of Nate's murder I became more sympathetic to Emma and the bullying she experienced at the hands of her husband.

To say that Nate deserved to be dead is an understatement based on his vile activities, proclivities and friends. Then there is the ending! WOW!!!

A twisty thriller that switches from past to present which helps to build up the suspense in the story.
One I enjoyed and will look out for more from this author

The lucky widow is a fast paced thriller book that had me hooked from start to finish. It was full of thrilling drama that I struggled to put down. I loved the writing style and how it jumped from past to present it helped build up the suspense I was on the edge of my seat throughout. I will definitely be recommending this book and can’t wait to read more from this author. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

THE LUCKY WIDOW by Samantha Verant
⭐️ rating: 9/10

read if you like:
📕 Frieda McFadden books but deeper
🙇🏻‍♀️ revenge
💵 rich people
😵‍💫 sociopaths

summary:
Wow this book has everything I love. It’s about Emma, an unassuming aspiring interior architect, who marries Nate, a wealthy, arrogant cardiac surgeon. She lives a life of misery when she comes home from a work trip to find Nate dead in the pool. Conflicted on her emotions, she calls the police, who start an investigation to determine — who killed Nate? Was it Emma, who had every reason to, or was there more at play than meets the eye?

This book has several of my favorite tropes — a “bait and switch” (not sure if this is what it’s called when you think you’re marrying one person and actually get another), a woman scorned, and a whodunnit after a hated spouse is found dead. The book alternates POV’s between Emma, Nate and Detective Rossi, the lead detective in charge, who immediately suspects Emma murdered her husband out of revenge. It moves super quickly (my favorite), and doesn’t waste time getting into the investigation and telling us how Emma and Nate met and when their relationship started to go south. There is a lot of focus around sex trafficking though, so trigger warning for anyone who can’t read that, as it is an important part of the overall plot. The author weaves such a complex story of power, money, victims and empathy, and you can’t stop turning the pages. The end feels satisfying and complete, and without giving anything away, much more gratifying than you can expect.

The power of women runs strong in this, and for anyone ever burned by men, money or power, this book feels like a rallying cry that justice can be served.

Thank you so much to Storm Publishing and Net Galley for the advanced copy. Definitely check this book out when it releases on July 5.

The book reels you in right from chapter 1 and I couldn’t wait to finish it. I will certainly be checking out other titles by this author