When Emma meets Matthew, a kind, handsome widower, she is immediately drawn to him. Yet, as their relationship moves very quickly, Emma’s friends have their doubts about Matthew and begin to question his intentions. After all, she is a rich woman and he doesn’t have much to his name. Although this doesn’t bother Emma, what does bother her is the constant reminders of his dead first wife. Emma begins to wonder if she will ever measure up. As their relationship gets more serious, strange things start happening, and Emma begins to wonder if she is going crazy or if it has anything to do with Matthew late
If Matthew’s wife hadn’t died, he wouldn’t be with her. And Emma wonders if she’s second best. Can she ever fill the dead woman’s shoes?

As jealousy and suspicion grows between Emma and Matthew, things take a darker, dangerous turn. Emma starts to question everything and begins to realize that there are things that don’t totally add up about Matthew, such as why she has never seen his home and why he never discusses the specifics about his wife’s death. Emma realizes that she doesn’t know who she can trust anymore. Everyone becomes suspicious to her and she is suddenly questioning her friends, her husband’s and even herself.

This book is twisty, suspenseful, and unpredictable. I enjoyed the multiple points of view and trying to figure out what was happening and who was behind it all! It’s full of secrets, lies, lies and many surprises…I felt bad for Emma but at the same time, I wanted to knock some sense into her! The book is also full of questionable characters, which made it hard to know who to trust. Thriller fans should definitely pick this one up and find out for themselves!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mira for the ARC of Adele's Parks First Wife's Shadow!

Although the beginning was slow for me, about half way through it got I interesting and the ending I definitely did not see coming!

Decent thriller but not particularly memorable. I feel like this thriller plot has been around the block a few times. Nothing truly original here. But kept my attention and was a quick read.

Emma is a successful and very wealthy CEO of her own business. Now in her 40’s, she has pretty much given up on finding a spouse and is confident and focused on her career. Then she meets Matthew, a photographer who attends a conference she is speaking at and her focus suddenly changes. Matthew has recently lost his wife and his charming and kind ways attract her attention. Matthew seems to feel the same way about Emma and soon their relationship blooms. But his late wife seems to still be present between them as he constantly refers to her and seems to compare Emma to her. Emma’s friends are not thrilled by her new boyfriend and try to warn her not to move too fast. As things progress, strange acts of vandalism to her home occur and Emma begins to question not only Matthew, but her friends and even her own sanity. Is he the soulmate and spouse of her dreams? Or is there some other motivation behind his actions. This was a fast paced and very twisty novel! Love this author! I gave it four solid stars!

This was a fun a fast-paced read, centered on Emma, a CEO in her 40s who has given up on love when she meets Matthew, a younger man that seems like a perfect fit. They have a whirlwind romance but she feels overshadowed by his talk of his first wife and always feels like she will be 2nd place. All kinds of weird things start happening and Emma is steadfast in her support of her new man, even though her friends are wary.

The major twist in this book is really well done and I did not see it coming. The stuff that was happening to Emma was legitimately creepy and the author did a great job of making the reader unsure whether she was a reliable narrator or not. I did think Emma's personality entirely changed from the beginning of the book as it went on, which was kind of odd- I don't know why the author made such an effort to paint a picture of her to only make her not act that way anymore later. I did like her friends, though, and felt like the dynamic between them felt real. The book moves at a bit of a slower pace for the first half, but I thought it set the atmosphere well for the stuff that happened in the 2nd half. The end was well done and even had a few more twists- I felt that it worked with the story.

Overall, this was a fun read, despite a couple small nits. I would recommend to those who like domestic suspense and psychological thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Solidly compelling thriller with lots of excellent twists. Even though I figured some things out before they happened, I certainly didn't see everything coming. My recommendation is to just go into this blind, go with the flow and let the story unfold.

In general, this is the story of Emma, a high powered CEO in her late 40s who has never been married. She meets Matthew, a younger widower, and they fall for each other quickly. But Matthew's grief is still fresh, and Emma feels as if she's competing for his affection with a dead woman.

I listened to this latest offering by Adele Parks as an audiobook. Kristin Atherton does a superb job at ratcheting up the suspense while moving the narrative along briskly.

Very little in this tale is as it seems. Everyone has secrets and I loved the way everything was slowly revealed. This is a wild rollercoaster ride where you won't be sure who is telling the truth or if there is a motive behind what is going on.

If you're looking for a fun thriller, grab your popcorn and give this one a try.

3⭐️

I'm conflicted on this one. I think the main twist was done very well and I spent a lot of time trying to decide if this was going to be a paranormal thriller or if it was something else. I also loved Emma's friends and how protective they were of her. It's always hard when you can see your friend is making a mistake and no matter how hard you warn them, they have to find out on their own.

The pacing of this was very inconsistent. The first almost 200 pages was from Emma's POV and it was just so slow that I almost DNF'd. When the POV switched and revealed the twist I was locked in again and the pacing really picked up. I love an unhinged, unreliable narrator character and the different POV was right up my alley. The initial story wrapped up well but there were still 40+ pages left where the author tried to fit in at least three more twists that made if feel like she was trying too hard.

Thanks Netgalley and Mira Books for providing this ARC to me!

Wow! This book had so many twists and unexpected turns, it definitely kept my attention. I loved how it was told through different points of view. Great book!

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Format: eBook 📲
Perfect for: fans of domestic thrillers and fans of initial slow burns and then BAM twist after twist

What a great read!! This book’s rating kept increasing for me gradually as I continued because during the second half of the book, every time I thought everything was revealed, this author dropped yet another unexpected jaw dropping twist. The amount of deception and secrets in the book was unreal! The FMC makes you want to love her and yell at her at the same time, but overall she was a very likable character.

When Emma meets Matthew, she is immediately smitten & although her friends are telling her she’s moving too fast, she ignores the BRIGHT RED FLAGS 🚩 and allows her naivety to take over. Middle aged and single, she is captivated by his charm. When Heidi & Gina (Emma’s best friends) points out that he may not be over his recently deceased ex wife, Emma just looks as this as them being overprotective! Emma slowly starts to realize there is something way more sinister going on, with Matthew entering her life at this time.

Overall, a really good read that makes me want to read more from this author. This was my first book by Adele Parks but certainly won’t be my last! Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I had read a couple thrillers that just weren’t delivering, so I immediately turned to this. I knew Adele would give me a domestic thriller with twists and turns that would keep me tearing through the pages! This was a great popcorn thriller that kept me entertained until the last mind blowing twist! I wanted to reach through the pages and shake the characters! Or mainly the main character, Emma! The rest of them were so shady, I wasn’t sure who I could trust! I went into this one blind and would recommend that for readers!

Emma Westly, 47, is the CEO of AirBright, a wind harvesting company. She is single and an extremely disciplined person. At a conference, she meets Matthew Charlton, 36, a free lance photographer. There is an instant attraction to one another. After thinking this was a one-off meeting, they end up seeing one another when he is hired to photograph officers of her company for their website.

As they get to know each other better, she learns he is a fairly recent widower. Emma has never felt this way about anyone. However, as she a wealthy person, her friends think he is just after her money. But when he asks her to marry him, she says yes and he agrees to a prenup.

Emma owns a large home on the edge of a wooded area built with care. Before and after their marriage strange things happen at her home and she can’t help but think there is some kind of paranormal force at work here. It is Matthew’s late wife, Becky haunting her?

As I kept reading this book I couldn’t believe all of the twists and turns right up to the very end. I am continuously amazed at the imagination of some authors as they write books like this that take readers on a wild ride. This book is wild and I enjoyed it. Hope others will too.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Emma has it all. She’s CEO of an ecofriendly company. She has a gorgeous, isolated contemporary house in the country. She has an inherited fortune and she has good friends. What doesn’t she have? A husband. Enter Matt Charlton, a handsome, charismatic photographer who she meets at a conference. He’s a widower, still grieving the death of his wife. Sparks fly and within months, he has moved in with her. There’s a catch. Several, actually. Her friends are not enthusiastic and warn Emma that she is moving too quickly. Matt seems to be obsessed with his dead wife and talks about her often. Then the strange events begin.

The talented Adele Parks has delivered a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. No spoilers here but nothing, nothing is what it seems. First Wife’s Shadow keeps you guessing until the last page and deserves every one of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Adele Parks for this ARC.

I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I could not put this book down.
This book was absolutely wild and I loved every minute.
The number of twists kept me wanting more! I didn't know what would happen next but it kept me on edge! This was probably one of the most twisted stories I've ever read.
Adele Parks atmospheric writing heightens the suspense, as she masterfully weaves tension. The psychological unraveling of the characters makes for an intense and unpredictable read.
First Wife's Shadow by Adele Parks was an exciting story I very much enjoyed.

This was my first book by Adele Parks and overall, I enjoyed it. The first half was very slow, but the twist right at 50% kept me going and the finish was strong (if not a tad bit predictable).

Emma is in her mid forties and while she's never been married and doesn't have kids of her own, she is a very successful business woman and a loving figure to her best friends' children. Emma meets Matthew, a freelance photographer, at a business event and they hit if off right away. Emma comes to find out that Matthew lost his wife, Becky, less than a year ago and while he is still mourning, he is ready to pursue more with Emma. Their relationship takes off and before long, Matthew is moving in with Emma, much to Emma's friends' dismay. Emma doesn't care that Matthew doesn't have a big, successful career but she can't seem to live up to his first wife. Everything she does is compared to Becky and before long, Emma can't figure out if she can trust Matthew, or even her friends, any longer.

The first half of the book is plot building and while I understand that it is important to the second half of the book, it is SLOW. I do wish the first half was a little more gripping, but it did do a good job setting up the second half when things really start to take off. As Emma slowly starts losing her mind, for lack of a better term, the reader does, too, trying to figure out who she can and cannot trust.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the digital copy. My review is honest and voluntary.

If you're in the mood for a psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, look no further than First Wife's Shadow by Adele Parks.
This gripping novel spins a tale of love, obsession, and mystery that will have you turning pages late into the night. At least it did for me.

PLOT SUMMARY:
Meet Emma, a hardworking CEO who has worked hard to become the independent, successful, wealthy person that she is. Enter Matthew, a charming photographer and widower who sweeps Emma off her feet at a conference. Their whirlwind romance quickly leads to an engagement, much to the concern of Emma's friends. They worry that Emma might be rushing into things, especially considering Matthew's tragic past and his late wife, Becky.
Ignoring her friend's concerns and several red flags, Emma settles into her new life with Matthew. However, she can't seem to shake the feeling that she's living in Becky's shadow. Emma's paranoia grows, and she soon begins to question everything, including her own sanity. Is Matthew the loving partner he appears to be, or is there a darker side to him?

WHY I LOVED IT:
This book started off as a bit of a slow burn, but quickly picked up and made me start questioning things. There's this deep sense of mystery that kept me intrigued and reading into the late hours of the night. I didn't 'love' the characters all that much, and at times they could be quite annoying. There were parts that were just unbelievable - but it didn't matter.
In fact, that's what makes the story what it is.

The twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end, making this a perfect read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Big thank you to @HTPHIVE and @netgalley for the advanced copy of First Wife’s Shadow by Adele Parks which hits shelves this month on 3/18/25.

Emma meets Matthew, who was recently widowed, and quickly falls for him. Her friends are worried that she’s moving too quickly and tell her that she should slow down with him because she’s a very rich woman and Matthew is NOT a rich man. Emma starts to become jealous of his dead first wife, and gets increasingly paranoid when weird things start happening to her around the house.

I’ll admit I was getting bored of the story line about halfway in, but then part two hit and oh boy did it pick up! The second half of this book was more fast paced than the first and was told from a different POV and held a few twists and turns that were unexpected.
Someone’s out for revenge…. But who… and WHY?!

Unbelievable! This is an amazing book that kept me on edge throughout. I think this was one of her best books yet. I love the extensive descriptions of the setting and experiences each character encounters. A definite revengeful act against the main character told mainly from her POV. Emma is a very successful woman and doesn't mind flaunting her money. She may have divulged too much... Matthew is a recent widower after his wife died of a freak accident. When he sets his mind on Emma, she is unsure of a relationship after making it so long without a companion, but he is charming and handsome drawing her into his web...web of lies. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and wish her the best. Her friends have a different opinion of his motives and are quick to judge him no matter how hard he tries. After a brief stunt of dating, they marry. What is his motive or does he really love her? I had no idea this one would take me down a revengeful road leading to destruction and chaos. You will not believe where this one is going until you are at the last 25%. I loved it.
I can't divulge much about this one since it is better to go into it blind. When strange occurrences happen, you are not going to know who to trust.. An important note,,,try to compete with a deceased wife...intriguing...
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for this incredible ARC in exchange of my review.

Twisty thriller! A rich self made woman who has it all. Except for someone to love. Is there more to the handsome young widower than meets the eye? Is he too good to be true? Obviously!

Thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade and Harlequin Audio for both an EARC and an ALC.

I was so excited for this ARC and yet so disappointed. It is extremely slow moving - at 20% nothing much has happened except we have listened to a supposedly extremely smart, successful , regimented woman fall of a younger man ( or maybe just the good sex) and ignore oh so many red flags 🤦‍♀️ I just can’t . There are some predictable but interesting twists but overall I was just real disappointed in this one


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA Books, and Harlequin Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by a favorite, Adele Parks, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Kristin Atherton. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

When Emma meets Matthew, a kind, handsome widower, he seems to be just what she needs. Their friendship moves quickly, and her friends are worried that she might be taken advantage of, since she's rich and Matthew isn't. Emma isn't worried about that, but she does wonder if she is second best after his perfect first wife. But who really can Emma trust - her friends, Matthew, or even herself?

I’m a huge fan of Adele Parks and this book is why – perfect writing with a taut storyline that kept my mind guessing, flipping, and shocked. Emma’s character had me screaming at her naiveté, and lots stretched the imagination, but what a fun ride. Up until the very end, the twists kept coming. I thought the audiobook narration was spot on, and I ended up mostly listening to this one.