Wow, another winner by Valerie Keogh.

Daniel is everything Natasha has been looking for, her dream man. Confident, good looking full of charisma and not short of funds, what more could she want? Daniel offers to pay for her girlfriends and their partners to go on a cruise with Daniel picking up the bill. Unfortunately, Natasha is about to find out that behind the charming facade, he has qualities that will greatly affect her life, and not in a good way.

The book keeps you constantly on the edge and I was totally immersed in the story and found it very hard to put down. A cast of characters that are immensely unlikeable but suit the story and brings out the best in this fast-moving plot. All of these people have secrets which they are hiding, and soon when these are revealed, this may be enough that someone may not survive the trip.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

This is clever thriller, well written by one of my favourite authors. Valerie has a knack for writing good characters and those that slowly get under your skin! This was a great read and I eagerly await her next one!

I just got this book yesterday and finished it today!!!!! Absolutely positively will be looking to buy books from this author. I LOVED this book! I have been in a book slump so to finally get a book I didn't want to put down was amazing!!! So proud of this author and this book! You could relate to characters, you didn't always know what was happening. Absolutely amazing!

Just wow! Valerie Keogh knocks another one out of the park! I literally felt like I was a part of this story. The characters were fantastic and kept me flipping pages long into the night. This one grabbed me early on and just never let go. Captivating!
Thank you NetGalley, Valerie Keogh and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

All in all, I did like this book and the twist. I feel like it took a while to get to the inevitable. We knew what was coming but it took ages to get there. One of my peeves with this book was that each chapter was titled after one of the wives names and was in their POV, however, the chapters that were titled with the main characters name, were in the third person! It just wasn’t consistent, I can see why it was maybe done on purpose so we didn’t get an insight into her thought process BUT it annoyed me.

A bit slow to start. What was good was that it you know what's going to happen but not how, who, why. It's written backwards and that was appealing.

One woman finally finds the man of her dreams until she realizes he's not the person she thought he was. Her close-knit core group of friends have secrets too; all revolving around him. I could see this as a soapy made-for-TV drama! The right casting could do it justice!

Love a thriller and love cruise ships so this sounded like a perfect read.

Natasha has married her dream man, or so she thinks. Her friends can't seem to take to him, but they are willing to put that aside for an all expenses paid cruise.

That's when the secrets begin to see the light of day. A bit of a slow burner, but well paced enough to keep me invested and see 'whodunnit'.

Was slightly disappointed about what happened to Natasha at the end. Felt she deserved better than that (no spoilers)

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

Whilst I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, I was completely invested in the plot from the start. If you’re after a book full of secrets, lies and deadly decisions then this will be perfect. It’s fast paced, explosive and has a great ending. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to review.

I enjoyed the plot to this story and felt like it had a lot of potential. I docked some stars because I didn't relate to any of the characters and didn't find them very likeable. The ending left a lot to be desired too. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Wives by Valerie Keogh due to be published November 6, 2025.
Natasha and Daniel seem like the perfect couple – rich, both beautiful people, and charming. When Daniel suggests an all-expenses paid cruise for Natasha, her friends, and their husbands, it seems like a perfect idea. She knows Daniel has some secrets that may be revealed, but what she doesn’t know is that her friends also have a secret reason for wanting Daniel dead.
This was definitely a page turner, but not many of the characters were likeable. For “friends”, the women all seemed to be tacky and snarky towards each other. There wasn’t too much information about the husbands to know their characters. It was very entertaining to see what happened on the cruise to each of the families – it had lots of twists that kept me interested until the end!
#NetGalley #ValerieKeogh #BoldwoodBooks #TheWives

Natasha and Daniel newly married after a whirlwind courtship have treated their friends to a cruise. They should all be ecstatic but each one is harboring a secret. Each of their secrets has to do with Daniel and each has their own reason for wanting him dead. And that includes newlywed Natasha. When tragedy happens they all have some explaining to do.

I enjoyed this book, however the characters were all really hard to like. Daniel being a narcissist was the worst of them but the others weren't too far behind. The women were all supposed to be friends from University days but they seemed to dislike each other and they definitely were all keeping secrets from each other. This was my first book by Valerie Keogh and I will definitely read another.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy

Wow! I am literally shook! I definitely didn’t see them endings come! A fantastic psychological thriller, jam packed with twists. It’s terrifying at times, and I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

The Wives by V. Keogh is a full length, stand alone, literally unputdownable pageturner.
Told in a multiple pov, Natasha and Daniel's hea isn't a hea at all. Daniel invites Natashe, her friends and their husbands on a cruise, so everything should be perfect. But soon, chasm opens, secrets are revealed in this raw and gritty, suspenseful and twisty read.

I enjoyed this book and the twists and turns. It kept me hooked over a few nights I would recommend this one!

This was hit and miss for me, the story is fast paced and slower in some places with no redeeming characters and I think it’s because of that for me means it’s my least favourite book by the author and it’s nothing to do with her writing which as usual is excellent and the reason I kept reading this book.

Couldn’t put it down!
The Wives is a good quick, thriller. While I guessed some of the upcoming scenes, there were a few plot twists that blew me away. The story centers around for women who are lifelong friends and their husbands as they take an exotic vacation together. The close knit friends discover they’re all harboring secrets, and when someone in their group winds up dead, everyone’s secrets come to light.. I enjoyed the authors writing style (though I could have done without the detailed bathroom scenes). I found the middle aged characters relatable as they described their marriages and lifestyle, and many of their actions believable. I look forward to reading more from the author.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the advance copy of this book.

When Natasha meets Daniel, she knows her life is made. Rich, handsome and charming, Daniel will make the perfect husband. Even if she won’t make the perfect wife…

She is thrilled when Daniel suggests an all-expenses paid cruise for Natasha, her friends, Barbara, Tracy Ann and Michelle, and their husbands. What better way to show everyone that Natasha has finally made it?

But as the ship sets sail, she learns that far from being the perfect husband, Daniel has terrible secrets that are about to be revealed. And each of the wives has their own reasons for wanting him dead.

This trip might cost more than any of them ever imagined…

I really enjoyed this book. Super quick read. Lots of twists that I never expected. One twist at the end that came out of left field. Great weekend or beach read! 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Natasha is looking to be a trophy wife after a hard career as a nurse, and she finds her place with investor Daniel in The Wives. She can finally fit in amongst her friend group made up of Barbara, Tracy Ann, and Michelle, wives and in some cases mothers. Unfortunately Natasha quickly realizes she’s not in love with Daniel but the perks of being a wife, and trying to fit his perfect mold may get dicey, especially since he seems to be ready to leave her (without funds) before their prenup’s payout terms come up. With this in mind Natasha and Daniel embark on a cruise, paying for her friends to join along with their husbands. Daniel is shady and that quickly emerges on the cruise, with each of Natasha’s friends hiding secrets about him that give a dark edge to their images as perfect wives.

While I enjoyed learning each friend’s secret in this one I can’t say I actually liked any of the characters or found their secrets worth the fallout that ultimately happens. Truth be told my favorite part of this story was the descriptions of Africa, as it took place in an area I’ve visited and found beautiful. Past that this was entertaining but a bit one note for me. That said it’s a solid thriller for a reader that may not have previously run into the secrets upon secrets a bad seed husband can introduce to a friend group.