Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Book for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am definitely a fan of Valarie Keogh and she did not disappoint in this one. Natasha and Daniel are a wealthy couple who are living life and trying to have a baby. Daniel offers to take Natasha and her 3 best friends along with their husbands on an all expenses paid week long cruise. Even though the 3 besties don't particularly care for Daniel, each for their own personal reasons, they agree to this adventure. The trip goes great until one of the friends admits to kissing Daniel and Natasha is furious. As she tries to come to terms with this another devastating incident occurs that will change everyone's lives. I really liked this one and just when I thought all the twists were revealed along comes another that took me by surprise. Enjoy!!!

I want to say thank you to the author @valeriekeogh2 the publishers @theboldbookclub and @netgalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book.

This is my first book by Valerie and oh my life, what a corker to start my journey with!!!

The story is about a lady called Natasha who is an ICU Nurse manager and a Independant Financial Adviser called Daniel, who she meets, has a relationship with and eventually marries.

Natasha and Daniel decided to go on the holiday of a lifetime, an exotic cruise, with Natasha's 2 best friends and their husbands.

Writing this down, it all sounds straightforward, ordinary even. But, don't be fooled. This book is full of secrets, lies and deceit with an ending that no one could predict!

My favourite line from this book is... "There's only 1 way to deal with monsters, cut off their heads"

#TheWives #valeriekeough #boldwoodbooks #arc #ebook #bookreview #NetGalley

This gripping thriller had me hooked from the first page. The author's masterful storytelling and suspenseful plot kept me guessing until the very end with its complex characters and shocking twists, The Wives is a must-read for fans of dark, suspenseful fiction.

Synopsis:

Lies, secrets, deadly decisions…

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…



Review:

This was an absolute page turner from start to finish. Loved the author writing style which kept me hooked from the first chapter. I was definitely on the edge of my seat the entire read. Overall a good thriller and I would recommend picking up The Wives publishing in November 2024. 


Thanks for the ARC Netgalley and Boldwood Books

-Val

Loved it!! Definitely gripped me from the first chapter. If you get the chance to read you won't be disappointed. Gonna be following this author for more releases x

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for allowing me to read this early.I couldn’t put it down and kept having to read just one more chapter.This kept me guessing until the end and tied up all the loose ends.

Wow! An excellent psychological thriller that starts with a web of twists, turns, lies, schemes, nobody can be trusted. I thought Daniel was the monster but.... Your own friends can't be trusted. Sad but true.... Or should I rather say some friends cannot be trusted. Just when I thought there's loyalty among friends, then there isn't. Loved the book!

As a dedicated fan of Keogh's work, I was excited to dive into this latest release, and I must say, it did not disappoint. The fast-paced storyline was expertly crafted, keeping me on the edge of my seat with its unexpected plot twists and dramatic turnarounds. I was utterly engrossed in the narrative, eagerly flipping through pages to see what would happen next.

Each main character was thoughtfully developed, adding depth to the story and bringing their unique perspectives to life. They were all equally compelling, contributing to the intricate relationships and conflicts that made the narrative engaging. However, I did have one minor issue that kept this book from reaching a total five-star rating: I was able to predict the ending. While it was satisfying, a greater sense of surprise would have elevated my reading experience even further.

Despite this minor drawback, I believe ‘The Wives’ would be an excellent choice for holiday gifting. It’s a perfect read for book clubs, sparking discussions with its intricate themes and complex characters. Furthermore, it would make an ideal addition to the bookshelves of any avid reader who appreciates the author's style or enjoys this particular genre.

Overall, it's a captivating read that I would highly recommend!

I love a book that takes place on a cruise. 4 best friends and their husbands on the cruise together. They all have secrets. It’s a perfect thriller! I really enjoyed this book and was just what I needed. It was suspenseful and kept you wanting to read more.

Best friends holding onto secrets, a luxury cruise for the 4 couples sounds like a dream come true but the reality is a recipe made for disaster.
Natasha has the perfect husband, rich and successful. Her life seems perfect, being able to give up her stressful nursing job which she was no longer happy at. Her best friends Barbara, Tracy Ann and Michele along with their husbands all get on so well, don’t they?
Daniel suggests an all-expenses cruise for all 4 couples, sounds idyllic. When Natasha calls each of them, they don’t appear as excited as she thought they would, maybe she’s overthinking it.
As the cruise embarks the lies and secrets start to unfold. The who done its and why’s changed for me from chapter to chapter and I didn’t guess the ending either.
Multiple POV told from each of the Wife’s was so well done, the pacing was honestly perfect. My only wish was that I would have loved for a longer epilogue but then I suspect our imagination fills in the blanks.
I love cruising and it felt very true to cruise life, not sure I’d want to cruise with friends now 😊
Thank you NetGalley, Valerie Keogh and Boldwood for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

Man what a wild ride! This book had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I had no idea where it was going. I really enjoyed the book but hated the characters. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

#TheWives has all my favourite ingredients for a perfect thriller. Luxury holiday cruise location, close knit group of girls with a huge whodunnit thrown in but unfortunately it missed the mark for me. I didn't find myself excited to read "just 1 more chapter" or I didn't care for any of the 4 main wife characters, I especially didn't particularly care about who murder the MCs husband, who was a horrible piece of work anyway.
What I did enjoy, which is unlike me is, is us being the reader not being in the know of our main characters secrets. This is usually something I don't like because I feel that the reader is being lied to but it was wrote in a very clever way that I didn't feel like I was being deceived.
Who did kill this horrible husband when everyone has motive? Although I didn't care too much, I did enjoy the ending. The murderer was predictable but the final twist left me with a smile..... With friends like these, who needs enemies eh? Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy. 3.5 stars rounded to 4

I love Valerie Keogh’s books and I enjoyed this one. The four wives have been friends for years. When Natasha meets Daniel, she thinks she has it made. Handsome, wealthy, career minded - he has it all. He takes them all on a cruise, however, all their lives begin to unravel. Daniel has a dark side which is brought out through the tales of all four women.
The book is well written with a great twist at the end. Definitely one you can’t put down.

The Wives by Valerie Keogh is a gripping, fast-paced psychological thriller that reels you in with its myriad of secrets, twists, and layers of tension. From the first chapter, I found myself thoroughly intrigued, with the author masterfully dropping breadcrumbs of mystery that kept me eager to turn each page. Keogh has a talent for suspense, drawing you into a world where everyone seems to be hiding something, and as a reader, you’re constantly on edge, questioning each character’s motives. The ending was unexpected and satisfying, though it did leave a few questions hanging that I would have loved to see resolved.
One aspect that didn’t work quite as well for me was the characters themselves. I couldn’t feel a connection with any of them and found it difficult to empathise with their choices and personalities. In fact, they all came across as quite unlikable; there was a certain coldness in their relationships, which made it hard to believe they’d formed any genuine friendships. It’s almost as if they were bound together by habit rather than actual affinity, which only added to the novel’s tense and unsettling atmosphere. Oddly, this detachment from the characters didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the plot—it actually heightened the intrigue as I kept reading to understand what kept this group together and how their hidden motives would unfold.
However, some loose ends remained unresolved by the close of the book. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there were a few missing pieces to the puzzle. Did Blake truly know what was happening all along? And what was the real reason behind Daniel’s mysterious decision to book the cruise? These unanswered questions left me feeling slightly unfulfilled as if I was still searching for the final pieces to complete the picture. Nevertheless, perhaps leaving these ambiguities was intentional on Keogh’s part, a way to keep readers thinking about the story long after they’ve put the book down.
In spite of these minor qualms, The Wives remains an absorbing, well-crafted thriller that captivates with its dark, complex plot and constant sense of foreboding. Even without warming to the characters, I was hooked, eager to unravel the secrets they kept from each other—and perhaps even from themselves. It’s a suspenseful read that will keep you guessing until the very end, even if it leaves a few lingering mysteries behind.

Lies, secrets and deceit make for another thrilling read from this author

When Natasha meets Daniel she feels as though all her dreams have come true, frustrated with her job as a nurse she takes up Daniels idea of being a stay at home wife with out a second thought

Daniel seems to be evething she could want but why do her friends react differently around him, why do all invites now get rejected?

When Daniel suggests that the 4 couples go on a cruise together Natasha thinks this will bring them all together as the close friends they were before but follows is Secrets,lies and Murder

Love this author and everything she writes

Wealthy couple Natasha and Daniel invite their friends in a cruise, which seems like a lovely gesture. However under the surface of all four couple’s relationships are layers of deceit, with one person at the core. When Natasha met Daniel she thought it would be nothing more than a fling but surprised by his proposal she settled to life as a wife and dreamt of a family. On the cruise it becomes increasingly clear that Daniel has had an impact on the lives of all the couples and when he falls dangerously ill all of them have secrets to tell.

Well written and enjoyable novel. I tried and failed to empathise with or like any of the characters, which I am sure is the authors intention. There is a good build up of tension and the final few chapters were a great finish to the story. This is a good read for those who enjoy a thriller and I liked the setting in the ship, with the added interest of the area they were travelling in.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley! I did not expect where the book was going. It included many twists and I loved the flipping between the main characters, the wives. You’ll enjoy this one

Super glad that I discovered Valerie Keogh, she is a fabulous mystery thriller author who does not disappoint is her latest novel The Wives. I happily flipped through the pages totally engaged the entire time in this twisted novel. It is not a deep plot, but it does not have to be for it be good: four BFF go on vacation together, lots of secrets, murder, more secrets, and scandal – total fun! If you are looking for a fast quick read this, is it!


Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Natasha meets Daniel, she knows her life is set. She won’t have to worry about money and he’s charming and handsome. He suggests a cruise with her friends and their husbands. But everyone has a secret in their group, especially Daniel. And each wife has a reason they want him dead……
I was definitely on the edge of my seat for this one. As I got to know the wives, I suspected each one of them of treachery. A must read!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this

Natasha, a senior nurse, and the only one in her friend group who's still single, has become disillusioned with her working life, and when rich, handsome Daniel proposes, she jumps at the chance. So what if they don't actually know each other that well? It should surprise no-one that he turns out to be a monster.

Her friends Tracy Ann, Barbara and Michele, and their respective husbands (don't ask me to remember their names or which was which) seem to like him well enough. But is it really a good idea to all go on a Zanzibar cruise together at Daniel's invitation? (Probably not.)

I do quite fancy going on a cruise one day, so enjoyed reading about life on board.

Everybody has secrets, and feelings are running high. (I really kept reading because I wanted to know what Tracy Ann's secret was, but it managed to be both disappointing and unsavoury.)

I kind of appreciated - "liked" is the wrong word - the descriptions of Daniel's illness, which had the ring of grisly truth and called on the nursing skills Tasha's turned her back on. I've an idea Valerie Keogh might have been a nurse - she writes very credibly about this. Sounds awful but this might have been the best part!

None of the characters are particularly likeable - the husbands, apart from Daniel, might be ok, but we never really get to know them. It's hard to see where the friendship is between the four women, as they don't seem to like each other that much although they've supposedly been friends since uni days. (The ages don't quite work, either - they should be older.)

We never find out much about Daniel, who's a bit of a cartoon villain. His brother hates him, but we never find out why, other than Daniel being a general bad lot. Then again, he might not be the only one in this cast of characters.

I did enjoy the Lace callback, if that's what it was! ("Which of you bitches...")

Natasha mentions several times about awful things that happened at work, and it took me a while to realise she was probably referencing the pandemic, as this isn't referred to directly.

One reviewer said this story will linger long in the reader's mind - unfortunately I'm afraid it won't in mine. It's an easy read but far from memorable, and lost all credibility towards the end.