Nora is trying to win over her new husband’s judgmental and obscenely wealthy friends by throwing him a fabulous birthday party. Everything seems to be going well until Will is nowhere to be found the next morning.

This was mysterious and entertaining. In addition to the central mystery, this was an interesting exploration of a marriage with an age gap and class gap. Nora is a compelling character and I kept turning the pages to see how the story would unfold.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

In Happy Wife, Nora, marries Mr. Perfect, Will Somerset. The marriage launches her into a world of wealth and privilege, but also lies and malice from the other wives in Will's social circle. When Will goes missing, Nora learns the true depths of their hatred. It sounds heavy, but it is actually a sweet story that goes between the present and past when Nora and Will are first falling in love. I really liked Nora and her friend Este. I didn't love the casual approval of drug use and I felt like I kind of never fully knew Nora and I wanted to understand her a little better. Overall, great beach read kind of book that will suck you in from the start! Thank you NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book!

I liked Nora. She isn't your typical protagonist in a situation such as this but I rooted for her. I also questioned her multiple times. It made for an interesting story. She was a party of one for the most part when dealing with people outside of her immediate family. It led to an entertaining domestic psychological thriller. I wish some outcomes would have been different but then that wouldn't make it what it was, right? I'll recommend it. It is an easy and fast read.
Thank you tothe publishers for an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I'll bump it up to 4 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. This is a really great boss. Enjoyed the plot and the characters. Will read more books by this Author.

Happy Wife was entertaining and I enjoyed never quite being sure what was truly going on with most of the characters. The story was not quite predictable and ultimately satisfying overall.

twistiy thriller with interesting vibes, although the ultimate killer is perfectly in that murderer goldilocks zone which might make it feel predictgable. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

This was a great read. I loved the descriptions of Winter Park, Florida. I loved the younger wife/rich older man troupe. The characters are fun and I enjoyed going on the journey with Nora to find out what happened to her missing husband. This is a great thriller with twists and and a well developed story.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

As someone from Orlando, Florida, this felt like it was written for me!!! And also about people I personally know. I loved this so much. I loved the mystery and twist this had. It was fun and fresh but also kept me engaged the entire time. Highly recommend.

Happy Wife started off a little slow for me but overall it was a good, solid read. Thank you NetGalley and Bantam for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a classic "poor young woman marries rich older man" story, but the setting is somewhat different: Winter Park Florida, which if you visited (as I have twenty years ago) breathes old money and tight society, a perfect place for a duck out of water tale. Although Nora is the main character of the book, I think her friend Este is the star. The villain of the story is who the reader might suspect from the beginning, but as he/she reads through may doubt at times or suspect another "red herring". It is a bit of a surprise who the killer is, but it does make sense. Although it is not a typical happy ending with all the loose ends tied up, it is a satisfying one and hopefully Nora and her best pal Este will stumble upon another mystery to solve to shake up Winter Park.

In Winter Park, Florida, where established families mingle with wealthy newcomers, 28-year-old Nora Davies struggles to make a living as a country club employee and feels out of place. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she falls for and quickly marries Will Somerset, a recently divorced, 46-year-old lawyer and father. Their whirlwind romance and marriage scandalize Winter Park society. However, Will vanishes the morning after Nora's birthday party for him, throwing the community into turmoil. The story alternates between Nora and Will's courtship and the frantic search for him, forcing Nora to confront the central question: Where is Will? "Happy Wife" is a suspenseful and witty novel about marriage, money, and hidden truths, set against a backdrop of high society and featuring memorable characters. Thank you very much to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Happy Wife was a great read! I'll be looking for more books by Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores in the future to read!

Nora Davies is the young second wife to successful attorney Will. Living in cliquey, wealthy Winter Park is more than she bargained for, filled with gossipy society ladies that see her as more of a gold digger than a loving wife. Including Will’s ex-wife Constance. When Will disappears in the early hours after his 46th birthday party will Nora be able to convince everyone that she has nothing to do with his disappearance?

I really enjoyed this and read it very quickly. Authors Lavendar and Shores deftly create the enclave of the ultra-rich and imbue Nora with all the struggles of an outsider in a new world. The twists were great and I never guessed the ending which is how I like my thrillers. A fun, exciting read-4.25 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Nora thinks she found her happily ever after with her older husband will from the glamorous world of winter park, florida.But all of a sudden. Will goes missing right after his birthday party. And everybody is quick to cast.There's suspicions on main girl nora after all, she's just an outsider looking in nora goes to work trying to figure out who or what happened to her husband taking place in real time and they're telling of how they met in their story, this was a very solid good romance


Thank you, nat galley for the arc in exchange of an honest review

I liked this book! I do enjoy reading books that have 2 or more authors. It was not a noticeable shift between pages or chapters, which I have noticed in some other co-written books. I did like the themes and detail of this book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

I enjoyed this book. I had an idea of the outcome but was totally surprised by the ending! I have not been this surprised by an ending in a long time.

I enjoyed this book and its twists. It was interesting to get a peek into the wealthy Winter Park community and what happens when an outsider marries in.

Worth a read if you like a domestic mystery.

#HappyWife #NetGalley

Winter Park, Florida.

This small Floridian town touts itself as the diamond amongst common rabble. You get a sense of this highfalutin perspective when you join a Winter Park boat tour. I thought they were kidding.

They’re not. When you read this book, you discover that this perspective is all too real. The author’s description of the town, the local museums, is not altogether fictional.

Second wife, younger wife and, some might say, trophy wife thinks she found her happily ever after in Will. But the vicious rich doyennes will be sure she knows her place. It all comes to a head on the night of her husband’s birthday party. The villain was a bit of a surprise but made sense given the breadcrumbs the author dropped along the way. Took some time to get there.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nora is a trophy wife. She married newly divorced lawyer Will Somerset after a quick courtship and now finds herself at the very bottom of the social ladder in Winter Park, Florida. Hoping to make a positive impression on local society, she throws an expensive, exclusive birthday party for Will. After the party ends, he gets a late phone call and leaves. He is not seen again. Now as the authors alternate Nora and Will’s love affair with the search for the missing man, we see Nora’s desperation and frustration with both the police and Will’s friends. She suspects what is behind his disappearance and risks her own safety to investigate,

Happy Wive is full of delightful characters: her neighbor Este, Will’s pompous law partner Fritz and the horrible socialites of Winter Park. Satire combines with mystery to make this a 5 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Meredith Lavender
and Kendall Shores.