Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. My first from this author. Her writing style is easy to read. While there may be some triggers in this one, I enjoyed this quick thriller.

Right from the first sentence, you’re hooked. The plot blends thrills with thoughtful moments, while the characters, vivid and relatable—carry the story with infectious energy. Each chapter is a treat, and the resonant message makes it all the more compelling. This is one of those books you don’t want to put down.

A suspense-filled thrilling read, filled with horrible people and then some nice ones. And, it’s not for everyone, I can see it generating lots of hateful reviews in the future (grooming isn’t generally well-tolerated among most readers), but the story is so well-told and so thought-provoking, on top of it being horrible – I think I will be telling everyone around me to read it.

Great book! Kept me guessing and on my toes the entire time. Highly recommend! So many parts to the story, all connected from one man. Quick, fun read.

The Innocent Wife is a fantastic thriller. I absolutely loved this book! I didn't put it down! I think this is the second book I've read from this author and I can't wait to read more. I am a big fan of Freida McFadden and IMO this gives major Freida vibes but also clearly the authors own special masterpiece. I would highly recommend adding this book to your TBR if you haven't read it yet.

The Innocent Wife is a page turner. Natalie is just starting as a teacher in a new school. Everyone loves Lucas, everyone but Natalie. She seems through him and his charming ways. He keeps Olivia, his wife, on a tight leash and doesn't like it when Natalie and Olivia become friends.

Natalie has secrets. Her past and present are filled with bad choices. One of them is haunting her, but which one? Someone is out to get Natalie and she's not sure who is responsible.

This was a good book; I liked the friendship dynamic between Natalie and Olivia and the drama that Natalie has had to work through. Definitely will want to read more by this author!

When Natalie meets Olivia, she soon realises that the young woman is walking the exact same path she once walked. But Olivia is still under his spell and cannot see reality clearly. As the rose-coloured glass slowly falls from Olivia's eyes with the appearance of Natalie, she realises more and more what has really happened. At first glance, Olivia's life seems perfect – her handsome husband is a popular teacher at the local school, and appearances suggest an idyllic family life. But Natalie knows exactly what dark secrets lie beneath the surface and is determined not to let any more young girls fall victim.

Sally Royer-Derr's suspenseful and gripping novel reveals, through the eyes of two women, the pain of realising that the person you trusted most was really just using you. The story is blunt and unvarnished, revealing how a manipulative, charismatic man can influence a naive young girl. The author accurately portrays the emotional and psychological games that define such a relationship.
The atmosphere of the book is tense throughout, sometimes even haunting, which fits perfectly with the story's heavy topic. The author is a master of feeding information, sometimes from the past, sometimes from the present, so that the reader feels as if he is trying to find their way through the web of uncertainty and fear with the two women.

"The Innocent Wife" goes far beyond the issue of domestic violence: it sheds light on a phenomenon that is most easily silenced by society - when a young girl does not understand what is happening to her and her environment does not or does not want to recognise the gravity of the situation. This makes the book particularly poignant and thought-provoking.

For me, one of the most moving moments in the novel was when Natalie expresses a truth that she herself had not realised for a long time: although she had wanted this relationship at the time, and even adored him, the real problem was that she had the opportunity to have it. After all, she was a teenager, while he was an adult who knew exactly what he was doing was neither morally nor legally right.

"The Innocent Wife" is a shocking, thought-provoking read that not only reveals individual fates, but also points to a much deeper social problem. It is a book that is hard to put down and will remain in the mind of the reader for a long time.

3.5 stars

The whole premise of this book is about a teacher/coach grooming teenage girls. I didn’t know this was going to be what the entire book was going to be about. If I did, I probably wouldn’t have read this book.

This book is very well written and you can really submerse yourself into it, but it does become very bothersome at times since I don’t enjoy reading about pedophiles and men grooming girls.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy!

This is the first book that I've read by Sally Royer-Derr and she will be an author that I will be looking out for in future.
A brilliant read hard to put down once I started.

The innocent Wife is a good domestic suspense thriller. It is told from three different points of view. The main characters Natalie, Lucas, and Olivia are connected from their past in some way. Natalie becomes good friends with Lucas wife Olivia and they eventually realize that they both have some deep dark similarities involving Lucas and he may not be the charming, innocent, funny, and loving, person that everyone thinks he is. Also, Natalie has a dark Past with a guy named Theo who she dated years ago. This book is fast paced and it keeps you guessing until the very end. Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to receive a complimentary ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

The Innocent Wife kept me absolutely hooked! I love a good suspenseful domestic thriller, and this one delivered. I was constantly trying to figure out who to trust, and the twists were genuinely surprising. If you're looking for a quick, gripping read that'll have you guessing until the end, this is it.

Amazing! I absolutely devoured this book in 2 sittings! Very twisty and unpredictable. This was my first read from this author and I certainly look forward to more.! I highly recommend this book to others! It was a thrilling ride. This was only my second ARC, and i felt honored to be selected, thank you for the opportunity to read it early!

I enjoyed reading this one, but it didn’t blow me away. I like the twists in it, but I predicted some of it. There was one twist I didn’t see coming. It was a quick read and was fast paced. The chapters were short, which I love.

Olivia married Lucas at a very young age. He wants the perfect life & will try all he can to have it & let others see it.
Natalie begins working near him & her past is catching up. Olivia & Natalie become friends but then other secrets come out.
Lucas is an unlikeable character from the start, which isn’t a bad thing for a reader. But his past made my skin crawl.
Natalie seems stronger and you do learn more about her.
I enjoyed the book. It had a lot going on but I did enjoy it.

great book overall. i enjoyed the writing style and overall plot. i would like to read more from this author for sure.

This was a fascinating story, covering various aspects of the characters lives and actions. The underlying theme of the treatment of children and young people, was very real. A definite conclusion.

Such a good read! Natalie meets Olivia, her co-worker's Lucas' wife. In meeting Olivia, memories come flooding back to her and she worries for Olivia, naive, beautiful and way too young for Lucas. Flashing back to 15 years old, Mr. Lucas, Natalie's teacher expresses his love for young Natalie. He's never felt this way about anyone before! Fast forward, Natalie, now knowing how Lucas groomed her and then broke her heart, fears every interaction that Lucas has with her students, especially her new shadow, an aspiring teacher/high school student. Natalie sees the "look" in her assistant's eyes and sees the secret, sneaky glances from Lucas...how can she save her from the same fate?

Natalie assumes Lucas doesn't remember her, but does he? Can Natalie befriend Olivia and and warn her?

Olivia has noticed the changes in Lucas, and has started to questions everything. She was just 17 when Lucas professed his love to her....

Thrilling, suspenseful and full of surprises! LOVED!

This was a fantastic thriller. Twists, suspense, tension. The mystery was riveting. I . Right away, I was hooked with how odd this situation was, and things only increased, which had me on the edge of my seat.

The Innocent Wife is a solid domestic thriller. I particularly enjoyed the core plot about Natalie, Olivia and Lucas (TW for content) compared to the subplots scattered throughout the story.

What sets The Innocent Wife apart from similar domestic thrillers is the ending. I loved the approach Sally Royer-Derr took to close out the story. I look forward to reading more of her work!

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm, for the gifted copy to read and review.

I found this book just OK. I actually had trouble finishing it, just couldn’t engage with the story and characters. I didn’t really care for Natalie, too many extraneous characters that I had to remember, no real surprises, and conclusion was a real stretch of the imagination.