i really enjoyed the premise of this book. It has a great introduction where we are introduced to four widows, Kylie, Adrianna, Hannah and Isabel. Each one has their own story to tell, crippled with their own grief and maybe possibly each Filled with their own guilt and covering up their own secrets
as the story progresses, we learn that all is not as it seems with the widows and they arent being honest with one another
the story itself was very gripping and the author threw a lot of red herrings in and has the reader guessing
however I did sort of guess the ending and how it was all coming together and to me it seemed a little far fetched. I don’t want to criticise the author for this as it is a piece of fiction. i did however really enjoy up to about 92% of this book
for anyone who doesn’t mind if the ending is realistic and true to life but loves a psychological thriller this book would be absolutely perfect for them and easily a 5 star read

Four women, united in grief as young widows, have formed a support group. The story therefore switches between the different members however, it is soon clear that something is clearly amiss. At first I struggled to keep track of the different identities of the women, but I liked that the writer only focused on three of the characters more, making it easier to follow.

Unfortunately for me, I guessed the outcome of the story before I had reached the halfway point. I did find this lessened the impact of the story as I was impatient to know if my theories were correct. Yet, credit to short, there were plenty of unexpected developments towards the end of the novel, making it the more exciting and twisting narratives that I look for in a thriller.

I enjoyed trying to solve the puzzle behind the different characters. As more is revealed about their previous relationships, it starts readers questioning motives behind current behaviours. Indeed, the juxtaposition established between Kylie and Adriana is striking; where one has completely lost her way, the other is looking forwards and preparing for her next marriage. I found this contrast added a bit more depth to the story, especially as this then feeds into the overall plot development.

This was an easy book to sit back and watch the events unfold. Once you have distinguished between the different women, I enjoyed following their actions and trying to understand what ultimately, beyond being a widow, connected them together. The addition of the mysterious ‘Watcher’ added another element to the story and I enjoyed how the writer utilised them in the end.

For fans of thrillers and twisting narratives, this should go down well. Whilst the plot was obvious in its progression, it was fun to see events play out and the grieving widows finally move on with their lives.

With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Four young widows meet once a week for a widow support group at these meetings they open up but nothing is what it seems.
The more you read this book the more you can not put it down this is the first book i have read by this author and what a thrilling ride it was.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a definite slow burn of a read. I struggled a bit but pushed through and in the end this was a pretty good read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I had a lot of fun reading this, the characters were well written and not boring, so this is a recommend!

A twisty read centered around young widows. A clever book which pulls you in from page one. Very addictive and enjoyable. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

I found this story to be slightly boring, long winded, taking too long to get to the denouement and too much description of their thoughts. The final gathering of story lines finally brought things together in a surprising way. I found myself skimming through a lot at the end to get to the end.

The Young Widows is a book that the more you read the more you can’t put it down.
This book I set in Australia and centres around four young women, all under thirty and all widows. They have found each other through grief and set up their little support group to help each other when they needed it, they meet up for coffees and keep each other going. All very different characters and all bonded by grief. One of the women takes the big leap of getting engaged but this leads to her receiving an anonymous letter asking if she really knows her husband to be? Things start to click into place and before you know it grief isn’t all the women are bonded by.
This was a really good read, I enjoyed the book and liked all the women characters. The storyline was decent with it starting off as a slow burner and increasing in pace and tenseness the more the book moved on. I liked how everything tied together nicely at the end with lots of twists and turns along the way to make you keep thinking.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

A good read
This book is told from four points of view by each widow
A very twisty story and a great ending
Thanks NetGalley

This book is definitely a slow burner but really picks up. Its an intriguing story with a strong sense of mystery. Kept me guessing throughout. Highly recommended xx

The Young Widows is an intriguing read. . From the book description I was aware all was not as it seemed. But the who, what and why was a complete mystery. The book kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end. As the plot unfolded and shocking revelations uncovered it delivered satisfying finale .

A bit of a slow burner but once it got going….boom!!! A rollercoaster of emotions and suspense, this domestic thriller will keep you guessing until the very end. Absolutely fantastic !

I was excited to pick up this new thriller by S.J. Short. Four females coming together in revenge and grief was appealing and intriguing. However, this is not as engaging as expected. The marketing element comparing this to Lianne Moriarty's work is off the mark, which added to my disappointment.

It is a slow burner, and despite having periods of great pace, this is very inconsistent, making it hard to connect with the characters and the storyline. This read had lots of potential but failed to hit the spot for me. However, this hasn't put me off reading more by this author.

This isn't an awful read, and there is worse out there, hence the rating given. Overall, it is readable; don't have too much expectation.

This book had me guessing all the way through. Great characters and a great storyline. Definitely worth a read

I really enjoyed this novel about a group of young women who all have one thing in common - they are all young widows and have formed a small support group to help them get through it.

This is a thriller though where all is not what it seems, and with some seemingly holding on to secrets, the book uncovers sinister goings on.

I really enjoyed this and found it difficult to put down. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of The Young Widows. This book is set in Melbourne, Australia, and follows four different women. They are Kylie, Isabel, Adriana, and Hannah. All have lost their husbands and they formed a support group. Every one is keeping a secret, and it all comes to a head. The Young Widows started out a little slow, but by the middle of the book, I couldn’t put it down.

Are you looking for an entertaining, twisty and compelling thriller? Well in that case I would definitely recommend The Young Widows by SJ Short.

This book is exactly what I personally enjoy in a standalone story. A great cast of colourful and memorable characters and quite a few guilty secrets and lies to ensure not everyone is who they seem to be.

Set in Australia, The Young Widows centres around a group of 4 strangers who met initially through an online support group for Young Widows . All of them widowed before they were 30, they now meet in real life on a weekly basis and have become friends.

Each character narrates her own story which enables the reader to learn more about their personal grief and coping mechanisms.

When one of the group becomes engaged and then receives a warning about her husband-to-be, she begins to doubt everything she thought she knew and everyone she thought she trusted.

Slowly, the reader finds out more about these women and it becomes clear that it’s not just grief that binds them together, they all carry dark secrets about their past and the past appears to be catching up.

The Young Widows is a gripping, fast paced, page turner and fans of twisty psychological thrillers should enjoy this as much as I did.

Four young widows meet together to attempt to help one another move on with their lives. It is told from each person’s perspective it turns and the all have secrets that they keep from one another. I found all the characters interesting and the storyline compulsive.

Lots of twist turns and threads but a really good story. Quite pacey b it well thought out and written. Author is very good and I am going to look into the back catalogue.