THE SILENT WIFE by Kerry Fisher was previously titled The Secrets of Second Wives. I loved this book. It is the story of two women who are second wives of two brothers in an Italian family. This novel explores the psychological issues of second marriages, and the hardships and darker sides of a marriage. The novel is set in 2016, in the Brighton area of the UK.

“Lara’s life looks perfect on the surface. Gorgeous doting husband Massimo, sweet little son Sandro and the perfect home. Lara knows something about Massimo. Something she can’t tell anyone else or everything Massimo has worked so hard for will be destroyed: his job, their reputation, their son. This secret is keeping Lara a prisoner in her marriage.”

“Maggie is married to Massimo’s brother Nico and lives with him and her troubled stepdaughter. She knows all of Nico’s darkest secrets – or so she thinks. The one day she discovers a letter in the attic which reveals a shocking secret about Nico’s first wife Caitlin. Will Maggie set the record straight or keep silent to protect those she loves?”

This is the story of families, lies and secrets…of friendship forming bonds, where the truth will result in excessive damage to the family and generations to come.

The novel centers around the two sister in-laws, Lara and Maggie, who live next door to each other, with their controlling mother-in-law across the street. One big happy Italian family!

The story opens with the wedding ceremony, Maggie marrying Nico after his wife Caitlin died. Getting on with Nico’s 13 year old teenager, Francesca proves to be an on-going battle for Maggie. Maggie will never be as good as her mother! Maggie also brings her own baggage into the equation, being a single mom to her 7 year old son, Sam. Maggie’s outspoken mum, Beryl provides much humor and love to the story. Lara married Massimo after Massimo's first wife, Dawn, left him. Lara gave up her career as an accountant, and has been a stay-at-home Mum with their 7 year old timid son, Sandro.

With each chapter titled “Maggie” or “Lara” we are provided with alternating perspectives. The characters are so real I felt I was sitting down at the table or living room with them just listening to their moving emotional story. The story moves along at a fast pace.

But soon the secrets they discover become too much…

What an emotional satisfying read! This was the first book by Kerry Fisher that I've read now…and it won’t be my last! Definitely recommended to anybody who enjoys emotional women's fiction. I look forward to reading the next book by Kerry Fisher…a very talented author and one definitely to keep on the radar!

Many thanks to Bookouture for my ARC via NetGalley.

You know it's an extraordinary story, when you don't want it to end. The characters are so well presented that you actually feel you are part of the family - some you love, some that irritate you, others that make you laugh while still others you want to scream at. I enjoyed each character for their own unique qualities but my favorite was Beryl. This book is told through 2 ladies, Maggie and Lara. It shows you no one has a perfect life so be careful what you think you need and love what you have.

A tale of two second wives to two Italian brothers. What I loved about this book was the strength of the characters and the whole Italian family with the head bring the strong Italian mother . Family secrets bubbling away slowly make their way to the surface ripping the family apart ! Look forward to reading more from Kerry . As always my thanks to bookature and netgalley for my arc in exchange for an honest review

What a great, very different, novel this is! Welcome to the Farinelli family from Brighton - it has a great collection of characters who are brought to life in the pages of this story, some of whom you’ll love but others you’ll definitely not!

There’s the domineering, strident Italian Mama, a real matriarchal character and the mother of two sons, Massimo and Nico. Both sons have married for the second time and the story is related from the points of views of their second wives, Lara and Maggie. Lara and Massimo have a son, Sandro, and appear to have the perfect marriage - but appearances are often deceptive, particularly so in this family’s case!

This is a story of secrets, abusive relationships, one where the ‘golden’ son is actually anything but. It involves the two second wives developing their relationship to start to trust one another and reveal confidences which lead to dramatic events. This is a story where lies are perpetuated and maintained to keep the family together but at what cost? What will happen when all is revealed and there’s nothing to hide behind any more? It is a very moving story filled with deception, betrayal and, contrastingly, loyalty, love, caring and forgiveness. Overall, this is about a dysfunctional family and it has a brilliant ending!

Many thanks to the publishers for gifting me a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review.

Lara and Maggie are both second wives to the Farinelli brothers. They are an Italian family with a strong mother who is feared by the two women.

Maggie has inherited a teenage stepdaughter who resents her and things are very fraught whilst they try to find a new family pathway. She is a bit envious of the love she sees between Lara and her husband- but are things what they seem beneath the surface?

This was a page turner- full of implied secrets, unravelling family lives, new family dynamics. Maggie's mum is a refreshingly down to earth character who feels at ease wherever she is and is able to ignore any nose in the air moments.

The holiday to Italy is a wonderful part of the book and it's interesting to see how the blended families manage a holiday together.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Kerry Fisher for this review copy for an honest review.

Maggie has just married Nico, joining her small family of son Sam and ballsy mom Beryl into his very close Italian family. A family that all lives on the same street.....already this sounds like the beginning of a horror novel rather than a thriller! Nico is a widower of two years, his first wife the apparently perfect Caitlin. He has a prickly teenage daughter, Francesca, a brother Massimo next door (full of bonhomie and manliness), his wife Lara and son Sandro, and their matriarch mother Anna, who from across the road rules the family.

The story is told from both Maggie's and Lara point of view. Maggie is worried she'll let Nico down by been too common (she's from a council estate and is more used to slammers than Shiraz - my kind of girl) and that she won't fit in with the family or live up to the memory of the saintly Caitlin. Lara had been married to Massimo for years and is pretty sure she's never fitted in, and never will. But as they try secrets are revealed about Caitlin and they find themselves in the unenviable position of protecting a lie that comforts the family.

If you've ever witnessed a family dynamic like the one in this book you'll be astounded at how accurate this is. The feeling of walking upon eggshells to try and keep the peace is represented extremely well. And the characterisations of all the characters is pretty spot on. Beryl especially with her down to earth kindness mixed with no nonsense, not taking any put downs of her family attitude is just great. She needs her own book. Massimo is a bit of a stereotype but within this story that works just fine.

My only regret about this book is beginning to read it at half term and not been able to finish it quicker. An gripping and emotional read.

Engaging. Good. Some short gripping scenes that hold your interest so..all good.

This was my first book from the author Kerry fisher I have read and certainly won't be my last.
I enjoyed the storyline and and the characters well most of them one character I couldn't stand and made me angry. The storyline had me wanted to know what happened next and couldn't put the book down.

All families are crazy. This is what my great-grandmother used to say. Boy did she was right! Families are tricky, you are handled carefully weaved small threads, connections to all those people that share your name and blood – or not, and those little bonds get tangled, they loosen, they get older, they keep messing with your head. Families are a blessing. But families can also be a curse!

The Farinellis, a seemingly nice and happy big Italian family, know all about what a family is about. At least that is what they think. Lara will do anything for her husband and son to be happy, even if it means losing herself in the process. Maggie is the new piece, the “blended” member trying her best to fit the picture and the empty seat left by the deceased first wife of her beloved husband. Through those women’s eyes, you get to know their husbands, the very different but equally strong men Massimo and Nico. To say their views on life are different is a euphemism, but brotherhood is a strong bond and those two are navigating life together, through thin and thick. Add to the mix the next generation, Sam, Sandro and Francesca to spice up the adults’ life and bring joy to the party. Guarding the family is the mama, Anna. Resilient, old-fashioned Anna whose tongue is always ready to let slip a scathing comment or a nasty remark to her daughters-in-law while her warmth is enveloping and cherishing those two perfect sons life has blessed her with.

But this portray is simplistic. You could have guessed all of this from a family picture hanged on the wall.

With The Silent Wife, we are off to the real thing. The author’s writing breathes life. What happens when the photographer says “it’s a wrap!”? Kerry Fisher shows it all. The masks appearances force you to wear, the pressure that comes with a family, the shadows, the secrets. Chapter after chapter, layers are removed, the wounds start hurting, the cracks on the wall appear, the feelings just flow and you are left with the meaning of the sense of belonging, with what it truly means to be a family.

Maggie and Lara couldn’t be more different. I don’t want to dive too much into characterization because the book is an experience about who you are, who you appear to be, who you want to be and how you can relate to those around you. All of this is locked away, for different reasons. Lara cannot let her husband and his perfect life down by revealing what is eating her soul every day and Maggie won’t destroy the newly found happiness and solace of her new husband and his reluctant daughter. But secrets have a knack for bringing everything to the surface.

I warmed to both women for very different reasons. Maggie was the stepmother I wish I had had growing up! She tries her best to protect what she is slowly and tentatively building. I know what it feels to be treated as a second choice, as if you are just here to fill a gap, as if you don’t quite fit into the picture. She felt real and warm and really trying, even if painfully aware her ways are the opposite of what is done on the Italian side. The Farinelli family is close-knit and doesn’t let strangers in so easily. Lara learned it the hard way. The many years since her wedding hasn’t made her more comfortable around her mother-in-law and her son’s upbringing is a constant issue in the family. Their struggles, their daily lives, their voices sounded spot-on, I imagined them as my aunts, my cousins, and I felt for and with them.

I think what made me feel so connected to Lara and Maggie from the start was the mixture of emotions coming from their different narrations. The guarded Lara and the new-addition Maggie, two different views of the same coin. I love how Kerry Fisher seized the way we tiptoe around people, the way we try to cope with our own feelings and interpret others’, the way something simple can bring people together when they least expect it, the way you can find allies in people you had no intention of letting in, because life happens and when you are faced with its hardships or happy moments. You may find someone standing right next to you, holding out a hand. That is also what family is for.

I am nosey and I must say this story delivers on the promise to let you hide behind the curtains and see what happens behind closed doors. It’s not all bad, grey is all around, and I am happy the author gives room for opinions to be formed and evolve as the characters grow.

Getting to know everyone else through Maggie and Lara’s eyes was an excellent way of witnessing the difference faces we put on depending on who is around! If something had made me angry during Lara’s narration, Maggie’s light on the same character, event or day would have my feelings completely changed. If Maggie’s light tone or complaint would irritate me a little, Lara’s fresh eyes on it would give it another meaning. With a clever array of secondary characters to spice already-packed lives, the steady pace of the story never lets up.

I dreaded the secret wouldn’t let any room for character development but I must have forgotten how every single day shape us, no matter what hovers over our heads, and this is depicted so clearly in The Silent Wife that you might start looking around you with more open eyes. Kerry Fisher masters the magic of capturing life through all angles and delivering it to you raw and real.

The tension was different from a thriller or an action-packed story. It crept on me as I dived deeper and deeper into the family’s troubled waters, and the secret had my heart break, shake with fear, the undercurrent of dread coming in waves as every day troubles offered a respite from the darkest times.

My heart ached for that family, for the lost ones, for the found ones. I loved every minute, every page, every word of this heart-wrenching book!

The author’s fantastic and emotional writing turns a seemingly normal family story into a gripping roller coaster journey about how a secret can shake the foundation of a perfect picture, revealing just how bonds can be strong, cut, tested, created and renewed, for the sake of happiness.

Loved it. Hated Massimo from the outset . Loved all the other characters. Living a perfect life to the outside world whilst inside its rotten to the core. Lara was so lucky Maggie came into her life. Captivated till the end

I've read exactly same book before different author. It's got no go or suspense at all. I've read other books by same author it was brilliant

Beautifully written and heart-wrenching. The ending left tears in my eyes. I was completely engrossed in this book and couldn't stop turning pages. It's a very absorbing story about love and family. A reminder that the "perfect couple" (you know the one) you envy isn't always as perfect as they seem. That overly affectionate husband you wish your own would take clues from may be hiding a dark side. And even though you yourself may be envious of someone else's relationship, just because your own isn't perfect doesn't mean it isn't right.

This story is told from two perspectives. Maggie has recently married Nico, who lost his first wife to illness. Nico has a teenage daughter, Maggie a younger son. The teenager resents Maggie and doesn't make home life easy. She compares free-spirited Maggie to her fitness obsessed, neat freak mother Caitlyn and finds her lacking. She's not ready to accept her... and it seems the rest of the family isn't quite ready either, including her overbearing grandmother. When Maggie accidentally discovers a secret Caitlyn took to her grave, she is conflicted. Perhaps Nico and his daughter have the right to know, but she doesn't want to ruin the illusion of the perfect wife and mother.

Lara is married to Massimo, Nico's brother. They have a young boy together who takes after his mother more than his athletic father, much to Massimo's disappointment. Massimo is larger than life, charming everyone he meets. Maggie can't help but to think he's mismatched with the quiet, demure Lara... but Lara didn't start out this way. Massimo is quite different with his wife and son behind closed doors.

Lara and Maggie begin to slowly grow closer, despite their differences. A real friendship begins to blossom between them and they become unlikely allies.

This book was originally titled Secrets of Second Wives, which led to some confusion on my part. I liked the first title, but The Silent Wife fits it to a tee as well.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Bookouture, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

MoMo’s Book Diary recommends The Silent Wife by Kerry Fisher as a 4star read.
                       
Kerry Fisher’s latest novel ‘The Silent Wife’ is packed full of family secrets and earth shattering betrayals that will leave your mouth open in disbelief again and again. The characters are brought to life in such a way you can easily relate to their individual personalities. The Farinelli family certainly has high expectations! The author expertly looks at the complicated relationships with step-children, in-laws, and the constant reminders of the first wives and mothers.

Told in alternating views of Lara (married to Massimo) and Maggie (married to Nico) this is a poignant story the lengths women are prepared to go for the sake of their families. I was gripped from the start and enjoyed page after page until the last chapter.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review The Silent Wife (also known as 'The Secrets of Second Wives' as it was known pre-publication) by Kerry Fisher.

Bookouture can seem to do no wrong. I have yet to read a book published by them that I didn't like. My bookheart is full and happy!

This contemporary book is told through the eyes of two women. Maggie, newly married to Nico and competing with his first wife who passed away only a couple years ago. Her integration into his family is not going as well as she would have liked. Lara, married to Nico's brother, Massimo, is quiet, withdrawn and a prisoner in her own marriage. However, on the surface, everything looks perfect. Who would believe the things that happen behind closed doors? Maggie, in clearing out some of Nico's ex-wife's things, comes across something that sheds new lights on the family. She has to decide if it's worth the truth coming out or if it's better to protect the new family she is now a part of.

Overall, I thought the author did a fantastic job putting you in the head of Maggie and Lara. The first part of the book where Maggie was continually self-depreciating and insecure was a tad bit grating but watching her grow as a character was a highlight. As revelations became apparent, you felt for both women and I found humor and support in non-nuclear families throughout. Seeing past the outside layer of marriage, parent/kid relationships of all generations is sometimes hard to do. It certainly easy to take things strictly at face value and only see what you want to sometimes. Maggie's mother was probably my favorite character with all her gumption and wonderful one liners. Would I recommend? Absolutely.

I loved After the Lie by Kerry Fisher so I couldn't wait to read this new book and it was amazing! . As soon as I received it I got stuck in and it took me less that a few pages to be completely absorbed in the lives of the characters.
I loved how realistic the novel was, it was a story that could happen to anyone, and that is what made it so compelling to read. The scenarios are so believable and the characters were so well-written that I just had to keep reading to see what would happen to them.
Kery Fisher is back with a fantastic novel, she has such a talent for storytelling and The Silent Wife will draw you in and keep you hooked until the very last word.

Thank you!

The Silent Wife is the story of two women who at the beginning are only connected by the men they have married. In time, they become friends and later on each other's support system.

The book begins with Maggie getting married to Nico Farinelli. She knows his mother Anna disapproves of her but she has fallen in love with him. After so many broken relationships, she has finally found a man she can count on and who thinks of her son Sam as family. Nico also has a daughter from his first marriage, Francesca. Maggie hopes to become a friend to her.

Lara is married to Massimo, Nico's brother and they have one child, Sandro. Lara's also the second wife. Massimo divorced Dawn when she refused to have children. Lara couldn't believe when Massimo started courting her and soon he makes her forget all her reservations but after the wedding everything changes.

There were so many things I like about the story. Lara and Maggie were both strong in their own way. They both had to deal with Nico and Massimo's mother Anna. She was not an easy person to like. She was always looking for ways to offend the "new wives". As the matriarch of the family, she made sure both sons lived in the same street as her. She even has a key to enter their homes uninvited.

Not only did Maggie have to deal with Anna but with her teenage step-daughter, Francesca who was trying very hard to make Maggie feel like an outsider. Lara's life was not any easier. Hers was a hotter hell.

These women were both so different but life brought them together. They both were dealing with secrets that could affect their whole family's dynamic. I rooted for both of them to make it.

The Silent Wife is a very entertaining tale full of emotion, heartache, complicated relationships, love and friendship. I would recommend it without reservation.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Bookouture via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first book by Kerry Fisher, and it certainly won’t be my last. Kerry draws you in from the first page and makes you want to know what happens to the characters. From liking one to hating another, hating one so much I wanted to throw my kindle the other side of the room. (I didn’t) Kerry has managed to provide me with a range of strong characters, believable characters. There are secrets and lies bubbling at the surface threatening to bond or break these families.

Lara and Maggie are the two wives who although very different begin an unlikely friendship. They help each other through their marriages and confide in one another at a heartbreaking price. The two brothers Nico and Massimo couldn’t be more different and are constantly at log heads. Anna is Massimo and Nico’s mother and she annoyed me so much, everything Maggie did was wrong and always had something to say and not anything nice. Maggie finds a letter in the attic and events unfold throughout the book that kept me gripped to find out what would become of this letter.

My favourite character was Lara as I found her easy to read and warm to. She wants to try her best with everyone. I found Maggie to be a people pleaser which isn’t always a good thing especially when she was been that way but never getting anything in return. Anna and one of the other characters are the reason I wanted to throw my kindle across the room but to say why would spoil the story.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Silent Wife by Kerry Fisher is about two women married as second wives by two brothers. Nico married Maggie after he lost his first wife, Caitlyn. On the other hand, Massimo (I suspect that I have been reading this name wrong) married Lara after his first wife, Dawn, left. The two women are doing the best that they can to make their marriages work. Maggie is newlywed and she is struggling more to fit into the family. Lara has been in the family a bit longer so it seems like she is already one of them.

The book alternates between the two women’s narrations. I liked how the author presented the story is such a way that the dual narration flowed with ease. The ending of one narration became the beginning of the next one especially since the two women’s lives were so intertwined. Sometimes, the two PoVs sort of merged hence telling the same story about a given incident but from two different narrators. I liked the two women. Its always nice seeing strong female protagonists and these two were definitely quite impressive. They were dealing with tough situations that would have broken anyone. However, through the chapters we get to see them fight and face each hurdle. I also enjoyed reading about their friendship.

It soon became apparent that the two were keeping dark secrets about their families. As readers, we get to know the secrets early in the book. After that, I was just kept waiting to see what would happen if the secrets got out. Will the relationships survive? Were there other darker secrets?

The Silent Wife by Kerry Fisher is a story about family, love, secrets and betrayal. I think the author did a great job in the portrayal of the second wives. The struggles were so real and the two definitely had my sympathies. One woman was having a hard time getting along with her stepdaughter while the other woman was struggling with keeping her husband’s secrets. This is the kind of book that you read knowing that a moment will come when all will fall apart. This made it quite a suspenseful.Despite knowing that something bad will happen, I was still shocked by some of the twists and secrets.

This was an enjoyable read although parts of the book were heartbreaking. It was interesting to see how different relationships developed. At the same time, I liked seeing the masks fall off. I don’t think that I will forget this book or the two women any time soon. If you are looking for a well-balanced, suspenseful read about family and secrets then I do recommend this book.

THE SILENT WIFE by Kerry Fisher is an addictive novel about family dynamics, secrets and betrayals that will have your mouth hanging open in disbelief many times along the way. When Maggie marries Nico, she is thrown headfirst into the Farinelli family with its wealth and high expectations. Having to adjust to her new surroundings is difficult enough but when she is constantly surrounded by the memories of Nico's first wife, Caitlin, who died a few years ago, has a teenage stepdaughter who is determined to chase her away, and a mother-in-law who treats her like something she stepped in, life is anything but easy. But Maggie is tough, strong, and completely in love with Nico, and will do anything to blend their families together, even if it means burying a secret that could destroy everything.

Lara and Massimo have the perfect life to the outside world, but looks can be deceiving. Being around Maggie and her independent spirit brings something back to life in Lara, and as she struggles to keep her organised, controlled life in order, she cannot help but wonder what would happen if she shared the truth with the world. As events unfold at home and abroad, will Lara and Maggie's choices destroy the fabric of the Farinelli family forever or will it finally let them breathe in a way they never knew was possible?

THE SILENT WIFE by Kerry Fisher gripped me from the very first line and held me captive until the last sentence. With exquisitely crafted characters, I became so caught up in Maggie's and Lara's lives, that my heart raced when theirs raced, broke when theirs broke. The pace of the novel is perfect as it flowed effortlessly from one character to another. Beryl, Maggie's mum, is one of my favourites, as I just adore her caring, no-nonsense, open and honest approach to her life and her family. THE SILENT WIFE by Kerry Fisher is one of those stories that you will remember long after who close the book, and should definitely be on your must-read list for 2017!

Maggie and Lara are both second wives of Italian brothers Massimo and Nico. Massimo’s first wife Dawn did not want a family and this is what broke up their marriage, but Nico’s first wife Caitlin died tragically young, leaving behind a heartbroken daughter. Nico also has a second chance at happiness when he meets and falls in love with Maggie, who has a small son herself. They are so happy together and the icing on the cake would be if Nico’s daughter would accept her into the family. Maggie feels alone; the newbie of the family but Nico is committed to binding his merged family together, wrapped in his love and acceptance.

Massimo and Lara have a young son called Sandro, a quiet young boy who loves drawing and is not at all sporty like his father, who is desperately disappointed that his only son does not share his love of sport; in fact Sandro is a non-swimmer, terrified of water, whereas his Dad is a keen and driven champion swimmer. He is determined to toughen up his son. Maggie’s son is football mad and loves sport, rough and tumbles and they immediately strike a strong bond; Massimo overjoyed by the love shown to him, feeling like a hero at last.

Maggie and Lara are so different. Maggie is a rough diamond, friendly and outgoing whilst Lara is house-proud, a bit stand-offish and very reserved. So when they strike up an unlikely friendship, Maggie begins to feel the warmth of acceptance within her new extended family. She has another ally. Nico has also offered her a fabulous workspace where she can operate her sewing business from home, but first they must clear the attic of Caitlin belongings. They work together as a family so that precious mementos can be saved in one part of the attic and the rest can be converted into the sewing room. It is whilst they are working on clearing up that Maggie finds a golden box full of Caitlin’s possessions. It’s a box of carefully guarded secrets that, once spilled, will cause heartache within her merged and extended family.

Meanwhile Lara is keeping secrets of her own and when Maggie, enjoying a new closeness with her sister-in-law (and a thrilling secret they are sharing) confides in her about the expensive golden keepsake box, the tinder is lit. Lara must decide what to do with the information that she has gleaned from Maggie, but once the secret is out she knows that there will be no going back and the consequences of her actions will be devastating. She is at last holding the cards of freedom.
‘The Silent Wife’ is an emotional novel, rich in family drama and dynamics. It is the beautifully written story of dangerous secrets that will be like ignited dynamite once the truth is set free. It’s a real page-turner, an absorbing read all round. I loved the character Maggie who was a no-nonsense, fair-minded lady full of commonsense, empathy and love for her merged family. I didn’t like Lara at all in the beginning, but her character was sensitively developed and I learned the true nature of her circumstances as the story developed. I loathed Massimo as much as I loved Nico. Massimo was egotistical and self serving. He was attention-seeking and thought he was the top-dog of the family. He put on a show in front of others but was unpleasant and overbearing when he dominated his family; a real wolf in sheep’s clothing. I thought Nico was ‘real-ideal’ husband material; thoughtful, supportive and all-embracing. I enjoyed reading this novel and thought it had a truly wonderful ending. I would like to thank NetGalley and the splendid publisher Bookouture for my copy of this novel, sent out to me in return for an honest review. It’s a 9/10 from me.