The Silent Wife

The Silent Wife (formerly The Secrets of Second Wives) is an emotional journey of the trials and tribulations of women who are trying to navigate their lives as second wives in second marriages.

When there are secrets that could destroy lives, we find out just how far these women will go to protect their families.

Having read other books by Kerry Fisher, I found this one a bit darker than others I've read but The Silent Wife is incredibly enjoyable and I'd highly recommend it, 4*.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book, with thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

The silent wife by Kerry Fisher is a women's fiction and general fiction (adult) read.
A lovely moving read two women in the same family married to brothers of a powerful family. Couldn't be so different. But Maggie is married to Nico whose first wife died. He has a daughter who just wants her mother back.
Lara is married to massimos who is so different to Nico. This story is told between two women Lara and Maggie I really felt for them. Such a moving story. I was hoping Nicos mother would accept Maggie. I really didn't like her to begin with but she grows on you. I loved the ending too. Perfect. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

Bookouture is KILLING it in the new release department these days - first Little Girl Lost, Blink and now Kerry Fisher’s The Silent Wife. This is a story of second wives and an examination of the complex family dynamics that can often occur in blended families. It is an honest look at how families come together and fall apart and how no one can really know what goes on between two people behind closed doors.
I did not know a lot about this book going in, in fact I was expecting a mystery/thriller narrative. This is not a murder mystery, but don’t let that deter you. The story focuses on Maggie and Lara, married to brothers of the Farinelli family and both coming in to the family as the second wife. The book started off a bit slow for me at first, but things picked up quickly and I was completely drawn in to the family drama as well as Maggie and Lara’s story lines as they struggle in their new roles. I loved Maggie’s character – her wit, her work ethic, how she was a genuinely kind person to every one she met -- everyone needs a Maggie in their life. My heart broke for Lara and Sandro, although at times I was very frustrated with her for not taking more initiative. The plot is so well written that you begin to feel as though you are one of the family and it is packed with twists and turns.
The Silent Wife is an emotional tale about the lies we tell ourselves and others –and how those lies can be our downfall but also our salvation if those around us are willing to forgive. 4 Fantastic stars. Thank you so much to Bookouture and Net Galley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another great release from Bookouture! I really enjoyed this book.

The author did an amazing job getting the reader to connect with characters and made you feel like you wee apart of their family. Their problems felt like your problems. This was another page-turner that you didn't want to end! So many twists and turns. The ending...oh man!

Lara’s life looks perfect on the surface. Gorgeous 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. Then 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?

I highly recommend this book!!
Thanks to Bookouture for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Omg I just loved this book, really good story and characters and a good insight into the dynamics of a really screwed up family haha!....you think someone has the perfect life but you've no idea what goes on behind closed doors or what kind of life they truly have.

I thought it was well written and I really enjoyed it, I was rooting for Lara all the way and loved how eventually she built up a relationship with Maggie. I felt so sad for Madison and Lara's son Sandro though the poor kid really had it tough.

A disturbing book in parts but also a fantastic read, I loved it....!!! Can't wait for more by this author.

I do love a twisty family drama, one full of secrets and lies that you read with just the slightest tinge of smugness as you can see what is about to happen miles before our poor characters do. But Kerry Fisher always managed to pull something delectably different out of the bag and here she managed to throw a few curveballs, keeping us in our toes right to the very end!

The days of the traditional mum, dad and their 2.4 children have long gone now and family dynamics have changed dramatically due to the extended family. Step-parents are pretty much the norm nowadays so it was rather interesting to see how differently the two second wives coped within their new families. Finding their feet without tripping up over family traditions or trying to live up to wife number one seem to be the constants here although Maggie seems to have a tougher time adjusting to her new role than Lara. But Lara appears to have worse problems within her marriage to contend with.

Kerry Fisher has created a tangled web of lies and indiscretions here with characters that I really came to care about and think of as friends. I took to Maggie, especially, right from the first time we get to meet her at her wedding to Nico. And when her mum Beryl was introduced into the plot, I realised where Maggie had inherited her strengths of character from and that it would hopefully help her adjust to married life as a second wife and stepmother to a teenage girl. Beryl was hilarious and I think my goal in life now is to be “a bit more Beryl”. Straight talking, forthright and hilarious and always had the perfect story to tell or the perfect treat on hand at just the right time.

Perfectly paced and plotted I loved following this family drama through to it’s climatic finale. It was slightly darker than Kerry’s other books but still with a subtle but mischievous humour at times. This book was originally called The Secrets of Second Wifes and if I’m honest I think that represents the plot better than The Silent Wife but it made no difference once my head was stuck between the pages. An enjoyable experience from start to finish!

Many thanks to Kim at Bookouture for my copy of The Silent Wife which I have chosen to read and review.

Maggie marries Nico who is a widower with a teenage daughter Francesca. Can Maggie ever live up to the perfect first wife Caitlin. Secrets and lies in a close knit Italian family.
A resounding 5* from me. A real corker of a book! You will be gripped. So pacy! I absolutely love Kerry Fisher's books and this one was probably one of the best!
Would I recommend - oh yes! My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lara is a "second wife". Married to Massimo with a son Sandro. Massimo's brother Nico is also on his second wife although he is widowed rather than divorced. His second wife is Maggie and they live together with her son, Sam, and his daughter, Francesca. Both brothers live opposite family matriarch Anna. Together, theirs is a story of secrets and lies, of family dynamics with the shadows of the "first wives" never too far in the background.
The story is told from the points of view of both Maggie and Lara. Each taking a chapter as they describe their lives. I found this to be a very effective way of telling the whole family's story as we see things from two very distinct angles.
The story itself is a bit of a slow burn initially but as things move on, as some of the secrets and lies get uncovered it takes on a whole new pace and really kicks in. It's only really when Lara and Maggie start to get together that the bigger picture really starts to emerge. Both women are trying to protect their families, both have secrets they are keeping. It is only with the emergence of these secrets that the families can start to really move on and heal together. But divulging is scary at first, trust has to be established and here, the author manages to weave the story around to that point, with rather shocking outcomes.
I completely raced through this book. I have already read and enjoyed other books by this author so I was familiar and comfortable with the way she tells a story so I hit the ground running with this one. Even though the beginning is slower paced, I knew from the off that we would be going somewhere special. The signs were all there. What followed was an amazing walk through some rather dysfunctional family dynamics that were very well presented. I especially loved the relationship between Maggie and Francesca, how Maggie did what she did to try to protect her step-daughter even though it was to her own detriment. Self-sacrifice indeed. Anna was brilliant too, with her typical "my sons can do no wrong" and "no one is good enough for my boys" attitude and I really loved the battles she had along the way, especially with Maggie's mum Beryl.
It was for me, another book that didn't finish with the final page. I found I was thinking about it for days afterwards. Thoughts like "what would I have done", "how would I have handled that", and "you never know what is going on behind closed doors" all manner of questions. Ideal for a book club read maybe?
So, all in all, a great addition to this author's already cracking back catalogue.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Maggie loves her new husband, Nico, but finds it hard to live up to his late wife in the eyes of his moody daughter Francesca and meddling mother Anna. Lara is married to Nico’s larger-than-life brother Massimo but she often has to shield their timid young son from him. Then Maggie makes a discovery that could rock the family’s foundations. Told from the viewpoints of both wives, this page-turning story delves into family secrets, controlling personalities and what goes on behind closed doors. One of this year’s must-reads.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

“The Silent Wife” by Kerry Fisher is a thriller based on an affluent Italian family in England that is run by Anna, the matriarch. Anna believes that the family is the most important thing in the world and that outsiders are not welcome. In fact, they are such a close knit family that the brothers live side by side and Anna lives across the street. Anna also continually reminds every one of the superiority of their Italian heritage.

The story is told through the view of the two “second” wives, Lara and Maggie. Throughout the story, the reader is not sure which wife is remaining silent.

The story begins with Maggie’s marriage to Nico, the younger son. Nico’s young wife, Caitlin has been dead for two years after losing her battle with cancer. Maggie struggles to begin married life with new stepdaughter Francesca and her son Sam. She is constantly being compared to the perfect Caitlin by her mother in law, Anna and being accused of being a gold digger.

Lara is married to the handsome, athletic brother, Massimo. He appears to be the perfect man, father and husband. But as the story is told, the reader realizes something is amiss.

“The Silent Wife” was an engaging story. It kept me interested and reading to find out what would happen to the family and to figure out which wife was remaining silent.

I enjoyed the story being told from both Maggie and Lara’s point of view. It was not confusing or hard to follow as that can often be. I look forward to reading another of Kerry Fisher’s books.

Four and a half stars
Such a mix of characters in this book - some you love to hate and others you hate to love! Lara and Maggie are both second wives to two brothers (Massimo and Nico), doing their best to fit in with their Italian upbringing and ways, but it isn't easy especially when there are children involved. There are shocking secrets to discover and maybe disclose, not to mention Anna, the matriarch to deal with. Loved the cover and description but most of all loved the story which was fantastic and definitely worth the time spent reading it, so much so wish it had been longer and I don't say that very often!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this story. Family drama, secrets and suspense all rolled into one. I couldn't put it down. This is definitely one to put on the library's order list.

Page turner!! I loved this book and I am sad it's over. The secrets that one carries will always catch up to you no matter how hard you try and hide them!! The twists the turns, lies, deceit, love, family and friendship what a wonderful combinations of them all rolled up in this little book.
Oh, I cant forget to mention the second wives!!.

Great book! If I could give it 10 stars I would!

Will be looking for other books by Kerry Fisher!
My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. The silent wife was formerly called The Secrets of Second Wife's.

On the surface Lara's life looks perfect. Perfect husband Massimo. Perfect son Sandro. Lara knows something about Massimo. A secret she can never share.

Maggie is married to Nico. Nico is Massimo's brother. Nico has a daughter from his first marriage. Maggie discovers a letter in the attic which reveals a shocking secret.

This is an emotional roller coaster to read. Gripping in parts with some good characters. Remember to have the tissues on standby.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Kerry Fisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely awesome read! And yes, it's one of those you cannot put down and won't want to put down. The farther I got into the book, the more I was into the book.

The Farinelli's have lived on the same street for years. Their mother, Anna, lives in the childhood home alone. While the oldest brother, Massimo, lives with his second wife of 10 years, Lara, and their child Sandro next door to his youngest brother, Nico. Massimo is divorced from his first wife who did not want children. Nico is currently newly married to his second wife, Maggie, after losing his first wife, Caitlyn, nearly 3 years ago to cancer. Maggie has a son, Sam and Nico has a daughter, Francesco.

The dynamics of this family are so crazy. I'm not going to go into them - I'm not spoiling it for anyone. I will tell you that at one point I did hit the bed and scream "yes, yes, yes" when a certain someone got their comeuppance and I LOVED IT!

I just can say how much I enjoyed this book. I love it when people who are being buttheads get theirs and there are several buttheads in this book. This will definitely be one of my top reads for 2017!

Huge thanks to Bookouture for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

The Silent Wife was such a lovely relief from all the gory crime novels I tend to read. It seemed to have it all, secrets, friendship, romance, adultery, bullying, abuse and a bucket load of laughs at times.

There were so many characters I loved, such as Lara, Nico and especially Beryl and Maggie, I was laughing out loud on numerous occasions.

A story about what goes on behind closed doors in a typical close knit Italian family, that like others to believe they are perfect and without problems.

The Silent Wife is a wonderfully written novel that I highly recommend

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing a copy of this wonderful book and this is my honest review.

This is a story of families, secrets and lies and I loved it. Lara is married to overbearing Massimo and they have a son Sandro. Down to earth Maggie is married to Nico, Massimo's brother. She discovers a secret which could rip the family apart. A great fast paced read.

Riveting psychological thriller about being a 2nd wife

My Rating: 5 out of 5


This great psychological thriller revolves around two women who are the second wives of two brothers. They live next door to each other, and their mother in law lives across the road. Not the idyllic family setting that the wives might wish for. And then they start discovering family secrets.

At 35 years old Maggie has finally met Mr. Right (after many Mr Very Wrongs) and the story opens with the wedding ceremony. Although Maggie's new husband is perfect, adjusting to his 13 year old daughter is more difficult. She starts getting to know her sister in law, Lara, who lives next door and who deals with everything life throws at her with ease - or so it appears to Maggie.

The story alternates with one chapter from Maggie's perspective and the next from Lara's. The story moves fast and is completely gripping, as the psychological issues of being a second wife are gradually explored - was the first, late, wife really so perfect as everyone makes out? Are the husbands as perfect as they appear to be?

Set in 2016, in the Brighton area of the UK, there is a lot going on behind closed doors in the two households. Plenty of material to think about, and wonder what you would do in that situation, plus some hair raising episodes that will have you racing to see what happens next.

I loved this book. Maggie and Lara are engaging characters, facing all the problems of second wives with moral dilemmas that are true to life and very interesting. Then there are the secrets they discover - should they keep them, or tell everyone?

I was riveted throughout all the of the book, and found the issues that the two women faced to be so true to life and interesting, to make this a 5* book.

In The Silent Wife (or 'The Secrets of Second Wives' as it was formerly called, and which btw I prefer) Kerry Fisher explores the dynamics of second marriages. She looks at the complicated relationships with step-children, the in-laws, and the regular reminders of the wives/mothers who were first. Told in the alternating voices of Maggie and Lara, this was a poignant story of what women are prepared to go through for their families.
Maggie married Nico after his wife Caitlin died. Nico has a teenage daughter, Francesca, and is part of a seemingly close-knit, well-off Italian family, while Maggie, who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, has been a single Mum to Sam since his birth, only supported by her no-nonsense mother Beryl, who also brought up Maggie on her own.
Lara married Massimo, Nico's brother, after Massimo's first wife, Dawn, left him. Lara has been a stay-at-home Mum to their shy seven-year-old son, Sandro.
The cracks in this extended family, which is ruled by strong-minded matriarch Anna, soon appear, and while Maggie and Lara establish an unlikely friendship, it becomes harder and harder to sweep family secrets and betrayals under the carpet.

This was the third book by Kerry Fisher that I've read now. While it still made me smile in parts, it had less of the prominent humour I loved in her other books. This one was a lot more sombre, raising awareness of the darker sides of some marriages. It was very good at exploring issues of control and losing control. The characters, as in all Ms Fisher's novels, were so well drawn, you actually have no doubt that they truly exist. There was a nice mix of characters to love and characters to despise. My absolute favourite was Beryl, Maggie's kind and outspoken Mum.
Definitely recommended to anybody who enjoys emotional women's fiction. Kerry Fisher has firmly established a place on my must-read-author list.
Thanks to Bookouture for my ARC via NetGalley.

Two women, married to two brothers who are all so different from each other, but they all have secrets. Maggie marries Nico - a first marriage for her and second for him. She has a son from a previous relationship and he has a teenage daughter from his first marriage where his wife passed away. They come from very different backgrounds. Meanwhile Lara is married to the other brother Massimo who is overbearing and controlling and together they have a son who does not live up to his father's expectations. This is a study of marriages and families - all have secrets and fears. The author did a wonderful job of gradually unravelling the secrets and I was hooked from around half-way through the book. Great reading. Thank you to Bookouture and net galley for the opportunity to read this book.