This author just gets better and better.
I feel a little bereft now the book has finished and the wonderful Maggie and her family are no longer in my life.
I turned the pages and everything I should have been doing was forgotten whilst I was reading. The characters were so well written with just the right amount of emotion and humour.
I cannot wait to read the next book by Kerry Fisher.

This is a book about two women who became second wives to two brothers-one (Maggie) after the death of his (Nico's) first wife leaving behind a 17 yr. old daughter. Maggie also has a son Sam that she brings to the marriage. The other (Lara) became the second wife to (Massimo) following his divorce. Lara and Massimo have a son together (Sandro) which he had wanted desperately. Both men have very different personalities-Nico is kind, sensitive and seemingly more in tune with what women want while Massimo comes across as suave, sporty and sophisticated and somewhat narcissistic. Suffice it to say the matriarch of the family sees things only one way-hers, making it very difficult for both of her sons wives. The story is told in alternating chapters by Lara and Maggie-each from their own point of view. Needless to say there are other supporting characters who play a role in rounding out the story. There are secrets uncovered, friendships formed and a few surprises. A very good depiction of 2nd marriages and the baggage that comes with it.

Brilliant book. On the surface everything seems okay but when you look closer at peoples actions towards others you can see the truth. Poor Lara living a life with Massimo, where she has been punched down into the ground lost all self esteem and self worth. Beaten physically and emotionally. The scars lasting forever. The description of the abuse was very real and not just an author surmising what it could be like from textbooks but how it actually does feel. A new relationship put through the pressures of step children. Lots of different dynamics to the family. However the "head" Anna of the family accepts the truth at the end of what has happened and been happening. Many times people don't. Very well thought out plot, book and great characterization. looking forward to reading more from this author. Thank you.

Having LOVED Kerry Fisher's previous novel, 'After the Lie', I couldn't contain my excitement when I found out about her new novel; I really could not wait to get stuck into it.  Kerry Fisher, for me, had set the bar really high with 'After the Lie' and part of me did wonder how she was going to top my reaction to that novel, with this storyline. By golly, she did it though. Oh.My.Word. WHAT A BOOK! The speed at which my heart was racing throughout the entire novel was concerning; I'm surprised I didn't faint! There was no time for me to compose myself from the moment I started reading, well, unless I put the book down and who on earth would want to do that?

Have you ever spotted a family and based on impressions and basic information (job status, house etc), thought of them as a 'perfect family'? We have all done it; if we don't do it to Joe Bloggs down the street, we take celebrities lifestyles as perfect...from the outside anyway. Lara and Massimo are THAT type of family; husband with a good job, wife 'manning' the house and childcare arrangements, beautiful house and the lifestyle to rival the Beckhams. Oh how looks can be deceiving eh! Massimo's brother, Nico, has a new wife and seeing as she hasn't been involved with the families shortcomings or questionable 'caring', her opinions are a little less...conceited.

By Maggie entering the family via marriage to Nico, she has a lot to prove to an already established family with many skeletons in their closet; and nobody likes being the new girl. The storyline really got going after the second chapter; introductions to the characters had been made and questionable circumstances were being highlighted. To be honest, 'questionable' is a little bit of an understatement! The amount of hair-raising and sweaty palm (nice!) moments that this book contained is outstanding. No matter how hard I tried I could not get one step ahead of the storyline, I had absolutely no idea what the outcome was going to be.

When bits and pieces started to connect and the true depth of the storyline was revealed, my heart was pounding and I felt incredibly sick. So much was going through my mind (if I told you it'd be spoilers, obviously) since a couple of the characters wanted to raise various alarms and my hands felt as though they were tied, I couldn't help, all I could do was...'watch'.

Maggie started off as the new girl and ended up becoming the ultimate heroine, a change in title that had me in tears and I have no idea why.

The Silent Wife is a novel that will keep you on your toes and on high alert, the entire way through. Reading Kerry Fisher's new book will take you on a journey of fear and secrets, and will have emotions pouring out of you in various different ways, without you even realising it.

A compelling, chilling and heart pounding read which will take you on a rollercoaster ride you'll never want to leave. Phenomenally written and undeniably powerful, Kerry Fisher has done it yet again; not only has 'The Secret Wife' become my favourite book of Kerry's, it has also become one of my all time favourite books. absolutely outstanding, is there no end to this authors talents?! Next book please!!

Death, Deceit and Dangerous Lies

The Duchess reviews this book for The Glass House Book Club

I have written before about the impact books can have on our lives. The ability to transport us from the grey doom and gloom that may grace the streets outside our own bedroom windows to a hot and steamy beach on a far flung island. Or even from the safety of our own cocooned home to the scary depths of a basement with a psychopathic killer. Books, words, combinations of verbs and adjectives allow us to wander far from our own lives into the lives of others.

But it is rare that a book will make you look at your own personality and inspire you to be a better person. A less judgmental person. A braver person.

The Secrets of Second Wives did that for me – and in the most unexpected way.

For the full review, pop over and take a look here: http://theglasshousegirls.com/articles/book-club/secrets-second-wives.

I applaud the tremendous wit in this book. It is hilariously written. There are two "outsider" wives in the Italian family and the story is built around Lara and Maggie. They are intellectual opposites but they find common ground dealing with their problems within the family. Massimo is the charming, charismatic husband of Lara - a controlling, vicious husband from hell although it would seem otherwise to others. She got sucked in by his synthetic charm and got trapped. This part of the story is very poignant and upsetting. There are so many superb analogies and hilarious situations and thoughts from Maggie and her down-to-earth mother. My favourite was, "Anna doing an excellent impression of a poplar tree" during a stand-off with Beryl.. It was a Maggie Smith moment.

This was my first Kerry Fisher novel and will certainly not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept my attention from beginning to end and I was disappointed to finish it!

The main characters, Maggie and Lara are sisters-in-law who live next door to each other and are married to brothers, Nico and Massimo respectively. Nico’s first wife died and Massimo and his first wife were divorced. As second wives both women face similar issues, especially as they have dared to marry into the great Farinelli family and no woman will ever be good enough for Italian matriarch, Anna’s sons!

At times, heart-warming and at others heart-breaking, but all in all a fabulous book about real people, the power of friendship, the importance of acceptance and the damage that secrets cause, even when they are kept with the best of intentions.

The Secrets of Second Wives turned out to be an incredible literary surprise. It is a gripping, emotional novel about how complicated it can be to navigate married life as a second wife. Forget the fairy tale and the happily ever after. This book is a page-turner with a worst-case scenario but a satisfying ending.

Through the prism of Maggie’s and Lara’s own perspectives, the reader has access to their deeper, inner thoughts, and the alternation of discourse offers a different angle on the events they experience and sometimes share. Following their streams of thought, you can really understand how they wound up where they are, why they react the way they do and how it all unfolded to reach this particular point in their lives. You can really connect with these two women.

The novel is somehow reminiscent of the Desperate Housewives storyline. Not only do they all live on the same street, but keeping appearances is also important in this posh family. Whilst reading, I often had the impression of hearing Marie Alice as the voice-over. You are really looking forward to seeing how the deeply buried family secrets will finally blow up in their faces! And the ending does not disappoint.

As a woman, you cannot but feel sorry for both characters who have to endure quite a tedious daily life — Maggie is struggling with a rude teenage stepdaughter who lost her mother but she also has to live in the shadow of the presumably perfect dead first wife. Lara is dealing with her bully of a husband, Massimo, who clearly has a severe narcissistic personality disorder. Both have married into a rich family of Italian origins, so you also have to count on a mother-in-law (Anna) who truly embodies your worst nightmare. She’s half harpy, half dragon! As a reader, I found myself deeply rooting for Lara to finally speak up her mind and free herself (and her son) from this hell she ended up living in. I really enjoyed the character of Beryl, Maggie’s mother. She’s not afraid to say things as they are. It was refreshing and exhilarating to see how she would put Anna in her place.

The novel is beautifully written with a complex, yet easy to read prose. It’s an emotional read on interesting topics — the power dynamics in couples, the sacrifices women make for their families, the flawed nature of human beings.

I’m sure Lara is a character that will speak to a lot of women who also had to give up their careers to raise their families (voluntarily or not quite). But, on top of that, seeing that she’s financially and emotionally trapped gave a very gripping dimension to the intrigue. The novel conveys a strong message about female empowerment and mutual respect.

I strongly recommend The Secrets of Second Wives, a well written novel about family, personal choices and life struggles.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though I thought there was another twist which would've given the book a totally different ending so in a way I'm pleased there wasn't! But because of that it kept me intrigued till the end.

The Secret of Second Wives tells the story of two women who marry two Italian brothers. Maggie and her son move into the home of Nico Farinelli and his late wife, Caitlin, who was seemingly perfect in her everybody’s eyes. Lara, the sister-in-law, is married to Nico’s brother, Massimo, who appears to be the perfect husband and brother but behind closed doors, he is the complete opposite. Both women are forced to live up to the expectations of their mother-in-law, who believes both women are not worthy to be with her sons. Kerry Fisher managed to capture the dysfunctional relationships that the two women deal with and touch on a more serious subject of domestic abuse, both emotional and physical. The characters have deep backstories and secrets that lend to the plot beautifully. The secrets and lies begin to unravel, throwing the entire Farinelli family into chaos and disbelief. This is a brilliant book and I highly recommend it.

I love Kerry Fisher's books and this was no exception. The tale of Maggie and Lara is told beautifully and intricately, building up a picture of life in the Farinelli family; a family where expectations are paramount.
People and secrets unfold and true colours are revealed, leaving life very different for the two couples.
I loved to watch Lara and Maggie interact and flourish under their new found kin and friendship, and I loved the bond that eventually formed with Francesca, Maggie's fragile stepdaughter.
All in all another 5* read from Kerry Fisher!

As you can see from my rating, this book was just ok for me. It definitely had a lot of potential because of the subject matter, but it just never got too exciting to read. It actually took me much longer to read this book than I first anticipated. To be completely honest, I was a little disappointed in this book.

The story is told from two alternating perspectives of Maggie and Lara. Both of who are second marriages for the two Farinelli brothers.

I want to note here that if domestic violence is a trigger for you, you probably want to steer clear of this book. Domestic violence in the form of physical, mental, and emotional manipulation and control play a MAJOR role in the story being told. Especially since control comes in many different forms.

It was extremely frustrating to read about Lara and Massimo’s marriage because it was the most unhealthy relationship. I found myself constantly aggravated with Lara because her submission towards Massimo. She was so terrified of her husband that she wouldn’t even stick up for her son. It was seriously sickening to me because it escalated so far as to put lives in danger. I could find reason behind dealing with her husband making her life miserable and controlling every aspect of her life. But when it comes to your children, that where she should have drew the line. And Lara never did that.

What makes it worse is how judgmental the Farinelli family is. The people that married into the family are constantly walking on eggshells. So it was a relief when Beryl (Maggie;s mom) would tag along and challenge everything Anna (Mom) Farinelli would say. I got most of my entertainment out of those situations.

Maggie and Nico seem to have the most genuine relationship out of all the marriages mentioned in the book. But she was constantly wishing that Nico would be more like Massimo. That was frustrating to read because she had no idea what Massimo was like behind close doors and he was a nightmare. That’s not the only thing trying to tear their marriage apart either. Nico’s daughter, Francesca, made their marriage a living hell and Nico never once tried to put his foot down.

I constantly felt bad for Sandro, Lara and Massimo’s son. Poor Sandro. He was just a 7 year-old boy having to suffer the pressures of a violent father. He was terrified of his dad and even more worried about his mother who tried to take the brunt of Massimo’s wrath.

But if you think that the domestic violence is the big time secret in the novel, boy are you wrong. The secret is a big time betrayal in the Farinelli family. One that no one will be able to recover from. Unfortunately I guessed it in the very beginning and it just took forever to prove it correct. Which I think is why I didn’t enjoy the book so much.

As the cover suggests it to be a emotionally gripping page turner, I feel obligated to weigh in on that label. Emotional, maybe. Gripping, eh not so much. Page turner, definitely not. Honestly the book was just good enough to make me want to finish the book, but gives me no motivation to lose myself in the book.

I loved After the Lie by Kerry Fisher and was really pleased to receive this book in return for an honest review.

This is a story about two sister in laws, Maggie and Lara who live next door to each other and is written in the point of view of both characters. Marrying into the Farinelli family, both second wives, both living up to certain expectations. Slowly their relationship develops and family secrets are revealed.

It is a well written, real 'can't put it down' book and I wholeheartedly recommend it!

From the minute I started reading this I was hooked. It was absoultely gripping, full of unexpected twists, turns and suprises.

I thought this was wonderfully written and it gives people an in site to peoples relationships and how they are not always as they seem. We see how hard it is for 1 half of the relationship to try and escape, we see how much a person can control someone.

It is so scary reading about it but it is an everyday occurrence in some relationships. Some people can be so cruel and evil. A real insight.

This was an excellent novel. With brilliant main characters and a wonderful plot, this book is a real page turner. I would highly recommend this book.

The Secrets of Second Wives is Kerry Fisher's best yet. I loved After The Lie but this was an even better read.

After her marriage to Nico Maggie moves into his house with her young son. Nico's wife died leaving him with a daughter, Francesca, who at first resents her stepmother. So far so predictable but the Italian family Maggie has married into, headed by the formidable matriarch, Anna, is hiding secrets.

Maggie is made to feel that she can never live up to her predecessor. Nico's brother has also married a second time to Lara, who feels inferior for different reasons and she and Maggie begin a friendship which leads to the unravelling of the family's secrets.

The characters are so believable I could almost imagine meeting them in my own home, especially Maggie. The Secrets of Second Wives is a very entertaining and uplifting read even while dealing with the serious issues that remarriage can bring. Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review the book.

Although the main threads of this novel examine two difficult issues (that of being a step parent and domestic abuse) it is an uplifting story. At times I wanted to cry and at others I wanted to take a frying pan to a couple of the main characters' heads, but at no point did this novel fail to hold my attention.

The author isn't afraid to delve into her subject matter with both gusto and sensitivity. Her handling of the story lines is masterful and her characters are all the more believable and realistic for their many flaws. None of us are perfect and many of us have family dynamics which are deep and consulted and oh so complex, and Ms Fisher highlights this with skill and determination. Not an easy read in parts, but you certainly won't be bored!

This book uncovers some interesting dynamics of strong families, second wives, and the expectations and memories that they have to deal with. The first half of this book was nice, the middle a little long, and the end was so full of excitement and secrets that I suddenly wishes the rest of the book had been so exciting. Ironically, I think my overall rating would have been higher if the ending hadn't been as fast-paced and engaging.

Oh my goodness, what a book! I loved "After the Lie" but this one was even better still.

Kerry Fisher's personality and wit shines through in this book and I could "hear" the characters speaking. The characters in this book are beautifully described and I felt like I knew them all personally. I got very involved with this family, with all its layers of lies and truth. I also enjoyed that it was written from the points of view of both Maggie and Lara and it goes to show that two different people can see the same situation so differently, brilliantly done!

Despite its light start, it is a very deep and complex book, with many twists and turns. It had me gripped and I was a ball of tension until pretty close to the end of it. The thing is, I WAS Lara (only not as posh, lol) and I HAD a Massimo (and funnily enough, he was a handsome half-Italian), so it pushed lots of buttons for me personally.

I loved Beryl and Maggie......their no-nonsense approach to things really made me chuckle and I wished I was a bit more like that, not so constrained by manners and what society considers appropriate. It was also a good lesson not to get too hung up on what people have or how they wear their clothes, everyone has something that they are grappling with, behind closed doors.

A highly recommended read from me :)

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Thank you to Bookouture and the author.