The Last Mrs Parrish by Liv Constantine
Rating 4.2/5
An unusual, debut psychological thriller written by the Constantine sisters. The Last Mrs Parrish meanders through the lives of Amber Patterson, a determined, materialistic and amoral golddigger and the beautiful Daphne and her gorgeous husband, Jackson.
Then wham, bang, wallop the whole scenario gets turned on it’s head. Even when you think, well what an outcome it just keeps spinning around: what else will be revealed?
I don’t doubt we will be hearing a lot from Lynne and Valerie Constantine. Recommended.
I received a copy of the Last Mrs Parrish from NetGalley for an honest and unbiased review, which I have given. Many thanks.

This is the debut novel by the writing partnership of Lynne & Valerie Constantine. I read the synopsis and was immediately intrigued because it sounded just my kind of read with lots of drama and suspense. I was not to be disappointed as I totally loved it but more about that in a bit.
I have to say that from the start I didn’t take to Amber Patterson and I was suspicious of her throughout, with good reason too. Amber is basically sick of being poor and she decides that she wants some of the rich living for herself. She engineers a meeting with Daphne Parrish, who is the wife of a tremendously wealthy man, and from there builds a friendship, which soon becomes unbreakable. Amber doesn’t really want to be friends with Daphne, she just wants her husband and her lifestyle. In my eyes, (and I am suspicious of everyone) I couldn’t believe how quickly Daphne swallowed the fairy tale story that Amber dreamt up, without doing any background checks on her. However, Amber was very clever in that she found Daphne Parrish’s weakness, and that is her sister, who had and died as a result of Cystic Fibrosis. Amber then exploited that and Daphne’s good nature. Amber is highly manipulative, highly dangerous, focussed and downright selfish. She has her mind on the end prize (in this case Jackson Parrish and his wealth) and she won’t let anybody or anything get in the way of her achieving that. As for Daphne well I felt really sorry for her from the start. She has this wealthy and extravagant life but there seems to be something that isn’t quite right with the picture so to speak. I am not going to tell you what is wrong because I don’t want to give too much away because that would spoil it for everybody. She misses her sister terribly and I did wonder if her dedication to fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis was her way of apologising to her sister because she couldn’t save her. At times Daphne did seem like a lost little sheep and quite lonely too. Daphne seemed to be almost grateful to Amber at times because Amber wanted to be friends with her on her own merit and not because of who she was married to. How little did she know at the time. Will Amber get the life she dreams of? Is the high life all it cracked up to be? Is there a sting in the tale? Well for all those answers and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves as I am not going to tell you.
To say that this book is a page turner has to be the understatement of the year so far. I became so wrapped up in the story and whether or not Amber achieved her aim that the pages literally flew past. The writing style is such that you can’t fail but be drawn in from the very first page onwards. I was certainly gripped by the story and I felt as though the book had cast a spell on me, because I wasn’t released from the book’s grip until I turned the back cover over. I became so involved with the story that I began tutting at what I had read, shouting at Daphne to wake up and see what was happening in front of her eyes and I wanted to jump inside the pages of the book to give Amber a good slap with a wet flip flop a few dozen times for picking on Daphne. I suppose that I thought I had to jump in to defend and help Daphne. By the time I had finished reading ‘The Last Mrs. Parrish’ I really did feel as though I had been on an emotional rollercoaster ride with all the twists, turns, OMG moments and stomach churning moments. There were literally times when I had to hold my breath and almost read on through my fingers because I was dreading what Amber was going to get up to next.
In short I totally and utterly loved reading ‘The Last Mrs. Parrish’ even if it did make me shudder at times. I loved everything about it and I can’t wait to read what comes next from this very talented writing partnership. I would definitely recommend this book to others. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a whopping and well deserved 5* out of 5*

This was an enjoyable read. Great characters who you really love to hate. Plenty of plot twists and turns. Took me a while to get into it. Give this book a chance you will enjoy it. Would recommend. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

I love, love, loved this book! At first, it appears to be a typical tale of lust and jealousy, but when you hear all sides of the story, there's so much more going on. So compelling I had to read it in one sitting, you won't see the ending coming...

I was totally hooked by this book, I read it over the Christmas break and it rarely left my hands.

Oh, Amber Patterson; what an impeccably created monster of a character she is! She's the sort of woman who appals me, yet I find her intriguing and fascinating. She's so manipulative, she's focussed and narcissistic and completely and utterly riveting.

Amber is determined to get a rich husband, and Jackson Parrish fits the bill perfectly. A multi millionaire living in a mansion full of luxury; handsome, intelligent, a business man. He is ideal for Amber. However, Jackson is married, with children. His wife Daphne is beautiful, slim, philanthropic and is the leader of the rich wives club in Bishops Harbour. Amber decides that Daphne will be her target. She will make herself indispensable, she and Daphne will become best friends, and eventually, she knows that Jackson will be hers.

Not once does Amber have a pang of compassion towards Daphne and her children, or guilt about what she is doing. She has a plan, meticulously created and she follows it perfectly, step by step. Anyone who may get in her way is gone. Amber makes sure of that.

There are two parts to The Last Mrs Parrish. The first is Amber's side of the story, and then half way through, the reader hears the same tale, but from Daphne. Have you ever changed your mind completely about a character? Well you will when you start to read Daphne's narrative. Slowly and surely, things fall into place until there's the most enormous clang and God damnit you realise you've been had!

Such of tension, The Last Mrs Parrish is not your usual thriller story, it's far far more than that. It's an incredibly well created story of greed and manipulation, along with betrayal and hidden secrets. I spent the latter part of the book with my mouth open and my eyes growing wider and wider as I read more.

The Last Mrs Parrish is a thoroughly entertaining and quite addictive read. It is pacy, gripping and thought-provoking, and the character creation is expertly done. A brilliant premise, I loved it.

What a fantastic book! I was up till 2 am reading this one. It is not a book you can put down till you finish atleast the first part. Very well written and a real page turner!

Great read! I did feel about halfway through that there was going to be a twist, and thought it was a little predictable, but then even that got turned around! Next book soon please!!!

I was quickly hooked on this book despite it being late at night when I first started reading. Enjoyed it thought slightly predictable there were lots of twists to keep me wanting more.

Nice paced easyread. A good story with believable characters that has it all love, greed, jealousy and abuse. Loved it

Really enjoyed this debut book from these sister authors and look forward to more from them. I couldn't put it down with all of the twists and turns in the plot. You can't help but dislike Amber and her motivations!

Brilliant!
Absolutely unputdownable. Even though the blurb gives a lot away, it is fascinating to read to what lenghts Amber, the baddie, will go to worm her way into her seemingly oblivious employer Daphne's trust and family..Thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Very clever plot with a few twists. Hopefully, I'll be able to read more books by this author soon!
Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Mrs Parrish tells the story of Amber Patterson, a young woman trying to escape her past and with the erroneous notion that she is better than everyone else and the world owes her. Fed up of being a nobody, Amber sets out to befriend the rich and glamorous Daphne Parrish.
Eventually the two become best friends and Amber's real plan starts to unfold- her desire to oust Daphne and marry her husband Jackson and become the next Mrs Parrish.
This very clever story takes on many twists and dark turns to reveal an amazing suspenseful ending- where everyone gets what they deserve. .

I could not put this book down! A well thought out page turner! I did have a feeling that I knew where the story was headed so it was not a surprise when the the twist is revealed- but this did not make the book any less interesting to read. Would recommend to anyone who wants to read an entire book over a weekend as you won't want it to end!

As the saying goes be careful of what you wish for. Nobody knows what goes on in a relationship apart from those in it and the grass isn't greener on the other side. Amber is so jealous of Daphne and her life she makes it her mission to steal it. The thing is Amber doesn't realise exactly what she's stealing is Daphne's life as perfect as it looks from the outside.

Fantastic book where the pages literally turned themselves. Could not get enough of Amber, Daphne and Jackson. I was completely immersed in the story and could not wait to see how it would unfold. The best part was the ending was completely satisfying and not rushed at all compared to some thrillers. Highly recommended and cannot wait to see what these authors come up with next.

Wow! I honestly didn’t expect the twist.... however within the first page of part 2 I knew what was happening but still I had to read on. Up to that point it wasn’t obvious (well not to me) but this was a new twist a never read before twist and I had to read in to discover the full extent of the plot. This gives a ‘page turner’ a whole new meaning. It was creepy, thrilling and best of all I was completely switched off from the real world and lost amongst the pages of lies, deceit and fury. I will shout about this book and I’m sure it will be a book hangover from this for a while.
It’s now 2am in the morning and I just finished it in one sitting, I be thinking abut this one for a while. So clever.
PS - oddly I didn’t feel sorry for Amber in the end though I feel I should of done as the fact she is certainly the last Mrs Parrish is a living hell.

great read, enjoyable storyline , look forward to reading more from this author.

I have to admit that I had some things figured out way before the ending but I still enjoyed the ride. There were also things that I didn't have completely figured out until later in the book - something that's always nice. I read so much that it can be hard to surprise me. All of that being said, I did really enjoy the book and would read from the authors again. There was some language, violence, and even more sex than either of the first two. I'd definitely reserve this for older teens or adults, not anyone younger or anyone offended by any of those I listed. If you've read the jacket and you're still wondering if you should read it, give it a try. It's definitely entertaining and not easy to put down.

I cannot rate this book unfortunately, as a few chapters in, I realised this book was just not for me. Only my personal taste, but it may suit others better.

Never judge a book by its cover – or by its title. I’ll admit that when I first picked up THE LAST MRS PARRISH, the title put me off a little. But, as Liv Constantine’s book cleverly demonstrates, appearances can be deceiving.

THE LAST MRS PARRISH tells the story of Amber Patterson, a young woman in her 20s running from her sordid past. Fed up of being a nobody, Amber sets out to befriend Daphne Parrish, a beautiful and rich socialite who lives in a picture-perfect mansion with her millionaire husband and their two children. Gradually, Amber insinuates herself into the Parrish family’s life, becoming Daphne’s closest confidante and catching the eye of Daphne’s handsome and powerful husband, Jackson. But a skeleton from Amber’s past could undermine everything she has worked for, and if discovered, her well-laid plan may end in disaster.

Thrilling, dark and incredibly clever, THE LAST MRS PARRISH is a story of greed, envy and psychological manipulation at its best. From its well-developed characters to its highly-crafted plot packed full of secrets, scandal and suspense, every inch of this addictive psychological thriller will have you gripped from the very first page.

Divided into three parts and narrated by the two main characters Amber and Daphne, the first half of the novel follows the heartless and manipulative Amber as she sets out on her plan to steal Daphne’s husband and take over her ‘perfect’ life. The second half sees Daphne tell the story from own perspective, before both sections come together in part three with an exploding ending.

Considering this is Liv Constantine’s debut (the pen name of sister writing team, Lynne and Valerie Constantine), the writing in THE LAST MRS PARRISH is first-class. The author cleverly intertwines the characters, drawing you into the cunning plot at a relentless pace.

In terms of characters, first prize goes to the cold and calculated Amber, the woman you love to hate. Here, Constantine has put together a fascinating psychological profile of a sociopath who is a master of duplicity and manipulation. Daphne and Jackson are equally fascinating characters, each with their own secrets that will both shock and surprise.

But the true beauty of THE LAST MRS PARRISH is the unexpected twist the author throws in half way through. Just when you think you know where the story is going, the plot suddenly veers off in a completely different direction, leaving you shell shocked yet completely gripped. From then, the book races towards the delicious and explosive finale, which will leave you with a smile on your face and a satisfied feeling of time well spent.

A great piece of escapist melodrama.

I love the way this book was written in two parts, divided into the stories of two women with one man in common. I’m don’t want to give any spoilers which is making my review very difficult! Basically, if you liked Behind Her Eyes or any Liane Moriarty books, you’ll like this.