A love story with a different slant. A wealthy widow meets a not as wealthy country music star with all the potential issues of such a union plus more ! An easy and enjoyable read for holiday reading. A few clues along the way as to the perpetrator of the crime.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend to fellow readers. I read all of Bybee's Weekday series, which I loved, so was excited by this new series she started. I love the synopsis Bybee uses with the marriage contracts in the books and how the women have banded together and become friends.

This is the second book in the series and follows Trina Petrov and Wade Thomas. Trina's marriage by contract ended abruptly when her husband killed himself and his dying mother left all her considerable assets to Trina instead of her son. This leaves Trina a multi-billionaire with shares in a huge oil company; not everyone is happy with this outcome unfortunately.
Wade Thomas is a country superstar who is pleasantly surprised and also a bit perturbed when Trina has no idea who he is. The two meet late at night in a hotel bar when Trina reluctantly shares her massive dinner with Wade after the kitchen had closed. Needless to say, both are a bit intrigued by the other. Wade doesn't realize what he is getting into by pursuing Trina and all the drama that comes with it. To give you an idea, her late husband's father, who is a horrible man, is not willingly going to let Trina have all that money from his late wife.
There is a lot of background and I don't want to spoil the book but it is a great read. I love a little bit of murder and mystery with my romance.

This is the second book in the First Wives series. While technically it can be read on it's own, I will be reading the first book in the series to see what I missed and simply because this story was that good! Catherine Bybee has a talent for creating characters and story lines that immediately pull the reader in and have you truly hoping they can get their HEA. Fans of Bybee's earlier series, the Weekday Brides, will recognize plot elements but with all new characters and situations. These are the wives of the arranged marriages that didn't initially result in a love match as the Weekday Brides did. After reading what these "First Wives" are going through in their search for love, I can't wait to see what Bybee has in store for the remaining women, especially Avery.

This is Book Two in the First Wives Series and it certainly kept me on my toes. This is Trina’s story, but it was fun meeting up with Avery, Lori and Shannon again. I love how they are always there for each other, no matter what. The story begins with the first anniversary of Trina’s husband’s death fast approaching. This Anniversary is going to cause a lot of excitement in her life.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley.

Very rarely do I rate a book five stars but I just finished Half Empty, in only two days, and totally loved it. Ms. Bybee has delivered the complete package with just the right amount of romance and suspense to keep the plot interesting, with wonderful characters (from previous novel) all wrapped up in this book. I have read a lot of Ms. Bybee and will continue to do so, eagerly awaiting the next one. If you enjoy romantic suspense and haven't read any of this author please give her a try, you won't regret it. I received this e-book from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

Half Empty is the second book in Catherine Bybee’s new romantic suspense series. I haven’t read the first book but that wasn’t a problem, even if the couple from the first book was very present in this book as well.
I liked the main characters and how they interacted. There wasn’t a ton of conflict between them but it worked. I wasn’t sure if I liked Trina’s friends though but I guess we’ll find out more about them in their own books.
I wasn’t crazy about the suspense part of the plot. It was the main focus of the second half of the book and it took away from the romance. And I realise they’re all rich, but the unlimited security budget bothered me a little. I also wasn’t too impressed with the resolution of the crime.
My problem with romantic suspense is usually either the romance or the suspense (or both) suffers, and that was definitely the case here. However, I always like a rock star hero and while Wade was country rather than rock, I still enjoyed that part of the story.
3.5 stars

*** I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Montlake Romance for an honest review**

This is the second book in the series and was just as good as the first. Catherine Bybee is such an author that you cannot help but be engaged in all of her books and this one is now exception.

The theme carries on from book one and cannot really be read as a stand alone, but the series is that good you really won't mind.

Trina is very much still in danger and it all finally comes to a head and a few mysteries are solved too.

Wade Thomas is the love interest that is introduced and, my, what a man for Trina. Wade and Trina have a connection right from the start and Wade, being a Texan has all the manners and strength of character to stand by the lady that he has decided he wants.

Trina's friends and other cast members from The Weekday Brides also feature in this story and we get to enjoy their inout and a little more on Avery, which the next book will be about.

I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait until the next book comes out!

WOW...
In book #2 of the First Wives series we are reintroduced to Trina Petrov and we meet the charming and sexy country music superstar Wade Thomas. Right from the start at their first meeting you can feel the sizzle between them… And things just get better from there.

As I start to read this story I can’t believe how engaging Catherine Bybee draws her readers in right from the start. You can’t wait to keep turning the page to see what is going to happen to the heroine next. It’s jammed packed with romance, sexy and handsome alpha makes and kick ass heroines who kick butt and take names. They are such strong vibrant beautiful women who are starting the next chapter in their lives after they have full filled their contracted marriages. And Trina has had to overcome so much to start over that you are rooting for her to find her happiness. I can’t wait for our next First Wives book. I just can’t get enough of this wonderful series. Bravo Catherine, Bravo, for giving your readers such great books to read.

A fast paced, sexy, romantic mystery and intrigue story. Wow didn't want to put this one down until the end.
Very well written.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
Enjoyable book, ideal as a holiday read. Romance, intrigue and suspense. A good plot with an interesting array of characters.
4 stars

Half Empty (First Wives Club, Book 2) is another great example of Catherine Bybee’s talent for producing enjoyable and engrossing reads. While not my favorite of her books, this romantic suspense novel still grabbed my attention and, once the action really picked up, I was unable to put it down.

This installment of the First Wives Club features Trina Petrov who, a year after her husband’s apparent suicide, is floundering as she grapples with sadness and guilt over his suicide and the fallout from the deaths of both him and his mother. Pushed into returning home by Avery Grant, driving member of the First Wives Club, Trina takes a very long way home, in hopes of being late for their annual meeting. It is during this circuitous journey that Trina meets country super star Wade Davis. Wade, while trying to avoid throngs of fans, is still surprised that Trina does not recognize him and has no clue who he is. Though their chemistry is immediate and quite evident to the reader, Trina is reluctant to become involved again.

There is quite a bit of action in this novel and Wade becomes wrapped up in it because of his involvement with Trina, even if only as friends, though that rapidly changes. Trina has made a powerful enemy in Rusian Petrov and he is out for revenge. As Rusian’s vendetta heats up, so does the book. This is also a good time to mention that while I am unsure if this book is considered a standalone novel, I believe that a reader will get far more out of it and understand more of what is happening if said reader had already read the first entry of the series, which itself is a spin-off of an earlier series written by Ms Bybee. Not only characters but past events play key roles in this book.

I enjoyed this book but felt it worked better on the suspense level than it did the romance one. Though both characters were very likable, the romance developed a bit too quickly and the ending was just a bit over-the-top—fun but definitely in the realm of a fairytale.

I recommend this book for fans of the Happily Ever After and romantic-suspense genres. Fans of Ms Bybee will not be disappointed. Three and a half stars. 

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions are solely my own.

Book 2 of The First Wives Club series. Interesting book, filled with strong women who find love, although that isn't what they thought they were looking for. Trina is one of those women, extremely wealthy, Country music star Wade Thomas sees Trina as a refreshing change from his normal fans fawning over him. Throw in a bit of mystery and danger, and this is a fun read.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review**

Catherine Bybee is always a one-click author for me and I was excited to dive into this second book in the First Wives series. Per usual, I was not disappointed and in fact, this is one of my favorite Bybee books to date. Sometimes you can't explain what makes you connect with a certain book or the characters it contains and while this book fits into that category, no complaints from me!

Trina Petrov has had a rough year. While her marriage was by contract only, she wasn't expecting the explosive ending to it nor how it was going to make her wealthy beyond belief. To get away from it all, she takes a solo trip to Italy and her only rule is she can't fall for anyone. While she didn't, what is it that they say about best laid plans? Yeah, it may not have been while in Italy, but a chance encounter on her way back to Texas might just change the course of her life.

Wade Thomas is a popular country singer who has just finished up his tour. While most people think he's already vacated the town where the tour ended, he is really laying low and trying to find some dinner. He also encounters Trina who immediately shoots down his attempts to hit on her. She's having none of it and claims to not even know who Wade is. When he realizes that's true, it's a breath of fresh air to him and he is immediately intrigued by everything about the woman he ultimately ends up sharing dinner with.

Knowing that she needs to tend to the remainder of her late husband's affairs, Trina heads to the Hamptons with her friend Avery in tow while Wade heads back to Texas. Wade is determined to get Trina to give him a chance and so he invites her to a party at his ranch. Trina finally decides to go and while she and Wade connect and are having a fantastic time, things back in New York are taking a dangerous turn. Once Trina hears of the happenings in the Hamptons, she heads back to try to deal with all that's going on and to her surprise, Wade insists on going with her. Will these two be able to make a go of it, especially given all the baggage that Trina comes with? Or will this tear them apart before they really get a chance to start?

As I said at the start, there was something about this book that had me completely captivated. From the characters (and I mean all of them, not just the main characters), to the touches of suspense mixed in with the romance and the humor, this was by far one of my favorite Bybee reads, and trust me, I have loved most everything she's ever written! I always feel like Bybee novels have an effortlessness about them and once you get into a reading groove, you just don't want to stop. Half Empty was definitely that kind of book for me and I highly recommend you pick it up for yourself!

Quite an enjoyable story, it does start out on the emotional side, given what Trina's going through, and how she's been dealing with her grief and not dealing with the other club members. I loved how Wade was taken with Trina, and the chemistry between them, they are perfect for each other.

Brilliant book, I am really enjoying this series and the characters as they go on their journeys. totally recommend

I loved this book! Trina is trying to avoid her friends on the anniversary of her husbands death. Trina is having a great time traveling and enjoying life. Trina runs into Wade and has no clue who he is which is quite comical. Wade is there for Trina in the good times and the bad. Trina runs into trouble in the Hampton's when she is trying to sell her husbands home. Her friend also runs into trouble when she is pricing out some very expensive jewelry and pens. Will these people keep running into trouble or will they figure out who is after them. The suspense is amazing and I couldn't wait to see how this book ended, This book kept me addicted until the final page.

Catherine Bybee is an author I love reading and this book was good, but I felt it rushed through the romance section to focus more on the suspense. Wade and Trina were great characters and I enjoyed getting to know them in the book, but a little more angst intertwined with the suspense could have made this better. But I always enjoy Catherine Bybee. This just wasn’t my favorite.

Catherine Bybee always, always delivers when it comes to suspense thrillers. Half Empty might be considered contemporary romance but it’s so much more. The second book in the First Wives series it hs an overarching plot carried over from the first book, definitely recommended to read that one before Half Empty to get a fuller appreciation for the whole plot. The romance is between instant and slow since there was dating! But of course the thriller suspense aspect definitely pushed the romance as quickly as the action. Highly recommended if you like your romance with a lot more suspense thriller in them.

Half empty is, the second book in Ms Bybee’s first wives club, which also is a continuation of this author’s previous Weekday Brides series, which I liked. Ms Bybee, to me, is an author I look out for, and I can also recommend her time-travel series to those so inclined.

This story started out all right, the meet cute was nice, the setup with the woman who had married for money and the man afraid of only being targeted for it held some nice possible drama and inner conflicts to work through for the main characters. The heroine was self asured and the hero just as sweet as they come.

Somewhere around the halfway point the story took a turn and focussed more on solving a murder, and the conflict I imagined from the setup didn’t play an important role. I’m sad to admit I skimmed the last 10% of the book which focussed solely on the suspense, with the romance already wrapped up.

I don’t recommend reading this as a standalone; too much information is skimmed over and characters from previous books make appearances that, to me, weren’t explained enough. I will continue to read Ms Bybee’s books in the future, but this isn’t my favorite.

Even though I had not read the first book in this series I loved the premise this one opened with. Trina, the wealthy widow, randomly meets Wade, the country star and has no idea who he is. Their attraction is organic, not tainted with any expectations about wealth or fame. As the story progresses we learn he has an ex who doesn’t want to be an ex, and associates and a mother who are suspicious of Trina and her motives. She has more baggage than a Delta carousel at Hartsfield-Jackson, what with the dead husband, inherited fortune, and someone roughing up her friends and apparently trying to off her.
The relationship between Wade and Trina was simply delightful. Both characters were clearly drawn, and were strong, normal and likable. The dialogue between them was sharp, often witty, and believable. Their falling for each other seemed both natural and inevitable, without the least bit of cheesy.
Then we get to the part of the book where all of Trina's aforementioned baggage gets dumped out, and the book basically becomes a murder mystery. I don’t typically read those, but it seems reasonably well done. Just not my cup of tea. Despite having to muddle through the searches and investigations and hostage taking and body guarding, the relationship between Wade and Trina remained a wonderful thing to read. Neither was given to high drama despite the over the top circumstances.
There were so many ways the initial scenario could have played out that I would probably have enjoyed more than the whole murder/ inheritance thing. But having said that, I enjoyed reading about every little snippet of time these characters were together.