This was a well-written book focusing on a destructive relationship between two people with lots of baggage. I struggled with the victimization of the female protagonist, and this might alienate some readers. However, the author has an appealing writing style that keeps you turning the page.

This is a complex and layered novel that took some concentrating on for the first half. That being said, once it got going, it picked up the pace. Dealing with hard hitting themes it delivers a punch.

I really enjoyed The Wife Before Me and from the start I was hooked.
Plenty of twists throughout and a very emotive read.
It focuses on domestic violence and is cleverly written.

Elena meets Nicholas at her Mother’s funeral, he is also grieving at the loss of his wife Amelia and seems to be the perfect gentleman. He is caring and sensitive to her grieving but is deadlier than a lethal snake and twice as dangerous!!

Boy this book was dark and had me at the edge of my seat several times, there are several twists and lots of secrets to be revealed.

The ending was fast paced and I found myself quickly reading it as I was desperate to see how it ended!!

A must read for anyone who likes psychological thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

Elena returns home to Ireland from Australia to attend her mothers’s funeral where she meets Nicholas who is attending the funeral at the request . He seems to be very compassionate, having lost his wife only a couple of years before. He’s also good looking and charming and very kind to her at first. So it’s not long before they are seeing each other regularly. She eventually moves into Woodbine with him and that’s when the abuse begins. Just one slap for which he would apologize and beg and cry for her forgiveness. But of course it escalated to hitting and slapping and pure horrible violence. She is also haunted by the memory of his first wife - it seems nothing she does is done as well as Amelia.
This story is about Amelia and Elena and the abuse they suffered at the hand of Nicholas but there is so much more to the story than that. There are other characters in the book that play an important part in the plot.
I’d say about three quarters of the way through all is revealed and I couldn’t put the book down. Thoroughly enjoyed it

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in return for an honest opinion

There were qualities I really like about this so I am being a little generous with my rating. I thought some of the characters were pretty solid, but I did feel that Nick was a bit of a cliché. Elena and her obsession with the wife before her felt pretty real. I could see a woman have that kind of jealousy and what seems like an obsession. You can definitely see what movie Ms. Elliot got her inspiration from, but a couple of twists help boost this story. Overall, pretty decent. I would try this author again.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

The Wife Before Me is a twisty, suspenseful thriller that I couldn't put down. Elena meets a man - in all places - at her mother's funeral. Nicholas Madison works in her mother's office and seems genuinely interested in getting to know her. A little bit of email correspondence later and they become an item. Their relationship may be just about perfect - except for Nicholas' missing, presumed dead wife, Amelia.
Elena torturers herself over Amelia, did Nicholas love Amelia more? Would she ever replace Amelia? Is Nicholas still in love with his dead wife? Will Elena's obsession with all things Amelia turn away Nicholas' affection?
And Amelia - what is her story? Why is she missing? What happened to her? We are offered a glimpse into Amelia's life and relationship with Nicholas as well. Were Amelia and Nicholas the picture perfect couple seen in photos? Was there a darkness in their relationship?
The Wife Before Me was so very, very good. A lovely mix of suspense and twists added that shocked. No one's life is perfect as Elena and Amelia will learn. Highly recommend this book. Fantastic! I can't wait to read more by Ms. Elliot - she has a new fan!

Just got finished with this book and I have to say that I found the beginning to be a little too fast moving and choppy. About halfway through the book, I started getting more and more into it. I got to know the characters a lot better and the plot drew me in. This book really threw me for a loop (in a good way). I recommend this if you're looking for a fast read that you can't put down with a great twist!

Excellent comparison to Rebecca and Gone Girl. Adds additional/more modern twists to this. Lots of parallels to be drawn between these, especially in the first part.

This book wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be. It had a great concept and plot with a good character development but it wasn’t that engaging to me. I just couldn’t get into this book which is why I am giving it only 2 stars. It had way too much domestic violence for me. I see I am in the minority with this one as so many gave it 4-5 stars but it’s just not the book for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Wow just wow. So complex. Layer after layer of depth. The story was so very well written. It went beyond anything I had ever expected. I’ve read a lot of different mysteries, thrillers, twisty psychological books, but this story was very well developed and captivating. I read it in 2 days. At first when I saw that it was 62 chapters long I was dreading it, but the book was very interesting, I don’t know where the time went.
The ending was a bit drawn out, I feel it could have all ended in the cabin instead of them driving away to the cliff. But overall well executed.

I am just in the beginning pages of this thriller called The Wife Before Me by Laura Elliot. There is nothing like a suspense to get into and this one promises some twists and turns.

Here’s the premise:

One evening as the sun is setting, Amelia Madison’s car slides into the sea off Mason’s Pier. Her body is never found. Two years later, Elena Langdon meets Nicholas Madison. She is grieving the loss of her mother, he is grieving for his wife. Together they can help each other. Now Elena is living with Nicholas. But Elena doesn’t really know him. She doesn’t know what he is capable of. And she doesn’t know what really happened to Amelia.

Until the day she discovers the torn page of a letter and the words she reads chill her to the bone. Elena must find the person who wrote these letters if she is to save herself.

What appeals to me about this book is that the husband is not who we think and he has some skeletons in his closet. The reader can look forward to learning the truth about him, what happened to his first wife, and how Amelia is going to get herself out of what looks like is some deep trouble. And of course, with a thriller, nothing is as is seems. Can’t wait to keep reading!

One evening as the sun is setting, Amelia Madison’s car slides into the sea off Mason’s Pier. Her body is never found.
Two years later, Elena Langdon meets Nicholas Madison. She is grieving the loss of her mother, he is grieving for his wife. Together they can help each other.
Now Elena is living with Nicholas. But Elena doesn’t really know him. She doesn’t know what he is capable of.
And she doesn’t know what really happened to Amelia.
Until the day she discovers the torn page of a letter and the words she reads chill her to the bone.
Elena must find the person who wrote these letters if she is to save herself.
A totally breathtaking page-turner about the darker side of love and what really goes on behind closed doors. This book will have you gripped from the very first page until the dramatic final twist.

This book was amazing and it gets 4 1/2 stars from me!

For me it was the type of book that made me feel that I couldn't read through the words quick enough cos I wanted to find out what happens next!

Its the story of Amelia and Elena who both married Nicholas in different points in time. When Elena meets Nicholas at the funeral of her mum she finds out that his wife has past away and immediately feels a connection to him. She is swept away by his gallant ways and his charm! Little does she know that behind his well constructed front lies a very controlling man.

The book is set both in the past and the present giving you the story of both Elena and Amelia which is great, in my opinion, since you get to see the struggle that both women had to endure. Both physical and psychological struggle.

This was a great book that kept me on the edge of my seat not wanting to put it down at all.

A missing ex-wife, a husband who loves his secrets, an overly-helpful mother-in-law…as a psychological thriller, The Wife Before Me has a lot going for it. However, while the first few chapters are terrific, there are too many sub-plots and characters and a lot of details that don’t necessarily contribute to the story. Truthfully, I found the book a bit too long to be enjoyable. There is also something about reading a novel written in the present tense that just puts me off and unfortunately, that’s the case with at least half the book. The book seems to have worked for a lot of readers, so it may be just me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Elena meets Nicholas at her mother’s funeral who is also recovering from his wife Amelia’s death.Soon Elena and Nicholas start dating and they move in together and that’s when Nicholas dark side is revealed. When the physical and emotional abuse starts Elena begins to wonder what actually happened to Amelia

The Wife Before Me is divided into three parts going back and forth between present ,past and present again.It is well written book with lots of strong characters on a difficult subject of domestic violence with a little paranormal suspense added .Overall a quick ,engaging read.

I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

The Wife Before Me
by Laura Elliot (Goodreads Author)
30817744
Sandy *The world could end while I was reading and I would never notice* Jones's review Sep 03, 2018 · edit
liked it
bookshelves: 2018, netgalley-arc, new-to-me-author, 3-star, 4-star, contemporary-fiction, crime, family-drama, mystery, paranormal, stand-alone

EXCERPT: She tried to grip the edge of the bath and stand, but her fingers slid helplessly away. She was unable to struggle when he gripped her legs and pulled her down, shoved her head under the water. It roared in her ears, filled her mouth, blinded her. This was her nightmare, her memory, ready to claim her once again. She surfaced, gasping. She had to escape but her body was flaccid and she was unable to find the strength to push him away. He was smiling when he forced her down again. Blackness filled her eyes and it was no longer possible to fight him.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: One evening as the sun is setting, Amelia Madison’s car slides into the sea off Mason’s Pier. Her body is never found.

Two years later, Elena Langdon meets Nicholas Madison. She is grieving the loss of her mother, he is grieving for his wife. Together they can help each other.

Now Elena is living with Nicholas. But Elena doesn’t really know him. She doesn’t know what he is capable of.

And she doesn’t know what really happened to Amelia.

Until the day she discovers the torn page of a letter and the words she reads chill her to the bone.

Elena must find the person who wrote these letters if she is to save herself.

MY THOUGHTS: Dark. Despite the romantic beginning, The Wife Before Me is a very dark book.

Laura Elliot explores the reality that violence takes many forms, not just bruises and cracked ribs; that the emotionally vulnerable are easy prey for the manipulators, who seduce with words of love and romantic gestures, who sweep away those feelings of insecurity, guilt, and loneliness, who slowly separate you from your friends,your family, and systematically set out to destroy the person you were. It is rather like a cat playing with a mouse. No matter where you turn, he is there, waiting for you, ready to punish for any slight, real or imagined. Until he tires of the game. . .

The story is told from the points of view of both Elena, and Amelia, Nick's first wife, plus we get a few insights from Leanne, Amelia's friend which, I felt, only served to confuse.

While it is difficult to enjoy a book about spousal violence, especially graphic and detailed abuse both emotional and physical, it certainly kept me turning the pages. Until the end. The ending, I felt, let the book down. It felt like the author wasn't quite sure how to resolve the situation, so threw in the paranormal aspect. Not a good move. It instantly dropped a whole star from my rating.

☺☺☺.5

THE AUTHOR: Laura Elliot is the author of six novels, Stolen Child and The Prodigal Sister, published by Avon HarperCollins. Her novels, Fragile Lies, The Betrayal, Sleep Sister and Guilty are published by Bookouture. Her books have been widely translated and she has collaborated on a number of high-profile non-fiction books.

Aka June Considine, she is an author of twelve books for children and young adults. Her children's short stories have been broadcast and have appeared in a number of teenage anthologies.She gives regular workshops on creative writing.She has also worked as a freelance journalist and magazine editor but is now engaged full time in creative writing.

She lives in Malahide, Co Dublin, Ireland.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Wife Before Me by Laura Elliot. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion and review.

This is the first thriller I have read by this author and it won’t be the last, that is for sure.

Elena looks across the grave at her mother’s funeral and locks eyes with a handsome stranger, this is where the book starts and I feel like it’s going to be more of a romantic thriller. I was so wrong, this is a psychological thriller at its best. Well, Nicholas looks mighty fine on the outside there’s something wrong on the inside. At the start of this relationship Elena is cautious, thinking it’s too soon, but Nicholas is so entrancing and handsome and debonair, that she silences her doubts and takes his hand. There he is, but handsome widower, his wife having been assumed dead due to a tragic incident where her car slid into the water and her body was never found.

Elena and Nicholas's relationship moves fast and quickly you see the man he really is, he is a monster, nothing more than an abusive thug. His parents, seem to be part of the problem, his mother, Yvonne, is a real piece of work. She doesn’t believe that anything her precious son does could ever be wrong, but she is overbearing and nasty.

There were a lot of side characters in this book and I did feel that a few of them didn’t need to be there but most served the story well. The nature of some of this book was disturbing, it is hard to be people can be so depraved.

Following Elena's tale and finding out what happened to Amelia, did she commit suicide, was she murdered, was a heart pounding, roller coaster ride, I stayed up well into the middle of the night to finish this book because I needed to know how it ended.

This will definitely not be the last book I read from the this author. Thank you Netgalley for introducing me to another fantastic author.

A page turner for sure. Two bereaved people meet and fall in love. However all is not as it seems. The story is told in two times - previously for Amelia the ex-wife who tragically drowned and currently with Elena the new wife. A dark, disurbing tale from both. I did feel a few times that they should have made different decision but overall a great read with characters that made you feel their emotions and a bad guy that is truly despicable. Some great twists and turns.

I hate when a man uses his fists to win an argument.

I hate when a man manipulates the woman to believe that she deserves it

I hate when a man likes getting his way around, undermining a woman’s confidence.

And I hate when a man uses the woman’s bank balance as his personal investment back-up.

And this book had all that, and the man not only found one such woman, but he got two of them to believe him. The story made my skin crawl. The physical abuse was atrocious leading one woman to drive her car into the sea. I wanted nothing more than for this man to be tortured, for this man to know what the strength of a woman was!! The book had the points of view of both women, sharing their lives before and after this man, along with an intermittent unknown narrator.

What strongly niggled me, caused by skin to erupt in mini volcanoes, caused me to literally want to throw my kindle (no no, I didn’t. I love my kindle.) was the women received proof, literally falling into their hands about their husband being a murderer, AND THEY STILL DON’T BELIEVE IT!! After being battered and hit on every part of the body, including being pushed down the stairs or ladder (which caused the miscarriage), they did not believe he could be a murderer!!
The book did end in a twist, had its own delightful, mystical, magical moments, it was a thriller. But for most parts, it was abuse and cowering. Overall, a good read!!