I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting novel about a husband and wife serial killer duo. It is hard to decide which one is more evil. The ending leads to even more confusion.

This excellent novel of suspense chronicles the courtship and marriage, hopes and dreams of a married couple. They seem to have the perfect life, including some mutually enjoyable pursuits of an unusual nature. Told entirely from the perspective of the husband, you won't believe what they really get up to. This is page-turning suspense at its finest.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
4.5

A twisty, sick ride. What does a couple do after hitting the midlife plateau? It depends on how depraved they’re willing to get. “Tobias” introduces himself first, walking us through a long-standing con that his wife, Millicent, may or may not know the full extent of. From here, we learn the minutiae of their lives, their children, their community. How sick they might be takes longer to through.


Looking forward to more from this author.

This book was not for me. I found their marriage completely unrelatable and I was put off by their objective.

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this twisted, creepy, fantastic thriller!
I can't believe this is a debut novel, or that the author looks so sweet and innocent in her author photo since she obviously has a very warped, twisted mind! :)
This thriller is told by Millicent's husband who unveils their unusual marriage and what they decide to do to spice it up. It goes way beyond what any "normal" couple might think of to keep their marriage interesting! Both husband and wife have very low moral standards yet seem to be very caring parents. All the characters are well written and easy to keep track of.
This is a quick read, one I looked forward to treating myself to every night, disappointed when it ended yet very interested to see how the author was going to end this perverse story. Excellent job, all the way through. A thriller I will be recommending (and thinking about) often!

What starts off as a “Dexter-like” serial killer book with a focus on unintended consequences slowly morphs into something deeper. Full of twists and red herrings this thriller is hard to put down! It leaves the reader wondering where the plot is headed till the very end. A thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a couple of evenings!

WOW!
An up and coming couple, tennis teacher father, real estate mother, 2 kids , good neighborhood, what could be more All-American? Nothing except that this couple has a secret...
Told from the perspective of the doting husband who thinks their little secret is just to spice life up a little bit. Little does he know, Millicent his lovely wife is way ahead of him and embarking out on her own.
A fascinating web of a novel with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and a dark twisted undertone that makes you wonder, how well do we know our friends, spouses or even the neighbor next door? I highly recommend for all suspense readers!

I was intrigued by the title and not disappointed. A seemingly normal couple in an upscale neighborhood are living the American dream, except they are serial killers. I liked the fast pace of the book and all the characters are likeable while being flawed. The book is creepy without being gory. Not a go to genre for me but I think it will appeal to suspense readers.

I love Thrillers but I just couldn’t get into this one. The writing is great it does keep you interested in the the story. I just didn’t like any of the characters! This one was just not for me.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley. It does not impact my review.

My Lovely Wife will be available March 26, 2019.

Well, this story was delightfully messed up. My Lovely Wife is compulsively readable with an anti-hero you know you shouldn’t root for, but still do.

This was definitely a fun variation on the serial killer novel. Here the killers are a husband and wife team, though they’re a little lacking on the team aspect. They both have secrets from each other and at various times throughout the story you will be trying to figure out just which one is more sinister. While I did think a lot of things were pretty obvious and was not really surprised with how it all ended up, it did have a couple of nice little reveals throughout that kept me on my toes.

One thing I thought was kind of odd is that we are never told the husband’s name. The story is told through his first person POV and I honestly didn’t even notice his real name was never mentioned until I sat down to write this review and couldn’t remember it. This is not the first book I’ve come across that doesn’t share the main character’s name and I have to admit that I just don’t understand what the impact is supposed to be? Maybe it’s supposed to make me identify more with the character?

Overall, I enjoyed My Lovely Wife. This is one of those books where I don’t feel like I can share too much more than I already have without really starting to give things away. I liked the main character, even though he was very messed up and I knew I shouldn’t. He still managed to be just empathetic enough that I could almost overlook the bad things he’s done. I liked the focus on the family and how the parents’ actions were impacting their children. While the mystery may not shock seasoned readers of the genre, I think the compulsive writing and interesting characters will still make this an enjoyable read.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

First, let me say that this is a thriller that kept me turning the pages. The story is compelling and drew me in from the start. That being said, much of the plot and actions of the characters seemed to me to be unrealistic. Thus, if you are looking for a tightly woven plot and believability, you might not enjoy this book. If you are willing to just go along for a crazy ride, though, this is an enjoyable read.

4.5, maybe 4.75 stars, rounded up. Wow!

If you're looking for a heartwarming love story, a tale of two people whose marriage is so full of love and devotion...find another book. This was one crazy, tension-filled, suspenseful book that had me shaking my head and wondering what would come next!

On the surface, they seem like the perfect family. He is a tennis pro at the local country club, she is a successful, high-end real estate agent. They have two teenage kids who play sports, do reasonably well in school, and only give them a bit of backtalk now and again. They eat dinner together every night—no cell phones at the table—and they are totally involved in their children's lives.

But when you've been married for a while, how do you keep the passion burning? How can you keep your spouse from being tempted by the fruit of another? Every couple has their own tricks, their own strategies. Theirs just happens to be a little bit more, umm, unorthodox.

The beauty of this book comes from the surprises that lurk when you least expect them, so I'm keeping my plot summary to a bare minimum. Promotions for My Lovely Wife have described it as a cross between Dexter and Mr. and Mrs. Smith; I found it a little more of the latter (boy, what Brad and Angelina could have done with these roles in their heyday) and not so much of the former. But forget about comparisons, because this is a book all its own.

Samantha Downing has taken a genre that is getting a little tired and predictable at times, and thrown in some "wait, she's not going to do that, is she?" along with more than a few "oh, wows," and sprinkled in a few "holy craps" to boot. I certainly don't want to think that there are people out there like this couple, but given the book's depiction of the media and our crazy world, anything is possible.

What a wild ride this was. My Lovely Wife keeps you flipping those pages because you absolutely must know what happens next, and you cannot get enough of this story and these crazy, amoral characters. I'm sure there are people who won't like this, but it made a believer of me!!

NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

WOW! 5 big stars exclamation point. I went into this book without knowing anything about it. Right away I was intrigued. By the end of chapter one I was super intrigued. And I didn’t have to read all that much more before I started wondering what was wrong with me that I found this book, which I should have found way more deeply disturbing than I did, very readable and fast-paced. Seriously, I had to speed-read the ending because this is such a thrill-fest.

This story is demented and unbelievably good!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Berkley Books for the opportunity to review this novel, WHICH RELEASES MARCH 26, 2019.

Most couples try incorporating "date nights" or plan romantic getaways to bring the spark back, but Millicent and "Tobias" (not his real name) take it a step further. In fact, they take a gigantic leap into criminality and decide murder is the sexiest game they have ever played and their marriage couldn't be more alive. That is, until one of them becomes, shall we say, a little too enamored with the game...

Truly refreshing take on the psychological thriller. This one will keep you up at night (in a good way).

Overall I enjoyed this book. Husband and wife committing crimes together while living the normal suburban life. I enjoyed the twist and the ending.

Wow, from beginning to end I was on edge. The way the author normalizes the horrific acts going on. Everyday suburbanites with a very dark side. I devoured this book in a matter of two days.

Holy cow, this book is absolutely insane. It's such a weird, chilling, and ansolutely crazy thrilling ride. A must read for those who absolutely love those that are more of a mind twister than a crime twister. I will be absolutely recommending and using in a daily challenge to the members of Chapter Chatter Pub! It is one that hooks you and makes sure you flip pages to see what's next!

Fantastic! It's like a car wreck that you can't turn away from. The writing was spot on with great dialogue. Twisty and evil in a suburban setting. You never know just who your neighbors truly are!

Oh MG what a creepy, creepy tale this is. You sometimes feel sorry for the protagonist, but really... these two deserve each other. And you know, these people could very well be your next door neiighbors. That’s why it’s such a great read!

My Lovely Wife is Samantha Downing’s debut novel and it’s a great start to what should be an amazing career. This is one of those books that if you say too much about the plot beforehand it ruins the fun of the novel. As a husband and wife with two kids they seem like the typical average family. She is a successful real estate agent and he is a well-known tennis coach at a posh country club. But, they are bored and looking for some fun. It’s this fun that will have you looking at your neighbors a little differently, but this all-American normal family is so messed up!

The lies, the drama and then ultimately the betrayal makes this a fun read that fans of psychological thrillers will love! I loved the twists and turns and the satisfying conclusion.

Thanks you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel.