Thank you for allowing me to preview this title. I did not finish this. The author's writing style was not my cup of tea. I really didn't like any of the characters. Just didn't appeal to me.

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 3 1/2
What the actual.........

Holy crow this book is crazy!

Millicent and her husband only know to us as Tobias are sick and twisted people. As this story goes on the level of twistedness elevates to a level I would have never ever expected! I am still trying to figure out what the heck I just read.

I don’t want to say to much and five you any kind of clues or hints. But if you are looking for a sick twisted love story you need to pick up a copy of My Lovely Wife.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

This is a crazy, intense thrill ride and I loved every second.

Good thrillers are hard to come by. Most often they lack intensity or originality. So I typically don’t have high hopes when I start. Such is the case with My Lovely Wife.

But what a pleasant, wonderful surprise! I was hooked from the very first page. The idea of a murderous married couple was brilliant enough. But there’s always some kind of twist in these books. This is no different. And while it’s guessable, it still manages to startle you. I know it doesn’t make sense since I was expecting it, but I also hoped I was wrong.

The narrative is so well done. We get all the past details including how they met and got to the point of the present day. The plotting and planning of the murders was terrifying enough...but as the pieces come together and the story falls apart...it’s even crazier.

The narration is from the husband’s point of view. And I seriously don’t think his name was ever said. Which now gives me a whole new aspect to ponder considering how the book ended.

Definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year, and one of the best thrillers I’ve read, period.

I loved every minute of this book- the characters, the pacing, the plot, the twist at the end that I never saw coming! As soon as it’s published, I am handing it to all of my mystery-loving friends and insisting they read it.

I always want to be positive when reading a book given to me in advance by NetGalley but this book was NOT what I expected at all. The further I got into it, the weirder it got. I do understand that what I was reading was a thriller/mystery but I felt like certain things in the family's life was just unbelievable. Unless you just have time to waste on a cross country flight or just love a book will give you tons of information that you end up never needing in the end or information that is once it is worked out in the story seems out of place, then this is not the book for you.

A suburban couple who bond over stalking and killing women? Sounds good to me! In My Lovely Wife, Samantha Downing has created quite a plot centering around a successful husband and wife who are the last people you’d guess would be involved in murdering young women.

But when your spouse is evil and sneaky, can you really trust them? What happens when cracks in the relationship surface and you are no longer sure your wife is being honest with you….

This was quite a thriller and I have no doubt we will see the movie version of this soon. It’s a fabulous suspense novel that is twisted and sick! I read about My Lovely Wife a while ago and was super anxious to get my book loving hands on it. I wasn’t disappointed!

Here’s the synopsis:



Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.

We look like a normal couple. We’re your neighbors, the parents of your kid’s friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with. We all have our secrets to keeping a marriage alive. Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.

I enjoy psychological suspense and was excited to receive an advance copy of My Lovely Wife from Netgalley. I looked forward to savoring a grabber like Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train or The Couple Next Door and the opening chapter featuring the narrator's deaf alter ego promised just that. However, following the early scenes, the story never gelled for me. The tennis instructor husband, and his perfectionist, realtor wife are a suburban couple with two teenage kids. They also happen to be serial killers who work as a team to abduct and murder young women. Neither character was at all relatable or sympathetic and the author only scratched the surface of their psychological backgrounds and motivations. The plot unfolded in a way that I found unrealistic and gory rather than suspenseful. I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped.

A read-in-one-sitting thrill-ride from start to finish. Perfect for fans of Caroline Kepnes and Graeme Cameron while being completely original. A must-buy for all adult fiction collections.

This book was fantastic. I read a lot of thrillers and I've gotten pretty good at figuring things outs- even so this book kept my attention and I was hooked from the beginning. It was well written and I enjoyed learning about the various characters. This book is full of twists and turns, even a few I didn't predict. Well done! Thank you for the ARC copy.

It's my favorite time of year! The time of year when the weather finally stops being hot as balls and all the creepy stuff is all over. You don't even get judged for being a fangirl of the monsters under the bed!


But most of the books I've read have been mostly not my normal October read fest. *sad face*

So I needed something...….


And this one delivers!!!

It's told from the husband's point of view. How he met the lovely lady and they fell deeply in the lurrvvee. Then they realize that they share a 'special' hobby.


Yes, Please!

So if Dexter getting all married and stuff might be your cup of tea..just go grab up this one. I wasn't even disappointed with the twist.


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

Samantha Downing has crafted a psychological thriller that pulls you in right from the beginning. There are hints and twists and turns galore. Who is really the bad guy in this story? Or bad girl? And what is the motivation? What seems like a typical suburban family - Mom, Dad, two kids - turns out to be anything but. Settle in because you won't want to put this one down!

Oh! This turned out to be a good one! At first I was interested, then (like any good reader) I thought I knew where the story was going and was about to lose interest. But then it turned around and surprised me! Mainly, I enjoy two evil people doing evil things to each other to see who wins.

One thing I didn't like at all was the wife's name, Millicent (I even looked it up) because everytime I read the name I would read it "Malificent" so the name for me was like, hello! The woman is malificent!

Anyway, I also liked (very much) the voice of the narrator (the husband).

I can't say more because then I would give it away but, dispite minor things, this was a good read for me.

At 90% I couldn't see how this was gonna get solved so I thought that a second book was coming, and I was already looking forward to it. But somehow, the author managed to wrap it up in a couple of pages and not ruin it.

I did not like the hobby the couple shared but I so liked the characters!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this title.

This was such a crime love story that was edge of your seat fun to read. The conflict, drama, situations, and ending were so powerful and energetic that you could not help but keep on reading. I love all of the cover names and point of views both the husband and wife had while telling the story. This sounds like a book that could totally be a potential Oscar Winning Movie in the near future. An excellent edge-of-your seat fun that is worth all of your time.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. We will definitely consider adding this title to our Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Samantha Downing's debut novel is de-friggin-licious.

Since the description for this story gives practically nothing away, I don't want to spoil the readers experience whatsoever with a detailed review.

The prose is precise and to the point, never once getting bogged down with useless information just to fill space. The characters are thoroughly developed and I quickly developed a love/hate relationship with them, though not nearly as deep as the one they have between themselves. Though this story is a slow burn, it remains tantalizing throughout, and when the flames are finally stoked it quickly turns into purgatory for all involved.

Wow, this is such a fun, page turning read.Twists and turns abound. This would make a crazy, dark and fun TV show.


Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure why I enjoyed this book so much. There really wasn't a character in it that I liked. However, it's incredibly well written and I sat down and read it in a day. The twists are effective and I caught only one of them. The ending will linger with you. Dark, deranged fun.

This was an unusual book and can see how some readers would like this story. It was well written but the main characters were unlikeable with a disturbing hobby. This was not a book for me, I was not emotionally involved with the characters because of their disturbing hobby and immoral lifestyle.

I was granted access by netgalley.com to an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was hooked my in the first few pages, and I had a tough time putting it down! Intriguing and suspenseful, I'll recommend to all lovers of psychological thrillers!

This was first and foremost a fun book to read. From the very beginning the reader is drawn into a story that grabs you and won’t let go. You don’t like these people but you want to know what they’re going to do next, how they’re going to do it and if they’re going to get away with it. Throw into the mix their teenage children and things really get out of control. This author can really write and just when you think things are as bad as they can be, she cranks up the dial and the tension becomes almost unbearable. This clever thriller is a definite winner!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.