Rebecca is shocked to find out her best friend Nicole has died by suicide. She finally seemed to have everything going right. A big house. A devoted husband, Richard. A burgeoning art career. However, in the aftermath of tragedy, Rebecca and Richard grow closer, and soon Rebecca discovers not everything was so idyllic. As she unravels the secrets of the past, she must face the still-lurking danger in the present.

Author Sheryl Browne is the master of the slow build. While a lot of thrillers pound through explosive scenes, taking a toll on heart-rates through sheer overuse of shock, Browne instead draws the action out. The Second Wife does open with the suicide of Nicole, which is explosive enough, but then Browne slows down the piece and really considers the psychological aspects. Take out the murder/suicide and it’s a living room drama.

All of this is not to suggest that the piece is without flash and tension. Rather, Browne has crafted her characters to take center stage, and they play their roles with relish. Each chapter is told from alternating viewpoints, each with a distinct and engaging voice. Nicole struggles in her new relationship with Richard. Richard juggles his new family situation with his past. Olivia, Richard’s daughter, plays master manipulator behind the scenes. And, of course, Rebecca enters, just trying to piece everything together.

It’s an effective mix of people and the result is deliciously atmospheric. Quickly, it’s apparent the something is off. Someone isn’t telling the whole truth, and it’s a race to discover the nefarious reality. And though Browne is careful to only drop information here and there, weaving the story slowly, the final scenes and revelations are downright pulse pounding. It’s a stunning feat.

For a character-driven thriller, they don’t come any better than The Second Wife.

Thrillers shouldn’t feel like work to get through and this one did. I want a twisted psychological thriller that has me flying through pages to find out what happens and an OMG that was so good ending. This book was slow and the ending was a let down.

I really enjoyed this tense dark twisted psychological thriller and found it very difficult to put it down. It is well written and I liked how the tension built as I progressed through the book along with the twists and turns. The characters were not all particularly likeable which added to the storyline. I really loved the big twist which I didn't see coming. I was slightly disappointed by the ending but still recommend this as a cracking read.

I look forward to the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel started off really well. Nicole commits suicide by drowning, and her friend Rebecca believes there is more to it but finds herself warming to Nicole’s widower Richard, and his daughter Olivia.

This do not seem to be right though. The house is spotless, and Rebecca knows that Nicole was not the best at housework, and something seems off with Olivia and Richard.

The rest of the novel dragged and dragged though. Eventually, after skimming through most of the middle I found myself at an interesting part about 75% of the way through. Rebecca is clever character, one stop ahead of everyone, but unfortunately, I just could not engage in this novel.

An addictive novel from the very beginning. A father and daughter duo with a tragic past. A whirlwind romance, quick wedding, and more tragedy. The Second Wife is full of rivalry, bitterness, jealousy, betrayal, and deceit. What a great recipe for a book a very addictive, compelling read! This book will have you on the edge of your seat as you flip through the pages and are engrossed in the book!

Richard is a widow with a teenage daughter Olivia. Richard is the perfect man of anyone’s dreams and is quite a catch! He is handsome, successful, business savvy, has money, is romantic, kind, and is a true gentleman. Richard meets a lovely woman named Nicole, who has been through a rough previous marriage. They begin to spend a lot of time together and fall in love. They have a whirlwind romance that quickly ends in a marriage.

After moving in together, Nicole begins to see that not everything is going as smoothly or as perfect as she had once believed. Richard’s daughter Olivia appears to be jealous of her father’s new wife, having to share her home and her father’s attention with another woman. Olivia is hell bent on making Nicole suffer, and seems to get thrills off of taunting Nicole and plays mind games with her. Before long Olivia seems to be driving a wedge between her father and Nicole.
Fast forward to the present. Nicole’s dearest friend Rebecca meets Richard and his daughter Olivia at Nicole’s funeral. A tragic death that raises many suspicions and questions. Determined to find out the truth, Rebecca gets to know Richard and his daughter Olivia, only to fall in love with her best friends widow, Richard.

I devoured this book and was addicted to the drama. Olivia was a cruel and relentless young woman, full of secrets and deceit. You never knew what she would do next and it added a great amount of suspense and thrill to the book. I enjoyed reading about Richard. He seemed like the perfect man… too perfect… I was waiting for that one shoe to drop to reveal everything with him wasn’t quite as it seemed. Was he the perfect man Nicole and Rebecca thought he was?

Looks can be deceiving. A book full of twists and surprises, that will have you hooked to the very end!

A psychological thriller filled with treachery, lies, betrayal, sex, yes all the good stuff. But...wait it’s also well written - bonus! I usually have a hard time with some of these so called psychological thrillers in that they usually turn out to have very lame storylines that are hyped to the max by the publisher but then cannot live up to the advertising. Not so with The Second Wife. I found it to be a good steady read that I finished in a short time, meaning I read it quickly. All in all a good satisfying read that I would have no problem recommending.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Brilliant plot, excellent main characters that you invest in. I read this book in one sitting and I would highly recommend it.

OMG! I really had trouble getting into this book. The writing was soo over the top that I had to take a frequent break to recover from all the drama.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. The book started off really good but I really got bored with it halfway through. Nicole is married to Richard and is really close to his daughter, Olivia. When Nicole commits suicide, her best friend comes to investigate what happened knowing Nicole would never take her own life.Rebecca puts herself into Nicole's life and is determined to find out what really happene

This book started out sooo slow. I had the hardest time getting into it. About halfway through or so, I started being more invested in the story & things picked up from there.

Some Thoughts:

• I don't feel like we got as much background as could on a lot of the characters.
• I would have liked to of known more about the background of Richard & Olivia
• The ending wrapped up really fast & neatly -- almost too neatly
• A spin-off book with Olivia would have been really interesting
• The plot for this book was really good -- and not the same type of plot you see over & over. Props for a different idea.

The Second Wife is a smartly crafted story of friendship, marriage, and betrayal. The character development throughout the book was incredibly well done and there were a number of twists and turns keep the reader involved and riveted to the story. The book has a bit of everything: lies, sex, manipulation, and death, so it was a very thrilling read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I am looking forward to reading Sheryl Browne's next book and have enjoyed her previous ones as well.

A good suspense book that kept my interest. I liked the back and forth between the past with Nicole and the present with Rebecca. You definitely knew from the beginning that there was something off with Richard and Olivia, I thought Rebecca became a little bit unbelievable towards the end and I got a little confused about the ending. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Sheryl Browne so was already on a winner with this one!
This story is told from multiple sides, Nicole who we know from the start has met an untimely end, other sides are Olivia, Nicole’s step daughter, Richard her husband and Rebecca, her oldest friend.
It doesn’t take long before it becomes very clear that all is not as it seems!
I guessed the “twist” but only because I have seen/read something similar so I was looking for possible alternatives. Excellently written with some comedy, but mainly tragedy as we find out exactly what happened to Nicole! Struggled to put this down, another excellent read!

THE SECOND WIFE is the latest domestic thriller by Sheryl Browne and, though I've heard great things regarding her books, this is the first of hers that I have read. I do have a few of her others in my "to read" pile which I look forward to tackling.

Rebecca and Nicole have been lifelong friends since university and - whilst Rebecca lives abroad in France and Nicole remained in Britain the two exchange texts, emails and letters regularly - life has treated each of them differently. Nicole found herself in an abusive marriage and felt she would never trust a man again. Then she meets Richard. He is so different to anyone she has met. He is a complete gentlemen, so loving and caring, and not to mention, completely good looking. After a whirlwind romance they are soon married.

But cracks begin to appear when, on their wedding day, an event occurs with the son of one of Nicole's friends and Richard's 22 year old daughter Olivia. She claims he tried to rape her and Richard is quickly at his daughter's side to calm her. Nicole is speechless but Richard is fuming, ordering Nicole's friend Peter and his son Zach to leave immediately and to never return! So distraught is Olivia that Richard and Nicole decide to take her on their honeymoon to Bali, but what is meant to be a romantic time for the newlyweds ends up being a lonely time for Nicole whilst Richard spends his days with Olivia. Nicole's tries to broach the topic of it being their honeymoon and wanting to spend some time together but Richard dismisses her as being selfish claiming Olivia needs him right now.

Things do no improve when they return home. Olivia moves into their new home and always seems to be there when Nicole and Richard try to find a little alone time. It is obvious from the start that Olivia manipulates her father to get what she wants and Richard is quick to appease his "hurt" daughter. Soon Olivia behaves completely different when both Richard and Nicole are home as opposed to when it is just Nicole. When she tries to speak to Richard about it, he refuses to believe what Nicole tells him about his daughter and she soon begins to think she is going mad. The only person Nicole can talk to and confide in is Rebecca. But she's hundreds of miles away in France and, while they continue to exchange emails and texts on the matter, Nicole soon begins to feel completely alone. In the end, Nicole feels so completely helpless she commits suicide.

Rebecca flies over from France to attend her best friend's funeral. She is understandably distraught but at the same time wonders what really took place to lead Nicole to end her life. Immediately befriended by Olivia, Rebecca is asked back to the house and desperate to find out what really happened, Rebecca accepts the invitation. There she meets Richard whom she at once finds to be warm and friendly and incredibly attractive. She instinctively saw what Nicole saw in him and, despite her reservations, Rebecca found herself warming to him immediately. They become closer and he confides in her about Nicole's "mental illness" which claimed her life.

When Rebecca announces she is selling her cottage in France and returning to England top be nearer to her son, Richard offers her a place to stay while she is house hunting. Accepting his offer, she thought it a perfect opportunity to discover what really happened to Nicole and it isn't long before Rebecca finds herself stepping into her friend's shoes. But there is a difference. Rebecca is a strong independent character and won't succumb to Olivia's ploys of manipulation. She soons see Olivia for who she is but remains friendly and "oblivious" to her manipulations. And just when you think you know what is going on, everything turns and delivers a shocking twist!

THE SECOND WIFE is told primarily through the eyes of Rebecca and Nicole. Nicole's POV is told through her emails and texts to Rebecca from the past six months or so. As I can't really determine when the "present day" actually takes place (as it doesn't actually say anything that indicates it) I'm unsure if there is a time difference of six or 12 months. Nicole's story unfolds through every alternate chapter to Rebecca's for the first half before the funeral afterwhich it is then set in the present day and told from Rebecca, Richard and Olivia's POV.

I found the first half a little slow and uneventful and it only succeeded in angering me where Olivia was concerned. It wasn't until halfway through that it began to get really interesting, despite knowing some of what was to come. There were still surprises in store, that's for sure. I found it difficult to get through to begin with as Olivia was such a hateful character, it was hard to see past that to get to the real story.

Unoriginal in name, I was wondering who exactly was the second wife Browne was referring to by the title. And yet THE SECOND WIFE is full of bitterness, rivalry, jealousy, betrayal and deceit, making it a compulsive and addictive read.

I would like to thank #SherylBrowne, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheSecondWife in exchange for an honest review.

I counted myself as one of the early fans of Sheryl Browne and particularly enjoyed her last offering which was out in 2018. Unfortunately, this one really fell flat for me. Don't get me wrong, it's far from a bad read, but it failed to capture my imagination and attention quite like The Affair and Babysitter. It makes me wonder whether this lacklustre read could be a result of committing the cardinal sin of producing and pumping out multiple books in fairly rapid succession.

The pace is pretty well judged and the narrative flows from page to page naturally, but it was lacking in many of the elements that would elevate it to being a rose amongst a mountain of thorns. I know Browne has bags of potential as I've seen what she is truly capable of. Sadly, I didn't find the plot engaging and thought it was a bit cackhanded, and the characters were rather on the stereotypical side. Given her previous stuff, I wouldn't be averse to picking up any future novels Ms Browne writes.

Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

NEVER expected that twist! Dang that was a fabulous book. Not that I am surprised...at. all. "The Babysitter" was amazing so I definitely had high expectations for "The Second Wife". 
Sheryl Browne has a great talent for character development (especially the psycho kind). She includes just the right amount of normalcy to make the reader believe they could easily picture themselves in the same situation. Nicole... perfect example. A previously abused woman who finally finds a good man to start over with...Nicole feels just the right amount of fear as she embarks on her new relationship journey and slowly learns to feel safe. Or does she...
Or...
Is Nicole unable to get past the mind games her abusive ex subjected her to? Is she losing the plot? Her letters back and forth to her best friend Rebecca suggest there's trouble in paradise. As Sheryl Browne flashes back from the previous year told from Nicole's perspective to the present told from Rebecca's perspective, you'll gradually learn the real story behind... everybody's story! Everyone seems to have a secret in this story. Richard, his daughter Olivia, Nicole, Rebecca... who's crazy, who's innocent, who's unsuspecting, and most importantly, who is DEAD?
The twist revealing the true personalities in this book will throw you for a loop! You will definitely ask yourself, "what the hell just happened"! You may even need to reread parts to make sure your mind isn't playing tricks on you. It isn't btw... it's just the crazy and talented mind of a very creative (yet slightly disturbed...lol jk Sheryl, we love ya) author who loves to write a plot that has you flipping pages furiously!

WOW!

I totally agree with all of the above!

This is the first-but definitely not the last-book I will read by Sheryl Browne if they are all like 'The second Wife'.

The second wife of the title is Nicole,who was hoping that her marriage to Richard would be everything that her first was not-love,happiness and children were all she ever wanted.

So why did she kill herself?

And what is the real story of his first wife's death?

Rebecca,Nicole's childhood best friend,full of regret for drifting apart, has her suspicions.

Richard, his daughter Olivia, and their perfect house and life look just too good to be true...or is there something even darker and more deadly than anyone could guess at beneath the gleaming veneer?

Told in alternating timelines of Nicole's last year and Rebecca of now,it races forward until both stories collide and then goes.on to a stunning finale I did not see coming.

I can't believe I waited so long to read this as I loved the previous 2 books the babysitter and the affair . I was hooked straight away and really enjoyed this . It was exactly what I expected and my favourite so far . The story is told from the past and present . Nicole and Rebecca have been friends since university and Rebecca is devastated to find out that Nicole has committed suicide . She goes to the funeral where she meets Richard Nicoles suave handsome husband and Olivia his daughter . The story is told in the past by Nicole and also by correspondence she has sent to Becky Becky starts to look into her friends perfect life and finds it was anything but , but is she getting too close to Richard . Its brilliantly dramatic and such a page turner . 5 stars from me .

Another triumph for Sheryl Browne! Right from the prologue I was gripped.

The pace builds agonisingly slowly, as the plot flicks back and forth from the present day, and Rebecca’s point of view, and the past, with Nicole’s point of view, with occasional chapters from Olivia, Richard’s stepdaughter, which gives us tantalising glimpses into her point of view and psyche.

As the plot builds, it becomes more and more addictive. I really needed to find out what had happened to Nicole, and there’s so much tension, as we wait to see what will happen to Rebecca.

Just as I began to fear for Rebecca’s safety, there’s such a plot twist that there’s no hope of putting this book down until the end.

Absolutely gripping and compelling. It’s a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller. Thanks to Netgalley for the copy of the book.

My second Sheryl Browne book and whoa it did not disappoint! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Rebecca and Nicole were bestfriends since college. During recent years they drifted apart but stayed in touch via email. Nicole is apparently struggling with her mental health and commits suicide. Her devastated husband then falls for Rebecca. Rebecca starts questioning if her friend really did commit suicide or if it was something more sinister. A spellbinding read with sinister undertones that will keep you up reading way past your bed time. With the perfectly twisted conclusion. Sheryl Browne is definitely an author I will be looking out for more books from. #thesecondwife #sherylbrowne #netgalley #litsy #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #bookstagram #bookouture