2.5 Stars

This was quite the unexpected surprise! However while I had very high hopes for this book, for me the plot did not quite live up to the fascinating synopsis. I devour lots of domestic thrillers and adore the genre. And the idea of a polygamous relationship was very intriguing. Unfortunately many things in this book just did not sit well with me.

"We have entire lives outside of our marriage. It’s the only way to stay sane."

The premise of the book started off strong. However I never quite connected with Thursday and failed to understand how Seth, a seemingly average man, had several woman completely devoted to him. I also couldn't connect to the way in which Thursday believed women were supposed to act. Her domestic life was just a puzzle to me. While this book is a very fast-paced read, the author made several comments that seemed downright misogynistic to me.

"He needs to know that there are no lies in a marriage—no matter how many women you’re married to—which makes the truth even more complicated."

I expected more twists and turns to this book based on the very promising beginning. However by the time I reached the end, there were simply too many unanswered questions and underdeveloped characters. This could have been a nuanced domestic thriller, but instead is a very simplistic story. I also loathe when authors make fun of women who use Botox or fillers. That is a cheap plot device and completely unnecessary.

While the pacing of the first part of the book was very interesting, the last part of the book felt rushed and unsteady. I love Tarryn Fisher but for me, this was not my favorite book of hers. I am definitely in the minority with this one, so if you like a fact-paced thriller with a huge twist at the end, then you will probably like 'The Wives.' While I appreciated the premise, I did not enjoy how it was executed.

Engaging story whose unreliable narrator leaves you guessing until the end.

I was pleasantly surprised by this story. I kept expecting the typical storyline that comes with stories of multiple women and a charming man. Very pleased that was not the case.

Honestly I don't want to say much because I feel it will ruin the story, so I'll just say that you need to be patient with it and let it develop.

Wow, I don't even know where to start. I have loved and read Tarryn Fishers books for years. Her books are always so different and such a breath of fresh air. Her writing is very unique. I can't often predict what is going to happen in her books, but this one is a game changer.

I will say I don't usually read thrillers, but the second I read the blurb I was intrigued. Plus it's Tarryn, I knew it would be amazing. But not even I could guess what was coming in this book and how much I was going to enjoy it.


"It's all too perfect, I think. When things are that perfect, something is wrong."


This is hands down the craziest ride I have ever had while reading. I couldn't guess a thing! I can honestly say I have never read a book quite like The Wives.

It did take a couple of chapters for me to get into it, and I think that's just because this isn't the genre I usually read and am used to, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. The Wive will have you feeling absolutely insane while reading. You never know what to believe and whatever you think is going on, you're probably wrong.


"What has happened to me? How have I become this docile person, living for Thursdays and the love of a man who divides himself so thinly among two other women and me?"


This book will knock you off your feet and and keep you guessing until the very end. I have never wished so bad to be a speed reader than when reading this book. I just couldn't get to the answers fast enough. And that ending!?!? Bravo! 👏 I loved it!

I think that even the people who don't typically read thrillers will love and devour this book. It will 100% keep you on your toes the entire time. The storyline is so intriguing and gripping, and the characters have so much depth.


"I love my husband, but I'm not the only one. There are others."


Tarryn's writing is on another level with this one.

Just, do yourself a favor and pick this book up. This was a five star read for me and a favorite of the year.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Graydon House and Tarryn Fisher for the opportunity to read this thriller. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thursday (yes, that's the character's name) is crazy about Seth - crazy enough that she went along with the fact that, even though he was married to her, he was still in a relationship with his ex-wife and also had another woman on the side who was expecting his child! Yes, you read all that right. What could possibly go wrong except everything. When Thursday starts investigating the other wives, it leads her down a dark road and shows her a different side of her husband.

Lots of twists but a lot of unbelievable scenes as well - of course, anything involving my husband having other wives is unbelievable to me! Still a good read.

Prepare yourself for a thrilling, twisted ride you don’t see coming!
The blurb told me one thing but nothing prepared me to what unfolded and developed!
The build up, the intensity and suspense!
Nothing is what it appears.
What a story to pop my Tarryn Fisher cherry!
Thursday’s journey was truly thought provoking, insanely suspenseful and gut wrenching.
As the story unfolds there are subtle hints that things are not what they appear.
In fact, at times it was sad to read, because this plural relationship was not always pretty. The characters were not likable, which for me added to the complexity of the story.
Thursday had me enthralled by her passions and emotions. Her perception of things and what she does about it!
Of course she does what she does!
No matter how much you think you accept something, there’s always that curiosity, that nagging feeling...
Who are they, what are they like?
Except... there’s a twist!
The writing was smart, realistic and relatable.
This story really begs the question...can alternative relationships have a happily ever after.
Can they really work?
The ending felt rushed but I still enjoyed the story.
4.5 stars!

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher has one of those unreliable narrators that you can't trust at all. Thursday is married to Seth. She's actually one of his three wives. They all live separately from each other and know nothing about each other. This is at the wish of Seth who likes to keep everyone separate. However, one day Thursday finds out the name of one of the other wives and from there she begins to delve deep into the relationships that all three women have with Seth. Lots of twists and turns with this novel. Read and enjoy!

**** This book had many trigger topics that I will outline at the end of my review. ****

This book threw me for a loop! Which way is up? Am I really here? What just happened? That’s how I felt when I finished this book.

So much deception and layers upon layers of drama. I thought the story was going one way and then a bomb drops and it takes a total 180. This read kept me guessing and speculating right up to the last sentence.

I really enjoyed Thursday’s POV and how she did a lot of self reflection during the story, always second guessing her thoughts and feelings. She was more human that way. Flawed but knowingly so. I honestly felt bad for her. Clearly she was a little off but to what level was so hard to predict.

I despised Seth from beginning to end. A master manipulator and unfaithful partner. He did zero good in my eyes. There was no pity party hosted by me for him! I honestly felt like he got what he deserved in the end.

Poor Monday/Hannah. My heart hurt for her. Young, naive, easily persuaded. She was the only character in the entire book that I truly felt sorry for. Kept in the dark and strung along.

Tarryn did an incredible job of weaving an insanely intricate tale. It held my attention from beginning to end. I was constantly second guessing what I thought I knew about the story line and the characters. Each chapter revealed a little more but never enough to draw a concrete conclusion about what as really taking place. I loved the ending. I felt like it wrapped up the story very well and answered many of my burning questions.

*** Trigger warnings in this book: Mental illness, self harm, sexual and physical abuse, infidelity, infertility and pregnancy loss, suicide. ***

This is the story of Seth and his three wives. The story is told in the voice of (legally married) wife #2; sometimes amorous, sometimes regretful. Seth explains his polygamy with the explanation that he grew up in Utah and with the sentence I love you all differently but equally. One day wife #2 discovers a piece of paper in Seth’s coat and discovers information about wife #3, named Hannah. Wife #2 snoops some more and tracks her down, eventually, ironically, becoming friends with her. They share breakfasts and family stories without discovering they have a husband in common. However, Hannah starts showing up to their meetings with visible bruises, and wife #2 has questions. Lots of them. Seth has never been violent with her before, and she starts wondering more about the man she married. She also continues to snoop, finding wife #1 on Facebook and other social media sites. It’s like she’s addicted to hurting herself with this information.

The author paints a perfect picture of a woman with a polygamous man; insecure one moment and in love the next. Wife #2’s internal monologues are spot-on, just another woman wondering about what her husband is thinking and what he’s doing when he is away from her. The twist here is that none of the narrators are reliable, and you don’t know what is going to happen next. I thought I had the story straight, then suddenly there was a plot twist and it changed EVERYTHING. After that some things made more sense, while others didn’t make sense at all. I was torn between feeling sorry for wife #2 or thinking about her scornfully. Seth is no gem either, despite the fact that wife #2 keeps hanging on to him even though she is crazy jealous of his other two wives.

This book lived up to all the hype – there is drama and psychological suspense galore. Towards the end, all the characters start to decompensate, which provides for an amazing and shocking ending. I literally spent the entire day reading this book, which is something that I don’t normally do. I’m eagerly awaiting Ms. Fisher’s next work.

Thursday and Seth are married although Thursday only sees her husband on, well, Thursdays.

That is because Seth is also married to two other women. Thursday tries to be the best possible wife she can, hopefully "out wifing" the other ones. She is always waiting for him on Thursdays with a home cooked meal and a romp in bed. They even have nicknames for the other wives...Monday and Tuesday. But Thursday is beginning to get curious about Seth's other relationships. Is she the best wife?

Then one day Thursday accidentally finds a doctor's receipt for wife #3 in Seth's pants. She now has a name! And she decides to investigate the wife. But what starts out as inquisitiveness turns into an obsession.

Thursday decides to befriend the wife without Seth's knowledge, and then everything begins to blow up in her face!

And she learns not everything is as it seems.

This story is as psychologically thrilling as you can get. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep your mind twisting in every different direction. Don't even try to figure the story out...just wait!

Although this may look like an unfinished book review, trust me, giving anymore information would honestly put you at a disadvantage and genuinely ruin the story. Just know there are so many surprises and plot twists you won't want to put it down.

Thank you to #NetGalley #GraydonHouseBooks #TheWives #TarrynFisher for the advanced copy. The book will be out on December 30.

I was totally blown away by this crazy, dark, mysterious tale. The twists and turns, the suspense, the mind-boggling moments had my head spinning and heart racing. This unique story was completely unexpected and mind-gripping.

Thursday was an interesting character with an unconventional marriage arrangement. I was so invested into her story and was riding along closely with her on her journey to discovery for the first half of the book. Things went crazy, or crazier, after 50%. I started questioning what I’ve read so far and doubting everyone. Every character in the book lied at some point. I got pulled deeper and deeper trying to decipher the truth. I was confused and my mind was churning. The truth of the story was not revealed until the end of the book and by that point I had no words.

The Wives is the first Tarryn Fisher book that I’ve read and WOW! I am completely in awe of this author’s writing and of this story. I thought that I knew what I was going in to but I was so VERY wrong!

I was hooked from the first chapter and I never knew what hit me. The plot twists and turns make this story absolutely unforgettable. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book and enjoyed every minute of it! What a fantastic way to end 2019 with an amazing book!

I am going to keep it simple. THIS BOOK IS EXCEPTIONAL. THIS BOOK IS SPECIAL. THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU FEEL EVERYTHING SO VIVIDLY LIKE IT'S A PHYSICAL REACTION. You will love and hate and then love the characters. Innumerable facets weave in and out of the plot. The intriguing, fascinating and sickening aspects of human psyche. The games of Id. The secrets after secrets bombarding your mind.I am still reeling and I am still not sure what is true and what is false. This is the very definition of emotional twilight zone. This book must be in your 2019 list. Tarryn Fisher has created a masterpiece.

This is categorically a psychological thriller but the range of emotions is ASTOUNDING ! The characters will do scandalous and unimaginable things. And those made the characters true , honest and relatable. There are only grey characters in the story. The husband and all three wives. I felt like I am going crazy half of the time. The illusions are deceiving. The truths are disbelieving. The emotions will scrape your heart raw. My jaw is hurting from dropping to the floor way too many times. My heart is all over the places and buzzing with crooked feelings.


The Wives by Tarryn Fisher is definitely one of the best thrillers I have read. The words are pure gems dripping in dark suspense and mysterious sensations.

Received ARC through Netgalley and Wildfire Marketing Solutions for honest review

Tarryn Fisher is a very popular author with many of the bloggers I follow. Despite the overwhelming hype, this is only the second book I’ve read by her. While I can’t dispute that she is a good writer, I think I’ve come to the conclusion that her books just aren’t for me.

I find the idea of voluntary polygamy kind of fascinating. I would sometimes watch shows like Sister Wives and Big Love and never be able to understand why these women would agree to such an arrangement. I was hoping for some more insight into the whole thing, but the only answer the main character, Thursday, really gives is that she loves Seth and polygamy is the only way to be with him. I suppose worse things have been done in the name of love. We also don’t really get to see any of the sister wives dynamic I was hoping for since they are not supposed to interact.

The story mostly focuses on how Thursday has become unhappy with her one day a week arrangement. She decides to investigate the other wives behind Seth’s back. For about the first half of the book we just see Thursday being lonely and paranoid and obsessively investigating. I thought this part of the story drug out for way too long and it felt like just another domestic suspense story of a crazy woman and a lying man. It did start to shift into something else, though, and became more of a psychological suspense. Fisher did do a good job of making me question what was real and what was delusion, but at the end of the day, it left me pretty underwhelmed.

Overall, The Wives was just ok for me. Other than the plural marriage angle, there wasn’t much to set it apart from the same type of story I’ve read countless times before. While the book wasn’t really for me, I have seen many other favorable reviews for it and I’m sure Fisher’s fans will enjoy it.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars

A pretty good, middle-of-the-road thriller. I’m hesitant to say too much for fear of spoilers but this wasn’t my favorite use of the unreliable narrator device. I do think it would please Paula Hawkins and AJ Finn fans.

This book proves that things are not always as they seem. In this circumstance, nothing is as it seems. I couldn't put this one down. I couldn't figure out what was going to happen next. Thursday is married to a polygamist, which in and of itself is something that's got its challenges, but she is not allowed to know her husbands other wives and she starts to realize how closed off she actually is in this relationship. I can't even say more without giving away any of this story, you have to read it to believe it! Definitely read it!

If I made a list of books that I’ve read that messed my head up then this would be in the top five. This story had me glued. It had me thinking one thing and then seconds later I was thinking something else. The twists and turns kept on coming. I’m not gonna go into the storyline as I’m sure whatever I say could spoil it. As you can guess from the title there are wives. So jump on board this crazy read. You won’t regret it.

The ending kinda disappointed me yet I can’t see a other way of it to end.. see my heads still messed up lol

I don’t normally read a book that has so much hype on social media as I’m usually disappointed but not in this case. I really need to go read more of this authors books as I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

3 Stars / 1 Steam Fans

I really wanted to enjoy this but it just didn't work for me. Thursday is married to Seth; however, there are issues with Monday and Tuesday. I liked the twisted storyline but this one had too many twists and not enough resolution to make all the craziness worth the read. This most definitely is not a romance in any way, so if you are looking for a romantic story with crazy twists this is NOT IT.

Video review available in Week 51 Dec 15 – 21 weekly book reviews.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk

Guys! Tarryn is supremely imaginative, positively cunning, crafty and insightful! I AM BLOWN AWAY! This definitely gives me The Opportunist, Marrow, MudVein mindf*ck feels! Fisher writes books that disturb and are meant for maximum impact. Tarryn is sharper than ever, not wasting a single word in executing this gripping story.

The thing I love most about Tarryn's books is that she's not just trying to stimulate your libido but stimulate your mind. I always ask myself in depth questions while reading her stories and no matter the circumstances she's in, I always find the heroine to be empowering in some form or another.

Once you dive into The Wives it's like you're instantly put into a trance that never lets you go and that ending!? True Fisher fashion.

This is a well written novel with an excellent psychological twist, but absolutely was not my cup of tea.

This is one crazy, psycho story! Loved the ending. This novel is not what I expected, but it was good. A truly bizarre ride.

Thanks, Netgalley, for this arc.