‘In my youth, I considered love a burden. How could you get anything done when you had to consider someone every second of the day? When I met Seth, that all went out the window. I became my mother: doting, yielding, spread-eagle emotionally and sexually. It both thrilled and revolted me.’

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher just happens to be our last read for 2019 and what a way to see out our year of reading with this mind-bending 5-star thriller. A brilliant story with so much secrecy and so many twists, we were rendered incapable of moving an inch until we’d turned the very last heart-stopping page, left stunned and open-mouthed at what we had experienced!

We should note, this is not a romance. It is a thriller told in this author’s own inimitable style, where Tarryn Fisher became the ultimate puppet master, pulling our strings with expert precision, as we were told Thursday’s story, her complex marriage, and how she came to marry the enigmatic Seth Ellington; from Thursday’s perspective. Discovering why Thursday agreed to share Seth with two other women, known to her as Monday and Tuesday, and why these three women’s paths were never supposed to cross, and the astounding fallout that would follow, when they do.

‘I shouldn’t wonder, but I do. How does a man love so many women? A different woman almost every other day. And where do I fall in the category of favor?’

Thursday struck such a lonely figure. A nurse who never quite connected with friends and co-workers, a woman disconnected by her family, and whose life revolved around the infrequency her husband deemed to make time for her, in between his other two wives.

We constantly asked ourselves what it was Thursday got from her arrangement with Seth as she seemed so unhappy most of the time. She was young, successful and screaming out for love. Something Seth provided with words, not so much in actions. Well, what we learned blew our minds!

‘I am falling apart, picking at my relationship like it’s a scab.’

We urge you to go into The Wives spoiler-free, you really do need to experience this story as it plays out to feel the shocks, thrills and crazy ride the author takes you on. Being both naturally inquisitive people, this story delivered so many deliciously intense moments that fascinated us.

‘I must uncover the secrets of my husband’s first wife or I’ll go mad.’

The Wives was an impressive standalone thriller that had us gasping and wondering exactly how Thursday’s story was going to play out. And let us tell you, whatever scenario’s we had in our heads –were well off the mark! Well played, Tarryn Fisher well played indeed.

If you love your stories full of angst, suspense, eye-opening twists told by an author of superlative talent, grab The Wives by Tarryn Fisher right now!

‘My mother once told me that a relationship could withstand almost any trial if the sex was good. It had sounded shallow and ridiculous at the time, but now I see that’s exactly what has happened with Seth and me. A lot happens in a relationship, probably a lot that you really need to pay attention to, but you’re too busy fucking to notice. ‘

When the book starts, Thursday is trying to deal with her husband Seth and his other wives. As the story progresses, I was on edge of my seat. I thought I had handle on the truth and then another twist. What’s the truth?

3.5 "What did I just read?" stars

So this book is a total mindf**k!! I can safely say that you will NOT see all the twists and turns in this one. Just when I thought I knew what was going on - something else happened.

We hear the story from Thursday's (the second wife) point of view and she paints a relatively clear picture of what her life is like and her perception of the others. To be honest - it was hard to really like any of the characters and at times - I thought the book lagged a bit.

As you can probably guess - it isn't an easy life sharing your man with two other women. Thursday learns things she probably wishes she didn't know and you'll learn things you probably wish you didn't know. This is definitely a psychological thriller and you absolutely won't believe how it ends. Jaw dropping finish all the way around.

I voluntarily requested and received an advance reader copy from the publisher through Net Galley.

This book was exactly what I needed after reading a few thrillers in a row that were straight misses. It was fast paced, had me on the edge of my seat at certain parts and very believable. The author has an incredible talent of perfectly weaving a story of deception and bringing you to a satisfying end!

Thursday is just one of The Wives. Their husband Seth calls all three wives by the day that he visits them. There is Monday, his youngest and newest wife, who is in early pregnancy. Tuesday is his original wife and is older. When she didn’t want children, Seth decided to legally divorce her and marry second wife Thursday. But then Thursday cannot have children either so he marries young and fertile Monday.

Seth explains that he was born from polygamists so it seems normal to have more than one wife to him. However, he wants to avoid all the mama drama in polygamist households by not telling his wives each other names.

One day, Thursday stumbles on a doctor’s bill in Seth’s pocket for Hannah, who she later discovers is Monday. When meeting Hannah, she finds fingerprint-shaped bruises on her. Could Hannah’s version of Seth be a wife beater? If so, why doesn’t he beat Thursday?

That is just the first 20% of this crazy thriller where nothing is as it seems and no one’s word can be trusted. Basically, everyone may be an unreliable narrator. It is up to the reader to determine who, if anyone, is telling the full story. I love playing armchair detective. However, after about the halfway point, I stopped trying to guess what was going happen. It was easier and less frustrating to just let the story play out like a movie in front of me. So if you are ready for a Marvel Universe level of suspension of disbelief, then you are ready for this thriller. It is a wild ride. The Wives will make a great HBO limited series or movie. 4 stars!

Thanks to Graydon House, Harlequin Books, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine your husband having to other wives that you know exist but know nothing about. Thursday is 1 of 3 wives and this book takes you down the rabbit hole of her discovery of the other 2 wives. I would consider this a psychological thriller, and I definitely found myself wrapped up in it but by the end I wanted more. I did not get all the conclusions that I wanted. I would definitely read more by Tarryn Fisher.


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The Wives by Tarryn Fisher is an intense, unbelievably epic mind game. It is a twisted rollercoaster ride and I loved every minute of it. Author Tarryn Fisher outdid herself.

The story is intriguing, captivating and sucks you in from beginning to end. It is a cat and mouse game of colossal proportion. Just when I think I know, author Tarryn Fisher reveals another clue that has my thoughts spinning once again. The characters are complex and extremely well developed. I was fascinated.

I could not put The Wives down and highly recommend, especially if you enjoy thrillers and mind games. Must read.
~ Maria

REVIEW: HOLY. EFFING. ISH.
"It's strange how perception is altered by bitterness."

This was my FIRST read of Tarryn Fisher's but I can guarantee you it will NOT be my last. I am still smiling at that ending!!! Holy freaking cow!!! *Breathe, Bee. Breathe.* I LOVED THE WIVES!! I loved the rush I got and I loved the look inside her crazy mind. What a deliciously twisted read. I want more of this. This was insanity with a devilishly crooked smile.....on me.

Maybe it was the thrill of reading a well known, very popular, and highly recommended author that gave me the boost I needed to read this book. Maybe it was the different genre that didn’t have any preconceived norms for me to expect that made me turn the pages quicker than I anticipated. Either way, this book worked for me. I feel like Fisher gave me an enormous amount of info, a whirlwind of action, only for it all to come to fruition with a slam of the door. I was left with a gasp and for my first psychological thriller and first Tarryn Fisher book, and this one gave me the best of both worlds.

"But the truth is the heart's desire is a mere current against the tide of nurture and nature."

I got to a certain point in the book, and the writing on the wall became very clear in a blurry sort of way - so trying to make sense of it all was interesting. Now I had answers, but I needed the coordinating questions to match them up to. Not totally unpredictable - given the layout, but completely eye-widening because while I clearly don’t read this genre enough, it had just enough suspense and shock to guide me along, making me cling to her every word. I originally read it one way, but then I found myself scrutinizing the words and the implied tones used earlier, the further I got into it.

This was a fresh voice with a differently paced inflection that allowed me to follow along easily. I loved her flow, her voice, and her pace. I was completely engaged in the storyline because I was following along with a concept that I couldn't imagine myself dealing with, so every turn and every twist had me more and more curious.

I loved that she gave me a character that was so real, in very real form, but had a dynamic that had me OMGosh'ing throughout the book. Also....the fun part about this book was that it was set on my area.

You know all those big words: enraptured, captivated, enthralled. Those overused review words people throw out there for so many books? Yeah, I could throw them out there, but I won’t. I suppose I could also throw around a wow, woah, *wide-eyes* and a few holy cows too. This book, from the minute I opened it until I closed it and had to think it through, it had my undivided attention. All of it.

Do I give it a five star rating because it had me going crazy and turning the pages to the point that I couldn’t stop or do I give it a four and be objective and try to name something that I think maybe could’ve been different, although I really can’t because I don't have any experience in this genre. I can tell you that it was a thrill from beginning to end, and I didn't do anything but SIT and READ. I honestly couldn’t find any fault with this simply because it held my attention from the very beginning until the very end. Nothing was as it seemed.... or was it. <-- Not a question, actually. I really enjoyed this one and it just makes me that much more excited to give her other stories a shot. Her voice is so clear, so animated, and she gave me a story that took me on a wild ride - definitely not the same story I’ve read 20 times. It was a rush reading this, trying to figure out the twist and then seeing it change direction. I felt the urgency behind the actions, I felt the fear behind the words, I totally loved this!! So so good!! Argh...I can't wait to read more by her.

"Denial is a twisted, perverted soul-thinner."
~BEE

This is one of those books that I can't really talk about because it will give everything away, but wow! This was a wild ride! It was a 3 1/2 star book for me- while I couldn't put it down, it got a little too weird for me. I thought it was one book at the beginning, a second one in the middle, and the ending threw me completely off! I would love to discuss this one with someone when they finish it- this would be a great book club read.

MIND BLOWN! This thriller will leave you on the edge of your seat and you will not see the twist coming! Really enjoyed this!!

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mind officially blown!
Author Tarryn Fisher brings a new spin on what you might think marriage is.
This book is not romance, it is the total opposite.
Be ready to put on your thinking cap and have a notebook and pen handy to take down notes on who is who and what lies are true and false.
I love a good mystery when reading and this satisfied my sweet tooth for it.
Be warned once you start reading, you will not be able to put it down till you finish.
Soo many characters to keep you guessing while reading.
I liked how there was tons of karma that came back to bite those who totally deserved it. I was deliciously laughing evil at the outcomes.
Great way to end your year with a book that you will be talking about with your friends well into the New Year.
4 🍒🍒🍒🍒popped!

Well this was a wild ride! I really enjoyed the first half of the novel. I liked reading about the narrator and how she was in a marriage with a man who had 2 other wives. It was definitely crazy to think about and it was funny reading about how at times she was rationalizing the multiple wives.

Then the book took a bit of a different turn after the half way mark. I still enjoyed it, but not as much as the previous half. I was so confused on what was real and what wasn’t that it made for a very interesting read.

3 calculators out of a potential 5. Go into this one without reading too many reviews and see what you think!

Thank you to HARLEQUIN – Graydon House Books (U.S. & Canada) for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

***I received an ebook copy from the author at no cost***

Allow me to describe this book in one word – twisted.

Thursday is married to Seth – who has not one, but two other wives. She’s comfortable with the arrangement and knew what she was getting into from the beginning but eventually curiosity gets the best of her and she starts researching the other wives. That’s when we find our main character embarking down a road of bitter jealousy and rage.

It’s impossible for me to discuss the full plot of this story without spoiling it for potential readers, so I’m going to avoid talk of anything specific that happens. I will say that this book was a total mind bender and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. Fisher put so many twists and turns into this that I thought I’d get whiplash. The ending blew me away because I wasn’t expecting it at all, despite the little hints that were there throughout the course of the story. The ending was absolute perfection in my mind, for Thursday and the others involved in the story. I think that everyone got what was coming to them in one way or another.

This story has a unique plot and is well-crafted. The second half moved a little slow at times, but there was enough suspense to keep me chomping at the bit for more. Fisher did a great job with Thursday as a character. Her path from happily devoted wife to paranoid and ragey wife was well done and believable. There were several times in the book where I flat out just didn’t like Thursday, and I think that’s testament to Fisher’s writing skills. The secondary characters were well-developed and fit into their respective places in the story. I went back and forth on my feelings for Seth but, you’ll have to read the book to figure out why.

If you’re a fan of suspense and stories that keep you guessing with every turn of the page, then The Wives is a good book for you.

Four stars to this novel!

Holy cow! What a mind twist of a story! I don't even think anything other than just read the damn thing is appropriate for a review. The synopsis tells you enough. Hopefully that in and of itself peaks your interest. A man has multiple wives yet they don't know about each other. Until Thursday suddenly discovers something about the other two.



This is an up and down journey. You aren't really sure who to cheer for. I switched sympathies as the story went on. I did not predict how the story resolved and that makes me giddily happy! Very clever story telling. A superb psychological read. Do not miss adding this one to your TBR!

Never saw it coming.

Tarryn Fisher is known for her twist and surprise turns. Be it romance, fantasy or thriller, she is always keeping me on my toes. The Wives, is no exception.

I consistently read a book a day or every other at minimum. I didn’t read anything for days after The Wives just processing. This author makes you think. You don’t read her work and think “that was nice, what is next.” You reflect. You analyze. You assess.

Fisher is a master at messing with your mind. I have read some reviews, and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but several didn’t finish the book because they thought Thursday was weak or Seth was manipulative. What a grand experience they missed.

Both of those opinions could be true.....or they could have been smoke and mirrors.

For a truly enthralling experience, give The Wives a read. This is one book that won’t leave me for a good long time.

Reviewed by Becky for JoAndIsaLoveBooks.

3.5 stars

I really don't know what I think about this book, it was captivating, entertaining and a total mind fuck to say the least. But there was something that just didn't click with me. I mean don't get me wrong Tarryn Fisher writes like one of the greats but this just wasn't the same for me.

I did go into this book knowing it wasn't a romance, I knew this wouldn't be an easy read but it was a good read in the end. Although I totally wish for more of what we got from the last 15% of the book.

This book isn't a love or hate story, it one that you have to experience first hand and just remember that what you first believe may not always be as it seems.

I know I don't often read mystery/thrillers but that is because I am super picky at what I read in those genres.

I am so happy that I read this book because wow! I swear just when you think you got it figured out Tarryn Fisher throws you a curveball. I really thought I had it all figured out until the end where I was saying WHAT!! out loud. I swear it has been a few weeks since I read this book and I am still thinking about it and still don't know what I believe truly happened.

I give this 4 out of 5.

Confessions Of A Twisted Mind- "When things are that perfect, something is wrong."
TF is a self-confessed "Swirler of Emotions" and the longer the swirl, the tougher it becomes to separate one from the rest. Much like Thursday, whose life is spinning so fast, that events, accidents, emotions and reality is blurring right in front of her eyes. She's in a consensual relationship with a polygamist and totally acceptable of the Other Two Wives called Monday and Tuesday.
"How have I become this docile person, living for Thursdays and the love of a man who divides himself so thinly among three women?"

Typical of TF to pick a controversial and unrelatable topic for majority of readers and yet keep us engrossed till the very end. She's a master of creating layered stories with a seemingly placid surface but her loyal readers can always expect the roiling emotions which swallow you whole in its vortex. Insidious and deceptive, it's a smoke and mirrors story. Secretive clues are scattered like bread crumbs and deciphering them is a full book job. I believe Traci Finlay was TF's sounding board for this particular book and Traci is as mindfuck as they come. And I'd love to see this combo in the near future collaborating on a novel
Back to this one, TF created a strong female protagonist but her psyche has a wrinkle, a fold somewhere deep down. Her reality is askew and vision distorted due to her deep craving for Seth's love and attention. Jealousy giving her a heartburn & she is on a mission to put faces to the names.
As they say- Curiosity killed the cat, things start to go horribly wrong for her as she descends the ladder to the heart of the truth and then for the readers as they watch her go down the unfathomable sinkhole

Throughout the entire story, my heart was pounding hard. I was right next to Thursday in the car, running around Portland and Seattle. I was shocked at what she finds, astounded at what was happening around her, I was swept away by the maelstrom that hits her life and my soul was in tatters as her house crumpled.
The ending was a bit anti- climatic for me.I had figured out the gist of it but was in complete denial, much like Thursday herself.
Seth was always under my microscope and I monitored his movements acutely.
The surprise twist just comes out of left and wollops me in the face
"It was like being halfway down a guy’s pants when he told you he was really a woman."
The thrill never wanes, the dread never diminishes and pulse never slows down. The first chapter tells you it's going to be a disaster of epic proportions, but a train-wreck is always morbidly fascinating to watch.....and so was reading this book
I'm waiting eagerly for the "crawlspace" to go hide in next😁
4.5 stars for Loony Toon In Tonker Town

Let me start by saying for you to get the full effect of how twisted this book is, you need to go into it blindly. I found the title intriguing and was curious to find out about the story hidden between the covers. Having never read Tarryn Fisher’s work before, I had no clue what I was exposing myself to. Now after reading this book, I have to say Ms. Fisher messed with my brain and left me with many crazy thoughts. Even as I write this review, I keep asking myself what the hell did I just read. The Wives took me on the most twisted journey, not even a roller coaster ride could compare.

The story hooked me from start to finish. I had to know what was happening. The story pulled me into its dark recesses and for its duration I had an inkling of how Alice felt when she fell down the rabbit hole. Neither the title nor synopsis could prepare me for that dark journey down the rabbit hole.

Filled with a host of unreliable characters, I had a hard time determining who could be trusted. The deeper I got into the story, the more I doubted the characters. This book reminded me that appearances can sometimes be deceiving. Not because your mind perceives something doesn’t necessarily make it true.

Despite the unreliability of the characters, I sympathized with Thursday. I believe this was because the story was told from her POV. I kept wondering why she would put herself in such a position, but I guess she was a fool for love. Being in her head was nerve wracking.

I am not sure what to think of the ending. I was hoping after those revelations that the questions I had swirling in my head would be answered. Instead I was left to make my own assumptions.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Would I read more from this author? A resounding yes. Fisher delivered a mind boggling story that will have you questioning every word you have read while attempting to decipher the many mysteries hidden within the pages. This is a must read for fans of psychological thrillers. Be prepared to have your mind blown.

Thursday is a nurse and that is the evening of the week that she spends with her husband, Seth. His other wife is Monday, who is expecting, and his third wife was the first woman he married.

Not long after Thursday met Seth, he admitted that he was married. He also told her that his parents were polygamists. Although the thought of being in a relationship with someone like that appalled her, she still couldn’t help but love him.

Now, Thursday is becoming more curious about Seth’s other wives and is determined to find them and meet them. This opens a can of worms that gets way out of hand.

I found this plot to be quite different from any I’ve read before, so I was rather intrigued to see what would happen. A lot did happen, but there wasn’t that big “A-Ha!” moment that I had hoped to find. While it’s a somewhat pathetic tale in many ways, it’s also sad to think that there are people out there like that.

I’m sure a lot of readers will really like this story judging from the other reviews I have read. Do read it yourself and let others know what you think.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.