Wow. I could not stomach this one... It seems most of the reviews are raves or regrets, and I'm firmly in the latter camp.

I didn't know the author before this title - I was curious and intrigued, both by the fantastic cover and the blurb, which promised a thriller and a mystery, set in a less-common world than most. Sounded good to me, so I requested it tout suite. I'm really going to have to start looking authors up before doing that - this is not the first time I've been surprised by an author's shift into a new genre, nor is it the first time I've been disappointed at the way that worked out...

Turns out, Fisher is best known for romance. And fairly hard-core, explicit, romance, from what I gleaned on Amazon...

That is not my jam, and the writing in this one reinforced why for me from the opening pages. It's a bit more graphic than I expected, and OH MY GOOD GOD but the main character is pathetic. It starts by referring to her as "Thursday" since she sees her husband on, wait for it, Thursday. Then you learn it's ACTUALLY HER NAME. She literally only exists as the day her husband is with her. Oh goody - this one's RIGHT up my alley... (not) From there it only gets worse - if you can imagine such a thing. Because she also FIGURATIVELY only exists for him. Every single thing she says/does is about pleasing him, making him want her, how meaningless and banal her life is without him, how all she does is kill time until she sees him again... Again - right up my alley. <sigh>

The blurb hints at dangers and lies and secrets. I've seen references to Gone Girl (will someone PLEASE tell people that this is not a compliment and to stop trying to write/rewrite/alt-write GG). And I've read reviews talking about the mind-blowing twist. So I assume there's an unreliable narrator being sad and pathetic on purpose to set up the hook - but honestly I couldn't even gin up enough interest to skim ahead to see what said hook/twist might entail. I was too irritated from the get-go by the characterization (such as it is, since she is only ever described in terms of her relationship to him) and too turned off by the romance feel to get into this one. I am clearly NOT the target audience here and wasn't able to finish as a result...

This psychological thriller by an American author is the Indigo fiction Staff Pick of the Month for January. The plot revolves around Thursday (an unreliable narrator) , who is married to Seth in an unusual arrangement as Seth has two other wives. Thursday has never met the other women and does not even know their names. When she stumbles upon the identity of one of them, she cannot help herself and begins to investigate. What she finds has her doubt her husband and everything she thought she knew. This is a fun read and is a good choice for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl On The Train.

Wow. It´s been a while since I´ve flown through a book this quickly. Tarryn Fisher´s ¨The Wives¨ is a pageturning story of a woman whose husband has two other wives. However, she does not know the names or much information about who these two other women are. This definitely falls into some expected thriller tropes, but overall I could not put this book down because I needed to know what would happen next. There were multiple twists which I love, but I felt somewhat disconnected from the main character. She wasn´t completely fleshed out enough.

This is the first time I have read one of Tarryn Fisher's novels. I was definitely not disappointed! This book left me needing time to sort everything out in my own head. If all of Fisher's novels are like this I need to read them ALL! This is not a romance at all. This is a psychological mind blowing thriller. Tarryn definitely takes reader's on a crazy roller coaster. These characters will have you roped in and wondering who has it right. It is so hard not to give anything away! To be honest I didn't see that end coming and I really should have. I am just too excited about this book. It was fantastic! I miss Thursday already, I want more. Just know if (and you really should) pick up this book you will love it! I didn't find any of it slow moving but I did see a few reviewers mention it. I was wishing I could have sat and devoured the whole book at once.

I give this a huge 5 out of 5 stars!

Do you like domestic suspense where there are twists upon twists and the "resolution" of the mystery barely makes any sense? Then this book is for you. I, on the other hand, like to see more craft in twists than this novel provides. By the time I got to the end, there were so many unanswered questions and plotlines that made absolutely no sense that both I and the people around me were lucky that I was reading on my kindle and that it is too valuable a tool to me to chuck against a wall.

The book started out so promising, with a mysterious storyline based on a polygamous marriage. The pacing of the first half was actually quite wonderful. And then the author just tried too hard and made all the characters become SO unlikable and made the entirety of the novel just blow up in the reader's face. It didn't showcase talent to me as much as let's see how much ridiculousness could be crammed into the last 50 pages or so. It made me feel like I completely wasted my time in reading the first half as none of it stood on solid ground and I hate feeling like I wasted my time reading a book.

I may be harsh when it comes to domestic suspense but that is mainly because I have read some great ones in the past but books like The Wives make a mockery of the genre and make me think the author's underestimate the taste of the reader.

I am always fascinated by books about plural marriage and as we follow Thursday, the day of the week her husband shares with her, we start to see just how jealousy and curiosity can get the better of you. Thursday finds out that things are not exactly as they seem but guess what? This book is not exactly what it seems! You are reading along, watching the cracks form and then suddenly, the mirror explodes! I swear you will shout What?! I did not see the ending coming at all and boy, that shows you how well this is written. It makes you think that what you see is not always what the truth is. Thursday is a very complicated character and I will be thinking about her for a while. If you like delusional characters, shocking twists and complicated characters, this is definitely the book for you. Well done, Ms. Fisher.

Thanks to Graydon House and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book

This was good. I flew through the second half but I wasn’t wowed by the ending like so many people were saying. I might be jaded in reading thrillers though 🤣 nothing surprises me now. I don’t think it was a 5 star read for me and I was expecting it to be. That might be the problem too! I just don’t know. 😶 I think I was expecting more polygamy less psychotic break.

Wow, just wow!!! This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. You can not stop reading this because you need to know how it ends. And boy oh boy, I did not see this end coming at all! This book also makes you a little more cautious of people and the things that they may tell you about themselves. Is it the truth? Is it a lie?

Nifty little thriller about Thursday, who is one of Seth's three wives. Yep. They met when she was in nursing school and he divorced his first wife to marry her. Then she had a horrible miscarriage and he found his next wife back in Utah- and now she's pregnant. Thursday sees Seth on Thursdays in Seattle (and her name actually Thursday) and knows the other two as Monday and Tuesday, when he sees them in Portland. And then one day, Thursday finds a name and heads down the rabbit hole. No spoilers on this one which goes completely bonkers about half way through. Is Thursday an unreliable narrator? Well, up to you to decide but I'll admit this one kept me both reading and guessing. Don't trust anyone, except maybe Lauren, who will surprise you. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. One thing I know for sure- Seth is a rat!

Literally what. What did I just read? I feel like this is the point in a paranormal movie where someone tells you that it’s all a joke and you can go home with your sanity intact. I’m so confused. Don’t get me wrong this is one Tarryn Fisher book that will go on my “Always Recommend” book lists but I just can’t think. This book started off in one way and ended in a completely different manner than I had initially believed it would. In my mind, women would end up victorious because we can’t let a man win and while that somewhat happened.. I’m so confused.

The Wives is told from the point of view of Thursday, a woman who ironically sees her husband every Thursday and the other days of the week belong to Seth’s other wives. Yes, you read that correctly. OTHER WIVES. And now here begins a story that should be used in every instance where a man questions a woman on why they are “crazy” because men. Men make us crazy and make us do above and beyond stupid things that we would never think we’d be capable of doing all for the sake of love.

This book is easily one of the greatest things I’ve ever read and though I’m shook to my core after reading this and I don’t think I could bring myself to read it again... cause I’m shook for life. You ALL definitely should! This author wrote a masterpiece and it deserves to reach all the lists of declaring how great it is.

Well!!! I was NOT expecting that. What a mindfuck! When I thought I had it all figured out... I really didn’t! But that’s the beauty of a psych thriller... the ability to make you think... to make you see beyond what the characters are telling you... and Tarryn Fisher totally screwed with my mind! I love her words... especially her romance and her first book in this genre shows she’s a force to Be reckoned with!

There is a point, late in this book, when Tarryn Fisher makes you fall back in your chair, gasping in shock. Did she ... was that all ... is this really happening?

And then you realize what Tarryn Fisher has done: she gave you all the hints you needed. She showed you her characters. She set the table, bade you dine, and then whipped the tablecloth out from under the plates, sending cutlery spinning and plates clattering.

I can't tell you very much about this book because to do so is to ruin the experience for you. In fact, if I were you, I'd go in as cold as you can. The Wives definitely is one of those "let yourself be stunned and amazed" reading experiences.

Here is what I can tell you: Tarryn Fisher writes damaged women who find their peace exceptionally well. Whether through violence, loss, self-reliance, or love, Fisher's women learn, as the main character in this book does, to help themselves.

You will need to talk about this book when you finish it, and I am here for you. Please come back and let me know your thoughts. Did you see any of it coming? Did you anticipate any of Tarryn Fisher's twists and turns?

I'm still processing The Wives, still figuring out how I feel about it. I loved the adventure. I loved the pain. I loved the weirdness and hopefulness, the sexiness and sadness. I loved the crazy. I've come to discover that I particularly love Tarryn Fisher's brand of crazy very, very much.

4.5 stars

The arrangement has always been the same, and you’ve never questioned it. One day a week, you see your husband. On the other days, he’s with his other wives. This has been your normal, and you’ve been okay with the arrangement because you love him. As long as you don’t question the arrangement, things seem pretty normal. With a little perspective, this arrangement seems a bit off. Who are the other wives? Why doesn’t your husband want you to know much about them? And what do they know about you?

I’m finding it hard to review this book without spoilers. There was so much happening, so many intertwined pieces to this puzzle. This book was a wild ride that I could not put down though. For the first half, I kept thinking “this doesn't feel right.” The second half left me questioning my own sanity. You know you’re reading a good thriller when you have to flip back to the beginning to check your memory, only to realize that you in fact had been fooled.

For the most part, I liked this book. There was plenty of suspense and psychological thrills. My only qualm with the book was that it felt a little cliched at parts, but not enough that it ruined it for me. The Wives is a fast read, and I think that thriller lovers will thoroughly enjoy it.

Thank you to @NetGalley, @DarkMarkTarryn and Graydon House for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thursday is in the unfortunate situation of sharing the husband that she loved more than anything with 2 other unknown women. When Thursday decides to investigate these other women, her world is thrown into complete chaos

This book had many unexpected moments, which is what I love most about this genre. The author uses the unreliable narrator technique flawlessly and readers will question everything about this right up until the last page. A wild ride of twisted psychological suspense.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Graydon House and Tarryn Fisher for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book. I am not fully sure what happened. I started it and then blinked and boom it was over. The story was fantastic. I honestly just flew through this book in less than 4 hours. I couldn't put it down and at this point I can't get it out of my mind. This book was highly anticipated and Tarryn didn't let me down. This was a psychological roller coaster. At times I felt like I was going a little bit insane. The writing was fantastic. Probably one of the best books that I have read this year. I honestly didn't think that I was going to like a book about polygamy, especially one where they don't know each other. but that TWIST was HUGEEEEE!!!! ugh so good!!!

"The Wives" is a thriller in the best tradition of Alfred Hitchcock, it's the kind of book that's nearly impossible to put down.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Seth live in a polygamy relationship. The only thing that all three women have in common is Seth. They have never met, live in different cities, have distinct hobbies and careers, they never contacted each other, and more than that - they do not even know each other's names. However, this idyllic arrangement is about to hit an iceberg. Buckle up your belts - you're in for a mystifying ride.

This novel is amazing suspense, it has everything: unreliable narrator, twisty turns, "what in the world?" moments. A perfect marriage/relationship/arrangement that is a lot more then meets the eye. The best part about this novel is the punches never stop coming. Even when I neared the end - BOOM another big reveal. I'm very good at predicting the ending, and with this book, I've made many assumptions, several guesses as to what is going on - and yet I was still so wrong! Thank you NetGalley and Graydon House publisher for a free and advanced copy of the novel, and Tarryn Fisher for a hopelessly tragically perfect thriller.

*5 Stars*

ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.

I really don't know where to start with this review. The Wives was such a complete and total mind boggling mystery. About a polygamist with 3 wives, and told from his Thursday wife's POV, the story takes you on a journey from a general polygamist kind of storyline, to a storyline which has you thinking sinister thoughts and wondering just what on earth the truth actually is.

I really can't say too much without giving things away, so I will keep it short and sweet. The more and more involved I got, the more and more I could not work out what was happening. I understood the story, yes, but the truth of the matter. The reality of this story. I needed to find answers, and when I got to the end, boy was a blown away.

Fisher wraps things up really nicely, and you get answers to all the questions. I'm thinking, oh yeah no worries, now I know what the truth of the matter was, and the story has finished up nicely. Net minute, BAM, it finishes on a completely unexpected note, that literally had me sitting there, staring at my kindle like a stunned mullet.

What a way to end a book. Definitely recommend this one. I really enjoyed reading something other than the typical romance stories I have been reading of late. This kept intrigued right til the end and surprised me many times.

TW/CW: gaslighting, suspected domestic abuse (physical), miscarriage, forced hysterectomy, infidelity, plural marriage, negative comments towards mental illness (ex: calling someone crazy)

Review:

** HUGE THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND HARLEQUIN FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW! **

This story was a wild ride from start to finish.

Every time I thought I figured something out, a new layer was revealed that had me questioning things more than our main character. 

–>plot<–

Okay, so this book starts off as your run of the mill domestic thriller until we hit the 50ish percent mark, and then things go on a ride that doesn't let up until the final page. 

When the first twist hit, I was a little taken aback, but I wasn't sure if I liked the story following THAT particular twist. Then the second twist hit, and I was like, okay, I can follow this. Then the final 30% happened and I just needed to sit on the book because SO much happened and damn. Honestly, I don't want to say too much to avoid any spoilers, but you can definitely expect a review with spoilery thoughts on my channel closer to release date because your girl needs to talk about THAT ENDING. 

There were some parts that felt a little too domestic thriller stereotype-y for me, though I have a feeling that was used to create the unique ambiance of the book where everything felt a little too perfect. 

Final Thoughts:

Honestly, this book was such a quick, fun read that had me guessing all the way until the end. As someone that's fallen down the thriller rabbit hole, I was excited to have a book use common thriller tropes in a fun way. This might not be the thriller for everyone, but if you like having your head spinning, constantly second-guessing yourself, and like domestic thrillers, this is definitely one to check out!

Engaging, twisty in a way that is less cliffhangers and jump scares and more...so, wait, what now?

Slightly refreshing in a way I can't quite pinpoint.

Read this last evening and I have been thinking about this book all day. I wish YOU and I lived closer because I would totally lend it to you.

My first encounter with Tarryn Fisher was "Atheists Who Kneel and Pray" which without a doubt made me a devoted fan. Her upcoming release "The Wives" is definitely going to be hard for you to commit to New Year's plans.

Thursday is a hard-working nurse in Seattle who doesn't get to see her husband, Seth very often. But it isn't merely his work that keeps him far from home. It is the fact that he must also spend his time with Monday and Tuesday, Thursday's sister wives. As a polygamist by upbringing, Seth isn't interested in his three marital partners being under the same roof. But Thursday is starting to feel a restlessness that cannot be stemmed and begins to do some detecting to figure out more about her competition. But is Thursday REALLY prepared for what happens next?

With my heart in my throat, I just couldn't stop reading. I adore characters that just won't quit asking the questions even if I am covering my eyes peering through open fingers. Also, it probably has one of the most jaw-dropping endings of 2019.

Tarryn Fisher states in my ARC that suspense is a genre which she longed to try. Merely two days later, I would say that she's definitely joined the club.

Goodreads review published 07/12/19
Publication Date 30/12/19