Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Betrayed Wife by Kevin O'Brien. A young girl shows up on the doorstep after sixteen years. Sheila understands that her husband had a past and is willing to take in the young girl, but when things start happening, noises, texts, etc., Sheila starts to wonder what is really going on. Her once happy family is no longer recognizable, and does she really know the people around her that she loves.
Good Book with a steady plot.
3.5 stars.

I so wanted to enjoy this book. It was just ok. The book started out very slowly and just never got going. The characters were childish and that took away from the book. The husband was a dog, The main female character was just dumb. Also, the author had too many coincidences going on. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review

Married couple Sheila and Dylan are enjoying life with their 3 children when 17 year old illegitimate daughter of Dylan shows up on the scene.
Great thriller. Lots of twists and turns.
Thank you NetGalley & Kensington Books for the ARC.

The Betrayed Wife certainly messed with my head. There was so much going on I felt like I was watching a train wreck and could’t look away.

Sheila is a married mother with three kids just going through the motions when Eden, a sixteen year old girl, shows up at her door claiming to be her husbands daughter.

Eden’s mother has recently passed away under somewhat unusual circumstances and she now needs a place to live. Although shocking, Sheila’s husbands indiscretion is nothing new to her. Dylan is actually quite the jerk!

Through a series of strange encounters and experiences, the story begins to take shape and unravel into quite a dramatic mess.

The first half of the book was a bit slow for me, although not at any point would I have given up. The second half picked up speed and I really wanted to see how things would end.

Overall quite enjoyable and entertaining and a good summer read. My one criticism would be that it was a bit over the top for me so I’m scaling down to 3.5 stars.

When Dylan O'Rourke' s abandoned teenaged daughter Eden shows up at the home he shares with his wife Sheila and their children, , the normal peace and quiet of their home is shattered. And the creepy boyfriend who accompanied Eden on her journey to find her father after her mother died in a mysterious rooftop fall doesn't help. Not that Toni, the dead woman, was any prize as a mother, according to Eden, and Tony' s friends. But something doesn't ring true to Sheila, even though she knows the girl has been through a lot. Then a strange and decidedly unfriendly woman moves into the house next door, refusing to silence her constantly barking dog and upping the tension. What Eden wants is the axis on which the convoluted plot turns, in a story that keeps the readers interest even when the pace lags.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book.

What a fabulously delicious book. This book has a fantastic story line, excellent characters and is just unputdownable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and I enjoyed it immensely.

This is a page turner!
Shiela and Dylan are married with three children. They have been married for many years, all of which Dylan has been unfaithful to her. Things tend to get even harder when a 17 year old girl shows up claiming to be Dylan's illegitimate daughter. From here on things take a turn for the worse for Sheila and her family. Strange text messages, attempts on her life, and her precious garden gets torn up. Suddenly the past and the present are colliding and danger lurks around every corner. Through all the twists and turns in this book, the reader meets new characters, all well developed that make the plot not only more interesting, but more suspenseful.
Great thriller, highly recommend.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It was my first book by this author and I was excited when I was provided a copy. I almost feel ungrateful because I have to admit that the book couldn't hold my interest. The premise sounds promising, and the start was good but after a while I wanted, needed, expected more from the characters - more flesh, more insight, something I could connect with. Obviously I'm in the minority here, therefore I hope the book will find many fans!!!!!!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read it!

The premise of the story sounded right up my alley but this story fell short for me.
I felt like the characters where to childish and annoying. To be honest i just skimmed my way through the rest of the story

My heart is still pounding in my chest. The suspense just kept building and building with each flip of the page. The ending: I didn't see that coming. I loved Steve. Poor Sheila. The best part—as well as the worst part of this story—was Dylan's characterization. I was conflicted in wanting to believe that he was a stand-up, honorable guy, all the while dread gnawed at me in knowing that he really was a complete schmuck. Oh, Dylan. You schmuck!

This one will be on my fav's list. Great read!

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Books, and author Kevin O'Brien for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been having great luck with new-to-me authors recently and Kevin O'Brien is yet another exciting discovery for me. This was a really solid and engrossing thriller.

One day Sheila - long-suffering wife of philanderer Dylan - begins receiving creepy, anonymous texts and believes that someone may be following her. Then, a teenage girl shows up at their house claiming to be Dylan's child that he had with another woman. Dylan decides he wants to finally do the right thing so he invites Eden into their home to stay.

This thrilling novel is a wild ride filled with secrets, obsession and betrayal. This is a long one but I flew through it as the story was so gripping! Highly recommend.

I liked the mix of creepy thriller and family drama. The story intrigued me as it progressed and I actually liked all the manipulations and lies. I definitely didn't see the end coming

And oh my god, how much I hated Dylon! I still understood where Sheila is coming from and why she put up with his behaviour though (it's described very well).

Definitely recommend reading!

Another roller coaster and can't put this book down read by Kevin O'Brien

Sheila knows Dylan isn't perfect and when his daughter that he didn't know about moves into the family home you know trouble for the family is not far behind.

Dylan is quite charming, doesn't make him nice or likeable.

Sheila is receiving anonymous texts, threatening in fact.

Then there is Dylan's daughter Eden.

Who can you trust ?

The pages fly by with twists and turns.

Buckley up your seat belt because with Kevin O' Brien's books you know you are in for quite a ride.

Clear you calendar, hide from the family so you can find out what happens.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read The Betrayed Wife.

Can't wait to get my copy for my bookshelves.

Don't miss this great read

1 like

I really enjoy O'Brien's books! He does a great job at building tension and suspense - along with realistic characters. This book is a quick read that is hard to put down! It's told mainly from three perspectives, all within the same family. Sheila is the titular betrayed wife, still wed to her cheating playboy husband, Dylan. Their eldest son, Steve, is the third POV (and certainly the most sympathetic, as Dylan is pretty despicable and Sheila is rather frustrating to actually feel any real sympathy with). The O'Rourke family is thrown into chaos when Eden shows up at their home - and announces that she is Dylan's daughter and needs a place to live after her mother's sudden death.

And in the meantime, it seems like Sheila's paranoia has real foundations as more and more attempts are made on her life. The plot is just twisty enough to add to the fun - and there are some real surprises and red herrings here to keep the reader guessing until the end. It's a genuine page turner! I had a lot of fun reading this - and while there are a few questions that go unaddressed, I really enjoyed this thriller. There are some creepy scenes here, too, so you may not want to read it alone after dark! The ending is quite satisfying and I am looking forward to reading more of O'Brien's books in the future!

This is the kind of book I like. One that grabs my attention right away and makes me want to stay up late into the night reading. Lots of twists that kept me guessing. I really enjoyed this!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kevin O'Brien and Kensington Books/Pinnacle for this ARC.

I've been a Kevin O'Brien fan for a while now, and I really enjoyed this book. It's got the right amount of "oh my God" and "wtf" moments that are common in a KB novel.

I really disliked Dylan's character, and with good reason. He's not a good father or husband. There were times I wanted to reach through the pages and shake him because he was being an idiot.

All in all, this was another fantastic read from Kevin O'Brien.

I have read Kevin O'Brien for close to 20 years. I am a huge fan, so I was VERY excited to receive this ARC! He never disappoints and this one was no different. I loved the characterization. You read from several different POV's. Mainly, Sheila, Eden, Dylan and 15 yr. old Steve. I didn't like Sheila at first. Who continues to stay with an ass like Dylan. The more I read, however, I understood her justifications and reasoning. This is a quick, fun read, with something happening in each chapter to make you think "ah hah!" I was on my toes throughout and read this one very quickly. Highly recommended!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Books, and author Kevin O'Brien for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will post to Amazon, Kobo and Barnes and Noble on publishing day, July 30th.

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A compelling. Compulsive read. Fast paced and thrilling, O'Brien does it again! Just when I thought I had it figured out, he fooled me again!

Kevin O'brien Never disappoints.. This kept my interest from page one to the last page.. Had me guessing through out the book. Thought I had it figured out and I did not. Lots of suspense. I would highly recommend this read.

When I began reading The Betrayed Wife, I couldn’t tell whether I was going to like it or not. As I continued, it became more intriguing and the manipulative characters became more loathsome. Although a bit crazy at times, it is certainly entertaining.