Thank you to Netgalley, Rebecca Fleet & Transworld Publishers for my arc of The Second Wife in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: After the tragic death of his first wife leaves Alex a single parent to daughter Jade, Natalie brings a breathe of fresh air to his life. But when the family home is gutted by fire Alex's world bursts into flame. Nothing is as it seems and Natalie has a past he had no idea about. A past that seems to be catching up with them.

I read this book in 2 days, it was impossible to put down. Engaging right from the start with the right air of mystery, the perfect twists and turns and build up of anticipation. It was cleverly written with well shaped characters and the kind of build up that makes you keep turning the pages desperate to find out what happens. I've added the author's other book to my tbr as I'd really like to read more from her!

WOW!!! What a wonderful and gripping read. I loved Rebecca Fleet’s first novel, The House Swap, but I ADORED The Second Wife. I spent an afternoon with my nose stuck on my kindle and I didn’t get up from my couch until I reached the last page. I loved the claustrophobic atmosphere, the high tension, and beautifully-written plot. Also, I enjoyed the twists that just pop up when you less expect it, which is not an easy thing when you read many thriller.

Not only the plot is intriguing and completely captivating, but also the characters are brilliantly-drawn: there is Alex, trying to figure out the truth about the fire that almost destroyed his family; his second wife, Natalie, with a past that she doesn’t want to surface; and then Jade, Alex’s thirteen-year-old daughter from his first marriage, who claims that there was a man in the house the night of the fire.

The story is told from different perspectives and, as each character tell their story, you don’t know who to trust (I DO love unreliable characters!). Is the fire an accident or arson? Did Jade really see a man in the house the night of the fire? What is Natalie hiding? Why doesn’t Alex know much about Natalie’s past? So many questions that the author unravels in a slow-burning progression that keeps the reader engrossed.

The Second Wife is a suspenseful, engaging, and thrilling novel, perfect for all fans of psychological thrillers.

Well written, interesting thriller like The House Swap. If you liked her first book, you'll like this one.
I enjoyed my time with the suspense she created.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

I loved The House Swap, Rebecca Fleet's first thriller, so I was excited to see she was a releasing a second.

This follows a family in Brighton. Alex, the husband, lost his first wife to cancer and has since remarried. His wife, Natalie, appears to be the perfect wife and stepmother to his daughter Jade.

One evening Alex comes back home after a night out and finds his house on fire. Natalie is outside with the fire brigade and Jade is found, barely alive, Jade claims she saw a man in the house that night - wife Natalie strongly denies this.

We follow Alex as he tries to find out what really happened that night, and if Natalie is hiding any secrets.

I really enjoyed this book! I was worried halfway through that the story may not be going anywhere - but I kept holding on as I just knew there must be something more to the story and I'm really glad I did. There was lots of twists and turns and the characters were really well developed.

The Second Wife by Rebecca Fleet was a Hit read for me. Once I started to read it I just fell into the story and was hooked from the first few pages. This book was full of great twists and turns that will have you gripped throughout.

I loved the way this book was told from several perspectives including Natalie and Alex and there are two time frames, 1999 and 2017.

Alex Carmichael is a single parent to Jade, Jade's mother sadly dies from Cancer. He was a good father and always put Jade first Alex, was not looking for anyone to replace her. Until he met Natalie and she changed his life especially Jade's. They both marry but
the road was rocky at first and Alex only wants the best Jade, he dreams of them all living together and they are all happy. Alex is working late and walks home, he notices a serious fire in the distance and realises it, it is his house!!! he runs to his house and finds out
Natalie escapes the fire and Fire Officers have rescued Jade as she was trapped inside the house, however Jade is injured.

Jade thought she saw a man in the house just before the fire started.

Who was it? or was Jade dreaming?

Natalie denies seeing anybody at the house.

But, how did the fire Start?

Was it an accident?

I highly recommend this book. I loved it.

Big Thank you to Random House UK Transworld and Netgalley for the approval or an ARC in exchange for an honest review.,
My review will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

A gripping tale that kept me one way then the other with the twists it enfolded within its pages. A domestic noir like no other where mirage and reality were merged like a chameleon.

Alex, wife Natalie, and daughter Jade lived a happy, stable life until a fire at home destroyed their apparent peace. Natalie came out without a scratch, and Jade was in hospital, insisting that she saw a man at home before the fire. Natalie called it hallucination. Whom did Alex believe, his child or his second wife? He went in search of answers.

My first book by author Rebecca Fleet, I was gripped from the first page with the scene of the fire. The whispers of doubt reached me as the pages turned. I searched for clues which ran subtly in the book. The author was pretty clever in hiding them.

Secrets seemed to be abounding in the hearts all the characters, their lives were upturned as the story moved on. Some were shocking, and that made it thrilling to read. As a reader I loved when they turned darker. Having an inkling to the reveal (you see, I did interpret the clues correctly) I was happy to be right and quite shocked at some others.

Swift paced, chameleon characters, secret lives, past stories, lies and final truth made this book a fantastic thriller.

Alex is married to Natalie who is his second wife. They live together with Alex's teenage daughter from his first marriage. One night he arrives home to find the house on fire, his wife had managed to escape but his daughter had become trapped and was rescued by the fire service. Whilst recovering in hospital his daughter Jade says she saw a man in the house before the fire started and that she'd seen this man on numerous occasions watching her. What follows is the story of Natalie and her sister some twenty years previously and is a story of love, revenge and betrayal. There are several twists and one in particular that I didn't see coming. Most enjoyable.

Everyone brings baggage to a new relationship.

When Alex met Natalie she changed his life. After the tragic death of his first wife, which left him a single parent to teenage daughter Jade, he’s determined to build a happy family.

But his new-found happiness is shattered when the family home is gutted by fire and his loyalties are unexpectedly tested. Jade insists she saw a man in the house on the night of the fire; Natalie denies any knowledge of such an intruder.

Alex is faced with an impossible choice: to believe his wife or his daughter? And as Natalie’s story unravels, Alex realises that his wife has a past he had no idea about, a past that might yet catch up with her.

But this time, the past could be deadly . . .

The Second Wife is told across two timelines, starting off in 2017 with Alex and his second wife, Natalie and then later on we go back to 1999 and hear about the lives of sisters Rachel and Sadie, but what is the link between these people and who is responsible for the house fire that nearly claimed the lives of Natalie and Alex's daughter, Jade. Alex is determined to uncover what happened, but is he prepared for the truth?

This is the second book I've read by this author and as I enjoyed the first one, I was looking forward to this too. It's a compelling thriller and got me hooked quite early on, I was intrigued as to where the story was heading. It's a tale of secrets, lies and has more twists than a corkscrew, the author certainly keeps the reader guessing right to the end. Definitely a worthy read.

I would like to thank Random House UK Transworld and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

This book wasn't at all what I expected. Given the title I was expecting some first wife vs second wife battle rife with petty jealousy and sneaky sabotage.

Had I been the sort of person to check the backcover blurb before reading I would have had a better idea what was coming, but I tend to dive straight in when I choose my nightly reading fodder, so I was pleasantly surprised (as am a bit over bitchy wives' tales). 

As it happened, I really liked Natalie a lot more than I liked Alex. I could understand his initial concern for his daughter but he seemed sure Natalie should have done more to find and rescue Jade from the burning house before saving herself. And then, when Jade mentions seeing the man, Alex (though he admits he has no reason to doubt his wife) assumes she's having an affair and becomes increasingly suspicious.

Warning bells were ringing for me as his language suggests he's been there before and we wonder if it was his first wife, or perhaps Alex himself, who has previously been unfaithful.

Indeed he did little to endear himself to me as time went on.

Natalie on the other hand is immediately sympathetic. And Alex's prying means she's forced to admit to a secret past she's sure she's left behind her. We learn of two sisters, one destructive and the other trying to save her younger sibling from herself... but seemingly unable to do so.

Despite my antipathy toward Alex I was far more engaged in the unfolding plot than I expected. Fleet alternates narrators - both Natalie and Alex in the present and the two sisters (Rachel and Sadie) two decades earlier. There's a sense of menace in the events of 1999 which take place over a short but pivotal time in the sisters' lives. And of course we're in a sort of abeyance as Fleet ekes out their story, wondering what becomes of the wayward sister (19yr old Sadie) who's very obviously making bad choices.

I liked the direction Fleet ultimately takes us which is a bit of a surprise. That, combined with slick prose and pacing makes this an enjoyable read.

The Second Wife is a book that is easily read even if at times the chapters were quite long but there were no stagnant parts as everything flowed well.
Alex is married to Natalie, she is his second wife, his first died leaving him and his then five year old child, Jade. Natalie and Jade are at home together one night when a fire breaks out, Alex comes home to find his house alight and surrounded by firemen and the police. Natalie has managed to get out but couldn’t get to Jade. Jade is luckily found but is injured so goes straight to hospital as she is in a coma.
Eventually Jade comes round and tells her dad that before the fire started there was a man in the house, when he asks Natalie she doesn’t seem to think there was.
Alex sets about finding out who this man is but as he does so he finds out his wife is not who she says she is and that she has a lot of secrets. This is a good thriller that I enjoyed.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, DoubleDay for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

The book begins with Alex returning home to find his house on fire and what follows is what you would expect from such an awful event. He and his second wife are put up in a B&B and his daughter is admitted to hospital suffering the effects of the fire.

When his daughter reveals she saw a man in the house on the night of the fire, Alex begins to suspect his second wife of infidelity. This leads to the book flip flopping between 2017 (present day in the book) and 1999/2000. The story is also told in the voice of different characters all of which is well laid out and doesn't confuse.

When the book began to flashback I started to get annoyed because I wanted to know what was going to happen in the present day. But like all good stories, the reader must be patient as the past was important to the story line. I also didn't like the past as it made very chilling reading.

About a third of the way through the book the plot took on such a diverse direction that I just had to read the rest of the book in one sitting. The book took on so many twists and turns, and questions were popping up in my head, which just led to more questions. It was then I began to realise how clever the author had been with the way they laid the plot of the book out.

The final part of the book my heart was racing - what was going to happen? I'll leave you to find out - no spoilers. A really great read and something a little different from other thrillers. Well written with believable characters.

A dark tale of secrets and lies mixed with a big dollop of ‘never believe what you see or are told’

It’s quite hard to review this without giving anything of the plot away ( but will try ) suffice to say it’s a story of trust, identity, obsession...100% obsession, cruel and unwavering

Told in the present and the past and by various characters, some to like, one to hate but all caught up in this noxious web of one persons ‘want’

The story is well told, shocking and brutally real and it’s a long time since a character’s single mindedness has shocked me ( and of course as a reader had me enthralled )

One of the ‘twists’ cleverly then led into the main thrust of the story so before you could get over that you were then into the ‘thriller’ part of this page turner

Undoubtedly a book I wont/cant forget with 1 character who will cause a shiver whenever think of her

Good, very good

10/10
5 Stars

Natalie and Jade were caught in a house fire. Natalie is Alex's wife and Jade is his daughter. Jade thought she saw a man in the house just before the fire started. Natalie denies seeing anybody at the house. But this is just the beginning. It moves on to tell the rest of the story in two time frames.

What a twist filled and intriguing read. Alex does ot think that Nztalie is showing enough concern or emotion over Jade and her injuries after they were rescued from the fire. The story is told from the past and present day from two sisters points of view. There's also Kas, the mysterious night club owner. Everyone I'd hiding something. The characters are ot very like le ut theybare believable. The story held my attention throughout

I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Revecca Fleet for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Natalie changed Alex’s life. After the death of his first wife, which left him a single parent to his teenage daughter Jade, he is determined to build a happy family. But then the family home is gutted by a fire his loyalties are tested. Jade insists she saw a man inside the house on the night of the fire but Natalie denies all knowledge. Who does he believe? He is faced with an impossible choice and as Natalies story starts to unravel he realises that his wife has a past which is about to catch up with her and he and his daughter may be caught in the crossfire.

A fantastic read with loads of twists and turns everywhere.e of my seat until the very final page. I loved the plot and the way the characters were portrayed. It’s brilliantly written, told in two timeframes via different characters, however it is really easy to follow and It kept me on the edge of my seat until I turned the very last page.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Very clever and very well written!! Fully enjoyed this one and was read in one sitting!! Cannot wait to read more from this author !!

I had not read a book by Rebecca Fleet and The Second Wife's Blurb had me wanting to!.

This took me a lot longer to read than any other book, I couldn't get hooked and wasn't drawn in to the storyline. I found that when it was set in the present (2017) this alone had me not feeling it, because obviously we are now 2020 and I would be confused for a second wondering if I was reading the past storyline or the present storyline of say "Sadie".

I also found the storyline to be dragged out, and when coming back to read it after a week or so I had forgot when opening up on where I left off -reading the past tense story- that there was even a present storyline to the book, I found the past storyline better than the present, but even then I'm sorry to say it just wasn't gripping enough to want me to keep page turning. I promised myself I'd read to the end and I did. This in itself was tedious, as it could have finished up chapters before but was still being drawn out. .This book wasn't for me. Sorry

A very clever psychological thriller that will keep you rapt from the first few paragraphs. The flashbacks are particularly emotive and I loved the way the narrative switched between characters. Then, just as you think you understand exactly what is going on, a plot twist hits you like a blow to the solar plexus. But don't get too complacent because you never know when this rollercoaster ride of a story is finished.

I enjoyed reading The Second Wife. This psychological thriller is told in the present day from the points of view of Alex, and his second wife, Natalie. Two characters from the past (Sadie and Rachel) also have their stories to tell, and as the story unfolds it becomes apparent people are keeping secrets. The suspense really builds up around the second half of the book, and there are a few twists and turns that took me by surprise.

Alex had waited a long time before looking for a new partner after his wife died. Being a good father to daughter Jade had been his main priority but then he met Natalie. Although there are a few hiccups he knows the happy family he's dreamed of for so long is now within reach but then his house catches fire ...

This is so good, it begins with the house fire but then moves between two timeframes to tell the whole story of what the flames unearth. There are quite a few reveals along the way, this is a twisting path of misunderstanding, lies, devotion, and tension all of which lead to an exhilarating, heart-thumpingly taut finale which, even after all that had gone before, made this a book that will be difficult to forget.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and can honestly say I loved it. If you are looking for an exciting, fast moving, thriller of a book I would definitely recommend this.

This book had me guessing and thats a good sign when you are reading a thriller. It was a slow burner for me but i still persevered and im glad i did.