I've put off writing a review for The Last Wife because I wasn't sure what I thought about it. Let me state up front that I am very over and done with unreliable narrators. Done. If you give me a little mixed up, a little crazy, a little unsure of yourself, that is one thing but narrators that are deliberately misleading for the sake of misleading the reader then that is a plot that has worn thin. It was fun the first one, maybe three times, but it's been a few years now that these books keep hitting the shelves and, really, they aren't even being tweaked to give us something new. It's, literally, the same story, second verse. And, ultimately, there you have it. That's my review in a nutshell. I could tell you that the writing flowed, that there were twists along the way and the characters were interesting but none of that could overcome the big flaw - unreliable, lying narrator.

I enjoy this author. Her books often take you down a dark path of life. They often dwell in the idea that appearances are not what they seem.

Nina and Marie have been lifelong best friends. Tragically, Marie is left alone after Nina dies following an illness and Marie promises to fulfill her dying wishes. Nina didn't realize that her dying wish put Marie exactly where she wanted to be, living Nina's life. Marie steps in and assumes Nina's life, having no idea that Nina had secrets of her own.

This book started so strong. I expected a fast, highly entertaining read. Unfortunately the thrill faded fast and took my interest with it. Towards the midpoint I couldn't believe so much of the story was left. By the end, I wished I didn't spend my time on it as the 2nd half didn't offer much.

2.5 stars

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those books where you think you know what is happening, and then it turns out that you had NO idea at all. Enjoyable, but not a must read.

This book is marketed as a thriller but is more of a domestic drama. It has also got one of my least favorite tropes, the unreliable characters. This is a story that sometimes had characters that could be empathized with but were also annoying at times. Very mediocre.
#TheLastWife #NetGalley #Harlequin #GraydonHouse

Nothing is harder than watching a loved one pass away. Especially when that loved one has entrusted her family to you.

Marie and Nina were those friends. Friends that shared everything and were always there for each other. When Nina's time came Marie was not only handling her grief, but the grief of Nina's family as well. Promising to help fulfill her final wishes, Marie sets out to be as Nina like as she possibly can, but they are some big shoes to fill.

When some of Nina's family starts to think that Marie is getting a little too comfortable Marie starts to feel like she's being taken for granted and that not one of them is thankful for all that she has sacrificed throughout this difficult time. Especially since there are things about Nina that nobody knew until she was longer among them.

Mysterious and gripping, The Last Wife is a story that tests the bonds of friendship and family with equal measure.

I’m just so tired of unreliable narrators and cheap twists and turns. But I keep doing this to myself by reading endless thrillers. 😂😂 All of the characters were ridiculously unlikeable and the plot was convoluted at times. Two stars.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a roller coaster of a read. Nina and Marie had been best friends for many years. On Nina's deathbed she asked Marie to watch out for her family and be there for them. Marie had always wanted to be like Nina and have Nina's life. A husband and children. As she gets close to Nina's husband and some of their friends then some lies come out and things that Nina had been hiding. I wasn't sure what to think as we kept finding out something that had happened and who was really involved and who really knew. I couldn't put it down as I needed to know more and finding Marie is unstable is putting it mildly.

Really engaging, twisty turny story! I found Marie super weird and off putting, but I still couldn't get enough of her antics. There were quite a few things that added to the suspense but ended up not really contributing to the overall plot, but all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this!

This book fell a little flat for me, as someone who really enjoyed The Perfect Girlfriend I had high expectations for The Last Wife. I wouldn't consider this one much as a thriller, the plot was a little jumbled, and just missed that big twist at the end. If you're looking for an introduction to the mystery genre, I would suggest checking this one out, but as a huge fan of thrillers, I needed a bit more from this.

We follow the story of Marie who has recently lost her best friend Nina due to a terminal illness, before her death, Nina asked Marie to take care of her family once she was gone. What Nina didn't know was that Marie has an alternative motive and wants the perfect life - she won't stop until she gets what she wants.

The first half of the book was really interesting as I was curious to know in which direction the book would go, I found myself not being able to trust a lot of the main characters. Around midway, I just lost interest as the book was a little repetitive and felt like nothing was really happening. We're introduced to a minor subplot that is supposed to cause tension between the main character and a friend from her past - that plot is resolved and nothing else truly happens after that.
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I would like to say thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I did not finish. I really could not take another British unreliable narrator. I quickly tired of it.

A lot of manipulation, lies and secrets in this story line.
I wasn't invested in the characters though (I tried) which was a disappointment to me

The following review was published on my blog (blogginboutbooks.com) on 10.31.20:

Marie Langham has always been jealous of her best friend's perfect life. Nina Beaufort has it all—a doting husband, two beautiful children, and a lovely home. When Nina dies of cancer, Marie is devastated to lose her only real friend. The only thing she can do for her now is keep her promise to make sure Nina's children are looked after. Marie's only too happy to step into the role she's been secretly coveting for years. Before long, she's moved into Nina's home, ostensibly to assist Nina's husband. Her secret mission is to seduce him and convince him to marry her, thereby cementing her place in the household.

The more time Marie spends in Nina's home, the more she comes to realize that Nina's life was far from perfect. In fact, the dead woman was keeping some shocking secrets. When the past comes calling, Marie finds herself caught in the middle. Is the life she always envied really the one she wants?

Domestic dramas mixed with mystery, suspense, and some psychological thrills are a dime a dozen these days. Some are twisty, adrenaline-fueled page turners, others are ... not. Unfortunately, The Last Wife by Karen Hamilton falls into the latter category. First of all, it's more domestic drama than anything else, which perhaps explains why it's so straightforward and predictable. Second, it's populated with a cast of selfish, manipulative, unlikable characters, the worst of whom is our "heroine." Third, the plot is just weird. The characters' choices are often illogical and the story gets more absurd as it goes. So, why did I bother finishing this odd, depressing novel? Honestly, I don't know! Apparently, I was invested enough that I wanted to find out how the tale wrapped up. I can't say this book was at all enjoyable, though. For me, it was a strange, eye roll-worthy, dissatisfying read that I probably should have DNF'd right from the start. Lesson learned.

(Readalikes: Um, no specific titles are coming to mind. You?)

Grade: C-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language (a few F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, references to illegal drug use, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Perfect Wife from the generous folks at Graydon House (a division of HarperCollins) via those at NetGalley. Thank you!

Twists-check
turns-check
unlikeable characters-check
great writing-check
great ending-check

Loved it and it checked all of the boxes for me :D

This just wasn't the book for me. I struggled to connect with the writing and had to force myself to finish it.

Let’s call this a Soap Opera including: Conniving characters whose lives are filled with Secrets, Lies, Manipulation.

Unfortunately even though the plot was soap opera-ish, the plot lacked tension and it also lacked suspense. It therefore also lacked intrigue. Sad to say that this novel was just lacking all around.

I admittedly set the bar really high for this novel seeing as I loved the author’s prior novel “The Perfect Girlfriend” but unfortunately, “The Last Wife” simply failed to deliver.

Thank you to Graydon House - Harlequin - Trade Publishing and Karen Hamilton for the arc.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was on the struggle bus with this one for the first half, and so I walked away from it for awhile and have now finally finished it. The second half was a BIT more intriguing than the first, and some of the ending makes up for the struggle throughout.

Marie's best friend Nina has recently passed away and her dying wish was that Marie look after her husband and children, which Marie is more than happy to do. You see, she wants Nina's life anyway, and will do anything to get it and keep it.

There are a lot of unreliable and unlikeable characters in this one, and even in the second half, I still couldn't find myself rooting for Marie, whose sporadic thoughts we get the whole time..

I do feel that part of the ending made up for the lack of intensity throughout the rest of the book, but then it kind of drug and drug on.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin and Karen Hamilton!

I loved The Perfect Girlfriend. However this book didn’t grab my attention right away. This is shelved to read at a later date.

Thank you for the copy of this one - all opinions are my own.

The Last Wife was an interesting read for me - I loved the essence of the plot, I liked the characters, I liked the build of tension - however, I felt like in the end it just wasn't quite dramatic enough for me.

Which isn't to say I didn't enjoy the book, which I definitely did, and read it in a matter of hours, but I would have loved to see more crazy in this one.