Marie is a photographer. She catches things in the photos she shoots including the wonderful life she thinks her friend Nina leads and which she'd like to have. But it's true that you need to be careful what you wish for,. When Nina dies leaving two young kids and a husband, Marie grabs her chance at making Nina's life her own. But after becoming pregnant and marrying Stuart, Marie discovers some secrets her friend Nina was hiding. One of them involves the death of Marie's lover that happened while she, Nina, and a group of friends spent a holiday abroad in college.

This twisty, psychological thriller keeps you turning the pages as more secrets and lies are revealed until Marie learns the truth about Charlie's death years ago and that the perfect life Nina led was far from perfect.

This is a slow to build momentum mystery/thriller but about half way through the story things really started to pick up. I really enjoyed putting all the pieces together of what happened in Ibiza and who knew or didn’t know what. I wish the book had been more focused on that because I found a lot of the stuff pertaining to Marie’s life to be uninteresting. This book is written as very much in Marie’s head but since I didn’t really care for her (or any other character) it didn’t really work for me. This book also has some pacing problems where things and events just seemed to be glossed over and suddenly we were onto to something completely different. Overall, I’m happy I read it because I absolutely loved Hamilton’s debut, The Perfect Girlfriend, and I am excited to see what she comes up with in the future.

Best friends Nina and Marie are inseparable until Nina dies from a terminal illness. In her final days she asks Marie to make sure her children, Emily and Felix, are looked after and Marie is only too happy to oblige. But how well did Nina really know Marie and what lengths is Marie prepared to go to in order to achieve her goals?

This was a really twisted psychological thriller, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Marie was perfectly portrayed by Karen Hamilton as the ultimate unreliable and creepy character, and I questioned her integrity from the opening chapters. As she barrelled her way into Nina's life I was given a powerful sense of exactly how manipulating Marie was prepared to be.

Narrator Marie, along with pretty much the whole of the adult cast, was not particularly affable and, in my opinion, was practically insane as well as being quite the scheming manipulator. As the story progressed I found myself pondering about the agendas and mind games of some of the others, particularly Nina's husband, Stuart, not to mention Camilla, the friend of Marie and Nina from their University days who suddenly arrives from Canada. As secrets constantly kept bubbling up to the surface and occurrences clearly weren't as they had first appeared, I began to feel that Marie at least deserved some benefit of doubt, even if I was on tenterhooks wondering what she was going to do next, most of the time.

With buckets of tension, a myriad of twists and different avenues keeps the reader on their toes, building up to an interesting and enthralling conclusion.

The Last Wife is a dark, dubious and chilling family drama with some great characters, and plenty of oomph!

A special thank you to Graydon House Books, the author, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

I so enjoyed her novel last year, The Perfect Girlfriend. It was cray-cray in the best way. I can't say much about her newest (sadly), but I want to be completely honest. I struggled from the beginning and it felt like torture just getting to the 30% mark. I didn't like any of the characters, the pace was turtle slow and the narrative felt disjointed, no flow, no investment or anyone to "root for".

There are lots of so called secrets, lies, manipulation, but no nothing intriguing or engaging. I'll just call this one a struggle bus.

Loved her last, so I haven't lost all hope for this author.

This book was just too busy for me. Sadly, by the end I didn't care any more...probably by 33% or so I didn't care anymore...there is a lot of jumping around and secrets to keep track of, sometimes you forget who the focus is and the characters may just annoy you.

The writing isn't bad, there just seems to be too much going on and nothing to really keep you hooked page after page.

I’m so sorry to say, I couldn’t even finish this book. Which is hard for me to admit, because, I thoroughly enjoyed her last book.
This one switches perspectives, locations, etc and it’s confusing.

This book started out so strong for me, but three quarters of the way through, I realized I no longer cared what happened. I enjoyed the creepiness of the narrator but there were way too many subplots going on, and way too many characters who all had their own secrets to keep track of. I feel like a similar thing happened in the Perfect Girlfriend. It’s almost like the author needs to cut the last 100 pages of her books.

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.
I received this from Harlequin and NetGalley for review.

Marie and Nina have been friends since they were young girls. From the outside, it has always seemed to others as though Marie has always wanted more than to be Nina’s friend, that she is perhaps a little too obsessed with Nina. If she’s being honest with herself, Marie has always felt insecure in their friendship, anxiously hovering around the edges of Nina’s life and becoming increasingly jealous as things seem to fall into perfect place for Nina with her husband, children, and lovely home. When Nina becomes terminally ill however, the perfect façade is broken. Nina asks Marie to watch over her family and Marie takes on the challenge with gusto that family and friends find alarming in the wake of Nina’s death. The more deeply Marie entrenches herself in Nina’s life the more she discovers her friend was hiding from her. Will she be able to continue her campaign to make Nina’s perfect family her own or will both Nina and her own secrets catch up to her?

VERDICT is that this is a thrill I found none too thrilling. I was initially intrigued by the character of Marie and some the psychological challenges she faces in terms of lying, manipulation, and self-doubt. Some of her characteristics, while greatly exaggerated, were initially relatable. However, there is nothing redeeming about her character and the underlying (and not so underlying) maliciousness she expresses are not compelling either. The storyline felt very plotted and as each reveal happened I had an underwhelming “oh ok” reaction. The book is setup so that the relationship between Marie and Nina should be the most interesting but Nina is gone before the first page. The rest of Marie’s relationships are very stilted and because she is such an unlikeable (and somewhat unreliable) narrator it was difficult to form a liking for any of the other characters. There were some good ideas in the plot though I just didn’t like the execution. I hope it works better for other readers!

**I read an ARC of this book.**

A lukewarm thriller. Like - I read so many thrillers and this one isn't that great or special. Just kind of ...there. two terrible women, making terrible decisions. Just read Gone Girl for the 6th time and you'll be satisfied.

I really enjoyed The Perfect Girlfriend by Hamilton, so I was thrilled to sign up for her newest novel, The Last Wife. Both books were similar – they had unreliable, unlikable narrators – but I just couldn’t connect with our main character. Marie was just too much for me. She was creepy and I hated the first part of the novel when she jumped right into her dead friend’s life.

Once Camilla (old friend) comes into the picture, the novel does pick up and I was curious on what really happened on a trip 10 years earlier. I did feel that the novel was a bit too long and some pages could of been cut.

3 calculators out of a potential 5. Definitely check this novel out if you are a fan of unlikable/unreliable characters!

Thank you to Netgallery and HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist

I have not felt this torn about a book since I read Gillian Flynn’s <i>Gone Girl</i>, except this time I am even more at odds with what to write.

Let me set the scene. I decided to write this review a few hours after finishing the book, before the few strands of coherent thoughts about this book vanish into thin air.

I have done my stretches. Literally rolled out my workout mat to loosen up some stiff joints. I made myself a tea. I took out the meat to thaw for dinner. I grabbed some frozen berries to eat in an hour. And most importantly washed my hands a good fifteen times.

I guess I have procrastinated as much as I possibly can. So here it goes: I have no clue how to review this book. Zero. None. Zip.

I have read mixed reviews about it and I have to agree with most of them on various points. Let me elaborate in the following sections.

The Details

None of the characters were particularly likeable, which isn’t such a big deal, considering the genre of this story.

We have an unreliable narrator, who tells, rather than shows the vast majority of the happenings.

We also have very shifty sounding secondary characters that make it difficult to decide whether the protagonist is really as messed up as it appears or if there are other motivations at play.

I found there were a lot of characters in this story. Some entered the narration later, some were only briefly mentioned, but they all meant something to the bigger picture. At least that’s the impression I got.

I liked the atmosphere the author created. The story starts late in the fall, which is my favourite season. It also gave me a mental break from the heat we are experiencing right now. I’m miserable most days in this heat and imagining the crisp, cool fall winds, the rain and colourful leaves made the latest heat wave a little more bearable.

I don’t, however; know exactly what this story was meant to achieve. I had a difficult time getting started. One reviewer admits having stopped at the 30% mark and I was about to give up around there as well.

After that the story picks up and my curiosity was piqued. I wanted to know what was going to happen and how the author intended to end it.

Around the 70% mark there was a shift. It is hard for me to pinpoint where the shift occurred; it could have been the general narration, the focus the narrator adjusted, or the slight genre change from psychological thriller to cold case investigation.

I was a little confused to say the least and began to lose interest.

The Verdict

Overall, as I said, I’m not quite sure what the point of this story was supposed to be. I was confused yet intrigued. I didn’t really like it, but I felt compelled to finish.

<i>The Last Wife</i> certainly gave me the creeps at times, as I would hope a psychological thriller would deliver. For that I would recommend it.

Karen Hamilton is a new publisher to me as I haven't yet got a copy of The Perfect Girlfriend.
The plot sounded great. Two women. A dying wish and a web of lies. I was intrigued. 
What would you do if your best friend was suddenly diagnosed with a terminal illness? How would you feel? Then, what if she asked you to fulfill her dying wishes? 

That's exactly the situation Nina was in when she asked Marie to fulfil her wishes. 

But Marie wants Nina's life and she'll do whatever she has to to get it. 

Marie feels she is self-sufficient in being able to carry out Nina's wishes. But will she get her way or more than she bargained for? 

I was so excited at the start of this. But unfortunately the pace was too slow and I wasn't as hooked as I hoped I'd be. I didn't feel like I could feel, or root, for any of the characters and I have many thrillers I absolutely loved because the writing and plot twists meant I was compelled to do so. 

Unfortunately, I came away disappointed with this one. Despite the premise, it was not a thriller that sucked me in and kept me there. And I usually love a Harlequin! 

Thanks to Karen Hamilton and Harlequin/Graydon House Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

I'll try The Perfect Girlfriend.

3.5 stars

Thank you netgalley for an ARC of The Last Wife in exchange for an honest review.

**Spoilers**

When her best friend passes away Marie will do everything she can to live up to the promises she made to take care of her friends family, if that happens to give her the child she has always wanted all the better. When Marie's best friend Nina passes away she has promised to take care of her children, and husband, but Marie's life is far from a fairy tale. She has been trying to get pregnant with her current boyfriend but when he announces he is leaving her for the woman who he has been having an affair with, who is pregnant, her world turns upside down. She decides it is time for plan b and sets her sites on Stuart, Nina's husband. When she becomes pregnant she believes she can really take over Nina's life regardless of what other people think.

I loved Karen Hamilton's last work so I was very exited to get an early copy of her latest novel. I also don't mind an anti-heroine but I found nothing positive or likable about Marie. Stuart was a bit of a patsy and deserved whatever he had coming. No one was very likable and I struggled with most of the premises including the back story. I don't care what happened to Marie's ex and she doesn't seem to either regardless if her friend had something to do with his death or not. The whole thing read as a bad soap opera...I was disappointed in what could have been a great thriller.

When a trio of friends (Nina, Marie and Camille) go on a trip, their lives are turned upside down and their friendship is never the same. Years later after the death of Nina, Marie sweeps in to save the day. She has always coveted what Nina has. But ... be careful what you wish for! The grass isn’t always greener. When Camille moves back to town we find out what really happened between these friends and the lengths they would go to keep it all quite.

Nina and Marie have been best friends forever. Before Nina passes away from a terminal illness, she asks Marie to deal with her final wishes. But, Marie has always been envious of Nina’s life and tries to find a way to balance Ninas final wishes with her own agenda until she discovers that Nina had some secrets of her own!
Good read and recommend to others.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Last Wife

Author: Karen Hamilton

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: thriller, suspense, mystery

Publication Date: June 25, 2020

Genre: Thriller

Recommended Age: 17+ (death, terminal illness, secrets, slight violence and gore)

Publisher: Wildfire

Pages: 352

Synopsis: Two women. A dying wish. And a web of lies that will bring their world crashing down.

Nina and Marie were best friends—until Nina was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Before she died, Nina asked Marie to fulfill her final wishes.

But her mistake was in thinking Marie was someone she could trust.

What Nina didn’t know was that Marie always wanted her beautiful life, and that Marie has an agenda of her own. She’ll do anything to get what she wants.

Marie thinks she can keep her promise to her friend’s family on her own terms. But what she doesn’t know is that Nina was hiding explosive secrets of her own…

Review: Overall, I thought this was a good book. The book had great character development and the world building was good. The book also had an intriguing plot, which is what kept me reading the book.

However, I felt like the book had too much in it. There was a lot going on with the secrets and the manipulation and all the lies, that it makes it hard for the reader to get through it. The book isn’t very engaging for the reader, especially when it has so many layers like this one does. I did like the ending, but it was a struggle to get there.

Verdict: It was a good book, but there’s a lot going on.

THE LAST WIFE was my first read from Karen Hamilton. This was a domestic drama centered around Marie, whose friend Nina dies, and she steps in to take over her friend's life. As you read, each layer unfolds and you realize each of the characters has their own lies, deception that makes for a crazy read. The main thing that stuck with me, is that we have to be careful what we ask for. Sometimes what we think we want, isn't what we actually want or need.
Thank you #Netgalley and Graydon books

Nina and Marie have been friends since childhood. Marie has always idolized Nina believing she has the perfect life. Unfortunately, Nina's life is taken too soon, but her dying wish is that Marie steps in to look after and protect her family. Nina never realized that this wish is Marie's ultimate desire and she has her own agenda to insert herself into Nina's life. What Marie doesn't realize is that Nina kept her own secrets and things in her life were never quite what they seemed.

This was a psychological thriller that kept me reading, constantly wanting to find out what exactly happened in Nina's life to keep so many secrets from her best friend. The story progressed at a fast pace and Marie's life became one big train wreck. Lots of mystery and lots of twists!

Karen Hamilton does it again!
Right off the bat you aren't sure if you should trust the narrator, Marie. She's clearly not always telling the whole story - but maybe she is? She's clearly been through some trauma, but maybe also created some trauma. Her best friend (maybe?) Nina has passed away too early and Marie promised to look after the family Nina left behind. A family Marie has always wanted. But Nina was hiding things. Soon, a friend from Marie's past re-emerges and brings back a flood of memories and ill-feelings.
Who can Marie trust? Can we trust Marie? Who is telling THE WHOLE story?
Karen Hamilton has a way creating a main character that you equal parts love and hate...and you feel a little guilty for both! This story does not disappoint.