3.5 stars rounded up!

I love Kaira Rouda's writing style - sarcastic, witty, and at time laugh-out-loud. I knew this was going to be another sarcastically written thriller as soon as I read Part 1.

Overall, the pacing was a little slow, and some chapters I found repetitive, however the ending delivered a somewhat foreseeable twist.

Out 5/1! Don’t miss this one if you love Rouda’s previous books - Best Day Ever & The Favorite Daughter. Thank you to the publisher & @getredpr & netgalley for my gifted review copy!

Perfect families, perfect companies, perfect relationships- Kaira Rouda has explained them all in her best-selling novels. Will that be a theme in her latest novel, The Next Wife?
John Nelson is a very lucky man. Within days the launch of the IPO for the company he and his ex-wife, Kate, own will transform John from rich Cincinnati businessman to wealthy Cincinnati businessman. Good news number one.
John and his ex-wife Kate have developed a workaholic business relationship. They share ideas for new products and frequently discuss company issues. They have worked together for over twenty years. Good news number two.
John has a new wife. Tish was hired to be John's personal assistant. This role evolved into a romantic relationship and John divorced Kate and married Tish. Tish is also a tall blonde beauty, twenty-five years younger than John. She is also only four years older than John's daughter Ashlyn. Kate may hate Tish, but Ashlyn seems to like her. Good news number three.
Everything looks rosy for John. However, Tish thinks John is losing interest in her and getting too chummy at work with Kate. Solution? Wisk John away from the celebration party for the IPO launch and head off to the Telluride ski lodge to rekindle their romance.
Two days later John is dead, cremated and the death certificate is issued. Was it natural causes or murder? Either way, Johns good news is over. The surface glittered but underneath turmoil roiled. Now we learn of the real struggles going on in Johns, Kates and Tish's lives.
Was Kate satisfied with her roll at the company? Did she think her and John's daughter Ashlyn was receiving enough attention? Was she angling to get John back or did she wish to punish him for his infidelity? Was she undermining Tish's role at the company? Did she want revenge on Tish?
Could Tish become a force at the company? Was she smart enough to wage war on Kate? Was Tish only interested in money? Who could help Tish? Did Tish have outside resources? Could she keep Ashlyn's trust?
As the Nelsons battle, we receive many clues and hints as to what is really going on - or do we? Hints and clues are not always true. Both wives are capable of unleashing devious diabolical plots against the other. How much damage will be done? Who will survive?
Eventually, the issues are resolved. I'm not sure that everyone will find the resolution to their liking. So many twists and turns need to be straightened out that they can seem ponderous. The story is not new but to me it is unusual. I cannot recall reading of two women involved in a life struggle who are neither one likeable.
Once again, Kaira Rouda has shown us that when we look at perfect people all we are seeing is what we want to see.

Tish Nelson thinks she has it all. A loving husband, millions of money, control of his multi million dollar company, and wedded bliss. Little does she know things are about to go south big time. Her husband John's first wife thought she had it all too until John left her for Tish. Making her a laughter stock in their company. Then John dies suddenly and the fight is on between the two wives for control of the company. Who will win?? 

This novel is amazingly diabolical!!!!!!!  I read this suspense thriller in one day and loved every juicy minute of it. This is in my opinion Kaira Rouda's best work yet. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Trust me you will love it too!!!!!!

The Next Wife was a bingeable thriller that met my basic wants but still felt a bit lacking.

I enjoyed the characters Rouda crafted. They were entertaining and made me feel as if I was watching a juicy, domestic drama. What prevented me from fully connecting with the story was the dialogue. It felt forced and unrealistic. It was repetitive at times which in some cases I could overlook. I can only imagine having similar thoughts in Ashlyn’s position. But something about it didn’t seem real almost as if the author didn’t try to connect with their own characters.

I did enjoy the twists and turns. It wasn’t until a page before the reveal that I figured out what had been going on. It made sense and the clues were there if a reader were to look for them.

Overall, it was a fun thriller perfect for summer but not something I’d recommend to friends.

I have seen a lot of harsh reviews for this one- the writing called elementary, the storyline predictable, no twists, unlikable characters.
While those readers are not wrong, I still found it entertaining.

No, there were no surprises, but I enjoyed reading it. It’s a light, fun, popcorn thriller. I kept picturing that Michael Jackson-eating-popcorn GIF as I watched the crazy unfold. 😂
________________________________

John & Kate were married 20 years and built a company from the ground up. John had an affair with his assistant, Tish and ended up marrying her.
Now they are all three working at the company and things are not going smoothly.....

Thank you so much Megan Beatie @mbc_books and #thomasandmercer for my gifted copies in return for an honest review!

Kaira Rouda had me hooked from the first page. With each chapter completed I kept racking my brain on who the puppet master was, I questioned myself A TON. I wish you all could have seen me because I was getting frustrated with myself and we all know what that means, the authors job was well done. I did have some suspicions that turned out to be true towards the middle!

Kate, the ex wife was the more reserved one throughout the story. Tish, the new "first wife" gave off creepy unlikeable vibes which wasn't surprising and I personally loved her!
Though the story at times had a slower pace I finished in 24 hours and loved every minute spent with this vindictive novel! You don't want to put it down. I can't wait to hear others thoughts on it when it's released. Mark your Goodreads & calendars!

To all my amazon first reads friends this is one of the April selections! Grab your free e-copy!

This is one of those thrillers that made me think of an intricate game of cat and mouse but in this case, it’s never quite clear who’s the cat and who’s the mouse until the very end.

The Next Wife is well-plotted and as twisty as they come. Kate and John have built a hugely successful company and have a seemingly perfect marriage but it’s only when Tish enters the picture that the fine cracks in their stressed relationship begin to show. John has no problem dumping Kate for Tish, who refers to herself as a newer model (Gag) but it doesn’t take long for him to become disenchanted with her. But don’t think she doesn’t notice ….

Secrets, Lies, Deception, Oh My! Everyone has a secret and nobody tells the truth, this is the heart and soul of this and every great thriller and, to me, the best part is getting to the how and why of every lie and secret – and when it all falls together perfectly? Ah, chefs kiss! I will say that Ms. Rouda made me work for it and I was still shocked at the ending but so absolutely satisfied! I feel like because I was enraged at some of the characters and their abhorrent behavior throughout most of the book that I chucked my moral code out the door at the end and said, good, y’all deserved it.

The Next Wife is extremely well-plotted, engagingly written and highly entertaining, perfect for any fan of psychological/domestic thrillers. My thanks to Megan Beatie Communications and Kaira Rouda for gifting me a copy of The Next Wife and Thomas & Mercer for the DRC.

I just love this Author. She can write no wrong.. Simply BRILLIANT. I highly recommend this unputdownable book. Run, do not walk, to get your hands on this!!!

After Reading The Favorite Daughter, I put this author on my radar and have been waiting patiently, well maybe not so patiently, for this book!!

It's a big day at EventCo when the company that John and Kate, his first wife, started many years ago goes public on the Stock Market. But Kate, and their only child Ashlyn, are seething because Tish, his 2nd and much younger wife, is trying to move into the spotlight.

John has been under a lot of stress with the company going public so Tish plans what was going to be a romantic getaway weekend. Another reason to take John away is that she is getting feelings that Kate and John might be having thoughts of reconciliation. But John never makes it home. Did he have a heart attack from all the stress or was it murder?

Now the 3 Nelson women are battling it out as to who has complete control over the company. Is it Tish, who they think is a gold digger? Or is it Kate, the first wife who helped built this company and wants revenge on how John humiliated her? Or is it Ashlyn, the only heir apparent, who has been spoiled from her birth 21 years ago?

This was a quick read because I just kept turning the pages to see what the outcome was going to be. The characters were believable. It was a read that transports the reader into the story.

I knew, or at least thought I thought I did, from that fateful day that John died, who was behind everything and fighting to get everything. WRONG!!!! And then the ending that blew me away!!!!

A chilling read that was gripping from the first page to the last.

The reason for not a full 5 stars was for 2 reasons. 1. I felt that some things were repetitive and 2. The ending left me with unanswered questions. Does that mean a sequel?

Either way, I will be once again in waiting mode for Ms. Rouda's next novel.

Posted to GR and Instagram on 03/27/21 Will post to blog on 05/05/21

First, I want to thank Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this wild one early. And what a wild ride it was! If I had to pick one word to describe this book it would be: savage. This was my first book by Kaira Rouda and definitely not my last.

Kate Nelson had it all: a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, and a successful company that she built with her husband. Until the new wife, Tish Nelson, took that from her. What happens next is something that neither of the women saw coming.

This was one twisty roller coaster from start to finish. The unexpected twist at the beginning and the very end had me completely shocked. Tish’s character was certifiably crazy and I found myself laughing at her several times during the book. There were a few parts that were slower, but it was definitely worth it. The Next Wife gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 from me!

Check out The Next Wife on its pub date 5/1!

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

What a juicy, fun thriller from one of my go-to thriller authors. The Next Wife tells the story of John (a successful businessman), Kate (his co-partner and first wife), Ashlyn (their daughter), and Tish (John’s second wife). The twisted game between them all explodes. Especially when Tish realizes she may have underestimated a few of her opponents.

Kaira Rouda can write the best diabolical characters and her dark humor always makes me laugh. I didn’t think she could top The Favorite Daughter, but The Next Wife is easily my favorite of her books. I was hooked from page one and couldn’t wait to see where Rouda took this story. You love some characters and you love to hate others. This is the perfect thriller to devour by the pool this summer.

Overall, The Next Wife is a darkly funny, twisty, and juicy summer thriller.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has it all - lies, secrets, betrayals, deception, and lots of revenge. The seemingly perfect Mr. and Mrs. Nelson seem to have it all. Lots of prestige, lots of wealth, lots of respect. But even the most seemingly perfect couple has their downfalls. Tish is the new and improved Mrs. Nelson. She is 20 years younger than his ex-wife Kate. Tish thinks she is smarter, and more beautiful that Kate, and thinks she has won after capturing Mr. Nelson's heart and hand in marriage. She is the newer version of the has-been, washed out Kate. But there is always that doubt, that jealousy, that lurks in the shadows, and Tish is determined to stay one step ahead of Kate. 

Tish is easy to get jealous, and can be vindictive, conniving, deceitful, and controlling. Afterall she tries to control everything that John does, whether it is talking to his ex-wife, spending time with his daughter Ashlyn, even what he does in the run of a day. What unfolds is a whirlwind of drama with plenty of shocking twists and turns that will shock you. 

I enjoyed how the novel was told from two parts. In Part I the story is told from both Tish's and John's perspectives. In Part II the story is then told from Tish's, Ashlyn's and Kate's perspectives. As we learn, it isn't only Tish that can be conniving, vengeful and spiteful. The others are quite capable of it as well, and so unfolds a delicious and addictive story full of revenge and I love it! 

This book had me hooked and I was unable to put this own down until I read the very last shocking page. A perfectly written book of a game of cat and mouse, where everyone is trying to one-up the other. With an ending that you will not see coming, you will devour this book!

You need to grab your copy of this book today, you will not be disappointed!

Great job Kaira. I am looking forward to your next amazing read!

As always 5 stars for Kiara Rouda! Her domestic thrillers are always spot on and fast paced! They hook you from page one, keeping you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
I love how real and Rouda messes with the readers minds. Making the characters people you love to hate.

Kate and John Nelson have built their company from the ground up. John’s midlife crisis finds him in the arms of Tish.
After celebrating a milestone with the company, Tish decides her and John need a special vacation rekindling their romance. Unfortunately, John doesn’t want to be there at all and Tish knows it.
John ends up dead and the wives go at seeking revenge with each other.

The ending was somewhat predictable but it certainly didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.
Very highly recommend- out May 1st!!!

Thanks to GetRedPr, Thomas Mercer Publishers and NetGalley for my advanced ebook copy.

Kaira Rouda has a gift for writing characters we love…to hate. Dark and devious, THE NEXT WIFE is a fast-paced, twisty thriller that will have you laughing, shaking your head, and gasping out loud right until the end. A perfect one-sitting read.

THE NEXT WIFE - KAIRA ROUDA 5/5 ⭐️

Tish has everything she has ever wanted: tons of money, a beautiful home, and a loving husband, who married her after a workplace affair that occurred right in front of his wife at the time. Now Tish is working alongside the ex couple, celebrating a huge launch for the company. Tish then decides the perfect thing for her husband is a relaxing vacation... in which she is the only one to return from.

All eyes turn to Tish for answers as she tries to maneuver her con artist lifestyle and pull a fast one in everyone. Unfortunately for Tish, not everyone is as dumb as she thinks. In fact, there might be one woman who is much more smart and sneaky.

A very fast paced and thrilling ride, if you love to hate characters, boy does Rouda have the duo for you. 👀 All characters involved are hilariously f*ed up- and that is putting it nicely. Tish is so exceptionally delusional, I found myself truly shocked at how manipulative her brain was. Kaira Rouda has a true talent for writing, making each character you meet worse than the last.

Thank you so much to Kaira Rouda & Megan Beatie for my advanced copy of this brilliant book- it is very highly recommended!!

ON SALE MAY 1, 2021

This is a book that can be read in one sitting. These characters will stay with me for awhile. My jaw is still on the floor because of that ending

What an absolute thrill ride. From page one The Next Wife pulls you in. No time to put your seat belt on, because you go from 0 to 60 within seconds.

The Next Wife contains the type of characters that have you making actual noises, and left me scoffing and wanting to just slap the hell out of them. The Next Wife is deliciously deceiving with clever plot twists that kept me turning pages late into the night.

This book is a great reminder that everyone has a secret, no matter who they are or where they're from. Kaira Rouda is a master at creating drama, deception, and its so good you just want more. With an explosive ending that left me reeling, and still left not knowing who the real villain was, I will be thinking about this book for a long time!