Kristin Miller’s new thriller, The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives, surprises us with the brains behind the beauty of these trophy wives based in a wealthy enclave of San Francisco. And the twists the story delivers are legit surprises! Who will love this book? Any reader who needs a break from “serious” fiction, any reader who wants to escape into the land of “wouldn’t that be nice to be that rich” for an afternoon, and any reader who secretly suspects that rich people are not really all that happy behind their fabulous facades. Who won’t love this book? Most men, lol, as they are portrayed as controlling, philandering, and just plain cruel in many – but not all - circumstances.

I loved that the three main protagonists - Georgia, Erin, and Brooke - are introduced very stereotypically as superficial women, but their cleverness is slowly revealed. They are shown to be conniving in their own unique ways, working to protect their best interests.

The bread and butter of a thriller are the twists within the book – are they predictable, expected, one-dimensional? I’m happy to report that these twists were none of the above! There were layers of surprises and they were NOT easy to predict or guess as an experienced thriller reader! The book moves along at a good clip and a majority of the time, the story portrays the women as smart, not ding-y lol.

Having lived in the San Francisco area, it was a lot of fun to read a book based there, although more details could have been written to cement the sense and story of “The City” (as we called it), and its sub-culture of wealth that this story exists in. I also would have liked the book to have one or two male characters with some, well, character, to balance things out. I had a few other plot quibbles, but won’t disclose those to keep this review spoiler-free.

Overall, a very enjoyable read! Thank you to #netgalley for sharing an advance copy of #TheSinfulLivesOfTrophyWives!

I really enjoyed this book. It was quite a page turner. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Having never watched an episode of “Real Housewives,” I questioned my motivation for reading this novel as I started the first few chapters. The storyline reads like a daytime soap opera with all the stereotypes of the one per cent living in Presidio Terrace, an exclusive San Francisco community. However, once I got past my hesitation, I found myself fully engaged in a fast-paced suspense novel, which exceeded my expectations.

The story focuses on three women, all neighbors in the above-mentioned community. Twice-widowed, Georgia is rumored to be a “Black Widow” who killed her husbands for their money. Now engaged to yet another wealthy man, her impending marriage is raising new suspicions as her betrothed goes missing the night of their pre-nuptial party. Erin is a successful newscaster who is facing the possibility of her plastic surgeon husband’s infidelity while her career is on shaky ground. Brooke, a murder mystery writer, is new to the neighborhood and, while a bit leery of her neighbors, is fascinated by the two and their complicated relationships.

The character development is well-drawn, if a bit clichéd. Once Georgia’s fiancé goes missing the tension picks up and I could not put the book down until I finished it. The storyline has several unexpected twists that kept me riveted and the conclusion is satisfying in a way that matches the overall tone of the book. If there is any lesson from this story it’s “money can’t buy happiness (nor class).” The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives is a sinfully good read.

My thanks to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing a digital ARC in exchange for an independent, honest review.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

I had my eye on this book for a while and I was thrilled to receive an ARC of it from Netgalley 2 days ago. I devoured it in one sitting! The book follows the lives of Georgia, "The Black Widow" who earned the moniker after the mysterious deaths of her first and second husbands, Erin, a reporter who walks out of her job to become a stay-at-home trophy wife in the hopes of winning back her distant husband, and Brooke, a mystery writer and the new kid on the block.

Each woman is hiding lethal secrets that entwine their lives together, which seem to come together neatly as the story progresses. I have to admit that I didn't see some of the twists and turns coming!

Real housewives meets murder mystery? Sign me up.

This story follows three wives who live on Presidio Terrace, a San Fransisco community for the rich and the famous. Georgia has had a few run ins with deaths, specifically, her ex-husbands' and now she’s about to marry the new love of her life when tragedy strikes. Erin is her best friend and the President of the HOA. She’s no stranger to gossip and isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind. Brooke is the new girl in the neighborhood who seems a little too perfect... Georgia, Erin and Brooke will have their friendships, relationships and loyalty tested. Who will have their backs and who will betray them?

Let’s meet the girls a little more:

Georgia St Claire: Known as the black widow to the public. Married two rich men before who both conveniently died leaving her millions. Now she’s really struck gold and met the love of her life. While she’s never been convicted of any wrongdoing in her previous husbands’ deaths, the public has made it pretty clear how they feel.

Erin King: President of the HOA she’s all about rules and making sure others are following them. You don’t want to get on her bad side. She’s also the anchor at the local news station. She’s a hard worker, devoted wife, loyal friend... Too bad her husband doesn’t appreciate her enough. If only she could be the stay-at-home trophy wife...

Brooke Davies: New girl in town. Married the love of her life, older tech guy. She’s Mrs. perfect. Everything that Erin wishes she could be. She’s also a murder mystery writer with a dark mysterious past.... She can’t help but JUMP at the opportunity to befriend THE black widow. The book practically writes itself.

I can’t express how much I LOVED this book. BIG BIG BIG Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and Kristin Miller for an ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

What a deliciously, over- the-top, scandalous, page turner! Meet the trophy wives of Presidio Terrace: Georgia, Erin and Brooke. Georgia, also known as the Black Widow, who has two dead husbands and is about to get married for the third time. Erin, head of the HOA and experiencing some problems in her own marriage. Brooke, the newest arrival to the neighborhood and a mystery writer, who gets pulled in quickly to the inner secrets of Erin and Georgia. With twists you won’t expect, this kitschy, reminiscent of an 80s soap opera drama, would make the perfect summer beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kristin Miller and Ballantine Books, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is this Summer's perfect Beach read! I absolutely loved it, and had twists and turns and glamor and drama! Did the book make me think a whole lot? No.. but that's not always a bad thing. So if you're looking for a light-hearted thriller/mystery you should definitely pick this book up!

For me this was just an okay read. There was enough mystery and suspense to keep me reading but not enough to get me excited. The characters were all quite despicable and unlikable. I did not like the twist at the end even though it was an interesting twist.

This was a fun easy summer beach read but I found the characters to be a little too “Real Housewives” for my taste. There was an interesting mystery and twist but my lack of sympathy for any of the characters left me cold.

I was so excited to read this book and it just didn’t have enough oomf for me I just wasn’t interested in it at all and really struggled to get through it.

This was like a mix of Danielle Steel and Dynasty, rolled into one! This book was so much fun! Full of gossip, perfection, self-absorbed, conniving and plastic lol. I love love loved it! Even had some great twists and a great ending. Definitely a guilty pleasure!

I thought this book was super cute and twisty. Never knew I would be able to use those two words to describe a thriller, but I am!

I thought it was super cute because the house wives were so intriguing. One is obsessed with her looks and vanity, which I thought was relatable. One is a young woman married to an older man, which is always juicy. And one is labeled the "Black Widow" because her husbands keep dying. I felt like I was reading a drama!

And surprisingly, this book had a lot of twists! I didn't expect such a fun book to "trick" me so much, but it did. There were at least three twists that had me shocked!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a thriller, a beach read, or something in between.

Thank you so much for granting my wish!

Wow, what a sick and twisted gem of a book this was. There is something so intriguing about powerful women with a dark side and I will forever be attracted to this type of plot. I LOVED the drama in this book that hit you from all angles.

The story was told beautifully wrapped up so tidyily.

How can I move in to their neighborhood? :)

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

3.25 – 3.5 STARS

Welcome to Presidio Terrace, where the players are all trophy wives and murder is the name of the game. Boasting a soap opera-type vibe, the story is told from the point of view of the three main protagonists—Georgia, Erin and Brooke. Despite the over-the-top melodrama and less than likeably characters, the story pulled me in right from the start, and I continued to hang on right up until the very end. I can’t say that I loved everything about this dark-humored, overly contrived murder mystery, but it was definitely an entertaining departure from my usual reading fare. If you are looking for something just a little bit outside the typical box, then “The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives” might just fit the bill.

This was a delightfully sinful thriller focusing on the relationships between 3 trophy wives. They live it up in the lap of luxury and the character dynamics were quite interesting. Some of the plot was a bit questionable at times, but I was willing to let it go in the spirit of outrageousness. If you're looking for a short suburban suspense with a light amount of thrills, this is for you.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I thought this book was pretty fun. There were moments that felt "clunky" but in general, it was a fun, intriguing mystery with characters who all had their own secrets. At times some of the reveals felt like you were getting some really great gossip from a friend. This was a quick read that feels perfect for poolside.

This was a fun book! It was a quick and easy read, that I finished within a day.

The sinful lives of trophy wives is told from alternating points of view from Brooke, the new girl in the neighborhood, Erin the type A anchorwoman and Georgia, the Black Widow about to marry her third husband. Everyone believes Georgia killed her previous two husbands who died of an accident (husband #1) and suicide (husband #2).

It was really hard to put down once you got into it. The characters are pretty awful but then again they are the rich elite "trophy wives" and super rich husbands. In fact, I wouldn't want to be shackled to any of the men in this story. The story certainly had me guessing until the end. My one gripe is the believability is very low. The epilogue doesn't really make sense and the whole story is beyond far-fetched. That being said, its easy to overlook because the story is so fun. Escapism fiction at its best!

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives is a thriller that will have you guessing until the end!

Brooke is the newest trophy wife in a prestigious neighborhood. She quickly makes friends with her neighbors Erin and Georgia. People suspect that Georgia, known as the “black widow,” murdered her previous two husbands for their fortunes. Erin is a famous news anchor who starts to question her life and choice of work. Will a tragedy bring these women together or tear them apart? How well do you really know your neighbors?

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives is a fun thriller that’s easy to read. You will have trouble putting this one down!

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives by Kristin Miller is just as shallow as the title suggests. I could not get into this book at all. Sorry, but a no-read for me.