This is my first audiobook review, and I must say I enjoyed it. I also read the ebook version, so I was really fully immersed in the story. Mrs. Wiggins was narrated by Shari Peele, and she really brought the book to life for me. She has a beautiful, smooth voice with great inflection. Her reading provided the proper tone and texture. The reading deserves 5 out of 5 stars.

Following is my review of the book itself:

Mary Monroe blends impeccable characterization with an intriguing plot for an impressive product. The characters are very well-developed but not entirely likable. The story develops a little slowly, but soon takes off like a rocket. Monroe utilizes the southern Depression-era scenery and lifestyle to her advantage. Mrs. Wiggins is a more than good read; I give it 4 out of 5 stars, deducting one star for the initial pace, and recommend it to fans of historical fiction.

Maggie Wiggins grew up in the south with Jim Crow laws and few choices. When her friend Hubert approaches Maggie with a plan to marry in order to hide his homosexuality Maggie decides to go along with the plan. Maggie and Hubert devise a way for her to get pregnant, and things seem to be going well for awhile, until her son falls for a horrible lying cheating woman that Maggie cannot stand. Maggie's life is challenging, as it was for so many, and Maggie eventually decides to take matters into her own hands, but eventually she must face the consequences of her actions.

Although it started out slowly, the more I read, the more I wanted to read. This book is a unique combination of historical fiction and thriller, and it will keep you turning pages until the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review an advance reader copy of this book.

When long time childhood friends Maggie Franklin and Hubert Wiggins tie the knot at age 17, it was for reasons other than being head over heels in love with each other. Maggie came from a not so acceptable set of parents, her mother having been a prostitute and her father an alcoholic, both having grown up in the colored orphanage. She was also molested as a child on more than one occasion. Hubert, a very eligible catch, whom she'd known since they were kids  and the son of a preacher, they decided it was the perfect match. Hubert had his own secret that he desperately needed to keep tucked away and Maggie was more than willing to help with that. A few years later the happy couple give birth to a baby boy, Claude, their pride and joy. They live their lives in everyone's envy with the perfect son. Years have gone by and Claude has a big announcement to make. He's engaged to be married to Daisy. This is cause for celebration, right? However, after meeting Daisy and trying to get to know her, something just doesn't sit well with Maggie. She's just not comfortable with this union and is determined not to allow Daisy to continue to take advantage of and destroy her precious sons life. To make matters worse, she is sexually assaulted by her employers drunken brother. Maggie decides something has got to be done about these venomous people and proceeds to take matters into her own hands. As Maggie takes out the trash, more obstacles are thrown her way and the last person she ever expected to cause her harm threatens all that she's worked so hard to achieve, Maggie is left to decide how far she will go to keep her happiness and her world in order.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. This was a pretty good book and ended up turning into something I definitely didn't expect. Dealing with racism, domestic violence, dealing with the great depression in the south, sexual abuse as well as sexual preference, the book certainly touched on a lot of issues and in my opinion did a pretty great job in doing so. This was an audio ARC and I felt that the narrator Shari Peele did a marvelous job in portraying Maggie, as she tells the story through her perspective. I really felt for Maggie and her constant struggles. I have only read a handful of historical fiction books and I'm glad I picked this one up. I rate this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Maggie grew up with a alcoholic father and a mother who was a prostitute deep in Alabama. She's dreams of escaping. Finding comfort in a marriage with a friend she's known long enough she jumps in fast. But Hubert is not all that he once seemed. After giving birth to her son she accepts her fate until another women comes into their lives and she must choose to live with this or move on alone. A slow build and if recommend no distractions whole reading this!

Thank you Netgalley for the audio copy in exchange for a honest review. When Maggie marries Hubert Wiggins they both have secrets. Maggie has baby Claude and they become a respectable family. When Claude falls in love with an older woman with a bad reputation Maggie takes drastic action to ensure her son's happiness. Other obstacles crop up that Maggie deals with her own way. Then Hubert's secret threaten their happiness and Maggie's actions go devastatingly wrong..

Fabulous read and loved the narrator. Would definitely recommend for others who want to know more about the depression era from a different perspective than what is usually in the history books

This was a great read. I featured it as Book of the Day on all my social media platforms, and I’ll include it in my monthly roundup of news releases for my Black Fiction Addiction blog.

Y’all, I don’t like to give negative reviews. I believe that every book has something redeemable in it. Each author puts their heart into it. Their blood, their sweat, their tears. And for that reason I’m giving this book three stars. Mrs. Wiggins by Mary Monroe is about a young couple who marry out of convenience. Both have secrets to hide and they hide them together. As the years progress they make a life for themselves. But then things start to spiral out of control and Mrs. Wiggins decides she must take matters into her own hands. I kept waiting for life to catch up to her. For something to happen. And what finally did happen I saw coming. Just not my favorite. I enjoyed the historical information that was portrayed. And the story line had great possibilities. But it fell flat for me. Thanks to #NetGalley for the chance to listen to this audiobook. All opinions are my own. #bookstagram #all_the_pages

Mrs. Wiggins was a story that was totally unexpected. I enjoyed getting to know Maggie (Franklin) Wiggins. I am not going to say anything else about the story beyond what is revealed in the synopsis as I do not want to ruin this story for anyone. Mrs. Wiggins was a character driven story that included rich and vibrant characters, There was a lot of racism in the way Maggie and Hubert were treated, even some sexual harassment, as Maggie was the daughter of a prostitute. The secrets that Maggie and Hubert are keeping have the possibility to destroy many lives, but they keep them through the whole story. I will say that there were times that I found this story very slow. Maggie is the narrator and it told from her point of view. It is interesting to see what she thinks others are thinking and feeling. I had no idea where this story was going, so was in for a surprise.

More than anything else, this is a story of secrets, taking control of your life, and determining how far you will go for your children and your image of a perfect life. The book touches on many themes such as: sexual abuse and preferences, domestic violence, racism, the effects of The Depression, and social tensions. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Shari Peele. She has the perfect voice for Maggie Wiggins. I thought we were sitting together and she was sharing her story with me. Using expression, tone, inflection and pacing, she performs this story flawlessly giving distinct voices for each character. Highly enjoyable.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Wow did NOT see that coming! like wow. omfg. .loved it lol will recommend

3.5 Stars
I am still not sure what I think of this book. I liked the character development. I enjoyed the beginning, the middle was a little slow and then it picked back up. Some of the twists and turns were a little predictable.

Maggie Franklin grew up with an alcoholic father and a prostitute mother. She was abused as a child and made fun of. Hubert Wiggins is a son of a preacher and Maggie's best friend.
Maggie and Hubert decided the best thing for them both to do is to get married to each other. Hubert is carrying a secret he desperately has to keep quiet. Maggie and Hubert soon become the town "perfect" couple completed with their son Claude. Life was great for Maggie, she had a great job and thought everything was going well until her son fell in love with Daisy. Maggie struggles with the relationship and refuses to let this woman take her son away from her. She decides to take matters into her own hands.

When I started this book I thought it was about an unconventional relationship. Little did I know the twists and turns that it would take. I listened to the audio version and felt like the narrator did a great job telling the story of Mrs. Wiggins. Overall I enjoyed the book.

Wow! I was blown away!!! Firstly, the narrator was excellent. Secondly, the story was amazing. I was at the edge of my seat the entire time and could not stop listening.
I don't think I have read a book that was this high stakes in a very long time. The main character Maggie is someone you root for the entire time, even though a lot of her life choices are questionable. Her heart is always in the right place, which makes her very relatable. This book has many life lessons to teach. I highly recommend this historical fiction. It was well written, fast-paced, and was character-driven.



Possible spoiler.



I have so much love for this story, even though the ending caught me completely off guard. I can't tell if I am sad or mad about it. I will leave it at that.
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me the audiobook.

Mrs. Wiggins is so determined that she will have a decent life that she would do anything. She started her marriage and new life with a lie.

The narration was very good, it suited the story, and it was easy to listen to. The story and narration got me hooked from the start, and I enjoyed this audiobook from start to finish. My only remark is that I felt that the narrator could use a different, distinctive voice for Miss Dowler.

Mrs. Wiggins is my first Mary Monroe book. Books I usually read are considerably different, but I must say I enjoyed this anyway. And for me, this story was better in an audiobook format.

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this! All opinions are my own.

Mrs. Wiggins by Mary Monroe is the story of a black family from the 1940s living in the very racist South. It can only have been inspired by Edgar Allen Poe. I just finished the book, and I am stunned. What did I just read? Oh my goodness, I did not see that coming!

Synopsis:
Maggie Franklin is a black woman who was molested as a child. Traumatized by her past, she doesn’t want to ever be intimate with a man again. Maggie is mercilessly teased because her mother is a reformed prostitute, and her father is a deadbeat drunk. She is destined to be miserable and wants nothing more than to lead a respectable life.

Hubert Wiggins is her childhood best friend. He is a gay black man doomed to closely guard this secret and never have a family of his own. He comes from an upstanding family. His father is a well-respected preacher, and his uncle owns the local funeral home. He proposes marriage to Maggie so that they can have a family and hide both of their secrets.

Story Review:
For the longest time, I thought this was a book about an unconventional marriage, family secrets, and building something beautiful in spite of societal conventions. Boy, was I wrong! In Mrs. Wiggins, secrets take on a life of their own in so many twisted ways.

I love stories told in first person. This book takes some of the weaknesses of this method and turns them into powerful tools. I can’t say more without revealing spoilers. Wow, just wow!

I highly recommend Mrs. Wiggins to anyone who loves Edgar Allen Poe and books with twists and turns. The beginning of this book is intriguing and reminded me of The Help. The second half of the book adds a healthy dose of The Apothecary. The last hour of the audiobook is downright amazing and completely blew my mind!

Narration Review:
Shari Peele narrates Mrs. Wiggins. She did a great job. I was so into the story that I didn’t even notice the narrator. She disappeared, and I was completely engrossed in the story. This is the truest sign of a fantastic narrator!

Sensitivity Warnings:
Mrs. Wiggins contains descriptions of rape, sexual assault of a child, murder, and self-harm. The racism depicted in this book is true to the time period and absolutely infuriating to a modern reader.

Reading Recommendation:
If you liked Mrs. Wiggins, you should definitely check out The Apothecary. It is about a poison apothecary from the 1700s who gives women a means of escape when they are stuck in bad marriages.

Source:
I received a free copy of Mrs. Wiggins at my request in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media and Recorded Books for this ALC in return for my honest review.

Unpopular opinion - I could see how the story could be interesting but unfortunately, the narrator wasn’t for me. A lot of the time the narration felt like one long sentence that it lost the emotion of it for me. It was also hard to relate to the characters because of the narration. It would have probably been better in a book format for me.

This received many positive reviews, it just wasn’t for me.

I want to thank the author and Netgalley for gifting me the audio version. I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and the story was engaging. I will say there is some sensitive subject matters such as rape. I loved the narrator. She did a wonderful job!

I have only read a few of Mary Monroe's books before, but I don't think any of them ever had me like WHAT?
This one did!
Maggie and Hubert started their relationship on a lie, and that never ends well. Maggie will stop a nothing to protect family and friends from getting hurt. This book had me really liking Maggie and disliking her at the same
time. The things she does to help friends and to keep her secret a secret is just crazy! This would make a good movie.

I rarely read "cosy" books. I'm more of a dark-dysfunctional-family-with-skeletons kinda' reader, so I was skeptical when I picked up Mrs Wiggins.

We meet Maggie Franklin in the year 1917 - a Southern girl who struggled through her formative years to carve out a respectful place for herself amongst her community by marrying The Right Man.

The book follows her through various challenges all the way through to the Great Depression where we realise - Maggie is willing to do more than lie about her 'perfect' marriage to Hubert.

The first half of this book was excellent and I really enjoyed getting to know Maggie. Aspects of her story reminded me of The Color Purple as Maggie is a-sexual and married to a gay man, and she suffers horrific abuse at different times of her life. But the second half of the book is where it really took off for me.

Appearances are deceiving. Not only did Maggie manage to portray a perfect facade to her friends and family, the author of this book managed to pull the wool over this reader's eyes too.. I never dreamed of what Maggie would be capable of to protect her standard of life, and I was left gasping for air at the twists and turns.

Being an avid mystery reader I thought I had it all figured out, but the delicious twists just kept coming! I ended up shouting at my headphones more than once I was so enthralled!

The pacing on this one was perfect, as was the delivery. Shari Peele provided pitch-perfect narration and I felt completely immersed in the vivid family drama.

Make no mistake, this is not your typical cosy historical fiction. It is darkly funny, incredibly moving and deepy satisfying. I can't recommend it highly enough to anyone wanting a book that challenges them.

Trigger warnings for rape, sexual assault of a minor, domestic violence, death and murder.

*trigger warnings for rape, child molestation, domestic violence, racism, homophobia, and murder

I received an audio ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

As the daughter of a former prostitute and the town drunk, Maggie is able to move up socially by marrying her friend Hubert, son of a preacher. Hubert has his own reasons for marrying Maggie, a secret she is willing to help hide. The two dote on their son Claude, but when he falls in love with the wrong woman, Maggie decides to take matters into her own hands. Once she has dealt with that problem, Maggie begins to fix other problems in her life. Every time she thinks she has the perfect life, something else pops up.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. If the second half had continued on that way, I probably would have given it 5 stars. The second half of the book became predictable and unconvincing. <i>Mrs. Higgins</i> is set in the same town as soon of Mary Monroe's other books but can easily be read as a standalone. Shari Peele did a wonderful job narrating the audiobook.

I am still not so sure what to think and say about this book except the fact that I did enjoy it.

It was a character driven novel, and a likable one at that. Mrs Wiggins is a black lady in Alabama in the time of segregation and reading (listening) to what she went through and what she had to do was a blast.

Mrs Wiggins was beautifully narrated by Shari Peele and her reading gave just the right amount of character to Mrs Wiggins and just the right amount of drama to the story.

I was rooting for Maggie the whole time. The lady knew what she wanted and she went for it. I was really sad with the tragic ending, but overall it was an easy read.