I love a good psychological thriller and this one didn’t disappoint! This was a book that kept my mind working really hard to pick out all the pieces and try to arrange them in ways I thought the plot would go. I really loved all of the details big and small in this book!

There was a lot of gaslighting in this book. Sometimes it was a bit much but I get why it was included into the story line. There were times I was yelling at Elisa out of frustration and other times I was urging her on and to not let anyone knock her down. It’s safe to say this book brought out all the feelings!

The ending was definitely a twist and I guessed a little bit of it but not all. Definitely worth reading if you want to give your mind a big challenge!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for a eARC of this book for me to review!

Some of the oddities of language I noticed in this authors earlier works have gone away, which makes it a much smoother read. The chapters are also really short, which is a double edged sword - "just one more chapter" can turn into "how did I finish that book so fast? Oh man, it's 2 am!?!?" really quickly.

This is the story of Elisa, who comes to suspect her brother in law of murdering multiple girlfriends/fiancee/wives. Every time another one popped up, I found myself snickering with glee. I know that's a weird reaction, but it was so over the top... I couldn't help myself.

The amount of gaslighting in this book (including drugging the main character!) is astounding, and a little disturbing. If the story had ended with Elisa telling her husband she was going to peace out and find a new family, she would have been 100% justified.

The story was pretty predictable, but there were enough twists and turns to keep the story interesting. 3.5 stars, knocked down to 3 stars because of the extensive gaslighting.

Elisa Wright loves her family but the recent disappearance of her friend who happens to be the fiancée of her brother-in-law has her unable to overlook her brother-in-laws past any longer. She's certain that foul play is involved and is determined to get to the bottom if it. Loved the final twist at the end.

A domestic suspense novel that asks, how many wives and girlfriends should disappear before your family notices?

Well how about that tag line? Reading that definitely made me want to read The Replacement Wife by Darby Kane. Reading it drew me in quickly. It was creepy almost and I couldn't put it down! Towards the middle it dragged a bit and felt repetitive but I still enjoyed the suspense that this brought. The characters were pretty unlikeable, and at times, annoying as all get out, but for some reason, I seem to enjoy those types of books! Anyways, grab this book up and prepare for a crazy ride!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced readers copy of The Replacement Wife in exchange for my review.

domestic thriller that is fast-paced, suspenseful, and will keep you on your toes and keep the pages turning.

I haven't read Pretty Little Wife, but after reading the replacement Wife I will be adding it to my TBR! Loved this story and it kept me guessing.

Captured my attention and engagement. A great mystery to sink your teeth into. Looking forward to more Darby Kane novels.

I loved this book!! I read it in one sitting! I loved the characters, the lies, the gaslighting, all of it! I know this one didn't get as good reviews as I thought it would, but I loved it. It was my second book by Darby Kane and it won't be my last!

The main character, Elisa, is unreliable and I was unsure if the author was making her unstable to confuse the reader. Every other character was completely unlikeable including her husband, who seemed to disregard every one of her suspicions of his brother. Very frustrating book.

Strange occurrences start happening as Elisa questions and investigates the disappearance of her friend, who is also her brother-in-law's fiancé, that make Elisa and those around her question her own mental health and state of mind.

I am really enjoying Darby Kane's books! As with other thriller novels, sometimes the characters can be frustrating with the decisions they make but I think that also plays into the suspense of it all. The Replacement Wife is a very engaging and twisty read!

This was an entertaining read, although I found the characters pretty unlikeable. I have to say, I really enjoyed Pretty Little Wife, and this just didn't measure up. The plot was a bit too "put there" and unbelievable for me.

I was a fan of Darby Lane’s debut novel, Pretty Little Wife so I was excited to read this book. The Replacement Wife is a typical domestic thriller. If you like books with an unreliable narrator, this one is for you. You never know who is being truthful or who is playing who. There were several twists and turns but nothing groundbreaking for this genre. I would recommend it for fans of Tarryn Fisher or for those who enjoyed Kane’s first book.

Elisa Wright thinks her brother-in-law Josh may be a killer. One wife died and his fiancée disappeared several months ago, yet he quickly found another girlfriend. Elisa is worried about the welfare of her friend, the missing fiancée and she searches for clues about the death and disappearance. Elisa hasn’t recovered totally from a traumatic incident in her own life that occurred a year before when she survived the shooting of a work colleague. She questions her sanity when she is challenged by the manipulative Josh, his girlfriend, and even her own husband. There are many twists and turns, but the characters are unlikeable and the plot is somewhat unbelievable.

The Replacement Wife by Darby Kane is about a woman who is sure her brother in law is a murderer. Elisa has always been pretty close with Josh, her younger brother in law. He is a widower and now his fiancée has been missing for several months. Elisa was friends with his fiancée, Abby. She feels like Josh moved on way too quickly with a new girlfriend. It seems like he didn’t even try to look for Abby. In fact, Elisa is the one who reported her missing. Josh didn’t even bother to do that. Elisa decides to investigate the disappearance and Josh.
Elisa seems to be an unreliable narrator. Her husband thinks she is crazy and doesn’t support her. I found this to be a bit annoying. There were many twists and turns along the way. I was pretty sure what was going on but did not guess it exactly. Overall, this was a decent book but a little too long. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #WilliamMorrow #HarperCollings for the ARC of The Replacement Wife.
I would give this 3.5 stars, but the rating system doesn't allow for 1/2 stars!
This thriller by Darby Kane puts Elisa in the center of a struggle between her husband, Harris, and his brother, Josh. Elisa starts being concerned about Josh when his fiancee and Elisa's friend, Abby, disappears without a trace. This is after Josh's wife, Candace, died "in an accident". Elisa starts investigating Josh's life, as she is suspicious of his explanations. Then, Josh brings home a new girlfriend. Then, odd things start making Harris question Elisa's sanity.
I enjoyed this book in some ways, but in other ways, I couldn't believe the situation. Some of it seemed a bit extraordinary and unbelievable. It aggravated me that Harris was willing to side with Josh vs. Elisa. I did like the final chapter, I felt that was a good ending.

Another suspenseful thriller from the fab author Darby Kane. The Replacement Wife is nonstop entertainment from the very first page. You’ll be dying to know what will happen next.

Wow! That ending! This was a twisty ride. Even though it seems like you know exactly where the book is going, there are a lot of twist along the way that keep you guessing what is really going on. This book was great! This is the second book by Kane that I have absolutely loved and she is definitely on my must read list. I can’t say too much about the book without spoilers but this is a great domestic thriller. If you enjoy the genre at all you need to read this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Once again, I found myself being on the polar opposite of the majority. I was so entertained by this one. I'm not sure if it was Elisa and her mind chaos or the audible which was fantastic!

Elisa Wright is a mother and a wife. Something horrible happened to her about a year ago and she is plagued by PTSD and anxiety attacks. She doesn't like to leave a certain radius around her home because she can get a panic attack. Elisa is also a good sister-in-law to Josh. Josh has been unlucky in love. His wife died and his fiancee, Abby, disappeared. Elisa likes to do nice things for him. She cares for him like a brother. She goes to his home to set up a cleaning appointment when she finds Abby's computer. In it, she finds incriminating information about Josh.

How to prove Josh is a serial killer when your mind can be playing tricks on you and paranoia can be part of your looming soon-to-happen breakdown?

Not easy to make it simple. Especially when your husband who is a vet (one positive on Harris) loves his brother Josh dearly and will never believe he has done anything wrong.

Then, Josh is dating a new woman, Rachel, who seems friendly enough. Elisa starts fearing for her life. She doesn't want another woman to succumb to his claws because no one is stopping Josh. Elisa knows she must prove beyond a reason of a doubt what monster he really is. Yet, she is plagued by doubts. Is he gaslighting her? and who is the red hair woman she sees everywhere?

I enjoyed the ride and despite thinking that Elisa should have done some things differently, like changing the locks in her home, I went with the flow.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by William Morrow Paperbacks via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely an interesting concept. Loved Darby's first book and this one was very similar in terms of twists and storyline. I love the way Kane weaves her tale and gives us bits and pieces throughout that lead to the turn at the end. I'm always trying to figure out what is happening and Kane likes to give us clues while also leaving unrealiable hints throughout. I enjoy her characters and will definitely read more from her in the future.

My favorite domestic suspense read of 2021—my favorite since last year's "Pretty Little Wife" by the author.

The least you know going into this story about a wife and mother who believes her brother-in-law is a killer and is dealing with her own demons, the better. It will keep you guessing and gluuuued to the page.

What a great ending—to the book, and to 2021.

Highly recommend, especially to fans of Peter Swanson's "Before She Knew Him."