I was very intrigued by the title of the book and that's why I picked this one. The book was interesting but all the characters in the book were so annoying and whiny that it just made me hate the whole story. The actual twist and the ending was brilliant and it was the best part of the book for me.

I for one can't tolerate cheaters. So once that started, it made me lose interest in the plot. The main character was Callie who married James 3 years ago. James lost his wife and has 2 children. Callie has now become a step mom to 2 boys, Dillion and Luke. James and Callie had a 10 year age gap and were not accepted by all, especially his children.

The book opens with the Callie's confession of a murder and the whole book is actually her narrating about what lead to it. Callie was a destructive person who started drowning in the lies she concocted. The whole book was a downward spiral. It was entertaining to read but it was not gripping through out. If you want a crazy thriller to read, you can check this out.

This wasn't my favourite book unfortunately. I struggled with the characters a bit and they tended to just frustrate me rather than interst me in any way shape or form. In saying that, there are plenty positives about this book! I felt it wad slower than what I personally prefer but it definitely had an overall eerie feel to it and kept the tension ramping up throughout. I liked that it was centred on mental health and the struggles of becoming a step parent and the scenarios were ones which seemed true to life and you really could relate to. There's also a twist in there are two, although you'll probably figure them out before they happen! It's well written from the 2 time lines and never gets confusing or blurry and it all comes together at the end for the big reveal

Callie falls in love with James and they get married. James first wife died and he has two children. Luke and Dillon. She is very happy to be a stepmom to the boy. Dillon is making it so hard for her and gets his brother Luke to do things. They do not want her in their house they tell lies to dad James. Callie does not like burdening James as he has a photography business and works long hours. and she thinks he having an affair with Tabitha his assistant. then one day Dillon invites his best friend over and things change. When Callie meets Dillon's best friend Rhys and the two embark on an affair...

The plot and twist make this book a thrilling read. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend to other.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for an honest opinion.

I found this a difficult read, I failed to empathise with any of the characters and I found myself giving up before I got halfway, it just felt like an old story that had been rehashed. It wasn’t for me at all

Got a third of the way into this , it was feeling very similar to something I had read before , sure enough when I checked it had been previously published in 2014 .
A good read as I remember but not a new book and didn't finish

The lion wife was a decent psychological / domestic thriller. The author did a great job with the characters, they are complex yet very believable. Callie, the main character tells the reader right off the bat that she is the murderer and throughout the book you have to figure out who she murdered and why. While I don't agree with some of the things Kelly did she made a very interesting character. The only thing that I would say was a bit of a negative is I found the ending / twist in the book a little far-fetched. But overall it was a good and quick read. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this Arc.

This book was pretty good. It starts off with her confessing she is a murderer and we then find out the whole story behind her statement, waiting to see who she kills. The main problem I had with the book, is her motivation for the final act doesn't feel believable

While this is not the most original of plot lines, it is skilfully executed by Croft in a tale of lies, murder and deception.

Despite her best efforts, Callie simply cannot connect with her stepsons, who are determined to get her out of their lives. Thus starts a chain of events which ends in tragedy.

The characters are a little one sided and there's nothing original to the tale, but that didn't stop me thoroughly enjoying this and wanting to know what happens next.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

This was such a good book, it was chilling good, so creepy and full of suspense. It was so unpredictable that I couldnt guess what was happening or why. It was gripping and I couldnt put it down, I really enjoyed it.

WOW!!! This is the first book which I have read by Kathryn Croft and it definitely won't be the last!!! I was a little wary when starting the book, as it had a Goodreads review of 3.5 but I obviously wanted to give it a go and I am so pleased that I did.
Callie is the main character and one this this book tells you, is never to assume anything. From the start of the book, you are aware that Callie is a murderer but it isn't clear who she murdered, this becomes clearer as the story progresses.
As Callie has assumed a few things, that has lead to her actions all of which have a huge impact on her life and those around her - if she hadn't of assumed these things, then her life would definitely be somewhat normal.
During the story, I did think did Callie murder this person or did she murder this other person.
I couldn't put this book down and I loved it. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this fantastic book!!!!

The Lying Wife was a compelling read, however at times the story felt long-winded and unbelievable, not to mention the 'twist' at the end which I found disappointing as it felt too unrealistic. I did find the characters believable though (the husband and sons) and found the exploration of mental illness also interesting.

Y'all know with a title lie this... it is going to be amazing!!! Definitely creepy and full of suspense which is right up my alley! The characters were fantastic and the writing was excellent. Must read!

A quick domestic thriller read, The Lying Wife is well written, compelling and engaging. I am not normally a fan of the trope in which the heroine is weak and overwhelmed by....life. This thriller however provides some realistic obstacles and a heroine that was interesting, if not someone I would root for.

Callie married James fairly quickly after his wife's death. This leads to many issues with his family, the neighbors and the village. Thing don't go well for her, at every turn and James's son make it as difficult as they can. But when the police arrest her for murder, we learn there is much more to Callie than what we thought... If you like a quick read and a domestic thriller then this is a novel for you #TheLyingWife
Please note:
*Previously published under the title The Stranger Within.*. #Canelo #Netgalley

OK, I thought this book was actually a good thriller!

Callie is married to James and James has two sons from his previous marriage, Dillon and Luke. As much as Callie tried to be a good stepmother, Dillon and Luke couldn't stand her. Then Callie meets Dillon's best friend Rhys and the two embark on an affair...

The first part of the story was boring but gradually, it got interesting and intense with some twists and turns. Although Callie's affair with a teenage boy like Rhys was slightly disturbing to read, nonetheless, the author manage to get the reader hooked into the story without going astray. Callie in my opinion is quite an unlikable character--I mean just because she thinks her husband is having an affair doesn't mean she should have an affair...let alone a teenage boy! I do like the shifting of the timelines when Callie is questioned by the police to the past that led her being to that situation. The ending was a little unexpected and I liked the ending.

Overall, it was a good thriller--worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

#TheLyingWife by Kathryn Croft is an intriguing and suspenseful psychological thriller about the step-mother/stepchild relationship. This novel shows the lengths that will be taken to be accepted❤️📚🤓

Thank you #Netgallery and the Publisher for this Arc in exchange for a review.

Sipping A Hot Toddy In A Maserati! 😳😯🤯

Holy mother of all things pearly and shiny! Wow wooow woooooow! That ending is just whoa! I couldn't have seen that coming at any point! Geez! When Callie meets James, she finally gets to have everything she wanted, including his two sons. But it's not all sparkles. As hard as she tries, to be all she can as a new wife and stepmother to Luke & Dillion, her efforts go unwanted by the boys. Soon Callie is arrested for murder - how could she fall so far? What secrets does she hold? What happened? Will she lose anymore than everything? How much does our past dictate our present? I'm telling you this story was insane and that ending will throw you RIGHT off. My jaw is permanently dropped.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Canelo for this #ARC
Release date: February 24, 2022

I give this 4 / 5 snowflakes! ❄️

Callie has had a hard life and suffered grief after the loss of her baby. She has always wanted to be a mother. So, when she meets James a Widower ten years her senior. She thinks she has a chance. James as two boys Dillion and Luke, a readymade family but there is one catch. The boys hate her, and they do everything they can to split them up. Callie makes a lot of mistakes, but she tries her hardest to get the boys to like her but all they do is lie, so it causes friction between herself and James. So, when she thinks that James is cheating on her with Tabitha who he works with in his shop. She does something that changes everything forever.
Thank you, Canelo, for the lying wife by Kathryn Croft. I have always been a fan of the authors books. At first, I found this to be a little slower than her other books. But I found Callie’s life of destruction quite entertaining and a twist at the end I wasn’t expecting. 4 stars from me.

This was a decent enough read but I found I was able to leave it down and not rush back to it!! A quick read but it was ok …

Excellent read. Very clever in the portrayal of the character and kept you guessing as to what was going on.

In The Lying Wife, Callie's two stepsons hate her, her husband is distant and she worries he is having an affair, and she begins having an affair with one of the stepson's friends. The relationship with the stepsons' friend was super uncomfortable and didn't make you like the main character at all, despite the challenges she was experiencing. The story itself was really slow until the last handful of chapters. The story was entertaining but seemed cliche and predictable.