“We pretend to get along for Martin’s sake. Martin will not fire him, despite my urging for years. Martin is loyal to a fault. David is an example of that weakness. I may be another.”
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to review this eARC for my honest review.
The Widow is a fast-paced political fiction book that takes you deep into the dealings of one political family on Capitol Hill. Jody is the wife of a congressman whose lies and scandalous behavior have him stressed that he is any minute from being exposed and prosecuted. Jody has her secrets, though. Although Jody has sociopathic tendencies, she has taught herself to appear normal and fit into society's standards. “I have many secret talents, and Martin knows about most of them. I’m different, and that’s a blessing. I’m not crazy. I’ve learned to exist inside society’s bounds. I’m smart- street smart. It’s the difference that allows me to be one step ahead, always”
Jody has been honest with her family though about her emotional issues and shortcomings. Even her daughter reminds her to act appropriately in certain situations- which is bizarre. “Mom, practice your sympathy, ok?”
The book is focused on scandals, privilege, and power, making you wonder how accurate this cutthroat behavior may genuinely be for those serving in public office in our nation’s capital. The writing overall is well done, and the style is unique. I found Rouda’s writing to be witty and concise. I did find the characters lacking, although my dislike of them was more than likely the author’s intent. The chapters a short and to the point, but I found the quick switches in point of view hard to follow and wanted more details about the characters.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys political fiction, and the themes in this book were reminiscent of House of Cards and Scandal. Overall, I give this book a solid 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this new novel by Kaira Rouda. As expected, it did not disappoint! I read it in a day and did not see the twist at the end coming.

Author: Kaira Rouda
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Pub Date: November 15, 2022

I loved the beginning. I was hooked from the first chapter. You have an idea where it’s going but you don’t really know how you are going to get there. It’s a very quick and easy read. But then….the book slowed way down and almost came to a halt. It took way too long to get to the end and the ending fell flat for me. There were a few twists but honestly when I read them I just wanted the book to end. I just felt like it lost direction half way through.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is November 15, 2022.

So this one started off strong and I was completely invested in the story within the first few chapters. I was absolutely seething during the part of the rehearsal dinner which had my blood boiling. I wanted to smack someone so bad. 👋🏻

I love a good ruthless and calculated character so this one didn’t disappoint.

The only thing I would have changed was the ending somewhat. I wish she would have been a little bit more savage.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kaira Rouda's latest novel The Widow is a fast paced, easy to read look at the dishonesty that surrounds the world of politics. Jody is the wife of congressman Martin Asher and they have been a power couple for over thirty years, since they met in law school. As their daughter Charlotte prepares to marry JJ, the son of a wealthy manipulative man who is testing the waters of politics, her father Martin becomes gravely ill. Although the timing seemingly couldn't be worse, Jody adroitly slides in to fill her husband's seat.

As secrets begin to come to light, Jody is forced to reexamine the loyalty of those who had helped her husband over the years. Is Charlotte's godmother Mimi going to help Jody advance politically, or is she attempting to bring her down to cover secrets of her own? This is a delicious, fascinating look at the deceptive world of politics and the lengths that a widow will travel to keep her social standing.

“Behind every successful man is a ruthless wife who made it all happen…” This is Jody Asher and ruthless does not begin to describe her. She’s clawed her husband’s way to the top, driven him to accepting bribes to afford her lifestyle, managed her daughter’s entire life, and networked her way to power among other Congressional wives. When a not so surprise event propels her into a new career, these skills make her almost unstoppable.

The Widow is unputdownable. Every time you think Jody can’t sink any lower, she does. And when you think she’ll never get out of situation she’s in, she does. Kaira Rouda has delivered a novel full of intrigue, secrets and one-upmanship. I loved every word! 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Keira Rouda for this ARC.

Not really my typical read.
The beginning was a little hard for me to get into but I kept reading and then by the middle I was more interested and then I was mind blown at the outcome of it all!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book was just so good, I was stuck to it and could not put it down so it was read in one sitting, great storyline and even better ending ..

It took me a little while to sort through my feelings about this drama-filled read. You know when you read a book that gives you conflicting feelings from page to page? When I began this book it immediately felt shockingly retro with its tips for decorum for Congressional wives. (Hello, there are women in Congress now!) But I soon realized this dinosaur mentality was intentional and belonged to our narrator, not the author. Still, though, it unfortunately made for a character I was annoyed with from the start.

Then however, I got caught up in the fun and drama of the plot. And then some kind of cliche political subplot would peeve me. And then I would go back to enjoying the writing again. And then the main character world annoy me yet again. Such was my relationship with The Widow (both the book and the character).

First let it be said that I really enjoy Kaira Rouda's books (which I have read all of!) and always love her writing style. Her protagonists are devious and unapologetic, and her narrator's voices are always unique and compelling. The narrator of this book, Jody, is no exception. She's a congressman's wife and an old-fashioned lady who has always wanted to grab her power by puppeteering the world through the political clutches of her husband. Jody is fun but very irritating, particularly for me as a Democrat because she reads like the demonic ball-busting cliche many people believe some famous and powerful Democratic women to be. My irritation over the way Democrats were portrayed in this book actually led me to Google the author for the first time and I learned that she was actually a Congressional spouse herself, and was married to a Democratic member of Congress, Harley Rouda. What! Like, what? How did I never know this all this time I have been enjoying her books?? And how does a Democratic Congressional spouse write a book about so many evil Democrats? (That's a hypothetical question, don't anybody answer for god's sake, I don't want to know.)

Anyway, when I wasn't irate over feeling like I was just reading Madison Cawthorne's secret diary about what he KNOWS Hillary Clinton is REALLY like, or wondering about what decade this book was supposed to be taking place in (don't get me started on the international plot points in this book which were also straight out of the 1950s), I was laughing, because of course Kaira Rouda is really funny. I just wish she had found a way to make Jody less of an evil caricature and a little more likable and complex. Rouda is usually SO good at likable psychopaths (see, e.g., Best Day Ever) but the psychopath narrating most of this one just did not work for me, and I was just annoyed at her most of the time.

Still an entertaining read by a very skilled writer - but I just couldn't get fully invested in the character or suspend my disbelief. Also want to note that it's not really a mystery or even what I'd call suspense, but more of a political drama. But listen, it's a page-turner, and if you're more on the right-hand side of the aisle, or if you are just less touchy than I am about how powerful political women are portrayed, you will probably like this one more than I did. It's very well-written and fast paced. I'll definitely keep reading whatever Kaira Rouda writes. 3.5 stars rounded down.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Thomas & Mercer and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

I didn’t want to put it down. A fantastic read that kept me wanting more.

Kaira Rouda is back with another great read!! I saw this available on NetGalley and downloaded immediately! I'm really glad that I didn't read the synopsis first because I might have passed on this one. I had no clue that this book was set in the political world. I have no interest in politics and certainly don't want to read about them, so I was hesitant going in. But come on, folks!! It's Kaira Rouda!! I'm happy to admit that I was fully engrossed in this fast moving, scandalous tale and couldn't put it down!

The Widow takes you deep into the realm of crooked government officials where lies and corruption abound within our nation's capital. Under scrutiny for his wrongdoings and threatened to be exposed, Congressman Martin Asher can no longer handle the stress and drops dead at his daughter's wedding. His wife, Jody, decides to take over his duties and finish out the term, but Jody has her own agenda and it doesn't exactly sit well with others. I absolutely loved the unreliable, sociopathic Jody and was cheering her on throughout the story. Her devious personality and sarcasm made this book so much fun! Rouda sure does know how to portray her crazy characters and I look forward to them in every book! My only gripe would be with the ending. Even though I was completely blindsided by the reveal, I felt that it wrapped up a little too neatly. I wanted more drama and revenge!

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this book!! The story is broken into 3 parts but each part flows into the other. Loved the main character. She was so impressive.

She does it again! A creepy complex thriller with a lot of great characters and a fast-moving plot. I was immediately sucked into this book and read it extremely fast! I highly enjoyed it!