The Widow opens with the first of “Mrs. Asher’s Little Tips for New Congressional Spouses,” which appear between chapters. Written in Jody Asher’s voice, the blurbs offer insider information about how to navigate Washington, D.C. society events, Congressional protocols, and expectations. They are designed to help wives of newly elected officials avoid embarrassment and make life in the city more enjoyable. Jody instructs wives about daily life in Washington, D.C., explaining, for instance, that their husbands’ time “will be scheduled down to the minute. I’m not kidding.” And identifies the staff members with whom the wife must become acquainted in order to make their family life run smoothly. For instance, the Chief of Staff can “make your life miserable if he wants.”

Author Kaira Rouda's husband, Harley Rouda, served in the United States House of Representatives, representing California’s 48th District, from 2019 to 2021. She says that when her husband was elected, they were scrambling to secure housing, attending orientation sessions, and feeling “completely overwhelmed.” But they were assisted by caring, experienced spouses and Rouda included the tips as an homage to those helpful women. In addition to being highly entertaining, the gossipy, over-the-top tone of those snippets offers insight into the psyche and agenda of Rouda’s main character, a woman who delights at and is very accustomed to being in charge, with her place in society and at her husband’s side secure, never threatened -- a symbol of the power she wields.

In Part Two, Rouda introduces excerpts from “A Guide for New Members of Congress” from Mimi Smith, who has been a friend to both Jody and her husband, Martin Asher, for more than twenty years. They all met in law school, and she is, by Jody’s admission, “a political animal, more connected than even we are,” who runs a highly respected think tank with her husband, Spencer. Mimi is a strategist and advisor who has guided the Ashers throughout Martin’s career. She is glamorous, savvy, and formidable. Her advice is offered in a straight-forward, unflinching, and experienced manner. Of course, as the story proceeds, Rouda reveals that Mimi has her own shocking agenda. And that Jody admires, respects, and fears Mimi because of her ability to make or break careers. But she does not trust her.

As the story begins, Martin is, at fifty-five, still handsome and charismatic. He serves as Chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee, serving his sixteenth term. Jody is planning the lavish and costly upcoming wedding of their daughter, Charlotte. At the outset, Jody acknowledges, through her first-person narrative, that she is intent on controlling Martin and will use unscrupulous means to do so. Martin has not been feeling well, and Charlotte is concerned about him. Things are about to get much worse for Martin, who has been scrambling to secure funds to pay for the wedding, and learns that a reporter is chasing a story about his ties to lobbying firms. Max Brown, an investigative reporter with the Washington Times, claims he has evidence that Martin is taking payoffs . . . and plans to run the story. In his first-person narrative, Martin assures his benefactor that he will pay all the money back.

Meanwhile, Charlotte’s future father-in-law plans to back Martin’s opponent when Martin runs for re-election. And Martin’s indiscretion with a young, beautiful intern in his office who is just a few years older than Charlotte – and was placed in his office by Mimi -- is about to have serious repercussions, especially when he makes matters worse by telling her that he will provide her with an excellent recommendation, but she needs to find another position. Martin frets that he has secured his own political demise and knows that, if he has, Jody will extract revenge. Jody is determined to find a way to save his career, reputation . . . and her lifestyle.

Martin and Jody met in law school and married because their goals aligned. Jody had a dark past about which Martin was not fully aware until after he married her, and he ponders whether he would have married her anyway. He also oversold himself to her. “We both were posers, not at all what we appeared. That was our superpower. Together we wanted to be more than what we’d come from. We wanted power and prestige.” As Jody notes, “What’s love got to do with anything inside the beltway?” But now everything they have worked to accomplish is in jeopardy. Mimi wisely warns that if the intern story breaks, Martin could actually lose the upcoming election. "Sex scandals eclipse all others in this town.”

And then Martin dies suddenly, and his death opens an avenue for Jody to come into power in her own right. She is ready to seize the opportunity. At first, Jody does not care about Martin’s seat, but a bit of googling reveals the Widow’s Mandate. She makes up her mind that she is not going to resume practicing law to support herself. Rather, her thirty years as “an important public servant” should be rewarded. “The fact is: whoever is serving, their spouse is, too, without most of the perks or thanks,” Rouda notes. JOdy declares, “There is nothing else I want to do. No other job interests me. I want this one. And I will get it, earn it. The people will love me, like they loved Martin,” she tells herself. And she will be able to figure out Martin's tangled financial dealings, and discover who was actively working to derail his career. Mimi agrees to help her, but Jody must first convince the party leaders who have already selected a young woman to run for Martin’s seat. The machinations, manipulations, double-crossing, and deal-making begin in earnest, and make for a titillating story.

The Widow succeeds in part because Rouda has crafted a convincing story about the cutthroat ways that business is conducted in the nation’s capital. She admits that she drew upon her personal experiences to believably depict “the settings, the traditions, the backstabbing.” She injects surprising plot twists and revelations that keep the story moving at a steady pace, heightening reader interest in seeing just how far beyond ethical norms Jody will go and how things will play out for her.

But the real strength of The Widow is Rouda’s characters, especially Jody. She is not simply narcissistic and power-hungry. She is self-aware, and that aspect of her personality, revealed in a narrative that crackles with honesty from a woman who knows exactly who and what she is, elevates the story. Jody admits that she is unable to experience the full range of human emotions and lacks empathy for others, including her own daughter. Charlotte understands her mother, accepts her, and does not make excuses for her. She shares with Mimi that Jody has “often apologized to her for her inability to show emotion and feel true love.” Thus, Jody is fascinatingly despicable and, in key moments, surprisingly sympathetic. After all, the ability to emote is deeply satisfying and a person who lacks the capacity to feel must lead a miserable, unfulfilling life. Her story is riveting as she strives to secure a future for herself that she deems suitable and befitting what she has already accomplished with Martin. She is extremely clever, and surprisingly good at reading other people’s emotions and ferreting out their agendas, even though she utterly lacks compassion for them and is ruthlessly conniving. But her opponents are formidable. Can she be skillfull outwitted and played?

The Widow is a captivating tale of intrigue, corruption, and the corrosive nature of ambition and unbridled power, at the center of which is a woman who is mesmerizingly cold and calculating. Rouda says she would enjoy writing another book set in Washington, D.C. and after devouring The Widow, readers will be hoping she does.

I thought I wanted to read this book. There were a lot of 5-star reviews, & I generally like political thrillers. This was not one of those, nor was it a thrilling book to read.

In fact, I had to slog through this unsatisfying book from the very beginning. Many times, I wanted to DNF it, but I kept hoping it would get better. It didn't. I don't understand the 5 star reviews. It doesn't deserve them.

***SPOILERS***

I also wanted to see the "heroine" of the book (there really aren't any heroines in here) get her comeuppance. That didn't happen either, much to my disgust.

This book was filled with despicable, vapid characters. I couldn't cheer for any of them, except for the daughter, maybe. The Widow is a confimed sociopath, She lacks empathy, normal emotions & thoughts. She's the central character, & despite all her machinations & the fact that everyone hates her, she "wins" in the end.

I wanted to throw the book across the room when I finished it, but because it's on my phone, I just deleted it & wrote this review.

I wish I could rate this 0 stars. I do NOT recommend this awful book.

I just reviewed The Widow by Kaira Rouda. #TheWidow #NetGalley
NetGalley.com. I thank Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book so I could give my unbiased opinion here.

☆☆☆☆.5
Kaira Rouda’s juicy political thriller, The Widow, is a must-read! She delves into the dark side of politics, bringing out just a hint of compassion in readers for this group of dirtbags. I normally dislike political novels but her excellent writing and diabolical characters make this a riveting read that is hard to put down!

Behind the smiles, lies, and glitz...into the darkness of scandals and indiscretions. There are no friends on the Hill. Favors are not free. Everyone has a price. Someone is always watching. Trying to expose your secrets and take you down. No one is who you think they are. And NO ONE can be trusted!

Martin and Jody Asher are a golden couple in politics. Martin is charismatic and everyone loves him. Jody is the supportive spouse that keeps things running perfectly behind the scenes.

But Jody isn’t someone you want as a friend or enemy! She’s power-hungry, arrogant, and devious. A character that you love to hate. I was glued to the pages as I waited for someone to knock her off the invisible pedestal she thought she was on! I was kept in suspense as she came close, only to come out smelling like a rose. Would it ever happen?

I pictured Martin as JFK but I couldn’t imagine Jody as Jackie. She was too backstabbing and narcissistic. I could never quite visualize any one person as Jody.

Ms. Rouda is one of my top authors and I pounce on her books as soon as I see them…without reading the description. Yes! She’s that good.

Sincere thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Kaira Rouda for providing this ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#TheWidow #KairaRouda #netgalley #thomasandmercer #honestreview #politicalthriller #bookaddict #thrilleraddict #thrillersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #lovebooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #lovetoreadbooks #cantstopreading #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecommendations #juliereadzintherockies #justfinishedreading #coloradoreader #bookreels #igbookreels #booksbooksandmorebooks #crimeandcocktailsbookcrew #mysteryandthrills

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Widow by Kaira Rouda.

Uuuuuugh, not a faaaaaaaan. Newsflash, everyone in this cutthroat political story are gross and corrupt and sociopaths. Okay, maybe not all of them, but literally, that's it, that's the story. I'm so bored.

If I could write this review in one word, it would be vapid. The characters are somehow unlikable and bland at the same time. Affairs, sketchy back door dealings, privilege, wealth, and facades. It's exactly what you would expect from a story like this, and I've read it.

This was my first Kaira Rouda book and I loved her writing style. I didn't enjoy this book as much because of the politics aspect, but the plot was definitely intriguing enough to keep me reading. I loved the guides interspersed between the chapters. I hope to read another book by the author soon

So I have to say that I think Jody might be one of my favourite villains of the year. She is so manipulative & scheming but it works so well with the story. I’m glad the American politics is mostly in the background as I don’t find that interesting, I really enjoyed the ending when Jody dropped her bomb on Mimi and then Mimi’s retaliation which brought down some high powered politicians in the story. All in all a good story which I enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the chance to read this book.

I will start off by saying I have enjoyed Kaira Rouda other books, This one Im not sure if it was the time or what I did not enjoy. It was slow and I just struggled with it.

The book description says "marriage, privilege, and lies" and I would say that's pretty accurate. This is a great book for you if you liked House of Cards. It was very much a novel of women getting ahead and men trying to control them.

I thought the guides/advice interspersed throughout the book were interesting as they highlighted how important the spouses and other parts of a politician's inner circle truly are. Unfortunately, there were quite a lot of them and they detracted from the flow of the story sometimes. One complaint I had was with big reveal at the end - it came out of left field and didn't feel hugely relevant or well explained.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This book was excellent.
Great political thriller. The DC area makes for a great background. Everyone is hiding something and you have to keep up.

Well written and fast paced.

The Widow, by Kaira Rouda, tells the story of corruption and money in Washington. Every major character is flawed beyond redemption. There is absolutely no one to like or cheer. Yet, it was a fun, quick read as I tried to figure out who was playing who and for what purpose. As usual, I was surprised. I confess that I was left with a bit of distaste and a squeamish wonder as to how much of the government underbelly, regardless of which party is in power, was revealed.

I awarded 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.0, mostly because the story captured my interest, despite my dislike of the characters and the implied message. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC.

The Widow by Kaira Rouda has a very political setting thanks to Martin being in congress and Jody being a politician's wife, and I have to say I was a huge fan of this! Normally I am not big on politics in books, but I can never turn down a Rouda novel, and I'm glad I didn't let the topic deter me. It was actually really interesting, and despite the fact that basically every single character was despicable, I kind of loved how awful and devious they were. Jody especially was quite conniving (though if we're being honest Martin was worse), and she is one of the main viewpoints, so we are in her head a lot. I know this isn't going to be for everyone, but it worked really well for me and didn't make me want to throw my book across the room which was a plus. There are a few different viewpoints spread throughout the story, and I loved all of them along with the tips for new congressional spouses and more that split up every chapter.

The Widow also just so happens to be on Kindle Unlimited for both the eBook and the audiobook, and I really enjoyed the audio. There are 3 narrators, Donna Postel, George Newbern, and Nancy Wu, and I loved all of them! I saw some negative reviews saying the narrators were monotone, but I didn't think that to be the case at all, and it felt like really easy listening to me. I thought they were all nice to listen to and voiced their parts perfectly. I had no idea that Rouda's husband was a congressman and I loved that some of the events mentioned in the book are real. This story felt like it was a little bit of a departure from Rouda's previous novels, but I would definitely take more books from her set in D.C. The Widow felt a little bit like watching an episode of House of Cards and I was here for it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was the first Kiara Rouda book that I have read even though I have several on my Kindle TBR. I was skeptical at first about this book because I despise all things politics, but this turned out to be a fun read.
I loved the powerful women aspect of the book even though both Jody and Mimi were vengeful and cutthroat. Jody by far was my favorite. Jody was other level crazy and she knew it, but she went after what she wanted. The ending was jaw dropping. I loved every minute of this book. Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! I really enjoyed this one by Kaira Rouda! New to me author and I’m so glad. This one hooked me early on and was super engaging. Loved the premise. So many great insights into the DC world. Loved the characters!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Totally gripping. Had to finish it in a day that I wasn't able to do any household chores! Haha. Thanks for the ARC!

I really have enjoyed this author's previous work, so I was very excited about this book. However it just wasn't a win for me. I despised all of the characters and it truly made this one hard to get through for me.

Sadly , despite loving previous Kaira Rouda novels, this one is only three stars for me. I found all the characters in this this book to be deportable . Jody was a rich entitled, cold hearted Ruthless woman, and I could not stand her. The ick factor of her husband Martin sleeping with his stepdaughter (he did not know) made my skin crawl. I look forward to Kaira 's other novel, but this was not the book for me.

I absolutely loved the Widow. I devoured this book in one sitting..Martin Asher is a congressman with secrets and his wife Jody really runs the show. The secrets, lies and betrayals make this story fly by. This is my favorite Kaira Rouda book so far

This is a really twisted story of manipulation and life in the power halls of D.C. Martin Asher makes a good puppet for his power-hungry wife Jody and is a seriously flawed character. He makes a good representative of what politicians are like, with his numerous affairs and his quest for riches as he gets further and further into debt. Jody is the perfect wife for him, ambitious enough for both of them. She finds herself in the enviable position of saving her husband’s reputation after his death and is determined to establish his legacy, no matter what she has to do to make sure that his past does not tarnish the future for her and her daughter. The machinations in this book are riveting and the characters are just evil enough that I wanted to read more and more, especially about how Jody planned to bury Martin’s past from the inquisitive reporter. Fast paced and riveting entertainment that is realistic and thoroughly engaging as well as informative.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Thank you @netgalley for my e-arc of THE WIDOW in exchange for an honest review. This one published Dec 1!

I’ll keep this short- I didn’t really like this one. It started off strong, but then it felt like nothing was happening. I also didn’t like any of the characters 😅😑 I debated DNFing it, but at this point was at 60% and just decided to power through.

I like the premise/idea of the story- full of revenge, secrets and betrayal. But I have coke to realize I am not a huge fan of books with entitled, rich characters, and I don’t like characters who are all unlikeable… I have to like at least one character!

Overall, I don’t really recommend this book. If you have read any of this authors other books and likes them, then maybe pick this one up. It just wasn’t for me.

The Widow is a political thriller that revolves around three main characters:

Jody is the definition of a narcissist. A wife, mother, and friend who isn’t capable of caring about anyone other than herself. The question is, exactly how dangerous is she?

Martin is the Congressman, the man in charge, or is he? Is he on the up and up, or is he the epitome of a crooked politician?

Mimi is the best friend. The friend that helped Martin grow his political career and reach his aspirations. But is she the friend she claims to be?

Politics are a very dangerous game…

I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.