This was a very hard book to read, but it was also an incredibly important one to read. It was written so well with the story slowly unraveling as Sandrine, whose low self esteem was both pitiable and relatable, began to accept she was being abused. Sandrine's actions and justifications felt real and understandable. The story was written in a different way from what I'm used to but that style really helped me feel immersed in Sandrine's world. The fear I felt for the women and child entangled with Monsieur Langlois was sincere and I often had to take a moment away from the book to just breathe. It was difficult to focus on just Sandrine, Caroline and Mathias knowing that countless women and children all over are facing this abuse daily, and that breaks my heart as a woman, a mother, and a human.

This is an important, engrossing read that can be hard to take in. It covers spousal abuse and its lasting effects, and is also full of suspense and thrills. I would love to discuss the questions this book brings up with others who have read it, and I will be on the lookout for future titles from Louise Mey.

"The Second Woman" by Louise Mey is a gripping psychological thriller that navigates the tangled web of obsession, manipulation, and the blurred lines between reality and illusion. Mey's writing is intense, with characters shrouded in mystery, making it a suspenseful and thought-provoking read for those who enjoy psychological thrillers with unexpected twists.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

An absolutely stunning noir thriller of domestic coercion translated from the French.

Mey deftly unraveled this story from the main character, Sandrine's, perspective. It was gripping at parts while slow and steady in her head at others; I blew through the last 50% in nearly one sitting.

As a specialist in domestic violence in my personal life, I think the coercive forces on display by Monseuir Langlois was extremely well done.

Definitely check the CW, this one is brutal at parts: domestic violence, coercive control, violence, fatphobic self talk.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC; all thoughts my own.

I enjoyed this read
Sometimes it was hard to follow as its translated. But overall was understandable. I enjoyed the suspense and the multiple storylines throughput and was keen to know what happened next. Would recommend.

If you have heard the chatter, you already know The Second Woman, is well loved amongst our book loving community of bloggers.

Louise Mey, is a natural born storyteller and will keep you on the edge of your seat while begging for more within the first chapter. The suspense built with each flip of the page and I could feel myself turn purple as I held my breath in fear at what lurked around the corner.

The Second Woman, is a DARK book that will give you a front row seat to domestic violence and all that comes with it. Before I spoil anything, check out this teaser:

Missing persons don’t always stay that way…

Sandrine is unhappy in her body, her house, and her life.

But none of that matters when she meets her man. He makes room for her, a place in his home, with his son.

He cares about where she is, and who she is speaking to. He loves her, intensely.

Everything would be perfect, if only the first woman--the one from before--would just stay away. . .

Sandrine is unwittingly seduced by a man she calls The Crying Man. He is a man she sees on television, racked with the sorrow of the disappearance of his wife, left behind to care for their lost child.

Is Sandrine groomed, or does she secrete herself into their lives? Both are true by turns.

Sandrine has problems with her self-esteem, but finds a sort of freedom in being able to shrug off the judgment of other as she revels in the light of her new man.

But as the story unfolds, her position, his cruelty, and his son’s shyness converge and hint at a darker lie. Add to this, the return of the wife – the first woman, accompanied always by two carefully watching police officers. There is awkwardness, tension, and a final flurry of violence. This is a timely story of coercive control and domestic violence.

While the story is unarguably dark, I loved that Sandrine’s life is punctuated with kindness and understanding, which she doesn’t always see or accept. As the story unfolds, and Sandrine begins to accept the reality of her situation, Mey allows the reader along for the ride, slowing disclosing details from before, and allowing us to see incidents from a new perspective.

The man in Sandrine’s life is never properly named. He is sometimes The Crying Man from the television, sometimes the formal Monsieur Langlois. There are so many stories of nameless women, the importance of his incomplete identity seems like a tide turning.

The Second Woman is tense and at times infuriating, as it’s never really clear who has the upper hand. But it’s infuriating in the most satisfying way.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars! Sandrine is a lonely woman who sees a man and his son crying over his missing wife. She meets him and they begin a relationship. THEN the first wife shows back up and is reintroduced into her son’s life. The way the characters are written is so real and so raw. You understand through the way they are written why Sandrine is the way she is and why she accepts what she does. I found this to be such a realistic portrayal and so emotional all at once. I will admit, when I first began this book I had a hard time getting used to the 3rd person and the writing style but in the end it added to the story for me rather than distracting from it. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was darker than I expected. I had read a preview of it in French and I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised. But still, it was a little rough to read--def not a beachy or vacation-breezy read! The gaslighting! The controlling behavior! It was a lot. But it was well written and compelling

I started this book expecting a predictable easy reading thriller but it definitely exceeded my expectations and I was so much more invested in the characters than other books in this genre!
The way in which Louise Mey slowly drip feeds us snippets of the man and his true behaviours through Sandrine as she learns more is so cleverly done and this is what made this story stand out for me!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
This is my first title by this author and will read more in the future.
Will recommend this to anyone looking for a thriller.
I requested this book as i was drawn in by the cover and thought it looked interesting.
I found this book to be Dark, disturbing and claustrophobic.
Twists that you don't see coming, What a great roller-coaster ride of a thriller
Thanks again for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The Second Woman” by Louise Mey is a psychological thriller about a woman who falls in love with a man with a missing wife and what happens when the missing person returns. It was a gripping story and a bit disturbing. I’m not sure if some of the disconnect was because of it being a translation. But overall, a compelling mystery.

Sharp, fast-paced, and engaging. A recommended purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.

This book was just too dark and dreary for me. It didn’t help that I wasn’t a fan of Mey’s writing style., making it a difficult read for me. Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

The Second Woman by Louise Mey; translated by Louise Rogers Lalaurie.

Originally published in 2021 and shortlisted for several French literary awards, The Second Woman is an intensely readable, haunting, terrifying and moving book about how abusive relationships begin and how they can escalate..

Told only in the first person, this is at times harrowing but a deeply compelling read. Sandrine is deeply unhappy, she doesn't like herself or her life. She had a difficult childhood and her life now seems very small and full of self loathing. Then she see's Monsieur Langlois on the news with his young son. His wife is gone missing. Searches are talking place and the story of this woman's disappearance is the talk of the office Sandrine works in and continues to be all over the media. Sandrine is moved by the image of the man crying about his loss and decides to join a walk the family of the missing woman have organised. She meets Monsieur Langlois in person and soon they are in a relationship, she has moved into his home, she cares for his son, cooks and cleans and Sandrine loves the man she saw on the news even though in reality this man is very different. Sandrine is fully immersed in her new life and the then Monsieur Langlois's wife, who has been presumed dead, turns up.

This was a really excellent read. While it was really difficult to read in parts , it was impossible to put this one down. It was genuinely frightening in parts and so deeply believable. It is written with huge care and attention to detail. This author understands coercive control and domestic abuse and this is an important read. I was fully immersed in this novel and felt so many emotions when reading. From fear and anxiety to rage and hope. A powerful read that will stay with me and despite the dark subject matter, I strongly recommend this one. I have not been able to stop thinking about this one since finishing reading.

4-4.5 star

A stunning, heartbreaking and chilling read. I wasn't able to put this one down - sped through it. Not always the easiest to digest content-wise, but a wonderful read and very compelling.

A dark and at times unpleasant novel about the psychological effects of domestic abuse. Sandrine didn't like herself before she met her partner but now, now things are worse. His first "woman" has returned after a period away, a period when he was on television and elsewhere talking about her disappearance, Sandrine is at a loss as to where she fits into the restored family,especially with regard to young Mathias. But nothing is simple. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A drama for fans of literary fiction.

Not quite my type of writing style so it was quite difficult for me to get into this book.

However the author conveys the horror and tragedy of domestic abuse very very well. It's the type of story that I would enjoy watching as a movie but as a book, the pacing was rather a bit too slow for me.

𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌, 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒛𝒆: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒚. 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕, 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆, 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆.

It isn’t a lie, this is a brutal, immersive novel and one that left me feeling the despair that Sandrine faces living in her skin. She is disgusted by her existence and her imperfect body, prefers to avoid her dreadful reflection in the mirror. It’s not a mystery why women feel ashamed of not living up to ‘ideal’ standards of beauty, nor is it hard to wonder how someone like Sandrine has turned a cruel, critical eye on herself. There is a weakness in her, a disappearing self and yet she is tender and caring of others, which is what leads her to fall for a man whose wife, Caroline, has disappeared. “She felt a wave of sorrow sweep over her”, when she first heard him appealing for help, sobbing over his missing wife on television and the radio. Deciding to take part in a “White Walk” (search) the missing woman’s parents set up, she meets him for the first time, and admits she is there because of him. She felt so sorry for his pain and loss, she was there for him, not so much Caroline. She goes back to her lonely little life, hating the weekends when she is not at work, left to her own company. She hates her own miserable company. News comes that points to the harsh reality the Caroline is likely never coming back and something horrible happened to her. Just when Sandrine thinks there is no hope and she should just end it all, the man contacts her and so begins her life as the second woman.

Sandrine is soon living with the man and his young son, Martin. Their passion is immediate and intense. She loves him with abandon, trembling for his every touch. He possesses her in a way she has always longed to be wanted. Suddenly, she has her forever, her happy ending and if she is standing in the former woman’s life, so be it. She cannot deny that Martin, the boy, is troubled, such a timid, sad child. It isn’t her place to be more than ‘fond’ of the boy, who isn’t truly hers. He is a clever boy, she knows that right away and if his father is often brusque with him, it is only because he wants to toughen him up. Her man, he is quick to anger, but it’s only natural with what he has been through. They fall into a rhythm of their own and she is even wearing clothes that delight her partner, despite feeling such garments don’t flatter her. He knows best, and she wants to please. She abides by his every desire, demands. His ways are set, she wants to mold herself to fit his needs. They have their routines now but suddenly, the missing woman is on television, her memory clouded, lost. That’s when everything spirals out of control.

Living with Martin expanded her universe, but the outside shrinks, including work. He likes his privacy; from the start he cautioned her against confiding in others. Certainly, there was talk, people who thought he killed his wife, but she refused to reveal anything to her co-workers, protective of their love. Who are others to pry, anyway? Now, with Caroline found alive, there would be more curiosity seekers. Worse, Caroline is going to be coming back to the house, hoping to ignite her forgotten memories, spending time with her son Martin. Her beloved doesn’t exactly embrace the idea, in fact, he meets it with scorn. He feels invaded, and how should Sandrine feel? Is Caroline competition? It’s all too bizarre to contemplate.

Caroline arrives with her parents and two police officers by her side. Sandrine’s beloved, thankfully, seems emotionally detached, leaving her feeling strangely relieved. Maybe her life with him is secure and Caroline isn’t a threat? She doesn’t remember anything, not yet. Sandrine doesn’t want to hear what the cops have to say, she wishes Caroline would just go away again but soon she wants more time with her son, Martin and Sandrine’s beloved doesn’t like that. In fact, it infuriates him as does the way everyone seems to be judging him, looking at him with suspicion. Their life together is being probed and he is angered by what Sandrine might say. He takes it out on her, and she agrees with him, how dare these people assume things, he is a good man! The female cop is harassing them and it’s making life unbearable for her man. Right now, Sandrine has news, happy news, but how can she share it? Her beloved is confiding more about Caroline and their troubled marriage, how difficult his wife was. Secrets he never revealed to others. Why is the female cop fishing for information from Sandrine? Sandrine doesn’t know who Caroline is, she is a mystery to her.

Her man is getting more and more irate, over time, accusing her of speaking for him when truthfully, Sandrine is only trying to protect him. She can no longer gauge with accuracy what will upset him and how to avoid inflaming him. It is all coming apart. She cannot retreat deep enough into herself to keep their life contained. Caroline is remembering things, who will Sandrine believe?

What a ride! If you get triggered by abuse, you won’t be able to read this. Sandrine is filled with so much self-loathing she practically embraces it from others. Love and hate are the same for someone like her, and it’s heartbreaking. How easy it is to slip from lover to prisoner. The threat of humiliation, shame is often what keeps women walled in too. I don’t want to give anything away, this book spirals into darkness. It is a woman’s horror story! Yes, read it!

Publication Date: May 30, 2023

Pushkin Press