The sequel you didn't ever know you needed is here! We are back in Bishop's Harbor to start and Amber is living her best life while Jackson is in prison for tax evasion. But, Jackson is set to be released soon and Amber is scrambling to figure out what to do. Meanwhile Daphne and the girls are loving life in California. When Tallulah, the oldest tries to run away to see her Dad, Daphne has to figure out how to handle the situation. Of course, they all get tangled back up in Jackson's web of deceit and lies. What follows are shocking twists and turns with so many lies, duplicity and betrayal. This was a fun and frothy Summer read, these characters are so wild and you never know what to expect next!

Thank you to @NetGalley, @RandomHousePublishing and @livconstantine for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Be sure to grab this one for your Summer beach bag, out June 18,2024

Daphne, Amber, and Jackson are all thrust back into each others lives when Daphne's daughters, not knowing the truth about Jackson, are missing their father and demanding to see him. Daphne, not knowing what else to do, obliges and is again put into a position of abuse and manipulation, as Jackson will do whatever is necessary to get his family back together. Amber however, is done with Bishops Harbor and is ready to take on a new rich life...continuing her schemes to mess with everyone on her way out. But, someone from Ambers past resurfaces and is determined to take her down. Who will end up on top and who will work together in the process?

Plot: I was very curious to see where this would go after the first book, since it ended so nicely. But, I was pleasantly surprised with the way this went. The writing was incredibly tight and every page mattered. I was immediately sucked back into the lives of these characters and was screaming every single page. I wanted to skip to the end so many times just to make sure that this ended the way I wanted. Filled, of course, with many twists and turns that made my jaw drop...three times...this kept my attention rapt. As soon as I started, I couldn't put this down. This was an excellent way to continue a thriller series, and I think a lot of authors should take notes. So many thriller sequels pale in comparison or are just a reiteration of the first, and this, could stand on its own and I liked just as much as the original.

Characters: Liv Constantine really does write her characters well because I DESPISED all of them. Every single Amber and Jackson chapter had me fuming and I was so beyond angry at a 13-year-old. The introduction of a new character was a fantastic way to keep this story fresh, and I really enjoyed all of the different point of views. It was incredibly fascinating to be inside the minds of these absolutely psychotic people. Daphne was also basically a new character and I really enjoyed her growth from the first book and her determination to not only be there for her children and do what was right by them, but to also not fall into Jackson's manipulation tactics. It was nice to see a strong character fight against one all readers will hate.

Now I'm just wondering if THIS is the end of Ambers story...

4/5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Bantam for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

The characters you love to hate are back for another round! I loved the addition of Daisy Anne to add to the craziness. It was a little unbelievable that Daphne would bring the girls back anywhere near Jackson over telling them the truth. But if you look past that, it was a great read that kept me guessing all the way through. If you loved the first book, you have to read this sequel!

I was expecting to have a really captivating book following the first one and that was not what I got. This book fell flat in terms of storyline. It was a struggle to get through and I did not want to pick it up. The second half was a little more fast paced but I could have not read this book and been perfectly fine with the first one being the only one. I did like having more information about Daphne and the girls in this one, but it was not enough to save the boring plot.

Thank you to @NetGalley for the ARC. I had read the first book in this duology and could not put it down. This sequel was the same, stayed up reading long into the morning. Just like the first book we are hit with suspense and mystery. A must read.

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

The sequel to the acclaimed “The Last Mrs. Parrish” we get more of Daphne, Amber, and Jackson and all of their awful behavior. Right off the bat, I’ll say THMP did not need a sequel lol. It was perfect on its own.

My really quick thoughts ➡️

PROS:
•characters behaving badly
•multiple POV
•the twist & ending were satisfying

CONS:
•it’s a tough act to follow from the first book
•I was bored for a lot of it and felt like so much was going on, while at the same time nothing was actually happening
•I wasn’t excited to get back to it

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This isn’t one I’d run to pick up but if you loved the characters from the first you learn even more about them in this one! Plenty of backstabbing, greed, cat and mouse, & more!

OUT June 18! Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader 🩷

Synopsis in a sentence (or two):
Jackson is set to be released from jail after his tax evasion scandal, and Daphne has to decide whether to allow him access to her children. Meanwhile, Amber wants to find a way out of her relationship with Jackson without losing her lavish lifestyle.

Overall thoughts:
The Next Mrs. Parrish reads like reality TV. It’s the guilty pleasure you want to talk about with your next-door neighbor. I was so excited to pick up this digital review copy from Random House, but I’m even more excited for this one’s release so that I can actually talk to more friends about it.

The Next Mrs. Parrish is technically the third book in the series (so far). The series began with The Last Mrs. Parrish, which I suggest rereading before starting this one, and then there is the prequel novella The First Shot, which is a speedy read.

Before reading The Next Mrs. Parrish, I couldn’t see how the story should continue or improve. After finishing this one, I loved that the sequel felt so necessary to the entire series. If you didn’t hate the characters after the prequel or first novel, I’d be surprised if you could like them after this one. I wouldn’t say The Next Mrs. Parrish is as twisty as the first, but it’s just as sinister and definitely worth the read.

Recommend this one to readers who love:
📚Sally Hepworth, John Marrs, Lisa Jewell
📚binge worthy & twisty domestic thrillers
📚characters that readers love to hate

Rating: 4.0

Disclosure:
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the Digital Review Copy of The Next Mrs. Parrish. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for the ARC of The Next Mrs. Parish. This is a fun follow-up if you’ve read The Last Mrs. Parish. I recommend reading/re-reading the first in the series before this one, as it picks up two years after the first one ends. It wouldn’t be as impactful if you didn’t get to know the characters in the first book. I loved the introduction of new characters and the way the plot was built out a bit more. The first half was a little slow, but the last 50% took off after setting the stage. I loved the twists and turns and thought it came together beautifully in the end. Pick this one up if you’re looking for a continuation of Amber, Daphne, and Jackson’s stories!

THE NEXT MRS PARRISH is the sequel to the well-loved The Last Mrs Parrish which is a book that pretty much blew my mind with the twist. I loved that one and was really looking forward to this sequel. Unfortunately for me, this is a situation where the sequel felt really unnecessary. It’s full of super unlikeable characters and unbelievable events. It was intriguing at the start but I lost interest as it went on. It was a little all over the place at the end as well. An easy read, but just a fine book overall.

I loved this book so much! I was a huge fan of the first book and had no idea that a sequel was coming. It moves faster than the original book with an additional character thrown into the mix. There are twists and turns and while at the beginning, it's hard to understand how the three stories are going to come together, they seamlessly do in the last third of the book. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the early access!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I was really excited to read the sequel to The Last Mrs. Parrish, which I loved when I read it in 2018. It did take a little bit for me to actually get into The Next Mrs. Parrish, partly because it had been so long since I had read the first book. However, about 25% into the book, it picked up for me and I quickly read the rest trying to keep up with the twists and turns.

I did take one star off due to Daphne making some really dumb choices in this book. I know certain things must happen to move a plot forward, but in my opinion, a woman that escaped a very abusive relationship would have more of a guard up when dealing with that person again. I expected her to be a little more prepared or have some kind of plan in place before putting herself into a potentially dangerous situation.

Overall, the cat and mouse game between Daphne, Jackson, Amber, and Daisy Ann was exciting and the ending was very satisfying.

I really appreciated the opportunity to read and review this book. I loooooved the first book and really felt it kicked off my thriller phase several years ago. I liked this book, but it wasn’t love for me. I think I am just at a point where I have to identify with or like a character to truly love a book, so this review may not resonate with all readers. I do think the author did a great job of catching readers up — you don’t have to remember every detail to appreciate the sequel, Fun plot, exciting characters, but you have to suspend reality a bit to truly enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine for this ARC!!!!

I cannot remember if I read the first book or not, but I don’t think you have to in order to read this one! The story was pretty good, but I lost interest at about 60% through the book. All of the characters, even the “good guys” were just so annoying. I know this is super popular, so it just might not be my thing.

Although I didn’t love this as much as the first book, it was still a great read. Hope there is eventually a third book because I love these characters and their machinations.

Thrillers/mysteries are hard to do with sequels. You have to give readers enough in the first book to make them want to come back for more, but you can't give them so much that the story can't continue. You can't tell a "new" story in the second book because then it's less relevant.

Liv Constantine did VERY WELL with The Next Mrs. Parrish. I'm so glad our characters continued, and added characters actually added to the overall story. This is a great summer read, and I'm super impressed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this e-ARC!

I absolutely loved The Last Mrs Parrish when I read it earlier this year. It's a top 10 book of 2024 for sure. As soon as I finished, I found out this arc was available and could have screamed when I was approved for this arc.

This is a dark, tense emotional book. We follow our characters, Daphne and Amber, from book 1 along with a new POV with Daisy Ann. This story weaves some loose strings from book 1 such as Amber's past (okay mainly Amber's past) with what is happening in the aftermath of all the deception of book 1 (you know Amber tricking Jackson into marrying him, but Daphne tricking Amber into seducing Jackson in the first place, and Jackson going to jail for tax evasion). This book doesn't hide as much of the deception as book 1 did. In book 1 you don't know all of the deception until we get a good chunk of the way in. We all know Jackson's MO in this one so it wasn't at all surprising he was being manipulative and deceptive. Amber being the stuck-up b** she is, is not at all surprising.

I was very intrigued by Daisy Ann's introduction and how she was connected to the story. This ran much deeper than I initially anticipated with it being revealed of Daisy Ann's and Amber's past; I fully enjoyed delving deeper into this connection and all the twist is presented until the very last page.

I loved Daphne's courage in doing whatever she had to to keep her and the children safe while also making her plans of escape. Also, can we just appreciate that it acknowledged that little Jax is innocent in all of this and it seems he will have a good relationship with his siblings and not shipped off.

3⭐
Genre ~ psychological fiction
Series ~ Mrs. Parrish #2
Others in the series ~ The Last Mrs. Parrish
Setting ~ Connecticut & Texas
Publication date ~ June 18, 2024
Est Page Count ~ 336 (57 chapters)
Audio length ~ 12 hours
Narrators ~ Raquel Beattie, Scott Brick, Suzanne Elise Freeman, Erin Bennett
POV ~ single 1st & multiple 3rd
Featuring ~ unlikable characters, manipulation

Amber is married to Jackson and their parts are told in the 3rd person. They are truly AWFUL people and probably the most unlikable I have ever read. She's a gold digger that thinks everything should be just given to her. He's a manipulator that thinks he's the cats meow. It was kinda fun watching them try to one up each other and I was rooting for the demise of both of them equally.

Daphne is the former Mrs. Parrish, mother to Jackson's daughters, and her parts are told in 1st, present tense. She doesn't make the best choices. The 13 year old daughter, Tallulah, was pretty unbearable for most of the book.

We hear from Daisy Ann from Texas in the 3rd and her obsession with bringing down the person that killed her father 3 years ago. Even though she was a little much with said obsession I liked her character the most.

These rich people know how to waste the moolah. Even if I was a bazillionaire I would never spend $3k a night on a hotel suite. Don't get me started on all her other dumb purchases.

I was originally going to give this 4 stars, but the more I thought about it the more I really hated just about every character at one point or another. Despite a slow start I still liked it well enough and thought the ending was perfect.

Series notes:
I read the 1st book back in 2021, so obviously I don't recall much. I didn't really feel lost, but I do think it's best to read them in order. Also, I didn't realize there was a prequel The First Shot that gives more background on Amber.

Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference. I am pleased to see there are multiple narrators, though.

The Next Mrs Parrish gives a satisfying conclusion to the stories of Daphne, Amber, and Jackson. The pacing was pretty even and the constant switch between storylines and how they intertwined kept me interested throughout. The introduction of a new character, Daisy Ann, was refreshing and it was interesting to learn how she tied into the story. Definitely recommended for fans of The Last Mrs Parrish.

Note - I would suggest reading The First Shot novella, before picking this one up, as it will help the story make more sense and give the back details for some of this books overall coming together details. However, it is eventually all explained but having known that short story before hand, definitely places you in a better “in the know” of the character and plot development.

Amber Parrish is back with unthinkable plans, which is not a real shocker!

The story picks up right where it left off and comes together in a way none of us would have seen coming. This story brings every character together in some very twisted and thrilling ways. You can truly feel all of their emotions and who they are as people, which I love that the most in a book…excellent character development.

The pace of the book is also great, no plot holes or slow downs. Steady, THRILLING and completely unpredictable. Yes, we all know that these characters deserved whatever karma was coming to them, but the way Constantine made everything come together while making it all still exciting, intriguing and not too far fetched took unique talent.

Constantine does leave the story with a good ending but also an ending where we all may see these characters appear again in the future. To be honest I would have kept reading to know more…

Definitely a great read.
Thank you NETGALLEY, Bantam publishing and Liv Constantine for sending me an ARC of this piece of work in exchange for my honest feedback.

Overall, 4.5 because some twists did have that “ahh maybe this is unrealistic side to them” but people in real life really are THAT crazy, so I guess we shall never know. But other than that, this was written beautifully.

My head is spinning from all the twists and turns this book took! One minute I’m fist pumping and the next I’m audibly gasping in shock. Fans of The Last Mrs. Parrish will not be disappointed by this next chapter for Amber, Jackson, and Daphne. While some parts seemed to drag on and others I was concerned led nowhere, everything came together once and for all. I can’t say too much more without spoilers, but this book will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you to Live Constantine, Ballantine, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!