I would like to start with a huge thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance!

The lucky widow is a fast paced thriller book that will have you hooked from the beginning. You can actually visualize this story as you read and for me it was a drama filled book that I kept reading and wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Did the wife kill the husband ? Or was it someone else. This book is one you can read in one- two sitting . I throughly enjoyed it!!!

Many thanks to the author, Samantha Verant, and Storm Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book. The publication date is set for July 05, 2024!

The Lucky Widow is a gripping domestic thriller that delves into the complexities of a seemingly perfect marriage unraveling into a web of secrets and deceit. The story is split into past and current-day timelines. I loved following Emma to the moments leading up to the murders while simultaneously seeing things unravel in the present. Adding dual POV was an excellent decision by the author/editor as it created depth from the various perspectives. Although I had a hunch the entire time, it was neat to see the story unravel and secrets/lies be exposed. The story is longer for the genre but executed nicely and fast-paced.

4-4.5 stars! ✨

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, I highly recommend this book - be sure to add it to your TBR!!!

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy of The Lucky Widow. I’m at a loss for words other than what a story! This is a domestic thriller, human trafficking, sex parties and very abusive book and I’m sure I left out something. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning. You will not want to put it down. So if you are in to a plot twisting story……..this book is waiting for you.

This book has A LOT of drama to unpack - it’s not a short book, but I’ll be up way too late tonight, because I had to see how this one ended! But to begin…Emma hates her husband Nate and wants him dead. She doesn’t make this a secret - she says it all the time, but nobody takes her seriously. Everyone says that now and then, right?

Emma, after some light stalking, got married to New York’s finest wealthy man, and they have twins, Ava and Grace. They seem to have the perfect life - he’s a cardiac surgeon and she is an interior architect who designed their massive house. But when Emma and her friend Abby return from a trip to Paris and find Nate dead in the pond on the property, all of the imperfections quickly come out.

Detective Rossi is on the case, and she’s convinced that Emma killed her husband, despite Emma being out of the country when he died. During her interviews, she finds that most people love Emma for her kindness, and most people don’t seem to be upset that Nate is dead, including Emma. What Rossi realizes is that Emma is very happy about her husband’s death, and the detective in her wants to know why.

This thriller is more than just a husband found dead and his wife being the main suspect. Without giving too much away, this book deals with some very major things, like human trafficking, domestic abuse, affairs and drugs. Nate’s friends were like having Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein and P. Diddy as neighbors. When Emma was away, her husband definitely would play, and the results were deadly - not just for Nate.

Between Emma, her friends, Nate’s friends, and the staff of these billionaire families, there are a lot of people who could have wanted to kill Nate. The ending had twist after twist, and I didn’t see any of them coming (well, maybe the final chapter but it was still fun to read.) This book was not only thrilling and suspenseful, it tackled some tough topics while taking the reader on quite a ride. 4.5 stars, rounded up!

(Thank you to Storm Publishing, Samantha Verant and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on July 5, 2024.)

We never truly know what goes on behind closed doors. Are people as perfect or as happy as they portray? Emma married Nate, a billionaire bear surgeon, and has the perfect life. Or so it seems. When Nate ends up dead the police naturally look to the spouse as their first suspect. A unique story with a crazy storyline!

Lucky widow

Emma wants her husband dead. She envisions all of the different ways it could happen. She’s prepared to serve him divorce papers when she comes from a trip to Paris with her best friend, Abby, and twin daughters. She comes home to find her dream has come true with her husband floating dead in their pond. The only problem? She’s the main suspect.

The book shifts between past and present to tell the story of Emma and Nate as their relationship evolved. Nate is named the upcoming “prince of New York” and was a highly sought after bachelor before Emma swooped in. After a few years of bliss, their relationship turns dark and secrets are revealed of Nate and his billionaire friends.

We also hear from Detective Rossi’s perspective- convinced that Emma committed the murder of her husband and a definite bias against Emma. She was a very unlike character. At 50% in, she is still adamant Emma is guilty and crosses all kinds of boundaries to prove her case.

Part 2 brings in Nate’s perspective of the week leading up to his death and how he really felt about his wife. This book gets so wild the more you read! I was totally hooked from page 1 and loved the different perspectives, how the characters evolved, etc.

Similar to the Housemaid, The Last Mrs. Parrish, and The Favorite Girl

Thank you to NetGalley for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review- out July 5!!

This is a gripping domestic thriller that delves into the complexities of a seemingly perfect marriage unraveling into a web of secrets and deceit. The story follows Emma, who returns from a trip to find her wealthy husband, Nate, dead in their pond. The investigation into his death reveals layers of dark secrets.
This book is fast pace with unexpected twists, although you're definitely going to be hating some annoying characters

Initially I was quite intruiged with how the plot was going to develop but quickly it became quite a difficult read.

I found the backstory tiresome and Emma an unlikeable character who it was hard to have any sympathy for.

As the true life of her dead husband is revealed this is also not surprising.

A tale of privileged psychopaths.

Intrigue…mystery…secrets…red herrings…family and friends…murder…the recipe for a page turner…do not try to guess the ending too early…difficult to do…this author has written a cannot put down story that is, at times, gruesome…a wife wanting revenge…divorce…millions of dollars…thanks Netgalley

*****Publishing July 5, 2024****

Emma Landon comes home with her best friend, Abby, from a girl’s trip to France to find her billionaire husband, Nate Landon, dead in the pond. She calls 911 and tells them with anger she has “…pulled her lying cheating son of a bitch out of the goddamn water-“ Since Emma always joked about. wanting to kill her husband, will she become a suspect? A detective on the case is trying to find ways to prove Emma killed him, but will she have the evidence she needs?

Samantha Verant’s writing just draws you in from the start. It quickly becomes a page turner with misbehaving characters and an entertaining story! The manipulation, the speculation, the lies, and the deceit will have you turning the pages to find out the truth! A perfect book to take on vacation!

Thanks to Storm Publishing, I was provided an ARC of ‘The Lucky Widow by Samantha Verant via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Emma returns from a trip from France she discovers her husband dead in the pond. Handsome and mega rich he seemed the perfect catch. But behind the scenes he was a different man. Emma was living a lie. Her marriage was not a happy one and she wanted out. So finding him dead was the perfect end to her marriage.
However, despite being out of the country she soon becomes a major person of interest for the police and one officer in particular. What was really happening behind closed doors.
This was a great read for me and i loved the way the story developed into a very clever plot.

I initially liked this book. However it devolved quickly into a morass of infidelity, sex parties, and nasty characters. Emma was really a stalker going after Nate in the beginning, and she wildly marries him quickly. Lo and behold, Nate isn't that nice a person. This could have been a great book, but the mega=rich trope felt overdone, people with no morals and just a story that didn't hold up. I didn't care about the characters or how it ended.

Fantastic, edge of my seat read. I was surprised by the events that unfolded. Lots of surprises and whodunits. Just when I thought I had it figured out I was wrong!

This was extremely enjoyable. I was hooked from the start and the gradual unveiling of the characters was engaging.

Nate and his posse were horrible people and it just goes to show how money can create monsters. Emma was a brilliant character who you gradually feel bad for and then root for as her story progresses. Obviously she has her own flaws.

The back and forth in the timelines does throw you for a loop but the storyline is fascinating and gripping enough that you somehow manage. Also Detective Rossi could have been a better crafted character.

I was able to figure out the murder midway. I liked how the author shows that appearances can be deceiving and that people who we can crush on looking at TV can turn out to be disgusting people. The commentary on human nature and also poetic justice is food for thought.

I am giving this book 5 stars because I absolutely enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the E-Arc and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In a radical swerve from romance, Verant has fearlessly created a world of incredible wealth with characters who believe they are above the law. The Lucky Widow is a tale of good versus evil; readers will not put this book down until they know who wins.

Fast-paced, with twists at every turn, this gripping tale will take you on the ride of your life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read in exchange for my honest review.

Emma returns home from a business trip in Paris to find her husband Nate’s body floating face down in the pond behind their home. Nate was an extremely wealthy, handsome, and well-known cardiac surgeon. They had a beautiful home that Emma designed herself.
On the surface, it appeared that she had it all, but that wasn’t the case. She made the mistake of telling anyone who would listen that he was a liar and cheat, and she fantasized about killing him.
Emma became the number one suspect. The police questioned her entire house staff, her daughters, and her friends, but they were all out of town when the murder occurred and were unable to add anything to the investigation.
A gripping thriller that will have you rapidly turning the pages until you reach the spectacular ending.

I really liked this book. It kept my interest and was a page turner for sure. It did have sex-trafficing referenced so beware if that is a trigger. I thought it was interesting that Emma kinda knew the people her fiancé hung with and she still married him. You will like Emma's character quite a bit. The book was easy to read and had some funny elements (Emma and Alexa...).

A fast moving and complex read with sensitive themes. Chaotic at times, but an interesting book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author for this ARC.

This is my first book by this author. It started off intriguing but did not have the same momentum all the way through. It was a good concept of a storyline, maybe a little unbelievable, but did not keep me hooked. I would definitely try another book by the same author in future.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

3.5!

Envisioning Nate's death is like cognitive therapy for my mental health, it takes the edge off.
Wishing your husband dead isn’t a crime, but finding him dead in your house is a different story. In this crafty tale, Samantha Verant illustrates how the perfect life isn't perfect at all. Emma Landon has been married to Nathaniel Landon, a rich, handsome, high-class surgeon, for fifteen years. She thought she had won the lottery of life, but it takes mere seconds for everything to crumble.

Emma is like a butterfly trapped in a spider’s web, with too much at stake. Whenever a spouse dies, suspicion immediately falls on the partner. Verant builds on this preconceived notion and twists it in all the right ways.

"I'm going to float like a butterfly. And then sting like a hundred killer bees.”
If you’re looking for a classic tale where cops hunt down the killer, this isn't it. Here, the victim is a sexual deviant, narcissist, abusive, and a sociopath. The story delves into the events leading to his demise. It's a whydunit rather than a whodunit.

For me, the plot sometimes felt predictable, yet it always came with a twist. It’s like expecting a box of chocolates and finding one, only for the box to contain something entirely different. The characters weren't the best out there—you loved them and hated them—but they were complex enough to stand on their own. I did, however, take issue with one particular character: Detective Rossi. She seemed to target Emma Landon solely because of an old high school rumor. While she showed good judgment in other situations, she was stubbornly prejudiced despite her colleagues pointing it out.

Emma’s character is certainly very complex. She is crazy, kind, and obsessed. Not the best combination, but Verant pulls it off.

The ending left me with a feeling of "I knew it, but it’s somehow unbelievable." It made sense, yet felt surreal—a bittersweet conclusion to a gripping tale.