First Wife’s Shadow drew me in with its sharp insight into relationships and the complexities of love and betrayal. I appreciated how the characters felt layered and real, and the story’s twists kept me engaged throughout. While a few moments felt a bit predictable, the writing was compelling and emotionally resonant, making it a satisfying and thoughtful read overall.

Emma is an accomplished woman who has put much of her personal and romantic life on hold - until she’s swept off her feet by Matthew. They marry after a whirlwind romance - her first marriage, but his second. His first wife died in a freak accident. And as time goes on, Emma realizes that the circumstances may be different than what she originally thought. And that she may not know her husband that well at all.

This was a fast paced thriller with a pretty unique plot. I definitely didn’t know where it was going to end up! I listened to the audiobook courtesy of The Hive and Harlequin Audio. This is my first read by the author and I will definitely look to read more.

A bit of a slow burn. Adele Parks books always seem to take you in a certain direction then all of a sudden you're taking a sharp left down a dark tunnel an wondering what the heck just happened? That said, I'd read a grocery list if she wrote it!

Adele Parks can do no wrong in my opinion. Her books are fast-paced character-driven thrillers that are worthy of binge-reading. This latest book is no exception, with a FMC who is an unreliable narrator with a jealous obsession of a dead woman. I found this story to be unpredictable, suspenseful, and one of Adele’s best! Thanks so much for the opportunity to read!

When wealthy Emma falls for charming widower Matthew, their whirlwind romance seems like a fresh start. But with his late wife’s shadow looming large and Emma’s growing doubts about where she truly stands, cracks begin to form. As jealousy and mistrust creep in, things quickly spiral into something much more dangerous.

I really enjoyed the twists in this one – second wife thrillers always hook me, and this was no exception!

DNF at 56%.

The concept was intriguing, but unfortunately there was way too much unnecessary detail about everyone’s lives that weren’t helping to push the plot along and just dragging. There was no one to root for, either — the FMC was blatantly stupid for being a CEO.

🧠 Thoughts:
This thriller pulled me in right from the start and didn’t let go. I was completely surprised by the twist halfway through and couldn’t stop reading until the end! It’s a FIVE STAR read that kept me thinking about the characters even after I finished.

📝 Summary:
Emma is a successful businesswoman who falls in love with Matthew, a younger man whose wife, Becky, passed away. At first, their relationship seems perfect, but strange things start happening—items go missing, things break, and Emma starts to feel uneasy. As her friends grow concerned and Emma begins questioning everything, the story shifts to reveal a much darker truth. Readers get to see how Emma’s character changes as she tries to uncover what’s really happening around her. The plot builds suspense through shifting perspectives and hidden motives, keeping the reader guessing until the final pages.

🙏 Thank you to NetGalley, Adele Parks, and Harlequin for the chance to read this exciting and suspenseful book in exchange for a review!
This one came out in March, making it available now!

Adele Parks has done it again. I flew through this one on vacation day 1-2 and really enjoyed it! It was gripping, unpredictable and CHILLING! Everything one needs for a vacation read,

Emma, enamored with her new husband, Matthew, acknowledges that their courtship was brief. However, she often feels uneasy when he speaks fondly of his first wife, Becky. He describes their love as an unparalleled passion. Despite her lingering feelings that Matthew is still in love with Becky, she can’t help but be captivated by their passionate relationship.

Emma’s budding romance with Matthew was to be met with skepticism from her lifelong friends. Perhaps it’s because Matthew is younger, or perhaps it’s simply because she rushed into the relationship and marriage. Things don’t go smoothly for Emma, and strange occurrences begin to disrupt her life. She starts feeling as if she’s being haunted by Becky’s ghost.

Kristin Atherton’s narration of this fast-paced story is expertly done. While the story is intriguing, particularly when Emma is feeling haunted, I found myself drawn to the twists and turns that kept the plot moving at a rapid pace.

Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This book was a wild ride full of twists & turns, and I was honestly questioning the majority of the characters throughout the book. I really enjoyed the plot twists, and was genuinely surprised by the ending - I had no idea that was coming. By the end of the book, I was starting to wonder if I really know the people closest to me in my life or if some of them have secrets like these characters did.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

What an incredible read. Every twist and amazing turn left my jaw on the floor! This was the craziest love triangle ever, and I couldn't get enough. 5 huge stars for the First Wife's Shadow!!

Twisty and suspenseful, The First Wife’s Shadow keeps you guessing until the very last page. It has secrets, lies, and you’ll question every character’s motive through the chapters to uncover the truth.

I enjoyed this one! In the beginning, I thought this was going to be your regular run-of- the- mill domestic thriller featuring a powerful and rich female executive (Emma) and her new much younger love interest (Matthew) who seems too good to be true. That was not the case with FIRST WIFE'S SHADOW! As the story progresses you start to see the couple's relationship unraveling and you don't know who or what to believe. About 50% in there is a jaw- dropping twist and the story amps up from there. While I did predict a twist or two, it did not take away my overall enjoyment of the story and there were still more twists that I never saw coming.

I highly recommend FIRST WIFE'S SHADOW to domestic thriller lovers!

I love a good thriller and have been looking for new-to-me authors, which is why I requested this one. I really enjoyed this read--thanks so much for the gifted copy

What a twisted web this one is! I really enjoyed this thriller with so many surprises.

Emma is a single CEO, and Matthew is a widower whose wife recently died. They begin dating and things move very quickly, despite there being flashing red lights to warn her about this new relationship. About halfway through the story, the surprises begin, and to be honest, there’s one after another until the end. What a wild ride! The pacing is really perfect, and the author keeps revealing just a little more…!

I highly recommend this one! 4.5 glittering stars rounded up!

I received a copy of the digital ARC via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Emma is a wealthy, successful, independent woman in her mid-forties, who has been perfectly happy with her solo life, until she meets Matthew, a man a decade younger, with whom she falls for, fast.
The two become a tight pair, despite her friends' skepticism about his intentions, and the fact that he is still openly grieving the death of his first wife.
Their blissful existence becomes threatened when weird things start happening to Emma. Is she being sabotaged, haunted, or going crazy, and what, if anything, does Matthew have to do with it?
This was a fun thriller with a few twists and turns, some that were kinda easy to some coming, and some not as much.
Thanks to #netgalley and #mirabooks for this #arc of #firstwifesshadow by #adeleparks in exchange for an honest review.

This one was decent; but I feel like it tried too hard to throw that curveball at the end. Unfortunately, the lead up to that "twist" was pretty excruciating: a female main character who ignores ALL the red flags, her best friends advice, etc. By the time the end came around, I actually stopped caring. I enjoyed the narration.
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I've always enjoyed Adele Parks' books so it was a no brainer for me to request an ARC of First Wife's Shadow, especially after reading the description. Once again Adele Parks delivers an exceptional domestic thriller -- with gaslighting GALORE. There are essentially three main characters, and Parks provided the perfect amount of backstory/complimentary characters for each and also wove together past and present drama seamlessly. The perfect read this summer!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of First Wife's Shadow by Adele Parks.

This is a psychological thriller about a financially successful Emma who meets a younger man Matthew. Despite their economic differences, the two fall in love, but suspicion does revolve around them, could Matthew be a gold digger?

That suspicion gets even louder when strange things start happening to Emma, things that resemble what happened to Matthews first, deceased wife. Is Matthew dangerous, or are more sinister forces at play?

This was a very middle of the road thriller. I do feel like I've read it before, so while I enjoyed it, nothing about it knocked my socks off. Adele Parks is a great author, so the journey will be fun, I just wouldn't plan to be blown away.

Cover to cover I was hooked and every twist had me gripping the book I still trying to wrap my head around it!!