Whilst I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, I was completely invested in the plot from the start. If you’re after a book full of secrets, lies and deadly decisions then this will be perfect. It’s fast paced, explosive and has a great ending. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to review.

I enjoyed the plot to this story and felt like it had a lot of potential. I docked some stars because I didn't relate to any of the characters and didn't find them very likeable. The ending left a lot to be desired too. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Wives by Valerie Keogh due to be published November 6, 2025.
Natasha and Daniel seem like the perfect couple – rich, both beautiful people, and charming. When Daniel suggests an all-expenses paid cruise for Natasha, her friends, and their husbands, it seems like a perfect idea. She knows Daniel has some secrets that may be revealed, but what she doesn’t know is that her friends also have a secret reason for wanting Daniel dead.
This was definitely a page turner, but not many of the characters were likeable. For “friends”, the women all seemed to be tacky and snarky towards each other. There wasn’t too much information about the husbands to know their characters. It was very entertaining to see what happened on the cruise to each of the families – it had lots of twists that kept me interested until the end!
#NetGalley #ValerieKeogh #BoldwoodBooks #TheWives

Natasha and Daniel newly married after a whirlwind courtship have treated their friends to a cruise. They should all be ecstatic but each one is harboring a secret. Each of their secrets has to do with Daniel and each has their own reason for wanting him dead. And that includes newlywed Natasha. When tragedy happens they all have some explaining to do.

I enjoyed this book, however the characters were all really hard to like. Daniel being a narcissist was the worst of them but the others weren't too far behind. The women were all supposed to be friends from University days but they seemed to dislike each other and they definitely were all keeping secrets from each other. This was my first book by Valerie Keogh and I will definitely read another.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy

Wow! I am literally shook! I definitely didn’t see them endings come! A fantastic psychological thriller, jam packed with twists. It’s terrifying at times, and I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

The Wives by V. Keogh is a full length, stand alone, literally unputdownable pageturner.
Told in a multiple pov, Natasha and Daniel's hea isn't a hea at all. Daniel invites Natashe, her friends and their husbands on a cruise, so everything should be perfect. But soon, chasm opens, secrets are revealed in this raw and gritty, suspenseful and twisty read.

I enjoyed this book and the twists and turns. It kept me hooked over a few nights I would recommend this one!

This was hit and miss for me, the story is fast paced and slower in some places with no redeeming characters and I think it’s because of that for me means it’s my least favourite book by the author and it’s nothing to do with her writing which as usual is excellent and the reason I kept reading this book.

Couldn’t put it down!
The Wives is a good quick, thriller. While I guessed some of the upcoming scenes, there were a few plot twists that blew me away. The story centers around for women who are lifelong friends and their husbands as they take an exotic vacation together. The close knit friends discover they’re all harboring secrets, and when someone in their group winds up dead, everyone’s secrets come to light.. I enjoyed the authors writing style (though I could have done without the detailed bathroom scenes). I found the middle aged characters relatable as they described their marriages and lifestyle, and many of their actions believable. I look forward to reading more from the author.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the advance copy of this book.

When Natasha meets Daniel, she knows her life is made. Rich, handsome and charming, Daniel will make the perfect husband. Even if she won’t make the perfect wife…

She is thrilled when Daniel suggests an all-expenses paid cruise for Natasha, her friends, Barbara, Tracy Ann and Michelle, and their husbands. What better way to show everyone that Natasha has finally made it?

But as the ship sets sail, she learns that far from being the perfect husband, Daniel has terrible secrets that are about to be revealed. And each of the wives has their own reasons for wanting him dead.

This trip might cost more than any of them ever imagined…

I really enjoyed this book. Super quick read. Lots of twists that I never expected. One twist at the end that came out of left field. Great weekend or beach read! 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Natasha is looking to be a trophy wife after a hard career as a nurse, and she finds her place with investor Daniel in The Wives. She can finally fit in amongst her friend group made up of Barbara, Tracy Ann, and Michelle, wives and in some cases mothers. Unfortunately Natasha quickly realizes she’s not in love with Daniel but the perks of being a wife, and trying to fit his perfect mold may get dicey, especially since he seems to be ready to leave her (without funds) before their prenup’s payout terms come up. With this in mind Natasha and Daniel embark on a cruise, paying for her friends to join along with their husbands. Daniel is shady and that quickly emerges on the cruise, with each of Natasha’s friends hiding secrets about him that give a dark edge to their images as perfect wives.

While I enjoyed learning each friend’s secret in this one I can’t say I actually liked any of the characters or found their secrets worth the fallout that ultimately happens. Truth be told my favorite part of this story was the descriptions of Africa, as it took place in an area I’ve visited and found beautiful. Past that this was entertaining but a bit one note for me. That said it’s a solid thriller for a reader that may not have previously run into the secrets upon secrets a bad seed husband can introduce to a friend group.

“The Wives” by author is a page turner that I just couldn’t put down.

Natasha feels that her dreams have come true when she meets Daniel. He is everything Natasha ever wanted, handsome, charming and wealthy. When Daniel offers an all-expenses paid cruise for Natasha, her friends, Barbara, Tracy Ann and Michelle, and their husbands it allows Natasha to show off her new life.

But as the trip begins Natasha soon begins to realise that Daniel is far from the perfect husband she imagined him to be. Daniel has dark secrets that are threatening to be exposed and each of the wives has their own reasons for wanting him dead.

This book was far better than what I was expecting. Full of tension, intrigue, interesting characters and I couldn’t put the book down.

I was very impressed and fully intend to read more from this author.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Boldwood Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. This was an OK thriller, pretty fast-paced. All the characters are completely unlikable, and it's hard to believe they are lifelong friends based on how they treat each other and lie to each other. I had a hard time keeping some of them straight or would need to double check myself to see whose chapter it was. I easily guessed who the killer was; the clues were completely obvious. I didn't see the final twist coming, so it was surprising, but I can't say I liked it. As an avid cruiser, I enjoyed the cruise ship setting and description, which Ms. Keogh definitely did well. I feel like something was missing, though, some big secret to really explain why everyone behaves how they do. It's a very short explanation that doesn't really seem sufficient.

Not sure how I feel about this book. Not her best; not her worst. Natasha quits her job as a nurse and marries Daniel. Daniel wants to take her three bestfriends and their husbands on a cruise for a vacation. Or does he? As the book continues, we find out that Daniel has lied to just about everyone and has been using them for one reason or another. When Daniel ends up dying, everyone is pointing their fingers at everyone else. I did not guess the ending, but really makes you want to look twice at all your friends. The cover is great though!

I loved this book! A mystery cruise in a way, since every guest on the boat of their friend group has a secret. I enjoyed reading on and finding out info along the way. Vacation thrillers are so fun to read, and it kept me hooked! I liked the multiple POVs and the confusion. I liked the writing style!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and especially the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review of the book!!

Natasha is married to Daniel, a wealthy and handsome man. Natasha is excited when Daniel suggests a cruise for them and Natasha closest friends plus their husbands. Once aboard the cruise, it quickly becomes evident that every single person has a secret. And one of those secrets is dangerous enough for someone to kill...

You can always count on Valerie Keogh for a good thriller and this one did not disappoint! I was especially excited to read this one as I LOVE vacation thrillers. The cruise ship setting adding a layer claustrophobia. I loved how all the characters had their own crazy secrets. It really kept me guessing as all of them had motives. Natasha's friends and their husbands all had a different vibe so they were easy to remember and tell apart. We also get multiple POVs which again amps up the level of suspense and makes for some pretty crazy reveals.

It is a super fast and easy read. I had a really tough time putting it down! I really had no idea where this book was going and was shocked multiple times. Highly recommend picking this one up and going along for the crazy adventure!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this book needs to be made into a series like right now. It was SO good! I could not put this down. It was so suspenseful and just intense. I loved it! Such a great book.

Usually I am a big fan of a thriller / mystery book but 'The Wives' by Valerie Keogh just didn't hit the spot for me.

It reminds me of a badly written Lucy Clarke book; there were so many characters and multiple povs yet none of them were really ever interesting to read (except Michele - the only decent character in this whole thing). The plot became extremely predictable, maybe too many clues scattered throughout, and the final plot twist wasn't even so shocking - I am more shocked at how many 5 star reviews this has !!!

This is literally a book about a woman who does not care for her husband in the slightest, and all of her friends hate her. I know this is pretty much the point but Natasha and Daniel have absolutely noooo chemistry at all !! It's like reading two strangers interacting for the first time - every conversation feels so awkward and forced. Actually, this extends to some of the dialogue between Natasha and her friends too, they've meant to have known each other for years yet there seems to be no familiarity or emotions between them. Such two dimensional characters.

This book is a very quick read - The sentences are very short and choppy which really ups the pace but can also feel like I'm reading bullet points or a list rather than actual sentences. The quality of writing doesn't feel particularly high and it seems the author is just flat out describing everything, not leaving anything up to the reader. The word claustrophobic was used many times by the characters, and it's also a word I would use to describe reading this. Everything felt quite repetitive due to the setting of the story - the most interesting part is when they left the boat for a few hours but that seemed to breeze by in a few pages.

Personally, I don't think Valerie Keogh's books are for me, but I did find this somewhat entertaining as a quick, faced paced book. I will just have no emotional attachments to the characters and will probably never think about this book again !!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldword Books for this arc !!

** All opinions are my own **

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of The Wives by Valerie Keogh.

WOW!
This book sucked me right in and I honestly didn't know where the story would take me but the adventure was so worth going on.

Natasha has very close friends who are all married. She is a nurse and single until she meets Daniel. Daniel is wealthy and sweeps her off of her feet into a life where she no longer has to work or worry about money, but is it all worth it?

Highly recommend you pick up this read and go on an adventure with Natasha, Daniel, and all her friends to find out.

What is there not to love about this book? "The Wives" is a binge-read that you won't want to put down and the twists were all unexpected. The characters are all extremely difficult to empathize with which makes the plot thicken and certain moments jaw-dropping. I highly recommend this as a read with a friend or book club because you are going to want to discuss and dissect characters and scenes.