I’m a little jaded with suspense books, we’ve all read so many of them in the last few years, but this was a surprise from first page until last. I honestly did not put Happy Wife done and read it in one sitting. Greatly detailed and flawed characters were interesting and I was kept guessing to the end. Loved this book and will high,y recommends it.

Book review 📖

📜Happy Wife
✍️Meredith Lavender & Kendall Shores
📠Random House/Ballantine/Bantam
📚Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: June 24, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @randomhouse @ballantinebooks @bantambooksuk for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨Nora Davies doesn’t fit into her elite town of Winter Park, Florida. Working at a country club, she meets successful and recently divorced Will Somerset, and the rest is history, including the Cinderella-style wedding that follows.

✨The morning after a lush birthday party that Nora throws for Will, he is nowhere to be found. Messages and calls go unanswered. The neighbors in their uber-rich community have not seen him either.

✨Alternating narratives between Nora and Will’s rapidly budding romance and the lead-up to his disappearance, this book will have you racing to the finish line. A whodunit that will have you guessing at every turn.

✨I absolutely loved this book! The witty date-night banter between Will and Nora, the glitz of the uber rich sprinkled into an investigation, and the alternating timelines worked so well. Este wins friend of the year award (you never know when you’re going to need that friend to help you hide the bodies).
In all honesty, such an amazing domestic thriller—perfect for the pool or beach, and one you will be flying through. Read this now!!

#netgalley #happywife #meredithlavender #kendallshores #randomhouse #ballantine #bantam #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #summerreleases #thrillerfiction #readthisnow

Happy Wife was a great read. In a fairly common setup, a husband with a younger wife goes missing and we all have to decide who made him disappear. It was a little slower than I liked but the cast of characters all made excellent suspects. This would make an excellent TV miniseries! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Rich people are weird and this book proves it lol.

Happy Wife was such a wild ride in the best way. From the jump, I was hooked by Nora, a 28-year-old just tryna survive working at a bougie country club in Winter Park, Florida, and suddenly ends up married to a much older, recently divorced lawyer?? Like girl… what???

Their relationship is whirlwind-y and kind of fairytale-ish, but not in a soft and cozy way, more like a glittery, red flag parade you can’t look away from. Then Will straight-up disappears the morning after his birthday party (thrown by Nora, btw), and that’s when things really get juicy. The story flips between their romance and the aftermath of Will going MIA, and every chapter had me thinking I knew what was going on until nope, plot twist.

The social dynamics in this book were so entertaining. Think rich people being fake nice, PTA-level drama, and old-money gossip disguised as concern. I loved how the story picked at performative marriages, class divides, and what it means to be the “perfect wife” without trying too hard to sound deep.

My only complaint is that some parts dragged just a little and the ending wasn’t as explosive as I was hoping for. Still, the vibes? Immaculate. The characters? Messy in the best way. The tension? Perfection.

If you’re into mystery + domestic drama + watching the 1% eat themselves alive, this is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this ARC

Great job to both authors - Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores. This was a fast read full of mystery, suspense and a twist I was not expecting! I was so upset when Will went missing. Nora's life was just beginning to get better and then tragedy happens. Although I had an idea of who the culprit might have been, I did not predict the correct one. Never in a million years did I think it would be her!!

This was a great read although sometimes it felt like it was repetitive and dragged on a bit BUT the ending made up for it.

This was a 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ read for me! 😊

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from Random House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. Honestly, this was kind of a lackluster thriller to me. It was slow and long. Many periods of not much happening, and a lot of the before seemed fairly irrelevant. I may be getting pickier, and also accustomed to more surprises, so I think I was waiting for some crazy reveal that didn't come.

What the author did well: the vivid descriptions of the insular and wealthy community. The character development was pretty decent also; we definitely get to know Nora and some of the supporting characters. On the other hand, some of the supporting characters seemed unnecessary (the rich lady who had an affair with the police officer, for instance).

Florida dramaaaaaaa! Even in books Florida is still Florida.

This story takes place in a very wealthy and small, tight-knot area of Florida (Winter Park) where a wealthy middle-aged lawyer goes missing.

This story mainly follows the trophy wife (not a gold-digger) of the missing lawyer as she tries to figure out what happened to her husband, following two different timelines. We see days leading up the him going missing and the days that follow.

This was a bit slowly-paced for a thriller, dragging at some point, especially when we meet new characters that I didn't find to be very important or fascinating.

The ending was satisfying, but I can see if being predictable for some readers. I know some people don't mind a super predictable ending, especially once you've read enough books in that genre (things can become predictable). It was a sensible ending, looking back at all the clues that lead to it, it was well done.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

3.5 stars This is a good quick read about a trophy wife and her new husband in ultra rich Winter Park Florida. After her husband goes followng a birthday party, the book splits into 2 timelines with the suspense building up in each one. Some of the characters were over the top but that makes it fun. I enjoyed the first half a lot. Some things didn't make sense but overall it keeps you reading to find out. Marcus and Este aren't really explained as characters, but just that they play major roles in Nora's life. Overall, great summer read!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I honestly had ZERO idea of what was going to happen in this timeline...and I loved every minute of it. It is so rare to find a book that really hooks you into the timeline of things and get a perspective of what happens before and after the disappearance of Will. I loved the twisty tale of intrigue the authors weaved and it truly had be second guessing what Este, Marcus, and Fritz were up to. Not to mention the characters of Will's past who seemingly randomly showed up. Pair that with the super catty and beautiful wives of Winter Park and you have a hell of a story. Give this a read, you will NOT be disappointed!!

Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores, Happy Wife, was a page-turning debut that glimmered with juicy social dynamics, suspense, and a compelling exploration of the complexities of marriage.

It was clever.
It was intriguing.
It was subversive.

It was an addictive novel that was equally mysterious as it was entertaining. This psychological mystery thriller followed Nora, a young woman, who sought out to find her missing husband and prove her innocence. Only to discover a web of deceit, envy, and betrayal in the ultra-wealthy community they lived in.

I had the hardest time putting this book down. I devoured it in a couple days. This story was told by the main protagonist, Nora, and alternated between the present and past. The past told the backstory and provided enough red hearings to keep me guessing throughout. The dialogue moved at a fast paced. There was never a dull moment, it was that compelling. I also enjoyed the wealthy suburban community where Nora didn’t quite know where, or even if, she fit in. When other women in her community didn’t naturally accept Nora, Este befriended her and claimed Nora as her best friend. Este was a breath of fresh air. She had a sharp wit and always had Nora’s back. It goes without saying, the friendship between Este and Nora was a strong one; and I loved the humor and sarcasm they exuded in their relationship.

Overall, Happy Wife was a fast-paced, suspenseful tale of secrets and social intrigue. I relished in this unraveling mystery that was hinged on complex relationships and hidden motives. It was a twisted and unputdownable debut novel. I’m eager to see what the dynamic duo, Lavender & Shores, come out with next!

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Wife though not set on a beach, is the perfect beach read to add to your pile for the summer. You will be immersed in Nora's newly discovered world of wealth and glamour (though she remains down-to-earth) where she is relegated to the fringes and not accepted being the second wife of a prominent attorney. One of the aspects of Happy Wife that was most well developed, in my opinion, was Nora's friendship with Este. It seems to me that their was the true love story of this novel. Her relationship with her husband, however, was not quite as well developed though still believable. Lavender and Shores were deft in dropping their clues about the killer and it was quite a surprise to learn who the killer was. This is a light and quick read that will have you thinking you might know what happened until it's all revealed at the end.

3.9
Fun, if not particularly profound. There was a tonal shift toward the end that was a smidge off-putting, but it wasn't so dramatic as to be jarring.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores due to be published June 24, 2025.

Nora Davies meets and marries Will Somerset after a whirlwind romance. When Will disappears the morning after his birthday party, everyone wonders the same thing – where is Will?

I loved this book and was hooked from the beginning. I liked the way it went back to when Will and Nora first met and became engaged and then back to the present as Nora tries to uncover who killed Will and keep the police away from suspecting her. Lots of other characters – Will’s ex, his daughter, Nora’s friends Beau and Este, and the restaurant owner, Marcus, made for an entertaining read! Looking forward to their next book!

#NetGalley #MeredithLavender #KendallShores #Happy Wife #RandomHousePublishingGroup

Nora is barely scraping by between her two jobs when fate puts her in the path of newly divorced and rich attorney Will. Although he's at least 20 years her senior, they recognize that sparks are flying between them and after a whirlwind courtship, they marry. The problem is that the rich, stuck-up women who inhabit Will's rich and powerful world see Nora as a gold digger and interloper and decide to freeze her out. With only one neighbor who will talk to her and Will constantly working, Nora's beginning to wonder if she made the right decision to enter Will's world. On the night of Will's 46th birthday party, Will disappears and is later found dead. The "old money" group does all they can to pin his murder on Nora, but although she's the young, beautiful and supposedly "dumb" second wife, Nora isn't about to lie down and take it. Doing some digging of her own, Nora is about to prove that the second wife has brains and isn't afraid to use them to solve her husband's murder.

The authors build a sympathetic character in Nora and paint the other women as likely devotees of Cruella DeVille. Allowing "outsiders" to experience through Nora life behind those secure gilded gates in one of the richest communities builds empathy for her situation. Money and power are the currency here. A mystery which moves along at a good pace with an ending that will surprise the readers.

Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores, When 28 year-old swim teacher nora Mary’s millionaire lawyer Will she really did marry him because she loved him but when he went missing after his birthday party all fingers were pointed her way. When they first got married his law partner Fitch tried to intimidate her but when Will went missing he told her don’t speak to anyone unless you speak to me first. He even got a local policeman under his employee to start the investigation as to where he was. with her being 28 and him being 46 everyone called her a gold digger including his ex-wife Constance so Nora knew the only way she would be found not guilty was the find out why her husband vanished and who did it. The only friend she had was her next-door neighbor Este and the chef named Marcus in throughout her grief she will test their friendship more than once and they will prove to be loyal friends but will Nora proove her innocence? there were so many great characters in this book from Nora too Este, bow, Marcus and I absolutely loved Perry. I don’t wanna leave this review without saying what a great thing that was at the end in the locker room, I love a bad guy gets there come up. I think Miss Lavender and Miss Shores make a great riding duo as this book is absolutely superb. I absolutely enjoyed it it was twisty compelling and Nora is a great character to root for. if you love a twisty ride then you will absolutely adore this book is any thriller fan wood. #NetGalley, #RandomHousePublishing, #TheBlindReviewer, #MeredithLavender, #KindleShores, #HappyWife,

I enjoyed the plot of this domestic thriller/murder mystery but was irritated with the main character at times. The book was fast-paced and easy to read in the beginning, but then we bump into the dual timeline/Before chapters, which were slower with extraneous details and dialogue. Overall, an interesting book. I enjoyed the tropes of an ultra-wealthy small town, an interloper who is ill at ease, best girlfriends, trophy wife, a mansion on a lake, all wrapped up in a who-dun-it with a satisfying ending.

A younger second wife married to a high-power lawyer in fancy Winter Park - what could go wrong? I could not put this thriller down!

Loved this book about Nora and Will! Nora is a receptionist at a museum when she meets Will who is almost 20 years her senior. They fall in love quickly and Nora is amazed by his kindness and generosity--made possible by the millions he's made. But there's an ex-wife, a stepdaughter, and as she throws him a birthday party for his 46th, things start to fall apart as his partner, Fritz is acting oddly and then tragedy strikes! This one will likely keep you up all night!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Summary:
Nora is married to Will, a successful lawyer who is quite a bit older than her. She truly loves him, even though plenty of people assume she’s just a gold-digger because of this Nora is treated as an outsider. Her best friend and next-door neighbor, Este, is her saving grace. Este, whose husband made his fortune in tech, is also seen as an outsider in their fancy community, and her sarcasm and zero-filter attitude had me laughing out loud so many times. I adored their friendship and all the hilarious, sharp dialogue that came with it.

The real mystery kicks off when Will disappears during his 46th birthday party.

Where did he go?

Is it tied to one of his cases?

Or is something more sinister at play?

Thoughts:


When I got approved for Happy Wife on NetGalley, I was SO excited. I had this book on my Amazon Book Wishlist just waiting for release day! I had really high expectations for this one and it completely delivered. I stayed up ALL night reading because I could not put it down.

The characters were so richly developed and I was fully invested in Nora’s journey from start to finish. I also absolutely LOVED Este. She’s hilarious, sarcastic, and had no filter in the best way possible. Her friendship with Nora added so much humor and heart to the story.

As for the mystery well it kept me guessing until the very end! Meredith Lavender & Kendall Shores did such an amazing job balancing suspense, emotion, and sharp dialogue. This will easily be one of my top domestic thrillers of the year!

If you love domestic suspense that’s smart, sharp, and impossible to put down, Happy Wife needs to be on your summer TBR!

Things I liked:
-The cover, hello?! PINK
-Title is cool
-Synopsis seemed really interesting!

Why I plan to purchase a physical version:
-I enjoyed the writing style
-Premise seems cool
-I really enjoyed the portion I read
-There are text messages in this book that I would like to experience in proper formatting for the full experience
-There is a bit of added complexity to this one that makes it better as a physical book I believe and I really want to have that

Why I would recommend:
-The writing style
-The cover
-I got immediately sucked into this one and struggled to put it down

I didn’t love the Botox reference in the beginning, but that might be a me thing, as it is very much still part of societal norms. I just can’t stand it. Just a heads up for readers!

I can’t wait to purchase this one and have it on my hands!!

Thank you for the approval for this eARC! I am grateful for the opportunity to leave honest feedback voluntarily.