This book took me a minute to sink my teeth into, it wasn’t 100% verified until halfway through the book that there was actually a murder. The reading style was quick and light and easy, a good summer read, but the set up to the mystery probably could’ve been a bit quicker. I’d say I’m being generous with the four stars, but I did get into the book in the second half. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

I was drawn to the synopsis.
The biggest drawback for this book was the timeline. It was hard to keep track of flipping forward a few days and then back.
For some books this approach works but it didn’t, at least for me. Instead it was a big distraction and sort of ruined the book for me.

Happy Wife surprised me in the best way. While it took a little time to settle into the story, once it found its rhythm, I was completely invested. The writing is sharp and intimate, and the characters—especially the main protagonist—felt real and layered. The novel explores the quiet unraveling of a life that looks perfect on the outside, and it does so with subtlety and heart.

That said, I knocked off one star because some pacing issues early on made it feel like it took a while to get going, and there were a few moments at the end where I wanted just a bit more showing and less telling. Still, it’s a well written, thoughtful read that stayed with me after I finished it.

If Jenna says “Read This”, you read it. I went in blind and would have had no idea it was actually a suspenseful whodunit murder mystery, within the confines of high society. Enjoyed the dual timeline narrative and it kept me guessing until the end!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine, and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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I’m leaning 3.5 ⭐️s rounded up!
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I did a combination of audio and ebook! I was really excited for this one, especially since it was a Read with Jenna pick. The cover is also super intriguing!
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Domestic thriller/suspense with a dual timeline and rich people problems? Sign me up! This was an easy read/listen and at first, I didn’t really know where it was going. I did end up predicting bits and pieces, but not the murderer.
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While this was good, I kind of wanted a little more from the ending I think? Overall, I would read another book by these authors!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flew through Happy Wife — sharp, fast, and way more emotional than I expected. Loved the modern take on marriage and identity. Some parts could’ve gone deeper, but overall a super solid read that kept me hooked. I ended up buying the book before I got the ark and was not disappointed.!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A mystery about the disappearance of a wealthy, well-known husband in a upscale community and the widow's journey to find out exactly what happened to him. I wasn't in love with it, but I did enjoy the story since it read quick.

In Winter Park, everyone is watching; watching and waiting for you to fail. And Nora just wants to win over the fakes as much as the next person. The story starts in tension and not only with the party goers themselves but with the husband on her arm; and as a reader, you know something’s not quite right in that marriage.

With little tidbits of intrigue for build up, your led down a thriller path of a missing person surrounded by the elite privileged and women seeming fit for the PTA. And country clubs. A set up for a pretty boring and normal wife in Nora, it didn't convince me that someone wouldn’t check in for 36 hours and it be normal. Told in dual timelines, I didn’t really care about seeing how Nora and Will met, but dang their banter was cute and witty and gave a personality to Nora that was lacking in the present timeline. Her only personality trait in present timeline seemed to be suspected gold digger.

Not a bad domestic thriller/mystery; the who-done-it and red herrings were pretty subtle; it did start to drag a little bit before getting to the end. The ending wasn’t anything twisty or spectacular but also was nice that it followed the plot and made sense. An easy read with a good flow and would be interested in reading other stories by the writers.

I ended up listening to this one and definitely enjoyed it. It was a mystery but also just a fun read.

I gave this book a 3.5-4 stars. It was a slow start & took me a while to get pulled into the story. I enjoyed this high society mystery set in the real Florida town of Winter Park. I am a Winter Park resident, so it was exciting to read about my local area! . It's slow to start but quickly picks up as clues are revealed & Nora gets closer to solving the mystery. It was a fun dive into the worlds of the wealthy & privileged. It's an easy breezy summer read!

This was a super fun, summer popcorn mystery. I gobbled it up in only a few sittings. I loved that it was a play on the younger wife/older husband trope, but the wife actually had introspection into her own situation. She was also extremely likeable. I never thought I would like a book that takes place in Florida so much (don't worry, I'm a Floridian so I can say that). I recommend this to anyone who likes stories about the rich or needs a lighthearted, entertaining beach read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nora Davies had a whirlwind romance with lawyer, Will which led to their quick marriage. She is now spending her time trying to fit into his life in Winter Park Florida. His ex wife doesn't like her and his friends think she is an interloper, a nobody trying to be a somebody. Nora hosts Will's birthday party and that same night Will leaves on an errand and never returns.

This was a quick read with a few twists. The chapters are short and the story alternates between the whirlwind romance of Nora and Will and the present day search. I did enjoy the mystery aspect of the story, and there were several times I changed my mind on who did what and why. Ultimately though, I did guess right before the ending came.

All in all I did enjoy this book. I recommend it if you are looking for a quick summer mystery with twists. If you like "rich people behaving badly" this is the book for you!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam books for the ARC.

Note: contains spoilers

I would give this a 3.75 out of 5 stars. While this book was a great who done it, for me personally, it struggled to really capture me. I got to the latter third of the book and still didn’t really feel like much of a story had been established. Yes, #HotMeanLawyer was found to be murdered, but I wanted to have more of a plot or plot twist. The twist did come toward the end of the book (last 3 or so chapters), but by this point, my attention to the detail had faded fast.

Overall a good read, but make sure you know you may need to be in it for the long haul!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read the ARC.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of Happy Wife!

Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores is a sharp, fast-paced domestic thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. The pacing is relentless in the best way, the twists are razor-sharp, and the tension never lets up. I flew through the whole thing.

If you love thrillers with smart plots, layered characters, and that addictive edge-of-your-seat feeling, definitely add this one to your list. Highly recommend!

#HappyWife by #MeredithLavender and #KendallShores

A BIG thank you to #NetGalley #RandomHousePublishingGroup-Ballantine and the authors for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the book: Nora Davies is 28 years old and barely making enough money at the country club she works at. She feels like her life is going absolutely no where. Then one day at work she meets a very charming wealthy 46 year old lawyer named Will Somerset. They begin a quick fairytale romance. Within no time Will is already proposing and they are married.
Nora’s now living a fairytale style life with all the glitz, glamour, and wealth. Life is perfect, until after the night of Will’s birthday, when Will disappears.
The story switches back and forth between Nora and Will’s romance to the present time after his disappearance. Nora must answer the question… where is Will?

What I thought: All in all I thought the story was pretty good. I liked the back and forth between past and present and I also liked the shorter chapters. It made for a good quick read. My problem with it was overall it was pretty slow and nothing ever “suspenseful” ever really happened. Even the twist at the end was just kind of meh. I’d rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

I do think this would make a great book club read!

This was a fun thriller that kept me guessing- a perfect beach read. I particularly enjoyed the sense of place- having previously lived in central FL, I found it to ring true to my experience.

3.75⭐️ Rounded up!

I enjoyed this book and the plot. I had many different theories in my head but definitely didnt guess this one.

I did feel it was a little slow paced thats why I knocked it down

This colorful cover is so fun and eye catching - perfect for a summer beach read! Unfortunately, the cover was probably my favorite part. I think the fact that this was a Read With Jenna pick actually worked against it for me. I expected something thought provoking and full of discussion topics, but this was really more of a light popcorn mystery. It was fine. The plot was not especially propulsive or memorable enough to make it stand out in this genre. I did see the authors discussion with Jenna and they seemed like such genuine, lovely people and I wish them all the best! Thank you for this advance copy.

Nora is a twenty something woman who doesn’t have her life fully figured out. A wannabe art student, she instead has various part time jobs to get through life. Enter Will, a 45 year old divorced man, who sweeps her off her feet. Will is rich, successful, and handsome and the two fall for each other fast. After getting married, Nora is the talk of the town- she is the gold digging outsider who isn’t “one of them” in Winter Park Florida. Soon after, Will goes missing and suspicions fly that Nora had a part in it. She starts investigating to find her husband and clear her name.
This was a fun suspenseful read that is great for a summer beach read. I don’t think readers can think too deeply about some of the fine points but it was a nice escape and a quick read.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC.

This is a fun popcorn thriller. Do you like the “rich people behaving badly” theme? This is glamourous and secretive. I like a fun beach mystery, especially when I don’t guess the ending. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, it was a little bit of a letdown. Missing persons mystery which is fun but derivative.