I just read Happy Wife and really enjoyed it. It is the story of the second wife of a husband must figure out how her husband died. It has all of the salaciousness of a wealthy Florida community, full of over the top glamor and glitz and so much scandal. It was juicy and exciting and kept me guessing until the end. I really liked how the chapters alternated between before and after the death to set the stage and to make me doubt all of my instincts as to what really happened. Such a fun summer read.

Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores is a glitzy, twist-filled domestic thriller that peels back the manicured layers of Florida’s elite to reveal a world where appearances deceive—and secrets kill.

Nora Davies, a 28-year-old outsider in the ultra-wealthy enclave of Winter Park, seems to have landed a fairy-tale life when she marries Will Somerset, a charming, powerful attorney nearly two decades her senior. But when Will vanishes the morning after his lavish birthday party, Nora’s dream life fractures into a nightmare. As suspicion swirls and the community turns on her, Nora must unravel the truth behind her husband’s disappearance—and confront the unsettling reality of the man she thought she knew.

Told in dual timelines that alternate between Nora and Will’s whirlwind romance and the tense aftermath of his vanishing, *Happy Wife* delivers juicy social commentary, razor-sharp class dynamics, and a heroine who’s far more complex than she first appears. Lavender and Shores craft a suspenseful, binge-worthy debut that’s equal parts Big Little Lies and Gone Girl, with a Florida twist.

Perfect for fans of domestic thrillers with bite, this one’s a poolside page-turner that’ll keep you guessing until the final reveal.

#HappyWife #MeredithLavender #KendallShores #DomesticThriller #RichPeopleDrama #BookReview #SummerReads 📚🌴🕵️‍♀️

This was an absolutely gripping mystery that delivered on every front—twists, atmosphere, and beautifully layered suspense. Told through multiple timelines, the story unfolds piece by piece, each thread adding new depth and intrigue. Just when I thought I had figured it out, another revelation would change everything.

The pacing was perfect—slow-burning in the best way—and the author masterfully wove the past and present together, keeping me hooked until the final page. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, desperate to see how it all connected. If you love mysteries with rich character development, clever structure, and a lingering sense of unease, this one is a must-read.

This story has a lot going on to keep it interesting. We have a marriage with an age gap, a bitter ex-wife, a sneaky business partner, and a protective secretary just to name a few. This story and the characters pulled me in and kept my attention from beginning to end.

This story is told in a before and after format. I liked this because it kept the story flowing from chapter to chapter. It let me get a better understanding of the characters too. Este, the best friend, was my favorite. She seemed the most genuine and what a best friend is. She was easy to like and made the story better.

This book was an easy, quick read. It gave me an escape from the real world while being realistic enough to keep my interest. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of suspense.

Wow! THIS BOOK. It was an emotional rollercoaster that I couldn't put down. Throughout the story, I tried to figure out what happened to lead to the husband's disappearance. All-in-all, I had about 4 different theories, and none of them were exactly correct. The story is full of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing, enticing them to keep reading. Even though the mystery is wrapped up by the end of the book, I would welcome a sequel that would allow me to see the turns the lives of the characters make. This is a book I would highly recommend to all mystery lovers.

I’ve been on a roll with great thrillers lately and this domestic thriller is no exception. I love the privileged old money Florida setting. The characters were complex and it kept me guessing until the very end. This would be a fantastic book for book club or summer vacation! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Nora Davies doesn’t exactly fit in to Winter Park, Florida, Twenty-eight and barely making ends meet working at a country club, Nora feels like she’s going nowhere fast. Enter Will Somerset: a prominent forty-six-year-old lawyer, father to a teenage daughter, and recently divorced. The two set Winter Park’s social scene talking when they fall in love and marry after a short time together. When Will disappears after the birthday party Nora throws for him its apparent many people in Winter Park have something to hide.

Is the working class younger women meeting the wealthy older man and not being accepted by his social circle and then when he goes missing she’s the prime suspect the most original premise? No but that doesn’t mean this book isn’t well written and entertaining. I felt compelled to know what happened to Will and the mystery surrounding his disappearance. There’s a fun cast of characters from the jealous ex wife Constance, her best friend and also wife of Will’s business partner Fritz, a handsome local chef, and the golden couple next door.

I like it to a Bravo TV show guaranteed some fun drama, rich people behaving badly and just the right kind of salacious. It’s a guilty but enjoyable pleasure this book is perfect to take to the pool or beach.

This was great on audio and very entertaining. Set in a wealthy town in FL. Twisty until the end. Perfect summer reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Meredith Lavender, Kendall Shores, and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the eARC. A compelling whodunit psychological thriller! I loved watching the widowed wife step into the role of undercover sleuth to uncover the truth. A clever, engaging story from start to finish!

Happy Wife wasn't the type of book I've come to expect as a Read With Jenna pick, but it was a quick summer read that kept me totally absorbed. I liked the alternating "before" and "after" chapters that produced quite a few suspects along with a gradual revelation of what really happened. Thanks to NetGalley, Random House/Ballantine and the authors for a copy to read and review.

3.5/5!

What a fun time!!

I eat up books set in wealthy, dramatic groups. There’s just something about rich people problems and sucks me in!

I’m Happy Wife we find ourselves in an exclusive part of Florida where the levels of Botox and drama are high. Not only the story of missing husband, but also the story of a young, second wife struggling to find her place. As these two situations escalate, readers can’t help but be glued to the pages guessing what will happen next.

This is one of those easy, popcorn thrillers where you can feel like it’s truly an escapist read. I read a ton of thrillers, so I didn’t find myself discovering anything too crazy with the twists, BUT the execution was top notch.

I’m always blown away by two authors being able to come together and create one voice, which Shores and Lavender absolutely nail. I hope this duo is scheming up more because I’ll definitely be buying!

Happy Wife is such a fast paced, intriguing, fun summer read.

Meet Nora - 28 years old, beautiful, and just not quite knowing what she wants to do with her life. One day as she is giving swim lessons at the country club as her second job, she meets hunky and recently divorced lawyer, Will, age 45. The meeting is very happenstance as Nora is actually trying to take care of Mia, Will's 14 year old daughter, as she has gotten sick in the dressing room after she and her friends stole alcohol from the drink carts and tables. The bar boy admits to Nora that he saw it happening and also admits that he wasn't going to say anything because in this community, the rich rule and can do no wrong. Plus, he knew he would lose his job if he said anything.

Nora and Will begin dating, fall in love within 3 months, and elope. Since Nora didn't grow up in the affluent society of coastal Florida where Will resides, she is not accepted into the realm...that and her age difference. At the urging of Amanda, the rich sector's party planner extraordinaire, Nora agrees to throw Will a 46th birthday party, the party of the year, and gain acceptance.

All of the who's who of Winter Park will be there. What could possibly go wrong? It's that night that Will turns up missing and is later discovered floating in the lake with blunt force trauma to the head.

The plot is juicy with so many suspects and red herrings. Of course, Nora herself becomes prime suspect. Crazy ex-wife, Constance, is a suspect. Will's business firm partner, Fitz and his uber snotty wife, Gianna, are suspects. Next door neighbors, Este and Beau, could be suspects. Amanda, the party planner to the ultra rich, is a suspect. Marcus, the sweet chef at a nearby Michelin restaurant and caterer to the aristocrats is a suspect. What about that older grey sedan cruising the neighborhood at all hours driven by Perry? Let's throw him in as a suspect. Dean, who seemed to be investigating something the night he crashed into a neighbor's fence and died, is a suspect. Can police investigator Travis Ardell be trusted? No, he seems to only care about appeasing the upper crust.

The plot is nicely presented as it goes back and forth between the night of the party to Nora and Will's first meeting then each day after the murder.

If you like quick, engrossing murder mysteries, pick this one up for a satisfying read. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Happy Wife hit shelves June 24th, and it's a Jenna Pick.

Thrillers have been very hit or miss for me over the past year or so, so I didn't plan on reading this one until it was selected as the Read With Jenna July pick. And I can't say this changed my mind about thrillers. The premise was somewhat interesting (husband goes missing, wife is young and new to the neighborhood, lots of judgements, etc. etc) but it ultimately felt predictable and honestly kind of boring. This feels like a strange pick for RWJ, but maybe she just wanted to choose an easy beach read, which this is. Definitely not as literary as most of her picks.

Pack this one in your beach bag! It’s twisty, glitzy, and a really fun read. You will get “Pretty Woman” vibes when a young swim coach (Nora) at the country club meets her Prince Charming, a “hot mean lawyer” named Will. Will Somerset is a prominent, wealthy lawyer, who sweeps Nora off her feet in a whirlwind romance.
Nora is not accepted into the ranks of Winter Park and things get worse when Will disappears the morning after a birthday bash Nora throws for him. As Nora becomes the prime suspect, we get a bird’s eye view into the homes of the ultra wealthy characters in Winter Park and the mystery of “Where is Will?” keeps you guessing.

Probably because I just finished binging The Better Sister before reading this book do I feel like this is giving Better Sister vibes, but since I enjoyed both that’s definitely not a complaint.

Quick, easy read that kept me entertained!

3.5 stars

Happy Wife is a good read!
It’s a fast paced read, shorter chapters, dual timeline and a who-dun-it mystery.

Although good, it didn’t capture me with drama like I wanted it to. It’s a solid mystery/thriller but I wouldn’t put it up there with the best.

Thank you to netgalley and random house publishing group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for the advanced copy!

Book Review: Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender & Kendall Shores
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5 stars)

Happy Wife is a sharp, addictive mystery wrapped in the glittering trappings of Florida’s ultrawealthy elite. Nora Davies, a relatable underdog in a world of privilege, finds herself at the center of a high-society scandal when her older husband, Will, mysteriously vanishes. The story masterfully weaves between their whirlwind romance and the unraveling aftermath, keeping the reader hooked with twists, secrets, and juicy social intrigue.

I really enjoyed the pacing, the sharp commentary on class and appearances, and the blend of romance and suspense. The book’s layered plot and dynamic characters made it hard to put down. If you’re looking for a smart beach read with substance, Happy Wife delivers.

Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores is about a young woman who won't stop searching until she finds out who killed her husband. This is a mystery that you don't want to put down until it's solved.

Happy Wife- Happy Life they say. This was such a fast paced twisty psychological mystery thriller. I was captivated in the beginning with the characters we are introduced to in the story. The story is told from Nora’s perspective in a dual timeline of before and current. Nora meets Will after she finds his teenage daughter in a situation at the country club. These two have an instant connection they explore and turns into a whirlwind romance, marriage and everything seems perfect as it could be. There are secrets, twists and such a compelling story.

Meet Cute: Nora, a 28 year old underemployed museum host/ swim instructor, notices a teenage girl stealing (alcoholic) drinks from the country club bar and then later finds her hugging the porcelain throne in the locker room. She offers to call her dad to come pick her up. Enter Hot Mean Lawyer, recently divorced and almost 20 years Nora's senior.

Cue whirlwind romance and major culture shock as she fast tracks to the tippity top of the upper class. Nora is no match for the Lilly Pulitzer mafia and, as the "young, dumb, pretty wife," fails to meet their impossible standard. (Imagine Real Housewives of Winter Park, FL.) Luckily she becomes fast friends with her spunky neighbor the night she drunkenly falls through their shared shrubbery. She'll lean on this relationship heavily when HML disappears the night of his 46th birthday bash. Beyond that, I don't want to spoil anything!

Told in alternating pre- and post-disappearance chapters, this suspense was really hard to put down! It's the epitome of an addictive summer read. It's not groundbreaking or mind-blowing, but it's entertaining!

Thanks NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!