I enjoyed reading The Innocent Wife by Sally Royer-Derr which is incredibly intense. A book that is difficult to put down until the very last word. I sympathize and empathize with Natalie and Olivia to have known and having a relationship with Lucas a very annoying person. A thrilling chase of hide and seek with a cat and mouse. I recommend the book to anyone who loves reading thrillers and murder mystery

Meet Olivia Hanson, a young housewife to the highly successful and charming Lucas Hanson, a teacher at the local school where Natalie has just become a colleague. Natalie has just found a new place to start over with her young daughter, Emma. Running from her violent ex partner, Theo, she feels a new home, a new job, and new beginnings far away from his jail cell will be a welcome safe place to be. However, on her first day she realizes she will be placed in Lucas' classroom, she is thrown back to her own childhood, where she was romantically involved with her soccer coach...Lucas Hanson. As Natalie and Olivia's friendship blooms, we see they have more in common that they initially realized and they race to save another young girl.

I ate this book up. It grabbed me from the very beginning and I was enthralled. The characters were so intertwined and complex and I loved Natalie and Olivia. There were twists and turn everywhere. It is sent in three perspectives, Natalie, Olivia, and "Him." I felt the perspectives were extremely well written and switched from person to person perfectly. I did not find myself getting lost in the switches or confused. It is an absolute page turner, with the tension building from the very beginning.

5 stars!

However, please do note if age gap relationships and grooming triggers you, this may not be the book for you. Keep that in mind before deciding whether to read or no.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Royer-Derr and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

I've read Royer-Derr's last two thrillers, both outstanding, but this one is my favorite of them all. I loved both Olivia and Natalie– two relatable and well fleshed out characters, adored the slow burn...and, of course, started page flipping like a maniac! I can't wait to see what Sally writes next. Rubbing hands together, itching for my next read.

Wow, what a fantastic domestic thriller! This book grabs you right from the first page and doesn’t let go until the very last. It’s packed with tension, twists you won’t see coming, and a story that keeps you guessing the whole way through—a must-read for sure!

The story is told through three perspectives: Olivia, Natalie, and “Him.” This setup is so well done, keeping you on the edge of your seat and constantly piecing together the bigger picture. Each character’s voice feels unique and adds so much to the unfolding drama.

The characters are written with real depth, and I have to say, Natalie was my favorite. She’s so admirable, especially in how she’s determined to help others avoid the kind of trauma she went through as a teenager. The author also made a bold move by including a teen predator as one of the main characters, which adds a raw and daring element to the story.

What really sets the book apart is how fast-paced and unpredictable it is. The twists come one after another, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, you haven’t. It’s a total rollercoaster, with the tension building perfectly from start to finish. Sally Royer-Derr does such a great job keeping you hooked and a little on edge the whole time.

This is a solid five-star read that I couldn’t put down. I’m already looking forward to whatever she writes next!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Crazy how one day you can be living your life and you are happy, very happy! I am Olivia Hanson, my husband is Lucas Hanson. He is a school teacher and has been for many years. I maybe young and naive ,but that doesn't make me blind and stupid!

Natalie Amaryllis is my name and my little girls name is Emma. Long story, but her real dads name is Theo and no she doesn't know. She knows the only father she has ever had is Jake. Jake is my best friend and he helped me I needed him the most. So.as far I am concerned my daughter will always think that Jake is her father.

Lucas Hanson is teaching math. I am teaching special education in the same school. I, being Natalie. I had Mr. Hanson when I was in high school he was my sports teacher. He was also my abuser.

Olivia and I become instant friends and soon best friends. Or did we......

There are so very many things that happen some good some really bad. This Has been quite the ride so if you aren't afraid come read a very twisted thriller you will not regret!

Happy reading!!

Sally Royer-Derr crafts yet another binge-worthy read! This is my second novel by this author and she is now on my list of must-reads. Her last book grabbed me instantly with the opening story lines, and this book was no different.

⭐️ Meet Natalie, mother to Emma. Natalie has dealt with big challenges thrown her way in life, and she is just starting over. A new home, a new job, new beginnings from her frightful past. But what Natalie doesn’t realize is she isn’t starting over at all. Her past quickly begins to catch up to her, revealing itself and unraveling in hidden ways.

⭐️ Meet Olivia Hanson. Olivia is a younger woman, the dedicated wife of Lucas Hanson. Olivia and Natalie cross paths and become friends. Natalie discovers they both have a connection.

⭐️ Meet Lucas, a loving husband who everyone is enamored with. He makes sure Olivia has everything she needs to live a comfortable life at home. Lucas teaches fourth grade at the local elementary school, in which Olivia volunteers on occasion.

⭐️ Meet Jake. Jake, father of Emma, loyal best friend, and husband of Candice. Jake is that friend everyone needs in life. He’s the type of guy who always puts others first.

This story is built on intertwining layers and deep-rooted connections. Sally Royer-Derr’s book of dark secrets, betrayal, suspense, and unknowns is one you can immerse yourself into immediately. The multiple POV’s and continuous twists make this an absolute page-turner. If you have not picked up a book from this author yet, now is your time! The Innocent Wife is out for publication today!

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Sally Royer-Derr for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
#netgalley #stormpublishing #sallyroyerderr #suspense

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for the book #TheInnocentWife by #SallyRoyerDerr. Natalie runs into an old acquaintance, Lucas, at the new school she is working at. She knows he is up to his old ways and is convinced that she can save his much younger wife, Olivia. There are a lot of secrets and lies strewn throughout this book and it is amazing. I couldn’t put it down.

Fast paced and thrilling! I read this in one sitting and was engaged the entire time. I was addicted from the very first page!

It was brave of the author to have a sexual predator of under-age girls as a main character in her novel. The plot was cleverly thought out but I found the first half of the book filled with so much unnecessary information that I almost gave up reading.

Lucas Hanson was the school soccer coach when he groomed fifteen year old Natalie. For two years they had an intimate relationship until her parents relocated to another town, moving her out of his reach.

It's now twenty years later, Natalie Amaryllis has returned to her home town after gaining a position as a teacher in her old school. On her first day at work, she's horrified to discover that she'll be assisting Lucas Hanson, evidently a well liked colleague at the school. He doesn't recognise her!

For weeks they work together in the same classroom, yet Lucas still doesn't recognise Natalie. Whilst twenty years is a long time, I couldn't accept that Lucas had no inkling that he'd 'known' Natalie all those years ago. Unbelievable!

The last quarter of the book improved, yet it's Lucas' astounding memory loss which earns my 2* rating.

This is my personal, unbiased opinion, judging by the amount of high ratings, I'm in the minority. With thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

The Innocent Wife
by Sally Royer-Derr
Pub Date: Jan 13 2025

First I want to thank #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for giving me the opportunity to read an E-ARC of #TheInnocentWife, what a fantastic 5 star mystery/thriller! My first book I've read by author Sally Royer-Derr and I'm very impressed with her writing skills! I plan on reading many more of her books in the future.

The main character, Natalie starts a new position at her young daughter's school. She's introduced to Lucas, a beloved teacher and colleague, only Natalie knows different! Natalie remembers Lucas, (now married to Olivia a much younger woman) from her past when he was her sports coach and groomed her when she was only 15, fortunately Lucas doesn't recognize Natalie. Natalie and Olivia become friends and Natalie is trying to find a way to tell Olivia to watch out for her husband as he can't be trusted....the story gets crazy, lots of twists and turns. An excellent domestic/trhiller that was very hard to put down! I highly recommend it.

Amazing thriller.

This kept me up on the edge of my seat all the way along the book.

I will checkout the author backlist this is an amazing discovery.

Natalie Amaryllis has a daughter, Emma, 5. The little girl is starting Kindergarten today and Natalie will start a new job at Peyton Heights East Elementary as a learning support teacher. She is recently divorced from Jake and needs her job to support Emma and herself.

When Natalie was 15, her soccer coach Lucas, 25, groomed her and she fell for him. At her new job, she finds the Lucas teaches at the school too but he doesn’t recognize her. She soon learns that he is married to Olivia, a much younger woman who probably fell for him the same way Natalie did. Olivia loves to volunteer at the school and she and Natalie soon become good friends. Olivia admits that Lucas was her soccer coach and she fell for him. But now, he is controlling and she is unhappy with that. When Natalie sees how Lucas is doing the same thing with a teenage student helping in the classroom, she is furious and decides she will not let him do this again. When things escalate, Natalie realizes that someone from her past is spying on her and she is terrified. How can she save herself and Emma?

This is a good book that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. I found Natalie to be a strong woman who had suffered some hard times in her life but was willing to reach out and help Olivia hoping she could save the woman from suffering as she had. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a new to me author and one I'd be interested in reading again.
For me personally there seemed to be a lot going on and not everything was answered, but I am a detailed focused reader.
It was still a good read that kept me mostly captivated from beginning to end.

I’m a huge fan of Sally Royer-Derr and her books are my “comfort reads”. When I’m in a reading slump, I know I can pick up one of her books and immerse myself into her story telling. The Innocent Wife is no exception. It’s a fast paced, easy to read domestic thriller. There’s something going on from bringing to end. With multiple storylines and told from multiple viewpoints, it’s easy to follow and ties up nicely in the end.

Natalie is a single mom with a new teaching job and befriends young Olivia, wife of her coworker, Lucas. Lucas is the charismatic school teacher everyone has a crush on, but Natalie can see right through Lucas and knows she must tell Olivia everything about her husband, including secrets from her own past that are now catching up to her.

Dw i ddim yn meddwl mod i wedi darllen llyfr efo cymaint o gyfrinachau tywyll, gorffennol cythryblus a chymeriadau amheus o'r blaen! Mae gan Sally ddawn o gyflwyno stori llawn cymeriadau sy'n eich tynnu i'w byd, yn gwneud i chi fod eisiau gwybod beth sydd am ddigwydd iddynt ac a ydynt yn llwyddo i ddianc o afael eu gorffennol tywyll. Deuddydd gymrodd hi i mi ddarganfod pwy oedd yn cuddio yn y cysgodion wrth i Natalie symud ymlaen â'i bywyd, a datgelu cyfrinachau Olivia a'i gŵr cyfarwydd. Ysgrifennu clyfar gyda stori sy'n datblygu'n gyflym a gyda chymaint o gyfrinachau does wybod pwy na beth sydd am ddod nesaf. Nofel hawdd ei darllen yn sydyn, ac sy'n clymu'r holl gymeriadau a'r straeon yn glyfar.

I don't think I've ever read a book with so many dark secrets, troubled pasts and suspicious characters before! Sally has a talent for introducing a story full of characters that draw you into their world, making you want to know what will happen to them and will they manage to escape their dark pasts! It only took me two days to discover who was lurking in the shadows as Natalie tried to move on with her life, and to unveil the secrets of Olivia and her familiar husband. Clever writing with a fast paced story and with so many secrets it's impossible to tell who or what will come next. A novel that's easy to read quickly, and that cleverly ties all the characters and stories together.

The twists in this book really had me surprised, I read it so quickly as I needed to find out the truth.

The Innocent Wife is a great book to read on a chilly winter night. I love crime and thriller books and I’m so happy I was approved of this one.
The cover captivated me at first, then a couple of chapters in and I was already hooked. The chapters are not too long, I love short chapters, it makes me keeping reading more and more. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their backstory too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from Sally and I look forward to seeing more books from her.

THE INNOCENT WIFE - This story took a bit to get going with most of the intensity near the end. Good characters, which made the book worth reading. Interesting story lines. Good twist at the end. Interesting way Natalie solved two problems. Source: Netgalley. 3*

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Natalie begins her new job and who should she run into by Lucas. No one knows what Lucas is to her or how he ruined her life. She is shocked to hear he is married to Olivia and she too is very young, too young to be married to him. They become friends and she so wants to share her experience with LUCAS but does she dare? A gripping read!

The Innocent Wife is a simply written domestic thriller told from several points of view.
It is entertaining enough but it lacks the thriller oomph that I have come to expect from this genre and the plot jumps around too much.
I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either, it was ok.