This is another great one by Sally Royer-Derr!
Natalie comes face to face with a teacher from her past. Lucas was her sports coach who groomed her when she was 15. He's now married to Olivia, but it seems he is up to his old tricks with a young girl again.

There is also a mystery character who is watching Natalie's every move, just waiting to strike.

Told from 3 perspectives this is a fast paced thriller that kept me very engaged!
Thank you NetGalley and Storm publishing!

I always love Sally’s books!! This was a fast paced, gripping read and I read it in one evening! Loved the twists and turns and didn’t see the twist at the end coming which was great. Highly recommend and all of Sally’s books. She is a go to author for me now.

When Natalie starts a new job at a school, she’s shocked to find out her coworker is the older soccer coach, Lucas, who took advantage of her when she was just fifteen years old. Desperate to keep her job, she’s relieved that he doesn’t recognize her and she stays quiet about their past. Then Natalie meets Olivia, Lucas’ wife, and that’s when things get interesting.

This was an excellent psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns. I loved the two main female characters and how their friendship developed. I’ll be reading other books by this author.

Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

Uhm. What the heck just happened.
I feel like I'm left gasping for more about these characters. The twists and turns were perfection.

The Innocent Wife by Sally Royer-Derr: A Thrilling Must-Read!

Sally Royer-Derr’s The Innocent Wife is an enthralling domestic thriller that effortlessly blends suspense, emotional depth, and well-crafted twists. This gripping tale centers around Natalie Amaryllis, a single mother starting anew as a learning support teacher at her daughter Emma's school. However, her fresh start takes a dark turn when she discovers Lucas Hanson, her former high school coach and abuser, is now a teacher at the same school.

The novel unravels the layered complexities of Natalie’s life, from her haunting past with Lucas to her burgeoning friendship with Olivia, Lucas’s much younger wife. Olivia’s initial admiration for her husband crumbles as she uncovers unsettling truths about their relationship, leading her to team up with Natalie to prevent another innocent victim from falling into Lucas’s trap.

Royer-Derr masterfully builds tension, weaving secrets, lies, and moments of emotional resilience into a story that keeps readers on edge. The narrative alternates perspectives, adding depth to characters like Natalie, whose strength and determination shine, and Olivia, who grows from a naive housewife to an empowered ally. The inclusion of a mysterious “Him” perspective heightens the suspense, adding an intriguing layer to the story.

While some of the plotlines wrap up a bit too neatly, and the pacing occasionally falters, these minor flaws are easily overshadowed by the compelling characters and the emotional weight of the story. The themes of friendship and resilience in the face of trauma resonate deeply, making this more than just a thriller—it’s a testament to the power of solidarity.

If you enjoy psychological dramas with strong female protagonists, heart-stopping suspense, and a dash of mystery, The Innocent Wife will not disappoint. Sally Royer-Derr has proven her skill as a storyteller, and I eagerly anticipate more from her.

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for this advanced copy. The Innocent Wife is scheduled for release on January 13, 2025, and it’s a book you won’t want to miss!

I’m a little conflicted by this book. It has a great premise, and it’s full of twists and turns which I always enjoy, but the writing style just didn’t quite work for me. I felt as if it was labouring too many points and repeating the things the author wanted us to know.

There were a number of different story lines going in the book, which helped keep the suspense. There was always something unknown that required a little more reading to resolve. Eventually they were all tied up neatly at the end. I certainly didn’t see some of the twists coming. It did occasionally stretch the bounds of believability, but was a mostly entertaining read.

The Innocent Wife by Sally Royer-Derr is a domestic thriller unlike any other I've read, it will keep you on the edge of your seat with anticipation

Natalie starts a new position as a teacher's aid at her young daughter's school, and it's soon clear that she has a dark past with one of the popular teachers, Lucas Hanson. Lucas's wife, Olivia is young, very, very young, and it's soon clear just what sort of many Lucas is.

Despite the fact that the reader knows early in the story what the former relationship between Natalie and Lucas was, the author does a fantastic job keeping the reader on the edge of their seat wondering what is going to happen next.

I will admit that I didn't see the point of the side story involving Natalie's ex boyfriend until the very end of the book. And maybe some of the ends were tied up just a little too nicely at the end, but it didn't make the rest of the book any less enjoyable.

I will be looking for other books by Sally Royer-Derr and if this book is any indication of her writing style she will become a new favourite.

I have read two previous books by Sally Royer-Derr and was delighted to be selected to receive an ARC of this book. It definitely did not disappoint!

This was a very faced paced domestic thriller told from 3 POVs: the two main female characters and a third mystery male character. I was hooked right from the start and loved that several of the characters were teachers and many of the main plot points were connected to a school.

You know from the start the obvious ways that some of the characters are connected, but the author does a fantastic job leaving small trails of possible other connections that keep the reader guessing and needing to know more! The twists at the end were shocking and not something I saw coming at all but helped make sense of the weirdness I was getting from Jake’s new wife.

Thank you to Netgalley, Storm Publishing and Sally Roger-Derr for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review of the book!

This is my first book by Sally Royer-Derr but hopefully it wont be my last.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave" is a phrase that came to mind as I read through this book.
Natalie Amaryllis was full of hope when she started as a learning support teacher at Peyton Heights East, the elementary school where her adored five year old daughter, Emma, was a pupil.
Natalie's elation was dimmed when she realised that Handsome, charismatic, Lucas Hanson was also a teacher there, a teacher that she would be working with...............would he recognise her ?
Lucas had a young, beautiful wife but it didn't stop him flirting, he charmed all the females that he came into contact with.
Natalie's life had been chequered, she had secrets, secrets that she couldn't tell anyone, she was a confident, driven woman but Natalie became scared when strange things began occurring, did Emma really see someone watching the house, she must protect Emma from whatever was out there.
This story had me gripped from the beginning, the author manages to build up the tension to fever pitch, shady characters, secrets......everyone has secrets, but what will happen when the secrets are uncovered.
I really enjoyed this story, it has suspense, twists, red herrings and a great ending, the author has addressed some emotive subjects with sensitivity.
Thank you Storm Publishing and Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is voluntary

I loved Natalie. She was a strong character who would do anything for her daughter. But I didn't love the way the author changes scenes. It made it feel very stop/start.

Overall, this was the first book I've read from Sally Royer-Derr and I found it to be an enjoyable read! I was a little disappointed with the end however - I thought it was all wrapped up way too quickly and easily.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is the first book I have read by Sandy Royer-Derr - and I definitely enjoyed it! Natalie & Olivia work together at an elementary school & they soon find out they have something in common….Olivia’s husband. However the story isn’t as straight forward as it seems. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This book releases mid January 2025. #booksbyashleynicole

I got this book from NetGallery.

The book is about Natalie, a single mother who starts working at a new school after her divorce. To her horror, she meets Lucas there, whom she knows from the past. He doesn't seem to recognize her, but he still shows the same behaviour as in the past. She becomes friends with his wife Olivia. Suspicious things are happening and Natalie doesn't really know who is behind it. Does Lucas secretly know who she is? Or is it her ex Theo?

It is a nice book. It is easy to read, is very exciting at some points and you become a bit suspicious yourself. Sometimes I had a bit of trouble putting the book down because you actually want to know who is behind it. Sometimes it is a bit predictable, but there were still a number of things that I didn't see coming.

I just don't quite understand the summary on the back of the book. If you read the summary, it seems written from Olivia's point of view but the book is mainly described from Natalie's point of view. I think my summary above fits the book a bit better.

I really enjoyed this book. I advise you to only start reading if you have the time because it's difficult to put it down.

Thank you so much for letting me read this book.

This was a hard book to put down! This is an excellent thriller/domestic drama. It was a nice change having a strong, intelligent female main character.
Natalie’s life is finally calm and easy. She has an excellent co parenting relationship with her ex, a new job at her daughter’s school and a home right next to her new job. Unfortunately for Natalie, a villain from her past also works there.
I loved Natalie’s character and how she overcame all the bad choices/circumstances she had as a teen. She put helping other women first and made sure they wouldn’t suffer as she did. It was nice to see women working together and overcoming painful experiences together.

"The Innocent Wife" by Sally Royer-Derr is an amazing psychological thriller. This book keeps you guessing to the end, and you just don't want to put it down.
Natalie has taken a new job and she moves to be closer to the job. She is raising a little girl with her ex husband while learning the in and outs of her new job. When she meets one of the teachers at her new school, trauma from her past comes back to haunt her. As she is dealing with the past, she starts to notice weird things around her house. As she tries to figure out what is going on, will she put herself and her daughter in danger?
Highly recommend this book!

This was a really well done thriller novel, it had that feel that I was looking for and enjoyed figuring out what was going on. The characters were everything that I was looking for and was invested in what was happening with them. I thought the twists were well done and was glad everything worked. Sally Royer-Derr has a strong writing style and am excited for more.

My first book by Sally Royer-Derr & wow was it a page turner.
Olivia & Lucas have been married for six years, and he means everything to her. When she meets his colleague, Natalie, she doesn't understand the look of hatred she sees & feels from her however, the two women become friends. Olivia starts to learn that Lucas has been lying to her & may have had multiple relationships with underage girls. She was underage when she & Lucas first became involved.

This book takes a deep dive into relationships, take some unexpected twists & turns I didnt see coming. This story is told from multiple POV's but was easy to feel connected to the two female characters and circumstances they were dealing with. The story moved at a good pace, although slower in the beginning, it did pick up.

I loved reading the friendship develop between Olivia & Natalie & what length they went to, to protect Haley.

Many thanks to Netgalley,the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book and leave an honest review.

This is a hard review to write without spoilers. The Innocent Wife (as opposed to the not so innocent one) tells a story full of lies, betrayal, stalking, rape, grooming, and sexual abuse. The characters are well described, especially Natalie and Olivia, and the school setting is realistic. Sally Royer-Derr delivers a novel that addresses some of today’s serious problems and leaves the reader with thoughts that last beyond the final pages. This is definitely a novel worth reading. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Sally Royer-Derr for this ARC.

Sally Royer-Derr’s The Innocent Wife is a compelling story that delivers the twists and turns readers crave in the psychological thriller genre. With a strong focus on female solidarity and resilience, the novel offers an engaging narrative that keeps you invested until the very last page.

One of the standout aspects of this book is how it brings women together in the face of adversity. Royer-Derr skillfully highlights the power of connection and collaboration, creating moments of emotional depth that complement the suspenseful plot. The twists are well-placed, adding intrigue and keeping readers guessing without overshadowing the story’s core themes.

While the narrative itself is gripping and well-written, the title and summary might not fully align with the story’s actual direction. However, once you dive into the pages, the compelling plot and character development make up for any initial confusion. It’s clear that Royer-Derr has a talent for crafting tension-filled moments while weaving in themes of empowerment and strength.

Overall, The Innocent Wife is an engaging and enjoyable read that stands out for its exploration of relationships and resilience. Fans of the genre will appreciate the twists, but it’s the emotional undertones and strong female characters that truly make this book memorable. Despite some misalignment between the title and the story, it’s a novel well worth reading.

It pains me to give less than three stars, but I didn't enjoy anything about this novel. There are just so many books out there to choose from in this genre and many are much more compelling and interesting. There was just so much inner dialogue and much of it was repetitive. There were lots of coincidences in the plot which made it unbelievable. The main characters were not likeable and they didn't seem to make any progress. Some details regarding daily life were unnecessary yet other details were missing which left some of the story feeling disjointed.

This book had me hooked right away! Natalie and Olivia tell a story about a man named Lucas. Lucas has weaved his way into their lives and turned it upside down. The twists and turns and short chapters make this book hard to put down.
The topic can be heavy, but the author did a great job of not lingering on the topic. This page turner will keep you wanting more.