Solid twisty domestic thriller that held my attention! The narrator did a great job capturing the characters personality as well as the more intense scenes. I didn't have any trouble distinguishing between characters as well. My advice is to go in blind on majority of thrillers, the less you know, the better it is! Had a slow burn aspect to it, but I never lost focus during the book, as it was very detailed. Definitely makes me hesitate regarding knowing who to trust and are people who they say they are?!

This book is out NOW!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

This book was so good and unassuming. I was just enjoying this unlikely whirlwind romance, with undertones of mischief, when the twist suckerpunched me. The first-person narration really pulled me in to the story, so I never expected what was coming. The second half of the book propelled the story forward, leaving me wanting more until then end. This is first by this author, but will not be the last. A fantastic psychological thriller. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, though I ended up reading a library copy since I did not get approval until then publication date.

Took me a bit to get into this book but having previously read another Adele Parks I figured the initial effort was going to be worth it and was I right! The setting of the stage of Emma and Matthew's relationship dragged on a bit but obviously that was to set the stage for the believable 2nd part of the book. I loved the differing POVs and Emma's besties could be my friends anytime! I thought the narrator was stellar - her voice worked well for the differing POVs - particularly Emma's. I had to go on a long walk one day as I had a strong need to do a lengthy listen to appreciate the arc of the conclusion. Adele Parks did not disappoint! I look forward to her next offering and will no doubt dig into her previous library as well. Big thanks to Big thanks to both NetGalley & Harlequin Audio and Adele Parks for the ALC copy captivating thriller about dark, and twisty relationships. Give this a listen - you will be glad you did.

Wow, this is a super twisty book! I did end up really liking it, but I found the first half hard to get through. It took a while to get the whirlwind relationship of Emma and Matthew established, and the level of discomfort was high. Every psychological thriller comes with some feeling of unease, but early on in this book I felt that it was a bit much for my personal taste. I’m glad that I stuck with it, though, because the second half was fantastic. You cannot anticipate how many times your perspective will change; the twists just keep coming and the end was completely unexpected. It is a wild ride! Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide an honest review of this audiobook.

I really enjoyed this audio! This book includes tropes that I don't normally like, but somehow it still worked for me! I definitely recommend this one to those looking for a quick and easy thriller read. 4 stars!

“𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”

Thank you Mira Books for all the advanced readers copies, both physical and those through Netgalley! I chose to use the ALC and followed along periodically in the ARC. This one is out now!

A domestic and psychological thriller, I had my theories from the beginning and there are some predictable tropes. I felt that something was up with Matt because after he tells Emma that his first wife has passed he constantly name drops her (especially at the most “convenient” of times) and has plenty of other bright red flags but Emma isn’t without her own. She becomes obsessed with knowing everything she can about Matt’s first wife, tends to have her wealth on display (whether intentional or subconscious isn’t always clear), her self-professed independence but yet she’s easily swayed into quickly going deeper into this relationship, her impulsivity… frankly, neither character is likable.

I’ve never read any of Parks’ other works and to be honest, I hadn’t heard of her either. Though their premises are different, I felt the same tone in this as I did with The Last Mrs Parrish, which I didn’t much care for. But if you like that one you may enjoy this. The twists were expected and ultimately this was just okay for me. However, the audio was done really well and I liked the narrator, which probably helped keep me wanting to listen. I think I’m just wicked picky with my thrillers and appreciate having some originality with truly unexpected surprises. 2.75 rounded up to 3.

Content includes talk of death of a spouse, some sexual content (including brief and vague mentions of a three-some), stalking, some profanity, and mentions of death of parents.

3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ .75 stars!! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and ALC. This story follows Emma who never expected to fall this hard, this fast, but then she meets Matthew. He’s younger, charming, and practically perfect. The kind of guy who makes you believe in fate. But there’s just one little problem. Matthew is a recent widower, and his first wife’s presence still lingers, like a shadow Emma can’t quite escape.

At first, she tells herself to be patient. Grief is complicated, and she wants to give him time. But the more she learns, the more uneasy she feels. Matthew says he’s ready to move on but is he really. What really happened to his late wife? The more Emma digs, the more it seems like she may never truly step out of the woman’s shadow.

Her friends are waving all kinds of red flags, warning her she’s moving way too fast. But Emma doesn't feel like she is, and maybe they’re just jealous of her whirlwind romance. Or they know something she doesn’t.

This book pulled me in from the first page and didn’t let go. It’s got that perfect mix of suspense, drama, and something doesn't seem right vibes. Every time I thought I had it figured out, then another twist. If you want a popcorn thriller that keep you guessing until the end, I definitely recommend.

4 stars!

Things I loved:

A gripping premise with steady unease that builds into full-blown chaos

Red flags that had me yelling at the page (in the best way)

Twists that made me reevaluate everything

Emma has it all—her dream home in the woods, a thriving career, and friends who have her back. Then comes Matthew: charming, younger, widowed. Their whirlwind romance should be a dream, but those little gut-check moments start adding up. Why hasn’t she seen his place? Why won’t he talk about his late wife? And why does it feel like Emma’s just a stand-in for the woman before her?

This was an addicting read. I tore through the first half, and while the pacing slows a bit later on, the tension never really lets up. Characters you thought you had pegged reveal surprising layers, and the ending—while not what I expected—left me fully satisfied. If you like domestic thrillers with psychological edge and just enough crazy to keep you guessing, this one’s for you.

Emma is smart, wealthy, and successful. Matthew is a kind, handsome widower. To the disdain of Emma’s best friends, the two fall hard and fast for one another; moving in and marrying each other within 3 months.
We have lots of red flags here with Matthew that have me SCREAMING at Emma! He won’t let her meet his friends, his family, see his apartment, nothing of his life before her… like come on girl! What are you doing?! And she can’t help put feel like she is playing second fiddle to his first wife, who only died TEN months before.
Soon, strange things begin happening to Emma and she is not sure who she can trust. Is it Matthew? Her friends? His first wife’s friends? No idea who is vandalizing here and it keeps happening and I just NEED to know what is going on. I kept wanting to push myself to read faster and faster to figure out what the heck was going on!

Then halfway through- of COURSE! – Like not a surprise there. What a mess. But you JUST wait, because there are even more twists coming!

This was a good one. Multiple twists and well written. It was definitely hard to put down!

Big thanks to both NetGalley & Harlequin Audio for the ALC copy of this twisty thriller!!

This one released yesterday and is definitely worth your time!
I really loved how this story was compiled. You get lots of good information upfront that is needed, but it's done at a great pace. It keeps you engaged and wanting to find out what is going to happen.

While I did guess some of what would happen, the twists were still fantastic and surprised me. Kudos to a strong, independent woman!!

The audio was great for this one as well. The narrator did a great job of distinguishing between the characters and making this story come to life.

Be sure to give this one a go!

I’ve had a few Adele Parks books on my TBR for a while, and this book makes me want to go read them all. First Wife’s Shadow was so twisted and captivating! I had a theory early on where this was going, and it went there…and even beyond my expectations, which left me eager to keep reading right up to the last page.

🎧: It took me awhile to warm up to the audiobook narrator’s voice. I had to listen a little slower than I usually do since the narrator has a very lovely prim & proper British accent, but by midway I was used to it and had no problems. Her voice definitely fit the main character, so was well suited for this book.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for the gifted book and Harlequin Audio for the gifted audiobook.

This was a wacky story with lots of twists and turns. Emma is a kick butt business woman and she has found the love that everyone talks about. I loved following Emma as she deals with the shadow of Matthew's first wife. The ending was unexpected and the perfect ending to this story.

Kristin Atherton did a great job narrating this story and I look forward to listening to more of Kristin's work in the future.

This book came at a perfect time! You know when you’re enjoying books, but there is just something missing and then you read a book and it just scratches an itch? That was this book for me. It was so good! It had me doubting everything I thought was happening in the best way. I listened to the audiobook (duh) so I can’t speak on the physical book. I feel like audiobooks sometimes add a little something something to books so just keep that in mind. Overall a great domestic thriller! Thank you Netgalley!

Thank you NetGalley for the audio version to review. There was so many twists and turns!!! I loved it, kept me hooked till the end. The narrator was great too.

This is the first psychological thriller in a while that didn’t leave me sighing and rolling my eyes. Finally.

Emma is a wealthy, independent, and sensible CEO who falls passionately in love with Matthew, a charming, unpretentious widower. His dead wife, Becky, looms large in their relationship—mostly because Emma is borderline obsessed with her. Then weird shit starts happening.

Emma’s friends grow suspicious of Matthew. More weird shit happens. At this point, I started bracing myself for the usual thriller nonsense—endless repetition, characters making bafflingly stupid decisions, and twists that are neither twisty nor interesting.

But then… PLOT TWIST.

Did not see that coming. The reveals were train-wreck riveting—impossible to look away, brilliantly done!

Narration was by Kristin Atherton, who absolutely nailed it. ALL. THE. STARS.

Loved everything about this book! The characters, storytelling and even the setting were perfectly executed. Probably my favourite Adele Parks thus far!

I have this audiobook 3.5⭐️ but rounded up.

This was my first book by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for an advanced copy!

Emma is super successful, very structured in her life and not looking for anyone special. In walks Matthew and she feels an instant spark. They end up going out and the feelings are mutual. It’s a whirlwind romance and Emma’s best friends are very wary of Matthew and his intentions. No one really knows anything about him. Emma jumps all in and they end up getting married after 6 months. Her friends aren’t happy and Emma doesn’t like it. They distance themselves. Strange things are happening and no one believes Emma, not even Matthew. I’ll leave it there because I don’t want to reveal any spoilers!

There is a big plot twist about halfway through and more surprises towards the end, although I figured those out earlier on.

All in all this was an enjoyable story.

Solidly compelling thriller with lots of excellent twists. Even though I figured some things out before they happened, I certainly didn't see everything coming. My recommendation is to just go into this blind, go with the flow and let the story unfold.

In general, this is the story of Emma, a high powered CEO in her late 40s who has never been married. She meets Matthew, a younger widower, and they fall for each other quickly. But Matthew's grief is still fresh, and Emma feels as if she's competing for his affection with a dead woman.

I listened to this latest offering by Adele Parks as an audiobook. Kristin Atherton does a superb job at ratcheting up the suspense while moving the narrative along briskly.

Very little in this tale is as it seems. Everyone has secrets and I loved the way everything was slowly revealed. This is a wild rollercoaster ride where you won't be sure who is telling the truth or if there is a motive behind what is going on.

If you're looking for a fun thriller, grab your popcorn and give this one a try.

I very rarely DNF a book, but this book was just not for me. From the jump, the main character is INSUFFERABLE!!!! I wanted to keep reading to see if she had some sort of redemption, but the audio made it so difficult. My main issue with this was the audio. I love a good audio book, and although I am from the US with an American accent, my favorite audiobooks actually have British narrators. This one was just so hard to listen to. She spoke so slow, but when I sped up the pace I couldn’t understand her. Honestly I’m going to try giving this book a shot if I see a physical copy floating around, but this audio was really hard to listen to, and therefore I can’t finish.
Out of respect for the author (because I genuinely don’t think it’s her fault) I will not review this on GR or instagram.

Emma meets Matthew and falls for him hard and fast! Emma’s friend’s aren’t sold. Matthew’s first wife died and she can’t help but feel like second best.

This one had some slow parts but from the moment the friends weren’t sure about him, I wanted to know all his secrets! And wow are there some secrets. Weird things are happening to Emma and she is wondering who is behind it and why they are doing it. One of the big twists will surprise you!