Love the narrator! The story was intriguing but could have been about 3 hours shorter. So much slow burn and for me it was a bit to much.

I wasn’t sure where this was going. Have we all heard this story line before? Sure. But I will say that once I hit the 60% mark, things took a major turn and I LOVE what she did with this one. This was so much more than the story of a woman scorned. The couple in this one was INSANE and I can’t wait for readers to figure out which couple lol

I truly enjoyed this! I paired the physical with the audio and the audio was spectacular.

This one will really mess with your head!

Emma is an established, middle-aged woman. She is 47, and runs her company. She’s also a very wealthy woman.
When she meets a young, handsome guy (Matthew) at one of her lectures, she thinks he’s very attractive…and kind.
When circumstances bring them around to meet up again, she thinks it might be fate.

And so, they hit it off. She’s about 10 years older than he is, and frankly, she’s SHOCKED that he’s hanging around. But, she loves it! She finds out that his wife died recently, and although he still seems to be in love with her, they continue to date…

And then, like a rocket, things just take off!!!

Make sure you have your seatbelt on cause you’re about to get whiplash!!!
The twists and turns and half-truths…well, they just keep coming…

#FirstWifesShadow by #AdeleParks and narrated nicely by #KristinAtherton.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!!!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #HarlequinAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Release date was March 18, 2025 so look 👀 for it on shelves now !! ***

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

Reading in Between the Wines book review #28/125 for 2025:
Rating: 3.5 🍷🍷🍷
Book: First Wife’s Shadow
Author: Adele Parks
RELEASES TODAY on March 18, 2025!!!

Sipping thoughts: I love that twist! Adele always comes with a you think you know, but you don’t type of plot, and this one did not let me down. I was a little surprised with the ending and am not sure what I think about it, but overall, I enjoyed the book.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @HarlequinAudio for an advanced copy of @FirstWifesShadow.

#FirstWifesShadow #AdeleParks #HarlequinAudio #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bokreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Wow! This book had so many twists and unexpected turns, it definitely kept my attention. I loved how it was told through different points of view. Great book! I also enjoyed the narrator.

I will say that this was one of my favorite mystery/thrillers that I've listened to in a long time!!
Set in England, Emma is a mid-40s wealthy CEO who has fallen in love with 36-year-old photographer, Matthew. Matthew says he's a widower, as his late wife, Becky, died in an accident. His family is conveniently in New Zealand, while all his friends are in America. Within just a few months, the two of them move in together, get engaged, and elope to be wed. Emma's friends are extremely concerned about protecting her finances from this strange man who has taken over her life. However, at the same time there are several suspicious break-ins and acts of vandalism that are occurring that cannot be explained. These acts leave Emma thinking that Becky's ghost has come back to haunt her -- a claim that causes others to question her sanity. This is exactly what Becky was hoping to happen....

This story had so. many twists and turns that I had no idea how it was going to end. At the conclusion, it was a feel-good ending that pulled the story all together. I really enjoyed listening to this ARC from NetGalley!

⭐️ 3.75
Overall, I enjoyed this slow burn thriller, especially the plot twists near the end. This book had a slow start but a strong finish and kept my attention till the end.

Triggers warnings:
Gaslighting
Emotional abuse
Violence
Murder

Emma is successful in her career, she has friends that love her and more than enough money but she doesn’t have that special person in her life. That is until she meets the young widower Matthew. Things start moving fast and the next thing she knows she’s married to this amazing man or so she thinks. When odd things start happening and circumstances get quite scary, she’s starting to feel like she’s loosing her mind. Is she being haunted by Matthew’s dead wife or is something more sinister happening to her? 👀 Pick up this book to find out!

I had read a couple thrillers that just weren’t delivering, so I immediately turned to this. I knew Adele would give me a domestic thriller with twists and turns that would keep me tearing through the pages! This was a great popcorn thriller that kept me entertained until the last mind blowing twist! I wanted to reach through the pages and shake the characters! Or mainly the main character, Emma! The rest of them were so shady, I wasn’t sure who I could trust! I went into this one blind and would recommend that for readers! The audio was great, I loved the narrator and would recommend that format for any audiobook lovers!

Emma was primed to be taken advantage of and I'm sad that her friends weren't more protective of her. I also felt bad for Matthew because, while not innocent, he was also very taken advantage of. Advice for all lonely millionaires out there: don't marry random people after 3 months.
Very enjoyable story, intriguing characters, great writing.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Adele Parks, and Harlequin Audio.

Adele Parks Is an auto buy author for me! A big thank you to @netgalley for this ebook and audio!
This book was fantastic to read as a hybrid! The audiobook had a fantastic narrator! When things start going sideways at about the middle of the book.. I had no idea that I was about to be hit with such a huge twist! I was already so invested that I couldn't put the book down and then the twists just kept coming!!! Not one person could be trusted except for Emma! I felt so bad for her but she was such a bad ass! The ending was amazing and one I won't forget! Sooo delicious!

Big thank you to @HTPHIVE and @netgalley for the advanced copy of First Wife’s Shadow by Adele Parks which hits shelves this month on 3/18/25.

Emma meets Matthew, who was recently widowed, and quickly falls for him. Her friends are worried that she’s moving too quickly and tell her that she should slow down with him because she’s a very rich woman and Matthew is NOT a rich man. Emma starts to become jealous of his dead first wife, and gets increasingly paranoid when weird things start happening to her around the house.
I could NOT listen to the narrator who was telling this story I found her difficult to understand on my normal speed of listening, so I stopped the audio and switched over to the regular copy of the book to read.

I’ll admit I was getting bored of the story line about halfway in, but then part two hit and oh boy did it pick up! The second half of this book was more fast paced than the first and was told from a different POV and held a few twists and turns that were unexpected.
Someone’s out for revenge…. But who… and WHY?!

Twisty thriller! A rich self made woman who has it all. Except for someone to love. Is there more to the handsome young widower than meets the eye? Is he too good to be true? Obviously!

Thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade and Harlequin Audio for both an EARC and an ALC.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA Books, and Harlequin Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by a favorite, Adele Parks, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Kristin Atherton. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

When Emma meets Matthew, a kind, handsome widower, he seems to be just what she needs. Their friendship moves quickly, and her friends are worried that she might be taken advantage of, since she's rich and Matthew isn't. Emma isn't worried about that, but she does wonder if she is second best after his perfect first wife. But who really can Emma trust - her friends, Matthew, or even herself?

I’m a huge fan of Adele Parks and this book is why – perfect writing with a taut storyline that kept my mind guessing, flipping, and shocked. Emma’s character had me screaming at her naiveté, and lots stretched the imagination, but what a fun ride. Up until the very end, the twists kept coming. I thought the audiobook narration was spot on, and I ended up mostly listening to this one.

I have had a hard time reading physical books lately because I am too distracted with the constant barrage of Trump's destruction of our country, so audiobooks are working well for me.

From the onset, First Wife's Shadow seems to be the same old trope of a couple who target a rich woman, and the man from the couple schemes to marry her and take her money through illicit means so that the original couple can live happily and richly ever after. I was fairly bored with the book until around three quarters of the way through, where the twists and turns come one after another, and things turn around, creating a totally different outcome than one would expect. It is an entertaining read with an unexpected ending.

Thanks to #Netgalleyaudio for the advance copy.

This was a fun, twisty mystery that turned into a thriller! There were several times where my jaw dropped and towards the end, I actually said, “no freaking way!” out loud. I would love to read more from this author and the voice actor was great as well, especially in the really intense scenes!

Emma is a successful, independent, wealthy woman. She meets Matthew, a recent widower, and the sparks fly. As the book progresses, Matthew begins to exhibit red flags that just cannot be ignored - Emma's friends can't ignore the signs, but Emma does. Emma thinks she's being haunted by Matthew's deceased wife. That's the only logical explanation. What do her besties know?

I couldn't tell if Matthew was an expert at gaslighting, or Emma was beginning to lose her mind. Adele Parks did a great job messing with my mind. The book then takes a bit of a predictable turn, but it's still fun! I have a few gripes with the ending, but I cannot discuss them without dropping spoilers.

This was an entertaining, slower burn, popcorn thriller, and I thoroughly enjoyed the narration.

Adele Parks always delivers outstandingly twisty psychological domestic suspense stories and this latest was no exception. Marriage plots, schemes, lies, gaslighting, revenge and more, this book really had it all and kept me guessing to the end. The audio narration was also extremely EXCELLENT read by Kristin Atherton. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley, Harlequin Audio and Adele Parks for the Audio Arc of First Wife's Shadow.
Narrated by Kristin Atherton

This is the first book I've read of Adele Parks and she has been recommended to me a few times by other readers. So I was thrilled to have this arc. First Wife's Shadow is packed with intrigue, tension with some nice psychological twists. The different POVs coupled with the pacing, felt even and well thought out with the character building. I loved the 3 main characters and how the narrative unfolded. I did suspect a few things and the general direction/finale but I didn't expect the very end of the book. I will be reading more of Adele Parks books in the future.

The narration of this audiobook was by Kristin Atherton. Another new narrator that I have come across recently who has a great voice for these psychological thrillers. A pleasure to listen to her voice.

4 stars

I was hooked from the start. As a fan of this author, I will say this is one of her best stories yet. I will be recommending this fast paced story to my customers.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

First Wife’s Shadow is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into themes of love, obsession, and trust. The novel follows Emma, a successful CEO who falls for Matthew, a charming widower. As their relationship intensifies, Emma becomes increasingly haunted by the memory of Matthew’s late wife, leading to a series of unsettling events that blur the lines between reality and paranoia. Parks masterfully crafts a suspenseful narrative with unexpected twists, keeping readers engaged until the very end.