Their Double Lives by Jaimie Lynn Hendricks

A BIG thank you to #NetGalley #HighBridgeAudio and the author for sending me this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

About the book: First off the book switches off and on each chapter between the present and the past…
Kim Valva is having a hard time in life. Her long time boyfriend she lived with cheated on her, her social life is in shambles, and the worst of it is her dogs needs life saving surgery that she can’t afford. She works as a posh country club in New Jersey and is constantly trying to pick up more shifts.
Then it looks like her lucky her about to change when she is contacted by someone mysteriously only known as “The Stranger”. The Stranger makes her an offer she can’t refuse: Put a pill in the new member’s drink and, when he dies, she’ll have enough money to save her dogs life.
The man who is the target just so happens to be Kim’s ex boyfriend from when she was a teenager, Tony Fiore. It has been 15 years since Kim has seen him, and he is a lot different from the bad boy she use to know. He is completely cleaned up his life, makes millions, and has his 22 year old beautiful fiancé, PJ Walsh with him.
PJ has her own plans for Tony that she put in place long before meeting him. Trick him, marry him, and kill him. It was supposed to be easy, but the more time she spends with Tony the more she finds herself starting to actually falling for him.
Kim is absolutely shocked to see Tony, and just can’t bring herself to go through with the plan. Instead it is PJ that all of a sudden dies right there at the table. But who did it? Was she also a target of “The Stranger? Who would want them both dead?
You’ll have to read for yourself to find out!

What I thought: I really enjoyed this book! The story grabbed me from the start. I like that it’s told from two different POV, Kim and PJ’s. So, you get to read about PJ and learn exactly what happened. For me this was one of those, I can’t book the book down sort of books. My one and only “complaint” is I did see the “twist” coming. It was a little too predictable but still otherwise a really good story! I’d rate this book 4 stars.

Narrator Emma Love does a great job!

This book will release May 19, 2025

Kim is absolutely drowning — full-time graphic designer, part-time waitress at a country club where the guests are rich, rude, and possibly murderers. Her beloved dog Murphy needs a life-saving surgery, but surprise! Pet healthcare in this economy is a joke. So when a blocked number offers her twenty grand to poison someone’s drink at the club? She doesn’t laugh. She doesn’t scream. She considers it. Because when you’re broke and your dog is dying, morality becomes extremely negotiable.

The mystery mark? Anthony Fuller — formerly known as Tony Fiore, her high school ex who she ghosted so hard he reappeared with a new name, a new face, and a fiancée so flawless she might actually be a robot. And that fiancée, PJ Walsh? She’s not just here to plan a wedding. She’s been plotting something way darker. Years ago, PJ’s mother was murdered — and a man’s already doing time for it. Case closed, at least officially. But PJ never believed the justice system got it right. She’s convinced Anthony was involved, and while everyone else moved on, PJ built an entire new life to get close enough to make him pay herself. Not in court. At the altar. With a plan she’s been perfecting for years. And now she’s moved in, glammed up, and locked onto Anthony with a slow-burning plan for revenge that’s part Shakespearean drama, part forensic chess match.

The plan is clean. The rage is earned. And if everything had gone according to schedule, PJ would’ve walked out of this book a legend. But instead? Someone ends up dead — not saying who — and suddenly Kim’s no longer on the outside of the drama. She’s smack in the middle of a whodunit full of liars in designer loafers, and every clue makes things messier. Because here’s the thing: no one is who they say they are. Not Anthony. Not PJ. Not even the people pouring drinks.

Some scenes hit light, almost flimsy — like you're skating across the surface of something juicier. But then? You start seeing the work. The precision. The years of secrets snapping into place like a mousetrap dressed in pearls. This isn’t just “rich people, bad decisions” fluff. It’s a fully-calculated spiral of revenge, guilt, identity, and manipulation that’s so much deeper than the shiny cover suggests. Every smile is a lie. Every toast is a trap.

Kim is a perfect chaos anchor — tired, broke, heartbroken, but still too smart to ignore the gaps. She’s not the kind of person who volunteers for murder — but once Kim’s dragged into the mess, she holds her ground. Watching her untangle the lies while quietly falling apart over Murphy? Hits like a gut punch in slow motion. And PJ? She’s serving full “revenge but make it couture” energy. Right or wrong, she’s magnetic, messy, and never, ever dull.

This one’s a 3.5-star ride — starts flashy, full of rich-people-murder energy, but what really lands is the slow, sneaky unraveling of how far people will go to rewrite the ugliest parts of their past. Not flawless, but sharp where it counts — and #TeamMurph all the way.

Whodunity Award: For Skipping Therapy and Jumping Straight to Contract Killing

Huge thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the early listen — chaos, secrets, and morally questionable choices straight into my ears? Say less. Emma Love nails the narration, capturing every sharp turn and simmering grudge with just the right bite.

Great book. Kept me guessing until the end. Would definitely recommend. Will try to find more books by this author

I hadn’t previously read a book from Jamie Lynn Hendricks, but I will totally be getting other books from her to read now! This book was a wild ride and I loved it! From the start, I got very similar vibes to First Lie Wins and PJ really reminded me of Daisy Ann in The Next Mrs. Parrish, which were top reads of mine last year!

The book starts off with Kim, who is desperate to save her dog, being tasked with killing a new member of the country club she works at. All she knows is the person who sent her the task calls themself The Stranger. The task turns complicated when the target turns out to be a person from her past: her ex boyfriend Tony. Kim then can’t bring herself to do what she is supposed to do and is shocked when Tony’s fiancée PJ suddenly ends up dead by the end of the night instead! Now Kim needs to figure out what happened and who actually is The Stranger before others end up dead.

The story was told from 3 POVs and alternates between present time and the past. I listened to this book on audio and the narrator did a great job of changing her voice to help distinguish between the 3 POVs. I was shocked by the surprises at the end, though I did figure out the early twist on my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thank you High Bridge Audio for the ALC! This book takes you on a wild ride. I thought I knew what was going to happen but I was shocked at every twist and turn!

Their Double Lives is a must-read! I absolutely love Jaime Lynn Hendricks' writing style. Her storytelling is amazing, and her character building is fantastic. I felt like I was a part of the story, and the way it unfolded was awesome. I listened to the audiobook version of the novel and thoroughly enjoyed it. The narrator really brought the story to life. It was so seamless, and she captured the characters perfectly. Well done!

Kim Valva has just found out her boyfriend has been cheating on her and her beloved dog needs life saving surgery. Working as a waitress in a fancy country club, serving carefree socialites unfortunately doesn't make the kind of money she needs for her dog. But she thinks her luck may have just changed. Someone identifying themselves as The Stranger has just made her an offer that is hard to refuse. All she has to do is drop a pill in a new club member's drink and after he dies, she will have enough money for her dog and a new life.

She has agreed, but things get a bit more complicated when her target turns out to be someone from her past: Tony Fiore, her bad boy ex from high school. Only he has greatly changed from those days. Now he goes by Anthony Fuller and he is cleaned up and millions of dollars richer. Not to mention beautiful and young fiancée, PJ Walsh, that walks in with him. Kim can't bring herself to go through with the plan once she knows who the target is, but then things take a turn when PJ suddenly dies at the table. Why would someone tell her to kill Tony and have someone else kill PJ? Who would want them dead?

PJ had her own plans for Anthony when she first met him: date him, marry him, and kill him. But living a double life was harder than she expected. It ended up being deadly.

This one was a wild, revenge driven ride! It is told from 3 POV- Kim, PJ, and Tony as well dual timelines. Each character has a layered story with plot twists and suspense. They are morally grey in the best way. It was such a fun popcorn thriller that you won't want to put down. Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the audiobook for review.

This was a fantastic popcorn thriller! I loved the fast pacing, the multiple POVs, and how the suspense kept building with each chapter. The characters were messy in the best way, and the tension between them made for such a fun, bingeable read. I wasn’t shocked by the ending, but I was genuinely happy it played out the way my mind hoped it would. Sometimes, the most satisfying thrillers are the ones that deliver exactly what you want with just enough twists to keep you hooked. I’ll absolutely read anything this author writes as she knows how to craft a gripping, addictive story from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley & HighBridge Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I definitely enjoyed this audiobook and I loved the premise-- there's a lot I'd do to save my pet's life. Kim gets an offer for the money she needs, and all she has to do is slip something into someone's drink. She can't do it -- and that's when things get wild! I don't always like it when the point of view keeps changing but Hendricks knows how to do this to raise the tension and give out secrets as needed.
This was a quick read with a wonderful performance and a satisfying resolution.

I always look forward to a new Jamie Lynn Hendrix book. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for my advance copy.

A down-on-her-luck waitress at a posh New Jersey country club, Kim Valva couldn’t be living a more different life from the carefree socialites she serves. Her live-in boyfriend recently cheated on her, her social life is in shambles, and her dog needs a life-saving surgery that she can’t afford. Then her luck seems to change when a mysterious figure identifying themself only as The Stranger contacts her with an offer she can’t refuse: Put a pill in the new member’s drink and, when he dies, she’ll have enough money to fix her dog and her life.

Her target turns out to be Tony Fiore―Kim’s bad boy ex-boyfriend from high school. Fifteen years have passed, and he now goes by Anthony Fuller. He’s cleaned up, made tens of millions, and his gorgeous fiancée, twenty-two-year-old PJ Walsh, is on his arm.

PJ had her own agenda from the second she met Anthony. Find him, trick him, marry him, kill him. It was supposed to be easy, but she finds that while living her double life, the lines blur between who she is and who she’s pretending to be.

Stunned to see Tony again, Kim can’t bring herself to go through with spiking his drink. Instead, it is PJ who dies horrifically at the table just as dinner ends. Was someone else at the club member or worker tasked with poisoning PJ just as she had been instructed to do to Tony? Who would want both dead? With no one to trust and The Stranger to answer to, Kim must peel back the layers of deceit to reveal a deeply buried truth, more shocking than she could ever imagine.

Such a good popcorn thriller. I loved Matt and JP's ride irbdie friendship. I knew where the story was headed about halfway through but 8t didn't take away from my enjoyment. What didn't work f9r me was Kim's motivation. You'd really commit murder for your dog? Don't get me wrong, I loved my Papillon to bits when he was alive but under no circumstances would 8 have killed someone to save his life. Kim was a little ridiculous and flat. I wanted t9 know more about her shady history than what was provided. All in all this was a fun, quick read. The narrator wasn't the best at switching character voices but you can easily get past that and enjoy the fun.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Their Double Lives - Jaime Lynn Hendricks

JLH does it again! Their Double Lives is the definition of unputdownable—twisty, relentless, and absolutely addicting. If you love thrillers that keep you guessing until the final page, this one is a must-read.

Kim Valva is barely scraping by, stuck in a thankless job and desperate to save her dog’s life when a mysterious stranger offers her a deal: slip a pill into a drink, and all her problems disappear. As a dog lover, I can’t even blame her for considering it. But when the wrong person dies, Kim finds herself tangled in a deadly web of deception where no one—not her ex-boyfriend-turned-millionaire, not his too-young fiancée PJ, and certainly not the person pulling the strings—can be trusted. The layers of lies unravel at breakneck speed, leading to a jaw-dropping finale that proves once again why Jaime Lynn Hendricks is one of the best in the genre.

As a longtime fan, this book exceeded every expectation. A Lovely Lie was my #2 ranked book of 2024, and Finding Tessa remains one of the best thrillers of the last decade—Their Double Lives absolutely belongs in that same league. Jaime Lynn Hendricks crafts characters with razor-sharp precision, and her signature dark, twisty storytelling is in full force here.

Huge thanks to Jaime Lynn Hendricks, Penzler Publishers, and NetGalley for the ARC. If you’re looking for a thriller that will consume your entire day, Their Double Lives is it. Publication date May 20, 2025.

Their Double Lives is a gripping and suspenseful thriller that immediately pulls you into Kim's desperate situation. Hendricks masterfully sets the stage, contrasting Kim's struggling existence with the opulent world of the New Jersey country club she serves. The initial premise – a morally compromising offer from a mysterious stranger – is instantly compelling, and the unexpected twist of Kim's target being her former bad-boy boyfriend, Tony, injects a layer of personal history and complication that elevates the narrative.
The story truly takes off with the shocking death of Tony's fiancée, PJ. This unexpected turn propels the plot into a fascinating whodunit, leaving Kim, and the reader, questioning everyone's motives and secrets. Hendricks skillfully weaves a web of suspicion, hinting at hidden agendas among both the wealthy club members and the seemingly ordinary staff. The pacing is excellent, with revelations unfolding at just the right moments to keep the tension high and the reader guessing.
Hendricks excels at creating flawed yet relatable characters. Kim's desperation and internal conflict feel authentic, and her journey from reluctant participant to determined investigator is believable. The reappearance of Tony, now the seemingly reformed Anthony, adds a compelling layer of complexity to their past and present interactions. The introduction of PJ, though brief, serves as a catalyst for the central mystery, and the question of who else might have wanted her (or Tony) dead hangs heavy throughout the narrative.
While the initial setup is strong, the unraveling of the "deeply buried truth" in the latter half of the book is particularly well-executed. Hendricks manages to deliver twists that feel both surprising and earned, keeping the reader on edge until the final reveal. Their Double Lives is a well-crafted thriller that expertly blends suspense, mystery, and a touch of dark intrigue, making it a highly recommended read for fans of the genre.

I couldn’t put this one down! The story follows Kim, a waitress just trying to stay afloat while her beloved dog, Murphy, needs a life-saving surgery she can’t afford. When a mysterious person known only as “The Stranger” offers her the money she needs, she agrees—only for things to spiral completely out of control.

If you’re in the mood for a binge-worthy thriller, this is one to add to your list! The twists are nonstop, the characters are shady in the best way, and the multiple POVs add to the tension. I stayed up way too late finishing this one but I had to see how it ended!

This. Was. sooo .Good.

Honestly, I don't want to give too many details about this book before you read it because if you don't know too much going in, it will be that much better.

What I enjoy about Jamie Lynn Hendricks, is her ability to take a story and make what I think is going to happen, better. I like that. And she also adds a certain flair to her writing that is difficult for me to describe, but she gets the listener/reader so deeply engaged in her stories quickly and easily.

This book was such an engaging read, multiple points of view, and with a wide range of characters, I am so glad I had the chance to listen to it.

If you like fast paced thrillers, I think this one is for you.

If revenge is a dish best served cold 🥶 these characters are dishing up all the icy flavors baby!! 🍦🍧🍨

My first read by Jaime Lynn Hendricks and it was a WIN! <i>Their Double Lives</i> brought double the deceit, drama, and intrigue. I couldn't turn away! Everyone was playing their cards close to the chest, and I kept wondering who had the ultimate ace up their sleeve. ♠️♥️♦️♣️

Emma Love narrated this twisted tale and just WOW! She was an excellent choice. She gave each character distinctive voice characteristics including those with multiple personas. The distinguishing speech patterns stood out when characters "switched faces" so to speak. 👯‍♀️

Kim Valva is between a rock and a hard place. Life has been kicking her while she's down. She's stuck working a dead-end waitressing job while she scrambles trying to figure out how to save her dying dog. The surgery to save him costs money Kim doesn't have and she's heartbroken.💔 She gets an offer from someone calling themselves "The Stranger" put a pill💊 in the new member's drink 🥃and she will be paid a generous sum. She can save her beloved good boy.💗🐶 Will she kill to save him? She's a mere whisper away from changing her life when she notices the new member is none other than her high school boyfriend from the old neighborhood.😲 He's got a new name, a twenty-two-year-old fiancee, and millions, but it's him alright. Kim can't kill him. Instead within minutes his fiancee dies a horrible death at the table.

Were they both targets? 🎯

Is Kim in "The Stranger's" crosshairs since she failed to complete her task? ➕

The search for the truth when everyone has ulterior motives is engaging. Sharp turns on a dime keep the characters focused on remaining one step ahead and alive. The pace is swift, but I still soaked up the details.

Deducted one star for an eye rolling moment, but as thrillers go, I can't complain too much there. I still loved this! 💗

Will Kim be able to save herself and her pup? 🐶

In the world of the rich and the warped the slightest misstep could produce deadly consequences.
☠️☠️

A big thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for providing me with an Advance Listening Copy to review. All opinions are my own.

I started this book on Saturday and would have finished but I couldn’t keep my eyes open. So I saved the last 10% for Sunday haha.

In other words, I couldn’t put it down! This is her best yet I think! I loved it! Such a freakin page turner.

Twisty and shocking. I loved the two MC and getting to know them. I loved the dual timelines and seeing them merge. I think this was cleverly plotted & had great character development. These characters were super morally grey but I was so for their cause 🫣

This was such a thrill ride.

The narration was so good! I thought it was two narrators and realized it was just one. She stepped into each characters role so well! I love how she gave a different voice to the different POV to make it easy to follow and really capture the character.

Kim has been anonymously paid to kill a guest at the country club where she works. She would never consider it but she really needs the money. She's all ready to do it, but when the guest arrives it is her high school best friend and ex-boyfriend. He has a shiny new fiancee on his arm and it appears he's turned his bad boy reputation around. Kim can't go through with her plan to kill him, but someone dies anyway. It turns out many people at the club that night are hiding secrets of their own.

The twists and turns in this one are SO good. The last few chapters were perfection in pulling it all together. If you want a quick twisty thriller, this one will keep you on your toes! The narration is also very well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ARC of Their Double Lives.

Their Double Lives has a lot of twists and turns and even some things I originally did not see coming. This story is told in many points of view and includes both the past and present. It was a good enough listen that I wanted to keep listening and finish it ASAP. I found it interesting that the main character would go to such extremes for her dog. I understand loving your dog like a child, but to agree to what she agreed to seems like a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Multiple points of view
Multiple timelines

Kim is a 30 something waitress who needs money to get her dog a life saving surgery.
While serving her ex-boyfriend and his fiancée at a dinner, the fiancée dies a horrible death. Stories start unraveling from there and revenge plots begin to emerge.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story between a small group of people. It had a very domestic type thriller vibe.

The narrator was stellar and I especially loved when she would speak in PJ’s inner dialogue voice. It cracked me up and was perfect.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and High Bridge Audio for the opportunity to preview this audiobook early, in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve recommended I Didn’t Do It many times since reading it, so I was excited to listen to the author’s new thriller. This is a fun and twisty story and I enjoy the author’s fun and snarky sense of humor. I’d recommend listening on audiobook since Emma Love does such a great job with the narration. 3.5/5