The Echo Wife

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is closed and you are in #COVID19 #socialisolation,  superspeed readers like me can read 250+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today. (I have played a zillion games of scrabble, done a zillion crosswords and I AM BORED!!!)

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

The Echo Wife is a non-stop thrill ride of lies, betrayal, and identity, perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Killing Eve.

Evelyn Caldwell’s husband Nathan has been having an affair — with Evelyn Caldwell. Or, to be exact, with Martine, a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn’s own award-winning research. But that wasn’t even the worst part. When they said all happy families are alike, I don’t think this is what they meant…


This is a really difficult book to explain and as a result, to review. I kept asking my husband questions about the, well, sexual and moral implications, via Skype while I read this as we are socially isolated 180km apart during this #COVID19 pandemic. He works in an ER and I have nonagenarian parents so we are keeping us all healthy. (yes, I am reading and reviewing the book TEN MONTHS in advance) I asked I'm so many questions he now wants to read the book as a genetically cloned replica COULD live with him right now.  It is VERY Stepford Wivesian (yes, I made that word up!) but 100x better than Sister Wivesian and I am saying that as a Morman.

It is very well written and the plot line kept me seriously gripped as to what was happening on every single page. It is a roller coaster of a ride read -it goes there and is not afraid to do so. What a freaking INCREDIBLE READ ... my book clubs (I belong to eight of them) should be prepared to read this ASAP when it comes out as I may foist it on all of them - that's 203 readers in addition to me!

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube  Millionaires/etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 👯👯👯👯👯 (yes, I was able to find clones/twins!!!) 

I asked my husband the HARD QUESTION >>>> and he says "he would rather #bealonethanwithaclone

What’s worse than finding out your husband is having an affair? Discovering he’s having an affair with your double, not your twin – your clone. The clone your research created. It can’t get much worse than that can it? It turns out it can

Westworld (more understandable version) meets Stepford Wives and Orphan Black kind of story is freshly baked from the oven. I see five sizzling, well-deserved, shiny stars dancing above my head! This is more entertaining, mind bending, grey cells frying, soul shaking, heart throbbing adventure than I expected.

This is absolutely, deliciously my kind of extremely crazy story: imagine your husband replace you with another version of you. What would you do? Scream, cry, call a contract killer, suffer from depression, commit to kill the other version of you or accept the defeat and work on cloned replicas of Tom Hardy at your lab (last option is the best choice but unfortunately the heroine of this book didn’t make wise choices like me!)

 Okay, let me rephrase it: our brilliant scientist Evelyn’s husband Nathan is not happy that she is a workaholic, heartless, cutthroat bitch who prefers to live in her lab and work 24/7 for your scientific experiments. ( it’s true! I think JJ Abrams inspired by her when he named his production company “Bad Robot” because most of the parts: she acted like really mean robot, hardly process human feelings.) And of course she doesn’t want to have a baby. It’s unnecessary responsibility, right? She’s working way too much important things. She’s the brilliant Evelyn Caldwell, a rising star of scientific innovations with brightest future ahead of her. 

  But her dearest husband cheats on her with a woman looking exactly like her. Actually he’s dating with cloned replica of hers (Whattttt???) And now he wants to divorce! And this is not only mouth dropping part of her unbelievably unique story: the cloned replica is pregnant right now! (WTF! Did I read right? How could be scientifically possible? But Evelyn’s dear clone Martine is expecting. And she meets her with the shop to show her growing baby bump and Evelyn tells her the ugly truth about the reason she’s been created. 

  From now on, if the story is not crazy enough for you: Just wait for Martine’s urgent call on the phone. She panicked, barely breathing and she seems like losing it. As Evelyn goes to the house Martine shares with her ex-husband: she finds out, her ex lying on the floor in blood bath. Martine says: “it was self –defense” and Evelyn replies: “Let’s bury him!”

Still not crazy enough for you? Wait for it. Evelyn and Martine realize a search party can begin sooner they will be prime suspects of Nathan’s mysterious disappearance. Or at least Evelyn is gonna lose everything: her researches, reputation and freedom because nobody knows Evelyn is existence. She is illegal. So they decide to work on a new clone replica. They’ll recreate Nathan to solve the problem! Yesss, I know you’re hooked and 

I stop right now! I already gave so many juicy details. But I assure, the story’s conclusion is more twisty and shocking. Yes, there are more revelations and surprises to come.

Overall: It was one of the best, amazing, shocking, dazzling, phenomenal sci-fi reads of this year. I highly recommend it to genre lovers. I couldn’t put it down! It’s smart, its dark humor captivates you and you don’t want to let it go. 

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/ Tor Books for sharing this remarkable ARC with me in exchange my honest review. I truly loved it so much.

I loved this book! I made a lot of connections between The Echo Wife and Frankenstein. I found Evelyn's feelings about Martine really interesting.

Thank you Netgallery and publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. 
First of all the cover is striking and says read me I love it!  The book was really good I can't think of anything negative to say. I highly recommend reading this book.

I can’t even. How does Sarah Gailey constantly put out such amazing books? They are a machine. A beautiful, strange, brilliant machine.

Evelyn is a brilliant scientist in the area of human cloning, her husband is less successful, except in creating a more malleable and compliant version of his wife. When Nathan ends up dead everything unravels and Evelyn is left to clean up yet another mess. An interesting look at genetics and nature vs nurture, the morality behind cloning and the ethics of science wrapped in a nonstop thriller. A great read!