The New Wife by Amanda Brittany & Karen Clarke
Genre: Domestic thriller, Suspense
Read: 4th December 2022
Published: 29th November 2022
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
The people you trust are the people who hurt you the most.
Nell Cosgrove is the new wife who got it all. She married her handsome, wealthy boss within six months of meeting him. They live in a beautiful riverside home. She has a flourishing career.
The only problem is her two stepdaughters, Ruby and Poppy, who are fiercely loyal to their mother, and reject all her overtures.
But now everything is falling apart. Nell’s marriage is starting to crack. Her husband spends more and more time away on business.
She gets creepy text messages from an unknown admirer. He sends mysterious bouquets of flowers to her office. She starts making mistakes at work.
Everything Nell thought she knew about her marriage and her new life is about to be turned upside down.
MY THOUGHTS:
"The devil doesn't come with horns - he comes disguised as everything you've ever wanted..."
Having read Amanda Brittany's brilliant thriller "Traces of Her" some years back, I was excited to see her pop up again this time paired with an author I've not yet read in Karen Clarke. But I had so loved the one thriller I had read by Brittany that I felt I couldn't possibly be disappointed in this new offering...especially given its intriguing premise. And I wasn't. And now I'm keen to check out Clarke's solo work!
Being the new wife to someone who already has grown children, or any children for that matter, is not an easy feat. There is bound to hurt and feelings of betrayal as well as abandonment. And then there is the prospect of a stepmother who has taken the place your mother used to hold dear as you father's wife. This is the conundrum Nell Cosgrove faces as Oliver's new wife. Though they have been married three years, his grown children Ruby and Poppy have refused to accept her as his wife. In fact, they seem to have made it their life's mission to split the couple up so that Oliver can return home and take up his proper place as their father and husband to their grieving mother Fiona.
But when Ruby catches wind of a marriage counselling session between Oliver and Nell, it seems they may not have to try too hard in their mission. Maybe just a few prods here and there, their marriage will crumble and the rest will fall into place. What could be simpler?
For Nell, it seems her troubles with Oliver are only the beginning. Strange things begin happening at work - simple things like a misplaced item or a diary mix-up to the more troubling occurrences like the wrong items being delivered, a slashed costume that was due for immediate delivery or even more concerning the tirade of bad publicity posted about her and the company on social media. And if that wasn't bad enough, she was receiving flowers or love notes from a supposed lover as well as texts alluding to their time together. And Oliver was present when every one of them were delivered. Of course Poppy was filled with a spiteful glee at this prospect and goaded her older sister Ruby into helping their father see the error of Nell's ways.
Nell knows she isn't having an affair or that she isn't making stupid mistakes at work. Someone seems to be out to get her, determined to destroy her life and her career...and she has no idea who that could possibly be. Or is it just bad luck or something more sinister at play?
Oh, how I love a domestic suspense tale! Layered with secrets, lies, deception, manipulation and gaslighting, THE NEW WIFE kept me engaged from beginning to end. I raced through the pages eager to uncover the truth of who or what was behind the vicious attacks. And why? But as no stranger to this genre I knew what to look for and what to look over...and I saw what no one else did. But that never ruins my enjoyment of a good story. As long as it keeps me turning the pages with those short snappy chapters I so so love and it keeps me intrigued and entertained throughout, then I'm happy.
THE NEW WIFE has everything you could possibly imagine in a domestic suspense thriller, right down to the creepy stalker and the hateful exes or stepchildren. Filled with red herrings and twists that still couldn't hoodwink me, I thoroughly enjoyed this easy thrill ride of a read and can't wait for more by either author or again as a duo.
Perfect for domestic thriller fans...need I say more?
I would like to thank #AmandaBrittany, #KarenClarke, #Netgalley, #JoffeBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheNewWife in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHORS:
She loves sunny days by the sea, and snowy days through the window of a cosy room.Amanda has raised over £8700 in ebook royalties for Cancer Research UK in memory of her sister.She is the author of six psychological crime thrillers, and co-writer of psychological suspense novels with author Karen Clarke.
Social Media links:
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
She lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband and three grown-up children and when she’s not writing, she reads (a lot), loves walking and taking pictures — the birds in her garden are probably the most photographed in the country.
Social Media links:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
Thank you so much for your support on the tour and for kicking it off with your review x
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