REVIEW: The New Wife by Amanda Brittany and Karen Clarke

The New Wife by Amanda Brittany & Karen Clarke

Genre: Domestic thriller, Suspense

Read: 4th December 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

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:

Amanda lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and cute dog. When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her family and friends, walking her dog, reading (her go-to is fictional crime and psychological thrillers) and she is far too keen on red velvet cake.

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

Karen is a multi-published author of romantic comedies and psychological suspense novels, as well as co-writing thrillers with Amanda Brittany.

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

REVIEW: Traces of Her by Amanda Brittany (ARC)

Traces of Her by Amanda Brittany

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 19th November 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(publication date: 25th October 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

WOW!! WOW!! WOW!! Where do I even start? This book was, simply put, mind blowing!

I was hooked from the beginning and simply could not stop reading, devouring TRACES OF HER in two sittings! I loved the alternating narratives and timelines between Rose and Ava and just had to keep turning pages to find out what truly happened 18 years before.

The story opens with a Prologue that sets the tone instantly with a chilling sense of foreboding that is so haunting it will give you goosebumps. From this point on, I was completely drawn in...and couldn't turn those pages quick enough! I would have devoured it in one sitting had I not required sleep...lol

When Rose doesn't hear from her stepsister Willow for a month, she wasn't particularly worried as Willow has always been unreliable and has often taken off on a whim in the past. But this time is different. When she suddenly receives a call from Willow, she is surprised to hear that she is in Cornwall and begs Rose to join her, pleading with her in desperation. Rose has always been soft where her stepsister is concerned and knew she would concede in the end so promises to make the five hour drive down on the weekend.

A couple of days later, Rose receives a mysterious package from Willow with photos of four suspects relating to a cold case in which two sisters died 18 years before. One of them was Willow's birth mother, Ava. And now she is obsessed with uncovering the truth about what really happened to Ava and her sister, Gail.

The news comes as a shock to Rose, who didn't even know Willow was adopted. She confronted her stepmother Eleanor who confirmed that Willow's mother had been murdered by her sister Gail, who then committed suicide. Eleanor was a case worker for the family and after the deaths, the girls' mother was incapable of looking after her granddaughter and relinquished custody, afterwhich Eleanor adopted her.

Armed with this new information, Rose and her 14 year old daughter Becky made the long journey to Cornwall but upon arrival find the cottage in which Willow is supposedly staying to be empty. Her luggage, clothes and any sign that she was ever hear has gone. All that remains is her jacket laying in one of the bedrooms...the only sign that Willow had even been here. Rose knows that she wouldn't have just upped and left, knowing that Rose was on her way to her. So where was she?

Rose then begins by asking locals at the pub and in the shop about the men in the photographs, hoping it will lead her to Willow, and to gauge their reactions. Asking if they remembered the Ava Millar murder, she soon learns that Ava was full of secrets with a history of numerous relationships with different men...or rather, boys. Justin (Willow's father), Peter and Maxen - making all them appear suspects. She hopes that the more she can find out about Ava and her murder, the closer she will get to finding Willow.

But someone doesn't want her digging up the past. On more than one occasion, Rose receives messages to LEAVE, and becomes fearful when she has the sense of being watched. Who is trying to drive her out of town? Who doesn't want the truth uncovered? And what really happened on the beach that night? The night of Ava's sister's wedding.

There are plenty of characters you will love to hate and others that is easy to sympathise with. I am unsure how I feel about Rose because she seemed to defer to her daughter an awful lot, and given that she is just 14, I thought that was a little unrealistic. Considering Becky had Rose slightly wrapped around her finger, she didn't seem to be completely ruined...which was a surprise. But I did find myself questioning just who was the adult in this relationship at times. We didn't see much of Willow as an adult but more as a precocious 2 year old when Ava was still alive, so it was hard to really have much of an opinion of her. Rory, Gail, Jeanette, Justin...could not stand any of them. As for the many other characters...most I didn't like all that much, basically because I didn't trust them.

Told through the alternating chapters between Rose in the present and Ava in the past, as well as the addition of a unknown narrative titled YOU, TRACES OF HER is a well-plotted, intriguing tale of two sisters across two timelines - Rose and Willow, and Ava and Gail - and the fate that awaits them. There are suspects aplenty as the mystery deepens. What really happened to Ava? And why was she so brutally killed? And where is Willow now?

Despite the triple narrative over dual timelines, TRACES OF HER is very easy to follow and will have you enthralled throughout. With many twists and turns, you may figure out the killer or you may not. I had my suspicions throughout most of the story of two major factors which turned out to be correct...which I only questioned when something occurred in the past to make me wonder "what if?" To me, it was so out of left field I thought that it would be mind-blowing twist that readers (except me) would never guess and it seems I was on the same wavelength as the author. And it never detracts from my enjoyment of the book if my suspicions prove to be correct. I find it a kind of challenge...to see if I can work it out.

There are many secrets and lies in this deftly crafted thriller with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. Its fast pace did not let up throughout and by the time it ended, I was left breathless.

Overall, a brilliant read from a new author to me. I have not read Amanda Brittany before and, if this book is anything to go by, it won't be my last.  I do have to question if the author is a fan of the Australian soap "Home and Away" with the characters such as Justin, Willow and Ava...with the female characters roles reversed? lol

TRACES OF HER is just brilliant. Just mind-blowing. I cannot express just how much I loved this book, despite some of its loathsome characters. I just hope I was able to do such a brilliant book justice with my review.

If you love a good psychological thriller with a twist you won't see coming at the end (although now you will...lol), then grab yourself a copy of TRACES OF HER! You will love it, I'm sure!

I would like to thank #AmandaBrittany, #NetGalley and #HQDigital for an ARC of #TracesOfHer in exchange for an honest review.