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librariangeorgia's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Abortion
ashleynewman's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Abortion, and Pregnancy
fictionmajorette's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Full thoughts: https://fictionmajorette.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-hunting-wives-may-cobb.html
My favorite aspect of this story is, by far, the friend group and their dynamic. Although 'friend group' might be too strong. They really felt more like frenemies to me - almost like the movie Mean Girls but with late 30's Texas socialites. I enjoyed how each woman in the group had their own relationship with each of the other women so everyone felt like distinct characters. I also loved the atmosphere of obsession and almost reverence these other women had for Margot. For me, I really enjoy reading 'unlikable' characters, especially when those characters lean toward being caricatures and the problems can really only be defined as 'rich people problems'. This friend group was a little over the top, a little overly dramatic, and a little wine drunk at all times and I just had a really fun time reading all of that mess.
The real downfall, for me, was Sophie (which is unfortunate since she is our main character). I found her to be a really inconsistent character who seemed to have these moments when, suddenly, her character completely changed. For the first few chapters of the book, we see Sophie as being really happy and content with her life. She loves her husband, her kid, and her new life in Texas. So I was thinking that this obsession with Margot might turn into a sort of slow burn tension for the rest of the book and Sophie would slowly change due to Margot's influence. And that sort of happens? But not really. I think Cobb was going for the feeling that Sophie was struggling with these two pieces of her new life and how to deal with her restlessness but also wanting to keep the family and life she'd built. But it came off, to me, more like inconsistent characterization and I couldn't get a good handle on Sophie.
As far as the mystery/thriller elements go, it was also a miss for me. The prologue of the book is the discovery of the body in the woods. It is literally 10 sentences long and I initially really liked that choice because it gave us a hint of what is to come. However, by the end, I felt like those 10 sentences gave away too much information that overall lowered the tension. I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if it A) stayed more as a domestic thriller with the backstabbing and secrets gradually increasing in severity or B) a different person ended up dead and have them dead earlier on in the story. I think the person who did end up dying caused the main Hunting Wives group to fracture and suddenly my favorite part of the book - the dynamic within the group - was almost non-existent. I think the death happened too late in the book as well so we flip the story from this toxic friend group to amateur murder investigation at about the 65% mark and the murder investigation gets wrapped up relatively quickly.
The pacing was pretty phenomenal and made me want to keep reading despite the fact that I wasn't loving anything in particular in the story. The chapters have a sort of potato-chip quality where you just want to read one more, then one more, then one more. I think Cobb does a great job at really integrating the reader in this new world of badly behaving socialites and, for me at least, it tapped into that part of my brain that loves office gossip or reading about celebrities. There was so much scandal and backstabbing and passive aggressive comments that I was just enthralled with and it made me want to keep reading. I think the dead body/murder plot was pretty meh, but what did keep me reading was wanting to find out if X person is going to find out about Y issue.
Overall, this was a real mixed read for me. I loved the complex and toxic friend/frenemies group and the pacing was really on point. On the other side, I really found our main character inconsistent and I actively disliked the addition of the murder mystery plot. I just wanted to read a book about messy socialites and the parts of the book that centered on that type of story were great but I could have done without the rest of it.
My favorite aspect of this story is, by far, the friend group and their dynamic. Although 'friend group' might be too strong. They really felt more like frenemies to me - almost like the movie Mean Girls but with late 30's Texas socialites. I enjoyed how each woman in the group had their own relationship with each of the other women so everyone felt like distinct characters. I also loved the atmosphere of obsession and almost reverence these other women had for Margot. For me, I really enjoy reading 'unlikable' characters, especially when those characters lean toward being caricatures and the problems can really only be defined as 'rich people problems'. This friend group was a little over the top, a little overly dramatic, and a little wine drunk at all times and I just had a really fun time reading all of that mess.
The real downfall, for me, was Sophie (which is unfortunate since she is our main character). I found her to be a really inconsistent character who seemed to have these moments when, suddenly, her character completely changed. For the first few chapters of the book, we see Sophie as being really happy and content with her life. She loves her husband, her kid, and her new life in Texas. So I was thinking that this obsession with Margot might turn into a sort of slow burn tension for the rest of the book and Sophie would slowly change due to Margot's influence. And that sort of happens? But not really. I think Cobb was going for the feeling that Sophie was struggling with these two pieces of her new life and how to deal with her restlessness but also wanting to keep the family and life she'd built. But it came off, to me, more like inconsistent characterization and I couldn't get a good handle on Sophie.
As far as the mystery/thriller elements go, it was also a miss for me. The prologue of the book is the discovery of the body in the woods. It is literally 10 sentences long and I initially really liked that choice because it gave us a hint of what is to come. However, by the end, I felt like those 10 sentences gave away too much information that overall lowered the tension. I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if it A) stayed more as a domestic thriller with the backstabbing and secrets gradually increasing in severity or B) a different person ended up dead and have them dead earlier on in the story. I think the person who did end up dying caused the main Hunting Wives group to fracture and suddenly my favorite part of the book - the dynamic within the group - was almost non-existent. I think the death happened too late in the book as well so we flip the story from this toxic friend group to amateur murder investigation at about the 65% mark and the murder investigation gets wrapped up relatively quickly.
The pacing was pretty phenomenal and made me want to keep reading despite the fact that I wasn't loving anything in particular in the story. The chapters have a sort of potato-chip quality where you just want to read one more, then one more, then one more. I think Cobb does a great job at really integrating the reader in this new world of badly behaving socialites and, for me at least, it tapped into that part of my brain that loves office gossip or reading about celebrities. There was so much scandal and backstabbing and passive aggressive comments that I was just enthralled with and it made me want to keep reading. I think the dead body/murder plot was pretty meh, but what did keep me reading was wanting to find out if X person is going to find out about Y issue.
Overall, this was a real mixed read for me. I loved the complex and toxic friend/frenemies group and the pacing was really on point. On the other side, I really found our main character inconsistent and I actively disliked the addition of the murder mystery plot. I just wanted to read a book about messy socialites and the parts of the book that centered on that type of story were great but I could have done without the rest of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity
finding_time_to_read's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, and Murder
major_tom's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book becomes what it promises to be only half way through. Before that, we get endless pages of way-too-detailed Facebook surfing and coffee making (oh, and drinking! SO.MUCH.DRINKING). I mean, different types of coffee and process surrounding making it could indicate thought process and emotional state of the character, if it wasn’t explicitly described on the following page. While we do get a good character description of main character as well as others, it seems to me that we could have gotten so much more given how many pages were dedicated to description (rather than any action).
The first half made me think I’m reading erotic smut but without the good stuff. It’s such a weird way to write out a story, I don’t really get.
I mean, adultery is wrong, but it’s presented as such a scandalous and unexpected turn of events that it’s even funny. You do describe the cast as people who would DEFINITELY have an affair, but then expect us to be in any way involved in this? I got bored waiting for it, honestly. And it wasn’t even that interesting, just drunk ladies doing drunk things.
And a white woman who doesn’t believe she may be bi? Has a blog writing about Asian herbs and knowing nothing about them but that they “keep your blood pressure down”? Is the most descriptive example of teenage hormones? Please stop. A character may be unlovable, but don’t make feeling horny their whole personality, please. It’s just lazy writing.
I believe the book could have been twice as short and wouldn’t lose anything. While I did like the style, it was just so pretentiously lengthened: this space could have been used to make the community more interesting, with secrets and drama. Rather than that rich village with several bored to death housewives.
Overall, I will not recommend this book. It has some good parts, but overall it’s too long for it’s own good, as if you’re reading a film script. I wanted to like it, I was intrigued by the premise, but it’s disappointing.
The first half made me think I’m reading erotic smut but without the good stuff. It’s such a weird way to write out a story, I don’t really get.
And a white woman who doesn’t believe she may be bi? Has a blog writing about Asian herbs and knowing nothing about them but that they “keep your blood pressure down”? Is the most descriptive example of teenage hormones? Please stop. A character may be unlovable, but don’t make feeling horny their whole personality, please. It’s just lazy writing.
I believe the book could have been twice as short and wouldn’t lose anything. While I did like the style, it was just so pretentiously lengthened: this space could have been used to make the community more interesting, with secrets and drama. Rather than that rich village with several bored to death housewives.
Overall, I will not recommend this book. It has some good parts, but overall it’s too long for it’s own good, as if you’re reading a film script. I wanted to like it, I was intrigued by the premise, but it’s disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and Pregnancy
nsmythe_'s review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
If you mix Desperate Housewives & Heathers together, with a splash of Big Little Lies & a pinch of Mean Girls ... you get The Hunting Wives. This book had it allll - mystery, lust, jealousy, drama & lots of alcohol. From the first sentence, I was absolutely intrigued in this story & the secrets each person held. But, as many will soon find out, no secret is ever safe, especially in Mapleton.
I have been looking for a novel that really dove into suburban drama, because as many of us Bravo fans know, housewives can really stir the pot. This satisfied the craving & went even beyond - the added suspense of murder now involved. The last few chapters had me absolutely floored & I took some moments after finishing to reel in my thoughts ... all I could muster was a shocked “WTF!”
Highly recommend this book, May Cobb does such a spectacular job at making you rethink every little instance throughout the novel. She goes to show that the small details are often the ones having the biggest impact.
FYI - this was my April BOTM subscription box selection.
I have been looking for a novel that really dove into suburban drama, because as many of us Bravo fans know, housewives can really stir the pot. This satisfied the craving & went even beyond - the added suspense of murder now involved. The last few chapters had me absolutely floored & I took some moments after finishing to reel in my thoughts ... all I could muster was a shocked “WTF!”
Highly recommend this book, May Cobb does such a spectacular job at making you rethink every little instance throughout the novel. She goes to show that the small details are often the ones having the biggest impact.
FYI - this was my April BOTM subscription box selection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Infidelity
katlynmoran's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Murder, and Alcohol
grifgirl's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
pamshenanigans's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
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The Hunting Wives had a slow start as it really sets the tone for the plot twists and reveals towards the end. Backstabbing, snooty, and cold-blooded housewives are my shit but at the same time, this kind of character annoys the hell out of me lol Like I hate how they know they're doing something stupid and they know the consequences, but they still do it ?? And then go all BOO HOO WOE IS ME when the said consequence happens ??
It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was a fun ride getting albeit just an OKAY ending. The whole WHODUNIT mystery had me at the edge of my seat, not gonna lie. But the payoff was just not THAT satisfying to me.
Warning though: If you don't like reading about 30+ y/o ladies getting it on with 18 y/o (passed off as "legal" since the age of consent in that state is 17)
If you want to get through this book faster, listen to the audiobook!
Trigger/Content Warnings: cheating, adult/minor relationship, murder, forced abortion
The Hunting Wives had a slow start as it really sets the tone for the plot twists and reveals towards the end. Backstabbing, snooty, and cold-blooded housewives are my shit but at the same time, this kind of character annoys the hell out of me lol Like I hate how they know they're doing something stupid and they know the consequences, but they still do it ?? And then go all BOO HOO WOE IS ME when the said consequence happens ??
It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was a fun ride getting albeit just an OKAY ending. The whole WHODUNIT mystery had me at the edge of my seat, not gonna lie. But the payoff was just not THAT satisfying to me.
Warning though: If you don't like reading about 30+ y/o ladies getting it on with 18 y/o (passed off as "legal" since the age of consent in that state is 17)
If you want to get through this book faster, listen to the audiobook!
Trigger/Content Warnings: cheating, adult/minor relationship, murder, forced abortion
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Infidelity
Moderate: Murder
happyreadings's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was a wild ride! I wanted to hate it, but I just couldn't stop reading it. It was so messed up with the adult/minor relationships, cheating, and drugs. Yet, I couldn't get enough. The Hunting Wives are a group of conniving bitches and I could understand the allure of getting in with these rich women, but Sophie also took it to a whole other level with it as well.
If you love a crazy dramatic thriller then definitely pick this up, it's disgusting, crazy, and THRILLING!
If you love a crazy dramatic thriller then definitely pick this up, it's disgusting, crazy, and THRILLING!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol