Reviews

The Optician's Wife by Betsy Reavley

syren1532's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

A dark psychological thriller containing murder, sex, prostitution and domestic abuse. Couldn't put it down as the story had me gripped right up to the shocking last chapter. Highly recommended.

lynsey284's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Really good read

I loved the opticians wife it was a perfect thriller and every thriller fan should read this. Really think the book could of gone for a few more chapters as I wanted to more and especially with the last chapter.

sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Having read The Quiet Ones not so long ago by the same author, I knew I would be in for a disturbing but enjoyable read and I wasn’t wrong.

Deborah is one of those quiet mousy types of girl that you would probably forget as soon as you met her. When Larry meets her, it isn’t long before he takes her under his wing and turns her into his own creation.

I really liked Deborah to start with but have to admit as the story goes on she becomes quite hardened and even though I felt quite sorry for her at times, I didn’t really like the person that she was becoming.

Larry right from the start I didn’t trust. I didn’t like how he was moulding Deborah and cutting her off from the outside world and becoming his own personally skivvy. He obviously has his own ideas to how a wife should act and he expects Deborah to follow that to the letter. He is very protective of her and in his own way I do think he truly loves her, though why she loves him so much beats me.

It is slightly hard to say much more about the storyline without giving key parts of it away which would spoil it for other readers and I certainly wouldn’t want to spoil the surprises that are awaiting them.

The Optician’s Wife is a dark and disturbing read. The author cleverly reels you in and has you believing what she wants you to believe before grabbing you and twisting you around leaving you dizzy. All I will say is that this is one book that sent a shiver down my spine and had me feeling like someone had walked over my grave!

My thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

bayoumuddah's review

Go to review page

5.0

This was a very disturbing messed up book and I loved it.Has a very sinister ending :) which I LOOOOVE :)

sucre_susie's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

tcrumpton's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

4.5 ⭐: ooh this one was so twisted!! A very young girl, Deborah marries Larry, the Optician. They have a very interesting marriage, where Deborah is painted as the submissive wife and Larry the controller. There were many sick moments and the killings in the book were graphic. I knew how this was going to end, but yet I was still shook. Does that even make sense? Super dark, but a really good psychological thriller!

emmasmart82's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Omg really enjoyed this book and loved the ending took me by surprise wasn't expecting that X

karen_reads's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

leona_omahony's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Firstly my thanks to TBC and the author for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This was a fantastic book and one I knew from the first chapter it was going to keep me enthralled reading it. A well deserved five stars for this spine chilling book.

amothersmusings1's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I have heard so much about Betsy Reavley and 'The Opticians Wife' from fellow book readers and friends I just had to read it for myself....and I was not disappointed!!
From the very first page the emotional tension I was feeling was palpable, drawing me in further and further, you just knew there was a underlying story buried beneath the chapters. The threatening atmosphere had me frustrated and stunned at what goes on behind closed doors.
The Opticians Wife is about quiet, shy, unassuming 17 year old Deborah who is working in Woolworths when she meets Larry an older trainee Optometrist whilst sitting in the park during her lunch hour. A passionate turbulent relationship commences and Deborah soon falls under Larry's controlling spell. They are both unlikeable and very disturbing characters (just what you want in a story like this) in and if you love dark, twisted and gruesome psychological thrillers you will speed through this!
This book will stay with me a very long time and I will certainly be reading more from Betsy.