Reviews

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

rebeccasreadingrambles's review

3.0

Overall I enjoyed it, but it didn't wow me. I thought the plot was pretty predicable and very slow moving. The last 1/3 was way more interesting, but I still just didn't find any surprises. I don't mind a slow burn if there are big surprises along the way, but I could see everything coming (and was shocked that the MC couldn't). It was strange to see how revolved he was by the idea of kidnap and torture - he avoided even old documentaries about it. And yet was willing to stalk, and have someone else do the dirty work (when usually it was his idea). I just think his character was confusing and not at all consistent, which made it all seem false. I did like that last line - it truly gave me shivers.

hall2020's review

4.0

Boom!! Pow Wow Bang!!! Thank was my head exploding.
Damn Gina this trick is crazy.

My Lovely Wife is told in the view point of the husband who seems a little boring with his delivery but he makes up for it with his style. He is a freak! He is obsessed with pleasing his wife to the point that he will destroy everyone around them to make sure she is happy. However he makes the mistake that he is doing what’s he is supposed to and not getting caught in a web he didn’t spin.

I read this while on vacation so I had to keep putting it down and that killed me slowly like a psycho cereal killer with no personal life. Once I got to the twist my mind blew up and I had to zone everything else out. This book was delicious and clever.


“I wanted to surprise you,” she says. “For our anniversary.”
I stare at her. My lovely wife.
“It’s demented,” I say.
She raises an eyebrow at me. Before she can speak, I put my finger
against her lips.
“And it’s brilliant,” I say.

Oh the thing we do for love.

thriller_buffet's review

5.0

Loved everything about this crazy twisted book

beautifulbybeth's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

keaganb's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

jennchilla's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

3.75

camrajo's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

This book is one that you can't put down. The author wrote in a way, that every chapter makes you want to read another. I loved how the narrator is not named and unreliable. Some of the plot lines were predictable, but a good fast paced book. 

jammy_sam's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Mini synopsis: Suburban married couple murder people to keep the romance alive.

Who this book is for: 

• Readers who love to be in the twisted head and perspective of the evil
• Those who enjoy domestic and psychological thrillers that will keep you guessing
• Readers who can handle reading about unlikeable characters
• Those who enjoy first person POV and unreliable narration

My thoughts:
It isn't often that I delve into domestic and psychological thrillers, but I did enjoy my time with this book! I'd heard about it from a booktuber I watch (Alexandra Roselyn) and decided to check out the audiobook from Libby since it was available. I listened on walks, while cleaning, or while knitting and flew through it, eager to know how the story would end for this deeply unlikeable couple. Probably what was most disturbing to me was how normal these people are outside of their...hobby. I mean, Millicent doesn't seem fun to be around under any circumstances but people can just be like that in normal life without also being serial killers, ya know?

I enjoy that we get the story from the unnamed husband's perspective as he is a little bit unreliable and pretty twisted, but we also get to see in-depth how he feels about his wife and her part in their little hobby. There are a lot of different directions this story could have gone and it definitely has a pretty slow build, but the twists are fun and probably not overly predictable (unfortunately a brief google search about the Netflix adaptation brought up a huge spoiler so I'll never know if I would have been fully surprised or not).

Overall, I had a great time with this one - it's disturbing, mysterious, and we get to follow a pretty unhinged couple as they pretend to be normal, middle-class suburban folk. I spent a whole lot of time rooting for their children, to be honest.

wendythegeekgoddess's review

4.0

Predictable but it was pretty good

stepharina's review

4.0

I loved this book! I want to compare it to another book that I loved but I feel like it would give away a little what happens and I do not want to do that. This book was hard to put down but I had been so busy that I could not always get to it. The book was such a weird concept but I think the testament of a good writer is making you like characters despite the crazy things that they do. The characters that you "love to hate". I didn't necessarily hate anyone in the book but once you read it you will understand what I mean. I did not see all of the twists coming so I thought that was great.

I'd recommend this to people who like thriller/suspense novels.