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3.15 AVERAGE
3.15 AVERAGE
To be fair here, I had really high expectations going into this book after finishing Behind Her Eyes.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book. I loved learning about each character within an elite circle of friends in Savannah, GA. The stories about the second wives, and how/when they entered the picture was intriguing to me. But when the voodoo and black magic was brought into the story, it lost me. However, I kept an open mind throughout the remainder of the story. In the end, it just wasn’t for me.
I really enjoyed the first half of the book. I loved learning about each character within an elite circle of friends in Savannah, GA. The stories about the second wives, and how/when they entered the picture was intriguing to me. But when the voodoo and black magic was brought into the story, it lost me. However, I kept an open mind throughout the remainder of the story. In the end, it just wasn’t for me.
When I read the synopsis of the book, I was really excited to read it. However once I started reading it, it was hard to like anything about the characters or the plot. There was nothing redeemable about any character and the racial microaggressions could not be ignored in the beginning. The story then took a weird turn and that is when I checked out. This was just not the book for me. The writing style was good but the characters were just to cringeworthy for me to continue. Thanks to William Morrow for the ARC and chance to provide an honest review.
"Being the second wife can be murder."
I have seen Sarah Pinborough's name around on Instagram quite a lot lately. Behind Her Eyes and Cross Her Heart are some of her previous works and both seem to have received good reviews. When I saw Dead To Her on Netgalley, I thought I would request to read it and see what all the fuss is about.
Dead To Her follows two women, Marcie and Keisha who both get married into a high society life to older men. Marcie comes from a poor background who eventually meets and then marries the well off Jason Maddox. She is his second wife after them both having an affair which resulted in his first wife leaving him. Her husband works for the well known, rich widower William Radford who marries Keisha. She is a young, beautiful British girl in her twenties who met William whilst working as a waitress in a table dancing bar in London. He falls for the stunning Keisha and brings her back to the US with him and into his world of endless money, huge mansions and country clubs.
Marcie feels threatened by Keisha. She has always been the young, hot wife in the posh Savannah community and had felt she was starting to be accepted into the elite social circles but now Keisha is taking over. She no longer is seen as the most desirable one , her husband Jason seems to not be able to take his eyes off Keisha. Marcie keeps thinking to herself, once a cheat, always a cheat. She had a difficult upbringing and she does not want to have to go back to her old life anytime soon.
Both women know that they will always be seen as the outsiders to everybody else in their privileged social scene. They also both have a past that they want to keep hidden away. What will both women have to do to make sure that they keep their lives of luxury and stop anyone who threatens it?
Like most thrillers, I cannot say too much of what happens because I would be at risk of spoiling the book for future readers. It is anyway most definitely a book worth going into blind as it wasn't anything like I expected it to be after reading the synopsis. I can tell you however, that this book is drama filled, unputdownable and in parts quite steamy! It is based on secrets, lies and jealousy with characters that are not very likeable at all.
Every person in this book is arrogant, untrustworthy and self absorbed. The author manages to keep you questioning many of the characters motives which is something I love in a thriller especially as a lot of the story appears to be a tangled web of deception.
I did find it at times a bit slow in pace but it soon picked up and I could not put it down. One of the things I like about it most is that it is completely different to any domestic thriller I have read before. It has elements of a creepy horror story to it that makes you wonder how on earth things are going to unravel.
Overall, I found it a highly entertaining read and would recommend it to readers who love a domestic thriller that is a bit dark and twisted with a bit of voodoo thrown in!
I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins for letting me read a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have seen Sarah Pinborough's name around on Instagram quite a lot lately. Behind Her Eyes and Cross Her Heart are some of her previous works and both seem to have received good reviews. When I saw Dead To Her on Netgalley, I thought I would request to read it and see what all the fuss is about.
Dead To Her follows two women, Marcie and Keisha who both get married into a high society life to older men. Marcie comes from a poor background who eventually meets and then marries the well off Jason Maddox. She is his second wife after them both having an affair which resulted in his first wife leaving him. Her husband works for the well known, rich widower William Radford who marries Keisha. She is a young, beautiful British girl in her twenties who met William whilst working as a waitress in a table dancing bar in London. He falls for the stunning Keisha and brings her back to the US with him and into his world of endless money, huge mansions and country clubs.
Marcie feels threatened by Keisha. She has always been the young, hot wife in the posh Savannah community and had felt she was starting to be accepted into the elite social circles but now Keisha is taking over. She no longer is seen as the most desirable one , her husband Jason seems to not be able to take his eyes off Keisha. Marcie keeps thinking to herself, once a cheat, always a cheat. She had a difficult upbringing and she does not want to have to go back to her old life anytime soon.
Both women know that they will always be seen as the outsiders to everybody else in their privileged social scene. They also both have a past that they want to keep hidden away. What will both women have to do to make sure that they keep their lives of luxury and stop anyone who threatens it?
Like most thrillers, I cannot say too much of what happens because I would be at risk of spoiling the book for future readers. It is anyway most definitely a book worth going into blind as it wasn't anything like I expected it to be after reading the synopsis. I can tell you however, that this book is drama filled, unputdownable and in parts quite steamy! It is based on secrets, lies and jealousy with characters that are not very likeable at all.
Every person in this book is arrogant, untrustworthy and self absorbed. The author manages to keep you questioning many of the characters motives which is something I love in a thriller especially as a lot of the story appears to be a tangled web of deception.
I did find it at times a bit slow in pace but it soon picked up and I could not put it down. One of the things I like about it most is that it is completely different to any domestic thriller I have read before. It has elements of a creepy horror story to it that makes you wonder how on earth things are going to unravel.
Overall, I found it a highly entertaining read and would recommend it to readers who love a domestic thriller that is a bit dark and twisted with a bit of voodoo thrown in!
I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins for letting me read a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Dead to Her is a thriller set in Savannah, Georgia, and follows the wives of two powerful men. Marcie Maddox has been the youngest of all the wives in her elite circle for years, but when her husband’s boss returns from a trip overseas with the twenty-something Keisha on his arm, she feels threatened. Keisha is British, gorgeous, and also seemingly attracted to Marcie’s husband Jason, and Marcie simply wont stand for it. As Marcie prepares to fight for her husband, she finds not all is as it seemed in this dark, twisty, southern story.
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A few months ago, I was sucked in by the author’s previous novel, Behind Her Eyes. Although the ending to that one didn’t work for me, she constructed a story so compelling that I couldn’t stop reading, and I was hoping for more of that with this latest work. Although it wasn’t as unputdownable as the previous book, this story was still compelling largely due to its setting of Savannah. The way it is described and factored into the narrative including its history, culture, wealth, climate, and geography was really well done. It gave off gothic, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil vibes to me which I loved. I was so-so on the ending of this one, but did enjoy the ride getting there.
~
A few months ago, I was sucked in by the author’s previous novel, Behind Her Eyes. Although the ending to that one didn’t work for me, she constructed a story so compelling that I couldn’t stop reading, and I was hoping for more of that with this latest work. Although it wasn’t as unputdownable as the previous book, this story was still compelling largely due to its setting of Savannah. The way it is described and factored into the narrative including its history, culture, wealth, climate, and geography was really well done. It gave off gothic, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil vibes to me which I loved. I was so-so on the ending of this one, but did enjoy the ride getting there.
I was very disappointed in this book, as I liked Sarah's previous thrillers. I listened to the audiobook from the library, and am glad I didn't spend money on this. I felt there was no real plot until halfway through the book, and even then I just found it boring. The cast of characters was hard to keep track at times, and I found it to be very low on "thrills".
Real talk: I started this one in December and I DNF’d it. It just didn’t pull me in. Then on February 11th, this one came out and some trusted recommendation sources gave it glowing reviews. So I decided to try it on audio, and I really did end up enjoying it. I did have the killer figured out fairly early, but that didn’t take away from the book as a whole. Having gone to college in Savannah, I certainly saw some of the wealthy elite that this book portrayed. It definitely brought me back to my time in Savannah while I truly loved!
Marcie Maddox has worked hard to live the life of luxury currently surrounding her in Savannah. Thanks to an illicit affair that eventually became a marriage and a fresh start to her current life, Marcie has everything she’s ever wanted. The only issue is all the country clubs, yachts, and mansions can’t keep love alive. Marcie’s husband, Jason, seems to be slipping away from her.
When Jason’s boss returns from an extended stay in London with a young new wife on his arm, tensions start to rise. Jason seems to let his eyes linger a little too long on the newly minted Mrs. William Radford IV. Marcie instantly dislikes Keisha for the spark she can feel between her and Jason. Once a cheat, always a cheat, or so they say. Marcie is prepared to fight to keep the life she has and will stop at nothing to clear others out of her way.
Sarah Pinborough just knocked it out of the park with DEAD TO HER! This book was everything I look for in a domestic thriller. There’s tension, suspicion, secrets, and lies all over the place in this book. The challenge is to find out where the truth is hidden.
DEAD TO HER is broken down into four parts, with each one containing short, easy to binge chapters. Pinborough utilizes this structure to lure the reader into the mindset of reading just one more chapter. They’re so short that it’ll only take a few minutes and then you can go to bed, right? Wrong. Pinborough leaves subtle hints to what is to come at the end of each chapter that continually pushes the progression of the story and the interest of the reader forward. If hooking the reader with these short chapters isn’t enough, Pinborough also leaves a bombshell of a reveal at the end of each part of the novel. Who can go to bed or put a book down when something major has just been revealed? Not me!
One of my favorite elements to this book was the setting in wealthy and elite Savannah, Georgia. Exclusivity and wealth drip from this book. It can be found in the character’s attitudes, the descriptions of their lives, the insane parties, and the motivations behind the actions of the main characters. I would label Marcie as the best example of this element. As the predominant narrator, Marcie walks the reader through her daily life and her struggles as a second wife to earn her place with the elite. The reader gains perspective into Marcie’s mindset, as well as those around her as she molds her personality and actions to fit into this group.
I’ve noticed a lot of divisive opinions on this book through various reviews. For me personally, I have both loved and hated Pinborough’s writing in her previous works. She stole my heart with BEHIND HER EYES and then stomped all over my love with CROSS HER HEART. This book was a total redemption, but with that being said, I think overall Pinborough’s work generally causes split opinions. Her books challenge the reader to be open minded to some wild ideas that not everyone is going to love in their books. For me personally, I love a crazy story and I’m happy to suspend my belief if it works with the story. At no point during DEAD TO HER did I feel that Pinborough’s story got out of the spectrum of possibilities. This book is a deliciously fun ride with some seriously crazy people at the helm! Do yourself a favor and read this one!
A huge thank you to TLC Book Tours and William Morrow for my free copy of this book!
When Jason’s boss returns from an extended stay in London with a young new wife on his arm, tensions start to rise. Jason seems to let his eyes linger a little too long on the newly minted Mrs. William Radford IV. Marcie instantly dislikes Keisha for the spark she can feel between her and Jason. Once a cheat, always a cheat, or so they say. Marcie is prepared to fight to keep the life she has and will stop at nothing to clear others out of her way.
Sarah Pinborough just knocked it out of the park with DEAD TO HER! This book was everything I look for in a domestic thriller. There’s tension, suspicion, secrets, and lies all over the place in this book. The challenge is to find out where the truth is hidden.
DEAD TO HER is broken down into four parts, with each one containing short, easy to binge chapters. Pinborough utilizes this structure to lure the reader into the mindset of reading just one more chapter. They’re so short that it’ll only take a few minutes and then you can go to bed, right? Wrong. Pinborough leaves subtle hints to what is to come at the end of each chapter that continually pushes the progression of the story and the interest of the reader forward. If hooking the reader with these short chapters isn’t enough, Pinborough also leaves a bombshell of a reveal at the end of each part of the novel. Who can go to bed or put a book down when something major has just been revealed? Not me!
One of my favorite elements to this book was the setting in wealthy and elite Savannah, Georgia. Exclusivity and wealth drip from this book. It can be found in the character’s attitudes, the descriptions of their lives, the insane parties, and the motivations behind the actions of the main characters. I would label Marcie as the best example of this element. As the predominant narrator, Marcie walks the reader through her daily life and her struggles as a second wife to earn her place with the elite. The reader gains perspective into Marcie’s mindset, as well as those around her as she molds her personality and actions to fit into this group.
I’ve noticed a lot of divisive opinions on this book through various reviews. For me personally, I have both loved and hated Pinborough’s writing in her previous works. She stole my heart with BEHIND HER EYES and then stomped all over my love with CROSS HER HEART. This book was a total redemption, but with that being said, I think overall Pinborough’s work generally causes split opinions. Her books challenge the reader to be open minded to some wild ideas that not everyone is going to love in their books. For me personally, I love a crazy story and I’m happy to suspend my belief if it works with the story. At no point during DEAD TO HER did I feel that Pinborough’s story got out of the spectrum of possibilities. This book is a deliciously fun ride with some seriously crazy people at the helm! Do yourself a favor and read this one!
A huge thank you to TLC Book Tours and William Morrow for my free copy of this book!
Not great. You didn’t care about any of the characters or their motivations. Everyone was using each other, and trying to justify their terrible actions by saying they were the true victim. There was so much potential for a unique twist with the voodoo and New Orleans element of the novel, but it fell flat. I wanted to know how it ended, which is what gave it two stars. Do not recommend. I have “cross her heart” and I’m hesitant to read it, but “Behind Her Eyes” was pretty good. I want to like her books more, especially cause she includes supernatural elements, but these just are not at the same level as other authors.
I think I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not compatible with the author's books anymore. Please read this one for yourself, because you may enjoy it much more than I did!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.