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smfaehnle's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
In upstate Wisconsin, Ralph Truitt is a very wealthy man, but a lonely one. So he advertises for “a reliable wife.” Catherine Land responds and after some back-and-forth correspondence she arrives on the train. As soon as Truitt sees her he knows she has lied, but he cannot turn her away in front of everyone, and in the middle of a snowstorm, so they make their way to his estate. But neither has been entirely truthful and as their relationship develops their pasts will catch up to them.
Talk about your gothic mystery! Betrayal, an abandoned mansion, a long-lost son, and the isolation of a Wisconsin winter are just the beginning. The characters employ duplicity, obfuscation, coercion, prevarication, and downright lies. The plot is full of passion and remorse. They rush head-long towards the cliff of despair and destruction, and turn to one another with tenderness and forgiveness (or is it merely acceptance?).
I thought Goolrick did a pretty good job of revealing Catherine’s back story and possible motivations. I was intrigued by this mysterious woman with her fine manners and obvious skills, yet warped psyche. I was a little disappointed in how the author revealed Truitt, however. I never really understood what drove him. Was it only guilt for past behavior? Was he so caught up in his ability to control and “create” that he could not give up? Was it love? And Antonio was little more than a caricature – an angry young man who never matured beyond the hedonistic stage.
I was completely caught up in the story and surprised by more than one twist. I found myself wondering how on earth Goolrick was going to end this story, who would leave and who would stay, who might kill whom (for, clearly – to me, at least – they couldn’t all live happily ever after).
Talk about your gothic mystery! Betrayal, an abandoned mansion, a long-lost son, and the isolation of a Wisconsin winter are just the beginning. The characters employ duplicity, obfuscation, coercion, prevarication, and downright lies. The plot is full of passion and remorse. They rush head-long towards the cliff of despair and destruction, and turn to one another with tenderness and forgiveness (or is it merely acceptance?).
I thought Goolrick did a pretty good job of revealing Catherine’s back story and possible motivations. I was intrigued by this mysterious woman with her fine manners and obvious skills, yet warped psyche. I was a little disappointed in how the author revealed Truitt, however. I never really understood what drove him. Was it only guilt for past behavior? Was he so caught up in his ability to control and “create” that he could not give up? Was it love? And Antonio was little more than a caricature – an angry young man who never matured beyond the hedonistic stage.
I was completely caught up in the story and surprised by more than one twist. I found myself wondering how on earth Goolrick was going to end this story, who would leave and who would stay, who might kill whom (for, clearly – to me, at least – they couldn’t all live happily ever after).
thebobsphere's review against another edition
3.0
A Reliable Wife's plot is interesting: A women sets out to marry a rich man just for his money but after a series of events which reveal the man's past unfold, he woman has a different outlook. In places the book takes some plot twists so the reader cannot guess what will happen. I liked the atmosphere that Goolrick builds and his characters are fully realised, with both bad and good traits.
The reason why I gave this book three stars is because the plot is uneven, jagged in places. It's not a smooth narrative but rather one full of stops and starts. Goolrick's overly flowery prose can add to the irritation. It's a pity because if the novel had a flowing narrative it would received a full five stars from me.
The reason why I gave this book three stars is because the plot is uneven, jagged in places. It's not a smooth narrative but rather one full of stops and starts. Goolrick's overly flowery prose can add to the irritation. It's a pity because if the novel had a flowing narrative it would received a full five stars from me.
tmathews0330's review against another edition
3.0
I felt too removed from this book to truly appreciate it. I did enjoy that the narrative style was different from most I have read.
shareen17's review against another edition
2.0
This book was hard to rate, because in a way I hated it, and in another it was compelling and well-written. Somewhere I got the impression that this book was about love. I guess it was, but the kind of love that makes Catherine & Heathcliff seem like a cheerful, healthy model of adult relationships. Not recommended for those prone to depression/suicidal tendencies.
fuzzyhead's review against another edition
1.0
I read this book years ago. Honestly I remember nothing about it, other than the fact that I hated it.
nderiley's review against another edition
3.0
An entertaining light read. I read it in a 24 hour period so it was definitely a page turner but nothing that I think will stick with me for days to come the way some of my other favorite fictions have.
smithemorgan's review against another edition
1.0
I'm not sure how to rate this or even where to begin reviewing it. I hated the people and their stories but I could not stop reading it.
This story started with everything a good suspense novel has: mysterious people with mysterious pasts and a very thrilling opening scene with the horse carriage. It slowly morphed into a very, very sad piece about the horrible people bred from horrible circumstances trapped in a vicious cycle during one of the toughest times to be alive. Every character introduced made you sick and sad to learn their lives. Truitt was the only character I liked from the beginning and he was treated so poorly. I am guessing the ending was supposed to be justice for Catherine and represent the death of the past and the (almost) birth of her new life but it didn't make me any less sad for her. A very haunting book, I'm not sure I would recommend it.
This story started with everything a good suspense novel has: mysterious people with mysterious pasts and a very thrilling opening scene with the horse carriage. It slowly morphed into a very, very sad piece about the horrible people bred from horrible circumstances trapped in a vicious cycle during one of the toughest times to be alive. Every character introduced made you sick and sad to learn their lives. Truitt was the only character I liked from the beginning and he was treated so poorly. I am guessing the ending was supposed to be justice for Catherine and represent the death of the past and the (almost) birth of her new life but it didn't make me any less sad for her. A very haunting book, I'm not sure I would recommend it.