Scan barcode
kentucky_girl91's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Okay, what? What did I just read! That plot twist though! Like when it was revealed, I just stared at my phone, in complete disbelief. I thought I liked out MC, Michael, who seems to be the hurt man who lost his ex wife and mother of his first child. Sounds heartbreaking, right? yeah, well that's what I thought, too. Until it wasn't sweet at all, and I hated his guts. Thought he was the scum of the earth. I felt so bad for Cara, his current wife. Michael, If that is his real name (read this one to find out if he's who he says he is!) is full of secrets and lies, and he is the most awful person.
This one was a whirlwind, and I devoured it. It was so gripping, and I needed to know more and understand what was happening with each turn of the page.
Emily Shiner was a new to me author, and this one made me want more of her writing! Now, off to look up her backlist of books!
Thank you to netgalley, and Emily Shiner for the advanced listener copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own!
This one was a whirlwind, and I devoured it. It was so gripping, and I needed to know more and understand what was happening with each turn of the page.
Emily Shiner was a new to me author, and this one made me want more of her writing! Now, off to look up her backlist of books!
Thank you to netgalley, and Emily Shiner for the advanced listener copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own!
paige515's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
shrek's review against another edition
3.0
I do think the story has potential, but the execution wasn't what I wanted/expected it to be. The writing was too simple for my taste and one of the reasons the author wasn't able to build the tension necessary for a good thriller. Shiner's depiction of mental illness felt superficial and, without giving away the plot, somewhat harmful. Too many new characters were introduced towards the end of the book and the ending itself felt rushed. It's quite a short book, so perhaps 50-100 pages more could've been used to flesh out the main characters.
I didn't have a terrible time reading this book, but it didn't bring anything new to the table and kind of left me with nothing.
I didn't have a terrible time reading this book, but it didn't bring anything new to the table and kind of left me with nothing.
drandall14's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.5
rottyreads's review against another edition
4.0
The Secret Wife
By Emily Shiner
⭐⭐⭐3.5*
[blurb]What happens when the perfect family trip becomes the perfect nightmare?
Cara is a devoted mother to two little girls. She loves her hectic life, but she looks forward to a relaxing weekend alone while her husband, Michael, takes the kids on a camping trip. But their dream trip turns into a nightmare when their daughters are taken, deep in the forest. One is returned safe. But one is still missing.
[Review]
I wish I could give half stars, but when I do think a half star is needed, I round up.
Cara and Michael are married with 2 little girls. It sets up from the beginning that Michael is kind of a creeper and kind of a douche. But as the book goes on, you’re soon second-guessing Cara. Is she an unreliable narrator? Can you trust her opinions?
It was a good book. But it wasn’t a great book. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. But it was a good listen!
Book:⭐⭐⭐.5
Narration:⭐⭐⭐
[The men trying to do women's voices and the inconsistency of both the woman voice and the male voice doing the tertiary characters]
By Emily Shiner
⭐⭐⭐3.5*
[blurb]What happens when the perfect family trip becomes the perfect nightmare?
Cara is a devoted mother to two little girls. She loves her hectic life, but she looks forward to a relaxing weekend alone while her husband, Michael, takes the kids on a camping trip. But their dream trip turns into a nightmare when their daughters are taken, deep in the forest. One is returned safe. But one is still missing.
[Review]
I wish I could give half stars, but when I do think a half star is needed, I round up.
Cara and Michael are married with 2 little girls. It sets up from the beginning that Michael is kind of a creeper and kind of a douche. But as the book goes on, you’re soon second-guessing Cara. Is she an unreliable narrator? Can you trust her opinions?
It was a good book. But it wasn’t a great book. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. But it was a good listen!
Book:⭐⭐⭐.5
Narration:⭐⭐⭐
[The men trying to do women's voices and the inconsistency of both the woman voice and the male voice doing the tertiary characters]
eemillers15's review against another edition
4.0
#netgalley #thesecretwife
This was a fun, fast-paced thriller! It kept me entertained all the way through and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next!
Michael tries to give his wife, Cara, a break from their 2 daughters, so he takes them camping. His stupid mistake leads to both daughters being kidnapped. One daughter is found at their campsite, but the other is still missing.
I really enjoyed the dual POV's through Michael and Cara and learning what the other was thinking throughout this tragedy. Both characters had some issues that I felt like they needed to address with each other, but it added to the secretive atmosphere of the book, which I appreciated.
While the large twist was fairly predictable, what happened around it was not (to me), which definitely helps when it comes to rating thrillers.
The ultimate reason I'm giving this 4 stars is because the very end left me wanting more. It felt like everything was wrapped up really quickly, and I just wanted a little more. Hopefully there's an epilogue in the final draft to bring everything more together.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audiobook ARC of this in exchange for an honest review!!
This was a fun, fast-paced thriller! It kept me entertained all the way through and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next!
Michael tries to give his wife, Cara, a break from their 2 daughters, so he takes them camping. His stupid mistake leads to both daughters being kidnapped. One daughter is found at their campsite, but the other is still missing.
I really enjoyed the dual POV's through Michael and Cara and learning what the other was thinking throughout this tragedy. Both characters had some issues that I felt like they needed to address with each other, but it added to the secretive atmosphere of the book, which I appreciated.
While the large twist was fairly predictable, what happened around it was not (to me), which definitely helps when it comes to rating thrillers.
The ultimate reason I'm giving this 4 stars is because the very end left me wanting more. It felt like everything was wrapped up really quickly, and I just wanted a little more. Hopefully there's an epilogue in the final draft to bring everything more together.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audiobook ARC of this in exchange for an honest review!!
sambooka23's review against another edition
5.0
Woah. What did I just read? I literally binged this book in 6 hours - I could not put it down at all. I even thought I knew what was going to happen (I guessed to an extent) but then Emily threw in another twist right as I thought I’d guessed correctly.
Cara is a strong-willed character and I adored Michael but my opinion did change at the end. I thought it was quite eventful, it was a fast-paced thriller that kept the reader on their toes and even when you think you’ve pegged the kidnapper, Emily throws another curveball. At first I thought it was because it was obvious so she wanted to keep the reader but actually, it’s actually quite upsetting.
I cannot imagine ever having a child kidnapped and trying to find out who done. I am sure Michael was feeling helpless when one of his kids was kidnapped and the other returned. However, I think the readers opinion of Michael will change at the end of the book… No spoilers!!
A great book that made me want to read as fast as I could to get to the end to see who kidnapped their daughter and why.
Thank you to @zooloosbooktour for allowing me on your book tour and to @authoremilyshiner for allowing me a copy of this ARC! This is my first book from you and it won’t be my last!
Cara is a strong-willed character and I adored Michael but my opinion did change at the end. I thought it was quite eventful, it was a fast-paced thriller that kept the reader on their toes and even when you think you’ve pegged the kidnapper, Emily throws another curveball. At first I thought it was because it was obvious so she wanted to keep the reader but actually, it’s actually quite upsetting.
I cannot imagine ever having a child kidnapped and trying to find out who done. I am sure Michael was feeling helpless when one of his kids was kidnapped and the other returned. However, I think the readers opinion of Michael will change at the end of the book… No spoilers!!
A great book that made me want to read as fast as I could to get to the end to see who kidnapped their daughter and why.
Thank you to @zooloosbooktour for allowing me on your book tour and to @authoremilyshiner for allowing me a copy of this ARC! This is my first book from you and it won’t be my last!
sabireads84's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh. Luckily this was quite a short book. The story could have been good, it had potential. But really, that ending!? It made absolutely no sense. A set of unlikable main characters. There was no development at all. I guess all the author could figure, was blaming it on mental health issues? What a twist? Nah not really…. I wanted to like the book, but I just could not.