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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
“I’m overcome with a sensation of vulnerability, alone and exposed in this airy room like a goldfish that becomes aware of her tank for the first time.”
Claire and Byron have been married for a few years. Byron’s first wife, Colleen, died ten years ago in an apparent suicide and to Claire, it’s clear he has not moved on from her death. Colleen’s paintings still adorn the walls of every room in the house they shared and he won’t let Claire redecorate even though she now lives there with him. Even worse, he proposed to Claire with a replica of the lost emerald heirloom ring that he had given to Colleen.
Claire’s insecurities regarding her infertility, inability to have her writing published and Byron’s hangups on Colleen start to get the best of her. When odd things start happening - for example, strange emails appearing and disappearing - Claire begins to convince herself that Colleen didn’t actually die.
Is Colleen alive and coming back for revenge? Is Claire losing her mind? Is something entirely more sinister going on?
This book was intriguing and kept me guessing. I didn’t feel particularly invested in any of the characters and there were a lot of loose ends that weren’t addressed. All in all an enjoyable read for any thriller lover looking for a bit of crazy!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Claire and Byron have been married for a few years. Byron’s first wife, Colleen, died ten years ago in an apparent suicide and to Claire, it’s clear he has not moved on from her death. Colleen’s paintings still adorn the walls of every room in the house they shared and he won’t let Claire redecorate even though she now lives there with him. Even worse, he proposed to Claire with a replica of the lost emerald heirloom ring that he had given to Colleen.
Claire’s insecurities regarding her infertility, inability to have her writing published and Byron’s hangups on Colleen start to get the best of her. When odd things start happening - for example, strange emails appearing and disappearing - Claire begins to convince herself that Colleen didn’t actually die.
Is Colleen alive and coming back for revenge? Is Claire losing her mind? Is something entirely more sinister going on?
This book was intriguing and kept me guessing. I didn’t feel particularly invested in any of the characters and there were a lot of loose ends that weren’t addressed. All in all an enjoyable read for any thriller lover looking for a bit of crazy!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Let me start with this: WOW.
This novel follows a woman, Claire, who believes that she is being contacted by her husband's first wife. The big problem with that? The wife supposedly went missing years ago, thought to have committed suicide. Believing that the wife might be calling from the grave or something much more sinister is happening, Claire decides to investigate the story of Colleen and find out what exactly happened to her.
This story was DARK. Heavy trigger warnings for sexual abuse, infertility, depression, and anxiety. It was so captivating at the same time though, which made it difficult to put it down while reading it. I'm fairly certain I read over half of the book in one sitting because I had to know what happened. The plot was twisted and twisty; everything that came up was a shock, and I felt like I couldn't ever really predict what was going to happen.
However, the twist that comes up at the end could be seen as harmful to those that are advocates for mental health, as it plays a huge role in the reason that things are happening within the story. Many thrillers like this play on the idea of the mental health of the individual being the reason for why they act violently, which is both true and not at the same time. It is true because trauma that causes mental health problems does affect the everyday life of an individual and can lead to violence if the individual is not properly treated or seeking help from a professional. However, it is also harmful in the sense that it can lead one to believe that all people with mental health issues are violent, which is untrue. Please be aware of this when reading, and make the call for yourself, as I believe it is subjective in deciding whether it is harmful or not.
This story was absolutely gut-wrenching at points with these twists and turns. It was truly a rollercoaster of emotions from beginning to end. And speaking of the end, WOW. That was a ride.
The character of Claire was also interesting. She was quite complex and isn't at all what she seems to be in the beginning of the story. She was a little selfish at times and insecure, which I found to be at first annoying, but after reading more of the story, found to be quite justifiable. At least until the end.
Overall, I unexpectedly feel head over heels in love with this story, and will definitely be getting a hard copy of the finished product when I get the chance.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Let me start with this: WOW.
This novel follows a woman, Claire, who believes that she is being contacted by her husband's first wife. The big problem with that? The wife supposedly went missing years ago, thought to have committed suicide. Believing that the wife might be calling from the grave or something much more sinister is happening, Claire decides to investigate the story of Colleen and find out what exactly happened to her.
This story was DARK. Heavy trigger warnings for sexual abuse, infertility, depression, and anxiety. It was so captivating at the same time though, which made it difficult to put it down while reading it. I'm fairly certain I read over half of the book in one sitting because I had to know what happened. The plot was twisted and twisty; everything that came up was a shock, and I felt like I couldn't ever really predict what was going to happen.
However, the twist that comes up at the end could be seen as harmful to those that are advocates for mental health, as it plays a huge role in the reason that things are happening within the story. Many thrillers like this play on the idea of the mental health of the individual being the reason for why they act violently, which is both true and not at the same time. It is true because trauma that causes mental health problems does affect the everyday life of an individual and can lead to violence if the individual is not properly treated or seeking help from a professional. However, it is also harmful in the sense that it can lead one to believe that all people with mental health issues are violent, which is untrue. Please be aware of this when reading, and make the call for yourself, as I believe it is subjective in deciding whether it is harmful or not.
This story was absolutely gut-wrenching at points with these twists and turns. It was truly a rollercoaster of emotions from beginning to end. And speaking of the end, WOW. That was a ride.
The character of Claire was also interesting. She was quite complex and isn't at all what she seems to be in the beginning of the story. She was a little selfish at times and insecure, which I found to be at first annoying, but after reading more of the story, found to be quite justifiable. At least until the end.
Overall, I unexpectedly feel head over heels in love with this story, and will definitely be getting a hard copy of the finished product when I get the chance.
Rating: 5/5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. There were several times I caught myself at the edge of my seat. The reason I’m giving it 4 stars and not 5 is because the author leaves us with a bit of a cliffhanger. Yes, I know there’s not always a HEA and I wasn’t expecting that. But, I feel as though the author left far too much in limbo. I can only hope that it was done intentionally with the possibility of a second book.
My Rating 3.5 Stars
For a moment, while reading The Starter Wife, I was reminded of Rebecca by Daphne DeMaurier. That feeling did not last too long in the book.
Was Claire Westcott, married two years to a man nearly twice her age, Byron, living in the shadow of his first wife, Colleen? Colleen, a successful painter, apparently committed suicide almost twenty years ago. Currently, the closing of the case of the suicide begins raising questions to Claire. While the police have finally vindicated Byron, rumors have not. Claire begins believing the rumors. Did Byron kill Colleen after all? Is Claire safe?
This entire story is relayed in two narrations, both in first-person. Quite naturally, we have Claire, with her everyday life and actions. Then we have someone unnamed, a person obsessed and who is stalking Byron. She is determined to save Byron. In dialog, she is quite clear that Byron's wife is not worthy of him. She will do anything she can to stop any harm from coming to Byron. Yes, she will go to any means necessary.
My connection to the classic that I alluded to at the beginning of this review? Claire is beset with jealousy and unease with any feelings Byron might have had towards Colleen, who was the starter wife. Claire is living in Colleen's house and enjoys the benefits from the the wealth that Colleen amassed due to her paintings, as well as her years as a college professor. Byron is also a professor, and seems oblivious to any feelings of uncertainty that Claire has.
With two unreliable narrators, and with a man like Byron, it was rather hard to feel drawn into the characters and their stories. However, I do think the story was done quite well, especially when a massive twist occurred in the story. I was absolutely riveted from that point on and my jaw simply dropped at the shocking conclusion.
I am glad to have read this book by Nina Laurin, even with the absolute crazy characters, and I definitely look forward to reading her books again in the future.
Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
For a moment, while reading The Starter Wife, I was reminded of Rebecca by Daphne DeMaurier. That feeling did not last too long in the book.
Was Claire Westcott, married two years to a man nearly twice her age, Byron, living in the shadow of his first wife, Colleen? Colleen, a successful painter, apparently committed suicide almost twenty years ago. Currently, the closing of the case of the suicide begins raising questions to Claire. While the police have finally vindicated Byron, rumors have not. Claire begins believing the rumors. Did Byron kill Colleen after all? Is Claire safe?
This entire story is relayed in two narrations, both in first-person. Quite naturally, we have Claire, with her everyday life and actions. Then we have someone unnamed, a person obsessed and who is stalking Byron. She is determined to save Byron. In dialog, she is quite clear that Byron's wife is not worthy of him. She will do anything she can to stop any harm from coming to Byron. Yes, she will go to any means necessary.
My connection to the classic that I alluded to at the beginning of this review? Claire is beset with jealousy and unease with any feelings Byron might have had towards Colleen, who was the starter wife. Claire is living in Colleen's house and enjoys the benefits from the the wealth that Colleen amassed due to her paintings, as well as her years as a college professor. Byron is also a professor, and seems oblivious to any feelings of uncertainty that Claire has.
With two unreliable narrators, and with a man like Byron, it was rather hard to feel drawn into the characters and their stories. However, I do think the story was done quite well, especially when a massive twist occurred in the story. I was absolutely riveted from that point on and my jaw simply dropped at the shocking conclusion.
I am glad to have read this book by Nina Laurin, even with the absolute crazy characters, and I definitely look forward to reading her books again in the future.
Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Starter Wife was an interesting read. The further into the book you get, the more you realize you have no idea what’s going on or what the truth is. Definitely twisty and not at all what I expected. One problem I had with this book is that none of the characters are particularly likable so I had a hard time connecting with them or rooting for them. An overall pretty good and quick read, but I’m still confused by the last page.
This was a strange book and pretty much had me stumped as to what was going on. The characters were all unreliable and unlikeable, the writing was somewhat choppy and the plot was just plain weird. I couldn’t stop reading though...
The Starter Wife by Nina Laurin is my favorite type of mystery: a thriller that you want to re-read so you can pick up on some of the clues you might have missed the first time. Byron Westcott is a college professor whose wife Colleen disappeared years ago. The police suspect she committed suicide but have never recovered her body. Several years later, Byron marries Claire, a budding novelist, who idolizes her husband. Cracks begin to appear in this happy marriage and where this is going you will never guess. The tension builds until the very end. I highly recommend The Starter Wife to all mystery readers who like to be surprised. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Enjoyed the back and fourth of present versus past. Kept me guessing, didn’t love the ending but really enjoyed the internal dialog of the main character.