Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

32 reviews

katwebb's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Child abuse

jj_tj's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Violence

Moderate: Stalking, Infidelity, and Torture

Minor: Blood and Drug use

augustinedreams's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Torture, Suicide, Stalking, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Grief, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Blood, Car accident, and Toxic relationship

jennabeck13'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

4.0

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Genre: Thriller

About 370 pages 

When you’ve been with a romantic partner for a while, it can be hard to keep things fresh. Some couples decide they need more date nights, to spice things up in the bedroom, etc., but Millicent and her husband keep things fresh by selecting women to murder. You heard that right… This couple has killed several women and gotten away with it. But in order to keep it going, they need to set up a fall guy. In an attempt to do so, they create a media frenzy like never before that is now affecting their children. With things not going as planned, they must choose between their kids and their favorite “pastime”.

WHAT DID I JUST READ? This book was CRAZY and I could not put it down. The two main characters are disturbing and diabolical. I disliked them as humans but at the same time couldn’t get enough of them. There was a ton of dark humor that landed perfectly and enhanced the storytelling. I don’t want to go into more detail for fear of spoiling things but if you haven’t read this already, ADD IT TO YOUR TBR.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Mental illness, Medical content, and Murder

Minor: Car accident

alba_marie's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

3.75

3.75 rounded up.

I'm not always a mood reader, as I'm usually too focused on my library holds pile. But one of my goals this summer was to read more of my own books. I was in the mood for a dark thriller, so I chose this one, which has been on my shelf for months since I excidedly picked it up from a free book drop. 

I appreciated the dark, nebulous atmosphere of husband and wife killing team. Told from the pov of the hubby, who assists his wife in the capture of the women but isn't there for the killing itself, we enter dark suburbia where this team has decided to kill to essentiallybhave better sex. 

It isn't all that believable, but it is fast paced, grim, and thrilling. The husband isn't likeable. In fact, he's kind of pathetic and a bit of a doormat. The wife is a venomous viper, a terrifying black widow. It sounds cliche, and it probably is, but maybe that's what made it gripping. 

Suburbia is boring, which is kind of the point of the book. They are bored, so they kill. Living in a gated community isn't as all its cracked up to be - or as safe as everyone thinks it is. I guess murder is the easy way out. Instead of admitting and problems or finding excitement in a more legal way, they've discovered they get turned on by becoming serial killers, while also unsuccessful parenting two teens.

My main complaint with the book was the ending.

I enjoyed the cat and mouse chase game. But I didn't like that he got away scot free and is convinced of his innocence. He isn't innocent. He may not have killed most of them or called the shots, but he was a willing participant for a long time.... and if the ending is a clue, he isn't going to stop.

.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Murder, Torture, Violence, and Confinement

Moderate: Blood and Suicide

Minor: Death of parent

cyancookie's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity

cbirv's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Torture, Self harm, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Suicide, Violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Death

meeklovestoread's review

challenging dark funny mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

I'm not gonna lie this book was pretty slow for me. Meaning it just lacked the fast paced nature that I'm used to with thrillers. I almost put it down due to the lack of shock value. It felt just a slight bit boring, but I continued because I was determined and I loved Millicent as a character. And I'm glad I continued because although I thought the big twist was obvious but it's always nice to know the how. And my goodness Samantha did NOT disappoint on HOW. Everything was great. And it all tied in together. The events after the big twist were so satisfying that it saved the book for me. I was originally gonna give it 3.5/5, but I really loved how Samantha tied things together. Overall the story was great. It was entertaining too don't get me wrong I just value mini twists in my thrillers if that makes sense. I'd still recommend this book though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Stalking

Moderate: Suicide, Murder, and Infidelity

Minor: Vomit and Medical content

jaydub0221's review

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Stalking

Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, Torture, and Gore

Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Car accident, Dementia, Self harm, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Vomit, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

nkg202's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Death of parent, and Infidelity