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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
This thrilling novel, told in dual timelines, finds Nora Davies in a desperate search to locate her husband, Will, who has disappeared after his birthday party. Nora and Will’s love story provides an excellent backdrop that builds tension to a nail biting conclusion.
I found myself rooting for them to triumph over their challenges including a community that shunned Nora, nefarious business dealings, and questions about what true love really is. Rife with interesting characters, some of whom are likeable and some who are not, this fast based story will keep you guessing.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“Happy Wife” is a thriller following Will & Nora Somerset & their whirlwind romance. One day Will goes missing & eventually turns up dead & Nora is, of course, the prime suspect. Nora must work to figure out who killed her husband & clear her name once & for all.
I really enjoyed this one! It has short chapters & dual timelines, telling the story of how Will & Nora met & fell in love while simultaneously telling the story of what’s happening after his disappearance. It was an enjoyable read, although somewhat predictable. The twist wasn’t really shocking & I had it somewhat figured out but I would still recommend this book to any thriller fan.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
A fun, quick, easy book that showcases the extremely wealthy people in Winter Park, Florida. I am always drawn to juicy stories about the obnoxiously rich.
Nora is living paycheck to paycheck when she meets Will, a divorced and very rich attorney. As he brings her into his world she realizes she will never be welcome there. And then he dies and she’s the main suspect.
I didn’t predict the ending and the authors did a nice job casting suspicion onto everyone, including Nora’s only friends there. I didn’t love the plot line with the chef, it felt too contrived.
Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
Nora is living paycheck to paycheck when she meets Will, a divorced and very rich attorney. As he brings her into his world she realizes she will never be welcome there. And then he dies and she’s the main suspect.
I didn’t predict the ending and the authors did a nice job casting suspicion onto everyone, including Nora’s only friends there. I didn’t love the plot line with the chef, it felt too contrived.
Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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:
N/A
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
As far as mysteries go this was fine. The pacing was a little slow to start but picked up significantly in the back half of the book. Then within the resolution there were some elements that just felt a little too convenient - there weren't rational explanations. Overall I enjoyed it. It was a fast easy read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow—this ended up being a 5-star read for me! It took about 50% of the book for me to be fully hooked, but once I was in, it became completely unputdownable. For perspective: I took about four days to get through the first half, and only a day and a half to devour the second half—and that was during a busy stretch of family events, so that’s really saying something. There came a point where I simply had to have my answers.
I really enjoyed the quick chapters and the dual timelines of past and present. Each timeline added depth and perspective to the other until they perfectly converged into a bittersweet, satisfying, and emotionally touching ending. I thought the plot was tight and clever—no filler, nothing that felt unnecessary. Every scene served a purpose, and I found the author’s writing style to be witty, readable, and incredibly balanced—sometimes funny or scathing, other times deeply emotional and heartfelt.
This book is classified as a mystery/thriller/suspense, which it absolutely is, but I want to highlight the other layers that were such a happy surprise. Underneath the murder mystery is a deeply relatable, incredibly human narrator: Nora. She’s 28, from a blue-collar background, and married to a wealthy, older, successful lawyer in a community full of, as Tay would say, “vipers dressed in empaths’ clothing.” She’s relatable because she’s flawed. Nora loves her husband—you feel that—but the relationship is written so realistically. It’s not all romance and happiness. They have issues. Her feelings are complicated. Their behavior is real: sometimes heartwarming, sometimes painful, sometimes funny, sometimes suspect. The full range of emotions is there, just like life, just like real people.
My heart broke for Nora, but my heart also soared for Nora.
In terms of the thriller element—this fully delivered. I was never 100% sure who my main suspect should be. I felt guilty for suspecting some characters, while others seemed too obvious to actually be guilty. I was kept guessing, doubting, theorizing, and suspicious of everyone until the very end.
This was a great mystery with a nuanced, well-crafted plot and a satisfying ending—but it was also more than that. It was a reflection on marriage, grief, wealth, and the quiet tragedies we all carry. I recommend it to any reader, regardless of genre preferences.
SPOILERS BELOW
“I’ll miss you forever, hot lawyer man” sent me spiraling. Like, full sobbing. Will deserved so much better. It was so hard to read about how he and Nora had finally made it through such a rough patch, reconciling with this hopeful, loving outlook for the future—only for that to happen to him that same night. Heartbreaking. Nora had just been wondering where life would take them next on that last boat ride, and now she’ll never know. Now she has to find herself alone. I felt her grief through the pages.
Some quotes I loved:
“God, I remember when I first learned ‘bimini’ meant ‘boat awning.’ The glossary of terms I have had to download just to keep up in this town. Rich people are crazy. So is DNA evidence, it turns out.”
🔥 BURN!
“God, I remember when I first learned ‘bimini’ meant ‘boat awning.’ The glossary of terms I have had to download just to keep up in this town. Rich people are crazy. So is DNA evidence, it turns out.”
🔥 BURN!
“The club wasn’t my favorite place to eat. It was teeming with a little Lily Pulitzer mafia of women who all disapproved of me.”
A literal nightmare. And I passionately hate Lily Pulitzer, so this really hit for me.
A literal nightmare. And I passionately hate Lily Pulitzer, so this really hit for me.
“Are you in this? Did something happen? Are we talking about a murder weapon buried somewhere that we need to go make disappear? Maybe it was all just an accident. Something went too far in a heated moment? Just tell me and I’ll get a shovel and a convertible and we’ll ride off into the sunset and no one has to know.”
This is one of many moments where I felt so guilty for suspecting Este!! And can I just say: the best friend being named Este has got to be a nod to “No Body, No Crime” by Taylor Swift. Especially with all the boating references in this book. I’m choosing to believe the parallels were intentional. Este? Boats? Murder? Cheating husbands? Hello!
This is one of many moments where I felt so guilty for suspecting Este!! And can I just say: the best friend being named Este has got to be a nod to “No Body, No Crime” by Taylor Swift. Especially with all the boating references in this book. I’m choosing to believe the parallels were intentional. Este? Boats? Murder? Cheating husbands? Hello!
Fritz – what an asshole. Easily hated from the start.
Final thoughts: That epilogue wrecked me. Nora realizing that Will pretended the phone call was about Mia’s hoodie—rather than Gianna and the real danger—in order to avoid spoiling their night and risking a fight? And doing it just to keep the peace because they had finally made it to a good place, because he wanted a “happy wife, happy life”? Absolutely gut-wrenching. We know he meant well, but it ultimately cost him his life and left Nora to pick up the pieces. The way she aches, wishing he’d told her—wishing she could’ve gone with him, had one last fight, changed something—is devastating. Those “if onlys” of life will haunt you. And I loved Nora’s theory that Will planted evidence on his own body so justice would be served. I’m choosing to believe that’s exactly what he did—and I will not be taking alternate interpretations at this time.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced