A review by lizwarnerr
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

slow-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

3.0

*This review is a complete spoiler and synopsis. The spoiler tags won’t let me put it all in a spoiler*

When I first started this book, I hated it. I hated amber, the main character. She was trying to con her way into marrying a powerful man because she had had such a bad life, which is an overdone trope IMO. She connects with his wife and instantly becomes her friend and weens her way into their family. I thought her plans for making her way into their lives and getting this man to succumb for her were working too easily, and I was annoyed because that’s not how it would’ve worked in real life.

And then we get to the second part of the book where daphne, the wife, recounts everything that happened. And it starts to click. She’s conning a con woman. She figures out that Amber is conning her, and she starts to formulate a way for both her and Amber to get what they want. Daphne has desperately wanted to leave - the husband is a sociopath. He’s mentally, physically, and emotionally abusive, but has her trapped in the relationship. 

The last part of the book plays side by sides of amber and Daphne’s POVs. We get to see it play out of how Amber thinks she’s won when the husband decides to divorce Daphne because she’s finally giving the son he’s always wanted. Daphne is excited because she gets enough money out of the settlement to have trusts for the girls and can escape from him forever. 

We think we’ll end on this and we expect that Amber is going to find out it’s not all roses and diamonds. But instead, Daphne gives the info to the husband that Amber is conning him and had a plant in his company so he’s also going to jail for tax fraud. And then Amber is also stuck in this relationship that is as bad as how Daphne was living because he knows her secret and will turn her to police if she tries to leave. And Daphne finally gets to escape that life. 

I initially thought I would give this 2-3 stars because of how much I hated the characters. And then it got interesting from Daphne’s POV and I was ready to give it 5 stars. But as other reviewers have mentioned, the idea that domestic abuse is “punishment” for this woman’s actions is a bit unsettling. I think things could’ve been different. It is a book, and you feel the sense of relief and vengeance after reading, but I’m not sure it’s the best message. I’m still unsure on how I feel about this book. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings