An Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller.
New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee continues her sassy series with another of the First Wives finding that love and secrets are a dangerous combination.
Trina Petrov’s marriage-by-contract was only meant to be temporary. But when tragedy strikes, Trina is left one of the wealthiest women in the world. To recover from the shock, … women in the world. To recover from the shock, she takes some time off in Italy, swearing not to fall for any men while there. But that doesn’t mean she can’t fall for anyone on the trip home…
Country-music superstar Wade Thomas is lying low in a hotel bar when he gets the cold shoulder from the woman next to him. He’s used to fans fawning at his boots, and Trina is a refreshing change—so is the fact that she has no idea who he is.
As things begin to heat up, Trina discovers that the circumstances of her late husband’s death are not what they seemed. Now she’s in trouble, and Wade isn’t about to let her out of his sight. Getting close to love and danger could get them killed…or it could sweep them both off their feet.
more
So, I am clearly hooked on yet another series by Catherine Bybee. I don’t know how she manages to think up so many amazing storylines and twists and turns. I keep thinking that each book that I’ve read can’t be surpassed and then, bam, she wows me with yet another fascinating storyline.
There was clearly unfinished business with Ruslan and the death of his son, Fedor, and with the Everson wealth firmly in Trina’s hands, thanks to Alice changing her will, Trina once again finds herself in danger but that’s only after she meets and falls for country singing star Wade Thomas.
With the anniversary of Fedor’s death coming up, Trina finds herself hiding out in Venice. With the other 3 first wives getting antsy about her delayed return, Trina decides to further delay her travel arrangements by using a weather depression as her reason for taking multiple flights home. When Trina arrives in Miami, exhausted and starving, she finds herself in a hotel bar and catching the eye of an unknown and unwanted admirer. When Wade talks to Trina he is stunned that she doesn’t recognise him and finding it refreshing not to be judged on who they are, both Trina and Wade enjoy getting to know each other. When Wade offers her a flight home, Trina agrees and unsurprisingly the storm catches up with them: both the weather storm and the first wives storm!
With Wade and Trina tentatively entering into a new relationship and facing the wrath of Wade’s mother, Trina decides it is time to start emptying the house where Fedor died and that’s when Ruslan and his goons come out of the woodwork again. Ruslan is still clearly looking for reasons to challenge Alice’s will and that’s when Avery ends up beaten and battered in hospital.
As expected, the usual security men and first wives join forces along with the mysterious Sasha to find out who hurt Avery and to find a way to stop Ruslan once and for all.
This story really packed a punch, well more than a punch for poor Avery. The story was fast-paced and offered up a few new revelations.
The next story is about Avery and I can’t wait to see if her injuries have changed her or if she will remain a fun-loving, feisty and confident woman.
Lots more fun and suspenseful than the previous one in this First Wives series. It’s been a year since Fedor Petrov’s suicide, and his widow Trina is not doing so good. For some reason, she’s feeling guilt. She needs space and distance from her friends, not another charter meeting of the First Wives club and their intrusion into her mood. So she flees to Venetia, stays for some days, working on adding Italian into her repertoire of languages, and on the last day, meets this hunky guy at a bar. She ordered a ton of food, he’s really hungry and the bar just closed the kitchen. So she shares her food, tells him she’s not interested in a fling, doesn’t recognize him, and yet they embark in an adventure of a lifetime.
Wade Thomas, famous country music singer, winner of Grammies and platinum discs, is a nonentity to Trina, she treats him like a regular guy, likes him for his body and personality, and that got him hooked for the duration.
As Trina and Avery fly to Tina’s house in New York to close and sell the house, things start to happen that point to Ruslan Petrov’s criminal activity. Reslan is Fedor’s father, a Russian mob criminal who is after Trina’s inheritance. So we get to enjoy a whodunit, a big posse of bodyguards and security guys, the whole gang comprising of Shannon, Lory and Reed, Avery, Rick and Cooper (bodyguards), Sam in a few instances, Vicky (Wade’s mother), and the couple of the moment, Trina and Wade. The action moves from Venetia to Texas to New York and back and forth. There’s intrigue, espionage, breaking and entering, bugged houses, intercepted phones, personal attacks, a woman who appears at surprising moments to save the day, and all kinds of fun and giggles.
I liked this couple and their love story. Trina was a little melancholic at first but Wade gives her a reason to laugh. They take a bit to give into their chemistry, but they feel like a strong couple from the start. She feels peace when he hugs her, he feels loved for himself and not for his public and wealthy persona. As the action gets messier, he’s with Trina like white on rice, protecting and supporting her.
The action moves relentlessly forward, getting more suspenseful by the page, as everyone, including the reader, waits for what Reslan will do next to ensure getting the money or revenge. There’s a mysterious woman who appears at unexpected moments, Sasha. Initially it was thought she might be working for Reslan, then it appears that she’s working for the good team. It’s a really entertaining read, full of action and love and friends fighting for each other. Lots of fun!
I have read just about everything she writes. She never disappoints
Half Empty Book 2 First Wives By Catherine Bybee
WOW!! I fully enjoyed Book 1 in the series and this one surely disappoint!! Full of romance, humor, and quite the suspense. Characters are well developed. Very well written.
Katrina and Wade~
Katrina her marriage ended up in a tragedy and made her quite wealthy. She goes to Italy. Her rule is to not fall for anyone!
Wade is a country singer. He just completed his tour.
Absolutely can not wait for book 3!!
I’m not sure Ms Bybee could have added any more excitement into Half Empty. There is so much action between the covers that I couldn’t put it down because there was always something exciting going on with a murder to solve, attempts on their lives, and suspicious accidents happening to friends and people around them, it’s an outstanding story. 5 Stars*****
In Book2 of the First Wives Series, HALF-EMPTY, Catherine Bybee gives us Katrina “Trina” Petrov’s story. Her marriage of convenience ended when her billionaire husband Fedor committed suicide. For the past year she’s been traveling and trying to come to terms with the way her life has turned out. Stuck in a hotel due to a storm,she fights jetlag by having a late dinner in the empty hotel bar.
Well, almost empty.
A charming, handsome and persistent man strikes up a conversation with Trina. She has no idea who he is and for him, that’s a plus. Wade Thomas, good ole’ boy and famous country singer needs some down time and wants to be as anonymous as he can. The fact that the beautiful and reluctant woman sharing her food with him doesn’t know who he is, is just another plus.
After hitchhiking a ride on his plane home, Trina and Avery, another member of the FWC, start to go thru the house Trina has been avoiding for the past year to clean it out. When they discover innumerable expensive items, Trina entrusts Avery with getting quotes on them all with the thought to donate any money she receives to Suicide prevention. But when Avery is brutally attacked while on a mission to unload the items, things take a very decided turn for the worst in Trina’s world.
With Wade by her side, though, she’s able to navigate through the undeniable fact that someone wants her dead. And that someone is Fedor’s father, Ruslan. He’ll stop at nothing to get his son’s wife-in-name-only out of the picture so he can gain control of the oil empire she was left.
The cast and crew from the First Wives Series, book 1 FOOL ME ONCE are all on board in this story, helping Trina through the nightmare that has become her life.
This book had me hooked from the get-go, just like all Bybee’s stories do. Fast paced and rich with emotion and intrigue, you can’t help but fall in love with the characters and their goals. Now, I’ll say this truthfully and suffer the wrath of romance readers everywhere. I don’t usually read books with cowboys at the hero. But Wade Thomas is more than just a laconic good ol’boy. Despite his uber-fame he’s a good, decent man, loves his mama, and is a gentleman to his core. And I’ll admit this too: I fell in love with him just like Trina does.
Another fab book from a fab author. 5 well deserved stars from me.
Always love this author’s books. Did not disappoint.
This was a good book to read. The story was easy to follow and it kept you entertained.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Ruthie –
This is the second book in the series, and you really do need to have read the first book to understand all the dynamics at play. This is a book full of drama and complex twists and turns, as well as a lovely romance – all in all, a very good addition to the series. I am reviewing with the assumption that you have read the first book.
After the women supported Trina, she insists on travelling alone and we catch up with her in Venice, Italy. As she flies home, hoping to avoid meeting up with the FWC ladies, she goes via Miami, where she meets Wade. And that scene where they meet is just perfect – the timing, the humour, and the ignorance of his identity. It sets up a friendship which is a lovely feature of the relationship between these two.
The drama comes from Trina’s dead husband’s Russian father – and it is complicated, but reads well – and as the gang rally round, and Wade also stays to support her, she starts to think that maybe it is time to live again. The honest communication between her and Wade is really engaging and works really well at cementing their relationship, even in these difficult conditions.
Whilst this may concentrate on their relationship, it is a bigger story, and Avery in particular suffers from the Russian connection. I am hoping that she will get her happily ever after soon, but there weren’t as many hints as I wanted!
Great read – just make sure you read them in order.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Half Empty (First Wives #2) by Catherine Bybee to read and review.
This is the first book I’ve read in the series, but it didn’t matter that I hadn’t read book one. What a roller coaster ride! This story is way more than a fine romance. Murderous Russian sociopath added just for fun. Very much recommend!