She made her bed. You’ll lie in it.Rebecca only wanted to help out – to be kind. Richard seemed so alone after his wife, Nicole, died, and Rebecca wanted to make sure he knew he had someone to rely on.But now she’s in Nicole’s immaculate house. Drinking from her favourite crystal wine glass. Keeping shoes in her orderly closet. Comforting her sweet and grieving step-daughter. It feels like … step-daughter. It feels like Rebecca is living another woman’s life.
And as she gets to know the neighbours, Rebecca hears stories that make her wonder: was free-spirited Nicole happy in this perfect life, or did she feel trapped? Did she feel, as Rebecca is beginning to, that something wasn’t quite right?
The book everyone’s talking about! If you loved The Girl on the Train, The Wife Between Us and The Girl Before, you’ll be totally gripped and unable to put down this twisty page-turning psychological thriller.
What readers are saying about The Second Wife:
‘WOW, WOW, WOW… My head hasn’t stopped spinning from all the twists and turns. I can tell you all, you must read this book… It envelops you into the storyline and will your jaw-dropping… Clear some room in your diary, you will not want to put this down!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘I was obsessed with this book!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘I read it in less than a day, I HAD to know what happened, to who and when!!!!… Superb, one of those books makes you proud to be a reader 10/10.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘WOW! Grabbed me from the BIG bam in the beginning all the way to the last word! Twisted, twisty, dark, compulsive rollercoaster of a story!… Read this book!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Absolutely amazing. Twisted, thrilling and chilling. This book is one you will pick up and not want to put down. A five plus star!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘WOW! What a great thriller. I have already ordered the author’s other novels… This one had so many twists and turns. You honestly don’t know what will come next.’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars
‘WOW!… A must read!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Heart-stopping action with an ending that matched it beautifully.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Twisty, dark and so well-written! This is one must-read!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Tons and I mean tons of wonderful twists and turns keep you on your toes. Another unputdownable book from Sheryl.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘WOW! Loved! This book sucked me in from the beginning all the way to the very end… Amazing plot!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘It’s hard to put down because things are moving quickly… I finished this book in a day!’ Goodreads reviewer
‘Psychological suspense at its best.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘This book was excellent!!’ Goodreads reviewer
‘I loved every page of this book.’ Roberts Reads, 5 stars
‘It’s a great read… Simply could not leave it alone – yes it was that good!’ Jo Lambert Books, 5 stars
‘Leaves you craving more.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
‘Deliciously dark and cunningly compulsive…This really was a twisted book that I was loathe to put down when real life got in the way… an excellent read’ Goodreads reviewer
‘5 stars all the way… reminds me of two other books I’ve read this year and loved… The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and The Ex-Wife… just like them it pulled me in and I was hooked, and not once did I think about putting it down, I had to keep reading and see what happened next’ Spooky’s Maze of Books, 5 stars
‘The ending was perfection!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 starsmore
The Second Wife by author Sheryl Brown is one of the best psychological thrillers I have read in a while! WOW! There is a disappointment at the way Nicole died, and I was so worried when Rebecca fell for and agreed to marry Richard! Oh, Wait… I can NOT post spoilers!! Let me back up for I am getting ahead of myself. Nicole is finally free from an abusive relationship. Her best friend Rebecca lives in France and they keep in touch often through texts messages, calls, and letters. Finally, life is good and Nicole finds the man she never dared hoped to have as a husband. On her wedding day, things start to fall apart. Richard’s daughter Olivia makes a scene and this causes a conflict between Nicole and Richard. Later Rebecca is at the graveside of her dear friend Nicole…what has happened??! Read the book with all the scary and steamy details of manipulation, deceit, and murder!
Publication Date January 29, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Do you ever come across a book that is absolutely mind boggling, leaving you scraping what’s left of your jaw, up off the floor because the entire time you read it, you were in awe, and on the edge of your seat? Yea, well I was just like that with this book here. The Second Wive is a cosmic explosion of twists, turns, and unexpected elements as you fly through this book. I read it a month or so ago, via NetGalley, and oh my word. There are no words to describe how this book made me feel.
Every minute of Rebecca’s life changing experiences became my own. Every pounding heart beat, mine. Every questionable thought, mine. Every. Thing. Mine. Watching what she went through as she stepped into her deceased friend’s life as the second wife…..well, sometimes, I had to stop reading because it became that intense for me. Watching her uncover the truth, watching her fears form….it was utterly chilling at times.
With Rebecca’s and Richard’s characters, you have the perfect blend of good and evil. But, the question is this: are they really good, evil and who they say they are? Browne did a fantastic job of waiting til the very end to let her readers know just what they wanted answered. These characters take your heart and squeeze…..squeeze so hard, your heart feels like it might burst and then, at the end of this white-knuckle thriller, you can finally breathe again. Your heart starts beating again, your breath starts to even out, your mind starts to think about all you just endured to reach the end.
If you looking for a book full of laughs and romance, don’t buy this book. You won’t like it if that’s what you are expecting. If you are looking for a book that will make you drool because your jaw is opened like a codfish the entire time, then buy this book. If you are looking for a page-turner, edge-of-seat, white-knuckle, heart pounding to bursting experience, then absolutely, without a doubt, 100% buy this book. You will not be disappointed and you will be giving it 5 star praises as I did. Fantastically down, Browne. Fantastically done.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, Bookouture and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*Sheryl Browne
Rebecca attends Nicole’s funeral. Nicole had married Richard, her second husband. According to the emails and texts to her best friend, Rebecca, she was in 7th heaven. But then the tone of the notes changed. And then Nicole commits suicide by drowning … or did she?
Rebecca just can’t believe Nicole would have done that. She consoled the grieving widow, but things just don’t look right. The house was immaculate …anyone who knew Nicole knew that her life was oil paintings .. not mopping floors. Even her mot recent art work had changed..drastically.
What in the world happened to Nicole? Rebecca wants to investigate and she starts hearing stories that make her wonder.
Told in different voices from different viewpoints, Nicole’s story is revealed bit by bit. Was she seeing the truth or was it all in her head? Rebecca’s story is told in the present. There are also snippets from Richard and from his adult daughter. Olivia.
Lots of twists and turns keep the reader involved and riveted to this well-written page turner. The story premise is fully thought it … with characters that are unforgettable. The ending was quite a surprise.
Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this psychological thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This is the first book I have read by this author. I will definitely be reading more. The book starts off with a death, so it’s no waiting around. The book was faced paced, and I found myself flipping through the pages to see what happens next!! Nicole meets Richard, a seemingly ideal man, and after being in an abusive relationship, Nicole falls hard. She sells her home, etc and soon marries him. Richard seem to be polite, kind and in love with Nicole. But Richard has a manipulative teenager daughter Olivia, and problems began soon after her arrival. Nicole could not cope, and become deeply depressed, and took her own life. Her best friend, Rebecca, is shocked to learn of her best friend’s death, and becomes close to Richard after the funeral, trying to discover what could have driven Nicole to suicide. In the midst of it all, Rebecca finds herself falling for Richard, and into Nicole’s life! Scandalous!! But will she be able to free herself of the manipulative Richard? Will she see through him? The book is told in different points of view with each chapter, past, present, etc. I did get confused a few times, but maybe it was just me. The book has a bit of everything, lies, sex, manipulation, and death, so it was a thrilling read. Thanks so much to @Netgalley, and @Bookouture for giving me the chance to read this ARC. The book will be released on Jan 29th. I think anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers, will like this book!!
5* Cat & Mouse Stars
I really enjoyed this thrilling read. It is told from multiple voices, which I enjoyed because you got inside the minds of the characters and what they were thinking and plotting.
This is a book that will have readers turning the pages to find out what the next twist will be.
There were many twists and turns in this story. I was so invested in the lives of the woman married and associated with Richard. Quite early on in the story I had my suspicions about one of the twists, which will definitely shock those that have not figured it out.
The characters were very interesting, realistic and some of them very unlikeable. Your mind will work overtime trying to piece together the puzzle pieces.
You will be sucked into the charming and gentleman ways of Richard. Rebecca was a very strong willed woman who was not naive to the charming Richard. Olivia was such a master manipulator.
This was an excellent addictive read. I loved the writing, plot and pace of the story. The cover is also inviting.
Liked this book and couldn’t put it down. Thought I had it figured out but didn’t quite! I’m anxious to read more from Sheryl Browne!
A twisty psychological thriller which starts slowly and races to the brilliant end. Rebecca’s best friend dies by her own hand – or does she? Rebecca must get close to those who surrounded her friend and tease apart the intricacies of lies and evil. And once the awful truth is discovered, what will she do then? Read this one straight through since I needed to know what would happen next!
This was a great book!
Where do I start….. This story is centered around two best friends Rebecca and Nicole who tell each other everything. When Nicole thinks she’s found the man of her dreams she can’t wait to tell Rebecca especially after coming out of an abusive first marriage. Things seem great in the beginning until Nicole is introduced to the very needy stepdaughter. She’s determined to break up this union. Nicole continues to correspond with Rebecca through email due to the geographical distance. Something happens and Nicole drowns and Rebecca is determined to find out what happened and why things aren’t adding up so when she spots the stepdaughter at the funeral whispering to Nicoles husband Rebecca gets a very funny feeling and decides to bait Richard her husband to get to the truth.. get ready for some shockers and cliffhangers that keeps you engaged.
I loved how devoted Rebecca was to her best friend and would not rest until she found out what REALLY happened.
I loved Nicole’s cute little dog bouncer. I could picture him in my mind
I will say though I was hoping that Rebecca and Peter had a happy ending. That’s it! It was just a mini spoiler . READ THIS BOOK!
Twisty, dark and so well-written!
Nicole and Rebecca are best friends and swore they always would be so Rebecca is stunned when she receives a call from Richard, Nicole’s husband, telling her that Nicole has committed suicide.
Rebecca spends some time with Nicole’s letters and learns things about her friend she never knew, at the same time she is getting very close with Richard, whose grief is crippling.
Full of surprises and “zigs” just when you expect “zags”, this one is a must-read!
This was a fun book to read. I figured Sheryl Browne was writing Rebecca as a naive, easily influenced woman. Wowsa was I wrong! Rebecca’s best friend, Nicole, was involved in a whirlwind romance, and then suddenly, Nicole has committed suicide. Rebecca attends the funeral, and she makes it her mission to learn more about Nicole’s husband, Richard, and his daughter. Rebecca sure can’t find anything amiss about Richard, and she, in fact, begins to fall for him herself. Struggling with her feelings, Rebecca talks with the townspeople, and she begins to realize some new things. And learn many more things. The last quarter of this book will just blow you away! Great read!
I was gripped like fluff on velcro – terrific page turner
What can I say? Sheryl is the queen of prologues in my book.
WARNING: Don’t start this mind blowing psychological thriller unless you can submit to its lure (you have been warned).
From the minute I started reading, I knew this book wouldn’t allow me to put it down easily and boy was I right about that. I feel as though it had superglued itself to my hands, as however hard I tried I couldn’t put it down!
Twisty, depraved, shocking and addictive – these are the first four words that come to mind when I think about this book. I am literally aghast and I’ll definitely be thinking this one over for a while!
Sheryl skilfully weaves in first wife, Nicole’s, last few months with Becky’s present, making every chapter a page turner. I loved the way the story went back and forth in time; the different periods were so distinct, there was no confusion at all.
If you love a psychological thriller that won’t allow you to put it down, this is the one for you. I love Sheryl’s previous books and I love this one – immensely. I can’t recommend it enough.
I enjoyed the book. The author shows how damaging emotional manipulation can be. She also created a strong & smart female character. I was surprised to find myself feeling sorry for the criminal at the end.
This book took on such an unpredictable twist in the second half that I literally shook my head! Great character development, a real page turner. I was on vacation when reading it and couldn’t wait for night when I could read it!
Enjoyed this book. Had a surprise twist.
Really liked this book. Alternates chapters telling the story
One character dead with her tale of events. Her best friend alive going down the same road
I loved this book!! I thought I knew what was going to happen at various times in the book but was wrong. It truly was a page turned and I would recommend it to friends. The only thing I would have liked was some mention as to what happened to the two dogs,
Very good book. I recommend it to anyone. I couldn’t put it down.
One of the best phycological thrillers I have read in a while.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the ARC
This was the first book that I have read by Sheryl Browne and I loved it. A well written psychological thriller with many twists and turns. Interesting characters, some you will like and others you will be wishing Karma will strike them down.
Rebecca has returned from France to the UK to attend her best friend Nicole’s funeral. She was told that her friend took her own life, which she does not believe. Nicole’s first husband was a very abusive man. Then she meets Richard, who at first seems charming and perfect. He is the exact opposite of her first husband.
Things start going wrong on Nicole and Richard’s wedding day, mostly due to Richard’s daughter Olivia. Things continue to get worse from there, which Nicole tells Rebecca about in many emails and letters.
Shortly after Nicole’s funeral Richard invites Rebecca, her son Sam along with his girlfriend Laura to visit and stay at his home for a few weeks. At first Rebecca finds Richard charming and she can see why Nicole fell for him so fast. However, she wonders if this is the real Richard or an act, since she still does not believe Nicole took her own life. Eventually Rebecca moves in with Richard to try to uncover the truth. Will the truth be found? Let the twists and turns begin, I couldn’t put this book down. I look forward to reading more by Sheryl Browne. (less)