This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

I'm incredibly thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book to review.

Sadly, it really missed the mark for me. I loved the idea of the varying perspectives, but the execution didn't do the characters any justice. The main character came off as arrogant and far too high and mighty for my liking. Most of the female characters, in fact, were very one dimensional - each of them essentially an over-exaggerated stereotype. Had they been more fleshed out and unique I might have felt more invested in their struggles.

For the first 75%, this was a 3 star read, but the twist at the end was the one I predicted after the first 'incident'. There was absolutely nothing thrilling about it.

All that being said, I did still find myself enjoying a lot of the story, so it wasn't a total nightmare. It's the kind of thing I'd pick up as a quick beachy read.

I was hooked and enthralled from the first page! The Last Wife is a story about love, lies, money and power.
Ria’s husband walked out on her and her daughter 5 years ago but she has remained close to her mother in law and frequently attends family gatherings.
The Parker family are all hiding secrets and Ria is emailed with details which could ruin their carefully maintained social status. She is eager to find the source of the emails but it involves finding her estranged tech genius husband…
The narrative is divided amongst the female characters so that we gain insight into their perspective of the events as they unfold.
Ria is by far the most pleasant character and it is fascinating to compare how the women appear to others compared to how they represent themselves. In particular, Ashlin appears to be a thoroughly selfish, nasty woman but from her viewpoint we discover her insecurities and vulnerability.
Threaded through the brilliant character exploration is the element of mystery. What secrets are they hiding from the rest of the family and what are the implications once revealed?
Family tensions are central to the plot, and the way that author Nicola Marsh writes her female characters allow us to understand and empathise with them, even when they are not nice people.
I’m not sure I was completely convinced by the ending but I enjoyed The Last Wife so much that it didn’t matter, and my overall verdict is ‘wow’!

Could not put this one down! and Couldn't believe the climatic ending - wow....

In fact, I almost, almost , almost believed the author was American and a Chicago native - except for just a few slips (shops, gueue, cots and walking frames were the dead giveaways). Well done and now I'm on a quest to find her first book since this was a perfect combo of murder and chick lit...

This lady is fast becoming a firm favourite of mine. Her books are completely engrossing right from the very first chapter.
I find it quite hard to leave them down if I'm honest.
She writes with knowledge, with a clear determination to entertain her reader and leave them sitting on the edge of their seat.
The Last Wife is full of lies, full of deviousness amongst family and so many secrets between them.
I never knew one family could have that many secrets and I never knew which one of them to trust.
We meet The Parker family who look out for themselves, a family who have so much money they don't know what to do with it but ultimately a family who are miles apart from one another and what is going on in each others lives.
Completely dysfunctional......
I must admit though, I took to the matriarch of the family May immediately and her love for Ria and her daughter Shelley won me over.
Ria is a journalist, very independent and wants very little help from her in-laws while trying to raise her daughter.
She receives an email one day from an unknown sender which implies that there is more to her in-laws than meets the eye. This sets Ria off on a path to find out what they are all hiding.
But what are The Parker family hiding? Does it have something to do with Ria's husband Grayson disappearing...
Who knows more than they should know?
Some many questions....

An absolutely riveting read so full of twists and turns that will most definitely keep you awake late into the night.

Well done Nicola, a brilliant read..

After growing up in foster care Ria was more than happy to fall in love with handsome, rich, Greyson and his family who, for the most part, accepted her just as she is. She knew that she would never be fully accepted in their inner circle, but, with her husband at her side she could do her best at pretending to be a Parker. She is living the life that she always dreamed of until one day Greyson walks out leaving her to raise their daughter on her own without warning. The next morning she wakes up to find an e-mail waiting for her showing her that not only has her husband left her; he has also been unfaithful. There is nothing left for Ria to do but to turn to her adulterous husband's family for support during this difficult period in her life. They all claim to not know where Greyson is, what he's doing, or why he left. Against her better judgement Ria does her best to believe them and move on with her life. However, years later, she receives another e-mail; this time incriminating her sister-in-laws. As she begins digging deeper to find out who is behind these e-mails she begins to realize that every Parker has their own dirty secret. The question is: who knows and what will they do to expose the family?

I was gifted this Advanced Reader's copy through NetGalley.com and I am very grateful to have been chosen to read and review this book. As many of you already know I love thrillers so after reading the description of this book I immediately requested a copy. Although, I was really excited about this book I feel like it didn't really live up to the expectations I had for it.

On GoodReads I rated this a book a 3/5. One thing that I really liked about this book was that it takes place in Chicago. I'm sure it seems silly but since I live in NW Indiana I get really excited when books that I read take place in the area that I am from. Each chapter is written from a different Parker woman's perspective so there is a constant bouncing back and forth between characters and story lines. I have read books where this worked out great, however, I felt as though this book was bouncing between too many characters so there were times where chapters were either confusing or unnecessary. This book was also a slow burn; I wanted more twists and turns along the way and I feel like the ones that happened weren't as shocking as I needed them to be. I also felt like the end was very predicable. I am not the type of reader who will sit there and try to guess the ending of a book while reading it. I love surprises so I keep my mind open and hope for the best. However, I figured out who was behind the mystery fairly quickly so the ending was expected.

This is the first book I've read by Nicola Marsh. It was quite a slow burner but it was an entertaining thriller. I enjoyed the alternating POV and the drama in the family. Always a guilty pleasure reading about other people's family drama!

I couldn’t put this one down! What a delicious read, filled with secrets and suspicion!

It’s a known fact that when you marry, you don’t just marry your partner, but their entire family too. With Ria, that’s certainly the case when she marries into the eminent Parker family. Having grown up in the foster system, it’s important to Ria to have a close, committed family of her own, and with her husband Grayson and his prominent family, she’s sure she’s found that. She quickly finds that being on the inside of the Parker clan is not quite the same as what they display on the outside. The smiling, benign facades that are presented to the public disappear as soon as the paparazzi and hangers-on have disappeared and it’s ‘just family’. But although it’s difficult to warm to her prickly sisters-in-law, Ria does her best to never return the cold shoulders and prefers to remain neutral, regularly attempting to reach out to them. She’s generally successful with Shamira, striking up a tentative friendship; Christine prefers to remove herself from the family and lives further away; and Ashlin makes it clear she can’t bear her!

When Grayson leaves for work one day and never returns, Ria is at a loss! What happened, and why? Thankfully her mother-in-law May, matriarch of the family, takes her under her wing and continues to include her in family gatherings and insists on providing financial support even though Ria insists on working independently as a freelance journalist. But then out of the blue one day, Ria receives a mysterious email with incriminating evidence against all three of her sisters-in-law. Someone is clearly targeting the Parker women and wants her to know that they know their deepest, darkest secrets. Skeletons that they would very much want to remain hidden in the depths of closets that should never be opened. It’s up to her to discover who sent her the email and what they’ll go to to bring down the mighty Parker empire.

I loved reading this! Told from the points of view of the various Parker women, I thoroughly enjoyed the way the author was able to seamlessly move between the voices and characters of each person: Ria, Ashlin, Shamira and May. They shift from scathing, bitchy, observant, panicked, caring, secretive, furtive, flirty, deceitful and a multitude of other moods, attitudes and opinions, throughout … sometimes within the space of minutes! However, as much as each of these characters was well developed, I really would have liked to hear more from Christine. Being the only actual Parker daughter I wanted to know directly from her, rather from her mother, what it was like growing up in the Parker household. I did find it a bit strange that she wasn’t given a voice as I felt that would have given things a bit of an additional ‘edge’.

Overall though, this is what I’d classify as a twisty, tense family noir. Dysfunction at its best! I would imagine it would also make a great mini-series – it has all the elements needed for some great, juicy, jaw-dropping viewing! There’s back-biting, excess, mystery, sex (just enough to keep it interesting, but not too much to make it trashy) and I’m quite sure there could be some stunning outfits and shoes thrown in, not to mention a bit of eye-candy too! But of course – you need to read the book first! It’s a fabulous 4.5 star read!

I voluntarily read this ARC in exchange for an honest review - all thoughts and opinions are mine

I've not read this author before and really enjoyed this - I certainly will be looking out for more from this author

I loved this - so many threads - so much drama !!!

I loved the character development, the style of writing - pacy, tense - right up my street!!

A fantastic read and well worth five stars!

I would give this one 3.5 stars rounded up to four. This was my first Nicola Marsh book. I enjoyed the storyline and the multiple character view points. I of course tried to figure out who was behind everything and did not catch on somehow. I am learning that I love an untrustworthy narrator so this book played into that. I did not find it super gripping and didn’t have a need to stay up late reading this one. Overall though it was an enjoyable read.

This novel was just okay. Nothing amazing and, to be honest, I probably won’t remember it within a week. The story jumps between the female characters: Ria, Ashlyn, Samira, and May. The Parker women are screwed up and basically blackmailed. Read the novel to find out who’s been blackmailing them. The end. I found myself really unmotivated to finish the story because I just didn’t really care who was doing the blackmailing. But finish it I did.

Ria Parker has no choice but to be a single mother to ten-year old Shelley. Five years ago, her husband walked out on them. Although not particularly close to her in-laws, Ria remained a part of the family because she felt it was best for Shelley. Her mother in law, May, is the matriarch and had three sons and one daughter. She has always ruled the family with an iron fist.

Ria's sisters-in-law do not treat her or Shelley well at all. Thankfully, May fawns over them, and although uncomfortable at family events, Ria does attend. Shelley loves her cousins and her grandmother, and this does please Ria. However, May has an announcement to make and this affects each and every one of them, albeit in different ways.

Beyond May's shocking announcement, Ria begins getting some difficult emails. While this happens, accidents begin happening to some family members. Ria is certain said accidents are connected to the emails she received. The drama that ensues will change everyone's life beyond what anyone could have imagined.

This was an incredibly tense book! The Last Wife reminded me of the 90's night-time soap operas. It was a very dramatic story, one that dug deep inside of a not-so-perfect family. There was someone pulling strings and was seemingly uncaring of the long-term effects on others. This intriguing story was a very good, very quick read for me, and I was rather shocked at who the manipulator was, and also the ending.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Ria Parker is a free-lance journalist and the mother of 10-year-old, Shelley. She is divorced from Grayson Parker who walked out on her 5 years ago.

The Parker family is very wealthy. May is the widowed matriarch of the family of 3 sons and 1 daughter. Justin is married to Ashlin and parents of two daughters. Trent is married Shamira. Trent is a musician and Shamira runs an aromatherapy store. Christine is the only Parker daughter who is unmarried and appears to have some addiction problems.

The grandchildren all enjoy being together and get along well. The daughters-in-law, not so much. Ashlin seems to be the trouble maker whereas the other wives get along well. Even though Grayson left her, Ria still loves her mother-in-law and his family.

May has monthly get-togethers with the family and the latest is for her birthday. At the party, she announces that she will be cutting back on the money they have access to. Although they are all wealthy, they are shocked at her decision.

Ria receives some emails with photos and frightening threats to the family. She wants to find the source of the emails so she can help protect them.

This story reads a little bit like Peyton Place and deliciously so. It’s like a puppet master is manipulating these characters beautifully. Well written - well played. I liked the characters and how each is flawed in their own way. I got sucked in and didn’t see the ending coming. A good thriller. Well done!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

3 stars. A quick and easy read.

Ria married into a rich, influential family and is still reeling from her husband unexpectedly leaving her 5 years ago. Life goes on, and thankfully her husband’s family continues to include her in family events, and her now ex-husband’s mother provides some financial support to Ria and her daughter. Family events are frequent, as well as the tension between Ria and her sisters-in-law. Ria receives an email from the same mysterious account that clued her in on her husband’s infidelity, but the information in this family could cause major issues within the Parker family.

This story is full of secrets and intertwined family relationships. As a whole, the plot was very okay, and the final twist is something that I predicted and was able to see coming. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Loved Ria's character. She was a tough mom. I loved the different pov it helped me connect with the story. Entertaining and engulfing for sure.

This was a brawny thriller, full to the brim with drama, scandal, lies, infidelity, secrets, murder, love and mystery. Everything about this book was superb; the characters, the narration, the twists and the plot were all excellent. I loved The Last Wife by Nicola Marsh for being an extremely refreshing take on the evil female trope. This was one of those books where everyone is not particularly personable but this adds enrichment to the story, so you love it anyway.

I have read The Scandal and I will be looking out for more by Nicola Marsh in the future. A really fantastic read and well worth five stars!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

The premise for The Last Wife sounds promising. An extremely wealthy family, all hiding secrets from each other, completely dysfunctional as a whole, are suddenly the target of some unwelcome attention. Computer hacking and who is responsible provides the intrigue element to this novel which sees Ria , ex wife of Grayson Parker, (part of the huge Parker enterprise ) receiving emails portraying many of the members of the Parker clan in a bad light. Exactly who is behind these anonymous emails is a mystery which takes a sinister turn when one by one the females of the family become victims of ‘accidents’.
The love of money is the root of all evil and that certainly applies to this family. May, the matriarch, insists on keeping up appearances to the outside world that all is well with the Parkers whilst in reality they all pretty much despise one another. There seems to be no love lost between May and her children making her a rather cold and selfish character. Grayson walked out on Ria and their daughter and hasn’t been seen for five years, Christine is a drug addict, Shamira has never divulged her true past to husband Trent and Justin and Ashlins marriage is about to implode. There’s a line in this novel that sums up this family perfectly; that money is god and people come second. So perhaps it’s no surprise someone wants this family’s secrets exposed but who is the culprit??
None of the characters in this novel are likeable; they are greedy, shallow, dishonest, narcissistic individuals, with the exception of Ria. The writing for me is a bit repetitive and it’s not the kind of edge of your seat gripping read that I might have expected. I think the twist to the novel is quite obvious with an ending that just felt slightly ridiculous. Overall, I enjoyed ‘The Last Wife’ and I would seek out this author’s other work but ultimately it didn’t have me eagerly turning the pages hence my mediocre rating. Thank you as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to #netgalley and #bookouture for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. My first Nicola Marsh read. I know we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but I sometimes do and it usually ends well for me! The tag line of "Trusting his family was her first mistake" was what drew me to this one. This was a family suspenseful read. The story unfolds from the perspectives of all the Parker wives and their matriarch mother in law. The inner workings of each marriage is under the microscope and everyone seems to be controlled somewhat by the Parker matriarch who controls the family fortune. A twisty read which had me turning the pages wondering just who was really controlling this family. A great read that will have you side eyeing your in laws at your next family gathering. #netgalley #nicolamarsh #amazon#kindle #litsy #tea_sipping_bookworm #bookstagram #bookouture #bookstagram #goodreads #target 3 wick candle french vanilla #dusk buddha tea light holder

First, I want to thank Nicola Marsh, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Nicola Marsh is back again with another must read book! I instantly became a fan of hers after reading The Scandal. I thought that book was amazing until she exceeded my expectations with this book! This book had more drama than a soap opera! It was packed with so many stories involved with lots of secrets! Secrets that if got out could ruin a lot of relationships! This book was so juicy and one you want to gossip to a friend about after.

Kudos to the graphic designer who designed the cover as it is gorges! Nicola’s covers are always spot on to her books!

Nicola is an incredible storyteller with so many different stories within the main story. Each of them just sucked you more into the story!

The Last Wife is full of lies, infidelity, teenage alcoholism, lots of secrets, blackmail, etc.

One of my favorite parts of the book was when Ria gets into bed with her daughter Shelly and reads. I love that mother and daughter bonding time. This book has a lot to do with family.

I love when an author thinks outside the box for their names of the characters. Nicola picked some that I loved! Ria, Trent, Ashlin, Grayson, etc.

I thought it was extremely interesting how she came up with the idea of this novel. She was at a birthday party with kids playing. One of the parents had a very unique occupation as hacker/penetration tester. She had conversations about that subject. It made her wonder. She is fascinated how mismatched people who are forced to socialize in the name of family.

Nicola would love to thank Kim Nash and Noelle Holton who are PR whizzes at Bookouture. Your passion for books are unanswering and it makes eternally grateful that she has you to champion my books too.

I enjoyed this thriller where Ria married into the Parker family, where she was happy with her husband Grayson & their daughter. However his family never warmed up to her & didn't really like her. When Grayson leaves & doesn't return back home Ria is forced to accept help from Grayson's mom & sisters. This story is told from mainly Ria's point of view but also the other Parker wives as well.