Really enjoyed this book, had a great storyline with some great charecters you could invest in, kept me engaged until the end

An easy enjoyable read, absolutely adored Nancy and loved seeing how Esme blossomed and ending was just so apt. A feel good book

Twenty years ago Aly's husband was in a car accident which left him fighting for his life.
Once he started to recover he divorced Aly and would not tell her why.
Aly is married again and has a daughter.
Aly has just lost her job her daughter is flying the nest and has a new job and her husband doesn't notice her anymore.
Aly's daughters new job is at The Green Room a new restaurant .When Aly finds out who is behind The Green Room her life begins to unravel .
Thanks NetGalley

I received an eARC of The Wife's Choice by Emma Davies from Bookouture and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
4 stars! This book is about secrets, lies and self-discovery. I enjoyed this thought-provoking book!

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley .

I loved this and its a new author for me. A tale of rediscovery and second chances

Life has gt a bit samey and lost its spark. Can Alys get it back without hurting those she loves?

A fantastic story about family,love ,lies and hope.

Published 4th August

I'm a little rusty on reviewing lately, but I'm going to give this my best shot because honestly this book deserves it.
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. About a quarter of the way through, The Wife's Choice started to pick up and the vignette-style feel brought some new things to light. The main character, Alys, brings light to an otherwise unknown (at least, by me) thought process of a middle-aged wife and mother who put her dreams on the back-burner to take care of her daughter, whom she obviously adores very much.

I think that a lot of the conversations in this novel sneak up on the reader in the best way. Many segues lead to deep, thought provoking conversations and Alys’ internal monologues sometimes steal the show. I thoroughly enjoyed these characters and look forward to hearing others' thoughts!

What can I say about this book? It tells so many stories impacting you as a human and as a woman. This book is indeed the women fiction you have been looking for your whole life. A family drama and a heartbreaking past that brings together a story that keeps you gripping till the last word of the last page. The character of Alys unknowingly tells us the story of so many women and young girls who had to shed themselves totally to save themselves. The author beautifully captures the prejudices and the judgemental society without writing about it in BIG LARGE WORDS AND POINTING FINGERS THAT LOOK THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG IN OUR SOCIETY. EVERY WOMAN'S STORY IS LINKED to how the society thinks or the society functions but Emma Davies uses beautiful metaphors which are relatable in our daily lives. I am thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

I very much enjoyed this book, it was engaging, the characters and stories kept me involved until the end. Would absolutely recommend and read others from this author. Thank you.

Alys is at a crossroad in life. Her eldest, Esme who at 24 is about to join the workforce as a chef in the town’s newest and highly anticipated Green Room restaurant, her husband Hugh of 23 years is a bore and a bully and technically her boss and finally, she’s just been made redundant at her boring job (yet still somewhat in her field) in fabrics and haberdashery. A job that gave her something to do for 22 years. When she wasn’t caring for Esme and her little family.

Alys’s life lacks colour and substance and the only things that keeps her going are her daughter and the mystery disappearance of her first husband. Perhaps disappearance Is the wrong word he left her and she’s never heard a whisper about him since.

All Alys really has at the moment is a predictable empty routine. Not even that as her daughter does start work following her passion as a chef at The Green Room, Her husband the owner of the Mall thought this nee free time to spend more time at home would be welcomed. Except Alys has no desire to stay at home; no one can clean that much. Speak up Alys! Yet she does not. And yet, in doing this her husband Hugh has put Alys on a path to colour and fulfillment, albeit completely by accident.

When Alys drives her daughter Esme to work one morning she meets the enigmatic Nancy. Owner of this locales Green Room and her son Theo. The main location in London is run by Nancy’s ex-husband Sam in London. The amicable split has Nancy in Norfolk running the second location the way she sees fit. It gives Theo whose goal is also to be a Chef a legacy and a career.

When Alys meets Nancy and Theo she knows that Esme‘s dreams are coming true. But how Alys is to fill the rest of her day after dropping Esme off at work every morning is anyone’s guess..

Hearing that Alys is free more often her sister in law visits one morning and laments that the upcoming engagement party for their husband’s sister Scarlet will be a disaster if a suitable dress can’t find be found. Horror of horrors at the last function Alys’s sister in law she showed up in the same royal blue hued frock as their Mother-in-law and has yet to hear the end of it. Alys’s ears perk up a bit at this as she studies her sister in law. After all, she did spend 22 years working with fabric and is good with putting dresses together from scratch as we learn her degree was in fabrics and conservatism. A project to tide Alys over. It fills her days and nights up until the party but Hugh upon seeing the fabric and style just has to make a pot shot at how it’s not very practical and very un-Alys like. And what iof the cost? Saying nothing to this except, “I have a healthy redundancy Cheque coming.” Hugh soon shuts up. The day arrives, Hugh in another new and costly suit and Alys in a frock people have seen her in countless times. But her sister in law looks stunning!

It is at this party where Nancy and the kids are doing the supper and Esme the cake that Nancy and Alys start to really talk. Nancy adores Esme and she’s also taken note of Alys’s handiwork with making clothes. She soon invites Alys to the restaurant where they strike up a friendship. Plans are soon made for the grand opening of the Green Room and a request from Nancy for Alys to make her an outfit too. Not for the Opening, that’s much too soon but for a business seminar where Nancy is to be a keynote speaker on “Women in the Workforce” at an executive level. As they chat about what Nancy envisions, Alys hears a familiar voice coming from the kitchen. One she never thought she would ever hear again. It’s her first husband who pushed her away all those years ago after a horrific automobile accident. He has changed his name from Tom to Sam. He is Nancy’s ex and Theo’s Father. He is in town for moral support for a couple of weeks before the Grand Opening..And the owner of the successful London Green Room location.

Bit by bit we see how the story begins to unfold through new friendships, reacquaintance and eventually a purpose Alys didn’t even know how much she needed. But there will be a lot of messy and sticky situations to wade through before that and it is here that all the characters truly shine and develop through the authors brilliant way of bringing them to life. This book will have you asking yourself, do we make our destiny or does our destiny find us?

Brilliantly paced, language that flows effortlessly, well developed characters This is the first Novel I’ve reviewed that could and should be turned into a mini series or Movie. I would love to meet the cast again.

Well done! Thank you to the author, publisher And Netgalley for this wonderful Arc!

This was a great read filled with family drama and how sometimes one can find themselves lost in a marriage ! This is a story about one woman who had found true love but following a serious accident that left her fiancé disfigured and possibly paralyzed- he decides to set her free !
She ends up married and the mother of a teenager when her fiancé comes back into the picture !
I loved how the wife becomes independent and DJ ally DJ da her voice ! Strong women leads in this one and true friendship ! Lots of twists and turns - which I always enjoy ! I ended feeling empathy for her current husband even though he was a bit of a jerk !
Such a great read - it will have you feeling all the emotions and you will find yourself gasping at the end !
Happy reading and stay safe !

Heart wrenching dilemma leads into a truly wonderful read that requires a box of tissues. It was an easy choice to recommend when someone asked around the release date.

When Alys’s first husband sustained awful injuries in a car crash he convinced her to divorce him. He wanted her to have the chance of another sort of life; one not tied to a man who would need on-going surgery and care for many years. Alys’s other sort of life has been marriage to Hugh, a friend of her ex-husband’s. It is twenty years later and they now have a daughter, Esme. But the life Alys has, isn’t quite what she thought it would be. She works as a part time sales assistant in Harringtons, a departmental store managed by Hugh. It ‘s clear that Hugh is a controlling individual; one who sets standards and crushes any attempts by Alys to do anything he disagrees with. When she is made redundant it gives her an opportunity to take a step back and work out what she wants for her future. At the same time Esme lands a job with a prestigious London eaterie The Green Room which is opening a restaurant locally. Quite unexpectedly this brings a ghost from Alys's past back into her life.
This story has so many component parts. The way Alys deals with her ex-husband’s reappearance. Her friendship with his ex-wife Nancy who is her daughter’s new boss. It is through this friendship she finds the confidence to make changes in her life. It was lovely to see Alys begin to challenge her overbearing and sometimes bullying husband.
And then there are the secrets which gradually reveal themselves as the story progresses. Not everything is as it seems. Up until the very last chapter I was wondering how things would work out for Alys. Happily I wasn’t disappointed. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of this novel. And what a beautiful ride it was! This was definitely a page turner for me. Every time I set it down, it began calling my name. I love a good book that is an emotional ride. This book didn't disappoint.

Alys finds herself with an adult daughter and a selfish husband who makes her redundant from her job. She feels like life has passed her by. Her daughter in on the brink of a new career as a chef and Esme's dreams make Alys regretful that she achieved none of her own.
But then Alys meets the restaurant owner's husband Sam and it is her first husband who almost died in a car crash over 20 years ago. He didn't want Alys to live with an invalid so left her in the hope that she would chase her dreams. Can she follow her heart now...?
The Wife's Choice was completely compelling. I was so caught up in Alys' story and was anxious for her to have a happy ending. I always say it is the sign of a good book when it makes you feel strongly towards a character. I was incredibly angry with Hugh's behaviour, the continual put downs, destroying her confidence, and later, the outright lies.
The characters are all realistic and Alys' vulnerability is endearing although I also wanted to shout at her to stand up for herself! I could understand the choices that the characters made, whether through love, jealousy or fear
The Wife's Choice is filled with sadness and regret yet it is also uplifting as Alys rediscovers her passions and dreams. I think the message of this book is loud and clear: don't sacrifice your happiness out of fear or loyalty, and always be true to yourself. I will definitely try!

Alys is at that point in her life where she realises that her dreams will probably remain forever unfulfilled, and she’s wondering where, in fact, her life disappeared to? Married to second husband, Hugh and with her lovely daughter Esme just about grown up and ready to go out into the world, Alys is really at a loss. With no self-confidence and feeling rather adrift in her own world, it only gets worse when she’s made redundant from the job she’s had for just about all of her adult life.

Although I really wanted to feel empathy for Alys, I found it difficult. She’s a real wet blanket and doesn’t make it easy for the reader to feel sorry for her, or to even like her. At one point it seemed she was in this situation due only to her own fault, but the author does manage to guide us through Alys’s background and we’re able to see that as much as she did bring about many of her own misfortunes, even more were thrown her way due to circumstances beyond her control. But I just wanted her to have a bit more of a backbone, a slightly louder voice.

I couldn’t bear the opinionated, controlling Hugh, who manipulates his words to make it seem as if he is caring when in fact he isn’t (well, not about Alys – maybe about his reputation). And I absolutely couldn’t tolerate the way he treated his adult daughter as if she was a mindless, ignorant child!

It’s obvious that Alys yearns for what could have been, wondering how her life would have turned out if her first husband hadn’t had a tragic accident and insisted on divorcing her. Especially now that she’s at a loose end and has more time to think things through a lot more thoroughly.

But having that extra time on her hands leads to a chance encounter that could turn things around for Alys. It all depends on how she chooses to react and whether she decides to stagnate in her misery or move forward and choose a different path for herself.

Although I just couldn’t warm to the main characters, this book and its themes resonated me, possibly because of my age, but whatever the reasons, I think that others will find something of a wake-up call in the words that Emma Davies has crafted here. Her message is clear: speak up sooner rather than later, and grab the chance for your own happiness because nobody else is going to do it for you!

This is a 3.5 star read that will speak to the heart of those who understand what it’s like to have to adjust your dreams and plans if only to put them on hold for a while until they’re ready to find their place in the sun!

This was a thoroughly good read and I raced through it in a day. The characters were realistic and some not at all pleasant. The chance Meeting of #TheOne and the few twisty plot additions were reassuringly plausible and I found myself deeply empathising with the life choices and realisations of Alys. How she had drifted, been manipulated and controlled.
Well done Emma Davies on an excellent story, and thanks 5o #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.

Alys is seemingly happy in her life. Though she misses her ex husband, Tom, she keeps busy looking after her husband Hugh and daughter Esme and working at Harrington Store. And one fine day she is made redundant, something she gets to know in the form of a letter at the end of her shift. Meanwhile Esme has just found her dream job at the new outlet of a famous restaurant.
In the midst of all this, Alys finds a new friend, Nancy, who is also Esme's boss. Nancy encourages Alys to follow her passion and find herself. And then Alys meets Tom, her ex husband.

The story unfolds the describing the circumstances around their separation and the relationship between Alys, Hugh and Esme and Tom and a secret from her past.

I found a warmth in the story and refreshing to see women supporting other women.

Thank you for the ARC Netgalley

I enjoyed this book and without giving any spoilers I really wanted to.shake Alys, who didn't seem to realise how controlling Hugh was. There were a couple of points where it was easy to work out was going to happsn, but that didn't distract from my enjoyment of the book.

Divided into three segments of the past, present and future Alys quiet life - controlled and more than controlled manipulated very quietly by her unassuming husband Hugh - is about to take a nose dive.

Alys is made redundant - the manner in which it was done was surreptitious (Hugh her husband is her boss too). He never mentioned it to hr earlier, she was just given her notice at the end of the day in an envelope with no fair warning. The fact that Alys just took it like a doormat was irritating. But Hugh had a habit of turning any conversation to the way he wanted it to be and for sake of peace and their daughter Esme let it ride.

When Esme gets a job of her dreams in The Green Cafe, one that has a stellar reputation Hugh is miffed, Alys is elated till she one day meets up with the co owner Sam who incidentally happened to be her ex husband from whom she separated under very tragic circumstances.

The story actually evolves from there - the path that Alys must take, the secrets that have to be told, the ugly truth of what happened twenty three years ago all revealed and then Alys must decide what she wants to do with her life even in the mid fifties better late than never.

A story of a very late blossoming, of facing facts full on, unpalatable and earth shaking as they may be.

A lovely story which I enjoyed reading tremendously.

The Wife's Choice by Emma Davies is an absorbing and emotional book which begins with Alys, married to Hugh with a twenty year old daughter, Esme. Hugh is the manager of the local department store, one which Alys herself works in too. Esme has just gained the job she dreams off, working for a restaurant that is expanding with a branch in their town. Everything seems great, then Alys is made redundant, the worst part being that Hugh engineeres this redundancy. This leaves Alys devastated, she has spent years of her life gaining qualifications in fabric restoration and begins to feel she has wasted them.
Alys starts to think back to her first marriage. Sam and Alys were totally in love, but Sam was involved in an accident in which he almost died. Instead he suffered life changing injuries and told Alys to go and find someone to make her happy. Her life now is the result of that request, but what if?
Esme begins her work for The Green Room and certain things begin to come to light, things that will cause Alys's life to slowly come apart at the seams. Everything is about to change for Alys and her family but why and how?
The Wife's Choice is a domestic tale of secrets, of how you can keep them but one day they will come back to haunt you.A compelling book which will have you wondering what if? I thoroughly enjoyed it, although it was akin to a rollercoaster riding along with Alys, her life choices and what has brought her to this point in her life.Thanks to Bookouture-Books-On-Tour and Netgalley for the ARC to take part today.