Absolutely chilling domestic thriller. This covers all stages of abuse and keeps you gripping on for dear life. The twist at the end is mind blowing and I highly recommend it for those who aren’t afraid of the dark....

A happy new bride moves into a old Edwardian house purchased by her dashing new Dr husband. Is it odd that that’s fully furnished and she’s forbidden from changing anything? Yes. And is a sign of things to come. Abuse on many levels, so well written you genuinely feel fear for the protagonist. Add a confused old lady who whispers about former wives and a mysterious post card writer and you have the perfect recipe for a thrilling, can’t put it down till you’ve finished read. The ending does feel slightly confusing, how all the characters fit together feeling slightly rushed, but still a great read.

This book covers virtually every kind of abuse going. A hard hitting book. Expertly written with a brilliant twist.
Tess marries the man of her dream. A brilliant surgeon. However, it’s not long till he whisks her away to Bath from London. Suddenly everything she thought he found appealing about her, he wants to change. Here is the start of the abuse. He removes her bank cards and phone. Now he wants to dress her. She has to follow his rules. Then suddenly she is at risk of loosing her career at his hands.
I was screaming at her to get out. Personally my bags would have been packed within days.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc in return for an honest review

Tess marry` s Daniel after a world wind romance to the perfect husband or so she thinks.
He`s a trusted heart surgeon who moves Tess to Bath away from all her friends, to a large house in a time warp .though Daniel refuses to change anything and gets Tess a book on etiquette, he then changes from Jekyll and Hyde playing mind games with Tess.
Tess goes from a confident likeable character to a spineless wimp of a woman after a couple of months who is desperate to leave her husband, then an old lady knocks on her door and tells her to ask her husband what happened to his first wife.
The end twists till you don`t understand what is happening and where it fits in, and you end up thinking what the hell just happened and why is Tess like that!
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely 5++ stars

Tess marries another man she believes to be the most handsome, chivalrous, and sweetest man out there and he just happens to be.a Doctor also. But, after they move his demeanor starts to change. He has taken her phone away from her and will not let her leave the house. He has become mean and possessive in such a way that only a psychopath could enjoy. An older woman shows up at the door and tells Tess that her Husband has a secret. One that he will most likely never tell. He was married before and they had a child and they both ended up dead and Daniel was the prime suspect. Except, that was not his name. He changed it but why would he return to the place that it happened? Why would he risk getting caught? This story is a gripping thriller that actually had me turning pages as fast as I could. I just couldn’t stop reading until I knew where this ride was taking me. Hold on to your seat because this roller coaster will take you on many twists and turns and then just when you think you are getting off, you get o go around again. This author knows how to write a psychological thriller.. it is in her blood. I will scream this recommendation off of the rooftop. You NEED to read this one if you enjoy a great thriller that keeps you guessing until the bitter end.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely fantastic book. If you read the blurb, you know a women and her child were killed and then Tess marries this brilliant surgeon and he moves her to this very big old house and his nature begins to change. From being a wonderful beau to a crazy, hurtful man. Also, there is an elderly woman who is a bit confused who lives across the street who tells her he changed his name but he is back and he killed his wife and son. The twist at the end of the book is unreal. I never saw it coming. This was a roller coaster of a ride. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers than I highly recommend this book. It took me a day and a half to finish it. I want to thank net galley and the publisher for the ARC I received for an honest review. BRAVO to the author.

5* Controlling Stars

This was a fantastic faced paced thriller with astonishing twists that kept me guessing until the last page read.

The story of newly married surgical nurse Tess and her handsome and well-respected surgeon husband Daniel was far from perfect! After 4 months of marriage Daniel’s true colours appear, he becomes obsessed and controlling towards Tess. His behaviour is cruel and violent, and he is not the man she fell in love with and married. He was despicable and cunning, and Tess was helpless as she had no family or friends to help her.

This was a roller-coaster of a ride with lies and deceit abounding. In parts it was not easy to read as it was dark and scary. The plot was brilliant and the storytelling gripping.

I loved this intense domestic thriller and the ending was perfect and surprising.

Oh my goodness what a rollercoaster of a read! I had absolutely no idea how this book was going to end. I'm actually speechless.
This has been addictive, gripping and completely unpredictable. I haven't been able to put this down at all. I have devoured this book in one sitting this afternoon.
I already need more! The coercive control and abuse in this book, has been a little uncomfortable to read. However, it's really added the element of tension and desperation of the main character.
I am so completely shocked by where this has gone. This is one of the best books I've read this year, without a doubt a five star read.
Public review to follow on blog tour

Nurse Tess is freshly married to a doctor Daniel, who after their move from London to a big manor in Bath, starts to act strange and hostile toward her. Tess slowly understands that she is married to a stranger. An old lady Martha tries to warn her about his first wife, but Tess is at first convinced that she is to blame for his behaviour and ignores the truth about him.

Will Tess survive and does this misterious first wife exists?

Absolutely gripping page turner! Stunning, dark and full of twists and turns.
Must read!

3.5 for me.

The Next Wife is a dark psychological thriller that will draw you in slowly.

If something seems to good to be true let that be a warning sign.

The main characters Tess and Daniel are not the nicest or most sympathetic characters you will ever meet.

I loved Martha who desperately tried to intervene and save Tess not only from Daniel but from herself.

There were twists and turns that will surprise you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review The Next Wife.

Where do I start amazing characters amazing twist, I want more from this author. I already added this book to our book club list. I loved it so much.

*Thanks to Bookouture, NetGalley and Liz Lawler for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!*

There should be a warning that comes with this regarding spousal murder, sexual, emotional and physical abuse. If you can get past this, The Next Wife is a fantastic thriller with many windy roads and turn offs.

We are first introduced to Martha, who is an elderly woman, suffering from dementia. Every day she comes and looks at a house but we don't know why or what connection to the house. She is integral to the story, however, and we learn much more about her later.

Tess and Daniel have just gotten married after a whirlwind courtship. They have just moved out of London to a mansion in Bath, which comes fully furnished, though everything is quite dated. Immediately after moving in, Daniel's whole demeanor changes. He becomes Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Then, when a patient they have done surgery on falls ill, Daniel throws her under the bus, causing her to be suspended from her job as a Nurse. And so begins his slow grooming of her, including buying her clothes to wear and punishing her when she does not wear them.

I read this book in one sitting. It kept me mesmerized until the last sentence. Liz Lawler is a new Author to me and I am eager to read more of her books. If I had one suggestion, it would be to add in a few weeks of their courtship so we could see what Tess loved about Daniel because all the reader can see is why she should hate him.

Page-turning suspense with truly interesting twists! Liz Lawler does an excellent job of pulling you in and leading you down the path while dangling numerous carrots along the way - you can't figure the end until you get there and it all makes sense - it's definitely a satisfying treat when it comes. I'm a fan of the psychotic spouse type story lines, and many are typical, but this one definitely takes the plot and adds some new twists. The characters are well-developed and the story never drags - you want something you'll read in a day, go for it!

This is a decent psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep me entertained,
The ending was a little predicable but still enjoyable.
I’ll continue to read books by this author in future.

Most of the book felt predictable and way too detailed. a story of a woman in a bad relationship and someone trying to warn her about him. it did pick up towards the end with two twists that made it more interesting

I enjoyed this book a lot! It managed to have a twist that i didn’t see coming, which is getting rarer and rarer for me the more psychological thrillers I read. I was on the edge of my seat the whole book. My first Liz lawler book but definitely not my last. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

This is a great read! Truly intense and gripping. I was invested in the main character and so badly wanted her to escape the clutches of her controlling husband. I gasped at some of the things she had to endure under his grip. I would certainly recommend this book, and will be looking at more from this author.

Review on Amazon and my blog on Publication day.

After a whirlwind courtship, Tess and Daniel move from London to Bath. Tess has no friends - her closest friend is about to head off to Australia for her dream job. Until an elderly woman begins staring through her windows. At first she runs, but Martha lets slip a few secrets about Tess' new home.
In an effort to be less domestic, Tess gets a job at her husband's hospital - Daniel is a vascular surgeon while Tess is an OR nurse. After a tragic incident, Tess find herself homebound again. This time without her phone, bank card or a car. And Daniel has bought her a new wardrobe. New shoes. An etiquette book as well as diary listing her areas that need improvement.
Who is this man?
As a woman who lived with a narcissist, the author does a great job peeling away Tess' access to life via Daniel's control and behavior. She does a great job setting up Daniel as an amazing catch - and allowing his monster to show through.
Tess' reactions are realistic, frustrating and relatable. Honestly, I just wanted to stab Daniel through the entire book.
Great twists, Great plot movement and development. Great ending.

A domestic thriller about a seemingly perfect marriage that will leave you wondering what you really know about the people you love.

This book starts off with a bang in a gripping and terrifying scene. Certainly puts you on the edge of your seat from the get go. I am a huge fan of domestic thrillers with exciting twists, and this one was definitely just that. A pleasant bonus was the medical/hospital part...made me feel like I was watching an exciting medical drama (which I also love) in a few parts.

The story was wrapped up nicely and left me feeling satisfied. However, the middle of it got a little slow for me. Also, the main character was a little lacking in depth and gall that I wanted her to have. Jim and Martha were wonderful characters, though.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys domestic suspense thrillers. Perfect read for an October fall evening. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Liz Lawler for the opportunity to read this book.

I absolutely loved this book all the twists and turns it drew you in with the story which was believable I love to work out the ending of books but this one I couldn't some endings feel rushed but this one wasn't it was a really great ending I would definitely recommend this book!!