Book Review for His Hidden Wife by Wendy Clarke
Full review for this title can be found at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

Another winner from author Wendy Clarke! This story is punctuated with unreliable characters who are deeply flawed. There is a truth under it all but getting to it is a twisting and turning road that will give you a wild ride!

An edge of your seat unpredictable thriller. Makes you question who is telling the truth and what is the truth really.. A father trying to do the best for his daughter or is he...Really enjoyed the drama of it all.. This is my first book by Wendy Clarke and it definitely won't be the last.

Thank you netgalley & bookouture for this arc

I liked the gothic feel of this book with a father (Stephen) and daughter (Maya) living in the cliffside home where their wife/mother (Cheryl) fell/jumped to her death. But the story I had in my head was different from the book, based on the book title and description. The book started out slow as the back story was laid out - the dead wife, the protective daughter (or is it the protective father - each believing they are shielding the other). Then there is the psychologist/friend Theresa, who is having a melt down of her own over her supposedly abusive relationship (we never really find out until the end). Then Amy is introduced as Stephen's new love interest, but she looks so much like her mom that Maya starts to question what really happened to her mom. Because her Dad, also a behavioral therapist, has manipulated her memories, she can't be sure what is the truth, what is a memory, and what is a false memory. This had the makings of a good book, but I was already frustrated with the characters by the time the twists and good stuff started to happen.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advance reader's copy for review.

His Hidden Wife is a fantastic psychological thriller that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I was on the edge of my seat throughout and had no suspicion on how the book was going to end but I loved the way it did!
I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Secrets! This story is full of them.
A twisty tale where I couldn't get the ending. Not even on the last page.
An excellent well written story that keeps the reader guessing.
I am off to find other books by this author!

A psychological thriller with some family drama about a mother’s death and it’s repercussions on her daughter and husband.

Maya was only six years old when her mother died. She has always lived with her Dad, Stephen, in the family home but her memories of her mother are sparse and her Dad doesn’t like to talk about it.

One day Stephen introduces Maya to Amy, his new girlfriend. With Amy in the house suddenly Maya starts to feel uneasy. Amy looks remarkably like her mother and little things Amy does start to remind Maya of her Mum. Is it just a coincidence ?

This is a great psychological thriller with plenty of family secrets. I did find the beginning to be a little slow but it soon picks up the pace with plenty of twists to keep you engaged. I did quite like Maya but didn’t really warm to any of the other characters but if you love some family drama you will love this.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

His Hidden Wife by Wendy Clarke is a thriller about Maya and her dad Stephen. Maya's mom died many years ago, and Stephen always tells Maya how wonderful she was and how much her mom loved her. But one day, Stephen brings home his new girlfriend Amy, and Amy looks and acts very similarly to Maya's memories of her mom. So, Maya starts asking questions, and some secrets are revealed. This story had some good twists, and I enjoyed it! Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Maya was just six years old when she witnessed her mother plunge to her death on the cliffs near their house. But there are some things Maya has never forgotten: that her mother was beautiful and kind, and she loved Maya very much. It’s what her father Stephen always tells her, about his perfect wife.

Years later, Stephen introduces Maya to his new girlfriend Amy, and Maya starts to feel uneasy. With her soft dark hair and big blue eyes, Amy looks just like Maya’s mother. The more time they spend together the more Maya notices just how similar they are.

Maya begins to wonder what really happened to her mother. Whether there was really an accident at all?

I loved the cover and the premise was intriguing, so I did have high expectations.

The plot was well narrated but it was definitely slow paced. The side plot involving Stephen's colleague, Teresa, was interesting and added an extra element of suspense to the plot.

However, I could not really understand or connect with any of the characters, especially Maya. Her reason for not going to college so as to take care of her dad (who is a therapist himself!) did not make any sense. And I did not love any of the other characters to care much about them.

It was mainly the twists and the creepiness in the plot, that held my interest right till the end. Also, the suspense over what had happened on the day Maya’s mother died is maintained right till the last.

So, overall an enjoyable read which does keep you guessing about the wife till the end!

If you want a book that’s going to keep you gripped, then read this psychological thriller! More twists and turns than a fairground and kept me guessing.

Also I predicted the wrong ending to this book and I love when that happens. Definitely a 5 star from me!

#bookouture #wendyclarke #netgalley #bookstagramshaz #thriller #psychological

#netgalley thanks for allowing me to read the ARC

https://www.instagram.com/Bookstagramshaz

Wendy Clarke’s latest novel, “His Hidden Wife” is a masterful tale of psychological suspense that will leave the reader guessing until the very end. Ms. Clarke created characters that encompassed many layers of their personalities that lent to extraordinary storytelling of more than one family tragedy. This is a must read for those that like to try to figure out a story before the author reveals the full meaning. I was given an advanced copy of this book, and all of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Their family was perfect. A loving mother, a hard working and living husband and father, and a happy six year old girl. Until mom dies, now there are two. Two somewhat happy people. They are both missing a certain presence. The girl can only remember a few things from that fateful day. She remembers her father picking her up. She doesn't remember much about her mother. She knows that she died when she fell off the cliff. Now she knows she needs to take care of her father.
This is one of the most twisty psychological thrillers I have read in a long time. It's like a maze! You go one way thinking you've figured out the storyline, and BAM! You're totally wrong.
Great story and characters!!!

Wendy Clarke is one of the authors that I found in the last year or so and all her books have a way of not being able to leave down and once I saw it on Netgalley, I requested it straight away and just like the rest, certainly didn’t disappoint. I love a book where I’m surprised by the ending . My only regret was actually finishing the story and hoping that Maya does go on to leave everything behind her. I only wish I could leave more than 5 stars.

His Hidden Wife by Wendy Clarke is a psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. Maya’s mother died several years ago in an accident maya remembers nothing about. She has lived with her psychologist father, Stephen, and is afraid to live her life and leave him alone. Then we have Amy who is Stephen’s new love interest and Theresa who works with Stephen but has always had hidden feelings for him. When I thought I had it figured out, something new would come out and prove that I was wrong. Great thriller!

The story is centered primarily on Maya, whose mother tragically fell from the cliffs near their home when she was only 6 years old. Now 18, she has been taking care of her dad, Stephen, and enjoying their isolated lifestyle, when he suddenly shows up with a new love, Amy, who looks just like Maya's dead mother. With her help, Maya starts to remember fragments from the past, but they don’t match her father’s version of what actually took place. It makes Maya wonder what he is hiding and why. She’s always protected him, but doubts begin to rise if she should fear him instead?

This story had a lot of twists and turns, unpredictable and exciting. I think it's worth reading and has an interesting storyline, but it is a slow burn for much of the book.

I would like to thank Wendy Clarke, Bookouture, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Summary:
Well written, with a unique plot. Started out as a slow burn in the beginning, but ended with an exciting ending.

I still can't make up my mind about this book,i enjoyed it but it seemed to tail off towards the end and it got a bit muddled so for me it spoilt an otherwise good read.Maya lost her mum when she was six and although she was there she can't remember anything about the accident,her dad refuses to discuss with her what happened and when Maya discovers her dad has been married before it only fuels Maya's doubts about her dad and what occurred in the past.And Teresa her dads partner in the clinic they both share as therapists has secrets to hide also and when Amy appears has Maya's dads new girlfriend things start to get interesting for all of them,I wouldn't say it had me gripped and turning the pages quickly but The Hidden Wife is a decent enough read and i would recommend this book for fans of this genre,a good 3 star read.

What a great, twisty read this was I loved every page and all the characters were well developed and the story line kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

It was a well written book which I can thoroughly recommend and a very worthy five stars from me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Not really for me,characters wishy washy and unlikeable and how many troubled psychologists can there be?
Have enjoyed this authors books in the past and so look forward to the next

His Hidden Wife was an interesting read. It's very well written and I loved how the story could be taken as Maya's story of losing her mother to an accident (or was it really an accident??) at a young age and being raised by her father or Teresa's story of unrequited love, of keeping silent to protect the man she's loved for years. It's told from the POV of both these women. Lots of suspense and twists! And speaking of twist, that ending?!?! To die for!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Wendy Clarke - 4 stars for a twisty psychological thriller!

Maya lives alone with her behavioral therapist father, Stephen, at the top of a cliff - the same cliff where her mother died from a fall when Maya was 6 years old. Maya feels responsible to make sure Stephen is taken care of so she gives up her dream of becoming a doctor to stay home, working as an aide at a nursing home instead. But when Stephen brings home a woman for the first time and she looks remarkably like Maya's mother, Maya begins to wonder what really happened that night so many years ago. She knows Stephen is keeping secrets but what are they?

In alternating chapters, we hear from Teresa, a therapist in Stephen's practice who has secretly been in love with him for years. Teresa has her own issues - an abusive marriage, an out-of-control son, and a mother slipping into dementia.

This was a solid read that kept you guessing as to what all the secrets were that everyone was hiding. The story was well written and really put you into the atmosphere where the remote, cliffside setting added to the suspense. It was also an interesting look into behavior therapy as it pertains to memory.