Wow, what an incredible story! I absolutely loved the locked-door mystery with the cruise as the setting. Valerie is undeniably a talented author. By infusing intense drama along with mystery and intrigue, she really brought this story to life!

A little about the book:

Natasha is over the moon when she meets Daniel. He's rich, handsome, and charming. Soon after they meet, they tie the knot! Natasha believes she's found her happily ever after; her friends not so much.

As if that wasn't wonderful enough, Natasha's excitement reaches new heights when Daniel suggests an all-expenses-paid cruise for her, her friends, and their husbands.

But once the ship sets sail, Natasha discovers Daniel isn't the perfect husband she thought he was.

This thrilling story keeps you hooked! What starts as a dream vacation quickly turns into a dangerous game of deceit and deadly intentions.

I loved the alternating characters' POVs. Also, everyone in the cast becomes a suspect. Towards the end, I thought I figured out what was going to happen but nope! Talk about making my jaw drop, fantastic job, Valerie.

Good friends, lies, deception, and betrayal are the perfect combination in this gripping, unpredictable thriller! Everyone has secrets and some are deadly. What is everyone hiding and could it possibly lead to murder? An exotic cruise is the perfect setting for intrigue, unexpected twists, and an addictive mystery. I loved every wicked minute. Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my copy.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

4.5 stars
A perfect popcorn thriller about four couples on a cruise, where each of them tries to hide a secret | Told from multiple POVs in a single timeline, the story is very fast paced and energetic | From page 1 you know that something bad is going to happen - the anticipation build up is intense | There were several twists, although none of them were completely shocking | This still made an amazing read that I highly recommend to any thriller lover | I will check out Valerie Keogh's other books

This review has been published on IG (@Nadineslovelybooks) and on Goodreads.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book from Valeria Keogh. She never disappoints. Tense and Suspenseful. Recommended.

This psychological thriller is about four friends, Natasha, Barbara, Tracy Ann, and Michele. Natasha was the last one of the group to marry, her husband is wealthy, so when he suggests that all the four couples go on a cruise as his treat, Natasha is pleased. The girls have been talking about going on a cruise for a while, so they all agree, but some more reluctantly than others. When one of the husbands dies during the cruise, friendships and relationships are tested, with secrets and deceptions coming to light.
There are lots of plot twists and turns, and I didn't see the ending coming. A great read. 5 stars.

The Wives is a quick psychological thriller that definitely has some interesting twists and turns. We are introduced to Natasha, Tracy Ann, Michele and Barbara, friends from college, who embark on a cruise to Zanzibar. That should be great, right? Except it seems that everyone has their own secrets and motivations that slowly start to come to light. When one of the husbands ends up dead, there are a lot of unanswered questions.

I think this one was just average for me. It was a fast paced book, and a quick read with an interesting story but it didn’t seem like there was a lot of character development. They weren’t relatable and for “friends” it just didn’t seem to line up. The multiple POV seemed a little disjointed and rushed. There wasn’t really any action until the book was almost over. The twists towards the end had me going, but it was really hard to get into for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Valerie Keogh for the eARC of The Wives in exchange for an honest review. You can look out for The Wives next week, 06 November 2024.

As always with Valerie Keogh books I felt immediately invested in the secrets and danger, very suspensful read.

This book was so good. It had so much drama and suspense. I had no idea it would end the way it did. Read it, you won’t be sorry!

This is a great psychological thriller.
Natasha is close to her three friends, Barbara, Michele and Tracy-Ann. They are all married except for her but then she meets Daniel.
Things move very quickly and soon he proposes to her. Natasha works hard at the hospital but lately has been struggling, so Daniel tells her to quit as he has enough money for both of them.
Natasha initially enjoys married life but then realises she needs more from life.
Daniel then suggests a cruise for all four couples which they all agree to, but Natasha can sense some hesitancy from her friends.
I won’t spoil what happens when they get on the ship, but be prepared for a few twists and turns.
This is a great read.
Thanks to Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Four best friends and their husbands go on a cruise together. The ladies have talked about going on a cruise for years, so what could go wrong?

Natasha and Daniel seem like the perfect couple, after a short engagement, they decide to treat their friends to an all expenses paid cruise. However is everything as perfect as it seems on the outside?

Barbara loves her husband, but since he retired she’s struggling to like him. Every day he lacks the motivation to leave the house and even shower some days. Will the cruise help save their marriage?

Tracey Ann needs more excitement in her life, more than her husband Blake can provide for her. Blake loves her and would do anything for Tracey Ann, but when he realises what she’s done, will he be able to forgive her?

Michele and Don are hiding something, and they are afraid that on this cruise all their secrets will come out. Will they be able to last the week without someone finding out their terrible truths?

I really loved how every time I read a chapter I had more questions, I really loved a book which makes me wonder and think (although I can never work out the mystery!). Valerie Keogh brilliantly writes this gripping story, with so many twists and turns it was hard to keep up! I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a mystery thriller.

Thank you to Valerie Keogh, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Daniel would take advantage of his own mother if there was something in it for him"

Meet Natasha, Tracy Ann, Michele and Barbara, four best friends who, together with their husbands, embark on the trip of a lifetime: a cruise to the Zanzibar archipelago. Sounds like a dream right? Well, the dream very quickly turns into a nightmare as secrets are slowly revealed, secrets that all seem to have something to do with Natasha's wealthy and super-charming new husband Daniel. What will happen, as they spend eight days together on a ship with nowhere to run?

I am afraid to say, this one didn't quite grip me as much as I hoped it would. Yes it is a quick read and yes, the descriptions of the cruise ship, the food, the drinks, the shows and entertainment, as well as the lush islands our characters explore together off ship had me looking forward to my own next cruise, the story, nor the characters could hold my attention much. It is only at about 55-60 % in the book that anything thrilly starts to happen. Before that point, we are reading the dragged out stories of four women, all unhappy with their lives one way or another and one even more unlikable than the next, who should have never been friends, or at least gone on this trip together, They easily blend together, keeping it hard to keep track of who is who, who is married to who, and what their specific issue was again. Once it finally does start going, it goes, and it goes fast, and it turns into more of the twisty plot I have gotten used to from Valerie Keogh.

I have loved reading previous works by Valerie Keogh, so I am really bummed that this one was only so-so. Onwards and forward to the next one though!

The Wives
by Valerie Keogh
Pub Date: Nov 06 2024

The Wives is a fast-paced psychological thriller that kept me eager to turn each page. Lots of secrets, twists, and layers of tension.

The story was told from all four women's ( Michele, Barbara, Tracy Ann and Natasha's ) viewpoints. Natasha is looking to be a trophy wife after a hard career as a nurse, and she finds her place with investor Daniel.. She can finally fit in amongst her friend's. Unfortunately Natasha quickly realizes she’s not in love with Daniel but the perks of being a wife, and trying to fit his perfect mold is not easy, especially since he seems to be ready to leave her (without funds) before their prenup’s payout terms come up. Knowing this Natasha and Daniel embark on a cruise, paying for her friends to join along with their husbands. Daniel is shady and that quickly emerges on the cruise, with each of Natasha’s friends hiding secrets about him that give a dark edge to their images as perfect wives.

Many thanks to #TheWives #NetGalley and #Boldwoodbooks for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

This book was a fast easy read for me. It's about 4 women that have been friends for many years. Things start to change when one friend meets and marries a charismatic man. While some things are made apparent early on. A few things figured out if reader pays attention. There are twists till the very end. If looking for an enjoyable fast paced easy who done it book. I suggest to give this one a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Book for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am definitely a fan of Valarie Keogh and she did not disappoint in this one. Natasha and Daniel are a wealthy couple who are living life and trying to have a baby. Daniel offers to take Natasha and her 3 best friends along with their husbands on an all expenses paid week long cruise. Even though the 3 besties don't particularly care for Daniel, each for their own personal reasons, they agree to this adventure. The trip goes great until one of the friends admits to kissing Daniel and Natasha is furious. As she tries to come to terms with this another devastating incident occurs that will change everyone's lives. I really liked this one and just when I thought all the twists were revealed along comes another that took me by surprise. Enjoy!!!

I want to say thank you to the author @valeriekeogh2 the publishers @theboldbookclub and @netgalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book.

This is my first book by Valerie and oh my life, what a corker to start my journey with!!!

The story is about a lady called Natasha who is an ICU Nurse manager and a Independant Financial Adviser called Daniel, who she meets, has a relationship with and eventually marries.

Natasha and Daniel decided to go on the holiday of a lifetime, an exotic cruise, with Natasha's 2 best friends and their husbands.

Writing this down, it all sounds straightforward, ordinary even. But, don't be fooled. This book is full of secrets, lies and deceit with an ending that no one could predict!

My favourite line from this book is... "There's only 1 way to deal with monsters, cut off their heads"

#TheWives #valeriekeough #boldwoodbooks #arc #ebook #bookreview #NetGalley

This gripping thriller had me hooked from the first page. The author's masterful storytelling and suspenseful plot kept me guessing until the very end with its complex characters and shocking twists, The Wives is a must-read for fans of dark, suspenseful fiction.

Synopsis:

Lies, secrets, deadly decisions…

When Natasha meets Daniel, she knows her life is made. Rich, handsome and charming, Daniel will make the perfect husband. Even if she won’t make the perfect wife…

She is thrilled when Daniel suggests an all-expenses paid cruise for Natasha, her friends, Barbara, Tracy Ann and Michelle, and their husbands. What better way to show everyone that Natasha has finally made it?

But as the ship sets sail, she learns that far from being the perfect husband, Daniel has terrible secrets that are about to be revealed. And each of the wives has their own reasons for wanting him dead.

This trip might cost more than any of them ever imagined…



Review:

This was an absolute page turner from start to finish. Loved the author writing style which kept me hooked from the first chapter. I was definitely on the edge of my seat the entire read. Overall a good thriller and I would recommend picking up The Wives publishing in November 2024. 


Thanks for the ARC Netgalley and Boldwood Books

-Val

Loved it!! Definitely gripped me from the first chapter. If you get the chance to read you won't be disappointed. Gonna be following this author for more releases x

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for allowing me to read this early.I couldn’t put it down and kept having to read just one more chapter.This kept me guessing until the end and tied up all the loose ends.

Wow! An excellent psychological thriller that starts with a web of twists, turns, lies, schemes, nobody can be trusted. I thought Daniel was the monster but.... Your own friends can't be trusted. Sad but true.... Or should I rather say some friends cannot be trusted. Just when I thought there's loyalty among friends, then there isn't. Loved the book!