This was a doozy of a thriller. This book follows Natalie and Olivia two women with connections to Lucas Hansen a teacher at an elementary school. Natalie knew Lucas 20 years ago and Olivia is married to him now. Lucas has groomed many young teens and Natalie is determined to not let it happen ever again. Natalie is also dealing with her daughter's father who is in jail and little things keep happening hinting that he may be out and looking for her as well. The writing in this book felt a little 'jagged' at times or kind of immature, but the story was interesting enough. It all wrapped up a bit too nicely for me and was definitely off the wall, but I can see many people liking the conclusion. If you like Freida McFadden I think you'd enjoy this. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

The Innocent Wife is a very good domestic noir that embodies the manipulation of one person against another while uncovering buried secrets.
Olivia appears to have it all: a beautiful home, an attentive and charming husband Lucas and, on the surface, a perfect life. That is until Natalie, her husband's new colleague, enters the story which is told from three points of view. This is a page turner with plenty of twists and turns and, although the characters are generally unlikeable, it does not in any way detract from the plot. Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Overall, my reading experience with this book was positive. Objectively, it was a well crafted story, however, I personally didn’t gel with the writing style and it felt quite repetitive in parts. This book is a great domestic thriller with some truly suspenseful and nightmarish moments, but there wasn’t really a ‘plot twist’ moment for me, so I would advise going into this book not expecting one.

Thanks to the Storm publishing (one of my favorite publishers) and Netgalley for this eARC.

Sally Royer-Derr's "The Innocent Wife" is not your typical domestic thriller. It's a masterfully crafted exploration of the insidious nature of manipulation, the fragility of trust, and the devastating consequences of buried secrets.

This story centers around Olivia, a woman who appears to have it all: a charming husband, a beautiful home, and a seemingly idyllic life. But beneath the surface of her perfect marriage lies a web of deceit that begins to unravel when she encounters Natalie, her husband's new colleague.

Royer-Derr's writing is sharp and suspenseful, drawing the reader into Olivia's world and slowly revealing the cracks in her carefully constructed reality. The narrative skillfully shifts between perspectives, offering glimpses into the minds of both Olivia and Natalie, adding layers of complexity to the already intriguing plot.

What sets this book apart is its exploration of the psychological dynamics at play. The author delves into the subtle ways in which manipulation can erode one's sense of self, leaving the victim questioning their own sanity. It's a chilling portrayal of how easily trust can be betrayed and the lasting impact it can have on those involved.

"The Innocent Wife" is a thought-provoking examination of the dark side of human relationships. It will leave you questioning the nature of innocence and the lengths people will go to protect their secrets.

Wow! This book had me hooked from the 1st page. I couldn't put it down, I kept finding time to sneak in a chapter here and there throughout my work day just to read it faster! It covers a lot of domestic abuse and grooming of minors, but in a graceful way that still leans towards realistic and relatable. You really grow to hate Lucas with a passion. A master manipulator and narcisstic pedo. The climax at the end of the book was fast and intense. The twist had me shocked! And who doesn't love a happy ending? This book had me in tears at the end. I was so happy to read that the characters had a positive turnaround after such an intense jam-packed book filled with secrets and abuse.

This was the first novel I read by Sally Royer-Derr. I really enjoyed this thriller. It was definitely unputdownable. "In this house, love and betrayal sleep side by side..."

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advanced copy!

Once I sat down with this book I couldn't put it down! There were so many twists in this book that made it hard to put down! I read it in almost one sitting. I really enjoyed the authors writing style as they pulled me into the story very quickly! The ending had me gasp out loud, I thought I had it figured out. I love when that happens!

If you're looking for a domestic thriller, check it out! It's full of mystery, twists and secrets. Very fast paced!

This book was a slow burn but don’t let that stop you because there is a reason for it. It gives time to build some to some crazy twists. Thank you Netgalley, Storm Publishing and the author Sally Royer-Derr for the advanced copy.

This is a story told in three POV's which I found a bit confusing. Description sounded very good but I didnt enjoy it as much as I had hoped too. Only and OK read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

Natalie has a position in her daughters school and meets lucas who is married to olivia. Natalie previously knew lucas as he was her teacher who groomed her as a teenager and now lucas has his sights on another teenage girl. all the while Lucas's wife olivia knows something is going on but cant quite figure out what it is.
Its a story told from 3 different points of view and the story moves quite quickly.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy for an honest review.

This book wasn’t bad but it wasn’t my favorite either. Some of the characters I could not get into and just disliked them.

The storyline was decent but I do feel there are some parts that could have been better.

This book didnt deliver at all. Such a shame. I nearly put it down many times but I did finish it feeling very unsatisfied. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Women who were victims of the same predatory man develop a friendship. Then they develop a plan.

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I so enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. I could not put it down. I was in shock of some of the twists in this book. I would definitely recommend this book.

This was a quick page-turner of a domestic thriller. I found the storyline easy to follow and engaging...maybe a little too easy? I found it to be somewhat on a YA level with the dialogue and plot. The story itself was intriguing...a coach preying on young girls, past tragedies, poor choices, relationships gone bad, and more. It was just a little too predictable for me. If you're into a fast little thriller with a group of mostly unlikable characters behaving badly, this might fit the bill for you.
Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

I found myself at the edge of my seat devouring each page the entire time. A very good, fast paced thriller and I can’t wait to recommend this to friends. The story was well written and each character had the perfect level of development and backstory to make the book that much better. Thank you so much to Netgalley, Sally Royer-Derr and Storm Publishing for this ARC!

I binged this so there was enough suspense to hook me but I also feel like sometimes there was some confusion. Like when Natalie was so sure someone had been in her house, why wouldn’t she call the police? She had a child and lived near a school. She was so quick to talk herself out of it and someone who had a double history of assault and was on such high alert likely would not. There were also several coincidences that lined up which sometimes make a fiction book fiction but in this one things just felt a little jumbled at times. There were several things that were great like Haley’s storyline (her family and the principal’s reactions), Olivia standing up for herself and Jake (minus the “mom” scenario).

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Storm Publishing for my DRC.

It makes me sad to give less than three stars, but I didn't enjoy anything about this novel. There are just so many books out there to choose from in this genre and many are much more compelling and interesting. There was just so much inner dialogue and much of it was repetitive. There were lots of coincidences in the plot which made it unbelievable. The main characters were not likeable and they didn't seem to make any progress. Some details regarding daily life were unnecessary yet other details were missing which left some of the story feeling disjointed.

This is another thriller by Sally Royer-Derr. It involves 3 main characters, Natalie, a single mother and special education teacher; Lucas, another teacher at the school who had an illicit affair with Natalie when she was under age; and Olivia, Lucas' wife, who also started her relationship with Lucas when she was underage.

The suspense builds throughout the book because there is another character in the book but he is hiding in the shadows. As Natalie's relationship with Olivia grows, Olivia's relationship with Lucas is peeled open for examination.

The ending was not as illuminating as I had expected. There were a lot of coincidences, and some mistakes made by Natalie that I don't think were consistent with the character. But overall, a good read. I will continue to read books by Sally Royer-Derr because I enjoy her stories.

Olivia and Natalie and a mystery "Him" narrate this book, which is a cat and mouse type of mystery. They become friends, realize they have more in common than they initially believe, and join forces to help another. It's an intense and intriguing story, but I had a hard time engaging with the characters. I still enjoyed it.