This was a decent read and entertaining in parts, but ultimately a letdown. I struggled to connect with the main character, who came across as quite frustrating, and I felt the story lacked the necessary backstory and character development to make me care more.
The writing is easy to get through and was super bingeable. It just ended up feeling a bit flat and shallow overall.

All relationships are bound to have problems.
This story left me with mixed emotions. I’m sure it had something of importance to tell and I either missed it or it wasn’t properly delivered. I’m not sure why Zuzu is so hung up on Cash, who is an absolute douche and lets her know from day one he’s not the best person. I don’t really understand Zuzu’s grief about her father’s death, although grief is complicated. I’m left wondering about the ending, I think of Agnes and Heidi and I ponder the reason behind Zuzu’s and Noel’s relationship and their encounters. This book says so much and yet says nothing all at once.
I think imagining what if scenarios and wondering about a life you never had is definitely something all people partake in, however I can’t be certain that a story like this, where a woman in a lesbian relationship is yearning for a man was needed. It is only my opinion and it is not to say that feeling this is invalid or people shouldn’t feel this way, I simply felt it was sort of tacky especially considering Cash wasn’t any better than Agnes. Perhaps it wasn’t Cash Zuzu loved, but an idea of him and their future she’d imagined. Neither Agnes, Cash nor Zuzu are perfect, perhaps not even necessary good people. And that what makes them all human, what makes them feel real and yet so distant because you as a reader keep wondering why they made the choices they did. These characters are hard to understand because life and people are complex. Nothing is ever black or white, people and their relationships are confusing and perhaps that’s the beauty of life.
I’m sure there will be plenty of people who will love this book and its characters.

Sadly, this wasn't one for me. I read the whole book, quite quickly, hoping its point would reveal itself, but instead, I finished feeling puzzled and deeply unsatisfied.

This book felt intimate throughout, it almost made you want to climb inside and have a conversation with Zuzu, the main character, to untangle the experiences and decisions of their life, to make sense of how they got where they are.
They are married to Agnes, and reflecting on their college years and friendship with Cash, the man they were in love with then ~ this real sense of moving back and forth, as if through Zuzu's mind and memories, is prevalent through the book and it almost feels cruel that the reader can see the missed opportunities, the projections, the needs, the unsaid words and they aren't able to ratify any of it with Zuzu herself.
I really loved this book, I read it in a few days and it kept me hooked which I think is a feat for a story that is so internally driven, rather than surprising in nature.

Dear publisher.
I inadvertently put a review to The Other Wife which I had written about another book. I haven’t yet read The Other Wife but will return to review once completed. I can’t submit this form to you without a star rating, therefore have awarded four stars which could be amended once I’ve completed this book.

Zuzu is almost forty and unhappy in her marriage to Agnes, even though she has the dream life, the lovely home, the child… she spends time reminiscing about her past, her friends, her relationships, and wondering about different paths.

The book is well written and flows nicely but I found myself getting frustrated on so many occasions. I wanted to shake Zuzu and get her to speak honestly to Agnes ~ who’s addicted to her legal career and doing well ~ but instead it’s all introspection and ‘might have been’.

I was given a copy of the book by NetGalley

This was an interesting concept exploring sexuality with different romantic interests and live events that intersect with each other. I loved the representation that was contained in this book!

The Other Wife is a quiet and thoughtful novel that follows Zuzu, a woman who seems to have it all, a nice house, a child, and a successful partner, but still feels unhappy in her life and marriage. As the story goes on, we see her look back at her past and try to understand how she got to where she is.

The book is very well written, with smooth and elegant language. It focuses more on feelings and character development than on a fast-moving plot. The emotional depth and reflective tone make it a good choice for readers who enjoy slow, character-driven stories.

That said, I didn’t always feel pulled to keep reading. As a mood reader, I sometimes had to push myself to continue, even though I liked the story. Also, the ending felt a bit unsatisfying, which took away some of the enjoyment for me.

Still, I think this book is worth reading—especially for those who enjoy calm, introspective stories about life, change, and personal growth. Just don’t expect big twists or fast action.

The Other Wife is a book that leaves you wanting and needing more, much like the FMC. Zuzu, the FMC, is an interesting character to read about. I liked how the author moved between timelines to show different aspects of her life and story. This is a bit like sliding doors, where do our different choices take us. I enjoyed the contemplation and character exploration. Zuzu was frustrating me at times but I like a book that gets me stressed. The read is very bingeable. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

ARC

This was on track for a 4-5* from the first chapter. A beautifully crafted series of vignettes that could have stood on their own but put together weaved a story of intense longing and depth that I couldn’t put down.

I got to the end and couldn’t believe it was over. I was left wanting so so much more from these characters, which is often a positive, but here I just felt dissatisfied. I was expecting some big climax or conclusion that I just didn’t get.

I’m so sad because other than that it was stunning and I loved every word. Will definitely read other work by the author but just wish I could find out what happened next!!?

Absolutely — thanks for the correction about Susan! Here’s the longer review rewritten in a more natural, flowing tone with UK English:


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The Other Wife by Jackie Thomas-Kennedy is a quiet, thoughtful novel that gently explores what happens when your life takes an unexpected turn — and how you begin to piece things back together.

With Zuzu, at first, it’s a bit tricky to connect with her — she’s closed off, a bit adrift — but as the book goes on, she’s carefully and gradually developed. You start to really feel for her, understand her reactions, and see how much is going on beneath the surface.

Jackie Thomas-Kennedy’s writing style is flowing and captivating. It doesn’t shout for attention — instead, it draws you in quietly, with beautiful, subtle prose.

One of the most striking things about it is the idea that lingers throughout: what if I’d gone left instead of right? That sense of wondering about the life you might have had, the choices you didn’t make — it’s both relatable and a little haunting.

If you enjoy slow, introspective stories that focus more on feelings than fast-moving plots, The Other Wife is definitely worth a read. It’s tender, honest, and quietly powerful.

The Other Wife by Jackie Thomas-Kennedy is an excellently written, contemplative novel. We follow Zuzu who, on the outside, looks to have the perfect life with a beautiful home, child, and a successful parter. But Zuzu is unsatisfied with her life and marriage, which leads her to look back at her life and the choices that led her to where she is today.

Zuzu really grew on me throughout the book and I loved how rich her inner world was. All of the characters felt like fully fleshed out and real people.

My biggest complaint is that the ending didn't feel very satisfying which unfortunately dampened my enjoyment a bit.

If you prefer plot heavy books this likely wont interest you, but I definitely recommend this to people who enjoy slow-paced character driven stories.

This was an ok read. Enjoyable at times, but disappointing by the end. I found the main character quite irritating and didn't feel an awful lot of sympathy for her, I felt like there needed to be a lot more backstory and development of the characters. Still, it's easy to read and has bingeable qualities. Just felt a bit flat by the end and lacking in depth.

Beautiful writing, a wonderfully complicated central character - not unlikeable but also not straightforward. This book felt dreamy in the way it drifts back and forth in time as Zuzu reflects and figures things out, and all the relationships are drawn with complexity and compassion

This was okay - it's well written and interesting. But I didn't feel much sympathy for ZuZu, and the ending was far too abrupt.

With thanks to netgalley.com, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Centered around Zuzu, this is a story of present dissatisfaction, love and the loss that comes from missed opportunities. Zuzu is looking back on her life, from the perspective of an apparently happy marriage with Agnes. Agnes is successful and rather self absorbed while Zuzu is homemaker and mother, both to their small child and, arguably, to Agnes herself. She is beset by a sense that while she has chosen one path, there were times in her life when she could have made very different decisions and her life might now be quite different.

Over the course of an intensely lived few days she explores some of these options while realising that Agnes might be at a rather similar place in her own life.

Well written, intense and challenging, this novel is based on a train of thought that, I imagine, many of us explore but fail to act upon in the way Zuzu does. Really interesting and enjoyable.

*The Other Wife* by Jackie Thomas Kennedy is a gripping drama that explores themes of identity, love, and the complexities of marriage. The story follows Zuzu, who, on the surface, has an enviable life—a beautiful home, a child, and a successful partner. However, beneath it all, she begins to sense a growing disconnect in her marriage to Agnes, prompting her to question the choices that led her here.

It took me a while to get into this book, as the pacing in the early chapters is very slow. However, once the story gained momentum, I found myself drawn into the characters and the emotional aspect of Zuzu’s journey.

Overall, *The Other Wife* is a beautifully written, contemplative novel. If you enjoy stories that explore the complexities of human connection, this one is worth the read—just be patient with the slow build-up.

Told with a mixture of flashbacks and present day narratives, we piece together where Zuzu is now and the opportunities that fell away along the way. Gentle, exploring time with, at times, a lyrical prose.

I love a good flawed character with a rich inner world and this book delivers on that front. Zuzu (Susan) is a forty-year-old bisexual woman who is married to a workaholic lawyer (Agnes) and has a young son she loves but her main need is to be desired and after many years of marriage and Agnes' actual personality, she feels like she made the wrong decisions at every turn.

Zuzu is dissatisfied with her life and her choices. She's a lawyer but never practices or passed the bar, a mother and homemaker but is suffocated by the chores and caretaking she must do to take care of her wife and son and is constantly wondering if she made the right choice when confronted by past (and somewhat ongoing) infatuation with her uni best friend, James "Cash" Cashel.

If you're a person who prefers plot-heavy books, this is likely not going to interest you, but if you enjoy watching imperfect people navigate dissatisfaction with their life and choices and slowly come to terms with understanding themselves and their lives, this will interest you.

I understand what this book is trying to convey and some of the phrasing was lovely but for me it fell flat. There was so much more depth that could have been added, such as the Zuzu's relationship with her son and more background on her relationship with Agnes. The characters were frustrating and annoyingly immature - you just wanted to say 'talk to each other!' It just didn't feel that believable. There wasn't a huge amount that happened either and what did happen wasn't explained for example, where did Agnes go that night at Heidi's? Was she with Heidi?
Then, suddenly without warning, I came to the acknowledgements page - a very dissatisfying ending.