(3.5 stars) Wow! I wasn’t sure where this book was going when it started, but we sure found out. It had many twists and turns I didn’t see coming. Mary, Tim, and Martha were complex characters and there was more than meets the eye for these Southern Baptists. The narrator was clear and concise. Story was easy to follow. However, it did have a slump in the middle of the story where it almost lost me. I do feel the story could have been shorter. (I listened to this book as an audio ARC)

I did NOT see this book coming, not what I expected at all! 🤯

This was such a quick, keep you on your toes read. It had me hooked from the very beginning! I will definitely read more from this author, thank you so much for this ALC!

The Pastor’s Wife is a psychological thriller packed with twists and turns! I couldn’t stop listening and definitely didn’t see the ending coming.

The book was narrated by Stephanie Cannon and Patricia Rodriguez. I enjoyed the dual narration, which made it easy to distinguish between the two main characters.

Publication Date- Jun 16 2025
#ThePastorsWife #NetGalley

I enjoyed this book a lot. The shock twists at the end had me unsuspected! It did drag a bit in the middle and could have been shorter - it felt very long for a thriller.

Martha is new to Whitney Falls. But so are the smooth and charming Pastor Tim and his wife Mary. Mary and Tim had moved from town to town, but had finally found a home in Whitney Falls. From the outside looking in Tim and Mary’s marriage seemed idyllic, but it wouldn’t take long for Martha to see the cracks in their marriage.

The rapid friendship that developed between Martha and Mary was about to face significant challenges. With each of them harboring pasts they’d rather keep hidden, the narrative takes on a sinister tone. This book might have been a tale of secrets and lies, but it turned out to be far more intricate, making it an enthralling read from beginning to end.

As an avid audiobook listener, Stephanie Cannon and Pat Rodriguez were unfamiliar to me as narrators. However, I believe they both delivered exceptional performances in capturing the captivating voices of Martha and Mary. This added an extra layer of intrigue to the unfolding narrative. LynDee Walker was also a new name to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed my first encounter with what I hope will be a series of captivating books in the future.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

An interesting novel set in an area / community type I'm completely unfamiliar with, that of a small, seemingly insular Bible town in the American Southern States.

The start of the audiobook showed great promise and the narration was very good throughout. It had me hooked from the beginning.

For me, however, after about halfway I found the plot line increasingly unbelievable and a lot of repetition. If I'm totally honest, had this not have been an audiobook I would probably have given up on this after the cleaning scene at the motel which was fantastical, what Martha can achieve in a couple of hours is amazing.

As far as I am concerned anyone who can be disciplined enough to write a novel and get it published gets 5☆ for that alone. My (completely subjective) opinion here though is that the early feeling of foreboding which was so apparent at the start was lost later on.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was very much appreciated.

This one started out strong but then just dragged from about halfway. I found the majority of characters Mary and Tim especially irritating and dislikable. Martha for me was the only really likeable character. The small town theme and the dialogue was a little cringe. The twists and turns seemed a little forced and not overly engaging. The last 1/4 was engaging if a little drawn out and iseemed like it came out of nowhere. This one didn’t work for me at all.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen and review #ThePastorsWife

⭐️⭐️⭐️½ – Compelling Narration with Dark Twists

I had the chance to listen to an advance audiobook copy of The Pastor’s Wife by Lyndee Walker, releasing June 16.

The narrators were excellent — their performance gave me Ginny & Georgia vibes with that mix of charm, drama, and darker undertones. They really elevated the story and made it easy to stay hooked.

The plot is twisty and emotionally layered, with some parts that were a little predictable, which is why I landed at 3.5 stars. Still, it kept me engaged and delivered some genuinely surprising moments.

⚠️ Trigger warning: I won’t spoil the plot by naming them, but this book touches on some intense themes that could be distressing for some listeners. A heads-up for readers would be appropriate.

If you’re into domestic thrillers with secrets, lies, and complex female characters — this one’s worth checking out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC audiobook.
Holy moly! What a wild book,!
I listened in one day because I literally could not stop!
Just when you think you know what's going on, a new surprise pops up.
No one is as they seem. NO ONE!
The narration is very good!
I highly recommend this to everyone!

This was… not great. The plot was a mess—way too much going on, and I’m still not 100% clear on what EXACTLY happened. The author attempted to flesh out the characters, but it was largely unsuccessful—not one believable character, and if I have to read one more thing about Martha’s huge honkers or how she’s great at “blending into the background” … Wild twists with no red herrings. A laughable ending. This was a poor attempt at another Gone Girl.

Well, this story did a great job of twisting around until I did not know how it was going to end, who would still be alive, and where they are going to end up. Switching between Mary and Martha, it was really hard to stop listening as secrets come to light, lies told, accidents and murders. For sure this book shows that nobody is perfect, not even a pastor, and darkness hides very well behind a smile and good deeds. I can't say too much but it does end very differently than it started and is quite the journey for Martha and Mary, both working to protect themselves, keep secrets from being told, and trying to find a home in the little town of Whitney Falls away from past selves.

I really enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook. The narrators did a wonderful job in bringing both Martha and Mary to life and kept me interested in finding out what is hiding behind the perfect facade of Pastor Tim and his wife Mary. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to listen to this audiobook.

Well that was a gripping ride to Whitney Falls! A southern US small town where things are definitely not as outward appearances would suggest.
The characters are complex but well-developed and I’m still not sure whose dark, hidden secrets are the worst!

The audio narration superbly conveys the character emotions and the building of plot intensity. A novel filled to the brim with psychological suspense that has left me pondering who I should feel sympathy towards and whose greed and dishonesty is the most shocking!

I received an audio copy of this book from the publisher, Bookouture. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my audiobook. The narration expertly brought the story to life. The beginning was strong with a unique premise and well-developed characters. I was intrigued and interested in discovering the secrets as the story unfolded. The plot did slightly drag in the last half and some of the twists were somewhat predictable. All in all, it was an enjoyable quick listen.

I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological dramatic thriller by Lyndee Walker. The way this was written went extremely well with the narration both flowed well together Stephanie Cannon and Patricia Rodriguez both done an absolutely outstanding job together in delivery of this audiobook. They were able to capture the audience from beginning to end bringing all characters to life enabling you to envision exactly the words that were being described; a fantastic piece of work all round. The storyline also had a few twists and turns itself which added to the overall experience!

Mary who is married to Pastor Tim moves to a new town seems to be a delightful pastors wife with no fiends of her own moving to a new town she has to make some and of course she has a reputation to uphold being the pastors wife. It isn’t long before she meets Martha the local checkout girl and they become friends in amongst this storyline we meet various other characters with a lot of fast paced plot and without spoilers its difficult to really say much more than these 2 women begin a journey together that leads them on self discovery and learning of others and each other in ways they don’t quite anticipate!

With much gratitude and thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ELC I return for an open honest review 🙏🏽📚🎧❤️ With Best Wishes for publication on June 16th 2025!

I listened to The Pastor’s Wife by LynDee Walker on audiobook and really enjoyed it! The narration pulled me in right away, and the story had such a creepy, slow-burn vibe. It follows a woman who moves to a small town and gets caught up in the lives of the local pastor and his picture-perfect wife—but things aren’t as perfect as they seem. The suspense kept building, and the twist at the end totally delivered. A quick, chilling listen that had me hooked from start to finish!

Really enjoyed this twisty thriller. Held my interest and kept me wondering who was up to what. Not everyone is actually who they seem to be. Great narration and writing.

2.75 🌟

The Pastor's Wife is told in alternating POVs and timelines. I liked it initially, but it got confusing, especially at the end. Things ramp up there, and I got a little lost in the back-and-forth. Unfortunately, I didn't really care for either main character. Martha has little personality, and Mary is so sweet, you'll get a cavity. The book had plenty of twists, but this one just didn't land with me.

The audiobook is narrated by Stephanie Cannon and Patricia Rodriguez, who alternate voices for Martha and Mary. The narration was decent, but I found the male voices annoying.

Recommended for readers of twisty mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC.

A dark and twisted story of secret motives, what hides behind the facade of perfection, and the blurred boundaries between saint and sinner. Set in the fictional town of Whitney Falls, told through dual POV.

The narration by Stephanie Cannon and Patricia Rodriguez really had me hooked and depicted the separate characters so that I was never confused by which perspective I was hearing. Filled with psychological tension, this thrilling story kept me captivated right to the dramatic conclusion.

With thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy, in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first story I have read by LynDee Walker, and has me intrigued to read her previous books.

I enjoyed this audiobook. The story was good and had several twists. I wish that the ending were different. The narrator was very good and I enjoyed her as well.

I had the opportunity to read The Pastor's Wife: A Totally Gripping Psychological Thriller Packed with Twists by LynDee Walker, and it was an engaging and fast-paced read. The story follows a new pastor and his office assistant as they become entangled in a string of recent disappearances and strange occurrences in their small town.

What really stood out for me was the final third of the book—this is where everything ramped up and the twists really started to land. Walker’s writing is sharp, and she does a great job building suspense while keeping the reader guessing. I appreciated the creativity behind the plot and how the story gradually revealed the deeper connections between characters.

This was my first book by LynDee Walker, and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with a slow-burn start and a payoff at the end, this one is worth checking out.