The First Wives by S. E. Reed is a juicy, twist-filled domestic thriller set on the sun-soaked beachfront where envy, secrets, and revenge simmer just beneath the surface.

Hannah McMillan lives in a luxurious beach side house with ultra wealth husband Court, and their twins Rowan and Ruby. Court worked in crypto finance and spent a lot of time travelling, Hannah spends her time taking pictures of her ideal life and uploading them onto her various multi media sites to influence her thousands of adoring fans and for them to drool over.
The house next door had been empty for a long time until Sophia Carter and her husband Blake, also in finance, moved in. At the beginning all was well between Hannah and Sophia, Hannah didn't have many friends, perhaps Sophia could fill that gap............until, strange things started happening, things that both spooked Hannah and made her angry, was she over reacting ?
This book is well written and it flows well, I didn't particularly like any of the characters and I did guess the end, nevertheless, I did quite enjoy reading it.
Thank you Storm Publishing and Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is totally voluntary.

Hannah has it all, a wealthy husband, picture perfect life, and she's built a successful influencer business as a trad wife. So, when Sophia moves next door she gets the one thing that she didn't have - a real friend.

Or did she? Soon Sophia's behavior becomes catty and borderline stalker-ish. As she starts to dig into her new neighbor's life, she uncovers surprises and secrets that not only risk ruining her perfectly curated life, but Hannah's long buried secrets are in danger of being dug up.

I loved this one! Such a great read. Fast paced, twisty, with characters that you either loved to root for or were waiting for them to get theirs.

First, thank you Netgalley & Storm Publishing for this ARC!

I did really enjoy this one. It was an fast-paced, easy read. The story itself was surely not exactly new, but it did entertain me and I had fun reading it, which is the most important thing for me at the end of the day.

Hannah is a tradwife influencer - it always blows my mind again how people enjoy showing everything about themselves online like that, but to each their own- and does enjoy her peaceful life while being married to a wealthy husband. Sophia is her new neighbour, and Hannah thinks she could be her new friend. Until she finds out Sophie is a liar. And that the lies Sophie is telling are twisted enough to shatter Hannah's peaceful, happy life to pieces....

There isn't really much else to say, it was a solid 5 star book for me. Will for sure read more by SE Reed in the future when I am given the chance!

thank you to netgalley and storm publishing for this arc! this is my first book from this author and i really enjoyed it. the writing style was so quick and easy to read and i finished this book in less than a day. the characters are so complex and you really do experience a whirlwind of emotions with them. the one and only thing i didn’t absolutely love about this book was that i found it to be pretty predictable, but even if i predicted the “twists,” i still felt anxious in the best way possible for our main character and i was totally satisfied with the ending. overall, a really good read that i definitely recommend!

Wow,wow,wow,wow! This is an amazing twisted and thrilling story. I was completely hooked from the very beginning. S.E. Reed this is a phenomenal!

This book is about a woman named Hannah and she is a social media influencer. Her and her husband Court have a set of twins named Ruby and Rowen. They are four years old and Hannah does most of her media post on these two and their adventures.
Soon Hannah notices that she has a new neighbor that has moved in right next door. She seems to be all by herself. One day she introduces herself and they get together and have a glass of wine together that ends up being more like a bottle or two. After that you might say that they become close, like besties, close.

Sophia is the next door neighbor who has moved in next door to Hannah. She is an art dealer and she is married to a man named Blake. He is out of town all the time for business. Sophia is getting close to Hannah for reasons that you will never see coming. Is she good or is bad that's up to you to decide.

I really enjoyed this book and all the twists and turns that it takes you on. It will leave you guessing that is for sure. Can't say enough good things about this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the early read and to Storm Publishing!

Hannah is a glamorous and successful "Trad Wife" influencer married to Court, a software billionaire, living the perfect life with her young twins. Sophia moves in next door, and the women become close, and Hannah supports Sophie to get away from her controlling husband Blake. The writing is quite good, and I read it quickly. The plot is a bit improbable, but all the main characters are super wealthy so have no limits.
A good beach read.

I love a good psychological thriller book, and this was such a good reading. It's about a a billionaire's wife befriends a woman who has lied about everything (made me so engaged to know about her). It's true that the plot felt predictable, but I enjoy slow-pace at the beginning. The characters are well-made.

Overall, this book is perfect to read in a rainy day.

My first SE Reed novel but definitely not my last. Seems to be the perfect definition of a ‘popcorn’ thriller. It immediately drew me in and kept me captivated throughout. It takes a deep dive into our carefully curated online lives and what that looks like to others. Enjoyed this one.
Thank you NetGalley, SE Reed and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was expecting more twists from this; it was pretty predictable. But I still really enjoyed reading it and thought it was a nice, quick read! The writing was good and it was entertaining even without a big twist!

This was definitely a 50/50 read for me. I loved the promising premise, I loved the solid writing style, and I loved how binge worthy it was, BUT I just found it rather too predictable for my liking. I was really hoping for the big twist, the big reveal, but I'd already guessed it all.

Tradwife influencer Hannah is living the 'perfect' life, or at least that's what she curates for her masses of followers. The perfect home. The perfect children, four year old twins. The perfect marriage to Court. But in truth, it's all planned out, and she's living quite a lonely life.

That's until Sophie moves in next door. Another lonely wife whose billionaire husband is never around. A friendship is very quickly formed, to the point that Hannah depends on Sophie to get her through her days.

When Hannah discovers that Sophie has secrets, she's not who or what she seems. Everything changes *no spoilers*

Whilst the characters were well executed, I couldn't connect at all with Hannah, and Sophie was unlikeable from the very start.

I really wanted to love this book. Maybe I've just read too many thrillers (if that's actually possible), but it just didn’t give me the thrills, twists, and turns I was expecting from the synopsis.

I've come to realise that books centred around the Trad Life just aren't for me, so I think it's majorly an 'it's me, not the book' scenario.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC.

This was a fast paced read with a few twists.

I would say I guessed the main twist of the story but it was still a great read and I loved the ending.

Scary to think that although a fictional story things like this happen all the time.

Hannah's obsession with her social media image grated on me a-bit but I loved how her character progressed.

Thank you @netgalley and @stormpublishing for this early arc, I really enjoyed reading this.
4/5 stars

THE FIRST WIVES BY S.E. REED.
Release day set for the 24th of September 2025.
5 ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s
This book caught my attention from the cover, the title and the blurb.
From the Prologue alone I was hooked.
Oh the twists and turns were great and I really didn't want to put this book now.
Highly recommend this one to everyone.
I'm really looking forward to reading another book by this author.

When Hannah, an influencer of millions, mother of twins, wife to a handsome billionaire, gets a new neighbor, she thinks she has made a new friend. When she is sick, Sophia, amazingly comes over and takes care of her for weeks. Slowly Hannah begins to understand that Sophia may be interested in more ways to be in Hannah's life than just friends. Sophia starts unexpectantly adding her own touches in Hannah's life, while trying to bring Hannah into her own life in some some unnatural ways.

This book kept the twists coming. One where you know something is happening but you can't seem to piece it together to see the entire picture.

I highly recommend this book to those who love psychological thrillers.

Thank you Netgalley and S.E. Reed for ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a great read. Hannah is happily married with twins, but does she really know her husband? Her friend and neighbour Sophie has been a great friend throughout all the stress and troubles. A brilliant thriller that has a great twist in it. It’s fast paced and easily readable in one sitting. Really enjoyed this 5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

This book was pretty ok! It took a while to gain steam but when it did I got into it! I enjoyed the plot generally speaking. At parts, the storyline seemed to be a little muddled and unrealistic. I wish there would have been a little more context to some of the things that happened in the book. Overall a solid weekend/vacation read for someone who is ok with a plot hole or two and is there for vibes only!

I've like books that have shown the darker side to online vs reality. Becuase that all it is right now...a dark side. People really need to see that their favourite infleuncers arent real and are NOT their friends or out to be there for them. And anything anyone posts is their best or infact whole made up.
For this books we havd thr picture perfect lives of wives. Toxic manipulation,trends and friendships are woven throughout.
Hannah is our mother who has made her life by presenting it all to social media. She's got a wealthy husband and her kids. Perfect for her to show off.
Hannah meets sophie as she moves in next door and she feels a kinship with this woman. The pressures they both face to keep standards high.
But it soons becomes clear that not all is what it seems. And what she goes on to discover will shock her and delight and excite us readers. The tension builds and you are wondering where this could go. Are there sides to take and which one will be right?
This was a brilliant take on this premise and it had me hooked from start to finish. By the end I closed the book with the best kind of reader smile. Job done S.E.Reed you delivered.

I love books about the "trad" wife vs. the "modern" working wife so this was a fascinating novel! Hannah is a 30-year-old wife, mother to twins, and an influencer online. Told in a "now" and "then" format, the book starts with Hannah obsessed with her daily postings of her life as a mother, as well as her picture perfect marriage, and homemaking skills. But why does new neighbor, Sophia--who once seemed to be so friendly--begin bothering her with daily visits, and the same haircut, clothes and anything else that Hannah loves? It's a bit creepy and dark...but showcases today's society as women--and men--are obsessed with their image and crave the followers they get online instead of focussing on their own foibles and troubles at home!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

"The First Wives" by S.E. Reed is a fast-paced psychological thriller that taps into modern-day anxieties and trends, such as the curated lives portrayed on social media and the secrets hidden behind a façade of wealth and success. This relevance makes the characters feel more relatable and the premise more engaging. The story revolves around themes of trust, manipulation, friendship, and toxic trends, leaving readers to grapple with whom they can genuinely trust.

I found this book entertaining and incredibly engaging. Although I had an idea of where the story would lead from the beginning, I remained invested to see how it would all play out. I loved both female characters for their strength and determination, and I appreciated the friendship between the main character and her best friend. The ending was absolutely fantastic.

Hannah McMillian is a wife and mother to four-year-old twins, Rowen and Ruby. She has managed to turn her life into a social media phenomenon with 5 million followers. Her wealthy husband, Court, works in cryptocurrency finance and often travels for business.

When Hannah meets Sophie, who moves in next door and whose husband Blake is also in finance, she feels she has found someone who understands the pressures of maintaining high standards. They quickly become good friends, but Hannah soon notices inconsistencies that make her suspicious. She is not prepared for the shocking discoveries that will hit her like a bolt of lightning!

I didn't think I was going to like this. I am not a fan of the 'perfect wife influencer' theme. I expected it to be predictable and in some ways it was but it was the how that became really interesting and as it developed drew me in to the story until it became a page turner and I really enjoyed it. I am very glad that I did continue to read or I would have missed out.