Blog Tour & Book Review: My Lovely Wife

MY LOVELY WIFE | Samantha Downing
03.26.2019 | Berkley Books
Rating: 5/5 stars

Millicent and her husband appear to be the perfect couple. They have two children, successful careers, and reside in an exclusive, gated community. On the exterior they have a life that others envy. Behind closed doors the couple holds a secret that only they know. All marriages have secrets, but they don’t typically involve murder.

As the stakes in this marriage heighten and the danger becomes ever present, who will make it out clean?

That’s all the synopsis you get! Trust me when I tell you, you need to go in blindly to this book. Don’t have preconceived ideas, just let in the drama come to you!

Sometimes it’s just easier to go along with things. It’s easier than breaking it all up and starting from scratch.

MY LOVELY WIFE is an outstanding debut novel from Samantha Downing. She has officially made my must-buy list for whatever genius she creates next! As an avid reader in the crime fiction genre I have come to appreciate the stereotypes that are often found within the subgenre of domestic thrillers. Downing breaks that mold with two characters who the reader is instantly drawn to and left on the edge of their seat needing more details about their marriage. Is there unlikeability to the characters? Sure, but it’s not the main focus we often see.

The story is narrated by the husband in this couple, who comes off incredibly normal until you get to know him better. He has loved his wife, Millicent, since the very moment he laid eyes on her. It quickly becomes clear that he would do anything to make her happy and keep their marriage alive. Together, he and Millicent, have hatched what he thinks of as the perfect plan to do this. Fun fact: we never learn the husband’s real name! This is something that I almost completely missed, but leaves an excellent touch to the story and his character.

It didn’t start out as something bad. I still believe that.

Despite always raving about how I love a multiple POV story, I’m still a huge fan of a single POV narration. This style is truly exemplified within these pages as the reader watches the story unfold through the husband’s eyes. You can feel all of his emotions running the full spectrum and an excellent sense of tension is built through this viewpoint. In addition to a sleek narration that keeps the story tense and the reader hooked, Downing also uses short chapters to keep the pace of the novel moving rapidly towards its conclusion. Despite not wanting this book to ever end, I couldn’t put it down!

MY LOVELY WIFE is packed to the brim with twists and revelations that will keep you thinking long after you set the book down! Seriously…if you’ve read it, can we talk about that ending?? Chills! If you haven’t read it, get going to a bookstore and snag a copy ASAP! This is going to be a thriller that everyone will be talking about this Spring and Summer!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.

Disclosure: Thank you to Berkley for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.