admin Author: Samantha Downing
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4/5 Stars
My Lovely Wife was my most recent buddy read – the same group that read The Silent Patient together – and it did not disappoint. This domestic, psychological thriller had me guessing the whole way. Just when I thought I had something figured out, a new twist or turn would pop up, making me HAVE to keep reading. The shorter chapters made this book go by so quickly – “just one more” was a constant thought, and before I knew it, it’d be 15 chapters later.
The biggest question that comes to mind with this book for me is this: how far would you go for your marriage? Is there anything you wouldn’t do to keep the love of your life happy? Every couple has their secrets, their quirks, their unique things to keep the romance alive.
This couple’s secret happens to be getting away with murder.
Aaaaaand that’s about all I can say without feeling like I’m on the verge of giving away spoilers!
Seriously, this book is so addicting. The narration is amazing – we’re told the story entirely from the husband’s point of view, and seeing the inner workings of his mind through all his interactions with his wife and their family is fascinating. We are also treated to flashbacks of how he and his wife first met and how their relationship developed over time to get them to where they are today, which I loved. That backstory was a great addition to the overall character development.
In terms of twists, I did guess a smaller part of the big twist at the end, but somehow didn’t see the main one coming. Chatting about it all with my buddy read group, I felt silly having guessed part but not all of the end, but I think that speaks to the brilliance of the author’s writing. Downing does an excellent job of making you question what you think you know, which is what kept me from figuring everything out.
Also, once again, this is a debut book. Keeping that in mind, I am really truly blown away. This is the kind of book I dream of writing one day! Knowing it’s Downing’s first gives me hope. 🙂
