First things first, I see no reason why this novel was made to be this voluminous. The patience I had to put in to read it to the end is out of this world. I honestly don’t think I’ve been that patient with anything. It’s an interesting read anyway but one with a slow pacing and confusing twists that can be annoying. There were also too many unnecessary details and it was overly verbose.
At first glance, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s ”The Wife Between Us” appears to be a familiar story: a jealous, bitter ex-wife obsessed with her younger, beautiful replacement. Vanessa, the scorned first wife, seems determined to sabotage her ex-husband, Richard’s new engagement. Meanwhile, Nellie, the innocent and unsuspecting bride-to-be, is ready to start a new life with a man(Richard) who seems perfect in every way. But as the narrative unfolds, the book plays with your assumptions, revealing that nothing is as it seems.
Sentiments aside, this book is an expertly crafted psychological thriller that thrives on misdirection and deception. I guess what the authors aimed at was to manipulate the reader’s expectations and yeah, I’ll give it to them, it worked. I ended up questioning what I knew about each character and their motivations. And just when I thought I had the whole story figured out, a new revelation flips everything on its head.
One of the novel’s strongest aspects in my opinion is its dual-perspective narration. Although confusing, it added depth to it. Vanessa’s chapters are filled with unease and regret, painting Richard as a controlling and dangerous man. Meanwhile, Nellie’s chapters capture the excitement and nervousness of a woman stepping into a seemingly perfect relationship.
Now, while the plot had me on chokehold, some of the twists felt a bit forced. The novel relies heavily on misdirection which I didn’t find funny, and while most of the surprises are clever, a few moments feel overly engineered for shock value rather than organic storytelling. Also, the pacing slows slightly in the middle, and I almost gave up on reading because it made some sections feel repetitive.
Another minor issue is Richard’s character. While he is undeniably manipulative and unsettling, he occasionally falls into the cliché of the charming yet abusive husband often seen in domestic thrillers. A more nuanced exploration of his character could have added even greater depth to the story.
Sentimentally, The Wife Between Us is an addictive, twist-filled thriller but I hated the fact that I had to keep guessing until the very end.
Fans of domestic suspense and psychological mind games will appreciate the clever storytelling and multiple layers of deception. While not every twist lands perfectly, the novel remains an engaging and satisfying read.
Rating? I’ll still give it ⅘.
PS: I don’t have any favorite character. None of them held my charm.
Check it out if you would.