The Wife Between Us
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Published: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: January 2nd 2018
Goodreads
OFFICIAL SUMMARY | GOODREADS
A novel of suspense that explores the complexities of marriage and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.
When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous wife and her obsession with her replacement.
You will assume you are reading about a woman about to enter a new marriage with the man she loves.
You will assume the first wife was a disaster and that the husband was well rid of her.
You will assume you know the motives, the history, the anatomy of the relationships.
Assume nothing.Discover the next blockbuster novel of suspense, and get ready for the read of your life.
THE WIFE BETWEEN US is the debut novel of co-authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Hendricks, a former book editor with a major New York publishing house, lives in Manhattan with her family. Pekkanen, the author of seven bestselling solo novels, lives in Maryland with her three sons. THE WIFE BETWEEN US has been sold in 30 countries and optioned for film by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners. It is a Book of the Month Club Pick, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, and an Indie Next Pick. Hendricks and Pekkanen are currently at work on their next novel, also a psychological thriller.
My review
Have you heard about the ironic process theory which deals with the attempts to suppress certain thoughts and by this means make them more likely to surface?
For example, imagine a situation where someone tells you not to think about pink elephants. So, what are you doing? You are thinking about those pink elephants. You picture them in your mind in all their glory and even when you try to think of something else they invade into your thoughts again. Ironic, isn’t it?
So, when I’ve read the synopsis of “The Wife Between Us” and have been warned to
Assume nothing
What did I do? I was assuming, I was wondering, I was guessing, non-stop, throughout the story. Guess what. I figured out the first plot twist which had to blow my mind away. But it just didn’t happen since I was warned to assume nothing. See? The ironic process theory.
Let’s put first things firsts. I was craving to read this book the first time I saw it on Goodreads. The cover was intriguing; the reception of my Goodreads friends astonishing, and the synopsis made me assuming theories even before I had the change to read the first line.
Generally speaking, the story deals with two young women, an ex-wife and a bride to be. Vanessa and Nellie. They both are in love with Richard, an accomplished man who can protect the woman of his life. Vanessa, the jealous ex-wife, is not ready to let him continue with his life and marry Nellie. As a result, she’s trying to prevent this marriage no matter the cost and the consequences. I won’t tell something else on the plot as I don’t want to spoil you. You’d better go into it, knowing as less as possible.
To continue with my reading experience, some may thing that the first part of the story was a little bit dragged but it was essential for the writers to construct the background of the main characters and lead to the main plot twist. The same plot twist that I figured out in the early stage of my reading. Needless to say, I was disappointed; I didn’t have the chance to feel this turmoil that good turns of events produce.
Nonetheless, I was still yearning for the development of the story and was waiting for the next plot twist in order to compensate myself. I have to confess that some lines in the novel such as…
I never been the woman he thought he’d married.
and…
They say the wife is always the last to know.
…made me eager to keep reading, to keep turning the pages, just to learn what happens next, where the story will lead me, but at the same time I was assuming again. And again I was somehow right. What is the problem with me?
Still, I was waiting for the great plot twist until the very last page, till the very last sentence. Unfortunately, I wasn’t struck with amazement. There were another one plot twist but I was completely uninterested in that one. To tell more, it was unnecessary as it didn’t change anything in my already thorough opinion. The only thing I wanted to do was:
I have to acknowledge some positive aspects of the novel. The writing was flawless; the characters were multidimensional with past and secrets that made me to continue reading. It was a generator of controversial emotions. I felt compassion, anger, happiness and even malice. I cannot also omit the message that the story provides us with. You will understand after reading the book.
That’s why I love reading. A book is not only a good story or a shocking plot twist; it is a journey, a message, a lesson, a life, a powerful and deep gift which speaks a different truth to each and every one of us.
With those in mind, if you decide to read “The Wife Between Us”, do not stay at the “assume nothing”, cause you will activate your mind to assume everything and in all likelihood to guess the main twist or a part of it. But if we’ll take under consideration the theory, you have already arguably aroused your mind to assume, guess and judge. So, I’m the one to blame here…
Through the Chapters 
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