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The Wife's Mistake
The hand-delivered note trembles between my fingers and my blood runs cold at the words staring back – you don’t deserve this life. Everything I’ve always dreamed of is finally within reach. How long do I have until my past catches up with me?
From inside our new perfect house, I watch the pool water ripple under the raindrops. Despite how calm it is outside, my heart pounds as I think about that terrible message and what it means for my marriage.
I never expected that one day I’d be sipping coffee in our handcrafted marble kitchen but, despite our good fortune, my husband is more distant than ever. With Hayden absent once again, I’m left to ask: what exactly is my husband hiding and is the note related?
I spend all night tossing and turning, with my heart racing in my chest. Looking out into the darkness, I swear I see movement beyond the garden hedges. I try to shake my fears away; I must be imagining things. That’s what Hayden would say.
I can’t ignore the feeling in the pit of my stomach – what if the person outside isn’t looking for Hayden, and instead, they’re looking for me? I’m paralysed by fear. It’s only a matter of time until I’ll have to confront my past. Hayden may have secrets, but so do I – my husband has no idea what I did all those years ago.
I know what I need to do to protect my perfect new life, and those around me don’t know how far I’m willing to go…
A gripping page-turner filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense, fans of Sally Hepworth, Lisa Jewell and Liane Moriarty will be completely hooked by The Wife’s Mistake!
From inside our new perfect house, I watch the pool water ripple under the raindrops. Despite how calm it is outside, my heart pounds as I think about that terrible message and what it means for my marriage.
I never expected that one day I’d be sipping coffee in our handcrafted marble kitchen but, despite our good fortune, my husband is more distant than ever. With Hayden absent once again, I’m left to ask: what exactly is my husband hiding and is the note related?
I spend all night tossing and turning, with my heart racing in my chest. Looking out into the darkness, I swear I see movement beyond the garden hedges. I try to shake my fears away; I must be imagining things. That’s what Hayden would say.
I can’t ignore the feeling in the pit of my stomach – what if the person outside isn’t looking for Hayden, and instead, they’re looking for me? I’m paralysed by fear. It’s only a matter of time until I’ll have to confront my past. Hayden may have secrets, but so do I – my husband has no idea what I did all those years ago.
I know what I need to do to protect my perfect new life, and those around me don’t know how far I’m willing to go…
A gripping page-turner filled with edge-of-your-seat suspense, fans of Sally Hepworth, Lisa Jewell and Liane Moriarty will be completely hooked by The Wife’s Mistake!
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 19, 2024
901 people are currently reading
664 people want to read
About the author
Lorna Dounaeva
39 books273 followersLorna Dounaeva is a politics graduate who worked for the British Home Office before turning to crime fiction. She writes dark domestic thrillers and is especially fond of female villains. She lives in the Orkney islands with her Ukrainian husband and his parents, three children, a crafty cat and a happy dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 274 reviews
February 17, 2024
“I have the life I’ve always dreamed of… but how long will it be until the past catches up with me?”
Lorna Dounaeva’s creative twists and tight pacing showcase her examination of the difference between ‘perfect’ and ‘ideal.’
Natalie and Hayden Peel have only been married for a year when they’re given the opportunity for a different life. Natalie is tired of working as a barista for an unappreciative boss at the Riverside Cafe. When she buys a lottery ticket she imagines the ideal life. Little did she know that “no matter what happened next, both their lives were about to change forever.”
We’re all programmed to seek an ideal life - some of us even get close - but rarely does our ideal version hit the bar we’ve set for ourselves. A perfect life, on the other hand, is attainable. Or is it?
When Natalie discovers that she’s won £12.5M, she plans on living a transparent life; “no more secrets, no more deceptions.” Unfortunately, what she decides to do with the paper ticket is just the first in a few secrets that she decides to keep from her husband. Will one of them be her undoing?
The uncomfortable and awkward vibes were fantastically portrayed. As a reader, I was shifting in my seat! Equally wonderful were the feelings of mistrust. It’s amazing how big it will grow when the seed is given the right conditions!
I loved the theme of family and greed as much as the opportunity to question if perfect and ideal are different notions. I concluded that not only are they different, but that winning the lottery is not something I have on my wishlist!
I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Lorna Dounaeva’s creative twists and tight pacing showcase her examination of the difference between ‘perfect’ and ‘ideal.’
Natalie and Hayden Peel have only been married for a year when they’re given the opportunity for a different life. Natalie is tired of working as a barista for an unappreciative boss at the Riverside Cafe. When she buys a lottery ticket she imagines the ideal life. Little did she know that “no matter what happened next, both their lives were about to change forever.”
We’re all programmed to seek an ideal life - some of us even get close - but rarely does our ideal version hit the bar we’ve set for ourselves. A perfect life, on the other hand, is attainable. Or is it?
When Natalie discovers that she’s won £12.5M, she plans on living a transparent life; “no more secrets, no more deceptions.” Unfortunately, what she decides to do with the paper ticket is just the first in a few secrets that she decides to keep from her husband. Will one of them be her undoing?
The uncomfortable and awkward vibes were fantastically portrayed. As a reader, I was shifting in my seat! Equally wonderful were the feelings of mistrust. It’s amazing how big it will grow when the seed is given the right conditions!
I loved the theme of family and greed as much as the opportunity to question if perfect and ideal are different notions. I concluded that not only are they different, but that winning the lottery is not something I have on my wishlist!
I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
February 19, 2024
Wow! My head is spinning from all the twists throughout this psychological thriller! Secrets, infidelity, and millions of dollars prove to be a lethal combination. Be careful what you wish for. If things appear to be too good to be true, they probably are. Deception is deadly and betrayal is dangerous. Imogen Church’s narration masterfully brings this shocking story to life while adding a layer of suspense and intrigue. Entertaining and addictive! Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my audiobook.
February 16, 2024
The wife’s mistake follows our FMC Natalie, happily married and forging her way through life despite the fact she hates her job at the coffee shop where she is mistreated and unappreciated.
When she discovers she has a winning lottery ticket she is so excited for her life to be changed for the better, until she suspects her husband of having an affair.
Because of this she refuses to claim her winnings, which kicks in my anxiety levels because I couldn’t for the life of me keep something so valuable laying around and not claim it into my bank account immediately 🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣
This book is listed as a psychological thriller but I would definitely put it more in the domestic suspense category as I feel like nothing overly thrilling happens until the end of the book.
I feel like a lot of issues could easily have been resolved with one simple conversation and communication, which irks me!
I enjoyed Imogen churches narration, she has a pleasant voice and I enjoyed listening to her narrate the story. The audio narration was probably my favourite thing about this book, as sadly I just couldn’t get into the plot, the storyline and characters just weren’t a good match for me.
Thank you to the author, Bookouture audio and NetGalley for this ALC! 🩷
2.5⭐️ rounded up to 3
Publish date: 19th Feb 2024
When she discovers she has a winning lottery ticket she is so excited for her life to be changed for the better, until she suspects her husband of having an affair.
Because of this she refuses to claim her winnings, which kicks in my anxiety levels because I couldn’t for the life of me keep something so valuable laying around and not claim it into my bank account immediately 🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣
This book is listed as a psychological thriller but I would definitely put it more in the domestic suspense category as I feel like nothing overly thrilling happens until the end of the book.
I feel like a lot of issues could easily have been resolved with one simple conversation and communication, which irks me!
I enjoyed Imogen churches narration, she has a pleasant voice and I enjoyed listening to her narrate the story. The audio narration was probably my favourite thing about this book, as sadly I just couldn’t get into the plot, the storyline and characters just weren’t a good match for me.
Thank you to the author, Bookouture audio and NetGalley for this ALC! 🩷
2.5⭐️ rounded up to 3
Publish date: 19th Feb 2024
April 24, 2024
This high quality audio took a while to get going and was overly long. It tells the effect of a lottery win mixed with holding secrets. All characters are narrated perfdctly and brought to life. The twists when there came were good especially the fart fetched ending. It just took too long to get going and this spoilt my enjoyment.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator for this 4 star listen
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator for this 4 star listen
February 20, 2024
I may not play the lottery, but
The Wife's Mistake
would be an excellent reminder of what not to do when one wins millions with the perfect ticket. £12 million might have seemed like such a grand amount that all of Natalie's and Hayden's problems - as well as to give the both of the life they always dreamed of.
Instead, problem after problem face the couple. From family members who want as piece of the pie, to poor decisions, to secrets being exposed, things for Natalie and Hayden go from bad to worse. To dream of wanting more is not a bad thing, but when it suddenly fell into the laps of Natalie and Hayden rushing in to a new lifestyle just might have led to devastating effects.
As this ALC was expertly narrated by Imogen Church, I found myself both completely drawn into the story, but also cringing as it felt like a roller coaster ride that would end in disaster. The couple could have had it all if decisions were more balanced. But then, are most people balanced when you go from living paycheck to paycheck to becoming millionaires overnight?
Many say that money is the root of all evil, but the Bible states that the love of money is the root of all evil. If you want a wild ride when love of money, greed and deception rule the day, look no further than The Wife's Mistake.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Instead, problem after problem face the couple. From family members who want as piece of the pie, to poor decisions, to secrets being exposed, things for Natalie and Hayden go from bad to worse. To dream of wanting more is not a bad thing, but when it suddenly fell into the laps of Natalie and Hayden rushing in to a new lifestyle just might have led to devastating effects.
As this ALC was expertly narrated by Imogen Church, I found myself both completely drawn into the story, but also cringing as it felt like a roller coaster ride that would end in disaster. The couple could have had it all if decisions were more balanced. But then, are most people balanced when you go from living paycheck to paycheck to becoming millionaires overnight?
Many say that money is the root of all evil, but the Bible states that the love of money is the root of all evil. If you want a wild ride when love of money, greed and deception rule the day, look no further than The Wife's Mistake.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
February 10, 2024
I received a copy of this audiobook to provide an honest review. First of all I found it easy to listen to. Imogen Church did an amazing job narrating the book. She kept it interesting at a great pace.
The story itself was pretty twisted. Natalie and Hayden are a couple that both seem to have secrets hidden from each other - they win the lottery and the secrets begin to unravel .
I loved the storyline of a lottery win- it connected me to the story and made me more invested.
Great read for those who enjoy guessing the outcome until the very end.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook.
The story itself was pretty twisted. Natalie and Hayden are a couple that both seem to have secrets hidden from each other - they win the lottery and the secrets begin to unravel .
I loved the storyline of a lottery win- it connected me to the story and made me more invested.
Great read for those who enjoy guessing the outcome until the very end.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook.
April 8, 2024
4.5 ⭐️🎧
Wow, am I at a theme park? Because that was an intense roller coaster ride!
🫖 Stuck in the rat race, married couple Natalie and Hayden find themselves with a life-changing opportunity. But misunderstandings and assumptions leave their insecurities and suspicions running high with paranoia. With every move being watched, who can be trusted?
Thrust into a new lifestyle, true colors of friends and family start to come out, begging the question of whether or not our choices are worth the consequences.
🕵🏻♀️ EVERYONE IS SUS! The level of paranoia and fear of confrontation permeates throughout this book. It was frustrating at times, but helped build the story. And seriously, everyone truly IS sus. Watch your back.
🎢 It started off a little slow and a bit hokey, but brace yourself because the ride really builds with an intensity that makes you trust no one and nothing until you have answers.
↩️ Just when you think you have it figured out, some major twists and turns send you for a loop. This has more curves than a mountain road switchback!
🔮 I was NOT able to solve the mysteries, and was on nail-biting edge until all was revealed. 👏🏼
🎧 If you like a soothing British accent and a good mystery, I highly recommend giving the audiobook a listen. I listened on 2x and found it a good pace. But I don’t recommend multi-tasking, or you will miss a lot of details.
And for goodness sakes, lock your doors people! I mean seriously…how many times can one house get broken into??
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Lorna Dounaeva for access to this ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
Wow, am I at a theme park? Because that was an intense roller coaster ride!
🫖 Stuck in the rat race, married couple Natalie and Hayden find themselves with a life-changing opportunity. But misunderstandings and assumptions leave their insecurities and suspicions running high with paranoia. With every move being watched, who can be trusted?
Thrust into a new lifestyle, true colors of friends and family start to come out, begging the question of whether or not our choices are worth the consequences.
🕵🏻♀️ EVERYONE IS SUS! The level of paranoia and fear of confrontation permeates throughout this book. It was frustrating at times, but helped build the story. And seriously, everyone truly IS sus. Watch your back.
🎢 It started off a little slow and a bit hokey, but brace yourself because the ride really builds with an intensity that makes you trust no one and nothing until you have answers.
↩️ Just when you think you have it figured out, some major twists and turns send you for a loop. This has more curves than a mountain road switchback!
🔮 I was NOT able to solve the mysteries, and was on nail-biting edge until all was revealed. 👏🏼
🎧 If you like a soothing British accent and a good mystery, I highly recommend giving the audiobook a listen. I listened on 2x and found it a good pace. But I don’t recommend multi-tasking, or you will miss a lot of details.
And for goodness sakes, lock your doors people! I mean seriously…how many times can one house get broken into??
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Lorna Dounaeva for access to this ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
February 7, 2024
ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.
Imogen Church did a wonderful job narrating this book! All of her characters were expertly brought to life and it really helped hold my attention to the story! This book shows just how far you can fall from grace after winning the lottery. We’ve all heard the horror stories but this takes it to the next level! I thoroughly enjoyed all the twists and turns and how I never know what was waiting around the next corner. If you like psychological thrillers and suspense, check this book out!
Imogen Church did a wonderful job narrating this book! All of her characters were expertly brought to life and it really helped hold my attention to the story! This book shows just how far you can fall from grace after winning the lottery. We’ve all heard the horror stories but this takes it to the next level! I thoroughly enjoyed all the twists and turns and how I never know what was waiting around the next corner. If you like psychological thrillers and suspense, check this book out!
March 7, 2024
The Wife’s Mistake is exciting, mysterious and a great read with a collection of clever twists.
A turbulent ride where money, greed, deception and ruthless behaviour are all on the menu.
Natalie and Hayden are happy and married.
She buys a lottery ticket and wins twelve million pounds.
Excited to tell her husband about the win until she sees a message on his phone after he comes home after a night out and suspects he’s cheating on her.
Deciding to keep the news to herself for the moment as he may run off with the money with his lover.
But Hayden finds the ticket and everything gets out of control.
Living the high life comes with consequences.
Money doesn’t buy happiness but it sure does buy chaos, misery and trouble.
My first book by Lorna and I really enjoyed this one.
I was totally sucked in to the drama and left shocked by the ending.
The agenda list is full of paranoia, revenge, intensity, melodrama, fear, suspicious and this is only the beginning.
The characters are fascinating, the plot is interesting as well as a roller coaster of emotions.
Sometimes an author grabs you right from the start and Lorna has done that with me.
Look forward to reading more from this talented author.
A turbulent ride where money, greed, deception and ruthless behaviour are all on the menu.
Natalie and Hayden are happy and married.
She buys a lottery ticket and wins twelve million pounds.
Excited to tell her husband about the win until she sees a message on his phone after he comes home after a night out and suspects he’s cheating on her.
Deciding to keep the news to herself for the moment as he may run off with the money with his lover.
But Hayden finds the ticket and everything gets out of control.
Living the high life comes with consequences.
Money doesn’t buy happiness but it sure does buy chaos, misery and trouble.
My first book by Lorna and I really enjoyed this one.
I was totally sucked in to the drama and left shocked by the ending.
The agenda list is full of paranoia, revenge, intensity, melodrama, fear, suspicious and this is only the beginning.
The characters are fascinating, the plot is interesting as well as a roller coaster of emotions.
Sometimes an author grabs you right from the start and Lorna has done that with me.
Look forward to reading more from this talented author.
February 19, 2024
Natalie wins a huge lottery and she tries to keep it a secret from her husband but then he finds the ticket and all kinds of things start to happen. Lies, deceit, family members expecting a big chunk of the money. It did make me wonder what would happen if we WON the lottery in my family, how would people I know react? Probably the same way!! This was a slow burn of a thriller and some of the narrators in the audio really got on my nerves but I did enjoy the overall story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.
February 19, 2024
Even inside your dream house you can't hide from your past...
This book might be about the wife's mistake - of which there are many, she made so many stupid and dumb decisions throughout - but unfortunately in this case this one is my mistake. Try as I might I just couldn't get into the story which bordered on ridiculous, in my opinion. I tried to give Natalie the benefit of one too many doubts but I just felt like banging my head against a brick wall. And I've so enjoyed some of the author's other thrillers too! But this one just wasn't for me.
For a start, I just didn't know what was going on with the first chapter. Some dinner party where an engagement and promotion is announced but what was the point of it? And then we rewound to Natalie's first bad decision which lead to plenty more that swiftly followed. OK, so she's in a job where she is under appreciated by a dragon boss and spends most of her days either bantering with the customers or daydreaming about her own coffee shop she dreams of opening.
So when she absently buys a lottery ticket she never thought in a million years - 12.5 million - that she would ever win! But she did. And soon she began dreaming of how she would spend those millions. Ditch her dead end job, buy premises to open her own cafe, step off the rental treadmill and buy a home for her and hubby Hayden.
And then she discovers a text on his phone. From someone called Vivienne. Seemingly intimate messages. Is Hayden having an affair? So what does Natalie do? Confront Hayden, like any normal wife? No. She stalks him. First she takes a glimpse of Vivienne to grasp her competition, who is a Megan Fox lookalike (whom Hayden has a secret crush on). Then she dresses herself up in dowdy women's wear, wig and glasses and follows Hayden up to Manchester for a business conference. What on earth does she hope to achieve? I'm not sure because she lost me there and I binned the rest of the book. It was ridiculous and made absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I really hate leaving negative reviews because I know this is an author's hard work but at the end of the day we can't like every book we read. It's a shame because I have read and enjoyed Lorna's thrillers before but this one just wasn't for me.
I would like to thank #LornaDounaeva, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheWifesMistake in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
This book might be about the wife's mistake - of which there are many, she made so many stupid and dumb decisions throughout - but unfortunately in this case this one is my mistake. Try as I might I just couldn't get into the story which bordered on ridiculous, in my opinion. I tried to give Natalie the benefit of one too many doubts but I just felt like banging my head against a brick wall. And I've so enjoyed some of the author's other thrillers too! But this one just wasn't for me.
For a start, I just didn't know what was going on with the first chapter. Some dinner party where an engagement and promotion is announced but what was the point of it? And then we rewound to Natalie's first bad decision which lead to plenty more that swiftly followed. OK, so she's in a job where she is under appreciated by a dragon boss and spends most of her days either bantering with the customers or daydreaming about her own coffee shop she dreams of opening.
So when she absently buys a lottery ticket she never thought in a million years - 12.5 million - that she would ever win! But she did. And soon she began dreaming of how she would spend those millions. Ditch her dead end job, buy premises to open her own cafe, step off the rental treadmill and buy a home for her and hubby Hayden.
And then she discovers a text on his phone. From someone called Vivienne. Seemingly intimate messages. Is Hayden having an affair? So what does Natalie do? Confront Hayden, like any normal wife? No. She stalks him. First she takes a glimpse of Vivienne to grasp her competition, who is a Megan Fox lookalike (whom Hayden has a secret crush on). Then she dresses herself up in dowdy women's wear, wig and glasses and follows Hayden up to Manchester for a business conference. What on earth does she hope to achieve? I'm not sure because she lost me there and I binned the rest of the book. It was ridiculous and made absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I really hate leaving negative reviews because I know this is an author's hard work but at the end of the day we can't like every book we read. It's a shame because I have read and enjoyed Lorna's thrillers before but this one just wasn't for me.
I would like to thank #LornaDounaeva, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheWifesMistake in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
March 3, 2024
so, so fun! the ambiguity and drama was truly written to just stagger the reader with the spectacular twists and turns! i was immersed in the story from the beginning to end.
i highly recommend to begin reading the story with limited knowledge of its interwoven structure, but there is this profound adoration that i have for thrillers like The Wife’s Mistake that they are domestically set because the fact of the matter is that it is so much more satisfying to unravel the deception, secrecy, and lies with the people who should know them the very best.
thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC! it was my pleasure to voluntarily listen to The Wife’s Mistake and write my review for it.
i highly recommend to begin reading the story with limited knowledge of its interwoven structure, but there is this profound adoration that i have for thrillers like The Wife’s Mistake that they are domestically set because the fact of the matter is that it is so much more satisfying to unravel the deception, secrecy, and lies with the people who should know them the very best.
thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC! it was my pleasure to voluntarily listen to The Wife’s Mistake and write my review for it.
February 13, 2024
Thank you to @NetGalley and @bookouture for another thrilling read! I read the ebook and listened to the audiobook. Absolutely LOVED this suspenseful thriller!
Wining the lottery isn’t always for the best…it may just be your demise.
Natalie and Hayden are struggling, middle-aged, newlyweds that win 12.5 million pounds. At first, Natalie keeps her win secret from Hayden, worried that he may or may not be cheating with his Megan Fox look-alike co-worker. Upon winning the lottery, unbeknownst to her husband, Natalie quits her job, starts looking for coffee shop venues and splurging on small purchases and uber rides.
All the while, as Natalie concealed her secret lottery win, I was a complete anxiety ridden mess! I kept waiting for someone to steal her hidden winning ticket or it to be lost. The author did a great job in building tension, making you feel like the story was headed in that direction! It was seriously AGONIZING and had me at the edge of my seat!
Natalie and Hayden claim their wining ticket and start to build the life of their dreams as true colors are shown, buried secrets discovered and a whole lot of deceit takes place. Natalie starts getting threatening messages and a long lost daughter comes out of the woodwork.
This book had me glued from the fist sentence to the last! A definite dramatic and suspenseful thriller that did not dissapoint!
Wining the lottery isn’t always for the best…it may just be your demise.
Natalie and Hayden are struggling, middle-aged, newlyweds that win 12.5 million pounds. At first, Natalie keeps her win secret from Hayden, worried that he may or may not be cheating with his Megan Fox look-alike co-worker. Upon winning the lottery, unbeknownst to her husband, Natalie quits her job, starts looking for coffee shop venues and splurging on small purchases and uber rides.
All the while, as Natalie concealed her secret lottery win, I was a complete anxiety ridden mess! I kept waiting for someone to steal her hidden winning ticket or it to be lost. The author did a great job in building tension, making you feel like the story was headed in that direction! It was seriously AGONIZING and had me at the edge of my seat!
Natalie and Hayden claim their wining ticket and start to build the life of their dreams as true colors are shown, buried secrets discovered and a whole lot of deceit takes place. Natalie starts getting threatening messages and a long lost daughter comes out of the woodwork.
This book had me glued from the fist sentence to the last! A definite dramatic and suspenseful thriller that did not dissapoint!
January 10, 2024
I'm a bit torn about this book. the first 80% of the book was so slow and sometimes repetitive, maybe because I didn't like any of the characters or what they were doing. But the twists in the end were really great. I would have preferred more of the ending and less of the beginning.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review.
February 19, 2024
Does money change you or just give you the freedom to be who you already are? This novel was a wild ride. So many twists and turns! I could not stop listening. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good twisty book! Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
February 10, 2024
First of all, I want to thank NetGalley for the arc audiobook. I have to admit and say that I did not like the narrators voice, but at least “their” voice was distinct enough to differentiate between the characters, I was not confused when they were having conversations with someone or when they were in their “head”. Had to speed it up to 2X though, but that is simply because that is what works best for me when it comes to literally anything.
3.5 ⭐️
Now let’s get to the book; this book is about Natalie who ends up winning 12m - and it takes a long while until she shares the news with her husband Hayden, because she ends up having suspicions that he is cheating on her, after seeing a message on his phone from another woman right before she wanted to share the big news with him.
I will be honest and say that the beginning was a bit too long, it got a bit boring and repetitive, but oh my, there were so many plot twists and so much happening, it was hard to grasp my head around the whole mess happening in their lives, both keeping secrets and acting shady. The truth will always come out at the end, so why not just be honest? I honestly really enjoyed listening to this book, which I did not expect that I would, even though the beginning - up until 50-70% was a bit too dragging, but the whole mess made it up. I expected a lot of it, but the ending? So unexpecting and shocking.
This book will feel special to me, because it is the first book I have listened to and not given up on, so..
The book gets published 19 February 2024, definitely worth a read! Want to note one thing too, I was not asked or under any obligation to share a review, all opinion is my own.
3.5 ⭐️
Now let’s get to the book; this book is about Natalie who ends up winning 12m - and it takes a long while until she shares the news with her husband Hayden, because she ends up having suspicions that he is cheating on her, after seeing a message on his phone from another woman right before she wanted to share the big news with him.
I will be honest and say that the beginning was a bit too long, it got a bit boring and repetitive, but oh my, there were so many plot twists and so much happening, it was hard to grasp my head around the whole mess happening in their lives, both keeping secrets and acting shady. The truth will always come out at the end, so why not just be honest? I honestly really enjoyed listening to this book, which I did not expect that I would, even though the beginning - up until 50-70% was a bit too dragging, but the whole mess made it up. I expected a lot of it, but the ending? So unexpecting and shocking.
This book will feel special to me, because it is the first book I have listened to and not given up on, so..
The book gets published 19 February 2024, definitely worth a read! Want to note one thing too, I was not asked or under any obligation to share a review, all opinion is my own.
February 19, 2024
I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this book. There’s a lot of characters and a lot going on. I had plenty of people to be suspicious of. I enjoyed getting Natalie’s and Hayden’s points of view for the same time frames. It really highlighted just how superficial their relationship really was. I don’t understand the point of the first chapter. We never go back to the party as an important event so I’m not sure why to have it be the starting point then go back in time 3 weeks. I kept waiting for the night of the party to roll back around and be important. I also didn’t see the point of a certain character and their storyline. I think the book would have been more focused without it. Overall a great page turner. Thank you to NetGalley for my copy!
February 19, 2024
Natalie is unhappy, working a dead end job as a barista and dreams of one day opening her own cafe. On a whim she plays the lottery and wins 12 million dollars. She’s in shock and excited to tell her husband Hayden until she checks his phone, after a night out, only to find that he might be cheating on her. She decides to keep it to herself, unsure if he will run off with his lover and half her winnings. However Hayden discovers the winning ticket on his own, together they cash it in and then their world spirals. It seems like everyone is after them and their money, they don’t know who to trust, even each other. They thought the money would be the answer to all their problems but then threats start pouring in and their pasts seem to be catching up with them.
This was a WILD ride! The story starts off at the scene of the crime, a dead woman in a Ferrari submerged in a pool and we work backwards from there. Alternating between point of view of Natalie and Hayden, you quickly realized they both have their secrets. I loved reading their differing perspectives, sometimes revealing a funny misunderstanding to much deeper revelations. It is definitely a slow burn, be patient and take in all of the details because they will come in handy. Without giving away too much there are some absolutely shocking twists in this book and will keep you on the very edge of your seat towards the end. I absolutely loved this one! A big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the eARC, you can get your copy February 19, 2024!
This was a WILD ride! The story starts off at the scene of the crime, a dead woman in a Ferrari submerged in a pool and we work backwards from there. Alternating between point of view of Natalie and Hayden, you quickly realized they both have their secrets. I loved reading their differing perspectives, sometimes revealing a funny misunderstanding to much deeper revelations. It is definitely a slow burn, be patient and take in all of the details because they will come in handy. Without giving away too much there are some absolutely shocking twists in this book and will keep you on the very edge of your seat towards the end. I absolutely loved this one! A big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the eARC, you can get your copy February 19, 2024!
February 13, 2024
This one will keep you on your toes! Who can you trust? It seems like you can’t trust a single character in this novel! Every person you’re introduced to seems suspicious. Every time you think you’ve figured it out, there is another twist. This novel definitely kept me guessing/and ultimately getting it wrong. Put this book on your list if you need a good mystery that will leave you with your mouth agape.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to ARC read this title.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to ARC read this title.
February 15, 2024
They say that money changes the people around you but This book, baby… THIS BOOK!!!
I can honestly say, that the book isn’t predictable. Yes, you may THINK you know where this book is headed, but the plot!! The plot twist & suspense is well written!!
I can’t even describe getting to the end of this book, with my mouth hanging wide open. There was a lot I didn’t expect from this book, the “wife’s mistake”, all of the secrets and lies & how far folks are willing to go to keep them hidden.
Listen to this book! Read it! Own it!!
I volunteered to listen to this ARC of this audiobook through NetGalley.
I can honestly say, that the book isn’t predictable. Yes, you may THINK you know where this book is headed, but the plot!! The plot twist & suspense is well written!!
I can’t even describe getting to the end of this book, with my mouth hanging wide open. There was a lot I didn’t expect from this book, the “wife’s mistake”, all of the secrets and lies & how far folks are willing to go to keep them hidden.
Listen to this book! Read it! Own it!!
I volunteered to listen to this ARC of this audiobook through NetGalley.
February 9, 2024
Wow, I ended up really enjoying this book! Once you think you've figured it out, she goes tipu with another twist! I will definitely look for other books by this author. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2024
⭐️ 2.75
This is more of a story about the downside of fame/winning a lottery than a psychological thriller in my opinion. It was relatively easy to get into the story and to follow who the characters were. It was a relatively good time. I did find myself constantly infuriated with the choices of the characters (which was probably the point).
Writing style wise it wasn’t the best thing I’ve read. It was okay, but nothing special and no really unexpected turns for me personally. It was fine, but just fell a bit flat for me unfortunately.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this ARC in return for an honest review ✨
This is more of a story about the downside of fame/winning a lottery than a psychological thriller in my opinion. It was relatively easy to get into the story and to follow who the characters were. It was a relatively good time. I did find myself constantly infuriated with the choices of the characters (which was probably the point).
Writing style wise it wasn’t the best thing I’ve read. It was okay, but nothing special and no really unexpected turns for me personally. It was fine, but just fell a bit flat for me unfortunately.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this ARC in return for an honest review ✨
February 2, 2024
A book read for my own pleasure as opposed to within my capacity as primary school teacher. I loved the many twists and turns which made for a compelling read. I would highly recommend! 👍
February 17, 2024
The audiobook book kept me on my toes the whole time.. Natalie and Hayden both seem to have secrets, they win the lottery and they all come spilling out !
I loved the storyline, I went into this book without reading the synopsis ( I do that most of the time) The lottery win in this book made it more interesting !
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook.
I loved the storyline, I went into this book without reading the synopsis ( I do that most of the time) The lottery win in this book made it more interesting !
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook.
February 23, 2024
Thank you so much for this ARC! The narrator did a really good job. The book was good but I struggled with some parts of it. Overal I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. I felt like it was hard to keep me super invested. I was a bit confused until about halfway through. I could relate to the main characters paranoia about the potential cheating. Also, I did enjoy the twists throughout the whole book. It was still a good thriller read! I would recommend and will pick up more books from this author for sure.
February 23, 2024
This was my first book by Lorna Dounaeva, and I very much enjoyed it. I very much look forward to reading her next book on my TBR list “The Perfect Housemate”.
Natalie and Hayden are happy, despite hating their jobs, it’s the only way to keep a roof over their heads. After one particularly bad day at work Natalie buys a lottery ticket on a whim and is beyond shocked when that night their numbers come up. They are officially lottery winner millionaires having won twelve and a half million pounds, however that very night was when their life began to derail. Natalie starts to have suspicions that Hayden is having an affair whilst hiding a very big secret of her own from her husband. Both Natalie and Hayden decide they want to keep their win anonymous however they are outed by someone and before they know it, they are the local newspapers headline! When the news starts to die down Natalie and Hayden find their dream house and quit their day jobs. While Hayden gets to buy the sports cars, he has always wanted Natalie opens up her very own coffee shop, a dream she has had for a long while. Life for them is good. Then Natalie receives an anonymous note saying, “you don’t deserve the money, I do” and then later on a bouquet of flowers with a threatening card. Natalie tries to dismiss her concerns, but they keep on growing…… will she manage to keep her secret from everyone but her sister Liz and get her happy ever after or will the past catch up with her and then she will rue the day she bought that lottery ticket?!!
Despite not warming to any of the characters I did enjoy this read however I did have one character pegged from the start and at the end I was delighted to find out I was correct. However, this did not remove my enjoyment of reading the story at all. I enjoyed hearing the story from both main characters and although I found the start a little slow, things got interesting pretty quickly. I think my only criticism was that I found the timing jumped around a little so sometimes I wasn’t sure where we were in the story but to be honest this wasn’t a major issue, and I enjoyed the book despite this (and also other readers may not find this a problem so it could easily be just a “me” issue). This was going to be a solid 3 stars however because the couple of twists at the end shocked me, I had to upgrade it to a 4 star read.
Overall, a good psychological thriller that I enjoyed, I would definitely recommend this to any reader who enjoy this genre and as I said above, I look forward to reading the next book Lorna Dounaeva has written.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lorna Dounaeva and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.
Natalie and Hayden are happy, despite hating their jobs, it’s the only way to keep a roof over their heads. After one particularly bad day at work Natalie buys a lottery ticket on a whim and is beyond shocked when that night their numbers come up. They are officially lottery winner millionaires having won twelve and a half million pounds, however that very night was when their life began to derail. Natalie starts to have suspicions that Hayden is having an affair whilst hiding a very big secret of her own from her husband. Both Natalie and Hayden decide they want to keep their win anonymous however they are outed by someone and before they know it, they are the local newspapers headline! When the news starts to die down Natalie and Hayden find their dream house and quit their day jobs. While Hayden gets to buy the sports cars, he has always wanted Natalie opens up her very own coffee shop, a dream she has had for a long while. Life for them is good. Then Natalie receives an anonymous note saying, “you don’t deserve the money, I do” and then later on a bouquet of flowers with a threatening card. Natalie tries to dismiss her concerns, but they keep on growing…… will she manage to keep her secret from everyone but her sister Liz and get her happy ever after or will the past catch up with her and then she will rue the day she bought that lottery ticket?!!
Despite not warming to any of the characters I did enjoy this read however I did have one character pegged from the start and at the end I was delighted to find out I was correct. However, this did not remove my enjoyment of reading the story at all. I enjoyed hearing the story from both main characters and although I found the start a little slow, things got interesting pretty quickly. I think my only criticism was that I found the timing jumped around a little so sometimes I wasn’t sure where we were in the story but to be honest this wasn’t a major issue, and I enjoyed the book despite this (and also other readers may not find this a problem so it could easily be just a “me” issue). This was going to be a solid 3 stars however because the couple of twists at the end shocked me, I had to upgrade it to a 4 star read.
Overall, a good psychological thriller that I enjoyed, I would definitely recommend this to any reader who enjoy this genre and as I said above, I look forward to reading the next book Lorna Dounaeva has written.
Thank you to NetGalley, Lorna Dounaeva and Bookouture for my advanced reading copy. Out now.
February 11, 2024
This is my first NetGalley ARC and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I Listened to the audiobook and the British narrator was nice to listen too! (I listened at 1.25x)
The Wife’s Mistake was twisty! But when I tell you, I was STRESSED OUT listening to Natalie and Hayden’s POV, I mean it😅. About 1/4 of the way through the book, not much had happened yet and I was starting to get frustrated because it seemed like it was dragging on. There were points in the story where I was talking out loud, almost pleading with them to tell the other one the truth! I don’t read too many miscommunication tropes but I’d say this book has it!!
At no point did I know what was going to happen next and I was suspicious of EVERYONE! Absolutely everyone! I actually rewound the ending just to hear the final words again because it caught me off guard!
This is my first book by Lorna Dounaeva and I’m excited to read more by her! Thank you again for the ARC on NetGalley! I can wait for others to read this book as well!
The Wife’s Mistake was twisty! But when I tell you, I was STRESSED OUT listening to Natalie and Hayden’s POV, I mean it😅. About 1/4 of the way through the book, not much had happened yet and I was starting to get frustrated because it seemed like it was dragging on. There were points in the story where I was talking out loud, almost pleading with them to tell the other one the truth! I don’t read too many miscommunication tropes but I’d say this book has it!!
At no point did I know what was going to happen next and I was suspicious of EVERYONE! Absolutely everyone! I actually rewound the ending just to hear the final words again because it caught me off guard!
This is my first book by Lorna Dounaeva and I’m excited to read more by her! Thank you again for the ARC on NetGalley! I can wait for others to read this book as well!
March 22, 2024
Be prepared if all your wishes come true! In this book, the wife is not the only one who makes a mistake, but hers has the greatest consequences. Lorna Dounaeva has written a thrilling story with so many twists and turns that you can’t help but be surprised by where you end up. The saying goes that money enhances who you are as a person. If that is true, then the moral of this story is that you should investigate the characters of your family and friends before sharing your good fortune. - AMC
February 17, 2024
The first bit of the book was more romance than thriller. Natalie wins the lottery but won’t tell her husband because she fears he’s cheating. So she stalks him to find out if he is. 😒. She hides the ticket but yet somehow loses the ticket even after she checks on it constantly. Then her husband finds it and that forces her hand. Still a bit more drama and romance than thriller when people are wanting money from them and getting mad they don’t give them enough. Then someone breaks into their house and leaves a note that they don’t deserve the money. They move into a huge glass house, literally. Someone starts messing with them there too. This is when we find out the wife has a secret that might be coming back to bite her in the butt. There’s a lot more romance drama. Then the husband has a secret he needs to protect. They both don’t talk to each other about what is going on and keep lying and deceiving each other and doing whatever the hell they want. My opinion of the characters and their actions changed frequently. Mostly I was annoyed though. Towards the end it starts to pick up and get more interesting. Just wasn’t thrilling. Mystery Romance, sure. Though it was pretty predictable I still found it entertaining and I would recommend it to those who would like a slower more mystery romance.
February 6, 2024
The Wife’s Mistake has a slow start but when the plot stars to unravel it piques up speed. It’s a twisty read, full of suspense and so many turns it made it impossible to stop reading. There’re so many secrets coming to light and the mistrust in relationships.
Both our main characters – Natalie and Hayden - have secrets of their own that the other has no knowledge of. But then Natalie wins a lottery ticket and wonder what she’ll do and if she’s willing to share the news with Hayden. I was shocked to say the least with the way the book ended. I didn’t saw it coming and it was so good.
Overall, I felt like the book captured well enough how people tend to hide their true selves because they’re afraid of how others will react to it. Also, it portrait perfectly how people can change when money is involved in the equation. I really enjoyed this book and did not see the end coming.
Thank you, Bookouture & NetGalley, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.
Both our main characters – Natalie and Hayden - have secrets of their own that the other has no knowledge of. But then Natalie wins a lottery ticket and wonder what she’ll do and if she’s willing to share the news with Hayden. I was shocked to say the least with the way the book ended. I didn’t saw it coming and it was so good.
Overall, I felt like the book captured well enough how people tend to hide their true selves because they’re afraid of how others will react to it. Also, it portrait perfectly how people can change when money is involved in the equation. I really enjoyed this book and did not see the end coming.
Thank you, Bookouture & NetGalley, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.
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