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The Other Wife: A Novel
A big-hearted novel of nostalgia and longing, and a poignant exploration of how we choose to love.
Zuzu met her best friend Cash on the first day of college, and nothing was ever the same. Tall, witty, and popular, his friendship represented a kind of belonging for Zuzu, who had always felt like an outsider growing up mixed race in her rural hometown. Though their friendship was charged with longing, it never progressed to romance. Now approaching her forties, Zuzu has built a stable life with her wife Agnes, a steadfast and career-driven lawyer. Yet Zuzu is haunted by the choices that have shaped living with her mother instead of her father in childhood, pursuing law over art, and marrying Agnes while harboring complex feelings for Cash.
When a sudden loss pulls Zuzu back to her hometown, the “what ifs” in her mind become louder than ever, and she begins to unwind the turns that have led her here. Will she embrace the choices she’s made, or risk everything for a chance to chase the past? A novel that speaks to unfulfilled desires and the euphoric nostalgia that’s particular to the beginning of middle age, The Other Wife is as heartfelt as it is daring in its deep reckoning with the past and quest for true joy.
Zuzu met her best friend Cash on the first day of college, and nothing was ever the same. Tall, witty, and popular, his friendship represented a kind of belonging for Zuzu, who had always felt like an outsider growing up mixed race in her rural hometown. Though their friendship was charged with longing, it never progressed to romance. Now approaching her forties, Zuzu has built a stable life with her wife Agnes, a steadfast and career-driven lawyer. Yet Zuzu is haunted by the choices that have shaped living with her mother instead of her father in childhood, pursuing law over art, and marrying Agnes while harboring complex feelings for Cash.
When a sudden loss pulls Zuzu back to her hometown, the “what ifs” in her mind become louder than ever, and she begins to unwind the turns that have led her here. Will she embrace the choices she’s made, or risk everything for a chance to chase the past? A novel that speaks to unfulfilled desires and the euphoric nostalgia that’s particular to the beginning of middle age, The Other Wife is as heartfelt as it is daring in its deep reckoning with the past and quest for true joy.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
October 30, 2025
i support women's wrongs.
welcome back to another example of the fun kind of unpopular opinion. this book has a 3.05 average rating, but i had such a good time.
we follow our protagonist, zuzu, through college and the current day and her unrequited feelings for her hippie bro best friend and her complicated feelings for her girlboss lawyer wife.
i thought it was unflinching and gruesome and honest and readable, especially about desire and attraction and the insidious power of vanity.
bottom line: i won't remember it forever, but i had a good time!
(thanks to the publisher for the copy)
welcome back to another example of the fun kind of unpopular opinion. this book has a 3.05 average rating, but i had such a good time.
we follow our protagonist, zuzu, through college and the current day and her unrequited feelings for her hippie bro best friend and her complicated feelings for her girlboss lawyer wife.
i thought it was unflinching and gruesome and honest and readable, especially about desire and attraction and the insidious power of vanity.
bottom line: i won't remember it forever, but i had a good time!
(thanks to the publisher for the copy)
July 20, 2025
This book was a very fast easy read, but honestly, not that enjoyable. The main character, Zuzu, is miserable and unhappy through the book, and absolutely looks to others to care for her and is disappointed when it doesn't happen. I found myself almost disgusted with her. However, it was well written and an easy read, I just really didn't like the character.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
July 14, 2025
Zuzu, nearing forty, has everything she’s ever wanted. Yet something is missing. When a tragedy leads to her return home, she reflects on all of the decisions she has made that have led her to this point, particularly her decision to marry her wife Agnes despite unresolved feelings for her best friend Cash.
As soon as I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to read it ASAP. I have read a few stories where the FMC finds new love with another woman, following the end of her marriage, but never a story like this, in reverse. And that had me completely intrigued. I am also living in my literary/contemporary fiction era and have been craving more character-centric novels. With all those factors working for it, I was sure this would be a major win. And yet I ended up feeling like, at the end of the day, this story just wasn’t for me.
While I love a slow-burn story, especially one where you are able to get inside of the characters’ heads and see what makes them tick, this was way too slow-burn for me. From almost the start, this book felt like it dragged on and on, going almost nowhere. I also struggled to connect to the FMC, who felt more two-dimensional to me than a fully fleshed-out character. By the time I reached the end, which felt very anti-climactic, I found myself feeling very blah about the whole experience. That said, I am sure the very slow burn, introspective style of this story will appeal to others. If you have been eyeing it, I would definitely recommend giving it a try.
Read if you like:
▪️literary fiction
▪️inner monologues
▪️sliding doors(esq) trope
▪️character-driven stories
▪️self-discovery
Thank you Riverhead Books and PRH Audio for the advanced copies.
As soon as I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to read it ASAP. I have read a few stories where the FMC finds new love with another woman, following the end of her marriage, but never a story like this, in reverse. And that had me completely intrigued. I am also living in my literary/contemporary fiction era and have been craving more character-centric novels. With all those factors working for it, I was sure this would be a major win. And yet I ended up feeling like, at the end of the day, this story just wasn’t for me.
While I love a slow-burn story, especially one where you are able to get inside of the characters’ heads and see what makes them tick, this was way too slow-burn for me. From almost the start, this book felt like it dragged on and on, going almost nowhere. I also struggled to connect to the FMC, who felt more two-dimensional to me than a fully fleshed-out character. By the time I reached the end, which felt very anti-climactic, I found myself feeling very blah about the whole experience. That said, I am sure the very slow burn, introspective style of this story will appeal to others. If you have been eyeing it, I would definitely recommend giving it a try.
Read if you like:
▪️literary fiction
▪️inner monologues
▪️sliding doors(esq) trope
▪️character-driven stories
▪️self-discovery
Thank you Riverhead Books and PRH Audio for the advanced copies.
January 26, 2025
The other woman
This book is essentially about how Zuzu is unhappy with her relationship with her wife of 10 years, along with her career and other relationships. Agnes is married to her job, and Zuzu picks up all the life admin, combined with Zuzu and Agnes having little to any meaningful or positive communication with each other, leading to relationship challenges. Her family dynamics are also complicated and fragile, with most conversations involving being passive aggressive. It’s easy to see why Zuzu is so unhappy with her life, yet I felt a lot of it was on her in the way she communicates.
Honestly I really wanted to enjoy this book but it just felt lacklustre to me overall .There didn’t seem to be any injection of energy into the storyline other than someone that is unhappy and unable to make decisions or communicate positivity, which in the end made me a bit frustrated with the character.
“You are the most passive person I’ve met in my life”
Don’t get me wrong, the writing style is very easy to read but I just felt like something was missing. And I’m not really sure what the ending was? I really don’t like writing negative reviews, but I have to honest with my experience. Regardless I am grateful to @netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this ARC copy. And please don’t let this review put you off, everyone enjoys books differently, for me this one just didn’t land.
This book is essentially about how Zuzu is unhappy with her relationship with her wife of 10 years, along with her career and other relationships. Agnes is married to her job, and Zuzu picks up all the life admin, combined with Zuzu and Agnes having little to any meaningful or positive communication with each other, leading to relationship challenges. Her family dynamics are also complicated and fragile, with most conversations involving being passive aggressive. It’s easy to see why Zuzu is so unhappy with her life, yet I felt a lot of it was on her in the way she communicates.
Honestly I really wanted to enjoy this book but it just felt lacklustre to me overall .There didn’t seem to be any injection of energy into the storyline other than someone that is unhappy and unable to make decisions or communicate positivity, which in the end made me a bit frustrated with the character.
“You are the most passive person I’ve met in my life”
Don’t get me wrong, the writing style is very easy to read but I just felt like something was missing. And I’m not really sure what the ending was? I really don’t like writing negative reviews, but I have to honest with my experience. Regardless I am grateful to @netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this ARC copy. And please don’t let this review put you off, everyone enjoys books differently, for me this one just didn’t land.
July 17, 2025
Honestly? I'm surprised by all the bad reviews, but maybe that's just because I enjoy a good messy narrator. Zuzu isn’t exactly likable
she’s bitter, restless, and stuck in the malaise of suburban life...
with a wife who barely notices she exists and that’s exactly what makes her feel real. She’s not out here chasing redemption arcs; she’s daydreaming about who she used to be while spiraling through a midlife identity crisis
The story flips between timelines, which, to me, mirrors how memory and regret actually work—fragmented, nonlinear, and never showing up when it’s convenient. Anyone looking for a tidy, chronological plot clearly hasn’t spent much time wallowing in their own what-ifs. And yes, there’s no neat little resolution, no grand epiphany, no tied-up ending...Life rarely delivers clean conclusions, and this book dares to leave you sitting in that gray area.
she’s bitter, restless, and stuck in the malaise of suburban life...
with a wife who barely notices she exists and that’s exactly what makes her feel real. She’s not out here chasing redemption arcs; she’s daydreaming about who she used to be while spiraling through a midlife identity crisis
The story flips between timelines, which, to me, mirrors how memory and regret actually work—fragmented, nonlinear, and never showing up when it’s convenient. Anyone looking for a tidy, chronological plot clearly hasn’t spent much time wallowing in their own what-ifs. And yes, there’s no neat little resolution, no grand epiphany, no tied-up ending...Life rarely delivers clean conclusions, and this book dares to leave you sitting in that gray area.
February 9, 2025
You know that feeling of reliving old memories, wishing that you could change the way you reacted, what you said, how you said it?
I spent the majority of reading this book feeling angry at the characters, as if my abundance of emotion would somehow change what had happened. But alike reality, we know we cannot change the past, but must rest assured that we reacted authentically.
As much as I hated the actions of these characters, I know that their experience reflects the messy, infuriating and honest reality that some of us live.
I finish this book feeling terrified of having the relationship Zuzu had with Agnus and Cash, and terrified that I never will.
I spent the majority of reading this book feeling angry at the characters, as if my abundance of emotion would somehow change what had happened. But alike reality, we know we cannot change the past, but must rest assured that we reacted authentically.
As much as I hated the actions of these characters, I know that their experience reflects the messy, infuriating and honest reality that some of us live.
I finish this book feeling terrified of having the relationship Zuzu had with Agnus and Cash, and terrified that I never will.
August 2, 2025
This book says a lot and nothing all at once. Either there was no point or I completely missed it.
June 30, 2025
The Other Wife is a quietly powerful and introspective novel that offers a deep dive into the psyche of its protagonist, Zuzu. What I found most compelling about the book was its rich exploration of Zuzu’s inner world—her doubts, regrets, and the subtle emotional undercurrents that shape her life. The writing is thoughtful and evocative, drawing you into a contemplative space where the complexities of identity, desire, and—most prominently—dissatisfaction unfold with nuance.
And that’s a key word to hang on to here. Because Zuzu’s apparent passivity can be both a strength and a source of frustration. Her tendency to drift through life, waiting for others to make the first move, feels realistic and relatable, but at times I found myself wanting her to take more agency. A number of reviews I’ve read have said similarly and even questioned the point of the novel. For me, this IS the point. Ms. Thomas-Kennedy ties no neat bows anywhere here, choosing to reveal a layered character, one who is only now just realizing her paths taken and isn’t (yet) fully able to accept it, let alone face it and make changes.
The novel’s pacing is deliberate, and its structure non-linear. Stick with it though, even if you fear it veers to the point of stalling at times, as the non-linear choice reveals itself to be cleverer than you initially realize. The ending is open, hinting at possibilities but leaving much for the reader to interpret. While this ambiguity suits the novel’s reflective tone, it may leave some readers wanting more closure. I love tropes and arcs and definitive endings, as a rule. This novel chucks out most tropes and does its own thing, and I found that refreshing as I plowed through Zuzu’s narrative and the author’s very nicely constructed prose.
The Other Wife is a slow-burning, character-driven story that excels in psychological depth but may test the patience of those seeking a more plot-driven or definitive conclusion. But I really liked it, and I won’t forget what has turned out to be a memorable MC.
Thank you to the author and publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to spend time with Zuzu and wish her better days ahead.
And that’s a key word to hang on to here. Because Zuzu’s apparent passivity can be both a strength and a source of frustration. Her tendency to drift through life, waiting for others to make the first move, feels realistic and relatable, but at times I found myself wanting her to take more agency. A number of reviews I’ve read have said similarly and even questioned the point of the novel. For me, this IS the point. Ms. Thomas-Kennedy ties no neat bows anywhere here, choosing to reveal a layered character, one who is only now just realizing her paths taken and isn’t (yet) fully able to accept it, let alone face it and make changes.
The novel’s pacing is deliberate, and its structure non-linear. Stick with it though, even if you fear it veers to the point of stalling at times, as the non-linear choice reveals itself to be cleverer than you initially realize. The ending is open, hinting at possibilities but leaving much for the reader to interpret. While this ambiguity suits the novel’s reflective tone, it may leave some readers wanting more closure. I love tropes and arcs and definitive endings, as a rule. This novel chucks out most tropes and does its own thing, and I found that refreshing as I plowed through Zuzu’s narrative and the author’s very nicely constructed prose.
The Other Wife is a slow-burning, character-driven story that excels in psychological depth but may test the patience of those seeking a more plot-driven or definitive conclusion. But I really liked it, and I won’t forget what has turned out to be a memorable MC.
Thank you to the author and publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to spend time with Zuzu and wish her better days ahead.
December 26, 2024
Thank you net galley for this copy. Full review at https://readreviewandreflect.wordpres...
A debut novel, Thomas-Kennedy’s writing style is flawless and captivating. The imagery used was strong and precise and she used food continually throughout the chapters delving into the past to engage our senses, and making me very hungry.
I really enjoyed reading The Other Wife as I felt I was growing closer and closer to Zuzu, the main character, after every chapter. Thomas-Kennedy has written this character very well, choosing a first person narration was a good choice as I felt like she was one of my closest friends, telling me all of her secrets during a wine-fueled catch up.
I particularly liked how short the chapters were, with names rather than numbers, which increased the pace at which I read, almost devouring it in days.
Zuzu is a complex character for me. I loved her immensely. In fact, multiple points throughout this novel I wanted to just reach in and give her a long, soothing hug as I just felt for her. However, she is morally quite grey, making terrible decisions constantly.
James ‘Cash’ Cashel and Zuzu’s relationship is confusing and complex. As college students, Zuzu’s love for Cash is, again, consuming. Sadly, that hasn’t changed much for present day Zuzu who is married with a child.
This is a very enjoyable novel, told by the main character using snippets of her past to paint a very clear picture of her current circumstances. I would heavily recommend this novel to those that enjoy character driven narratives and thought-provoking women’s fiction with themes of self-discovery. However, this could be labelled one of those stories where “nothing really happens” and so if you prefer a more plot-driven story, this may not be for you.
A debut novel, Thomas-Kennedy’s writing style is flawless and captivating. The imagery used was strong and precise and she used food continually throughout the chapters delving into the past to engage our senses, and making me very hungry.
I really enjoyed reading The Other Wife as I felt I was growing closer and closer to Zuzu, the main character, after every chapter. Thomas-Kennedy has written this character very well, choosing a first person narration was a good choice as I felt like she was one of my closest friends, telling me all of her secrets during a wine-fueled catch up.
I particularly liked how short the chapters were, with names rather than numbers, which increased the pace at which I read, almost devouring it in days.
Zuzu is a complex character for me. I loved her immensely. In fact, multiple points throughout this novel I wanted to just reach in and give her a long, soothing hug as I just felt for her. However, she is morally quite grey, making terrible decisions constantly.
James ‘Cash’ Cashel and Zuzu’s relationship is confusing and complex. As college students, Zuzu’s love for Cash is, again, consuming. Sadly, that hasn’t changed much for present day Zuzu who is married with a child.
This is a very enjoyable novel, told by the main character using snippets of her past to paint a very clear picture of her current circumstances. I would heavily recommend this novel to those that enjoy character driven narratives and thought-provoking women’s fiction with themes of self-discovery. However, this could be labelled one of those stories where “nothing really happens” and so if you prefer a more plot-driven story, this may not be for you.
July 16, 2025
This one was just not for me.
July 16, 2025
The Other Wife by Jackie Thomas-Kennedy. Thanks to @riverhead books for the gifted arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Zuzu has built a stable life with her wife, Agnes, but when a tragedy brings her back to her home town, characters from her past interfer.
If you’re into slow moving character studies that examine different relationships within life, give this one a try. You really get to know the main character. While there’s not much of a plot, and some may find themselves impatient at times, it is very well written. I look forward to what this author does next.
“I supposed, depending on the state we were standing in, that they were right, that my marriage was an imaginary one.”
The Other Wife comes out 7/17.
Zuzu has built a stable life with her wife, Agnes, but when a tragedy brings her back to her home town, characters from her past interfer.
If you’re into slow moving character studies that examine different relationships within life, give this one a try. You really get to know the main character. While there’s not much of a plot, and some may find themselves impatient at times, it is very well written. I look forward to what this author does next.
“I supposed, depending on the state we were standing in, that they were right, that my marriage was an imaginary one.”
The Other Wife comes out 7/17.
Read
July 30, 2025Nope absolutely snooze fest. I need more then just a story about a person unhappy with her life choices
September 8, 2025
beautiful writing but felt incomplete
July 14, 2025
What I often enjoy about a slow moving novel is the opportunity to discover the characters in depth. Their temperaments and their motivations.are what keep my interest in a story. Unfortunately although the writing was good, I couldn't warm up to the characters, I was put off by Zuzu, and her romantic interest in Cash, her male, married, college friend. Involved n a sad, unfulfilling marriage with an inability to communicate with her work obsessed wife Agnes, my sympathy waned.. Although this was not for me, I am grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.
August 20, 2025
@riverheadbooks | #partner I’m not sure why, but my patience for books with despairing, unhappy characters has been low this summer, and sadly that’s a lot of what 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗜𝗙𝗘 by Jackie Thomas-Kennedy was. Zuzu, its main character, is questioning many choices she’s made in life. She’s just not happy with where her life at nearly 40 has landed. She’s reliving how she got there and considering how that place might change.
As a child Zuzu’s parents divorced and she chose to live with her white mother rather than her Black father. How might life be different if she’d taken a different path?
She’s been married to Agnes for the last 10 years, but not quite happily. Would her life be better had she gone for her long time crush on best friend, Cash?
When she could have gone to art school, she chose law school as the more sensible choice. Was that for the best?
Around all this and more, Thomas-Kennedy takes readers on a journey through Zuzu’s youngish midlife crisis. It was well written and well told, but for me just not the right journey to be on this summer. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a child Zuzu’s parents divorced and she chose to live with her white mother rather than her Black father. How might life be different if she’d taken a different path?
She’s been married to Agnes for the last 10 years, but not quite happily. Would her life be better had she gone for her long time crush on best friend, Cash?
When she could have gone to art school, she chose law school as the more sensible choice. Was that for the best?
Around all this and more, Thomas-Kennedy takes readers on a journey through Zuzu’s youngish midlife crisis. It was well written and well told, but for me just not the right journey to be on this summer. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 2, 2025
All relationships are bound to have problems.
This story left me with mixed emotions. I’m sure it had something of importance to tell and I either missed it or it wasn’t properly delivered. I’m not sure why Zuzu is so hung up on Cash, who is an absolute douche and lets her know from day one he’s not the best person. I don’t really understand Zuzu’s grief about her father’s death, although grief is complicated. I’m left wondering about the ending, I think of Agnes and Heidi and I ponder the reason behind Zuzu’s and Noel’s relationship and their encounters. This book says so much and yet says nothing all at once.
I think imagining what if scenarios and wondering about a life you never had is definitely something all people partake in, however I can’t be certain that a story like this, where a woman in a lesbian relationship is yearning for a man was needed. It is only my opinion and it is not to say that feeling this is invalid or people shouldn’t feel this way, I simply felt it was sort of tacky especially considering Cash wasn’t any better than Agnes. Perhaps it wasn’t Cash Zuzu loved, but an idea of him and their future she’d imagined. Neither Agnes, Cash nor Zuzu are perfect, perhaps not even necessary good people. And that what makes them all human, what makes them feel real and yet so distant because you as a reader keep wondering why they made the choices they did. These characters are hard to understand because life and people are complex. Nothing is ever black or white, people and their relationships are confusing and perhaps that’s the beauty of life.
I’m sure there will be plenty of people who will love this book and its characters.
This is an ARC review.
This story left me with mixed emotions. I’m sure it had something of importance to tell and I either missed it or it wasn’t properly delivered. I’m not sure why Zuzu is so hung up on Cash, who is an absolute douche and lets her know from day one he’s not the best person. I don’t really understand Zuzu’s grief about her father’s death, although grief is complicated. I’m left wondering about the ending, I think of Agnes and Heidi and I ponder the reason behind Zuzu’s and Noel’s relationship and their encounters. This book says so much and yet says nothing all at once.
I think imagining what if scenarios and wondering about a life you never had is definitely something all people partake in, however I can’t be certain that a story like this, where a woman in a lesbian relationship is yearning for a man was needed. It is only my opinion and it is not to say that feeling this is invalid or people shouldn’t feel this way, I simply felt it was sort of tacky especially considering Cash wasn’t any better than Agnes. Perhaps it wasn’t Cash Zuzu loved, but an idea of him and their future she’d imagined. Neither Agnes, Cash nor Zuzu are perfect, perhaps not even necessary good people. And that what makes them all human, what makes them feel real and yet so distant because you as a reader keep wondering why they made the choices they did. These characters are hard to understand because life and people are complex. Nothing is ever black or white, people and their relationships are confusing and perhaps that’s the beauty of life.
I’m sure there will be plenty of people who will love this book and its characters.
This is an ARC review.
September 24, 2025
"Brazen" being a selling point i will agree with. Definitely not a story I'd've picked up if goodreads didn't suggest it and, while I liked it for the experience, just simply not a favorite.
Genuinely fascinating character study, it felt, just not for me.
Genuinely fascinating character study, it felt, just not for me.
July 23, 2025
Raw, honest, and beautifully written.
August 31, 2025
Zuzu is a horrible wife and she shouldn’t have gotten married
August 24, 2025
i love an introspective read, but i couldn't bear the pacing and characterisation here, i couldn't feel ANYTHING as i proceeded with the story, zero empathy or relatable points. too bad
July 25, 2025
Jackie Thomas-Kennedy's debut novel "The Other Wife" arrives as a deeply introspective examination of one woman's reckoning with the choices that have shaped her life. Set against the backdrop of a single winter weekend, the novel follows Susan "Zuzu" Braeburn as she confronts the growing chasm between the life she imagined and the reality she inhabits. Thomas-Kennedy, a Stegner Fellow whose short fiction has appeared in publications like One Story and American Short Fiction, brings a nuanced understanding of contemporary relationships and the particular malaise of approaching middle age.
The novel opens with Zuzu observing the settled domesticity of her life with Agnes Blair, her successful lawyer wife, and their seven-year-old son Gideon. Yet beneath this veneer of suburban contentment lies a profound restlessness. Thomas-Kennedy skillfully captures the suffocating nature of routine—the endless dishes, the unopened mail, the careful choreography of avoiding conflict. Zuzu's dissatisfaction isn't born from any single catastrophic event but rather from the accumulation of small disappointments and the gradual erosion of intimacy.
The Architecture of Memory
What distinguishes Thomas-Kennedy's approach is her non-linear narrative structure, which mirrors the way memory actually functions. The story moves fluidly between past and present, with chapters bearing evocative titles like "Sledding: January 15, 2001" and "California Roll." This temporal fragmentation serves the novel's central theme: how our past selves continue to haunt our present decisions.
The author demonstrates particular skill in rendering the intensity of college friendships and first loves. The relationship between Zuzu and James "Cash" Cashel is drawn with exquisite attention to the unspoken tensions and missed opportunities that characterize many formative relationships. Their dynamic—charged with possibility yet never fully realized—becomes a touchstone for Zuzu's understanding of desire itself.
Thomas-Kennedy's prose style recalls the introspective quality of writers like Joan Didion and Jennifer Egan, with its focus on the internal landscape of her protagonist. Her sentences have a measured, contemplative quality that matches Zuzu's analytical nature:
"I BELIEVED THAT LIFE WAS EASY ENOUGH TO FIND. I BELIEVED THIS UNTIL WE SKIPPED FRIDAY CLASSES AND TOOK ANOTHER TRAIN, THIS TIME TO THE CITY."
Exploring Queer Identity and Belonging
The novel's treatment of LGBTQ+ themes is both subtle and profound. Zuzu's marriage to Agnes isn't presented as a political statement but as a genuine relationship with its own complexities and contradictions. Thomas-Kennedy avoids the trap of making her protagonist's queerness the sole source of conflict, instead showing how sexual identity intersects with broader questions of authenticity and fulfillment.
The author's portrayal of Zuzu's attraction to Cash doesn't negate her relationship with Agnes but rather complicates it in realistic ways. This nuanced approach to bisexuality is particularly noteworthy, as it avoids reductive stereotypes while honestly examining the challenges of navigating multiple desires within the constraints of monogamous marriage.
Family Dynamics and Generational Wounds
Thomas-Kennedy excels in her depiction of family relationships, particularly the complicated bond between Zuzu and her sister Julia. Their interactions crackle with a mixture of affection and competition that feels authentically sibling-like. The author also skillfully portrays the ripple effects of their parents' divorce, showing how childhood arrangements—like alternating nights between households—can shape adult attachment patterns.
The death of Zuzu's father serves as the novel's catalyst, forcing her to confront not only her grief but also her regrets. Thomas-Kennedy handles this plot development with restraint, avoiding melodrama while honestly depicting the way loss can illuminate the urgency of living authentically.
Structural Strengths and Weaknesses
The novel's episodic structure is both its greatest strength and occasional weakness. While the fragmented timeline effectively conveys the protagonist's mental state, some chapters feel more like polished short stories than integral parts of a cohesive narrative. Certain sections, particularly those set in college, are so vividly rendered that they overshadow the present-day action.
Thomas-Kennedy's ability to capture specific moments—the texture of an old sweatshirt, the awkwardness of running into an ex-boyfriend—is exceptional. However, the novel sometimes struggles with pacing, particularly in its middle sections where Zuzu's passivity becomes frustrating rather than sympathetic.
The Question of Resolution
Perhaps the novel's most daring aspect is its refusal to provide easy answers. Zuzu's weekend journey doesn't result in dramatic life changes or clear resolutions. Instead, Thomas-Kennedy suggests that self-awareness itself might be enough—that recognizing our patterns and limitations is a form of growth, even if it doesn't lead to radical transformation.
This approach may frustrate readers seeking a more definitive conclusion, but it reflects the author's commitment to psychological realism. Life rarely offers the clean narratives we crave, and Thomas-Kennedy honors this complexity while still providing emotional satisfaction.
Final Assessment
Despite occasional structural issues and a protagonist whose passivity can test reader patience, "The Other Wife" succeeds as a thoughtful meditation on choice, desire, and the stories we tell ourselves about our lives. Thomas-Kennedy writes with compassion for her flawed characters while maintaining enough critical distance to avoid sentimentality.
The novel's greatest achievement is its honest portrayal of a marriage in decline without resorting to vilification of either partner. Both Zuzu and Agnes are fully realized characters whose relationship problems stem from genuine incompatibilities rather than moral failings.
For readers who appreciate character-driven literary fiction that prioritizes emotional truth over plot mechanics, "The Other Wife" offers considerable rewards. Thomas-Kennedy has crafted a debut that announces her as a writer capable of capturing the subtle ways we betray ourselves and each other.
The novel opens with Zuzu observing the settled domesticity of her life with Agnes Blair, her successful lawyer wife, and their seven-year-old son Gideon. Yet beneath this veneer of suburban contentment lies a profound restlessness. Thomas-Kennedy skillfully captures the suffocating nature of routine—the endless dishes, the unopened mail, the careful choreography of avoiding conflict. Zuzu's dissatisfaction isn't born from any single catastrophic event but rather from the accumulation of small disappointments and the gradual erosion of intimacy.
The Architecture of Memory
What distinguishes Thomas-Kennedy's approach is her non-linear narrative structure, which mirrors the way memory actually functions. The story moves fluidly between past and present, with chapters bearing evocative titles like "Sledding: January 15, 2001" and "California Roll." This temporal fragmentation serves the novel's central theme: how our past selves continue to haunt our present decisions.
The author demonstrates particular skill in rendering the intensity of college friendships and first loves. The relationship between Zuzu and James "Cash" Cashel is drawn with exquisite attention to the unspoken tensions and missed opportunities that characterize many formative relationships. Their dynamic—charged with possibility yet never fully realized—becomes a touchstone for Zuzu's understanding of desire itself.
Thomas-Kennedy's prose style recalls the introspective quality of writers like Joan Didion and Jennifer Egan, with its focus on the internal landscape of her protagonist. Her sentences have a measured, contemplative quality that matches Zuzu's analytical nature:
"I BELIEVED THAT LIFE WAS EASY ENOUGH TO FIND. I BELIEVED THIS UNTIL WE SKIPPED FRIDAY CLASSES AND TOOK ANOTHER TRAIN, THIS TIME TO THE CITY."
Exploring Queer Identity and Belonging
The novel's treatment of LGBTQ+ themes is both subtle and profound. Zuzu's marriage to Agnes isn't presented as a political statement but as a genuine relationship with its own complexities and contradictions. Thomas-Kennedy avoids the trap of making her protagonist's queerness the sole source of conflict, instead showing how sexual identity intersects with broader questions of authenticity and fulfillment.
The author's portrayal of Zuzu's attraction to Cash doesn't negate her relationship with Agnes but rather complicates it in realistic ways. This nuanced approach to bisexuality is particularly noteworthy, as it avoids reductive stereotypes while honestly examining the challenges of navigating multiple desires within the constraints of monogamous marriage.
Family Dynamics and Generational Wounds
Thomas-Kennedy excels in her depiction of family relationships, particularly the complicated bond between Zuzu and her sister Julia. Their interactions crackle with a mixture of affection and competition that feels authentically sibling-like. The author also skillfully portrays the ripple effects of their parents' divorce, showing how childhood arrangements—like alternating nights between households—can shape adult attachment patterns.
The death of Zuzu's father serves as the novel's catalyst, forcing her to confront not only her grief but also her regrets. Thomas-Kennedy handles this plot development with restraint, avoiding melodrama while honestly depicting the way loss can illuminate the urgency of living authentically.
Structural Strengths and Weaknesses
The novel's episodic structure is both its greatest strength and occasional weakness. While the fragmented timeline effectively conveys the protagonist's mental state, some chapters feel more like polished short stories than integral parts of a cohesive narrative. Certain sections, particularly those set in college, are so vividly rendered that they overshadow the present-day action.
Thomas-Kennedy's ability to capture specific moments—the texture of an old sweatshirt, the awkwardness of running into an ex-boyfriend—is exceptional. However, the novel sometimes struggles with pacing, particularly in its middle sections where Zuzu's passivity becomes frustrating rather than sympathetic.
The Question of Resolution
Perhaps the novel's most daring aspect is its refusal to provide easy answers. Zuzu's weekend journey doesn't result in dramatic life changes or clear resolutions. Instead, Thomas-Kennedy suggests that self-awareness itself might be enough—that recognizing our patterns and limitations is a form of growth, even if it doesn't lead to radical transformation.
This approach may frustrate readers seeking a more definitive conclusion, but it reflects the author's commitment to psychological realism. Life rarely offers the clean narratives we crave, and Thomas-Kennedy honors this complexity while still providing emotional satisfaction.
Final Assessment
Despite occasional structural issues and a protagonist whose passivity can test reader patience, "The Other Wife" succeeds as a thoughtful meditation on choice, desire, and the stories we tell ourselves about our lives. Thomas-Kennedy writes with compassion for her flawed characters while maintaining enough critical distance to avoid sentimentality.
The novel's greatest achievement is its honest portrayal of a marriage in decline without resorting to vilification of either partner. Both Zuzu and Agnes are fully realized characters whose relationship problems stem from genuine incompatibilities rather than moral failings.
For readers who appreciate character-driven literary fiction that prioritizes emotional truth over plot mechanics, "The Other Wife" offers considerable rewards. Thomas-Kennedy has crafted a debut that announces her as a writer capable of capturing the subtle ways we betray ourselves and each other.
February 25, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for this book.
(rounded up from 4.5)
I love a good flawed character with a rich inner world and this book delivers on that front. Zuzu (Susan) is a forty-year-old bisexual woman who is married to a workaholic lawyer (Agnes) and has a young son she loves but her main need is to be desired and after many years of marriage and Agnes' actual personality, she feels like she made the wrong decisions at every turn.
Zuzu is dissatisfied with her life and her choices. She's a lawyer but never practices or passed the bar, a mother and homemaker but is suffocated by the chores and caretaking she must do to take care of her wife and son and is constantly wondering if she made the right choice when confronted by past (and somewhat ongoing) infatuation with her uni best friend, James "Cash" Cashel.
If you're a person who prefers plot-heavy books, this is likely not going to interest you, but if you enjoy watching imperfect people navigate dissatisfaction with their life and choices and slowly come to terms with understanding themselves and their lives, this will interest you.
(rounded up from 4.5)
I love a good flawed character with a rich inner world and this book delivers on that front. Zuzu (Susan) is a forty-year-old bisexual woman who is married to a workaholic lawyer (Agnes) and has a young son she loves but her main need is to be desired and after many years of marriage and Agnes' actual personality, she feels like she made the wrong decisions at every turn.
Zuzu is dissatisfied with her life and her choices. She's a lawyer but never practices or passed the bar, a mother and homemaker but is suffocated by the chores and caretaking she must do to take care of her wife and son and is constantly wondering if she made the right choice when confronted by past (and somewhat ongoing) infatuation with her uni best friend, James "Cash" Cashel.
If you're a person who prefers plot-heavy books, this is likely not going to interest you, but if you enjoy watching imperfect people navigate dissatisfaction with their life and choices and slowly come to terms with understanding themselves and their lives, this will interest you.
March 23, 2025
With thanks to netgalley.com, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Centered around Zuzu, this is a story of present dissatisfaction, love and the loss that comes from missed opportunities. Zuzu is looking back on her life, from the perspective of an apparently happy marriage with Agnes. Agnes is successful and rather self absorbed while Zuzu is homemaker and mother, both to their small child and, arguably, to Agnes herself. She is beset by a sense that while she has chosen one path, there were times in her life when she could have made very different decisions and her life might now be quite different.
Over the course of an intensely lived few days she explores some of these options while realising that Agnes might be at a rather similar place in her own life.
Well written, intense and challenging, this novel is based on a train of thought that, I imagine, many of us explore but fail to act upon in the way Zuzu does. Really interesting and enjoyable.
Centered around Zuzu, this is a story of present dissatisfaction, love and the loss that comes from missed opportunities. Zuzu is looking back on her life, from the perspective of an apparently happy marriage with Agnes. Agnes is successful and rather self absorbed while Zuzu is homemaker and mother, both to their small child and, arguably, to Agnes herself. She is beset by a sense that while she has chosen one path, there were times in her life when she could have made very different decisions and her life might now be quite different.
Over the course of an intensely lived few days she explores some of these options while realising that Agnes might be at a rather similar place in her own life.
Well written, intense and challenging, this novel is based on a train of thought that, I imagine, many of us explore but fail to act upon in the way Zuzu does. Really interesting and enjoyable.
August 7, 2025
I sometimes read a book and wonder if it will be my favorite of the year. This was not that book. I hope this is the worst one I read this year, because I will be sad if I have to read a book this bad again. I don’t do online games, but developed an addiction to online mahjong just to avoid finishing this book. Why didn’t I DNF, you ask? I was waiting to see if there would be any plot development or redemption for Zuzu. There was none. She was easily one of the most insufferable characters I ever hope to read about. She appears to have felt no emotions about anything, except an idea whose viability had long since passed. I’ve been where she was, and I learned to move on a decade sooner at least. Trust me, I give a one-star review once every five years or so, but this one was well earned.
April 17, 2025
3.75
ARC
This was on track for a 4-5* from the first chapter. A beautifully crafted series of vignettes that could have stood on their own but put together weaved a story of intense longing and depth that I couldn’t put down.
I got to the end and couldn’t believe it was over. I was left wanting so so much more from these characters, which is often a positive, but here I just felt dissatisfied. I was expecting some big climax or conclusion that I just didn’t get.
I’m so sad because other than that it was stunning and I loved every word. Will definitely read other work by the author but just wish I could find out what happened next!!?
ARC
This was on track for a 4-5* from the first chapter. A beautifully crafted series of vignettes that could have stood on their own but put together weaved a story of intense longing and depth that I couldn’t put down.
I got to the end and couldn’t believe it was over. I was left wanting so so much more from these characters, which is often a positive, but here I just felt dissatisfied. I was expecting some big climax or conclusion that I just didn’t get.
I’m so sad because other than that it was stunning and I loved every word. Will definitely read other work by the author but just wish I could find out what happened next!!?
February 15, 2025
Jackie Taylor-Kennedy’s story is a well-written story that explores the themes of love, through the intertwined lives of two women who share a connection to the same man. With vivid prose, Taylor-Kennedy delves into complex themes of identity and trust, highlighting the lengths people go to for love. Although I typically enjoy fast-paced books, I found this one to be a solid read that captivated me in unexpected ways. What I appreciated most was the author’s ability to focus on human relationships and how these connections evolve and shape our lives.
December 21, 2024
Thankyou net galley for this arc copy, I really enjoyed this book as it showcased the main character trying to navigate through the decisions she made in life as a means of being a easier life, I loved the flashbacks and seeing the dynamic of her relationship with her childhood best friend. This book is a really good thought provoking book that showcasing the true meaning of this book sometimes comfortable isn’t always the right way to go
August 5, 2025
I felt this book; I think anyone who makes it to 40 will feel this book. The whole “Sliding Doors” question mixed with the reality and complexity of our choices and relationships. I actually enjoy that the characters aren’t entirely likable. You keep reading not quite sure who or what you’re rooting for but you can’t stop.
February 19, 2025
I didn't like any character in this book. Really well written and the author is very talented but I couldn't enjoy it.
July 3, 2025
Thank you for the ARC! Unfortunately I found that this book lacked depth. The characters were unreachable.
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