Eternal Wives

by Lesley A. Camphouse

Ophelia wants one thing. Love.

When she meets Ezra, she thinks she has found it—a community of women who live peacefully together and cater to one man. The concept of polyamory intrigues Ophelia, and she agrees to join.

Once she's in, the tables turn. It appears that becoming one of Ezra’s Eternal Wives is not precisely what Ophelia envisioned. The community? Not so loving. The wives? They stay to themselves, and the first wife, Malvina, hates Ophelia.

If Ophelia wants to escape Malvina’s wrath and Ezra's obsession, she must take matters into her own hands.

This is an extreme horror. Consider this a warning for all TW. 18+.

Genres: Horror

114 pages, Paperback

Published April 26, 2025

About the author

Lesley lives secluded in the Netherlands with her husband and five cats. She enjoys writing Extreme Horror, Splatterpunk, and Dark Romantasy.

Besides writing, she likes to read, and those exact categories are the ones she devours.

She's also a hoarder of trinkets and cool things and collects a lot of stuff, from oddities and curiosities to manga, comics, and figurines.

Reviews

[TheConnieFox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insane!! I can’t really say too much about it, because I don’t want to give anything away. It’s a short, quick read and is filled with a lot of content warnings. I definitely recommend this if you enjoy reading horror novellas. I give this a 4 out of 5 stars rating.

😱🤯

[✮ osanna aoki ✮ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I functioned as an example, a reminder. None of us mattered in this place. We bought into the illusion, the dream that dangled before us, and leaped. We leaped straight into this unforgiving nightmare.

Ophelia is a young woman who has always struggled with feeling unwanted and unloved.

So when she meets Ezra, a man with good looks and charm— Ophelia is instantly captivated. When she then learns about his poly lifestyle, it peaks her curiosity and excitement. Community is what she’s been searching for, and to live amongst four other wives would create a strong sisterhood.

But once she is accepted into the relationship and living in the commune, she finds herself in the pits of brutality. Having to prove herself as a suitable and fit fifth wife, Ophelia is tortured daily in the most horrendous of ways.

Malvina, the first wife, is the woman behind Ophelia’s consistent and violent abuse. Constantly breaking her down— she creates physical, mental, and emotional scars for Ophelia to bear. While the other women stand by and turn a blind eye, Ophelia must learn the ropes on her own and what it means to become an eternal wife in an excruciating way.

Eternal Wives is all about survival of the fittest. Ophelia’s abuse by the hand of Ezra’s first wife is not the end of her brutal journey to prove her worth. The book quickly escalates and shifts into another horrific situation that quickly had me sitting upright.

But Ophelia is fueled by rage, fear, and determination. Desperate to get herself out— she must fight to the death. As the story progresses into something like Battle Royale, the stakes are higher than ever.

I absolutely devoured this novella. It’s a gore-filled, merciless, and hard hitting story with twists and turns all the way through. A demented cult targeted by feminine rage created a narrative that was incredibly unique. And with an ending that leaves you completely shocked— the build up is worth it all. This was a well-written and brutal ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star read. I’m absolutely loving Camphouse and what she has to offer her readers. If you’re into books about women taking their shit back and you have no triggers— look no further than here.

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oof, this was a very mean-spirited and gory affair. Any reader who cannot stomach rape, torture, body horror, etc should steer clear of this one. Ophelia is a strong lead with an iron-clad level of courage and determination. I didn't love the very brief introduction to her character and the cult she found herself in, so that needed quite a bit more development. Beyond that, this was like witnessing something akin to Hellraiser and Silent Hill, but without the more fantastical horror elements involved. Sometimes what is set in reality is far scarier than what someone can imagine. Cults like this do exist and it is terrifying to know what an impure and troubled world we live in. A very solid effort by Lesley Camphouse.

[Lia's Haunted Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

The emotions I went through reading this were absolutely unhinged: rage, despair, FUCK YES, double what-the-fuck yes, confusion, and then just pure “WTF, Lesley?!”.

This novella is short, sharp, and surprisingly wrecked me in the best way.

We follow Ophelia as she prepares to become wife number five in a religious commune. She has four sister wives already waiting, and in order to join the “family,” she must prove herself worthy—because it is God’s will. It’s an extreme horror novella, sooo…

Now, without spoiling anything (because spoilers would ruin the experience), this story pokes a very sharp, bloody stick at the idea of divine patriarchy. All Abrahamic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, Mormonism and Islam—historically feature polygamy in early texts. The idea of multiple wives was often framed as honorable, sacred, even righteous… for men. I know there are many more religions, but these are the most we see in the Americas (continent).

But what happens when a woman is strong-willed, unwilling to submit, and still deeply faithful? What happens when she questions, when she refuses to fit the mold of docility?

Ophelia is not your typical cult story protagonist. She is layered, flawed, and bold. Camphouse gives us not just one strong female character—but a system, a setting, an entire atmosphere that feels like it could suffocate you. In 84 pages, she builds a world that feels timeless and terrifying, biblical and brutal.


No spoilers—but this might be my favorite Lesley book so far.

[Charlene (Char)🍁☕️📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously, WTF did I just read!?
This book is about a woman named Ophelia who is selected as the “fifth wife”. When you’re the last you get treated the worst. Unfortunately she isn’t high ranking since she is in her “initiation faze”. She is the source of abuse , torture and torment. The actions starts from the first page. Lesley has this talent of writing a book that keeps you hooked and she doesn’t let go until the last page. This book is full of gore, explicit scenes, torture and lots of action. Some of the things she has written my mind cannot unseen it.

This book is best described as survival of the fittest meets. If you read Iain Rob Wright The Housemates you’ll love this book. This is an author that should be on everyone’s radar and library. Read this book with lots of caution.

Thank you Lesley for being so kind to provide me this ARC. All opinions and thoughts are my own. You can just auto approve me for future ARCs.

[Veronica ☠️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Ophelia ever wanted was to find love. When she meets a handsome man named Ezra, she falls head over heels for him. He tells her more about his life and how he is into the polyamory and this intrigues Ophelia more. She longs for the sense of sister wives and love. But her idea of this lifestyle quickly changes once she's in it.

Ophelia is the 5th wive, and she has to go through a lot to prove she is capable of being an eternal wife. Malvina, Ezra's first wive, makes sure she shows Ophelia discipline in very harsh ways. This quickly becomes a battle of survival, and all eyes are on Ophelia.

This read was amazing! That ending was unexpected, and I absolutely loved it! We got to see the darker side of sister wives, full of hate and blood. Camphouse does an excellent job at immersing you into the story. The deaths were brutal and different. You could feel Ophelia's hurt and rage through the pages, and you definitely root for her! I absolutely loved this concept, and it was executed perfectly. Camphouse is quickly becoming a favourite author of mine. Her writing is excellent!

[Leandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew I wanted to read this one as soon as I saw the cover and was not disappointed. This was a gory short that I really enjoyed. It was intense, graphic, and everything my gory little heart needed. I was shocked at the end because it took a turn I was NOT expecting!! & I’m not sure how I felt about it, even though it was fitting.

In short, would recommend if you like culty, gory, and dark! •• Always check your triggers!! 🖤

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the world of sister wives! Ophelia falls for the charms of Ezra after getting fascinated by his polyamorous lifestyle. She truly believes she will find a loving family in his community and dives head first into this new adventure. But only torture and pain await her and she will have to fight for her life to survive..

Every time I read a book of Lesley I think to know where the story is going and every time it takes a turn 180 degrees different from what I thought and I can’t get enough of it! In only 1 month Lesley became one of my favorite authors and I will read every twisted thing she comes up with.

Eternal wives is full of nightmarish content: torture, gore, survival of the fittest and lots of severed heads and it’s a wiiiild ride, so buckle up! Ophelia is an awesome character and she totally mesmerized me with her strong will to live and her desire for revenge. The ending broke me, but it was also the only suitable one and I loved it!! Get ready for an unputdownable story!

Thank you so much for this ARC, it’s immensely appreciated. 🖤🫶🏼

[Allison | crazypageturner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ophelia thinks she’s met the man of her dreams, Ezra. His polyamorous lifestyle is intriguing and the other women welcome her with open arms. But nothing is as it seems at this compound and Ophelia realizes she’s entered a world of hurt that she can’t escape and has no choice other than to try to fight her way out.

Ophelia is the newest of the women and thus hasn’t learned all the tricks and rules as the others have so she is routinely punished. Whether it be whippings or beatings, she is constantly degraded and humiliated while the others standby. But she is also resilient, tough and strong willed. I enjoyed her as a character and was definitely rooting for her.

I was not expecting that ending at all! Once you think you’ve got it, it twists!

This has torture, female rage, revenge and overall good subversive writing. I was thoroughly entertained and have come to realize I just love everything Lesley writes. You should definitely read this 100 page novella!

[Nicola (deathandthemacabre) · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Ophelia has ever wanted was love. When the opportunity comes for her to join a community where she'll be loved and adored and share responsibilities with her fellow sisters, she jumps at the chance but regrets it instantly.

Her world is turned upside down when she's forced to fight for her life against her fellow sisters in order to become the ultimate Eternal Wife. Tortured, beaten into submission, and changed forever, what will she do in order to escape this prison?

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
I LOVED this story. The general idea, the thought process behind it, the writing style, it's SO good. It was so different to anything I've read before, and it really captivated my attention right from the beginning. It's so fast-paced, and the revenge is so delicious. I absolutely hated one of the spiteful little characters, so seeing her get her just desserts was 👌 perfect. This is one of my favourites reads from the year so far, you HAVE to read it.

[Sierra Waff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eternal Wives gripped me like a fever I couldn’t sweat out. It’s paralyzing, unrelenting, and merciless. I was trapped in its pages, unable to look away as each chapter dragged me deeper into a waking nightmare. Camphouse doesn’t flinch; her writing is surgical, exposing the raw, festering horrors of cult life without mercy. It was torturous, agonizing, and absolutely unforgettable. This isn’t a story of seduction. It’s a chronicle of control, cruelty, and survival. I came out the other side shaken and sick with awe.

[haunted.kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little feminine rage book.
Highly recommend

[Chiara Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was something else! Not only is this brutal in the sense of imagery and painful scenes, but the plot was heartless, and I loved it!!

My first book from this author, but by how much I enjoyed it, I can already see myself start adding the rest to my list. In a few pages the author gives us a full bodied plot, unforgettable scenes, well rounded characters and a twist worthy of dislocating your neck!

There is a mix of slow and fast paced events, but it’s all so well balanced resulting in a very smooth reading experience. I loved how the author manages to keep the reader always guessing about the next development in the plot. I’m very impressed! And again, that ending, forever etched in my brain!

If you want a short and brutal read cleverly written, this will scratch all your itches!
Please check your triggers before going in.

Thanks to the author for a copy and this is my honest opinion.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

well that was violent, gruesome and bleak, eyeball gore gets me every time … good stuff

[Vix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

This story had lots of twits and turns in. Plenty of gore. I was really rooting for Ophelia throughout this book . I felt all the feelings, lol. Beautifully written . 5 star read for me

[Hooterbby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This snatched up my full attention and held it until I finished. I absolutely loved this! Sister wives meet hunger games and a wild twisted ending. I would not trust anyone who gives this a low star rating unless it's purely for being too much for them because what the actual f... it was honestly all so beautiful.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this - remind me never to join a cult.

[Risshan Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Midsommar meets The Unworthy in extreme horror format. Full of bloody twists and turns, poor Ophelia never stood a chance. Such a creative and twisted mind Lesley has! This is such a good story with extra cult vibes. You will feel so many different emotions reading this. Brutal.

[z a r a · Rating 4 out of 5]

lol, omg?! i shan’t be joining a cult after this one…

[Honey Dy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read every single novella Lesley has ever released that you can say she's an autobuy for me and every time I think, “There’s no way she can get deeper into my soul than this,” and then somehow — BAM she goes and does this.

Eternal Wives was something different — and as they say, variety is the spice of life? It truly showcased the creativity of an author, yet it still hit in that special way only Lesley knows how to deliver.

Somehow, she's managed to reach into the most twisted, depraved parts of me, twist them even further, and then spill them out like sour lemons — and I LOVED IT.

The entire time I was reading, it felt like my life depended on turning the next page. I couldn’t get enough. Even when I told myself I’d stop for a break, I didn’t. I just physically couldn’t. I had to know what was going to happen to Ophelia, even when part of me was screaming "run" right alongside her.

This was such a haunting, tense, and addictive story. I loved how Lesley played around with the concept of love and community — and then ripped it apart so savagely.

Ezra, Malvina, the entire atmosphere of the wives... brought a new level of dark and a new level of hatred, cos quite frankly they deserved what was coming to them. This was that level of darkness i craved for when when I dove into this extreme horror.

Thank you for another depraved, brilliant ride. You always seem to hit that spot and never miss. Can’t wait to see what nightmare you drag me into next.

[Screams & Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book isn't for the weak. Leslie is becoming one of my top 5 authors of extreme horror and novels. I will forever sign up for her ARC read or get a copy of her books. I think I now have all of them.

#1 thing I love about her books is the details. These books are not that long but man do they hold a punch. The story line is amazing. If you like the handmade tail. This is like x 10. Or probably what goes on behind the scenes.

You have Ophelia. She was young, naive when a man named Ezra approached her about a new beginning. She quickly learned that it was not something that she would like and now needed to escape. With that said she made a friend named Hannah. But was Hannah really a friend?
You will have to read to find out.

This poor girl doesn't catch a break but Still gets her Revenge as well. This is a fast paced, beautiful writing, and something for my horror heart. When I say you need to run and read this one!!!! Go support this author.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

~Screams & Reviews 🫶🏼📚🖤💋

[Toni | Dark Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

If an extreme horror story that is giving Handmaid’s tale and Battle Royal vibes this one is for you!

When Ophelia meets Ezra and invites her to become one of his wives, she has dreams of love and companionship from Ezra and her fellow sister-wives, but becoming an eternal wife is not quite everything she imagined it would be. The conditioning and initiation process is brutal in ways she

never imagined and leaving is not an option.

I’m being purposly vage. this was a short read and I don’t want to give anything away.

This was a brilliant read, brutal, Gory and So many emotions. I felt anger, Sadness hope, despare and Satis-faction. I couldn’t get enough of it and I read it in one go.

Lesley Camphouse is very quickly becoming an auto read author for me.

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this book, in true Lesley Camphouse fashion.

In Eternal Lives, we follow our protagonist Ophelia. She is one of the chosen, or shall we say manipulated, into being one of the wives to Ezra. Since Ophelia is the newest wife, the first wife uses her for her own cruel torturous punishments, as if Ophelia will never be good enough for her sweet Ezra.

Until one day, the other wives, including Ophelia's favorite, Hannah, prepare Ophelia for an event per Ezra's request. They dress her in a virginal white down, clean her body head to toe, including shaving all over her body. Little does Ophelia know what is about to take place.

As always be sure to check your trigger warnings as splatterpunk is not for everybody. This book has a lot of abuse, violence, sexism, and just downright brutality and body horror in it.

[María Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG! This was truly a great story, Camphouse does not shy away from describing the gore and torture our MC is suffering, the cult she was lured in with false promises, the psychological abuse and everything she has to do to endure and survive and fight for her freedom.

It gave me Kill Bill vibes at moments but with some Scream and Terrifier as well.

This was an amazing short read that grips your attention from beginning to end with twists and turns in every corner. Just when you think it's done, surprise, it isn't.

Can't wait to read more from Camphouse, I was honored with receiving and ARC copy of this marvelous work.

Book releases April 26, 2025 🗓️

[renee w · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ophelia is looking for love. She think she’s found it when she’s met Ezra. She is highly intrigued by his lifestyle of multiple wives and his promise of hope. She believes she has found family and love but everything changes once she arrives. There is no love only torture and jealousy. Ophelia not only has to find a way to fit in but she has to fight her way to survive. Once again, Camphouse has delivered a vile story . I only recommend to those that enjoy the most extreme books . Set to release April 26th.

[Kylee Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my first book by the author and it definitely won’t be my last!!

we follow Ophelia who is lured into this polygamous group/cult where she is brutally tortured and abused during her time there. she is being prepared to become one of Ezra’s eternal wives, but when the opportunity arises, Ophelia takes matters into her own hands.

this is female rage at its finest! i absolutely adored Ophelia for never giving up and doing what she had to to survive.

this book is full of revenge, torture, and gore, so definitely make sure you are prepared.

big thanks to the author for an ARC to read and review!!

[lolly Storm sparrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that is an amalgamation of the film Hunted and the series Amish Mafia!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, it was a wonderful tale of a person's will to survive!
Ophelia was a feisty young woman, whom you felt warmth and fondness for.
Malvina and Ezra you despise, which is paramount for a good story...the love and loathing elements between characters.
The ending was fun, the pace was good. will definitely read more from this author.

[Emily | TheHauntedShelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister Wives, Handmaid's Tale, and Hunger Games all rolled into one gory, feminine rage filled story.

Ophelia is excited to become Ezra's next wife, until she's brought into the household and realises all that awaits her is torment and pain. There are so many wonderfully unexpected twists and turns in the story, bringing with them feelings of female empowerment, revenge, and sapphic love.

Also, THE ENDING, I am not okay.

*I received a free ebook from the author*

[Kaela Frisby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love a good Cult Horror Read Featuring….✨Sister Wives ✨THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE FEMININE RAGE 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 My heart was so full 🫶🏼 The way I devoured this novella! Ohhh & BONUS POINTS for an even more f*cked survival game! Hands down 5 ⭐️’s !!

[A.Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXTREME HORROR
GORY, EMOTIONAL, & ENRAGING
WOWW... WTF
Talk about a short story that packs a freaking punch!
This was phenomenally gut wrenching!
This is fu-cking brutal, violent, gruesome and so well done.
Absolutely devoured this! The ending was 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼