The New Wife

by Karen Clarke, Amanda Brittany

The people you trust are the people who hurt you the most.

Nell Cosgrove is the new wife who got it all. She married her handsome, wealthy boss within six months of meeting him. They live in a beautiful riverside home. She has a flourishing career.

The only problem is her two stepdaughters, Ruby and Poppy, who are fiercely loyal to their mother, and reject all her overtures.

But now everything is falling apart. Nell’s marriage is starting to crack. Her husband spends more and more time away on business.

She gets creepy text messages from an unknown admirer. He sends mysterious bouquets of flowers to her office. She starts making mistakes at work.

Everything Nell thought she knew about her marriage and her new life is about to be turned upside down.

Genres: Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook, Mystery, Fiction, Domestic Thriller, Adult Fiction

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 24, 2022

About the author

I live in Buckinghamshire with my husband and three grown-up children where I write psychological thrillers for HQDigital/HarperCollins and romantic comedy novels published by Bookouture.

Over the years I've been a secretary/bookkeeper, a wedding photographer, a pub manager, I've worked in a supermarket, a newsagent's and as a librarian - all good for story ideas.

I now write full-time and when I'm not writing, I read a lot, enjoy walking - which is good for plot-wrangling and ideas - photography, watching Netflix, baking and eating cakes. And then more walking to work off the cakes.

Reviews

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not easy being the new wife.

Especially when you're wife #2 and someone is determined to destroy your marriage and career.

This twisty domestic thriller about a deeply troubled family's crumbling facade was fast-paced and intriguing.

Throughout the entire book, multiple red herrings were introduced -- keeping readers guessing (and second-guessing!) the identity of the villainous protagonist responsible for trying to "take down" the new wife.

WHY NOT 5 STARS?

There were at least 8 different pivotal characters in the storyline. I am a fan of KISS (keeping it simple) and felt that the book would have been stronger and more impactful with fewer characters.

I listened to the full-cast audiobook and I especially enjoyed Helen Day's narration.

This was the first book I listened to by Amanda Brittany and Karen Clarke and I look forward to listening to more books by this talented team.

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Setting ~ London
Publication date ~ November 29, 2022
Page Count ~ 286 (34 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 25 minutes
Narrators ~ Rosie Akerman, Helen Day
POV ~ single 1st & 3rd
Featuring ~ gaslighting, infidelity

Nell is married to Ruby (18) & Poppy's (26) father, Oliver. These girls are not too happy about this and do their best to try to break them up. I'm calling them girls and not women because they act like teenagers with their antics.

A quick and easy read that's told by Nell in the 1st and Ruby in the 3rd that certainly had some predictability to it. I figured out the who, but not the why, so that was nice. Also, had a nice twist at the very end. It wouldn't be a proper thriller this day and age without some gaslighting and lies of course. Can't say I was a fan of any of the characters really. Overall, middle of the road.

*shout out to hoopla for the bonus borrow, so I didn't have to use one of my credits*

Narration notes:
I was happy with both narrators. Ruby's sounded age appropriate.

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Zooloos Book Tours.

The New Wife is a cleverly told story about Nell. Nell is married to Oliver and is his second wife. Oliver has two daughters from his previous marriage (Ruby and Poppy). Nell feels on top of the world - wonderful husband,nice home and great job. But after hiring a new assistant at work strange things start occurring in Nells work and home life. Nell is made to look like she's having an affair behind Olivers back and even marriage counselling doesn't be seeming to help smooth over the cracks appearing in her life and marriage. Poppy and Ruby seem to openly despise Nell but Oliver seems blind to this. Nell falls upon her councillor and new assistant to help her but whoever is doing this to her has only just got started.
This was such a fast paced, suspenseful read and I couldn't put it down. I was desperate to find out who it was and why they were doing this to her. If you love fast paced thrillers you definitely need to give this a read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nell is Oliver's second wife, his children from his previous marriage Ruby and Poppy openly dislike Nell and blame her for their parents breakup. They make her life hell in the hope that Oliver will go back to Fiona his first wife.

As things start to go wrong Nell does not know who to trust.

I truly loved this book with it's many twists and turns. I was gripped from the start and would definitely recommend reading this.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The devil doesn't come with horns - he comes disguised as everything you've ever wanted..."

Having read Amanda Brittany's brilliant thriller "Traces of Her" some years back, I was excited to see her pop up again this time paired with an author I've not yet read in Karen Clarke. But I had so loved the one thriller I had read by Brittany that I felt I couldn't possibly be disappointed in this new offering...especially given its intriguing premise. And I wasn't. And now I'm keen to check out Clarke's solo work!

Being the new wife to someone who already has grown children, or any children for that matter, is not an easy feat. There is bound to hurt and feelings of betrayal as well as abandonment. And then there is the prospect of a stepmother who has taken the place your mother used to hold dear as you father's wife. This is the conundrum Nell Cosgrove faces as Oliver's new wife. Though they have been married three years, his grown children Ruby and Poppy have refused to accept her as his wife. In fact, they seem to have made it their life's mission to split the couple up so that Oliver can return home and take up his proper place as their father and husband to their grieving mother Fiona.

But when Ruby catches wind of a marriage counselling session between Oliver and Nell, it seems they may not have to try too hard in their mission. Maybe just a few prods here and there, their marriage will crumble and the rest will fall into place. What could be simpler?

For Nell, it seems her troubles with Oliver are only the beginning. Strange things begin happening at work - simple things like a misplaced item or a diary mix-up to the more troubling occurrences like the wrong items being delivered, a slashed costume that was due for immediate delivery or even more concerning the tirade of bad publicity posted about her and the company on social media. And if that wasn't bad enough, she was receiving flowers or love notes from a supposed lover as well as texts alluding to their time together. And Oliver was present when every one of them were delivered. Of course Poppy was filled with a spiteful glee at this prospect and goaded her older sister Ruby into helping their father see the error of Nell's ways.

Nell knows she isn't having an affair or that she isn't making stupid mistakes at work. Someone seems to be out to get her, determined to destroy her life and her career...and she has no idea who that could possibly be. Or is it just bad luck or something more sinister at play?

Oh, how I love a domestic suspense tale! Layered with secrets, lies, deception, manipulation and gaslighting, THE NEW WIFE kept me engaged from beginning to end. I raced through the pages eager to uncover the truth of who or what was behind the vicious attacks. And why? But as no stranger to this genre I knew what to look for and what to look over...and I saw what no one else did. But that never ruins my enjoyment of a good story. As long as it keeps me turning the pages with those short snappy chapters I so so love and it keeps me intrigued and entertained throughout, then I'm happy.

THE NEW WIFE has everything you could possibly imagine in a domestic suspense thriller, right down to the creepy stalker and the hateful exes or stepchildren. Filled with red herrings and twists that still couldn't hoodwink me, I thoroughly enjoyed this easy thrill ride of a read and can't wait for more by either author or again as a duo.

Perfect for domestic thriller fans...need I say more?

I would like to thank #AmandaBrittany, #KarenClarke, #Netgalley, #JoffeBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheNewWife in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great domestic suspense tale! Sandwiched with manipulation, secrets, lies, deception and gaslighting, The New Wife held my rapt attention from the start. I raced through the pages eager to uncover the truth of who was behind the attacks and why. With short and concise chapters it was an easy reader and thoroughly entertaining throughout. The New Wife has everything; a creepy stalker, exes and hateful stepchildren. Jammed with red herrings and twists, I can't wait for more.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Joffe Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Karen Wales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many nefarious characters with questionable motives.

[Michelle Graf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled to care about the characters here, at least until the end. Otherwise, a standard thriller, down to the last twist at the epilogue.

[Tammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook of this, and I didn't care for the narration very much. It may have turned me off this one a little. This is also the first book I've read by this author that she co-wrote with another author, so that could also be why this one felt a bit different to me. From now on, I do think I'll stick to actually reading the rest of this author's books.

There was a lot going on in this book, and although I guessed pretty early on what was going on with the main plot and who was behind it, I didn't see some of the subplot stuff coming. I kind of felt like there were too many elements to the story. One thing I do like about this author are the epilogues. There's usually some shocking little twist in them, and this one was no exception. I have mixed feelings about the end of this one, although I liked how things ended up for most of the characters.

I may have jinxed myself when I said I was on a winning streak with psychological suspense in a previous review. This is the second 3 star read from this author now, which isn't bad, just not as good as the ones I read before.


Review also posted at Writings of a Reader and on Facebook.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nell is Oliver‘s new wife, poppy and Ruby are his two daughters of his first wife Fiona. Nell couldn’t be happier everything in her life is perfect she’s married to a wonderful man has a great job and just hired a great assistant or at least that’s what she thought. When things start going wrong at her job and strange things start happening in her personal life she doesn’t know what to think. Her and her husband just started marriage counseling, but when things start showing up at her house that make it look like she’s cheating on her husband she doesn’t know what to think. She knows his daughters poppy and Ruby can’t stand her and even though he seems oblivious to it their hatred for her is obvious. With everything going on she’s so thankful for her counselor and her new assistant Sasuke. Soon things will get way worse long before they get better and by the time it’s all over her life will be unrecognizable to her. I love this book I don’t like a slow burn thriller in this book was fast paced and it was nonstop until the conclusion. They have some books where the twist or multiplied and that would be the case with “the new wife.“ I did only give it four stars, because towards the end when the bad person was being revealed there’s a part where I thought maybe the author went overboard but then she didn’t know if you read the book you know what I’m talking about the do not in anyway let that stop you from reading this awesome book by Amanda Britney and Karen Clark because it is so worth reading it was a really good book. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nell Cosgrove works for Classic Costumes and Props. She is married to Oliver Cosgrove. Now, she is managing the company as Oliver has chosen to sell his share of the business to co-owner, Mark and run his family’s wine importing business.

When Nell and Oliver met three years ago, Oliver was separated from his wife, Fiona and the mother of his daughters Ruby, 26, and Poppy, 18. After the divorce, Fiona fell apart and in support of their mother, their daughters do not like Nell. Even though Nell did nothing to cause the divorce, the young women still refuse to accept her.

With all the hours that Nell has to work for the company, she and Oliver do not to get to spend much time together which has taken a toll on their marriage. They have begun to see a marriage counselor. When Ruby and Poppy learn of this, they are delighted and hope to break up the marriage.

Nell hopes that she can get her stepdaughters to finally accept her. She feels that might be one thing that is making problems in her marriage. But she hasn’t seen anything yet as her world starts to crumble.

This is a good thriller with suspicion placed on numerous characters, but the latter part of the book is not what I expected. It’s tense and the actual ending is a real surprise. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Lois Ceserano · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm developing a knack for figuring out "who done it" too quickly. I don't know if I am exceptionally perceptive, or if stories are becoming more predictable. Perhaps a little of both.
The main characters in the story are flawed and foolish to the point that the story line, dialog and outcome seem preposterous.

It's odd when an author has a cast of characters in a story and only 1 out of 9 has any redeeming qualities.

If nothing else, I had a few good laughs from the silly dialog.

[Diane Merritt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to get into. The characters are all very unlikable as I'm sure they are suppose to be.
But the chapters just dragged on making it hard to want to pick up or even finish.

Thanks to the authors, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book

[Rajiv · Rating 4 out of 5]

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“The New Wife” is an intriguing psychological thriller about Nell and how her marriage to Oliver puts her life in danger as someone targets her.

Firstly, I enjoyed how the authors set up the plot. They don’t waste time initially with how Oliver meets Nell and how it impacts his marriage. The book begins with Nell already married Oliver for a while, and how his daughters, Ruby and Poppy, and ex-wife Fiona don’t like Nell in the picture. Throw in some other shady characters like Sean, who is obsessed with Ruby, and creepy moments like Nell noticing items shifting in her house and finding shredded dresses, and this book was quite entertaining. Initially, the story felt slightly over the place, but I adapted and enjoyed the pacing.

Moreover, I liked how the authors wrote the dynamic between Nell and Ruby. Both of them have their storylines and initially don’t get along with each other at all. But, unlike Poppy, Ruby has various layers, and you see her looking at the bigger picture and trying to bond with Nell. I also liked Poppy’s unpredictability and the storyline where she goes missing. Carla was another interesting character who unexpectedly added a nice mix when initially I thought she would be a backdrop.

Perhaps the only downside to the tale is how I could easily predict the culprit, as there are only a few suspects. However, the authors throw in red herrings even in the end, where you wonder if there are multiple suspects. The last few chapters are thoroughly gripping as a LOT happens.

Apart from that, I enjoyed reading “The New Wife,” which was a fun suspense thriller.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New Wife by by Amanda Brittany & Karen Clarke was another excellent book. I was hooked from start to finish especially as it was fast paced with brilliant twists and turns throughout that will have you guessing till the very end. Just brilliant a easy read which makes it a great holiday read,

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the copy of The New Wife.

[Jenn McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I thought I had it figured out but, there were twists and turns along the way that made it so enjoyable and unexpected!!

Shoutout to Hoopla for the extra borrow this month! 🙌🏻🫶🏻

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a little boring in the middle but the twists at the end seemed to keep coming. I did guess a few but was also pleasantly surprised by some too. Poppy annoyed the crap out of me and acted like she was 14-16 instead of 18.🙈

[Wendy Del Toro · Rating 2 out of 5]

The formula for this story is identical for a zillion others of this genre : someone is gaslighting our heroine (it's almost always the wife who is the victim) and the reader needs to guess who and why. In this case, it's very obvious who is doing the gaslighting and I'm not sure if it's intentional on the author's part. There are a lot of "Columbo" type stories out there where the villain is shown to audience/reader upfront and I don't know if this is one of them. So around 90% of the plot is the usual cliches....and of course there is the husband who may or not play a "sinister" role in all this. When the culprit is revealed (again, super obvious) I will say that at least the motive was a bit of a change from the usual and it did take me by surprise. But bottom line is this story is pretty much like every other one of this genre with nothing new thrown in. There's the final chapter with a 'twist', but not enough to redeem it.

[Sionainn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book unfortunately! Domestic suspense is something I struggle to connect with! I didn't like the characters, they were all unlikeable and annoying in my opinion. I started to find myself skimming when I was halfway through the book, just to confirm my intial thought of how it was going to end. I think the genre is what half set me back so I do think a lot of people will enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced reader copy!

[Namrata Ganti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New Wife is a suspense filled psychological thriller that will have the reader on the edge of their seat. The story is narrated from two points of view. One is of Nell, "the new wife" as she is called and the second is of one of her step-daughter's, Ruby. Nell has a very unsteady relationship with her two step-daughters as they blame her for their parents break-up and divorce. They are rude to her and make life difficult for her in the hope that their father will leave her and reconcile with their mother.

All the characters in the story are portrayed in grey shades. As cracks start to appear in Nell's marriage, she decides that perhaps couples counselling is the best way to save them. A fiercely independent woman, Nell hoped that marriage would bring stability and happiness to her life. However, she did not expect her husband to change as he did, or perhaps this was how he always was and she did not see it from the beginning.

A lot of things start to go wrong and Nell doesn't know whom to trust. The authors have done a great job in throwing the reader off track while always focusing on Nell's and Ruby's thoughts and feelings. Little do we know that there are other forces and people at play and soon everything will come crashing down. I truly enjoyed the story and the twists and turns. Though some parts of it were predictable, I definitely did not see the ending and the events of the epilogue coming. That was a major curve ball which made me realize that I could not guess the complete story after all.

The story focuses on mental health issues and how the characters deal with it. It also shows us how the decision of each person affects them and the others around them. Overall this was a gripping read and I recommend this for all fans of psychological thrillers. It is definitely worth reading!

[Marte Haga · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bit of a let down tbh. It felt like just another version - or more accurately: many random pieces taken from similar stories and blended together to make one new plot; without the pieces every really creating anything new - of something I've read multiple times before. A new wife and the broken family "she caused" - the step children hating her and when someone targets her and sabotages both her private life and professional life, the children are the logical ones to suspect. I knew "who dunnit" from the very start and basically just kept reading to confirm that I was correct and to figure out the motive.

If you've read any other thrillers with this trope (new wife/step-mother) and you love the theme, then go for it. If you're looking for something fresh and original however, this is not it. The writing is okay, but nothing more. The characters are a bit dull and "simple". The story is twisty, but without giving me a feeling of suspense. I basically just felt impatient for the whole thing to end; which I realize is a bit harsh , and I probably wouldn't be so negative if it wasn't for the fact that I've read "this type of thing" before

[Charlotte Baddeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh! Oh! Oh! I read this book in a few hours of more or less solid reading. I even gave my husband the remote control for the TV because all I wanted to do was read.

Weird things keep happening to Nell and there are so many suspects. Nell’s step daughters Ruby and Poppy hate her and Poppy is definitely unbalanced. Nell’s husband, Oliver, is becoming more and more distant to the point where they have started marriage counselling. Oliver’s ex wife has turned to alcohol and what does Nell really know about her new assistant Saskia apart from the fact that she is super efficient? Chuck in the fact that Ruby has a stalker who also works for Nell and you have a full house.

Every chapter gripped me. The story built nicely to a tense and dramatic climax and as for the twist at the end…..

This is the first book I have read by Karen and Amanda but they’ve just joined my list of favourite authors.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and authors Amanda Brittany and Karen Clarke for an eARC of The New Wife in exchange for my honest review....

Nell Cosgrove is the new wife to Oliver who is a wealthy man that appears to have it all. Oliver has two daughters, Ruby and Poppy and they both dislike Nell brainstorming ways to make Oliver leave Nell and return to their mother Fiona.
Nell's perfect world starts to fall apart and she isn't quite sure whom she can trust.

After establishing each character's role and relationship to the main character Nell, I found the story to be juvenile but a quick read. While this story is the true definition of a psychological thriller focusing on the unstable emotional and mental state of its characters-I felt the characters lacked development. There should also be a trigger warning noting self-injurious behavior mentioned in the book.

[Staceywh_17 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both authors write amazing books, but when they get together you know it's time to buckle up as they're going to take you on one helluva twisty ride!

The New Wife is a slow burning starter that soon picks up pace, with suspense and tension by the bucket load.

As plots go this was cleverly done and as always, just when I thought I knew what was going on, something else came along and blew my theories to shreds.

I read the book in one sitting as it was so easy to lose yourself within its pages, the story compelling you to read 'just one more chapter'.

I took an instant dislike to both of Oliver's girls and automatically felt sorry for Nell and how they were all treating her, but who was behind it all? That's for me to know and you to find out I'm afraid...

Many thanks to Zooloo's Book Tours for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Christine Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New Wife by Karen Clarke and Amanda Brittany is the story of Nell Cosgrove, the new wife of Oliver. She has a new job, a new life and believes everything is wonderful. Other than his two stepdaughters who want their father to go back to his first wife, their mother.
Then within a short space of time everything is falling apart, her marriage is starting to crack, Oliver is always busy and then believes Nell is having an affair. They go to counselling together and then Oliver stops going after the first visit. Ruby and Poppy are convinced that with a little help the marriage will fall apart and everything will go back to the way it was. Fiona, the first wife is convinced Oliver will return because he keeps coming back to do minor repair work on the house.
Then everything seems to fall apart at home and work and Nell is left to cope on her own.
Recommended

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE NEW WIFE by Amanda Brittany & Karen Clarke.
Nell Cosgrove is the new wife who got it all. She married her handsome, wealthy boss within six months of meeting him. They live in a beautiful riverside home. She has a flourishing career.
The only problem is her two stepdaughters, Ruby and Poppy, who are fiercely loyal to their mother, and reject all her overtures.
But now everything is falling apart. Nell’s marriage is starting to crack. Her husband spends more and more time away on business.
She gets creepy text messages from an unknown admirer. He sends mysterious bouquets of flowers to her office. She starts making mistakes at work.
A really good read with good characters. Liked the story. 4*.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

not my favorite

Nell is the second wife to her husband. He divorced his first wife and his daughters , ruby and poppy do not like Nell. Ruby and poppy try and break them apart after discovering they are going to marriage counseling. Things start to go wrong for Nell and her marriage until it is revealed that her assistant was behind it all in order to help her sister Carla who was having an affair with Nell’s husband. Ruby ends up friends with Nell after her father dies in what appears to be her ex-boyfriends doing. But at the end of the novel it is revealed that Janine a employee at Nell’s store did it in order to frame Ruby’s ex-boyfriend who was dating her daughter and stayed hung up on Ruby

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every chapter, I thought I had this figured out and to some extent I did. But the twists were so good!

I really enjoyed this book. It had great characters who I felt like I knew them straight away. I wasn't too keen on Nell to be honest and I'm not sure we knew the whole story with her, made her more intriguing, but she didn't deserve the events that happened.

Ruby was a strong character and I liked her a lot. She carried a lot of responsibility and they weighed heavy on her. Her outcomes at the end of the book seemed positive though.

As I said, I loved the twists and thought it was a very well written book.

[Barbara Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I've read by these authors and it was definitely worth it!

I have to say, "What a good book!" I loved the writing style and the twists just kept coming. I honestly found it hard to put down. The characters were very well developed and the final twist, well, I never saw that coming at all! This is a great example of a book being described as a "psychological thriller," that actually IS a psychological thriller. Finally a book that actually lives up to the hype. So many other books described that way miss the mark completely and never follow through. Definitely not the case here. Grab this one quick. You won't be disappointed!

[Diane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thought I was loving this book because the premise was a really good one . . . and then all of a sudden about half way through I found myelf scrolling and scrolling through page after page after page of useless filler that departed so far from the premise that I could barely remember what it was. This is where I gave up on reading it and deleted it from my library.

Hate filler ! And any author that uses it is immediately entered onto my list of 'don't read' authors.

Unfortunately whilst still in the early chapters of this novel I went and bought a couple others from these authors. Hope they did better with these.