Intrigued by the write up for this book I could not wait to read it. It certainly did not disappoint and had me reading it late into the night as couldn’t wait to find out how it ended.

I enjoyed this thriller a lot! It grabbed my attention from the beginning. I was hooked until the last page and reading to see what's going to happen. The end didn't disappoint as well.
The pace was really good at the beginning and at the end, a bit slow in the middle.
I enjoyed the writing and the portrayal of this husband and wife relationship.
Overall, really enjoyable read. I'd certainly look more from Downing in the future. Recommended.

Many thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this complex and gripping thriller and couldn't put it down till the last page.
I loved the style of writing, how well the relationship between husband and wife was written, and was fascinated and enthralled by the plot.
I'm not a fan of thriller but this one kept my attention and I'm happy I requested it.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A normal ordinary family on the outside but what you see I not always what is going on. Woman start to go missing from a town and a pervious killer is thought to be at large scaring the community. Millicent runs a really strong family unit and you get a real sense of the family and the importance of that but outside she and her husband have a whole other life

A brilliant book with lots of twists and turns kept me guessing until the end

This is the story of two ordinary people who met and fell in love and settled into the humdrum life of suburbia and parenthood. But beneath their veneer of bored respectability lies a dreadful secret they just happen to enjoy sharing.
The market for psychological thrillers with dysfunctional couples must be saturated now. In My Lovely Wife, there was a possibility of another marriage which appears perfect on the surface, but actually they’re getting along pretty well. If anything this is not the dream couple with dream jobs, but a very ordinary pair quietly making their unassuming way in life. Dig deeper into their lives and their gruesome hobby it would appear to be a partnership of like-minded souls. Mix that in with teenage children with all their attendant hormone rushes and development angst as they establish their place in society, and you add another dimension to the novel of a crime viewed from within.
It is because of this set up that you must have a care if you take this book up. My Lovely Wife is a story designed to pique your curiosity. Make you wonder why on earth you should read another psychological thriller. Then you realise to your horror that by continuing to read, Samantha Downing has made you an accomplice in this couple’s crimes. To the extent you’re getting really anxious when the police begin to close in.
The blurb comes with plot twist as a dominant feature, but it is the way the author works with personal interactions and psychological expectations that is far more interesting. My Lovely Wife may appear to be a slow burner at first, but that’s just to lull you into complacency before you’re tipped into something far from routine and ordinary. You absorb the fast-paced plot with a growing air of disquiet, particularly for the narrator as the police investigation of the murders grows apace.
What the author does differently is that all the possible permutations you expect in a psychological thriller are utilised intelligently to create an understated, building tension. She is skilled in turning the normal into something far more insidious. Instead by allowing the reader to become a voyeur into a world none of us would really like to be a party to, you are made to take on the responsibility of being complicit in this couple’s nefarious life and the concern of its effect on their children.
Of one thing is sure, after reading My Lovely Wife you will never allow yourself to be charmed by a silent stranger again.

The blurb on this really had me interested and the complexity of the relationship between husband and wife was in no way understated on it. It’s a very compelling read with fascinating characters however it wasn’t until at least three quarters through when it hotted up and then it really had me wanting more. It’s really well told from the husbands viewpoint and very chilling. A really good debut novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this

If someone loved the Gone Girl, will love this book too!

I enjoyed every page of the book and the twist in the end literally didn't let me sleep that night. I know it is so silly to buy it kept me up to think about it again how things happened.

I had heard some positive feedback about this book and the concept intrigued me, being someone who has seen some crime dramas. However, this just fell flat for me. There were some errors which is likely in an advanced copy. However, my issue was that I just did not connect with the writing and I didn't care about the story. There was nothing propelling me forward, no ending or twist that I wanted to discover. Unfortunately, this one was just not for me.

Thanks to netgalley for the review copy of this great read.
I'll be honest, at first I wasn't too pulled in by the story, but luckily I decided to keep going, and was handsomely rewarded! This was really a thrilling read, and I couldn't wait to see what this committed couple pulled off next.... I did not see the ending coming, but it brought the story nicely an ending.
Highly recommended.

I had high hopes for the premise of this story. There is a great twist at the start of the book, but unfortunately the more the story unfolded the less believable the characters became. I found both the husband and the wife annoying; and the storyline a little too far fetched.

It was however very readable and a quick chilling read, but for me, it was a little disappointing. I think the author could have expanded more on the reasons why they did what they did. At times, the story seemed a little rushed.

I'm sure it will be a hit in the shops though and people will buy it.
t.

Wow this was a dark and disturbing in a good way story. The first chapter has you gripped. A loving couple who have done well and worked their way up to the country club and one of the best addresses in town. Teenagers at private school with strict guidelines and consistent routines in life. However, the secrets behind closed doors are so shocking. Such dislikable characters that makes the story. A gripping read.

Well where to start ? This is a tricky review as I don’t want to say too much about the plot as I think this is a book that you need to read without knowing too much about it.

A married couple, with two kids, decide that their life is not quite fulfilled enough so they take up a new hobby together !! To everyone around them they are a normal suburban couple but they share a deadly secret.

The story is told by the husband and I have to admit I really did warm to the character whilst I had a real love / hate relationship with his wife. To start the story was a little slow but the pace soon hots up and we get to know more about the backgrounds of the characters as well as present day. If you are looking for a romance style book you will be deeply disappointed but if you are looking for one twisted psychological thriller then this is right up your street !! Just wait for that final sentence in the book !!!!

Thank you to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

Enthralling and addictive, the lovely wife in question is like a turbo-charged Lady Macbeth. Very readable and hard to put down with lots of twists and turns. A great debut!

As other reviewers have probably noted, it’s quite hard to say much about this book without giving a lot away. It’s about a couple with a seemingly perfect marriage. They’re deeply in love, and have two gorgeous children. The husband, our narrator, is frequently in awe of his wife’s beauty and poise. She, Millicent, is successful, charming and focussed. But they share a dark secret, and a sinister hobby, that is rapidly getting out of control.

The book is pacey and engaging, and although none of the main characters should be likeable, there is something compelling about them that keeps you involved and fascinated by the story.

First book that I have read by Samantha. Highly intense and gripping. A real page turner that kept me interested from start to end. Will read more from this author, definitely one to watch

Psychological suspense that continuously plays its cards close to its chest!

Meet a husband, and his lovely wife.
From the outside they seem like your typical average American suburbanites
They are parents to two teenagers, a boy and a girl.
They live in a quiet, upscale neighbourhood.
He's a tennis instructor, and she sells real estate.
But, this husband and wife are DEFINITELY NOT your average married couple.
And NEITHER are their ‘date nights'

Well, this went above and beyond even what I was expecting. And I went in expecting a lot, have been building this one up in my head for months, and was one of the top ten books I was most looking forward to reading in 2019. It’s disturbing, it's shocking, it's ironic, with touches of black comedy. Page one threw me into the story at the deep end, and when the reveal at the end of the first chapter caught me completely off guard, I knew I was in for a rip-roaring ride. I loved the subtle nature of the plot twists, slowly revealing a bit more about the characters, how they were connected, and what factors had shaped them into the people they were. Mounting tension, with secrets gradually unfolding had me swiping through pages at lightning speed, eager and anxious to find out how it was going to end. Were comeuppance/consequences of actions in the cards for the characters, or were they going to live evilly ever after?

I found it clever how a certain character used body language and duplicity, lulling victims into a false sense of security, to lure them. Frightening how easy it was! The family dynamic was as screwed-up as you would expect, highlighting that dysfunctional/psychopathic parents cannot give their kids an ordinary life – the effects of them being the way that they are, are going to spill over in some way.

There were times when I had a fair idea where the plot was going, given the nature of the characters, but the author always took things that one step further, in a direction that I couldn’t have predicted in a million years.

A readable, smooth read, with one POV, and short chapters, but the timeline does jump all over the place from one paragraph to the next, so you'll need to play close attention. Even thoughthis book has been compared to Dexter, it contains little violence, rather it focuses on the psychological makeup and unravelling of the characters. Would make an excellent TV series I reckon. An incredible debut! Samantha Downing deserves all the kudos, hype, and more. Pre-order it today, or the husband, and his lovely wife, will be coming to get you.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Penguin UK – Michael Joseph, and Samantha Downing for the e-ARC.

Review posted on Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram by NZLisaM.

Wow this book was a real page turner and one that I really didn't want to put down! I'd had my eye on it for a few weeks, requested it on NetGalley, and then put it to the back of mind. Then along comes Valentines Day and the publisher, Michael Joseph very kindly gives it out through a NetGalley widget! I downloaded it there and then and was hooked straight away!

I loved the voice of the husband who tells the story from his point of view. He's family man who loves his kids and adores his wife. He came across as a really decent guy oh yeah and he's also a tennis coach.

His wife Millicent is the perfect wife and perfect working mother. She's one of those women that we all despise but secretly want to be like, you know attractive, super organised with a lovely family.

That's all I'm going to say as you're best going into this one totally blind, as it's superb and there's no way I want to spoil it for. Okay just one thing, clear your diary and find a comfy spot because you are not going want to move once you start reading.

I enjoyed this book. The story is good - fast moving and quite dark. The twist at the end is somewhat predictable - I'm never very good at guessing what's going to happen but I had worked it out. It's definitely worth a read.

Great premise and the twist at the beginning of the first chapter was startling enough to get my attention. I found the other twists a bit less surprising though, and although I continued to the end I found it difficult to fully connect to the characters and aspects of it were very far fetched. On the whole, though, it was very readable and I expect it will be a huge hit.

Two people fall in love, get married, have kids, then realize they don't hate the idea of being serial killers. If this plot summary sounds bizarre and a little bit twisted, then you'd be right. Most of what happens seems extremely far fetched, though the thing that struck me as one of the odder bits of the story is just how much they are hiding from each other. Guess you can't trust a serial killer! All in all, a fun and quirky read.