2.5...rounded to 3 stars

Pros:
-Hooked from the beginning
-Interesting storyline
-Enjoyed the multiple POVs
-Lola’s narrator was good and you felt the character’s emotions
-Catchy title…but still don’t understand its relation to the book

Cons:
-Super slow-burn; difficult to stay engaged (wanted to DNF at around 45%)
-Author kept repeating/teasing the same illusion there were secrets…but nothing was actually being revealed
-Characters seemed under-developed
-Husband (Evan) was a dense and lousy human
-Ariel……super annoying, true instigator and read into thing that weren’t there. Definitely wasn’t a fan of her chapters and I couldn’t understand why she was questions why Evan didn’t want her doing certain things. Ummmmmmm…because you are a random person who is overstepping 🤷‍♀️
-Plot twists were not too revealing
-Too many irrelevant details given
-Kept hearing the same thing “…doing this for Jessica, “…I have to protect Jessica,” and “…this is for Jessica”…good grief, started to wonder how many times "Jessica" could be mentioned in each chapter
-Connections between the main characters were slightly eye rolling
-Ending was an unrealistic hot mess and left me thinking, “what just happened?" It moved way too fast and didn’t fit with slow moving storyline. Felt like it was straight out of soap opera…including the dramatic pauses and well placed sentences.
-Left with unanswered questions

I opted for the audio version of the book and dreaded Evan’s narrator. His chapters felt like it was his turn to read in class…not believable at all…often sounded like a 1950s radio announcer. Lola’s narrator was really good and you felt all the emotions. For the sake of things, maybe the audio version was the hiccup; so I would recommend reading it and not the audiobook.

Cancel all plans while reading - I inhaled this amazing book over one weekend and resented everything that kept me away from it! The writing was top notch and the characters were very real.

Thank you to net gallery and the publisher for my arc. Both narrators did a brillant job. The title confuse me. The burb tells the story its the aftermarth of the death of Jessica mum and the search for the truth.
The story as always is told via pov of different characters some using diary entries. I would like to have heard more from the other woman. Fantastic story kept me hooked and just when i thought id worked it out major curveball. The ending was brilliant and made me think this needs a sequel. Part of the ending i like jessica felt it was unbelievable but ibe bren blon away.
High recommended 5 star. Be warned you wont put it down.

This is the first book I have read by this author and the premise sounded right up my street. I enjoy thrillers and this is my ‘usual’ genre. I listened to the audiobook as I haven’t listened to one for a while. The book is published on 7th September.

The story centres around Evan and his daughter, Jessica. Evan’s wife has recently died in an accident at home and he’s looking for someone to help around the house. On the recommendation of a colleague, he hires Ariel as a housekeeper. Ariel isn’t who she claims to be, and suspects Evan of killing his wife. Under the guise of housekeeper, she tries to find proof to back up her theory.

The chapters in this book are nice and short and each chapter is from the perspective of a different character. The characters are ok, but I can’t say I liked any of them! I would have liked a little more depth to the characters, they felt a bit two dimensional to me.

The narration was quite monotone and I had to speed it up a lot to be able to listen comfortably. I did like that there was a male and female narrator for the different characters.

The story held my interest but I felt there wasn’t really that much going on. I suspected a character from the start and was disappointed to be proved right. Plot points which should have been twisty and thrilling were predictable. The ending felt rushed and wasn’t entirely satisfying.

This was an easy listen but for me it didn’t live up to expectations and was just OK. I’m not sure if I would read more by this author. Thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for my advance copy.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

This was wild. The first half feels like a mystery. As a reader, you don’t really know what’s happened for certain. But the second half feels like a thriller. Suddenly everything is moving. This was wild because the details were crazy. I kinda had suspicions in the beginning but nothing was obvious. There are several twists throughout. This is an entertaining read.

Thanks NetGalley for the Arc of this audiobook. I thought this book was excellent! I was captured by the story and definitely had my attention. The book title doesn’t really match the book itself. Overall the thriller aspect was there and it gave a bit of Verity by Colleen Hoover vibes in my opinion.I thought the male narrator was awful. very robotic.

I was very excited to receive the audio ARC version of this book. I found the story intriguing, and I wanted to finish to find out what the resolution(s) was/were. I enjoyed the back and forth feel of the chapters as well as the different narrators for different characters. I struggled a bit with the repetition that was frequently used to describe/explain things. There were times I felt myself nearly eye rolling from the over explanations that occurred.
Overall I would recommend this book to those who like the vibe/feel of Freida McFadden books. Again, thank you for the opportunity to review this. I will be interested to read/listen to more books by this author in the future.

WOW.....from the first chapter you are drawn in and it just keeps getting better. Lots of twists and turns and keeps you guessing. This is a 5 star book. must read page turner. I was lucky enough to listen to the Audio which was awesome since there was a man and lady reading which I liked. Awesome book

The Wife in the Photo by Emily Shiner

When everyone thought Warners was the perfect family, the secret underneath could break the family. Lola Warner died and left her husband Evan and daughter Jessica. Ariel knew Lola's death was not an accident and she decided to gather more evidence by being their housekeeper and to gain their trust.

This was a slow-burnt thriller and it kept me guessing who was the real murderer. The twists and ending were a bit shocking. I found it difficult to relate the book title to the story. However, I really enjoyed all the presentationby the narrators! They all present the characters very well. Lively!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio and Emily Shiner for this audiobook!

Format: Audiobook (8h23m)
Pub date: Sep 7, 2023

I enjoyed this audio, it was an entertaining read.

There were a few big plot twists I saw coming from miles away, maybe I just read too many of these types of book.

I found the actions of the characters completely unbelievable at times.
Ariel especially, she had me rolling my eyes more than once.
Non the less, always keen to plug myself back in and listen to more.

I enjoyed all of the twists and turns in The Wife in the Photo. . I wasn’t sure about who was evil until the very end.

I don't want to give up any spoilers but WHOA! This book was SO GOOD!! This is a must read. I devoured this in a matter of a few hours. I listened to the audiobook, and I truly enjoyed the narrators. This book grabbed my attention from the first line and kept it until the last one. I was wondering the entire way through what was going to happen next and what secrets would be revealed. There were so many twists and turns that I have whiplash. If a book makes my jaw drop at least once, then it's good to me. My jaw dropped at least 5 times reading this book. I am now following Emily Shiner and will be diving down the rabbit hole of all of her books!

Thank you to Emily Shiner and NetGalley for this advance copy in exchange for a review.

Ariel just got a job as a housekeeper at Evan's house. Evan recently lost his wife, Lola, mother to his daughter, Jessica, in a stupid accident. But Ariel is convinced this was no accident, so she uses her new job to snoop around the house to find proof that Evan killed Lola, and to create a bond with Jessica to be able to better protect her.
This is a psychological thriller told in multiple POVs (Evan, Ariel, Jessica and Lola's diary). The narration in the audio book was great. Short chapters, quick pace, it's mostly predictable (although a few of the twists really surprised me, I saw the big one coming from very early on), but it was still very enjoyable. I was just going to start it, and before I new it I was at the end. At one point, I didn't know who or what to believe, and I Ioved it! And that ending? Perfectly twisted.
I received an advance review copy of his book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ooooh this was good! The plot was intricate and the ending was superb! Excellent characters too - believably evil

When Evan Warner and his daughter, Jessica, lose their wife and mother everything in their lives turn upside down. Evan decides to hire a house keeper, Ariel, to help around the house with everyday chores and cooking. But everyone has a secret.

Wow!! This was a twisted, intense, page turning, suspenseful, jaw-dropping, fast paced, head spinning read! You WILL NOT be able to put it down! I completely binged this book!

What a ride! Just when I thought I had it…took another twist!! Such a thrill! Couldn’t put this one down! Enjoy the ride!!!

This book was FANTASTIC and kept me wanting more. It’s told from 3 point of views, but easy to follow along. If you’re looking for a mystery read and a book you won’t want to put down then this is the one for you!!

Thank you so much to Emily Shiner, Netgalley, & Bookouture for the ARC!

The voice narrators for this book were easy to listen to and had a great flow for the book. The voices fit the character well and I believed that they were who they were written as. The author wrote very well and the narrators read it just as such. I enjoyed the voice changes as the narrators were reading for a different character than the one they were playing, it gave a little humor to this not so humorous story. I LOVED all the twists near the end of this book. I wasn’t sure the whole time who was a reliable narrator in this story, which made me want to keep listening.
My only criticism would be that the narrators seemed to not nail how the author wanted certain important lines to be said.
Overall great book and would definitely recommend to any suspense lovers!

This story is told through four different viewpoints. And all the narrators are unreliable. We know someone is dead, but beyond that it’s anyone’s guess as to who is guilty and of what. Other reviewer‘s have commented on the male narrator being difficult to listen to, and I have to concur. Even the best book in the world can lose a lot of its shine, when the narration is off