The Good Wife is unputdownable. It's a completely addictive thriller. Clear your calendar and shirk all responsibilities so you can devour this amazing book

I received The Good Wife from NetGalley for free for an honest review. Major trigger warning. This book deals with both physical and mental abuse, infidelity, and sex work. I feel like I have seen this story before- a hardworking man gets a woman to fall for him and then he isolates and abuses her. She then tries to get out of the relationship. I found the story to be predictable and was able to figure out almost everything that happened in the story. None of the characters were likable and all had major flaws. There were also a lot of superfluous characters- gardener, mother in law, wives of business partners, and a lucrative art dealer. I was not really rooting for anyone in this book. There were also a lot of story lines that did not fully tie up at the end of the book- the biggest one being misused business funds that they talked about quite frequently but sort of just fell off in the story. It was a quick read and did not require a lot of mental focus, but I would not recommend.

'The Good Wife' is an emotionally charged, dramatic, and absorbing book. It's rare to find a read that can make me feel such intense hatred towards a character like Rogers did with Tom. The story is told from the perspectives of Chloe, Savannah, and Tom, which makes it a fast-paced domestic thriller that entangles the reader in the characters' lives.

Despite the sensitive subject of domestic abuse, the book is written realistically and empathetically for those who can relate to Chloe's experiences. I credit the author for the courage to write about such a complex topic.

While this may be the author's mother's second favourite read, 'The Good Wife has become my favourite written by this author! It's a well-deserved five-star read, and I highly recommend it to fans of this genre.

** Please note: I did not complete this book because of the content which I found triggering. However I have still rated it highly because it is well written and sensitively handled.**

TRIGGER WARNING: coercive control and abuse

Appearances can be deceiving...in a marriage of control, can she break free...?

Before I begin, I have to say I love Gemma Rogers and always eagerly await her next thriller. And this one was no different...until I began reading it. Unfortunately the content was too triggering for me to complete it and I found myself tossing it aside in anger, my blood boiling. I would have loved to finish it but I just couldn't. Coercive control and abuse is something that is a little too close to home for comfort for me and while I can usually read them with an open mind, this time I just found it too confronting and close for comfort to occupy the same headspace.

The story tells of Chloe, the good wife, who after a whirlwind romance with Tom three years before he whisked her away to the Seychelles for what she discovered was a surprise intimate wedding for them both. Only later did she realise it was a tactical move on Tom's part to stop anyone from stepping in and putting a stop to the wedding. Tom had carefully moulded Chloe into the perfect wife he wanted who would see to his every need as and when he required. She was essentially at his beck and call.

Chloe had been an editor at a successful publishing house but Tom soon put a stop to that too. And moved them out of London to a sleepy village in Sussex where she could devote every minute of the day to him alone. He expected nothing but perfection in keeping house and having his meals on the table as soon as he walked in the door. He chose her clothing, what she ate and how much, isolated her from her friends and limited her contact with anyone outside of his carefully curated bubble. After ruining her previous phone, he bought her a new one but loaded it with spyware so that he could track her movements, her browsing history and her call log. He entered only two numbers into the list of contacts - his own and her mother's...only he changed her mother's number by a digit or two thus preventing her from contacting her family.

And then one night they were attending a Director's dinner for the company Tom worked for when Chloe met Savannah. She was a stunning redhead and Chloe knew right away that Tom would not be able to resist her, knowing his weakness for redheads (despite her being blonde). And so Chloe puts a plan in motion to enable Savannah to steal Tom's heart, if not other parts of his anatomy, thus leaving Chloe free to leave him once and for all.

As soona s Tom sees Savannah, it is lust at first sight. He wins an hour with her at the dinner in a raffle, and after that he is smitten. He spends most of his waking moments lusting after her, thinking about her and their time together. He continues to seek out Savannah unaware of the plan his wife, whom he believes to be an open book where he is concerned, has set in motion.

How will it all end?

Unfortunately I didn't see how it ended up but I'm sure there were plenty of fireworks as there were bound to be where Tom was concerned. He was the most despicable character, unlikeable in every way and I wanted to smash his face in. Gemma Rogers did handle to the topic of coercive control and abuse sensitively but for me it was just too close for comfort. But I still rate it up there as a great read, from what I did reach. Just be aware that the content may be triggering for some.

I would like to thank #GemmaRogers, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheGoodWife in exchange for an honest review.

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

This book was a fun, quick read. I hated the main character so i was glad how it worked out for them! I will say the ending felt a little rushed but overall i enjoyed this story.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the book #TheGoodWife by #GemmaRogers. How can I get away from my controlling husband? He will never let me leave, or will he? What if I paid someone to seduce him? This book had me on edge from cover to cover until the exploding ending.

A great unputdownable read. Tom is a controlling, narcissistic husband and poor Chloe didn’t realise what she was getting into with their whirlwind marriage. At one of the company dinners Tom wins the raffle which turns out to be an evening with the escort who is with the boss Harry. When Chloe finds out far from being upset she sees a plan to escape her husband once and for all. Will Savannah help Chloe to escape Tom’s clutches. I highly recommend this book.

This is an excellent read! I was riveted throughout the entire book just waiting to see what would happen.
Tom is the ultimate prick and I can only hope he suffers even more.
I loved all the conspiring, deceit, duplicity, and betrayals.
The plot is a sordid tangled web of lies and sexual games.
Who needs soap operas when a book like this is available!

The Good Wife was such a fantastic read. It was a fast paced, enthralling story that I just could not put down. It had a likeable main character in Chloe who I was really rooting for and plenty of twists and turns along the way to totally throw me off.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I blew through this book as I couldn't wait to get through the chapters to get to the ending, utterly captivating.

I was very annoyed at Chole throughout parts in the book, I didn't understand why she didn't try harder to leave in the first place, besides a few sex photos, what could he have over her. She's an university- educated, legal citizen, so she could have absolutely left him before things got that bad.

Nevertheless still enjoyed it very much.

I just finished reading "The Good Wife", by Gemma Rogers. Thanks to NetGalley, Gemma Rogers and BoldWood Books for an advanced copy in return for an honest review. This was an excellent book. I was not expecting to be so into it because it seemed at first like a recycled plot...but it wasnt.
The story follows a young wife named Chloe who is married to the most revolting human imaginable, Tom. He is not a nice man and CHloe longs to escape. When she finds out he is having an affair with a call-girl she approaches the woman and offers her a deal. The deal, if it works will be her ticket to freedom...or will it?
What I liked about this story was that it moved quickly and the main character was completely rootworthy. Even the mistress was rootworrthy. Thats how despicable the character of Tom was. I also loved the ending. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Let's just say everyone got what they deserved. This was such a good book that I found it impossible to put down. I read it in one day...basically ignoring al my duties and family to find out what happened.'
If you are a fan of the domestic thriller, then this is the book for you. I can't wait to read more books from this author. Just a warning that there are some possible triggers, especially if you been the victim of an abusive partner.
My congratulations to the author...Well DOne!

What an unutterably absorbing and addictive read! Captivated from the beginning, I was quick to read this as I could not wait to see what was next. Well-developed characters, smooth reading and a stunning conclusion make for a great read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. Imagine being so controlled by your husband, you are too terrified to leave. He tracks your phone, picks out your outfits, and makes you eat exactly ten bites of food each meal. But it's risky to try to leave. He's caught you before. This one was a good plot.

I’d like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Good Wife’ written by Gemma Rogers in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Chloe and Tom have been married for three years but lately he’s become so controlling that he insists on arranging appointments to improve her appearance, choosing what she wears and insisting she eats only ten mouthfuls of food per meal. When Chloe learns by chance that part of his promotion at work is a session with a high-class escort called Savannah she makes contact with her hoping for help to get away from Tom.

‘The Good Wife’ is a brilliantly written psychological thriller of a domineering man who thinks he can turn the woman he married into a wife good enough for him by controlling her every move, abusing her physically and limiting how long she can be away from home. The characters are so perfectly described that my hatred for Tom grew with each page I turned and although I wished Chloe had been a stronger person I could understand why she didn’t want to anger him. The novel has a cleverly thought-out storyline with short chapters that made me want to keep reading, and a conclusion that had me totally consumed with glee at how a person can get his comeuppance and deservedly so. Thank you, Gemma, for letting me read this latest novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

When Chloe attends a Mend dinner party with her husband Tom who has recently been made the youngest director in the company’s history she knows all the rules she has to follow and has been doing really well eating only 10 bites of each plate served to her but when she has to get up to visit the ladies room she knows Tom will not be happy but when you gotta go you gotta go. In the bathroom is where she meets redheaded beautiful savanna while talking to the redhead she notices she has a raffle ticket with the number nine on it and when she asked her what’s Bing raffled off she says “I am!” Back at the table when the women and men separate she soon learns Tom won the raffle and showed her a check for €5000 but what he doesn’t tell her is he also got to sleep with Savannah and that he wants to do it again. Call however isn’t stupid and she soon figures out that he is sleeping with Savannah but Claude is an angry about it at all. Tom is very controlling leaving her list of things to do that day for checking expiration dates on the cans of food to other mundane mindless task and then she doesn’t do what he believes a good wife should do he punishes her by locking her in the house taking away her flip phone ET see. She soon comes up with a plan an ask her husband’s paid mistress to help something savanna agrees to do because ultimately savanna has a plan of her own for the men of Mend, but when there is trouble at the company the pressure is on Tom isn’t happy and soon close plan backfires Tom is soon wanted for murder and letting Chloe live her life is not something he is prepared to do. Will Claude ever get away from Tom or is she doomed to be with him until the day she dies? I get so excited when I see this author has a new book out in The Good Wife did not at all disappoint I have read enough books to know you cannot take for granted just because you enjoy want to buy an author that you will enjoy all their books but as far as Gemma Rogers books girl I have enjoyed all of them. As far as this one I definitely recommend that it is a great book that will keep you on the edge of your seat more than once I thoroughly enjoyed this book I cannot say it enough it is a book that any thriller fan I believe would definitely like. I want to thank the publisher and net Galley for my free arccopy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This was my first read by this author and although I enjoyed the story it could have done with a bit of the wow factor and I found the ending a bit abrupt

Excellent! This was my first Gemma Rogers book, but it won't be my last. I was hooked right at the start. It was like a soap opera, but fast-moving and full of thrills. What a ride!

Chloe Beswick is "The Good Wife". She is trapped in her marriage by her controlling husband, Tom, who dictates everything she wears, eats and does. He watches everything and always seems to be a step ahead, so how will Chloe get away? Chloe is a meek, but likeable character, and I found myself rooting for her throughout the book. It goes at a good pace, with surprising developments and revelations from beginning to end. There are lies, betrayal, fraud, sex, physical and emotional abuse, revenge as well as a few genuine friendships. I could not put it down! Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the digital ARC.

Tom is a controlling and abusive husband to Chloe. Chloe is desperate to leave Tom except he would never let her go. Until one day Tom wins a lucky ticket that puts him right into the arms of an escort named Savannah. Chloe goes to all lengths to get Savannah to talk Tom into leaving Chloe. That is until things go terribly wrong for Tom.
It was so-so for me. It needed a little more “wow factor”. Became a little redundant and predictable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for the ARC.

My unrestrained thoughts: Tom can rot in hell for all I care. And his parents too, because he is probably like that because of them.
Now, onto a little sophisticated review – it may contain tiny spoilers!

TW: Domestic violence, unwanted sex, sexual assault, foul language, and abuse.

Gemma Rogers weaves her magic in her latest novel, The Good Wife, where harmless charm hides abuse, and seething anger hides under obedience! The Beswicks look like such a perfect couple – Tom provides, and Chloe nurtures. She is a good wife – she cooks, cleans, and is always present to cater to her husband, Tom. But we get to know soon it’s all a façade, and Chloe is trapped in a controlling marriage. She is isolated from everyone and forbidden to work, meet friends, or just, you know, live.

Help comes in the form of Savannah, an escort she meets at Tom’s company dinner. She’s just the woman Tom would leave her for – what if she paid her to make him fall for her? The plan is soon set in motion, but what follows next is something neither Chloe nor Savannah anticipated. But it’s too late to reserve anything…

I absolutely devoured this book! Tension lurked on every page, underlined with subtle suspense, mystery, and dark humor. I had to stop myself from reading ahead just to see what was happening – it was that addictive! For all the spice lovers (with a dash of cheating), there are more than enough sex scenes. But they were necessary for the plot and were succinct enough to not take the attention away from the story.

The characters ran the show, and everyone contributed equally to the narrative. But I was more fascinated by Chloe’s characterization. I rooted for her, felt nervous and scared for her, and eventually celebrated with her. There were times she frustrated me because she could’ve easily escaped numerous times. But I also know how years of control and conditioning can make you afraid to stray out of the line. It was this frustration that told me that her portrayal is realistic and impressive!

This thriller book gives proper justice to its genre. You can say it has become one of my favorites now!


What I liked

Everyday setting: The story wasn’t extravagant – it was a (not-so) ordinary life of an ordinary couple. And for someone who loves reading stories where something big happens every other page, the book surprisingly held my attention. Unironically, it was fascinating to see how Chloe, and even Tom and Savannah, navigated daily life, even when they were going on runs, meeting parents, or attending to clients. I felt the book read like a personal diary of the three characters, and well, who doesn’t like to snoop into others’ lives?

Tom’s portrayal: Let me reassure you that I hate him – what I am hinting at is I liked the way he was characterized. Making a bad character truly deserving of hate is difficult – which is why I am able to sympathize with a lot of villains. But Tom… oh, he’s utterly despicable. He’s a monster hiding under a charming façade, and he feels so real that I won’t even realize if I’d pass by a Tom while jogging, running errands, or shopping. He can be found everywhere, even in the members of your family. And that’s what I was utterly impressed with.

Savannah’s innocence: I know Savannah is an escort, but there are times when I saw her as this innocent student trying to make ends meet. She was sensual when she wanted to be, but even then, her innocence never left, and it was endearing to see. I don’t know how Rogers maintained that perfect balance between sexy and innocent but it made Savannah much more appealing. And then that little hint in the epilogue – Chloe and her being friends? Oh, we love to see it!


What I wasn’t impressed with

I didn’t feel much difference between the tones of the three perspectives. In fact, if the names weren’t mentioned in the chapter titles, I don’t think I would’ve gotten the fact that three people are narrating their stories. It’s not big of a deal for me and I settled into the book rather quickly, but it was something that bothered me for the first few chapters.

The ending was also something that didn’t sit right with me. After all the delicious buildup, the conclusion seemed abrupt and chipped away my joy at seeing Tom get what he deserved. Even though the perpetrator was hinted at in the epilogue, it just didn’t make sense that Anita would be the one to attack Savannah. It just reasserted how good husbands are lured by prostitutes (that’s what Anita calls her) to make them cheat on their wives. When it takes two to cheat.

But looking past it was easy because I was fiercely happy that Chloe was finally free and ready to turn a new leaf! I would’ve also loved to see what happened with Savannah and Lewis… someone tell the author to write her story, or I would have to resort to writing a fanfiction on her.


My final thoughts?
Full of drama, vile characters, and breathtaking twists, The Good Wife is definitely an unforgettable read. You won’t be able to put it down until you finish it and are left with a cathartic satisfaction. It does contain a fair share of triggers, so check the warnings before you proceed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
#netgalley #arcreview

Talk about an engrossing fast paced domestic thriller. This story was so full of suspense and tension that I could not put it down.
Meet Chloe, a young wife with a horrible controlling husband named Tom. She has stumbled on a plan to make him leave her, which involves Savannah, a high end call girl. Can they execute their plan before Tom finds out? Things get twisty and dark from there.
Be faired warned, there's domestic violence (both emotional and physical) and pretty graphic sex in this one.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.