The Lucky Widow
By: Samantha Verant

5 Stars

When Emma comes home to find her husband, Nate Landon, dead in their pond she knows she will become suspect number one. When the detectives begin looking at her, what they find out is not what they expected. They find out more about Nate and his friends than they ever thought, or wanted, to know, but the biggest question was Who is the real killer?

This book was a crazy wild ride from start to finish. Every page turn added to the drama and thrills. The emotions in this book range a bit. I was mad half the book while being completely swept into the tale of this "boys club". I wanted more and by the end I was in shock. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first page. The characters were interesting and captivated with their lives and hedonism. It was a good book to show what type of secrets can be hidden with the right amount of money.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review

I am really not sure how to rate this or review it! On the one hand, I liked the story when it focused on Emma and what she was going through. At first I wasn't sure what to think of Emma, because it was blatantly obvious that her fiance/husband's friends were even lower than the lowest rung of humanity. Yet she still wanted to marry this man.

The story has a fast pace, and is engaging once you get to the meat of the story.
It is told in multiple POV's: Emma, Detective Rossi, and Nate's.
The story involves sex trafficking- so I feel readers should be aware of this. It is not graphic, but is a very important part of the narrative.


So I will break this down to what worked for me, and what I struggled with.

What worked:
-Once the investigation of the murder got started and focused on Emma it was very interesting. I kept thinking I knew what the next incident/twist would be, and I was right maybe 60% of the time.

- The information about butterflies that opened the different sections of the story. Very interesting!

-The consistency of Emma's character once she realizes what she is facing. She truly cares about her family and the people for whom she is responsible. I felt this characteristic of her throughout the second half of the book when the focus is on discovering how despicable her husband and his friend group are.

The "What actually happened" part! No spoilers, but is was wrapped up well.

What I struggled with:
-How Emma "meets" Nate. This is hinted at (a stalkerish thing)- but never fleshed out or explained, and so I never got her "wanting this man".

-Nate's (her husband) best friends were entitled, narcissistic, vulgar, horrifying people. And they were like this through the entire novel. There was NO subtlety. I felt slimy when their characters were first introduced, and it only got worse. I realize there are awful people in the world, but it I felt these characters were written almost as a stereotypical caricature of evil sex traffickers and spoiled billionaires.

- Because of the above, I struggled with the fact that even though Emma knew from the first time she met them that they were awful, she still wanted to be a part of Nate's life and therefore, would be in these people's lives. Abby even points out a lot of things to Emma about Nate and her relationship- but though Emma knows what Abby is saying is true, she still wants him.

-Detective Rossi. Ugh! She is described as tough. Well, she comes onto the scene, and immediately shows prejudice towards Emma because Emma lives "a perfect life". She also shows this when she is describing Emma's daughters (called "spoiled brats"), and a witnesses son ("Another rich Bedford kid. Probably his brand-new BMW in the driveway. Big swagger").
Yet, within the same chapter with this same witness, she looks at his grilling apron and thinks,
"The man's The Grillfather apron makes me cringe. As an Italian, I really hate puns like that, especially when they relate to mobsters".
WHAAAAT?? This character judges everyone based on her own ideas and perceptions, but takes offense at this man's apron? It is such a contradiction, and I just could not trust the thoughts and ideas of this character because of this!

So here is the conundrum for me! It was a fast read, I liked the "mystery/thriller" part, and really liked Abby and Emma in the second part. However, my struggles kept me from really trusting the insight of the detective, and question the genuine affection Emma supposedly had for her husband.

Other readers have loved the book, without reservation. Please check out other reviews. I believe the author can write, and I might try another by her. This book seems to need tightening up for some characters, and more back story on Emma and why she wanted Nate besides "getting the perfect life".

Than you NetGalley, Storm Publishing for the ARC of this book. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A fast paced read that gripped you from the beginning; was the wife guilty or not? There are a lot of hard hitting elements to the book which shine a light on a lot of issues but that didn’t detract from the whodunnit aspect. A good read.

This was an interesting story, it read similar to The Silent Patient IMO, just as much of a page turner.
Everything between Emma, Detective Rossi (hello Criminal Minds flash lol) it was interesting to uncover what was happening!
This is a great book for anyone wanting a book with twists and turns! I enjoyed this so much!

“As I chop, chop, chop in my head, head, head, I’m wishing my monster of a husband dead, dead, dead”

Emma Landon returns home from Paris to find her billionaire husband dead. Far from sad, Emma finally feels free. However, Detective Rossi is determined to prove that Emma had something to do with her husband’s death. Can Emma avoid a murder charge?

I enjoyed this! A fast paced thriller, I was behind Emma from the start, partly fuelled by the fact Detective Rossi was so judgemental and intent on her guilt. I loved the unravelling of the twisted billionaire, along with his seedy friends and it felt like a believable story. Ugh, I’m pleased Nate Landon is dead too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my advanced copy.

This was a great mystery/crime novel with plenty of secrets and drama, plotting and backstabbing. The lifestyle of the characters was a story in itself, giving the reader eye-opening details of the lavishness of the life lived by those with billions of dollars at their disposal.

I enjoyed the writing style of this author and felt compelled to keep reading, not just to reach the reveals but to watch the events unfold as experienced by the different characters.

The last quarter of the book did feel rushed, almost like a list of dot points wrapping up loose ends.

I received this arc from netgalley and Storm Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Emma went to great lengths so that the man of her dreams would notice her. When they married and started a family, to the outside world every thing appeared perfect.
Loved this book because I did not work out all the pieces. I liked how it all fitted together in the end.

Tremendous..
Finding a husband face down in the koi pond may, indeed, come as a shock but, in this particular case, not only is it considered well deserved but the wife is secretly positively gleeful. Becoming suspect number one does not come as nearly so much fun - but, things are about to change and in spectacular fashion. Fast paced, intriguing and wholly entertaining contemporary whodunit with a plethora of characters that jump from the page and a narrative laced with caustic wit. A one sit read for this reader who relished every single page.

A real fast paced who done it read.
I could not put it down.
Enough twists and red herrings to really keep me on my toes.
Well written characters and overall i fabulous read.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

This book checked all my boxes for a great domestic thriller
1. Great Characters
2. Red herrings, twists and turns
3. The villain gets his due
4. Held my interest from start to finish
Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the arc. The comments and review are my honest opinion.
Wishing your husband dead isn’t a crime, but when he does turn up dead, don’t be surprised if the police want to consider you their prime suspect.
Secrets behind closed and locked doors, deceit, manipulation, entitlement, money to burn and twists that keep you from putting this book down also make it a quick read. Highly recommend.

The Lucky Widow is the perfect title for this novel once you start reading I think many of you will agree. Emma Landon was deciding weather or not she should divorce her billionaire cheating husband. A trip to Paris with her best friend Abby, her twin daughters and a daughter from another mother all go with her. Little did we all know that once Emma returns home not only did she decide to divorce her husband, but she also wishes him dead. Upon that arrival we do find her lying cheating husband dead in the pond. Can wishing someone dead really happen or will the police think Emma and her merry woman including her house staff be in on this murder mystery.

Nathaniel Landon was a handsome billionaire doctor whom Emma always dreamed of marrying. I guess you can say watch what your dream for. Nathaniel turned out to be a lying,cheating control freak with very strange friends. Emma designs the house of her dreams, has a successful business and twin girls she adores. Yet Nate has many hidden secrets that put him in a position to try and get rid of Emma. His friends do not like Emma and she does not like them. Something is way off with them. As the story into Nate's death unravels we are thrown into the world of pornography, drugs and sex trafficking. Which also leads us to the lies Nate told of his family and possibly another daughter. Which brings us to who is the killer and why?

This is a fast moving story that does jump around a bit. Many names are involved so I sometimes had an issue of who was who. Yet I was glued to every page. Could Emma be be the murder, did she have help? I needed to find out so I kept reading.. I really ended up despising Nate and his friends by the end of the story.I Iove the way the author described each character in her writing. I was surprised of the ending and again a twist was involved. Loved it .

Thank you Storm and NetGalley for the ARC. .Thank you Samantha Verant for such a well written thriller. four stars for sure.

What happens when you accidentally let out that your husband is a lying, cheating, bastard on the 911 call when you find him dead? All eyes are on you.

This is what happens to Emma when she comes back from her trip to Paris, to find her billionaire husband Nate Landon, lying face down in the pond, dead. With a detective hot on her trails, she finds herself, friends, and family under heavy scrutiny. As information is being uncovered and more in-depth truths of what this 'seemingly perfect’ family had dealings with, more sinister things are laid out that lead down a deep rabbit hole of secrets.

This book kept me on my toes, it was like watching a movie play out in front of me. Every time I thought I had a character or situation figured out, there would be another plot twist happen, making me rethink my entire perspective.

If you like The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose or any Freida McFadden books, I highly recommend this book. It is told in three different acts to help establish the setting and timeline. The different points of view help piece the story together from all angles. There is a lot of information and different characters to keep up with so do take notes, it will be worth it. You are in for a wild ride with this one, make sure to hold onto your seat!

Couldn't put this down! As the title suggests, a husband dies and the widow named Emma isn't sad about it. The book goes into their marriage and reveals the truth using different timelines and multiple points of view. Here's what I liked:

- The book is easy to read and hard to put down.
- Emma is a great character and one you'll cheer for.
- There are some funny moments (Emma vs. the Alexa)

Thanks for the advance review copy. This was a fun way to spend a Saturday!

This was so good. Sleep? I don't know her. I didn't put the book down. I had a really good time reading all the twists and turns trying to find out who's done it.

Wishing your husband dead isn’t a crime... When you return from a work trip to find your husband dead in the pond, it’s best not to call him a liar and a cheat in front of the cops. Especially when you’ve spent the last few years telling anyone who’ll listen that you sometimes fantasise about killing him. It makes you look kind of, well, guilty! Good book!! I definitely enjoyed reading this one! This book had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, a great who done it and a few twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I would recommend reading this book! Thank you Netgally and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Billionaire cardiothoracic surgeon Nathaniel Landon and his sought after interior architect wife Emma are the epitome of wealth and social standing. Seen as the perfect married couple by outsiders, they both know their marriage is a sham. Sick and tired of Nate’s philandering ways, his lies and other despicable activities, Emma decides she has had enough. After hiring a PI to find the ‘dirt’ on Nate she spends time in Paris with best friend Abby and twin daughters Ava and Grace. On her return from a Paris with Abby, Emma soon discovers she won’t be needing the services of a divorce lawyer after all!

I’m not sure how to review this book as I appreciate a lot of time and effort by the author went into getting the message of #MeToo and the other issues raised (no spoilers here!) to the fore, but the writing was not to my taste at all. With full transparency I did skim at least 40% of the book, and still managed to hold on to the thread. At times it felt like there were two people writing the book, one much better than the other. I don’t think this is quite ready for publication, a good editing would work wonders.

With apologies to the author.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This is a fast read, and good thing it is, because you won't want to put it down once you start. Even if you figure out some or all of it, that ending is...wow. Most of these characters are absolutely despicable and some of the subject matter is hard to read, but never fear, they get what's coming to them. Emma and Abby were such fun together - it was nice to have some lightness mixed in. Can't talk about a lot of this without spoiling. Highly recommend.

This was a very complex interesting great read! I couldn’t put this book down. It was a very well told story and you had to pay attention to keep up. Many interesting charecters all well written. I am definitely going to read more by this author!

Thank you to Samantha Verant, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion. The Lucky Widow publishes July 5, 2024.

Wishing your husband dead isn’t a crime...

Emma returns from a work trip to find her husband, Nate, dead in a pond. Although she's secretly thrilled and has been wishing him dead for many years due to his lying and cheating ways, we all know the spouse is always the first and main suspect. The cops want to talk to their daughters, friends, and even the staff. There’s the housekeeper, the cook, the pool cleaner, the dog walker. But they were all out of town when he died. They won’t have anything to say about what happened. Certainly nothing that could suggest Emma had something to do with it…

I loved the setup of the whole story. It was a quick read that kept me up all night having to know did she actually kill her husband or did someone else have the motive. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and alternating timelines. It was easy to feel like you really got to know each character. Emma and Nate have created this perfect life from the outside looking in. But how well do you really know a person. After all, everything we see is simply what they want us to see. A snapshot of their highlights, not their deepest, darkest secrets kept behind closed doors. I really thought I had it all figured out, at least twice, but this story is full of twists, turns, tangled webs of deception, red herrings, and surprising motives. The ending was well done with a shocking conclusion. It will keep you on the edge of your seat!

When Emma's billionaire husband ends up dead, Emma is prime suspect number one even though she was clearly out of town when her husband died. There is no doubt that Nate got what he deserved and I can't even imagine living Emma's life. From the outside her life looked so wonderful and people would have dreamed of being like her some day but things aren't always what they seem. This web of lies and deceit is as tangled as they get. I was pretty sure I knew who killed Emma's husband from the start but I was second guessing myself the whole time. I enjoyed the varied path the story took in getting us to the conclusion and the explanation of everything that happened. Wonderfully done thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.