Natasha, 38, is a nurse in charge of the intensive care unit. She works long, hard hours but has loved her work. However, lately it’s become a bit wearying for her. Her pay is low and she lives in a tiny apartment near the hospital. At University, she made 3 very good friends and they have remained close over the years. Only one of her friends has a part-time job and the other two have been stay-at-home mothers.

At an art gallery opening, Natasha meets a man named Daniel who is very charming. After showing her some glamorous evenings at top-notch restaurants, and after seeing his large penthouse, she is quite intrigued by him. When he proposes to her, she is somewhat surprised but agrees to marry him even if they haven’t been together long.

Natasha introduces Daniel to her 3 friends and their husbands and they all get along. She is pleased with this as her friends are important to her. Daniel is a financial advisor and his money proves he is doing quite well. So, when he suggests all four couples take a luxurious cruise together and he will pay for it, they agree. But when they are on the ship and the alcohol begins to flow, some secrets come out and Natasha is shocked at what her friends and Daniel have been keeping from her.

I have read and reviewed numerous books by this author and have enjoyed them all. I wasn’t sure how this book was going to end but, in a way, it was a sad ending. It’s amazing how intertwined people’s lives can become. It’s also amazing how little conscience some people have. So, read and enjoy!

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5 Stars

The Wives was a quick read and I was interested enough to know “who dun it”, but this isn’t a a must-read to me. I thought the plot/concept of the book was great, but something was missing. None of the characters were likable and the amount of secrets kept from friends & spouses was becoming a bit unrealistic. I wasn’t able to predict the twist but I didn’t particularly enjoy it as it just felt random and abrupt. However, it still kept me invested enough to finish within a couple days (which doesn’t happen for often for me) so I count that as a win!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Natasha and her friends Michele, Barbara, and Tracy Ann have been best buddies since their days at university 20 years ago. Since then, their lives have taken different directions. While Natasha became an ambitious and career-oriented nurse, the other three married and focused on raising families. That was never what Natasha wanted. But after an unexpected virus ravages the country, killing patient after patient in the ICU where she works, Natasha is burnt out. When she meets the successful, ultra wealthy Daniel, she's more than ready to trade in her career for life with him in his posh penthouse apartment. Suddenly, she wants the perfect marriage and family with Daniel like her friends have with their spouses.

Natasha freely admits, at least to herself, that her marriage to Daniel was never about love. At least, not about love for him. She falls in love with his apartment and his wealth, but never the man. He wants a supportive wife. One whose purpose in life is to serve him. Gold digging Natasha is willing to play the part. She can put up with a lot for the penthouse and endless spending cash. Even him. She'll put up with anything since the prenup says she gets nothing if they don't last for at least two years.

Besides, her friends and their husbands adore Daniel. He likes them too. She felt like an outsider with her friends when she was a career woman, but that's changed now that she's married. When Daniel suggests they pay to take her friends on a luxury cruise, she's thrilled with the idea. It's an excellent chance to spend time together -- and to rub their noses in her wealth. However, no amount of opulence can hide the cracks in their friendships. Or their marriages. The longer they're trapped on the cruise together, the more secrets and lies that rise to the surface. It turns out Natasha isn't the only one who doesn't love Daniel. Her friends don't like him either. In fact, they all want him dead.

Dripping with scandal, secrets, and deceit, "The Wives" by Valerie Keogh is a fast moving "who's-gonna-do-it" instead of the typical "whodunnit". The story takes off at full speed ahead on the first page and doesn't slow down until near the end. It's clear from the very beginning that each of the female characters want Natasha’s husband Daniel dead. In a book replete with secrets, the question is which one has the motive to get the job done -- if any. Each woman's point-of-view is told in alternating chapters, giving you plenty of time to uncover their secrets and figure out who (if any of them) will do it. However, beware of what you believe. There are enough red herrings to make it seem like it could be one or the other... or the other.

"The Wives" is a high-octane thrill ride that hints of the heat and scandal of a Jackie Collins novel, but keeps the secrets and deceit clothed. It's a game of Clue brought to a fictional story. It's a masterfully written psychological thriller that leaves you to figure out the mental states of four well-developed, secretive female characters. It's filled with manipulation, secrets, and deceit -- every ingredient needed to create unbelievable suspense and make the book delicious. If that's not enough, the final twists will blow your mind. It quickly goes from "who's-gonna-do-it" to "OMG, I can't believe she just did that. Or that!!" It'll shock the shoes off your feet! A few parts dragged a bit in scenes with the women and the ship's security, but before you know it the story picks back up. You end up loving every second.

I've heard so many great things about Valerie Keogh's books long before reading "The Wives". All of it was true, leaving me to wonder why I waited so long to pick up one of her novels and excited to read another one soon.

Four friends take a cruise with their husbands. Secrets are revealed, chaos ensues.

I really liked this book. Multiple POVs, which were easy to follow. Great descriptions of settings, characters and food. Lots of drama and nobody seems very trustworthy. A very easy read.

Highly recommend if you need a fast paced, easy to follow read.

The ending had a pretty good twist and i was not expecting it but dude i hated the story i could not connect with it and the characters were so unlikeable

Not very likeable characters but plenty twists and secrets in this book with an ending I did not expect

I loved the ending to this book as it was quite a shock and a good twist. But, I found the characters spoilt, silly and very dislikeable. I usually enjoy Valerie's books but this one didn't quite hit the spot. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Natasha is miserable in her tiny apartment and nursing job. But then she meets rich, handsome, and charismatic Daniel who seems to be the answer to all her prayers. He takes a liking to her group of friends and proposes fairly quickly. Then he offers to take all her friends on a cruise and things seem to unravel in no time. A great story with lots of unexpected twists!

Lies, secrets, betrayal, and murder. 🛳️💍🐢🤫
Four friends and their husbands go on an exotic cruise; each of them having secrets, and some deadly. What could go wrong? Mysterious and thrilling, this one left me jaw dropped by the end!

Deducted some stars for the story being slow at times but by the end, I wanted more!

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

I could not finish this. It started off good but slowly all of the characters became annoying. The storyline was pretty far fetched; I really wanted to like this!

Very well written thriller! One of her best yet! A group of friends go on a cruise with one of their newly married couples. The groom dies during the cruise and it becomes a whodunit. Who could have killed him? How did he die? This book has you twisting and turning with all the possible suspects. I don’t want to give too much away with this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend!!

This was a great read. Natasha meets a new man and they quickly marry. Her new husband takes them all on a cruise. Then the secrets come out. A psych thriller you’re going to love. This author write a great book! It’s a 4 1/2 star read!

ARC Review- 3.75 rounded up to 4⭐
Publication Date- November 6, 2024

Wow, what a fresh take on a locked room trope. In "The Wives" we meet 4 friends whom get together with their partners periodically and have what they consider a clubs of the sexes where they hang out with each other and entertain. Natasha is the last of the group to become married--finding hottie Daniel whom seems to charm everyone in the group. That charm only lasts so long though and the group begins to break. Having gone without a long, fancy honeymoon, Daniel takes Natasha and her group of friends on a long cruise--his treat. Soon the fractures and secrets of these relationships take over and the friend group is never the same.

I found this novel to be a very quick and easy read. Written in various viewpoints I enjoyed the take each character gave the story and it kept me intrigued. Being suck on a cruise liner was the prefect refresh on the locked in trope and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

✨Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review. ✨

A friend group sets sail on a cruise with their partners… all of them are hiding secrets. Who will make it off the sailing tin can alive?

There were SO many interesting twists and turns in The Wives! I loved it. From seedy husbands to shady friends breaking girl code. It was filled with drama and suspense.

Highly recommend!

Good grief! A group of friends is nice to have, but not when each person has so many secrets! When one of the group dies on a cruise, it seems that those secrets may be revealed. This was an enjoyable and twisty whodunnit! Fans of thrillers will love this one!

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for this #giftedARC provided by NetGalley.

This thriller is bursting with secrets and lies, reminding us of the complexities of friendship and ambition! I've yet to be disappointed by this author, so every time I spot her name, I can't help but pounce on whatever thriller she has coming up!

"The Wives" is intriguing from the start, but the jaw-dropping twists unfolding towards the end make it a must-read!

Natasha maintains a close bond with three college girlfriends, who change paths and prioritize family over career aspirations. While Natasha perseveres through her nursing career, her friends enjoy a life of comfort.

Then enters Daniel—a charming and successful businessman who sweeps Natasha off her feet with a whirlwind romance and proposal! Even though she's not sure he's the one, the taste of a luxurious lifestyle is too tempting.

While her friends initially welcome Daniel, his presence soon stirs up underlying tensions that result in a cruise trip intended to smooth things over. After reading "The Wives," you'll think twice about vacationing with friends!

#TheWives #NetGalley #ValerieKeogh #BoldwoodBooks #BoldBookClubVIP

On the surface four friends are cruising with their husbands. As the layers are peeled back the friends have kept secrets from each other. Most of them revolve around the newest husband, Daniel.
I thought Daniel was slime and Natasha just sort of drifted into the marriage.
I pinpointed two culprits for one of the deaths but never expected what would happen.
It’s a rolling wave of mystery, lies, and secrets. That’s why I read Keough’s books because she brings all of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of The Wives by Valerie Keogh. This is my second book by this author. This one had plenty of twists and kept me intrigued. It was fast paced so a quick easy read. It's a book about best friends and the many ups and downs. So many secrets! It was wonderful to go on a cruise with these characters. I felt as though I was actually on the cruise ship as well. It was a real page turner. A 5 star rating from me.

I loved this story and right up to the end , I was on the edge of my seat! This was my kind of book with characters that you love to hate and nonstop action. There was so much going on and I loved every second of it. If you like a twisty thriller, this one is for you.
Many thanks to the author, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the book #TheWives by #ValerieKeogh. Natasha has found her money ticket with her new husband, Daniel. As four couples, Natasha and Daniel and there is her best friends and their husbands embark on a cruise, paid for by Daniel, tensions are super high. It seems that her friends all have reasons for wanting to kill he’s husband. So many secrets…..