This was a fast paced thriller which kept me hooked from start to finish. Told from different perspectives which helped build up the suspense. I loved how well written the characters were and how the story just flowed throughout. I will definitely be recommending this to anyone loves a good gripping thriller. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

As the first book I read in 2025, this work represents an impressive start to my bookish journey for the year.

It is a fast-paced and compelling psychological thriller characterised by its intricate secrets and plot twists. The narrative is presented from multiple perspectives, which effectively maintains the reader’s curiosity, especially regarding the identity of "Him." Although I was able to foresee certain outcomes, this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the narrative.

The characters are well-developed, and the resolution adeptly ties all plot threads together, leaving no unresolved issues. The themes of domestic abuse, particularly those of controlling and coercive behaviours, as well as age-gap relationships, are skillfully integrated into the storyline. The author approaches these subjects with sensitivity, ensuring that the narrative does not become overly grim. However, it is essential to acknowledge that some readers may find the subject matter potentially triggering. This book would serve as an excellent choice for a book club, as it provides numerous opportunities for discussion.

In summary, it is an engaging and swift read that I would highly recommend to enthusiasts of this genre.

Wow, wow, wow, WOW! This completely dominated my evening; I could not put this book down and finished it in one sitting. Excellent build-up and just enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged, but never overwhelmed with chaotic mess just for the shock factor. Some of the last lines ending a chapter were cheesy, but we love that in a cozy thriller. The former teacher in me raised many eyebrows at the nonchalance of the administration when it came to teacher-student relationships but that’s none of my business. I like education being represented, even in a vaguely accurate manner. A great book!

The Innocent Wife is a standard thriller. It is well-written but the plot and characters are rather forgettable. I appreciate how the author let the story unfold and delivered twists at the very end. Thanks for the advance review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Innocent wife is as much about outgrowing innocence as it is resilience, and while the issue at its crux, a man who should never had been in a position of authority or trust with youth, is unsettling, the women who empower each other and combat that are remarkable. Olivia, the wife, bands together with Natalie, the ‘victim’ (I hate the association of that word with one of pity, when Natalie deserves all the sympathy and support but has overcome her past). Lucas, the husband, deserved to have all types of body parts cut off though with what ultimately transpired I’m alright having that not occur.

This book goes a lot deeper and has a ton of complexity, not just due to Lucas (who I must stress is terrible) but also due to Natalie. We dive into Natalie’s past and the compilations her life has brought in a masterful way, and I enjoyed this as much for that exploration as the thriller part.

This is another great one by Sally Royer-Derr!
Natalie comes face to face with a teacher from her past. Lucas was her sports coach who groomed her when she was 15. He's now married to Olivia, but it seems he is up to his old tricks with a young girl again.

There is also a mystery character who is watching Natalie's every move, just waiting to strike.

Told from 3 perspectives this is a fast paced thriller that kept me very engaged!
Thank you NetGalley and Storm publishing!

I always love Sally’s books!! This was a fast paced, gripping read and I read it in one evening! Loved the twists and turns and didn’t see the twist at the end coming which was great. Highly recommend and all of Sally’s books. She is a go to author for me now.

When Natalie starts a new job at a school, she’s shocked to find out her coworker is the older soccer coach, Lucas, who took advantage of her when she was just fifteen years old. Desperate to keep her job, she’s relieved that he doesn’t recognize her and she stays quiet about their past. Then Natalie meets Olivia, Lucas’ wife, and that’s when things get interesting.

This was an excellent psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns. I loved the two main female characters and how their friendship developed. I’ll be reading other books by this author.

Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

Uhm. What the heck just happened.
I feel like I'm left gasping for more about these characters. The twists and turns were perfection.

The Innocent Wife by Sally Royer-Derr: A Thrilling Must-Read!

Sally Royer-Derr’s The Innocent Wife is an enthralling domestic thriller that effortlessly blends suspense, emotional depth, and well-crafted twists. This gripping tale centers around Natalie Amaryllis, a single mother starting anew as a learning support teacher at her daughter Emma's school. However, her fresh start takes a dark turn when she discovers Lucas Hanson, her former high school coach and abuser, is now a teacher at the same school.

The novel unravels the layered complexities of Natalie’s life, from her haunting past with Lucas to her burgeoning friendship with Olivia, Lucas’s much younger wife. Olivia’s initial admiration for her husband crumbles as she uncovers unsettling truths about their relationship, leading her to team up with Natalie to prevent another innocent victim from falling into Lucas’s trap.

Royer-Derr masterfully builds tension, weaving secrets, lies, and moments of emotional resilience into a story that keeps readers on edge. The narrative alternates perspectives, adding depth to characters like Natalie, whose strength and determination shine, and Olivia, who grows from a naive housewife to an empowered ally. The inclusion of a mysterious “Him” perspective heightens the suspense, adding an intriguing layer to the story.

While some of the plotlines wrap up a bit too neatly, and the pacing occasionally falters, these minor flaws are easily overshadowed by the compelling characters and the emotional weight of the story. The themes of friendship and resilience in the face of trauma resonate deeply, making this more than just a thriller—it’s a testament to the power of solidarity.

If you enjoy psychological dramas with strong female protagonists, heart-stopping suspense, and a dash of mystery, The Innocent Wife will not disappoint. Sally Royer-Derr has proven her skill as a storyteller, and I eagerly anticipate more from her.

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing, for this advanced copy. The Innocent Wife is scheduled for release on January 13, 2025, and it’s a book you won’t want to miss!

I’m a little conflicted by this book. It has a great premise, and it’s full of twists and turns which I always enjoy, but the writing style just didn’t quite work for me. I felt as if it was labouring too many points and repeating the things the author wanted us to know.

There were a number of different story lines going in the book, which helped keep the suspense. There was always something unknown that required a little more reading to resolve. Eventually they were all tied up neatly at the end. I certainly didn’t see some of the twists coming. It did occasionally stretch the bounds of believability, but was a mostly entertaining read.

The Innocent Wife by Sally Royer-Derr is a domestic thriller unlike any other I've read, it will keep you on the edge of your seat with anticipation

Natalie starts a new position as a teacher's aid at her young daughter's school, and it's soon clear that she has a dark past with one of the popular teachers, Lucas Hanson. Lucas's wife, Olivia is young, very, very young, and it's soon clear just what sort of many Lucas is.

Despite the fact that the reader knows early in the story what the former relationship between Natalie and Lucas was, the author does a fantastic job keeping the reader on the edge of their seat wondering what is going to happen next.

I will admit that I didn't see the point of the side story involving Natalie's ex boyfriend until the very end of the book. And maybe some of the ends were tied up just a little too nicely at the end, but it didn't make the rest of the book any less enjoyable.

I will be looking for other books by Sally Royer-Derr and if this book is any indication of her writing style she will become a new favourite.

I have read two previous books by Sally Royer-Derr and was delighted to be selected to receive an ARC of this book. It definitely did not disappoint!

This was a very faced paced domestic thriller told from 3 POVs: the two main female characters and a third mystery male character. I was hooked right from the start and loved that several of the characters were teachers and many of the main plot points were connected to a school.

You know from the start the obvious ways that some of the characters are connected, but the author does a fantastic job leaving small trails of possible other connections that keep the reader guessing and needing to know more! The twists at the end were shocking and not something I saw coming at all but helped make sense of the weirdness I was getting from Jake’s new wife.

Thank you to Netgalley, Storm Publishing and Sally Roger-Derr for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review of the book!

This is my first book by Sally Royer-Derr but hopefully it wont be my last.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave" is a phrase that came to mind as I read through this book.
Natalie Amaryllis was full of hope when she started as a learning support teacher at Peyton Heights East, the elementary school where her adored five year old daughter, Emma, was a pupil.
Natalie's elation was dimmed when she realised that Handsome, charismatic, Lucas Hanson was also a teacher there, a teacher that she would be working with...............would he recognise her ?
Lucas had a young, beautiful wife but it didn't stop him flirting, he charmed all the females that he came into contact with.
Natalie's life had been chequered, she had secrets, secrets that she couldn't tell anyone, she was a confident, driven woman but Natalie became scared when strange things began occurring, did Emma really see someone watching the house, she must protect Emma from whatever was out there.
This story had me gripped from the beginning, the author manages to build up the tension to fever pitch, shady characters, secrets......everyone has secrets, but what will happen when the secrets are uncovered.
I really enjoyed this story, it has suspense, twists, red herrings and a great ending, the author has addressed some emotive subjects with sensitivity.
Thank you Storm Publishing and Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is voluntary

I loved Natalie. She was a strong character who would do anything for her daughter. But I didn't love the way the author changes scenes. It made it feel very stop/start.

Overall, this was the first book I've read from Sally Royer-Derr and I found it to be an enjoyable read! I was a little disappointed with the end however - I thought it was all wrapped up way too quickly and easily.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is the first book I have read by Sandy Royer-Derr - and I definitely enjoyed it! Natalie & Olivia work together at an elementary school & they soon find out they have something in common….Olivia’s husband. However the story isn’t as straight forward as it seems. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. This book releases mid January 2025. #booksbyashleynicole

I got this book from NetGallery.

The book is about Natalie, a single mother who starts working at a new school after her divorce. To her horror, she meets Lucas there, whom she knows from the past. He doesn't seem to recognize her, but he still shows the same behaviour as in the past. She becomes friends with his wife Olivia. Suspicious things are happening and Natalie doesn't really know who is behind it. Does Lucas secretly know who she is? Or is it her ex Theo?

It is a nice book. It is easy to read, is very exciting at some points and you become a bit suspicious yourself. Sometimes I had a bit of trouble putting the book down because you actually want to know who is behind it. Sometimes it is a bit predictable, but there were still a number of things that I didn't see coming.

I just don't quite understand the summary on the back of the book. If you read the summary, it seems written from Olivia's point of view but the book is mainly described from Natalie's point of view. I think my summary above fits the book a bit better.

I really enjoyed this book. I advise you to only start reading if you have the time because it's difficult to put it down.

Thank you so much for letting me read this book.

It was brave of the author to have a sexual predator of under-age girls as a main character in her novel. The plot was cleverly thought out but I found the first half of the book filled with so much unnecessary information that I almost gave up reading.

Lucas Hanson was the school soccer coach when he groomed fifteen year old Natalie. For two years they had an intimate relationship until her parents relocated to another town, moving her out of his reach.

It's now twenty years later, Natalie Amaryllis has returned to her home town after gaining a position as a teacher in her old school. On her first day at work, she's horrified to discover that she'll be assisting Lucas Hanson, evidently a well liked colleague at the school. He doesn't recognise her!

For weeks they work together in the same classroom, yet Lucas still doesn't recognise Natalie. Whilst twenty years is a long time, I couldn't accept that Lucas had no inkling that he'd 'known' Natalie all those years ago. Unbelievable!

The last quarter of the book improved, yet it's Lucas's astounding memory loss which earns my 2* rating.

This is my personal, unbiased opinion, judging by the amount of high ratings, I'm in the minority. With thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This was a hard book to put down! This is an excellent thriller/domestic drama. It was a nice change having a strong, intelligent female main character.
Natalie’s life is finally calm and easy. She has an excellent co parenting relationship with her ex, a new job at her daughter’s school and a home right next to her new job. Unfortunately for Natalie, a villain from her past also works there.
I loved Natalie’s character and how she overcame all the bad choices/circumstances she had as a teen. She put helping other women first and made sure they wouldn’t suffer as she did. It was nice to see women working together and overcoming painful experiences together.

"The Innocent Wife" by Sally Royer-Derr is an amazing psychological thriller. This book keeps you guessing to the end, and you just don't want to put it down.
Natalie has taken a new job and she moves to be closer to the job. She is raising a little girl with her ex husband while learning the in and outs of her new job. When she meets one of the teachers at her new school, trauma from her past comes back to haunt her. As she is dealing with the past, she starts to notice weird things around her house. As she tries to figure out what is going on, will she put herself and her daughter in danger?
Highly recommend this book!