The Next Wife, Kaira Rouda

I will skip my usual summary because this one has over 28k reviews on Amazon, which is impressive. This is a critical review because I feel lukewarm about the book. Sometimes I think books get too over-hyped. But I remind readers to stay objective to see if this will be right for them.

The writing here is very simplistic and repetitive at times. Kate’s endless musings are inanely childish. I felt the author piled on the stereotypes. Re: people of childhood abuse are bad people. Same for poor people and anyone not upper class, and women are only good for tearing each other down. That’s a lot of hate to throw into one book.

You don’t have to like the characters to enjoy a story because pretty much everyone in this book falls on the “some degree of awful” scale. That is where the author’s strength is because you don’t have anyone to root for, so you instead question which one did this horrible thing out of a pool of awful people. For me, it was all very dramatic and soap opera-y. But all the drama draws you in, exactly like a good soap opera. This one wasn’t totally the right fit for me, but so many people like this one, I’m clearly in the minority.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

The Next Wife is available for purchase on Amazon, Bookshop, and B&N. It’s enrolled in KU.

Read and like this review on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub.

About the Book:
Kate Nelson had it all. A flourishing company founded with her husband, John; a happy marriage; and a daughter, Ashlyn. The picture-perfect family. Until John left for another woman. Tish is half his age. Ambitious. She’s cultivated a friendship with Ashlyn. Tish believes she’s won.

She’s wrong.

Tish Nelson has it all. Youth, influence, a life of luxury, and a new husband. But the truth is, there’s a lot of baggage. Namely, his first wife—and suspicions of his infidelity. After all, that’s how she got John. Maybe it’s time for a romantic getaway, far from his vindictive ex. If Kate plans on getting John back, Tish is one step ahead of her.

She thinks.

But what happens next is something neither Kate nor Tish saw coming. As best-laid plans come undone, there’s no telling what a woman will do in the name of love—and revenge.