Book Review – The Wife Before Me by Laura Elliot

by Shalini, posted in Book Reviews, Fiction

My review

I hate when a man uses his fists to win an argument.

I hate when a man manipulates the woman to believe that she deserves it

I hate when a man likes getting his way around, undermining a woman’s confidence.

And I hate when a man uses the woman’s bank balance as his personal investment back-up.

And this book had all that, and the man not only found one such woman, but he got two of them to believe him. The story made my skin crawl. The physical abuse was atrocious leading one woman to drive her car into the sea. I wanted nothing more than for this man to be tortured, for this man to know what the strength of a woman was!! The book had the points of view of both women, sharing their lives before and after this man, along with an intermittent unknown narrator.

What strongly niggled me, caused by skin to erupt in mini volcanoes, caused me to literally want to throw my kindle (no no, I didn’t. I love my kindle.) was the women received proof, literally falling into their hands about their husband being a murderer, AND THEY STILL DON’T BELIEVE IT!! After being battered and hit on every part of the body, including being pushed down the stairs or ladder (which caused the miscarriage), they did not believe he could be a murderer!!

My girls Nina and Nicole, say when a book causes a reaction, it is a good book. But girls, when a book causes me to wonder if women are really that naive (read stupid), and I am talking about intelligent, well read, independent, perfectly capable of walking to the cops and showing their broken skin and broken bones. What stops them?!

On a personal note, I was threatened once with physical violence. My answer – Touch me, even tap me, and I would go to the cops, create so much of a noise in society with his parents, my parents, by the end of it, he wouldn’t have a place to hide and a face to show the society and friends.

The book did end in a twist, had its own delightful, mystical, magical moments, it was a thriller. But for most parts, it was abuse and cowering. Overall, a good read!!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Bookouture, and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating : 3.5 stars

Book blurb

One evening as the sun is setting, Amelia Madison’s car slides into the sea off Mason’s Pier. Her body is never found.

Two years later, Elena Langdon meets Nicholas Madison. She is grieving the loss of her mother, he is grieving for his wife. Together they can help each other. Now Elena is living with Nicholas. But Elena doesn’t really know him. She doesn’t know what he is capable of.

And she doesn’t know what really happened to Amelia. Until the day she discovers the torn page of a letter and the words she reads chill her to the bone. Elena must find the person who wrote these letters if she is to save herself.

Product Details

Publication date : 24th August, 2018

Publisher : Bookouture

39 thoughts on “Book Review – The Wife Before Me by Laura Elliot”

  2. Mh I am really curious about this one especially after reading your review and your reaction to some of the characters’ actions. Sounds heavy due to the themes of abuse but glad to hear that it was a good read. Fab review.

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  3. Well, you definitely won’t be FORGETTING this one! It definitely sounds like a tough read! 😕
    It’s good that you are strong and independent enough to tell a man to suck it if he touches you… But, it’s not always so easy. It’s not that the women are naive, it’s that these types of men build a baseline of dependancy and psychological torture before they really turn bad… It’s like a lobster in a pot of water… If you turn the heat on with the lobster already in it, they won’t even notice, if you try to put them in AFTER it boils… They’ll notice!… These women are eased into it slowly and don’t even realize that they’re in a bad place.

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    1. I understand Nicole… I never thought I would be in a relationship where I would even be threatened. But you are right, the men choose the women carefully. They are the prey… Still it just feels sad and a bit scary…

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  8. Ooh. This one sounds quite intriguing Shalini. Might add it to my TBR just to see what opinions I form from it. And I’m glad you didn’t hurl your kindle! x

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    1. Me too… About the kindle.. It has already fallen down when I was reading a book and I dozed off.. Hmmm yeah book was that slow… 😂😂😂😂📖📖😭😭😭😭📙📙😂😂😂😂

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  11. Wonderful, honest review Shalini. I will pass on this one due to the content. I do not like when there is such a strong topic in a book and the blurb does not mention that it is in the book, or as strong as it is. So glad there are reviewers that let us know.

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    1. Exactly my point Carla. The blurb did not tell me… The husband only hits… It got to be too much for me too. And I so wanted him to be hit… He does get his dues in the last chapter but too little and too late… No more such books

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