Book Review – The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

The Wives: A Novel
You know when you read a book that has you so enthralled that when the sh*t hits the fan, you go into full-on panic mode. When the main character’s thoughts become panicked and erratic, YOU feel it, and feel like you’re losing it too? You know that feeling?

<— THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I. Lost it. I don’t know how she was able to write this without losing it, too?

Maryse: Okay so… I’m reading a review copy of Tarryn Fisher’s upcoming release “The Wives” (MARITAL STRIFE ALERT!! She’s married to the love of her life BUT he has TWO other wives) and I swear, the writing is SO good, the flow is PERFECT and I AM FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW!! 😬

I’ve fully immersed myself into the heroine’s world and thoughts, it has managed to weave itself into ever fiber of my being and everything is going CRAZY right now, and I have NO clue what’s happening and I can’t stop rambling and I’m breathing all funny. 😟 And I feel like I’m losing my mind… and I’m about to create a commotion!!! Oh no.. wait. That’s her. Not me. Right. Right. I have to remember that.

Yep. THAT IS HOW GOOD THIS BOOK IS.

I had to put the book down, and do “real-life” things because I’m… SO lost right now. I’m in a story fog, and I’m almost done and I have NO clue how this is going to end. BRING IT ON!!! 😀!!!!

Sarah: I was able to get an ARC for this too and I loved your thoughts while reading it. They’re very spot on to what I was thinking reading it.

Jovana: It’s SO SO SO good! Beyond good. One of my favorite reads of the year.

Amy: I read this one. No comment! 🤐 😀

Maryse: GASP!!!! I’M FREAKING OUT!!!!

Sarah: I finished it while on vacation this past weekend and….well…. 😶😱😲💜

Sandy: Maryse I stayed up til 3 am! It was a freaking head trip!

Robyn: The best kind of book!

Cindy: I’m all excited thinking it’s being released this week….NOPE! December 😭

Tanya: So this sounds so good! So long to wait 😩

Michele: I am counting the seconds!!!!! I can’t wait!!!!! 💕

Amy: I kinda hate hearing about upcoming books with release dates 6 or more months out.. I hate waiting. I want something good to read NOW … lol…

Maryse: I know it. I couldn’t help myself. I LOVE this author so I had to jump in…

OMG you guys… I am SO sorry to be doing this right now. Tempting you so hard with one of the most mind-f*ck psych-thrillers I’ve read, getting you totally in the mood for another one of Tarryn Fisher’s raw, and totally relatable (and totally unpredictable) heroines and love stories, but she did it again. One of her VERY best EVER.

And I know it… you know that other Tarryn Fisher book cover? The one with the finger? Yeah. I know. You’re giving it to me right now, aren’t you? I know Ela is. In fact, she BIT my finger while showing me hers. That was fun. 😕 I mean, not literally bit me, but had I been in front of her for real? She would have drew blood. Just sayin’ 😉

Ela: MARYSE! YOU ARE SO MEAN! AFTER ALL WE HAVE BEEN TROUGH AND I TOLD YOU HOW BAD I WANTED THAT ARC THAT NETGALLEY IS HOLDING HOSTAGE, AND HERE YOU GO PARADING TF’S BOOK! AND YES WE ALL KNOW IT DOESN’T COME OUT UNTIL DECEMBER, HENCE WHY YOU ARE MEAN!

Jean: Lol Ela!! Love you!

Ela: I’m just pointing out the obvious!

Maryse: *snuggles Ela* OUCH!! *rubs bitten finger*

Ela: …*bites your other index finger hopefully this will make it harder to flip pages…

Jean: You guys are hysterical!

Linda: Yes what Ela said!! I saw this and was all set to 1 click and BAM not here until END of Dec. So so cruel. Just dangling the treasure in front of us like a dog with a bone. Very nervy of you Maryse.

Maryse: I wanted to give you a jolt of excitement!!! Guys!! 😯 Come on pleeeeeeeeease be my friend again?!!! Awww jammit. 😕 *group hug*??? 😀

Michele G: You know we still love you, Maryse. We may just be a tiny bit bitter …;-)

Ela: Nope, I’M A LOT OF BIT BITTER!

*sigh* But you guuuuyyyyyyyysss!!! I couldn’t help myself!!! Tarryn Fisher is my ultimate favorite of all my favorites. There’s nothing more real (as uncomfortable as it can get, at times) than her gritty love stories (notice I DO NOT call them romance stories).

I mean… her VOICE!!! It’s MY voice. It’s when I second guess myself. It’s all of my insecurities combined with all of my poise, combined with all of my doubts, combined with all of my fearlessness. My surety and my shame. All at the same time. Up and down. ALWAYS.

Her heroines are me at my best. And me at my worst. I’d say, she has the most unique, raw, gritty, personal and rare yet TOTALLY realistic and relatable, powerful, yet utterly vulnerable heroines I’ve ever read. I believe every single one of them. In their successes and their failures. In their self-confidence, and their own self-disgust.

My existence is exhausting, all of the games I play. This is a woman’s curse.

So how, pray tell, can I resist her latest releases when I have a brand spanking shiny, gritty, cutting new one like this? HOW??

I can’t.

And so I ask your forgiveness as I tell you that I’m sorry the book is only releases in December, because OMG THIS BOOK WILL KEEP YOU UP ALL NIGHT!!!

So what’s it about?

Our heroine is madly in love with a man devoted to her… and two other women. They’ve accepted this arrangement while not actually knowing each other (each one is referred to per “their day” with him), and we’re living this arrangement strictly through “Thursdays” eyes.

Sometimes I wonder about the other days and if they wonder about me. That’s how women are, right? Always wondering about each other-curiosity and spite curdling together in little emotional puddles. Little good that does; if you wonder too hard, you’ll get everything wrong.

And what eyes they are.

Why do I always have to think of them? The key to making this work is not thinking of them.

Because… come on. As “accepted” as this arrangement is, you know certain sh*t ain’t gonna fly forever. 😉

…we don’t do regular dates very often at the risk of being seen. Imagine that… not wanting to be seen with your husband. Or your husband not wanting to be seen with you.

Twist… you ask?

Come on. It’s Tarryn Fisher. 😉 You know you’re gonna be guessing all sorts of things and then your jaw is gonna drop. And that’s as much as I’m going to say about that.

You like painful and all-consuming love stories, and self realizations and psych-thrillers that will have you doubting every single character and doubting even yourself? THIS!!!

In my youth, I considered love a burden. How could you get anything done when you had to consider someone else every second of the day? When I met Seth, that all went out the window. I became my moth: doting, yielding, spread-eagle emotionally and sexually. It both thrilled and revolted me.

4.5 STARS!!! <— I loved it from start to finish. Hooked me from the very first paragraph, and fed me the whole way through. I sucked it down, hungry for more, and it gave and it gave.

Now… a quick note about why I’m only giving this 5-star book… 4.5 stars.

Skip this next part if you want to go in completely blind with no preconceived ideas… I don’t spoil anything but I’m analyzing how I “experienced” the ending…

As much as I LOVED the ending (more so now that I’ve had some time away and can see how fitting it is), I was hoping for something a little more… gasp-worthy shocking.

Wait wait wait!!! No no no!!! Don’t get me wrong. It’s shocking, trust me (time and time again – and right to the very end). 😉 But I was hoping for that extra clever *oooomph NO. FREAKING. WAY. GASPPPP!!* You know when you just had a realization that the obvious answer (the very clear reveal) just became a possibly different one? The kind that would have me wondering what would happen had this story had a part 2? You know what I mean? You will.

No worries. Either way. THIS IS A MUST READ!!!

Nahhh… never mind that 4.5 stars.

5 STARS!!!!!!!!!!! Going over all of my highlights (and OMG I highlighted SO MUCH), there is no way this is anything less, for me.

P.S. Thank you to the publisher for sending me this review copy. This is right up my dark love alley!!!!