PINTEREST
BLOGLOVIN
GOODREADS
Published by Orion
Available in ebook, paperback and audio book (4 October 2018)
368 pages
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
| About the Book |
Annie is the dream wife.
Mother to two-year-old Johnny and wife to David, she is everything her husband expects her to be – supportive, respectful and mild – but what he expects isn’t who she truly is.Annie is a prisoner in her home.
Her finances, her routine, her social life are all controlled by him. It’s the love for her boy that she lives for, and at night she dreams of a world where she is free.But Annie is going to fight back.
And you won’t believe how she is going to do it . . .
Perfect for fans of Cara Hunter, Laura Marshall, Elle Croft, BA Paris, JP Delaney Teresa Driscoll and Claire Allan.
| My thoughts |
Just imagine if two well known books by B A Paris and Sarah Pinborough had a love child. That child would be The Dream Wife!
When I first started reading this I thought it would be a straightforward story of an unhappy marriage and a controlling partner. Well, what did I know! My feelings whilst reading ranged from disbelief to anger and then to a WTF just happened there moment.
David, together with his indulgent mother Maggie were truly loathsome characters – she really was the mother-in-law from hell and I feel so sorry for anyone who has a Maggie in their family. When Annie first met David he was a handsome, extremely confident man who took charge of everything; he was certainly used to getting his own way – part of the attraction to someone like Annie who hadn’t had a particularly happy upbringing. He also appeared to be loving. Hmm.
Reading Annie’s backstory with David I felt that the signs were there all the time as to his real nature. I felt so sorry for Annie – trapped in a loveless marriage and I was willing her to find a way to break free. I felt her despair and her love for her two year old son, Johnny, came over clearly.
The characters were superbly drawn; their different personalities really drew me in – being able to empathise or feel something for a character, even hate or dislike, can make all the difference between my enjoying a book or abandoning it, however in this respect the author did a brilliant job.
The only escape Annie has from her monotonous days is at night when her dreams take her to a different life. My apologies that this review is so vague, but it’s one of those books that is very easy to spoil by saying too much. The less you know the better.
If your liking is for thrillers that have a different slant and cross over genres then this book will appeal to you.
I do like a psychological thriller that is something a bit different from the norm and this debut from Louisa de Lange certainly fits that bill. When I came to the end my immediate thought what on earth have I just read but as a suspenseful and addictive read I really enjoyed it and its one that I would recommend. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.
My thanks to Alainna of Orion and Tracy Fenton for the review copy and blog tour invitation.
| About the Author |
I started out studying Psychology at the University of Southampton, before spending many years working in HR. But I had always wanted to be a writer, and now work as a copywriter, proof reader and editor.
I am delighted to have the lovely Ed Wilson at Johnson & Alcock as my agent. My debut novel, THE DREAM WIFE, is published by Orion, and out now in eBook and paperback on 4th October 2018. It will be followed by DOUBLE TAKE in autumn 2019.
I live in Hampshire with my son and husband. When I’m not writing I can be found pounding the streets in running shoes, or hiding behind a camera lens. I have too many book cases, too many books I haven’t read, and too much of an addiction to American tv.
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