Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle

☆☆☆☆☆
ebook, 384 pages
Published June 25th 2019 by HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing and Park Row
About the Book:
Beth Murphy is on the run. For nearly a year, Beth has been planning for this day. A day some people might call any other Wednesday, but Beth prefers to see it as her new beginning--one with a new look, new name and new city. Beth has given her plan significant thought, because one small slip and her violent husband will find her. Sabine Hardison is missing. A couple hundred miles away, Jeffrey returns home from a work trip to find his wife, Sabine, is missing. Wherever she is, she's taken almost nothing with her. Her abandoned car is the only evidence the police have, and all signs point to foul play. As the police search for leads, the case becomes more and more convoluted. Sabine's carefully laid plans for her future indicate trouble at home, and a husband who would be better off with her gone. The detective on the case will stop at nothing to find out what happened and bring this missing woman home. Where is Sabine? And who is Beth? The only thing that's certain is that someone is lying and the truth won't stay buried for long.

ALL. THE. STARS.
This book was a super fast, easy and page gripping book. Writing at it's best, it kept me turning those pages and devouring every word. What an imagination this author has been blessed with. There are more twists and turns, down the rabbit hole moments than I could grasp at times, such sadness, terror and hurt. This book has it all, but it is also very realistic because this could very easily happen to someone we know, maybe not to the extent that was portrayed in this story but none the less it's a scary thought. I loved the different character perspectives throughout the chapters too.

Dear Wife is an emotionally-charged read featuring damaged characters and a story that is chilling. While it’s touted as a psychological thriller, I found it to be more of a dissection of dysfunctional families set around the story of a woman on the run. The story is told by three different characters and the switching back and forth was done fluidly with the various points of view adding to the characters' depth. The characters were a diverse bunch – they’re complicated, a few were unlikable and some even sinister. But Ms. Belle shows readers where their damage stems from and while I still wasn't endeared to a few, I appreciated getting a glimpse into why they became that way.

Within the story, the author handles some big issues: mental illness, healing, family dysfunction and the struggle to persevere after great suffering. The characters are so well developed. Many books like this, you can predict what's going to happen long before it happens, but this book is truly unique and keeps you guessing right to the end. It gave me the chills in spots. It really tugs on the heartstrings as well. All in all a slick thriller that kept me glued to the pages. I will definitely be reading more from Kimberly Belle!

Thank you NetGalley, Kimberly Belle, HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing and Park Row for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#DearWife #NetGalley