The New Wife

 

The New Wife by Gemma Rogers
8/14/26; 280 pages
Boldwood Books 

The New Wife by Gemma Rogers is a highly recommended soapy domestic psychological thriller for the right reader. This one throws everything, including the soapy kitchen sink, into the opera. 

Lucy Davenport, 24, is a baker at “Crumbs Bakery" when she strikes up a relationship with a new customer named David Brightman, an orthodontist who is two decades older than her. What began as a friendly companionship soon grew into love and the two got married on a trip to the Maldives. After the marriage, David quickly turned into a controlling, abusive husband. Lucy feels stuck in the marriage, however, because her mother has stage-four Parkinson’s and requires full-time care. David is paying for her mother's stay at an excellent care home, Wyntham Manor.

When David doesn't come home for dinner, after giving her explicit instructions about the meal for the guests he is bringing, business partner Torsten and his wife Erika who are from Germany, she is unable to contact him. When she contacts his work place she learns that David was married before, told no one there about her, and that he died the day before from anaphylactic shock. No one contacted her because they didn't know about her. Now Lucy needs to collect the papers to prove they are married so she can handle the details. She in for a shock, however, as new details, secrets, people, opportunists, threats, and dangers emerge all seemingly targeting her.

This is a short, fast paced domestic psychological thriller with major soap opera sensibilities. Almost every plot point and twist you could think of happens to Lucy. I would list them but that would ruin the fun. Many of them felt familiar but they are used here to create the suspense, tension, and diversion this novel needed after a bit of a overly familiar opening.

Although several twists are predictable, I am glad I pushed on, kept reading, and did not set it aside. I almost went this direction when it was seemingly another woman in a bad marriage situation, especially when, very early in the plot, this was combined with Lucy unable to find her marriage certificate and she has no idea where it might be located. (She may be young, but, come on, she should have not only known where it was but I'm assuming in the UK she would have had to sign for a marriage license, file paperwork, and use it for updates to other personal information.) Thank goodness the narrative does get better and moves beyond this. 3.5 rounded up when needed.

Lucy can be an exasperating character, but she is tenacious as she attempts to uncover secrets and protect her mother. She has to endure numerous aggressive, manipulating, and potentially lethal actions against her.  The situation David's death puts her in is stressful, especially because his money pays for the excellent care her mother is receiving. 

The New Wife is a good choice for those who enjoy fast-paced domestic psychological thrillers with soap opera vibes. Thanks to Boldwood Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.