THE SENATOR'S WIFE by Liv Constantine

 

My thoughts

Another wonderful and thrilling novel by Liv Constantine. 

This book starts out with a bang. A literal bang too. Two couples, Sloane and Robert Chase, Peg and Whit Montgomery, are friends. The two men are Senators. Robert has helped Whit in many ways to future his career. Sloane and Robert have been married many years and are still deeply in love. Peg and Whit are constantly fighting. 

While the two couples are vacationing at the Chase's vacation property they can't help but hear Peg screaming at her husband Whit. She says he's having an affair and of course he denies it. Peg has become irrational and started drinking fairly early in the day. Whit says that has become a habit and that she is the one having the affair or better yet affairs.

As these couples try to navigate life a terrible thing happens. Peg shoots Robert then turns the gun on herself. Her shooting Robert who is her cousin is an accident. One she just can't live with. Of course Sloane is devastated. 

Two years later you find that Sloane and Whit are married. They came together in grief and decided to have a life together much to the dismay of Sloane's mother in law. Rosemary was Robert's mother and she does not trust Whit. Now that could be because of her losing her son in such a tragic way. Or it could be with good reason. 

Sloane suffers from Lupus and has to have a hip replacement. They decide to hire a healthcare woman to help her during her recovery. Sloane has a business that her and Robert started where they helped people who were abused and needed a place to stay. Sloane is totally dedicated to this organization and has worked very hard to get it where it's at. She needs help to get there and do her job and in her everyday life. In comes Athena. 

Athena it appears is up to something. She's learned everything she can about Sloane and her business. Also about Whit and his senatorial seat. She is a bit shifty and Sloane quickly starts to distrust her. Whit on the other hand thinks she is wonderful. Pleasant on the eyes also. Yes Whit likes the ladies.

You'll get to know Sloane, Whit, Rosemary and Athena very well. This book is told through each of their eyes. The good. The bad. The horrible. Some have big secrets that will be revealed. For the most part I liked most of the characters. A few made me cringe but without them you'd have no story.

I've read and enjoyed many of these author's books. Together they always weave a tale that captivates the mind, heart and thoughts. You'll believe one thing only to find out it's something different. Something way more sinister. Sometimes things are just not as they appear.

 

Thank you #NetGalley, #LivConstantine, and #Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars and if you like thrillers you need to grab this one. It's so good.

Synopsis

A D.C. philanthropist suspects that her seemingly perfect employee is secretly plotting to steal her husband, her reputation—even her life—in this seductive novel of psychological suspense from the internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish.

In this town, anyone is replaceable. . . .

After a tragic chain of events led to the deaths of their spouses two years ago, D.C. philanthropist Sloane Chase and Senator Whit Montgomery are finally starting to move on. The horrifying ordeal drew them together, and now they're ready to settle down again—with each other.

As Sloane returns to the world of White House dinners and political small talk, this time with her new husband, she's also preparing for an upcoming hip replacement—the latest reminder of the lupus diagnosis she's managed since her twenties. With both of their hectic schedules, they decide that hiring a home health aide will give Sloane the support and independence she needs post-surgery. And they find the perfect fit in Athena Karras.

Seemingly a godsend, Athena tends to Sloane, and even helps her run her charitable foundation. But Sloane slowly begins to deteriorate—a complication, Athena explains, of Sloane's lupus. As weeks go by, Sloane becomes sicker, and her uncertainty quickly turns to paranoia as she begins to suspect the worst. Why is Athena asking her so many probing questions about her foundation—about her past? And could Sloane be imagining the sultry looks between Athena and her new husband?

Riveting, fast-paced, and full of unbelievable twists, The Senator's Wife is a psychological thriller that upends the private homes of those who walk the halls of power. Because when you have it all, you have everything to lose.