Reviews

Nobody's Wife by Laura Pearson

always_need_more_books's review against another edition

5.0

Nobody's Wife starts on Emily's wedding day to Michael - the day is perfect and Emily and Michael move into her childhood home to start their lives together. Emily's only real family is her sister Josephine - their mum has moved to Australia to be live with her boyfriend. The sisters have always been close, were flatmates and are best friends.
Just before the wedding, Josephine meets a new man, Jack who works in a book shop. When Emily and Michael return from their honeymoon, she introduces them to Jack and the couples start to spend time together. Jack is immediately attracted to Emily and before long it is obvious she feels the same way.
Oh my goodness - this is my first book by Laura Pearson and it was exquisite. It is a simple story, told from the viewpoints of all 4 characters and I read it with my heart in my mouth! It is a quick read but not an easy one. As the reader, I was shouting (in my head) at the characters to make different choices. There is a real skill here in writing about something quite ordinary and doing it so well. She captures all the characters beautifully, and I was able to find sympathy with them all.
At it's heart the novel is a study of betrayal. I really think the plot and the characters will stay with me for some time - a beautifully written, yet heart wrenching book.

noveldeelights's review against another edition

4.0

I absolutely loved Laura Pearson’s debut Missing Pieces, even though it left me in bits. So I was quite eager to read Nobody’s Wife, wondering if I would once again be reaching for the tissues.

Sisters Emily and Josephine have always been close but their bond has only become stronger since their mother moved to the other side of the world. Now Emily is getting married and Josephine may have found “the one” as well. Naturally, changes are afoot as they both embark on a new adventure in their lives. But neither one is prepared for what happens next.

From the very beginning, Laura Pearson managed to draw me in with realistic and believable characters in relatable situations. While Emma has doubts and suffers from nerves on her wedding day, Josephine tries to figure out the sometimes complicated beginnings of a new relationship. But everything soon starts to fall apart.

It’s obvious from the prologue that something has happened that affects these characters’ lives and the what, how, why, who is slowly revealed throughout the storyline. Laura Pearson’s writing is extremely beautiful and the characters evoked quite a few emotions from me. I felt angry and frustrated at some of their decisions, saddened as well and I became completely caught up in their lives, feeling for everyone involved and having this sense of impending doom.

Nobody’s Wife is an emotional story of love, obsession and betrayal that has devastating consequences. Life often does not come wrapped up in a tiny little bow. In case you wondered, no, no tissues required this time around but I did have problems swallowing past the lump in my throat. Because no matter how I felt about these characters and their actions, or lack thereof, at times it seemed as if I was right there next to them, feeling their pain.

There seems to be something almost effortless about the way Laura Pearson writes. Everything flows quite naturally and it’s always touching and moving, without the distraction of bells and whistles, reaching down into your very core, leaving you wanting to hug those closest to you really tight and never let them go. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

jhscolloquium's review against another edition

4.0

Laura Pearson's second novel, Nobody's Wife, focuses on two sisters, Emily and Josephine, who have always shared everything. They're not just sisters. They're also roommates and best friends. It's always been the two of them against the world.

But change is inevitable. As the story opens, Emily has a perfect wedding to Michael. He's older than Emily, but adores and is committed to her. He's solid and safe, if not exciting. His first novel was a success, but he's been struggling to complete his second book, writing travel articles and book reviews in the interim.

Josephine finds the perfect man. Jack works in the local bookstore and writes short stories, He lives in a shabby apartment. His feelings for Josephine are genuine, but not as strong as her feelings for him.

Emily and Josephine are utterly unprepared for what happens after Josephine brings Jack to dinner at Emily and Michael's home. Jack realizes that Michael is the writer whose work he admires, and the two men strike up a friendship. Michael agrees to read Jack's work.

But something else happens on that fateful night. Something is set in motion that will change all of their lives over the course of the coming year.

Laura Pearson elevates what could have been a melodramatic, tawdry tale about infidelity, betrayal, and obsession into a complex, spellbinding examination of the relationship between the sisters and the far-reaching consequences that can result from acting upon attraction and passion.

Nobody's Wife is a character study crafted with precision, believability, and emotional authenticity. Although her characters make ill-advised decisions there are no villains in this story. Rather, Pearson examines their motivations, desires, and actions with sensitivity. As a result, the characters are empathetic -- even relatable -- and Pearson challenges her readers to contemplate what they would do if they found themselves in the same unenviable situation.

One unforgivable betrayal compels the story forward and forces each character to evaluate what matters mot to him/her -- family, loyalty, and doing the right thing vs. fulfillment of desires, surrender to romantic feelings, and respite from feeling unfulfilled.

The prologue reveals that by the end of the book only three of the four will remain and there will be "no going backwards from there." Through Pearson's restrained writing style, she takes readers on her characters' journey to that tragic point sans judgment. Rather, events transpire in a logical manner as the consequences of their choices are revealed.

The result is a compelling drama at the core of which is the complex, multi-layered relationship of Emily and Josephine, and the question of whether they can ever reach a point of forgiveness and resolution.

Nobody's Wife a worthy successor to Pearson's stunning debut work, Missing Pieces.

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.

shelleyann01's review against another edition

3.0

I liked Missing Pieces by Laura Pearson. She has a good, flowing writing style. This book kept my attention, but unfortunately the story does get a bit boring and Josephine and Michael were such a doormats, for the majority of the book, I wanted to kick them. Why was Josephine so wishy-washy, even when she realized that her sister was not really her friend? I think I had higher exceptions for this book and it kind of felt like a letdown to me, especially the ending. There really wasn't a lot of fury or intensity to the novel. It was definitely focused more on being a domestic drama.

And while this book can boast a few surprises, it is mostly predictable. The behavior of the characters is not convincing...no one could be that gullible. So why did I give this novel three stars? First of all, the story was interesting enough. I kept on reading even though I was disgusted with two of the characters. Second, I wanted to see how everything would come together. While the ending was a disappointment and I felt it was hurried and contrived. All in all not a terrible book but definitely lacking in depth, so I decided three stars was fair.

Thank you NetGalley, Agora Books and Laura Pearson for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#NobodysWife #NetGalley

All my reviews can be found on my blog: https://shelleyann01.blogspot.com/

chryssie's review against another edition

3.0

This book was okay, and an easy read. But I found the character building a little lacking so it was hard to connect with the characters. The story was good, involving new marriage, betrayal, rivalry and the ending quite sad, but the book was a little slow moving and I did feel that more could have happened throughout the story to make it more interesting? To me, the ending was a little underwhelming as well, but overall it kept me reading and I did get through it in one sitting so it was intriguing enough :-)

toofondofbooks's review against another edition

4.0

This is another novel that I got utterly emotionally invested in very quickly. Initially the opening chapter made me think this was going to have thriller elements but it hasn’t really, it’s much more an exploration of the relationship between two sisters and their relationships with their respective partners. The characters in this book aren’t particularly likeable but they are all so real, and I could see bits of me and bits of people I’ve known in them. It’s easy to judge matters of the heart when they don’t affect you but this novel by showing the perspectives of all four characters really does show that nothing is black and white and it’d be so easy for us all to make a decision that has consequences we never could have foreseen. I only read this fairly recently but it’s really lodged itself in my heart, I keep thinking of the characters and wondering what’s happening in their lives since the final page. I definitely recommend this one!

This review was originally posted on my blog https://rathertoofondofbooks.com

canary20's review against another edition

2.0

Very blah and not catchy for me. Very sad, a lot of secrets, a lot of hurt, an affair, and a death. I expected way more about the death but that really was only about the last 10 pages and you just wanted to crawl into the book and shake the other characters as they are what lead to it. I didn't connect with any of the characters, they were very flat and one dimensional. Received this book as an ARC and I am freely giving my review.

meggyroussel's review against another edition

4.0

Thank you Agora Books for inviting me to be part of this fabulous blog tour!

Laura Pearson ripped my heart out, threw it on the pavement, stomped on it, and then handed me gloves and Scotch tape to try and mend it.

I had been tremendously impressed by Missing Pieces, therefore my expectations were high when I opened Nobody’s Wife. There’s something grey, gloomy, and terribly sad in this title, and this mix makes it so appealing. I couldn’t resist. I did not want to resist.

Enter Emily, Josephine, Michael, and Jack. Four people, four hearts, four lives. What happens when the ones closest to you cross an invisible line?

I am an only child. I immediately envied Emily and Josephine’s relationship. Their bond felt unbreakable and their love powerful, enabling them to overcome any hardship coming their way. They were a real ‘us against the world’ item, even with the addition of Michael and his marriage to Emily. He somehow fitted into the picture, understanding the women’s indelible link. But the balance is thrown when Jack appears. At least, this is what you’re supposed to think.

Laura Pearson knows how complex people are and she plays with our flaws, our dreams, and the emotions that make us who we are. Emily’s wedding looked perfect. Only a bird’s eye could have caught the first clues… I adored how hints were subtly scattered, offering Nobody’s Wife a familiar authenticity. It went on throughout the entire novel. No black, no white. Just a long and intense line of grey on which the characters must walk to find their way. But to be a tightrope-walker and stay up there, choices must be made.

When life changes and Michael and Emily move into the girls’ family home, leaving Josephine on her own for the first time, the latter doesn’t know how to react. But soon, she finds herself swept away by the handsome Jack, and it looks like her own life could take on a nice turn.

Do we believe life is as simple as this? Of course not!

Under Laura Pearson’s quill, this small world starts dancing, orbiting around the sisters, tracing beautiful and painful circles that will change their lives. We think we are in command of our days, of our feelings, but we are just lying to ourselves. The author takes on the role of the angel and the devil, exposing the darkest of thoughts, the urges that we can’t control, and the aftermath of our mistakes. I truly appreciated that Nobody’s Wife is not pointing fingers. The book only shows you the worst scenario that no one could have predicted. Conflicting emotions live between the pages, exploring the ‘what if’s and the risks of crushing a family in the name of love. I was overwhelmed by the raw and emotional journey.

Did I like all characters? No. But they all played their parts. I never warmed to Jack, finding him too secretive, a bit manipulative, and playing on both sides as if he couldn’t, or wouldn’t be left with a prize, even if it wasn’t the one he was hoping for. Despite her choices, I was able to understand Emily and I kept wondering about settling for second best, or chasing the wild, pure dream songs talk about.

With such a brilliant and heavily-emotional novel of love and betrayal, characterization must be perfect. Nobody’s Wife makes it happen. Laura Pearson offers a wonderfully addictive tale of family making us think about our lives, expectations, and what the future holds. Can we be happy without sacrificing others’ happiness?

bibliotreasures's review against another edition

4.0

A well written story that explores the bonds of sisterhood and how far we would go for love.

I enjoyed this book but I did find it difficult to read at times because I didn’t ever get on board with the love story at its heart. I found that instead of being carried along with the passion between the two who have an affair and understanding why they risk everything, I just felt angry with them and sad for the others involved. But I think the author meant it to be that way. She doesn’t try to circumvent the harsh, painful consequences of the characters’ decisions and I see this as more of a cautionary tale of the cost that comes from following our desires no matter the cost.

The relationship between the clandestine lovers was written with a fierce passion that borders on obsession. They just can’t help themselves and the undeniable magnetic force of the love between them was overwhelming. I understood how it started.The guilt that ate away radiated from the page but the actions they chose to continue taking made me angry. I couldn’t fathom how and why one of them in particular would be so selfish and heartless.

I really liked the relationship between the sisters at the start and thought the author did a fantastic job of portraying how it slowly breaks down amid a haze of confusion and heartbreak. Their relationship with each other is the most important one in their lives, even more so since they became estranged from their mother, and it was painful to watch that fall apart.

A heartbreaking story without any real winners, this was an emotional read. I would find myself angry one minute then feeling sick to my stomach the next. I loved how honest and raw this book was and am looking forward to reading more of her work.

obsessed_with_all_books3f8c8's review

emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

2.5