Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“His first love. Her dangerous obsession.”

Yes, yes and YES. This is a book of the year contender, without a doubt! I’ve absolutely flown through this after being stuck in a bit of slow reading slump, but First Wife’s Shadow has got me out of whatever rut I was in and it’s honestly left me buzzing. I want to shout about this book to anyone who will listen! Such a twisty, completely gripping read that will keep you up at night. I’m SO happy and feel so incredibly lucky to be sharing my review ahead of publication next week!

About the book

When Emma meets Matthew, a kind, handsome widower, he seems to be just what she needs.

Yet as their relationship moves fast, Emma’s friends worry Emma might be exploited. She’s a rich woman after all.

Emma doesn’t care Matthew has no money. But as the memory of his perfect first wife hangs over them, Emma does have one tiny doubt.

If Matthew’s wife hadn’t died, he wouldn’t be with her. And Emma wonders if she’s second best. Can she ever fill the dead woman’s shoes?

As jealousy and suspicion blossom between Emma and Matthew, events take a darker, dangerous turn.

Suddenly Emma doesn’t know who she can trust. Her friends? Her husband? Or even herself…?

The beginning

It felt SO good to pick up another Adele Parks book and I settled in with such ease. Adele’s characters fill you with intrigue from the very first moments you meet them, and by a chapter or two in, it felt like I’d known them a lifetime. Enter Emma – a CEO, a woman who absolutely owns her life. She’s successful, she’s self-disciplined. Eats well, looks after her body. Knows what she wants in life. Has great, trustworthy friends. And, very recently, she’s met someone she adores. Matthew is kind, flattering and downright lovely. He lost his wife ten months ago, and letting Emma in was a huge and welcome step. It seemed as though Emma had everything she needed and so did Matthew. What on earth could go wrong? Emma’s character, her lifestyle, her personality, was so thoroughly explored. It’s clear the author has every intention of telling you everything about her life. To make you feel so close to her. And it bloody well worked.

“I could happily dance alone. Think alone. Achieve alone. Live alone. Grow old alone. But then he came along, and you know what? It is better. Just that. My life is better with him in it. End of.”

As Emma’s perfect relationship with Matthew progresses, she finds herself more and more fixated on his late wife, Becky, who died in a tragic accident. Just how did she compare to this woman? What did she look like? Did Emma have some similar features or qualities? The more she thinks, the worse it gets. I found myself sharing this fascination with Becky, and in turn, Matthew. I wondered if he really was too good to be true. I loved Emma’s friends, Heidi and Gina, and at times I shared Heidi’s suspicion. Does Emma really know all there is to know about him? Strange things start to happen, with some of these incidents happening not long after the pair had some mild form of misunderstanding or when Emma questions him about his dead wife. Just when I craved it, we get some of Adele’s signature suspense and the thrill of it was as captivating as ever. An unexplained break in. A vandalised home. Matthew seemed like a good culprit, but was it much deeper than that?

The middle

Things move fast. Very fast. From Matthew moving in, to getting engaged, to scouting out wedding venues and planning their day, it should be an exciting time for Emma and Matthew, even if it’s only been a few months. But targeted attacks are instilling fear and worry in Emma, with Heidi and Gina convinced these attacked have something to do with Matthew, even if he’s not the one responsible. I loved the feeling of not knowing who to trust. I really wanted to trust Matthew, but at times I felt as though he wasn’t being entirely truthful, or that he was keeping certain things from his new wife. At the same time, I sensed Emma was beginning to lose her confidence; so much was beginning to unnerve her. Did she even feel safe in her own home anymore? All these characters were so perfectly written, and in a way, I sided with all of them, but also suspected all of them. So many theories buzzed around in my mind – I love it when a book has this effect on me! So, so addictive.

“It feels like we are floating in a bubble. A private, delicate, iridescent bubble.

Of course, all bubbles pop.”

There is a brilliant twist here, one I guessed, but one that still packed one hell of a punch. It was such a pivotal point in the plot and changed everything. It was written so incredibly well, but let’s be honest – Adele Parks wrote it, so there really is no surprise there! The perspective shifts and we follow the story from a different angle, even backtracking bit to make sense of a few things. Every single second of it was truly glorious; twists within twists within twists. If it was even possible, I was gripped even more here than I was in the first half of the book. It’s so difficult to not say anything that could potentially be a spoiler, but I was definitely changing my views on certain characters! The attention to detail was completely astounding. Nothing was out of place, nothing was left uncovered. And the whole experience was satisfying as heck. As things get more complex, more intricate, it only impressed me more. Adele can do no wrong!

The end

Things become even more confusing for Emma. Her friends don’t believe what she tells them and even Matthew isn’t convinced. She feels trapped. Let down. Alone. Out of sorts. Like she has no one in her corner. And it all becomes too much. Adele’s pulse-quickening descriptions and unexpected plot directions took my breath away and had me hanging onto every word. The reveals and twist in events were absolute perfection, each as shocking and as jaw-dropping as the last. I also began to feel sympathy for characters who really didn’t deserve it when you look at the bigger picture. Adele’s writing is so incredibly powerful. Everything would change now. It was messed up. Full on. And I adored every single word. I needed to know where these characters ended up. I needed to know whether characters would be scarred for life after what they’d endured. I needed to know whether everything would work out or if things would never be the same.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?”

Even after I thought the main story had concluded we go beyond it, months, years into the future. I loved it and felt it was definitely needed to do the story justice. We hear from all the main characters, find out exactly where they’ve ended up, what they have to endure now, what they get to enjoy (or not). It was all tied together with a neat little bow. It was so detailed and left me wanting it to continue forever. Such solid characters take some letting go of! But even more details come to light, things that make you think about the entire story in a whole new way. New thoughts, new feelings. It was such a stunningly written finale, one that won’t leave my mind any time soon. Probably one of the most unexpected turn of events I’ve ever read, but it was also strangely satisfying! IYKYK. A huge recommendation from me, especially if you love psychological thrillers as much as I do!

Overall thoughts

First Wife’s Shadow is one of the most addictive thrillers you’ll read this year! Not only that, but it’s so flawlessly written, so engrossing and will have you wanting to instantly reread. Adele’s characters are quickly brought to life with such contrasting personalities and quirks, with each of their roles so important in the bigger picture. There is so much to take in, so much to consider, so much to work out, and Emma’s life quickly became the only thing occupying my mind. This book will honestly consume you and have you theorising in every waking moment! Such an intense and compelling read about love, jealousy and obsession, with an unexpected but hugely satisfying ending. You really don’t want to sleep on this one!

HUGE thanks to Adele Parks and the team at HQ for my proof copy of First Wife’s Shadow! You can pre-order it right now ahead of its release on 4th July from Amazon or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following the author on Instagram and Twitter/X for more updates!

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