“I thought marrying Richard would erase my concerns. But my old anxieties simply yielded to new ones.”
What may initially seem like salvation could become your prison.
The Wife Between Us is seemingly told from the perspectives of two women involved with the same man. But the twists and turns in this book will keep you off balance and when you’re convinced you know what’s what, you’re thrown for another loop.
Vanessa is at the end of her relationship with Richard, the wealthy business man who gave her all the riches and then left her for a younger, shinier version of herself. Nellie is just embarking on her whirlwind romance with Richard who has promised her, too, a life of luxury away from her chaotic, barely making rent, yet very fun life in NYC.
The tension building behind how and when the women’s lives will collide makes the pages turn fast. Gripping, also, is the unmasking of Richard’s true self. Like many other books about abusive relationships, The Wife Between Us details how women become psychologically and physically trapped in abusive relationships and truly cannot leave. Relationships that, once the truth is unveiled, outsiders criticize the women for not walking away from sooner.
In the few days it took me to read this book, I came to realize that one-sided relationships with emotional “all take, no give” may be happening in people’s lives even if they aren’t as extreme as the ones in this story. I found myself evaluating my relationships to see if there were any that made me largely feel bad so I can let them go.
This book stands as yet another reminder for people who sometimes buy into the “money equals happiness” bit. While money does allow for choices, all the riches in the world will not make a troubled existence happy.
A roller coaster ride about an all too common topic, The Wife Between Us is a great summer read.
Published: 2018
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Elizabeth's rating: 4 stars