The English Wife: A Novel

Set during the late 19th century, alternating between London and New York, a mysterious double homicide has set tongues wagging in the elite society. When Bayard Van Duyvil’s body was found stabbed along the river and his beautiful wife’s body apparently presumed dead and lost in the river alongside their home it seems like a closed case of jealousy gone wrong. But Janie found this explanation too pat and convenient and definitely very unlikely behaviour for her brother and sister in law. So she sets of to finding out the truth no matter the cost. With the help of an investigative reporter, secrets are revealed and things do not appear as they seem. Can Janie really accept what her investigation reveals? The English Wife will definitely keep readers on their toes, trying to find out who really is telling the truth and with each page every supposition gets turned around until you won’t know what’s going on. I do love the way the plot is twisted and turned around and each character has depth which is slowly unveiled as the story progresses. A definite page turner!
*copy provided*

Unexpected is the best way that I can describe “The English Wife”. I was drawn into the story immediately; the depth of the characters and their connections kept me turning the pages. It was a page turner for sure!

The story begins at the end and then retraces what had occurred previously.

Bay Van Duyvil, the eligible, handsome, and wealthy New Yorker goes to London for work and when he sails home, his English wife accompanies him. His mother is aghast. She was shocked that her son brought home an English wife and an assertive one at that.

The most anticipated lavish and oh so decadent party is finally happening; all of the richest and most famous people in New York are attending. There has been so much speculation about Bay and his wife. Now everyone will get to see them together in person.

The evening is cut short when a heinous murder is discovered. It shakes up the entire city and everyone is gossiping and surmising what happened.

I enjoyed the mystery and the efforts of the two characters who were determined to find out the truth.

All opinions are my own. (less)

An intriguing mystery set in the last decade of the 19th Century...the Gilded Age. The story begins at a high society party, where the host is found dead and his wife is missing. His sister is convinced there's more to the story than the press would lead you to believe, so she decides to seek out the truth. The story alternates between the early 1890's when the couple originally met and the current time. As the story goes on, the two timelines move closer and closer together until the final moments where the truth is discovered. I found this to be a very engaging story...had to read it in one sitting. I enjoyed the characters and the writing...with plenty of satisfying twists. If you like a historical whodunit...with a mix of class, greed, and the trials of society at the turn of the 19th Century...then I would highly recommend this book. It drags a little in the middle but more than makes up for it in the end.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The English Wife is an historical fiction with mystery novel set in high society New York & London and opens with the murder of Bay Van Duyvil, son of wealthy New York family and the death or disappearance of his British wife Annabelle. From there the story splits into two parts: the tale of his sister Jane in the aftermath of the shocking murder and the story of Bay's trip to Europe, five years earlier.

This story captivated me from the shocking opening and kept me reading to find out what happened, through several twists and turns. The story is a sad one (opening with a murder), but also a bit hopeful at the same time. Lauren Willig does a good job of creating a world of opulence and restriction that these characters both inhabit and battle against. It was also interesting to see her portrayal of a 19th century court inquisition (I do love a good court case). This story had all the things I really like: a dual timeline, mystery, and a little romance.

I did get this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and my recommendation is to read it if you enjoy historical fiction and mysteries. In fact, I enjoyed this story so much, that I plan to go back and read an earlier book of Willig's that had gone on my DNF pile, The Other Daughter. I am looking forward to her next novel, for sure.

I'm ridiculously disappointed in myself for not discovering this author sooner. The story is a bit bittersweet (which is not really my usual speed) but the chemistry between the characters is so witty and fun to follow that I was hooked despite the fact that we already know from chapter one that Bay's life will be tragically cut short just 5 years after meeting his wife. There were fantastic plot twists that I did not come seeing but when re-reviewing the previous scenes made perfect sense. Utterly brilliant. I was a bit disappointed by the ending for a number of reasons but since I don't want to spoil it for the rest of you you'll just have to read and make your own determinations on if you like the ending or not. Overall a significantly above average read. I will definitely be purchasing other works by this author in the near future.

Told in a dual timeline format, this story alternates between Janie Van Duyvil and her quest to find out what really happened to her brother and his wife and the story of Bayard Van Duyvil and his English wife, Annabelle, leading up to Janie’s discovery of Bay’s body. Set in the Gilded Age, the story of Bay’s death and Annabelle’s disappearance makes for a scandalous story told in the newspapers with few real facts. Janie can’t reconcile the reported “facts” with what she witnessed in her brother’s marriage, and enlists a reporter to help her find the truth, no matter what it is.
I enjoyed the twists and turns the story took, as more and more secrets were revealed and the mystery came to its unexpected conclusion.
This was the first novel I have read by Lauren Willig and it won’t be the last.
**I received an Advanced Copy from the Publisher via NetGalley. My opinions are my own and freely given.

This novel is about appearances and lies and greed during the Gilded Age in New York. The story begins in the present; a Twelfth Night Ball held by Bay and Annabelle Van Duyvil in 1899 and reveals the stabbing death of one and the disappearance of the other. The narrative switches back and forth between the recent past and the meeting and courtship of Bay and Annabelle and the present day and the efforts by Janie Van Duyvil, Bay's sister, to reveal the truth behind the events. The author skillfully weaves the story between past and present and slowly reveals the motive behind the murder. Add in a blizzard of historical portions, a bitter society matron, and a young journalist determined to learn the truth, and you have a mystery that you can't put down!

Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC; all opinions are my own.

When a married couple (Bay and Annabelle) is murdered, their family discovers their secrets. Did Bay kill his wife for having an affair? Did Annabelle kill her husband for having an affair? Or, was it someone else altogether? What secrets were they keeping from their family, and why? And what about their poor young twins (Sebastian and Viola) left behind? Who will care for them?

Set in the late 1890s, this story begins with Bay and Annabelle falling in love in England, honeymooning in Paris, and moving back to Bay's childhood home in New York City. This was my first time reading anything by this author, and I enjoyed it. It was a lightly suspenseful story and kept me guessing until the end when the murderer was finally revealed.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The English Wife is one part historical fiction and one part mystery/thriller! If you are a Book of the Month Club member and you were smart enough to pick this one for December, good job! This one is full of twists you won't see coming.
There are several characters but the two main perspectives you get are Janie Van Duyvil and Annabelle's. You will quickly realize that you are not sure who you can trust or if you can trust any of these characters AT ALL!? There are good guys and bad guys and people you will just love to hate-a whole enjoyable cast of characters. I will say there were a few points where things dragged a bit and were quite bleak and dark but those moments quickly pass. Overall this is a great winter-y, chilling read!

Bayard Van Duyvil has the perfect life. The sole male heir of an old Knickerbocker family he has a beautiful English wife, for whom he's recreated her ancestral home on the banks of the Hudson, and two beautiful children, three-year-old fraternal twins Viola and Sebastian. But there are rumors that everything isn't as perfect as it seems. Why would Bayard and his wife Annabelle hide themselves away in Cold Springs? A beautiful house is no excuse to being a recluse when New York society thirsts for your lifeblood. Soon New York society will get exactly what it craves when during a lavish ball to celebrate Twelfth Night Bayard is found with a knife in his chest and the name Georgie on his lips while his wife has disappeared. Everyone believes that the rumors about Annabelle and the house's architect at true. She has murdered her husband and absconded with her lover! The only one who doesn't believe the salacious lies all the newspapers are printing is Bay's younger sister, Janie. She is expected to keep calm and wait for the scandal to die down. But it pains her to see Annabelle's name dragged through the mud, they didn't know her like she did. A chance encounter with a reporter from The News of the World, a Mr. Burke, leads Janie to form a tenuous alliance with a man who represents the scandal rags that are pulling her world apart. Before too long Janie realizes that perhaps she didn't know Annabelle or even Bay. But with the tenacious and increasingly devoted Mr. Burke helping her she will get to the bottom of her brother's death and perhaps solve the mysteries of his life.

Having first read Lauren back in 2007 a short time after her third Pink Carnation book, The Deception of the Emerald Ring, had hit bookshelves I don't want to claim I'm an expert on her writing, but I have been along for the ride for a decade now. She's even one of the reasons I decided to start my blog! While I have loved reading every single one of her books, finding characters to love and to hate, ones to root for and ones that I long to see fall flat on their faces, the greatest joy was seeing her mature as a writer. When she wrote her first standalone, The Ashford Affair, back in 2013 she tapped into something new. Her writing started to move beyond the dual timeline narrative where despite troubles everyone gets a happily ever after. While I am a fan of this wish fulfillment in writing sometimes I feel that it's unsatisfying. That it doesn't actually reflect the world around us. Sometimes I don't want everyone to get a happy ending. This was very much showcased with That Summer, Lauren's 2014 standalone which might just be my favorite book she's written. Here Lauren had matured to a point that she was willing to kill off characters that we, the readers, had very much fallen in love with. Thankfully after going a little darker Lauren didn't reign it in. She continued this exploration of the underbelly of humanity in The Other Daughter and now in The English Wife. Sometimes good intentions lead to death. Sometimes love can't conquer all. Sometimes there are secrets that will out no matter what. As for me, I loved every second of the seedier side, it's like Gossip Girl 1800s.

If there is one linking thread through Lauren's work it would be her love of Shakespeare. Of course, seeing as he helped forge the very language we all use he could be considered important to every book ever written, but with Lauren it's special. I dare you to count the number of times her characters have had their mouth's stopped with a kiss as Benedick does to Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing. Here though we've reached a whole new level wherein Shakespeare seems another character in the story. Annabelle and Bay meet in London where she is working on stage in a musical evisceration of Twelfth Night at the Ali Baba Theater. If the play's the thing, Twelfth Night is the thing in The English Wife. Bay meets his death on Twelfth Night, their palatial recreation of Lacey Hall is renamed Illyria, and Bay and Annabelle's children are named after the hero and heroine of the play. But the references aren't just about infusing The English Wife with a bit of Annabelle's homeland via Shakespeare. The play itself is filled with confusion, merriment, love, gender, orientation, romance, and thankfully not a random lion like in As You Like It. These are themes that are all seen in Annabelle and Bay's story. Lauren has mined Shakespeare to help not only create a mirror to her story but to show the universality of it. I could quote Shakespeare here, but instead I feel like quoting Battlestar Galactica, "All of this has happened before and will happen again." Humanity has a basic universality to it. The building blocks are all the same. Shakespeare knew this and so does Lauren. Sure, everything is a tale as old as time, but it's how you go about telling it that makes it unique.

While Shakespeare is classic, there's another author to whom this moniker belongs that The English Wife shares some DNA with and that's Daphne Du Maurier. I'm going to say this right out, there is no one like Daphne Du Maurier. Therefore when any book that is mildly Gothic and has a house starts throwing around comparisons to this unparalleled author I just want them to shut it. Because whatever they have written will be a disappointment because comparisons are nothing more than a marketing ploy. The book won't deliver and you'll spend all your time wondering why you're just not re-reading Rebecca. When I read The English Wife back in August there were obviously no reviews yet. No one proclaiming that The English Wife is in the least like Du Maurier. Nothing to taint or sully my initial impressions. Therefore I was wonderfully surprised that the denouement of the book set during the inquest and a subsequent blizzard trapping our cast of characters at Illyria felt like a modern interpretation of Du Maurier. I'm not sure if Lauren purposefully set out to do this, because most attempts fail in the execution, and yet, here she is, bucking the odds. What I think helped is that instead of going for the big similarities, she started small, with Giles Lacey, Annabelle's cousin from England, who happens to share a name with Maxim de Winter's brother-in-law. Though THIS Giles would be mortified that I called him small! Instead of reminding me of Rebecca's former in-law, he reminded me of Rebecca's cousin Jack Favell, and in particular George Sanders's portrayal of him in the Hitchcock film. From there it snowballed into other similarities to the book and Hitchcock's adaptation, but always still being Lauren's voice. How Lauren has mastered this, I do not know, but she gets a tip of my hat.

Yet that isn't the only doffing of my hat that I must do in reviewing The English Wife! Now this isn't a brag, or even a faux humble brag, the fact is I'm just really good at figuring out plot lines. Be it a procedural show or a whodunit, I will solve it so fast that you won't know what hit you. A recent example of my weird "gift" was when I was watching Big Little Lies. Now I hadn't read the book but in a seven episode miniseries I was able to put ALL the pieces together and proclaim them as fact before the end credits rolled on the first episode. Six more wasted hours later and I was proven right. Sometimes to try to make things harder on myself I'll tune into a show halfway through and see if I can figure out what's going on without any exposition. Ironically Elementary has proven to be the easiest to crack. Now I think you can see why I like character driven stories that are quirky. Humor goes a long way to fill plot holes. So why am I going on about this bizarre quirk of my analytical brain? Because when someone actually pulls one over on me I feel this need to give them a standing ovation. In The English Wife I was so involved in two of the reveals that it's like Lauren smacked me upside the head with the biggest one and I didn't see it coming. At all. Bravo Lauren! It's like there were these shining motes of dust alighting on Bay and his wife and their marital woes and I was linking a to b to c and going ah yes, I see how it is, and yet I didn't see! It was there, looming right around the corner, and it pounced and got me. If Lauren were a lion I would be a goner.

I got completely caught up in this beautifully written book. From the very first pages, filled with a murder and many questions, I was captivated and wanted nothing more than to sit by the fire and read.

I loved the beautiful descriptions of place and the very well written characters. I felt like I knew Bay and Annabelle, and Janie, my favorite. Even the secondary characters were well developed and I loved that.

The mystery was well written and kept me guessing until the very end. And oh what an ending it was.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, with well developed characters who you can’t help but love and a mystery that is delicious. I enjoyed this one very much.

Lauren Willig's latest novel, The English Wife, is an engrossing Victorian era murder mystery with plenty of intrigue and is a perfect companion for a weekend trip or quiet evening. Quickly paced and peppered with a couple of well placed red herrings - it's a good choice for those who enjoy the historical fiction genre with a little bit of romance and mystery.

The plot of the book focuses on a murder mystery - when Janie Van Duyvel's brother and his wife are found dead on the grounds of their freshly built home on the Hudson River. At first glance the scene appears to have been set up as a murder/suicide, but as Janie delves deeper into what she knows about her brother and his wife, she finds herself questioning what she doesn't know. Secretly, she begins searching for the truth about the events of the evening, teaming up with a newspaper man with questionable morals and pretty eyes.

Willig's employment of a dual narrative keeps things interesting. and I found this mechanism to be an effective way to bring the reader into the mystery solving piece of the story, but also allowed the reader to become familiar with the story of the ill-fated Van Duyvel couple. To be honest, I was much more invested in the doomed couple's story than Janie's - overall their chapters seemed to be more intriguing, their characters and story more fleshed out.

Points to Ms. Willig for knowing exactly where to throw the reader off the scent - a couple of perfectly timed red herrings deterred me from being sure of what happened - and I was surprised by the outcome! Definitely a fun read that I would recommend to fans who enjoy lighter historical fiction.

This is a review for the kindle version.

There was a lot to like about this book. I loved the premise, the setting, and the period details. I appreciated the use of Gothic elements, particularly the doppelgangers, and I didn't find the characters hard to keep straight, as others have mentioned. The Shakespeare references were fun. However, the second half of the book really fell flat for me.

*spoilers

The murderer was really obvious -- in fact, so obvious that I assumed it had to be a red herring. Mrs. Van Duyvil was not a believable character at all; more like one of Disney's wicked stepmothers. Some characters (Pruyn) disappeared altogether, and others (Giles) got a redemption arc that was unsettling. Annabelle continued to be missing throughout the book, which I suppose is a shameless attempt at setting up a sequel. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable, aside from Georgie, and her ending was really appalling. I guess this is supposed to be a tragedy, but her death felt meaningless to me. Janie didn't really bother me as a narrator, but nor was I very invested in her or her relationship with Burke, who was a sort of Byronic caricature.

Finally, the version I received (free via Netgalley in exchange for review) was riddled with grammatical and spelling errors, as well as at least one date at the beginning of the chapter that was incorrect to the storyline. I don't hold these against the book, since this was an advance copy and I assume/hope these were corrected.

Illegitimate children, wealthy British sons and cousins, snobby New Yorkers who consider the Vanderbilts the tainted nouveau riche, “The English Wife” has it all, including the growing friendship between a wealthy daughter and a poor journalist who has pulled himself up from a childhood on the streets. Slightly gothic, the novel unrolls fascinating plots within plots within plots, and it definitely does not allow any reader to walk away bored. I enjoyed this complicated book, and I want to know more about those characters left standing at the end. (I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

From the New York Times bestselling author, Lauren Willig brings the glitz, glamour, and scandal of the Gilded Age to life in her latest THE ENGLISH WIFE – Rich in history, a mix of a gothic murder mystery, and romantic suspense.

A portrayal of culture, class, and privilege at the turn of the twentieth century mingled with dark secrets and numerous twists and turns.

Headlines New York, 1899. "Knickerbocker murders wife and kills himself. Murder and suicide on the Hudson."

Janie Van Duyvil and brother Bayard, and cousin Anne were best friends. Bay takes a trip to London and comes home with a new wife, Annabelle. Annabelle and Bayard Van Duyvil live a charmed life in New York. The perfect couple.

Then Janie and Anne find Bay at the glamorous Twelfth Night dinner party with a knife stuck in his chest.

Annabelle, the wife, is nowhere to be found. A final dying word "George." Annabelle has gone missing. Could it be a stranger or someone else? What secrets were they hiding?

Janie (an outsider in this prominent family) becomes obsessed with finding the truth about her brother and the mysterious death. Who was this strange and mysterious woman? Was she an imposter? Her past. Who murdered her brother?

With the help of a reporter, Burke — Janie begins to investigate and dig for clues. However, not sure who she can trust. Is there something between them? What about the secrets of her own family?

From London to New York, with dual timelines and a multitude of characters, Willig creates a compelling, dark, scandalous and atmospheric tale of mystery and intrigue— with hidden secrets, keeping readers guessing to the end.

Multi-layered, compelling, and skillfully written, THE ENGLISH WIFE is highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, romantic suspense, and mystery with a Gothic twist.

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

JDCMustReadBooks

This English Wife opens with the Prologue in Cold Spring, 1899. There is a ball going on and bits and pieces of gossip are being bantered about. Janie is listening to a few of the stories, but she is mainly wondering where Bay and Annabelle are. it is their party, after all. When her cousin, Anne, comes to asking if she had seen them, they decide to go looking for them. They make their way out into the cold gardens. There they find Bay laying on the ground with a knife protruding from his chest. As Janie glances around, she sees a glimmer of long hair in the river below.

From there the novel seems to jump around between years. The next chapter is New York, 1899. Then a couple in London, 1894 and back to New York, 1899. I believe that is was somewhat alternating between setting up all the characters and storylines in the past and then returning to the current situation in 1899. I normally have no issues with this technique, but in this case it was confusing. I think part of it was the similarity between the set ups of the characters.

Janie and Bay (brother and sister) have a cousin, Anne living with them. Their mother, a bossy tyrant, hates Anne. Bay falls in love with Georgie, who goes by the name Annabelle from some cousin that she used to live with, but who disappeared. For the longest time, I had trouble keeping track of Anne and Annabelle.

I think the the idea for the plot was a good one and I enjoyed the setting. The characters were too all over the place and the back and forth storyline, just made it even more confusing to me.

I received an ARC of this book.

Janie Van Duyvil, age 26, is unmarried and beaten down by her mother. Janie’s cousin, Anne, lives with them but she isn’t intimidated by Mrs. Van Duyvil.

Janie’s brother, Bay, had been married to Annabelle, an English woman. In America where they lived in a fine home on the Hudson, Annabelle was thought to be arrogant. People loved to gossip about her. When Bay and Annabelle threw a lavish party, Bay was stabbed to death and it was thought that Annabelle drowned in the Hudson. However, her body was not recovered. The scandal that followed drew a lot of press. They left behind two boys who now live with Mrs. Van Duyvil.

Who was Annabelle? She was such a private person. Since her body was not found, it is not known if she is really dead or not.

This was such a difficult story to try to follow. It jumped all around from place to place and time to time with all kinds of characters thrown in. I became so confused and really don’t know what it was that I read. I realize the the author is very celebrated for her work, but for me, this book is a total disappointment.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

I loved this book. I would never have guessed that it would end the way it did. From the beginning until the end it held my attention making it hard to put down. It starts with Bay (who very well off) in England not sure what he's going to do with his life. He meets a girl (Georgie) who is nothing like anyone else he knows and they fall in love. He brings her back to the US. His mother isn't happy and so begins the tragic end.
**Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing book!**

The summary and promo for The English Wife interested me. The story itself did not. It is a novel occurring at different times, at two different places, with two interwoven stories. It is a murder mystery set from 1894 to 1899, during The Gilded Age. Like The Gilded Age, this book was shiny on the surface but rather lacking underneath. The story moved along at a leisurely pace. Each person was somehow not fully formed yet had an intricate background. The characters are very unlikable, barring a reporter named James Burke. The main character Janie was, we presume, intent on finding out who killed her brother. She simpered and quoted Shakespeare most of the time. Janie was easily and often offended by most actions from every character and was a wisp of a heroine. There were long chapters describing homes, art, plays, and what everyone was wearing. The anti-climactic ending was the most exciting moment of the book, but you have to work to get there. If you want to read about how important one’s reputation was during that era, it’s spot on. If you want to read a book about intrigue and a murder most foul, this is not the book for you.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The description of the book as a gothic murder mystery set in the Gilded Age piqued my interest. The first pages start off with a bang with a murder on the night of a grand ball. From there the story is told in a dual storyline, alternating between the recent past and the present as the murder victim’s sister, Janie, teams up with a reporter to discover what really happened to her brother Bay and his missing wife. There are plenty of family secrets and intrigue to uncover. The ending had a surprising twist, and it was satisfying to see one character in particular get her comeuppance, even if the method didn't quite work for me. Janie was my favorite character and I enjoyed seeing her gain confidence as the story progressed.

Unfortunately, after such a strong beginning, the pacing was off and I found the story slow and often confusing. I found myself skimming parts of it. This was my first book by this author and the writing style and the tone often read like a romance novel, which is a genre I dislike, so this is a case of it's me, not the book.

Recommended for fans of the author and those who like their mysteries melodramatic and slow burning, with a very large dose of romance.

*I received an e-galley of this book from Netgalley

This book, taking place mainly in New York, had me hooked from the beginning! Intricately woven plot centering around the murder of a husband and wife in the late 19th century kept me reading well past my usual bedtime. Hints were dropped along the way, but all was not revealed till the bitter end! Masterful! I was sorry to have it end, and I absolutely intend to read more of Lauren Willig's work!

Oh my, what a book. This started with a charming little love story, then changed, to a deep mystery with a fitting, though unexpected resolution. Truly interesting and thoughtful, but sad and touching, the story takes you through some difficult places. Very different from what I expected, a wonderful book. A truly memorable story that stays with you.

The English Wife is such an intriguing historical mystery, I found it hard to put down. Willig has won prizes for her romances, but this is so much more- a commentary on the Gilded Age and its prejudices, journalism, and the developing women's rights movement. The murder mystery overrides all, as so many suspects could not possibly be the killer. This is a real treat.

A late Victorian murder mystery with overtones of Agatha Christie that engages from start to finish. Jumps right in to a blossoming scandal with a fancy ball, a soon-to-be dead body and a missing wife, Scintillating! Very disciplined pacing built suspense until about two thirds in I confess to skimming a bit to know what happened next! Enough red herrings to keep you guessing until family secrets are revealed leading to a satisfying conclusion. Would love to see a Masterpiece Theater adaptation of this one!

With 'The English Wife', Lauren Willig does a superb job of capturing the era and setting. The characters' plights and their interactions feel real. I especially loved the dialogue, which I could almost hear being spoken.

So, yes, there are some great things about this book, but I didn't love it. I'll explain:

The story is told in alternating timelines, giving us distinctly different side-by-side stories rather than one as a whole. We have the "present" timeline, taking place in 1899, with Janie as the standout main character. In the second timeline, we go back to 1894, with Bay and Georgie as the main characters. Within these two separate stories, we have several subplots and a lot of characters moving in and out. All the activity and shifting timelines takes away from the main focus of the story. To me, it all felt scattered.

While there are a lot of separate issues taking place, the pace is actually quite slow. The two stories converge about 3/4 of the way through the book, and this is when the pace picks up. I found the last quarter of the book much more enjoyable, as the focus narrowed and we stayed within the present timeline.

If you're looking for a historical family drama, and you don't mind alternating timelines, then give this one a try. My complaints are specific to me, and it truly is well written.

*I received an advance ebook copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*

This was a rather tedious read. The story is interesting enough but there were so many details of the period (and I know for some people that would be their favorite part) that it took a long time getting to the actual story. I have a friend who loves period books, though, so I would definitely recommend it to her.

Honestly, there just was not much to enjoy in this book. The writing is choppy. By about one-fourth of the way through you can figure out where the plot is going . . . honestly, I didn't sink into the story and care about the characters. I wouldn't recommend it to others.

I found the story very intriguing BUT the writing did not ... flow. I really had to push myself to keep reading because the storyline itself was interesting. The characters were, too. But, again, for some reason that I cannot quite explain, it was hard to turn those pages. I was glad I did because I did want to learn the answers to the mysteries presented.

Had a hard time getting through the first few chapters. Some of the writing was very good, other parts boring. It did get progressively better for me at the end. I was very close in guessing who did it. It was one of the two characters I had guessed. The ending was not particularly great. I imagined the real Anabella coming back or Georgie being found alive. I guess there is room for a second book.

The English Wife is such an intriguing historical mystery, I found it hard to put down. Willig has won prizes for her romances, but this is so much more- a commentary on the Gilded Age and its prejudices, journalism, and the developing women's rights movement. The murder mystery overrides all, as so many suspects could not possibly be the killer. This is a real treat.

This wonderful book started out with a murder/suicide and went full throttle from there! I loved all the twists and turns throughout the book and the characters were great! Janie was my favorite and she found out how strong she was as the book went on. I received an advanced review copy of this book from The Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

It kept going back and forth between Georgia and Bay story to the present, but I could never had guess who the killer was. It kept me in suspense trying to figure it out until the confession of the killer. Also in the midst of all the mystery a love story was taking place.

A late Victorian murder mystery with overtones of Agatha Christie that engages from start to finish. Jumps right in to a blossoming scandal with a fancy ball, a soon-to-be dead body and a missing wife, Scintillating! Very disciplined pacing built suspense until about two thirds in I confess to skimming a bit to know what happened next! Enough red herrings to keep you guessing until family secrets are revealed leading to a satisfying conclusion. Would love to see a Masterpiece Theater adaptation of this one!

With 'The English Wife', Lauren Willig does a superb job of capturing the era and setting. The characters' plights and their interactions feel real. I especially loved the dialogue, which I could almost hear being spoken.

So, yes, there are some great things about this book, but I didn't love it. I'll explain:

The story is told in alternating timelines, giving us distinctly different side-by-side stories rather than one as a whole. We have the "present" timeline, taking place in 1899, with Janie as the standout main character. In the second timeline, we go back to 1894, with Bay and Georgie as the main characters. Within these two separate stories, we have several subplots and a lot of characters moving in and out. All the activity and shifting timelines takes away from the main focus of the story. To me, it all felt scattered.

While there are a lot of separate issues taking place, the pace is actually quite slow. The two stories converge about 3/4 of the way through the book, and this is when the pace picks up. I found the last quarter of the book much more enjoyable, as the focus narrowed and we stayed within the present timeline.

If you're looking for a historical family drama, and you don't mind alternating timelines, then give this one a try. My complaints are specific to me, and it truly is well written.

*I received an advance ebook copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*

This was a rather tedious read. The story is interesting enough but there were so many details of the period (and I know for some people that would be their favorite part) that it took a long time getting to the actual story. I have a friend who loves period books, though, so I would definitely recommend it to her.

Honestly, there just was not much to enjoy in this book. The writing is choppy. By about one-fourth of the way through you can figure out where the plot is going . . . honestly, I didn't sink into the story and care about the characters. I wouldn't recommend it to others.

Pretty good book. Full of intrigue and a little suspense. Some parts were a bit dull but I trudged through those and it got better. Can't say I couldn't put it down but all in all it was a good read and a good way to pass the time. This is certainly worth a reread.

With pitch perfect period language, devilishly clever plotting and a twist-in-the-tail reveal, this is already one of my favorite historical mysteries of the year. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend The English Wife to my friends.

*ARC via netgalley*

A story full of romance, love, and murder! A fantastic blend of mystery and suspense that the twist was totally surprising and the ending, not at all what I wanted but it was perfect! I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The typeset for this hardcover book is so small that I cannot read it comfortably. There was no mention of this in the description and I am a BOTM club member so I am just letting people know here that have problems reading very fine print ... NOT to purchase this in hard cover.

This was a spectacular book! The characters and character development were awesome. The plot was smooth and suspenseful. I couldn't put it down! I love the mix of history, mystery, and 'old money'! It makes this a must read book across several genres!

Willig is one of my favorite authors, and she does not disappoint with this book. Expect her usual excellent characterizations and plot twists; she keeps you guessing until the end. Well done, as usual.

As a self-proclaimed uber-fan of The Pink Carnation Series, I feel The English Wife hits all the right notes. I wouldn't use the term "guilty pleasure", but after an over abundance of news, self-help books, and important "must-reads", it felt refreshing to dive deep into the Gilded Age with Ms. Willig's smart dialogue and multifaceted characters. Followers of Beatriz Williams and Karen White will enjoy and appreciate this novel.

I read this book prior to its release through Book of the Month. The writing, and the prose itself are SO beautiful, I can't wait to read something else by this author. The character development was thorough and the plot twist at the end was surprising, but understandable once you thought about how the characters had been developed.

I have enjoyed Lauren Willig's previous books and those books and their pace was what I expected. Honestly, I came away disappointed with The English Wife. It took me a long time to even start to engage with both the characters and the two level story line. I admit, the jumping between years/alternate chapters is not something that I like as a reader but it was Lauren Willig and we had "history" so I tried. She had done time jumps before that worked. What I came away with was a sense that a less complicated, straightforward story would have worked better. My conclusion: an interesting story with a less than stellar execution.

The English Wife kept me guessing from the very beginning, and I was totally unprepared for the ending. As always, for me, Lauren Willig beats it out of the park. It was refreshing to have a story from the other side of the pond, and the Gilded Age is one of my favorite eras. I couldn’t put it down, and I will definitely reread it.