The Next Wife, Liz Lawler (Review by Sara D’Onofrio)

I was immediately intrigued after reading the synopsis for The Next Wife. Even though I haven’t personally experienced domestic violence, I’m always drawn to stories where women fight their way out of dangerous situations and reclaim their power. I love seeing a heroine outsmart the man who tries to break her. This book certainly had many moments of tension and anxiety. That said, I struggled with how quickly the main character accepted her husband’s sudden shift in behavior. She’s introduced as strong, fun, and independent — yet the very first time he verbally abuses her, she instantly internalizes it as her fault. I fully understand that DV can escalate exactly this way, like a switch flipping, but I still wished the narrative allowed her even a moment of questioning before she collapsed into self-blame. It made her arc feel less grounded. I was also anticipating a big, cathartic moment at the end where she finally takes her power back. Instead, the climax felt muddled. Did she actually act? Did she imagine it? Is she unraveling? Questioning her own sanity robbed her of the agency the story had been building toward. She didn’t even get to reclaim control in her own narrative. As for Daniel — do I feel bad for him in the end? Absolutely not. Whatever happened in his past doesn’t excuse the cruelty he inflicted. He’s portrayed as a deeply twisted individual, and I had zero sympathy for him. There were moments of genuine tension and shock that kept me turning the pages, but overall, the story did not have the triumphant emotional payoff I was hoping for.