The Third Wife: A psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Family Upstairs

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I absolutely adore Lisa Jewell books and have read them all. I especially loved Ralph's Party, Dream Street and The House We Grew Up In. I was overjoyed to see this had been released and couldn't wait to start it. Adrian Wolfe is married to Maya, his third wife. He's got two ex-wifes and five children that carry on with him. Suddenly, Maya dies and Adrian is left to figure out what happened and what is important in his life. These characters wove into my heart- especially the younger ones. They crave their dad's attention, as we slowly realize what happened to Maya. This one was a little more realistic to believe, but made for a less satisfying read. (Why is that?) I never know what to expect from Lisa Jewell. The only thing I can be 100% sure on is that she delivers a good awesome read, this one was without exception. We meet Jane... (The mysterious woman), who answers Adrian's add. She comes to see the BILLIE -the CAT, a couple of times. She even considers dating that cat to decide whether or not to take him. We know something is odd about this woman immediately, but we don't know what. She leaves her phone behind...(with no phone numbers on it except Adrian's) This was the first book I have read by Lisa Jewell, so I wasn't at all sure of what to expect. I really enjoyed it. I found it to be very interesting from the start, and I liked getting to know the characters. Some of them were very flawed, yet still sympathetic and likable. There were parts of the the book that made me smile, and parts that brought tears to my eyes. I'll definitely be reading more by Jewell.

Here's where the book got complex for me, Adrian has two previous wives and children to both of those wives, all of them, both ex-wives plus Maya, plus all the kids do things together, they holiday together, they spend time with each other, Adrian keeps his ties pretty tight to the past, Maya is not only the third wife, but she's the third wife that can't escape the previous two. The stories of Lydia, Dean, and Robyn are each engrossing on their own; combined with the over-arching storyline of their father, they make for an irresistible read. Anyone who has ever pondered the nature of family or imagined finding a long-lost sibling will be captivated by The Making of Us. Shelf Awareness.comWe never got the perspective of Caroline or Susie either! They remain barely sketched and don’t exist away from Adrian. I wanted to know how they really felt about the dual family situation.

This one is another family drama rather than a crime based mystery. Like the The House We Grew Up In the focus is on one family and the damage that one parent has wrought on everyone around them. In this case the husband Adrian has left two previous wives, and children, and is now on his third wife who has just suddenly died in mysterious circumstances. Was Maya's death a terrible accident or was it a suicide? The circumstances of that night, didn't really fit with the person everyone knew. Or thought they knew. Something of a moral fable about modern relationships, this is a smart and enjoyable story Sunday Mirror The Third Wife is a summer gem. The story is complex...the many characters well drawn... Readers of Donna Tartt and Tana French will recognize Jewell’s pacing for what it is: essential.”— New York Journal of BooksAs Adrian continues to explore what happened, his family's real feelings and in essence Adrian's feelings and his all powerful need to have a woman in his life are held up to the light. Adrian learns many things about himself as well as learning that his family has suffered. Just as Adrian has broken marriages he also has broken children. What do you think were some of Adrian’s greatest fears? How did they play out in each of his marriages? She closed her eyes, gripped the lamppost tighter as she felt her balance slip away from her. She smiled to herself. This was nice. This was nice. All this color and darkness and noise and all these fascinating people. She should do this more often, she really should. Get out of it. Live a little. Go a bit nuts. A group of women were walking towards her. She stared at them greedily. She could see each woman in triplicate. They were all so young, so pretty. She closed her eyes again as they passed by, her senses unable to contain their images any longer. Once they’d passed she opened her eyes. The Third Wife is a summer gem. The story is complex… the many characters well drawn.... Readers of Donna Tartt and Tana French will recognize Jewell’s pacing for what it is: essential.”

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.However, I was bitterly disappointed. I could just not get into this at all, I found the storyline boring and only continued with the book to see if it did improve, but sadly no it didn't. I feel bad giving a negative review as like I've said I did enjoy another of her books but this just didn't ring true. My husband has an ex wife and kids and we have kids and there certainly isn't the camaraderie and friendship that this book depicts between all 3 wives and children. I know some estranged families can get on but I do believe they are few and far between and most are antagonistic. Even the 12 year old boy Otis has such a grown up head on him concerning feelings etc that just doesn't seem real - my 12 year old boy wouldn't know where to begin to express the feelings and emotions Otis did. In the early hours of a summer morning, a young woman steps into the path of an oncoming bus. A tragic accident? Or suicide? But one tragic accident smashes your perfect life to pieces. Because everyone has secrets, and secrets have consequences. Adrian is a serial husband. There has always been somewhere for him to go. The next woman. The next house. The next family. First of all, I'd like to thank Random House UK, Cornerstone for allowing me to read and review this book via Net Galley. I love this author.

Lisa Jewell presents us with yet another emotionally intelligent, brilliantly plotted and beautifully written examination of a very modern family that will keep you gripped to the end.... Take this to the beach, or indeed anywhere — I promise you won’t regret it.”His first two wives, the children, and Adrian get along famously. They all seem to be one big happy family. His children seem to be resilient and coping with their lives and all seems to be moving along wonderfully, However, as in most things dealing with perceptions and real life, things ar Yet... After Maya dies...(tragic accident, or suicide?), from stumbling in front of an oncoming bus, Adrian - at first feels more alone than any other time in his life. He is left with Maya's cat, Billie. Since he has not ever really liked cats... he puts a sign up ...looking for a home to give it away Clever, intelligent, and believable on a subject few of us really understand. Lorrie is one of the most vivid—and complex—characters I've read in years. Wonderful.” She saw a bus bearing down, bouncy and keen. She squinted into the white light on the front, looking for a number. It slowed as it neared her and she turned and saw that there was a bus stop to her left, with people standing at it.