Reviews

Just Between Us by Adele Parks

careymcd1's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

3.0

emily_loves_2_read's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Two Dead Wives

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Adele Parks

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Harlequin and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Lost. Missing. Murdered? How do you find a woman who didn’t exist?

It's a case that has gripped a nation: A woman with a shocking secret is missing, presumed dead. And her two husbands are suspects in her murder.

DCI Clements knows the dark side of human nature and that love can make people do treacherous things. You can’t presume anything when it comes to crimes of the heart. Until a body is found, this scandalous and sad case remains wide open.

Stacie Jones lives a quiet life in a small village, nursed by her father as she recovers from illness, and shielded from any news of the outside world. But their reclusive life is about to be shattered.

How are these families linked, and can any of them ever rebuild their lives in the wake of tragedy?

My Thoughts: This was the second book in the DC Clements series. I have the first one on my TBR but did not read it and had no issues following along, so this can absolutely be read as a standalone. This psychological thriller was tense, captivating and explosive. It starts a bit confusing but as it goes along, you completely understand what is happening. It makes national news on a women’s disappearance with both husbands suspected of foul play. Then jump over to Stacie Jones who lives a quiet life with her father as she recovers from a serious illness. As their lives intersect, are they connected? Will they be able to rebuild a happy life with so much tragedy? 

The story has multiple narrators. This plot line was very attention grabbing, “a bigamist woman is missing,” and kept my interest peaked. Kylie had created two very separate and different lives, one with Daan, living a very high lifestyle with the wealthy, socializing with high powered VIPs and A-List celebrities. Then she has a life with Mark, more of the family life with two stepsons that she really adores. Neither husband was none the wiser until she went missing, then the dam broke. Kylie definitely made mistakes but the husbands were not necessarily the victim in this scenario, Daan was a cheater, never a one-woman man, while Mark essentially dumped the responsibility of the kids, who are not biologically hers, on her shoulders. The characters were well fleshed out, especially if you read the first book, they were mysterious, intriguing, and creatively. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, twisty, and captivating. 

This checks all of the boxes for a psychological thriller, it is twisty, devious, creepy, dark, and captivating. I would highly recommend picking up the book or audiobook. 

nahtagain's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I didn’t know it was a sequel but I don’t think it matters whether or not it was. Also, I don’t think it really needed to include the pandemic, but it was still good despite that. 

madae's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

me_alley's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

ndschmidt's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

nrskelley's review against another edition

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2.0

Well I just absolutely could not get into this book. The first half of the book drug on forever. I think it may have had to do with the way they waited to introduce Stacie into the mix after I thought I knew all the characters. Then my brain spent several chapters debating who Stacie was and why we even cared. By that point, I almost DNF’d this book but as I’m not a quitter I trudged on.
The last 1/3 of the book was good. Had I had any inkling of liking any of the characters I think I would have been drawn in at that point. Honestly though, I just was so over all of them at the point I wanted to be done.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

annieb85's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

thrivingduck's review against another edition

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4.0

This was really good, I was sucked in from the beginning and the twists and turns kept coming. Obviously like any thriller the entire plot requires some suspension of belief but it wasn’t too insane and a lot of the characters were quite likeable despite their flaws. 

Spoiled ending for my own reminder. Fiona the best friend kidnapped and then tried to kill Kylie. Stacie is dead and her father was keeping Kylie due to her amnesia after saving her from Fiona’s murder attempt. Daan was my favorite character somehow haha. He was relatable despite being a bit overbearing.

lesseraliterary's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

alright i didn’t know this was a sequel 😰 but i had so much fun reading this!! it was a ride the whole way through. the first like 70% had so many little reveals and twists that i couldn’t stop reading this. (and so i finished it at 2:30 am) i didn’t feel lost or like i was missing puzzle pieces bc i didn’t read the first book even though all the characters were apparently in the first one. i felt like the last twenty percent dragged on and it was broken down in the different povs in a way that felt like i was reading through molasses.