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The Wife Stalker

Review

The Wife Stalker

Piper Reynard relocated from the West Coast to a seaside community in Connecticut, hoping to put her past behind her. She even changed her name in an effort to prevent anyone from finding her. She has her reasons to keep what happened a secret.

Determined to put down new roots, Piper buys a rehab center, joins a yacht club and settles into a comfortable routine. Before long, successful local attorney Leo Drakos captures her eye, and she sets her sights on winning him over. But to achieve her goals, she must overcome some tough obstacles. For one, there’s Joanna, and then the two children, Stelli and Evie. Joanna has supported Leo through his bout with depression, always there waiting at the end of the day with loving open arms. She has fawned over and nurtured the children. No way will she give Leo up easily.

"You may read this entire book thinking you know what’s going on. At least 99 percent won’t get it right."

But as Leo emerges from the darkness of these rough months, his greatest happiness is found with Piper. Joanna can’t believe he’d walk away after all she’s done for him. She’s determined to get him back. Her therapist advises caution, though. After all, she doesn’t want to risk losing the children, too.
 
However, there’s something about Piper that isn’t right; Joanna can feel it. When she goes online to do some research, Google proves her suspicions. Even the children seem to sense that something is wrong. Stelli especially wants nothing to do with her. But Piper has turned Leo against Joanna, so getting a warning to him has become almost impossible. Why won’t he listen? It’s a matter of safety. Men can be so frustrating when blinded by love. Joanna must make him see the truth about Piper. The woman is dangerous. Joanna knows; her past proves it. In fact, she worries that Piper’s past may be about to repeat itself. She must save the people she cares about the most.
 
As Leo tries to help Stelli and Evie grasp that Piper is part of their family now, he encounters resistance at nearly every turn. Stelli stubbornly wants only his mother, not Piper. He’s a six-year-old boy who refuses to accept that his mom can’t be with them. Evie, several years older, understands the situation far better, whether she likes it or not. Piper never had children, though, so some of her parenting skills come off as awkward, to put it kindly. Their lives would be so much easier if it were just her and Leo. Piper has had this problem before. Children can make life difficult. If only she could make them disappear. Maybe she can. And maybe that’s what Joanna is afraid of.
 
By their very nature, thrillers and novels of suspense typically have any number of twists. However, THE WIFE STALKER is teeming with them, and a big one that will leave you totally reeling. You may read this entire book thinking you know what’s going on. At least 99 percent won’t get it right. Once you’ve reached the aha moment, you’ll want to go back to the beginning to see the perspective in a whole new light. Liv Constantine really is that clever with this plot.

Reviewed by Kate Ayers on May 20, 2020

The Wife Stalker
by Liv Constantine