The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine

Introduction

I had never heard of this author before but when I saw that The Senator’s Wife audiobook was available to borrow on Libby, I decided to take a chance! Both the title and the cover of The Senator’s Wife intrigued me. I didn’t know what to expect but I love a good domestic thriller and thought this might be a fun one to check out. And boy, was I right!

About the Book

In this town, anyone is replaceable. . . .

After a tragic chain of events led to the deaths of their spouses two years ago, D.C. philanthropist Sloane Chase and Senator Whit Montgomery are finally starting to move on. The horrifying ordeal drew them together, and now they’re ready to settle down again—with each other.

As Sloane returns to the world of White House dinners and political small talk, this time with her new husband, she’s also preparing for an upcoming hip replacement—the latest reminder of the lupus she’s managed since her twenties. With their hectic schedules, they decide that hiring a home health aide will give Sloane the support and independence she needs postsurgery. And they find the perfect fit in Athena Karras.

Seemingly a godsend, Athena tends to Sloane and even helps her run her charitable foundation. But Sloane slowly begins to deteriorate—a complication, Athena explains, of Sloane’s lupus. As weeks go by, Sloane becomes sicker, and her uncertainty quickly turns to paranoia as she begins to suspect the worst. Why is Athena asking her so many probing questions about her foundation—as well as about her past? And could Sloane be imagining the sultry looks between Athena and her new husband?

Riveting, fast-paced, and full of unbelievable twists, The Senator’s Wife is a psychological thriller that upends the private lives of those who walk the halls of power. Because when you have it all, you have everything to lose. (from Amazon.com)

My Thoughts

Well friends… I promised I would always be honest with you on this blog, and I plan on keeping that promise.

I found The Senator’s Wife hard to get into. In the beginning, we’re introduced to seemingly perfectly happy couple, Sloane and Whit. They each lost their spouse in a tragic accident only two years ago and have since moved on to find happiness in each other.

But things aren’t perfect for them. Sloane is dealing with chronic health issues and Whit is juggling his busy work load as well as taking care of his wife. They decide to hire a home health aide to help Sloan with multiple tasks while she’s recovering from hip surgery.

But right off the bat, there’s something odd about Athena. She’s a little too interested in Sloane’s work. The other help around Sloane and Whit’s home doesn’t seem to trust her. But she’s wonderful… right? She takes care of everything Sloane needs and is on top of all things

I Liked…

• I listened to the audiobook, and I really enjoyed the narrator. She was very pleasant to listen to.
• I liked the pacing of the story. Once I got sucked in I wasn’t even keeping track of the days. They mentioned that Sloane had been out of surgery for a few weeks and I was like huh? Time really flies!
• It was really well written. As Sloane’s illness grows worse and she starts developing more symptoms, I could really feel how scared she was. There’s this heartbreaking scene where she just really wants to talk to her daughter on the phone but she can’t figure out where her phone is and it was really scary. I could feel how terrified she truly was.

What I Didn’t Like

• Whit. Ugh. What an annoying character. Haha.
• Athena’s intentions felt bad from the beginning and I didn’t like it. Obviously that was the point the author was trying to convey but I wish they had been a bit more subtle. Let the reader come to their own conclusions.
• Gaslighting! One of my least favorite situations in domestic thrillers.

Absolutely Loved

• This book was not what I expected at all. It was very different from what I imagined after reading the description. And after reading the first couple of chapters, I still had no idea what was going on. I thought I had this story all figured out but that was not the case.

I think you’ll enjoy this book if like domestic thrillers, secrets, and politics. The main plot is what’s going on with Sloane but there’s also a lot of political drama going on with Whit and his colleagues. I’ve only seen a few episodes of House of Cards but it kind of reminded me of that.

Is it weird that I kept imagining Claire Underwood as Sloane? Haha. Perhaps. Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this book and if you visualized any of the characters.

xo Marian

Do you like thrillers? You can read more of my thriller book reviews here.