The Widow
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- Create Date：2022-11-02 21:21:44
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kaira Rouda
- ISBN：B09MVQFKDN
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Summary
A husband with secrets。 A wife with no limits。 A riveting novel of marriage， privilege， and lies by Kaira Rouda， the USA Today bestselling author of The Next Wife。
Jody Asher had a plan。 Her charismatic husband， Martin， would be a political icon。 She， the charming wife， would fuel his success。 For fifteen congressional terms， they were the golden couple on the Hill。 Life was good。 Until he wasn’t。
Martin’s secret affair with a young staffer doesn’t bother Jody personally。 But professionally？ It’s a legacy killer。 Soon a reporter gets word of this scandal in the making， and Martin’s indiscretions threaten to ruin everything Jody has accomplished。
When Martin suddenly dies， it’s a chance to change the narrative—but the reporter won’t let go of his lead。 As the balance of power shifts in the Asher house and on the Hill， it’s time for Jody to take control。 And there’s nothing the ruthless widow won’t do to secure the future she’s entitled to。 Even if she has a secret of her own。
Jody Asher had a plan。 Her charismatic husband， Martin， would be a political icon。 She， the charming wife， would fuel his success。 For fifteen congressional terms， they were the golden couple on the Hill。 Life was good。 Until he wasn’t。
Martin’s secret affair with a young staffer doesn’t bother Jody personally。 But professionally？ It’s a legacy killer。 Soon a reporter gets word of this scandal in the making， and Martin’s indiscretions threaten to ruin everything Jody has accomplished。
When Martin suddenly dies， it’s a chance to change the narrative—but the reporter won’t let go of his lead。 As the balance of power shifts in the Asher house and on the Hill， it’s time for Jody to take control。 And there’s nothing the ruthless widow won’t do to secure the future she’s entitled to。 Even if she has a secret of her own。
Reviews
Kim
，
This is a fun， fast paced， page turner filled with secrets and lies and all the drama of politics！ I have loved all of Kaira Rouda’s books and this one was no exception。 Loved the political story set in DC and all the unlivable characters。 This was an addictive story to read， hard to put down！ Thank you NetGalley， Thomas and Mercer and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review。 This book is available for purchase on December 1， 2022。
Abby Guiver
，
Loved "The Widow"！ Discovering a new author is always a treat。 A Washington insider tale with great characters and lots of twists and turns。 Loved "The Widow"！ Discovering a new author is always a treat。 A Washington insider tale with great characters and lots of twists and turns。 。。。more
Jamie Rosenblit
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Political intrigue and rich people behaving badly？ What's not to love？ Unfortunately， while the premise was promising for The Widow， the plot ultimately became convoluted and lost me。 This is an amazon first read choice for November， so you have an opportunity to read it for free if you are a prime member and can make your own decision！Thank you to Amazon for an advanced copy。 All opinions are my own。 Political intrigue and rich people behaving badly？ What's not to love？ Unfortunately， while the premise was promising for The Widow， the plot ultimately became convoluted and lost me。 This is an amazon first read choice for November， so you have an opportunity to read it for free if you are a prime member and can make your own decision！Thank you to Amazon for an advanced copy。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
This was a psychological thriller centered around DC politics - the power， the prestige， and of course， the deception。 I enjoyed the author's previous books and went in not knowing the premise of this one and was disappointed since I'm not a fan of politics （it's all just a bunch of lies IMO）。 The main character， Jody， has been the wife of a congressman for over 30 years。 She loves being a part of the political life。 Jody was a horrible character， as was her husband， Martin。 There was a lot of p This was a psychological thriller centered around DC politics - the power， the prestige， and of course， the deception。 I enjoyed the author's previous books and went in not knowing the premise of this one and was disappointed since I'm not a fan of politics （it's all just a bunch of lies IMO）。 The main character， Jody， has been the wife of a congressman for over 30 years。 She loves being a part of the political life。 Jody was a horrible character， as was her husband， Martin。 There was a lot of political drama in this book， and I kept waiting for something big to happen。。。 nothing did that was too surprising。 Overall， I like the author's writing style and her storytelling ability， but I just didn't connect with the plot or characters much in this one。*Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review* 。。。more
Mandy White （mandylovestoread）
，
I have long been a fan of Kaira Rouda thrillers， always fun and addictive to read。 The Widow was a different read from her， as it was set in the world of politics in DC。 Now， everything I know about US politics comes from watching The West Wing and House of Cards。 So， it did take a little while to get into this story with so much political jargon。 It was still and enjoyable read， with some very unlikeable characters （as you would expect in a political book！）Jody and Martin Asher are part of the I have long been a fan of Kaira Rouda thrillers， always fun and addictive to read。 The Widow was a different read from her， as it was set in the world of politics in DC。 Now， everything I know about US politics comes from watching The West Wing and House of Cards。 So， it did take a little while to get into this story with so much political jargon。 It was still and enjoyable read， with some very unlikeable characters （as you would expect in a political book！）Jody and Martin Asher are part of the furniture in DC。 Martin is a well-liked and successful congressman， and his wife Jody has been there every step of the way。 But now it appears that Martin has been a naughty boy and the press have got wind of the story。 He is about to be exposed - and then he dies suddenly。 Jody can't imagine life anywhere else， so she has to make a decision about her future and will stop at nothing to get what she wants。Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read。 Publishes December 1st 。。。more
Trishita Das
，
First of all， thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an arc of the book。 This book will be released on 1st December 2022。Planned by Jody Asher。 Martin， her affable spouse， would become a political legend。 The attractive wife would contribute to his achievement。 They served fifteen terms in Congress and were regarded as the Hill’s ideal pair。 Life was good。 before ceasing to be。 Jody isn’t directly bothered by Martin’s covert liaison with a young member of the staff。 profession First of all， thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an arc of the book。 This book will be released on 1st December 2022。Planned by Jody Asher。 Martin， her affable spouse， would become a political legend。 The attractive wife would contribute to his achievement。 They served fifteen terms in Congress and were regarded as the Hill’s ideal pair。 Life was good。 before ceasing to be。 Jody isn’t directly bothered by Martin’s covert liaison with a young member of the staff。 professional， though？ It destroys heritage。 Soon， word of this developing scandal reaches a reporter， and Martin’s transgressions pose a threat to everything Jody has worked so hard to achieve。 When Martin passes away unexpectedly， there is an opportunity to rewrite the story， but the reporter won’t give up on his lead。 It’s time for Jody to assume leadership as the balance of power in the Asher household and on the Hill shifts。 And the vicious widow will do whatever to ensure the future to which she is legally entitled。 even if she has a secret。With its advice on decorum for Congressional wives， this book struck me as being surprisingly retro as soon as I started reading it。 But I soon understood that our narrator， not the author， was responsible for this dinosaur mentality and that it was purposeful。 However， it sadly resulted in a character I found annoying right away。 But afterward， I found myself sucked into the plot’s excitement and drama。 Then I would get annoyed by some sort of trite political subplot。 I would then resume enjoying my writing after that。 The universe of the main character then irritates me once more。 It was brilliantly done， but it dragged on for me because I didn’t care for any of the characters。The book’s ending contains a few shocks， but not enough to win me over。 I understood that this was a political topic， but the amount of politics in it was just too much for me。 I found the drama to be overly complicated and unnecessarily confusing， and I found it difficult to fully understand many of the character’s actions and behaviors。 The conclusion was far too drawn out， and I didn’t enjoy it。 There were a few surprises， but I honestly simply wanted the book to stop when I read them。 Simply put， I thought it veered off course midway through。 This book will appeal to readers who like political intrigue， unrest， secrets， watching characters battle to solve problems， strong female characters， unrest， and turbulence。 。。。more
Judy Odom
，
The Widow is a compelling read that has you turning the pages to see who will fall from grace next。Jody is the widow of Martin Asher and a longtime Congressman held in high regard 。 When he dies suddenly Jody must protect herself at all costs and ensure her feature no matter who she walks over。Jody is not the nicest of people， some would say she has no empathy or feelings for anyone including her daughter 。 She does however know how to the play game。 Jody is up against some people that are as na The Widow is a compelling read that has you turning the pages to see who will fall from grace next。Jody is the widow of Martin Asher and a longtime Congressman held in high regard 。 When he dies suddenly Jody must protect herself at all costs and ensure her feature no matter who she walks over。Jody is not the nicest of people， some would say she has no empathy or feelings for anyone including her daughter 。 She does however know how to the play game。 Jody is up against some people that are as nasty if not nastier than herself 。Can anyone win if you can call it that。The pages turn quickly as the lights stay on。Kaira Rouda knows how to reel you in and keep you reading and The Widow is no exception。Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for another spellbinding read。 。。。more
Judy Odom
，
The Widow is a compelling read that has you turning the pages to see who will fall from grace next。Jody is the widow of Martin Asher and a longtime Congressman held in high regard 。 When he dies suddenly Jody must protect herself at all costs and ensure her feature no matter who she walks over。Jody is not the nicest of people， some would say she has no empathy or feelings for anyone including her daughter 。 She does however know how to the play game。 Jody is up against some people that are as na The Widow is a compelling read that has you turning the pages to see who will fall from grace next。Jody is the widow of Martin Asher and a longtime Congressman held in high regard 。 When he dies suddenly Jody must protect herself at all costs and ensure her feature no matter who she walks over。Jody is not the nicest of people， some would say she has no empathy or feelings for anyone including her daughter 。 She does however know how to the play game。 Jody is up against some people that are as nasty if not nastier than herself 。Can anyone win if you can call it that。The pages turn quickly as the lights stay on。Kaira Rouda knows how to reel you in and keep you reading and The Widow is no exception。Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for another spellbinding read。 。。。more
Nita
，
The Widow by Kaira Sturdivant Rouda is a fast pace suspense that is just perfect for this Fall！ While reading， told hubby just one more chapter only buzzing through three more！ Grandson's soccer game was the only reason i put it down but couldn't stop thinking about what Jody or Mimi would do next！ The Widow by Kaira Sturdivant Rouda is a fast pace suspense that is just perfect for this Fall！ While reading， told hubby just one more chapter only buzzing through three more！ Grandson's soccer game was the only reason i put it down but couldn't stop thinking about what Jody or Mimi would do next！ 。。。more
Sharon
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The Widow is another great read by Kaira Rouda！ Martin Asher， a Congressman for over 30 years and his （in every way possible） supporting wife Jody are the perfect Washington， D。C。 power couple or so it seems！ When an affair and talk of other scandalous behavior comes to the surface they will do anything to keep their place in society。 Jody is a very strong character that is so selfish you don't know if you should love or hate her。 When she becomes a widow - which is the title of the book so it g The Widow is another great read by Kaira Rouda！ Martin Asher， a Congressman for over 30 years and his （in every way possible） supporting wife Jody are the perfect Washington， D。C。 power couple or so it seems！ When an affair and talk of other scandalous behavior comes to the surface they will do anything to keep their place in society。 Jody is a very strong character that is so selfish you don't know if you should love or hate her。 When she becomes a widow - which is the title of the book so it gives nothing away - it's amazing to see what she will do。 She is not giving up her lifestyle she has worked so hard for！ 。。。more
Carolyn Amate
，
The Widow by Kaira EoudaPublish date Dec 1 2022Martin Asher is a congressman and Jody Asher his wife has been a huge support for him。 She also has her own ambitions so when he dies she takes his place and gets very involved。 I had so many mixed feelings about this book。 There was not ONE likeable character。 In fact they were all pretty horrific in nature。 The only thing that was redeemable about this book was the story did keep me hooked。 I had to keep reading to see how it ended。 I have read bo The Widow by Kaira EoudaPublish date Dec 1 2022Martin Asher is a congressman and Jody Asher his wife has been a huge support for him。 She also has her own ambitions so when he dies she takes his place and gets very involved。 I had so many mixed feelings about this book。 There was not ONE likeable character。 In fact they were all pretty horrific in nature。 The only thing that was redeemable about this book was the story did keep me hooked。 I had to keep reading to see how it ended。 I have read books by this author and I don't think rthis is one of her best。 I wouldn't recommend this but it's not a bad book just not great。 。。。more
Carolyn Amate
，
The Widow by Kaira EoudaPublish date Dec 1 2022Martin Asher is a congressman and Jody Asher his wife has been a huge support for him。 She also has her own ambitions so when he dies she takes his place and gets very involved。 I had so many mixed feelings about this book。 There was not ONE likeable character。 In fact they were all pretty horrific in nature。 The only thing that was redeemable about this book was the story did keep me hooked。 I had to keep reading to see how it ended。 I have read bo The Widow by Kaira EoudaPublish date Dec 1 2022Martin Asher is a congressman and Jody Asher his wife has been a huge support for him。 She also has her own ambitions so when he dies she takes his place and gets very involved。 I had so many mixed feelings about this book。 There was not ONE likeable character。 In fact they were all pretty horrific in nature。 The only thing that was redeemable about this book was the story did keep me hooked。 I had to keep reading to see how it ended。 I have read books by this author and I don't think rthis is one of her best。 I wouldn't recommend this but it's not a bad book just not great。 。。。more
Heli
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Jody Asher has been the wife of a congressman for thirty years。 Shel loves the power， prestige and money the position brings to her life。 There is also the political intrigue to consider and their daughters wedding to organize。 Jody's world begins to unravel when her husband Martin ends up being accused of several illegalities。 And then Martin dies。 What follows is political intrigue amplified。Jody is a strange character。 She loves power and money， but does not know how to interact with people。 Jody Asher has been the wife of a congressman for thirty years。 Shel loves the power， prestige and money the position brings to her life。 There is also the political intrigue to consider and their daughters wedding to organize。 Jody's world begins to unravel when her husband Martin ends up being accused of several illegalities。 And then Martin dies。 What follows is political intrigue amplified。Jody is a strange character。 She loves power and money， but does not know how to interact with people。 She's quite unlikable， like most of the other characters， the only exception being Charlotte， Jody's daughter。 But even she is quite drab and flavourless。The beginning was good and engaging。 For a long time I was expecting something， anything， to happen。 But it never did。 Characters have these long meandering inner monologues， that go on and on and only offer repetition。 Dialogue is simple and also often repetitive。 I can not call this book a mystery。 There a some twists in the end， but as they are hinted in the story and don't come as a big surprise。I liked the tips for new Congressmembers or their spouses between every chapter。 An interesting fact was learning that the autor was once one of the Congressional spouses。Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy of this book。 。。。more
ABC_Ashleysbooks
，
If you are going to be a politician’s wife， this has a ton of value for you。 As for me， it was definitely a slow burn。 This was a solid character driven plot with lots of drama， political drama， family drama and more drama for your mama
Katie Hansford
，
The Widow was a solid political thriller。 It wasn’t my typical read， but I appreciated its unique storyline。 I felt like it was a bit hard to get into and it fizzled out a bit for me， but I enjoyed the ending！Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC！
Nancy W。 （cabingirlreads）
，
Kaira Rouda is an auto buy author for me and I was excited to be approved to read and review THE WIDOW。Martin and Jody Asher were the golden couple on Capital Hill for fifteen years。 Days before their only daughter’s wedding， a reporter threatens to uncover a scandal involving Martin and his dealings which would ruin everything they have worked for。 There is also talk of an alleged affair Martin had with a young staffer。 Martin suddenly dies and Jody decides she will continue his legacy and run Kaira Rouda is an auto buy author for me and I was excited to be approved to read and review THE WIDOW。Martin and Jody Asher were the golden couple on Capital Hill for fifteen years。 Days before their only daughter’s wedding， a reporter threatens to uncover a scandal involving Martin and his dealings which would ruin everything they have worked for。 There is also talk of an alleged affair Martin had with a young staffer。 Martin suddenly dies and Jody decides she will continue his legacy and run for office filling his position。 Jane Asher has a treasure chest of secrets and bombshells that she’s not afraid to use in her climb to the top。 This author knows how to create the perfect narcissistic character you love to hate。 I despised Jody Asher just like I did Jane Harris in THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER。 She didn’t care who she hurt on her way to the top even her own daughter。 She even uses her grandchild solely for photo ops。 It was disturbing to read how she must force herself to behave like a mother to her daughter， the feelings not coming naturally to her。 There are several twists towards the end that took me by surprise and really elevated the story。 I love books about ruthless psychopaths and this one fit the bill perfectly。 。。。more
Mehva
，
This novels centers in Washington DC， a corrupt congressman， his sociopathic wife and his lobbyist with ties to China。 All unlikeable and after the death of the congressman， a power struggle between the lobbyist/think tank firm and the ambitious wife。 Hard to read in some ways as I couldn't relate to any character but also an interesting take 3。5 This novels centers in Washington DC， a corrupt congressman， his sociopathic wife and his lobbyist with ties to China。 All unlikeable and after the death of the congressman， a power struggle between the lobbyist/think tank firm and the ambitious wife。 Hard to read in some ways as I couldn't relate to any character but also an interesting take 3。5 。。。more
Marisha （MarishaReadsALot）
，
Thank you to NetGalley， Thomas & Mercer， and Kaira Rouda for the advanced copy of The Widow in exchange for my honest review。I can't really put my finger on what I didn't love about this one， but it was ultimately just okay for me。 I enjoyed the different character point of views， but the plot jumped around a little too much for my liking， and it never felt like we fully flushed out some of the developments。I also didn't suuuper love the ending， but it definitely had a clear direction。 If I had Thank you to NetGalley， Thomas & Mercer， and Kaira Rouda for the advanced copy of The Widow in exchange for my honest review。I can't really put my finger on what I didn't love about this one， but it was ultimately just okay for me。 I enjoyed the different character point of views， but the plot jumped around a little too much for my liking， and it never felt like we fully flushed out some of the developments。I also didn't suuuper love the ending， but it definitely had a clear direction。 If I had to compare this to something I'd say it's like a tame version of the TV show Scandal。 Loooots of political drama which I learned just may not be for me。 The Widow will be on US bookshelves December 1！ 。。。more
Cassie’s Reviews
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Martin Asher is a well known politician and he’s married to his gorgeous wife Jody。 She has stood by his side through thick and thin。 She’s well aware of his indiscretions and turns her cheek， because she has her own way of making him pay。 When Martin has an affair with a staffer， and it’s about to get out she isn’t happy about their legacy going up in flames， especially just before their daughters wedding！ When a reporter comes knocking and wants to reveal all their dirty laundry Martin and Jod Martin Asher is a well known politician and he’s married to his gorgeous wife Jody。 She has stood by his side through thick and thin。 She’s well aware of his indiscretions and turns her cheek， because she has her own way of making him pay。 When Martin has an affair with a staffer， and it’s about to get out she isn’t happy about their legacy going up in flames， especially just before their daughters wedding！ When a reporter comes knocking and wants to reveal all their dirty laundry Martin and Jody both know they need to stop it。 When Martin suddenly up and dies， Jody decides this is the perfect time to take control and show everyone she’s more than just Martins wife， she steps in and takes over his seat。 The reporter won’t let go of the story Jody knows she needs take story and turn into how she wants it told， and nothing is going to stop her from taking the future she wants。 Wow I loved this！ Jody was ruthless and conniving and I was here for it！ 。。。more
Nancy W。 （cabingirlreads）
，
Kaira Rouda is an auto buy author for me and I was excited to be approved to read and review THE WIDOW。Martin and Jody Asher were the golden couple on Capital Hill for fifteen years。 Days before their only daughter’s wedding， a reporter threatens to uncover a scandal involving Martin and his dealings which would ruin everything they have worked for。 There is also talk of an alleged affair Martin had with a young staffer。 Martin suddenly dies and Jody decides she will continue his legacy and run Kaira Rouda is an auto buy author for me and I was excited to be approved to read and review THE WIDOW。Martin and Jody Asher were the golden couple on Capital Hill for fifteen years。 Days before their only daughter’s wedding， a reporter threatens to uncover a scandal involving Martin and his dealings which would ruin everything they have worked for。 There is also talk of an alleged affair Martin had with a young staffer。 Martin suddenly dies and Jody decides she will continue his legacy and run for office filling his position。 Jane Asher has a treasure chest of secrets and bombshells that she’s not afraid to use in her climb to the top。 This author knows how to create the perfect narcissistic character you love to hate。 I despised Jody Asher just like I did Jane Harris in THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER。 She didn’t care who she hurt on her way to the top even her own daughter。 She even uses her grandchild solely for photo ops。 It was disturbing to read how she must force herself to behave like a mother to her daughter， the feelings not coming naturally to her。 There are several twists towards the end that took me by surprise and really elevated the story。 I love books about ruthless psychopaths and this one fit the bill perfectly。 。。。more
Christina Faris
，
Jody Asher is the perfect partner for her politician husband， Martin。 He has been a successful congressman until a scandal threatens to taint his legacy。 When Martin suddenly dies， Jody steps into the spotlight herself to secure her future。 Now a congresswoman herself， she will let nothing （and no one） get in her way。 This was another fast-paced， entertaining read by Kaira Rouda。 Told in alternating points of view， readers get the perspective of a politician the intense world of Washington， a sp Jody Asher is the perfect partner for her politician husband， Martin。 He has been a successful congressman until a scandal threatens to taint his legacy。 When Martin suddenly dies， Jody steps into the spotlight herself to secure her future。 Now a congresswoman herself， she will let nothing （and no one） get in her way。 This was another fast-paced， entertaining read by Kaira Rouda。 Told in alternating points of view， readers get the perspective of a politician the intense world of Washington， a spouse and various members of staff。 The short chapters are interspersed with tips/notes from former spouses and staffers。 This reminded me a bit of House of Cards with its cut-throat characters and leading lady’s willingness to do anything to get what she wants。 There were also some twists that I did not see coming at all。 Thank you to Netgalley， Thomas & Mercer and Kaira Rouda for the ARC！ “The Widow” is out December 1st。This review will be shared to my Instagram blog （@books_by_the_bottle） soon 😊 。。。more
Amy
，
I really enjoy the authors brand of writing， she always creates fascinating characters that are wholly unlikable but this is done intentionally。 You know that that you’re supposed to be annoyed by these people and they’re supposed to get under your skin and Jody was no exception。 There is something deliciously fun about reading about a devious character and I definitely enjoyed that aspect。 Unfortunately that’s about all I enjoyed here， so thank god for unapologetically awful characters like Jod I really enjoy the authors brand of writing， she always creates fascinating characters that are wholly unlikable but this is done intentionally。 You know that that you’re supposed to be annoyed by these people and they’re supposed to get under your skin and Jody was no exception。 There is something deliciously fun about reading about a devious character and I definitely enjoyed that aspect。 Unfortunately that’s about all I enjoyed here， so thank god for unapologetically awful characters like Jody haha。 I knew this centered on politics but it was just too much for me and I felt bogged down by all the political talk。 The drama felt convoluted and unnecessarily messy just for the sake of it and I didn’t fully believe many aspects of the characters actions and behaviors。 Overall a bit of a miss for me but if you like sociopathic characters and politically charged plots this may work for you。 。。。more
Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews
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FULL REVIEW WILL BE ON DECEMBER 2。A congressman and his wife were the power couple for many years until a scandal and other incidents come out。THE WIDOW takes us through Jody and Martin Asher's life before and after the scandals and as Jody is the push behind him。THE WIDOW was not a favorite for me。 It was cleverly done， but I didn't like any of the characters， and it dragged on for me。 There are some surprises at the end， but not enough to make me love the book。Those readers who enjoy turmoil， FULL REVIEW WILL BE ON DECEMBER 2。A congressman and his wife were the power couple for many years until a scandal and other incidents come out。THE WIDOW takes us through Jody and Martin Asher's life before and after the scandals and as Jody is the push behind him。THE WIDOW was not a favorite for me。 It was cleverly done， but I didn't like any of the characters， and it dragged on for me。 There are some surprises at the end， but not enough to make me love the book。Those readers who enjoy turmoil， secrets， watching characters struggle through solving problems， strong female characters， secrets， and a political backdrop will enjoy this book。 3/5This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review。 。。。more
Dawne Mccurry
，
The Widow is a creepy and twisty thriller that I loved。 Jody Asher is the dutiful wife of a Congressman from Ohio。 She revels in this lifestyle but always wants more。 Along the way she will fight to take down those who have betrayed her。 It is a story that takes you to an unexpected but delicious ending。 Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book to read and review。
Tracy
，
Enjoyed this one so much -- it was hard to put down。 It felt like an insider view of what goes on behind the scenes on Washington with suspense， intrigue and characters I loved to hate。
Ann Dudzinski
，
Jody and her husband Congressman Martin Asher have been a political golden couple for over thirty years。 Until Martin loses his shine and Jody sees the life she deserves slipping away。 Only Martin’s untimely death on the eve of his scandal becoming public saves Jody’s standing in society。 But she’s not done yet; she hasn’t had the life she dreamed of in college。 And if she couldn’t quite get there with Martin， why can’t she step into his shoes and become a political power in her own right？Ruthle Jody and her husband Congressman Martin Asher have been a political golden couple for over thirty years。 Until Martin loses his shine and Jody sees the life she deserves slipping away。 Only Martin’s untimely death on the eve of his scandal becoming public saves Jody’s standing in society。 But she’s not done yet; she hasn’t had the life she dreamed of in college。 And if she couldn’t quite get there with Martin， why can’t she step into his shoes and become a political power in her own right？Ruthless， ambitious， and completely lacking empathy， Jody has just what it takes to make it to the top。 She won’t let anyone get in her way; not her former best friend， nosy journalist， or younger candidate。 Because she knows exactly how to take them all out。I really wanted to like this book。 The cover is amazing and I’m all for a good political thriller。 The first chapter， with the Visine bottle， promised an amazing antagonist main character。 Unfortunately， it went downhill from there。It’s not unusual for the main character in a thriller to be the antagonist。 But normally there’s something off about them that’s dribbled in slowly so the reader is left wanting to know what their deal is。 The author tells you straight off that Jody’s a sociopath。 She admits it， has had conversations about it with her daughter and regularly reminds herself to be at least a little bit loving， because that’s what normal people do。 Frankly， it was difficult to buy and it made her seem incredibly 2-dimensional。Jody also had no arc。 I realize that the antagonist rarely does， but nothing changed for her except the people she was trying to con to gain power。 That might not have mattered so much if there had been at least one sympathetic character， but there wasn’t。 And not a single “aha” moment in the entire novel。 The one plot twist that did take me by surprise came out of the blue and hadn’t even been hinted at so it didn’t have any impact when it landed。The story might have been saved for me if the pacing had held some tension， but several chapters were told in hindsight。 Every character thought that everyone else was stupid， and necessary backstory was never given to explain why some of the characters did what they did， or at least not beyond me just having to accept their actions。 Lastly， and then I’ll stop ranting， most readers might not be old enough to remember the Monica Lewinsky scandal but I do。 I probably would have stayed away from the “sleeping with an intern” subplot line。It’s rare that I can’t come up with anything good to say about a book， but unfortunately this one falls into that category。1。5/5 stars ⭐+Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing the ARC。 I’ve left my review honestly and voluntarily。 。。。more
Elle Marr
，
Gripping and brimming with insider intrigue， THE WIDOW delivers with each scandalous， suspenseful page！ With a main character I loved to hate， this story has all of the twists and turns readers have come to expect of Kaira Rouda。 Grab your copy and get ready to tear through THE WIDOW faster than a pile of unmarked bills。
Erika
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Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。Martin Asher has represented the same Ohio district in the US House of Representatives for 30 years and his wife， Jody， loves being a rep's wife even though she wishes he would have aspired to more。 On the eve of their daughter's wedding， they get hit with scandals and a challenger backed by their daughter's in-laws to be。 But Jody is a schemer and won't go down without a fight。 I think none of the Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。Martin Asher has represented the same Ohio district in the US House of Representatives for 30 years and his wife， Jody， loves being a rep's wife even though she wishes he would have aspired to more。 On the eve of their daughter's wedding， they get hit with scandals and a challenger backed by their daughter's in-laws to be。 But Jody is a schemer and won't go down without a fight。 I think none of the books I have read from this author since Best Day Ever have lived up to how unexpectedly good that one was。 She has written several repulsive characters like Jody but I haven't found any of them to be nearly as entertaining as Paul Strom。 I didn't mind the DC setting because I do follow politics。 I found the party Jody and Martin were associated with to be questionable。 Certainly there are crooks on both sides， but in these times I would have expected the opposite party designation。 Anyway it was sort of entertaining but after hating her previous book I think I might be done。 I think Paul was the peak， everyone else is boring compared to him。 。。。more
Marisa
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Wow this book was twisted。 It was dark but in the best possible way。 Political warfare extends to all components of a politician life。 Where does that end？ Page turning and diabolically readable！
Becky
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Martin Asher is in Congress， and his wife Jody prides herself on being the charming wife of a political icon。 Though the 15-term congressman certainly has his secrets， his wife has a few of her own too。 When a reporter on the Hill breaks a news story about the Congressman's shady ties to China， as well as a potential affair with a staffer， his wife is determined to save her reputation - even if her husband's is already ruined。 They've been living above their means for ages， and their daughter Ch Martin Asher is in Congress， and his wife Jody prides herself on being the charming wife of a political icon。 Though the 15-term congressman certainly has his secrets， his wife has a few of her own too。 When a reporter on the Hill breaks a news story about the Congressman's shady ties to China， as well as a potential affair with a staffer， his wife is determined to save her reputation - even if her husband's is already ruined。 They've been living above their means for ages， and their daughter Charlotte's wedding was the social event of the season， even if it might have financially ruined them。 When Martin drops dead， Jody is determined that her life will not go back to how it once was - there will be no small town， anonymous living in her future。 She still deserves respect， and she'll get it one way or another。In a way， this was a refreshing story of political corruption in the wake of the political corruption we all lived through recently。 It almost seemed quaint compared to a twice-impeached president who tried to overthrow the government。 But the people in this fictional story were just as desperate to hang on to power as the real-life politicians。Jody is a fascinating， multi-dimensional character。 She's cutthroat， uncaring， and highly intelligent。 She's downright diabolical and I couldn't wait to see what she was planning next。 I wish there was a bit more about the daughter and her relationship with both of her parents， but admittedly the most fascinating character was her mother。FTC disclosure: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Widow
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Widow&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Widow&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0