The Almost Wife
- Downloads：5186
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-25 10:51:14
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Gail Anderson-Dargatz
- ISBN：1443458422
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
If you almost had everything that you wanted， how hard would you fight to protect it？
Kira is engaged to the man of her dreams: he’s charming， handsome， wealthy， and a great dad to their baby， Evie， and his thirteen-year-old daughter， Olive。 Having grown up with a troubled relationship with her mother and mostly estranged from her father， Kira craves a close family and secure home， and with Aaron， Evie and Olive， she almost has it。 The only problem is Aaron’s ex-wife， Madison， who’s out of control and trying to get to Olive。 When Kira takes the girls out of town to her childhood summer home and finds out that Madison has followed them， she panics。
Between the beach and the forest on Manitoulin Island， Kira fights to protect Olive， Evie and her fiancé， until a dark secret threatens to unravel the life that is almost hers。 With the future she has built hanging in the balance， and her past haunting her at every turn， Kira must choose who to believe and who she wants to be。
Kira is engaged to the man of her dreams: he’s charming， handsome， wealthy， and a great dad to their baby， Evie， and his thirteen-year-old daughter， Olive。 Having grown up with a troubled relationship with her mother and mostly estranged from her father， Kira craves a close family and secure home， and with Aaron， Evie and Olive， she almost has it。 The only problem is Aaron’s ex-wife， Madison， who’s out of control and trying to get to Olive。 When Kira takes the girls out of town to her childhood summer home and finds out that Madison has followed them， she panics。
Between the beach and the forest on Manitoulin Island， Kira fights to protect Olive， Evie and her fiancé， until a dark secret threatens to unravel the life that is almost hers。 With the future she has built hanging in the balance， and her past haunting her at every turn， Kira must choose who to believe and who she wants to be。
Reviews
Jovdb
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Read this in one， rainy， rainy， day。I found this to be a fast read and raced to the ending。 Was the ending a little predictable？ Probably， but the characters were so well written， the setting on Manitoulin Island just perfect for the ending。As a mother， I can imagine doing anything to protect my child。 A mother is not just that person who gave birth to the baby， but the woman who nourishes and cares for it throughout their lives。 So Madison definitely has those feelings for Olive。It is difficult Read this in one， rainy， rainy， day。I found this to be a fast read and raced to the ending。 Was the ending a little predictable？ Probably， but the characters were so well written， the setting on Manitoulin Island just perfect for the ending。As a mother， I can imagine doing anything to protect my child。 A mother is not just that person who gave birth to the baby， but the woman who nourishes and cares for it throughout their lives。 So Madison definitely has those feelings for Olive。It is difficult for me to put myself in the place of the women in this book but the author did an amazing job of helping me imagine what it might be like。 I felt their frustration and fear。 A well written book that kept my attention throughout。 。。。more
smalltownbookmom
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I loved this Canadian domestic suspense thriller set mainly on Manitoulin island。 What better place to have to deal with "island time，" shoddy cell reception and an overabundance of deer！ As someone who has spent a lot of time on the island I loved all the references to different parts and couldn't get enough of that aspect of the story。 I also really identified with Kira， a new mother engaged to a man waiting for a divorce， whose daughter she's trying to protect from her seemingly crazy stepmot I loved this Canadian domestic suspense thriller set mainly on Manitoulin island。 What better place to have to deal with "island time，" shoddy cell reception and an overabundance of deer！ As someone who has spent a lot of time on the island I loved all the references to different parts and couldn't get enough of that aspect of the story。 I also really identified with Kira， a new mother engaged to a man waiting for a divorce， whose daughter she's trying to protect from her seemingly crazy stepmother。 This is a taut story that keeps you on pins and needles waiting to see how it will all unfurl。 Highly recommended for fans of The last thing he told me， The last Mrs Parrish or It ends with us。 There were a few scenes that made me very uncomfortable （be warned if you can't handle threats to small children but know that no real harm does occur）。 Definitely a departure from what you may be used to from Gail Anderson-Dargatz but I loved every second - a great book to add to your summer reading list！CW: domestic abuse， suicide， threats of harm to an infant 。。。more
Rita Law
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I kept reading to the end， very stubbornly。 Did not enjoy this book or the shallow characters at all。
Kylie
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I absolutely flew through this book！ I have a cottage on manatoulin island， therefore it was interesting to connect and comprehend the setting of the novel， and I really enjoyed my experience reading。 The audiobook was amazing and I definitely recommend reading and listening along。 Overall a page turner full of twists and turns and a story that will stay with you forever。
Zena Ryder
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I don’t normally read thrillers， so I can’t compare this one to others in the genre。 （In fact， I can’t think of a single other thriller I’ve read。） But I really enjoyed this one！ Although there is doubt sown all the way up to the climax， so you can’t be certain of anything， you probably won’t be surprised at the end。 It’s not a mystery; it’s a thriller — with lots of gaslighting （which I find particularly unnerving so it was powerful for me）。It was also incredibly tense for much of the time。 I r I don’t normally read thrillers， so I can’t compare this one to others in the genre。 （In fact， I can’t think of a single other thriller I’ve read。） But I really enjoyed this one！ Although there is doubt sown all the way up to the climax， so you can’t be certain of anything， you probably won’t be surprised at the end。 It’s not a mystery; it’s a thriller — with lots of gaslighting （which I find particularly unnerving so it was powerful for me）。It was also incredibly tense for much of the time。 I really felt for Kira in her impossible situation when she’s trying to keep both Olive and Evie safe。 At a thankfully much less intense level， I recognized that parental urge to do anything to keep my kids safe — but at the same time， not knowing what to do。 I also LOVED how Anderson-Dargatz wove in Kira’s backstory throughout the novel。 It was masterfully done。 I found Kira to be a rich， well-drawn， believable， sympathetic character。 The descriptions of Toronto and the house that Kira shares with her fiancé and also the descriptions of Manitoulin Island were very vivid。 Despite the scary stuff that happens， it makes me want to visit Manitoulin Island some day。 :）As well as this being a tense page-turner， I also got a little teary at the end of the book。 A quick， satisfying read that’s perfect for a day at the beach！ 。。。more
Marilyn Boyle-Taylor
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“Almost” didn’t finish it。 I skimmed about 15 pages near the end， I was so fed up with it ， but then returned for the ending。 It’s an awful title， and I found the main character underdeveloped and scattered in her actions。 Not all can be blamed on a difficult childhood。 I’ve stayed away from this authors work before， but I did expect a higher quality of writing， a good example if the genre instead of this slight imitation。 She was good at giving a positive impression of the island， however。
Virginia
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I almost liked this。 Unfortunately， the missing-husband-she-didn't-really-know plot has been done to death （I just finished another one yesterday）， and a few of the twists could be spotted very early on。 There was only one real surprise for me and by that point in the book it didn't make any difference as the characters were so difficult to care about。 I'm on the lookout for other books by this author since I think they're going to be rewarding and maybe redeem her writing for me。 Yay Canadian w I almost liked this。 Unfortunately， the missing-husband-she-didn't-really-know plot has been done to death （I just finished another one yesterday）， and a few of the twists could be spotted very early on。 There was only one real surprise for me and by that point in the book it didn't make any difference as the characters were so difficult to care about。 I'm on the lookout for other books by this author since I think they're going to be rewarding and maybe redeem her writing for me。 Yay Canadian writers！ Great writing， unlikeable characters and a déja-vu plot。 2 1/2 stars。 。。。more
E。A。 Briginshaw
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Well-written story that builds the suspense as it moves along， but I found I didn't like any of the characters， particularly the protagonist， Kira。 I know she was supposed to be a flawed character， but she made so many bad decisions that it made her seem unbelievably stupid。 Well-written story that builds the suspense as it moves along， but I found I didn't like any of the characters， particularly the protagonist， Kira。 I know she was supposed to be a flawed character， but she made so many bad decisions that it made her seem unbelievably stupid。 。。。more
Kim
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This thriller by Gail Anderson-Dargatz grabs you from page one and doesn't let go until the end。 I'll be honest that I wasn't crazy about the main character but she won me over by novel's end。 This is a departure from the literary novels that Anderson-Dargatz usually writes， so know that going in if you are a fan of her other work （as I hugely am）， but if you like thrillers you won't be disappointed by this fast paced ride。 This thriller by Gail Anderson-Dargatz grabs you from page one and doesn't let go until the end。 I'll be honest that I wasn't crazy about the main character but she won me over by novel's end。 This is a departure from the literary novels that Anderson-Dargatz usually writes， so know that going in if you are a fan of her other work （as I hugely am）， but if you like thrillers you won't be disappointed by this fast paced ride。 。。。more
Onceinabluemoon
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3。5， all the hunting details are a huge turn off。。。
Marsha
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WOW！ This was an unputdownable thriller！ Many flawed characters who come together in the most propulsive way， making the reader want to strangle them in frustration but also wanting to give them all a hug。 Brava Gail Anderson-Dargatz。 You've hit it out of the ballpark with this one。 WOW！ This was an unputdownable thriller！ Many flawed characters who come together in the most propulsive way， making the reader want to strangle them in frustration but also wanting to give them all a hug。 Brava Gail Anderson-Dargatz。 You've hit it out of the ballpark with this one。 。。。more
Lauren McCabe
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The Almost Wife is a domestic thriller， by Canadian Gail Anderson-Dargatz， that will make the perfect beach read this summer。 Kira is a competitive runner who has fallen into a whirlwind romance with Aaron。 In a matter of a year， they are engaged， they’ve had a baby and Kira has become stepmom to Aaron’s daughter， Olive。 At first， life looks seemingly flawless。 Very quickly， life starts to unravel as Aaron’s ex begins stalking Kira and her family。 The question is， does the ex have a reason to be The Almost Wife is a domestic thriller， by Canadian Gail Anderson-Dargatz， that will make the perfect beach read this summer。 Kira is a competitive runner who has fallen into a whirlwind romance with Aaron。 In a matter of a year， they are engaged， they’ve had a baby and Kira has become stepmom to Aaron’s daughter， Olive。 At first， life looks seemingly flawless。 Very quickly， life starts to unravel as Aaron’s ex begins stalking Kira and her family。 The question is， does the ex have a reason to be doing this？ Does Kira know everything she needs to know about Aaron and her new family？ This is the first novel by Anderson-Gargatz I’ve read but it won’t be the last。 Her writing flowed easily and the twists and turns， although somewhat predictable， kept me on my toes。 I would have liked a bit more time in character development but， overall， a fabulous read。 A sincere thank you to Harpers Collins Canada and Netgalley for the digital ARC。 Four stars！ 。。。more
Emily-kasandra Cliche
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*arc from netgalley*This book was intriguing， but pretty easy to guess。 I knew the ending after 10 pages and I felt it was really redundant and the same mistakes were made over and over again。 The whole situation was also pretty intense for nothing， I was curious to see where it went， but not interested？ Anyways。 It was good， but not that much。
Mackenzie RM
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3/5 starsIt took me a long time to get into this book。。。 I was probably 85-90% in before I was ‘hooked’， wanting to know what would happen。How well do you truly know the man or woman you love？ How far would you go to secure your dreams of a family？ Kira grew up in a broken home， and now she searches for the security of a family with Aaron， Olive， and Evie。 But there are things she doesn’t know about Aaron and his past relationships that could change everything。 The set-up for the story was slow。 3/5 starsIt took me a long time to get into this book。。。 I was probably 85-90% in before I was ‘hooked’， wanting to know what would happen。How well do you truly know the man or woman you love？ How far would you go to secure your dreams of a family？ Kira grew up in a broken home， and now she searches for the security of a family with Aaron， Olive， and Evie。 But there are things she doesn’t know about Aaron and his past relationships that could change everything。 The set-up for the story was slow。 It’s only once we get to the tail end of the book that secrets and lies begin to be revealed。。。and then we go 0 to 100 with the drama。 The story just rubbed me the wrong way I guess。 I was never fully committed because I couldn’t really connect to the characters or the story。 None of the characters are truly likable for me， yes， they are all flawed in some way。。。 but they’re also frustrating and annoyingly shallow。 The climax of the story was suspenseful， which was what saved it for me。 The ending was decent and neatly tied up the story。I thought it was kind of cool that the plot was set in Ontario， Canada。。。 setting it apart from most novels of this genre， which are typically set somewhere in the US。I would like to thank Edelweiss and the publisher of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review！ All opinions expressed are my own。 Upon publishing of this novel， I will also be posting my review to Amazon Canada。 。。。more
Enid Wray
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Something new for Anderson-Dargatz - a full on thriller。 She provides lots of insight - clues - into the final reckoning right off the bat， and while some of the action is predictable， there are enough twists to maintain the tension right up until the point of final reckoning。But， even in its ‘newness’ this title sticks to what she writes best。 Strong women - even if they don’t always appreciate that about themselves - and small communities。。。 and the ties that bind， the memories and relationshi Something new for Anderson-Dargatz - a full on thriller。 She provides lots of insight - clues - into the final reckoning right off the bat， and while some of the action is predictable， there are enough twists to maintain the tension right up until the point of final reckoning。But， even in its ‘newness’ this title sticks to what she writes best。 Strong women - even if they don’t always appreciate that about themselves - and small communities。。。 and the ties that bind， the memories and relationships that keep us grounded， and from which - ultimately， when needed - we draw that deep inner strength to see our way out of moments of crisis - of both the physical and emotional/psychological variety。 It is about trauma， and how it reverberates through our lives - across generations。 But it is also about healing and hope， and breaking those same cycles。Add in the setting on Manitoulin Island （albeit taken licence with）。。。 and you’ve got this reader sold。 It’s been a few years since we’ve been to the island… perhaps it’s time to visit once again。Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting access to an early digital review copy。4。5 rounded to 5 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Almost Wife
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Almost Wife&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Almost Wife&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0