#BookReview: The Widow by Kaira Rouda @KairaRouda
Hi everyone. Today I have a book review for you from an author new to me, Kaira Rouda. Here’s my review >>>
About the Book:
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 wasnβt.
Martinβs secret affair with a young staffer doesnβt bother Jody personally. But professionally? Itβs a legacy killer. Soon a reporter gets word of this scandal in the making, and Martinβs indiscretions threaten to ruin everything Jody has accomplished.
When Martin suddenly dies, itβs a chance to change the narrativeβbut the reporter wonβt let go of his lead. As the balance of power shifts in the Asher house and on the Hill, itβs time for Jody to take control. And thereβs nothing the ruthless widow wonβt do to secure the future sheβs entitled to. Even if she has a secret of her own.
My Review:
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An entertaining readΒ
βBehind every successful man is a ruthless wife who made it all happen, or so they say.β β¦ I loved this opening line, together with the promise in the book description of a ruthless woman who would stop at nothing to get what she wants. Unfortunately, I donβt feel the book delivered on this promise. By the end, I felt the main character had lost her way somewhat and the whole thing fell flat.
Jody Asher most certainly was manipulative and selfish, and a character I loved to hate, but once her husband died β¦ which happened well into the story after some great build up β¦ the whole thing unravelled. As people abandoned her and the obstacles mounted, I kept waiting for her to do something big, or at least go out with a bang, but for me, this didnβt happen, and the final quarter of the book became hard going. By the end, I wondered what the point of it all was, other than the obvious and well-known political shenanigans, that is.
All in all, an entertaining read but not one that left me wowed. I give The Widow 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for rating purposes. If you like political dramas, and a detestable main character whoβs sassy, witty, and fun in a bad way, then youβll enjoy this read.
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NOTE ON RATINGS:Β I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.
5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! β Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER β Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! β An okay read. Didnβt love it. Didnβt hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS βLacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA βLots of issues with this book.
For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …
UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08B8BDLW1/
US https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08B8BDLW1/
Iβd love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by πΒ
Hi Harmony, thanks for your honest review. I’ll give this one a miss as I think it will irritate me.
Itβs not one Iβd want to repeat! Thanks, Robbie ππ
I love your reviews. And it seems we like to read many of the same books. Unsurprisingly, I have this book awaiting me on my BFK. I was hoping to beach read it, but now I’m hesistant. I love juicy power stories escape reads in between the nonfiction reads, but I get ticked when I’ve spent good time reading a book, among so many others, only to find a disappointing end. I did that once last year 380 pagesl I was so engrossed in the characters and plot and it didn’t even tie up the storylines in the end, leaving me feeling it was a very unfinished ending. I never published my review on my Sunday book review either. Hugs <3 xx
That is so frustrating! Thanks so much, Debby. Hugs ππ
Thanks for the honest review, Harmony. It sounds like the book had a strong start before losing its momentum. Sassy, witty, and fun appealed to me, but I think my world is too full of political drama right now. Lol. Happy Reading!
Lols! I know that feeling π Thanks, Diana ππ
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Harmony.
My pleasure, Joan ππ
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this book, Harmony.
Youβre welcome, John ππ
Great review, Harmony!
Thanks, Denise! ππ
Good review. It certainly does promise a lot. It sounds like I’d be disappointed, too.
I loved the premise and the promises. I would have loved it if it had lived up to its hype. Thanks, Jacqui ππ
This is a good review, Harmony. It’s too bad it fell apart, but it sounds like the majority of it was fun.
It was. Thanks, Kymber ππ
It’s a shame the story fell apart in the latter half of the book. Even so, it sounds like a decent read. A well-balance review, Harmony!
I would have loved this to stay strong to the end! Thanks, Mae ππ
It sounds like a fair review, Harmony. Sometimes endings are difficult. I’ve come across books like that before. Start off brilliant, then taper off.
Yes. Sometimes itβs like the writer doesnβt know where to go with the last quarter. Thanks, Viv ππ
I wrote one with a weak ending years ago. but I took notice of my Amazon and Goodreads reviews and rewrote the final chapters. It definitely improved it in several different ways, and it went on the win an award. Let’s hope Kaira Rouda reads what Harmony has had to say and does the same. I’d add it to my TBR list if she did.
Hi Harmony
You’re being too nice by the sound of it, rounding up not down. π
Love, Sarah xx
Where I give a half-star, I prefer to round up rather than down. And some of this was really well done. Thanks, Sarah ππ
I know you prefer to round up. An awful lot must have been extremely good. π
I suppose I do it sometimes. I gave The Santa Killer by Ross Greenwood 4 stars and this was my review.
“This book has a lot going for it, but the end was dragged out with tying the ends of too many personal lives. There is a twist in the tail anybody who gets bored at 85% will miss.”
Sounds fair. In so many instances the writing is good and just lets itself down in a few places. Which can make for tricky reviewing. Thanks for your input, Sarah ππ
Mathematically, Harmony, you are right 0.5 is always rounded up, never down.
Thanks, Viv ππ
Great review, Harmony. Thank you for sharing. I’ve not read anything by Kaira, but I’m intrigued. My congratulations to the writer.
Thanks, Gwen! ππ