The Last Mrs. Parrish Review

Synopsis from Edelweiss:

A mesmerizing debut psychological thriller full of delicious twists about a coolly manipulative woman who worms her way into the lives of a wealthy “golden couple” from Connecticut to achieve the privileged life she wants
Some women get everything. Some women get everything they deserve.

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted. To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne and her husband, Jackson—the beautiful philanthropist and the confident real estate mogul—are a golden couple straight out of a fairytale, blessed with two lovely young daughters.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn’t have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrish family, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.

With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent.

About: The Last Mrs. Parrish is a psychological thriller written by Liv Constantine. It will be published on 10/17/17 by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins, 400 pages. The genres are suspense, mystery thriller, and contemporary women’s fiction. Please see below for more information about the author.

My Experience: I started reading The Last Mrs. Parrish on 7/17/17 and finished it on 7/21/17. This book is a great read! It is very well executed! The build up, the actions, the dual perspectives, and the final reveal is delicious. Part 3 of the book had me hooked. I could not put it down. It’s an explosive ending and I could not ask for more!

In this book, readers will follow the point of view of Amber Patterson, a 26 years old woman with a made up identity trying to con her way into a wealthy family. The first 40% of the book is of her taking baby steps to win Daphne Parrish’s attention, her kids, and finally Daphne’s husband Jackson. The beginning portion of the book deals with a lot of Amber’s jealousy of being born with less and growing up not having much and her envy in Daphne’s extravagant wealth and lifestyles. As she weasel herself into being Daphne’s close friend, her plans begins to take shape. Part 2 of the book starts at 53% when readers will follow the point of view of Daphne Parrish. She recounts from the beginning about how she first met Jackson and how it was wonderful to be taken care of by a successful and handsome wealthy man. It’s a slow building into their courting, marriage, babies, and changes to life after marriage. The surprising turn of events had caught me off guard. Then part 3 of the book switched between Amber and Daphne’s perspectives and each person’s reaction to events taking place.

The beginning of Amber and Daphne’s life are predictable. It’s almost repetitive when Daphne recounted her beginning with Jackson because readers already learned a bit of their beginning through Amber’s view. This book is very well written and the story flow nicely. The early events unfold are light-hearted and what you would expect. I love that Daphne is smart and can think for herself when it seems she’s left with no options such as making the most in worst situations. I don’t like to follow Amber’s thoughts because she has vile intentions. I was surprised that Amber, who seemed strong willed and not afraid to stand up for herself to actually lose the power to control her life after she got married. This book is still a great read and I do recommend it.

Pro: great ending, suspense, an air of mystery, easy to read, a glimpse into the wealthy life, manipulation

Con: repetition

I rate it 4 stars!

Buy here for free shipping: Book Depository

About the Author:

Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. Separated by three states, they spend hours plotting via Skype and burning up each other’s emails. They attribute their ability to concoct dark story lines to the hours they spent listening to tales handed down by their Greek grandmother. They live in Connecticut and Maryland, respectively. (Photo obtained from the author’s website livconstantine.com and info obtained from Edelweiss).

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author Liv Constantine, publisher HarperCollins, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine