Rating: 3 out of 5.

This is a soapy contemporary mystery/thriller set in an exclusive, wealthy neighborhood in the Bay Area. Mystery writer Brooke is married to Jack, her older billionaire tech mogul husband. He is overly protective of Brooke and very private. Brooke is very submissive and pretty much does everything Jack tells her to do to keep up appearances of their “perfect” marriage.

Brooke befriends Erin and Georgia, two other wives on the block. Erin is a successful tv anchor married to a plastic surgeon and Georgia is the notorious “black widow”, a woman who was married to two different wealthy men who both died under mysterious circumstances shortly after their wedding to Georgia. Georgia is once again engaged and planning her perfect wedding to the new love of her life – well, at least for now. Although the women give off an air of confidence, they are secretly full of self-doubt and worry about their looks, their age and their marriages. Brooke surprisingly feels comfortable with Erin and Georgia, slowly becoming one of the girls. Plus, her writer’s block has disappeared and she finds inspiration in the lives of her new friends. The closer they get to Georgia’s wedding date, the more Brooke learns about Georgia, and whether the rumors about her are true or not.

This was a quick and easy read. As the mystery progresses, the story became more and more “out there”, bordering on ridiculous. But, just like a guilty pleasure, I couldn’t stop reading it. So, if you like sudsy, soapy stories, this is just the book for you. (I mean, just look at the title of the book!)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Ballantine Books. All opinions are my own.