Nobody’s Wife by Laura Pearson

I am so thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour today for Laura Pearson’s second novel, Nobody’s Wife, which is available to buy now!

I was a little late in reading Laura’s first novel, Missing Pieces, and when I did read, I absolutely loved everything about it. When I heard that Nobody’s Wife was coming out and was offered a review copy, I stalked the postman on a daily basis until it arrived and when it did, it was moved straight to the top of the TBR.

I was not disappointed.

Sisters, Emily and Josephine, are closer than most sisters, but when Emily marries her boyfriend, Michael and moves out of the flat they share, both know that their relationship will change. Soon after, Josephine meets the perfect man in Jack, and it seems that life is on a new and exciting track for both couples. But lust, obsession and betrayal lies just around the corner.

Firstly, I have to say that Laura has a knack for writing the best prologues! In both novels I’ve had an emotional hammer wielded at me with very few words. In this case, it was half a page. Half a page and I’m fully invested. That is one heck of a skill.

One of the things I love most about Laura’s writing is that she doesn’t so much create characters, as she does create people with her words. No person is perfect, we exist in a world of a billion shades of grey, and so to should characters. Every person is flawed in some way, and in many ways those flaws are what make us who we are. In a world obsessed with perfection, I love to read novels like this. One which doesn’t seek to apologise for the decisions of its characters, but instead explores emotional depths and the effects of choices made with understanding and empathy. This really is a wonderful study of real life and the repercussions of choices made.

Sisterhood is always a subject I am drawn to in novels. As a sister myself, I was really intrigued by the story and the implications for Emily and Josephine. The nature of their relationship and the transitional stages throughout the novel were a highlight, particularly the overall impact on Josephine and the development of her character.

In my opinion, Nobody’s Wife is brilliant. It would make an excellent book club novel as there is just so much to discuss, and as you discuss the layers fall away. Full of betrayal and heart-break, but there is something beautifully hopeful woven throughout it too. It’s a novel that will stay with me and one I know I will re-read. Just gorgeous.

Synopsis

‘Of the four of them, only three remained. And there was no going backwards from there.’

Emily and Josephine have always shared everything. They’re sisters, flatmates, and best friends. It’s the two of them against the world.

When Emily has the perfect wedding, and Josephine finds the perfect man, they know things will change forever. But nothing can prepare them for what, or who, one of them is willing to give up for love.

Four people. Three couples. Two sisters. One unforgiveable betrayal.

From the best-selling author of Missing Pieces comes a heart-wrenching story about family, loyalty, and obsession that will have you racing to the finish.

About the Author

Laura Pearson has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester. She spent a decade living in London and working as a copywriter and editor for QVC, Expedia, Net a Porter, EE, and The Ministry of Justice. Now, she lives in Leicestershire, where she writes novels, blogs about her experience of breast cancer (www.breastcancerandbaby.com), runs The Motherload Book Club, and tries to work out how to raise her two children.