This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
The Garden of Wives by Danielle LaCarak takes place in Orchid Hill, an exclusive gated community in Southern California where everything looks perfect, from the lawns to the wives. Cass Maccabee and her husband move in, hoping for a fresh start, and at first the neighbors seem welcoming. Before long, though, she begins losing time she can’t account for, and the more she notices, the more she suspects that the polished lives around her aren’t what they appear. Her husband isn’t much help, and the men who run the neighborhood seem to know a lot more than they’re letting on. When she starts asking questions, she finds out how quickly a perfect place can turn dangerous for a woman who won’t stay quiet.
The Garden of Wives by Danielle LaCarak is a dark, unsettling psychological thriller that grips you from the start. The opening is glossy and polished, then slowly turns into something far more sinister, and the mood is handled well, with the tension building steadily before racing to a chaotic finish. The story is told by several women in their own voices, mixed with news reports and garbled cipher passages that drop you into the confusion and memory loss, which is a clever touch. Danielle explores the pressure on women to look perfect and stay quiet, and the way technology can be used to control people feels uncomfortably close to real life. Some of the twists, especially near the end, are shocking. This is a mature adult read, and the content warnings mean it won’t suit everyone. If you like dark, twisty psychological thrillers with a feminist edge and can handle difficult subject matter, this is one to pick up.
