Title: The Next Mrs. Parrish
Author: Liv Constantine
Year Published: 2024
Genre: Domestic Suspense
Setting: The United States
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(3.5)
The Next Mrs. Parrish: A Blurb
Amber Parrish is enjoying her time in Bishops Harbor high society while her husband, Jackson, is in jail for tax evasion. The only problem? He’s getting out soon, and she’ll have to deal with him, even though she wants out of the marriage ASAP.
Across the country, in California, Daphne Parrish is trying to leave everything related to Jackson, her ex-husband, and Amber, who wrecked her marriage, behind her. However, it’s getting difficult when her daughter Tallulah hates her for keeping them away from Jackson. Trying to alleviate Tallulah’s depression and bad behavior, Daphne returns–only to discover that Jackson wants to trap her in the marriage once again.
Daisy Ann is a wealthy Texan socialite who recognizes Amber from her past. Amber’s sins have gone unpunished, and Daisy Ann wants to be the one to deliver justice.
The Next Mrs. Parrish follows the perspectives of these three women and traverses the US with drama at every corner.
A Brief Disclaimer
Like with A Charming Touch of Tarot, I never read the first book. I wanted to before I read this one, but unfortunately, it wasn’t available at the library, so I just jumped in. The authors did a great job of effortlessly weaving in the plot of the first book, so this wasn’t a problem. I might have enjoyed it slightly more and had a deeper connection to the characters had I read the first book, but I did feel like I had a decent grasp on what was happening.
My Thoughts
This was my first Liv Constantine novel, and after hearing so many good things, I wanted to love it. Instead, it fell more into the “like” boat. Overall, it was a decent read. The writing was excellent and the characters were interesting. Apart from Daisy Ann, few were likeable, but I find that that generally creates a more compelling story.
That is, I believe, the main strength of the novel. The characters were incredibly compelling, whether that was positively or negatively. I wouldn’t necessarily say that they developed much (if at all) over the course of the novel, but they were intriguing and kept the story moving forward. Telling the story from three different characters’ perspectives allowed for an interesting, albeit a bit disjointed at times, story.
Daisy Ann and Amber’s Stories
I thoroughly enjoyed Daisy Ann’s perspective. She was a character you could root for, and I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this storyline. Especially when compared to Amber, who is such an awful character that you feel visceral hatred toward (kudos to the authors for crafting such a hateable character), you enjoy her and her plot a lot. The dirt Daisy Ann dug up on Amber’s past? Fascinating and easily the best part of the story. These two arcs were very twisty and turny, and although the three arcs don’t converge until the end, this held most of the drama and excitement for me.
Daphne’s Story
My main issue with the book is Daphne’s arc. Despite having escaped from a psychopath ex-husband, Daphne decides to return to see him because their daughter is being a brat about it. Everyone warns her against it. Yet she goes anyway and predictably ends up back in the hands of that truly vile man. From the start, I was already mixed with Daphne; she’s obviously doing what she feels is best for her kids, and she’s working through her own trauma, but she makes an incredibly dangerous decision in the end. The consequences that follow are to be predicted.
Those consequences, naturally, are despicable, abusive actions from her ex-husband. Again, all of this could have been prevented. However, my main issue with this arc is that it started to feel more like torture porn. I get that it was supposed to be uncomfortable, and it definitely was, but I don’t know if I personally needed that much on-page abuse. After a certain point, it started to feel excessive to the plot.
The Pacing
I’m a bit torn as to my opinion on the pacing. On the one hand, there wasn’t anything wrong with it per se. There was a lot happening and several characters to balance. Each had their share of screen time (except for Daisy Ann at the beginning, but it was made up for by the end) and their personalities shone through. For me, some parts seemed to drag a little bit, and I found myself asking, Okay, so when is it going to start to feel like one story instead of three? several times. Obviously it all made sense by the end, but it felt like there was a little wanting there.
Overall
I’d definitely still recommend The Next Mrs. Parrish to anyone who loves domestic suspense, intriguing (and messed up) characters, and multiple plotlines. If you’re sensitive to stories about domestic abuse, however, I’d definitely sit this one out, as there is a lot of on-page emotional abuse.
Have you read The Next Mrs. Parrish? Let me know what you thought!
